Fandom Avatar: The Exiled Chronicles

[Colorless Spectrum]

Jia Xiaodan

Jia merely stared at Xiurong from a distance as Avatar gave her orders, the Dai Li's jaw locked in place and expressionless. Her outburst was still fresh in her mind, and she can't decide whether or not it was a good thing that she did or bad but it was already there and there was nothing to do about it. Her eyes shifted over to Yara and everybody else before speaking with an indifferent tone, "Good luck."

With that, she turned on her heels and went back inside. She'd rather not be near the Griffin as Nightwing is just as worse as the Avatar, a snob. Xu can handle the Griffin. She made way to where their radio was, opting to monitor it instead. If trouble comes by, they'd be there to help but she's hoping that it doesn't come to that.

A hoot coming from the side caught her attention, the sight of her pet flapping its wings to her. "Hey, Barnaby." She reached out to guide him to her lap, nudging his head to her skin. The slightest turn of her lips appeared at the sight of her pet being affectionate. If she was being honest with herself, she didn't want to be with anyone. Not after her outburst. "Let's hope this mission doesn't go off the rails..."

mention: . D O V E AI10100 Xanto Flutterby Entity.Eclypse The Prophet || interaction:

 

[The Prophet]

Maizen Tosuda​

Now in the outskirts before their mission, Maizen performed a once-over of his guise. The outfit prepared by the police force fit well in his opinion, too well for the small time criminal he was impersonating. He performed some minute changes, altering the clothing more so to an actual ganger's outfit instead of someone somehow making this dreadful outfit work. After messing up his hair to fall down a little over his pale eyes, Maizen kicked up some dirt to give the appearance that he made his way here on foot. "There we go. While I don't remember being anyone's boyfriend, I'm ready to move. Wait…." He paused for a moment and cleared his throat, slipping away from his decorous tone and into more of a blunt and simple imitation, similar to a typical earth bender. "Yeah, I'm good to go. Taka?"

In the words of their de-facto leader, "Snowflake" rolled his shoulder in a stretch, feeling a little bad for the two people that were being left behind here. Such an exciting mission and they were relegated to playing with that massive bird. Knowing nothing but their names, he would have liked to say something but he'd rather not drive more division between the avatar and her family by seemingly taking a side. Allowing a sigh to play past his lips, he moved on from the thought. Making sure his transceiver was on, he motioned towards their destination. "All goes well, and we'll be out within the hour."

 

[Flutterby]

Yara focused on getting her transceiver set. The amount of glances thrown at her by Xu and Jia, the amount of tension, the feeling of flying again, the sense that something was about to happen.. well, dinner hadn't been a long enough break, apparently, because she was already on edge again. As much as she enjoyed Prince Xu, and respected Jia, she was beginning to wish they would leave too, just for the sake of having slightly more peace.
Any peace, she had decided, in the presence of Xiurong was valuable.

As they began to move, she caught Jia's eye, and gave a small nod at her wish of luck. "See you in a little bit."
She gave Maizen a short glance. If she hadn't been on edge already, she might have made a joke about not tempting fate. But even speaking the word 'fate' felt like it might put them more at risk.

Yara glanced up at the sky. The moon wasn't full, but it wasn't weak either. There was no reason for her to feel so.. doomed. She checked her water pouch again. It was full. Her hand bumped the prism, still in her pocket. It didn't help.

"Let's just get this over with," She said softly, rolling her neck and shoulders to try to dispel some tension, and moving closer to Xian and Xiurong. The first thing, and biggest in her opinion, was to get onto the roof. She tried her best to ignore the way her stomach flipped at the thought.

 

[AI10100]

B E I F O N G , X U
Interacting with: Colorless Spectrum . D O V E Xanto Flutterby Entity.Eclypse The Prophet
Location: Republic City Outskirts​

Promising to leave Xiurong alone had not been in Xu's plans, but it was the only way right now. He supposed if this was really how it was going to go down, he would either have to mount his own investigation or stay within the palace. Neither of which sat well with him. As much as he trusted the Dai Li, his father was taken inside the palace and he knew that nowhere was safe if they were planning on taking the throne. As far as Xu was concerned, the safest place to be was on the road. Nevertheless, if he really had no choice, he could continue his research on the drug used on the palace with maximum efficiency.

Once they had landed, Xu opened the gate for them to exit on and headed out himself. Xiurong had given her orders and Xu merely shrugged, unperturbed by this. He was their quick getaway. He was sure that Jia would be keeping an eye on the motion sensors aboard the ship just in case people had the bright idea of attacking them while they were in hiding. Since nothing lit up, he was rather sure that they haven't been spotted, but if there were scouts around, he couldn't assure that their identity will still be a secret.

"Stay safe." Xu absentmindedly said once they were ordered off.

He patted Nightwing's body and gestured inside. He wasn't sure if playing outside would be the most ideal situation. "Come on buddy." Surprisingly, Nightwing was much more receptive to him than Xiurong was. Or at least, he tolerates his presence more than she did. He gently led the griffin inside and to the stables where there was more than enough space for him to fly around. Xu kept an eye out for Nightwing and an ear out for the comms within the ship if ever Jia picked something up on radio. It was weird that there didn't seem to be anyone around but he was sure that they could handle whatever was in there.

And if something were to go wrong, well, getting to the bridge and flying off was easy, especially now that Jia knew how to fly it as well.

 

[Xanto]

Xian Zhao​

And the plan was in session. Jia left with a seemingly half-hearted wish for good luck before Maizen approximated the mission's completion at an hour. All of which, Xian gave a single silent nod to. Now, the airbender's attention followed Xu as the royal retreated back into the airship with Xiu's griffin.

"Let's just get this over with," Yara softly said, prompting their trio to approach the building. Xian looked to the roof, slightly squinting his eyes to make out the edge of its features in the dark. It was second nature for him to throw down a gust of wind, and launch himself onto the roof. A swift demonstration that couldn't be more agile. Then, he scanned the clear scene. Nothing but air vent pathways, pipes, fans, and a few generators could be seen across the level. Xian glanced back down at Xiu and Yara, knowing very well that the avatar was capable of launching up all the same.

"Ready?" He voiced over on the transceiver as his stare landed on the waterbender's. It didn't take a genius to sense her terrified nerves. "Don't worry," Xian calmly mentioned off the transceiver, "I got you." Without awaiting any further sense of hesitation, the airbender suddenly launched Yara up in the air with a firm gust of wind. Her own momentum taking hold of her projectile range, while he stepped back to make room for her landing. Surprisingly enough, she was light on her feet.

Xian's expression shifted when they both realized she landed too lightly though, nearly making her lose balance off the rooftop. With a swift turn of his torso, he quickly moved an arm around Yara's waist tilting her inward as she ferociously gripped him with all her life.

Then there was silence.

"See?" Xian gently prodded with an innocent smirk, "Got you." He then casually glanced away. In hindsight he probably could've executed this more safely. The airbender released her, stepping away as his brows slightly furrowed at the thought of placing her in danger. Yet speed was of the essence. They couldn't spend time jabbing pikes into the wall, and tying a safety harness around Yara to lift her up like a pale of water from a well. "You did well," He nodded, regaining eye contact with his team member.

Then as soon as Xiu and Yara were set to move on, Xian nodded toward their next objective, "Vent's over here."

Flutterby . D O V E Colorless Spectrum AI10100 Entity.Eclypse The Prophet

 

[Flutterby]

Xian's voice crackled over her transceiver. They had talked about this, on the way over. That he and Xiurong could get up to the roof with airbending, but there wouldn't be time or enough water for her to get herself up. That she would need to, quite literally, fly through the air to the top of the building.

Yara swallowed the lump in her throat, and responded with a nod that she assumed he could see from above. She didn't really want him to hear her voice shake over the transceiver. He waited only long enough to reassure her, and then her feet left the ground and she was shooting upward.
It took all of her focus to not shriek out loud the entire way up. Or maybe it was only halfway- after the first story or two, she realized this wasn't falling-in-reverse like she thought it would be. The air was carrying her, just like the water did when she swam. It was.. fun?

Her body has just started to consider relaxing when she reached the roof. It helped, actually, softening her knees and allowing her to land softly. Until she remembered she had flown through the air to the roof's edge, with no safety measures, and only one person who was probably willing to catch her at that point. Yara tensed again, and threw herself off balance, teetering between the roof and the empty air. Both hands shot forward, trying to bring her weight forward and get to Xian.

His arm caught her waist. Her hands caught the front of his shirt.
"See? Got you."
She'd made it. The breath she had been holding came out in a rush, and she let her head tilt forward to rest against his shoulder for a moment, eyes closed.

The spell of relief broke when he shifted. Yara released her fists, and took a few quick steps away from the edge. She turned back when he spoke again. Was that a compliment? He doesn't seem to be teasing, and..
Yara pushed the thought away, saying, "Thank you, Xian."

And then she approached the vent, checking her water skin one last time.
Interaction: Xanto . D O V E

 

[. D O V E]

XIURONG BEIFONG
7 /18/ 264 AG​

Xiurong couldn't help but release an amused sigh once she truly set her eyes on both Maizen and Taka. The two of them really did look like the gang members Xian and she encountered just yesterday. In fact, the mere sight of them was stoking the urge to give them a good punch to the gut or two. "Snowflake's right. I'd rather not spend my day snooping around that horrid place. I still have a father to find after all!" She rolled her shoulders, intentionally pointing her nose at her brother. He could be spending this time looking for their dear parent- or in his case, their emperor- yet he preferred to tail her around like a lost puppy. If she were to toss her good coin, he probably wanted a modicum of her glory. As usual.

