Chapter 36
Aaron sat in a small circle with the group as he went over the conversation he'd had with the General.
"Wait, so you're telling me you can just leave and use your mind to spy on people?" Sokka said, drawing his attention back to the present. "That's so useful. I don't even know how to begin to tell you."
"Unbelievable, right," Mark said, his void thick with sarcasm. "I can think of a thousand and one ways you can abuse that power." He threw Aaron a look, which he completely ignored.
After everything he'd learned, there wasn't much of a choice. He had to tell them about Astral projection. The act had shattered whatever goodwill remained between himself and Mark. Not that he cared much for it, but at the pace things devolved, spying on him would improve nearly impossible.
"Back to the plan," Aang said, "do you have to kill General Zhao?"
Aaron blinked. He'd completely forgotten about Aang's beliefs about killing—which was careless. Aang and Mark had argued about it the night before.
"He has a vendetta against us and planned to use innocent villagers and us as bargaining chips. He isn't above using biological warfare," Aaron said. "While I understand you're hesitant to take a life, I can't think of anybody who deserves death more."
"Aaron is right," Mark said, seconding Aaron. It would've surprised him if it wasn't obvious he was doing it for his own gain. "You can't pull your punches with this guy. If you let him, he'll bring the world to its knees to satisfy his ego. Mans needs to go."
"We could capture him," Aang suggested, scanning the circle for support. None came. "Imprison him so that he never hurts anyone again. I'm sure King Bumi would be glad to help. We're talking about taking a life here. We talked about this last night. And we all agreed it was wrong."
"But Ren also pointed out that some people deserve it," Sokka said. "This man was going to poison Omashu because he wanted a bloodless victory. I don't think it'd be the worst thing in the world if he died."
"Besides," Aaron added. "I would never manage to get him out from under the noses of all those fire benders."
Aang's forehead knitted with worry. "What about if I came with you?"
Aang raised his hand to stop Aaron from speaking, sure that he'd shut him down.
"I would follow your lead every step of the way, and don't forget that I am a master airbender."
Aaron frowned.
"We could knock him out and sneak him out when General Iroh lets the prisoners out and carry him out in the chaos." Aang quickly added.
"But we'd be doing all that for your peace of mind, Aang," Mark said as he shared a look with Aaron. "You do realise that people will die during this attack, right? We can't pull punches when we storm the camp. Otherwise, we might not make it out. We certainly can't carry an unconscious General with us. As for the prisoners, we can't stop them from getting revenge on the people who burned their homes. Either way, people will die. So, are you really making the difference you think you are? And what about what Sokka said? Do you think the world can afford to have a monster like him wandering about? If you weren't an Airbender, would you advise the King of Omashu to spare him?"
"I just…" Aang started, "we can't… I won't kill. It goes against everything we believe in. I say we turn back and wait for Bumi to return. He can handle this without killing."
"He probably can't," Aaron said slowly. "The King will need leverage if he wants those hostages back, which means putting more lives at risk."
Aaron understood his reluctance, but it was as good a time as any to remove it. "We are at war, Aang. Thousands have died since it started, and thousands more will fall before it's over. I understand your hesitation, but you can't afford to be selfish. This war is not about you. This is about what's best for the world. And it cannot afford to have Zhao alive and scheming."
Aang opened his mouth to raise another protest, but Mark cut him off.
"Plus, I just received a mission to take care of Commander Zhao. And you know what will happen if I don't succeed. I lose a level, and Samir becomes even stronger. I'm already trying to catch up. I cannot afford to fall further behind," He warmly squeezed Aang's shoulder. "The world cannot afford it."
He pulled Aang away from the circle. "You don't have to kill or even be part of the attack. You could focus on more productive things like evacuating and protecting the HUNDREDS of people coming out of the camp when the fighting starts. They'll need you, Aang."
Aang's brows scrunched in clear conflict, and he looked towards the children for some type of support, but none came.
"I know you'll hate to hear this, Aang, but they're right," Sokka admitted grimly. "People like him give the orders that burn down towns and ruins lives. Asking Mark to spare him is…selfish."
"What about you, Katara?" Aang questioned.
"I don't like the idea of killing either, Aang," she said, looking down at her feet, "but his life is not yours to spare or take. It's the people who have been affected by him. And we all know what they'd want."
Aang's face went pale. They'd all said their mind, and he didn't like what he'd heard.
