Post by shadowknight on Dec 6, 2016 21:52:08 GMT
'Water, earth, fire, air. Long ago the four nations lived in harmony. Then everything changed when a darkness swept across the land. A war waged in the shadows to control the very hearts of men. Do not always believe what you are taught. Nothing is true, everything is permitted.'
Chapter 1: Abduction
Night fell across the sprawling expanse of Republic City; however, you could hardly tell. The cities streets were packed with an endless stream of Satomobiles which moved like a glowing river of light in all directions. Crowds of people and spirits to numerous to count moved steadily along the bustling sidewalks. The cities skyline had grown considerably over the last few generations, it's lights burning the darkness away and driving out even the brightest of stars,and at the cities heart stood the spirit portal. A column of glowing energy rising up from the center of the 'Avatar Korra Memorial Park' to touch the heavens. Hao watched it from the window of his little apartment. The room was sparsely decorated, a small cooking stove sat near a counter in the far corner, a Li-V sat on one wall with a short stack of movers sitting sloppily against it. A short sofa bed sat on the opposite wall from the Li-V; unfolded and waiting to be of use.
Hao sat backwards in an old wooden chair, his arms cross-folded across the top of the chair back, his chin resting on them as he looked solemnly into the distance. A soft patter echoed through the small room as a few drops of rain began to dot the window, bluing his view of the spirit portal. It had been decades since Avatar Korra had saved the city but reminders weren't hard to come by. He remembered learning of her, among other avatars, in school. 'How amazing it must have been to travel the world', he had thought,'to go on adventures and save the planet.' He smirked at the memory of his wide eyed youth. 'Now a days thought' he mused to himself, 'the world doesn't need saving.' he sighed and stood, shutting the blinds. The world was relatively at peace; so much so that the avatar after Korra's passing had little to no impact on the world and had quietly faded into obscurity. Last Hao had heard they still hadn't found the next avatar, he wished them luck. Hao plopped into his bed and stretched out, he knew he had off from the Sato production factory but couldn't bring himself to stay up any later. As his eyes closed the days events ran through his head and he sighed again, deeper and longer than before. As a fire bender he was a "valued employee" in the factory, but the long hours of extremely repetitive work were starting to eat away at him. His blood, his soul, every fiber of his being longed for excitement and adventure; but his head knew that he couldn't indulge in such things. He had a steady job and a place of his own, but as the last of his consciousness faded to sleep he couldn't help but feel as thought there was something calling to him just beyond his reach.
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The first fingers of the morning sun had begun snaking their way down the tallest of the sky scrapers; thought the shadows still clung to the streets below. A lone figure sat crouched on the rooftop ledge of one of the shorter apartment buildings. Were anyone to see the figure they might be able to discern her gender from her build but little else. She was clad from head to toe in non descriptor clothing, comfortable blue jeans, well worn but sturdy athletic shoes, and a white under shirt under a cool gray over shirt that looked like a cross between a martial arts gi and a hoodie. The hood was large, when pulled down it obscured most of her face without limiting her view. From her neck hung a small pendant, a white lotus charm, at the center of the charm was an odd symbol, a small inverted V with two lines on the lower points giving it a triangle like appearance.
She sat motionless, a passing glance could have mistaken her for a gargoyle as she studied the crowds below. She slowed her breathing; her senses heightened and expanded. The background of the world seemed to fade away as the street was now awash of light. people below shimmered with a faint glow; most shimmered with a pale white energy. A few republic city police officers passed below, a blue aura radiating from them. Then he appeared, a shimmering gold light radiated from a young man who came barreling out of the doors of the apartment building across the street, a piece of toast hanging out of his mouth as he charged towards the nearest bus station. The woman stood and flew across the roof tops, never letting her target out of her sight.
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The last shadows of night still clung to the streets and alleyways, desperately trying to hold its ground against the coming dawn. Just off the main street, tucked into an ally, sat an inconspicuous black van. The driver and two others sat in the vans storage area, a group of monitors sitting in front of them. The screens were a mix of moving images, each one showing crowds of people and vehicles moving along completely oblivious to their observers. Suddenly one of the images started flashing, a box appearing around the face of a young man as he pushed his way through the crowds. Several lines of text scrolled across the screen; scanning: Height 6'2"', Weight: Unknown, Facial recognition: 98.5% match. one of the shadowy figures touched his fingers to a button on the temple of his helmet. "Target identified, all capture teams converge on west district bus station forty seven." the figure leaned forward, rapidly typing commands into the terminal console, "transmitting target information.......now."
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Hao's eyes parted as a thin line of golden sunlight slipped through the blinds. He groaned and rolled on his side, his murky vision clearing just enough to read the numbers on the clock, 'Seven thirty three' he grumbled and sat up in bed, his shaggy brown hair falling into his vivid green eyes. A buzzing noise caught his attention . Hao leaned over a bit to his right and snatched up his phone, answering it with a half-hearted hello.
"Where the hell are you?!" a woman's voice erupted from the phone causing Hao to jerk the phone away from his ear momentarily.
"Tai Li?," he asked with a yawn, "its almost eight in the morning."
"I know," she said in a sly tone,"and do you know what we were going to do this morning?" The question lingered in the air for half a heartbeat, Hao's eyes widening with realization.
"I'll be there asap." he said, practically shouting into the phone as he ended the call in a panic. Of all the things to forget, Tai Li's birthday was the most dangerous. The two of them had been best friends for as long as he could remember;however, there was always an unspoken repore between the two of them. When she said jump, he jumped, he didn't know why. Perhaps it was just to stay on her good side, she was the best martial artist in Republic city and she relished sparing against, and beating, benders. Every year she has him take her to the Pro bending champion ships to 'scope out the competition.' He shook his head at the thought as he snatched up the tickets and shoved them into his shirt pocket. Hao flew through the apartment, catching the toast he had set while dressing out of mid air as it popped. The streets were packed with early morning commuters who shouted angrily as he shoved passed them. 'Gotta hurry,' he thought frantically,'nearest bus station is five blocks. If I get there quickly enough I could catch the next buss up town!' Hao raced along, unaware of the black van following behind.
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Hao sighed, watching the latest model satomobile through filthy, grim coated windows as it passes by. He hated public transportation, humans and spirits crammed as tightly together as possible in the seats gave the atmosphere a hot, claustrophobic vibe. Hao glanced at the spirit crammed next to him, a bizarre mix of animal features somehow managing to coexist on one strange being. Feline fur covered most of its body, including its reptilian looking face. one large horn protruded from its bulging forehead; suddenly its eyes rolled sideways to look at him with out turning its head.
"Can I help you human?" it said with a sneer. "N...no...," Hao stumbled and looked away, his cheeks red with embarrassment. The spirit scoffed and looked back ahead. Hao sighed internally and slipped his hand into his pocket, retrieving his phone. 'I better let Tai Li know where I am,' he thought to himself as he opened his contacts, 'hopefully she has simmered down.'
