Chapter 100 - Innocent and Dangerous

Chapters in advance in Patreòn

Pa treon.com/HolyJoker

(20+ chapters in advance)

***

-June-

She could feel it, like the kiss of cold wind, Sokka was… strange. Having grown in a rough part of the Earth Kingdom, June knew how to read a certain kind of people. There was an aura around them. No, there's no vile aura, nor is their appearance something that might draw suspicion.

But as she saw what Sokka did, a chill ran down her spine. Though no matter how hard she tried to dismiss such a feeling, June knew… the young man she met was dangerous. No, dangerous was an understatement for Sokka. Usually, you would get a warning, or a sign when someone has malicious thoughts about you. 

But Sokka was different, June knew that if he wanted her dead, she wouldn't know of it. Maybe he already wanted to kill her? Such thoughts brought a freezing chill down her spine, which made her hands shake. But taking a breath, she was able to calm down.

'No, I must calm down!' 

June was scared of him, more than Sokka knew and she wanted to keep it that way. She had stumbled into a secret of his, and he didn't seem like the kind of guy who would leave loose ends.

She could feel the chill run down her spine, as her instincts screamed at her to run away. But June held her ground, knowing that running away isn't an option. From what she had seen so far, it seemed like Sokka could cut her neck before she could even react. 

The chubby man controlling the vines said something and smiled at Sokka. But being so far away, June couldn't hear any of it. 

Don't judge someone by their words, but by their actions, only then can you understand what they're after. She knew that well, so to get a better read on Sokka, she had to try her best, as she inched closer, but traveling atop swamp trees wasn't effortless as they were very wet and you could slip easily. 

'I can tell with very little doubt that Sokka is a master manipulator. Nobody is perfect, yet everywhere I went, everyone would speak well about him. Even some Fire Nation soldiers spoke of his righteous demeanor. Back then I had the gut feeling that someone like him was too dangerous to handle. Fuck my luck.'

Initially, June thought her mission was easy. She never picked any dangerous missions as of late, all of that precaution she took was due to a gut feeling, just in case.  

"Oy, June, come and greet our new friend," his disgustingly sweet voice rang out. It was like a gentle prickle in her ear that seemed to make all of June's worries fade away. A voice that puts people at ease, what a dangerous ability for someone like him.

'The chances of him killing me after this is over keep increasing the more I get to know him. I will become one of the countless people he will kill to keep his reputation clear.'

After a regretful sigh, June jumped down into the swamp waters. The gross, strange smell was the first thing that came to mind as she got closer to the muddy waters.

*Squelch*

Her feet sank into the water, and it felt like she had stepped in some bug. Also, her landing created a splash that caused swamp water to cover her whole body. 

She would have been mad at Sokka and even punched him for making her do something like this. Should she still try it? After all, guys always gold back against girls, and this act could be used to improve their relationship. Make her seem more human, so he doesn't kill her in the end.

'Right… I value my life too much. From his behavior, there's a very high chance that he won't even care at all.'

Walking towards soccer she tried to keep a nonchalant vibe. She didn't know how effective it was though as Sokka only smiled amusingly at her. 

Suddenly, he twirled his spear, with a smile on his face, while looking at her. June felt her heart about to beat out of her chest. When a human is in a dangerous a human had three possible responses-

Fwish!

His spear was like a flash, cutting through the wind ruthlessly, June couldn't move away in time no matter how hard she tried. Time around her seemed to slow down, and tears as most swelled in her eyes. 

Was this what it meant that your life will flash before your eyes, and people say that time will slow down before you die? June didn't know. But her breath got stuck as Sokka's spear flew right past her cheek.

*Bzzzt*

A buzzing sound rang next to her ear, and a warm liquid spilled on her face, looking towards where the blood came from, the smell of iron permeating the air. 

June's body cringed as she saw a giant mosquito, the size of a human child. But a spear had pierced its body and pinned it into a tree.

'I was too distracted to pay attention to my surroundings.' June acknowledged that her fear had gotten in the way of seeing things palpably. 

"June, this is Huu, our new comrade that will help us with the Fire Nation problem," the way he said it made it seem like the Fire Nation was our problem. But June didn't have the guts to refute him, knowing that calling out on it might leave her with no guts at all.

"Nice to meet you," was all June was able to say out loud, as Sokka's gentle gaze felt like a trickling knife running around her forehead. 

