Chapter 9 – The Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It
Fan-fiction based on Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender and other connected comics and series. Enjoy, and don't forget to let me know what you think in the comments!
Chapter 1 - The Boy in the Apartment
Chapter 2 - The Avatar Returns
Chapter 3 - Re-emergence
Chapter 4 - The Bending Alliance
Chapter 5 - The Director
Chapter 6 - History
Chapter 7 - Council
Chapter 8 - The Meeting
The members of the council had exchanged sudden significant looks. The American firebender had covered his mouth with his hands. There were murmurs of ‘It’s real!’ and other shocked exclamations. Behind them, Chris was gaping at Steve, eyes and mouth wide. The ninjas also exchanged looks, but theirs were questioning and confused. Even Jean looked like she had forgotten to remain angry.
The director cleared his throat and turned back to Steve. “The Totem of the Elements is one of the artefacts we hope you will help us find. It’s one of the most powerful objects in bending legend, and has everything to do with the coming disaster and stopping it.”
It was Steve’s turn to gape. “The… the totem?” He stuttered. “But I already know where it is. I always have.”
There was a collective gasp and more mutterings. The council was very excited now.
“You do?” The director asked. For the first time, he didn’t seem any more composed than the others.
“Yes,” Steve replied. “It’s hanging on the wall of my Grandma Lily’s kitchen in the village of Albany, just down in Ohio.”
The director and the council members exchanged excited looks. “That’s wonderful,” the director said. Then he looked thoughtful, “Thaddeus must have had it all that time –perhaps he was waiting for the right time to show it to us, after the Avatar, his son, would have come of age. What else could he have kept from us?”
“What about the ‘mystic location’ for the totem?” Segun asked Steve. “Do you know where that is?”
The rest of the council seemed to hold their breath for Steve’s response.
“No, I haven’t really seen it yet.” he replied, and as one, they sighed in disappointment.
“That’s all right,” Director Strongman said. He was fully composed once more. “More knowledge will come to you. Right now, the totem itself is of utmost importance. The Solution might track down the grandmother and raid the house. We must retrieve it at once.”
The council members nodded in agreement.
“Avatar Steve, you must go down to your grandmother’s and get the totem before the Solution gets there,” the director ordered. “This is the mission now –the Totem of the Elements and that mystic location, where it has to be taken. You must try to find that location too, the totem will be not work at any other place. If you discover anything about it along the way, let us know at once.”
Steve nodded. The council’s excitement was infecting him –his heart was racing.
“The Solution will still be after you, so you’ll be travelling with a small team of benders for your protection. You and Mr. McGregor are already acquainted, and I daresay he has shown himself more than capable of holding his own against the Solution’s ninjas. He will go with you.”
“Yeah!” Chris pumped his fists and flipped his long hair importantly, grinning.
The director looked around at the ninjas standing at the walls. His gaze fixed on one. “Ms. Gagné,” he called, “you will be his second companion.”
“What?” A voice exclaimed. Steve’s head whirled. He was surprised to recognise the slight French accent. It was Jean.
“Sir, I –I can’t possibly go with them,” she said, clearly flustered. “I should remain here, in the colony. And I’m not really that good yet, to go on such an important mission–”
“Jean, you are one of our best waterbenders,” Director Strongman interrupted. “Plus you’re a computer genius and speak three languages fluently. We don’t know what kinds of challenges the Avatar will encounter and you are perfectly suited to help him, and us, out on this.”
“But sir–”
“That’s enough, Jean. You and Christopher will go with the Avatar to Ohio and retrieve the Totem, and you will make sure nothing happens to him along the way.”
Jean folded her arms and glared furiously at Steve, then she strode forward and stood at his right. Chris joined them on Steve’s other side, and the three faced the council.
The Director looked them over and nodded, apparently satisfied. “None of you have had any breakfast, but there’s no time to waste. You’ll have it on the way. If all goes well, you will be back by dinnertime.”
Steve was surprised. Ohio was close, but not that close. “How will we be going, sir?” He asked warily. “Is there a flying bison? A dragon?”
Chris burst into laughter. Some members of the council, including Segun and the Mexican, chuckled. Even the director cracked a smile. Jean, of course, merely scowled.
“No, Avatar,” Director Strongman replied, smiling. “No flying bison or dragons. But Mr. McGregor here does have a private jet, and can fly you to and fro anywhere within a few hours.”
Steve’s face reddened slightly. “Oh, right.” He mumbled. Then something occurred to him. “What about Grandma Lily? Do we get her out? What if they get to her before we do?”
“Don’t worry about your grandmother, she will be fine. Even the Solution will not harm an old lady. It would be quite bad for her health if we took her into hiding in a place such as this, anyway. She’s not as young as your mother anymore.”
Steve head whipped up. “My mother? You got her out?”
The director smiled. “Yes, we did. She’s in the colony right now. And about that, perhaps you’d like to see her before setting off? While I brief Mr. McGregor and Ms. Gagné here.”
“Of course,” Steve replied, elated. “Yes, please.”
The director nodded, smiling more broadly. “I thought you might say that.” He beckoned on one of the ninjas, who promptly came forward. “Take him to his mother,” he instructed. Then he stood and came to Steve. Steve stood, and the director put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it affectionately and reassuringly. “You will be a great Avatar, Steve,” he said. “History will remember you.”
