The North Border

Colonel Hurayo crosses his arms as his tattered cape sways in the wind. The breeze is heavy, and the sky is white. Snow darts across the landscape as weary Fire Nation troopers heavily train to ignite what passion they can muster. The sun illuminates the landscape as it travels through a pack of clouds.

Hurayo's gold eyes sparkle as he looks at his troopers. Captain Betossi lightly bows beside his commanding officer, "Sir, we are preparing for our grand strike. The men are still trying to gather themselves."

Hurayo looks around, "GATHER THEMSELVES!! NOOOO, they are soldiers. War is never easy, there is no prime condition. They may feel sick, they may be wounded, regardless of the circumstances, their job doesn't change. They have ONE MISSION, ONE OBJECTIVE and that is to cleanse that village of Water Tribe SCUM!! Do you understand, CAPTAIN?!"

Betossi fearfully nods, "Of course sir. I'll send them without delay."

Hurayo smirks, "Excellent, tell them to make haste. When the enemy rains down on them, that pain should fuel their flames and give them the tenacity that is needed to prevail. We have everything, numbers, weapons, training, there is no reason we should lose. Have the scouts pave the way."

At the line across the northern end of the village, eight Sogoian warriors stand guard. Two are waterbenders, three are spear warriors, and three are swordsmen. One of the swordsmen is a captain, "Steady men, I feel our enemies are planning something sinister."

A mist flows in the sky which makes it difficult to see far in the distance. About eighty meters away two mobile catapults are hauled toward the village. Two troopers stand beside each catapult and one gunner sits inside. Fire Nation trooper: "It will only be a matter of time before we locate the small city. The locals call it a village, but it's pretty large for one."

Fire Nation trooper 2: "The style of the community is still like a village though. Either way, we can hardly see anything out there. I can't imagine we'd be very accurate."

Fire Nation gunner: "That's where the scouts come in. They'll hit the enemy and let us know which locations we should hit. Then we will unleash on them." Another six catapults advance behind them.

Meanwhile, the Sogoian guards stay on watch when a swirling orange fire torpedo pounds the ground killing two soldiers who stand several feet behind them. Black chunks of burnt soil and grey smoke flow from the impact. Water Tribe swordsman: "Did you see that? They have heavy artilley!!"

Waterbender captain: "Don't fret, we'll figure something out. It looks like they are firing warning shots. I'm sure they have more firepower than that." An additional torpedo levels a cabin a few feet behind them. The men turn as they see black smoke glide across the area from the shot. A couple of men cough.

Water Tribe swordsman: "You were saying captain?"

Waterbender captain: "Hey don't get smart with me, my point stands. We need to hold them off until reinforcements come, the elders might still be working out a strategy."

Two Sogoian warriors rush a few feet behind the team. Sogoian warrior: "Hey, what's going on here?! Do you need some help?"

Waterbender captain: "What do you think soldier? Our village is under attack!! Evacuate the villagers near the border, we need to push the people to the southern portion of the area. Meanwhile our troops can wait on standby at the central portion."

Sogoian warrior: "But sir, if we focus on energy on evacuating then we might not have enough warriors to mount a strong defense across the north border. This could cause our lines to collapse."

The Waterbender captain realizes the noble ways of his people could cost them but without word from higher command, this seems to be the proper protocol, as it is the way of the Sogoians. At this moment, the officer is forced to have faith in his traditions and beliefs.

Waterbender captain: "That may be trooper, but it is not our position to judge, now go! Get them out of there."

The captain looks at the other warrior, "And you, make sure we keep a few squads to hold the east and west portions of the north border. Our enemies are daring so I'd imagine most of them will be foolish enough to hit us head on. Normally that wouldn't make a difference, but it still could give us enough time to think of something marvel."

Sogoian warrior 2: "Understood sir. You don't have to ask me twice." The first warrior warns several villagers to flee but most people of Sogo are not selfish, a pair of villagers voluntarily enter cabins to warn others to flee. The second warrior finds a light grey wolf-horse and gallops on it as he alerts other soldiers to leave some of their men to watch the northern border.

