I.
Shadow of the Bat
Ba Sing Se, city of the Earth Benders. It was a cool evening in the large city, bringing a gentle calm over its citizens. The stone building stood proud and tall in the night as three people made their way home from a family evening together. The man and woman that were walking were holding the hands of the smiling young boy that was walking in between them. The man was Jon Wen, a healer in Ba Sing Se and one of the richest men there. He was with his wife Marta and their young son Bruce. Earlier in the day, Bruce had found abandoned house that was filled with a family of bats. Bruce was terrified when they had flown out of the cave. When Jon had found him, he was curled into a ball and shaking.
He wasn't physically hurt, but Jon feared that the incident might have impacted on Bruce in another way. To try and calm his son, they had spent an evening exploring different shops and places in the city. Bruce always enjoyed spending time with his family, and knew he would forget about the incident. Plus, it was a nice way of forgetting about what Ws going on outside the city's great wall.
Outside, the Fire Nation was doing it's best to try and conquer the world. A few years ago, they almost succeeded when the Dragon of the West came with an army. But after days of assaults, they left. No one really knew why he had stopped, and no one wanted to find out why. All they knew was that their city was safe, but for how long? Jon tried to shake the burden of worry from his mind. Right now, he was only concerned about his family and the present.
"Jon, are you okay?" Marta asked him.
"I'm fine, it's nothing to worry about." Jon told his wife as they continued to walk.
Bruce was enjoying himself. With his father to the right and his mother to the left, he felt safe and protected. It seemed like nothing could harm him as long as they were there beside him. Sadly, the moment wouldn't last long. As they walked along the darkened street, the moon being the only source of light, a lone figure had been following them since they had left the herbal shop. He wore nothing but black clothes, with a few articles he wore being a blood red. On his belt, in a red pouch, were two flint stones.
He quickly went around the building the couple began walking by, taking the two stones from his pocket and holding them firmly in place in his hand. As soon as he was at the other side of the building, he peeked out from the shadows he was hiding in. They were close now. He knew the man was wealthy, that meant he had money on him. He was trapped in this Earth Bending pit for too long, it was time to go home.
"Are you sure everything is fine?" Marta asked her husband.
"Marta, I'm fine. Just a few stray thoughts in my mind." Jon said.
"NO ONE MOVE!" the man in black and red said as he leapt from the shadows.
There was a spark, and a ball of flame sat in the shape of a perfect orb in his hands. Even though he held the fire in his hands, the light barley lit his face enough for any of the people to see him. Jon and Marta instantly hid Bruce behind their lavish green robes to keep him safe from the man in front of him. Bruce could still see the large figure through the gaps that were in the many folds of his parent's robes, with the fire he held burning brightly.
"How do you get into the city?" Jon asked.
"No questions! Your purse, Wen. I want all the money in it, NOW!" the man shouted as the fire began to burn brighter.
"All right, take it." Jon said as he removed the purse and handed it to the man in front of him. "Take it, just don't harm my family." Jon said as he tried to keep a calm breath.
"IS THIS A JOKE, WEN? THERE'S BARLEY ANYTHING IN THIS!" the man shouted as he threw the purse to the ground.
"We were shopping today. That's all the money we have." Wen told him.
"Woman! You must have jewelry. Give it to me, NOW!" their attacker said.
"Please. All I have is the necklace, it was mothers. Please." Marta begged him.
"I said I want it!" the man said and moved toward Marta.
That's when Jon moved to try and shield her from the attacker, spooking all of them at the same time. The next thing Marta saw was a small pillar of flame erupting from her husband's back. Marta screamed in shier terror from what she saw in front of her. Out of pure instinct, the man preformed the same maneuver again, piercing Marta through her heart. Both bodies fell to the ground, not moving. The attacker looked at what he had done and cursed himself.
That's when he saw the movement behind the bodies. He readied the fireball again, and saw it was a small boy who was just looking at the bodies. Tears were flowing down his eyes as he looked at them, and then looked at him. He could see the confusion, the pain, and the anguish all rolled into one as the tear filled green orbs looked at him.
