The ice shattered.
Not from external force from within. A pulse of energy, rhythmic and foreign, expanding outward in concentric waves until the frozen prison gave way.
Aang opened his eyes to darkness, then light.
Then text.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE]
[AVATAR PROTOCOL: ACTIVE]
[ANOMALY DETECTED: PHYSIOLOGY ALTERED]
[SCANNING...]
The blue, translucent interface materialised in his vision, hovering at the periphery like a persistent afterimage. He didn't flinch. His mind, his new mind, processed the information with clinical detachment, cataloguing each notification as it appeared.
He was Aang. Twelve years old. The Last Airbender. The Avatar.
He was also not Aang.
The memories were there: monk Gyatso's laughter, the Air Temple's spires, the storm, the ocean, the fear, but they felt like data files rather than lived experiences. Accessible. Analyzable. Distant.
[WELCOME, AVATAR AANG]
[LEVEL: 1]
[TITLE: The Elastic Avatar]
STATS:
STR: 8
AGI: 12
WIS: 15
VIT: 10
CHI: 25
ACTIVE ABILITIES:
Airbending (Novice) - Lv. 3
Gomu-Gomu Physiology (Passive) - Lv. 1
SKILLS AVAILABLE: 2
SKILL POINTS: 0
The blue translucent interface materialised in his vision, hovering at the periphery like a persistent afterimage. He didn't flinch. His mind, his new mind, processed the information with clinical detachment, cataloguing each notification as it appeared.
He was Aang. Twelve years old. The Last Airbender. The Avatar.
He was also not Aang.
The memories were there: monk Gyatso's laughter, the Air Temple's spires, the storm, the ocean, the fear, but they felt like data files rather than lived experiences. Accessible. Analyzable. Distant.
[WELCOME, AVATAR AANG]
[LEVEL: 1]
[TITLE: The Elastic Avatar]
STATS:
STR: 8
AGI: 12
WIS: 15
VIT: 10
CHI: 25
ACTIVE ABILITIES:
Airbending (Novice) - Lv. 3
Gomu-Gomu Physiology (Passive) - Lv. 1
SKILLS AVAILABLE: 2
SKILL POINTS: 0
[WELCOME, AVATAR AANG]
[LEVEL: 1]
[TITLE: The Elastic Avatar]
STATS:
STR: 8
AGI: 12
WIS: 15
VIT: 10
CHI: 25
ACTIVE ABILITIES:
Airbending (Novice) - Lv. 3
Gomu-Gomu Physiology (Passive) - Lv. 1
SKILLS AVAILABLE: 2
SKILL POINTS: 0
Gomu-Gomu Physiology.
He focused on the term, and the system responded instantly.
[GOMU-GOMU PHYSIOLOGY]
Type: Passive/Permanent
Description: Body composition altered to rubber-like material. Grants extreme elasticity, blunt force immunity, and electrical insulation. Weakness: Cutting/piercing damage, water submersion (standard Devil Fruit weakness negated by Avatar State protection).
Current Capabilities:
Stretch: 15 meters
Compression Ratio: 3:1
Damage Resistance (Blunt): 40%
[GOMU-GOMU PHYSIOLOGY]
Type: Passive/Permanent
Description: Body composition altered to rubber-like material. Grants extreme elasticity, blunt force immunity, and electrical insulation. Weakness: Cutting/piercing damage and water submersion (standard Devil Fruit weaknesses negated by Avatar State protection).
Current Capabilities:
Stretch: 15 meters
Compression Ratio: 3:1
Damage Resistance (Blunt): 40%
Aang sat up slowly, water cascading off his body. The air was cold—he registered it as data: Temperature approximately 5°C, wind speed 12 knots, humidity 73%—but didn't shiver. His body felt... wrong. Right. Different.
He raised his hand, palm up, and pulled.
His arm stretched.
Not metaphorically. Not through bending. His actual flesh extended like taffy, the limb elongating smoothly until his hand hovered three meters away from his shoulder. The sensation was bizarre—he could feel every centimetre of stretched tissue, the tension, the potential energy coiled within.
[SKILL DISCOVERED: GOMU-GOMU PISTOL]
Rank: E
Description: Basic striking technique utilising elastic recoil.
