Avatar, In A Darker World

"... Sasuke … What have you …". Mingxia opened her mouth to speak.

.... But ....

"WHO DARES TO ATTACK MY CITY?"

It happened then.

A loud, old voice reverberated throughout the city. One couldn't tell if it was just a loud inquiry or a raging roar.

"..". Silence reigned in the quarry as the chaos came to an instant halt due to the low rumbling of shifting stone.

At first, it was subtle—a faint vibration beneath the rubble that grew stronger with each passing second.

"Oh. … My ...".

BOOM!

Everyone snapped their eyes up.

A part of the king's palace broke apart from the side, sending dust and debris in all directions. Following which, a figure jumped out of that dust, into the air.

.... In Omashu, who else could this be?

"Oh no!" Huo exclaimed. "That's …".

'Bumi'.

Bang!

The figure fell on the roof of a nearby building, causing the ground to quake due to his landing.

Luca watched, not the least bit surprised when the house came crumbling to the ground, sending dust and debris in all directions.

Mingxia and the others subconsciously held their breath as it all settled down. Huo felt his heart rise to his throat.

The rumbling stopped as swiftly as it began, leaving a deafening silence in its wake. Then, out of the dissipating dust, a figure emerged.

The figure was hunched, draped in loose purple robes. It was so loose that anyone who didn't know would think what was hidden beneath it was a saggy, enormous beer belly associated with most old men.

'… This … Is him?' was the thought process of Mingxia and her group still chained.

The shock and surprise couldn't be hidden.

Luca was better. Even Aang had underestimated Bumi in the original series, taking him for nothing more than an aged maniac.

It was understandable how difficult it was to believe that such an old man had just jumped from god knows how high.

"…". The whole place was silent. Save for Bumi's quietly approaching footsteps.

A crooked smile spread across the old man's face, and his unkempt, half bald hair framed a pair of piercing eyes that sparkled with unrestrained mirth.

King Bumi.

The Earth Kingdom monarch strode forward with an odd, bouncing gait, his every step causing small ripples in the ground. Behind him, a building crumbled into harmless dust, as if it had never existed.

"Well, well, well!" Bumi's voice was cheerful and loud, completely at odds with the destruction around him. His gaze swept across the scene—the smoldering rubble, the unconscious soldiers, and finally, the group of shackled prisoners on the ground.

"Looks like someone's been having fun without me," he chuckled, folding his arms behind his back.

Lieutenant Huo froze mid-step, his face draining of all color.

"K-King Bumi!" Huo stammered, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched the ground. "Your Majesty, I—this isn't—"

Bumi waved a hand dismissively, cutting him off. "Oh, save it, Huo... hold on… Huo, that's your name, right? …".

Bumi inquired while using his right eyeball to scrutinize the middle-aged man.

"... You're the one I usually see around little goody Two-shoes consul, aren't you?"

Luca didn't expect that the concluding half of that sentence to make Lieutenant Huo to quiver even more.

'Goody Two-shoes consul? Is that supposed to be the Grand Advisor?'.

"... Um, your majesty, I -".

"... Yes, I'm right". Huo's words were cut short by Bumi's affirmation.

"As I was saying. I don't need a song and dance." His grin widened as he leaned closer.

"But I do need an explanation for why in the spirits does my city smell like a bonfire."

The old king straightened, his sharp eyes locking onto Luca. "And who might you be, little fire-spitter?"

In that second, the groveling lieutenant seemed to find his voice. . "Your Majesty, this criminal—this boy—he's a Firebender! He and these prisoners tried to infiltrate Omashu and launch an attack on us. I was trying to stop them".

"Oh! An attack you say?"

The old king uttered and turned to look at Luca once again.

"Is that so? Well, you haven't answered my question now, have you, little one?"

Luca felt the weight of Bumi's gaze and fought the instinct to flinch. This man wasn't just eccentric—there was an undeniable aura of power surrounding him, as solid and unyielding as the stone beneath their feet.