He didn't know they had a child, this wasn't part of the plan. Killing them wasn't a part of the plan either. He just wanted enough money to sneak out of the city un-detected. That was now in ruins. He would have to try and leave through the serpent's pass. But what about the boy? Taught to kill or not, he couldn't bring himself to kill the child. It was bad enough to know that he was the one that just changed this child's life in a terrible way. He could hear the voices of people coming, so he had to make this quick.
"I know it may not bring any comfort, but it was not my intention to kill them." He said, and saw the boy flinch as he said it. It somehow confirmed the situation was real. "If you still feel anger about what I have done when you are older, and wish vengeance, you may find me. And I will be waiting." He said and ran back into the shadows, extinguishing the small ball flame as he did.
The small boy's breathing became ragged as he saw the man run away from him. So many emotions were running through him at that moment. They were gone. His parents, the two people that made him feel safe were gone. Their bodies were in front of him, but there weren't there anymore. One thing made itself known, and that was anger. Pure anger flowing through him as it made his heart pound in his chest. He looked up and could still see the man fleeing, feel the pounding of his feet against the ground. Bruce balled his fist tightly, popping the knuckles as he did. As soon as his thumb popped, his eyes narrowed at the man, a small mountain of rock rose shout out of the ground and made the man trip and fall.
The sudden event scared Bruce and he fell backward. He could hear voices of people coming, and the man who attacked his parents still wasn't moving. Bruce didn't know what to do except one thing. He cried. Tears began running down his face as he began to weep. His voice breaking and being emitted with each ragged breath. He paid no attention to the people who were talking about the sight they saw before them, or the police that were trying ask him what had happened. He didn't even look up when they dragged the fire bender away. He just let the pain of his heartache out into the open night. He let all the pain out as his world collapsed all around him.
II.
Rage. That was exactly what he was feeling in every single part of his body at that moment. It was pure rage that filled him since he was small. He was six years old when his parents were murdered in front of him. Six years old and no one should have seen what he had seen. Now here he was, twelve years old and sitting on the great wall that protected the city of Ba Sing Se. He looked out at the vastness in front of him and began to reflect on the events of that happened this week. Every time he thought of the past events, his anger kept building up inside him at the man he had seen kill his parents. Today was supposed to be another trial to decide his fate. The Earth Bending ruler had been debating whether or not to try and get information out of him in return for releasing him. How could they do that? Let a killer go? Letting a piece of scum like him go free after what he had done? No matter how much his care taker told him, their old servant Mako, that it was that Fire Bender's fault and not his, Bruce still blamed himself.
It was also on that night that he had discovered he was an Earth Bender, but why couldn't he have made it work earlier? Why couldn't he have done it in time to save his parents? Some Earth Bender he was, he couldn't save the ones he loved the most from that horrible fate. Well, the joke was all on them now, wasn't it?
The Fire Bender had escaped last night, and didn't leave a trail or anything. He hated that monster so much, he hated the law enforcement for letting him get away, he hated everything about Ba Sing Se at that moment. He wanted justice to be served; and he wanted that monster to pay for what he had done. He wanted – REVENGE!
Tears were threatening to fall again, but he was trying his best to keep them from doing so. He had been crying too much over the years. Crying wouldn't bring back his parents, and they wouldn't find the Fire Bender. What was he to do? Mako would be worried by now, and he was already in trouble for running away once. He wanted revenge, but how was he going to get it? How?
"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice asked to Bruce's left.
Bruce slowly turned to see a man in gray and white robes that were in a style that Bruce had never seen before. One thing was for sure, this man wasn't from around here.
"I'm used to it." Bruce said as he looked back to the horizon of the setting sun.
"You seem to be upset." The man said to the small boy.
"You could say that. Today has been a bad day." Bruce said to him.
"Do you mind I sit here?" the man asked him.
"Be my guest." Bruce said, not really caring as the man sat on the wall with him.
"You do know your guardian is looking for you?" the man asked him.