"Hey Match-stick," she said a few rings later, a playful tone in her voice, "you almost here? The lines are starting to get long."
"I'm almost there," he said, a touch of annoyance in his voice, "just hold a spot for m-"and then his world turned upside down.
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Tai Li heard the line go dead before Hao could finish his sentence. She pulled the phone from her ear and stared at ti, a cold finger of fear snaked its way up her spine. She looked around, studying the growing crowd outside of the pro bending stadium, unsure of what to do. 'It could be nothing,' she thought to herself,'his phone could have just gotten disconnected, dumb match-sticks always forgetting to pay the bill. Or perhaps they drove through a tunnel and he lost service!' she scoffed at herself, unconvinced. As she turned to look towards the parking lot something out of place caught her eye. A single dark cloud was forming just over some nearby buildings. 'A storm?' she puzzled, 'No the forecast didn't show anymore rain for the next week.' A dark, nagging feeling pulled at her gut, 'If its not a cloud....' she broke into a sprint towards the dark column in the distance, leaving the thought unfinished. "I swear to the spirits," she growled through her teeth as she hopped a low fence and onto the street, narrowly weaving through traffic as she crossed, "if match-stick dies and makes me miss the game, on my birthday no less, then I'm gonna kill him!"
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"uuuug." a muffled groan escaped Hao's lips as his eyes fluttered open, slowly gaining focus. The first thing he noticed was that his mouth had some sort of cloth wedged in it, preventing him from speaking. The pain in his arms and legs also told him that he was bound. Panic set in as he realized his situation, bound and gagged in a small metal compartment that he could only assume was the back of a van.
"Oh good," a voice sneered behind him, Hao rolled over to see two figures clad from head to toe in jet black riot armor, their faces hidden behind their helmets. "Your awake." The one on the right spoke, leaning forward slightly. "I bet your wondering where we're taking you?" The man on the right spoke again, clearly enjoying himself. Hao's response was a swift headbutt to the mans shin which ultimately hurt him more than his captor. "Now that wasn't very nice." the man laughed and hauled Hao into a sitting position, Hao looking into his own reflection in the mans faceplate. Suddenly a knife was at his throat. "Now what will be your punishment?" the man asked coldly; however, before he could do anything the man on the left caught his partners arm.
"We have our orders,"he barked, yanking the other man's arm away,"The Grand-master wants the target delivered to Dr.Cho unharmed."
"I know that," The other one barked indignantly,"I was just gonna sca-" He was cut off as Hao threw himself to the left, slamming into the van doors, turning to face the armored men who scrambled towards him while his tied hands fumbled with the handle. The doors flung open and for a split second he was in free fall, partially blinded by the sudden rush of sunlight. Then two heavily armored pairs of hands caught hold of him, dragging him back inside
"Nice try," the first captor sneered, bringing him in close, "You look cranky, why don't you take a nap." Hao's last conscious thought was of anger and fear as the armored helmet slammed into his face.
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The assassin moved like a leaf on the wind, dancing across the roof tops as if she were on even ground. Five stories below the city bus her target had boarded snaked its way down the cities busy streets. She had been grateful for the heavy traffic, she was unable to acquire her target before he entered the bus and feared she would loose it. Now though, something felt off. Traffic was steadily slowing as more cars got in front of and behind the bus. Each vehicle was the same make and model, the same jet black color. 'Templars.' she thought bitterly, coming to a stop as the perched on a ledge overlooking a T-junction.Suddenly people clad in black armor leaned out of the cars directly in front of and behind the bus. The road buckled and rose like a tidal wave causing the bus to stall and slam down onto its side. What few pedestrians there were scattered as nearly twenty men swarmed the downed bus from the front and rear cars. A black van backed up to the wreck from the side street as two more armored figures lept out the back.
The assassin descended as quickly as she could without drawing attention to herself. She glanced over to the wreck, the firebender she had been tracking wasn't making the Templar's jobs easy. He had managed to rally others from the crash in a desperate defense. It would fail but she admired his spirit. Within moments she was on the ground, keeping low she slid up to the side of the van. Inside she could hear the driver providing a status report to his superiors. The assassin knew she didn't have long; she slipped under the van and pulled a small magnetic dist from her pocket, securing it just out of view. A small light turning blue at the disks center as it clicked into place. As she stood she glanced over to the wreck. The firebender stood on top of the toppled bus, a templar pinning his arms to his chest with a bear hug from behind. A second templar tried a frontal assault only to receive a blast of flame to his face from the firebender's foot. The man was skilled but outnumbered and tiring, struggling to dislodge the templar who held him as more crawled their way onto the bus. For a brief moment she considered helping him but such an act would only lead to her death or worse. She turned away and pointed her arm towards the nearest roof top. A metal cable shot out of a spool device on her gauntlet similar to the devices used by the metalbending police force. The cable latched itself securly to the roof and she manipulated it, using it to swiftly scale the side of the building, vanishing over the edge without a trace.
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Tai Li skidded around a corner, her mind was a storm of questions that she couldn't answer. The sound of distant sirens reached her ears as she came upon the smoking wreckage. The bus was on its side, a mass of twisted metal and shattered glass. The road itself was bent at an odd angle and there were bodies everywhere. She felt numb as she approached the smoking wreckage, then the sun glinted off something familiar. Tai Li rushed forward and dropped to her knees, scooping up the splintered remains of Hao's cell phone, tears welling up at the corner of her vision. Images of her friend flashed through her mind like a clip show from an old mover projector as she stared down at the broken device in her hands.
"He's alive." A voice said to her right, she gasped and fell down, pushing herself away from the sudden speaker. A spirit that somehow resembled a unicorn cat-lizard phased through a nearby wall to stand in front of her. tai Li swiftly regained her composure, choking back the tears from her reddening hazel eyes.
"Who are you!?" she barked, raising to her feet,"and how do you know Hao?"
"Relax," the spirit said in a calming voice, "me and your friend were sitting near each other when they attacked."
"When who attacked!?"
"Don't know," the spirit said with a shrug,"but there were a lot of them and they were killing everyone. Benders, nonbenders, adults, children. Your friend, Hao was his name?, tried to fight and rally the others." The spirit looked at the bus, a hint of sorrow in his eyes, "They failed and your friend was captured." The news hit Tai Li like a boulder.
"Do you know where they took him?" she asked desperately, the spirit shook his head."
"No human, I do not......but there is someone who might. There was a bender messing with one of the vehicles...taking great pains not to be seen. I'd bet a hundred Yuans that she would know the who....and the where."
"Where did she go?"
"Roof tops," the spirit pointed to a building near by,"you better hurry, she has a good five minute heard start."
"How am I supposed to know where she went from there?" she asked, turning back around to see the spirit phasing through the wall again. "Ask other spirits," it said in parting,"they may know more than I." With that it vanished. Tai Li hesitated for a moment, weighing her options before her eyes settled on the buildings roof top. Her face twisted into a mask of grim determination as she tucked Hao's phone into her pocket and sprinted towards the nearest opening. 'Hold on match-stick,'she thought as she slipped into the building through an open window, 'I'm coming.'