Damage: STR x 1.5
Cost: 5 CHI
[SKILL DISCOVERED: GOMU-GOMU PISTOL]
Rank: E
Description: Basic striking technique utilising elastic recoil.
Damage: STR x 1.5
Cost: 5 CHI
He retracted the arm. Tested the other. Stretched his leg. Pulled his cheek until it extended half a meter from his face. Each movement generated new notifications, new data points.
His expression remained neutral throughout.
Interesting.
Not exciting. Not terrifying. Interesting.
This body was a weapon. The system was a tool. The Avatar State, he could feel it, dormant but present, a vast reservoir of power waiting beneath his consciousness, was an asset.
He needed to understand the parameters before deployment.
"Did you see that?!"
The voice cut through his analysis. Aang's head turned with mechanical precision toward the source.
Two figures stood on the ice shelf above. A girl, dark-skinned, blue parka, wide eyes. A boy, older, with similar features, holding a boomerang with white knuckles.
Water Tribe. Southern, based on the clothing style and environmental context.
The girl Katara, his memories supplied, stared at him with a mixture of awe and confusion. "Your arm just... stretched. Like, really stretched."
"I saw it," the boy Sokka said, voice tight. "I really, really saw it. That's not normal. That's not bending. What are you?"
Aang stood, water dripping from his orange and yellow robes. He met their gazes with flat, analytical eyes.
"I'm the Avatar," he said simply. His voice was calm. Empty of inflexion. "My name is Aang."
Katara's expression shifted from wonder to concern. "The Avatar? But you're just a kid. And what was that thing with your arm?"
"A physiological anomaly," Aang replied. He stretched his arm again, this time deliberately, extending it five meters to tap Sokka's boomerang. The weapon fell from the boy's startled grip. "My body has been altered. Rubber-based composition. The mechanics are still being analysed."
[QUEST GENERATED: FIRST CONTACT]
Objective: Establish rapport with Water Tribe siblings
Reward: +50 EXP, Unlock "Social" skill tree
Failure: Increased suspicion, potential hostility
[QUEST GENERATED: FIRST CONTACT]
Objective: Establish rapport with Water Tribe siblings
Reward: +50 EXP, Unlock "Social" skill tree
Failure: Increased suspicion, potential hostility
Aang dismissed the notification with a thought.
Sokka scrambled backwards. "Analysed? What are you, some kind of Fire Nation experiment?"
"No." Aang tilted his head, considering. "I'm the Avatar. I was frozen in that iceberg for..." He accessed the memories. "...approximately one hundred years, based on environmental degradation patterns and your cultural dress evolution."
Katara's eyes widened. "A hundred years? Then... then the war..."
"It's likely still ongoing," Aang finished. "The Fire Nation's industrial capacity and aggressive expansion doctrine would suggest sustained conflict. I'll need current intelligence to assess the strategic situation."
The girl looked like she might cry. Or scream. Aang couldn't quite parse the emotional indicators.
Sokka pointed his boomerang—retrieved from the ice—at Aang's chest. "Okay, Avatar, you're talking like a really weird old person in a kid's body. And you're made of rubber. So here's what's going to happen. You're going to come with us, answer some questions, and not stretch any body parts without warning. Deal?"
Aang considered this.
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE]
Optimal Strategy: Cooperate. Gather intelligence. Assess the global situation before committing to an action plan.
Risk Level: Low
Potential Allies: High probability
"Acceptable," he said.
He walked toward them, each step measured and deliberate. When he reached the ice shelf, he didn't climb. Instead, he crouched, compressed his legs like springs, and launched.
[SKILL DISCOVERED: GOMU-GOMU ROCKET]
Rank: E
Description: Elastic propulsion technique.
He landed beside them with barely a sound.
Katara stumbled back. Sokka yelped.
Aang looked out across the frozen wasteland, toward the horizon where smoke Fire Nation patrol ships occupied, with a probability 73%—rose in thin columns.
The Avatar had returned.
But this Avatar was not the one the world expected.
This Avatar is calculated. Analysed. Optimized.
This Avatar would end the war.
Not through hope or friendship or destiny.
Through strategy.
