1. Darkness Awakens

It had been eons since Xeras had last looked upon this world, it had been purged of life during the War in Heaven. He had led his army to numerous victories and slain countless foes while in the service of the C'tan; but now he no longer knew the name of the world of which he slumbers in nor his priorities prior to the great sleep, as some of his systems had been damaged by the extended hibernation. He only remembers fragments of his former life and of his freedom from the slavery of his former gods by the Silent King Szarekh. For Eons he has slumbered, but now this world is teeming with life; with those that bend the very elements of nature to their will. Massive and strange hybrid creatures inhabit its landscapes with great ethereal beings that meddle in the lives of mortals. Maybe he shall resume his people's campaign of genocide, or maybe he will choose his own path only time can tell.

_A small mining town in a remote northern region of the Earth Kingdom_

It was a normal day of mining and industrial life for Kai, he'd moved here four months ago to gain employment in the mineral rich mining plant to help send money home to support his family. He had just began working on a new deposit of minerals that promised to cause profits to increase considerably.

The summer sun shone brightly in the sky beating down on all of them with its unyielding heat causing many to take cover in what little shade they could find whenever the opportunity presented itself; yet their work continued on. The security detail arranged for some of the water benders to distribute water amongst the workers to hold off exhaustion.

He took a chance to take shelter beneath the shade given off by a nearby tree to open his personal pouch to take a look at his journal; as well as begin writing another letter to his relatives back home. He always thought about his little sister Maia playing in the garden while his father would be working In the forge, crafting new weapons for the local garrison as well as crafting new furniture for the family using lumber from a nearby forest. His mother would be picking berries and tending her personal garden when she wasn't working in her small clinic she'd established for the sick and the wounded.

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed a small commotion a few meters away, as a crowd of guards as well as other miners had formed a sizable perimeter around one of the dig sites. He decided to investigate himself, putting his journal and half-finished letter back into his pouch; taking a quick drink from his canteen, he promptly rushed over to see what the commotion was all about.

The scene was one of amazement, confusion, and fear, all rolled into one as there was a large metal object curled up holding what seemed to be some sort of spear and wearing some sort of mask over its face. The being was black as the darkest, starless night, it had no skin to speak of, its "body" seemed to resemble a human skeleton; but instead of bone there was only cold hard metal. It had been thought to be a new rare sort of mineral deposit when it was first spotted as a black object underground until it had been unearthed; now the crowd just stands in awe of the unknown being.

With the innate fear of the unknown, quickly people began spouting their explanations for the sudden appearance of this being; one man claimed it was obviously the discarded mortal body of an evil spirit that it used to terrorize the mortal realm since it could not physically interact with their plane of existence. He proclaimed that the spirit would return to wreak havoc and surely destroy them all if the body wasn't destroyed before it returned. A woman stated it was a man whose soul had been ripped out of him and put into a skeletal body as punishment for desecrating its shrine, doomed to be a heartless monstrosity that would never again know emotion nor physical feelings and senses.

The guards quickly tried to take control of the scene, quarantining off the area while sending a rider to deliver a message to a nearby governor for aid. Nobody knew what to do, none of them had been trained or even expected such a situation to arise; they were there to keep the workers in the line while protecting the facility from raids; not trying to identify some underground creature they'd accidently dug up.

It was obvious that fear was beginning to grip the workers, as well as several of the guards; it was only a matter of time before panic ensued causing chaos to spread; it was a short fuse that only awaited to be ignited by the smallest spark. A worker was arguing with a guard about what the object was and what they planned to do about it, the safety of everyone at the facility was in jeopardy. It was clear that order was close to breaking down and things would take a turn for the worst if this kept up. The chief of security arrived on the scene and decided to take control of the situation before things got out of hand.

"Listen everyone! Just head back to your stations and get back to work, we'll handle this." He proceeded to walk over to the metallic object and cautiously grabbed it to haul it off site for further investigation; he had no idea what he had just awoken.

At the touch of an outside force, old systems began to once again revitalize; ancient protocols that had once been dormant quickly activated themselves and began the process of resurrection. Xeras had long slumbered beneath the once desolate earth, for eons he had waited patiently for the time of his return. With his body bringing itself to full operational status; he knew His eon's long slumber had finally ended; the age of the great sleep was over, the time of awakening had come.


	2. Realizations

**Hey everyone welcome to chapter 2! (I think this is how you post notes?) Anyway thanks for the support on my very first story!**

**Just a FYI I'm going to use italics to either describe thoughts or introduce a location or something in that manner so that it's easier to distinguish; also chances are I'm going to use bold to put emphasis on certain words or to express yelling (not sure yet) just thought I'd tell you guys ahead of time.**

The crowd was utterly silent as the green light emanated from the formerly lifeless object; many wished to scream out in fear, but it was as if their voices had been stolen from their throats as none uttered a word. Even the guards looked on wide eyed in despair as the black husk arose from its slumber; its eyes flickered to life with a green gaze that saw into the very depths of your soul. Any sense of order or control was quickly lost as fear gave way to panic.

"It's too late! The spirit has returned! We are all doomed you hear me!? Doomed!"

"We need to get out of here! The soul of the vengeful mortal trapped in that body will destroy us all!"

The crowd began to turn into a mob of terrified rats as they began yelling and scurrying around, trying to find somewhere safe or at least further away. But, as suddenly as it began it was over; as everyone stopped as the now as the being had gripped his weapon and began looking around. It began to speak with a voice that sent fear down the spine of every man, woman, and child.

"So much fear…. So much noise….. It seems during my slumber the living have once again spread across this world."

His eyes scanned his surroundings; the living here seemed to be technologically primitive but with some type of governmental body noting the uniformed guards with symbols of authority from a higher leading power. His eyes crawled over the masses as he eventually found the one who he presumed to be in command as he was different in terms of clothing and insignia; he decided to approach this one first.

The captain's face had turned white as the creature approached him; the crowd remained silent as its steps met the ground making a distinct metallic clanking noise. As the monstrosity finally reached him, the captain finally worked up the courage to form words and speak.

"Wh…who… what… what are you? Are you some kind of… of demon?"

Xeras simply looked at him with a gaze that would carve through the thickest stone; shaking the man to his very core. After what seemed like an eternity of silence the metallic being spoke as it towered over the man. Even though he had deduced they probably had no way of leaving his world, he decided to extend his offer anyway; it would be dishonorable to simply butcher them like cattle.

"I am Xeras, Necron lord and leader of this tomb world; or former tomb world. Once my people awaken we will take our birthright as denizens of this world. When those slumbering within our crypts awaken from beneath the soil you will be given one standard month to commence a planetary exodus; should you refuse you will be wiped out.

The captain looked on in horror as the Necron finished his ultimatum; he scrambled to make a response.

"B…But we've never found any others like…like you ever; a…and we have no way to leave this world… we didn't know other's existed in the stars!

Xeras thought about such information _hmm, so I am the first to awaken? Strange…. Normally at least part of my legion should have awoken to herald my arrival… at the very least the guardians of the crypts should have been the first to emerge from the depths. With my armies alongside me an ensuing war would be more of a massacre; but if they aren't here…_

He decided he needed more information before planning his next course of action; things weren't going as planned.

"How long have your kind lived upon this world living one?" The man's mind raced trying to find an answer. "Uh…I…uh… I wouldn't know… for centuries if not thousands of years at least… maybe the scholars would know…" Allowing his mind to dwell on such thoughts, Xeras decided to push for more information "And how deep did you find me buried beneath the soil of this land? How many excavations have your kind done across this world or in this area?" The captain slowly began to pull himself together as the crowd remained silent. "We've. Done dozens, if not more excavations in this region alone; and untold how many worldwide…And to answer your other question…we dug you up roughly 50 meters underground."

While he showed no surprise outwardly, inwardly Xeras was unsettled by this; his crypts should be miles underground, he also noticed his site of awakening noting that there were no signs of his tomb, nor the crypt complex itself.

Xeras decided that more information was needed as to why such abnormalities had occurred; possibly there were unforeseen events that had misplaced himself and his crypts. The possibilities of planetary tectonic shifts or natural disasters that changed the geography of the planet were very high. He brought himself back to the situation at hand and pondered how to deal with these natives.

"Interesting… it seems I require more information on the situation. You will take me to whomever leads your peoples and there I will find answers, so that in time our people will reclaim our world.'

The crowd seemed unsettled by this offer, some even began to feel angry as their homes were going to be taken from them by some outside monster. One of the guards dared even speak out against this plan; backed by a group of fellow minded workers.

"Now listen here monstrosity! Our people have lived here for generations! This is our home just as much as yours if not more, and we won't let you take it from us! This is land is where I was born and I'll die before I give it up to some demon!"

That was all Xeras needed to hear, his staff glowed as he swiftly slammed it into the ground and seemingly disappeared into a green mist only to appear behind the young guard; grabbing him by the back of the head and holding him into the air. As he held his staff of light pointed at the man he said coldly "so be it" followed by the sound of his staff piercing the man's spine as it went through his body out the other side. The guard's cries of pain quickly turned into gut wrenching gurgling as blood filled his mouth and his eyelids flickered. Xeras swiftly removed his staff allowing the soon to be corpse to fall to the ground, barely holding itself on its knees. The man didn't stay up long as he was kicked to the ground by the metallic foot of Xeras; allowing a pool of blood to accumulate around his fresh corpse.

The crowd looked on in horror as a woman cried out "You monster! The Earth Kingdom will hear about what you've done here!" she would soon regret her statement in what would be her last panic filled moments of life; as Xeras swiftly decided his next course of action to ensure that none knew of him nor came for retaliation.

"It seems then the wheat has come to the scythe…" He quickly turned around and grabbed the surprised woman by the head, her screams of pain grew louder as his grip tightened until finally her head succumbed to the pressure exerted on it; crumpling in his hand. As he dropped the corpse Xeras was caught off guard when something slammed into his back, turning around he saw a man with three decent sized rocks floating around him in an aggressive stance. "Hmm interesting… so this world possesses psykers. It matters little in the end, your doom is inevitable. The earthbender threw two more rocks at him, but before they reached their target the staff of light fired a gauss beam at one disintegrating it while Xeras moved forward, swinging the staff to break the other into pieces. The man tried to raise a heavier boulder but, before he completed his arm had been ripped apart at the molecular level by a gauss beam; causing him to scream out in agony and fall to the ground before being finished off by a swift stab in the jugular. Another guard attempted to spear him while he was distracted but was frozen in fear as his spear simply broke against the necrodermis metal; Xeras made a sweeping strike severing the lower half of his body from his top. The man's screams didn't last long as his midsection was molecularly eaten by a gauss blast.

The facility had gone into full blown chaos after the skirmish had begun, as people ran around screaming trying to find a safe place to hide or to collect their belongings and planning an escape route. Even the security itself was in disorder as many chose to attempt to flee rather than fight this unstoppable creature. Xeras however, was thorough often aiming for the legs of escaping people, crippling them before moving for the killing blow. After cornering two guards inside the plant they begged for their lives and gave him a local map to spare them; they were "thanked" by a swift death of decapitation, there would be no survivors. Noticing a fleeing group of civilians Xeras calculated their path and saw a barrel with signs and symbols on it that seemed to indicate danger of some sort, in a gamble he fired a gauss blast at it as the group neared it causing an explosion that tore the group to pieces. Their screams were short as the explosion had torn their bodies asunder; throwing pieces of them across the area.

The slaughter continued for several minutes until only a handful remained; Xeras was about to finish off a worker who clung to a small pouch he had for fear life. He had chased the boy to a large tree where he lay on the ground crying out in pain after a gauss beam had taken away his calf muscle and most of his lower leg. As he was about to deal the finishing blow an earthbender had found him off guard and made a rock spike from under him, knocking him on his back. Xeras swiftly got back to his feet and teleported to the psyker who swiftly felt his body feel as if it was being electrocuted as Xeras kept a constant stream of gauss energy pour into his body holding him in the air before slamming him into the ground and tossing him over his head into a nearby spiked fence as if he was a child's toy. The Necron Lord returned to finish off his prey but noticed it was gone, he also noticed he no longer heard the screams of pain from the native and deduced it had escaped during the skirmish; but wouldn't get far with those kinds of wounds. As he finished his task, Xeras decided to initiate a scorched earth policy, using the explosives he had found from what remains of the facility and using his own staff, began to ignite the plant in flames. Before leaving he returned to his site of awakening to search it more thoroughly for anything he may have missed.

He noticed that he had not seen his own Gauntlet of Fire buried with him and equipped it to his spare hand. The necrodermic energies flowed through his hand as the device tailored itself to him. While he feel he should investigate further to find more answers, he had to accept the fact that time was not on his side; as most likely the natives had sent word to a nearby settlement of his discovery and that aid would be coming soon. He decided to bury any evidence of his arrival as he placed explosive containers in key areas around his excavation and set them off, causing the site to be buried beneath the ground. With all loose ends tied up he looked at the map he had "acquired" and by now had been deciphering the language of the locals. Thankfully, most of the needed information was visual and he could tell that there were four great land masses that made up this world. He decided to head north as there was a small town there, most likely a fishing settlement for food as it was connected to the ocean leading to the northern land mass that was covered in ice. As he left the burning facility he found that for the first time in millennia, he didn't know where to go or what to do; his legions were nowhere to be found, he had no way to get off world, his memories were damaged by the great slumber, and there was little he could do to reclaim his tomb world… if it indeed was his tomb world. Pushing these thoughts aside he continued his journey north.

_In the skies near an Earth Kingdom town_

Aang and the group were flying on Appa heading north on their post war self-imposed vacation. While Zuko was busy governing the fire nation, the group decided to give themselves a well-earned break. Suki and Ty Lee decided to tag along, wanting to explore the world without trying to chase down the Avatar and to join in their adventures. Mai had decided to stay back with Zuko to help in any way she could; as Iroh had returned to his tea shop in the Earth Kingdom. The group was flying towards the northern water tribe to visit them and see how things were going after the war when they decided to take a short stop at a town they spotted to give Appa some rest.

"Ugh I'll never get used to flying, couldn't we take a land route to a fishing village or something?" Toph grumbled, she never got accustomed to how she was literally blind in the skies having only physical contact with Appa.

"Oh come on that was fun! Appa is so fuzzy and soft and the air feels refreshing! My aura is just glittering right now!" Ty Lee was her usual, bubbly self; she quickly became enthralled with flying on Appa with the sense of freedom and adventure it brought as well as making fast friends with the Bison himself.

Aang simply laughed stating "Don't bother, Toph is never going to like riding on Appa, up there in the clouds she's utterly defenseless" Which earned a glare from Toph, never like being called weak or helpless.

Katara decided to get the group back on track "come on guys let's get some rest, grab some supplies, and get back on our trip. It's been so long since we've been to the north I wonder how their doing since the siege?" The group came together and headed towards the marketplace; Sokka was trying to decide between two different "bags" or purses as the girls called them to tease him; as Katara was comparing some fruits she planned to use for their next meal she overheard two nearby city guards talking.

"I don't like it at all… whatever that thing was I've never seen anything like it before in my life. It almost seemed like a thing that used to be alive." The other guard looked at him with a raised brow "so what'd the governor say they were gonna do?" "He doesn't know yet; the higher ups don't give a damn about a small little mining plant, and nobody knows exactly what that thing is."

Katara decided to give in to curiosity and surprised them both when she entered the conversation. "And what may I ask did you find?" Both men jolted as they didn't think anyone was listening; before they could say anything they instantly recognized the now famous Katara and gathered themselves. The first guard swiftly answered her "Oh lady Katara! It's such an honor! We uh… we found something underneath the ground in a nearby mining facility. But please, don't worry yourselves with it I'm sure the governor will find a solution it's probably nothing." Katara wasn't so easily swayed and decided to take the groups vacation on a slight detour.

"Tell the governor we will handle it; we'll send a messenger hawk to report our findings." The two men looked at each other, simply bowing and proceeded to walk away. Before leaving they had escorted the group to the local stable giving them ostrich horses as a means of transportation. Katara was extremely curious about this new discovery and rounded up the game to tell them about their new detour; while some were excited about a new adventure others were less enthusiastic about being off schedule.

"Oh come on Katara! I planned out everything to the last minute! This is totally going to ruin my perfectly planned schedule!" Sokka groaned. Ty Lee decided to throw her two cents in "I think it'd be fun! Finding new things and beginning new adventures is always exciting!" the small argument ended in a vote ending in Sokka being the only one against the idea. They decided to leave Appa at the stables to let him relax and have some hay to keep him fed for what they assumed would be a short journey.

_An Hour later, roughly 1 mile away from the facility_

As the group got closes to the facility it was obvious something was very wrong. Aang was the first to spot the smoke clouds rising from the horizon "Uh guys… is their supposed to be that much smoke coming from a small mining plant?" the group's eyes raised as they saw large clouds of smoke rising into the air; far more than what should be coming from such a small scale facility.

