Ikari watched Sokka closely throughout the entire training. Even while holding back, limiting the strength and speed of his strikes, he noticed the boy's raw potential. Sokka was reckless and clearly had no experience, but he handled himself surprisingly well for his first time facing an opponent.
Twice, Sokka even tried to counterattack. They were laughable strikes, but they showed how strong his spirit was—because even dead tired and with injured hands, he still tried to fight back.
'He's good. He'll be a valuable addition to the forces of the Southern Water Tribe,' Ikari sighed and looked up at the sky, seeing the sun already high above, marking noon. 'We'd better stop for today and go have lunch.' He lowered his gaze to Sokka, who was sprawled on the ground, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.
"Haaah… haaah… haaah…" Sokka panted, drenched in sweat, his clothes clinging to his body. His hands were red and swollen, especially on the palms, where the impact from the spear striking against Ikari's staff had been the hardest.
"You alright there, buddy?" Ikari asked, crouching beside him.
Sokka lifted his head with effort, his eyes half-closed. "Alright? I… I can see the light, Ikari," he murmured weakly. "I think… the spirits are calling me… to an eternal nap."
Ikari let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Really? Right now, just when we finished the warm-up?"
Sokka went pale and abruptly sat up, snow sticking to his back. "Warm-up?!" he exclaimed, his voice cracking. "T-that was just the warm-up?! I can't even feel my body anymore!"
Ikari laughed again, amused by the reaction. "Weren't you dying two seconds ago?"
"My indignation revived me!"
"Alright, alright," Ikari raised his hands in a placating gesture, still smiling. "I'm just kidding. We're done for today."
"How... how can you joke about something like that?..." Sokka muttered, looking at Ikari as if he were the cruelest being in the world.
"Sorry. Sometimes I like to scare people." Ikari slid his arms under Sokka's, carefully helping him up. "Let's head back to the village. Can you walk, or do you want me to carry you?"
"Don't... even think about it," Sokka grimaced, trying to straighten up "Aren't you... satisfied with already beating the crap out of my warrior pride?" He took a step, but his legs gave out, and he collapsed forward.
Ikari reacted quickly, grabbing him by the shoulders before he could fall into the snow. "What were you saying again?"
Sokka sighed, completely defeated. "Carry me... in the way that hurts my masculinity the least."
Ikari chuckled, holding Sokka with the arm that was gripping his staff, while with a subtle gesture of his free hand, he made Sokka's spear fly from the snow into his grasp, guided by a gust of air. Sokka's eyes widened, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "That... was awesome."
"Thanks," Ikari said with a faint smile, starting to walk slowly toward the village, Sokka leaning on his shoulder.
"What else... can you do with that airbending?" Sokka asked, curiosity winning over his fatigue.
"Many things," Ikari replied enigmatically.
"Thanks for the clarification."
"You're welcome."
"I was being sarcastic..." Sokka muttered.
"So was I," Ikari said, winking. Sokka huffed, but a tired smile curved his lips as they walked, the snow crunching under their feet.
When they reached the village, they were greeted by a group of children who pointed at Sokka, whispering and laughing among themselves.
"Ikari... why are they laughing at us?" Sokka asked slowly, his tone mortified.
"I think they're just laughing at you..."
"They saw you mopping the floor with me, didn't they?" Sokka murmured, his face red with embarrassment.
"I wouldn't say it was exactly like that... but yeah, probably," Ikari admitted with a crooked smile.
"Can you use the wind to blow them away?" Sokka suggested, half-serious.
"...I'm not going to do that."
*******
After leaving Sokka in Gran-Gran's care — who seemed to know exactly how to treat her grandson's sore muscles — Ikari decided to be useful and went to help Katara serve lunch, which consisted of the same fish-and-seaweed soup from the night before.
"You don't think you were a bit hard on him, do you?" Katara asked, her tone slightly irritated, as she turned the ladle to fill another bowl that Ikari handed her. Her eyes reflected concern as she remembered the exhausted state Sokka had been in, lying in his grandmother's tent and groaning with every movement.
