ATLA, In A Darker World

The sun shone high in the sky, while down below on a prison rig of the Fire Nation, clear chaos had erupted.

Large rocks shot towards the metal structure, causing widespread devastation wherever they landed.

Fire Nation soldiers screamed, with those capable of bending shooting flames at the massive rocks in an attempt to destroy them before they landed.

Others who couldn't, took to their heels and ran for cover.

"Oh my spirits ....". A running Fire navy officer turned his head briefly only to see a large shoulder fall over him. He exclaimed, only finishing his words halfway before he was squashed by a giant rock.

Facing the unexpected attack of the earthbenders, no one was prepared hence the chaos that unfolded.

"Retreat. Get to your stations ...". Warden Jin yelled while shooting a stream of fire at an incoming rock.

"Everyone, take cover inside the rig. That's an order". The Warden yelled at the top of the lungs while backing away at a rapid pace.

Anyone who paid attention to his actions would see that he began retreating long before he gave the order.

His actions clearly represented his cowardly nature and his goal to keep himself from harm's way.

"Abandon the catapults. Secure the rig, defend the entrance. Don't let those boulder bouncers get inside".

Hearing the words of the warden, the soldiers immediately abandoned their siege weapons and began retreating immediately.

The four captured ships docked at the shipyard, following which the invaders rushed out to press their advantage.

Fire Nation soldiers who hadn't retreated in time had no choice but to be entangled with the militia who comprised not just of Earthbenders but also regular people and skilled fighters as well

However, due to the overall retreat, the soldiers of the Fire nation were just too few. Facing the numerous invaders, the few who hadn't retreated were quickly subdued, defeated or outright killed.

Blood was spilled as earth and fire were tossed in all directions.

"Ugh ..... Argh!" A firebender groaned in pain as his body was enveloped with stone. Each one pressing against his bones and weighing heavily upon him.

With his hands and feet subdued, the Firebender had already lost his ability to resist as only his head remained out of the Earth trap.

In the distance, Haru could be seen with his center of gravity lowered while assuming a bending posture.

His two hands were outstretched, one several inches in front of the other as his palms tightened into fists. The stronger his grip, the tighter the rocks on the subdued fire bender.

Haru's actions were meant to incapacitate the enemy until he could no longer pose any threat even if he was released from his bindings.

Crack! Crack?

"Arghhh!" The sound of breaking bones resounded followed by the soldiers screams. Haru continued with a cold face.

'I'm sorry ..... But this is the best I can do'.

Years of suffering were fully vented during the initial prison break. Now, his goals were much bigger than simply freeing his people.

His father, Tyro had clearly stated their purpose before they came here. To put an end to this prison's operations for good.

The Mo Ce Sea Prison rig wasn't just a place to imprison earthbenders. Instead, it was a strategical location that held great importance to the fire nation itself.

Imprisoning Earthbenders was just a side benefit. The true value behind this place was the Shipyard itself.

Similar to Ketu Harbor, all Naval cruisers in the surroundings could come here for supplies, repairs and refueling before moving on their way.

Making it a major stronghold with great advantages during the hundred-year war.

The fact that all ships from here to the west of Omashu refueled and restocked on food and weapons proved this fact.

As long as this prison rig was taken from Fire Nation hands, the effect wouldn't be as simple as destroying a base, it could cripple an entire line, halting their advancements to conquer the Earth kingdom and inflicting severe losses.

This was no longer about revenge anymore.

This was about sticking it to the Fire Nation right at the point where it hurts the most.

The night before this, Tyro had come to his son and advised him to stay behind. To wait for their return instead of involving himself in this war.

The reason was simple. Unlike the last time, the priority was simply escaping with as many of their people as they could.

This time, much more was at stake.

It wasn't an escape anymore but a head on confrontation.

"This is not something to be trifled with Haru …".

That night, Tyro uttered, his face much more stern than ever before.

"The last time, we had the Avatar and his friends to help. Now, it's just us. We can't afford to be careless. One slip up, and it can mean the end for many of us".