"Let me see if I can get a good view of what's happening" Toph stated as she put her hand down to the earth, focusing her sight down the path into the facility. What she saw scarred her mind; as she "saw" everything in the facility or what remains of it and its' inhabitants she was horror struck. She swiftly jolted her body back causing her to fall on her rear causing the alarm of the others. Ty Lee rushed to her noting something was very, very wrong.

"Toph what's wrong? Your aura just sunk to an extremely dark grey!" what happened next threw everyone in shock; as Toph was known for being tough and gritty her voice came out like a frightened child.

"You…you don't wana go in there…. Oh spirits I saw them…all of them… bodies everywhere…I've never seen such destruction…I… oh god the bodies…what was left…." Toph finally lost control and turned around to throw up her breakfast causing the group to wince and turn away. Everyone was caught off guard at her description; especially the fact that never once have they seen Toph show true fear in the face of anything.  
Suki was determined to keep pushing on "We need to get the bottom of this, if something bad has happened, the governor needs to know. Toph can you walk?" Toph slowly pulled herself up and gave a slight nod in response, the group cautiously approached the still burning mining plant and saw firsthand what Toph had seen. Most of the group had to pull on all of their willpower not to throw up or break down; Aang took it the hardest, he'd seen people die before as well as dead bodies from battle but never like this. This cruelty was unparalleled, even during the hundred years war nothing of this scale had been committed. These people were murdered like cattle lead to the butcher or lamps herded for the slaughter. Bodies, or what remained of bodies lay strewn across the once peaceful mining plant; covering it in a scene of blood and gore the likes of none of them had ever seen.

Katara was the first to fully regain her senses "who…what could've done such a thing? This is just…I've never seen such atrocities… not even from the fire nation." The group only looked on in horror at the scene as eventually they began investigating the bodies and the site to possibly find some clues on what happened. No bending any of them had experienced could do so much damage in such a precise manner to flesh and steel. Bodies seemed to have been eaten alive to the point of disintegration as well as lacerations and deep stabbing/cutting wounds. During their investigation Toph stopped still feeling something faint…a heartbeat, albeit a slow and quiet one.

"Wait I hear something. I think it's a heartbeat… this way cmon!" the group dashed after her as they ran into a smaller part of the plant which had sustained the least amount of damaged figuratively speaking; in the corner they saw a figure slouched, it was shaking and stuttering lightly. Katara pulled out her pouch of water and approached it "hey its okay we're here to help you; can you tell us what happened here?" her hands glowed brightly as she looked for his wounds, shocked to find one of his legs was completely missing. The figure shuffled its way out of the corner to show a young boy, most likely late teens coming into the light. They saw a bloodied blade next to his body, showing that he amputated his own leg in order to stop something from reaching his torso. His left leg had been loosely wrapped by a makeshift bandage while blood trickled out of his mouth; his skin was pale and lifeless as his body struggled to cope with the amount of damage it sustained.

The boy used what little strength he had to speak to his would be saviors "i…it was black as night *cough cough* it's… unstoppable." the group grew more worried, Katara tried to console him. "Don't waste your strength your gonna be just fine." Her pleas fell on deaf ears as the boy continued "its weapon…tears through *cough cough* everything… flesh to *coughs up blood* steel." Aangs eyes began to tear up as he could tell the life was slowly flickering out of him. The boy reached down into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch handing it to Suki who stood nearby "take these… to my family… *begins to violently cough and gasp for air* they live in a village to the northeast." Kataras eyes began to tear up as she began shaking her head realizing he was beyond her help. Sokka decided to ask one final question "what did this to you?" the boy looked over him and gave him the only answer he could come up with to explain such a creature.

His final words barely slipped through his mouth as the life drained from his eyes, blood trickled down his face as he delivered his answer, looking Sokka in the eyes with a gaze of fear and horror; that even in death would haunt his very soul. "The Reaper."


	3. The Hunt Begins

**Hey guys thanks for all the support so far! I really appreciate the feedback I'm getting; although id appreciate more reviews it really motivates me to keep writing! **

_A barren landscape roughly 40 miles inland from the northern shore of the Earth Kingdom_

Xeras had traveled for hours northward, following the map he had "acquired" from the plant; trying to find a place to setup a small base of operations to plan his next move. As he continued his lone march forward his thoughts began to drift.

_My legions are nowhere to be found, I am alone with limited resources on this world, the technology here is too primitive to get transport off world, and it seems my options are very limited._

Xeras surprised himself when he realized he realized for the first time in his immortal life he had been forced to confront something he had never faced before, uncertainty. He had no idea what to do or where to go, there was no one to grant him aid or assistance, he was stuck here by himself with no purpose or reason to continue on. This disturbed him greatly; he silently contemplated his options as the only sounds to be heard were his steps marching ever onward towards an uncertain future. He decided to think of all possible outcomes in the long term that he could achieve and calculate their possibility of success.

_Conquering this world is inevitably out of the question without my legions; local armies wouldn't join me and I don't have the resources to attempt a mass conversion of the natives here. The odds of this planet being infested with psykers is high seeing as they seem to be part of the native militaries and security forces; while their power seems to be a minimum to moderate threat, the land masses assure that numbers could eventually overwhelm me by sheer weight of numbers; odds of my extermination in a constant open conflict are 93.2%. Waiting for any kind of reinforcement or possible outside aid is extremely unlikely since this world possesses such minimum technology very few would bother with it; odds calculate 1:10000000 possible chance of outside interference with a positive outcome. Survival seems to be prominent until a long term solution can be identified, thankfully it seems this should be easiest without requiring such nonessential resources such as food, water, sleep, etc. I should find an isolated location to create a base of operations. If only this map was useful I could-_

His thoughts were cut off as he heard moans of pain nearby. He walked over to see a human male, roughly in his late 20's with a sword nearby. He had minimum armor suggesting he wasn't a professional soldier. Whoever he fought seemed to have left him alive as he only has a gash in the leg, leaving him immobile and helpless; sloppy work. Xeras corrected this by impaling him through his back, wrenching it into his body until his screams stopped. By taking in his surroundings he noticed signs of a skirmish, noting multiple sets of tracks heading in the same direction. Succumbing to curiosity Xeras followed the tracks, wanting to find out what exactly had happened, and if someone here could be useful to him. He was surprised to find another man lying on the ground with non-fatal wounds. After a swift execution it seems the perpetrator didn't favor lethal methods much to Xeras' confusion. The trail of bodies and footprints continued on as the trail seemed to grow smaller as the number of assailants shortened to a handful. Whoever this warrior was they were quite the blades man, taking on what seemed like a dozen opponents single handedly; while slowly thinning their numbers. After a while it seemed his search had come to an end as Xeras spotted what looked like four males armed with basic swords and spears who were facing a woman with dual jagged daggers standing in a defensive stance. She was obviously tired from the prolonged fight and was worn down from the amount of attrition she had endured. Xeras moved close behind a large boulder to overhear them to gain insight on the conflict.

"You can't keep this up forever witch! Just give up now and maybe you'll have a quick death!" the leader of the makeshift group was holding his spear forward preparing to charge. Everyone noticed her exhaustion, she was obviously drained by the constant fighting as only her willpower gave her strength to fight on. She showed no reaction standing defiantly in the face of the threat.

"Just try me you bastard! I'll take you down *huffs* like all the rest! I'm not a damn witch you *huffs* idiot!" The woman talked strong but she knew that she was doomed if this kept up, her endurance had reached its limit and she couldn't keep going on much longer. While she pondered her options the leader of the group spoke once more.

"Don't try to lie your way out of this! You made our benders weak and unable to bend just by being near them! Your sorcery will meet its end here!"

That was all Xeras needed to hear, a blank would be perfect to keep him hidden from his eventual pursuers as by now chances are, forces had been sent to investigate the plant he had annihilated and would be in pursuit; this woman could prove invaluable to him but only alive. As the men charged her she readied herself for a final battle, but the men never got within five feet of her as a green mist suddenly appeared in front of the group giving way to a large metallic being that shook them all to their core. Before the group had time to react the first one was impaled through the chest while another had his spine broken when a claw from the creature ripped into his stomach and squeezed it until it snapped, the fire that surrounded the claw ignited him into flames within seconds, causing his last moments to be quite painful. The other two looked on in fear and stepped back, but before they had a chance to flee Xeras had thrown the body of the leader he impaled onto them. Before they had a chance to raise the corpse from them the Necron was upon them, giving them swift deaths in the form of gauss beams to the face for each of them. The woman only stared on in a mixture of complete shock mixed with overwhelming fear. Before she could ask a question or even flee for her own life, her body gave out under the immense stress it had been put under and she collapsed. Xeras took a moment to ensure all targets were efficiently neutralized before heading over to the unconscious body of the blank. At first he was worried she was dead therefore useless to him, but noticed her body was stabilized and her pulse was faint but there; having him reason that the exhaustion was too much for her mortal body to endure causing her to collapse into unconsciousness to recuperate. With this he picked up her body and continued on his journey.

The gang had a quiet trip back to the town, Sokka had no jokes to make, Ty Lee noticed everyone's aura even her own had severely dampened. Toph only stared off into the distance, uncaring about her surroundings trying to erase the scars on her mind. Aang was having a personal moment of silence for those who lost their lives in the assault; Suki tried to find some way to cheer Sokka and everyone up but couldn't think of anything. Katara was too busy focusing on her failure to save the boy from death, blaming herself for not being strong enough; she held his pouch in her arms protectively promising she wouldn't let his final wish go unfulfilled. Their solemn journey ended as they reached the town and went to the governor's office; they explained what they'd seen and told him to send medical teams to retrieve what was left of the bodies for a proper burial. After the governor regained his composure upon hearing the news he promised to give them proper burial rites and to send word to their families. He personally saw to it that the pouch Katara had was sent to the boy's family, allowing her mind to slightly ease at the thought of being able to finish the task she set for herself. After a short stay to gather supplies for their hunt the group hopped onto Appa without the slightest complaint from Toph and head out on their journey.

The group took off to the plant deciding to follow a trail they discovered heading north in hopes of finding the culprit and bringing them to justice. They weren't able to get too far as nightfall came quickly forcing them to land only a few miles past the plant or risk losing the trail in the darkness. The group hesitantly setup camp, each trying to find a way to break the silence but unable to find the words. Katara began cooking as Ty Lee did some cartwheels to get her mind off of things as Sokka looked over maps of the landscape trying to find a possible route their enemy would take to get to safety. Suki trained with Toph in a sparring match to hone their skills while Aang meditated to calm his mind and focus on the task at hand. Katara finally finished their meals and the group came to eat; she finally decided to speak up.

"Guys I know what happened is disturbing and everyone is thinking about it; but we can't let this dominate our minds! We faced overwhelming odds before and each time came out on top. We faced the fire nation army, an assassin who blew stuff up with his mind, we dethroned a fire lord and brought peace to the world! Now I don't know who did this but I'm sure we can stop them."

The pep talk seemed to work as the group lightened up, albeit slightly as they all began to talk and tell stories of happier times. Sokka began telling his infamous jokes causing Suki to force herself to laugh at them for his sake; while Ty Lee talked with Toph about auras and how she read them. Aang listened to their conversations, joining in the laughter putting his daunting task out of his mind for now. He took a moment to glance up into the sky at the moon or Yue, as Sokka always referred to her; never forgetting his first love. Aang wondered what their target was doing right about now.

_In a cave near the barren wastelands_

Xeras had setup camp in this small cave waiting for the woman to awaken. He noted her injuries were overall minor and would heal over time which was good, as he had no medicines or knowledge of healing for the living. He decided to analyze her physical features along with armament to calculate her combat effectiveness along with trying to put together a psychological profile. She had long red hair, a slender frame, possibly mid-twenties, white skin with a scar on her face going from her forehead down through her left eye to her lower cheek. Her weapons of choice seemed to be two jagged daggers and an assortment of throwing knives at her disposal. She seemed a capable fighter which would prove useful; unless she chose to resist. He had hoped to find a way to ensure her cooperation but he had little to use as leverage besides saving her life. Although this could be called upon he wasn't sure if she could be trusted even if she did agree to aid him. As he heard her yawn and slowly begin to awaken, it seemed he would find his answer.

The woman slowly rose up holding her head, her mind recapping the events before her descent into unconsciousness. She wasn't left to her thoughts long before a voice that chilled her spine and tensed her muscles so tight they felt like they would break spoke to her.

"Good it seems you have awoken from your slumber, your injuries seem minor and should heal with time." She quickly jolted up grabbing her daggers to face the source; her eyes widened with shock at the creature that stood before her; it stood at roughly 6 feet tall with a skeletal type frame. Its claw hand seemed to have a flame swirling around it like some kind of vortex; it showed no signs of internal organs or anything organic really. The creature had a black as night cape that matched the color of its "body" that seemed as if when needed could envelope him as a disguise. A constant green glow came from his form, shining dimly though his many open parts. Its skin seemed to double as armor as it seemed quite thick along the arms and legs with at least two or more layers. The staff the being carried glowed green at its end, also noticing there were strange sigils carved into the hilt of it that glowed distinctly; possibly some kind of augment to the already formidable weapon. His eyes seemed to pierce through her into the deepest depths of her very soul. After analyzing this new "person" she realized she'd been standing idly as he awaited a response. She quickly regained her composure as not to look weak. "What… who are you? Where are we? And most importantly… why did you bring me here?"

Xeras kept his gaze focused on her slightly unnerving the woman as he spoke. "You have special abilities you do no yet understand, your particular talents are extremely useful to me which is why I require you alive. I also assume you harbor some degree of knowledge on this world that I require. I brought you here to discern your physical condition and to make sure you did not have serious injuries that threatened your survival. I also eliminated your pursuers, no one knows where you are now. As such I wish to ask you to accompany on my travels of this planet until I can decide on my next course of action.

She looked at the thing quizzically "so you know why people lose their bending around me? And what do you need my help for? If memory serves, you tore those men to pieces without breaking a sweat; I doubt I could do much to help you."

Xeras took her response into account; she was smart, having a keen memory and analyzed his combat prowess before she passed out. She also seemed to be quite curious about her abilities of being a blank. He decided that if this would be a long term partnership he would have to earn her trust to ensure loyalty.

"To answer your question yes, I do know why the psykers of this world react so violently to you. Secondly I have little knowledge of the terrain or native species of this world and require your experience to advise me on how things work on this world. And while yes I can easily dispatch your kind with its primitive weaponry, quantity has a quality all of its own. Your body could still be hampered by the skirmish from earlier, as such I shall give you until morning to give me an answer, if you attempt to leave this cave without consulting me first I will assume you are going to inform others of my location and as such I will be forced to terminate you. I would prefer to avoid such a conflict."

He simply turned and walked off, his footsteps making a distinct sound in the dry cave leaving her to her thoughts. She was surprised how up front he'd been, it seems he had no time to beat around the bush or didn't seem to care. She decided to list her options of which were few enough already; she'd been practically exiled from the village, wherever she went she was ousted from eventually by some mob, and now this creature was asking her for her help. From how it spoke it seems he wasn't from this world; and from his looks she wouldn't even try to deny that. While he was cold and calculating he did save her life, therefore she owed him a debt and if there was one thing about her is that she always paid her debts. She decided to get some rest and deliver her decision in the morning.


	4. A Pact of Blood and Steel

**Ah, chapter 4 already! Thanks so much for all the support guys your reviews and follows keep me motivates to keep going I'm happy to answer any questions and appreciate all your feedback! Also side note, should I use bender as 1 word or two it's bugging me like hell! Ex: waterbender vs water bender looking to you guys on this one.**

_Early morning, the cave _

The sounds of heavy rainfall awoke the once sleeping woman from her slumber, she yawned stretching her arms out and looked around her to get her bearings. She remembered the events of the night prior and decided to give her new partner her decision. As she looked around she noticed a local map laid out on a small boulder looking as if it had been looked over several times in search of something; she took note of this as she would probably be needed in deciphering the terrain for him. She also noticed at the mouth of the cave the being stood with hands cupped behind him facing outside at the rain that fell like water from a waterfall; she approached him quietly and did was worried about startling him, especially after what happened to the group that had pursued her. She slightly jumped when he spoke, breaking the eerie silence that overwhelmed their small abode.

"I see you have awoken, I trust that you have made your decision now as I have no more time to waste." He turned to face her with those eyes that still made her a bit uneasy; nevertheless she gave him her response.

"Yeah I have… I'll take you up on your offer, I will join you and help you however I can in exchange for your knowledge on my… condition. You saved my life so I guess I'm honor bound to aid you however I can; I always pay my debts." She looked dead into his eyes giving her answer with conviction, showing no hint of trickery in her voice. Xeras was pleased with this new development.

"Good, very good, I'm glad to see this world understands the values of honor and loyalty. Seeing as this arrangement could be a prolonged one I feel it is necessary to become more acquainted. I am Xeras, Necron Lord of this tomb world; what are you called? I would prefer not having to call you woman as it would become quite tedious."