It was afterwards when she began to move out, barely paying attention to Jia's well wishes and Nightwing's interaction with her twin. Quite frankly, she had little idea why her griffin was friendly towards the man. Her conclusion boiled down to the fact that he was genetically still her twin. Her companion probably see traces of similarities between the siblings. Xiurong, on the other hand, couldn't see anything. To her, Xu and she were on the different ends of the spectrum.

Her thought was rapidly cut off when she sensed Xian propel himself to the roof with his bending. Xiurong was ready to follow suit when she noticed Yara seemingly frozen beside her. Right. Yara couldn't fly. With that, Xiurong rolled her eyes and fixed her sleeves, ready to scoop Yara up and once again throw her over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes until she was interrupted by Xian's voice through the transceiver. She silently watched as Yara was delivered to the roof with yet another gust of wind. Annoyed, she clicked her tongue and followed the two.

When she landed, she was just in time to witness Xian and Yara looking like they were reenacting a romantic scene from a mover. Xiu loomed over them with crossed arms and a clearly displeased face until Xian popped the silence by pointing out the vent's location.

"Thanks for your input, Captain Obvious. Clearly, you're the only one in this group with eyes that can see obvious vents." The Avatar sourly remarked before drawing closer to the said vent. She crouched, eyes narrowing as she scrutinized the material. It was made of metal, and she was thankfully a metalbender. "Gas boy, mask the sound with your airbending; Flappy bird, keep a lookout," she ordered before glancing at them, "What? We need to use code names." It was a widely known fact that the Avatar would never pass any opportunity to be a little prick. At her command, the metal broke and crumpled, creating a large enough aperture for the three of them to fit in one by one.

Xiurong wasted no time and crawled in. A few seconds in and she was already crunching her nose with utter distaste. "Spirits above, what is this smell?" She hushedly complain as she started crawling further in. The foul smell of what seemed to be rotting eggs and decaying vegetation only grew stronger the deeper they got.

Xanto Flutterby

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Taka
Mentions/Interactions: . D O V E The Prophet Xanto Flutterby Colorless Spectrum AI10100 ​

Taking great care to pay attention to every word once more, Taka made sure he didn't allow a single detail to go unheard. Despite that, he didn't show a single sign of tensity or stress from the worrisome situation at hand. Playing the role of a decoy, and an infiltrator, wasn't something he had intended to do upon coming to Republic city, and here he was. Heaving a light sigh, Taka carefully looked over the outfit one more time. After having walked off the airship and into the swamp a short distance it was no surprise that the provided shoes had become somewhat messy- though it helped in looking the part of someone who had run back after being beaten and detained. The rest of his outfit had been slightly adjusted on the trip here, seeing as he had time while standing around and going over the plan in his head.

Looking down to the ground for a moment, he stared into a mud puddle where his reflection had made itself known. His hairstyle had been changed to better fit the 'thuggish' look they were going for, and his expression seemed to have soured as he watched himself in the shallow pool. He looked the part of some low-life criminal thug, a little too well in all honesty. He has snapped away from these thoughts as Maizen's voice called out to him, his head immediately turning to face him. In his haste to address the question, his expression softening for a moment as he turned. "The two of you would make a fairly cute couple though, not a bad path to pursue if I say so myself." He jested for a moment before taking on a more serious expression. Reaching down, he ensured that his transceiver was properly hidden before giving a nod. "Ready as I'll ever be" He stated in a much rougher tone than he had before, his tone had become more gravely as a depth found itself intertwined. Any sort of 'Fire Nation Accent' had been snuffed out like a candle in rough winds, and with that, he matched stride with his fellow impostor.

 

[. D O V E]

FRONT GATE - The Prophet Entity.Eclypse

The factory's front remained devoid of any signs of life even when the two imposters drew nearer and nearer. The only legitimate entrances into the building appeared to be two large garage doors that appeared to be made of pure alloys. For a short while, there was nothing but the quiet hums of the nightly breeze and their own noises pervading the vicinity until low rumbles emerged from their right. The bricked wall by their side opened shortly after and two figures emerged from the shadows, instantly grabbing Maizen and Taka before pulling them into the freshly opened aperture with them. Another set of rumbles followed and the moonlight quickly vanished from view as the wall closed once more.

When the light reappeared and they were no longer being hauled by muscular arms, the duo found themselves inside the abandoned warehouse itself. Despite its rundown exterior, the interior appeared to be properly conditioned with its walls and ceilings all covered in metals. Pure alloys, to be more exact. If this was truly the Bone Crusher's latest factory then it would be fair to assume that the gang had learned its lesson when the Avatar raided their last HQ. Regardless, the RCPD's moles only had little time to enjoy their new surroundings when the two men who dragged them began to speak.

"Rico and Nigel!? What are you guys doing here!?" The first one to pipe up was a lanky man with an orange mohawk, his voice high with surprise. There were a few fresh cuts and gauze on his face. Finally, he turned to his taller counterpart. "You said they were captured."

"It's true though..." The black-haired lazily threw his hands up at the accusation. "I saw the airbender beat the crap outta them- I mean... I wanted to help them, but it was just too late." He reasoned before letting out a sigh and rubbing the back of his neck, his weight shifting from one foot to the other. "I hope you're not mad, Nigel." He appeared to be slightly apprehensive.

"Ah well! Our crafty buddy Rico probably busted them out." Mohawk dude slung an arm around Maizen and began ruffling his hair. "Anyways, the boss would probably wanna see you guys. Better be careful though. He wasn't too happy when he learned about the mess-up." He then gave the firebender a good slap on the back. "But tell us how you guys escaped first!"


THE VENTS - Xanto Flutterby

Just as Xiurong had said, the awful stench of rotten eggs were strongly present in the narrow confines of the vents. Nonetheless, the Avatar insisted on moving forward with careful steps. A minute or so of crouching and the trio finally reached the point where they were supposed to separate. Xiurong and Xian had to step out of the vents and locate whatever the Bone Crushers had been working on while Yara had to stay in the vents to watch over Maizen and Taka.

"The tunnel to the right should take you straight to your boyfriends." Xiurong told the waterbender, brow furrowing. "You have the easiest job, so don't you dare mess up." It was probably the closest thing to "take care" Yara could ever receive from the arrogant Avatar.

It was only afterwards did Xiurong continued to the left tunnel, gesturing for Xian to follow her.


OUTSIDE - AI10100 Colorless Spectrum

A good ten or so minutes after the mission's commencement, Prince Xu's radar detected something approaching from the Empire's borders. Although it appeared to be heading straight for the supposedly abandoned warehouse, the unknown aircraft's pace was rather slow. Assuming it would retain its pace and direction, it would most likely take at least five minutes before reaching the building.

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Jia Xiaodan

Barnaby mewled while sitting by Jia's lap as she stroked her furry companion's fur absentmindedly. She stared at the ship's monitors, listening to the radio, keeping an eye out for anything that would mean trouble for the group. Her job was rather dull, but she'll gladly take it what with the things that had happened over the past few days.

"You do nothing but sleep," Jia said to her catowl out of nowhere, Barnaby's head perking up and staring at her with squinted eyes. "You should move around some more, you're getting heavier." She continued, her lips attaining the slightest of smirks. The catowl simply huffed and went back to rest, the earthbender merely shrugging and scratching behind Barnaby's ears.

More minutes passed, Jia wondered how it was going for the two who were going to pretend as a part of the gang. Wondered if the members of the Bone Crusher will believe that the two were their comrades, she could never know after all as she never saw the faces of the real members that were in prison. Her eyes flitted over to the screen, widening as she saw something unseemly that made her stand up and rush over to where Xu and Nightwing were.

"Prince Xu, the radar has detected an aircraft heading towards the warehouse. It's moving slowly but it will reach the base soon." She said with furrowed brows, her hand resting on the doorway. Her body was tense, waiting on how the Crowned Prince wanted to proceed with this information in hand.

mention: Maizen and Taka || interaction: AI10100

 

[Flutterby]

Yara followed Xian over toward the vent, only to pause and roll her eyes at their code names. There was a hint of a smirk, though- "flappy bird" might be cruel in the face of her phobia, but it wasn't untrue.

The smell hit her before she even got all the way in the vent, but she didn't bother wondering what it was. Swamps smell bad, especially when you stir them up, which she was sure the Bone Crushers were doing. As they reached the separation point, Yara acknowledged Xiurong's well-wishes with a soft huff.
"I'll do my best," She muttered, already moving away from the other two. She was gratefully to be leaving them- there was a weird tension between them that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but it had been there since earlier that evening.

Yara kept the mental image of the map in her mind as best she could, and reasoned she was making a decent approximation of distances based on where she was running into vents. She figured she was about halfway, and either above the corridor or the next office-like space when she thought she heard something.
She froze, and reached up to silence the transponder on her shoulder just in case.
There were voices coming from below her.

She hesitated. She needed to get to Taka and Maizen.. but this could be valuable information. Yara clenched her jaw.
If she didn't reach Maizen and Taka in the space they had entered in, and they were moved, she would never find them again. And that definitely classified as "messing up" her "easy job."
She had to keep moving, she had no choice. Her boyfriends were waiting.

 

[AI10100]

B E I F O N G , X U
Interacting with: Colorless Spectrum . D O V E
Location: Republic City Outskirts​

Xu watched as Nightwing anxiously paced back and forth the stables, no doubt worrying about his master. No amount of flying around aimlessly or trying to distract him through feeding was gonna cut it. Xu couldn't blame the griffin since he was the Avatar's Companion. He was only slightly less anxious and would have joined the griffin in pacing had it not been for his own method of releasing energy through a little metal toy he's always had with him since he was a child. It helped calm him down as it clicked back into place and with a swift motion, it began expanding once more.