"Even more reason for me to fight alongside you".

"You do not understand….". Tyro released a heavy sigh. He knew his son couldn't understand.

No child could see their family go to war and stay behind while they clearly had power to join in.

That sense of responsibility stayed within them. Making them stubborn, adamant and arrogant.

Iroh's son was just like this. After graduating, he applied to join the army against Iroh's wishes.

Even when he did, the old general had tried his best to keep him away from the general conflict for years.

Ultimately, Lu Ten died. Iroh was left heartbroken, and Ozai ascended the throne.

Tyro was right. Haru didn't understand the dangers of war. The person discussing happily with you a last night might end up getting blasted into bits a few meters away from you.

It was horrible

Even the best benders could die in war. No father would happily send their own child to their uncertain doom.

Tyro explained to Haru clearly. If he wanted to come back alive, then just his bending wouldn't be enough. He needed to prepare himself, not just to fight but also to kill.

At that moment, Haru's mind went blank for a second.

".... In this war, there are only two options. Kill, or be killed". The old man stroked his white beard, sighed heavily and stood up from his chair.

"If you want to fight alongside us, then you must be ready. Be ready to take a life without hesitation if the situation calls for it. Last time was a battle my son, this time …. There will be fresh blood spilled on that metal rig ….".

He said these words to him, not to scare Haru out of his choice but to let him know what he was getting into.

These were troubled times.

One had to know how to defend themselves.

Pretending to be a saint would simply get you killed.

If Haru didn't make it back alive, then Tyro would be haunted until the day of his death.

A famous saying, personal experience was the best teacher.

Even though his father's words had bothered him, Haru's teenage heart wasn't overly shaken. Until now ....

At the moment, the breath of death filled the air as he saw both Fire Nation and Earth kingdom warriors engage in gruesome combat.

He had seen a non bender skilled with the sword being set aflame. His agony filled screams resounded, shrieks filling the as he endured the pain of his flesh roasting.

Haru quickly turned his gaze away.

Only now did he feel the impact of what his father said to him. The smell of blood and gruesome display of death ... It was nauseating.

If not for the fact that he was frenzied with adrenaline, Haru wasn't sure he would be able to hold his lunch within his churning stomach.

Which brings back to where he was now.

The man before him was an enemy, a deadly firebending threat.

Yet when faced with the choice of a quick kill, the young Earthbender could feel his usually steady hands trembling.

The thought of taking a life for the first time didn't sit well, and all his father's advice rang in his head, but he failed to fully execute them.

It was at that moment that he knew ..... He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready for war, he wasn't ready for such a level of conflict …. He wasn't ready to kill.

But it was too late to regret. Now, he was already here.

Hence, the young Earthbender could only improvise. By using his bending, he would break every bone in the Firebender's body, hence eliminating the threat while not killing him.

His idea was good, but since time immemorial, it was much easier to kill someone than capture them alive.

The two to three seconds that could have been used to simply kill was elongated as he struggled to incapacitate his enemy without killing him.

This action made him stagnant, and left him as an open target.

On a higher platform, an archer selecting targets just so happened to lock onto the motionless Haru.

Not everyone had the skills of the Yuyan Archers.

As a fixed target was easier to hit, the archer steadied his bow, took aim and fired at the unsuspecting lad with high precision.

Suuuuiii!

The sound of an object piercing through the air was drowned out in the battle as the projectile fired towards the teenager, aiming to take his life while he was still showing mercy to his opponent.

Unfortunately.....

Clank!

A wall of solid earth rose right beside him, blocking the path as the arrow inserted itself into it.

Haru was alarmed. Turning his head to see a small wall with an arrow inserted into it.

A chill immediately rushed up his spine as his heart began pounding from immense fear.

Due to his loss of focus, the earth he controlled went haywire and pressed together with extreme force.

Squelch!