"To be honest, I held back quite a lot," Ikari replied, taking the freshly filled bowl and already reaching for an empty one. "Sokka's only like that because he's never really trained before. His body isn't used to the impact of weapons, especially on the shoulders and hands. But next time it'll be easier. The muscles will get stronger over time."
"Really?" Katara bit her lower lip, unsure, as she handed over another full bowl. "Just… don't hurt him too much, okay?— And please, don't tell him I asked you that," she quickly added at the end.
Ikari chuckled softly. "Alright, no worries. My lips are sealed," he said, mimicking the gesture she had made the night before. It earned him an amused huff from Katara, who shook her head, trying to hide a smile.
The two continued working in silence, filling the bowls with soup, their rhythm flowing in harmony. Despite that, Katara seemed lost in thought, her movements automatic as her mind wandered. After a few minutes, she broke the silence, hesitant. "Ikari… did you sleep well?"
He raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden question. "Huh? Yeah, I slept well. What about you?"
Katara felt her face heat up, her eyes locking on the pot of soup as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. "Y-yes!- I mean, no! Wait, it wasn't bad!- I just…" She stumbled over her words, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. "Sorry for sleeping in your tent. I didn't mean to… I just… I guess I was so tired after our conversation that I passed out without realizing."
'She was worried about that?' Ikari thought, tilting his head "You don't have to apologize, Katara. It wasn't a bother at all. Actually, it was nice to have some company… even if you did snore a little," he teased.
"I did not snore!" Katara exclaimed, her face now completely red. She lightly smacked his arm with the ladle, splashing a bit of soup onto the floor. "You're terrible!"
Ikari laughed, dodging a second strike. "Easy, easy! I'm just joking."
"You don't joke about something like that!"
"Sorry! I was just trying to lighten the mood."
The two looked at each other in silence for a moment. Then, both started laughing at the same time.
*********
After lunch and another round of stories about his "adventures," Ikari took Katara to his small boat anchored by the shore, ready to keep his promise of teaching her a few bending tips.
"Ohh, that makes things so much easier, Ikari!" Katara exclaimed, her blue eyes shining like sunlight reflecting on the water as she watched Ikari bend the air with smooth hand gestures, filling the boat's sail and propelling it forward at an impressive speed. The cool sea breeze brushed against her face, mingling with the excitement bubbling inside her.
Ikari smiled, keeping steady control over the wind. "Right? You should be able to do something similar once you can bend water. Speed up the boat with the waves and stuff."
"True!" Katara nodded eagerly, almost bouncing in place. "I can't wait! I mean, just imagine—controlling water the way you control air!" Her voice overflowed with excitement, and she gestured with her hands as if she could already see the waves obeying her commands.
Ikari's eyes widened and he spoke quickly. "Katara, don't move your arms like that!"
"Huh?" She froze, confused, her hands still raised in the air.
He sighed, glancing around to make sure nothing had changed in the sea. "I'll explain when we're a little farther from the shore."
"Okay?…" Katara replied, her excitement dimming slightly under the scolding. She turned her gaze toward the horizon, watching as Ikari skillfully steered the boat around ice floes and icebergs drifting in the frozen sea. However, the monotony of the scenery soon made her lose interest, and her eyes wandered across the boat. It was a small vessel, without any decoration or personal belongings—just weathered wood, the sail, and a few ropes.
Losing interest again, Katara looked back at Ikari. But feeling that staring in silence might be awkward, she decided to start a conversation. "So, Ikari… this boat is really yours?"
"The boat?…" Ikari closed his eyes at the question, recalling for a moment how he had gotten it.
********
[5 days ago]
Moving between the branches of the trees with the aid of the wind, Ikari sped through the night. He needed a boat to cross the sea, and luckily, he had heard from a local merchant that a small group of pirates operated in the region, terrorizing fishermen with robberies.
According to the information, there were four men, including two earthbenders who used boulders to intimidate their victims, threatening to destroy the hulls of boats to steal money and goods. 'Four pieces of trash…' Ikari thought, leaping from one trunk to another with precision.
Suddenly, he felt a disturbance in the air to his right. Hmm? Looking to the side, he saw Momo emerging from the shadows. Ikari slowed down, letting the lemur land on his shoulder. "Did you find them?" he asked in a whisper.
