Chapter 19
The afternoon had been quiet as the two White Lotus Sentries relaxed in their dorm. The two had just gotten off duty less than an hour ago and came straight home to relax as they knew they were limited on free time. With the decision to keep the bending arena open, all Sentries were told to be on standby for the night in case of emergency.
Because of this, the two, a pair of twin sisters, hadn't even bothered to change from their uniforms and instead decided some tea and Pai Sho would be a relaxing way to unwind. The younger of the two, her hair cut just below her ears, was setting the board up just as her elder twin placed the tray with their tea and cups down to sit.
A knock came at the door, surprising the woman. Turning to her sister, who looked just as perplexed, she stood and made way toward the door. Her boots made the floor creak under each step while her deep blue cloak flowed behind her, along with her dark brown hair.
Turning the knob, she peered outside, asking, "Hello?" before her eyes fell upon their guest. A smile came to her face as she declared, "Sota? What are you doing here?"
"Is that Sota?" her little sister asked, her short hair bouncing as she got to her feet and made her way to peer around the door.
"Hi Tula, hi Essa," he said as Tula stepped aside to let him in. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything."
"Nonsense, you know we don't mind you stopping by. Why don't you have some tea with us? It's Jasmine and we just brewed it."
"Thank you, I'd be glad to. How've you guys been?"
"Not too bad, though having to pull a double shift tonight is gonna be rough," Essa said as she moved her helmet to free up a seat while Tula closed the door and made her way to the kitchen to retrieve a third cup. "Come, sit. Tell us how your time in the city has been. We've barely seen you since you and Avatar Korra started going to the probending matches."
"Speaking of which, did you hear Lee is willing to bet his whole next month's paycheck on the Wolfbats? I'm tempted to take him up on that offer, but I just got finished paying off the last bet I made with him," Tula complained as she flopped back into her seat, slouching.
"Oh, did he now?" Sota asked, a tense smile coming to his face. "I'll keep that in mind next time Korra and I need a training assistant."
"Stop trying to get Lee hurt, Tula. Don't forget, if he's in the infirmary, we're gonna be the ones stuck covering his shifts," Essa said, before turning back to Sota. "How's your waterbending practice been going?"
"Actually, that's why I came to visit," Sota said, prompting the two to give him their full attention. With a nervous smile he asked, "I know its not really normal protocol, but I was wondering if I could…borrow some equipment?"
"Uh, you wanna run that by us again, kid?" Tula asked, a look of disbelief on her face. "Because I'm pretty sure you just asked if you could-"
"Borrow White Lotus Sentry equipment," her sister finished for her as she poured a cup of tea for Sota. Placing it down, she slid it toward him, saying, "But that certainly can't be what we heard, because that would be a dumb thing for such a smart kid like you to ask."
"And you're supposed to be the nice twin…" Sota thought to himself as he gently took the cup and sipped the tea to calm his nerves. He knew what he was asking was…well, stupid, but he was certain that Tula and Essa would at the very least hear him out.
Given that they were fellow Waterbenders, they would give him tips every now and then on his form to help him improve. Sota appreciated their help and would in turn help them clean the training area when it was their turn, something that had allowed him to get more acquainted with them and the very equipment he hoped to use.
"Just hear me out," he said, placing his cup down. "I just wanted to borrow a water satchel. Mine is getting old and is small compared to the ones you use."
"Why do you need a bigger satchel?" Tula asked as she rose to her feet once more but made way toward her room. In the back, Sota could hear the sounds of a door opening and boxes moving.
"I've been getting better at controlling larger amounts of water, but it doesn't mean much if I can't carry that amount around with me. So I thought a good way to get better would be to increase the amount I carry."
"Ohhh….so you're trying to impress a girl, are you?" Essa teased, watching as his face began to turn red. From the room, he could also hear Tula cackling, likely imagining his very expression. "Trying to bulk up and build some muscle? Which one is it? It's the little brown haired Fire Nation girl with the gold eyes and the braid, isn't it?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, his grip going iron tight on his tea cup as he refused to look at her. If he wanted to get interrogated like this, he'd of just gone to his sister.
"Sure, you don't. You just naturally turn that shade of red too, right?" Tula asked as she returned with a box. Sota leaned forward to peer into it as she placed it on the floor but was stopped as Tula flicked his forehead. The sting made him recoil before looking at her in displeasure. "Not so fast, kid. I don't just loan my stuff away for free. You want, its gonna cost you."
"How much?" he asked nervously.