"I'm nobody," Luca replied evenly, though his voice was strained.

"Hmm." Bumi's expression didn't change, but Luca could feel the monarch dissecting him with those bright, mischievous eyes. Then, without warning, Bumi burst into laughter.

"Ha! Nobody! That's what they all say before they end up becoming somebody!" He clapped his hands together in a silly fit. "And from the looks of things, you've already made quite the impression."

'Truly eccentric indeed'.

Luca frowned, not understanding where this was going. In the cartoons, nothing Bumi did ever made sense until the end.

It was the same when dealing with Aang and when surrendering to the Fire Nation. Now the question was: What the hell was he doing now?

"I'm just a refugee, trying to survive".

"..... Indeed,".

Bumi replied.

"Hold on … You believe me?" Luca was kinda taken aback.

"Hehehe …". His chuckle was accompanied by a pig's snort. "I've seen more Fire Nation soldiers in my days than you have eaten lunch. I can tell when I see one. You're too scrappy, too independent, too blatant. And certainly too ….". He paused, tilting his head as if searching for the right word.

In reality, his gaze was completely focused on this young man who gave him a feeling he had never felt before. ".... Odd".

There was something special with this boy, something ..... wrong. Even Aang didn't give off a similar feeling.

In the midst of these thoughts, the old man gave off a frown.

"Of course, that's not the only thing I base my knowledge off. Imagine this. A single Firebender …". He uttered while spreading his hands in the air dramatically. "Launching an attack on Omashu and effectively subduing it. I just have one question. What kind of fairy tale is this? Seriously, some people think I'm so old that I've gone senile".

"..". Luca opened his mouth, unable to bring out words of refute. Turning his gaze to the side, his sight caught Lieutenant Huo who was almost sweating buckets.

King Bumi was referring to him, even an idiot could tell.

Luca swept his eyes across the rubble. He could see that those soldiers who were getting up before Bumi's arrival had relaxed themselves back in the rubble at some point.

From the looks of it, they weren't coming out anytime soon.

"... Y - Your Majesty, I meant no insult nor the slightest disrespect ….". The lieutenant was truly panicked presently, realizing how redundant his earlier remark was.

Even the Fire Nation army hadn't managed to breach Omashu in a hundred years. Could a single Firebender stir up any trouble?

" … These people have killed innocent soldiers of the Earth Kingdom. My actions were nothing more than carrying out Justice .....".

"Justice?" Bumi interrupted, raising a bushy eyebrow. "Is that what we're calling ambushes these days? Strange. Last I checked, justice didn't involve dragging unarmed prisoners into the slums to kill them quietly."

Huo paled further, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

'H-He knows'. Was his first thought. Followed by. 'I'm finished'. Unfortunately, Bumi wasn't done.

"And last time I checked, this is my city, my domain". He uttered while slamming his right foot on the ground.

RUMBLE!

Rising from the earth was a finely made throne of solid stone. The old king leaned back and sat on it, his fingers began tapping on the armrest ceaselessly.

He glanced at Luca and the shackled group on the ground before returning his gaze to the frightened Lieutenant.

"According to the law …. That I wrote myself. Only the King can pass Judgement. So do tell me what makes you think a mere lieutenant has enough favor to bypass my decrees?"

"I …. Your Majesty—"

"Enough." The single word silenced Huo instantly. Bumi's jovial demeanor vanished, replaced by a cold, commanding presence that filled the quarry.

"I don't like lies, Huo," Bumi said, his voice calm but laced with steel. "And I especially don't like them when they come wrapped in cowardice. So here's what we're going to do. You're going to tell me the truth—every dirty, treacherous detail—or I'll have you explain yourself to the stones."

The lieutenant swallowed hard, his composure crumbling under Bumi's gaze.

In his desperate moment, a change occurred. Numerous footsteps filled the air at that moment and soon, the sight of Earth Kingdom patrols rushing over fell into everyone's ears.

"Halt! Identity yourselv ….".