Bruce looked at the man in surprise as a small smirk crossed his face. He had a salt and pepper mustache that went from his upper lip to under his chin. A small goatee was in between either side of the mustache and still had some dark hair in it.
"How did you?" Bruce began to ask him.
"Mako and I knew each other, once a long time ago. I was in Ba Sing Se and decided to visit. Imagine my surprise when I learned that his small charge was missing." He said to the young boy.
"He's probably mad at me." Bruce mumbled to himself.
"He is, but at least it shows that he cares about you." The man said.
Bruce only grunted in response as he watched the sun beginning to set along the horizon.
"Mako told me about what happened, and I understand what you're feeling Bruce." The man said.
"No, you don't. Your parents weren't killed by a butcher." Bruce said as his fists clinched.
"No, but my wife was. She was killed in front of me by a soldier of the Fire Nation." The man said to Bruce.
Bruce's fists relaxed when he heard that. The man noticed this and finally found some common ground with the young boy.
"Bruce, how do you feel when you think about what happened to your parents?" the man asked him.
"I get angry." Bruce told him
"Do you feel pain about your loss? Anger and bitter hatred to the man who caused that pain, until you think you would explode with nothing but hatred?" the man asked.
"Yes." Bruce answered him, slowly looking back towards the man.
"Would you do almost anything to bring justice to the monster that caused your pain, and your anger?" he asked.
"Yes." Bruce asked him.
"Bruce, I didn't come to Ba Sing Se just for Mako. I'm apart of an organization that helps people like us. Helps people who are lost and helps them to finally find a correct path to travel and give a light at the end of our journey." The man told him.
"Who are you?" Bruce asked him.
"My name is Ducard. The group I am with teaches us how to fight injustice, and make the criminals pay for what they have done." He told him.
"You do?"
"Yes, Bruce. I know of the rage you have toward your parent's murderer, and I know of the pain you feel. If you want, I can teach you how to use your anger as a weapon. I can teach you to use your rage as something to use against those that are responsible for the pain and suffering of others. Do you wish to find a way to bring justice to the unjust?" Ducard asked him.
"Yes, I do." Bruce told him.
"Then tomorrow I shall take you to my master, Ra's Al Ghul. From there, your training will begin." The man said as he stood, and offered Bruce his hand. Bruce took one look at it and thought about what he had just been offered. That's when he then looked at the man's face, and firmly grasped the man's hand.
It had been many weeks since they had left Ba Sing Se and began their journey. They had traveled through desert that seemed to stretch on for eternity, and through forests that seemed that they had been there since the dawn of time itself. He had seen so many benders of different kinds, and many cultures that he had only dreamt about. Now they were far away from that, and were now climbing the jagged rocks that formed mountains.
The further they climbed, the colder it seemed to be. Bruce didn't pack warm clothes because it rarely became this cold in Ba Sing Se. He was wearing a thick old blanket around him to try and keep him warm, and his hands were covered in wounds and blisters from all the exercise. He was starting to hurt from all the movements and it seemed forever since they had last stopped and made camp. Bruce looked back down, and could see how high up they were. If he fell asleep now, or lost his footing, he would most likely not survive the fall.
"Ducard! How much further?" Bruce shouted upward.
"Not that much farther, Bruce. Follow me." Ducard called out to him.
Bruce continued to follow the man. Half an hour later, they were being pelted by snow and freezing cold winds. The young boy could swear that the drippings from his nose were now ice cycles. His teeth were chattering together with every breath as he began to loose some of the feeling in his fingertips. He could barley grip anything because of the pain that was surging through them. He didn't know how much more he could take this.
"Bruce, take my hand." Ducard said to him.
Bruce looked up through the snow and saw his hand outstretched to him. Bruce threw his right arm over his head and latched onto to Ducard's forearm as he felt the man grip his tightly. With an effort on both their parts, they were now on top of the mountain. Bruce looked up, feeling exhausted, and saw a small village that seemed to be nothing more than a few quickly made shacks. Above them though, standing on a tall cliff was a large black building that almost looked like a temple of sorts.
