As Azula, Ivan, and the others escorted Hei toward the next car, the Princess nodded to Ty Lee. Without warning, Ty Lee gave Hei a series of quick jabs at various points on his body, causing him to collapse as the Ruskians looked on in shock. "Ugh," the Dai Li man grunted as he fell forward, still conscious.

"A-Azula, w-what did she do!?" Ivan questioned as he looked on in horror.

"And now you see why I brought Ty Lee with me," she replied nonchalantly, walking up to the agent and the two shocked Ruskian hussars holding him. "I apologize, but we needed to ensure you couldn't use your bending," she explained. "It will wear off in an hour or so."

"Fine," he replied, understanding why they would take such a measure. Of course, he didn't fully understand what the girl had done to him, but he wasn't in any position to ask.

Not long after, he found himself in the second car from the front and saw the Grand Duke standing in the center, surrounded by his guards. "Ivan, Your Highness, what is the meaning of this?" Nikolai asked.

"I apologize for the lack of warning," Ivan began. "But this man and his colleagues wanted to defect to our side."

His Father cocked a brow. "Is that so?" He questioned, to which Hei nodded. "And why would that be?"

The man felt conflicted about what to say. Of course, he wasn't entirely happy about what the man standing before him represented: a foreigner who, in an incredibly short amount of time, had destroyed a kingdom that had lasted centuries. But, despite his reservations, he knew that if he wanted to ensure his city's survival, he would need to compromise. But, he would wait to answer until after the Grand Duke's son spoke. "He sees us as a better alternative to any others who might claim ownership of the city," He expounded.

Nikolai crossed his arms and cocked a brow at Hei. "Is this true?"

Hei nodded his head. "Yes."

The Grand Duke stroked his short beard. "Hm, very well," he began before turning to the others. "Leave us. I wish to speak with him alone."

His son nodded. "Yes, Your Imperial Highness," he replied formally before turning and leaving. Though, curiously, he noted the Fire Princess turn back for a moment before the doors shut behind her.

"Now, who are you, and what purpose would your defection serve?" The Grand Duke asked.

"I am Agent Hei, a member of the high circle of the Dai Li. It was I who commanded the force which captured one of your officers, and I also was there when the Avatar planned to take your life," he informed as Nikolai's eyes widened. "I do not know much of you, Grand Duke, but I believe if my people are to survive, you are our best hope."

Nikolai frowned. "And why would your people not survive if we weren't here? Surely you would wish for your country to remain independent?"

The man cocked his brow. "Did the Princess not inform you of what will happen? Of the comet?" He inquired, his tone deathly serious.

The Grand Duke put a hand to his chin before shaking his head. "No, she said nothing about a comet."

Agent Hei nodded. "I see... In that case, let me explain: In the month of bā yuè. (August) We predict Sozin's comet will arrive," he explained as Nikolai continued to stare at him in concern. "Exactly 100 years ago, Firelord Sozin, the Fire Princess's Great-Grandfather, used the power granted to Firebenders during the comet to wipe out almost all of the Air Nomads."

The Grand Duke's eyes widened, his expression darkening. "Is that so?" The man nodded. "Why?"

"To destroy the Avatar," the agent answered. "The Air Nomads, while not entirely popular, were pacifistic people. Unfortunately, due to how the cycle works-"

"What cycle?" The Grand Duke questioned, his tone having lost any of the niceties. His mind seemed to be racing even while he stared at him, his eyes cold and calculating.

"The Avatar cycle," the agent replied. Despite his growing unease, he kept his focus on explaining as unbiasedly as possible. "Water, Earth, Fire, and Air, this is the cycle of the Avatar... At least, until your son ended it."

The Grand Duke nodded. "So what are you trying to say? This demon could continue existing even after death?"

Hei nodded. "Yes, at least, under normal circumstances-"

"So he could still be alive!?"

The agent pondered for a moment. "To be perfectly blunt, I am uncertain."

As Ivan, Azula, Ty Lee, and the others returned to their car, they decided to remain behind the one Nikolai occupied rather than heading to the one they were inside originally. Of course, no one was surprised when the conversation turned to Ty Lee's abilities, but what she had explained astounded and terrified him. "So, what you're saying is that you can stop someone from bending or even moving just by punching them in certain spots?"