…

After that the situation became peaceful, Sokka promised some things to the swamp waterbenders and they returned Nyla. The whole situation was solved relatively peacefully, and June was grateful for that, as she didn't want to try fighting the waterbenders in their field, the swamps. While Sokka seemed to handle it easily, she wasn't monstrously fast like him.

As they got out of the swamp, June felt a burst of happiness inside her. Though Sokka was riding on Nyla too and was grabbing at her midsections. 

"By the way, what did you say to the people there?" Juna inquired curiously, wondering how he was able to talk his way out of a fight after entering their land and even threatening one of their friends. She assumed he was threatening them as he had pointed a spear at the vine-bender's throat. "They didn't seem like the kind of people that would give up easily on their food."

For a few seconds, only Nyla's steps and breathing were heard, as silence permeated their conversation. But Sokka suddenly whispered in her ear. "I can be quite convincing when I want to."

Those words made a chill go down her spine, or maybe it was due to their proximity that made her so on-guard of him. But June could tell that Sokka was hiding many things, and knew better than to try to intervene in his plans. At first, she had thought that the Fire Lord had just sent her to track the Fire Princesses' secret lover or something. But the situation had now become more than she could handle.

"So where are we going now?" June tried to change the direction of the conversation, for some reason feeling that the silence between them was too awkward. Though she can't describe why. Was it his demeanor, or maybe the way he speaks?

His chin leaned on my shoulder like that of a long-time lover. "Can you take me to the Beifong family residence?"

"Yes." she nodded without hesitation. 'Everyone knows where the Beifong Family resides. Hopefully, I can get out of his clutches as soon as possible, this guy gives me the creeps.''

"Hopefully you aren't thinking of something bad about me?" he whispered jokingly, bringing an icy feeling throughout her body. "Because having a girl that I like as much as you think bad about me isn't good about my self-esteem at all."

'You fucker! At least act like you're trying to lie, but the amused smile on your face clearly shows that you're entertained by the situation and aren't even bothering to hide it.'

Turning around, June gazed at his face, which had that innocent look and smile on it. That smile would have made any girl's heart skip a beat. Not June's though. To her, it was unsettling just how easy this harmless act seemed to come to him. 

'In two days, we should be able to arrive at the Beifongs, by then I should have a chance to get away from him.'

***

Toph was in her garden, enjoying one of her leisurely walks. Like always, they were dull. She couldn't wait until the next Earth Rumble Tournament came around.

But suddenly, she sensed someone appearing behind her, as he casually jumped over the wall. 

His weight and steady posture weren't of someone she was familiar with. But she could tell that he was physically very fit and likely a good fighter. 

"If I told anyone that one of the greatest earthbenders in the world was a blind young girl, they would laugh at me," the person behind her said. The natural innocence in his voice was discarded by his words.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Toph insisted, ready to fight the stranger at any sign of a shift in his posture. She didn't need to look at him in the traditional way to know what she was doing. "But I will scream if you don't get out of here."

"Sorry-"

The earth cracked before Sokka could finish his words when. A rock as big as his head was shot at his stomach. He was barely able to dodge due to the close distance as he stepped back and barely was able to tilt his body out of the way.

'He is fast.' Toph thought, before gathering rocks and trapping his feet to the ground. "Now you can't escape."

But she was in for a surprise as Sokka brute-forced his way out, it wasn't earthbending, just pure strength. Which Toph found to be ludicrous. A human body shouldn't move like that, and it wouldn't be able to handle breaking through rock that easily unless they were an earthbender too. 

But… she didn't sense any earthbending from Sokka.

"Ow, that hurts," he exclaimed, but Toph was able to tell due to her sensing that he wasn't feeling any pain, and just acting as if it hurt. "You're an amazing earthbender, as expected. Have you ever thought about some youthful experience, like fighting against the Fire Nation?"

"I don't care about any of that," Toph declared, creating a large earth pillar that blasted Sokka away, and slammed him into the walls that were used to protect the house.

Toph was surprised again, as Sokka got up casually after such a devastating hit. "How about a bet then? You-"

Normally Toph would have accepted his bet, but she didn't even bother letting him talk. Turning the ground below him into mud, and having an earth pillar hit his chest, slamming him into the wall again. 

'He is too calm when offering that deal. Even scammers are usually nervous internally even if they don't show it. But this guy is too calm. Even when I hit him, he seemed un-worried and I could sense his gaze look-'

Once again, like an undead from a fairy tale, Sokka got up, cracked his neck, and smiled widely. "Wow~ you're one of the hardest people I have had to convince."