Xu knew next to nothing about the three who were with Yara and Xiurong. He knew Yara for far too short of a time to know her combat abilities. He didn't know how well they would perform in these circumstances. Infiltrating a place is far more complicated than simply busting in and hoping for the best. That lesson has been displayed quite clearly during the recent... incident within the Sand Kingdom. Though with a lot hanging on this mission, he sure did hope that it would go well.

The relative peace between the two was quickly broken as Jia ran into the stables and reported the situation. He held off telling her to just use the radio system they had in place for emergencies such as this one. There were more pressing matters to attend to. "I'll report to Xiurong and the others about this new development." He started before digging into his coat and procuring a small radio connected to the ship. "Scout outside and see if you can get any information about that aircraft but keep yourself hidden. Hopefully, they don't see us either."

With that done, he headed up to the bridge and looked over to the radar. The airship was definitely closer and a cause for alarm. They had tuned the radio to connect with the rest of the group's. It crackled softly and he hoped that the infiltration group was out of the way of anyone. "Incoming unknown aircraft. Around four minutes away to the base. Keep your eyes open." He reported before taking his finger off the button and then looking through the glass to check if he could see the airship.

Their own airship shouldn't be found unless the airship is actively searching for something and is using spotlights. Xu gathered they should be fine. But the question was, what was in that aircraft? Reinforcements? Supplies? Something else entirely? If only there was some way to hijack the damn thing without tripping any alarms, that would be great. For now, he waited for Jia's report on the aircraft.

 

[The Prophet]

Maizen Tosuda​

The psuedo kidnapping Maizen and Taka underwent to get into the facility hurt Maizen's intention of mapping an escape route severely, but he was still able to figure out that they were deep into enemy territory. Taking a fake fatigued breath, Maizen laughed as the dirty criminal messed with his hair. Speaking in the fake tone of Rico, he smiled. "Come on man, my hair! Eh, the way here probably messed it up already. I'm dead tired man." He started, stretching as he looked around. "Glad I remembered how to get here on foot. You wouldn't believe the hoops we had to jump through to get out of those bars after we got nailed by the airbender. Right after we got booked, this new looking officer asked if we were benders. Nigel here almost said yeah, but I stepped in and told 'em we weren't. So they stuck us in this normal cell. We were gassed and weren't in a position to fight our way out, so I got this stupid kid in the cell down the hall to cause a commotion and draw them to him. Bunch of em came through and dragged him off somewhere, and I took the opportunity to pick the lock and we jumped from the window." Taking a seat on a sealed crate, Maizen continued expressively, putting his acting abilities on full display as he kept on. "I remembered some back alleys, so we stuck to them until we made it out the city and into the woods. Then we zig zagged all over the place before finally coming by here! I'm amazing, I know."

Completely fabricated story aside, Maizen thought the story turned out well. Hopefully with this they'd be satisfied and let the two move on to the boss, because making too many lies at once was a sure way to slip up, especially with their lack of inside information. He was already counting on Taka to keep up with the long story; he couldn't ask him to keep up with several more lest he mess up and say the wrong thing. "You said boss wanna see us? Where is he?"

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Jia Xiaodan
featuring . D O V E

Jia gave a firm nod to Xu's orders, sprinting away as soon as it was given. Thoughts raced in her mind on what can happen from now. An unexpected variable to the plan that would most likely lead to another miserably handled mission. Chartreuse eyes quickly wandered the skies in search of the aircraft in the night sky.

Just as they had calculated, the aircraft took a few minutes before its physical presence was made noticeable to the earthbender. Its massive shadow loomed over the wet forestry, painting the already somber lowland with a darker gradient. It was definitely larger than most Imperial vessels, about triple the size of Xu’s own ship. Although its actual form was difficult to discern when veiled by the night, Jia could easily conclude that it was a cargo vessel thanks to its bulky and circular shape.

Oddly enough, despite its astounding size, the ship wasn’t generating much noise. There was only a low hum vibrating around the vicinity which only grew stronger as the vessel steadily lowered to the ground, on the empty patch of land beside the warehouse.

Her hand found itself resting on the radio that she brought with her, bringing it closer to her lips. Jia whispered, “Prince Xu, I have eyes on the aircraft. It’s a cargo ship, and quite large. I can possibly get a closer look.” She released the hold on the radio’s button and fixated her eyes on the ship’s entrance, waiting for orders and who or what was inside it.

“Roger that. If you can get a closer look at what the contents of the cargo ship is, then do it. But if it’s too risky, pull back to the airship. Remember, don’t get caught.”

Jia whispered an affirmative to the radio before hanging it back to her hips, she inched close to the ship with feathered steps and an alert mind. Her stone gloves were already attached to her skin while the soles of her feet rested on the ground and caught the vibrations of the earth.

The aircraft’s vibrations soon came to a full stop, yet the Dai Li could sense numerous movements within the vessel. The sound of gears unlatching reached her ears, shortly followed by the robust sound of yet another engine. The ship’s back door slowly opened and a ramp extended to the muddy ground.

About a dozen of armed personnel marched out thereafter, and Jia would be able to feel the tremor strengthening as the robust sound loudened. It wasn’t long before a large vehicle exited the ship, the light from the former vessel, and the personnel making it possible for Jia to realize something. The vehicle looked similar to the pictures the Department had shown them. It was the Bone Crusher’s mysterious prototype- only this time, it was no longer in pieces, but completed.

It appeared to be a complex truck, with a large, metallic, capsule-like container sitting on its back and a long tube attached onto it. The vehicle began making its way for the warehouse, accompanied by the armed squad which Jia could now realize to also be outfitted with gas masks.

The Dai Li bit her lip, what she saw was troublesome indeed. Her brows were bunched up in a knot as she proceeded to alert Xu of what she saw. “I got eyes on the ship’s contents. About a dozen people armed and wearing gas masks. The prototype from the briefing earlier is already in use, I think the large container of the truck is filled with toxic chemicals considering how they are wearing gas masks. I’ll be heading back to the ship. Over.”

Jia slowly took a few steps back, her eyes still trained on the truck. The container could have just about anything inside it and if they found out that there are infiltrators inside… Things may not bode well. Turning around, Jia started to sprint towards their own airship. She took in large strides despite her short legs, and the moment she got back she asked, “What’s our plan?”

mention: || interaction: AI10100

 

[Xanto]

Xian Zhao and Xiurong Beifong​

Gas boy. He'd be lying if he said he'd never heard that one before. A gust of wind immediately encircled the vent's metal walls from both sides as Xian masked the sounds of Xiu's metalbending. She made the walls nearly crumple with ease, while working to fit them inside.

Xian followed in, shifting down the enclosed space as best as possible. It wasn't exactly easy to continue masking their light thuds against the thin metal surface. Add to that, it only took a few moments for Xiu to complain about a scent. One Xian soon vented out with air. The cleaning occured on a periodic basis though since he had to retain some energy.

It didn't take long for the group to part ways. The airbender nodded as Yara turned down the right tunnel onto her own objective. Though all it took was a good camping spot, her role could've arguably been one of the more challenging ones. The waterbender had to keep them all together.

And now back to their objective. Just Xiu and him . . again. He clenched his jaw as they silently shifted their way down the metal tunnel. Enclosed areas didn’t mix with most airbenders.

The Avatar seemed to share his opinion as she led the way with a heavy frown. She had no idea which was fouler: her mood or the damn smell in the tunnel.

"You should've gone with Yara." Xiurong suddenly said, voice hushed yet condescending as ever. "I can airbend, she can't. You could've muffled her noises, or make sure she doesn't pass out from the stench at least. Besides, I think you'd enjoy her company more." Her mind unknowingly raced back to the scene she witnessed at the rooftop a few minutes ago. It was annoying.

Xian remained silent, Xiu's first sentence slowly biting away at him as they continued barely moving in sync. She made sense with airbending the scent away, or muffling Yara's movements. But who would have guessed the vents circulated a pungent scent back when planning. On a more objective stance, surveying the field naturally required more back up than spying in a vent.

Then she mentioned something different. A statement with no strings attached to the mission at all. . . Xiu thought he enjoyed Yara's company more. Xian paused in his tracks, confusion from the disconnect suddenly cutting off his own stream of thoughts, "What do you mean?"

Sensing the sudden lack of movement, Xiu halted and peeked over her shoulder to fix him a glare. "What I mean is I don't need your help," her right eye subtly twitched. “I can do this on my own.” All her life, Xiurong has always been kept under surveillance. Someone always had to look after her, like she was a fragile flower or a ticking time-bomb. She knew Xian must be doing the same; why else would he constantly stick by her side?

What was going on? A few moments ago, they were riding on the same wavelength to accomplish a solid mission. Now Xiu was . . pushing him away. Did he do something wrong? Xian tightened his lips, shifting his gaze to the metal platform they maneuvered in, "I know." Then he moved forward, signaling for them to press on. Now wasn't the time to- am I extra weight? The thought suddenly hit him. He was hindering her, wasn't he? Xiu was the avatar for crying out loud, and here she was taking care of something petty.

His gaze honed in on the vent ahead. They just needed to get through this. Then if she truly wanted, he'd give her the distance she desired.

Xiurong didn’t know if the airbender’s submissive response should make her feel pleased. Either way, they had to keep on moving forward. She needed to finish this side quest as soon as possible; she didn’t want to keep her father waiting for much longer.

So, the Avatar took her attention off her companion and the nauseating feeling at the pit of her stomach and soldiered on further into the vents. It was only shortly after when the pair reached their destination.

“Looks clear.” She whispered after peeking through the metallic coverings. With a smooth movement of her arms, the covering crumpled and widened enough for the two of them to fit through.

A gentle thud later and the Avatar found her feet planted onto the floor of a quiet room. It was a small storage area according to the map they studied back in the HQ. The door in front should take them to the hallway connected to the prospective manufacturing area. Xiurong dusted herself off as she maneuvered through the cluttered room; boxes of varying sizes and random trinkets were arranged in disarray around them.