"Take me to your village," Aang said, his voice carrying no warmth. "I need data."
Behind him, Katara and Sokka exchanged worried glances.
The Last Airbender had awakened.
And something was very, very wrong with him.
[CHAPTER COMPLETE]
[EXP GAINED: +100]
[LEVEL UP!]
AVATAR AANG - LEVEL 2
STATS INCREASED:
STR: 8 → 10
AGI: 12 → 14
WIS: 15 → 16
VIT: 10 → 12
CHI: 25 → 30
SPIRITUAL ENERGY: 50 → 55
SKILL POINTS AVAILABLE: 2
NEW ABILITIES UNLOCKED: AIRBENDING TECHNIQUES RESTORED
[LEVEL UP!] AVATAR AANG - LEVEL 2 STATS INCREASED: STR: 8 → 10 AGI: 12 → 14 WIS: 15 → 16 VIT: 10 → 12 CHI: 25 → 30 SPIRITUAL ENERGY: 50 → 55 SKILL POINTS AVAILABLE: 2 NEW ABILITIES UNLOCKED ```AIRBENDING TECHNIQUES RESTORED Aang dismissed the notification with a thought as Sokka's canoe cut through the icy water. The journey to the village would take approximately forty-three minutes at the current speed, accounting for wind resistance and tidal patterns. Sufficient time for field testing. "So," Katara began, her voice carefully gentle, "how are you feeling? You were trapped in that ice for a really long time. You must be scared, or confused, or—"
A second notification pulsed insistently.
[LEGACY SYSTEM DETECTED]
AIR NOMAD HERITAGE ACTIVATED
Accessing archived techniques...
WARNING: Spiritual connection degraded
Techniques available as combat utilities only
"Negative," Aang interrupted, his eyes tracking the horizon. "Emotional distress would compromise operational efficiency. Current priority: capability assessment and intelligence gathering."
Katara's face fell. Sokka shot her a look that clearly said I told you something was wrong.
[RELATIONSHIP STATUS UPDATED]
KATARA: 15/100 (Concerned, Confused)
SOKKA: 8/100 (Suspicious, Wary)
Note: Low relationship values may impact cooperation and quest outcomes.
Aang noted the relationship metrics but assigned them low priority. Emotional bonds were secondary to strategic advantage. He turned his attention inward, focusing on the expanded skill tree that had materialised in his consciousness.
[SKILL TREE: COMBAT SYSTEMS]
═══ GOMU-GOMU TECHNIQUES ═══
BASIC BRANCH (Available):
├─ Gomu-Gomu Pistol [UNLOCKED] - Lv. 1
├─ Gomu-Gomu Rocket [UNLOCKED] - Lv. 1
├─ Gomu-Gomu Whip - COST: 1 SP
├─ Gomu-Gomu Balloon - COST: 1 SP
└─ Elastic Defence (Passive) - COST: 2 SP
ADVANCED BRANCH (Locked - Requires Level 10):
├─ Gomu-Gomu Gatling
├─ Gomu-Gomu Bazooka
└─ Gomu-Gomu Storm
GEAR BRANCH (Locked - Requires Level 25):
├─ Gear Second
├─ Gear Third
└─ [REDACTED - Insufficient Level]
[SKILL TREE: COMBAT SYSTEMS]
═══ GOMU-GOMU TECHNIQUES ═══
BASIC BRANCH (Available):
├─ Gomu-Gomu Pistol [UNLOCKED] - Lv. 1
├─ Gomu-Gomu Rocket [UNLOCKED] - Lv. 1
├─ Gomu-Gomu Whip - COST: 1 SP
├─ Gomu-Gomu Balloon - COST: 1 SP
└─ Elastic Defence (Passive) - COST: 2 SP
ADVANCED BRANCH (Locked - Requires Level 10):
├─ Gomu-Gomu Gatling
├─ Gomu-Gomu Bazooka
└─ Gomu-Gomu Storm
GEAR BRANCH (Locked - Requires Level 25):
├─ Gear Second
├─ Gear Third
└─ [REDACTED - Insufficient Level]
═══ AIR NOMAD TECHNIQUES ═══
BASIC BRANCH (Available):
├─ Air Scooter [UNLOCKED] - Lv. 1
├─ Air Blast - COST: 1 SP
├─ Air Slice - COST: 1 SP
└─ Air Shield (Passive) - COST: 2 SP
ADVANCED BRANCH (Locked - Requires Level 10):
├─ Air Sphere
├─ Tornado Generation
└─ Suffocation Technique
MASTER BRANCH (Locked - Requires Level 50):
├─ Flight (Sustained)