"Why are you babying him?" The Village Elder finally spoke up. "Every soldier has blood on their hand, Kid, and you'd be foolish to think you didn't have heaps on yours. You have 100 years of it."
"Hey!" Sokka said. "Don't talk to him like that. He's just a kid."
Aang swallowed a rising lump in his throat. "I… didn't mean." He took a step back before he flipped around and ran. Katara and Sokka followed, and Aaron turned to the Village elder.
"I understand you're angry, but blaming a child your son's age for the sins of the world is hardly fair or wise." Aaron's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. It would be the most ludicrous thing in the world if the Avatar failed his destiny because of some bitter older man, even if he was indebted to him.
"What would a killer know about what's fair and what isn't!" The Village elder bit back. "You stole my only son away and broke him. And the boy, he's a thousand times worse than you." He jabbed his finger at Aang's receding silhouette. "Things would've never gotten this bad if he'd shown up at any point at all in the last 100 years. 10 years ago and the walled cities wouldn't be flooding with refugees. 20, and the Southern water pole would still have water benders. 30, and he could have ended the rise of their bloody engines.
"He would've died if he stayed," Aaron yelled. "Igi was no older than he was. Are you trying to say it would've been better if he faced the Fire Nation alone?"
Anger slipped from the Village Elder's face. "Was?" he mouthed as he panned to Mark in slow realisation. "What do you mean by 'Was'? He's not my son, is he?"
"I'm fine, Dad. You're reading too much into this."
"Answer the question!" The Village elder snapped, completely ignoring Mark. "My Igi had never called me Dad. I've always been his Papa. And you've infected him with whatever bender magic you Phantoms do." The village elder advanced on Aaron, but Mark put himself between them.
"It's not like that, I swear!" Mark said. "It's really not his fault."
"Do you think I am a fool? The way you talk, this talk of Levels and Samir. You can't deny what's right in front of my eyes."
"He might talk a little differently, but he's still your son," Aaron said, finding his voice again. "Your son IS alive," Aaron repeated, cursing himself internally for the mix-up. The Village elder was supposed to help mobilise the prisoner.
The plan would fall apart if he left now.
The Village elder looked at Aaron and then Mark, who'd stayed quiet the entire time.
Face blossoming in a smile that seemed as unnatural as his Chi, Mark approached the father of the boy he'd inadvertently murdered.
"I'm right here, Dad. I'm fine."
The village elder took a step back. "No, no, you're not. Everything about you is different. From the way you talk to your confidence and how you behave. The son I had would've never abandoned his father without at least leaving a note."
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"I… am sorry, Dad," Mark said. "I should've written or visited. I'm such a terrible Son."
The village elder stared at him for a long moment before he swept him up in a hug, a single tear rolling down his wrinkled cheek. Aaron let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in when that happened. The way the man carried himself, he wasn't sure he was capable of crying.
Aaron's eyes wandered to the Children, his stomach turning with guilt. One way the truth would come out, and Aaron had a feeling Mark wouldn't be here to face the consequences, but he would be.
The morning air was perfectly crisp, and underneath his garments, he wore the prototype suit Mark had provided them. He had several potions of rejuvenation in his knapsack and was as ready as he'd ever be for the assassination, but Aaron's heart raced.
He briefly considered meditating into the spirit world to get help but remembered why he'd chosen to come by himself. This was for Igi and the people of Senlin.
"Duty first, then I can break down," he muttered.
He filled his lungs with crisp air before gathering air into his hand and clapping. The sound carried far, alerting all present.
"We're losing daylight. I never got a time frame for General Zhao's gambit, but I'm betting it's happening soon. So, here's what I propose. Mark and I have suits that help boosts our speed, and we have reinvigoration potions and training in stealth, so we sneak in and take care of Zhao. When somebody finds him dead, the troops will rally and send out a search party. While they're busy, General Iroh will hold up his end, and you storm the camp and help all those present. Any questions?"
Aaron expected the Village elder to make a fuss, but he didn't. And even Aang looked downcast and resigned.
"Great, let's get started."
---
Sneaking into the Fire Nation camp was more cumbersome than difficult.
Mark's mastery of the Earth meant they tunnelled underneath the camp and borrowed out the other unimpeded.
Aaron had to Astral Project twice to make sure they were on the right path, as Mark's seismic sense was a work in progress.
Coming out of a small hole in an empty tent, Aaron slipped on some spare uniform he found and stuffed Igi in a laundry trolley to hide him as they slowly made their way to Zhao's tent. Mark was too young to fit into a uniform.
