[IC] The Last Avatar - Inspired by the Nickelodeon Television Series

[Exit]

T H E L A S T A V A T A R
-inspired by the nickelodeon television series-



B O O K 1: C O N T R O L

Close your eyes.

Breath slow.

Breath deep.

Relax and listen.

To the sound.

Of clear blue water.

"Gooood Morning and welcome to Shinobi News. It's a bright and beautiful day in the Republic. Clear skies with no forecast of rain from the North or dust storms from the East. Perfect weather and what better than that for our kick off to the one hundred year anniversary of the end of The Great War. A tragic time in our history where the bending menace tried to set the world on fire. We remember not because of the dark days but because of the bright future those days brought for us. Look out for the festivities that will be taking place through out all of the City. The mass parade in the Middle Ring will begin at two a.m. so don't miss out. Expect heavy traffic especially around the parade route. The Republic Inter-Ring Transit System has also added a number of extra trains to their schedule to help alleviate expected delays. Also, and unfortunately, we won't be expecting an appearance from the King this year. Due to an illness, he will not be heading the parade. We wish him a speedy recovery..."

"...As pressures arise from the Lower Ring due to demands on resources from a steady and equal rise in both population and poverty. Concerns have been raised about the strain placed on the local Synergy Storage Facility. As demand for power increases, energy from the plant is stretched and experts fear that soon the system may collapse resulting in catastrophic failure and a return to the use of fossil fuels at least for a time. Discussions in the palace saw that a team be assembled and sent to the Republic City Plant to speed up research on the condensing of Synergy and to make repairs in the hopes that they'll improve the conditions at the storage facility..."

"...In the wake of large criminal activity in the past year. The RSF have been called inadequate to handle their duties in the lower ring allowing for a steep rise in gang population and the selling of narcotics City wide. One of the most prevalent drugs on the streets, Zen, has steadily made it's way into even the Upper Ring with the recent narcotics raid on several noble houses. It is widely believed that the laws governing the use of these drugs are much too lenient and that the RSF should move to completely abolish any use of drugs in the city..."

"...Has once again struck in the Upper Ring. Yahan Zu, a strong bending reformist who worked closely with the king to not only increase antibending security around the city but also decrease capital punishment for accused benders, was murdered in his home yesterday night by the man known infamously as "Unity". The killing was committed execution style, recorded and broadcast across various stations for public witness in what was to be a message to the masses. Unity has since made himself known as a killer for the bending cause further bringing to light the danger that all benders pose and reinforcing the laws against them. Security has been tightened around both the Palace and the parade today in light of recent events and law enforcement have already begun steps to find and capture and bring an end to his reign of terror. The RSF have reassured that Unity poses no threat to the public as his motives have become quite clear...

"...And remember. Our City's greatest defense is you. It is your responsibility to report a bender sighting. Help ensure the streets of the Republic remain safe by keeping a vigilant watch."

K I N G W U V I
Upper Ring. Palace.

"Ladies. Gentlemen. Thank you for coming today. Please, take your seats. We have much to discuss." Wu motioned toward the circle of empty chairs. While the room was busy filling them in, he turned and pressed a white cloth to his forehead. The fabric soaked up what few beads of sweat there were before they trickled down over his brow. It was taking everything in him from calling the meeting off. He turned around again when everyone else was finally seated and quickly joined them. "Let's get right into it."

A woman entered the room and placed a tablet in front of Wu before taking her place a little to his right and a few steps behind him.

"First item on the list. Yahan Zu."

C Y P H E R
Upper Ring. Yahan Zu Residence.

It was always a beautiful thing entering the Upper Ring. A drive down any one of the streets presented an entire spectrum of green. Green topped by flora never before seen in the Wild or the walls. Colors alone were more vibrant here than anywhere in the world, now a drab sphere of faded brown and gray. The air here was pure and clean, thin and easy to breath and the sun always seemed a lot warmer. The houses themselves were of gorgeous design. Though crammed into the limited space provided by the Upper Ring, their size and beauty and the surprising space available in each home more than made up for it. Most were multiple stories tall and all of them were intricately adjourned with gilded edges and precious metals meant for more than just decorative pieces.

Cypher stared at each with mild interest as he passed them by on the road. He'd seen his fill of the other life. He'd lived it too at one time. If he tried now he could think back on memories of a paradise he called home with walls that held back the realities of another world. Where the faces that protected him spoke of nothing but the words a young child wanted to hear and not of the truth a man was meant to uphold. Where all he had was time. Time and peace and warmth.

Those memories were more foreign than the Wilds. All he had now was the truth. The reality of a world oppressed and a people he was meant to protect who were plagued by the never ending nightmare of benders. Their nightmare. A dark dream they could never wake up from and one that lived on even to this day. Right now.

Yahan Zu was the latest victim of this nightmare and while simple murders were the problems of the RSF, one man's fanatical idea to change the world suddenly made it his problem too. He'd been dragged away from a potential day off to clean up someone else's mess. It was an irritation even if only slight. While he no longer had a day off, he'd been saved from Koeska's idea of festival fun: Working on his social skills. She'd set him up with a date, a date he was only too happy to cancel and replace with work.

The perfect neighborhood was suddenly interrupted by the flashing blue and red of parked security cars. The immediate area around the home was cordoned off by caution tape and the few men in blue posted outside the perimeter to keep prying eyes away. Cypher's driver came to a stop in front of one who was particularly interested in getting them out of the area and continuing on with his immensely important duties. He stepped away from the tape and walked over to the driver window. The driver rolled it down.

"Morning. Sorry about this but you'll have to turn around an-"

Cypher reached around from the back and flashed his badge. LSF was printed somewhere on the front with a bland picture of himself and plethora of other useless information nobody cared about. They usually stopped at the big bold letters.

"Oh...Right." The man nodded before returning to his place and hoisting the tape up as far as he could above his head. It was an obvious struggle but Cypher and the rest of his car managed to slip underneath. The found an open spot between two other patrol cars and pulled in.

Sir." Came his driver. Kato had been Cypher's chauffeur since he was a child. He'd grown old while Cypher had grown strong and had remained loyal despite his change of lifestyle and career. "I'll be waiting outside."

The crisp morning air and beautiful scenery was the perfect distraction for the confusing headache that was his crime scene. He pushed past a number of men in blue, flashing his badge to the few that were a little too curious for their own good, and stepped through the front door. Inside he found more of what he'd expect of a Upper Ring home. Everything in the house was clean, dust free, organized. Everything was placed with meticulous detail; Everything was where it was meant to be. From pictures of family grouped together on the walls and various intellectual rewards standing on a number of shelves underneath to the exotic furniture placed carefully around the house. There were documents on display in different rooms signed by men and women of noble power, one of them by the King himself. Upstairs was more of the same, all things familiar to Cypher... until he got to the bedroom.

Already inside were a number of CSI who were too busy dusting for fingerprints and picking through a maze of probable evidence to notice his sudden appearance. In the corner of the room was Yahan Zu; his eyes rolled back, his mouth open and hanging awkwardly to one side. His throat was cut clean open and his suit was stained a deep red, almost black. He'd been tied to a chair by his wrists and ankles and despite what looked like an initial struggle, wasn't able to break free of his restraints.

"Gruesome isn't it?"

Edwin Howard, a detective on the force, who had arrived only moments before Cypher. He was only slightly taller than Cypher himself and looked to weigh in at about the same weight. His hair was short and slightly unkempt, his face framed by stubble at least a day old. His eyes seemed a little heavy. He was dressed in a black trench coat, dark jeans and darker shoes.

"You LSF?" He asked when Cypher didn't say anything.

"Yea."

Edwin smiled. "Heard about you guys. Never seen one in the flesh though." He paused as he looked Cypher over. "You uh... know how to bend?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"No. So what happened...?" Cypher motioned toward the body trying to steer the subject back on track.

"Right. Yahan Zu." Edwin began. "Was preparing for the day yesterday in the bath." He pointed to the adjoined room. There were objects that had been knocked on the floor due to a struggle. "Brushing his teeth, cleaning his face, whatever it is these rich people do for success when he was attacked. The assailant came through the front door, managed to bypass security. From there it was easy. No one else was in house. He simply made his way up the stairs, into the room and BOOM." Edwin made a show of grabbing Yahan from the back by the neck. The loud noise startled some of the CSI. Cypher shook his head.

"A little bit of a struggle ensued and ended here with Yahan being tied to the chair. From there... well you saw the video... a lot of people did."

Indeed he had. Somehow Unity had managed to hack into the various broadcast networks around the city and hijack their signal. His message was played to all of the Republic... well at least the meat of the message did. Luckily technicians managed to cut his feed off just has the killing began. However Cypher wasn't interested in what happened to the man or how he died. He was called on site because this had become a political issue. Unity had declared his intent to bring awareness to the bending cause and his supervisors weren't having any of it. They needed the man silenced before he became a bigger problem than they were prepared for.

"I just want to know if the man could bend." Cypher asked. Edwin shook his head.

"Not likely. There was a scanning device installed over the front door that didn't go off. However, just like the last one, the torture and subsequent killing are identical to that of Triple Threat Triad killings, reserved for high ranking members of rival gangs. Their hitmen are often fond of this style. It's bloody and is meant to intimidate."

Cypher nodded. "Okay. Then that's where we'll start."

"Where?"

"The Middle Ring."

K O E S K A
Middle Ring. Parade Route.

"Hello?" Koeska chimed into the phone.

"K. I need you to-"

"OH. Well if it isn't Cypher-has-to-work-today. Enjoying your day 'off'?" She teased. She stuffed another cabbage cookie in her mouth and moved on down the street. All lanes were clear due to the streets being closed off for the parade. On either side were road blocks and beyond that crowding the sidewalks were numerous food and drink stalls. People were already bustling into the area to get the best seats and taste some of the food.

"I am actually, trying to follow up on a lead on the Unity killings. Which is why I called you."

"Oh? I'm interested." She continued, ignoring one of the RSF officers who was trying to get her attention.

"Seems like our guy is using a killing style identical to Triple Threat Triad killings. Reserved for the higher ranking members of rival gangs."

"And you need me toooo..."

"Visit one of their bosses, ask a few questions if you can. You're the best at infiltration."