├─ Vacuum Creation
└─ [REDACTED - Insufficient Level]
═══ HYBRID TECHNIQUES ═══
(Unlocked through experimentation)
├─ Elastic Air Propulsion - SYNERGY DETECTED
├─ Pressurised Rubber Strike - SYNERGY DETECTED
└─ ??? (Discover through combat)
═══ AVATAR STATE ═══
[EMERGENCY PROTOCOL - SEALED]
Status: LOCKED
Unlock Requirements:
├─ Spiritual Energy: 55/100
├─ Master 3 Elements: 1/3
├─ Chakra Alignment: 0/7
└─ Emergency Override: Life-threatening situation
WARNING: Avatar State provides a 10x stat multiplier
WARNING: Uncontrolled activation may result in catastrophic damage
WARNING: Cooldown period: 72 hours after use
Current Access: DENIED
Aang's eyes widened fractionally—the most emotion he'd shown since awakening. The system was far more comprehensive than the initial analysis suggested. Air Nomad techniques, archived like software in his consciousness. The Avatar State is quantified as an emergency protocol with specific unlock conditions.
Fascinating.
"Um, Aang?" Katara tried again. "Are you okay? You keep staring at nothing."
"System interface review," he replied without looking at her. "Allocating skill points for maximum tactical versatility. Air Nomad legacy techniques have been restored to active memory."
"Air Nomad?" Katara's voice brightened with hope. "So you remember? Your people, your culture—"
"Cultural data archived," Aang said flatly. "Monk Gyatso: master airbender, probability of survival 0.3%. Southern Air Temple: destroyed approximately 100 years ago. Air Nomad philosophy: pacifism, detachment, spiritual enlightenment. Tactically suboptimal for current conflict parameters."
The hope died in Katara's eyes.
"Skill points," Sokka repeated flatly. "Right. Because that's a normal thing people say."
Aang ran probability simulations. Gomu-Gomu Whip provided extended range and crowd control—useful against multiple opponents. Gomu-Gomu Balloon offered defensive capabilities and potential aerial mobility. Air Blast gave him ranged elemental attacks. Air Slice provided cutting damage his rubber techniques lacked.
But the synergy bonuses intrigued him most.
[SYNERGY DETECTED: ELASTIC AIR PROPULSION]
Combination: Gomu-Gomu Rocket + Air Scooter
Effect: Enhanced mobility, reduced CHI cost
Potential: HIGH
[SYNERGY DETECTED: ELASTIC AIR PROPULSION]
Combination: Gomu-Gomu Rocket + Air Scooter
Effect: Enhanced mobility, reduced CHI cost
Potential: HIGH
Decision matrix: Invest in proven rubber techniques, or explore air-rubber fusion?
He chose fusion.
C-like
[SKILL POINTS ALLOCATED]
- Air Blast [ACQUIRED]
- Air Slice [ACQUIRED]
REMAINING SKILL POINTS: 0
[SKILL POINTS ALLOCATED]
- Air Blast [ACQUIRED]
- Air Slice [ACQUIRED]
REMAINING SKILL POINTS: 0
[HYBRID TECHNIQUE UNLOCKED]
Elastic Air Propulsion (Passive)
Effect: Airbending techniques cost 20% less CHI when combined with rubber elasticity
Immediately, knowledge flooded his mind—not learned, but restored. Muscle memory from a lifetime he'd lived but now viewed through a clinical lens. He understood airbending not as an extension of his spirit, but as manipulation of air pressure, temperature, and velocity vectors.
The Air Nomads had taught that airbending was about freedom and detachment.
They were correct, but incomplete.
Airbending was about control. Fluid dynamics. Pressure differentials. Tactical superiority through three-dimensional mobility.