Momo squeaked and pointed with his paw to the right.
"Good boy." Ikari changed his course, moving even faster between the trees until he reached a small, secluded beach. He stopped on a high branch, carefully analyzing the scene below.
In the shallow water, a small, functional sailboat was anchored. It wasn't made for long voyages, but it would do. His eyes then turned to a campfire a few meters from the sandy shore. Three burly men, with thick beards and muscular arms, sat on logs, roasting fish on skewers while speaking loudly, their voices echoing into the night.
'I can't tell which of them are the earthbenders… and one is missing.' Ikari scanned the area, searching for signs of the fourth man, but found nothing. 'Maybe in the forest? …Better confirm first if these really are the pirates.'
He looked at Momo, still on his shoulder, and murmured, "Hide," while affectionately stroking the lemur's head.
Momo squeaked softly in agreement and flew into the trees, disappearing into the darkness.
Ikari unstrapped his beloved staff from the backpack on his back, leaning it carefully against the tree, but kept the backpack hanging to draw the men's attention. Then, in a silent motion, he leapt from the branch and landed softly on the ground, straightening up with a deliberately clumsy expression before starting to walk toward them.
"Oh, thank the spirits!" Ikari exclaimed, stepping out of the trees with an exaggeratedly relieved tone. "I've been lost for hours in this damned forest! I thought I'd never find anyone!"
The three men immediately turned, their bodies tense, eyes narrowing with suspicion. They dropped their fish skewers and stood up in unison, sizing Ikari up from head to toe. The largest of them, on the left, bald with a scar across his cheek, stepped forward, his hand hovering over a sword at his waist. "Who are you!?"
Ikari scratched the back of his neck, keeping his goofy smile. "Just a lost traveler. You're the first people I've run into in a long time."
"Is that so?" The man in the middle, slimmer than the other two and with shrewd eyes, spoke slowly, his feet shifting almost imperceptibly on the ground.
'He knows who I am,' Ikari noticed the subtle movement and quickly reached two conclusions — the man was an earthbender, and he was preparing to attack.
Without wasting time, Ikari drew the daggers from his waist and spun his body, hurling both blades, propelled by a precise gust of wind, toward the men flanking the bender.
"What—"
"It's him!" the earthbender roared, stomping hard on the ground. Three boulders burst from the earth, rising like shields. One blocked the first dagger, which ricocheted with a crack and fell into the vegetation. The second, however, was too fast, embedding itself in the shoulder of the man to the right.
"Argh!" the man groaned, falling on his butt to the ground, clutching his shoulder as blood streamed between his fingers, confusion written all over his face.
"Xin!" shouted the one with the scar on his cheek to his fallen partner.
"It's him, Lin! HODAD!" the earthbender yelled, hurling the three boulders toward Ikari.
"WHAT!?"
Ikari faced the attack with a cold calmness, completely abandoning his façade of innocence. These people had no reason to fear him unless they were bad.
He waited until the boulders were almost touching him before launching himself upward, propelled by a burst of wind at his feet. In the air, he twisted his body again and kicked at the empty space, sending a wave of air toward the two men standing below.
The earthbender reacted quickly, raising a rock from the ground in front of him to protect himself, while Lin crossed his arms in vain, trying to defend himself. The wave of wind hit him squarely, throwing him back. He rolled along the ground until he reached the sand of the beach, stopping with a groan of pain.
The earthbender who had managed to defend himself punched the rock in front of him, shattering it into dozens of shards that he launched at Ikari, still in the air. Each piece flew like an arrow, cutting through the air in multiple directions.
Ikari, however, was unfazed by the attack. He kicked the air again, this time propelling himself toward the earthbender while simultaneously spinning in rotation, creating a wild whirlwind of wind around him that deflected the shards with ease—some falling to the ground, others colliding with nearby trees.
The earthbender's eyes widened as he saw Ikari approaching at high speed. 'Shit!' He jumped back, raising a tall and thick wall of earth in front of him. He expected to hear some kind of impact, but the sound never came. 'What—'
!
Out of the corner of his eye, the earthbender saw a shadow slipping around the wall. Somehow, Ikari was already at his side, holding the dagger that had ricocheted at the start of the fight.