From the corner of her eyes Koeska could see the officer break away from the line and make a beeline for her. "Um... excuse me miss?" He began when he was within ear shot. When she didn't turn around, he waited until he was standing right behind her before he tried again. Miss? You can't b-" She cut him off.

"So let me get this straight. You finally get a day off right? And I go and set up a nice date for you and a female acquaintance of mine and not only do you cancel the date for... wait for it... more work but you also expect to drag me back into work as well."

"Yeah. Essentially."

"Miss!" The man was yelling now.

"I'll let you know what I find out." She hung up and immediately turned around to face the officer. "Look, James."

He furrowed a brow. "My names Yuri actually and-"

"I need you guys to beef up security in this area here. This intersection is especially vulnerable to attack."

"What?"

"These guys don't play around and we want to make sure we're ready for them."

"Who?" James... or Yuri was clearly confused now.

Koeska pointed at a nearby building that stretched from the street into the sky. "Make sure we have trained men at the top of those skyscrapers overlooking this area specifically alright?"

"Look I don't know wha-"

"Thanks James!" She finished, hoping over one of the road blocks and moving into the crowd.

"It's Yur-"

"I'm counting on you!"

E T S E L
Lower Ring. Pawn Shop.

"And who did you say you worked for?"

An elderly man, sat behind a cluttered desk situated at the back of a cluttered room. All around him were various objects from all around the now unknown world. Trinkets of lost history that had once upon a time been a common thing. Most of them now were outlawed though their beauty and rarity made them a treasured thing regardless of the the numerous antibending laws, one of which governed such items as a part of bending history and culture. It was just another thing that the Republic didn't want to spread. Etsel didn't care. There was money to be made and if there was one thing he enjoyed, it was making a bit of coin. The woman in front of him apparently had plenty.

"I'm just a simple maid for a noble house." She replied. She was young... well younger than him and although her eyes were full of curiosity, it was a different kind as if carried for someone else. She picked through a few of the items on display before she plucked at one that drew her interest. "This one." It was a sliver of black rock affixed to a silver chain that could easily fit around someones neck.

"Ah..." He smiled and stepped around his desk to stand next to her. "Quite the eye you have. That is a piece of meteorite. Strong durable material and it is said that Earthbenders once used the stuff to learn metalbending."

"Really?" The woman chimed, her interest was genuinely piqued now. Etsel nodded and began to feed the fires that lead to his first sale of the day. He talked a bit about the Earthbenders themselves and the eventual discovery of Metalbending by some woman he couldn't quite remember the name of. How the art itself was difficult and how through the use of the same meteorite in her hand, the skill was made easier to adopt by others. By the time he was done, she was already stuffing the thing into her purse and spilling the required coin into his hand to finalize the purchase.

"This is beautiful. She's going to love it."

"Yeah I'm sure she will..." Etsel mumbled to himself. At that point he didn't care what the lady did with the thing. He'd been paid.

Tu Zin Settlement

It was a quiet morning as it was most days. The dusty streets were empty save for the few early risers already going about their business. Shops were just beginning to open up and their delivery boys were starting their rounds. The sun had only just crested the mountains in the distance and because of the rare occurrence of a clear day especially with a settlement that was situated west of an angry desert, warm golden light had indeed found the land and brought the a former ghost town to life.

People were roused from their slumber and set about getting ready for what was to be one of the greatest days of their lives. The festival celebrating the end of the Great War was now in it's 100th year and there was talk that the Leaders of the settlement had something special planned.

Today was going to be a long and glorious day.

[McHaggis]

.

[OneWayOut]

X I U
Upper Ring.
_{Click the name to listen to her theme while reading :)}

As a warm gust of wind blew in through the open window, the woman with the mass of curly brown hair was just beginning to stir in her bed. As Xiu Qianru was starting to rouse from her sleep, the wind that flowed into the room caused some few strands of hair to brush against her freckled cheeks and tickle her into a conscious state. Her nose scrunched up and eyebrows furrowed before her eyes opened and looked around the space in a daze. The sudden light of the room caused her pale green eyes to flicker open and closed as they tried to adjust, and a yawn escaped the woman as her hands went above her head into a stretch, the sound of soft fabrics brushing up against one another was lost to the intensity of the yawn. In one smooth motion, Xiu was up and out of bed, pulling her robe closer to her as shuffled across the room to the window. Upon reaching the ledge, she huffed and rested her elbows against it, peering outside and allowing the warm air to further wake her. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she took in the beauty of her surroundings. It was quiet, serene, and even the maids and butlers that were bustling around doing busy work in the garden seemed to be glowing along with everything else. Xiu had no better way to describe it. It was all just... glowing, and she glowed right along with it. With one last final grin and a wave to a maid that had spotted her, she closed the window and retreated to the next room where she would prepare herself a bath. She had a big day planned, and Xiu was determined to look her best through it all.

After she would go through the motions of bathing and dressing herself, she would tackle the biggest challenge of all... with little luck. Despite all attempts to tame her hair, Xiu failed to do so and simply tied it aside as she always did. By the time she was done getting ready for the day, she was already due to be at work. She wasn't too worried about arriving late, considering what day it was. Her mother was capable of running the flower shop with or without Xiu's assistance. Though, with the thought of a scolding in mind, she picked up the pace and gathered her things before heading out.

She would stop off at her father's study first, knock a few times on the large door and then peer inside, only to find it empty. It wasn't odd for him not to be around considering he had an important position of work. Though she was a bit disappointed. It meant she wouldn't be able to see him until the day was practically over. Sighing, she retreated from the study and shut the door behind her. As she walked through the halls, she could see separate parts of the palace where the King and other Advisors and their families lived. With a space so big, even with the maids around, the place seemed so empty. There were just not enough people to fill it. As Xiu was lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear a light tapping sound of footsteps that mixed with hers in the hall. She hadn't realized she wasn't alone until she heard her name being called from behind her.

"Miss! Miss Xiu!"

"Yes?" she called, pausing in her walking and turning in the direction the voice was coming from. Her eyes brightened when she saw one of the maids who she was friends with. It was a woman a few years older than her who had spent more time with her than her parents ever did.

"Oh, Yuni! It's you." she greeted with a wave as the woman approached before reaching into her back. In a way, Yuni was like a big sister to her. She was considered Xiu's 'personal' maid, who tended to her every need and anything that had to do with her. She was like the sweet and caring big sister she never had. One thing they shared in common was this very special day. Xiu pulled out a small box and extended it out towards Yuni just as the woman did the same.

"Happy Birthday!"

"Happy Birthday."

The two blinked at each other as they said the words at the same time. A moment later, the two erupted into laughter as they exchanged gifts.

"Miss Xiu, you know you didn't need to get me anything." the maid told her, blushing and taking the gift. She pressed the box close to her chest as if it was something precious to her.

"How can I not? You're always so caring towards me. Even when I said I want nothing, you still go out and spend your money on me every year. I had to return the favor this time."

"It's no trouble at all. You turned twenty one today and yet you still have work. It's a shame... I wanted to get you something at least. Something one of a kind, just like you."

The words of Yuni touched Xiu and she stepped over, drawing the woman into a hug. "You're so kind, Yuni. Thank you. Though, it's your birthday as well and you need to work. I suppose today we're the same." she said with a grin.

"I suppose so. Each year I grow older and you grow more beautiful." she said, placing the small gift box into the pouch at her waist. "As soon as I have free time, I'll open it."

"Same for me." Xiu told her, placing her own gift into her bag. "I slept in very late today so I need to hurry over to the flower shop."

"Alright. I'll stop by the shop later and pick up some flowers for your room, how about that?" she suggested.

"That sounds perfect. I'll be seeing you then!" Xiu said, waving again before turning around and continuing on her way out of the palace. Yuni waved towards her retreating back before going her own way as well.

[Madly33]

(Click name for theme)

Tu Zin Settlement

The hot sand hit his skin like tiny darts as his front door swung open. Tikaani slowly opened his eyes to the flare of the sun, he quickly shielded his eyes, peeking through his fingers to see who had interrupted his normal daily sleeping schedule. He blinked rapidly as the rangy stature moved into the house. It was his father, Vulc Xio, some would say well respected, from what respect was in Tu Zin. There wasn't much in the settlement in ways of work or things that people could do for enjoyment. Most found joy in the laboring and their families. Tikaani and his father were no different, they found joy where it was to be found, for them it was in the hunt, providing food and clothes for the settlement. That's where they got their respect. Vulc was also a skilled technician, working on parts they find to build sets to watch the news, learn more of what it's like inside "the walls", as they call it.

Tikaani's father moved over to the foot of the bed, patting his dusty pant legs, Tikaani could see that he had already put in a hard days work in only the few hours of sun light they had for the new day.

"You know what today is son?" He asked looking off out the window, a gleam in his eye, the soft wind was knocking the wooden panel ,that was used to shut the window, on the stone wall.

"Yes, of course. It is the 100th year end of the Great War.." Tikaani responded evidently, looking at his father, running his mind of why he seemed bothered by the day. "It is a day of celebrating" He quickly added with a smile, hoping to lighten the darkness that seemed to have entered them. His father looked over at him and smiled.

"Yes, yes it is." He moved up and left, as soon as he had entered, the door shut and Tikaani was left. Strange, his father normally was so full of joy and excitement about every day jobs, he loved normal life and anything that hinted at life inside the walls, very strange.

After getting dressed, Tikaani opened his front door out to the dusty, sand covered street. The settlement was alive today, children were running, chasing each other and laughing, families gathered and prepared decorations and gossiped, smiling and conversing. Tikaani smiled, the thought of everyone in a village that every other day is low and struggling to get by in life can come together and be joyous made him equally happy. He looked down the street and pulled his bag up over his shoulder as he ran down the dirt walk way.

"Morning Tik!" A young boy yelled from a store as he raced past. The boy leaned out the window and tossed him a banana, Tikaani quickly snatched it out of the air and peeled it. "See you at the festival!" the boy shouted again from behind him. Tikaani just threw up a quick wave as he cleared the corner.