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Chapter 1: Abduction
Hao sat backwards in an old wooden chair, his arms cross-folded across the top of the chair back, his chin resting on them as he looked solemnly into the distance. A soft patter echoed through the small room as a few drops of rain began to dot the window, bluing his view of the spirit portal. It had been decades since Avatar Korra had saved the city but reminders weren't hard to come by. He remembered learning of her, among other avatars, in school. 'How amazing it must have been to travel the world', he had thought,'to go on adventures and save the planet.' He smirked at the memory of his wide eyed youth. 'Now a days thought' he mused to himself, 'the world doesn't need saving.' he sighed and stood, shutting the blinds. The world was relatively at peace; so much so that the avatar after Korra's passing had little to no impact on the world and had quietly faded into obscurity. Last Hao had heard they still hadn't found the next avatar, he wished them luck. Hao plopped into his bed and stretched out, he knew he had off from the Sato production factory but couldn't bring himself to stay up any later. As his eyes closed the days events ran through his head and he sighed again, deeper and longer than before. As a fire bender he was a "valued employee" in the factory, but the long hours of extremely repetitive work were starting to eat away at him. His blood, his soul, every fiber of his being longed for excitement and adventure; but his head knew that he couldn't indulge in such things. He had a steady job and a place of his own, but as the last of his consciousness faded to sleep he couldn't help but feel as thought there was something calling to him just beyond his reach.
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The first fingers of the morning sun had begun snaking their way down the tallest of the sky scrapers; thought the shadows still clung to the streets below. A lone figure sat crouched on the rooftop ledge of one of the shorter apartment buildings. Were anyone to see the figure they might be able to discern her gender from her build but little else. She was clad from head to toe in non descriptor clothing, comfortable blue jeans, well worn but sturdy athletic shoes, and a white under shirt under a cool gray over shirt that looked like a cross between a martial arts gi and a hoodie. The hood was large, when pulled down it obscured most of her face without limiting her view. From her neck hung a small pendant, a white lotus charm, at the center of the charm was an odd symbol, a small inverted V with two lines on the lower points giving it a triangle like appearance.
She sat motionless, a passing glance could have mistaken her for a gargoyle as she studied the crowds below. She slowed her breathing; her senses heightened and expanded. The background of the world seemed to fade away as the street was now awash of light. people below shimmered with a faint glow; most shimmered with a pale white energy. A few republic city police officers passed below, a blue aura radiating from them. Then he appeared, a shimmering gold light radiated from a young man who came barreling out of the doors of the apartment building across the street, a piece of toast hanging out of his mouth as he charged towards the nearest bus station. The woman stood and flew across the roof tops, never letting her target out of her sight.
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The last shadows of night still clung to the streets and alleyways, desperately trying to hold its ground against the coming dawn. Just off the main street, tucked into an ally, sat an inconspicuous black van. The driver and two others sat in the vans storage area, a group of monitors sitting in front of them. The screens were a mix of moving images, each one showing crowds of people and vehicles moving along completely oblivious to their observers. Suddenly one of the images started flashing, a box appearing around the face of a young man as he pushed his way through the crowds. Several lines of text scrolled across the screen; scanning: Height 6'2"', Weight: Unknown, Facial recognition: 98.5% match. one of the shadowy figures touched his fingers to a button on the temple of his helmet. "Target identified, all capture teams converge on west district bus station forty seven." the figure leaned forward, rapidly typing commands into the terminal console, "transmitting target information.......now."
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Hao's eyes parted as a thin line of golden sunlight slipped through the blinds. He groaned and rolled on his side, his murky vision clearing just enough to read the numbers on the clock, 'Seven thirty three' he grumbled and sat up in bed, his shaggy brown hair falling into his vivid green eyes. A buzzing noise caught his attention . Hao leaned over a bit to his right and snatched up his phone, answering it with a half-hearted hello.
"Where the hell are you?!" a woman's voice erupted from the phone causing Hao to jerk the phone away from his ear momentarily.
"Tai Li?," he asked with a yawn, "its almost eight in the morning."
"I know," she said in a sly tone,"and do you know what we were going to do this morning?" The question lingered in the air for half a heartbeat, Hao's eyes widening with realization.
"I'll be there asap." he said, practically shouting into the phone as he ended the call in a panic. Of all the things to forget, Tai Li's birthday was the most dangerous. The two of them had been best friends for as long as he could remember;however, there was always an unspoken repore between the two of them. When she said jump, he jumped, he didn't know why. Perhaps it was just to stay on her good side, she was the best martial artist in Republic city and she relished sparing against, and beating, benders. Every year she has him take her to the Pro bending champion ships to 'scope out the competition.' He shook his head at the thought as he snatched up the tickets and shoved them into his shirt pocket. Hao flew through the apartment, catching the toast he had set while dressing out of mid air as it popped. The streets were packed with early morning commuters who shouted angrily as he shoved passed them. 'Gotta hurry,' he thought frantically,'nearest bus station is five blocks. If I get there quickly enough I could catch the next buss up town!' Hao raced along, unaware of the black van following behind.
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Hao sighed, watching the latest model satomobile through filthy, grim coated windows as it passes by. He hated public transportation, humans and spirits crammed as tightly together as possible in the seats gave the atmosphere a hot, claustrophobic vibe. Hao glanced at the spirit crammed next to him, a bizarre mix of animal features somehow managing to coexist on one strange being. Feline fur covered most of its body, including its reptilian looking face. one large horn protruded from its bulging forehead; suddenly its eyes rolled sideways to look at him with out turning its head.
"Can I help you human?" it said with a sneer. "N...no...," Hao stumbled and looked away, his cheeks red with embarrassment. The spirit scoffed and looked back ahead. Hao sighed internally and slipped his hand into his pocket, retrieving his phone. 'I better let Tai Li know where I am,' he thought to himself as he opened his contacts, 'hopefully she has simmered down.'
"Hey Match-stick," she said a few rings later, a playful tone in her voice, "you almost here? The lines are starting to get long."
"I'm almost there," he said, a touch of annoyance in his voice, "just hold a spot for m-"and then his world turned upside down.
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Tai Li heard the line go dead before Hao could finish his sentence. She pulled the phone from her ear and stared at ti, a cold finger of fear snaked its way up her spine. She looked around, studying the growing crowd outside of the pro bending stadium, unsure of what to do. 'It could be nothing,' she thought to herself,'his phone could have just gotten disconnected, dumb match-sticks always forgetting to pay the bill. Or perhaps they drove through a tunnel and he lost service!' she scoffed at herself, unconvinced. As she turned to look towards the parking lot something out of place caught her eye. A single dark cloud was forming just over some nearby buildings. 'A storm?' she puzzled, 'No the forecast didn't show anymore rain for the next week.' A dark, nagging feeling pulled at her gut, 'If its not a cloud....' she broke into a sprint towards the dark column in the distance, leaving the thought unfinished. "I swear to the spirits," she growled through her teeth as she hopped a low fence and onto the street, narrowly weaving through traffic as she crossed, "if match-stick dies and makes me miss the game, on my birthday no less, then I'm gonna kill him!"