"I just told you that, silly," the girl replied. "But yeah, that's basically it, but it took a long time to figure out how it worked in practice. And even then, it's not as easy as it looks."

Pyotr nodded, even though Ivan knew he hadn't understood a word. But, if he wanted to continue this "relationship," the Grand Duke supposed he would have to teach him the basics eventually. After all, it's not like you could marry a woman you didn't understand. "I see."

"Yeah, you've always been pretty good at that stuff," Mai said as Azula smiled.

"Indeed. After all, it's why I picked you girls. You both had unique skills that I lacked," she stated proudly.

Both frowned at her words as Ty Lee looked away sheepishly. "Yeah, like when you got jealous of Ty Lee being better at acrobatics and pushed her into the fountain in the palace garden?"

Azula went stock still as Ivan turned to her with a cocked brow. Yet, simultaneously, she noted the slight quiver of his lips as he tried to avoid laughing. "Is that true?" He asked, his slight chortle evident of his amusement or disbelief.

Azula sighed and shook her head. "So what if it was? I was ten. Besides, you two did things I didn't like and never apologized!" The Princess huffed while crossing her arms.

Mai gave her an inquisitive look. "Like what-"

"Stop it!" Ty Lee shouted as all eyes turned to her as she stood up, shocking Pyotr. "Just stop. Look, I forgot that even happened, so can we please move on?"

While Sergei and Ivan stared at each other in confusion, both girls sighed. "Fine, I forgive you for trying to throw a knife at my head," Mai said.

Azula looked confused for a moment. "Wait, when did that happen?"

Mai levelled a cool glare at her before sighing. "Forget it."

As Katara sat going over Aang for the umpteenth time, she heard movement and turned to Iroh, who had walked over to her. Appa lay to her left, quietly snoring away while Momo, their flying lemur, slept on his head. Without a word, the older man sat down and offered a sympathetic look. "I understand your pain, but I think you should go rest. You'll need it for the journey ahead."

Katara shook her head. "No. Someone needs to watch him. To make sure he'll make it," she retorted.

"Considering what you've told me about the water you received from the North Pole, I'm sure he will," the aging man answered.

The Waterbender watched the unconscious Avatar, studying as his chest rose and fell with each breath. When they first saw him, he was choking on his blood, and his heart had a gaping hole. Yet, despite everything she knew, he breathed once more, as the spirit water he Master gave her had seemingly healed him immediately. Unfortunately, the only thing it couldn't erase was the bits of metal still embedded deep inside. Of course, Toph got most of it, yet despite her ability to bend metal, she couldn't detect the rest, even though Katara swore she still felt it. "I hope so," she answered at last.

The retired General put a hand on her shoulder. "He is a strong spirit. Have faith in him."

Katara nodded. "I guess so-" Suddenly, she paused as she heard the distant sound of Ruskian weapons firing. "Oh no," she said, standing up as her head snapped to the direction of the sound. As she did, Appa groaned in fright as Momo shot into the air before diving behind him.

Iroh turned to her. "Take Aang and put him on the bison. I'll keep a lookout," he commanded, his tone leaving no room for debate as he ran to the edge of the forest and looked in while she used her waterbending to lift Aang onto the saddle using a water bed and placing him down before stowing her water back inside her waterskin and climbing up, ready to take off.

As the minutes wore on, the sounds continued getting closer until eventually- "-Run faster, Zuko!" She heard her brother scream, and she tensed as she prepared to lift off.

Without a word, Iroh stood and began running toward her, followed by Zuko and a worse-for-wear Sokka carrying Toph on his back. Thinking quickly, Katara prepared to leap off, only to freeze as a shot whizzed by and grazed her ear. "Agh!" She cried, trying to ignore the pain as first Iroh, then the boys reached the bison and roughly shoved Toph onto the saddle, with Katara and Iroh helping to pull her up just as the Ruskians began appearing through the brush. "Убейте ублюдков!" (Kill the bastards!) One shouted as he and the dozen others aimed their weapons and prepared to fire-

"Yip, yip!" Only for Appa to toss them aside with a gust from his tail as he took to the skies, causing their shots to go wide. However, unlike last time, there was nowhere to hide until they reached the mountains, and the Ruskians took full advantage as they continued shooting, causing Appa to grunt and groan as blood began falling to the ground below as several shots landed and hit his sides and presumably his underbelly. "Crap!" Katara shouted as she attempted to steer the bison in erratic patterns to evade the deadly attack. However, after less than a minute, it seemed they had flown out of range. "Phew. That was close," she sighed.