As he entered his fathers shop he threw his bag over the counter, just past his father who had beat him there. He moved the the back, setting down the now empty banana peel on the wooden counter and putting on a work apron. "What do you need me to do today?" He asked as he walked back around the corner, tossing his banana peel in the trash under the shop's main counter.

"Um" his father paused and moved some paperwork around. Tikaani cringed. Not more paper work.... he thought to himself as his father moved through files and stacks of paper that where yet to be organized. The front door opened and his mother walked in.

"Let the poor kid off today, we are supposed to be celebrating anyway Vulc" She said softly smiling at both his father and himself. Tianni Xio, most proud woman Tikaani had ever met, he had never met a more giving and kind hearted soul in his life. Though she does not do much of work with Tikaani and his father, she stays busy working in food shops, taking what they hunt and selling it, also cooking some so that both Tikanni and his father come home to a nice warm meal. He loved his mother very much, and respected her, and that is what was given back.

"Yes.. of course love." Tikaani's father responded, smiling and nodding at Tikaani, who jumped in excitement at the thought of a day off work. He ran back to take off his work apron.

"You should take the day off as well." She said, brushing the long dark brown hair from Vulc's forehead.

"I'll see to it that I get home early." He gave her a weak smile and returned to filing the unorganized paperwork that covered the wooden counter-top.

The door chimed as Tikaani and his mother left the shop, he smiled and breathed in the air. He felt like a small child again, ready to enjoy life without work, his spirit lifted already even more so. "What shall we do mother?" He turned and asked. but she was gone. He shrugged off her absence, as he felt she had higher matters to attend to with the festivities.

As he walked down the road he ran into another young man his age. "Why don't you watch where you're going Tik" the young man spat. Tikaani shoved him off.

"You are one to talk Romaw, you spilled three buckets of water in a day." he shot back with a smile and a laugh. The boy laughed back and patted him on the shoulder.

"Got today off it seems!" Romaw said excitingly.

"Yes! and I see you aren't allowed to work today!" He said in a laugh. The two young men walked towards the loud music and laughter from the festival street. Today was going to be a glorious day.

[Medusa]

J I E
(MIDDLE RING - PARADE ROUTE)

There were about five people that continuously flowed in and out of Jie's line of sight, dusting her skin with various forms of makeup. She'd sat in the very same chair for a previous rehearsal only the day before. As always, they complained about how lifeless her skin had seemed to be, or that stress appeared to be getting the better of her. By the end, the girl would be plucked, shaved, and trimmed to absolute stardom. Her cheeks were painted in heavy rouge, and eyes sprinkled with a layer of coal-colored shadow. In short, she looked horribly overdone, which was the goal. People needed to see her from afar, and now they definitely would. The strong colors would distract from her dim pallor and hallowing cheeks, for which she was thankful.

Near the end of the night, Jie was to be one of the multiple performers celebrating the centennial anniversary of the Great War's conclusion. Before then, she was to parade around in a Satomobile's passenger seat. It was great publicity, and while the girl was mostly recognized in the Upper Ring, not many else knew of her. She was happy, and her agent was as well, considering the serious coin that had been spent for her attendance. There were other much more famous acts, but she was determined to outshine them all.

To counteract the anxiety of such a large performance, Jie had taken an exorbitant amount of Zen, and could hardly sit straight. There were rumors about her misuse, and the girl's agent had done all he could to silence the whispers. Most of the time, she could control herself, but preferred to impress those who could realistically help with her career. Therefore, the only times when she was actually alert were during public appearances. Except for today, and one could hardly blame her for it.

"Jie, you're needed for a rehearsal one more time," someone told her gently, snapping the girl into some sort of awareness. He was mindful of her tendency to space out when on Zen, and she was grateful to have someone watching out. It was a difficult habit to have, and the drug had horrid associations with her old existence. Though the lifeblood of the Lower Ring, it was sporadic to see it in the wealthier neighborhoods, and Jie had wished to dissociate herself from such low class behavior. And yet, there she was, almost completely out of it while being dragged off to the main stage. Jie was ashamed of the person she'd become, and no matter how hard it was, felt a sadistic need to be connected to something from her past.

After a certain amount of hesitation, her eyes focused on the man and his look of concern. It was a disgusting type of pity painted over his face, and one that she'd seen before. "I'm fine Kwan, I'll be as good as new in a couple of hours. Don't be such a downer," Jie whispered into her manager's ear.

"Get up, you're slurring," the man informed, rolling his eyes as he grabbed an arm. The rest of her outfit still needed to be completed, and all Jie wore was the thin dress she'd woken up in. Eventually, she'd made her way to the outdoor stage as hundreds of hands appeared ready to begin their various tests. And just as quickly has Kwan appeared, he had left, tending to some other important facet for the night. She hated acting that way in front of him, or anyone for that matter. But he was some sort of figure in her life, a person who had consistently been a steady presence.

As the cold hit her, Jie began to see the details of where she was while collecting her thoughts. The two had somehow gone from a dressing room to the venue, and she tried to hide the look of surprise about the time lapse. There were people already waiting along the sidewalk, and a few even waved at her in recognition. Her gaze scanned the various hints of what was to come, and she could recognize the bursts of color that trailed along the otherwise typical avenue.

Grabbing her microphone, she smiled and began to recite a familiar tune. Jie owned a strange sort of voice, a deeper timbre that went well with a large band. Unfortunately, as late as she was, most had refused to wait around for another temperamental singer. This was where she shined in any case, and was capable of holding attention by herself. Here, she knew what it felt like to be alive, and could almost feel the Zen rid itself from her system. This, of course, meant that she would need another dose later on. It was a necessary evil to forget, and when she was done, couldn't wait to finally be home for a refill.

[AlteredTundra]

Lower Ring: Streets, then to Soup Kitchen @McHaggis

---

“You want to see it again!?” The loud, booming voice of a tall blonde shouted from the top of an apartment building in the Lower Ring.

Down below gathered a crowd of several dozens. Every single one of them, on top of their lungs, shouted “YES! YES! YES!”

“I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” The blonde shouted back at the crowd.

The crowd from below repeated themselves, but this time to deafening volume level. The blonde cracked a smile as he took a few steps back, removing himself from view. The crowd stood at the bottom, staring aimlessly at the edge of the building. He had them eating at the palm of his hand.

Meanwhile, up on the roof of the run-down, dark brown and red building, the blonde took a deep breath. His trademark red hoodie was zipped up and he had the hood covering his head.

And then his body came to view, soaring off the building.

The blonde’s arms were extended in a V and his legs straight. Being in the air like that was one of the best feelings in the world for him. Being able to defy gravity, this man - this legend - was the center of everyone’s gaze. Even as he would tuck his body and come down, the blonde was taking it all in. When his arms caught one of the cables connecting one building to another, he controlled his body in such a way that allowed him to flip and flip and flip around that one cable was still being able to keep his entire body straight.

As he brought his body around and landed his feet on the cable, the blonde saw the arms of the many below trying to grab at him, but he was still several feet above them. He smiled, giving them a wave.

And then the blonde jumped, flipping his body several times.

As his body descended at a rapid rate, he landed on a post with one foot and flipped sideways in the center of the masses. Just seconds after that, cheers of deafening levels came into the blonde’s ears and he gave them a bow. Following that came dozens upon dozens of bronze coins, to which surrounded the blonde in a sea of burnt orange metal.

As the blonde stepped up on a platform, he grabbed the microphone from the stand. “Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes the Jaakuna Hinoko Sky Show. Please come by again tomorrow and see what wonders I will do for you.” Jaakuna said, giving one last bow to his fans before they dispersed and went along their marry way.

Jaakuna began to pick up all the coins as fast as he could. There were several dozen of them, which meant good news for him and his siblings. It eased his heart that Jaakuna was able to make enough to get enough food for the week. Suddenly, he heard eerie, slow clapping.

“Well done, Mr. Hinoko. You truly are a gifted performer. They say you’re one of the best.” An older male said. He stepped forward from the company of two others.

Looking over, Jaakuna’s excited and positive vibes were replaced with anxiety-filled nervousness. “Zang, what are you doing here?” Jaakuna asked nervously, holding his money close to his chest.

“It’s alright, Jaakie-boy. I’m not interested in your money.” Zang said, giving Jaakuna ease that he wasn’t after his money.

Jaakuna cringed at that nickname. “You know I hate being called that.” Jaakuna said.

“Yes, yes you have told me plenty of times.” Zang laughed.

Jaakuna eyed him. “I know you didn’t come watch my show just for me. You want something.” Jaakuna was right, you know. “So, tell me why you’ve shown your face to me? What do you want?” Jaakuna asked almost in a demanding way.

Zang closed his eyes and laughed. He snapped his fingers and one of the bulky men behind him handed him an envelope. “I need you to do something for me.” Zang said.

“I don’t work for the Triad anymore, remember?”

“Yes, I know, but you see, this is something you might be interested in.”

“And what might that be?”

“Getting revenge on The Republic of course.”

Jaakuna’s face fell flat. “Okay, you got my interest."

Zang smled. “Good. Now, if you will, follow me to my place. We got much to discuss.”

---

Two Hours Later

“God-fucking-damn-it. I can’t believe I walked right into that one.”

As he went from rooftop to rooftop, Jaakuna was cursing himself. It wasn’t for how he blindly accepted an unknown job from the Triple Triad solely based on the premise that it would get him one step closer to getting revenge for his parents death and destroying The Republic, but thinking that it was in any way optional. He foolishly had it printed in his noggin that, because he did such a great service to the Triad, that they would at least let him accept or deny jobs that they asked him to complete, but noooo.

“I just can’t believe that they’re using my siblings as leverage to have me complete this. They’re going to pay!”

Jaakuna was furious, but he couldn’t’ do anything about it. He knew what his assignment was. He had to remind some people at some soup kitchen that the money they owed the Triad was due.. Jaakuna hated the feeling he had in his gut. He wasn’t a bully or a thug. He might be a part-time troublemaker from time to time, never a straight-up thug, though — but , his siblings were in danger by being held “hostage” by Zang’s men. Jaakuna had no choice but to go this soup kitchen.