The leading officers rushed over fiercely, thinking Omashu was under attack. Yet upon arriving, their momentum froze instantly.

"Your Majesty". In the presence of the King, it was customary to bow on first sight.

Every soldier who arrived immediately fell to their knees.

"Ah, what perfect timing". Bumi uttered jovially before raising his hand and pointing at Huo. "Seize this rebel soldier alongside his men".

" … What … No, no …". The lieutenant paled in greater fright.

The new arrivals were immediately confused. Upon arriving, they were ordered to arrest their own. What in hell was happening here?

Nevertheless, disobeying was not an option.

"Men, arrest them". Upon Bumi's orders, Huo and his men were arrested and taken away to the dungeons.

The entire event stunned Mingxia and her group, who were still shackled. Even at this point, some still didn't understand what had happened.

".... Hold on … I-It's done?" Peng asked with an unreal feeling.

".. It seems ... I guess so". Mingxia uttered, still a little unsure. The turn of events was too fast. One minute, they were about to be killed. The next, the bad guy was arrested.

However … "I wouldn't celebrate yet if I were you". Luca poured cold water on their bubbling happiness. "Things aren't that simple".

"Huh?" Fenfang exclaimed in bewilderment. "But the soldier has been arrested. Doesn't that mean we are free?"

Luca opened his mouth to explain, but someone beat him too it.

"Free? Hahaha, hahaha!"

Hearing the words of the naive little girl, Bumi still seated on his throne went into full-blown laughter.

".... Ha ha … Oh, my … Why dear no little one. While you might be out of danger, your troubles have just begun".

Meanwhile, in the royal palace…

The Grand Advisor paced back and forth in his chambers, his brows knitted in fury. A soldier knelt before him, nervously recounting the disaster unfolding at the quarry.

"So, Huo has failed," the Grand Advisor said coldly, his voice seething with restrained rage.

The soldier hesitated but nodded.

"Yes, sir. King Bumi himself has intervened. Huo and his men are being taken to the dungeon as we speak."

CRASH!

The Grand Advisor's fist slammed into the heavy wooden desk, shattering its surface and scattering fragments across the floor.

"Imbecile!" he bellowed, his chest heaving. "That useless fool couldn't even handle one boy and a handful of prisoners! How could he let things spiral so far out of control?"

The soldier flinched but dared to interject.

"Sir, what is the next course of action? If King Bumi interrogates Huo…"

The Advisor turned sharply, his cold gaze freezing the man in place. His voice, low and deadly, cut through the air like a blade.

"I see. We can't leave him be. Once Bumi has time to interrogate that fool, our secrets will be dragged into the light of day. And the king…" He paused, his expression darkening further. "He certainly won't miss such a perfect opportunity to bury us six feet under for good."

"Are you proposing we facilitate his escape, sir?" the soldier asked cautiously.

"No."

The fury in the Grand Advisor's eyes dimmed, replaced by a chilling malice that sent a shiver down the soldier's spine. He strode toward the window, gazing out at the city below as if surveying a battlefield.

"That is too risky. Perhaps this is exactly Bumi's plan. Lure us into an impulsive rescue and catch us in the act. No, we need a more subtle approach."

The soldier straightened, his unease growing. "Then what are you proposing, sir?"

"For Huo?" The Grand Advisor's voice was calm, emotionless. "We get rid of him."

The soldier's eyes widened slightly, but he dared not speak.

'Just like Pai Sho'.

The Grand Advisor saw all this as nothing more than a simple Pai Sho game. Huo is nothing but a pawn—a clumsy, insignificant piece.

His death? A helpless yet necessary sacrifice.

His gaze lingered on the cityscape for a moment longer before he turned back, his sharp eyes glinting with ruthless determination.

"Send word to our agents in the dungeon. It must be quick, clean, and leave no trace. Huo must be silenced before Bumi pries even a word out of him."

The soldier bowed low, his voice trembling. "Yes, Grand Advisor."

As the soldier hurried away, the Advisor sat back in his chair, steepling his fingers.