Several times, Aaron had to abandon Mark to join a group of men, steal a random spear and march in a line or answer random questions with non-answers.
Several times, they were nearly caught, and Mark remained mercifully silent, despite how badly the soldier's clothes stunk. The first real obstacle they came across was the soldiers camped outside Zhao's tent.
"Shit," Aaron murmured as he snuck a peak behind the armourer's tent.
"What?" Mark whispered from the basket.
"Six guards are patrolling the tent," Aaron said. "We won't be getting in by strolling by." Aaron had planned to slip into the command tent from a hole in the wall he'd quickly make with his blade, but that seemed nearly impossible with the security.
"Of course, shit has to be difficult," Mark sighed, "why not?" Suddenly, he let out a string of coughs.
"Is something wrong?" Aaron whispered, eyes searching for observers.
"Yeah," Mark said between deep mouth breaths. "I made the mistake of breathing in with my nose. Shit nearly killed me."
Aaron rolled his eyes. "Breathe slower instead. It won't stink as bad. And to answer your question about burrowing, the camp will be on us the moment we appear in his tent." Aaron said, pushing them towards one of the closest holding cages.
"I can see why that would be an issue," Mark said before he gagged again. "Oh my God, that's not getting any better."\
"Stop complaining," Aaron hissed. "You'll out us."
"That's easy for you to say. You're not the one breathing in two-month-old farts."
"Want to switch? You guide us through the Fire nation camp while I hide away?"
"Nah…uh, I'm good," Mark conceded. "Where are you taking us, though?"
"To create a distraction," Aaron said, parking the cart near one of the closest tents in the corner. "Watch and don't move."
"What are you doing?" Mark demanded in a thin voice.
Aaron spared him a meaningful look before he walked up to the cage, eyeing the largest prisoner in the far corner. All the defeated villagers glared at him with hate-filled eyes, but only the large man looked like he'd be brave enough to fight him if it ever came down to it.
So, Aaron gave him a chance.
He was covered in scars, bare-chested and emaciated. Yet, his eyes seemed to pierce into Aaron's visor and into his soul.
"How far would you go to get out of here?"
"Are you fucking with me?" His voice was low and husky.
"I asked you a question, prisoner!" Aaron yelled when he noticed the strange looks other guards gave him.
"I don't want trouble."
"The look in your eyes tells another story. How did a nice, well-adjusted guy like you end up in here?"
Two baleful eyes glared at him with intense curiosity before the man pronounced.
"You do not want to mess with me, Kid, or you might just be the first person I pay a visit to when I get out. I lost my cousin because of your company. You'd be careful if you knew what was good for you."
Aaron smiled at the pushback. "How would you like to help me kill the man behind all of it."
The man raised a brow with curiosity, and Aaron pulled a reinvigoration potion from his knapsack. Reaching into the cell, he grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck and slammed him into the bars.
He growled at Aaron, to which he responded with a gut punch that delivered the potion into his lap. He also slipped him a small pocket knife as he pulled up.
"Get up, you scum. Don't you go backing down? I thought you were tough. Take your beating like a man."
A few soldiers cackled from the back.
"You show him," one laughed. "Guy thinks he can walk on water because he was a bounty hunter. You're nothing more than Earth Nation trash now."
Aaron winked at the miffed bounty hunter. His disposition was slowly recovering when he realised what Aaron had just done. "Commander Zhao gave the order, and he plans to use you as meatshield in the siege of Ba Sing Se. I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen. Help me create a distraction so I can stick the bastard, and the rest of my team will set you loose."
The man let himself fall and drift to the back of the cage.
"Not so tough, are you?" Aaron cackled in his best evil impression.
"How do I know you won't burn me?" the bounty hunter asked.
"You don't."
"Don't you dare screw me over, or I will find you."
He said in a low whispy voice, with his dark eyes staring up. Aaron felt a hint of worry momentarily before dispelling it and walking back to Mark.
They resumed regular patrol, and Aaron kept an eye on the prisoner as he figured out what the invigoration potion was, chugged it, and grew physically stronger as his spine extended once more.
Unsurprisingly, he picked a fight with a sneering guard hanging back and gabbing with his other guardsman.
"I've never understood why you Fire Nation twats think you're so special. You pillage and burn like barbarians and savages, yet you have the gall to call us uncivilised," he spat. "And then at the bottom of your disgusting culture are halfwits like you."