“First this soup kitchen, then Zang ass.” Jaakuna nodded, as he arrived at the soup kitchen. "Isn't that right, Nekohi?" JAakuna said to his fire ferret that was hanging around his neck, simply looking at him. Jaakuna knew that face. "Yeah, I know, this isn't going to be pretty. Just remember, we're doing this for Maku and Gan." Jaakuna had to reassure himself that he wasn't doing the wrong thing here.

And with a thrust kick, he broke the door open with great force. It was probably too much force as Jaakuna had blown the doors completely off their hinges. No doubt there was a lot of attention on the shirtless, red jacket-wearing Jaakuna Hinoko. He stood there, looking at everyone looking at him. Some of them simply stared with a fearful expression on their faces, while others stood up defensively. Jaakuna sighed. He didn’t want to do this, but he had to.

“Okay, listen up! No one’s going to get hurt, so just sit back down and enjoy your meals. Whomever is in charge, get your ass out here right now. It’s time to talk payment.” That sounded real tough — and mean.

Yup, I’m going to hell.

[Tomahawk]

K U O
Lower Ring, Slums

A quick twist cut the bathroom sink's scalding hot water flow, and Kuo mused quietly that he adored the hot water heater in his cheapo efficiency apartment, drying his hands on a nearby towel. He wandered shirtless out onto the rickety old balcony dangling from the side of the vintage brick tenements, overlooking the Lower Ring. With a flick of his wrist, Kuo brought the old rabbit ears radio on the railing to life, yanking a hand-rolled cigarette out of a pack on a nearby table and lighting it with a butane torch.

Smoke rolled across the deck and radio static buzzed cheerfully as Kuo seated himself in front of a gorgeous cherry blossom bonsai plant, letting the lit cigarette dangle from the corner of his mouth as he began to prune the old girl, turning his thoughts towards the fuzzy broadcast.

Yahan Zu, a strong bending reformist who worked closely with the king to not only increase anti-bending security around the city but also decrease capital punishment for accused benders, was murdered in his home yesterday night by the man known infamously as "Unity."

A reflexive smirk threatened to dislodge the cigarette from Kuo's mouth. He diverted a hand from the bonsai tree to readjust the tobacco-filled wrapper, puffing on it a few times to keep the cherry lit. None of the local news broadcasts were replaying Unity's message - by directive of the LSF's PR crew, no doubt... but Kuo remembered the speech. Had memorized it, even.

For a generation benders have cowered in fear of bureaucratic thugs like Yahan Zu, and Chiyo Ayuma, and Etsuko Kaito. No more! Forced underground for crimes imagined, ignorantly saddled with the blame for the entirety of humanity's blood lust. No more! Kidnapped, tortured, and executed - often before they're even born! I say no more!

Ayuma was the first. Kaito was the second. Zu is the third - but I assure you, people of the Republic... I am far from finished. Unity yanked his or her razor-sharp blade across Zu's throat, eliciting a gout of blood and nervous gagging... and then the live feed was cut.

Kuo was amused, to say the least - enthralled, maybe. His parents had been non-benders, but their parents before them had been a proud waterbender and firebender, setting aside their cultural animosity for love... and without their sacrifices, Kuo wouldn't be alive today. Both of his grandparents had been lost in the war, rounded up and murdered in cold blood - but their spirits lived on in the tales shared by Kuo's parents, of great Fire Nation palaces occupied by his ancestors, of gorgeous glacial cities filled to the brim with proud waterbenders.

He refused to fall victim to the media spin. Perhaps Unity was a monster... but they'd lit a fire under the Republic's ass, at the very least. Maybe the LSF would capture Unity and execute them... or maybe Unity would continue to pick apart the anti-bender politicos one by one. Maybe there would be riots, and revolutions.

One could only dream.

Kuo stubbed out his cigarette and lay his pruning shears on the table, flicking the radio off and heading inside. He had a busy day ahead of him.

"Hey, Jiayi."

"Daoji!" cried the old woman, embracing Kuo. She was a short, portly woman, her face lined with the hard-earned wrinkles of many years spent roughing it in the Outer Ring. Plenty of weatherworn folks occupied the slums, each as downtrodden as the other - but a certain glimmer of community bound the lot of them, nonetheless.

"How are things? Oh, just the regular, please," he replied. Jiayi went about the business of fetching him a styrofoam container packed with noodles and pork.

"We're doing just fine, Daoji," she replied, bustling about behind the counter. "Haven't seen you in weeks! Thought you'd moved on - or maybe gotten on the wrong side of the RSF, 'eh? Speakin' of - you hear about that uh... that Union fella'?"

"Unity? Yeah, I caught the broadcast. Seems like the radio DJs can't get enough of him, huh?"

"Got that right! Besides, what's his deal, anyway? Goin' around, upsettin' folks... things aren't that bad. Just let sleeping dogs lie, hm?" Jianji offered Kuo his container, and he handed her a few coins.

"Never bad advice, Jianji. Sorry to cut our visit short, but my schedule's packed. Thanks for the fuel!" Kuo was heading out the door and into the streets before Jianji could reply. He wolfed down the meal as he walked, stuffing the empty container into a trash bin and throwing up the hood on his jacket, rounding a corner into a back alley.

Kuo knew the side streets and alleyways of his little corner of the Outer Ring like the back of his hand - an old habit from his time in the Triple Threats, and a necessity that had saved his neck more than once.

"Kuo!"

Motioning for Wu to keep his voice down, Kuo hesitated only for a second before embracing his cousin. Slugging him across the shoulder, Kuo pressed a finger to his lips. "I'm in hiding, remember, Wu? Try to be a little less sloppy: I don't want to wind up on a Triple Threat meat hook losing fingers to the Executioner, if it's all the same to you."

"Yeah, yeah - my bad," Wu apologized sheepishly, crossing his arms. "C'mon - over here."

Kuo tailed his cousin closely, entering an old, burnt out apartment complex. It stank with mold and mildew, water damage evident on the walls, floors, and ceiling tiles that hadn't suffered extensive burns. He didn't know whether a firebender had duked it out with the LSF here years prior, or if perhaps the building had just been burned up by kids monkeying around.

Either way, nobody else was interested in the condemned old apartment, so Kuo and Wu had it to themselves. They proceeded to the fourth floor, and Kuo entered apartment 4D behind his cousin, shutting the door as an afterthought. On the old mahogany table in the center of the room was a shiny metal suitcase with a disassembled rifle inside, broken apart into several foam compartments. Two boxes of high-caliber rounds and a ballistics vest occupied the remaining space on the table.

"Just like you asked: scoped rifle with rounds and a lightweight vest. I take it you're still workin' contracts, even after you ditched the Triad?"

"Gotta earn a living somehow, Wu," Kuo replied, tracing the feed mechanism with his fingertips. "Your boss isn't suspicious?"

"Nah," Wu replied, waving a hand. "He doesn't care who I push arms to, y'know? So long as they've got cash. Oh, uh, speaking of which..."

Grinning at his cousin's raised eyebrows, Kuo placed a coin purse in Wu's outstretched hand. "There you go, you viper. Enjoy my hard earned cash."

"Yeah, I'll enjoy it about as much as you enjoy that rifle." Pocketing the cash, Wu's expression grew sour, and he changed the subject: "You need to move, by the way. Keep a lower profile. Somebody's been askin' about you."

"What? Who?"

"Some LSF agent, a woman. She met with the boss - like, the big boss, man. I dunno what he told her, but word is she's on the prowl for you. Waste anyone important lately?"

"Nobody worth talking about," Kuo said, turning back towards the gun, lost in thought.

After several moments of heavy silence, Wu cleared his throat. "You goin' out to the parade tonight?"

"Doubt it," Kuo answered. "Why, who's gonna be there?"

"Aw, man, you didn't hear? That rat fuck, the political guy, Akano - talks a big game about how benders are evil, y'know? Hell, that's how he made his fortune, workin' with the LSF. Word on the street, though, is that he's a waterbender himself. Guys like that, man... I mean, I'm not perfect, but he's a real asshole. I've even heard he works for the Red Lotus."

"You think that fairy tale's real, Wu? C'mon, don't buy into conspiracies. You're smarter than that."

"I'm just sayin', man. Who knows?"

Kuo grunted, stashing the boxes of ammunition and the vest inside the case and shutting it. "Might just show up after all," he replied, grinning. "Wouldn't mind seeing Anato. C'mon, let's get out of here."

[Little Bill]

---

Yan rolled to his side, coughing himself into consciousness. He was naked, though at least mostly covered with a stained blue comforter. He opened one eye, with an audible crackle as his sand-caked eyelids separated, and looked at his surroundings. Keeping an eye open always helped him adjust to waking up, after all. There was a stain on the ceiling from a persistent leak that had now grown into a crimson-brown splotch that hung ominously above him, threatening to break open and soak him in stagnant rainwater at any minute.

He folded himself up, leaning against the wall his futon pressed against, collecting his thoughts for the day. First order of business, as always, was breakfast. Yan leaned across his futon and sprawled over the comforter, letting a few stray rays of sunlight that had escaped through the closed blinds touch his skin. He began to rifle through what appeared to be a pile of trash, looking for something with a ferocious intent. He had been sleeping for about 13 hours, and because he hadn't yet figured out a way to do drugs in his sleep, that meant he was already starting to feel the effects of minor withdrawal. Irritability. Stress. A lack of focus.

He overturned a small soiled napkin, and found his well-earned prize. A small, clear plastic bag, the kind that would have normally held earrings or loose gemstones, filled with hot pink dust. Though Yan didn't smell it, it carried a distinct chemical smell not unlike ammonia, and though the room he was in was dark, it still sparkled amidst the shadows. Yan stood up and cleared his throat, spitting on the floor as he held the bag in the sunlight. After a few moments of inspection, Yan plopped down on the futon once more, pulling the comforter over himself out of decency and setting the bag in front of him. Next to the futon, beside a skunky-smelling empty glass, was a small pistol-like device, holding a vial that had been caked in chalky pink residue. Yan unscrewed the vial from the device and carefully tapped half of the bag's contents into the vial, before screwing it tightly back on.

With a satisfied chuckle, Yan ran his fingers through his wild, uncombed hair. He had earned extra Zen by being paid for information, a practice he occasionally dabbled in -- This time, he had given a triad member's location to an RSF officer. He wasn't on either side. He was on Yan's side. He chuckled to himself again, stabbing a vein in his foot, and squeezing a small trigger.