"Tell me about it-" Zuko began before pointing at her ear. "Uh, Katara? What happened to your ear?"

Suddenly, feeling slightly enraged with the adrenaline still pumping in her veins, she turned to him. "What do you think!? I nearly got my head blown off! How about you-" But she felt all the anger disappear when she saw Toph. Of course, she didn't have a good view and wasn't paying close attention. But when the Waterbender saw the state of her friend, she paused. Toph lay struggling, a bloody bandage with glimpses of blue tied around her side. When she turned to Sokka, she realized a large chunk of fabric was missing from his tunic. "What happened?" Katara asked as she moved back to assess the damage.

Turning away, Sokka shook his head. "Toph nearly died, and it was all my fault," he stated, his voice firm yet clearly saddened as Iroh attempted to put a hand on his back, only for him to bat it away with his shoulder. "We never should've gone back."

"Damn it! They got away!" shouted Lieutenant Amyanov as he kicked a loose stone. Of course, he'd at least given one of them a good licking, the blood dripping from his sabre a stern reminder. However, some might have laughed or scolded if he told anyone that he'd slashed a little blind girl in the side. But, considering what he'd seen that little devil do to his comrades, he would take it as a small victory nonetheless. He wasn't even sure how he got close enough, considering everyone else who'd tried was either dead or maimed. But, for whatever reason, she had stopped moving, and he'd used the opportunity to avenge his fallen brother.

"Sir, are you alright?" asked one of his subordinates.

Amyanov shook his head. "No. Not until every last one of those devils is dead!" He shouted, turning his thoughts to the two boys who'd lied about who they were and their intentions. No, they must have been bandits or thieves, given they knew basic tactics and had decent skill with the sword. The fact the scarred one was able to defeat a Cossack Officer in single combat proved that. But he had no time to think of that. Not since he'd seen them fly away on that strange beast of theirs. No, now, it was time to count the dead. "But that is the least of our concerns. We must tend to our men."

Wei and his comrades struggled to hold back the tide and their growing impatience. At least a dozen of his comrades lay dead, and many others, including himself, were injured. But despite their inexperience, it was their Ruskian commander who'd surprised them all by taking a stone for one of the others, inspiring them to remain steadfast. Of course, Wei still wasn't fond of him and the others, but he could at least respect such a leader. As for the crowd, while they didn't appear as aggressive as they did earlier, some kept trying to antagonize them. "Keep the line! Things will calm down eventually!" shouted his replacement. "Hold firm!" He commanded as a contingent of Ruskians arrived to support them.

After arriving at the middle ring station, Ivan, his Father, Azula, and the rest of their entourage quickly made for the protest on foot, escorted by their Hussars. They soon split up, with Nikolai demanding that the teens remain atop the wall to watch while he dealt with the protesters. So, they did just that, with the younger Grand Duke watching as his Father, followed by Agent Hei, and most of the Hussars went down while they headed for the ramparts. Upon reaching the top of the wall, Ivan could only feel a sense of sadness as he gazed upon the confused mass standing between several thin lines of soldiers. Even from here, he could hear the occasional chants and cries which filled the air, but surprisingly, he also noted long periods of silence. "What do you think will happen now?" Ty Lee, of all people, questioned.

The young Grand Duke remained still for a moment before turning to her. "To be honest, it is up to my Father," he stated. "He'll know how to handle this."

Azula walked up beside him. "Why not just fight back?" She questioned.

Ivan shook his head. "There's no need. Not in this situation. Besides, if there were, it wouldn't be a fight."

The Fire Princess cocked a brow. "And why is that?"

With a grim expression, Ivan pointed toward the crowd. "Just look."