Various familiar car parts crowded the area . . until a certain item caught the engineer’s eye. Xian viewed packaged canisters lined up along some shelves. More than a handful of partially opened boxes scattered on the floor were nearly filled to the brim with the same canisters. He lifted one off a nearby shelf, tilting it around to observe its different angles. The steel canister was the size of a spray can with a few toxic labels slapped around its design. But, why were they packed almost ready to be sold? "No vehicle requires these gaseous contents," He mentioned, sliding a canister into his pocket. This would probably suffice as a sample if ever the cops referred to it.

Xian took a step forward, leaving the cluttered area just before his shin hit a wider steel canister positioned on the floor. "Agh," He silently let out, looking over his shoulder at whatever got in his way. The airbender slightly knelt down. Upon closer investigation, it seemed the larger canister and the smaller ones had the same content labels.

“Leave it to the gas boy to find more gases. Stop being so clumsy. What are you? An elephant koi on a stealth mission?” Xiurong quietly scolded before making her way beside the airbender. Her face donned a clearly irked expression as she crouched beside him, scrutinizing the container he accidentally stumbled into. While she was generally an unpleasant person to be with, she wasn’t usually this impudent with Xian.

She gave the air around them a few sniffs before scrunching her nose in disgust. The canisters seemed to be releasing the same appalling odor they encountered in the vents, only stronger. Now that she could smell it way better, she realized that it was a familiar scent.

“Wait… I think I’ve seen one of these canisters before…” Xiu murmured.

That’s when Xu’s voice crackled over their personal radios. Some sort of aircraft was nearly four minutes away from possibly docking around the warehouse. Who knew if it carried more of the opposing headcount. “Copy. Let us know which direction, and where it lands. Thank you,” Xian replied in turn before glancing at the avatar, “Xiu and I are out the vents.”

Xiurong appeared to be deep in thought, Xian and Xu’s voice reduced to white noises, until her eyes widened with realization. “Xu…,” she called out, a bead of sweat trickling down her temple, “there are canisters here that look like the ones we found in the palace.”

. D O V E AI10100

 

[AI10100]

B E I F O N G , X U
Interacting with: Colorless Spectrum . D O V E Xanto Flutterby
Location: Republic City Outskirts​

The wait for Jia's response on the contents of the ship was nervewracking. It could be a number of things - reinforcements, equipment, chemicals, goods. It would definitely be incriminating evidence but he did wonder how far the group would need to investigate for Republic City to be satisfied with the results. His thoughts were going a mile a minute on how things could go horribly wrong with this new variable - and it didn't help that Jia was spying on them. If she were to be discovered, then the whole plan would be jeopardized and the group's safety couldn't be assured.

The radio crackled to life with Xian's response. Xu thought it was over when Xiurong's voice bled out with horrendous news. He narrowed his eyes at the radio. "Does this mean the Bone Crushers had something to do with the attack on the palace? This kind of gas isn't something that people can easily manufacture." Xu pointed out and he had tried to recreate it multiple times only to end in failure. He wasn't sure if it was because he lacked the equipment to do so or because the materials are rare enough that it wasn't easily accessible. In any case, the fact of the matter is that there must only be one source of this gas. "Make sure not to inhale any of it. It's a hallucinogenic gas and will knock you out. Too much and... well, you get my point. Be careful." No one in the castle really spoke of its effects other than it knocked everyone out. But... he could discuss it in depth at a later date. Over the radio wasn't exactly the most ideal.

Jia's report soon came after. So the prototype vehicle had been finished? And was outfitted with a toxic chemical tank? Wait... a toxic chemical tank? Did they load the tank with the same hallucinogenic substance that Xiurong and Xian found? It certainly made sense but... were the Bone Crushers planning on chemical warfare? If they sprayed that across Republic City, they could knock out the force and the civilians. It could even devolve into something much worse if they chose to. Someone was definitely using the Bone Crushers as their hands on the operation - there was no way that a run off the mill gang could create something so dangerous.

As Jia made her way back to the airship, Xu quickly contacted the pair again. "The aircraft has landed with the prototype vehicle you stopped from production Xiurong. It's filled with, what I assume to be, the same toxic gas that you're holding right now. It's being protected by gas masked guards. The fumes must be strong enough to leak out of the container. If there's a gas mask, find it and wear it immediately." The report felt foul in his tongue. If they're discovered, it was almost immediate incapacitation for them. Xiurong and Xian could probably airbend a pocket of air for them to breathe into but the other group didn't. Yara was likely the most exposed right now out of all of them.

He switched the channels to Yara's. "Yara, it's Xu. If you see any gas canisters or smell something horrible like rotten food you've left in a cabinet for years, cover your nose and mouth and get away from the source. They're toxic fumes and will knock you out. If you can find a gas mask, wear it immediately just in case."

Jia came back with a question and Xu shook his head. They'd risk too much by revealing themselves. And Xu hadn't thought about bringing gas masks onto their little voyage. It was certainly something he would now stock up on. He didn't think he would encounter the gas so soon after being exposed to it.

"The prototype and its bodyguard army are entering the warehouse. What do you need us to do?" If he and Jia acted recklessly now, it wasn't going to bode well for anyone involved.

 

[Flutterby]

Yara was reaching up to speak into the transponder when Xu addressed her directly. She hesitated, and reminded herself of the reality of the situation.
The little death machine was here, outfitted with toxic gas. Toxic gas also stored throughout the warehouse. Toxic gas that leaked, and smelled bad, possibly like the smell that was circulating through the vents. The vents she was crawling through, alone, with no air bender and no hope for stumbling across a mask, because who would leave one inside of the ventilation system.
Yara clenched her jaw, wondering if the pain starting in her temple was just the stress of the situation, or something worse. With a slow exhale, she spoke into the device to give her report, letting the signal go to everyone.

"The entire vent system smells bad. Can't tell if its just the swamp or the gas. Probably won't find a mask up in here." She paused, clenching her jaw again and forcing it to release before continuing.
"I found the boys. They just gave an escape story to a pair of goons. Goons mentioned the 'boss' wanting to speak to them about the situation. We'll probably be moving again soon." There was another pause, as Yara decided their voices were definitely different than the two she had passed before.
"I passed another pair earlier, talking either in the offices or the hallway outside. Couldn't stop to eavesdrop. Just be aware there are more around than we anticipated."
AI10100 Xanto Colorless Spectrum The Prophet Entity.Eclypse . D O V E

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Taka
Mentions/Interactions: The Prophet . D O V E ​

They had been walking for just a short while when the massive doorway had made itself known. Taka carefully watched for any movement in the pale moonlight, but the doorway seemed far more dormant than he expected for a criminal organization. He began to turn towards Maizen before the rumbling of bricks caught his attention, before he could even react the shadows had leaped forth and begun dragging them in. By the time he threw his elbow to break free, he had already been released from the stranger's grasp. Immediately he turned to face their captors only to be met with two more goons adorned in the standard thuggish attire. As the individuals began to speak he immediately fell into character, tugging on his jacket hard in irritation as his eyes threatened to shoot daggers at the black-haired man. "Course I'm not mad, do I look mad?" His voice seemed to lash out, threatening to add another wound to those around him. But after a moment he heaved a heavy sigh and leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms with an unimpressed gait. His eyes remained shut as he took in Maizen- or rather Rico's story in great detail, one slip up here meant the entire operation going south.

At the mention of Nigel's slip-up, he spoke up again, "The kid's heart nearly stopped just from lookin' at us. I tell ya, those officers seem to get more pathetic by the day." His eyes glanced over to his partner before turning back towards the other two as the rest of the story unfurled. As Maizen brought mention of the boss again Taka's expression would fade from that dull aggression to that of slight concern, "Longer we keep 'im waiting, the more likely he is to tear us a new one." His prior hostility faded now into a sense of foreboding, his jaw clenched tightly as he raised a hand to his scalp and scratched at it with that same level of irritation. His gaze returned to the more apprehensive individual, for some reason they seemed almost fearful of this Nigel guy- perhaps it was something he should abuse... but for now, they still needed to remain relatively low-profile. Needless to say, it seemed their side of things had started without too much of a hitch- excluding their immediate kidnapping. All he could hope for now is that the others managed to earn the same level of success.

 

[. D O V E]

FRONT GATE - The Prophet Entity.Eclypse

The two goons listened intently on the other duo's story, their eyes seemingly boring into their every fiber. A pregnant silence passed after they ended their short tale, only broken by the brawny member as he let out a long sigh. "I was worried you'd bite my ass for leaving you out there." From the way he reacted, it seemed like Nigel was a hotheaded delinquent and Taka did a convincing job of imitating him.

The one with the mohawk, on the other hand, merely shrugged. "It was probably for the best. We don't want a repeat of the last time, do we? I still remember when the damn Avatar popped out of nowhere and busted our asses; the boss was extremely furious. I doubt he and his friends will bribe us out the next time we get captured." He then snaked his arms onto Maizen's shoulders. "Speaking of the boss, we should get going. Come, follow me, he's right in his office." They were about to head out when the robust sound of engines rumbled and the other gang members in the vicinity rushed to the massive garage door.

One of them was a woman with a hair oddly dyed in black and white. Ashes trickled from her cigarette as she stomped on the ground and raised both arms to the ceiling. On cue, the metal bars barring the gate shifted upwards and out of the way. Meanwhile, two gangsters made their way to a pair of lever and lowered them simultaneously. A sharp sound then filled the warehouse as the gate was raised, revealing the enormous vehicle and its escorts on the other side.

"Looks like the behemoth's back."

Mohawk hummed, "Quite full, too."