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"uuuug." a muffled groan escaped Hao's lips as his eyes fluttered open, slowly gaining focus. The first thing he noticed was that his mouth had some sort of cloth wedged in it, preventing him from speaking. The pain in his arms and legs also told him that he was bound. Panic set in as he realized his situation, bound and gagged in a small metal compartment that he could only assume was the back of a van.
"Oh good," a voice sneered behind him, Hao rolled over to see two figures clad from head to toe in jet black riot armor, their faces hidden behind their helmets. "Your awake." The one on the right spoke, leaning forward slightly. "I bet your wondering where we're taking you?" The man on the right spoke again, clearly enjoying himself. Hao's response was a swift headbutt to the mans shin which ultimately hurt him more than his captor. "Now that wasn't very nice." the man laughed and hauled Hao into a sitting position, Hao looking into his own reflection in the mans faceplate. Suddenly a knife was at his throat. "Now what will be your punishment?" the man asked coldly; however, before he could do anything the man on the left caught his partners arm.
"We have our orders,"he barked, yanking the other man's arm away,"The Grand-master wants the target delivered to Dr.Cho unharmed."
"I know that," The other one barked indignantly,"I was just gonna sca-" He was cut off as Hao threw himself to the left, slamming into the van doors, turning to face the armored men who scrambled towards him while his tied hands fumbled with the handle. The doors flung open and for a split second he was in free fall, partially blinded by the sudden rush of sunlight. Then two heavily armored pairs of hands caught hold of him, dragging him back inside
"Nice try," the first captor sneered, bringing him in close, "You look cranky, why don't you take a nap." Hao's last conscious thought was of anger and fear as the armored helmet slammed into his face.
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The assassin moved like a leaf on the wind, dancing across the roof tops as if she were on even ground. Five stories below the city bus her target had boarded snaked its way down the cities busy streets. She had been grateful for the heavy traffic, she was unable to acquire her target before he entered the bus and feared she would loose it. Now though, something felt off. Traffic was steadily slowing as more cars got in front of and behind the bus. Each vehicle was the same make and model, the same jet black color. 'Templars.' she thought bitterly, coming to a stop as the perched on a ledge overlooking a T-junction.Suddenly people clad in black armor leaned out of the cars directly in front of and behind the bus. The road buckled and rose like a tidal wave causing the bus to stall and slam down onto its side. What few pedestrians there were scattered as nearly twenty men swarmed the downed bus from the front and rear cars. A black van backed up to the wreck from the side street as two more armored figures lept out the back.
The assassin descended as quickly as she could without drawing attention to herself. She glanced over to the wreck, the firebender she had been tracking wasn't making the Templar's jobs easy. He had managed to rally others from the crash in a desperate defense. It would fail but she admired his spirit. Within moments she was on the ground, keeping low she slid up to the side of the van. Inside she could hear the driver providing a status report to his superiors. The assassin knew she didn't have long; she slipped under the van and pulled a small magnetic dist from her pocket, securing it just out of view. A small light turning blue at the disks center as it clicked into place. As she stood she glanced over to the wreck. The firebender stood on top of the toppled bus, a templar pinning his arms to his chest with a bear hug from behind. A second templar tried a frontal assault only to receive a blast of flame to his face from the firebender's foot. The man was skilled but outnumbered and tiring, struggling to dislodge the templar who held him as more crawled their way onto the bus. For a brief moment she considered helping him but such an act would only lead to her death or worse. She turned away and pointed her arm towards the nearest roof top. A metal cable shot out of a spool device on her gauntlet similar to the devices used by the metalbending police force. The cable latched itself securly to the roof and she manipulated it, using it to swiftly scale the side of the building, vanishing over the edge without a trace.
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Tai Li skidded around a corner, her mind was a storm of questions that she couldn't answer. The sound of distant sirens reached her ears as she came upon the smoking wreckage. The bus was on its side, a mass of twisted metal and shattered glass. The road itself was bent at an odd angle and there were bodies everywhere. She felt numb as she approached the smoking wreckage, then the sun glinted off something familiar. Tai Li rushed forward and dropped to her knees, scooping up the splintered remains of Hao's cell phone, tears welling up at the corner of her vision. Images of her friend flashed through her mind like a clip show from an old mover projector as she stared down at the broken device in her hands.
"He's alive." A voice said to her right, she gasped and fell down, pushing herself away from the sudden speaker. A spirit that somehow resembled a unicorn cat-lizard phased through a nearby wall to stand in front of her. tai Li swiftly regained her composure, choking back the tears from her reddening hazel eyes.
"Who are you!?" she barked, raising to her feet,"and how do you know Hao?"
"Relax," the spirit said in a calming voice, "me and your friend were sitting near each other when they attacked."
"When who attacked!?"
"Don't know," the spirit said with a shrug,"but there were a lot of them and they were killing everyone. Benders, nonbenders, adults, children. Your friend, Hao was his name?, tried to fight and rally the others." The spirit looked at the bus, a hint of sorrow in his eyes, "They failed and your friend was captured." The news hit Tai Li like a boulder.
"Do you know where they took him?" she asked desperately, the spirit shook his head."
"No human, I do not......but there is someone who might. There was a bender messing with one of the vehicles...taking great pains not to be seen. I'd bet a hundred Yuans that she would know the who....and the where."
"Where did she go?"
"Roof tops," the spirit pointed to a building near by,"you better hurry, she has a good five minute heard start."
"How am I supposed to know where she went from there?" she asked, turning back around to see the spirit phasing through the wall again. "Ask other spirits," it said in parting,"they may know more than I." With that it vanished. Tai Li hesitated for a moment, weighing her options before her eyes settled on the buildings roof top. Her face twisted into a mask of grim determination as she tucked Hao's phone into her pocket and sprinted towards the nearest opening. 'Hold on match-stick,'she thought as she slipped into the building through an open window, 'I'm coming.'
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Chapter 2: Prisoners and Prospects
Hao's eyes slowly slid open only to shut again instinctively against the harsh brightness of the overhead light. He slid himself into a sitting position, his muscles protesting against the action. He was nauseous, his temples pounded, Hao felt like he was waking up after a night out with Tai Li. He forced his eyes open just enough to take in his surroundings. The Room was bright, bare white walls, white ceiling, light gray floor. A solid metal door stood motionless on the far left wall. similarly the bed Hao found himself on was a simple twin sized, metal bed frame, white bedspread and sheet with a light gray blanket, a single white pillow sat behind him. Across from the bed was a door and an archway leading to what he could only guess was a bathroom if the floor tile was anything to go by. Hao sighed and turned to let his legs fall over the edge of the bed, toughing his bare feet against the cold floor. 'What?' his eyes widened as he realized he was no longer wearing his cloths. The well worn slacks and t-shirt having been replaced with what looked like an all white prison jumpsuit. Hao broke out in a cold sweat as the skin around his neck began to tingle. He swallowed hard, choking down panic as his fingers brushed against his throat, feeling the cold metal band that warped around it. He stood on unsteady legs and hobbled his way into the bathroom to look himself over in the mirror; however, the man he saw wasn't himself. Hao stared into the eyes of a prisoner, a disheveled man with a strange collar on his neck....with fear and anger plastered across his face. The two of them trapped alone in the silence of their sterile prison. As one they screamed.