Several lanterns are ignited, and bells are rung to signal for villagers and warriors alike to begin evacuation procedures. The eight guards at the front northern entrance continue to keep watch.

Water Tribe spearman: "I've been working on a brand new board, it is stunning. I have engrained several teal, blue, and green crystals into it. I'm looking for some rare violet crystals to complete it, hopefully it remains intact after all of this."

The waterbender captain squints his eyes and peers ahead as he makes out a few men marching through the fog toward them. They are about 50 meters ahead. Eight firebenders shriek as they charge through the smoke. The waterbender captain warns, "Get in your defensive positions!"

The waterbender captain rolls forward and punches two waterballs into two of the firebenders. The balls fly rapidly and explode on impact blasting the men several feet back. A firebender flips backward before he lands on his stomach, "Ouu!"

Firebender 2: "Ahh!" A third firebender punches a swirling orb of fire but the waterbender raises an ice wall which is shattered from the shot. Another firebender kicks a flame at a Water Tribe swordsman. The duelist crouches down as he evades the blast. Another firebender punches two flames at a Water Tribe swordsman but the warrior spins right.

A Water Tribe spearman raises his weapon as he is shot in his abdomen by a orange-yellow flame. A waterbender screams, "Yufay!" The waterbender has brown hair, thin eyebrows, a somewhat long yet curved nose, medium width yet fairly thin lips, and relatively light skin.

The waterbender captain warns, "Yokado, concentrate! We all have willingly put our lives on the line for our people, our clan, and our village!"

Yokado nods, "Understood sir." Two rod of orange fire swirl toward the waterbender. Yokado marginally extends his arms as he buzzes right with a stream of snow away from the shot.

A Sogoian swordsman shouts, "We're taking heavy firepower!! It's a wonder most of us are still standing!!"

Sogoian spearman: "We won't be for long if this continues." A firebender slaps his hands together and launches a quick brick of flames at the spear warrior. The local soldier dives behind a large rock for cover.

A Manifestation of Justice

Watertribe duelist: "Captain, maybe we should fall back, then we could flank them in the space between here and the homes."

Water tribe captain: "Maybe we should. Ok, two men at a time, pull back. I will leave last." The captain signals and two of the swordsmen fall back. Two fireballs are punched at the captain, but the officer generates two water gauntlets around his arms and uses them to block the flames.

The water guards evaporate from the blasts. The captain extends his hand and knocks back a firebender with a gust of snow. The captain ducks from another flame and an additional fireball flies at his left side while he is down. The officer raises an ice wall to block the shot, but it is shattered, and ice chunks fall around the Sogoians body.

The captain kneels tired but slowly rises as three firebenders simultaneously pump flames at him. A long wall of ice rises but is subsequently smashed by the flames. The captain turns and sees Jokado behind him. Water Tribe captain: "Jokado, why didn't you fall back!"

Jokado: "Because you didn't get out safely sir. We are one unit, we fight together and fall together, if need be, until everyone standing has a chance to flee. Because whatever we do, we do together." The captain nearly cries when a fireball is kicked at his face. The captain ducks and Jokado prepares to fight to his last breath beside his commander.

A zooming blast is heard but it doesn't come from in front of them, instead it travels from behind. Both waterbenders turn around, leaving themselves vulnerable. Water Tribe captain: "Ambush, we're really in trouble now!!"

The Vindicated Avenger rises with a light orange and yellow spark of flames propelling him roughly seventeen feet in the air. Jokado: "Wait, that armor, it looks like..."

Water Tribe captain: "No, it can't be..."

Six firebenders look up and one comments, "Who is THAT?!"

Firebender 2: "Is he on our side?"

Firebender 3: "I wasn't told we were getting backup from behind enemy lines." A barrage of three bright fireballs dispatches three of the firebenders. One man is blasted in his chest as he falls on his back with steam gliding out of it post impact.