She was unsure of some of the terms he used but decided to ask questions later and appreciated his recognition of her honorability. "The name's Evelyn, Eve for short. There's not much too me in all honesty, former assassin and now exile. So… partner what services of mine do you require? I noticed you have a basic map of this area so I assume you're looking for something? Or someone?"

Her keen eye never surprised him. "You are quite the perceptive one Evelyn, I am indeed looking for a location but not a specific one. I need to find somewhere isolated, away from prying eyes and unwanted attention." He was direct and she appreciated that, but required more information.

"Anything in particular? In all honesty there are very few places I can think of that are isolated and prove a suitable location for a base of operations. Did you have a specific place in mind?" He then walked with her in tow to the map he had laid out and pointed to the northern region.

"This location seems suitable, it is cold and should be desolate away from civilization." Obviously he knew little about this planet if he thought that she reasoned, and decided to enlighten him on the matter.

"That's the opposite of where you want to go, the northern water tribe makes its home in that area; you'll be walking right into the heart of a large city. The water benders make their homes in the northern and southern poles of the earth. With all due respect Xeras, you don't know much about this world do you?" hoping not to sound insulting she was slightly shaking in her boots, fearful of retaliation.

"Your observations prove correct, I do not know what has happened to my tomb world during the eons I have slept Am I to reason that the psykers on this world can also bend water to their will? I have already met those who bend the very earth they stood on to use in battle, can the people of this world bend all the elements?"

She'd never heard of the term psyker before, but decided to focus on the task at hand. "Your right in a sense, every continent is inhabited by different people of different nations. The north and the southern water tribes are home to the water benders while here on this continent we are on _she points to the center continent the largest land mass_ is the Earth Kingdom home to the earth benders. While here in the west is the home of the fire nation where fire benders come from. The Air nomads used to have four main temples located here, here, here, and here roughly; but they were wiped out after the genocide before the war. All of them except the current Avatar, he's the last air bender alive though nobody knows his whereabouts after he helped end the 100 years' war." The term "Avatar" piqued Xeras' interest; he remembered the mighty Avatars of Khaine that the Eldar brought to bear when needed.

"What makes this Avatar so special? Does it possess powers that the rest of your kind do not? Furthermore, how is this Avatar found, chosen, or selected?"

This caught Evelyn off guard a bit, Xeras seemed quite interested on the topic almost to the point of worry. She decided that this wasn't important right now and began to describe the Avatars the best she could.

"The Avatar is the master of all four elements, they have been reincarnated through the centuries each within a different nation following the cycle. They act is guardians of the four nations and peace keepers worldwide. I'm not sure about the selection process though, it probably varies from nation to nation. All I know is that when one dies the next one is reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle; in fact the air benders were wiped out by the fire nation after avatar Roku died to prevent another avatar from rising, thus breaking the cycle."

Xeras pondered this for a moment, while a native that could bend all the elements simultaneously could prove a hefty obstacle, it was much preferable to his original thoughts. He decided to drop the matter and focus back on the task at hand. His eyes scanned the map for anywhere desolate enough he could use for a base. While on the geographical map it seemed quite easy, this map wasn't detailed enough to provide information on small towns or settlements scattered throughout the globe thus complicating matters. His eyes moved west and noted a small cluster of islands just south of the eastern continent under control of the Fire Nation; while this map was inaccurate on locations of civilized settlements, he calculated that they were most likely empty with the presence of a major nation nearby thus being the perfect location for him. With his new plan devised he decided to advise his new companion on their next trip.

"Here _points to an island cluster just south of the fire nation, roughly 100 miles off the southernmost coast. _These islands will most likely be empty and uncolonized. Do you have any information on this area?"

She stared at the map with a focused look, trying to recall any information she'd heard about that particular area. After a few seconds she scrambled up what little info she had.

"To the best of my knowledge these islands should be empty, the only islands fire nation nobles really go is Ember Island which is north of the continent. The only issues we have are: A- I have no ship, B- I have no money to buy one and I don't think you have one either, and finally C- I can't crew a ship on my own and I'm not a bender; not to mention it's hard to keep you secret onboard a fully crewed vessel. Any ideas?"

Xeras took into account her concerns and came to the conclusion she was correct on all accounts. Air travel was impossible on this primitive planet so the only routes were by sea; unfortunately it seems he had no mindshackle scarabs at his disposal to coerce cooperation with the locals. He quickly thought up a plan, while flimsy it was all he could rely on at the moment with his limited time and resources.

"I see only two paths for us to take, we should use this rainfall as cover and head into a nearby fishing village, I can use my cloak as a hood to protect me from prying eyes; there, we either steal money to pay them for the boat ride with without their knowing. On the other hand we could attempt to steal a small vessel and escape southward.

Eve took the plans into consideration after thinking to herself for several minutes; in the end she decided it was all they had to work with and agreed to the idea. With that the new unlikely companions set off in the pouring rain towards the nearby village to acquire passage.

Aang and the group had quite the rude awakening as thunder shook the ground and forced many to awaken from their blissful sleep; Sokka especially didn't want to get up, but after some coercion from Suki they got back on the trail. Toph was utterly frustrated as the proceeding downpour made the ground muddy and murky all over, tampering with her "sight". While the group initially wanted to fly on Appa to keep up pursuit, Aang pointed out the rainfall would make it hard to navigate as well as the trail they followed would become damp and murky; it'd be impossible to follow it from the skies forcing the group to stay on foot. Katara did her best to shield the group from the weather using her water bending to make a bubble around them, but this only did so much as the group had to slow their pace even further so that she wasn't over stressed. Sokka decided to break the silence with a question he was quite curious about.

"Hey Toph, how come you said all this mud messes up your vision? I've seen you bend the earth in it before just fine."

Toph looked over with an annoyed look and gave a quick response. "Because dunderhead everything around me is being constantly pelted with rain and I can't get my bearings. Also I can see using the mud in a stable form but right now it's constantly being destabilized and my feet are struggling to adjust; liquids mixing with earth and all that."

Indeed the group's pace had been hampered by the murky ground they treaded on as the rain never seemed to let up, turning these dry wastelands into a murky marsh within hours. Aang kept focus to the task at hand while Ty Lee did her best to keep her uppity attitude, doing cartwheels, and flips, and playfully drawing pictures in the mud whenever they stopped for a break. Suddenly, Toph stopped dead in her tracks; the group didn't notice at first until Ty Lee saw Toph's aura fluctuate rapidly.

"Toph? What's wrong?"

The entire group spun around to face her as she had her hand laid against the murky earth, seeming as if she was focusing on something. She seemed to have failed at her task as she had a semi-frustrated look on her face as she arose.

"There's something close, roughly 100 meters that way. I can't tell what it is since my sight is messed up but something is definitely there." She pointed dead ahead of the group, deeply convicted in her find. The group cautiously continued onward until Sokka held out his arms horizontally stopping the group in its tracks.

"Guys look _kneels down to the ground and softly moves his hand above several muddy patches of ground_ each of these are sets of tracks heading all in the same direction. From what I can tell there was a skirmish here, roughly a dozen or more so; I can't tell what happened exactly but there was definitely a fight. It seems they all went in the same direction showing signs this was a prolonged fight. I don't like the looks of this."

The group and especially Suki were impressed, Sokka had been honing his tracking skills alongside his swordsmanship; but none of them really saw it in action that often. The group simply followed his lead as they were anxious to be possibly close to their intended target, whoever that may be. Unfortunately what they did find was the exact opposite of what they'd hoped for. Sokka squinted his eyes at something ahead of Katara's bubble, focusing intently. He noticed a silhouette not too far ahead of them, he decided to head over alone much to Suki's protests to ensure it wasn't a trap. He examined the figure and returned to the group with a grim look strewn across his face.

"You guys aren't gonna like this… "The group's expression dimmed considerably at this news. Even though Sokka was sometimes a pessimist, when he was this serious about something it had to be bad.

"What is it Sokka?" Suki was the first to speak, her curiosity and worry slightly shown in the tone of her voice. The group said naught a word, yet their expressions repeated the same question.

"It's… a body" the group was shocked by the news, Ty Lee gasped and held herself together, Katara looked down in sadness, Suki gave Sokka a comforting hug, Aang did his best to keep his composure but it was obvious this shook him. They'd seen the massacre at the plant and hoped to avoid another; Aang decided to break the silence.

"Is it… the same as the others?" Aang asked, guessing that it most likely was as this area was generally quiet. Sokka's answer surprised them all.

"Yes… and no, it's complicated." The group looked at him skeptically, trying to decipher his cryptic answer. "There's evidence of our man's handiwork here, the same strange wounds we've seen before; but this time it's different. _He brings the group close to the corpse, they all look away or close their eyes in respect before bringing themselves back to matters at hand_. I noticed things that weren't found on any other bodies we had at the plant. _ He shows multiple cut wounds in several different places_. These aren't the weapons our man is using, someone else is involved. The worst part of it is… these guys weren't killed in an outright fight, it seems whoever fought this guy left him like this for a while as the wounds were slowly closing up from what I can gather. Then our "friend" came across him lying like this… and executed him."

The group winced in disgust as the final words left his mouth; even Sokka detested having to say it. While they wanted to give these people a proper burial, now wasn't the time they couldn't risk losing track of their target. Aang did a short monk's prayer for the man and left his body in a more proper position for someone to find and bury. Before the group left the freshly rotting corpse Toph seemed to grimace heavily. Aang new this couldn't be good.

"Twinkle toes…" Toph said somberly. "Yeah Toph? What is it?" he said softly, although his expression grew darker. "You won't have time to keep giving those prayers out… if my instincts were right about him, then we have a trail of corpses to follow before we get much further." Katara almost lost her focus as the bubble nearly imploded from her shock; Aang nearly burst into tears as Toph gave him a heavy hug. Ty Lee began sobbing losing control of herself, Suki did her best to comfort her as Sokka simply kept his eyes shut and gripped his boomerang tightly. After several minutes of pulling themselves back together, the group continued on, prepared to follow the trail of bodies to wherever it lead them.

_A small fishing town on the northern coast of the Earth Kingdom, Xeras and Evelyn are just outside the town entrance. The thunderstorm by now has turned into cloudy skies._

Evelyn scoped out the small settlement, sizing up its' defense and security as well as how many ships were in the harbor. She documented mentally that this was obviously some unimportant town that received trade from the Northern Water Tribe, only to send most of its imports off further inland for trade and income. Security seemed minor at best and she noticed a moderately sized ship that could last their voyage. She quickly jumped down from the vantage point she'd been using with Xeras standing right in front of her as she landed.

"Status Report" she slightly flinched, still trying to adjust her ears to his cold, soulless voice. "Security is lightweight to say the least, I see a medium sized boat we could use to get us to our destination; this town isn't very important so hopefully their won't be much questioning. Xeras stroked his chin contemplating the situation. "Good, now how do you propose we acquire said ship?"

Eve grinned evilly, as she pulled out a large sack of coins from her back pouch. "I nabbed these off of a trader heading out from here while he took a quick break, poor bastard still doesn't know he just lost his entire budget." She announced proudly, she obviously took pride in her skills.

"That will suffice" was the only praise she received from the cold Necron. "Now I assume you shall do the talking and make sure I am undisturbed? Once on board I will head to the captain's quarters and remain there for the rest of our journey." She simply nodded in return and headed towards the front gate with Xeras in tow, his large shadowy cloak covering his entire body. She also had him wear makeshift sandals to muffle the sound of his feet on the ground, much to his distaste. The guard at the front lazily addressed them as they approached.

'Hey, _yawns_ state your business here' he obviously cared little for his boring job and was only assigned to this post for easy pay, unfit for anything of higher importance.

"Just travelers passing through" Evelyn said with an innocent smile and an upbeat tone. The guard seemed to fall for her guise, yet his eyes drifted over to the cloaked figure.

"What's his deal? Is something wrong with him?" He seemed at least somewhat attentive, although his gaze always seemed to revert to Eve's figure.

"Oh don't' worry about him he's no trouble at all." She closed the distance between them "Why worry about him when you can worry about me instead?" her grin grew wide as she knew she had this poor sap wrapped around her finger now. He quickly stuttered a response:

"Oh… of, of course! Please go right in… and please let me escort you out personally when you wish to leave!" she smirked innocently and the two entered the gates as she let out a small giggle to herself as they continued towards the harbor.

"Most impressive, you are quite versed in the art of persuasion." Xeras said quietly enough for Eve to hear, but none of the others in the small marketplace.

"Yeah well, in my line of work you pick up a few things as you travel around the globe." She responded.

After a few minutes of walking they approached the harbor and spotted the ship they planned to use; it was of fire nation design, although not as tough or armed as the military class variants it was a capable vessel, and that was all they needed. Evelyn chatted up the owner until the price dropped within an acceptable budget, after which she bought supplies for the trip and returned to Xeras' side. She gained a copy of the ship's schematics from the former captain and gave them to Xeras, so he could navigate the ship successfully to his captain's quarters. He was the first to enter the ship as the crew were still on shore packing up equipment. Evelyn was announced as the first mate obviously, stating any order from her came directly from the captain himself. After Xeras acquainted himself with his new living space for the next several months the ship began to set sail after hours of crewing and supply stashing. After giving the helmsman their destination and coordinates, Eve headed to Xeras' quarters.

The door creaks open loudly as Eve enters the room, she notices Xeras in that same posture; hands cupped behind him staring out into the distance from the captain's viewport. Internally she dubbed this position "the skeleton mannequin" lightheartedly mocking the figure of the Necron and how he rarely moved.

"So **captain**, how are you enjoying your new living space?" Xeras turned to her with the same look and feel he always seemed to have. "It is adequate for my needs. You will report to me daily on any matters of importance on this vessel. If anything of urgency occurs I shall be informed immediately. I expect you to fulfill your duties and obey orders without question." She nodded in response expecting such an answer from him. Now that they were at sea she decided to ask him the question she'd been burning to ask him for quite some time now.

"So when will you tell me about my… special power? I know I said I'd help you because I owe you a debt I need to repay and trust me I will! But I really want to know why things happen to benders around me without me even trying." She sounded a bit desperate as her patience on the matter was quite thin. Xeras decided she had proven a valuable asset so far and seemed to follow a similar code to his, leverage he planned to use to the fullest.

"Very well then, tomorrow I will answer your questions on the subject on one condition." His eyes seemed to narrow, she was unnerved by this piercing gaze. "You give me your word on your honor that when I tell you about your power; you will continue to assist me with my mission until it is completed." His terms he reasoned were fair and simple, ones she should have no qualms about accepting if she was truly as honest as she seemed to be. She seemed a bit unnerved at the mention of betrayal, possibly offending her at the thought of it. After several minutes of silence she pulled out one of her daggers and held it to the palm of her hand.

"Before I accept your offer I want to add one stipulation to the deal." If Xeras had eyebrows, they'd be raised right now, she was extremely bold to try to haggle with a Necron. "I want **your word** on **your honor** as a warrior that when you tell me the secrets I want to know, that when this quest is over, you will not betray and kill me." Xeras was surprised at how bold she had been, any trace of fear or hesitation had evaporated from her. This obviously was serious to her, her honor obviously meant a lot to her; which he was glad that was the case.

"Very well then, you have my word Evelyn, as a Necron Lord... as a warrior, and as a companion." These words however cold and dark they sounded, seemed to re assure her; Xeras was surprised when she used her own dagger to carve a circle with triangles intersecting, creating a figure he had not seen before. The blood still dripped fresh from her hand as she held it out to him "Then I accept your offer, by blood oath I pledge myself to your service until you see fit that I am released from duty, from now until either death or completion, I will see this through to the end. While outwardly Xeras was incapable of showing any kind of response to this display of loyalty, inwardly he was humbled at her resolve and determination; and most of all her assurance of loyalty. As a token of respect he grabbed his staff and burnt the Necron Insignia into his hand, mimicking her gesture. Their hands met with a strong grip as their gazes never faltered, even with the oncoming pain of the injuries.

"Evelyn you have an accord."


	5. Journeys

**5 chapters already? It feels like just yesterday I was scraping together ideas for a story and here we are :D. I appreciate all your feedback guys I like to see what you guys think about where this is going.**

_The next day onboard Xeras' vessel in the waters north of the Earth Kingdom_

Evelyn was patrolling the ship, keeping an eye on the crew to make sure they kept the ship running at peak efficiency. Xeras had a strict timeline planned out and she didn't want to know what would happen if they didn't meet it. On a side note, she was doing her best to keep her breakfast down as her seasickness had come back to haunt her. She almost forgot she got sick at sea since she'd been in the Earth Kingdom for years now not having to travel by water. The crew seemed orderly enough, although they seem to be a bit on edge after being told none of them were to attempt to speak to the captain or go near his quarters; she did the best she could to make a convincing enough story for them to stay away but she wasn't the best at spinning the best of lies. Thankfully, they didn't ask many questions and didn't need to be disciplined regularly which was a relief for Eve. She was far too busy keeping her stomach in check to worry about unruly crew members; speaking of which, she lost the battle with the ocean and hurled up her breakfast off the side of the ship. Thankfully no one was around to see it so she decided to report to Xeras to give her daily debrief. As she made her trip up the stairways she reflected on the events of yesterday; why was she so quick to offer a blood oath to some being she hardly knew and could kill her at any moment? She reasoned that since she had no other real life waiting for her anywhere else this was her chance to do something important with her life; along with the fact he knew why benders reacted so violently around her. Her thoughts jogged her memory, today was the day Xeras promised her to reveal the secrets behind her "condition". She decided that she'd ask him about it after she gave her report so he couldn't dodge her questions. As her thoughts came to a close she found herself in front of the Captain's quarters; she didn't bother nocking as he wouldn't answer anyway and simply stepped in.

