Avatar: What if? - Book Two

by AJ384

Time Space Reality It is more than a linear path... it is a prism of unlimited possibilities... where a single choice can be divided into infinite realities and create alternate worlds to those you already know... I am Xiànshí the spirit of reality, your guide in these new and vast ones. realities, follow me and consider the question…what if?

7. Chapter 3 part 2

After crossing the walls of Ba Sing Se, Team Avatar must join forces with unlikely allies if they want to escape the city of Joo Dees.

Flashback...

The chaos in the city was absolute. The Lower Ring had fallen.

People were running everywhere, trying to escape. Some were fleeing from people they knew who were out to get them, others were trying to stop them, while others didn't know what was happening. But whatever it was, no one was safe.

Zuko and his uncle ran through the streets of Ba Sing Se, dodging anyone who crossed their path.

The screams of the people around them kept Zuko on guard against anyone who might turn their attention to the two of them and confront them.

It had happened a couple of times before; a citizen of Ba Sing Se or a refugee would appear, rushing to knock them down and subdue them. However, despite living as fugitives for a time, Zuko still could confront them without the need to use firebending, in addition to his Dao swords strapped to his back.

Despite that, it was becoming increasingly difficult, as Earth Kingdom soldiers soon began to arrive. It seemed they had appeared to restore order. Although Zuko soon realized this wasn't the case, as the soldiers joined in capturing the people trying to escape and unaware of what was happening, one of them even confronted him.

Seeing that this man, trained to fight, was a greater challenge than an untrained civilian, he needed to win another way. He drew his swords and went on the defensive. The soldier took an earthbender stance and picked up rocks from the ground, which he quickly threw at Zuko. Zuko blocked them with his swords. He quickly advanced toward the soldier. As he did, he noticed his pupils were larger. Any emotion he might have had wasn't visible. He was simply fighting for the sake of fighting. There was nothing else. It was as if he had no purpose, as if he had only the order to fight and nothing else.

Zuko opened his eyes at this prospect, focused on quickly taking him down with his swords. He stared at the man for a moment before looking elsewhere, squinting at anyone, and he could see it.

The people running without knowing what was happening had genuine expressions, but the others, as well as the soldiers, didn't. It was as if they were unaware of what they were doing and simply couldn't stop it; something had taken over their minds.

Iroh grabbed Zuko's shoulder, taking him by surprise, but before he could say anything, Iroh pulled him closer while pointing forward.

Where there was a group of Dai Li agents, they didn't seem perturbed by what was happening. Their leader was saying something, and some of the controlled soldiers obeyed his orders, acting with submission and respect, as if they were a feudal lord or the Earth King himself. Whatever was happening, the Dai Li were deeply involved.

"Go away! Save yourself!"

Zuko looked at Iroh, not quite understanding what he meant. When Iroh pushed him aside, removing him from the view of the Dai Li or any controlled soldier or citizen, Zuko was shocked by his uncle's actions. But Iroh soon looked forward to saying, "For the Fire Nation!" With a motion of his arms, he launched two large streams of fire into the air, catching everyone's attention.

An action with a long-awaited consequence.

Many people from the Lower Ring came to the city hoping to escape the war, but more specifically, the Fire Nation. The revelation of a firebender caused many to run away in terror. Some of those controlled, upon seeing Iroh's display of power, recalled the strong emotions they had experienced outside the walls, allowing them to break out of their mind control and try to flee.

The soldiers were shocked, as were the Dai Li. When Iroh decided he had had enough, he ended his spectacle and stared at the soldiers and Dai Li furiously, challenging them to face him. Upon seeing him, they quickly set out to capture him.

Iroh, seeing that he had caught his attention, prepared to leave by another path. He ran without looking back, as Zuko looked on in shock at what Iroh had done. He had sacrificed himself for him, just so he could escape and leave the city, even if it meant they would never see each other again.

Iroh had already lost a son for this city; he wouldn't lose another if he could do something to prevent it.

However, he isn't the only one who has lost someone in this city. Zuko lost his cousin. He wouldn't lose his uncle; he would go after him and save him.

As he watched the Dai Li and their entourage leave the way Iroh had gone, he left his hiding place, ready to go straight to his uncle's. After a moment, he decided to stop. As much as he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to do much if he were captured, too. If he wanted to have a chance of finding him, then he needed to think things through if he was going to do this. He took a step back and headed in the opposite direction, struggling to get out of the streets without being caught by someone loyal to the Dai Li. At the same time, he was thinking of a plan to find his uncle. While he was thinking about something, he didn't notice someone approaching behind him. It wasn't until a hand touched his shoulder that Zuko turned around, ready for anything. He drew his swords and pointed them forward. He then found Jin looking at him with a nervous expression. Not far away, Smellerbee and Longshot were trying to fend off a Jet with hook swords in their hands who was trying to catch them...

End of Flashback...

Present Time...

Zuko opened his eyes, recovering from where he was lying and remembering where he was, lying on one of the seats in the train car. He had decided to get some sleep while they continued their journey to the lake. Laogai, to regain the strength he would need later.

After Jet's unexpected attack, they needed to reorganize now that they were out of the city. They might have evaded the Dai Li, but they shouldn't let their guard down. That's why, when the momentum of their departure ended, General How had to push the wagons himself, with someone nearby watching to prevent anyone from arriving unexpectedly. Hakoda volunteered as the first while letting the trio of young people rest in the meantime.

Remembering he wasn't alone, he looked to the other side of the wagon. At one end was Smellerbee, lying down, also asleep. After losing Longshot and what happened with Jet, she had withdrawn a bit, clearly affected by the pent-up emotions that had taken their toll on her. All he could hope was that she could learn to overcome it soon and not let it break her down.

Looking away, he saw Jin leaning back in a seat, taking a nap while holding something in her hands. From what he could see, it was a map of Ba Sing Se. She must have been reading it for a while until tiredness overtook her as well. Looking out Jin's window, he saw that dusk was already approaching and nightfall wasn't far off.

Suddenly, the monorail doors opened, taking Zuko by surprise. The force and abruptness with which they opened woke Smellerbee and Jin up and alerted them, who quickly stood up, ready to fight or flee.

General How and Hakoda quickly entered. Upon seeing them, the young men could see that they both looked anxious and worried.

"We have good news and bad news," Hakoda said, looking at the three young men with a tense smile. "We're near Lake Laogai..."