The screaming officer went silent as his spine was crushed by a tremendous force. The impact caused his bones to shatter, following which, bone spurs pierced in different directions, destroying his lungs and one piercing through his heart.

Alarmed again, Haru turned to the Firebender only to see his eyes lifeless, blood coming out of his mouth and leaking from the rocks.

'..... I …. What have I ….'.

"Haru!" Tyro roared in fury, snapping the boy out of his daze.

"This is a battle. Focus". The earth wall broke apart. Following which, small chunks of earth wrapped themselves around the body of the arrow.

The spun around, the arrow spinning with him, and pushed his arms diagonally upward.

The stone covered arrow shot into the distance like a guided missile, piercing the archer right through the face.

"Father ... I …". Haru trembled. "This is war, son. Get yourself together".

Tyro uttered solemnly.

"If you can't kill them, then throw them into the sea. It will free the load off your mind".

After saying this, he rushed forward to aid in the advance.

Squelch!

A short sword pierced through the body of an Earth kingdom soldier. Blood flowed from his chest as his body fell limply.

With a gash, the sword was drawn out, and the male fell to the floor, losing all signs of life.

Dressed in an Imperial uniform, Luca frowned heavily.

His heart in slight turmoil.

This was the sixth man he had killed since the ensuing battle began.

However, compared to when he killed regular Fire Nation soldiers, killing these guys wasn't as burden free as it had always been.

He turned his gaze and examined the situation around him. The Fire Nation officers were retreating slowly while maintaining an output of offense.

Looking behind, it could be seen that they were going towards the inner rig.

Just from their actions, Luca could tell what the warden was planning to do.

Barricade.

That's right, he was going to hide inside.

With the sneak attack of the earth kingdom militia, The Warden immediately felt that fighting desperately was a bad idea.

Instead, he would retreat with his soldiers and hold the Earthbenders outside.

But with the speed at which these guys were pursuing after them, perhaps even the barricade might not work.

Luca didn't know how this would go down, but he knew that things would only go one way.

The Fire Nation would secure the rig, perhaps barricading them at the gate. If not, then they could only secure the upper levels while conceding the lower levels to the invaders.

Following which, a battle for the platform would ensue, with the original owners of the shipyard trapped inside like cornered dogs.

And that wasn't even the worst part.

No matter which one happened, Luca would be done for.

Because now, he was dressed as Fire Nation, and a high-ranking one at that. Once this failed, he would also be forced to retreat like a cornered dog, held up within this rig until he found a chance to escape or everyone else was slaughtered but him.

".... You damn warden". Thrusting his blade to get rid of the excess dripping blood, Luca cursed under his breath.

The warden was too cowardly to fight to the death. If he had done so, Luca could silently sneak away amidst the chaos. Although even that wasn't too promising.

After all, they were on the sea. He couldn't get far on a small Riverboat, and a fire Navy cruiser was too big to sail on his own.

He would soon be hunted by these rebels and another battle would follow.

But if Luca followed into the rig like them, then things would get much more complicated.

It was supposed to be a quick move through this area. Staying for a prolonged period wasn't an option. After all, imagined authority could only get so far. Luca wasn't a firebender. Hence it would surely draw suspicion at some point why he never attacked with bending.

Similar flaws might pop up if he was cooped inside with the warden and others.

Technically, as a Fire Nation rebel being hunted, his enemies should be the warden and his men while the allies should be the Earth kingdom rebels. But if things played out in the worst direction, perhaps he might not even have any allies and become an enemy of both sides.

This couldn't be allowed.

Squelch! Moving two steps forward, his moved to the side slightly, narrowly dodging a spear attack by a hair's breadth and swung his short sword.

The attacker was punctured through the head, falling to the floor as the blade was pulled out.

"Stat panel".

The screen appeared once again on his retina.

Luca skipped everything else and took a look at his Chi capacity.

His mind constantly made calculations as he moved forward.

'..... Alright, let's hope this works without excess consumption. If not, the loss will be too great'.

He said so with his eyes fixing on the Spirit Chi stat.