Xeras was in his famous "Skeleton Mannequin" pose staring down on the deck of the ship, seemingly inspecting the crew from his viewport. He never turned to face Evelyn as she entered his quarters.

"Well captain, the ship is running at maximum efficiency, the crew seems disciplined enough and I've done my best to make it so they don't ask questions. We are quite a ways away from the mainland so their shouldn't be too many naval patrols in the area." She stood silently waiting for his response.

"What is the health status of the crew? Are their any contagions onboard this ship?" She was surprised at his query, she didn't notice anyone acting strangely. All the sailors seemed to be just fine by her accounts.

"Um… no? What makes you ask that?" she walked over and sat down on the comfy captain's chair; she doubt he'd mind he never used it. She also noticed the bed was untouched as well as everything else in the room; had he been standing like that all night?

"You have been vomiting since mid-day and seem to be having issues with keeping your footing; I did not notice these symptoms when we were on the mainland." She realized he must've seen her while she was doing her rounds. She was a tad bit embarrassed, she always did her best to look strong and never show weakness; but she never could get over how her body reacted to travel by sea.

"Well… I have seasickness, it's a common thing really. My body just reacts violently to the constant rocking of the ship, it's not a big thing I promise you." She was still anxious to ask him her questions but decided it'd be best if she let him get through his first.

"Hmmm… very well then it is easy to forget how frail mortal bodies can be, is their anything else I should know of?" She was confused at his answer, did he used to be a living being like her? She decided to focus her attention on matters at hand.

"No, nothing else; if there's nothing else you need to know I believe its time I got my answers from you." She said half afraid; she is still trying to accustom herself to his personality worrying about being too bold yet her pride won't allow her to look weak in front of another. Xeras continued his seemingly eternal watch from the window as he gave his response.

"Very well, you have proven trustworthy enough so far. You are what my people know as a blank, your soul has no presence in the warp. Since you are invisible to the energies of the immaterium, psykers around you have their powers severely hampered or even nullified completely. You are a plague to them as the psychic energies within them convulse and writhe in confusion and pain as you sever their connection to the warp." She hung on every word he said and yet, she still felt somewhat confused.

"What's the warp? And why am I like this? Are their others like me out there?" she slowly states her questions one after another as she yearned for more answers.

Xeras had assumed these primitive peoples wouldn't know of the warp or the beings that dwelled within it. He decided to give a more in depth answer.

"The warp is the realm from which all psykers draw their power from, you don't need to know any more than that. Furthermore, there is a certain gene in your genetic code that enables your power, but the odds of a world having a blank are so low that their have only been roughly 1 blank on a world in centuries. You are most likely alone, the only one of your kind on this planet." Xeras hoped this answer would be sufficient as discussing the intricacies of the warp would take far longer than he'd like to take on such a trivial matter. She seemed satisfied as he heard her raise herself from her seat and open the door, but before she left she gave three final words.

"Just like you."

The door creaked shut slowly behind her leaving Xeras to his thoughts. The answer quite surprised him as she obviously had a hint of fear on her at all times when she was around him; he never suspected she'd make such a bold statement. Though it may not have been insulting in nature he presumed, she may have been just making an observation. The thoughts once again began to plague his mind, he was alone without his warriors, his legions, his brothers. He had no real plan for a long term solution which troubled him, he always had an answer for everything, why not this? It could take him centuries to accrue the resources he'd need for a simple spacecraft; given the technology on this world progressed fast enough. Another issue was Evelyn, the lifespan for the people here couldn't be very long from what he'd seen from their biology and anatomy. She wasn't going to last long enough to keep being his liaison to the native kingdoms before her frail body gave out; time wasn't on his side. He reckoned he had roughly a month at current pace to reach the island cluster, giving him some time to think of a semi long term solution to the problem.

Eve returned to her room and swiftly dropped onto her bed trying to wrap her head around what she had just heard. This "warp" was still a mystery to her, without even trying she was basically disabling and eating away internally at any bender that got near her. She began to wonder if any of her ancestors had the same power she did, Xeras did say it was genetic so possibly it could be inherited? She also remembered the odds of having another blank in the entire world, she was the only one who had to deal with this. She was still trying to wonder if this was a gift or a curse; she can't remember the last time she had a long term home before being chased out yet on the other hand her unknown talent helped her a lot during her career. She was at least glad that Xeras held up his end of the bargain and seemed genuinely truthful; although he did seem to hold some information back. Overall she was pleased she got what answers she could out of him and allowed herself to fall into the embrace of sleep.

_The Next Morning_

Eve's peaceful sleep was ended by the sounds of the sounds of the crewmen performing their tasks across the ship. With a heavy yawn she stretched out her limbs to prepare her body for the day ahead, as uneventful as it would probably be. As she walked down the hallway she was stopped right outside the captain's door by the cold voice she'd slowly come accustomed to by now.  
"Good, you're awake. I require your advice on a matter of importance to our journey."

She quickly went into the room and shut the door behind her, curious as to how he knew she was there. She noticed he was looking at the map they were using to plot their course, seemingly wondering about something.

"We are currently here." Xeras puts his finger at the ships' current coordinates. "We've been sailing in deep waters away from the coast to avoid detection as possible, while this route takes longer it ensures better secrecy." She was wondering why he was stating these obvious facts to her but allowed him to continue.

"What I didn't calculate for was this planets wildlife, I need to know if there are any large enough underwater beasts that could possibly damage or sink this ship. I also did not calculate for piracy that surely occurs in such lawless waters; naval combat could prove quite dangerous and hamper the mission, I cannot afford such setbacks. Finally, I also am unsure on patrol routes of the kingdoms here that could spot our vessel and attempt a search. Based on your experience should we risk detection and stay closer to the shoreline for safety or continue our current route for less interference?"

She pondered his question and observations, trying to ascertain the best possible way to proceed. He had good points, she reasoned that their were no large enough creatures to threaten their journey on the current route they take but, pirates were always an issue which kept the naval patrols active and suspicious. After thinking heavily about the matter, she came to a conclusion.

"Well unless we run into an angry Lion Turtle or a Sea dragon, we should be fine; and those shouldn't be anywhere near the route we're taking. The only problem is pirates are impossible to predict, most don't launch raids in a pattern to avoid getting caught. Unfortunately, this keeps the navy patrols skeptical and on alert all the time. My guess would be that most of the heavier groups of ships would be guarding convoys between the neighboring nations, along with internal water trade routes." She runs her finger horizontally across the center of the ocean between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire nation. "Our biggest issue will be here, the main trade route between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire nation goes through this waterway which lies directly in our path. Our best bet is to get lucky and try to avoid any merchant convoys heading through that area. But to answer your original question, I say we stay out to sea as much as we need to, if we hug the shoreline too much people will get suspicious."

Xeras input her information into his calculations and reasoned her logic was sound. This world seemed able to house a variety of wildlife, many would most likely be hostile. Her mention of Lion Turtles and Sea Dragons made him wonder at why kind of wildlife inhabited the continents and deep oceans of this planet. He suddenly thought of a third possible threat.

"What about the air? If this planet possesses creatures so varied and fierce as you say it does, should we be worried about an assault from a predatory airborne beast?"

She quickly browsed her memory for anything particularly threatening and swiftly came to her conclusion.

"No, not really. Most birds are harmless and nothing in the skies could do much of anything to a ship like this save except for a Dragon; those were wiped out years ago, and maybe a Sky Bison but the only one that's been seen in a century is owned by the Avatar." She had to admire how thorough he was in his plans, every possibility factored into account with each possible outcome weighed against the probabilities. Xeras seemed satisfied with his answer and lifted his gaze from the map to her.

"Very well, we shall continue on the current course without any unnecessary delays. I will expect your report at the end of the day as usual, you are dismissed." He swiftly turned around and returned his unflinching gaze to the deck of the ship, presumably to keep watch on his crew that he had the same feelings towards as he would a scarab worker.

Evelyn simply nodded silently and left the room closing the door behind her, she did have a concern she didn't mention to him fearful of how he would react. This trip would likely take a while, the men will most likely grow restless eventually and Xeras' cold and calculating attitude would only push them to eventually fight back against their absentee leader. As she patrolled the ship she began taking mental notes on the crewmembers as she passed through each section of the ship, trying to find a way to ensure their cooperation for the remainder of the journey. She decided on bonding with the crew and getting to know them better, she invited several of the crew to come to the bottom deck of the ship to eat and drink and tell stories together like family. Most of the men seemed like decent, honest, good people; so she decided getting to know them a bit better wouldn't hurt and would allow them to trust her more. Since it was still pretty early, she decided to head to the balcony and enjoy the view since things were running smoothly, she wondered that when this was all over if she'd go on a long vacation traveling to distant places for the fun of it. She assumed most people were still celebrating and taking a break after the war ended, especially the Avatar and his famous group of adventurers.

_The coastal fishing town where Xeras and Evelynn acquired their ship_

Aang and the team had been following the trail of their unknown target for hours, finally seeing a small town in the distance. Sokka confirmed the trail they'd been following lead in a similar direction so they could assume they were on the right track. Most of the team were still somewhat traumatized by the trail of bodies they had to follow to find a small cave which was seemingly used as a makeshift shelter during the storm; unfortunately they didn't find many clues besides signs that their mark had indeed been there and left during the rain. At first the group was worried they'd find another seen of death and carnage at this innocent little settlement, but were surprised when they noticed it wasn't set ablaze, and as they approached the people seemed very alive and well. The guards at the front quickly noticed the now world renowned Avatar and his friends, quickly allowing them inside. When questioned on any strange activity, the man only recalled a beautiful young woman with what he assumed was her elder arriving in town, only they never left by foot, so it could only be reasoned they left by ship. While most regarded the guard with mild contempt seeing as he was obviously incompetent and barely paid attention to his job, Toph said he was telling the truth, so they kept his story in mind as they spread out across the town questioning anyone they could about the whereabouts of the visitors. Most people had no clue anyone had arrived, leading to the conclusion they must've left immediately after arrival by sea. With this in mind they went to the harbor and began asking around eventually leading them to talk to a now former ship owner. He was an older fellow, who seemed to have seen his deal of adventure in life and was now settling down.

"Excuse me sir, mind if I ask you some questions? Me and my friends are looking for someone." Aang inquired, he hoped this lead would be more fruitful than their other endeavors.

The captain greeted him with a wide smile "Well I'll be! If it ain't the Avatar! I'd be happy to help ya with anything I can."

Aang's day was brightened a bit by the man's overall happy demeanor, it helped even out the interior horrors they struggled with.

"We're looking for someone, unfortunately we don't know much about them. We've been following a trail and it lead us here, and we think they might've left by ship. Did you notice anyone strange leaving here recently?" Aang hoped for something solid to follow up on, they were losing precious time in tracking their target who could be anywhere right now.

"Well, yesterday I sold my old ship to a young woman who didn't like to answer a lot of questions, I did notice some old guy in a robe with her, but he never spoke and now to think of it; she always avoided talking about him whenever possible. If you're following them, I wish ya good luck. They didn't say where they were going or why. If it helps at all, the ship's a small one, fire nation design; I used it during the war to travel and deliver supplies, and the occasional trade with merchants. She shouldn't be heavily armed, but her she's a speedy one." Aang frowned as he took this into account, no trail, no known destination, and their ship was fast. Given how much time, they were behind this couldn't be good, But at least now they had something to work with. Aang gave a respectful bow and thanked the man for his help, he reported his findings to the group which lead Sokka to devising a plan. He pulled out a map and designated their location as he began formulating his plan.

"All right guys, so we're here" _he points to a spot on the map_ "We know that there are two of them, and that they've left by ship to somewhere. Now if I was to guess where they were heading, I'd say to the west. They're trying to avoid capture and seemingly all kinds of civilization so we can rule out the northern water tribe. If they go east there's really nowhere you could go for quite a while, as well as very few places to re supply. From what I've" _Sokka gets a glare from Aang_ "Uh, I mean **we've **gathered, their ship is small but fast; this means their trying to get somewhere as quick as possible. On the bright side, a ship that size can't sustain itself for too long without re supplying somewhere, unless their destination is very close by. I say we head west checking any ports we come across to see if they spotted our target."

Sokka wrapped up his map and met the looks of a genuinely surprised group.

"Wow Sokka that plan actually sounds like it'll work, I'm impressed." Suki proclaimed with a slight giggle. Sokka took slight offense to the remark, "Hey! I always make great plans! Things just don't always work out so well when their implemented." He gave a semi angry look back at the now laughing group. As it grew late they decided to spend the night at the town to rest up and begin their hunt, hoping for a fruitful journey tomorrow. Aang on the other hand couldn't fall asleep as fast as the others, as his mind was racked by inner conflict. He had been adamant in never taking a life, even in the case of horrible people like Ozai and Azula; but whoever did this, he was fearful they couldn't be subdued peacefully. His tortured mind allowed him to finally sleep hours later, never answering one simple question; will I have to kill?


	6. Cat and Mouse

**Hey guys just a heads up, college is starting soon (if this gets published on Tuesday college starts Wednesday) so things MIGHT slow down a bit I'll do my best to get at minimum 1 chapter per week but working 4 days a week and college the other 3 things may slow down a bit but I promise to keep updating!)**

_Somewhere in the ocean separating the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, several weeks since Xeras' ship left the town_

Evelyn was at her station again, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious on the horizon; as per usual nothing was there. She did her tour around the ship, chatting with the crew and doing minor inspections on the equipment on board. Over the past few weeks she'd learned a lot of things about the men that served under her, most were either old war veterans, or young men looking for work in the post war world. Almost all had families, including Kato, who had a child on the way that he hoped to see when he got home from the trip. She smiled as she was glad that this ship had such a decent group of people as its crew instead of the usual scum; her joyful thoughts subsided as she began to wonder what Xeras' plan for the crew was. She knew he didn't leave loose ends of any kind, but surely he would need contact with the mainland? Knowing his brutal ways of being "efficient" every man on this ship was destined to die by the end of the voyage; she almost couldn't bear the thought of them being massacred in front of her eyes for the sake of secrecy. Unfortunately, the crew had not the faintest idea of what was really going on, many considered her the real captain of the ship, as she was the only one they saw and respected. They'd even begun addressing her as captain despite her protests, she decided it was easier for them so she allowed them to think of her as the true leader; unfortunately she was only a puppet with a far more sinister being pulling the strings. She pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind and continued strolling around the ship, enjoying the friendly atmosphere everyone had around them, eventually as night fell the crew went to the hull for their now nightly story-telling events; as well as time to talk and discuss things about life and the future. She warned them to control their drinking this time as Mao fell flat on his face last time, however funny it indeed was she was sure Xeras would have none of it. As they gave her reassuring laughs, she began the lonely walk up to the dark and cold stairs to the captain's quarters. It was eerily quiet at this hour, with the crew down in the hull nobody was up here except for her or Xeras. She was always a bit wierded out by the sound of her own feet touching the hard, steel floor; making her footsteps echo throughout the upper deck. She finally reached the captain's chamber and allowed herself in; by now nobody ever came close to this room assuming it was simply Eve's and didn't want to disturb her. Xeras seemed to actually move every once in a while as he no longer stood ever watchful over the crewmen on the deck. She noticed he was sitting in the captain's chair gazing into the personal fireplace with its flame flickering in the dark, damp room.

"Another uneventful day, the seas have been unusually calm and we haven't sighted any naval patrols nor pirates; I'd say this is going pretty well. At this rate we'll reach the islands within 2-3 weeks at most."

She gave her usual report expecting the usual dismissal response in which she'd head down and mingle with the crew to keep them busy so they wouldn't snoop around the upper deck. What she received however was quite different.

"Do you know your place upon this vessel Evelyn?" She slightly jerked in response to the seemingly random question

"Um… of course I do? What makes you ask that?" she was beginning to get worried, Xeras didn't seem like the one who allowed himself to be undermined.

"This crew looks up to you, they respect you. To them you are the captain of this ship, to which i have little issue with for the time being as long as you know where your loyalties lie." Xeras took a slight pause, never moving his gaze from the bright flames. "This crew is becoming far too lax and complacent; they drink and distract themselves from their duties during the night when we are most vulnerable. I have noticed you speaking with them during their nightly groupings, you are getting quite close to them, I advise against this."