Hearing this, Jin and Smellerbee allowed themselves to sigh in relief, while Zuko narrowed his eyes and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"How long will it take us to get there..."

Hakoda took a moment to answer, trying to find a way to summarize what needed to be done. "Just get out of here and cross the countryside so we can continue with the plan."

General How was the one who said, "Well, that's the simple way of putting it... because to get there, we'll have to cross that..."

He pointed to the right of the monorail, where the lake was close, but nearby was the scene of what had been a great battle, with craters, large fragments of rock shattered in several places, and the lake seemed to be more spread out than it had originally been.

"I didn't think it would be this bad," Jin said, staring in amazement at the trail of destruction.

"And that's not the bad news. We'll have to be quick to avoid that..." Hakoda pointed out the right window of the train car, where a large shadow could be seen passing in the distance, confusing the young people. Zuko approached the window as Hakoda handed him his spyglass. As Zuko took it, he looked through it and saw, in disbelief, what he saw.

It was the great Long Feng Army and the Dai Li approaching them.

"It seems the Dai Li are serious now."

He handed the spyglass to Jin so he could see what was coming. He took it, and when he did, he gasped in horror.

"All those people... all controlled and coerced... it can't be..." Jin said, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Smellerbee took the opportunity to see what was coming toward them, while Zuko placed a hand on Jin's shoulder and squeezed it for comfort.

"Impossible... but how did they track us so quickly?" Smellerbee said, incredulous at what she was seeing.

General Fong stepped forward as he turned his attention to the others, saying, "That doesn't matter now. We must rush the plan as quickly as possible."

"To do that, we must first get down from here, and we're several meters above the ground. How do we get down before they get here?" Zuko said as he looked at the two adults.

"There's a solution for that... I suggest you grab onto something," How said as he went to open the side of the car and stomped hard on the track structure. As he did this, the track began to shake as it began to destabilize and fragment.

Zuko, having an idea, snorted. "I can't believe this..."

"Everyone, grab onto something!" Hakoda shouted as he grabbed onto a metal pipe. The others quickly followed suit as the track began to crumble, its pieces falling along with the monorail.

The group screamed at the rapid fall as well as the collision, causing them to grip their positions even tightly.

In the distance, the great army saw the destruction of the track, causing the controlled general at the head to give the order to advance faster. The cavalry, mounted on ostrich horses, was leading the advance.

Recovering from the impact of the fall, Hakoda carefully recovered, checking that he was okay, then turned to look at the others.

"Everyone's okay!"

The others groaned in pain but recovered successfully and nodded in confirmation.

"I can't believe you did that," Smellerbee said, still holding onto the monorail bar.

"Really? Was it the best you guys could come up with?! What if someone didn't make it out alive?! Or if the debris hurt us?!" Zuko said angrily about what they had just been through.

"It was the only option. Getting down any other way with the resources we have would have required more time, which we don't have," How said forcefully.

Jin, advancing slowly, said, "At least the cars held up..."

Zuko snorted at that.

Hakoda, on the other hand, decided to return to the matter at hand. "We mustn't lose sight of the objective, we have to move!"

He quickly headed to the monorail doors and began to forcefully open them. They moved only slightly due to being stuck. Zuko soon went to help him, as did How. With effort, they managed to open them a little, but enough for them to get out, only to notice that their exit was blocked by debris.

At that realization, How cracked his knuckles. "I'll take it here."

Wasting no time, he placed his hands firmly on the debris and pressed down. As he did so, the debris began to move from the outside, going in different directions, allowing an exit to begin to form. They waited for a moment that seemed eternal. The Dai Li forces were very close, and every second lost went to their pursuers.

When How finished, the exit was clear. Wasting no time, General How exited first, followed by Hakoda, Smellerbee, and then Zuko. Before leaving, he turned to see Jin, who was searching the car for something.

"Jin, we have to go!"

Jin heard him say, "I can't leave yet..." he said while searching the seats, until he soon found a bag he was carrying and pulled it out, "not without this."

He quickly ran to the exit and passed Zuko. "Let's go quickly!"

Without further ado, he left the car in front of Zuko, who just shook his head and left as well.

...

"Run!"

Hakoda didn't know who said that, but what he did know was that it wasn't something to think twice about. The moment they began to leave the destroyed cars, the Dai Li army arrived behind them.

Cavalry soldiers soon began to climb, earthbenders descended, and began creating paths that facilitated the pursuit.

The group sped down the path of destruction leading to Lake Laogai. As they did, "Lee" and How threw fire and rocks to stop the soldiers.

Some attacks were effective, while others were dodged by their enemies. Soon, some of the ostrich horses began to overtake them and soon began to surround them. The group formed a defensive circle, ready to fight.

Jin, seeing that they were cornered, pulled out a handgun from his pouch and approached his companions.

He may not have much fighting experience, but at least he knows the basics.

The cavalry soldiers soon began to prepare their spears to attack the group, and the earthbenders took up positions to attack.

But then a huge landslide came out of nowhere, destabilizing the ground against the soldiers but avoiding the group at the center of it all. It sent all the soldiers to the ground, much to the group's disbelief.

They turned to see what had happened as the soldiers began to get up, and what they saw was nothing they expected.

It was a little girl wearing green and yellow clothes, a green headband, her hair covering her face, and she was in an earthbender position.

The girl pointed at the soldiers and then shouted, "Now you're in huge trouble!"

Several soldiers frowned and prepared to attack again when a large burst of fire passed between them, causing a huge commotion, even more so when it dissolved to reveal another figure that several people recognized.

"No... it can't be..." How said, his eyes wide open, not knowing what to say.

"It's impossible," Hakoda said, astonished.

"Uncle!" Zuko said, recognizing the figure of Uncle Iroh, who was frowning at the soldiers of the great army.

With great speed, he launched powerful fire attacks that knocked down several soldiers.

The earthbender girl quickly leaped forward, burying her hands in the ground when she landed. In doing so, she created plumes of earth that pushed several soldiers back.

Some earthbenders reacted and began to counterattack, throwing large rock fragments.

But the girl created a rock dome around her, Uncle Iroh, and the others, which kept them safe from the multiple impacts.

Inside the dome, Zuko created a small flame so he could see, and that's how he was able to see and recognize the girl.

"Wait... I recognize you. You were with the Avatar's group the last time I saw him."

Hakoda, as well as Smellerbee, How, and Jin, reacted with surprise at Zuko's statement.