In front of them, the wheeled contraption slowly moved forward, giving Maizen and Taka ample time to absorb its design. It was the same truck-like vehicle that Jia saw earlier, except now it's under better lightning. The boys could see that there's a window on each side of the large, metallic capsule on its back. Through it, they would be able to see what appeared to be a white gas swirling inside.

"Boss would be even more elated. Bet he's excited to test the latest version of the experiment." Mohawk shrugged before turning around and proceeding to a corridor.

Brawny sighed. "I hate wearing the blasted gas masks."

"Ah, that reminds me," Mohawk turned to Maizen and Taka, "You two should get your hands on some masks pretty soon, unless you wanna end up like Paul. Poor sod has totally lost his mind." He didn't bother to tell them where the masks are, knowing full well that the real Nigel and Rico would know exactly where the gang keeps them.

THE VENTS - Flutterby

Unfortunately, just as Yara had said, there was no chance of finding a gas mask in the vents. Shame, since it meant that she has been inhaling the intoxicating fumes since she entered the vents.

"Ha, what happened to him again?" She'd still be able to hear the goons' chatters from up there.

"He was exposed to the fumes for a time. Heard his head started throbbing for the first minute then he began hearing and seeing things. Whack."

OUTSIDE - AI10100 Colorless Spectrum

"Miss Amelia, please stop smoking." A small group of Bone Crushers stood outside the warehouse. With them was the metalbender with odd hair who was currently glaring at another fellow who could only be assume to be of lower rank.

"Shut your trap, Ah Lam. You're acting like the gases are flammable or whatever." She snapped at the red-robed girl before puffing a smoke at her face. Ah Lam instantly stumbled backwards, ultimately landing on the mud with her rear. "Aw, poor little Ah Lam and her asthma. Perhaps you should wear your gas mask." She laughed, pointing at the mask dangling on Ah Lam's hips. Of course, Amelia too, had one.

Ah Lam glared at her superior from below, her whole face turning beet red. "I-I'm just saying! We should investigate the heat signatures I felt over there." She pointed at the thick forest.

"What? You mean the squirrels and the owls you felt?"

"No!" Ah Lam picked herself up, her robe now tainted by mud. "It feels larger... like some type of a craft. I'm confident this is something of great concern, miss Amelia!"

Amelia rolled her eyes, "Fine. But you'll have to give me your weekly pay if it turns out to be some critters again." With a grunt, the two of them headed for the designated area.

The area where Xu's airship was parked.

 

[Flutterby]

Her heart was in her throat. Or was her head pounding? If her head was pounding, it was only a matter of time, apparently, until she started hallucinating.

As Yara waited for the group to move in earnest, she reached up and said into the communicator, "The machine has entered the building for testing the next version of whatever they're doing. Currently roughly in the middle of the building.. warehouse-like room has to take up most of the footprint. Gas effects start with a headache, apparently auditory and visual hallucinations follow."
There was a second of dead air, her finger still on the button, before she added, "Taka and Maizen still haven't put on masks. My headache started about a minute and a half ago."

Keeping pace with her boyfriends, Yara chose to pretend that she didn't hear something shuffle in the vent behind her.

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Earth, Fire, Metal and Xu

A second, a pause, a moment. There was still no answer on the radio. It was problematic, the idea of such people holding a potent gas that resulted in the kidnapping of the Emperor. She constantly berated herself for that day, not to mention the amount of disappointment Liu showed her.

She shook the thoughts away, she can't be distracted now because it would only lead to disaster. She was about to hop into the aircraft when she noticed the footsteps of two people going in their direction.

Jia's jaw tightened, and if her back could go straighter, it would. "As much as I'd hate to interrupt, we're about to have some company." She said flatly before facing the forest once again.

"We could surprise them with an ambush from above? What do you think?"

The young prince pinched the bridge of his nose. He was sure they parked far away enough that no patrols would catch sight of them yet here they were. It was inevitable, he supposed, but it only meant that they can't let them leave.

He grabbed his bow and wore his quiver as he rushed down to Jia's position. "Yeah, above would be ideal for me." He gestured to his bow and looked out to the forest. He couldn't see anything yet. He was thankful Jia had that seismic sense. "Let's get into position. How many?"

"Two," Jia said flatly as she adjusted the green bandages of her wrist. She summoned her gauntlets that snug her fists perfectly. "I'm ready." She said before stepping into the air, summoning a thin column of earth for every step that she took and crumbled just as quickly as it appeared after providing a moment's support as she reached the top of the tree.

Xu hummed in response before quickly climbing up one of the nearby trees, making as little noise as possible as he did. He perched on top of a branch and brought out an arrow. He rolled the arrow between his fingers before readying the weapon.

A blend of red and orange light illuminated the dark forest where the prince docked his royal airship. At first, it started as a flick of light, barely noticeable from where they were camping, but it was only a matter of time before the brightness grew bigger and nearer. The faint rustling of shrubs and foliages soon pervaded the vicinity, shortly followed by a pair of female voices that sounded like they were five seconds from jumping into a catfight.

“I’m a firebender, not a lighter.” The first voice sounded relatively soft and sweet, like honey.

“And I’m a metalbender, not a babysitter. Quit whining and light my cigar already, stupid Ah Lam.” The second voice, on the other hand, was husky and rougher.

The one revealed to be Ah Lam released a heavy sigh. Her form became clear as she stepped into the clearing, her features bathed in both moonlight and the luminance of the flames in her right hand. “First you turn me into a lamp then you turn me into your lighter. I deserve better, miss Amelia.”

The second figure emerged, a taller woman with oddly colored hair. She leaned closer to the shorter one’s fire and let the tip of the cigar in her mouth catch heat. “Don’t we all?” She blew the smoke to the sky, looking at the night sky before shifting her gaze to the elephant in the room… or clearing.

“WHAT THE HECK!? There’s actually an aircraft docked in here!” Amelia exclaimed, her eyes almost bulging out of her skull as her freshly lit stick fell onto the ground.

“I KNEW IT!” Ah Lam jumped in joy, absolutely ecstatic that she’d get to keep her weekly pay.

The rustle of the bush could be heard just beside the airship. The two gang members would see the rustling of leaves for a breath before there appeared a small catowl. The animal tilted its head to the side and gave a questioning hoot to the two strangers.

Nearly at the same time as Barnaby's appearance, Xu let the stun arrow loose - aiming straight at Ah Lam with the intention of taking her out of the fight early. He didn't know what they were capable of but better to get rid of them sooner than later, lest their position gets compromised.

A second after the arrow had been shot, Jia had dropped herself from the tree and made the land crumble as soon as she landed. Divisions of land rose in hopes to outbalance the two members, and leave them vulnerable.

Just as she had hoped, Jia’s surprise attack did outbalance the two gangsters who let out yelps as they fell onto the uneven ground. This, however, caused Xu’s arrow to miss Ah Lam by a few inches as she skidded through a slope. Nevertheless, the petite girl proved to be an agile cat as she grabbed onto an earthen protrusion and swung her body upwards, ultimately landing on even ground feet first.

“Tsk, looks like you’ll get to keep your pay.” Amelia grumbled, shooting Barnaby a glare before shifting her gaze to Jia and then to Xu. She then smoothly picked herself up while a condescending smirk etched on her face. “I’m sorry to say but you might have to relocate your date someplace else… assuming you guys can still walk after we’re done.”

On cue, she stomped on the ground and sent juts of earth for Jia in succession. While the two earthbenders were preoccupied, Ah Lam used the opportunity to head for Xu, swiftly dashing in random patterns to avoid getting hit by his arrows.

Hm, they could have planned that better, Xu idly mused to himself as his arrow missed. At the back of his mind, he thought about collecting it as he grabbed one of his regular arrows and nocking it back - aiming at the firebender. He muttered something in irritation as he released three arrows in quick succession towards the area he thought Ah Lam would pass by on.

Nevertheless, he dropped down from his advantageous position as he released the third arrow.

Jia mentally scolded herself for her awful timing before she waved her hands to summon blocks of earth to defend herself with. The Dai Li kicked the ground to send a column of rock heading straight to Amelia's stomach, which the latter smoothly dodged out of.

She then stabbed her finger to the air and shooted pieces of her gauntlet to the gang member as Barnaby flew to Amelia and pulled her hair with his mouth.

“Argh!” Amelia felt the sting as the particles hit her, some even cutting her skin as the catowl’s attack caused her to wobble around. “Ah fucking damn it!” She exclaimed once the barrage reached its end and she steadied herself. She then wasted no time and shot a hand for Barnaby, grabbing one of his legs before roughly throwing him onto the ground in front of her.

Enraged, she quickly sent sharp strips of metal towards the animal, fully intending on getting rid of him once and for all.

Meanwhile, Ah Lam reached Xu’s location completely unharmed. Once she was but a short distance from him, she began heading straight for the prince before swiftly dropping onto a crouch and delivering a fiery kick to catch him off balance. This was instantaneously followed by a series of jabs that generated fireballs coming his way.

Xu clicked his tongue as Ah Lam was almost face to face with him. Before she could sweep his legs from beneath him, he dropped his bow and backflipped out of the way. He had no time to lament over the loss of his weapon as he quickly rushed around Ah Lam while keeping his distance from her close. He barely outran the fire and he was sure that he was singed at the very least. He reached into his suit and grabbed two throwing knives and sent it towards her.

Barnaby let out a pained hoot as if asking for help. "No! Barnaby!" Jia screamed as her foot landed on the ground. It was as if time had gone slow, if she summoned a wall of earth would it make it in time to save him? She thought as panic bloomed in her chest when a blur of dark blue passed by and Barnaby was gone, the chips of metal hitting the dirt.

She was glad that Barnaby was safe, and surprised that Nightwing had come to save him but thankful nonetheless. At that moment Jia quickly shot out disc after disc of rock, "Eyes on me, ma'am." She said to Amelia with a snarl. To hurt Barnaby like that, she'll make the other woman pay.