Firebender 4: "Negative, he's not friendly!"

Firebender 5: "Oh gee, ya think?!" A ray of flames knocks the fifth firebender several feet back. Kett smoothly glides forward with flames holding him up. The remaining two firebenders flail their hands as they direct multiple flames in Kett's direction.

The Vindicated Avenger pulls his hands down and glides low like a shooting star. Kett lands hard and knocks snow in the air. The VA's thick armor and boots takes the impact without injuring him. In less than a second, Kett extends his arms and pops two swift fire bullets into his opponents.

Jakoda and the waterbending captain run to the new hero, "Wow, a new Vindicated Avenger, we're honored sir."

Vindicated Avenger: "Good, I'm honestly just doing my job."

Jakoda: "You must be completely selfless to stand against your own for our sake."

Vindicated Avenger: "Ehh, I'm probably not as good as the one before me. But I'll try my best."

Waterbender captain: "You seem to be off to a good start when it comes to your fighting skills." The other five members of the Sogoian unit rush behind Kett.

Water Tribe duelist: "We owe you sir, had it not been for your help our line would have collapsed." Kett looks ahead and heads the chattering of boots. Five Fire Nation swordsmen emerge from the smoke less than thirty feet away from the team.

Kett extends his hands and pops two fireballs into the chests of incoming combatants. A third soldier leaps at Kett with a jumping attack. The Vindicated Avenger looks up and shoots a stream of flames into the man which knocks him higher in the air. The body flies about 30 feet high and another twenty feet back before it lands.

One of the swordsmen hesitates. The other duelist yells, "We're dead either way, charge!"

Kett extends his right hand and lazily fires a ray of flames into the man, "Auuuuahahha!" The remaining soldier runs at the avenger but the hero grabs onto the man's right hand and squeezes causing his adversary to drop his sword. Kett rapidly punches the man in his chest, knocking him to the icy ground.

Flames swirl around Kett's hands. Fire Nation trooper, "What do you want from me? I'll never tell you anything."

Kett replies, "No, don't tell me anything. I want you to run back to your regiment and tell them the Vindicated Avenger is back!! And he's coming for your leader Hurayo..."

The trooper looks in surprise. Kett shoots a ray of fire into the ground, "Now go!!" The man sprints in the opposite direction. As the man flees a spear flies through the mouth of a Sogoian swordsman.

Jokado screams, "NOOOOOO!! NOT YOU TOO!!" Jokdao extends his hands and sprays two beams of hot water into incoming spear soldiers. Kett pumps two volleys of hot flames into a pair of spear troopers. A spear is thrown at the Water Tribe captain, but the man dives on the ground to avoid it.

The spear warrior switches to a short sword, but the captain raises his right hand. A sharp incline of ice rises and impales the Fire Nation trooper. The remaining Fire Nation spear trooper lunges at a Water Tribe spear warrior who rotates his staff as he blocks the hit.

The Water Tribe combatant rotates his weapon and lunges his blade at his opponent. The Fire Nation spear soldier tries to spin backward but the spear is too long and the spear warrior steps forward so the weapon narrowly glides into the edge of the man's stomach.

The Water Tribe soldier steps forward and digs deeper as he seals his victory. The Fire Nation soldier chokes on his own blood as the Sogoian warrior pulls his blade back. The man falls lifeless and pale in the snow. A different Water Tribe spear soldier is shot in his chest by an arrow.

A Sogoian swordsman warns, "Look out!" A volley of arrows fly at the team but a couple of them are swatted by Water Tribe duelists. The remaining spear warrior rotates his weapon as he knocks back two incoming metal arrows and dodges a third one with remarkable precision.

The Water Tribe captain and Jokado work together to raise a long wall of ice to block direct arrows. Water Tribe captain: "That should buy us some time."

Kett: "Only a little." The archers aim more upward and shoot a second volley of shots at the team. The arrows fly just a few feet in front of the Water Tribe soldiers. Kett: "Soon they will correct themselves. Give me a second and I'll silence them."