The girl turned to look at him and replied, "Yes, I remember you, too, Sparky. And by the way, my name is Toph, the greatest earthbender in the world, just so you know..."

Zuko frowned at the way she referred to him. "Sparky? That doesn't matter. How are you here?" As far as I knew, your entire group was captured and brainwashed.

Toph hummed in amusement. "It's one of the benefits of being blind. I can't see what they use to brainwash people..."

"Although this is a very unexpected reunion, I suggest we continue this conversation as soon as we get out of here," Iroh said calmly to everyone present.

However, General How had something to say. "I can't believe it... You of all people, are you Lee's uncle?!"

The attacks on the dome caused loud impacts that made it difficult to hear certain things, but the last one was something everyone heard.

Iroh glanced at General How, specifically to say, "I understand why you think that, but right now we have more important things to attend to."

Jin nodded, taking a step forward. "General How is right. Besides, if he's Lee's uncle, he must be someone trustworthy, even if he's a firebender."

General How snorted at that argument. "That old man isn't just any firebender. He's the Fire Lord's brother. The man who once besieged this city for 600 days. He's General Iroh, the Dragon of the West."

The girls, especially Jin Smellerbee, were stunned by what they had heard. Smellerbee, in particular, couldn't believe that this man was such a threat. Although Jet had been right in his paranoia. If he had known who Lee's uncle was, his friend would have been taken to a whole new level with his obsession.

Jin was speechless when he saw Iroh and then the man he considered "Lee." Because if the older man was the Fire Lord's brother, that would mean the boy in front of her...

"Are you the Fire Lord's son?" Jin said, looking at "Lee," waiting for an answer.

Zuko heard his question and could see the pain of deception in Jin's eyes. He looked away, not wanting to admit the truth.

"I..."

"Although this took an interesting turn, we have to get out of here before anything else!" Toph shouted, undoing the dome and preparing to continue fighting.

When she did, they saw that they were even more surrounded than before. However, Toph made the same move as before in a specific part of the battle, leaving a space through which to escape.

"Let's go!"

With a gesture, she signaled everyone to follow her. Iroh soon followed, followed by Hakoda, who, seeing his options, didn't think twice. General How, much to his dismay, also began to run, followed by Smellerbee, Zuko, and Jin.

They ran in the direction of one of the mountains near Lake Laogai. Once they were a safe distance away, Toph lifted a large piece of rock from the ground and climbed onto it.

"Get on!"

The others realized what she wanted to do, so they climbed onto the makeshift platform, and Toph led them up the hill more quickly.

Zuko and Iroh took charge of the rear guard in case anything came out of nowhere, General Hoe decided to help Toph move the platform.

If Toph was grateful for their help, she didn't say so; she simply shouted, "When we get to the cliff, we'll stop, understood!"

General How nodded in agreement. Right now, if they could get them out of here, then he hoped whatever they had in mind would work.

When they reached the edge of the hill, they stopped the platform. Toph was the first to jump off and run straight for the cliff.

"Come on, stop wasting time."

The confused group did so, not knowing what to expect, but also because the Dai Li soldiers were close behind them. Luckily, they could escape with whatever was waiting for them. As soon as they noticed what was there, the entire group, except for Iroh and Toph, was shocked.

"I can't believe it! It's been with you this whole time."

Toph smiled with satisfaction at that comment as she pulled something from her robes and brought it to her mouth. It was a whistle, which she blew loudly.

"All right, it's time to go. Jump!"

They didn't have to tell anyone twice; they all followed the order and jumped into the void before the soldiers' eyes. They soon stopped in pursuit, seeing what they had done.

But then, from where they had jumped, the figure of a flying bison took to the skies, taking the rebel group with it.

…

Hakoda opened his eyes as he moved closer to get a better look at Toph, and saw that the girl was indeed blind. "I see, so that's how you've managed to keep your mind on it..."

In the safety of the skies, the group sat on Appa's back, leading the bison. Iroh led the bison, speaking softly to him, while Appa happily responded to the old firebender's attention.

Toph nodded. "Yes, after Long Feng captured my friends and me, he tried to brainwash me, but since I couldn't use him for myself, he discovered I could be more useful to him if he held me hostage so my parents would fund his plans..."

"Your parents? Who are your parents?"

Toph was reluctant to answer the question, the look of discomfort on her face clearly defining it. "My parents are from Gaoling. I'm part of the Beifong family."

General How widened his eyes in surprise, but after thinking about it, he finally understood. "It makes sense. The Beifong Family is one of the richest families in the entire Earth Kingdom... but it still doesn't explain how he managed to escape. Earthbenders are locked in metal containers to prevent us from escaping."

Toph smiled mockingly, hearing him say that. "Yeah, well, that's because I'm the greatest earthbender in the world. I'm not someone you can just lock up and expect to stay there."

"Anyway, after I broke free, I knew I had to find a way to escape. When that happened, I found someone who helped me get out."

"My uncle..."

Even though he couldn't see it all, Zuko could imagine the smile on Uncle Iroh's face as he watched him nod, his back turned, his eyes still fixed on the front of his head. "Indeed, nephew. After we parted, I lasted as long as I could, but the Dai Li took me too. Then I was taken to their fortress at Lake Laogai, trying to convert me to their cause. Luckily, before that happened, Miss Beifong rescued me."

Toph smiled as she said, "I couldn't leave you there, Grandpa, especially after how you helped me..."

Upon hearing the story, Jin couldn't help but ask, "But... how did you escape from the Dai Li's lair?"

"That's because of Twinkle Toes... whatever they did to him caused him to enter the Avatar State and cause chaos." While listening to her story, How and Hakoda deduced that Twinkle Toes was the Avatar. "While we were searching for a way out, we found Appa chained up to keep him from leaving. Fortunately, I was able to free him, and after that, we left before the Dai Li base began to flood."

Irph hummed in agreement. "After that, the Dai Li sent search parties to find survivors. Although they don't know how the Bison Appa managed to free himself, they have no idea that we escaped with him. That's helped us go unnoticed these past few days while we search for more survivors."

"So... have they found anyone else?" Hakoda asked cautiously, holding out hope that his daughter might be nearby.

Hearing this, Toph tilted her head in his direction, then shook her head sadly. "No, we've been searching for days, mainly for my friends, two boys who were with Twinkle Toes and me..."