Azula did as he suggested and found herself shocked. They had them surrounded. In the lower, a mix of Ruskians carrying pikes and vintovki prevented them from retreating. Then, when she ran to the opposite side and peered down, she noted that, in the middle ring, there appeared to be gaps in the line, but from this high up, she could see the lines of waiting men and horses, their weapons flashing in the sunlight. When she returned, she realized the same was true even if they broke through the men holding the line.

Ty Lee approached and glanced about before nodding. "Hm, pretty smart, but you think they could handle benders? I mean, Earth is their element."

The Grand Duke thought for a moment. "Indeed, this is true. But no matter their power, no man is immune to the terror of the Ruskian bayonet," he stated. "But, if it hasn't come to that already, I doubt it will, especially now that Papa is here."

When Nikolai marched out of the station, escorted by Agent Hei, his Dai Li, and the Hussars, the soldiers holding the line withdrew to let them pass, gaining access to the crowd. Seeing him in full parade dress was enough for them to cease their chants and struggles as all eyes centred on him. Thinking quickly, Hei bent him a small pedestal, which he took advantage of with a quick nod to the man as one of his aides handed him a megaphone. When he stepped up, the platform rose higher, and he took a breath, and it seemed the entire city held theirs before he opened his mouth. "Greetings, good people of Ba Sing Se!" He shouted. "I am His Imperial Highness, Grand Duke Nikolai Vladimirevich Asimov, the younger brother of His Imperial Majesty Vladimir II Asimov! I stand before you as I have heard your cries! You weep for the dead of this city, and yet you have added to the toll!" He bellowed, gesturing to the injured men who remained at their posts. "I will accept the responsibility for the deaths of your loved ones, for it was by command that we conquered this city!"

The people remained passive, though each pair of eyes told a story. Some spoke of anger and resentment due to his words, others were confused or wanted to hear what he had to say. But in all of these, there were several which appeared fearful. One of these individuals stepped forward, his face a mask of rage, even while his eyes remained filled with terror, which turned to determination as he spoke: "And who are you to conquer our beloved city!? Why did my brother have to die!?"

Of course, it was a difficult question for Nikolai to answer, for this man was honest, at least in this instance. Why did he go through all this trouble? Why did so many have to perish? For what? Militarily, he came to conquer to ensure a haven to build factories without the sorcerous nations being able to threaten them. Yet, his far more personal reason was to pull Ivan from the front, as the spirit had guided him to, lest he should lose his firstborn. But, now, many innocents had paid for that choice, but perhaps, given what the Dai Li man had informed him of earlier, that may have been a blessing in disguise. After all, he remembered how little care Azula had shown when speaking about the refugees at the Bulwark, now aiding in expanding and modernizing the fortifications. If her view represented how her nation conducted war, he feared what they would do to a city that resisted them for so long. "You are right to ask such questions!" He shouted back. "And yet, it seems the Lord has delivered you into our hands!" He stated after a moment's pause.

"However, I know well that such words could never fill the hole left in your hearts by the men who fell or were forever doomed to be maimed and injured by what you see as an unprecedented attack against your people! I do not ask for forgiveness, and nor will I act the belligerent conqueror. Nay! For I have conquered several nations, and with each, I have learned it is best to stretch forth my hand before more bloodshed is needed. While you have lost many, I, too, have lost dear friends and nearly even my life! On the night, after my men marched victoriously through these streets, we were attacked by a great spirit, The Avatar!"

At the mention of the boy, the people froze, while that same man who'd questioned him became overcome with terror, as though he knew what he was going to say next-

"Liar!" Another fearful man shouted as he threw a stone at him, evidently trying to start a riot. But, as it got closer, the Grand Duke's eyes widened as he realized it was much bigger than he expected, and it was heading right for his head-

"NO!" At least until a fist-sized rock smashed into it, breaking it into tiny pieces as it impacted harmlessly on his uniform. The people looked on, stunned, as Agent Hei leapt onto the platform. "None of you may harm him, for he is our last hope! The Avatar is no more! I saw it with my own eyes, slain by this man's son!" He shouted, causing the people to rear back in terror as the man who'd thrown the stone and several others tried to retreat into the crowd-

"YOU!"

"ТЫ!" Agent Yong paused his retreat the moment the Grand Duke uttered that word. His index finger pointed directly at the disguised Dai Li as the crowd surrounding him turned toward him. "REBEL, INSURGENT! TAKE HIM!" The man bellowed with unnerving calm, and the next thing he knew, the crowd turned on him.