C-like
[AIR BLAST]
Rank: E
Description: Concentrated burst of compressed air
Damage: WIS x 1.5
Range: 20 meters
Cost: 6 CHI (4.8 CHI with Elastic Air Propulsion)
Cooldown: 2 seconds
[AIR SLICE]
Rank: E
Description: Razor-thin blade of compressed air
Damage: WIS x 2.0 (Cutting)
Range: 15 meters
Cost: 8 CHI (6.4 CHI with Elastic Air Propulsion)
Cooldown: 4 seconds
[AIR BLAST]
Rank: E
Description: Concentrated burst of compressed air
Damage: WIS x 1.5
Range: 20 meters
Cost: 6 CHI (4.8 CHI with Elastic Air Propulsion)
Cooldown: 2 seconds
[AIR SLICE]
Rank: E
Description: Razor-thin blade of compressed air
Damage: WIS x 2.0 (Cutting)
Range: 15 meters
Cost: 8 CHI (6.4 CHI with Elastic Air Propulsion)
Cooldown: 4 seconds
"We're almost there," Katara said, pointing toward a cluster of snow-covered structures. "That's our village. It's not much, but—"
"Population approximately forty-seven," Aang stated, his eyes scanning the settlement. "Predominantly elderly and children. Minimal defensive infrastructure. Vulnerable to naval assault."
Katara's expression shifted from concern to hurt. "Those are our people. Our family."
He raised his hand absently, and wind swirled around his fingers—not playfully, but with geometric precision. The air currents formed a perfect spiral, demonstrating laminar flow principles.
C-like
[AIRBENDING PROFICIENCY: MASTER LEVEL RETAINED]
Note: Technical skill preserved despite spiritual disconnection
[AIRBENDING PROFICIENCY: MASTER LEVEL RETAINED]
Note: Technical skill preserved despite spiritual disconnection
"Acknowledged." Aang's tone didn't change. "Emotional attachment noted. Does not alter tactical assessment." He clenched his fist, and the wind dispersed with calculated force. "Air Nomad doctrine emphasized the sanctity of all life. Strategically sound for maintaining moral authority, but tactically limiting in asymmetric warfare."
C-like
[RELATIONSHIP STATUS UPDATED]
KATARA: 15/100 → 10/100 (Hurt, Frustrated)
SOKKA: 8/100 → 5/100 (Actively Distrustful)
WARNING: Continued relationship degradation may result in quest failure.
[RELATIONSHIP STATUS UPDATED]
KATARA: 15/100 → 10/100 (Hurt, Frustrated)
SOKKA: 8/100 → 5/100 (Actively Distrustful)
WARNING: Continued relationship degradation may result in quest failure.
Sokka's grip tightened on his paddle. "Listen, Avatar, I don't know what happened to you in that iceberg, but where I come from, we don't talk about people like they're just numbers on a map."
Aang turned to face him fully. "Your emotional response is understandable but counterproductive. The Fire Nation operates on numerical superiority and strategic positioning. To defeat them requires equivalent analytical rigor."
"To defeat them requires humanity," Katara shot back, her voice cracking. "You're supposed to be the Avatar. The bridge between worlds. The one who brings balance. But you're talking like... like..."
He stretched his arm experimentally, then channeled air through the extended limb. The rubber flesh acted as a pressure chamber, amplifying the air blast that shot from his palm across the water.
[DISCOVERY: PRESSURIZED RUBBER STRIKE]
New Hybrid Technique Unlocked!
Effect: Channel airbending through stretched limbs for enhanced range and power
Damage Bonus: +50% when combining Gomu-Gomu techniques with Air Blast
[DISCOVERY: PRESSURIZED RUBBER STRIKE]
New Hybrid Technique Unlocked!
Effect: Channel airbending through stretched limbs for enhanced range and power
Damage Bonus: +50% when combining Gomu-Gomu techniques with Air Blast
"Like a machine," Sokka finished.
Aang considered this. "If machine-like efficiency ends the war faster and saves more lives, is that not preferable to emotional decision-making that prolongs conflict?" He glanced at the Avatar State notification still pulsing in his peripheral vision. "The Avatar State represents a 1000% increase in combat effectiveness. Spiritual Energy requirement: 100. Current level: 55. Suboptimal for immediate deployment, but achievable through systematic progression."