"I want front row tickets to that training session you have with Lee," Tula said with an evil smirk on her face.
"And maybe put in a good word for us with Tenzin?" Essa asked with a laugh. "We're trying to go on vacation next month and the extra good favor of the Avatar's little brother would go a long way."
Sota looked from one sister to the other before leaning forward again, this time actually peering into the box. As his eye fell upon its contents, a smile came to his face and he declared, "You two have got yourselves a deal!"
The night was upon them quicker than Sota would have liked, and before he knew it, they were on the ferry to the arena. The rocking of the water should have helped to calm his nerves, but if he were being honest, he didn't know if he was excited or scared.
Even from a distance, Sota could make out the numerous metal boats of the Metalbending police, as well as the blimps, reinforcing the unease he felt.
Tonight was the championship match and was no doubt going to be seen as one of the most historic nights in the city's history. The only question was whether it was going to be on the good side or bad.
Sota was brought from his thoughts as Korra nudged him to let him know that they had arrived, and the two made their exit, escorted to the arena doors by the White Lotus Sentries. Korra felt embarrassed as the crowd cheered and tried to approach her, only to be driven off by the Sentries.
"Thank goodness they're not coming in," Korra mumbled as the two entered. "While I appreciate the Sentries, I'm worried having me so guarded like that will put people on edge."
"True, but you know Tenzin would chew them out until the next Solstice if they let anything happen to you between the boat and the front doors," Sota commented, adjusting his cloak to pull his hood down.
"Any particular reason you're wearing a cloak?" Korra asked, before leaning in and scrunching her face more to ask, "Where did you even get that?"
"Yes, there is a reason, but I'm not gonna tell you why until later. And to answer your second question, I may or may not have borrowed a spare cloak from the White Lotus laundry room."
"Uh huh…alright, well, get up to the box. I'm gonna go meet the guys," she said, though she paused at his hesitant look toward the stairs. "Hey, if you're not feeling up to being in the owner's box-"
"No, its ok," he reassured, giving her a small smile before starting up the stairs. His heart rate increased with every step, the loud thumping of his blood rushing to his ears drowning out any noise he would have heard until he reached the door.
He'd been standing there for more then five minutes and still hadn't made a single effort to reach for the doorknob. He didn't know what he was going to say or what he was going to do. He knew he'd have to face them, and he knew Jun would still likely be angry with him.
Could he fix their friendship? Was tonight the night? Was he going to reveal his darkest secret? Would they accept him if he did?
"Ladies and Gentlemen! We kindly ask that you all find your seats as the final preparations have been complete and the Championship match will begin shortly!" Came Shiro's voice, and Sota mentally grumbled about having no time left.
With one last deep breath, he opened the doors, the sounds of the crowd jumping dramatically as the lights were dimmed. Sota walked in, seeing that Asami and Hiroshi had taken the seating in the front that he and Mai-Ling normally sat in, with Jun taking the last one. Mai-Ling sat in the back and was the only one to turn to greet him when he entered.
"Sota!" She whispered, a smile on her face. "You made it just in time, the match is starting."
"Well, I certainly wouldn't miss this match for anything," he whispered back as he took the seat next to hers. Pushing the cloak aside, he offered her his hand to which she accepted, smiling at him before they faced forward in anticipation. Mai-Ling gave his hand a squeeze to calm both of their nerves and the spotlights focused in on the stage.
"The anticipation is palpable as we are just moments away from the championship match. Will the Wolfbats' ferocity help them repeat as champs? Or will the underdog Fire Ferrets serve up a surprising bowl of smackdown soup?" Shiro announced. Down below, Bolin was giving Pabu a pep talk while Korra and Mako finished adjusting their gear.
"Now I know there's a big crowd but don't be nervous. You're gonna do great, I believe in you," the Earthbender said while the Fire Ferret looked at him in confusion.
Out on the field, the center platform rose as the announcer was bathed in the spotlights to present to the crowd. "Introducing the challengers, the Future Industries Fire Ferrets!"
The spectators screamed in excitement, especially the ones who had gone of out of their way to dress as the Fire Ferrets themselves, as the platform moved forward with the three players. Korra waved to them, making sure to look to the box where Sota was and wave to him.
The boy had a wide smile on his face as he used his free had to wave back, though quickly say her face drop. He was confused for a moment until he noticed from the corner of his eye Mako shooting a wink and kiss toward them, and quickly put the pieces together. He continued to smile, though this time sheepishly. He felt bad for his sister, but what more could be said really?