Eve was shocked, how did he know about all of this? Maybe he didn't stay cooped up here all the time after all. It was quite possible for him to sneak around with the ships' loud mechanisms and dark shadows to provide cover for a silent stalker. She simply stood there as he continued.

You are my voice upon this ship, your word is law; you are also my sword to deal punishment when it is due. You have my full authority to begin executions whenever and however you deem fit to keep this crew in line. Discipline must be maintained at all costs, these men are simply tools, a means to an end for our task. By now you must be curious as to my plans for when we reach the shoreline, and in time these plans will be revealed. These island clusters seem sufficient to sustain life for quite some time to keep you alive, as such once these men have served their purpose, they will be eliminated before they are able to compromise our destination."

Her worried look had become a horrified gaze of shock and fear, she'd worried about this and hoped Xeras would allow these men to simply leave and be on their way. These were decent people who were just out to make a living, they didn't deserve to die, not for this. She quickly gathered her thoughts and formulated a response.

"B...but… they've done nothing to us! They aren't planning a mutiny if that's what you're worried about; they're just regular people trying to make a living. Sometimes they get a bit out of hand but I promise you they're good, decent, honest people who just want to get home. Besides, we certainly can't get everything we need from a handful of small islands can we? They've served us faithfully so far haven't they? I thought you respected loyalty!?" She gave herself a moment to catch her breath, hoping she'd been convincing enough to spare the lives of her newly made friends.

Xeras contemplated her counter argument, it was quite sound in actuality even if he had his doubts. He understood little of the native cultures here and decided to trust her judgment on the matter, although he would continue to keep a watchful eye on those he considered to be simply disposable tools for his use when needed. She seemed to be growing bolder around him, most likely to getting used to his presence; he paid it no mind though, she owed him a debt and he was certain she'd pay it in full. Also he always was concerned about the possible need for outside resources once they reached the isles, obtaining a new crew would be impossible if they stranded themselves at their destination. Unfortunately, Evelyn was able to buy the ship but the crew weren't simply items to be bought, they had contracts and would be released after a set amount of time so replacements would be needed to keep the supplies flowing should he need them. This revelation would prove quite an annoyance Xeras reasoned, as they would have to make port in the fire nation to refresh supplies as well as gaining a new crew since the only contract they could afford was quite a limited one.

"Very well, if you believe these peons can be trusted then so be it. I do value loyalty, these men are simply naval mercenaries, loyalty for hire, and they have no true allegiances and will turn on their masters for a bit of coin. Anyway, it has come to my attention we need to alter our course." Eve gave him a questioning look, curious as to why he was so swift to change their destination after being so hell-bent on it. "These sailors will end their contracts soon, we must gain replacements at a fire nation port before heading to the isles to ensure we will have a fully crewed vessel to suit our needs."

Eve internally gave a sigh of relief, happy she was able to save the lives of at least a few good people instead of taking them for a change. While slightly annoyed at Xeras' obvious disrespect to them, she decided it wasn't a major issue for now. She simply nodded and left him staring into the blaze as she headed off to the Helmsman to alter the course.

The gang had been traveling for weeks on Appa, trying their best to catch sight of the ship, unfortunately constant delays kept them one step behind their target. Visiting every little fishing village proved a time consuming hassle, as well as stopping to pick up supplies and Toph's need to get off of Appa every once in a while to feel the firm earth beneath her. While Sokka was utterly frustrated they were so far behind schedule, the group took the time to lighten up a bit after all they've witnessed. After the first few weeks, Katara began to worry that they'd completely lost the ship, and maybe it changed course or if they'd overshot it and gotten ahead. They did hear from a fisherman a few villages back that he'd seen a ship heading full steam in the direction Sokka had planned it would, reaffirming his faith in his plan. Their pace was annoyingly slow as they risked missing out on information if they skipped on even the smallest of fishing towns to speed up pursuit. Suki had tried her best to ease Sokka's overall frustration, but it only ended up in them arguing costing the group more time as they were forced to land so they could get away from the heated debate. For the time being, things were overall quite quiet, and Aang could tell they were slowly, but surely, getting closer to their goal. Katara made a realization that caused her to giggle slightly, which received questioning looks from the rest of the group.

"Oh, sorry guys; I just found something kinda funny. The shoe's on the other foot now isn't it? Now we're chasing someone instead of being chased by Zuko!"

the group responded with jovial laughter, as the irony of the situation dawned on them. It felt strange to be the hunter instead of the hunted, chasing someone who continued to evade them at every turn; this is what Zuko must've felt like during the time he followed them across the world. The group had been on the chase for quite some time now, and the chase had slowly taken its toll on them. They rarely talked as much as they used to, and the frustration of trying to find such an elusive target was getting to them. Katara was simply glad she could keep them happy and laughing, instead of arguing. By now, she was desparately hoping they'd catch a break. She wasn't sure how long they could keep this up without taking some kind of break to clear their minds, or risk the group splitting up due to arguing so much. Appa made what she assumed to be a large yawn, the trip had taken its toll on the big guy as well; he wasn't able to get as much sleep as he'd like and their sparse supply runs didn't give any of them much to eat for fear of losing precious time. As the group once again awkwardly descended into silence, Katara lazily pretended to be on the lookout in the distance for anything at all that wasn't just the ocean; suddenly, in the corner of her eye she noticed something. She quickly took Sokka's spyglass and looked into the far distance, a small figure on the horizon slowly came into view. She could see steam being pumped from its' top and as it came into focus, she identified it as a ship.

"I see something! There's a ship over there!" She quickly shouted, the group sprung to life finally having something to do. Appa was quickly re directed to the direction of the object at full speed. Finally, Katara thought, they found their target and justice would be done.

**Sorry if the chapter is short guys I've been falling behind lately, like I said earlier college is starting up and I've begin making preparations. I'll do my best to keep up my schedule but things may happen. I won't give up on this story I promise! And with that I'll see you… in the next chapter! Bye Bye!**


	7. Confrontation

**Hey guys! College has started so (as warned before) things MIGHT slow down (I have a lot of spare time on Thursdays evidently). I hope to keep this story alive and well and updated frequently and will do my best to keep the content coming! Forgive my ignorance, but I think the gauntlet of fire doesn't shoot flame it only surrounds the glove itself in flame so I hope I don't mess that up. Since Sokka was trained by the best swords master in the world, I had him get another sword (unfortunately not space sword ****) but he prefers his boomerang if possible but won't hesitate to go to the blade if needed.(Also yes in my story Katara/Aang didn't work out because I hated that in the show it was extremely forced and heavily underdeveloped making little sense in overall speculation. I'll try not to make a huge deal out of it but I don't agree with that pairing.)**

Xeras was viewing down on the crew from his viewport when something unexpected happened, Evelyn simply burst into his room; seemingly in a panic. Her face showed visual worry and she was heavily panting from most likely running through the ship to reach him as fast as possible.

"We *huffs* have a *huffs* problem!" She said frantically. Xeras held up his hand as a signal to tell her to calm down and gather her thoughts before continuing. After a few seconds, she was prepared to speak once more.

"While doing my rounds one of the crew spotted something in the distance, I used my spyglass to get a better view. Turns out it's an Air Bison! There's only one Bison left in the world and only one person who owns one, the Avatar. They'll be here within the hour we need a plan and fast!" She seemed to be racking her mind to find an escape plan, or something to distract the group as they slipped away; unfortunately, it was middle of the day with clear weather they had no place to hide.

Xeras took this information into account and calculated the possibilities of escape, or some kind of non-hostile confrontation; they were extremely low. He went over to his captain's table and inspected the map they had, focusing on the immediate area. At their current location he noticed the nearest port was extremely close, but would inevitably be highly populated due to the trade routes. His other option was attempting to fight them on the ship in the open sea, where his opponent would have a massive advantage. Fooling them into ignoring this vessel would most likely prove fruitless, seeing as they followed him for so long they would stop at nothing to find him. His only recourse seemed to land at the nearby port, and attempt to hide without causing alarm. If it came to combat, he reasoned his best chances at victory would be in a ground battle where the odds were more even.

"Change our course to the nearby port at full steam, if this turns to battle we must have every advantage possible. I will look for a suitable place to conceal myself while you try to convince them to leave."

She responded with a nod and ran off to the helmsman to adjust course, the excuse would be to stock up on supplies and give the men a little time to relax. Eve's mind raced trying to work up a cover story as the ship raced to the shoreline. She began forming a plan based on the stories she'd heard of the avatar gang, they all complemented each other flawlessly. Toph was the greatest Earthbender in the world also being rumored to be able to bend metal, and Aang was the master of all four elements after becoming a fully realized Avatar. Sokka was a decently well practiced blades man, as well as using his signature boomerang as well as being a half decent planner with a lot of bad jokes, while Katara was considered to be an exceptionally powerful waterbender. She knew Xeras had good reason to attempt a ground fight if it came to that, as the ship wasn't armed that well with a crew who didn't really seem like the fighting type. Thankfully, Aang was known to be a gentle spirit, often trusting and generous to those he met meaning she could possible manipulate him if she acted nice. Toph was a hard liner who was rumored to be able to tell if people were lying, she hoped that wasn't true or else she'd be in huge trouble. Katara seemed similar to Aang being kind and caring for others, especially those in her group; she wondered if her personality had been affected by the post war breakup of her and Aang. She had little time to formulate a decent plot of deception as the ship pulled into the harbor, and she could hear the Bison's low roar above them; time was up.

Aang and the group had gone from being bored and quite frustrated, to excited and highly focused within mere minutes. They were glad to have hopefully found the ship they were looking for, and to bring an end to this extended chase. They kept their eyes on the ship the entire time, noting how it sped up to full speed heading towards a nearby port town. This only seemed to reinforce their suspicions that this ship was indeed trying to escape them, or at least was trying to avoid them. Aang got Appa to fly at full speed to the town as the group prepared themselves for possible combat. They flew overhead and took note of the crew leaving the vessel heading into the town, they seemed all quite normal. They swiftly landed in the largest opening they could find for Appa and sped off towards the recently docked vessel. They soon reached where the ship had anchored in and quickly addressed the nearest crew member.

"Excuse me, your one of the sailors who works on that ship aren't you?" Aang addressed politely. The man turned to him and replied with a smile "Why yes I am, what can I do for ya?" Aang decided he seemed like an honest enough guy "I'd like to speak to your captain for a minute it's really important." The man noticed the Arrow on his head and instantly recognized the group. "Oh hey! You're the Avatar! Let me go find the captain, I'll be right back!" he quickly headed back on board the immobile vessel, keeping his cheerful demeanor. Toph affirmed he was being sincere and was telling the truth, so the group waited. It was only moments before the man returned with a young woman who seemed to have the respect of the crew as they addressed her with genuine kindness as she headed down to the group. As she got closer Toph got a strange feeling that something was very wrong.

"So the famous Avatar and his group! I must say it's an honor, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? She smiled as she addressed the group, although internally she was thrown off by Suki and Ty Lee being with the group, she hadn't counted on them joining the original gang on their trips; this could complicate things.

While Ty lee, Sokka, and Suki felt fine, the benders of the group all felt a strange feeling come over them. They felt physically weaker with minor headaches, Aang felt his connection to the spirit world practically severed mentally disorienting him. Toph seemed to have the worst of it, as her vision became sketchy and her ability to be able to read people's bodies to tell if they were lying seemed to have something interfering with it. The group did their best not to show any signs of their sudden pains and kept up the conversation with Katara beginning the questioning.

"So how long have you owned this boat?" she inquired.

"Well roughly a few weeks, maybe a month? Not too long though." Eve had decided to add little truths to the story that the crew could confirm so that the lies she intertwined would seem more believable.

"And have you noticed anything strange at all? Anyone who seems a bit dangerous or out there?" the interrogation continued.

"No, not really, but feel free to talk to any of my crew if you'd like they seem to me like decent people which is why I hired them." Things were going better than Evelyn expected, she hoped she could keep this up.

Sokka decided to chip in "Where exactly were you planning to go? And you seemed to rush to port when we were getting close to your ship." The question sounded very rude, but he reasoned someone needed to ask the tough questions.

"Well, I wanted to stock up on supplies, and the crew haven't had a lot of time to relax during our trip, so I decided to make a quick stop. To answer your other question, I've been wanting to travel around for quite some time now but never had the chance; so I thought since the war's over, now would be the best time to do so."

Sokka made a quick glance at Toph, who to his surprise, made signals to suggest she couldn't tell if she was lying or not. "Well, just in case I think it'd be best of we spoke to your crew if your offer still stands" Suki proclaimed.

"Feel free, I hope you find whoever you're looking for" she responded, and swiftly walked off into the busy streets disappearing into the crowds.

As she left, the group came together for a consensus on what to do next, but first the issue of what happened to the benders had to be addressed.

"Toph what happened? You seemed to be acting weird, was she able to get past your senses or something?" Sokka asked, he was heavily relying on Toph to be a lie detector.

"It's… weird. I had a huge headache and my vision got blurry, I couldn't read her vitals or anything" She admitted shamefully.

"I had a headache too, and I felt extremely weak both physically and mentally" Aang joined in, with surprised looks returning his statement. As Katara also confirmed the same symptoms, it seems whatever happened only affected benders. Ty Lee also stated she noticed the woman had no aura at all which was something she'd never seen before. She also noticed when she got close to the group, the auras of the bending half started to fluctuate and seemed hampered. The conclusion was made that whatever she did, it only affected benders. As strange as this was they decided to go question the crew for answers. After roughly an hour of what were basically interrogations, nobody could find anything that would indicate any kind of harmful intent amongst the crew. A revised theory is that they were simply being used as an asset to accomplish whatever deeds the captain wanted done, and as such were kept out of the loop. They all remained highly suspicious of the captain, and went to go find her hoping to catch her doing something she couldn't lie her way out of. After some rooftop hopping, Aang found her and rallied the group, cautiously shadowing her every movement through the town. It was obvious she was trying to shake off any pursuers, as she kept slipping from alley to alley and from crowd to crowd. She never bought anything or spoke to anyone, always on the move. After some time had passed, she looked as if she was certain she wasn't being followed and slowed her pace; heading into an unpopulated street corner. It was dark, yet a black silhouette could be seen fully enclosed by the darkness. The group silently moved in behind her, Aang from above and the rest from below.

"Aha! Caught you!" Sokka proclaimed as he came out from behind Evelyn, causing her to turn around with a shocked look on her face; the hooded figure made no move at all. "I think we found our criminal, give up now there's no way out!" Sokka was full of confidence, assured in their final victory. Aang exposed himself from above, and the rest of the group had the narrow alley covered from both sides, escape was impossible.

Evelyn took note of her surroundings, escape for her alone would be impossible, yet she wasn't alone. Deciding distraction would be her best bet to get Xeras out she acted swiftly.

"Run!" she quickly shouted as she tore off her Captain's clothes to reveal a much more flexible outfit that had a fully covered top and leggings with daggers encircling them. Before the gang had time to react, she quickly threw her blades in every direction, causing them to take cover. During this time, Xeras, using full force smashed himself through the nearby wall and bolted down the street to the sights of a confused crowd. Eve quickly ran down the opened path, using the crowds as cover. The gang quickly gave chase as the crowds had begun to panic as bending and blades were thrown across the streets. Toph sent a wave of earth down the street in an attempt to nock Eve down, but she simply sidestepped the blast when it spiked up using the tip to backflip over the wall that lay in front of her. Xeras was sprinting down the narrow streets, hoping that avoiding the main roads would keep him undetected. Unfortunately for him, the screams of started townsfolk echoed his location and he found himself being chased by Ty Lee and Suki. The chase ravaged the town until Eve found that she had reached the town limits after jumping over a wall; she faced the open fields which gave no place to run or hide. She decided she had to make a stand and buy Xeras time to escape, she turned and readied herself into a defensive stance; she lowered her body with her knees bent, one dagger raised in front of her and one raised behind her the daggers facing backwards. A silent standoff began as Toph, Aang, Katara, and Sokka formed a group line ahead of her prepared to attack.

"It's over Evelyn, you've got nowhere to run. Give up now and we will show mercy." Aang did his best to negotiate, she was good with blades and even at this distance he could feel her distortion of his bending. The inner pacifist in him urged him to find a non-violent solution.

"Sorry Avatar, afraid I can't do that." She responded, she knew this was a losing battle but she wouldn't go down quietly.