Neither sibling had an answer for that.
The canoe scraped against ice. They'd arrived.
[QUEST UPDATE: FIRST CONTACT]
Progress: 60%
Current Objective: Enter village, gather intelligence
Bonus Objective: Improve relationship values (FAILING)
[QUEST UPDATE: FIRST CONTACT]
Progress: 60%
Current Objective: Enter village, gather intelligence
Bonus Objective: Improve relationship values (FAILING)
As Aang stepped onto solid ice, a new notification appeared.
[INVENTORY SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
CURRENT INVENTORY:
- Monk Robes (Equipped) - Defense +2, CHI Regeneration +5%
- Airbending Mastery (Passive) - All Air techniques cost 10% less CHI
- Avatar State (Sealed) - [EMERGENCY USE ONLY]
└─ Current Unlock Progress: 27%
└─ Warning: Forced activation may cause permanent damage
STORAGE CAPACITY: 20 slots
CURRENCY: 0 copper pieces
[INVENTORY SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
CURRENT INVENTORY:
- Monk Robes (Equipped) - Defense +2, CHI Regeneration +5%
- Airbending Mastery (Passive) - All Air techniques cost 10% less CHI
- Avatar State (Sealed) - [EMERGENCY USE ONLY]
└─ Current Unlock Progress: 27%
└─ Warning: Forced activation may cause permanent damage
STORAGE CAPACITY: 20 slots
CURRENCY: 0 copper pieces
Interesting. He could store items in a dimensional space. Useful for resource management. The Avatar State showed a progress bar—quantifiable, measurable, achievable through systematic effort rather than spiritual enlightenment.
More efficient.
"Gran-Gran!" Katara called out, waving to an elderly woman emerging from one of the structures. "We found someone! He says he's the—"
She stopped. Her eyes went wide.
Not looking at Aang. Looking past him.
Aang's head snapped around, processing the threat before conscious thought caught up. Wind currents shifted—he felt them now, not spiritually but analytically. Pressure changes indicated large objects displacing air mass. Heat signatures rising.
Three ships. Fire Nation design. Approaching from the north at approximately fifteen knots. Distance: two kilometers and closing.
[THREAT DETECTED]
ENEMY UNITS: 3 Fire Nation Scout Ships
ESTIMATED PERSONNEL: 45-60 soldiers
THREAT LEVEL: MODERATE
TIME TO ENGAGEMENT: 8 minutes
TACTICAL ANALYSIS:
- Airbending advantage: High (mobility, range)
- Rubber physiology advantage: Moderate (durability, unpredictability)
- Synergy potential: EXCELLENT
- Avatar State recommendation: NOT REQUIRED
[NEW QUEST GENERATED]
QUEST: EVADE FIRE NATION PATROL
Objective: Prevent Fire Nation from discovering village
Reward: +200 EXP, +1 Skill Point, Village Trust +50, Airbending Proficiency +10%
Failure: Village discovered, potential casualties, relationship penalties
Accept? [YES/NO]
[THREAT DETECTED]
ENEMY UNITS: 3 Fire Nation Scout Ships
ESTIMATED PERSONNEL: 45-60 soldiers
THREAT LEVEL: MODERATE
TIME TO ENGAGEMENT: 8 minutes
TACTICAL ANALYSIS:
- Airbending advantage: High (mobility, range)
- Rubber physiology advantage: Moderate (durability, unpredictability)
- Synergy potential: EXCELLENT
- Avatar State recommendation: NOT REQUIRED
[NEW QUEST GENERATED]
QUEST: EVADE FIRE NATION PATROL
Objective: Prevent Fire Nation from discovering village
Reward: +200 EXP, +1 Skill Point, Village Trust +50, Airbending Proficiency +10%
Failure: Village discovered, potential casualties, relationship penalties
Accept? [YES/NO]
"Everyone inside," Sokka barked, his warrior instincts overriding his distrust. "Now!"
But Aang was already calculating. Three ships. Sixty soldiers maximum. His current capabilities: master-level airbending, untested rubber-air hybrid techniques, high mobility potential, defensive advantages against fire-based attacks.