'He's too fast!' The man spun toward Ikari, desperation taking over, and took a step back. With a sharp flick of his hand, he pulled the stone wall, bringing it down in the path where the airbender was about to pass, hoping to crush him. But Ikari blew a powerful gust of wind from his mouth, the force of the air canceling his charge just in time for the stone to crash to the ground right in front of him.
At the same time, the wind that came from Ikari's mouth pushed the earthbender backward. He rolled once on the ground before steadying himself, panting. But when he looked up, he saw that Ikari was already in front of him. He didn't even have time to think about reacting before the boy drove the dagger into his left shoulder.
"Argh!" The man instantly felt the loss of movement in that arm as a searing pain tore through his body.
In panic, he tried to bend the earth beneath them. Ikari gave him no chance. The boy pulled the dagger from the man's shoulder in one fluid motion and swept his legs with a kick reinforced by a burst of wind.
The world spun for the earthbender, and before he hit the ground, he still felt the dagger's hilt strike his ribs hard.
CRACK!
"ARGH!!!" The scream tore out of him as he collapsed to the ground, pain exploding in his side. Gasping, he cracked one eye open—only to see Ikari's fist descending toward his face.
BAM!
The blow knocked him out instantly, his head falling onto the dirt, unconscious.
Meanwhile, Xin, the first man to fall, watched everything with wide, terror-filled eyes, clutching his injured shoulder, the dagger still embedded in it. Blood ran between his fingers, but he didn't dare remove the blade, much less get up to face the airbender who had just taken down the strongest member of the group in seconds.
Unlike Xin, Lin had recovered and was now running toward Ikari with his sword drawn, his face twisted in fury.
'He was pretty weak…' Ikari turned his gaze away from the earthbender, confirming he was out of the fight, and faced Lin, who was closing in quickly. "Where's the fourth man?" he asked, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.
"I'm not telling you anything!" Lin shouted, swinging his sword in a downward arc. Ikari dodged easily, leaning his body to the side.
"The hard way, then," Ikari murmured, sidestepping another sword strike. 'Let's end this quickly.' With a swift movement, he slammed the dagger against the blade, deflecting it, and with his other hand landed a punch reinforced by a burst of air that exploded against Lin's elbow.
CRACK!
Lin screamed in pain, the sword falling to the sand as his arm hung limp, the bone clearly broken. He staggered, his face twisted in agony, but Ikari didn't stop—he kicked the side of Lin's left knee, forcing him down onto one knee.
"Let's try again," Ikari said flatly, grabbing Lin by the neck and forcing him to look at him. "Where's the fourth man?"
Lin panted, his face contorted in pain, but still tried to resist. "Y-You… will… pay for this…" he spat, his eyes blazing with a last flicker of defiance.
Ikari sighed heavily, tucking the dagger into his belt. With his now free hand, he slowly brought it up to Lin's face. "I think you still don't understand the situation."
Lin opened his mouth to snarl, but froze when he found himself unable to speak. It was as if an invisible force had completely sealed his windpipe and lungs.
"As long as you're in my presence—" Ikari spread his fingers in front of Lin's face, making a motion as if grabbing something, and pulled back. Thin, visible strands of air began to escape from Lin's nose and mouth. "—you're only breathing because I want to, and I'm allowing it."
Lin's eyes widened as he felt the air being drawn out of his body against his will. He tried to breathe and scream, but nothing happened—only the sensation of suffocation growing stronger. His chest began to rise and fall frantically while his stomach contracted, his body desperately fighting for air.
Ikari watched Lin's face grow pale, almost bluish, without showing a trace of emotion. Then he moved his hand forward, pushing the air back into Lin, who gasped, coughing violently as his lungs filled. Before Lin could recover, Ikari repeated the process, pulling the air out again, leaving him on the verge of passing out. "So, be a good man and answer my question honestly, alright? My kindness has limits."
Lin, feeling a visceral fear he had never experienced in his life, weakly nodded, eyes brimming with tears.
"Good, good. This makes things much easier, doesn't it?" Ikari asked cheerfully, with a small smile. "Where's the fourth man?"