“Ha!? Are you some sort of animal whisperer?” Annoyed, Amelia dodged the projectiles with ease before switching to a defensive stance. She didn’t know what other tricks her enemy has up in her sleeves, but then again, neither did she.

With a condescending grin, Amelia stomped on the ground and rigidly raised her arms, allowing herself to get swallowed by a dome of thick earth.

“Oh woah!” Ah Lam yelped as she felt the ground tremble, almost causing her to stumble, and thankfully she had already avoided Xu’s daggers before she lost concentration. It was then when she felt a particular heat signature soaring overhead, causing her to flip thrice backward just in time for Nightwing’s claws to scrape the empty air where she used to be. Annoyed, he let out a short shriek before soaring for the sky once more, waiting for the next opportunity to provide aerial assistance.

“Oh! You have so much surprise!” She pointed out, sounding too amazed and excited for her own good. “Where’d you get a griffin? What are you guys doing here? Did you get lost?” She asked, like she wasn’t throwing fire shurikens towards the prince. “Why do you have so many gadgets? Are you a non-bender?”

Xu couldn't afford to look back where Jia and the other earthbender were fighting but he almost lost his footing as the ground trembled between their fight. Nightwing descended upon Ah Lam but she vaulted out of the way. His eyes flickered to the griffin once, mentally noting to thank the steed for the assist.

He was taken by surprise when Ah Lam began speaking and he ducked away from the first fireball and forced himself to move around her while inching closer. "Thanks! Ordered and made some myself." He called back, dropping to a roll to get closer while avoiding a hit. Closer. "I like to expand my horizons see! More weapons mean more options!"

He snickered as he stood up and remembered the stances for earthbending. "I'm actually an earthbender!" He stomped his foot on the ground in a similar attack of the ground underneath Ah Lam to spike upwards. As soon as she dodged, his smirk widened and he moved to throw knives in her direction and rushed forward. "Or well I was supposed to be!"

Jia ignored the other woman. She had no interest in talking with anyone who tried to skewer Barnaby. When Amelia disappeared out of sight, she knew just what that meant. She felt the tremble of the land beneath her feet. Know too well what was next.

She closed her eyes, the earth was a part of her. An extension of her limbs, a part of her senses. It was a skill she had polished over the years with her father's strict training.

She quickly jumped out of the way and grabbed Amelia's hands the moment it presented itself. Jia pushed her up with earthbending. She looked at her opponent's eyes before grabbing both the collar and the arm before turning around to spring the other up with her foot and slamming the odd-haired woman to the ground.

A yowl left Amelia’s lips as her back painfully collided with the ground, knocking the air from her lungs. For a few moments, she merely stayed there, wheezing and gasping as though she had finally lost. “Y-You have seismic sense, huh?” She weakly murmured, albeit oddly enough, there was a Cheshire smile forming on her bleeding lips.

“AH!” Ah Lam’s eyes widened as they locked onto the incoming daggers. She couldn’t believe she fell for the man’s trick, and now she was mid-air and two seconds away from becoming a pin cushion. In a desperate pace, Ah Lam moved her arms in a circular motion in front of her chest and generated a burst of flames which redirected the knives away. Unfortunately for her, two of them managed to get past and cut the side of her left cheek and right shoulder.

“GAH!” She fell onto the ground, sideways, each hand clutching a wound. She retracted her right hand and saw red, quickly followed by unpleasant stinging sensations. It was only afterwards did she shift her teary gaze to Xu, her cheery countenance turning sour. “No fair! You tricked me!” She puffed her cheeks, feeling completely betrayed by the man she thought she was having a genuine and truthful conversation with. “You’re just like Miss Amelia!”

On cue, Amelia flicked her wrist and strips of metal from the soles of her boots shot forth for Jia’s ankles. While that happened, she wasted no time and swiped an arm upwards, sending another for Jia’s right wrist before swiftly getting up.

“Full of dirty tactics!” Ah Lam continued just as she launched herself off the ground and dropped onto the approaching Prince with a flaming kick.

"Hey, us non-benders gotta be a little trickier than you guys when we're always at a disadvantage!" He called back as he used the moment she crashed to get even closer. He skidded to a stop as she lashed out once again, twisting to the left as the kick was delivered but the back of his right arm got hit. He sucked in his breath and let out a small whine but he continued forward.

Jia was quick enough to twirl out of the way, just before her the metal strips went for her ankles but unfortunately her wrist was caught instead and sent her back two steps. She tried to pull it out as Amelia got up but it wouldn’t budge. It was okay, she still had three of her limbs free and for now, she’ll make do. The Dai Li thrust her free hand forward which bolted a pillar of earth from the ground before following with the slide of her feet the released the same attack for if the gang member dodged the first one.

Amelia broke the columns with her forceful kicks. Remnants of the attack were still falling when she swiped her hands to the right, manipulating the metal attached to Jia’s wrist. And just like that, the Dai Li was thrown onto a trunk of one of the swamp’s massive trees. “Got you now!” Amelia exclaimed as she maneuvered for more sharp-edged alloys to make their way for her adversary in great speed.

A screech then resonated from above and a blur of darkness surged downwards. Another screech, only this time laced with pain, followed as the metals embedded into Nightwing’s wing. He extended his uninjured wing and flapped it once, sending a gust of wind that caught the metalbender off-guard.

The loud noise didn’t pass by Ah Lam as she briefly glanced at the other fight. However, she knew that Amelia was the more experienced of the two and she has no doubt in her fighting prowess. Besides, she currently has her hands full on the treacherous nonbender.

“Well, lying is a sin, not a trick!” Ah Lam angrily poked her tongue out at the Prince, conventionally ignoring the fact that she was a part of a gang that’s up to no good. A part of her wondered why the man was so keen on getting closer to her when he’d clearly be at an even worse disadvantage. Nevertheless, she took a defensive stance as she anticipated an attack. “You haven’t answered my question. What are you two doing here?”

They were in trouble. Not because they were found by two gang members but because Nightwing got injured. As much as she disliked the griffin, Jia was angrier at the cruelty Amelia had displayed towards the animals. She felt the cold strip on her wrist loosen the moment the other woman had become distracted. She threw the metal piece away and kneeled to the ground.

She gritted her teeth, fingers clawed the earth below her. Cracks formed and soon glowed with bubbling red hot liquid. Jia jumped from her place, the lava following the movement of her hands as she directed it towards Amelia.

Hearing Nightwing’s screech of pain made Xu scowl. The fact that Xiurong would probably murder them aside, Xu liked the griffin a lot. He didn’t see Nightwing a lot but the animal companion has grown on him and he liked to think that the latter felt the same. They had to finish this fight quickly and tend to Nightwing and then get to the others. “Get inside the airship Nightwing!” He called out, hopefully, it would allow some protection to both Nightwing and Barnaby while they finished up.

“I like to think of it as twisting the truth.” He cooly replied, finding it hard to keep his tone light like earlier due to the impending worry he had over their animal companions. He couldn’t help but think how much easier this would be if they had that bison with them. “Would you believe me if I told you it’s just a patrol?” He questioned before vaulting over her and attempting to strike her in the right pressure points to render her body useless for the moment.

“A patrol!?” Ah Lam repeated in surprise, although she had little time to react when the Prince surged forward with his precise movements. Ah Lam dodged the strikes but she was too shocked to avoid them all. She yelped when Xu hit a point in her right arm and rendered the limb flaccid.

She swiped her flaming left arm towards the prince to get some distance before pinwheeling a couple of steps away. Upon landing, she tried moving her numbing arm. She furrowed her brow and clicked her tongue in annoyance; anti-bending maneuvers were getting popular these days. She should’ve expected this. Regardless, Amelia’s voice caught her attention.

“Ah Lam! Position B!” Ah Lam caught her affiliate redirecting a swarm of hot lava with a thick wall of earth.

Ah Lam wasted no time and rushed towards the metalbender. On her way, she noticed the griffin taking off towards the airship but she paid it no attention and flung them all to Jia. “Hey! You’re gonna end up setting the whole forest on fire!” Interestingly enough, this might be why the agile female has been using relatively light attacks when facing Xu.

“If it’s any comfort, the flames will at least alert the rest of the gang.” Amelia cockily smirked behind the wall.

Jia released a breath as she sensed Ah Lam turning to her. It was easier to predict her opponent’s actions with seismic sense and she was careful enough not to set the trees aflame. The Dai Li turned her heel, her body facing the firebender as she controlled the molten liquid to her will.

“Switch!” She told the Prince without batting an eye towards him. She took a step closer to Ah Lam, circling her hands in front of her. “Don't worry, I have no intentions of burning the forest.” She said to the firebender with determination in her eyes despite her blank expression.

Jia swayed her arm down to the ground while her other arm had stayed still. The lava that parted away crawled forth to Ah Lam. She waited for the firebender to hop to the air before hastily veiling her with molten rock from above.

As Ah Lam seemed to turn her attention to Jia as well, Xu rushed over to his discarded bow. Hearing Jia’s call, he gave her a small nod even though he was aware she probably couldn’t see him. They did have a good point. If the forest catches on fire, their location would be revealed.

Still, he knew Jia’s control over lava and that she was more than capable of containing it.

As his previous opponent rushed forward to Jia, Xu grabbed a poison tipped arrow and aimed it right at Amelia. As soon as he released the arrow, he began to move to the back of the enemy lines.

“Ah Lam, you idiot- AGH!” Amelia cried out when she saw the firebender get trapped inside a molten mound, however, she was immediately cut off when she felt a sharp pain cruising through the lower right of her back. The prince’s arrow had reached its target and she shakily fell to her knees, her earthly barrier crumbling apart as she did so. “W-What is this?” She snarled as she found herself unable to move her body.