"You're on, Pabu," Bolin whispered as they stepped onto the stage, prompting Pabu to hop from his shoulder and to the ground. The crowd grew surprisingly quiet as he stood on his front paws, going a few steps forward before rolling back and through the hole of an earth disk Bolin bent to float in the air. With a quick pass through, and another back, Pabu stuck his landing, finishing it by standing only on his front right paw. With an enthusiastic cheer, Bolin said, "Yes! Nailed it!" followed by a whisper to his teammates, saying, "He's so talented!"
In their balcony, Mai-Ling gushed over the Ferret's outfit, saying, "Awe, he looks so cute!" while a few in the crowd gave small claps for the little creature's show. Turning to her uncle, she added, "See, I told you it was a great idea, Uncle Hiro. I bet you could make a fortune on stuffed Fire Ferret dolls with little jerseys."
Hiroshi laughed hardily, replying, "Well, I must say, dear, you were right on this. Though, I suspect that there maybe another reason for your doll idea."
"I mean, someone would need to prototype it for you, right?" she asked sweetly. "And possibly get a cut for coming up with such a brilliant idea?"
Before their conversation could continue, their attention was drawn back to the stage as the announcer said, "And their opponents, the three timed defending champions, the White Falls Wolfbats!"
The platform suddenly exploded in fireworks and the three players, who all wore bat wing caps and masks, howled as they threw their arms in the air. A second ring of explosions was set off around the edges of the audience railings, and soon the crowd was howling and cheering at the top of their lungs.
Sota's smile slipped as he grimaced at the three, recalling his last run in with them. His eyes drifted to his other friend, but he said nothing before turning back as they waited for them to remove their costumes.
"Pfft, they got nothing on us, buddy," Bolin said bitterly as he turned away, scratching Pabu's head lightly. "Anybody can howl," he added, a halfhearted howl coming from his mouth. "Hm, whatever."
As Tahno took his mask off, throwing it away in a dramatic fashion before moving on this his cape, Korra stated to her team, "I'm gonna knock Tahno's stupid hair off his stupid head!".
Up in the stands, Sota declared, "Korra, you better knock Tahno's stupid hair off his stupid head!" though he wished he was the one down there about to wipe the stage with him.
All six players lined up in their starting positions as Shiro said, "The champs and challengers face off at the centerline, and here we go!" before ringing the stating bell.
The Wolfbats wasted no time rushing forward, especially Tahno who quickly bent water around his fist as he got in close and tried to sucker-punch Korra. Just barely dodging, Korra quickly backflipped to put space between them, only to be quickly greeted by the water from his kick that followed. As the Avatar fell, Mako looked on in disbelief from what he'd seen, but continued to try to battle.
"Tahno tries to clean the Avatar's clock with some dirty water boxing," Shiro said. "While Ming shakes off Mako's attack and returns the favor."
"What was that!" Sota shouted, as they watched Mako get forced back a Zone. "That bastard just cheated and tried to punch Korra!"
"Yeah, we all saw it, so shut up about it already," Jun spat back nastily, surprising Sota.
"Jun, knock it off," Asami reprimanded as she looked across her father to the girl. "You agreed you would be nice or else you'll be listening to the rest of the match in the car."
Jun said nothing back, keeping her eyes forward, nor did Sota as he sat back, not wanting to cause more problems. Mai-Ling squeezed his hand, mouthing "I'm sorry," to him, receiving a nod of appreciation though she didn't need to.
"Shaozu gets fancy, but Bolin ricochets a disk off the ropes and says 'No, thank you sir!'" Shiro said as he knocked the firebender off his feet. The crowd watched him roll a few times before cheering in excitement.
"Nice shot!" Mako complimented before sending another fireball at Tahno and Shaozu.
"The waterbenders slug it out, looking evenly matched," Shiro said as Korra and Tahno went shot for shot, something that didn't last long as Tahno spun, gathering more water and shooting a stream at Bolin, sending the unsuspecting player all the way back to Zone 3." Tahno gets a little too worked up and unleashes a deluge on Bolin that would certainly elicit a foul."
The buzzer came, though it wasn't the one expected as the green light was given for the Wolfbats to push forward into Ferret territory.
"Or apparently not," Shiro said, a bit confused.
"What's the big idea, ref? That was a hosing foul!" Mako cried out as he backed up, but the ref seemed to ignore him, signaling for the players to proceed, something that did not sit well as the crowd booed.