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Dr. Cho sat alone in her office, her cool blue eyes poured over a short stack of files that sat organized in front of her. Classical music swirled softly through the air from unseen speakers giving the room a relaxed atmosphere more akin to a mansions private library than an office in the most advanced research facility of the worlds largest corporation and had the aesthetics to match. The walls were covered in rich brown wood wall panels with gold accents, the floor was carpeted with a dark maroon carpet. Bookcases lined the walls, filled with various books all organized and dusted, the titles nearly impossible to read in the dim lighting. A sudden knock at her door disturbed the rooms tranquility.
"Come in." she said, never taking her eyes off the dossier that lay in front of her. A man entered, about average height but with a stocky build prominent under his black tactical uniform. He closed the door behind him, crossing the room quickly to stand in front of her desk.
"You wanted to see me ma'am?" he said in a gruff but polite voice. Dr.Cho's reply was to snatch a glass of amber colored whisky from her desk and sip it silently. A look of impatience crossed the mans face as he watched her place the glass back down.
"Do you know why I tolerate your outbursts?" she asked, eyes never leaving the dossier.
"Ex...excuse me?" he stammered, caught off guard by the question. Dr. Cho stood and turned her back on him, facing a wall panel that opened as she neared uncovering a window that looked out across a bustling laboratory filled with scientists moving about their day.
"Your outbursts," she contained, back fully turned, "reckless acts of sudden violence against my staff and test subjects. Your seeming in ability to follow orders without a heavy hand holding your leash."
His dark brown eyes narrowed.
"Your talking about that 'snatch and grab' this morning?" His voice was brimming with annoyance, "the kid attacked me, then tried to escape. What was I su-"
"Shut......up." Dr. Cho silenced him with a near whisper. She turned and slammed the dossier onto the desk, a picture of the firebender they had kidnapped printed on the top. Her eyes bore into his for the first time since he had entered her office and though she only came up to his chest she seemed to tower over him. "I tolerate you because you are my half brother." she hissed, an icy calmness to her voice, "but this ..... there is a price to be paid for endangering a plan nearly two centuries in the making."
The man held his tongue, knowing that he risked loosing it if he spoke. Dr. Cho pressed a call button on her desk, "Send Nesdon in."
A moment later a second man entered to stand next to the first.
"You were tasked with seeing the subject delivered to me unharmed....is that correct?" Nesdon glanced nervously at the first man before answering.
"Yes ma'am...I" that was as far as he got before a hole exploded in his forehead and his body crumpled to the ground in a heap. Dr. Cho brought the barrel of a smoking pearl handled revolver to her lips and blew it cool before holstering it. The first man blinked wide eyed, mouth agape. He stood in silent shock splattered in blood looking from his half sister to the corpse, he hadn't even seen her draw. Dr. Cho spoke again drawing his attention.
"Nesdon served the Order fatefully for nearly twenty years. until today he completed each assignment with the utmost effectiveness. He failed today due to your recklessness and paid the price for both of you." With that she snatched the glass of whiskey off the desk and turned her back on him to look out the window once more. "You are dismissed, tell my secretary to send a cleaning crew. I want this room spotless on my return." He turned and swiftly made his way to the door, hesitation for just a moment as Dr. Cho spoke once more.
"And Kome.......do not fail me again. The bonds of blood will only protect you for so long......remember that." With that he departed and the room filled with classical music once more.
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The morning air had grown hot with the approach of midday. It flowed gently through the canyons of towering metal, its current filling the Assassin's nose with an array of scents. She glided effortlessly across the gaps between buildings, each leap taken with the grace of a professional. After several minutes she reached her destination. The assassin stopped at the edge of the roof and looked out across a bustling market district. In the large plaza below shoppers moved from shop to shop, going about their lives oblivious the the mornings events from across town. In a way she envied them, living their lives unaware of the darkness around them, but she had seen to much, uncovered to many truths. There was no way she could ever return to that life. She stiffened, her musings interrupted by a presence behind her. She never heard him approach but could feel him , like a pressure at the base of her skull.
"Beifong," the voice rumbled deeply behind her, a whisper that somehow spoke volumes, "where is the package, is he secure?"
"No." She replied, her gaze never leaving the markets below.
"What!" The other assassin gasped, "what the hell happened?" he grabbed her shoulder and spun her around so that he could look her in the eyes. "This was a simple asset retrieval! Are you telling me you couldn't even ha-"
"There was nothing I could do!" she barked back, knocking his hand away, "The Templars were there in force." She turned away from him again, a heavy sigh escaped from his lips, "They acquired the target before I could reach him." she paused and turned to face him again, pulling a small rectangular device from one of her pockets and handed it to him, "I did manage to slip a tracking device on the transport vehicle." The other assassin slipped the devise into his jacket, a slight smile crossing his face.
"At least we can attempt to salvage something from this." He walked past her to the buildings ledge, pausing for a moment,"and Beifong.....you are being followed. I suggest you deal with this quickly. I will not have our safe house compromised do to our failures." With that he was gone, down the side of the building and vanishing into the crowds below. Beifong turned and looked back the way she had came. In the distance she saw a figure closing on her location. She knew her comrade would want this person dead; however, something told her to stay her blade. A smile crossed her face as an idea formed in her head. 'He told me to deal with this....he never said how.' With a defiant laugh she slipped to a higher vantage point out of view.
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A wave of vertigo swept through Tai Li as she approached the ledge of the first building and looked over the edge, The wind frigid across her bare arms.
"Are you sure she went this way?" she asked nervously. A small, blue jellyfish looking, spirit materialized in front of her.
"Yep." it said in a cheerful voice, "the hooded lady jumped clear across! Me and my friends though she was playing a game so we followed her."
"You though she was playing a game?" Tai Li gave the spirit an annoyed glare.
"It looked fun!" it shouted with a playful giggle. Tai Li sighed, talking to spirits like this one was like talking to a small child. There was only one way she was going to get its help.
"Hey buddy," she said, a broad smile crossing her face as she spoke, "how about we play a game." A high pitched squeal erupted form the spirit.
"Oh boy! Oh boy! Humans almost never wanna play!" it danced around her as it spoke, "we could play hide and seek, or tag, or -" Tai Li cut it off.
"How about we play race. Whoever reaches the place where the hooded lady went first wins!" she said, forcing a child like glee into her voice.