With that, Aang bended a gust of wind at her causing her to roll to the left, only in time to get hit by a rockslide that Toph launched at her predicting her path. At this range she had no hope, so Eve charged at the group hoping to gain an edge. Katara bended a blast of water at her, trying to encase her in ice to immobilize her, but Eve dived under it and threw a dagger at Katara, forcing her to jolt back before getting hit. As the distance closed, Eve was cut off by Sokka wielding his blade, forcing her to use both of her daggers to block his strikes. She used her superior agility to outmaneuver him, but she was consistently hindered by the benders constantly launching strikes against her. She kicked Sokka in the gut and slammed his face into the dirt, then jumped over his body and dashed towards the group as he tried to recover. The benders grew slowly weaker as she closed the distance, which was noticeable by how much weaker their bending rapidly got as she closed in on them. She used this to her advantage by jumping over Aang attempting to engage her in melee with his staff and began engaging Katara in hand to blade combat. Katara bended water around her arms turning them to ice to block Eve's strikes, but she wasn't as proficient in close quarters as her opponent was, which showed when Evelyn forced her to block and upper strike, then twirled too fast for Katara to react leaving her chest open for a quick stab. Katara cried out in pain as the blade was yanked out as soon as it was plunged into her, forcing her to the ground. Before Evelyn could finish off her opponent, her upper strike was blocked by Sokka's sword. She jumped back and the two combatants stared each other down as Katara backed off with Aang covering her retreat. When Katara was in a safe position she began healing herself as Aang prepared to join Sokka.

"You're good I'll give you that, but your no match for a real swords man." Sokka proclaimed, his inner pride showing.

"Oh really? How about you take me on yourself instead of hiding behind benders?" she mocked, hoping he'd fall for the trap.

Sokka couldn't resist the challenge "Done, you and me no help" Sokka foolishly accepted

The two stared each other down, waiting for the first strike. Sokka took the initiative by charging her yelling in his signature battle cry. His strike came down on empty ground as Eve sidestepped his strike and made a sweeping kick under his legs forcing him to the ground. He quickly rolled over and held his sword up to block the dual daggers aiming for his chest. Eve was too focused on trying to push through his defense and wasn't aware of his leg movements which rewarded her with a kick to the chest, forcing her back. Sokka quickly got up and launched a fury of strikes, hoping to overwhelm her with offensive attacks. Evelyn struggled to keep up with the pace of the strikes, being wild and unpredictable she tried her best to dodge the onslaught of attacks since her daggers couldn't handle that kind of fury. Unfortunately, the burst of strikes left a hole open in Sokka's assaults when he tried to do a heavy horizontal slice that Eve was able to bend backwards to dodge. Before Sokka recovered from the strike Evelyn quickly used her knee to strike his gut, following up with her rolling over his crouched form, and digging a dagger into his back. As Sokka yelled in pain his body straightened, allowing her to yank out her dagger and deliver a kick to his exposed calf muscle forcing him to the ground. She followed up with a swift kick to the back of the head bringing the proud warrior face down in the dust. Sokka's pride was probably the most damaged by the defeat, while he practiced a lot with his blade he rarely ever used it against a real opponent. He ended up resorting to his old style of combat, wild and undisciplined and it cost him. Evelyn's eyes glowed with an all too familiar fire burning within them. There was a reason she was feared in the criminal underworld, often when killing her targets she would become overwhelmed by the rush of the kill, the bloodlust consuming her. She lost focus of everything around her, savoring the pain she inflicted and the kill to come; thankfully for Sokka, she was interrupted. Before her blades could reach the back of his neck she found herself tossed meters away skidding across the earth. Her back ached and her head felt like it'd been stomped on by a lion turtle; she slowly recovered noting that a first made of rock had collided with her face while she was going in the for kill disrupting the duel. Aang rushed to Sokka's side and despite his protests, pulled him away from the fight to Katara who was still trying to heal her own wounds. Toph encased herself in rock and practically glided across the ground charging to the now barely standing Eve. Evelyn knew she was probably done for, she'd reached her limit a problem she never seemed to be able to solve. She burnt herself out too quickly throwing herself all in during the battle leaving her exhausted; this was her flaw, in a war of attrition she lost every time she didn't have the endurance to keep up a prolonged fight. She closed her eyes and awaited her inevitable death, she decided she did what she could to buy Xeras time, and was prepared to face the reaper knowing she died doing her best.

But, as Toph reached her and held her hands together, bringing them down in an attempt to crush her skull, something happened. Eve opened her eyes to see the all too familiar green mist dissipate, and Xeras' form appear in front of her using his fire engulfed hand to stave off the blow. Toph was completely in shock, utterly unprepared for the sudden appearance of a new foe. Her sight told her he was made of metal, but none she hadn't seen before, in a desperate attempt to gain the advantage she yanked out one of her arms from Xeras' grip and grabbed his torso attempting to bend it to her will. To her surprise the metal refused, instead fighting her commands at every corner as if it was alive. Before she could make another move her body armor made of rock was pierced by a gauss blast from Xeras' leaving her defenses open. Xeras exploited this by turning his staff around and impaling her through the lower right thigh. Her screams of pain were cut off as he yanked out his spear and swirled around delivering a kick to her chest sending her on her back. To the horror shocked looks of the entire group excluding Evelyn, Xeras took a moment to pause and assess the situation. The enemy forces were heavily wounded but somewhat capable, they had to escape now. He quickly turned to Evelyn and assessed her injuries, escape is going to be complicated.

"Can you walk?" Xeras asked in his normal tone, noting Eve was still conscious.

"I… I'll try" she finally got her words out. The wounds only compiled on the immense pressure she put on herself during the chase and the fight, she pushed her body to its' limits. She slowly gathered herself and stood somewhat upright. She limped over to Xeras, which received her gaining a look from him she couldn't read.

"You are unable to walk, it seems i must carry you." Before she could protest, she found herself slung over his cold shoulder. She didn't have the strength to argue and decided to accept it, but as Xeras began to walk back to the ship they were stopped by the last standing member of the group.

"I won't let you escape! Not again! You're going to pay for what you've done!" Aang was furious, he'd be so occupied with trying to get his friends to safety, and he'd been too far away to help them during the fights. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to activate the Avatar state, he guessed it was because the monster with the woman were only around 10-15 feet away from him, dampening his powers. While spiritually he was weak, he was determined to put up any kind of resistance to prohibit their escape.

"Foolish boy, you cannot handle me alone. Your companions are grievously wounded, some may die if you don't get to them soon." Aang stood shocked, he'd completely forgotten about Suki and Ty Lee! They were supposed to subdue Xeras, but he didn't see either of them.

"What did you do to them!?" he demanded, his rage was at a boiling point. But Aang soon realized he had to keep his calm, if he angered his enemy enough, he doubt he'd spare his friends lives in their weakened state.

"What had to be done, if you go now you may be able to save them; unless of course you wish to stand in my path? I have no qualms about squeezing the life from your veins child, and do not expect me to show mercy to any **others **who would stand in my path." Xeras brutally proclaimed, he knew he had more power to bargain that the Avatar did.

Aang realized he'd been outmaneuvered, he was shocked at the complete brutality and disregard for life this being showed, but he was right. Even if he didn't kill Aang his friends would be butchered before he could save them, and without the Avatar state he wasn't sure he could even match this foe alone.

"If I let you leave, you promise not to hurt my friends?" Aang cautiously offered, he hated being on the bad end of a deal but he had no choice.

"You have my word." Was the only response Xeras offered.

With a defeated nod, Aang slowly stepped out of their path, allowing them to move onward back into the town towards the ship. After some slight groaning Xeras decided to address Evelyn, as she was evidently having issues with being carried in such a manner.

"What is it? We are almost at the ship." He annoying inquired.

"This kind've hurts, in case you didn't notice i have a cut on my chest and your rough shoulder doesn't help matters!" She retorted. In all honesty, Evelyn didn't notice Sokka had even laid a hit on her until the skirmish ended, her adrenaline must've blocked out the pain to keep her focused. While this was helpful during combat, it always came back to bite her in the ass afterwards.

"Very well then." Xeras responded, re positioning her to carrying her horizontally across his arms for more comfort. He couldn't risk her passing out from blood loss or extreme pains as he had no way to tell if her body stopped functioning without her being conscious. After a short walk which felt like ages, the two reached the ship to the looks of a horrified crew, undeniable fear and shock filled their very souls as their captain was being brought back in such a condition by such a creature.

"Wh..Wh…Wha…What did… did you do to her? What… What are you?" a fear struck sailor asked. His heart nearly stopped as Xeras glared into his eyes.

"She requires medical aid from recent combat." He simply stated, but it seems Eve wanted to chime in.

"This gentlemen… *coughs* would be your captain."


	8. Recovery

**Hey guys! Thanks for the feedback (no matter how minimal it is) it really keeps me motivated to keep writing. I hope the fight scene came out right I feel it was a bit rushed or unexplained and I'll try better in the future. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter :D**

_On Board Xeras' ship_

The ship had changed drastically since the battle, the joyous and invigorated crew was often silent and disturbed. Many barely spoke above a whisper and only in private, fearful of their now recognized captain. The metal clanking of his feet could be heard from quite a distance inside the steel vessel, causing most men to freeze up in fear at his approach. They still had no idea who or what he was, only that he demanded Eve be taken to the med bay for immediate medical attention; and that he required regular updates or else the consequences would be severe. The Helmsman barely was able to coordinate when he was given strict orders by the cold voice of the Necron to reroute their course into evasive maneuvers at full speed. Xeras made no intention to hide his cruelty, as he openly stated any form of insubordination would be met with immediate execution; he didn't care about their lives and they knew it. Some considered mutiny, or even attempting to escape but these plans died quickly through either fear of retaliation, or what may happen to Evelyn. Over time the crew had come to admire Eve, always considering her their true captain. The doctor did his best for her, eventually stabilizing her after a few days of treatment. The men only hoped when she was able, she could find some way to get them away from this monster they were enslaved by. Xeras knew the men either detested him, or feared the very sight of him; he always suspected their loyalty was shaky and decided to mercilessly enforce his command to ensure they kept to their posts. Eve was sleeping comfortably, but the battle took its' toll on her; she'd been unconscious for several days as her body slowly recovered and Xeras was worried about her health. While he needed her alive to continue aiding him, he also felt a close comradery with the former assassin. While her work was shady, she risked her life and almost died to buy him time to escape; he wouldn't soon forget her willingness to sacrifice herself for his betterment. He decided to do another checkup on her as the crew avoided his gaze constantly by performing whatever menial tasks they could. He swiftly opened the door to the med bay and approached the bed where Evelyn lay immobile, the ship's doctor next to her in his chair writing down notes and keeping tabs on her health. After repeated visits from Xeras, the doctor, however slightly, got used to his presence, able to form mostly complete sentences and look him in the eye for a short time.

"I suppose you have nothing new to update me on doctor?" Xeras asked, the doctor jolted a little not seeing the creature enter.

"Oh! No… no sir, she hasn't moved but she's breathing fine and she seems stable." He quickly retorted.

"Very well then, I assume as always you will inform me of any changes." Xeras stated. As he began to leave the room, he heard a faint groaning sound, he turned noticing Evelyn's body was slightly stirring. He quickly went over to the bed, forcing the doctor to give him a wide berth, nobody liked being that close to Xeras. Eve's hand weakly went up and held her head, as she slowly raised her body upright.

"Do not make any major movement's you are stabilized but any major activity could do more harm than good." Xeras warned. Eve began to gradually regain her bearings, taking in the scene around her.

"So… where am I? And what happened?" She asked, she blacked out shortly after being brought onto the ship, her memory was a bit dim at the moment and she had no clue how long they'd been at sea.

"After the skirmish you were heavily injured, I brought you back on board to get medical treatment. You have been unconscious for several days but you seem to be fine for now. I recommend you take things slowly for the time being." Xeras answered, he didn't want her moving all that much for now, fearing she could rupture something internally or pull a muscle; mortal frames were very fragile something he didn't have to worry about.

"Ah I see, well thanks Xeras I was pretty sure I was dead." She gave a weak smile, but it slowly faded. "What now though? The crew has obviously seen you and so did the towns folk." Her mind quickly reverted to the crew, she knew what Xeras thought of them and what he'd do given a reason. "What about the crew? Please tell me you haven't killed any of them yet." She wanted to say more but her body was hit by a jolt of pain, she was over exerting herself.

Xeras responded honestly "No, I have not begun executions as of yet, the crew has been competent in their task and fear keeps them in line. Do not concern yourself with such matters, you fought well and have earned the rest." Eve was obviously a bit upset at how all of her work and bonding with the crew was practically undone. She'd become friends with the men and knew each of them personally, now they'd probably be too terrified to speak to her. Unfortunately, she didn't have the energy to argue with Xeras, as her body felt weak and she allowed herself slowly to return to the embrace of darkness.

_Back at the port town_

The group lay together in the medical ward of the local healers' building, Aang was keeping watch with a self-hating expression across his face. The fight had taken a huge toll on the group both physically and mentally. Katara was in the best shape, she had kept her wounds in check during the battle with her healing but it didn't fully cure her injuries; forcing her to be bedridden for days. While physically she would be fine with some rest, her mind was haunted by nightmares of her being killed after watching her friends die at the hands of the assassin. Toph had several bruised bones and suffered from daily headaches, she was tough but even she had her limits. She had night terrors at random intervals about facing the metallic monstrosity, losing the battle and watching everyone around her be slaughtered one by one until the reaper came for her head. Sokka's body gained several new scars from the blades that carved into his skin during the duel, as well as bruises to his forehead from being slammed into the earth. While his physical injuries were harsh, his pride took the biggest blow; he was utterly humiliated at how he'd been beaten and that all his training had been for naught. Suki and Ty Lee had been found in an alley not far from where the battle outside the town took place, both had far worse wounds than their compatriots. Suki had been stabbed through the right shoulder by what was described to be a spear; she also had several injured ribs from an unlucky kick to her chest. She seemed to have been kicked through a wall and thrown into the alleyway. Ty Lee suffered severe head trauma from a blow to the forehead by a metallic first, as well as slash wounds to the left leg and her back. Without her agility, she surely would've been killed by the near fatal blows. Out of the group, only Aang came out completely unscathed, and he blamed himself for being useless and unable to help his friends in their time of need. While Katara, Sokka, and Toph were in relatively good condition, Suki and Ty Lee faded in and out of consciousness at random. The doctor assured the group their friends would be fine, but the experience extracted a heavy price on their bodies and psyche. Around the middle of the day, the girls began to come back into consciousness again.

"Ugh… i feel reaaaaaly dizzy" Ty Lee managed to say. Aang, Katara, and Toph rushed over to her side since Sokka was resting, noticing Suki was also awakening.

"I think I just got spat out by the Unagi." Suki mumbled. The group gave them each some space, happy to see them waking up. Both girls weakly grinned, turning to the group noting the amount of wounds the group had accumulated.

"How long were we out?" Suki inquired.

"You've been fading in and out for the past few days, glad to have you back. Everyone got pretty banged up during the fight." Katara stated. The girls began to look around taking count of the injuries everyone including them sustained; soon after the same thought hit both of them.

"What about Sokka?" Both said simultaneously, causing both to awkwardly glance over to one another.

He's doing fine right now, just resting." Aang answered with a slight chuckle.

The girls seemed relaxed by the statement and took a moment to collect their thoughts.

"So… what was that thing? Did you guys stop them?" Ty Lee asked curiously, the question turned Aang's slightly joyous face to a sorrowful frown.

"No… we couldn't stop them, I had to let them go so you guys wouldn't be hurt. I failed." Aang shamefully admitted.

"Stop with the self-pity Aang." Toph sharply scolded him. "You did what any of us would've done, it wasn't a fight you could've won alone so you did what you could to protect us."

Aang took a moment to let her words sink in. He didn't like it, but had to admit there was nothing else he could've done. Suki decided to break the silence while getting back to business.

"So I'm guessing they're long gone by now, do we have any leads?" Suki quizzically asked.

"Nothing yet, they had a ship and must've steamed off right after the battle." Katara answered.

Finally, Ty Lee asked the question that was on everyone's mind, yet no one wanted to ask. "So… what in the world was that thing?" the only answer she received, was silence.

_Later in the night_

Evelyn awoke with a drawn out yawn, her mid-day nap really hit the spot. She no longer felt exhausted, and her aches seemed to be either severely numbed, or subsided completely. As she rubbed her eyes, she noticed she was alone in the room save for Xeras; who was sitting in a chair nearby seemingly in thought she could never tell. He obviously heard her yawn and re directed his attention to her.

"Ah you are awake, good. How are your wounds? Are you feeling well?" She was caught a bit off guard by his speech, his tone didn't seem overly joyous, but sounded somewhat… happy? He seemed like he was legitimate concerned about her health which was actually quite comforting.

"Well actually, yeah i feel a lot better. Thanks for asking?" she said quizzically hoping not to offend him. "I guess I owe you my life again heh. Thanks for coming back for me I was sure I was done for."

Xeras' mouth slightly turned into a grin (as much as a Necron could) "I would not let you die Evelyn, you have proven yourself a more than capable fighter, and more importantly, an even more loyal ally; a friend." Xeras responded. Eve seemed shocked by the reply, she never contemplated such warmth from the seemingly cold and ruthless creat-… man before her. Xeras simply continued.

"You risked your life willingly to buy me time to escape; such a sacrifice in the name of duty is something to be respected and admired. I must admit, I was unsure of your commitment to the mission when we began this journey; and now I must acknowledge my own folly. You have truly proven yourself loyal and trustworthy far beyond my expectations. Know you have my full and total trust and confidence, not something I give out lightly." His seeming smile quickly deteriorated as the door opened and the ship's doctor entered.