---

Yan sat motionlessly on the subway, staring out of the window. The lower ring wasn't much of a sight to see normally, but he wasn't quite in a normal mindframe. He was on his way to a local soup kitchen. The noodles they used were always too thick and the broth was always too thin, but anything would've tasted good to him. Arriving at his destination, he stood up with a groan, as if he held a tremendous weight on top of him. His feet slid towards the door step by step like a deep sea diver's, and he looked like he might have fallen over at any second.

"You alright there, son?" An elderly man asked him, stroking his beard pensively. "You look a little green." He was short and portly, and his black beard was forked in two. The subway slid to a complete stop, and the doors opened with a hiss.

---

Y̔҉̙̹o̺u̗̭̣̮͇͈͌̽ ̟̹͉̫̮͈̯͋ͩ̊á͙̗͙̯̖͍̿̊͑͋̚l̏̋̒ͣ̇͂r̩̙̹̹͖̫͉͛ͦ͐ͯ͗̊ͤï̼͊ͭͤg̙̹̰̯͈͒ͥĥ̶̫̟̩̩̃̈́͆ͦ̿t̢̘̫̙̦͕̺̤̃͐͊ ͈̝̭̰͐ͩ͊̕t̯̖̞̩̖͍̠ͧ͐̏̾͋h̡̩ͧ̃̉̃ͯ̃̌e̶̪ͩ͌̑ȑ̬̯̜̼̟̫̈́ͭe͖̳̪̪͎͋̃ͦ̅ͧ̒,̙͎̺̻̬̔̃͟ ̳͙̬̙̱s͔̦͔̅͒͋̌̄͗o̴ͥͨń͋ͪ́ͭ̔̍?̬͈̙̏͌ͯͅ

A lizard sat across from Yan, flicking his black forked tongue at him. His eyes were beady, and a distinctly reptilian yellow. He grinded his teeth impatiently, and the sharp edges seemed to sparkle in fluorescent lighting of the subway. Yan paused for a moment, trying to decipher his strange, garbled words. Before he could, the lizard hissed loudly, which Yan took as a clear sign for him to leave.

He made his way out of the subway station, limply dragging his feet through inky, polluted puddles and scattered bits of trash. The sky had soured to an unpleasant gray that suggested a storm to come, as well as the possible rupture of the crimson water stain above Yan's nest. The people around him seemed to move infinitely fast, as if he were covered in molasses while his fellow pedestrians skated through the pavement with ease. Luckily for Yan, he usually went unnoticed in the lower ring. Zen-Men were a dime a dozen, and this afforded Yan a level of anonymity. He arrived at the soup kitchen surprisingly quickly, opening the door with a grunt. There was a man in front of him in a red jacket. talking loudly. Yan couldn't understand him and the loud noises frightened him, but he was not going to leave without his soup, whether or not this guy moved.

"'Scuse me. You in line?"

[Exit]

K I N G W U V I
Upper Ring. Palace.

The room became a lot more hectic than he'd expected and the noise was approaching beyond unbearable. Wu pressed the cloth to his head once again, dabbing away at the sheen of sweat that was forming there. Not only was it getting loud but it was also becoming noticeably hot... but maybe that was just him. He'd been under the weather for a day now and although the doctors who'd came to evaluate him had informed him that he was not contagious, they did say he was getting worse. They'd tried persuade him to call off the meeting insisting that rest be his primary form of recover but he wasn't one to shy away from his duties. The City wasn't going to stop turning just because their King fell ill and neither was he... or the room.

The suits and ties gathered in the large but somehow cramped space were debating over the death of Yahan Zu, one of their own. The man had been one of the more radical faces of antibending policy. He was smart but also reckless and it was his own actions and pride that had gotten himself killed. If he'd paid attention to the signs and given any care to self preservation, maybe after the first two killings he would have noticed that there was a man out for revenge and he was next on his list. But he hadn't and he was dead, murdered in such a manner that the rest of the men and women in the room were raising their voices out of fear. There was no way for them to know what was next to come and so they looked for someone to blame, someone to solve their problems so they could go back to ruling what little of the world they had left.

"He was a damn fool. The agendas that he pushed? It's any wonder he wasn't already killed."

"It doesn't matter what he did or planned to do, he was one of us. He was with us and whoever it is out there that hunted him down and ended his life, that person is coming for us next."

"This Unity, whoever he is is just a man. He's not the issue, the issue here is who is going to clean up the mess that Yahan left behind. The project, the files, the girl."

"She will be fine. We already have contingencies on her. The files will have to be retrieved from his home if they haven't already been taken. The RSF have orders to secure the scene for a clean up crew and our LSF agent has already begun his hunt."

"This Unity is a bender?"

"We don't know yet but the important thing is the situation is under control and this man will be found and dealt with."

"Good." Wu leaned forward in his chair and hit the tablet in front of him. The item "Yahan Zu" was highlighted and removed from the screen's UI. "We'll continue as planned then. Akano." He glanced at the man sitting opposite him at the far end of the table. A decade or so older than himself, Akano was just starting to show the signs of old age. His hair was highlighted in stripes of gray and his skin was beginning to fold onto itself. Of course he was also the one with the most expensive suit in the room besides the King himself. His was adorned with a peculiar pin affixed to his breast. A kind of flower of blood red color. "We've tightened security for the parade, added more sentries along the route and more guards specifically around the stage for the speech and performances. We're going through with the celebration today. Will you be there?"

"I'm not going to let one man's idea of fun ruin the party for everyone else. I'll be there and I'll give the speech."

"Perfect." Wu scrolled down to the next item on the list. "Next item. I've assembled a team to head repairs at the Synergy Plant.

Republic City Synergy Plant

"Sir... SIR!"

"What is it no-... What in the hell?"

Two men of identical attire stared into a dusty screen. Despite the advance technological wonders chugging away around them, their computer systems still seemed to be a tad out of date. The bulky monitor was throwing up warnings signs in monotone colors, trying to tell the two individuals who didn't really care for their job that their job was going to get a lot harder. Apparently pressure was building in the portal siphoning mechanism itself and the machine was threatening to relieve this pressure by shooting it all down the pipeline toward the City at once. In simpler terms, the plant was going to take a large spiritual shit and something or somebody on the other end was going to have to catch it. It was a situation that was far from ideal and one that would quickly spiral out of control. They had protocols sure but they'd already expended them.

"Reserve tanks?"

"Full."

"Exhuast."

"Still malfunctioning after last weeks accident. We're still waiting on the team that's supposed to arrive from the city but they're not expected for another few days at the least."

"Damn it."

Last week there had been a similar incident. The portal began spewing more spirit energy than usual and they didn't understand why. When under normal conditions, the stream of energy was constant if not a slight lower than expected. Energy concerns were a present issue in the City and they needed more of it... but not this much. This surge of energy usually meant something and last week... it meant the death of one of their own. One of the guys had been too close to the exhaust valve when they attempted to relieve pressure and although he didn't suffer any direct exposure, his mind became warped. He went mad... crazy and his mental state continued to deteriorate until they were forced to put him down themselves. Unfortunately it was a common theme on site and not something they could talk about. However the threat was no longer local and if the pressure was strong enough when it reached the city, the result could potentially be explosive and whatever had driven their man insane could be released into the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se.

"How long before that ball of energy reaches the city."

One of them began a systematic pressing of various keys, pushing the flashing text to the side and digging up new ones. The numbers that flashed on the screen were calculations that neither of them wanted to see.

As they were busy trying to wrap their head around the situation, a loud noise from the main body of the portal siphon elicited their attention. A noise not unlike the groan of metal as it's being stretched far beyond its limit. They turned to see the entire contraption buck. The large black cylinder pimpled with lights and tethered to a hundred different cables shook with a violence unseen. The spiderweb of hoses, lines and pipes circling the machine rattled against with force enough to snap.

The two men held their breath as the monitor flashed a final warning.

K O E S K A
Middle Ring. Sutler Office Building. Top Floor.

"Look between him and a few other guys?

"You mentioned a Jaakuna."

"No it's not him. We have him, still own him. But the other he's a... was a hitman for us and one of the best. The very best. Then one day he just ups and quits. Doesn't tell us why doesn't gives us any kind of warning, no two weeks, nothing."

"And you just let him walk out?"

The fat man behind the desk huffed. "Please. We're professionals and we like to handle our business. Tie up loose ends. So we tried... but it's been a year now and no one has heard from or seen him since."

"So now he's offing the political leaders of this City in an attempt to surgically bring it to it's knees. Any idea why?"

"No."

Koeska paused for only a brief moment before raising a brow in time with the cock of a gun. "Mr. Sutler... I thought we had an understanding. I do not like like liars."

He shook his head. "Look we've had our beef with the Republic just like anybody else and sure maybe we've shared some of that hatred with are more privileged members but we weren't the only influences in the man's life. He's got a past too."

"Hes got any family around I should know about?"

"If he did we wouldn't be having this conversation."

The man was telling the truth. They'd have already found him if he had any kind of family anywhere in the City. It was the easiest if not most predictable way for any Triad to maintain control over it's members: Threaten to remove something they love. In essence it was how the Republic maintained control over it's city. So how did one man find the freedom to do as he pleased?

She didn't know the answer to that and neither did the fat idiot in front of her. She was done here. "Well, thanks for your time Mr. Sutler. It's been wonderful." She flashed him a smile to which he said nothing. He was content waiting instead for the moment when she'd decide to point her gun at something other than his exposed member. He got his wish when he felt the ice of cold steel leave his skin.

Koeska holstered her handgun and started toward the door when she noticed the two bullet holes she'd put into the wall. Both were low to the ground about the height of someone's ankle and judging by the muffled moans coming from the other side, she'd managed to hit her mark even before she could see them... or they her for that matter.

"Should probably clean that up."