"H-he went to a village up north to meet his girlfriend. He s-should be back tomorrow," Lin stammered.
"A village up north, huh?" Ikari narrowed his eyes, tilting his head. "You're sure about that? I'll find out if you're lying~"
"I-I swear—" Lin couldn't finish speaking, for Ikari's knee slammed into his face, knocking him out instantly.
Letting go of the man's neck, letting him drop to the ground, Ikari closed his eyes, lifted his head, and took a deep breath, filling his lungs to the limit. Then, he opened his mouth, releasing a series of sharp, rhythmic sounds: "SZZZZZ… SZZZZZZ… SZZZZZZ… SZZZZZZ…"
The sounds traveled through the area, reverberating off everything. This was a technique of his own creation, which basically allowed him to map the environment around him through the vibrations in the air caused by sound.
Ikari kept his eyes closed, focusing on the patterns of the air, feeling the currents bouncing off the trees, the sand, the rocks, and the boat. There were no humans nearby, no disturbances in the air besides leaves carried by the wind, birds, Momo lying on a branch, and insects flying around.
The fourth man really wasn't there.
'He told the truth,' Ikari thought, relaxing his shoulders. He opened his eyes and turned to Xin, who was still crouched in the same spot where he had fallen, clutching his injured shoulder with the dagger still lodged in it. The man trembled, his eyes heavy with fear, unable to look away from the airbender.
Ikari walked up to him with slow steps and crouched in front of him. "You have something that's mine." Without ceremony, Ikari reached out and yanked the dagger from Xin's shoulder.
"ARGH!" Xin cried out in pain, his body curling as he pressed his hand against the open wound, trying to stop the bleeding.
"You know, I hate people like you," Ikari began, bringing the dagger to Xin's pants and slowly wiping the blood off. "You're strong and healthy men. You could be fighting in the war for your people, or at least doing something good out there. But no. You choose to steal—taking the little that honest people fight to earn. Don't you feel guilty? Stealing what could feed a child? An elder? A pregnant woman? A man who works all day under the sun?"
Xin didn't answer, fear etched into every line of his face.
"No answer? I figured. You're not worth the saliva I spit. But don't worry, I'm not going to kill any of you. Because despite all the harm you've caused, you've never killed anyone. So, I'm going to give you a chance to redeem yourselves." He moved closer, his face now just inches from Xin's, his black eyes gleaming with an intensity that seemed to pierce the man's very soul. "The four of you will join the Omashu army and fight for the people you've wronged."
Xin swallowed hard.
"Of course, you might think about just running and hiding. Or finding somewhere else to go back to stealing. But…" Ikari paused. "Tell me, what's your name?"
"X-Xin," the man replied, his voice almost inaudible.
"Xin, like the Fire Nation army calls me?"
"H-Hodad."
"Do you know what it means?"
Xin nodded.
"Tell me," Ikari ordered.
"H-Hands of Death a-and Destruction," Xin stammered, the words coming out broken.
"Exactly," Ikari said, a faint smile curling his lips, but without a trace of warmth. "There's a reason they call me that, Xin. I have hands that crush the lives of those I deem my enemies. And now, I know who you are. I know your faces, your scents, the way your bodies tremble when you're trying to hide your fear. If even one of you disobeys me, Xin, I will consider all of you my enemies. There will be no dark corner in the world deep enough to hide you from me. I will find you. And when that happens, I'll tear away every shred of hope you've ever had, until you beg for an end I will not grant you. Understood?"
"Y-yes," Xin replied, tears in his eyes.
"Good~" Ikari stood up and began walking toward the tree where he had left his staff, but stopped after two steps. "Ah!" He turned to Xin as if he had just remembered something. "Are there stolen goods on the boat?"
"Y-yes."
"You're going to return them before heading to Omashu, understood?"
"Y-yes..."
********
[Present]
Opening his eyes, Ikari refocused on the sea after remembering how he got the boat. "Yes, the boat is mine. I bought it from some kind men before coming," he said, answering Katara's question.
********
Liked it? Then you might enjoy my other stories too: Stranger Things: Worlds Collide and BNHA: God of Explosions.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, images or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.