"You are the **only** one who has earned such things." He coldly stated as he got up from his seat and swiftly passed the doctor an exited the room.

The doctor's nervousness dissipated as the door closed, taking the seat next to her to check on her condition.

"Such a cheery fellow eh?" his obviously sarcastic comment slightly echoed in the small room, his demeanor slightly brightening up around the "captain" as the crew secretly still referred to her.

"Actually… he may not be all that bad." She silently retorted, her mind raced with thoughts trying to understand this person she risked her life for. Then it dawned on her, she knew absolutely nothing about Xeras, and most likely the same was vice versa. She decided that eventually, she should change that.

**Hey guys! Sorry if this is late (i posted a chap last thurs so i guess this is legitimate) and sorry if it's filler i didn't wana stretch this chapter out too far and wana save more important materiel for later chapters.**


	9. Discoveries

**Glad to be back for another chapter! I hope the storyline stuff I'm gonna include works out well. Glad to hear from you guys after the chapters. Also just a FYI the Necrons knew of humanity before they became the imperium (since the pariah gene exists in some humans) but Xeras hasn't encountered the Imperium since he's awoken. (also remember memory damage)**

_Several weeks later, near the coast of the isles._

The journey had been a long one, but Xeras's ship had reached their destination. Evelyn had recovered from her injuries and resumed her duties as first mate aboard the ship; while Xeras kept an iron grip on the crew, only slightingly lessened by Evelyn's constant interference. The crew quickly rallied to her if any trouble occurred, seeing as her word held some weight to sway the captain one way or another. The man in the crow's nest spotted the isles, quickly alerted the captain as well as Eve. While Evelyn made a sigh of relief after the long trip, Xeras remained cold and unreadable. The sailors shared a few stories about these mostly unknown isles; most of which weren't particularly good stories. Nobody really knew much about the islands, save that no one ever traveled there and returned and that an aura of foreboding surrounded the place. Some stories claimed some violent spirits still roamed the unexplored region, others say that the place was cursed. While Evelyn listened to the stories trying to piece together some form of truth, Xeras simply ignored their ramblings as wild superstition. While outwardly, Xeras seemed to show no interest in the tales the men told, he was intrigued abut the stories of "spirits" wondering how this world seemed to be able to use the power of the warp without attracting the abominable powers of chaos. He hadn't noticed any daemons of the warp yet, and was curious as to how they avoided the corruption of the ruinous powers while using the powers of chaos themselves. As the ship approached the closest island, Xeras began to try to try to figure out the mystery of the psykers on this world until finally it hit him. Only one other race was intelligent enough to use the warp effectively without succumbing to chaos, somehow it seems the ancient rivals of the Necrons had left their presence on this world, the Eldar. The helmsman found a suitable beachhead to make port, and the ship dropped anchor as the crew prepared boats to head ashore. Xeras was glad their journey at sea was finally over, he felt far too vulnerable on such a frail vessel in the open waters. As the group began to depart for shore, Xeras wondered if their pursuers were still trying to follow them.

_In the skies over the ocean separating the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation._

The group was forced to take far more time to recover than any of them wanted to, the trail they followed had gone cold by the time they were prepared to set out again. While physically everyone had recovered fine, the mental scars of their enemy still haunted their minds. Overall, they tried to ignore their interior fears about what they faced, but the stress of the chase had set in. The group remained mostly silent during their travels, trying to focus on the task at hand. After losing any sign of their mark, they decided the ship would head west as it was the only real reasonable direction to head. They had stocked up on supplies and headed west to the fire nation, hoping Zuko could help them in their search granted he believed them. As they stopped at a small little island to give Appa a rest, Aang went into the small forest nearby to meditate; trying to contact his past lives for advice. The first spirit he reached out for was for Avatar Roku, his most recent past life who advised him during his times of need the most during his mission to stop Ozai. After a few minutes of calming his body and focusing his mind, he saw the spirit of Roku split away from his body and form in front of him.

"I am glad you contacted me Aang, several of the spirits have taken notice of the events that transpired recently, your new enemy is the reason you've contacted me, yes?" Roku asked. Aang wasn't surprised that Roku knew why he contacted him.

"Yes, I've never seen anyone… or anything like this person, I was hoping you would know of someone who can tell me more about this being that I'm facing." Aang was hopeful the spirits could help find a way to defeat his ruthless enemy. His hopeful outlook was decimated when Roku's expression turned into a dark frown.

"I am sorry Aang, the one you face is unknown to any in the spirit world I know of, and we've never seen anything like it." Roku was obviously be saddened by his answer, but quickly kept going before Aang could respond. "There is only one who is old enough to have knowledge on such ancient matters, he is the last of his people and was alive before the age of the Avatar; he is as old as the world itself." He noted Aang's initial confusion wondering who he could be referring to if they weren't a spirit.

"He was the one who gave you the secret of energybending". Aang's face lit up, he remembered the lion turtle.

"You will meet with him soon, I only hope he can help you more than we can; good luck young Avatar." And with that, Roku faded away.

Xeras was glad to be on dry land once more, it felt far more secure than a small ship rocking against the constant ocean waves. The crew began to setup camp at the beach as nightfall wouldn't be far off. The islands seemed ideal for colonization as they had plenty of space with a seemingly decent supply of harvestable resources for settlement. He decided to plan patrol routes around the campsites to ensure no native wildlife (which he had heard tales of how bizarre it was) interfered with his operations. The men kept their distance as always, huddled around their flames. Xeras stood at the entrance of the forest brush, wondering on his next move. In all the time he had, he was unable to formulate an effective long term plan on this planet. He still pondered how the Eldar had involved themselves with this world, he assumed they had some hand in the disappearance and most likely destruction of his legions. Most of the Necrons knew once the slumber began they would remain vulnerable to their ancient rivals no matter what defenses they prepared. His thoughts were interrupted by Eve's footsteps approaching him.

"So we're finally here. Not exactly the way things were planned but we're here, so what's our next step?" She asked.

"I am unsure, this planet is extremely primitive technologically, and I do not see a long term plan that can succeed." He retorted.

"I've ordered the men to set up camp but we need something to keep us occupied in the long term."

Xeras knew he had to find a reason to keep the men in line, he had no clue how long they were going to be here and he needed the crew alive for the time being in case they needed to travel by sea. He decided to leave the matter to Eve who seemingly had the crew's respect. As night fell and camp was set up, he decided to go out into the forest to search for anything of interest sense this island was obviously devoid of civilized life. Eve decided to join him, leaving the helmsman in charge of the camp while they were gone, Xeras wanted to protest but decided having her along would prove useful if he ran into any trouble he somehow couldn't handle. Things were quiet as they traveled through the moonlit brush, Eve decided to start up a conversation.

"So… we've been working together for a while now, and I realized something; I barely know anything about you." Xeras looked over to her questioningly.

"I mean think about it, I have no clue who you really are or where you came from and vice versa. I'm just saying it couldn't hurt for us to know a little bit about one another would it? You did say you trusted me."

Xeras was somewhat surprised at her inquiry, and thought about her suggestion. She was right, he knew very little about her since they began their journey and he guessed imparting some knowledge couldn't hurt.

"Very well, but I will only answer your questions after you answer mine, quid pro quo; one question for one answer deal?" He stated his terms as they continued forward.

She agreed somewhat annoyed, Xeras chuckled at her irritation as he knew she was far more curious about him than he was about her.

"So whatd'ya wana know?" She asked.

Xeras thought about his question, and decided to start off basic. "What was your childhood like?"

"Quite normal really, my dad was a butcher and my mom was a swords smith, I wasn't like the other girls in the village, I was quite the stubborn child who liked to get into fights and other mischief. I took an interest in daggers during my early teens since they were easy to hide and it helped me work my way up through the local thief group." She sighed. "Sometimes I do miss the good ol' days."

Xeras listened intently the entire time and was curious "so what changed?" He asked.

Eve decided to tease him "Ah ah ah! That wasn't part of the question, you asked about my childhood not my entire life." She snarkly retorted.

Xeras was irritated by the answer but also quite amused, he decided she fairly answered her question and fulfilled her part of the bargain. "So what is it you wish to ask me?"

She obviously began to deeply think about her question, she didn't want to simply repeat the same thing he asked her because it wouldn't be fair and it'd leave them talking in circles.

"Well… where did you come from?" her eyes filled with childlike curiosity.

While Xeras' memories were slightly damaged from the sleep, he remembered his former home all too well.

"My home world was deathly hot, you felt the sun blazing down upon you every moment; eating at your skin. Its rays afflicted my people, our lifespans were harshly short because of the radio activeness of its' rays. To many, it was truly a living hell."

Eve gave him a look of sheer horror, she had no idea of the hellhole he had come from. "Was it really that bad?" She didn't understand some of Xeras' terms but it sounded awful.

"The radiation gave my people cancerous diseases, the average lifespan being under 50 years."

Eve was in shock, she couldn't even try to contemplate that kind of living, she had no idea how everyone on this planet had it compared to other worlds.

"I believe it is my turn" Xeras stated, shaking Evelyn out of her trance. "You told me when I first met you were an assassin, what caused this career path?"

Evelyn knew the question was inevitable "Well, during my teen years I got into thieving. Unfortunately, I admittedly have a bit of bloodlust I hadn't realized I had back then. I was in my mid-teens when some low noble was coming through the town and my group planned to rob him of every cent he had. While we broke into his fancy mansion easily, things went all to hell and we were discovered. I was able to sneak past the guards and get into the feast hall where all the pampered rich pigs were eating. While my crew got hauled off I noticed how much I hated this man, he was so full of himself because he was born into money. He never knew hardship or work, and he talked down to most people despite never earning an ounce of respect. I realized I desperately desired my blade to dig itself into his heart; and so, I jumped down from the rafters and buried my dagger into his skull. I realized I enjoyed the killing, it intoxicated me; needless to say, the mansion became a bloodbath after that. I earned my share of scars during the ensuing skirmish, but I realized what I was, a cold blooded killer." She finished her story with a long breath.

"Interesting… I do believe there is more to you than just mindless slaughter Evelyn, but that is for another time; what is your next question?"

Eve was a bit offset by his answer, but decided to think up a question instead of dwelling on it.

Hmm, so what is you're… err "Skin" made of?" she awkwardly asked.

"Ah, well I am made of-"Xeras instantly stopped himself to Eve's confusion. She noticed he was looking intently at something and re-directed her attention forward.

In front of them was a clearing, their was some kind of large metal door covering the entrance to a cave. Engraved on the front was the same insignia Eve noticed on Xeras' hand, she also noted there were multiple skeletons in the clearing indicating others had come before to open this door and had died doing so. Before Eve could utter a word, Xeras moved towards the door, moving his hand along its' metallic surface. He stepped back and charged up his staff, then releasing a beam of energy into the insignia. The door lit up and slowly opened, revealing a long passageway of darkness. As Xeras moved towards the cave, the ground beneath him lit up in a strong blue color. The rune glowed brightly and before either could react, electric coils emerged seemingly from thin air, and enveloped him. His roaring screams of pain echoed through the night, as he was immobilized by the trap, Evelyn at first panicked; dashed towards him. Her ability of being a blank helped immensely in her reckless act, as the power of the rune weakened with her approach; allowing her to jump into the fray and grab Xeras. They both were thrown to the ground as the trap exploded in a small burst of energy, Eve breathing heavily.

"Xeras! Are you alright!?" She asked. At first her only response were low mumbles, she noted the injuries across his body. The metal seemed charred from the lightning and he had marks across his entire frame. But as she began to worry, she noticed something miraculous happen. She noticed how Xeras' body seemed to focus on the points of injury, and heal itself at an extraordinary rate. After a short few minutes, he seemed to be coming to.

"Damn Eldar trap, I should've seen it coming." He spat spitefully. She didn't understand exactly what he said, but was glad he was alive.

"We need to get you back to camp now, you need rest we can come back tomorrow." She demanded. Xeras obviously wanted to unearth the secrets hidden within, but gave in to her protests and headed back to camp with her aid. As they walked back to the captain's tent, Evelyn decided to poke at him one more time before they went out adventuring tomorrow.

"You know, you still didn't answer my question."

**hope you liked! I know this chapter is late, my writing schedule is a bit off right now. I hope i didn't rush the scenes even though i feel like i did. I really hope you guys liked this chapter and I'll try to work on the next one ASAP.**


	10. Relics of the Past

**Hey guys sorry for the delay, life kind of happened and lost motivation to keep going so hopefully this chapter will suffice for the delay. Reviews are much appreciated.**

_In the Skies over the ocean_

The group was slowly getting closer to Fire Nation shores, as they flew at a more casual pace as they didn't want to strain Appa too much. Aang kept an eye out for the ship they followed in case they somehow caught up; also he was anxious to meet the great Lion Turtle again. Sokka cracked the usual unfunny joke that only seemed to make Ty Lee laugh without faking; either that or she was a very good liar. Toph didn't talk much as she was busy trying to focus on how the group would survive another fight with their dangerous new foe. She was cheerful every now and then, but it was obvious she had been changed by the skirmish. Suki focused on keeping her weapons in top shape in case they needed to quickly enter a fight. Ty Lee simply took in the view and tried her best to brighten up the group as she had seen their auras slowly degrade. Katara did her best to keep spirits up and hold the group together, all the while focusing on seeing their old friend Zuko, who she hoped could help them in their journey. Aang noticed a small island which seemed unremarkable, except he could faintly tell it was moving as the currents of the water were being pushed in a different direction than the rest of the ocean waves.

"There you are!" Aang excitedly shouted, taking the group by surprise with his sudden outburst.

"Uh Aang? Who's there?" Sokka questioned. The group also seemed to be unaware of the massive being that was hiding in plain sight.

"The Lion turtle! He's so big he looks like an island, he taught me how to energybend remember?" Aang swiftly explained as Appa began to descend.

The group looked at one another at first questioningly, but quickly remembered the story Aang told them. Appa hovered over where Aang described was "in Front" of the ancient creature, although it was hard to tell.

"Great Lion Turtle! I need your help again, the spirits told me to seek you out to help me. Please I need your guidance!" Aang pleaded. At first he gained no response, but slowly the island rumbled as the face of the gargantuan being arose from the depths. Its voice was deep, but not overly loud.

"What is it young Avatar? I did not expect to see you again after our last meeting, if the spirits told you to seek me out I assume the danger must be great." The turtle questioned

Most of the group was still awestruck by the grandeur of the ancient being, Aang responded while the rest regained their composure.

"I have met a new enemy, none of my past lives know what he is. It seems to be made of pure metal, but nothing like we have; and he has powers that aren't bending but are extremely powerful." Aang answered.

With such massive eyes, it was easy to tell the Turtle's surprise at the information, as they widened as Aang explained.

"Only one such race possesses the traits you speak of Avatar, I never thought they would awaken after so long. I had hoped they were all destroyed during the great cataclysm." The group was shocked that the most ancient and largest being in the world was disturbed, even sounding fearful of the enemy they faced. "Long ago, before the spirit wilds and even before the time my people this world was a single desolate continent, devoid of all life. The wildlife that live here are not of this world, but were brought here by the creators." His massive eyes closed as he recalled the story. "Long ago, my kind as well as the other species of life you see on this world lived in massive ships that sailed the stars. We were created by a race that was almost as old as the stars themselves; they were called the Eldar. They possessed great power far beyond what any bender nor even I could produce, they could produce amazing feats of psychic power. After a great war across the cosmos, they wanted to create life on the worlds left decimated by the conflict, and so created many species to inhabit the worlds left empty. My kind were a much cherished creation, as we were sentient and intelligent. We often roamed the massive ships, learning what we could about everything possible. The leader of the creators was a close friend of mine, he told me about the most ancient history of the Eldar race. He told me of a race of machine beings, even older than the Eldar that wiped entire species out, and extinguished entire planet systems of life in their galactic campaign of genocide." The look on the group's faces turned from intuitive listening, to shock and horror; yet the story continued. "To many they were simply the destroyer, the life ender, the reaper, yet their true name I still recall to this day; the Necrons. They went into a great sleep after their genocides, burying entire armies underneath the worlds they conquered and lived on, only to awaken fifty millennia later. They will not hesitate to kill you Avatar Aang, even those who feel emotion among their race will not hesitate at wiping out all life that stands in their way." Aang did what he could to regain his composure.

"So…what happened to the Eldar? Aang worriedly asked, the great Turtle's expression turned to that of sadness.