The Vindicated Avenger launches waits for a break in the projectiles being fired before he launches himself twelve feet high and seven feet forward like a rocket in the air. As Kett looks down he can suddenly see through the fog and notice the position of his targets.

Kett fires an accurate ray of fire through three of the archers. The remaining sharpshooters re-aim and shoot at the VA. Kett launches himself five feet forward and three feet lower. The redeemed fighter rotates his body and knocks meticulous flames into the Fire Nation soldiers.

Kett lowers himself to ground level as steam buzzes through the air. The Water Tribe soldiers slowly advance behind Kett as they look at the multiple Fire Nation corpses around them. Jokado: "Thank you so much sir, we sure showed them."

Water Tribe spearman: "We??? That was all Kett. That is your name, isn't it?"

Kett responds, "This is nowhere near over. Hurayo has a lot more troops and he's too stubborn to not try a lot more than this."

Water tribe captain: "Needless to say, we must be grateful for every victory no matter how big or small."

Kett hears the sound of chattering metal and cracking ice. The hero gazes forward and notices eight tanks rolling toward his position. A Sogoian swordsman points, "Look out! Fire Nation tanks!!!"

Unlike the standard tanks which either have an opening for benders or a long nose for heavy blasts, these tanks have four smaller guns. The guns rotate and unleash a payload of orange fireballs; shooting at 180 BPM (blasts per minute). One of the swordsmen is immediately pounded in his chest by a flame, "Heeeennnnn!!!"

A Fire Nation sergeant pokes his head out of his tank which is in the back of the formation, "Destroy them!!" A barrage of flames fly in the direction of another swordsman and a spear warrior but Kett extends his left hand and directs a gust of fire which intercepts the shots.

Kett points left, "Quickly, get to cover!! Hide behind the boulder over there. I'll distract them!" Jokado and the captain glide toward their allies on mounds of snow as they grab their nonbending allies and transport them to cover. The tanks refocus their aim at Kett while another tank keeps the Sogoian warriors pinned down with a barrage of fire blasts.

Tank segreant: "Move two upper left tanks in position to outflank our enemies. The rest of you, focus on the Vindicated Avenger! Take that traitor out!!" Kett inhales as he looks at his enemies and within the flicker of an eye a storm of orange fireballs accelerates in his direction.

Kett raises his hands as he launches himself in the air with a burst of light orange and yellow fire. The armored crusader glides downward as the tanks aim up to get a good shot. Kett lands about eight feet ahead into the snow but his armor allows him to fall abruptly without injury.

Kett comments, "Not bad for old armor." Two tanks point down at him and open fire. The VA pulls his hands down and generates a wall of flames. Several fireballs enter his barrier, but Kett pushes back to maintain it. Another two tanks roll forward and fire at Kett's left side.

The former marine extends his left hand, generating a second wall of fire that is weaker than the first one. The wall absorbs another payload of shots. Unfortunately, making two walls also makes his first barrier weaker. Jokado stands to help his new ally, "We need to do something, he won't last much longer in that position!"

Squad captain: "There is nothing we can do without getting ourselves killed!"

Jokado: "We have to try!!" Jokado gets up and raises a wall of snow, but it is blasted apart in less than a second.

Captain: "None of us are skilled enough to hold against their firepower. I've already peaked in ability, but you may get there one day."

Jokado: "Then we should die with him."

Water Tribe swordsman: "If he can't win, we should surrender. No point in dying over nothing."

Jokado: "With these people, that's the same thing."

Water Tribe spearman: "There must be another way, destiny wouldn't bring him just to die now."

Music starts (Ryse: Son of Rome OST- Descend Into Darkness)

Kett screams as he struggles to hold his barrier. The firebender puts all his strength into his walls as the strain on his arms grows. Kett's veins pop out and his body begins to shake as he can only hold out for a few more seconds.