"Sokka and Katara," Hakoda said, catching Toph's attention, surprised that one of the strangers knew their names. "I'm their father, Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe..."

Toph blinked in surprise at this. "I can't believe this... What are you doing here? You shouldn't be... I don't know, somewhere in the ocean leading a fleet of ships or something. Sokka told me you did that."

Hearing her say that, she couldn't help but smile bittersweetly. "Yes, that's what it was supposed to be, but a few days ago we received an invitation from the Earth King for me to join my men in an alliance to fight in the war, but when I arrived, it wasn't about that... I think you can guess how that ended."

Toph grunted in agreement, waiting for him to continue counting.

"They took almost all of my men before they rescued me and my friend Bato. By the time I saw them again, they didn't recognize me and were no longer themselves. And to get out, my friend Bato sacrificed himself to let us escape."

The group fell silent as they let Hakoda express his grief over what had happened. They had all lost someone in Ba Sing Se, but now they were here, and if it was any help, maybe they could do something for them and try to get them back.

General How, faced with that prospect, was encouraged to complete his plan.

"But there is hope. We may have lost several, but we're still here and we can still fight," he said seriously as he looked at the group. "But if we want to have a chance, then we must free the Avatar."

Toph, hearing him say that, opened her eyes in disbelief. "Do you know where he is?"

Although he couldn't see it, Zuko nodded, "It's hidden beneath the Ba Sing Se catacombs, beneath the Palace, that's why we're looking for the bison of the Avatar, so they could reach him undetected and free him.

Hearing Zuko, Iroh quickly began to think, "If that's so, then we must be as fast as possible to get through..."

Smellerbee's eyes widened as he said, "Are you saying...?"

Iroh looked from the front to look at the group, and as he did, the cheerful man he normally was took a moment to reveal to the Dragon of the West that they were facing what would be a mission of no return.

"To get through, we'll make a frontal assault on the Royal Palace."

Appa, hearing him say this, let out a ferocious roar and, in agreement with Iroh, without a second thought, launched himself straight forward. He had heard enough to know that Aang was within range, and after all the time they had been separated, he wouldn't wait another minute.

Everyone held on tightly to the bison as it sped off to lead an assault on the Royal Palace. However, unbeknownst to anyone, someone dropped a piece of paper, which fell into the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se, which they were just crossing, and which contained valuable information about the group.

...

Ba Sing Se Royal Palace.

"We're making progress, my Lord. I've seen him; he's weakening," said a Dai Li agent who was kneeling, giving his report to Long Feng.

Who nodded, but still wasn't entirely satisfied. While it was good to know that the Avatar could succumb and that they would manage to convert him to their cause, that didn't say how long it would take.

While that was happening, he knew he had to gather more resources to continue expanding his army.

And talking about that particular topic.

"Tell me what they've done to resolve the rebel issue..."

The Dai Li nodded from his position. "We've taken care of some members; some are already undergoing reconditioning... but the rest managed to escape..."

Long Feng grimaced in disgust but didn't interrupt Agent Dai Li.

"However, our infiltrator has been very helpful in setting a trap for them. We sent a regiment near Lake Laogai, where they were planning to search for the Avatar Bison... we're just waiting for news of the rebels' capture."

Long Feng hummed as he analyzed what had been said. While it might be intriguing how the rebels found out about the flying bison, there was nothing to worry about, as long as they could track their every move.

"By the way, how did the test subjects take the results of the new reconditioning methods?"

"In a good way, sir. They tried to resist, but after a while, they've assimilated... they'll be nothing but loyal to our cause."

Long Feng nodded, hoping these new methods would be effective on the Avatar. He needed them to be if he planned to succeed.

"Sir..." A Dai Li agent entered his study. Long Feng turned his attention to him and saw concern on his face. "We're under attack..."

...

General How launched himself off Appa, landing on the ground and creating a massive impact that shook the area around him, knocking everyone nearby to the ground. Appa landed, and the rest of the team jumped off without wasting any time.

They all ran toward the Royal Palace while the Dai Li soldiers, as well as some Dai Li agents, noticed their presence. Several quickly rushed to confront them. The earthbenders raised fragments of earth and threw them in the direction of the rebels, several at a time.

Toph and General How then set about blocking the attacks. Toph lifted the cobblestones from the ground quite precisely, which she used to block the incoming attacks. General How destroyed the attacks with his fists, blocking some and catching others and returning them with force.

Behind them, Iroh and Zuko launched streams of fire in the direction of the earthbenders to knock them out. From the rear, a pair of Dai Li agents arrived with more soldiers to take the rebels by surprise. However, Smellerbee, who was fighting with an earthbender near Appa, saw something out of the corner of his eye and widened his eyes at what he saw.

"Watch out for the back!"

Appa was the one who reacted before anyone else could. He raised his large tail and slammed it into the ground, creating a great gust of air that sent the Dai Li and their troops flying. He turned to face whatever was coming from behind, when large nets began to surround him. Alarmed, Appa tried to dodge them, but some caught him. When he realized this, he saw that several non-benders were now surrounding him, forcing him to escape their trap.

Appa growled in annoyance and moved to free himself, but more soldiers had arrived to help prevent him from escaping. But then Hakoda appeared, knocking down those at one end, knocking down one who managed to stun the others. But it gave Hakoda time to grab a sword from one of the soldiers and cut the rope they were holding. The soldiers fell, and Hakoda took advantage to cut the other side. When an arrow flew past his head and stuck in the ground, alarmed, Hakoda went on the defensive against his new attacker. There, he saw a small archer taking another arrow to aim at him. Next to him were two other figures a little taller than him, but looking at them up close, they looked feminine. He remained cautious of the next move. When the archer fired the arrow, Hakoda dodged it, but one of the figures reacted by throwing something. Hakoda used his sword to block most of it, but he couldn't get past some, and it grazed parts of his skin.

With one hand, he covered a wound and discovered that the girl must have thrown knives. He should have been more alert then.

The archer fired again, and Hakoda dodged again. The girl threw knives at him, and Hakoda ducked to avoid them. But then the other girl somersaulted at him, and before he could do anything, she struck him in the arm where he held his sword, and he fell as if unresponsive. Hakoda opened his eyes and quickly dodged, but the girl was faster and jumped behind him, but a surprise fire attack hit her before she could, sending her sprawling to the ground.