Amelia could hear her partner’s cry from inside the mound but she could barely do a thing. The place was dark and the only light available was the one shining through the mound’s opening at its peak. “Darn. Looks like we’ve lost.” She furrowed her brows and shook her head. Regardless, she still has one last trick up her sleeve.

The firebender channeled all her chi and shot her right hand upwards, pointing at the night sky. On cue, the mound spewed a column of bright flames, hot sparks raining down the small radius of the makeshift volcano. Albeit catching one would definitely hurt, the girl’s main intention was obvious: she was sending a signal to the headquarters.

Jia had thrown a large rock to block the firebender’s signal but even then, it was a second too late as any gang member who was looking out in their direction would notice the bright light coming from the forest. Disappointment in herself was apparent on the Dai Li’s face. Forming her hands into fists, the hardened lava mound had crumbled and revealed an unconscious firebender with it.

The lavabender walked over to Ah Lam and kneeled over to grab the gas mask. “We might need these if we’re going to go inside to get the others.” She looked over to Xu then to Amelia before speaking once again, “Xiu won’t like that Nightwing is injured. Do you think we could offer up this Amelia as a sacrifice?” There was hardly any emotion on her face as she said those words but it was her own dark sense of humor.

Xu huffed as the firebender and her partner finally went down though not without consequences. With her being able to send a signal to the base with her last remaining energy, extracting the others would be harder. He pinched the bridge of his nose, rethinking ways to make the poison act faster to avoid future incidents. There was a fine line between death and paralysis when it comes to poison.

“That certainly could have gone better.” He grumbled as he approached Jia and gratefully took the gas mask. “We definitely will. You remember the last time we inhaled that.” They were definitely not good memories. Xu hooked the gas mask onto the side of his belt.

Jia merely stayed silent at the memory of it. Not giving any acknowledgment to his words. Just remembering it had placed a pull at her heart in the wrong direction.

With the suggestion of Amelia’s sacrifice with a stone called face, the prince let out a chuckle. “Yeah, let’s tie her up. The poison will wear off in a few hours but better safe than sorry.” Xu knelt down next to Ah Lam and administered a small dose of the poison to buy them time. “I’ll tend to Nightwing.”

With that, the prince quickly retreated to the airship and grabbed the emergency first aid kit. He was no expert doctor or healer but he had enough knowledge to hopefully make enough of a difference to make sure the griffin didn’t die. Finding the griffin huddled to a corner, he winced upon seeing the amount of damage that Nightwing had retained in their fight.

The metal shards that Amelia had shot at him were still embedded into his flesh. Xu eased the injured wing to fully inspect it. He was glad that the griffin trusted him or else this would have been more difficult. Hoots of pain emanated from Nightwing as Xu carefully cleaned the wounds and bandaged it as best as he could. For now, the shards were stopping Nightwing from bleeding out.

“Thanks for the help.” Xu muttered, taking off the bloody glove and scratching Nightwing’s chin. “I’ll buy you as many salmons as you want alright?” He let out a dry chuckle. “I can see why you’re the Avatar’s companion.” He packed up the kit and placed his water bowl closer. “Yara will fix you up okay? Wait for us to come back.”

With that, Xu gave him a last pat before heading out to restock his arrows and exited the airship, waiting for Jia.

Meanwhile, Jia had done what the prince had ordered her to do. She brought Ah Lam inside whilst encased in earth to an empty windowless room and Amelia with all of her limbs and fingers tied up in another. The Dai Li made sure to lock both rooms from the outside and took her three-sectioned staff from her room before heading to Barnaby and Nightwing.

Her small catowl gave a quiet hoot, upset that she’d be leaving. She gave him a wistful smile before kneeling down to pet his head. “I’m sorry, Barnaby, you got hurt because of me.” She said with such a soft expression that she only showed towards her pet. He didn’t sustain any lasting damage but still, Jia was worried. She sees him as her family, after all, the one that stayed and the one that was gentle.

She turned her attention to Nightwing, her eyes were somber but her smile held gratefulness that she didn’t know how to make up for what the Griffin did. “Thank you for saving Barnaby, Nightwing.” She gave her catowl one last stroke before walking out of the airship to meet Xu.

Jia emerged from the ship with her three-sectioned staff by her hip. She stomped her foot to the ground and summoned small shaped silts to fit her hands and wrists. “Let’s go.” She said with a hint of determination shining in her eyes as she held on to the metalbender's gas mask.

mention: || interaction: AI10100 . D O V E

 

[. D O V E]

• Yara
• Maizen & Taka

• 
  A DAUGHTER's DREAM
  Written by: Flutterby and . D O V E
  
  The pain only worsened with each passing second. Every agonizing throb made it difficult for the team’s waterbender to focus on her surroundings. The radio’s cackles, Xu’s response, and the chatters from below were all seamlessly melding into a sea of reverberating noise; the silvery walls of her metallic confines dancing like billowing waves before everything in her vision began spinning at a gradual pace.
  
  Yara reached up again, trying to trigger the radio again. It came out as a pathetic whisper when she said, “I can’t... Xiu, please.”
  She had no idea if her finger actually hit the button. No idea if they could hear her. No idea if they knew what was happening to her. She had the thought to try again, but her hand fumbled the radio completely, almost ripping it off. And then the thought was gone, replaced by the overwhelming urge to get out. She shuffled one, maybe two more paces, before the spinning of the world took her down with it. The metal of the vent was cool against her cheek. Like water… no, like snow.
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  White swallowed Yara’s vision as her world kept spinning, only slowing down after what seemed to be an eternity of misery. Soon, the jarring cacophony from earlier gradually mellowed down, as though the noise was moving further and further away from her. Like sea tides receding. A comfortable cold air then tickled the waterbender’s skin as her vision steadily stabilized, faint hues of blue and gray now coating patches of her formerly unpigmented view. Before her, was the familiar sight of ice and snow.
  
  The soft crunching of boots against thick blankets of white reached her ears from behind, followed by an equally familiar yet oddly gentle feminine voice. “Kiyara,” the woman’s shadow loomed over the said girl, “did our spar tire you out? It must’ve, you did exceptionally well today.”
  
  Yara sucked in a breath as she pushed her hands into the snow below her. This feels like..
  She sat up and turned to look. But I was in the ven..
  The thought slipped away before she could finish it, and the feeling of something being deeply wrong faded almost as quickly. She was staring at a face that was almost hers but not quite- older, the hair shorter and controlled by a pair of tight braids, and the smile nearly a smirk, as it always was.
  
  “I was-” Yara cut herself off, as her mind blanked as to what she was going to say. Her body was sore, as if she really had been sparring with someone. Someone skillful, which the woman peering down at her was. For half of a second, her brain protested that she almost never sparred with her, not after the age of 10 or so. But that too, fell away. It was replaced by a flicker of annoyance that she continued to call her Kiyara. Strangers used her full name, and people she knew respected her use of the shortened version. Or at least, most people.
  
  Yara drew her limbs inward to start to stand, and finally put together a full thought
  “..I guess I was day-dreaming. Sorry, did you need something?”
  
  “The cold ground’s not a place to daydream on.” The older woman reproved with a small shake of her head, albeit her lips were quick to curl back into that smile of hers. “Get up now, we had enough training for today. You need to rest early. After all, tomorrow’s an important day.” She held out a hand for her daughter, her smile growing warmer with pride.
  
  It was then when more memories of Yara’s training with her mother slowly filled her head. From the first time Hanna taught her how to move the waters until the night before when she told her she’ll finally become an official part of their tribe’s warriors come the morrow. “I’m so proud of you, my daughter.”
  
  Yara hesitated for half a heartbeat before she mirrored her mother's smile, taking her hand to haul herself out of the snow.
  "Thanks, Mom." Her voice was just as warm, and she gave her hand a squeeze before letting go.
  "I can't believe it's finally happening tomorrow," Yara continued wistfully, letting the memories roll through her mind. "Do you think I'll feel different? Did you?"
  
  Hanna clasped her hands behind her, looking pleased by her daughter’s enthusiasm. A thoughtful look crossed her features at the question, her feet leading them to the direction of their home. “Of course. It’s difficult to put into words, but becoming a warrior is one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever experienced. It’s like everything you’ve been working hard for finally coming to fruition. It gave me pride and strength, something that I carry until this day and will continue to carry until I die.”
  
  The older woman placed a hand on Yara’s shoulder. “My own daughter becoming a warrior feels far more rewarding, though.” She proudly smiled.
  
  Yara’s face was lit from within, from the kind of happiness and joy she hadn’t felt in a long time. No.. wait, I’m always happy. I feel like this all the time.
  The confusion barely registered in her mind, and certainly didn’t cross her face. The thing that did dampen her expression, was a flash of a displeased-looking face. Also remarkably similar to her and her mother’s but not quite..
  
  “Do you think.. that Sarrin will come?” She asked, as her feet started to carry her back the way they had come that morning. The twins were.. That’s right, the twins were excited to help do her hair- properly, they would say, since neither of them understood Yara’s tendency to let it be loose.
  
  The look on Hanna’s face quickly turned sour at the mention of her eldest. She withdrew the hand on Yara’s shoulder and clasped it with the other behind herself. “Let’s not concern ourselves with an irrelevant question.” She sternly began. “Sarrin’s presence will not change anything tomorrow. As the eldest, she had plenty of opportunities to redeem herself yet she fails every single time.” There was a certain venom in her voice. “She can never be a warrior.”
  
  The look on Hanna’s face chased away what little longing Yara still had- longing for a more cohesive family. It wouldn’t happen- and it was Sarrin’s doing. She dropped her shoulders away from her ears, lifted her chin to the same haughty angle her mother used.
  “I understand. I know that it's not been easy.. that people talk, about Sarrin and her.. lack of ability. I’ll give them something better to talk about, I promise.”
  