"Bruce, this is the home of The League of Shadows. Welcome to your new family, and your new home." Ducard said to him.
Stepping into the temple, Bruce could feel the warmth of lit fires and torches wash over him. He let out a deep sigh of relief and comfort as he followed Ducard deeper into the building. After a few twists and turns, he found himself in what seemed to be a throne room. At the end of the large room was an elaborate chair of gold silver. In it sat a man with a pure white mustache that was similar to the one Ducard wore, and with a shaved head. His robes were of a deep green and the other robes ranged from gray to black. He saw Ducard approach the man and take a knee. Bruce knew this was someone important from Ducard's actions and soon followed suit. Bruce immediately felt relief as he went to his knees and off of his tired and hurting feet.
"Welcome back, Ducard. Is this the young man that you spoke of?" the man asked.
"Yes it is, master. I give you Bruce Wen." Ducard said with his head bowed.
"Bruce Wen, why have you come here?" the man asked him.
"I've come to find - a way to seek justice. To put fear into those – into those who prey on the weak and fearful." Bruce said, remembering to some of the talks him and Ducard had on the journey here.
"If that is what you truly seek, you will find it here." The man said and clapped his hands.
Bruce looked around himself and saw men in black, and black masks appear like ghosts. He didn't even know anyone else was in here. Ducard rose to his feet, and stood in front of Bruce with his hands at his side.
"Your training begins now, young Wen." Ducard said.
"But-but we just got here. I'm so tired," Bruce tried to say.
"DEATH WAITS FOR NO ONE!" Ducard shouted and tried to spin kick Bruce in the face.
Bruce barley dodged the kick and fell onto his back; exhaustion washing though and over him.
"Rest assured Bruce; here, you will face death!" Ducard said and tried to stomp on Bruce.
The young boy quickly rolled away, and was on his knees in time for him to receive a blow to the face from Ducard. Bruce stumbled onto his back again, but was able to catch Ducard's foot before it could make contact. He was able to push the foot away, making Ducard loose his balance for a moment; but it gave Bruce enough time to get back onto his feet. He saw Ducard coming at him again, so Bruce quickly raised a pillar of rock as a shield from the man. To his amazement, he saw the rock cut in half by a floating wave of water that Ducard was manipulating. Before Bruce could blink, he received a blow to his abdomen that sent him sprawling to the floor again. Bruce looked up and saw Ducard manipulated water in one hand, and then started to manipulate fire from a torch in another! Ducard shot both forward, both of them spiraling side by side as they came straight towards Bruce.
Bruce covered his face with his arms, waiting for the pain that was coming. But Bruce noticed nothing happened. No burning pain, no feeling like he was drowning. He lowered his hands, and saw that both had stopped about a foot from him.
"Y-you're a Fire Bender?" Bruce asked him.
"No, but I learned how to use their own natural weapon against them." Ducard said as he brought the two together, and watch the steam rise as a result of the two opposite elements union.
"A-are you like the Avatar?" Bruce asked him.
Bruce had heard stories of the Avatar. One being that was a master of all elements, and Bruce had assumed that only the Avatar could control more than one element of the planet.
"No Bruce, I'm not. The League of Shadows was formed when the Avatar disappeared. Benders from all over the world have joined together in order to fight the Fire Nation and the crime that spreads, learning from each other. We have taken upon ourselves to do what everyone else has been afraid or unwilling to do. Here, you will learn what you need to bring justice." Ducard told him and helped the young boy up.
III.
Five years of training and discipline had forged the frail young boy into the firm young man that sat in meditation. His muscles had increased in size and were hardened through the physical and mental discipline. His senses were all fine tuned and alert, even as he sat there in deep thought. He could feel the foot steps of those down below as they trained, and he could hear the controlled breathing of the others as they hid in the shadows. Right now, Bruce had to keep himself ready. Ducard had mentioned that something important was happening soon. He had to be ready for it. Knowing Ducard, it might be a surprise attack to test his abilities again.