The archer and the other girl reacted when Smellerbee rushed forward and knocked down the archer, and Jin did his best to knock the girl down and try to subdue her. Smellerbee tried to knock out the archer, recognizing Longshot's face; he had seen the way he shot and recognized him.

Longshot frowned at her, not recognizing her. He grabbed his bow from nearby and used it to throw Smellerbee off him. The girl stepped away, drew her weapon, and prepared for battle.

Besides Hakoda, he saw what had happened and allowed himself a sigh of relief. He heard footsteps and turned his attention to whoever was coming. He watched as Zuko, swords drawn, approached his side.

"Are you okay?"

Hakoda nodded as he tried to get his arm working. "That girl blocked my chi. That's not what I expected. Although, thanks to the other knife-throwing girl, it was easier for her."

Zuko listened to her description and turned to look at the girl. As he looked at her, he analyzed what Hakoda had said, and an idea came to his mind. He approached cautiously, hoping he was wrong. It couldn't be possible. It had been years since he last saw her. Of all places, here in this city, on this side of the world. That's impossible. When he reached the girl, he turned her around and stepped back in shock.

It was Ty Lee.

The acrobat girl who had been his sister's friend, the one who liked to perform tricks and block her chi for Azula's amusement, the one who didn't have an ounce of evil inside her, and liked to live in ignorance. That girl lay unconscious on the ground.

Zuko gripped his swords as he stood up furiously. He looked across to where Jin was subduing the other girl, but Jin was struggling to regain control of the fight, as the girl had turned him around too quickly.

Wasting no time, Zuko walked over and grabbed the girl from behind, pulling her away from Jin. The surprised girl was slow to act until Zuko turned her around to face her and saw her, the same girl he had a childhood crush on.

"Mai."

The girl didn't respond, nor did she show any emotion at the sight. She just took the opportunity to throw a surprise knife at him. Zuko used a sword and blocked it. He quickly swung it so that the handle of the sword would hit her. It struck her in the head, instantly knocking her unconscious. Before he could do so, Zuko caught her and gently placed her on the ground.

"What happened?" "You know her." Jin approached him and saw how Zuko treated the girl.

Zuko, for his part, nodded. "She was a childhood friend."

Zuko wasted no time getting up and returning to the fight. He had already taken care of finishing off Appa's release. Now the bison was covering them. He headed to where Smellerbee was with Longshot, and when the archer's guard was down, he knocked him out.

Smellerbee opened her eyes and looked at him in surprise.

"We're taking too long, we should hurry!"

He said to everyone and hurried forward again. The others didn't question him and started moving, but Zuko was still disturbed by what had happened. Two people he knew, Mai and Ty Lee, were here, two noble girls from the Fire Nation. What were they doing here in the first place? There was only one way for that to happen, and he didn't like the idea that they might not just be facing the Dai Li right now.

…

Lifting and reversing the position of the ground where the soldiers were standing, Toph trapped a large number of soldiers, leaving the entrance unguarded.

Behind her, Iroh paused for a moment and began a series of arm movements, which generated a lightning bolt that then launched them straight into the palace stairs, destroying the steps and knocking down the soldiers who were beginning to exit the palace to confront them.

General How, for his part, stomped on the ground, which quickly turned into quicksand, and began trapping a Dai Li agent. Before he could bury him, he stopped so that the agent was half-buried and unable to free himself.

He stood next to Iroh and said, "I can't believe this... after 100 years of war between our nations, today we fight on the same side."

Iroh, hearing this, only gave him an enigmatic smile. "Well, General, fate is always a curious thing..."

He quickly created a large fire whip from his hand, which he used to knock down the soldiers on the other side of a bridge. Nearby, a group of earthbenders stood in front of two enormous badger mole statues. Together, they lifted both statues and directed them at the trio.

"Look out!" How shouted as he ran forward to create a wall to stop them, but at that moment, Toph stepped forward and created a dome from the ground above their heads, protecting them from the statues' impact.

Soon, the others arrived at the same time that Toph opened the dome and erected more structures to create walls around everyone, thus barricading themselves in.

Hakoda stepped forward and said, "Okay, here's the plan. We're beneath the Catacombs, so we should split into two groups. One will go to free the Avatar, and everyone else they can find. The rest of us should stay and be a distraction so the Dai Li don't interfere with the rescue."

Toph nodded to herself and said, "I'll go get Twinkle Toes. My seismic sense helps me see underground better than anyone else. I'll be able to find him faster."

Hakoda looked at Toph. He could see from her facial expressions that she wouldn't back down from what she'd said. "Okay, but you're not going alone. We don't know what might be waiting for us down there, so I'll come too..."

He looked around to see who would dare challenge him. He had his reasons for going. Bato could be down there, and with luck, he could find Sokka and Katara. Either way, he had to find out. Judging by the look on Iroh's and General How's faces, no one would object. Neither would the kids, which he appreciated.

"I'll go too..." Zuko said, taking a step forward, surprising everyone, including his uncle.

"Nephew..." Iroh said cautiously.

"Wait, what?" Jin couldn't believe it.

But Zuko ignored them, staring at Hakoda, who was standing with his arms crossed, considering.

"Are you sure? You'd be better off here."

But Zuko shook his head. "You said it yourself, we don't know what might be waiting for us down below, but after something I saw today, I think I have an idea of what might be waiting for us or what we might face..."

"Listen, whoever's going, you better hurry, the Dai Li army is regrouping," said Smellerbee, who had climbed onto Appa to get a better look at what was happening outside.

Outside, the Dai Li were arriving with reinforcements, armed and earthbenders, mounted on ostrich horses, and beginning to take up positions.

General How, hearing her, agreed. "Okay, Lee, you'll go too. The rest of us won't stay behind, and we'll do everything we can to buy them time. Failing here isn't an option."

The trio of Toph, Hakoda, and Zuko nodded determinedly. Toph then took a step forward, focused her attention on the ground, extended her hands, and as she did so, she opened the earth downwards, forming a tunnel that led directly to the catacombs.

"Let's go!"

Without wasting time, she entered, followed by Hakoda and Zuko. The latter created a flame with his hand to offer him and Hakoda light to see by.

Meanwhile, General How addressed the others who had stayed behind. "We may not all make it out of this, but if we go down, then we'll go down fighting." Appa roared in response as he took to the sky with Smellerbee still on top of him. The girl held on tightly as Appa landed in front of the Dai Li army and began to create intense gusts of air with his tail, knocking down many soldiers.

...