  And just like that, whatever bitterness that laced itself into Hanna’s aura disappeared. In its stead returned pride, and she couldn’t stop herself from cracking a triumphant smirk.
  
  “Thank you..., Kiyara.”
  
• 
  
  
  
  
  The large vehicle passed the Maizen, Taka, and the two gangsters with them, disappearing into a wide corridor at the opposite end sooner or later. The two goons seemed to have been fully absorbed with chattering about one of their overdosed members, and they seemed to have no intention of stopping until an anxious shriek reverberated throughout the warehouse.
  
  "What the heck?!" The louder of the two exclaimed as they both flung their attention to the person who made the noise. The shrieker turned out to be one of their lookouts, standing on a column at the second level where a telescope was secretly embedded into the wall.
  
  "I see a beam of fire from the forest!" He responded with a certain panic.
  
  "A beam of fire?" The brawny one repeated, crossing his arms in a thoughtful manner. "Could it be Ah Lam's? Where is that girl?" Looking around, they found no sight of the red-robed firebender.
  
  "Very plausible! I saw Amelia and Ah Lam heading that way!" The lookout quickly replied. "I think it's a signal! We might have intruders!"
  
  In that instance, the entire place seemed to have descended into a panic. The two goons' eyes widened like saucers before they fell onto Maizen and Taka. The eye contact was uncomfortably prolonged as beads of sweat rolled down their faces. Eventually, the mohawk guy pointed a finger at them both.
  
  "You two got tailed by the police!" He concluded, alarm growing every second. "They must've let you guys escape purposely so they can track down the hideout... OH, SPIRITS! WE ARE DOOMED! The Avatar's gonna come and get us, AGAIN!" He slapped both hands against his cheek and pressed them together, arching his back backward in a very dramatic fashion.
  
  "EVERYONE, KEEP YOUR GUARDS UP!" A booming voice resonated throughout. A man with a hulking figure, shoulder-length brown hair, and two pairs of large scars across his face could be seen making his way to the front gate. He was clad in a particular set of armor- a dark green robe with silver plates on the shoulders and chest. If one was familiar with the Earth Kingdom's attires, one could easily discern that it was one of their military uniforms.
  
  "Oh, man... The overseer himself is all worked up..." One of the gang members commented, running a hand through his hair.
  
  As if on cue, a series of loud thumps resounded from the vents on top of Maizen and Taka. This easily gathered the attention of the gang members, one of which visibly jumped up and hid behind the other. "They might be in the vents!" He shakily pointed upwards.
  
  "Well, what are you all waiting for!? Somebody check the vents right now!" The overseer seemed to be directing the order at the nearest group to the vents, which just happened to be the four men.
  
  The brawny one nodded his head and headed off to grab the nearby metallic ladder. On the other hand, the one with a mohawk seemed to be rather hesitant, his hands were shaking as he kept on murmuring, "please, don't let the Avatar be in the vents...," over and over again.
  
  Well, his prayers might have just been answered for it wasn't the Avatar who was in the vents. Instead, it was her trusty healer, Yara, who was still deeply lost in her dream...
  
  Entity.Eclypse The Prophet
  

 

[The Prophet]

Maizen Tosuda

Spoiler: Appearance

​

Maizen watched with analytical eyes as the vehicle passed by, studying the heavy machinery for anything that caught his eye in particular. He would have loved to examine it in more detail; alas, the efforts of who were undoubtedly his newly made allies seemed to want nothing more than to make his part harder.

"What the heck?!"

Right on que. Maizen matched the general looks of surprise and shock, turning towards the two thugs that conveniently looked back to stare at the two of them as well. A tense silence that felt like it lasted several months when in reality it could not have lasted more than a few seconds. "You two got tailed by the police! They must've let you guys escape purposely so they can track down the hideout... OH, SPIRITS! WE ARE DOOMED! The Avatar's gonna come and get us, AGAIN!"

Good thing that biker gang members didn't seem to think too hard. Not enough to discover their identity at least. Not about to talk and add more to his testimony needlessly, Maizen simply made a face similar to dread and looked towards the gate. At least with the commotion outside, they still had time to do their thing…..here. a loud bang in the vents above alerted practically everyone in the room to the possibility of someone being in the vents, and Maizen began to snap his fingers quietly. Perhaps there was less time than previously anticipated. However, surely it couldn't get any worse, right?

The white haired firebender really should stop assuming things today. Especially when it came to the masters of stealth and subtlety called his newest friends.

A militaristic looking man stepped out into the main room, dressed very differently from the rest of the biker gang. Maybe not the boss, but definitely at least second in command. If this was going to end in a fight, Maizen figured he should at least commit the man to memory. Pale silver irises quickly took in this overseer's face and clothing, before quick thinking made him semi-rush to take the ladder before the brawny man reached and took it. The moment the gangster would have gotten up there, he would have seen Yara, likely in a weakened state due to the gas. "Hey bro, I'll check. I doubt the Avatar's up there, and if she's just outside, we should have our stronger guys on the show floor." 'Rico nodded towards the man's arms In a deliberate subconscious compliment to build rapport. Setting up the ladder, 'Rico' laughed. "It's probably just a loose bolt or something, yeah? I'll hurry up so we can deal with whatever idiot cops decided to show."

Quickly climbing the metal ladder, Maizen stopped suddenly before the grate, looking back to the thugs. Maizen had no idea where the masks were, so this was his next best shot. Hopefully it ends up working. "Spirits, I nearly forgot a mask! Hey man, somebody hurry up and grab me a mask and toss it up to me so I can check without ending up….y'know."

 

[. D O V E]

• Taka and Maizen
• Yara

• 
  
  
  
  A shared look of relief crossed the gangsters' features once Maizen- or rather, Rico- volunteered for the job. The lanky one slapped a hand over the white-haired's shoulder after releasing a sigh. "As expected of Rico, as reliable as ever. I promise you'll get double- no, triple servings tonight!" The goon grinned, oblivious to the espionage happening within their base. That said, he immediately reached for his mask and handed it to the mole. "Right, almost forgot that place is jam-packed with gas." The way he kept himself as far away from the vents as possible suggested that he was still deathly afraid of whatever was in there.
  
  Meanwhile, his brown-haired companion seemed to hold the same sentiment as sweat continued trickling down his temple. Taking notice of this, Taka regarded him with a glare, once more getting into his 'Nigel' character.
  
  "Hey doofus, you look like you're about to piss your pants. Why don't you hand me that mask so I can help Rico out in case an intruder's really there? Besides, I think that you and scrawny over there would prefer running to the mask room instead of being here." He brashly said.
  
  Both goons looked at each other before simultaneously nodding. The brawny one didn't need any more convincing as he shuffled to detach his gas mask off his belt and pass it to Nigel. Taka furrowed his brows and gestured for them to scurry off.
  
  Standing by the metal gate, the overseer kept a keen eye on the two moles with crossed arms. Whether he sensed something odd or not would be impossible to discern through his scrutinizing look. "Up you go!" He barked before regarding the other men in the vicinity. "And Nobody exit the warehouse until I say so! If the cops plan to infiltrate the warehouse then we'd better not scatter ourselves."
  
  Taka took hold of the ladder's base, nodding at Maizen thereafter as though to signal him to check on Yara.
  
  
• 
  
  

  
  ​
  The sight of an unconscious Yara lying on her side would greet Maizen after entering the vents. Her deep blue hair pooled the narrow surface, akin to the sea in her dreams, as her radio subtly cackled in her outstretched and sprayed hand. He would be able to hear Xiu's voice coming from the other end, although the sound would be too distant for the firebender to be able to decipher whatever she was saying.
  
  The Prophet
  

 

[The Prophet]

Maizen Tosuda

Spoiler: Appearance

Upon receiving the gas mask he stared at it for a very short moment. It was their only real option, but it didn't change the fact that under that disguise Maizen was unnerved by the thick leather headpiece. It wouldn't be on long enough, and he could burn through something of this quality, but it was still uncomfortable. ".... Alright, glad you didn't crack the lens or anything. I'm going up!"

This wasn't really the time nor place to have a freak out; he'd just have to fight through it. At least it wasn't metal. Glancing at the one in charge for a brief moment, Maizen climbed the ladder while simultaneously slipping on the gas mask. Immediately the restrictive nature of the mask made Maizen bite his lip; he couldn't wait to get this off. The vent grate was easy enough to get off, and after pulling himself up, he was inside. Filtered breaths proved that the mask worked well enough, and it wasn't long at all before his eyes fell upon a familiar form. Up in the vents he doubted anyone could hear him that well, but he was quiet anyways. Careful in his movements, Maizen leaned over Yara to take the radio from her hand. Hearing the voice of the avatar he pressed the button and dropped his false accent along with his voice. "This is Maizen. Yes, I know. The gang has entered high alert, I seem to have stumbled upon a very unconscious Yara, though I believe I have the remedy." He paused for a moment to look down at Yara, before continuing. "I have a lot of information to share, but for now I'll give you this. Do not breathe in the gas, Avatar. It's properties will leave you hallucinating, intoxicated, and borderline catatonic in minutes. Do whatever you can to avoid such a fate, and I can tell you all about the behemoth."

With that info given, he quietly placed the radio down before attempting to bring Yara back to reality. Getting his last breaths, Maizen held the air inside his chest before slipping off his mask and placing it securely on Yara. Funny how he felt more at ease maskless surrounded by dangerous gas than with a mask. Holding his breath for long times came easy to him; control over his breathing was required when it came to certain things he practiced.

He let the filter in the mask work for a few seconds, before attempting to shake her awake. It didn't seem like she was too deep in yet, and he had no desire to slap an unconscious woman.



. D O V E Flutterby