"And the Wolfbats advance despite Tahno exceeding the waterbending time limit. A questionable call by the officials," Shrio said as the match continued. Korra was quickly knocked over as Bolin tried to provide some support from the back for her and Mako. His attempts were in vain, it seemed, as an earth disk under his brother's foot jumped up, knocking Mako off balance to receive another disk right to the face from Ming. "Ming trips up Mako with another dirty trick!"
"Oh come on, refs! There was some funny business in that last play!" Tenzin shouted as he and Lin watched from the stands.
The chief of police smirked as she commented, "Wouldn't have guessed you knew the rules of pro-bending?" while crossing her arms.
"Oh yes," he said, correcting himself. "I've been brushing up. I wanted to be able to support Korra and Sota's hobbies. Regardless, that Wolfbat blatantly bent a disk outside of his zone."
Sota could feel himself getting warmer as a few beads of sweat sprouted on his forehead. He had to remind himself that he was holding Mai-Ling's hand so as not to clench too hard from the frustration he felt, but this was driving him insane, and there was nothing he could do about it.
The grip on his hand tightened as Mai-Ling clenched her teeth, a sneer on her face as she watched the Wolfbats trip up and knock Bolin off the stage with an icing move.
"I can't believe the ref's are just letting this happen," she said as their friend belly flopped into the water below. "They're not even trying to hide it!"
"Of course they're not," Jun spat as she slammed her left fist down on the arm rest. "This is how they won last year, and the year before that, and probably the year before that, so why switch things up now?"
"Well, this is certainly outrageous," Hiroshi said as they watched Korra get pushed back into Zone 3 with Mako. The force of the hits knocked her off her feet, leaving her defenseless on all fours, but Mako was quick to come to her aid, diving in front of her to throw a lash of fire to defend them.
Unfortunately, the force of the explosion sent both he and Korra tumbling back and off the side.
"It's a knockout! The Wolfbats win the championship for the fourth year in a-" Shiro started to declare as the bell rang, only for something, or rather, someone, to catch his eye. "Hold on a second, folks! Scratch that! The Ferrets are still alive, but just barely."
"GO KORRA!" Sota shouted as they all jumped to their feet.
Down at the edge of the stage, the Avatar struggled, barely holding onto the side of the stage as well as the limp form of Mako. The firebender held as still as possible so as not to throw off Korra's grip; she was their only hope, and if she fell, they were both doomed.
With a grunt, Korra tightened her grip on Mako's collar before starting to swing back and forth. With each pass, she gained more momentum, before giving Mako a toss upward with a heave. The second he left her grip, Korra fell, and could only watch as he ascended back onto the platform, hoping her efforts had been enough.
The firebending captain landed lightly, allowing him to turn and spin, shooting a fireball directly into the back of the gloating Wolfbats. Their celebration was cut short as the fireball hit Tahno perfectly dead on, bouncing him back a zone.
The other two Wolfbats turned in surprised to him, while Tahno, none too happy, stood to face Mako. His teeth were grit in anger as the firebender smirked at him in his boxing stance, finishing his taunting with a wink which only seemed to anger the waterbender more. Tahno gave a low growl which was followed by the buzzer sounding the end of the first round.
"Well, I think I've seen quite enough," Hiroshi said, surprising everyone as he shuffled past Jun and started to may his way to the door.
"Where are you going, Dad?" Asami asked.
"I need to have a word with the promoter about this clearly rigged event. Not only is this completely unacceptable from an ethical standpoint, as a sponsor of one of the competing teams, I will not stand for this," he said, preparing to leave.
"We should go with you. The police said to make sure not to travel the halls alone once the match started," she said, following him.
"I would feel more at ease knowing you were safe here, with your cousins, Asami. But, I know you would worry," he said before looking to the three kids. "You three stay here and keep an eye on things. If you see any other funny business, we'll need to know about it once we find the proper people to deal with this."
"Understood, sir," Sota said.
"Make sure that you don't leave this balcony unless it's an absolute emergency," he pressed, looking to the Mai-Ling in particular. The twelve-year-old bowed her head and seemed to sink in under his scrutinizing gaze, confirming the seriousness of his words with a nod. Sota noticed this, surprised as he'd never seen her act this way before, nor had she ever mentioned being scared of her uncle. "We'll come back to get you once we've taken care of things."
Mai-Ling and Sota watched the two leave before turning back to see Jun also watching from over her shoulder before facing back forward. The green clad girl said nothing to either of them as she took her seat again to finish watching the match, and neither said anything to her, remaining standing with looks of sadness on their faces from her coldness.