He tried to escape, along with his fellow agents, but it was no use. The crowd subdued them, even as they tried to use earth-bending to push the crowd out of the way. In the end, there were too many. Of course, he wasn't sure why they had listened to him. They had heard his words, but he supposed there was no denying the power of such a raw command as the stoic Grand Duke pointed him and his colleagues out to the mob. Not long after, the crowd set the agents down before him, with more and more arriving each minute until they were all accounted for. Then, the agent who protected the foreign leader, who he identified as one of the newer higher-ups, lowered the platform until the man could walk off. When he did, he marched up to them, the agent following behind until he stood before them. "Who are you?" The Grand Duke questioned, staring at the terrified members of the Dai Li.

"W-Why should we tell you-?" One of them began to ask when the agent whispered something in the Grand Duke's ear, and he nodded.

"I see," he began before turning toward the other agents and the soldiers behind him. "Take them away, but make sure they remain unharmed." Without warning, the others stepped forward and separated them from the crowd, Agent Yong included.

With the Dai Li taken away, Nikolai remounted the platform. He continued his speech, promising compensation to the citizens who'd lost family members or their providers who were unable to work due to injuries. For this, the Grand Duke was using the vast wealth of the former Earth Kingdom authorities to foot the bill until Ruskian Rubles and Kopeks would replace them. Of course, he knew that what Hei had said won them over, but he thought it best to play it safe until the supplies promised by Gusev and his colleagues arrived. Thankfully the crowd soon began to disperse and head for their homes. "Agent Hei, I must thank you for what you've done. I owe you my life, and twice in one day," he said as they approached the massive stairway leading to the rail station.

"I suppose that is true," the scarred man replied. "Then what shall we do now?"

Nikolai seemed to ponder this. "Hm. I suppose the best course of action would be for you to report back."

Agent Hei cocked a brow but continued following him. "What do you mean?" He questioned.

In response, the Grand Duke gave a slight chortle. "I mean, exactly, what I say. You will report back to Long Feng," he stated as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And when you do, you'll make sure he's dealt with," Nikolai said, throwing something back at him, which he quickly caught. When Hei examined it, he found a tiny glass vile filled with white powder. Of course, while he didn't know what it was, the implication was self-evident: It was a poison. "Of course, if you think it is beneath you, then I think I have something you might prefer."

Long Feng paced in his office, unsure what to expect from the day's events. He'd received no reports when he suddenly heard a knock on the door. "Enter," he called, and he turned to see none other than Agent Hei-

Holding a Ruskian weapon. "N-Now, H-Hold-" He didn't even get the chance to speak any further before a tremendous sound emanated from it and blew a hole through his torso as the force pushed him on his back. "AGH! G-Guards! Ugh, T-Traitor!" He screamed.

Agent Hei shook his head. "I'm sorry, Sir. But your time ruling this city is over," he said, walking over before ending him with a shot to the head, causing half to explode outward while the rest remained practically untouched save for the deformation from the blast. Then, he turned toward the door and nodded to the agents waiting outside. "Clean this up," he said, as one nodded while he turned to another who'd just arrived. Honestly, it was surprising how, after everything that happened, he returned to the Dai Li's main barracks under the palace to find the vast majority more than willing to join him in overthrowing Long Feng after witnissing what happened at the protest, even though he feared retaliation from the district directors. Speaking of which: "Are the directors handled?"

The man nodded, though his face appeared apprehensive. "They should be. But there was one slight setback."

Hei cocked his brow. "And that would be?"

"The King is nowhere to be found."

Hello everyone! I know it's been a little bit since the last upload, but I'm hoping to return to form and get at least one or two chapters done before the end of Febuary. Of course, this one's a bit more of a return to the violent side, but I'm happy to finally tie this all up in a neat little bow so we can move onto bigger and better things, though I appologize if it feels rushed. But, before that, I want everyone to try and get this story to above 200 favs and follows, as I hope more people can see this story, or at least be willing to give it a try. Anyway, I look forward to hearing what you have to say, and as always, I am open to PMs and the discord is open to anyone who wants to join: /tz44Jmnn