"Yes!" The spirit exclaimed and spun around, Tai Li untied her light gray jacket from around her waist and slipped it on, zipping it up about half way, she pulled the hood up onto her head.
"Three, two, one, go!" the spirit shouted rapidly, zipping off in the direction of the hooded lady. Tai Li backed away from the ledge a good way and with a deep breath she sprinted full speed and jumped.
{Several minutes later}
"I win! I win!" The spirit exclaimed as it danced and twirled above a rooftop overlooking a sprawling market plaza.
"Is this the last place you saw her?" she asked, her breath returning.
"Yep!" it said playfully,"we should play again sometime!"
"You bet." Tai Li said, she couldn't help but smile at its cheerfulness as it floated away. She turned her attention to the rooftop. It was relatively empty, aside from some trash and dirt. Part of her wanted to search the markets below but something in her gut told her she was in the right place. There was something here, she crouched down, her eyes scoured the ground. 'Where-' then she saw it, footprints in the dirt. Somehow they stood out in her mind. Two sets, one larger and one smaller. 'A man and a woman.' she deduced as she followed them, the hairs on the back of her neck bristled. Tai Li could feel eyes on her as she followed the mans tracks over the ledge. 'Not that way.' she turned her attention to the second set which lead strait up the side of the adjacent building. Tai Li sighed and got a running start, scampering up the side, she pulled herself onto the ledge and looked around.'Empty' She walked towards the roof access and jiggled the handle.
"Locked!" she spat in frustration and slammed her fist into the door.
"Giving up already?" Tai Li jumped, A small cry escaped her lips as she spun around to see......nothing. Her eyes darted across the roof before stopping at the building's water tank. A hooded woman stood atop it, her arms folded across her chest, the hood obscuring most most of her face save for her mouth which wore a sly Smile. Tai Li straitened herself, regaining her composure.
"Tell me who you are!?" she demanded , pointing her finger at the mysterious woman.
"Not many people could track me down," the woman said, ignoring Tai Li's question, "and you certainly look the part with that jacket."
"What?" Tai Li shook her head, enraged, "Just answer my question damn it!" The other woman laughed coldly.
"You wan't answers?" She turned her back to Tai Li, glancing back over her shoulder slyly, " Than catch me." The woman was air born, with Tai Li just a heart beat behind her.
-------------------------------------------
Hao was trembling, forcing himself to calm down and think clearly. A flood of question zipped thorough his mind, questions that he was going to get answered one way or another. A mechanical hum from the other room caught his attention. He dropped into a combat stance and stepped into the bedroom to find a man in a lab coat flanked by two armored guards armed with large metal clubs that sparked as electrical currents danced along their surface.
"Dr. Cho requests you come with us." the man in the lab coat said, a coldness in his voice that was almost robotic. Hao's fists tightened then relaxed, dropping to his sides.
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Dr. Cho sat alone in her office, her cool blue eyes poured over a short stack of files that sat organized in front of her. Classical music swirled softly through the air from unseen speakers giving the room a relaxed atmosphere more akin to a mansions private library than an office in the most advanced research facility of the worlds largest corporation and had the aesthetics to match. The walls were covered in rich brown wood wall panels with gold accents, the floor was carpeted with a dark maroon carpet. Bookcases lined the walls, filled with various books all organized and dusted, the titles nearly impossible to read in the dim lighting. A sudden knock at her door disturbed the rooms tranquility.
"Come in." she said, never taking her eyes off the dossier that lay in front of her. A man entered, about average height but with a stocky build prominent under his black tactical uniform. He closed the door behind him, crossing the room quickly to stand in front of her desk.
"You wanted to see me ma'am?" he said in a gruff but polite voice. Dr.Cho's reply was to snatch a glass of amber colored whisky from her desk and sip it silently. A look of impatience crossed the mans face as he watched her place the glass back down.
"Do you know why I tolerate your outbursts?" she asked, eyes never leaving the dossier.
"Ex...excuse me?" he stammered, caught off guard by the question. Dr. Cho stood and turned her back on him, facing a wall panel that opened as she neared uncovering a window that looked out across a bustling laboratory filled with scientists moving about their day.
"Your outbursts," she contained, back fully turned, "reckless acts of sudden violence against my staff and test subjects. Your seeming in ability to follow orders without a heavy hand holding your leash."
His dark brown eyes narrowed.
"Your talking about that 'snatch and grab' this morning?" His voice was brimming with annoyance, "the kid attacked me, then tried to escape. What was I su-"
"Shut......up." Dr. Cho silenced him with a near whisper. She turned and slammed the dossier onto the desk, a picture of the firebender they had kidnapped printed on the top. Her eyes bore into his for the first time since he had entered her office and though she only came up to his chest she seemed to tower over him. "I tolerate you because you are my half brother." she hissed, an icy calmness to her voice, "but this ..... there is a price to be paid for endangering a plan nearly two centuries in the making."
The man held his tongue, knowing that he risked loosing it if he spoke. Dr. Cho pressed a call button on her desk, "Send Nesdon in."
A moment later a second man entered to stand next to the first.
"You were tasked with seeing the subject delivered to me unharmed....is that correct?" Nesdon glanced nervously at the first man before answering.
"Yes ma'am...I" that was as far as he got before a hole exploded in his forehead and his body crumpled to the ground in a heap. Dr. Cho brought the barrel of a smoking pearl handled revolver to her lips and blew it cool before holstering it. The first man blinked wide eyed, mouth agape. He stood in silent shock splattered in blood looking from his half sister to the corpse, he hadn't even seen her draw. Dr. Cho spoke again drawing his attention.
"Nesdon served the Order fatefully for nearly twenty years. until today he completed each assignment with the utmost effectiveness. He failed today due to your recklessness and paid the price for both of you." With that she snatched the glass of whiskey off the desk and turned her back on him to look out the window once more. "You are dismissed, tell my secretary to send a cleaning crew. I want this room spotless on my return." He turned and swiftly made his way to the door, hesitation for just a moment as Dr. Cho spoke once more.
"And Kome.......do not fail me again. The bonds of blood will only protect you for so long......remember that." With that he departed and the room filled with classical music once more.
---------------------------------------------
The morning air had grown hot with the approach of midday. It flowed gently through the canyons of towering metal, its current filling the Assassin's nose with an array of scents. She glided effortlessly across the gaps between buildings, each leap taken with the grace of a professional. After several minutes she reached her destination. The assassin stopped at the edge of the roof and looked out across a bustling market district. In the large plaza below shoppers moved from shop to shop, going about their lives oblivious the the mornings events from across town. In a way she envied them, living their lives unaware of the darkness around them, but she had seen to much, uncovered to many truths. There was no way she could ever return to that life. She stiffened, her musings interrupted by a presence behind her. She never heard him approach but could feel him , like a pressure at the base of her skull.
"Beifong," the voice rumbled deeply behind her, a whisper that somehow spoke volumes, "where is the package, is he secure?"
"No." She replied, her gaze never leaving the markets below.