"Bruce!" Ducard's voice boomed.
Bruce stood and looked over the balcony rail and saw Ducard standing in his full ninja uniform. This was different from what Bruce was used to.
"Bruce, Ra's Al Ghul wishes to see us at once." Ducard told him.
Bruce dressed in the similar uniform Ducard wore, and made his way to the massive throne room that Ra's Al Ghul sat in. He was quickly met with Ducard as they made their way, and noticed something. There was a man in a small bamboo cage. It looked like he hadn't had a bath in days, and had been beaten within an inch of his life.
"Who's that?" Bruce asked his teacher.
"He was a farmer, until he tried to take his neighbor's lands. Now he's a murderer." Ducard told him, his voice dripping with distain for the caged man.
"What will happen to him?" Bruce asked.
"Justice." Ducard answered simply.
Bruce and Ducard soon found themselves in the throne room, with many of the ninjas present, and in full uniform. Bruce could only see their eyes through their form fitting masks, and every single one of them stood in exactly the same posture. They were hiding their identities in more ways than one. In front of Ra's was small fire with a pot hanging over it. Ducard sat on one side of it and signaled Bruce to join him.
Bruce sat across from Ducard as he began to crush a few things together in a small bowl, and added the heated liquid into it.
"A ninja must be able to become fear in order to succeed in its mission. Breath this." Ducard said to Bruce and handed him the bowl. Bruce inhaled the aroma, which almost smelled like incense. When he looked back up, his vision began to blur somewhat and shake.
"Breath in your fears. In order to become fear, you must overcome yours. You must bask in the fear of other men." Ducard said as Bruce swore his eyes were glowing. Ducard stood to his feet, and put his mask on. That's when he backed up, and all the ninjas surrounded him. All of them were assuming the same pose, and same posture. "And what men fear the most, is what they do not see."
Bruce put his mask on, and drew the katana sword that he had by his side. He slowly began to walk in between through the mass of gathered warriors, trying to find any sign of his teacher. All of their eyes were glowing He had studied thee techniques for years, he knew every technique any of these men would use. He listened to his surroundings, and felt the vibrations through his padded feet. He kept shifting his vision, trying to find any sign of his teacher. The only sound he heard was his own breathing. Whatever it was he inhaled, it was slightly impairing his vision.
"You have to become a terrible thought. A wraith." Ducard's voice said. "YOU MUST BECOME AN IDEA!"
That was when he saw the shadow that was rising in size behind him. Bruce ducked in time to miss the swipe of a blade, and raised his in time to deflect the blow of another. That's when Ducard hid, and the ninja's shifted their stances again.
"You feel terror cloud your senses. You feel its power to distort. To control. And know that this power can be yours." Ducard's voice said to him.
The ninjas shifted again, and Bruce had his weapon at the ready. Bruce tried to focus his senses as the drug he inhaled began to alter them more. That's when he saw the movement of a blade not too far from him, feel the movement of feet on the ground. He quickly took the same stance as the others, to blend in and disappear. Ducard was moving.
This time, Bruce made the first strike, almost landing a strike against his teacher chest. Ducard was able to block, and blend in as the crowd shifted again. Bruce moved along slowly and silently, trying to focus and observe. That's when they changed, and formed a clear path in front of him. At the end of the path was a large chest on a pedestal.
"Embrace your worst fear." Ducard's voice said.
Bruce made his way towards it, able to slightly focus his senses to his surroundings. The chest was real, and there was something in it. The vibrations were small, but they were traveling clear through the pedestal and along the ground.
"Become one with the darkness." Ducard's voice echoed as Bruce came closer and closer to the chest.
Bruce sheathed his weapon, grasped the lid firmly, and opened it. Dozens of bats flew from the chest, escaping their cage. Bruce immediately fell to the ground, lost in the sea of swirling, flying creatures. The drug was causing Bruce's fear of them to intensify. Ever since that day, he was terrified of bats. He couldn't focus or concentrate as the mass of creatures tried to find a way to escape.
