10 Planning the future - E

Aang expected a lot this evening, but he did not expect the question that came to Michael for at least another ten years.

"Sorry, can you repeat that?"

He hoped it was all just a misunderstanding. Maybe it's the play of the wind and he heard wrong-

"I asked how one can kill a Spirit."

Nope, he heard everything alright.

The young Avatar felt his head start to spin - he was familiar with this feeling; he felt the same way when he heard about the genocide of his people - Aang did not understand how his friend could ask something so terrible with such a straight face!

Luckily, Aang had a good answer to this question.

"... I don't know and I don't want to know. The world needs Spirits as much as it needs air, without them our world would plunge into chaos. So, I advise you to try not to destroy any Spirits."

Michael scratched his chin and Aang's stomach fell.

'Is he seriously thinking about killing a Spirit?! I know they are not all kind, but this is just awful!'

"Even if one hypothetical Spirit scared the shit out of me? Can Spirits be crippled?"

Aang sighed heavily and began to channel his inner Avatar.

"Mick, you can't cripple someone just because they scared you."

The odd-eyed teenager shrugged his shoulders and sat down leaning on Appa. The evening sun blinded Avatar's eyes a little, but he could see how disappointed Michael's face looked.

"Apparently for now I just have to watch my back. Hell, I really hoped that I could solve this problem in the usual way."

Aang would curse his curiosity for the next couple of sleepless nights, but right now he was just wondering what Michael was talking about.

"In the usual way?"

Mike blinked and looked at the young Avatar, mentally arguing with himself. Aang could see the indecision in Michael's eyes but didn't press for the older teenager to tell him his secrets. Two people and one Flying Bison sat in silence until Michael spoke.

"Well, I grew up on the streets, there's no point in denying that. Even after my adoptive father found me, I didn't move away from my past life. Old habits die hard, you know? On the streets when you have no reputation or money, you can only rely on your strength. So, relying on my strength, I began to build a reputation for myself..."

Michael fell silent again, he did not know how to tell Aang just what he was doing so that he would not be killed on the streets of Moscow. Descendants of the Baumans - or were they? What year was he born in, again? - were brutal with thieves on their territory, so he just maintained his reputation as a brutal bastard - which was difficult given his age - until he was recruited to their side.

"You can believe me, if you're name feared on the streets, then no one will even think about killing you. At least if they think it's not worth it. So, anyone who tried to rob, attack or intimidate me found himself with a few broken bones. Well, or without a couple of fingers. The Fire Lord and his army use the same intimidation tactics that I do - ну, не совсем те же, но тебе не нужно это знать -" He muttered in his mother tongue. "-and suddenly no one has enough balls to fight back or attack. This is my usual way. Intimidate your opponent so much that he will be afraid to even think of you, fearing the retaliation."

Aang looked at his friend - were they friends? - shocked. He did not expect to hear something like that from Michael. During those few days that they talked, he seemed to him a serious, closed, efficient, and skillful person full of mysteries. He knew that the older teenager didn't have a good life - his hand and faint scars made it clear - but he did not expect that the one with whom he was traveling would be... He could not find the right word.

"Torturer or sadist, you're looking for this word." Michael said suddenly.

Aang looked at him with wide eyes, not understanding what he meant.

"I've seen this expression many times." Mike admitted a little sadly. "You can't find the right word to name me, can you?"

The Avatar shook his head.

"Yes, but that's not exactly the word I was looking for... I just didn't expect you to be so sad. You had to fight for your life so often that you had a reputation. I wouldn't wish that kind of life on anyone." As soon as Aang realized what he was saying, his hands immediately covered his mouth.

Michael looked flabbergasted, like a ratfish out of water. But contrary to Aang's expectations - he expected rage, more sadness, or even murderous calm - he laughed.

As the Avatar tried to figure out what was happening, Michael calmed down and tore off some of the bandages from his right hand to wipe away his tears.

"Oh, Gods, the last one who told me something like that was my old man. Thank you Aang, not many see me as a normal person after they know even a part of what I did. Really, thank you."

Aang smiled back at his friend and moved on to a more pleasant topic of conversation. Neither of them noticed Katara who hid behind Appa's body and overheard their conversation...

---

While Team Avatar - an incomplete version due to the lack of Toph and in the future Zuko - dealt with their problems and were taught their life lessons, Michael began to try to use Energybending in his body.

There was a reason why he did not choose Energybending as one of his powers: everyone could learn this, in contrast to the elemental powers that are given to a person from birth.

Unfortunately, there was little information about Energybending, so Michael could only work with his theories. The only thing he remembered was "To bend another's energy, your own spirit must be unbendable, or you will be corrupted and destroyed."

He also remembered that Energybending could be used in the Spirit World, but considering that he could not even achieve that yet... Well, first he needs to learn how to walk, and only then how to run.

He remembered the abilities Energybender could use to find some clue: Astral projection; Blocking and Restoring Bendings; Manipulation of Energy from the Spirit World.

And the description from left to right: fucking ghost/boogeyman; control who's a Witch and who's a Muggle; the ability to shoot energy from his hands like a fucking Dragon Ball character - if he ever gets into the world of DB, he will scream like crazy with every attack just for his sick pleasure.

All these abilities had one beginning - the Human Spirit that uses Energybending. Which raises the question, how does one train Spirit…?

Michael did a little brainstorming session and decided not to stop at meditation. Aang did the same in the series when he tried to attain the Avatar state. He did a few more not very pleasant things, but Michael left them as a last resort.

He had a few more options, but they all came from third-rate Cultivation Novels.

"Find energy in your body and start compressing it, then wait until your core reaches its limit and breaks itself to get bigger..."

'Yeah, thanks, no thanks, doesn't sound very safe.'

Another option was to find a catalyst to increase the power of his Spirit. The problem is that he, again, didn't know what the fuck he could use as a catalyst. Perhaps he can absorb Spirits weaker than him, but this will definitely give him a ticket straight to hell, so this idea was rejected immediately.

His last idea was to steal information from someone else. Then Michael combined this idea with his plans to get a Vaatu for himself, the old spirit can teach him a couple of tricks. He was going to start work on Substyles tomorrow morning, Water and Air had some pretty useful offshoots after all.

So, not knowing what else he could do at the moment, Michael meditated and made plans for the time when he would reach the North Pole...

'Aang will not like the appearance of the Dark Avatar in his World.'

Michael is hummed in thought. He may have to leave Team Avatar after stealing Vaatu. If Vaatu doesn't kill him that is…

Shaking his head, Michael began to think again. He will not be able to open Vaatu's cage on his own, so he will need either Aang's help or the help of another Spirit. But what spirit would be strong enough to open the prison Raava created?

'There are too many confusing points. Will I be able to manipulate Aang to open the prison? Maybe just tell him the truth? Hey Aang, I need a dark spirit of chaos to stop my thieves' hands from itching. Oh, and also because he can help me get home! For some reason, I doubt it will work.'

Cordato gave up his attempts to meditate and simply fell to the ground. Even unfamiliar stars in the night sky seemed beautiful to him, but in a couple of hours, he would have to find the house in which they were staying. Cold has been a bitch to everyone.

'Oh, well. I'll have to plan everything on the fly. Why doesn't it even surprise me?'

He lay on the ground for a couple of hours before coming to the warmth of the house.

He didn't notice how his body remained in the same place where he was lying. He didn't notice that he didn't feel the ground under his feet.

But he noticed that his right hand was made of flesh. And that it was transparent. Of course, he only noticed this when he reached out to open the door.

No one is going to like tomorrow morning, especially whoever Michael meets first.