"What!" The other assassin gasped, "what the hell happened?" he grabbed her shoulder and spun her around so that he could look her in the eyes. "This was a simple asset retrieval! Are you telling me you couldn't even ha-"
"There was nothing I could do!" she barked back, knocking his hand away, "The Templars were there in force." She turned away from him again, a heavy sigh escaped from his lips, "They acquired the target before I could reach him." she paused and turned to face him again, pulling a small rectangular device from one of her pockets and handed it to him, "I did manage to slip a tracking device on the transport vehicle." The other assassin slipped the devise into his jacket, a slight smile crossing his face.
"At least we can attempt to salvage something from this." He walked past her to the buildings ledge, pausing for a moment,"and Beifong.....you are being followed. I suggest you deal with this quickly. I will not have our safe house compromised do to our failures." With that he was gone, down the side of the building and vanishing into the crowds below. Beifong turned and looked back the way she had came. In the distance she saw a figure closing on her location. She knew her comrade would want this person dead; however, something told her to stay her blade. A smile crossed her face as an idea formed in her head. 'He told me to deal with this....he never said how.' With a defiant laugh she slipped to a higher vantage point out of view.
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A wave of vertigo swept through Tai Li as she approached the ledge of the first building and looked over the edge, The wind frigid across her bare arms.
"Are you sure she went this way?" she asked nervously. A small, blue jellyfish looking, spirit materialized in front of her.
"Yep." it said in a cheerful voice, "the hooded lady jumped clear across! Me and my friends though she was playing a game so we followed her."
"You though she was playing a game?" Tai Li gave the spirit an annoyed glare.
"It looked fun!" it shouted with a playful giggle. Tai Li sighed, talking to spirits like this one was like talking to a small child. There was only one way she was going to get its help.
"Hey buddy," she said, a broad smile crossing her face as she spoke, "how about we play a game." A high pitched squeal erupted form the spirit.
"Oh boy! Oh boy! Humans almost never wanna play!" it danced around her as it spoke, "we could play hide and seek, or tag, or -" Tai Li cut it off.
"How about we play race. Whoever reaches the place where the hooded lady went first wins!" she said, forcing a child like glee into her voice.
"Yes!" The spirit exclaimed and spun around, Tai Li untied her light gray jacket from around her waist and slipped it on, zipping it up about half way, she pulled the hood up onto her head.
"Three, two, one, go!" the spirit shouted rapidly, zipping off in the direction of the hooded lady. Tai Li backed away from the ledge a good way and with a deep breath she sprinted full speed and jumped.
{Several minutes later}
"I win! I win!" The spirit exclaimed as it danced and twirled above a rooftop overlooking a sprawling market plaza.
"Is this the last place you saw her?" she asked, her breath returning.
"Yep!" it said playfully,"we should play again sometime!"
"You bet." Tai Li said, she couldn't help but smile at its cheerfulness as it floated away. She turned her attention to the rooftop. It was relatively empty, aside from some trash and dirt. Part of her wanted to search the markets below but something in her gut told her she was in the right place. There was something here, she crouched down, her eyes scoured the ground. 'Where-' then she saw it, footprints in the dirt. Somehow they stood out in her mind. Two sets, one larger and one smaller. 'A man and a woman.' she deduced as she followed them, the hairs on the back of her neck bristled. Tai Li could feel eyes on her as she followed the mans tracks over the ledge. 'Not that way.' she turned her attention to the second set which lead strait up the side of the adjacent building. Tai Li sighed and got a running start, scampering up the side, she pulled herself onto the ledge and looked around.'Empty' She walked towards the roof access and jiggled the handle.
"Locked!" she spat in frustration and slammed her fist into the door.
"Giving up already?" Tai Li jumped, A small cry escaped her lips as she spun around to see......nothing. Her eyes darted across the roof before stopping at the building's water tank. A hooded woman stood atop it, her arms folded across her chest, the hood obscuring most most of her face save for her mouth which wore a sly Smile. Tai Li straitened herself, regaining her composure.
"Tell me who you are!?" she demanded , pointing her finger at the mysterious woman.
"Not many people could track me down," the woman said, ignoring Tai Li's question, "and you certainly look the part with that jacket."
"What?" Tai Li shook her head, enraged, "Just answer my question damn it!" The other woman laughed coldly.
"You wan't answers?" She turned her back to Tai Li, glancing back over her shoulder slyly, " Than catch me." The woman was air born, with Tai Li just a heart beat behind her.
-------------------------------------------
Hao was trembling, forcing himself to calm down and think clearly. A flood of question zipped thorough his mind, questions that he was going to get answered one way or another. A mechanical hum from the other room caught his attention. He dropped into a combat stance and stepped into the bedroom to find a man in a lab coat flanked by two armored guards armed with large metal clubs that sparked as electrical currents danced along their surface.
"Dr. Cho requests you come with us." the man in the lab coat said, a coldness in his voice that was almost robotic. Hao's fists tightened then relaxed, dropping to his sides.
"I take it I don't have a choice in this." He said bluntly as the two guards moved behind him. The doctor turned wordlessly and walked out the door, a heavy hand shoved Hao's shoulder causing him to stumble forward a few paces before exiting his cell. The four men marched silently down the corridor, a cold hallway of sterile white walls and unmarked steal doors that he could only assume were other cells. The doctor reached the end of the corridor and opened an elevator. 'How big is this place?' Hao mused as he entered the elevator, taking note of the shear amount of buttons on the control panel. Once they were moving he got his answer. Hao's eyes widened as he looked out through the glass doors at a sprawling facility. A massive network of metal buildings whos lights shown like stars against the inky darkness of what he could only guess was a massive cavern. After several moments of silent awe his view was blocked by metal as they reached their destination. Hao was escorted down another set of passages, past large windows that looked in on men and women in lab coats working on computers or with containers of liquids and other things that were beyond him. Eventually they reached a door with the words 'R-A Project Research Labs' painted above it. The doctor walked to the wall beside the door and keyed a code into a button panel, in response three more panels opened. A small circular probe came out of the top panel opened and scanned his eyes, the middle panel opened to reveal a screen with a hand shaped slot which he stuck his right hand into, his left hand going into the final slot where what looked like a thin needle drew a small blood sample. Once he backed away the panels slid shut and the lights near them flickered green. "Welcome Dr. Corrin." a synthesized voice chimed from unseen speakers as the doors parted. Hao was ushered inside the next room which was massive. Computer banks lined most of the walls save for one which had two large tanks of what looked like water.
A series of hoses and pipes lead form the tanks into the floor and across the room to its center which sat a bed of some sort. A tingle crawled down his spine as he walked closer, the guards keeping close. Dr. Corrin walked around the table-bed to a desk on the far side where a woman sat. Hao had seen attractive women before and this lady was no exception. She wasn't very tall when she stood, he guessed about five five or five six. She had bright blonde hair that was pulled back into a need pony tail and piercing blue eyes. Despite that something about her unsettled him. Perhaps it was her skin which was pale, as if she rarely saw the sun, or the cold that seemed to radiate from her every move, her eyes seemed to look right through him to his very soul.