The soldiers froze, and Aaron could see their minds work. They shared looks before the tallest and dumbest of the bunch sauntered up.
"Have you lost your damn mind? I know you're not talking to me or any brave men in charge of watching you and your unwashed countrymen."
The bounty hunter pointed past him to the guardsman who'd insulted him earlier. "Actually, I was talking to him, but I see no reason why I couldn't fit you in. One Fire Nation rapist is no different from the other."
The man ripped off his helmet, face flushed red, crunching it in his thick sausage fingers. His other hand grabbed the scrawny man. "You're done. Not even the fucking General can save you now. But if you get on your hands and knees and take a beating from the boys and me, maybe we'll see about sparing everybody who had the unfortunate pleasure of bunking with you."
Bounty hunter looked up at him, stone-faced, before he cracked a sudden smile. A blink later, a knife was sticking out of the big soldier's eyes.
"Holy shit." Mark put it best, head popping out of the laundry basket.
A moment later, a yowl ripped through the air. Blood spurted out, and the giant man windmilled and screamed, all while soldiers from every corner of the camp trooped in, trying to hold and console him.
"Stay strong, Hak!" Somebody screamed a moment before his body went slack, and Aaron caught the front end of the hysteria that broke out upon his death. While the entire camp came to life, Aaron was trucking his trolley in the other direction with Mark in tow, his heart pounding against his ribcage.
The sight had taught him a valuable lesson. Never underestimate the enemy. Chi guaranteed he'd come out on top in a prolonged fight with the bounty hunter, but that didn't stop him from falling for a surprise attack as Hak did.
As Mark's slipped into a tent adjacent to the command and Aaron cut a hole to get a look at the guards, he warned Mark.
"Don't underestimate Zhao. If he sees us coming and raises the alarm, we might not survive."
"Got you," Mark nodded grimly. "But that bounty hunter dude, though." He shivered. "Something about him rubs the wrong way."
"He wants the same things we do and knows nothing about us. There's no reason to fear him, but keep an eye out."
Soon enough, two of the four guards disappeared to investigate the panic that'd spread to every inch of the camp now. Another two were sent to gather the other leaders of the army, leaving Zhao with only two people protecting him. As soon as they stepped out of his tent to resume their patrol, Aaron and Mark slipped in from a freshly cut flap in the back of the tent. Zhao sat by his desk, enjoying wine while talking to himself as he scribbled down letters on his parchment.
"Shame the moon spirit couldn't have been mine, but Omashu is a decent enough start. Besides, I'd rather be an Advisor in Zuko's court than another soldier in Ozai. The boy will be my springboard to greatness…"
A knife slowly came free from Aaron's sheath as he tiptoed closer. His eyes caught the braziers that burned in the room, despite the abundance of natural light. If they caught him in their light, they'd cast a shadow, and with a bender as experienced as Zhao, that might've been all it took.
Aaron shot a look at Mark and pointed towards the shadow already forming as he advanced. He was supposed to take the kill, after all. Aaron had his blade drawn as a backup in case he messed up.
Following his training, the boy nodded, and his gloved hand slipped into the pouch he'd recently taken to wearing filled with compressed rocks. He'd devised a great conditional attack with a high potential for lethal damage.
A rock floated in his hand before it began to spin rapidly. His limited mastery of Chi manipulation came to the fore as the rock sped up, its rough edges blurring. Any more Chi and Aaron were sure the rock would start to burr, and like a well-trained archer, he took a wide stance, placed his aim and fired his shot.
Reality broke when Zhao suddenly flew out of his chair and bowled into the right wall of the tent with a bundle of yellow and red a second behind.
Aang popped up, eyes bright with a determined look on his face.
"I got here in time!"
Aaron left eye twitched as his entire body shut down for a moment.
Mark shared a frantic look and pulled another rock, and prepared to aim again before Aang stood in front of Zhao to protect him.
"I won't stand and watch as you kill a man."
Aaron would've removed his head with a wind blade if he wasn't the Avatar.
"What the fuck, Aang!" Mark yelled, pulling on his hair. "You've fucked up so bad I don't think they've come up with words to describe it. Move out of the way. We need to get this done before his guards come in."
Aaron's eyes turned to the entrance as two elite fire bender soldiers trooped in as Zhao rose to his feet, a bit dizzy but smiling victoriously all the same.
"I think it's a little too late for that."