Probability of successful direct engagement: 23% (rubber techniques alone).
Probability with airbending integration: 67%.
Probability with full hybrid synergy: 89%.
Avatar State activation: 99.7% victory probability, but spiritually inefficient and unnecessary force escalation.
Probability of—
"Aang!" Katara grabbed his arm. Her hand passed through his stretched flesh as he unconsciously activated his rubber physiology. She gasped and jerked back.
He looked at her. Really looked at her. Saw the fear in her eyes. The desperation.
Something flickered in his chest. Not quite emotion. More like... a subroutine activating.
These people need protection.
You are the Avatar.
This is your function.
"Get everyone to the center of the village," he said, his voice still flat but carrying an edge of command. "Minimal movement. No fires. No noise."
"What are you going to do?" Sokka demanded.
Aang turned back to the approaching ships. "Field test."
He walked toward the shoreline, away from the village. Each step was measured. Deliberate.
[QUEST ACCEPTED: EVADE FIRE NATION PATROL]
[ANALYZING OPTIMAL STRATEGY...]
[STRATEGY SELECTED: DISTRACTION AND MISDIRECTION]
[QUEST ACCEPTED: EVADE FIRE NATION PATROL]
[ANALYZING OPTIMAL STRATEGY...]
[STRATEGY SELECTED: DISTRACTION AND MISDIRECTION]
When he was fifty meters from the village, he stopped. Closed his eyes. Felt the wind his element, his birthright swirling around him.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: AIRBENDING]
Current Level: 3
CHI COST: 5 per technique
[SKILL ACTIVATED: AIRBENDING]
Current Level: 3
CHI COST: 5 per technique
He raised his hands, and the wind obeyed. Not with joy or playfulness, but with cold precision. A gust strong enough to kick up snow and ice, creating a localized storm directly in his position.
The Fire Nation ships adjusted course. Toward him. Away from the village.
Good.
"What is he doing?" Sokka hissed from behind cover.
"I don't know," Katara whispered. "But I think... I think he's trying to save us."
Aang waited until the ships were within five hundred meters. Close enough to see him clearly. Close enough to commit to pursuit.
Then he moved.
His legs compressed like springs—Gomu-Gomu Rocket—and he launched himself backward, sailing over the ice in a graceful arc that covered thirty meters in a single bound.
[SKILL EXPERIENCE GAINED]
Gomu-Gomu Rocket: Lv. 1 → Lv. 2
New stretch distance: 18 meters
[SKILL EXPERIENCE GAINED]
Gomu-Gomu Rocket: Lv. 1 → Lv. 2
New stretch distance: 18 meters
He landed, compressed, launched again. Each jump took him further from the village, and the Fire Nation ships followed like predators tracking prey.
Probability of village discovery: 12%.
Acceptable.
But then the lead ship's catapult fired.
Aang's enhanced perception was that the system or his Avatar nature tracked the flaming projectile's arc. Trajectory calculated. Impact point: directly in his path.
He had two seconds.
Normal response: dodge.
Optimal response: test defensive capabilities.
He planted his feet, inhaled deeply, and inflated.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: GOMU-GOMU BALLOON]
CHI: 30/30 → 20/30
DAMAGE ABSORPTION: 60% (ACTIVE)
[SKILL ACTIVATED: GOMU-GOMU BALLOON]
CHI: 30/30 → 20/30
DAMAGE ABSORPTION: 60% (ACTIVE)
His body expanded like a balloon, torso swelling to three times its normal size. The flaming projectile struck him dead center.
And bounced.
The impact drove him backward, skidding across the ice, but the fire didn't burn. The force didn't break bones. His rubber body absorbed the kinetic energy and redirected it, sending the projectile careening off at an angle to explode harmlessly in the snow.
[DAMAGE RECEIVED: 0]
[SKILL EXPERIENCE GAINED]
Gomu-Gomu Balloon: Lv. 1 → Lv. 2
Absorption rate: 60% → 65%
[DAMAGE RECEIVED: 0]
[SKILL EXPERIENCE GAINED]
Gomu-Gomu Balloon: Lv. 1 → Lv. 2
Absorption rate: 60% → 65%
Aang deflated, his body returning to normal size. He looked down at his hands, then at the ships.