"Just get the hell out of my off-"

"People of the Republic." They both froze to the sound of an unfamiliar voice. Behind Sutler and affixed to the wall was a monitor and the apparent source of the voice in question. What was normally nothing but a picture with background noise meant to fill an empty room with a sense of life had been replaced by a rather ominous figure. A man in what looked to be a metal mask of a white color clothed in a shawl of black and yellow. "Despite their best efforts, the Republic Security Forces have been unable to locate and apprehend me. This train of ours has gained momentum, and will not be hampered by bureaucratic businessmen with handguns and rifles - I assure you of that." Sutler looked at Koeska who gave him a cross look.

"I think he's talking to you."

"Today we celebrate the 100th anniversary of The Great War. The Republic's propaganda teams would have you believe that this is a celebration of peace, of triumph over the wicked benders of the world - but make no mistake, this is a celebration of violence, of fear, and of genocide. This is a celebration of the unmitigated destruction of culture and history, of the whitewashing of an era."

There was a buzz in her head and she recognized it as an incoming call. She pressed a finger against the back of her ear and cooed a cautious hello.

"K. You seeing this?" Cypher asked over the line.

This is the anniversary of the day that our malevolent benefactors picked up their rifles and pushed us down into the dirt. I intend to commemorate this day with a bang, my friends - what about you?"

"Yeah I'm watching it."

"What about those of you that retain the power to bend, huddled in the deep, dark corners of our city? What about those of you that cannot bend, but see the blind hatred and scapegoating of the Republic for what it is? I hope you'll join me when the show begins. Stay safe. Stay strong. Stay united."

"He's going to be at the parade."

"Oh don't worry." Koeska smiled. "I've got James on it."

"Who?"

A K A N O F U & Y U R I ( J A M E S )
Parade Route. Stage.
@Medusa

"My. She does have quite the voice. Is she the headliner for tonight?"

Yuri stepped forward with the itinerary for the festival. Besides the Parade just after noon and the fireworks planned as the final stage of the festival later that night, there were a list of performances that were to take place on stage throughout the day. It was still early so while there were people already in the area having their go at some of the available food, these people would have to settle for some last minute rehearsals. The woman singing on stage now was none other than Jie Xiao. A name spoken with a level of fondness in the Middle and Upper Rings. She wasn't the most well known or the highest paid act but her talents had gotten her far and her connections even further. She was situated comfortably between the day's headliners and those of the opening act.

"Not quite. Name's Jie Xiao. One of a number of vocal talents following some kind of parkour spectacle but that's besides the point we need to get her off the stage and get you up there. Make sure we have the security measures set up around you correctly for the speech.

Akano placed a hand on the man's chest as he began to move, stopping him in his tracks. "No no... Let her finish." He said, keeping his eyes on the woman. She was beautiful and had a magnificent voice to match. The tones and melodies rolled of her tongue like silk and melded together into a tune that melted like chocolate. It was mesmeric and left him wondering why she wasn't at the very least opening.

He waited till the song came to an end and after informing the RSF officers flanking him to stay put, moved to take the stage. Yuri followed, slowly overtaking the politician until he eventually took the lead and addressed the woman.

"Alright. Off the stage. We need to get these safety measures into place."

N U M A
Tu Zin Settlement. Bar.
@Madly33

"Takani!... Romaw!"

To their right and nestled comfortably in the shade of the settlement bar was none other than Numa, the local bartender. A fairly tall man with a normal build. He had a head of brown, almost red hair and a beard that started as a bush around the chin and thinned out as it wrapped around both sides of his face. He usually wore a combination of stained or dirty shirts, black jeans and worn sneakers. He smiled at the two as he stepped away from the bar and through the saloon doors to catch them on their way to the square.

"Takani. Please tell me you and your father are planning to participate in the hunt? I've got my money on you two bringing in the biggest prize."

The festival of the settlement was different than the one in the city. While the Republic had it's celebration, the fun only lasted for a day. People had lives to live and jobs to go back to. Tu Zin however celebrated for a week. The party dragged on mostly because of the hunt. Teams of two would head out into the wilderness and had to claim a prize within seven days. The rather long running time of he event was due to the fact that game in general was scarce in a scorched world. It took skill, teamwork and no shortage of patience to come out on top. The winners were determined by the size of the kill and the total time it took to track it, kill it, and bring it back.

[Komo]

Home -> Delivery place -> Jun's Soup Kitchen.
@Mchaggis @Altered Tundra

Chiahru had the opportunity of living in one of the best apartments one could get in the Lower Ring. It was big enough to have a small living area, a tiny toilet and two small bedrooms. They had heating, but it was hand-charged or powered by kinetic energy. Pushing aside the white comforter, she stumbled out of her futon, walking slowly towards the toilet. The tiny room had just barely any space left after the toilet bowl and the washing area.

The rudimentary heater was installed outside the toilet and one had to actually crank it up to power it before it could be used. Ah, the life of poverty. Considering the fact that most of the people living in the Lower Ring lived in far worst conditions, she actually thought herself pretty lucky. If not for Hiro, she would still be wandering the streets and depth of the slums. She shuddered at the thought, shaking it from her mind.

Clutching the crank handle, she winded the heater until it gave a ring signifying that the heater was sufficiently charged for use. Getting into the washing area, Chiharu filled up a bucket full of water and began soaping and washing herself down. When she was done with her washing, she dressed and made ready to leave.

The day started very early in the Lower Rim and a vast majority of the people woke and prepared for their day ahead long before the sun rose. Hiro had already finished with a consignment of pots and vases ready to be delivered when she woke up. Putting on and readying the vase carrier backpack on her shoulders, Hiro began to meticulousy place his goods in an organised fashion to minimise breakage.

When he was done, she was off, ready to deliver the goods. Chiharu navigated through the vast multitude of levels, making her way out of the maze of apartments that made up the majority of the Lower Ring. Her olive skin shone in the early morning sun, beads of pespiration appearing on her skin.

All she had was the address, which she input into the small datapad that she shared with Hiro. It had taken them quite a while to save enough to buy one but it was defintely worth it as it made their job alot easier. When she made her way to the intended delivery location, Chiahru banged on the door of an apartment, shouting her intent.

"Vase delivery!" The door opened, and a middle-aged woman came out and accepted the goods, replacing them with the money agreed for them. Collecting the money, she began the journey home, and decided to stop by the Soup Kitchen she frequents for a tasty meal on the way home. Walking into the eatery, she smiled at Lea as she said "Hi Lea! The usual please!" Chiahru was getting hungrier by the second as delicious aroma of food wafted around in the air. Those piping hot noodles that Jun's Soup Kitchen was famous for just simply delicious.

Her food arrived soon enough, the steam rising out of the bowl of piping hot noodles as she lifted it up with a pair of chopsticks. She had barely taken a mouthful of delicious noodles when the door burst down with huge force, sending it crashing down onto the floor. Turning to see the source of the noise that almost caused her to choke on her food, Chiharu saw a shirtless, red jacketed blonde man standing in its place.

The Kitchen's patron's eyes all shifted to him, including hers. The man then spoke in a very gangster-like fashion. He wanted to know who the one in-charge was. Chiharu sniggered. The guy didn't even know who was in-charge here. Time for some fun. The young woman stood up, raising her voice to match his. "Me. I'm in charge here."

[AlteredTundra]

Jun's Soup Kitchen@Symphoni, @McHaggis

For that brief moment of silence, Jaakuna saw the worry and anxiety on the faces of those that were sitting down and eating their meals. Jaakuna saw that his presence shook them to their core. He saw that they were gripping those closest to them as if Jaakuna himself posed some kind of danger to them. Truth was, he kind of did. Even though he could fight—and rather well, but he preferred not to unless it came down to it. So, the fear of enhanced vocal intimidation would have to do.

It was going so well. At least, until some idiot decided to open their mouth, declaring that they were the one that Jaakuna was looking for.

“Oh, so you’re in charge, huh.” Jaakuna stepped forward, walking closer to the female.

Gauging her body head to toe, the blonde had to admit that she was easy on the eyes. Her olive-colored complexion gave her an exotic look. If it didn’t, her long, black hair and hazel-colored eyes demanded Jaakuna’s attention. Further down to the torso, Jaakuna caught a glimpse of her curves that were perfectly complemented by her midriff. Even though she was a bit on the short side, Jaakuna couldn’t take his eyes off of her. It was almost as if he was mesmerized by her beauty.

But all good things had to come to an end, right?

Jaakuna shook his head, getting his hormones in check.

“Alright, listen up, hotcakes.” JAakuna said to her, giving her a cocky smirk, “I come representing the--” Jaakuna hesitated, feeling a strong amount of disgust that found its home on his tongue. It refused him to say their name,”—The Triple Triad and they want their money.” Jaakuna said clearly, but he still felt the tinge of revulsion in his mouth.

God, Jaakuna hated being like this. If it wasn’t for fucking Zang. If he would have just left Jaakuna alone, if he would’ve left Gan and Muku alone, he wouldn’t have to be forced to play the gangster act on, who he had to assume were good people. Hell, they were in a soup kitchen for god’s sake. How could they be bad?

As he was somewhat stranded in his own hatred for what he was doing, Jaakuna was starting to show it slightly on his face. He didn’t know it, but surely the desirable female in front of him would see it. That is, to say if she could spot those little hints of facial expressions.

When I’m done here, I’m going to kill Zang—or maim him. Whatever doesn’t get me hung or worse.

[McHaggis]

.

[Madly33]

@Exit

Tu Zin Settlement

Tikaani was lost in thought as he walked along next to Romaw, the hot sun burned the back of his neck and arms that were left uncovered from his cloth clothes. He jumped as his train of thought was broken from the yelling of his name.

"Of man! the hunt I forgot. I think my father forgot as well..." Tikaani answered the mans question, many people would bet on Tikaani and his father as hunting was their job, but no one was ever more reliable to know they are bet on than Numa. Man has a lot of trust in their ability to hunt it would seem. "Let me run and remind my father before the hunt begins" Tikaani flashed Numa a quick smile and turned around back towards the shop he had just left.

"I'll come with, but I am hungry as hell, you are buying me food after" Romaw said with a grin as they walked quickly back to the shop.

As they came around again through the door of his fathers shop, the bell gave a chime and his father looked up from the stack of paper work his was still working on, looked as though it hadn't even moved in the some hour he had been gone already.