Luca moved towards the area of the warden. There, was the center of main conflict.

Numerous flying flames shot forward from the warden and his guards as they attacked relentlessly while retreating.

"Damn Earth peasants, you dare come back here after escaping".

He roared angrily while dodging a rock thrown at him.

On the other side stood Tyro and his group of earthbenders.

"We did. Have a problem?" The light skinned old man carried a surprisingly strong build.

"This ends now, Warden. We are taking this base. Surrender while you still can, or we won't show mercy".

"I'd rather die before submitting to you mongrels". The cowardly warden bit back while in Sozin's stance (A fire bending standing style)

"Hmph!" Tyro snorted. "Your funeral. Earthbenders...". As he opened his mouth to tell attack .....

"Enough!"

At the that moment, three throwing knives flew out from the distance towards Tyro's group.

- Marksmanship: 16 -

The attack was completely unexpected, catching tyro's group off guard. But a bender's sixth sense was prominent. Especially for those who had been in battle.

Squelch!

Blood spilled on the floor as a result.

"Who dares...". The warden turned and spoke, almost roaring when his words were caught in his throat.

Thud! Thud! Thud.

"Sir, we .....".

"Stand down Warden. Your incompetence honestly amazes me".

The figure in imperial uniform strode in from the sides. His words left the warden tongue-tied as he couldn't utter a rebuttal.

Tyro held his shoulder that had been grazed by the weapon. Blood trickling down and staining his clothes red, yet he paid no heed.

Instead, his eyes were fixed on Luca, currently disguised before him.

"Hmph, so a big shot's here, huh?" He didn't know what the fancy uniform represented. But from the way the warden was scolded and didn't reply and the fact that he now stood in front of the group, it was clear who was in charge.

The four Earthbenders at his sides all raised their stance vigilantly. Ready to attack at a moment's notice.

"Your actions and guts are admirable, old man …. You have my respect .....". The distorted voice came from the man wearing the helmet.

".... But I have no time for this. Now, leave. As I would rather not have to kill you".

Fire and earth were still being thrown around.

"What?" At first, Tyro though he had heard wrong. Following which, his face darkened.

"You guys sure have a lot of arrogance, don't you. You think we'll retreat because of a few throwing knives".

"If you don't listen to me, those will be the least of your problems. Gather your people, leave this base and never come back. Go ... While I still allow it".

"Sir … You ..... What are you ….". Warden Jin raised his voice in opposition.

"I said enough, Warden". Luca, however, shut him down before he could finish.

Inwardly, his mind was going through a difficult struggle.

Tyro, on the other end, had his dark face grow darker.

"Never".

He didn't utter another word and responded directly with actions.

Out of the four other earthbenders, two were injured with Luca's throwing knives alongside Tyro.

Nevertheless, the old man ignored the injury and began to earthbend with the other two who were still capable of fighting.

The coal condensed to form three medium-sized rocks in front of the three of them.

Then they shot out at rapid pace.

Shiing!

The sound of a blade scraping against the scabbard resounded as Luca drew his sword from his waist.

Pure Ivory white chi flooded into it immediately as he swung towards the three rocks incoming.

With one slash, the sword cut through the rocks like a knife through peanut butter, slicing all three of them in half and changing their trajectory.

Bang! The rocks deviated and flew in different directions.

".... Wrong choice ….".

It was imperceptible, but Luca voice grew slightly heavier.

But no one noticed.

At that moment, the quiet, unmoving Spirit chi resting at the bottom of his abdomen suddenly began to stir.

Following which, small amounts of it began to spread out in all directions.

Spirit Chi: 1294

-1

-4

-2

-2

Under Luca's will, Spirit Chi began flowing through his veins, muscles, bones and an unprecedented amount of strength surged through his whole being.

He had spent four hours at Sea developing new ways to use his Chi.

Well .... He found some.

He took a step forward .....

Then, he disappeared on the spot.

Squelch!

At that moment, Five arms were detached from the body.

...

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