"Focus!" Ducard's voice echoed. "Concentrate. Master your senses."
That's when Ducard struck again, cutting Bruce's right arm beneath his shoulder. Bruce tried to strike, but the crowd shifted to protect Ducard and left Bruce tying to regain his grasp on what was happening. He checked the wound and saw it was small, but it was still noticeable. Bruce moved again, through the rows of ninjas, and thought of something. He gave a similar cut to a ninja on his left, and then to another on his right that was a few feet down from him.
Ducard began to move again. He had high hopes for his young pupil, but had grown unsure when he encountered the bats. He was able to mark Bruce, and that meant his ability to blend into his surroundings had been handicapped. As he walked, he saw that the man to his left had a cut on his right arm, below the shoulder. Ducard kept moving, then forced the ninja beside him to his knees and had the edge of his sword at the ninja's throat. He pulled off his mask with a disappointed scowl.
"You must not leave any trace of yourself." Ducard told the ninja. That's when he felt the edge of a sword against the back of his neck.
"I haven't." Bruce said to him, causing the man to smile.
"One of the oldest tricks known, and I fell completely for it." Ducard said to himself.
Both men looked up at the sound of clapping, and saw Ra's Al Ghul smiling at them.
"Very impressive. You are ready to become one of these men." He said as he signaled Ducard and Bruce to stand before him.
That's when two ninjas brought the shaking man from the cage in front of them, and forced him to his knees in front of Bruce. Ducard handed Bruce his sword as the others watched him, causing Bruce to become confused.
"You must prove that you are willing to dispense justice, Bruce." Ducard told him.
Bruce realized what he wanted him to do, what their idea of justice had been all along.
"No, I am not an executioner." Bruce told his teacher.
"Bruce, criminals must not be tolerated. They thrive on society's mercy. This man is a murderer." Ducard told him.
"Then he should be put on trial!" Bruce told him, falling back to the beliefs he had faith in.
"By whom? Corrupted politics? Even the Emperor of Ba Sing Se does not rule the city, he's merely a puppet."
"You will not be ready to lead these men in the upcoming battle, if you are unwilling to do what needs to be done." Ra's said to him.
"Upcoming battle? You're launching an attack against the Fire Nation?" Bruce asked him.
"Not directly, that would be suicide. But while their forces are focused on another target, we will able to strike them then." Ducard told him.
"Another target? What kind of diversion are you talking about?" Bruce asked.
"The one city they have always wanted. It has been ignoring outside world, and is causing itself to rot within itself. In order for the Fire Nation to die, Ba Sing Se must fall." Ra's told him.
"NO! There are families, refuges and other victims of the Fire Nation! If you destroy the city, they'll die!" Bruce told them as the shock of their words hit him hard.
"Some sacrifices must be made, Bruce. The needs of many outweigh the needs of the few or the one. We're trying to save the rest of the world." Ducard told him.
"There has to be another way." Bruce said to his teacher.
"There is no other way, we have been trying for over one hundred years." Ra's told him.
"Bruce, we gave you path. We gave you your weapon to fight against the Fire Nation. You must prove your loyalty and dispense justice!" Ducard told him.
Bruce was breathing hard as he fought an internal war with his emotions and his beliefs. What was he going to do? They had helped him on so many levels, but this was murder they were asking of him. If he killed this man, he was no better than the scum that had killed his parents. What was he going to do? He looked at his teacher, and the weapon he held. Slowly, Bruce grasped the weapon firmly in his hands and raised it above his head. He looked down into the pleading eyes of the bruised and broken man before him. He had made his choice.
IV.
"How much farther is it?" the young man asked as he dragged his feet through the dirt.
"It shouldn't be too much longer, Sokka." The girl said as she looked at one of the many maps her brother had pilfered from the ancient library that was now buried beneath the sands of the great dessert.
"No offence Katara, but that's what you said two days ago." The young bald headed boy said as his winged lemur sat perched on his shoulder.