In one of the chambers within the Catacombs of Ba Sing Se, a pair of Dai Li agents were standing guard. They were there for a purpose, following Long Feng's orders. They were watching that specific area to protect their comrade who was ahead with the Avatar.

But then the ceiling opened and three figures emerged. The Dai Li were taken by surprise. Fire rained down upon them as they tried to take cover, while columns of rock erupted from the ground and struck them before they could do anything.

When the dust cleared, the figures of Toph, Hakoda, and Zuko appeared.

"How long until Toph arrives?" Hakoda asked as he looked at the pair of Dai Li on the ground.

The girl walked while searching. "I don't think it's long, but... I feel like there's someone else here."

She turned in the direction where she felt the presence, behind a large rock. She became defensive, as did the pair behind her. Toph moved the rock from the ground to face whoever was behind it, and then they found someone.

"What? What happened? Toph... is that you?"

The familiar voice took Toph by surprise, as did Hakoda, who opened his eyes and was speechless.

"Katara?" he asked softly to get a better look, and that's when he saw her.

His daughter, wearing the colors of her tribe, her clothes somewhat torn, but the same ones that belonged to her mother when she was his age, allowed him to observe her. She had grown; she was no longer a child. Now, she was a young woman, a waterbender, a warrior in her own right, but despite that, she was still his little girl.

"Dad! Is that you?!" "Katara's voice was filled with joy. She stood up and rushed to hug him. Hakoda, without a second thought, ran to hug her too.

"I can't believe it. You're here, after so long."

Hakoda nodded as he broke away from the hug and looked at his daughter. "Yes, but I'm here now, and I'm happy to be here. I can't believe how far you and your brother have come. I'm so proud of both of you, Katara."

Katara looked at him and smiled, but then her smile disappeared. "Wait, where's Sokka... he's not with you." She looked back, seeing who was with her father. She saw Toph, but when she saw someone else, she panicked. "What's he doing here?"

Katara pointed her finger at Zuko, who looked closely and saw the fear on the waterbender's face, something that left him very puzzled.

Hakoda saw his daughter's reaction and decided to calm her down. "Calm down, Katara. He's on our side. He'll help us find your brother..."

"Dad, I don't know," Katara said carefully, avoiding eye contact with Zuko, who saw her cautious behavior; something wasn't right.

Hakoda squeezed her as he helped Toph and Zuko walk. "Trust me. We'll find your brother, and everything will be back to normal."

Katara nodded, unconvinced. They glanced briefly at Zuko, and she instantly looked away, as if she were afraid of him. Seeing that, Zuko acted instinctively.

He raised his fist in Katara's direction. "You're not moving from there!"

"Sparky, what's wrong with you?" Toph asked, uncomprehendingly.

But Zuko didn't budge. "That girl isn't the peasant."

Hakoda was incredulous at what she said. "What are you talking about?! She's my daughter, Katara."

"Do you even know her daughter?! She's a very powerful waterbender, and we've fought before. She can't be afraid of me!"

It took Hakoda a while to understand what she meant. He opened his eyes as he looked at Katara and slowly stepped back, taking in his daughter's features, but especially her eyes, and then he understood.

As much as he didn't want to, Zuko was right. She may have been his daughter, but she wasn't quite hers. He could see it in her eyes. There wasn't the glimmer of determination he saw in his little girl, the one he saw when she tried to waterbend. There wasn't that brave look when she attended her mother's funeral.

There wasn't that glimmer of hope. This wasn't his daughter; she was another of Long Feng's puppets.

"Dad, that's a lie, it's me." Katara began to move forward, raising a hand to try to hold her father's, her voice sounding hurt by Hakoda's rejection.

Something that struck Hakoda deep inside, but he had to resist. He had to be strong to avoid falling into the trap. Luckily, Toph was there too.

Immediately, Toph formed rock bars around Katara, imprisoning her so she couldn't move forward and wouldn't be hurt.

"Don't waste time, Sugar Queen. We're not going to fall for your trick," Toph exclaimed, determined, going on the defensive.

Katara looked at Toph, then at Zuko, and finally at her father, and it was then that Hakoda couldn't deny it anymore, as Katara's terrified gaze turned into one of rage similar to her brother's when she confronted him.

"They're smarter than we imagined, but it doesn't matter. They'll serve Long Feng sooner or later, just as their friends did."

The mere hint struck Hakoda, reminding him of how not only his sons, but all his men, had been killed Having fallen under the Dai Li's control, he clenched his fists tightly, helplessness filling him at being unable to do anything and not having Long Feng face him to make him pay for what he had done.

"Katara, I don't know how, but I promise you I will free you and your brother from the evil done to you," Hakoda said gently to his daughter.

But Katara only laughed in response. "You're a fool! I serve Long Feng and the Dai Li with joy and pride! They are the answer to everything! Even the Avatar will join them!"

"Aang will never join this cause, Katara!" Toph shouted with unbridled fury. "Not while we're here to stop him."

Katara now looked at Toph, narrowing her eyes. "I still don't believe you're still alive. I thought you drowned and wouldn't be a nuisance to my leaders anymore. Either you're someone lucky or you're hard to get rid of."

At what Toph had said, she smirked. "That's because I'm the greatest earthbender of all time." To make her point, she moved her hand upward, forming two columns of earth around Katara that held her up, lifting her off the ground and leaving her hanging as she tried to free herself.

Seeing what had happened, Katara gasped and began to move erratically, trying to free herself.

Toph, seeing her, crossed her arms, amused. "Relax, will you?" It's just a demonstration of what I can do, just as I know Twinkle Toes is crossing that way. He pointed in the opposite direction to where Katara had previously said. Katara opened her eyes and moved more than before, trying to free herself to stop them, but the way Toph had trapped her made it difficult.

Zuko, seeing where they were going, said, "If she's there, then let's not waste time. It's time to end this once and for all."

Toph fixed her attention on him and nodded. She headed to where she had pointed and began to open a tunnel in that direction. Zuko followed her as soon as he could. Hakoda, meanwhile, stared sadly at his daughter, not wanting to leave her there, but unfortunately, it was something he had to do if he wanted to save her.

"Don't be afraid, Katara, we'll return..."

Without further ado, he left his daughter, who screamed in helplessness at the sight of her failure in her mission.

...