"Interesting," he said aloud.
The Fire Nation soldiers were shouting now, pointing at him. He could see their confusion even from this distance. What was he? Not a normal bender. Not a normal human.
A horn blared from the lead ship. They were preparing to land troops.
Time to escalate.
Aang's right arm stretched back, back, back—fifteen meters, eighteen meters, pushing his current limit. The muscles coiled with potential energy, rubber tissue storing kinetic force like a drawn bowstring.
[SKILL READY: GOMU-GOMU PISTOL]
ENHANCED: Charged strike (hold time: 3 seconds)
Damage multiplier: x2.5
[SKILL READY: GOMU-GOMU PISTOL]
ENHANCED: Charged strike (hold time: 3 seconds)
Damage multiplier: x2.5
He released.
His fist rocketed forward, arm snapping back to normal length in a fraction of a second. The punch didn't hit a soldier—he wasn't close enough—but it hit the water in front of the lead ship with the force of a cannonball.
The resulting splash was enormous, a wall of water that crashed over the deck and sent soldiers scrambling. The ship rocked violently, nearly capsizing.
[SKILL EXPERIENCE GAINED]
Gomu-Gomu Pistol: Lv. 1 → Lv. 2
Damage: STR x 1.5 → STR x 1.8
[SKILL EXPERIENCE GAINED]
Gomu-Gomu Pistol: Lv. 1 → Lv. 2
Damage: STR x 1.5 → STR x 1.8
The ships stopped advancing.
Aang stood on the ice, small and alone, facing down three warships. His expression remained neutral. His heart rate, he checked was steady at sixty two beats per minute.
But inside, in that cold, analytical mind, a single thought formed:
I can win this.
Not through hope. Not through destiny.
Through mathematics.
[RELATIONSHIP STATUS UPDATED]
KATARA: 10/100 → 25/100 (Awed, Confused, Hopeful)
SOKKA: 5/100 → 18/100 (Impressed Despite Himself, Still Wary)
[QUEST UPDATE: EVADE FIRE NATION PATROL]
Progress: 85%
Status: NEARLY COMPLETE
[RELATIONSHIP STATUS UPDATED]
KATARA: 10/100 → 25/100 (Awed, Confused, Hopeful)
SOKKA: 5/100 → 18/100 (Impressed Despite Himself, Still Wary)
[QUEST UPDATE: EVADE FIRE NATION PATROL]
Progress: 85%
Status: NEARLY COMPLETE
The Fire Nation commander—Aang could see him now, a scarred man in ornate armor—raised his hand. Soldiers lined the rails, fire benders among them, flames already kindling in their palms.
Aang's system pinged.
[WARNING: MULTIPLE HOSTILES DETECTED]
ENEMY COMPOSITION:
- 12 Firebenders (Threat Level: Low-Moderate)
- 33 Non-benders (Threat Level: Minimal)
- 1 Commander (Threat Level: UNKNOWN)
RECOMMENDED ACTION: TACTICAL RETREAT
[WARNING: MULTIPLE HOSTILES DETECTED]
ENEMY COMPOSITION:
- 12 Firebenders (Threat Level: Low-Moderate)
- 33 Non-benders (Threat Level: Minimal)
- 1 Commander (Threat Level: UNKNOWN)
RECOMMENDED ACTION: TACTICAL RETREAT
But Aang didn't retreat.
He stretched his arms wide, fingers splayed, and felt the wind answer his call. Not with the playful joy of an Air Nomad, but with the cold efficiency of a weapon being drawn.
"Fire!" the commander roared.
Twelve streams of flame arced through the air, converging on Aang's position.
And Aang smiled.
It wasn't a warm smile.
It was the smile of someone who'd just confirmed a hypothesis.
[COMBAT INITIATED]
[CALCULATING OPTIMAL RESPONSE...]
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE]
[VICTORY PROBABILITY: 78%]
[COMBAT INITIATED]
[CALCULATING OPTIMAL RESPONSE...]
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE]
[VICTORY PROBABILITY: 78%]
His arms began to spin.