The four children had been traveling for days among the rocks, trying to find a pool of water the map said was near. Katara, and Sokka were from a water tribe in the South Pole. A year ago, they had found their bald friend, Aang, trapped in a large block of ice. He had been frozen there for over one-hundred years. He soon found out he was the last Air Bender, and found out that the other Air Benders had been killed in an assault by the Fire Nation. Aang had left because he became frightened when he found out he was the new Avatar, master of all the elements. Now, he was trying his best to learn how to control the other element in his travels. Katara was a Water Bender, and had taught him everything she knew. Along their journey, they had encountered their other friend. A young girl by the name of Toph was an Earth Bender, and a unique one. She had been blind since birth and used the vibrations in the ground to see her surroundings. It was from her that Aang was learning how to Earth Bend.
Not too long ago, they had helped a professor discover a long lost library filled with information. It was maintained by an ancient spirit that was in the form of a large owl. When it discovered Sokka's intentions on gaining information against the Fire Nation, it tried to bury them all in the library. Katara, Sokka, and Aang made it out with the scrolls Sokka took, while the Professor stayed behind. Toph stayed outside and kept the library from sinking long enough for her friends to escape. However, she was unable to help Aang's flying Bison, Appa, from being stolen by Sand Benders. Aang had been distraught ever since. However, it seemed that the closer they got to Ba Sing Se, the more his spirits began to almost be normal again.
Right now, most of them were tired and wanted to rest. The map showed a forest that was close to the pool the map was referring to, but so far there was nothing but rock formations. Toph didn't mind much because that meant she could see her surroundings, unlike with sand.
"Aang, I'm only telling you what the map says. Of course, maybe things have changed since this map was first made." Katara said, trying her best to avoid the fact that what she just said might be right.
They continued to move while Katara tried to understand the map more. As they moved, Toph felt something. She stood still, paying close attention to the movements in the ground. She felt Aang, Katara, and Sokka, but there was something else. Something was off.
"Toph, are you okay?" Aang asked as he saw his new friend straggling behind.
"We've got company." Toph said as she spun to face the opposite direction.
She stomped her foot against the ground, causing a large boulder to shoot from the ground, and shoed her hands forward. The boulder split in two, and shattered two large stones, and causing the men in Sand Bending clothes to fall backwards. But three others leapt over their fallen comrades and assumed a fighting stance.
"Sand Benders?" Katara asked in shock and amazement.
"No, they're raiders!" Toph said as she formed tall structures of stone to act as a shield against the ninja stars they threw.
"Where did they come from?" Sokka asked as they ducked behind the stone barrier.
"They must have just spotted us. I only felt them a few minutes ago." Toph said as she tried to make them loose their balance, but was finding it difficult as they kept leaping like grasshoppers. "What are you waiting for Twinkle Toes? DO SOMETHING!" Toph shouted at the bald Air Bender.
Before Aang could do anything, a figure clad in a dark gray cloak, almost black, leapt over them. He seemed almost to fly on the wind as he leapt over the barriers of rocks, throwing his own ninja stars at the raiders. The children peeked over the rock barriers and watched as the ninja stars scrapped the arms of the men, and then turn around and scrap their other arms before becoming embedded into the stone ground. The man took on the three raiders by himself, blocking their moves and sending them to the ground with his own. Each blow he gave sounded like a bone was being cracked or broken with its impact.
When the three raiders were on the ground, one of the other raiders Toph had surprised stood to his feet with a drawn sword. The raider yelled as he ran at the man with the blade held high. He brought the blade down at the strangers head, but he caught it with the three angled spikes that were on the gauntlets on his forearms. When the stranger forcefully separated his arms, the blade snapped like a twig! The stranger turned his back for a second, stomped on the ground, and hit the man in the head with the small rock that flew out of the ground. With a move of his arms, all the men were incased in rock tents without any openings.
"Are you three all right?" he asked as he removed the black mask that was covering his face.
"We're fine." Katara said as they stepped out of their hiding place.
"That was incredible! You took on all of them!" Sokka said.
"It was nothing." The man said as he walked to the four, and stopped again.