"What's wrong with these refs?" Korra complained as the three huddled up.
"They've been paid off; it's the only explanation. Someone wants us to lose," Mako confirmed unhappily.
"If the Wolfbats are gonna fight dirty, then so should we," she replied, looking over her shoulder at the smug trio.
"No, we can't!" Mako stated. "The refs have it out for us. If we're gonna win this thing, it has to be fair and square."
"Argh, that's no fun but ... all right," she relented as the bell rung and they got into position.
"Round two!" The Announcer shouted as the bell rang again.
"The opening salvo is a brutal call as both sides give it their all," Shiro said as the teams got to it. Korra blocked her head from a blast of water, and as it stopped, she prepared to retaliate, but stopped as she looked down. She was quick to notice that her foot was covered in ice, breaking her focus and leaving her open to another blast, courtesy of a kick from Tahno.
Sota clenched his teeth, embarrassed as past memories of himself doing the same to Korra came to mind. He made a mental note to apologize to her again for those times as he watched Mako and Bolin barely dodge incoming attacks.
Mako's eyes went wide as he leaned back, watching as the ball of fire passed over just where his head had been, and much to everyone's relief, the bell for the second round to end came.
"Round two will be decided with a tiebreaker!" The Announcer said. The two teams walked to the center line as the ref, whom the Ferrets all eyed disdainfully, came down to meet them all center court. Pulling out a coin, one side showing blue for the Wolfbats, the other Red for the Ferrets, the referee flipped the coin into the air, allowing it to twirl a few times before catching it.
"The Fire Ferrets win the coin toss," he declared after opening his palm. Looking to them he asked, "Which element do you choose?"
"I'm taking this one," Korra said, determination in her eyes as she stepped forward. "Let's go! You and me, pretty boy!"
"Thought you'd never ask," he said smugly as he sauntered forward.
The other benders stepped out of the circle, as did the ref, leaving just Korra and Tahno. Both backed up to the edge of their side before getting into a stance, ready for the go as the platform rose them up. As the lock activated, the two shifted side to side like two animals waiting to strike.
"Come on, Korra!" Mai-Ling cheered, throwing her free hand up in a fist. "Knock his block off!"
"You think your sister can be levelheaded enough to actually beat him?" Jun asked. Sota said nothing, choosing to ignore both Jun's tone and her question. There was no doubt in his mind Korra could do it. The question was how she would.
"Come on, little girl. Give me your best shot," Tahno taunted, causing Korra to narrow her eyes.
Jun opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly shut down as Sota said, "Just shut up and watch.", preventing another snarky remark.
Eyes still narrowed, Korra threw a quick right jab, sending a shot at him, but Tahno made easy work of dodging it. However, before he could send a shot back, he found himself looking at the ceiling and his eyes going cross from the second blast he received.
Sota suddenly found himself laughing hysterically, confusing the two girls.
"Hey, mind sharing with the class what's so funny there, ice for brains?" Jun asked.
"That move she just pulled? I did that to her when I was little all the time. She used to always throw these fancy moves in my face, and then one day, I shot snow at her, and when she moved to the side, I kicked a snowball into her face," Sota explained as the crowd cheered for Korra.
"Hmph, chump," the Avatar taunted at the fallen Tahno.
"Round two goes to the Fire Ferrets!" The Announcer said as he pointed to them.
Korra hopped down as the platform lowered, high fiving Mako as he and Bolin ran up to her.
"Nice one!" The firebender said to his teammate.
"That's the stuff. You are my herooo-ah!" Bolin cheered.
"We might actually win this thing!"
The three pre-teens watched as the Wolfbats helped their captain stand, though Tahno was quick to push them off him. Whipping his cowlick back, he looked at the Ferrets angrily, swearing to send them to watery grave.
"I don't like the look in that psycho's eyes," Sota said. Mai-Ling looked, nodding her head in agreement.
"Yeah, well too bad. Suck it up and just watch," Jun replied, arms folded as she leaned on the rail.
"Jun, that's enough," Mai-Ling said as she stepped forward, keeping their hands connected. "You need to stop being hostile to him when he hasn't done anything to deserve it."
"Of course, you'd say that" Jun grumbled. You're just a dumb lovesick puppy, that's why. She thought to herself.
"One round apiece; who wants it more?" Shiro cheered as the bell rang. "The Wolfbats fly out of the gates, swinging with bad intentions."