"Father, the hunt" Tikaani said quickly and simply. His father laid the paper work down that had been resting in his right hand and gave a huff.
"Numa has money on us again and it is not fair we not even participate.. We can win this year" Tikaani moved in and smiled at his father, who he could see was stressed beyond relief of a day off.

"Yes..Yes, I will meet you out at the festival." He paused and gave a quick smile at Tikaani and Romaw, who was still standing by the door, holding it open and watching people down the street that were heading towards the festival. As the boys left Vulc looked down at his paper and held back the sweet release of tears he had been holding back for the week prior to the event. "Perhaps the hunt will help get my mind off things.. and get him away..just in case" He whispered under his breath as he watched the boys leave his sight around the corner back heading to the festival.

As the boys arrived to the sound of loud music again Tikaani smiled and moved over to a food stand just outside the large crowd of people.

"Really think you will win this year?" Romaw asked as they waited in line for their fruit. Tikaani turned, smiled and gave a quick nod.

[Exit]

The Wild. Si Wong Desert.
@Madly33

Three men, each mounted on an ostrich horse, waited in the sand under the shade of a large rocky formation. They were draped in dusty worn and faded clothing, fabric that had been torn from the remains of other fabric and quilted into their protective wear. Tinted goggles shielded their eyes from the dust and the suns harsh glare, head wraps kept them cool and face wraps kept their lips from cracking in the sun's embrace. Two of them were armed with what looked to be rifles. The third was content to ride unarmed though he carried the pack that shared all of their collective survival gear.

"What time do they start?" One of them asked.

The second peered at the sun as it hung high in the sky. It was just about noon. "Soon. Festival should have already begun. Hunt will begin later and their champions will leave the protection of Tu Zin and head into the wilderness."

"Who's our target?" The third joined the other two, his ostrich horse taking a few unguided steps forward. He reigned it back in.

"Vulc." The man's voice carried undertones of respect with the name. "The man always walks away with the biggest hunt. We'll follow him and when he's got the kill, we'll take it."

K I N G W U V I
Upper Ring. Palace.

Wu stumbled into his private chambers and collapsed on the edge of his bed. Sweat was pouring from his brow in profusion, he was hot, clammy, shaking, and his chest was tightening. It was a miracle he'd managed to survive through the rest of the meeting but it didn't seem like he was going to be doing much of anything else. His body had been hit with something and with sudden overwhelming force. He wasn't even really sure what he was sick with. What was originally just the symptoms of a regular cold had quickly spiraled into something else entirely. He found it'd had been extremely hard to move his limbs and his body felt heavy in a way. And the exhaustion... the urge to keep from shutting his eyes and falling asleep. He couldn't know for sure but there was this gut feeling that if he were to slip into unconsciousness, he would never wake up.

Wu opened his mouth to call for assistance but when he tried, he found his voice had been lost. The words he wanted to say refused to come out and so... he conceded defeat and closed his eyes.

His mind continued to race even as darkness enveloped him, his thoughts drifting to the how and why and the uncertainty of his future. How did I get sick? What am I sick with? Have I infected anyone else? Who will run the city in my stead? Even as he asked the questions, deep down he already knew the answers. His title as King was always simply that and when he'd decided to try and expand on that title like his forefathers, he was checked and this time permanently.

All he could do now was await his fate.

A K A N O F U
Lower Ring. Stage.
@Medusa

"Is he in there?"

A woman, the same one from the meeting, the one who'd given the King his tablet, his coffee, his daily wake up call and briefing now spoke to Akano from the other end of the line. Her voice came through as clear, unwavering, determined. "Yes."

"Is it done?" Akano watched as the woman on the stage in front of him began to exchange words with Yuri. Whether they were kind or laced with an annoyance they both shared for the man he couldn't be sure but he did pick up on something. There were nuances in her body language and the way her eyes seemed to focus on the small RSF officer and then suddenly lose him. She was on something and he had a general idea of what.

"It will be soon."

Akano returned to his own conversation leaving Yuri to his fate and twisted his wrist up so he could see the black band wrapped around it. Digital numbers hovered an inch away from the back of his forearm informing him of the time of day: A little after noon. The parade would begin shortly. "Good. I'll forward Yahan's files to you. Once you've got them, prep the girl and don't worry about the body. I'll handle it, the media and everything else."

"What about Unity? He's got the media in the palm of his hands. Could maybe spin a few stories of our own in the process and kill two birds with one stone."

"Think it'll take a bit more than a few stories to end him but like I said... you worry about what comes next. I'll handle Unity too."

[AlteredTundra]

Jun's Soup Kitchen@Symphoni, @McHaggis

"Wait, so you're not the—oh, son of a bitch." Jaakuna cursed loudly.

Looking away from the exotic woman for a moment, his attention came to the one that was behind the counter. She seemed dainty and rather fitting to be working at a soup kitchen. Jaakuna found her posing no threat to his life. To be quite honest, Jaakuna didn't think that she had it in her power to stop him from doing whatever was necessary to get the money. However, as she would state rather clearly, it wasn't currently present at the soup kitchen.

"What did you say?" Jaakuna echoed her, his words slow and face long. "What do you mean the money's not here?!" Jaakuna yelled, approaching the counter to which the lady was speaking behind from. "It has to be here! It just has to!" Jaakuna said even louder.

By the time Jaakuna finished talking, he was leaning against the counter-top. His hands were on it, looking at the woman dead-straight in the eyes. This was not the look of a man who was trying to bully his way to get fast money or collect a debt. The look that Jaakuna Hinoko had in his eyes were that of a desperate man. His eyes and facial expressions bled of utter disbelief, for without the money, his siblings might not see him again.

"Listen here," Jaakuna said, leaning in as close to the lady as he possibly could, "I need that money." Jaakuna said urgently.

He was trying to make her understand that this wasn't just him acting like a bully(which he totally was). He had to get that money.

[Komo]

Jun's Soup Kitchen -> Streets
@Mchaggis @Altered Tundra

Her little plot seemed to be going along fine. She saw the blonde hooligan staring at her, eyeing her to see if she posed any potential threat. At least that's what she thought he was eyeing for. She had no idea what he was actually staring at her for. He called her hotcakes and said he represented the Triple Triad and he was here to collect protection money. Chiharu was about to proceed with her ruse, and continue fooling the guy, but it all fell to pieces when Lea put a stop to it, shattering the illusion of deceit.

She gave the girl away by saying that she was not in charge, and Chiharu raised her hands at Lea at displeasure, as just like that her fun had evaporated into thin air. Lea then went on to say that the owner wasn't here and neither was the money. She knew Lea had her interest in mind, and didn't want any innocents to be hurt, but that wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do. What was she expecting? For the thug to say "Oh alright, I'll just come back when the owner comes back then?" Obviously not. Chiharu's palm quickly met her face she face-palmed.

Lea wasn't build to take on the guy with her skinny muscle-lacking build. Not like she was any better of course, but while she may not be as strong, she bet that she was a lot quicker and flexible than the guy. Speaking to Lea, she said "I'm fine Lea." And soon enough, the blonde hooligan began putting on his routine tough-guy act like all of them do. He's going to try shaking Lea down for her money right about now. She sure as hope Jun was on the way here. In the mean time, Chiharu had to think about something that could prevent the situation from getting any worse. The only thing the guy wanted was money, that was what it was seeming like to her.

She came up with a plan. It could very well prove to be a incredibly stupid plan that could get her into trouble, but it was the only one she had now. She fished out the cash payment she received from her delivery earlier, and waved the notes in the air. "Hey tough guy, if its money you need, come and get it!" Chiharu would wait for the guy to be fixed and fully focused on her, and when he was, she was flee, running out of the kitchen and into the streets, hoping he'll leave the kitchen alone.

[Medusa]

J I E
(MIDDLE RING - PARADE ROUTE)

Patterns of color formed unnaturally at every angle. They followed her line of sight, creating auras around each stranger and object. It was a beautiful spectacle, and zen would never cease to dazzle Jie when in the right mood. Though she could feel the hazy edges of reality growing sharper, the drug still held an obvious hold. It had taken increasing amounts to subdue her, and would surely damage any novice who was willing to try. Of course, as the singer continued, the world only grew more lively. Out of her errupted a crowd of strangely formed creatures, all eager to listen. A cat the size of a Satomobile had draped itself along a tree as if weighing nothing, while ghost-like lights filled the rooftops. Equally happy to entertain, she continued her performance until a large and menacing shadow approached in the distance.

Jie had always seen it very infrequently, a monster that would hide at the edges of her buzz. It was large with the body of a centipede, carrying multiple faces as if they were trophies. It would shift its appearance at every blink, and could hold the likeness of almost any animal as well. In her lucidity she could contribute it to zen, having heard stories of Koh the Face Stealer as a small child. Her sister would pass down such stories, attributing the tales from those of their parents. Too young to remember the two, they lived through lore of far-off lands and times of what the world had been like eons before the Great Panic. She could hardly believe of fabled monsters from the spirit world, though as she aged, their contents traced into Jie's view almost daily. Even small, insignificant-seeming beings such as frogs or lemurs would take impossible shapes.

The girl had tried her hardest to only take zen when unemotional, as her most murky hallucinations would become drawn to the slightest of upset. Monsters like Koh would appear, whispering about all the misdeeds that they were willing to do. Most sat at the horizon however, and always present no matter her mood. Though Jie had become used to them, it was nevertheless jarring to see stranger visions crop up.

"-off the stage," A suited man ended, pulling the girl out of her stupor. He was tall and covered the black shadow that eyed her from far away, for which she was fearful for. Even as she moved to regain her original view, the creature had vanished, as had most of her other friends. "Naughty boy," Jie said steadily. Though it was clear to anyone that she was on a heavy dosage of something, the girl still attempted to keep up her playful act. "If you wanted a signature, you could have waited...You can't get special privileges, handsome!"

[Exit]

A K A N O F U & Y U R I ( J A M E S )
Parade Stage. Middle Ring.
@Medusa@Tomahawk

"Naughty boy, If you wanted a signature, you could have waited... You can't get special privileges, handsome!"