He put his hands together, forming a spinning disk of air, turned, and fired it at the last standing raider, sending him flying backwards. With another move, a stone tent formed around the dazed criminal.
"Wait a minute, you're an Earth Bender and an Air Bender?" Sokka asked the man as Katara and Aang looked at him in disbelief.
"I'm an Earth Bender by nature, but I learned Air Bending during my training." He said as he walked to the four children. "I'm Bruce, and who might you all be?" he asked them.
"I'm Katara, and the one with his jaw hanging open is my brother Sokka. The other girl is Toph, and that is Aang, the Avatar." Katara told him as Momo, a winged limar, landed on Aang's shoulder.
"T-the Avatar? I've heard stories and rumors – it's an honor to meet you." Bruce said as he gave a respectful bow.
"It's nice to meet you, to. I thought I was the last Air Bender." Aang said as he returned the bo Bruce had given him.
"Not like it used to be, Avatar. Those who do know how to Air Bend hide in secret from the Fire Nation. One question though. What are all of you doing in the dessert?" Bruce asked them.
"Dying of thirst!" Sokka moaned as he fell to his knees, and causing Bruce to raise a questioning eyebrow.
"Don't mind him, he's brain dead from drinking too much cactus juice." Toph said.
"We're really trying to find a forest that's not too far from here." Katara said.
"A forest? The nearest forest is about a one week walk." Bruce told them.
"A WEEK? YOU SAID IT WOULDN'T TAKE THAT LONG!" Sokka shouted at his sister.
"But the map says it isn't that far." Katara said as she looked at the old piece of paper.
"May I see it?" Bruce asked her.
Katara handed him the map, and Bruce took a close look at it. Everything seemed to be accurate. Even down to the area they were in. So now Bruce only had to find out why the girl was thinking it was a short distance to the forest. That's when he smiled at what he saw.
"You were going by this translation at the bottom? Telling you how you how to measure the distance?" Bruce asked her.
"Of course." Katara told him.
"There's your problem." Bruce said and showed her the map. "You see, the ink is smudged right there. Looks like by water or something." Bruce told her.
"Or cactus juice." Toph said as her eyes squinted, and looked dead even at Sokka's location. She couldn't see him, but the emotion in her face was clear.
"Hey, I was thirsty!" he told her.
"Why do you want to head in that direction in the first place?" Bruce asked them.
"We're traveling to Ba Sing Se. We have some information that might help the Earth Kingdom fight against the Fire Nation." Aang told the stranger.
"Ba Sing Se? The largest city of the Earth Kingdom. Well, if you follow that map, you'll find that a small chasm has formed halfway through the forest you're talking about. You can thank the Fire Nation for that one." Bruce told them.
"How do you know?" Sokka asked the man, wanting to get back to their journey as soon as possible.
"Because I'm from Ba Sing Se, and I'm on my way back there." Bruce told them.
"So you want to join us then? Your journey would probably be less lonely." Aang asked the man.
"Aang! We don't know this guy! For all we know, he could be a thief or a raider like them!" Sokka said.
"Sokka. If Aang trusts him, then that's enough for me." Katara told him.
"Same here." Toph said.
"I just don't want to be a nuisance." Bruce said.
"If you can get me to someplace with shade and water, I will be your loyal servant." Sokka said.
"That's not necessary. First thing we should do is find a safe place to hide. The tents won't hold those raiders for long." Bruce said as they moved out.
Bruce didn't really need the company, but it was better than traveling alone. He had been on his own for weeks, and he was glad he had found contact with people that wasn't just fighting. Maybe he could learn a few more things with them as he made his way back to the city he had hated when he was younger. One thing was for sure, this would be interesting.
I'm making up the terrain as I write. Like I said, I don't know much about the Avatar show. I did a little bit of research before I wrote the story. The Alfred character I named Mako out of respect for the actor who played Uncle Iro in the show. I recently found out he passed away in July. This will follow a little bit of the movie Batman Begins, but hopefully it won't completly follow it. Enjoy.