"Greetings Mr. Farukon ," she said in a cool, professional tone, "I am Dr. Cho." She dismissed the guards with a wave of her hand, "you've already met my assistant Dr. Corrin"
"Charmed," Hao snarked, "I'd shake your hand but given the circumstances...." he trailed off letting the implied insult linger for a moment.
"Understandable," she said plainly,"Let me be the first to apologize for the way your extraction was handled. My orders to retrive you with minimal discomfort were ignored and those responsible have been properly reprimanded." she gestured to the weird table-bed, "Please have a seat."
"I'll stand, thanks." he said defiantly, her words lighting a flicker of rage inside him as the attack played out in his mind. All those people died....because of him. "Who are you people? Why do you want me?" Hao asked, a hard edge to his voice. Dr. Cho sighed, clearly annoyed at his questions.
"If it will gain your cooperation then I 'll answer what I can." She walked to her desk and picked up a clipboard before speaking again, "to answer the 'who', we have had many names and faces over the centuries. Our current Public face is Unagi corp."
"The Unagi Corp?"
"The one and the same. We have our fingers in everything. From military R&D to public health care to the distribution of produce and so on. At our heart; however, we are Templars." She turned to Hao, there was something behind her eyes when she spoke the words. A passion for the subject that seemed to stem from her very being, "Our goal, no our duty is to save this world from it's self."
"And I'm supposed to help you 'save the world'?" Hao asked sarcastically, though he was also curious. Out of all the motives he imagined, saving the world wasn't one of them.
"Yes," She said, Turning to look him in the eye "It's your duty as much as it is ours."
"And why is that?"
"Because you, Hao Farukon, are the Avatar."
Hao's heart froze. There was no way this was possible, she could be lying....she had to be.....but there was something inside him that told him otherwise.
"How do you know?" he asked, a tremble to his voice,"how is this possible?"
"The Avatar has a unique spiritual energy. It took years but we finally devised a way of tracking that energy, yours is very weak but it is there. For a moment he considered what this meant. If she wasn't lying and he really was the Avatar than he did have a duty. 'Fine,' he thought to himself as he formulated a plan, 'I'll play along for now. Once I learn enough I'll find out how to escape and take this to the authorities.'
"Ok," he told her, "lets say I believe you, how can I help? I don't even know how to BE the Avatar."
"I'm glad you ask," she gestured to the table-bed once more, "Please lay down." As he did so she explained, "The machine you are in is called the Reversus Animam or R-animam for short. By using spirit water, it allows the subject to access their past lives. In your case, reliving the life of one of the past avatars."
"but how will me reliving the past help you?"
"We believe the Avatars of the past came into contact with an object of great importance, something that could change the course of the world." She paused, typing buttons on a panel at her desk. A glass tube came down around Hao who started to sit upright. "Lay still please, we are starting . The water will fill just enough to cover you without you floating." He did as he was told and the water slowly enveloped him. Hao closed his eyes, forcing himself to relax, as Dr. Cho's voice echoed in his ear. "Initializing the transmigration link." he squirmed a little in the cold liquid. and sighed.
A series of hoses and pipes lead form the tanks into the floor and across the room to its center which sat a bed of some sort. A tingle crawled down his spine as he walked closer, the guards keeping close. Dr. Corrin walked around the table-bed to a desk on the far side where a woman sat. Hao had seen attractive women before and this lady was no exception. She wasn't very tall when she stood, he guessed about five five or five six. She had bright blonde hair that was pulled back into a need pony tail and piercing blue eyes. Despite that something about her unsettled him. Perhaps it was her skin which was pale, as if she rarely saw the sun, or the cold that seemed to radiate from her every move, her eyes seemed to look right through him to his very soul.
"Greetings Mr. Farukon ," she said in a cool, professional tone, "I am Dr. Cho." She dismissed the guards with a wave of her hand, "you've already met my assistant Dr. Corrin"
"Charmed," Hao snarked, "I'd shake your hand but given the circumstances...." he trailed off letting the implied insult linger for a moment.
"Understandable," she said plainly,"Let me be the first to apologize for the way your extraction was handled. My orders to retrive you with minimal discomfort were ignored and those responsible have been properly reprimanded." she gestured to the weird table-bed, "Please have a seat."
"I'll stand, thanks." he said defiantly, her words lighting a flicker of rage inside him as the attack played out in his mind. All those people died....because of him. "Who are you people? Why do you want me?" Hao asked, a hard edge to his voice. Dr. Cho sighed, clearly annoyed at his questions.
"If it will gain your cooperation then I 'll answer what I can." She walked to her desk and picked up a clipboard before speaking again, "to answer the 'who', we have had many names and faces over the centuries. Our current Public face is Unagi corp."
"The Unagi Corp?"
"The one and the same. We have our fingers in everything. From military R&D to public health care to the distribution of produce and so on. At our heart; however, we are Templars." She turned to Hao, there was something behind her eyes when she spoke the words. A passion for the subject that seemed to stem from her very being, "Our goal, no our duty is to save this world from it's self."
"And I'm supposed to help you 'save the world'?" Hao asked sarcastically, though he was also curious. Out of all the motives he imagined, saving the world wasn't one of them.
"Yes," She said, Turning to look him in the eye "It's your duty as much as it is ours."
"And why is that?"
"Because you, Hao Farukon, are the Avatar."
Hao's heart froze. There was no way this was possible, she could be lying....she had to be.....but there was something inside him that told him otherwise.
"How do you know?" he asked, a tremble to his voice,"how is this possible?"
"The Avatar has a unique spiritual energy. It took years but we finally devised a way of tracking that energy, yours is very weak but it is there. For a moment he considered what this meant. If she wasn't lying and he really was the Avatar than he did have a duty. 'Fine,' he thought to himself as he formulated a plan, 'I'll play along for now. Once I learn enough I'll find out how to escape and take this to the authorities.'
"Ok," he told her, "lets say I believe you, how can I help? I don't even know how to BE the Avatar."
"I'm glad you ask," she gestured to the table-bed once more, "Please lay down." As he did so she explained, "The machine you are in is called the Reversus Animam or R-animam for short. By using spirit water, it allows the subject to access their past lives. In your case, reliving the life of one of the past avatars."
"but how will me reliving the past help you?"
"We believe the Avatars of the past came into contact with an object of great importance, something that could change the course of the world." She paused, typing buttons on a panel at her desk. A glass tube came down around Hao who started to sit upright. "Lay still please, we are starting . The water will fill just enough to cover you without you floating." He did as he was told and the water slowly enveloped him. Hao closed his eyes, forcing himself to relax, as Dr. Cho's voice echoed in his ear. "Initializing the transmigration link." he squirmed a little in the cold liquid. and sighed.
"Hey," He grumbled,"how long will this ta-" Then the world went white.
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Chapter 3: {Coming Soon}