The Fire Nation sergeant smirks, "Gooooood, today a traitor dies... Keep firing." Kett briefly pulls his hands in as the shots fly closer. In an explosion of passion, the Vindicated Avenger swivels his arms, and a shockwave of fire knocks several blasts back but Kett's energy wanes.

The tanks briefly stop firing in surprise. Smoke clears and the armored freedom fighter is still standing. Tank sergeant: "What are you morons doing?? Fire!! Kill him now!" The tanks shoot again. Kett sprints forward as he avoids the first three fireballs but another eight fireballs fly his way.

A wall of thick ice is formed almost instantly which takes the fireblasts. Nearly the outer layer of the ice is shattered while another four layers stand. Kett looks in astonishment then turns to see who built the wall. It is none other than Sada who glides down from a stream of snow.

Kett: "You came back."

Sada: "That's right, you think I'd go through all of that trouble to capture you just to let you die. If there is one thing you should have learned by now, it's that us Water Tribers don't operate that way."

Kett: "Your people operate very differently but are wearing on me." A volley of shots from two tanks is directed at Sada but the waterbender raises her left hand and a second sturdy wall of ice intercepts the shots.

Kett comments, "Very impressive."

Sada responds, "But my walls will not last forever. We need a plan."

Kett: "I already have one."

Sada: "I'm listening." Kett launches himself eleven feet in the air past her. Sada: "So that's how he operates." A flicker of sunlight shines as Kett pulls his hands down and directs a rod of fire into one of the tanks, blowing it to pieces. Kett stretches out his hand and two fire beams penetrate another pair of tanks.

Tank Sergeant: "Noooo!!! No!! Shoot him out of the sky!! Now!!!" The tanks point up and fire. Kett swoops up with a flash of flames carrying him at around 50 miles an hour. Kett halts as he soars over one tank and generates an explosive fire sphere. The hero drops the ball into the tank and it implodes on impact.

The four remaining tanks return fire and Kett hurls himself forward and down to avoid a sequence of attacks. Kett glides down and lands behind one of the tanks. The VA extends his hands and pops a brick of fire into the head of that metal war machine. Kett begins to huff and puff as the pace of the battle starts to wear against him.

As one of the tanks prepares to take aim against him, Sada springs into action to help her new friend. Another tank aims at the United Way representative and shoots and begins to rotate its guns. The waterbender nonchalantly extends her left hand and hurls a four streams of snow into each gun. As the snow enters Sada hardens it and turns it into ice.

The tank tries to fire the ice causes a reaction and the guns explode. Sada rotates her hands and snow overloads the tracks of the last two tanks. Fire Nation Sergeant: "What is going on?!! No matter, just kill Kett!!"

Sada pulls her right hand back and a long fist of snow and ice emerges from the ground. The fist rams itself into the sergeant's chest and he flies out of the tank. Sada pulls her hands down and the fist glides into the tank then explodes and freezes; neutralizing everyone in that vehicle.

The final tank shoots six fireballs at Kett. The Vindicated Avenger sways his right arm and a wave of fire takes incoming shots. Kett jumps and launches himself higher with a swirl of dazzling flames. As Kett looks down at the final vehicle, he charges his hands up with explosive fire.

The tank looks up at him and Kett hurls a five-foot-long heaping blaze of fire into the vehicle. Sada looks the other way as the tank is partially melted from the strike. Kett slowly glides down onto the surface as the fleet of tanks lay wasted.

(music stops)

Sada pats him on the back, "Not bad, we make a good team."

Kett replies, "We do but our work is still not done. Hurayo still has something up his sleeve, I can feel it. But we can still stop him. Have everyone gather around each direction of Sogo's perimeter. Whatever infantry he has left will be used for one final push."

Sada: "Agreed and it looks like he pulled back his artillery for the moment."

Kett: "That's a wise decision, since they were getting closer to the fight. He must have been worried that if we dealt with these tanks like we just did, they would have been exposed. Expect to see them again tomorrow. Everyone will need to rest up and prepare for the next wave."