The Wolfbats were indeed coming in with bad intentions as all three seem to be trying to focus one Ferret at a time. The Ferrets were struggling to hang in there, but they weren't giving up without a fight.
"The challengers are showing a lot of heart, but the champs are really starting to find their rhythm now. Can the Ferrets hang in there with the best, especially when the best are frankly getting a little help from the refs?" Shiro asked, watching as Mako threw a flurry of fire from his fists. "It's all down to this final round! Mako is leaving it all in the ring, but it looks like Tahno and Ming are up to more shenanigans!"
The two players in question could be seen, combining a broken disk with the water that Tahno was quick to whip across the stage and into each Ferret player's face.
Sota could feel his breath catch in his throat as he stared down at the trio, each tumbling off the edge one after another into the water below. His hearing escaped him as he could only stare in disbelief while Tahno and his teammates strut around like they had accomplished something other than tainting the victory that should have belonged to the Fire Ferrets.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS!" Jun shouted, jumping to her feet angrily.
"I barely broke a sweat," Tahno taunted, removing his helmet before raising a first and asking cockily, "Anybody else wanna scrap with the champs?"
Sota could feel the very ground moving, shaking under his feet, making him wonder for a moment if he'd blacked out and had started running down the stairs to dive headfirst into the pool to drown these scumbags. His mind became more coherent with each passing second, quickly registering that he was indeed still in the owner's box as well as that something wasn't right.
Out in the distance, a flash of light caught his eye. Then another. And then another.
Sota gave a hard swallow, his pupils expanding in fear as multiple flashes began to go off and the sounds of pain could be heard echoing around.
The waterbender dropped his friend's hand, though she didn't seem to notice, her attention now also on all the flashing going on. Jun, her anger now forgotten, looked around in confusion as Sota could feel the color drain from his face and a cold sweat beginning to build.
"What's with all the lights flashing?" Jun asked as Mai-Ling stepped forward to stand next to her. The two leaned over the railing, only to recoil as they looked down to see a man getting painfully electrocuted. His screams could be heard as his body twitched before he dropped to the ground, unconscious.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" Mai-Ling screamed in fear.
"Folks, there is some sort of electrical disturbance in the stands. Metalbender cops are dropping like bumbleflies. There appear to be masked members of the audience wielding strange devices on their hands," Shiro could be heard over the loudspeaker. The three turned to the announcer's booth, their young minds starting to panic as the reality of the situation hit them.
Amon was making his move.
A loud crash came over the speaker, and Shiro could be heard declaring, "One of them is in the booth with me right now, folks! He is leveling one of those glove devices at me now and I believe he is about to electrocute me. I am currently wetting my pants." Before he too cried out in pain and the speaker went dead.
Sota had to take a step back, feeling the start of a panic attack coming. His heart was beating 100 miles a minute, and he could feel his legs shaking as his breath grew shallow. Mai-Ling and Jun had stepped back from the railing, coming to a stop in front of him as both shook in fear. Jun clutched onto her best friend as tight as she could, while Mai-Ling turned back to him.
"What do we do, Sota!?" Mai-Ling asked anxiously, her eyes wide.
Sota didn't have an answer for her. Not that he would have had the time to give it as the door behind him shot open from a forceful kick. The boy turned, eyes quickly falling upon two masked Chi-blockers, both brandishing gloves that crackled to life with electricity.
The two seemed to stare for a moment, their eyes locking with the kids' as if they drawn to the fear in them and contemplating if it were right to do this to them. The taller of the two men looked to the smaller before taking a step toward Sota, raising his glove and reaching out to him. The world seemed to move slower as it drew closer, and in the back of his mind, Sota would hear his name being called but made no effort to respond.
"SOTA!" Mai-Ling screamed. There was a pause that was quickly followed up by an explosion of electricity from the booth.
The Equalist war had officially begun.
To be continued…
A/N: Hello everyone. Long time no see. I just wanted to jump in real quick. I had stopped doing these years ago but figure now is a good time to bring them back for special occasions.
Don't worry I'll make this quick.
First, I just want to thank everyone who has previously and continues to support this story. I've had a lot of people reach out to me about this one over the years and its one that I have a lot of big plans for, some of which you will start to see in the next chapter.
Speaking of which, if you decide to review this chapter, let me know you thoughts on the story and what you think is gonna happen next. I'm always interested to hear people's feedback on y stories as well as where they think they story is headed (don't worry, I don't plan to steal any ideas lol. I've got this planned out to season 4 and beyond).
Until then, you all have a good one and I'll see you guys later.
-Blak-Ice