Yuri shook his head as if he didn't understand, the playful comment catching him completely off guard. "Handso... what?... No I... No!" He moved forward, closing the distance between himself and the woman and grabbed her firmly by the arm. "I don't want your signature Ms. Xiao, I want you off the stage." He picked a safe spot, a small section of platform off center and to the left and placed her there... or tried to. Every step was a semi struggle, a war between pushing and pulling as he fought against a woman who's weight would wobble stubbornly against his restraint. After moving only a few feet, he tried to supplement the both of them by placing a hand on her lower back and pushing her gently forward. However he quickly realized his mistake when her weight suddenly shifted and she threatened to topple on top of him. "No..." He leaned forward with a quick step to the right and caught her by the same arm with his chest. "...This way." He coaxed, guiding her to his self designated safe zone.

Her breathing was a little heavy, made painfully obvious when every time her chest would fall, a ball of hot air would violently unfold against the skin of his neck. He tasted it...

...No Alcohol...

Turning to look down at her he noticed her mouth was moving, most likely voicing some kind of protest or perhaps trying to whisper another disarming comment but he'd already decided it was best to drown her out and focus on his job. Right now that involved getting her out of the way and making sure the stage was safe. However, Jie was making it particularly difficult and the fact that she was under the influence evident by the way she was moving and the way the deep pupils of her eyes remained dilated hinted at a why.

Yuri recognized the signs. He'd seen them a hundred times before and he was sure this was just another case of use of the common street drug. He had to be sure though. When they'd finally reached their destination, only a handful of steps away from where she was standing previously, he pulled out a small flashlight from one of the pouches across his belt and held it up to the woman. Harsh light followed, further illuminating the complexion of a fair woman with eyes that were deep, too deep. There were dark corners down there that even his light couldn't touch; secrets and pain and mysterious notions of a fleeting future... maybe. He didn't really know. He flashed the light in the opposite other eye and Zen smiled up at him. He smiled back. "Hello." He replied silently to himself. It was obvious now. She taken some form of the drug whether by pill or direct injection into the blood stream. She was riding it out on the stage and judging by her demeanor, was sitting comfortably at the apex of her high.

Now, he couldn't even be sure if Jie was actually seeing him. To her Yuri could have been anything; A woman, a tree, a cloud, a polar bear dog. Handsome?... It was a nice thing to say but he'd have to give his appreciation to the drug. Whoever she was trying to talk to most likely wasn't really there only because she wasn't really there either.

"Ms. Xiao..." He began, moving in a little closer to better inspect her. "Have you taken any kind of drugs recently? Namely Zen?" Under normal circumstances he may have let the woman slide, mostly because of her good looks and the social status. Zen charges usually didn't hold up for long against those with money and power. However these weren't normal circumstances. Anyone under the influence of Zen had the potential to become dangerous. Akano was taking the stage and he could easily be mistaken for a threat. In fact... he'd already taken Jie's place center stage.

The well aged man in a suit stood behind the microphone overlooking a now dense crowd of on lookers. Their choice of music for the afternoon had abruptly come to an end and they seemed visibly disappointed. Even if she was simply rehearsing, in the short time Jie managed to hit the proper chords to captivate some parts of the audience. They looked upon the stage with curious eyes and stuffed mouths, flared nostrils in an attempt to force air around the food they were trying to swallow. Some of them had kids in tow, others their better... or worse halves. Pets. Strangers. Themselves. All had come out to enjoy a long day of celebration and remembrance and yet all of them were ignorant to the danger that one man in a mask now posed. Not a mere ten minutes ago he'd threatened to steal the show, their show... Akano's show and despite his threats the people were doing nothing. In fact... no one was doing much of anything except the RSF who were busy checking the holes in their security. Even Akano himself wasn't supposed to be at the parade grounds knowing full well that he could be Unity's next target. But his intention was to make sure the festivities continued uninterrupted. Sowing seeds of fear wouldn't just cause unrest but it would give their terrorist an unofficial victory. The weeds Unity cultivated had to be pulled by the roots and shedding fear was the first step in that fight. He was wasn't worried and he had to make sure that the Republic shared in his apathy.

His voice cut through the crowded atmosphere, echoing between mirrored geometric skeletons and the hollow left in the wake of soft female vocals.

"People of the Republic." He began. He scanned left and then right completing the impossible task of counting heads. "Today is..."

"... Well today I was scheduled to do a speech for you all. Later today actually after the parade." He made a show of checking his watch and then looked back up when he'd confirmed nothing. "I still am, but I'm addressing you a little earlier than planned because I want to remind everyone exactly what we're celebrating."

Short pause for effect.

"One... hundred..."

A second pause. By now Shinobi News camera crews had gone live, turning their lens on the politician and broadcasting their feed across all of the Republic. Multiple angles of the stage in all it's glory were being viewed by a few million. A couple put Jie and Yuri at the edge of the screen, their continued conversation now the background noise for a more serious speech.

"One hundred is the sum. The grand total of the price we paid for the sins of another world. The price we pay today as we live with those sins and continue to repent them. One hundred is the sum. The collection of memories... of nightmares and broken promises shared in the wake of a war against the Earth itself. Of a war waged against the man and the woman who could harness the gift of her power and used that power to turn her against us. One hundred is the sum of hearts and souls that were lost to the fire that took the planet as it abandoned us. Of the faces that burned against the scorched ground, were carried away in the wind, were ground to dust beneath stone and lost to the depth of the deepest oceans. One hundred is the sum of years that has passed since the Great War and each year we've toiled in this fire, on this Earth, in broken dreams and heavy debt. One hundred is the weight that we carry... that we still carry to this day... every day."

The silence that followed the echo of his voice was a dense cloud that hung over everyone. It was thick and invisible and suffocating.

"One... hundred... One hundred versus one. One man. Unity. What can one man do to a nation that has survived a hundred lifetimes of tribulation."

Akano caught movement in the corner of his eye.

M A R K & M A X I S
Synergy Storage Facility. Lower Ring.

"Get down there and open the valves... now!"

The shuffling of feet toward the door was drowned out by the deafening cry of sirens screaming into the sky. The warehouse, a big blocky excuse for a building that sat near the edge of the outer ring, was now on full alert after receiving a warning message from the plant. Apparently something large was headed their way and those on the other side weren't entirely sure it was just Spirit Energy. The last half of the message put everyone on edge and now they were all scrambling to solve an impossible situation and save not just themselves but their half of the Lower Ring. The lucky duo on this side of the energy crisis were none other than Mark and Maxis, two friends from the bottom rung of the social ladder who were just trying to make an honest living. They'd come to the facility together and now it saw to them splitting up.

Mark went for the valves while Maxis made a dash for the release controls. He vaulted down a flight of stairs and made a hard left into a short corridor. The unlocked door at the end opened up to a small room with a wall covered in various buttons and switches and flashing lights. He looked for a particular set, couple'd button and lever, found it and immediately punched the button and yank on the lever. A dark bulb began to flicker bright red.

"Shit..." He pulled a radio from his belt and hit the talk button. "Hey! Get those damn valves open!"

A voice covered in static replied. "I'm working on it! Did you hit the switch?"

"Done! Just waiting on you!"

"Well shut up and let me wor-" The line cut to static and a muffled "boom" cut through several layers of concrete.

"Mark?"

Lower Ring.
@Symphoni@Altered Tundra@McHaggis@DeadBeatWalking@OneWayOut

A spark of light, a column of energy, erupted from the center of the facility and shot toward the sky. The luminescent beam only lasted for a split second but could be seen from everywhere in the Republic. However only those closest to the blast area could feel the destruction. The warehouse was completely blown out; Metal walls and glass windows, pieces of man and machine were shredded and thrown outward into the dense populated streets before it. A powerful shock wave followed from the epicenter and pushed into the Lower Ring slamming into anything in it's way. People were thrown from the their feet, drivers lost control of their satomobiles, buildings shook with violence, shattering more windows. After a few blocks, it ebbed out leaving behind a wave without the shock. This invisible force moved through the rest of it's corner of the Ring, amplifying any form of spirit energy from it's environment. All electronics running on synergy fried immediately and were rendered useless.

M A R K & M A X I S ( C O N T . )
Synergy Storage Facility. Lower Ring.

"Mark!"

Mark slowly opened his eyes to a very fuzzy world. There were shapes of different colors looking down at him from above and it seemed the sky had turned from a deep blue to an odd pink. However, unlike the sky, this pink hue seemed to move on it's own as if the color itself was alive. In fact if he tried really hard, he could almost make out a face and oddly enough, it was looking right at him... and moving toward him. He blinked a few times trying to clear away the haze and because he wasn't entirely sure what he could see was real. He'd lived through his fair share of Zen highs and was positive he'd seen weirder things though the headache throbbing annoyingly between his ears was making it impossible to concentrate.

"Mark.... Mar-" Maxis coughed and then groaned, hitting the side of his head a few times with the palm of his hand to try and relieve perceived pressure. He too had a headache and it was steadily getting worse. Lights were beginning to hurt his eyes and it seemed his ears had become ultra sensitive. He could hear screaming, cries of agony from what he believed were other survivors of the explosion but he couldn't see any of them even as they were deafeningly loud. "Mark... you okay?" His question was followed by another cough and more head grabbing, this time with both hands.

"Yeah... yeah I'm fine. What's with all the pink smoke?" Mark struggled to push himself up but pain flared from around his hip and shot up his spine to the back of his neck. He collapsed again in his own fit of agony.

"Ma-...aaaaagghh." Maxis' hands moved to his ears. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Mark grabbed at his hip expecting to find some kind of puncture wound or at worse, broken bone but instead found his hip had been replaced by the large metal beam crushing him in two. He froze.

"AAAAAaaahhh."

Unwilling to inspect his injuries further for fear of what he'd see, Mark turned instead to Maxis who had dropped to his knees, eyes tightly shut with hands on either side of his face. He was mouthing something over and over again but Mark was no longer paying attention. He'd finally noticed the other figure he'd only briefly seen when he woke up. A long thin shadow was standing behind Maxis with outstretched hand resting on his shoulder. There was no face but somehow Mark knew it was looking right at him.

"Maxis... what is that?"

"We... we did this."

"What?" Mark's eyes dropped to Maxis' and met his. There were tears in his eyes.

"We did this..."

"We what? We did what?"

Hands left the side of Maxis' face and found Mark's throat. "....We did this."