The fight was reaching its climax. General How slammed his fist into the ground, creating a massive landslide that knocked down several enemies. Appa flew, distracting others who were throwing rocks to bring him down. But as they were distracted, it gave Iroh time to act and launch streams of fire to bring them down.

But no matter how many soldiers they brought down, twice as many arrived to replace them.

General How saw this and said, "If we continue like this, we won't hold out much longer."

Iroh nodded at her side. "But we must, or it will all be for nothing."

Nearby, Smellerbee used her sword to bring down a soldier at his feet. She panted tiredly. She kept up her pace, but the constant effort was taking its toll. Who knows how much longer she'd hold out?

"Jin, I know you're not a warrior, but after today, you might want to consider it."

She waited for a response from the girl, but got none. Puzzled by this, Smellerbee turned to look for her, but saw no one, but heard the sound of footsteps from the side where the tunnel was.

"Jin, are you there?"

She jumped inside to look for the girl, but couldn't find her. She tried searching the tunnel, in case she had decided to hide at the entrance. She looked through the tunnel entrance to see if she could find her.

Only for an earth glove to grab her by her armor and pull her toward the tunnel entrance. Smellerbee screamed, hoping they would hear her, because she had been captured.

Iroh heard her and turned his attention to the tunnel. "Something happened. We need to see if the girls are okay."

General How nodded and started to leave, but two long metal manacles grabbed his hands, taking him by surprise, even more so when he saw who they belonged to.

"No... no!"

Chains embedded themselves in his feet and waist. He tried to prevent them from taking him by force, but the Dai Li who had him were too many for him, and he ended up being taken. He screamed in helplessness, hoping to alert Iroh, who turned to see what had happened. Some chains flew toward him, but he created a wall of fire to block them.

"This isn't good."

From behind him, Dai Li agents jumped in to surprise him, but Appa arrived and pushed them with his body, sending them away. He stood next to Iroh, ready to help him, but the Dai Li were already surrounding them.

...

Aang was tired.

That was the word he could use to describe everything that had happened since he was captured.

Ever since he and his friends arrived in Ba Sing Se, he hoped to find Appa, tell the Earth King about the invasion plans, and be able to train in elemental bending without being pursued by the Fire Nation.

But since they arrived in the city, nothing went as expected. First, his refusal to see the Earth King, Long Feng's threat that they wouldn't find Appa, and the constant surveillance he placed on them by the Dai Li.

But above all, what happened that day, that he had pursued and captured them to force them to join his army of controlled soldiers. He doesn't want to imagine what happened to Katara, Sokka, and Toph. When they captured them, they took them away, and he didn't know what became of them. They had taken them to a place called Lake Laogai, and ever since that day, they had tried to convert him to their cause.

Perhaps it's something that comes with being the Avatar, but the Dai Li haven't been able to reach him, no matter how hard they tried. Despite his moral weakening, despite feeding him little, or even with the extreme methods they had implemented, they still couldn't control him.

"Your stubbornness is pointless," declared the Dai Li agent in front of him, his voice low and inevitable, like the roar of an approaching avalanche.

For him, maybe not, but for Aang, it made sense. He couldn't give up, he wouldn't. His friends must be outside, waiting for him to stay put. He couldn't let them down, he wouldn't. He just had to find a way, something to help him get out of where he was. Even though he was chained up, there must be a way out.

Then he soon heard it: the sound of glass breaking, rocks flying everywhere, like a wall destroyed by a huge impact. Something, or rather, someone, had appeared.

The Dai Li agent also noticed, turning around in alarm at what had arrived. A person crossed through the tunnel, and the Dai Li agent acted on instinct. He threw one of his rock gauntlets, but the man drew a pair of swords and destroyed them. Next to him, a small figure appeared, sending up a column of earth that hit the Dai Li agent and sent him sprawling to the ground.

Aang opened his eyes upon seeing the figure that had arrived. Upon seeing her clearly, he recognized her and shouted in joy, "Toph! I'm glad to see you're okay."

Toph rushed over to him to grab her chains, and to the surprise of both Aang and Zuko and Hakoda, who had arrived, they watched as Toph broke them as if nothing had happened.

"You broke... You broke the chains? But how?"

Toph crossed her arms and then explained, "Something I developed when I was captured. I learned to control the fragments of earth within metals... I call it metalbending."

Hakoda opened his eyes in understanding. "So how were you able to escape then... You manipulated the metal they had you in..."

Toph turned to where he was and nodded with a smile. Meanwhile, Aang looked at the duo accompanying his friend.

"You look familiar," Aang said, studying the Water Tribe man's face. There were similarities between the two people he knew well, and that's when he knew it. "He's Katara and Sokka's father!"

Hakoda smiled as he raised his forearm to greet Aang. "It's a pleasure, Avatar Aang. I'm Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe..."

Aang smiled as he returned the greeting in the Water Tribe style. "The pleasure is mine, sir..."

When he finished, he saw the last person there, and she simply said, "Thank you, Zuko..."

The aforementioned man opened his eyes in surprise. "I..."

"But what a touching encounter..." A female voice appeared out of nowhere, with a tone of sweetness but also cynicism, but disturbingly familiar to Zuko. He turned, swords ready, to the entrance, and that's when he saw her.

"Azula!"

The others were on guard, especially Aang and Toph, recognizing the Princess of the Fire Nation.

She wasn't alone, as a group of Dai Li agents appeared behind her and surrounded the group.

"You know the Dai Li. They may be earthbenders, but they have a similar killer instinct to firebenders. I like it."

Zuko growled but couldn't help but ask, "How are you in Ba Sing-se? The Dai Li takes everyone..."

Azula looked at him mockingly and then casually looked at her nails. "Yeah, well, the Dai Li and I agreed, and as long as we collaborate, then we'll get what we want..."

"One that will be beneficial for the future."

Another voice appeared, one Aang and Toph knew well. Taking slow steps, a figure dressed in black and green entered Aang's cell, grinning maliciously at the group.

Long Feng

"Avatar Aang and company, although your reunion was touching, I would like you to surrender peacefully. Do so, and I promise you that you will live."

Zuko frowned. "So you can turn us into more of your mindless lackeys? That won't happen."

Long Feng simply smiled. "Why not? Your friends did it with pleasure..."

Hakoda, hearing this, growled furiously. "What did you do to my children and my men?!"

Long Feng, observing him, clicked his tongue. "Chief Hakoda, you must understand that it was necessary. Only united under one leadership can we win this war, under my leadership..."

"You don't want to win in the name of peace; you want to control everyone!

Long Feng simply looked at Toph and said, "I don't see the problem with that. It's clear that with me leading this city, we've managed to become a perfect utopia, the last on the planet. Your friend saw it, and that's why she helped me intercept them and prevent them from damaging my plans... isn't that right, Jin?"

The girl's name shocked Zuko, Hakoda, and Toph, who watched in horror as Jin appeared and stood next to Long Feng, then looked at him and knelt before him. "I live to serve Long Feng and the Dai Li..."

"Jin... no..." Zuko said in shock. Jin looked at him, and Zuko witnessed the blank stare of a mindless person. Jin was under Long Feng's orders. "You... were under his orders from the beginning..."

Hakoda looked at him in disbelief. Toph was even more surprised, while Aange was confused by what was happening.

Long Feng smirked, confirming what Zuko had said.

Azula, on the other hand, rolled her eyes. "As much as one would like to see this, it's time to finish what we came here to do."

Without wasting time, she launched a blast of blue fire in her brother's direction. Zuko narrowly dodged it, while Toph wasted no time in raising a rock wall in front of them.

"We have to get out of here!"

Instantly, holes formed in Toph's wall, where Dai Li agents appeared. Hakoda drew his weapon at the same time Zuko threw himself to confront them.

Toph, for her part, turned to Aang. "Twinkle Toes, can you move?"

Aang nodded with difficulty. "A little, but it's enough."

Toph nodded determinedly. "Help me create a tunnel, we'll get out up."

"Toph... before anything else, where are the others?" "Aang asked Toph, even though it wasn't the moment he needed to know.

The girl just sighed and said, "They're on Long Feng's side now. Katara and Sokka obey him now."

Aang lowered his head sadly at that knowledge.

"But all is not lost. Aang, I found Appa," Toph said, causing Aang to open his eyes and look at her with hope. "He's out there, above ground, helping the others who are with us."

Aang, upon discovering that, felt a spark of hope. Appa was within reach. He was waiting for him. After so long, he was finally close.

"Wait for me, Appa. I'm coming right now."

He could feel an immense strength surging through him. He only knew he had to get up there quickly. He didn't care how; he just had to do it. He looked up as his eyes and his arrows shone brightly. The earth in the catacombs moved violently, as if everything inside was moving upwards. The fighting stopped as everyone held onto something from the incredible force exerted throughout the space.

Aang was lifting the entire cavern.

...

...

Iroh panted wearily. He'd used so much energy he didn't know how long he could hold out. They were surrounded.

They were outnumbered on all sides and had been pushed back from the tunnel, from which several soldiers began to enter. There was no way to warn the others that their exit was compromised.

And they wouldn't be able to get out of here. The only one still putting up a fight was Appa, who growled to keep the Dai Li from getting any closer, but it wouldn't last forever.

Who knows how long they could hold out?

"It's over, surrender," said one of the Dai Li agents, approaching with a mocking smile.

Iroh frowned, not moving. He wasn't going down without a fight.

But then, the ground began to shake, an earthquake. Something was moving the Earth on a massive scale. It couldn't be something natural; only a great earthbender could do it, but given the circumstances, only one specific earthbender was capable of such a feat.

The ground collapsed at the same time as the floor of the Ba Sing Se catacombs emerged from the ground, stalactites and glowing crystals illuminating the night sky.

Iroh covered his eyes to prevent the dust from reaching his eyes. When everything calmed down, he uncovered them and watched in amazement as a whole new surface appeared on the ground, knocking down many of his enemies, but more shockingly, with other people who had emerged.

"Appa!" Aang's shout attracted the Flying Bison, who ran toward his human's voice.

Aang, with all the strength he had left after such a display of power, ran and airbent himself onto the head of his bison, grabbing him with all his might, tears in his eyes. "I missed you, friend."

Appa closed his eyes, reciprocating the sentiment.

While Iroh ran toward his nephew, who had soon appeared, coughing, the force of the hug nearly knocked Zuko over, but he struggled to stay on his feet.

"Wow, when Twinkle Toes decides to exit, she does it in a big way," Toph said, helping Hakoda up. Hakoda nodded at what Aang had done.

For his part, Zuko just sighed and rolled his eyes. "My day is getting better... from capturing the Avatar to rescuing him from an impenetrable place again."

His statement intrigued Toph, as did the rest of the group, as Aang climbed off Appa and joined the conversation.

"Have you rescued Twinkle Toes before?"

Zuko nodded. "Yeah, I got him out of Pouhai Fortress once, one that was supposed to be very secure, it wasn't that hard to get in."

Aang, hearing him say that, smiled slightly as he hummed. "Yeah, I remember. I can't believe it either, but I thank you for what you've done, and that's why I want to ask you again, after everything that happened here, if the war hadn't happened... do you think you and I would have been friends?"

Zuko didn't know what to say as everyone looked at him, wanting to know the answer...

Just like Xianshi, who watched intrigued from behind...

...

Even though we see our world broken, we can always find help in the most unexpected places, no matter if it's a friend or a stranger...

...

Beneath the catacombs, Katara and Jin, along with several Dai Li, knelt before the Figure of Long Feng that stood before them. He was angry after the Avatar's actions. He might have bought himself time, but he wasn't defeated. He was going to go up and end this, but first, he would gather his forces with him.

Walking slowly, Azula made her way through Long Feng's lackeys with a sly smile on her face and stood in front of the Grand Secretary.

"This won't stay like this, Princess Azula. You know what you must do."

Azula smiled as she tilted her head and closed her eyes, then opened them again, revealing a blank look in her eyes as she looked at Long Feng and knelt before him.

"I live to serve Long Feng and the Dai Li."

...

But that's another story...

...

This is officially the new, longer chapter.

Hello all readers!

How are you? Sorry for the delay, but everything I covered in this chapter took longer than expected, but I don't care. Here's the result, with many threads still untied that should be resolved! But Xianshi said it, that's another story, so the time has come to move on to another universe.

In the meantime, I want to thank CorvusThanathis and Cpp1997 for their suggestions that were the inspiration for this chapter.

I hope you can see where the winks in these were placed.

Now, it's time to move on to the next universe. I'll give you a hint. It's related to a date in the coming days. It's a holiday next month. I'll let you figure it out. That's all for now. See you in the next chapter, and don't forget, in a multiverse of possibilities, anything is possible.

Thank you.