"The great ship was above this world, dispersing life across it so that this planet may thrive again. We were attacked by maddening creatures, along with the monstrous armies that accompanied them; I never understood who the assailants were, but I never had the chance. The battle was massive, energies I have never seen nor could I explain flew across the massive vessel, destroying everything in sight. The invaders shouted monstrous things as they fired bolt after bolt of energy at us, meeting the force of the creators in equal measure. After a long battle, the ship could withstand no more and began to plummet to the Earth. The crash shattered the foundations of the great continent, splitting it into the world as we see it now." He took a moment to make a deep sigh, and as he spoke a tear slowly dropped from his eye. "I watched as many of my friends, and my own kind were butchered before me like cattle." The group could feel his sorrow as he continued on. "My greatest friend, the leader of the Eldar people on the ship, died in front of me as the ruins of such a proud vessel was engulfed by the oceans of this planet, warning me of the possibly return of the destroyers. Even in death the Eldar protect this world from those that would corrupt it. When the sky ship was destroyed the great circuit within it erupted, it held the souls of the fallen within it to be preserved. With the great energies erupting from the ship, a shroud surrounded this world. Their energies lived on in us, which in turn gave your people the power of bending. The malevolent entities that butchered my creators cannot enter nor corrupt this world as it is hidden from them because of the shroud created by the death of the great circuit, we use their energies yet are immune to their influences. That Avatar, is the story of the creators. I was warned of the return of the Necrons, it seems now they have awoken. I wish you good luck Avatar, for I must go." The Lion Turtle slowly began to slowly descend into the waters before Aang cried out.

Hey Wait! Where are you going?!" The turtle began to move away but responded in a somber tone.

"To visit an old friend."

Aang slowly directed Appa away from the island shaped being, and flew away.

_At the Island south of the Fire Nation._

Xeras was anxious (as anxious as a Necron could be) to explore the ancient vault they discovered. Eve had the 2nd mate keep watch over the camp as a small party set out with Xeras and Eve to explore the possible ruins. The trek was short thanks to daylight, Xeras posted all but Evelyn to keep watch outside of the vault in case of intrusion. They knew Xeras trusted none of them, but none said a word as the two ventured deeper into the dark caverns that lay ahead. Evelyn lit up a torch to light the way as the halls became impossible to navigate by the naked eye. The air was cold and lifeless, the walls engraved in symbols only Xeras could understand. Evelyn felt highly uncomfortable in the walls, they seemed to emanate the sense of fear and death she felt when she first met Xeras. She decided to distract her mind from her surroundings by continuing to ask Xeras questions.

"So… what happened to your people exactly? What did you guys do after you became… well… you?" She felt awkward by asking the question but her curiosity was too strong.

"We became monsters." Was his swift response, taking Evelyn by surprise. "At first our leaders only wanted to unify our people, against our common foe so that we could find a solution to a longer life. The trade we made has haunted us ever sense. We became slaves to gods with a never ending hunger, we committed a campaign of galactic genocide that stretched across the galaxy. Entire species were exterminated into extinction, entire worlds drained of every speck of life. In the end we did beat our original foe, but it cost us our independence, our individuality, our souls. We gained our immortality, but now so many I once called friend, comrade, brother; they are simply mindless drones that obey orders without question nor thought. We are slaves no longer, but now it seems all our efforts were in vain, for we have forever lost what made us… well us." His solemn voice slowly echoed in the halls. Before Eve could retort, they entered a room with designs engraved in every wall including the ceiling, in the center on a pedestal was a large black crystal, yet small enough to be held in one's hand. Xeras rushed over and grabbed it, inspecting the object.

"It… cannot be…" He stood awestruck. "Something this powerful so easily accessed… we must find a new place to hide this immediately!" He seemed somewhat panicked.

"Sure seems to have you spooked Xeras, what is it?" Evelyn confusedly asked. Xeras turned around and stared straight into her eyes and gave his answer in the tone that still shook her to the bone.

"A shard of the Nightbringer."


	11. Demons

**Hey guys hope you're enjoying the story so far! Reviews are always appreciated as always, and sorry about the last chapter I know it was short I just wanted to end it where it was because the ending felt really climatic and any more would've ruined it.**

_At the Isles south of the Fire Nation_

Evelyn was slightly confused and extremely worried that the mention of something seemed to cause panic, if not fear in Xeras. For something to disturb a being such as him, it'd have to be extremely powerful and terrifying.

"Who or what is the Nightbringer? I've never seen you this worried before Xeras." She inquisitively asked.

Xeras held the shard in his hand, staring at it for a few seconds seemingly analyzing it before his ancient voice was heard.

"Back when my people were at war with the Old ones, we quickly found we were no match for their psychic might and required allies. The C'tan, gods who feasted on the stars themselves offered us aid. They created the bodies we now; we became immortal, and powerful enough to crush our foes with our might! We were invincible! But this came at a price we could not have foreseen…"

Xeras gazed shifted from the shard to stare in Evelyn's, his emerald eyes seemed to boring into her own

"We became nothing more than slaves to their will, mere pawns for their designs. The Nightbringer was the most fearsome of the C'tan, he was the strongest in combat, and the cruelest of all his foul brethren. When we rebelled, it took massive effort to defeat him and even then we knew he could never be slain. We split his presence into shards, spreading them across the galaxy so that he may never fully return. Some of us can use these shards to temporarily become Avatars of the Nightbringer. The power granted is massive, albeit temporarily; but this comes with great risk. It requires massive effort to maintain control of the shard, if we fail while using it the Avatar will go on a rampage of its own bringing the destruction that the Nightbringer himself would bring. We hid these in vaults so that they could only be accessed in the direst times of need; and be kept away from any who might try to unlock its power."

Eve listened intensely as Xeras described the power he held in his palm, it was obvious they couldn't afford to destroy the shard or the monster within would be released. They also wouldn't want to leave it here as they could've been followed and the vault may eventually be able to be accessed. They decided to bring the artifact with them until they could decide what to do with it, definitely keeping it a secret from the crew. Xeras stowed it away in a holding mechanism behind him hidden by his cloak. The two exited the halls without speaking a word, signaling the retinue they brought that it was time to leave. The trip back was a quiet one, Xeras was trying to figure out what to do with the artifact, while Eve was still wrapping her head around such a destructive force and how easily it could be unleashed yet near impossible to control. The two swiftly went to the captain's tent when they arrived at camp to discuss plans for the future. While they had absolutely no idea what to do with the shard, they decided a quick trip to the Fire Nation for supplies would be needed for a prolonged stay. Xeras decided both him and Eve would go as he didn't trust the crew to not desert once they got ashore, while leaving a small detachment of men Eve heavily trusted to keep the camp safeguarded. While neither of them still had no idea of what the ultimate endgame would be, things had taken a massive change for better or worse.

_At the Fire Nation Coast_

Aang and the group had finally reached the shore of the Fire Nation. Toph was happy to finally be back on solid ground, while Ty Lee took the chance to stretch and do some acrobatics to keep limber. Suki took in the fresh air and was semi relaxed before Sokka wanted to rush off to the nearest store for a new bag. Katara convinced the group that seeing Zuko first was the best option so that he might be able to offer some sort of help. Aang was glad to see the fire nation in a broader sense now that they didn't have to hide from the military anymore. On the contrary, many people were excited to see them and soldiers bowed in respect to them as they passed. After wading through crowds of excited children and fans, the group had finally reached the palace gates.

"Welcome Avatar, what brings you to the Royal Palace today?" The guard happily asked.

Aang smiled and responded "We'd like to see Fire Lord Zuko please, it's very important."

The guard had a confused look at first but seemed to lighten up "Well on such short notice I wouldn't be able to give you access, but being the Avatar and close friends to the Fire Lord I think he'd be glad to see all of you after how things have been."

"What does that mean? Is something wrong?" Katara cautiously asked.

"It's nothing, please head right in." The guard replied with happy look as the gates slowly opened up before them. The group took time to take in the sights in and around the palace as they began to navigate the halls. The people seemed cheery and lively in what used to be a damp and dark place. After several minutes of searching, they finally reached the main hall. Zuko seemed to be discussing something with one of his advisors. He quickly glanced over and saw the group, a wide smile stretched across his face as he signaled the advisor away.

"Hey guys! I didn't know you were coming, what brings you all here I thought you'd still be on vacation." Zuko Greeted.

"Before we get to that, how have you been? How's the Fire Nation adjusting to peace time?" Katara asked before the others in the group could respond.

"Well, it's been interesting to say the least. I've had to shrink the size of the armed forces as well as make changes to the economy so we can adjust to a peacetime nation. I've done what I can to get people out of the militaristic attitude that's been drilled into them, but only time will tell." Zuko had a warm smile on his face, but his body showed signs of heavy stress and sleep deprivation. The responsibilities of leadership had taken a heavy toll on him, guiding a nation from a hundred years of war to peace obviously was a massive task he had to complete. "So what brings you guys here?" returning to his original question.

Aang went on to explain the events of the past few months and who they were chasing and why; and later telling him what the Lion Turtle had told Aang. Zuko was taken aback by the tale, if anyone besides the group had told him, he'd call them an outright liar. Zuko took time to adjust to this new development, still trying to wrap his head around it.

"I can't believe it… that's horrific." Zuko finally said coming to terms with what he'd been told. "What do you need from me? I'll help in any way I can."

"Well, we lost track of them on the way here and we wonder if there was somewhere nearby they could've hidden." Sokka stated.

Zuko brought them to the war room with a world map on a large table and began examining the terrain. His eyes scanned the map looking for nearby places that could harbor a ship and large crew away from the public eye.

"Here" he stated as he pointed to a small cluster of isles just south of the Fire Nation. "There's no civilization there and nobody really travels in that area, it's away from any trade routes so no patrols or merchants would come near. The place is completely uninhabited, it'd make a perfect hideout." The group looked at one another, exchanging looks of approval on their next course of action. As the group left the room, Katara stayed behind to talk with Zuko who was staring at the table obviously deep in thought.

"So what's really wrong Zuko?" Katara asked, Zuko was about to answer before she cut him off "Don't tell me it's nothing, I can tell something is seriously bothering you and it's not just governing. Talk to me." Zuko took a moment, despite wanting to protest he gave in.

"When you're the ruler of a nation, you realize how truly lonely you are. You have many servants, many advisors, and lots of nobles who want your aid, but no real friends." Silence reigned for several moments before the conversation began again. "Mai and I didn't work out, things were fine at first but we just didn't work out in the long term, with uncle in the Earth Kingdom, I haven't felt this alone for a long, long time." His expression darkened, his inner demons obviously had put enormous strain on him emotionally. Katara gave him a comforting hug, and tried to console him.

"I'm sorry Zuko, I can't imagine what it's like. Nobody really caring about you, just wanting your power to help themselves; it must be awful. After this, I promise I'll try to get us to visit you more, you've done so much for all of us you deserve that much." Slowly, a smile became present on Zuko's face as Katara's help obviously worked. They both left the throne room to catch up to the group as they prepared to head out on their journey.

_Hours later, at a Fire Nation port_

The trip had been a quiet and short one, Xeras remained brooding in the captain's quarters while Eve did her usual rounds. While he never spoke of it, Xeras was somewhat worried about the trip, as being in the heart of hostile territory put the mission at great risk. The crew could easily defect and attempt to escape into the hordes of people that would surely be inhabiting the ports of the strongest military power on the planet. Evelyn assured him everything would be fine, but he had his doubts about the crews' loyalty. Their journey had been quick thanks to the close proximity of the southernmost port on the continent, and the crew left the ship to gather supplies with "acquired" funds Eve had procured. Xeras used his cloak to conceal his form as he wandered the local markets to keep an eye on the crew as well as see how the economy of this planet worked. Eve also followed him in his patrol routes to warn him of any dangers to his anonymity, and assure him the crew weren't trying to abandon them. Things actually seemed to be going smoothly, until they were interrupted by the sounds of horns and cheering crowds. Xeras and Eve quickly rushed over to see the commotion, it seemed as if a major event was happening concerned with a large carriage type object concealed from the outside. People were lined up and down the streets as horn blowers announced the arrival, out from the tent came Zuko and the rest of the Avatar group. Eve and Xeras were in shock at their horrible luck, they needed to get away from this place immediately. The two rushed through the streets collecting the crew as they went, hurriedly gathering the supplies they obtained and began loading them on the ship.

_In the Royal Carriage_

"Don't you think this is a bit over the top Zuko?" Toph inquired, she could feel the hordes of crowds waiting outside which felt awkward to her often being a somewhat loner before joining the group.

"Nonsense, you guys did so much to help everyone, it's the least the Fire Nation could do to pay you back; enjoy the fame!" Zuko chuckled.

Sokka's ego grew ten sizes at the roaring applause, much to Suki's minor annoyance. Ty Lee glimmered in the limelight, reminding her of her circus days, while Katara was simply glad to see the people of the Fire Nation genuinely happy for a change, and not trying to capture them. The group slowly exited the royal carriage, taking in the sight of crowds larger than the ones at the end of the war celebration. They walked down the road to the port while guards slowly dispersed the crowds, the group enjoying the limelight for the time being. Zuko seemed refreshed to have a chance to get some fresh air after being cooped up in the palace for so long. As the royal entourage left them to return to the palace, everyone seemed happy that they had a little time to lighten up. While they conversed, Toph suddenly stopped in place, taking Sokka by surprised as he bumped into her.

"Oof! Toph, why'd you stop? The ship is that a way" Sokka asked. The group instantly turned their gazes to the earthbender, noticing something was wrong.

"They're here" the two words instantly shook the group to their core. Everyone went silent and frantically began to look around, scanning the crowds for their hidden enemy.

"This way! We can cut them off before they get back to their ship!" Toph shouted before dashing ahead of the group. The rest immediately ran after her, trying to dodge past the crowds of people in the busy market streets. They dashed through alley after alley, trying to avoid knocking over merchants and citizens. They eventually arrived at a crossroads leading to the main ports where all the ships were docked. Before they had a chance to check their surroundings, they came face to face with a large group of sailors; followed by an all too familiar hooded figure and the woman who lead them. The crew split into two sides to allow Eve and Xeras to come forward.

"Nowhere to run now, give up while you still can!" Sokka angrily demanded, the previous defeat during his duel left a mark on his pride and was eager to redeem himself. Xeras turned his hooded face over to Zuko, taking note of his clothing and his arrival; deducing he must be in a leadership position.

"You" the cold, lifeless voice rung out as Xeras' hand obscured by his cloak pointed directly at Zuko. "You are the leader of these people in this region, are you not?" He questioned.

Zuko and the group were confused by the question, but didn't let down their guard.

"Yes I am, what does it matter to you? I know what you've done you won't be allowed to terrorize my people!" Zuko answered.

Xeras was glad his assumptions were correct, he now had a bargaining chip "If you wish to preserve the lives of your citizens, you shall allow us to pass. I do not care about the lives of these people, nor will I show restraint should we engage in battle in these streets, filled with civilians. I will butcher any and all who stand in my path, their lives are meaningless to me and I will show no mercy. Now I ask you, do you wish to fight or shall we be on our way? "Xeras retorted.

Zuko realized the situation he was in, he didn't want to let them get away, but Zuko could tell he wasn't bluffing. He couldn't let his people get caught in the middle of a battle against an enemy who was easily willing to kill as many people as possible to achieve their goals. He glanced over to the group, gaining a reassuring nod from Katara, supporting him in the decision he knew he had to make.

"Promise me you won't hurt anyone," Zuko stated his terms.

"You have my word." The cold voice answered.

The two groups awkwardly maneuvered around each other, as the gang watched their foes head down to their ship and meet up with some crew already waiting. They didn't want to risk a skirmish by following them to their vessel, but kept a close eye on them as they left.

Sokka was obviously frustrated that he was denied his rematch, while Aang tried to plan their next course of action with Katara. Ty Lee and Suki tried to keep spirits up to little avail. After watching the ship steam away, the group quickly headed to Zuko's personal ship to give chase now that there was no worry about civilian casualties. The crew onboard rushed to their stations and attempted to leave port, but it seems their nemesis was clever. The helmsman reported several compartments in the engine room had been tampered with and would take time to repair. Zuko was frustrated by his opponent outsmarting him by sabotaging his ship. It would take several hours to be seaworthy again, losing valuable time to catch up to their enemy. The group took time to ready themselves for the inevitable confrontation should they catch up with their quarry. The gang spread out across the ship and began to accommodate themselves. Appa took up space on the main deck, but they decided to let him rest there and fly around the ship as they traveled periodically. While using Appa could prove faster, it was far more risky as Appa could be injured or unable to fly stranding them at the mercy of their enemy. They also liked to prospect of having the royal guard with Zuko as backup in case they needed it. As everyone tried to get their minds off of what happened, Zuko stood at the head of the ship, thinking to himself. He felt guilty at the prospect of being unable to protect his own people without letting a dangerous person go free. He severely underestimated this new adversary, he was unprepared to face such a cunning challenger, causing him to be outsmarted and playing right into his opponent's hands. A mistake, he wouldn't make again.


	12. A Clash of Metal And Flesh

**Welcome back guys! Hope you're enjoying the story so far. And just to respond to a comment I saw, I didn't know much about the C'tan shards, and I kind of needed to add in the difficulty to control part. Story reviews are appreciated :D**

_Nearing the Coast of the camp on the island_

The journey back to base had been frantic at first, rushing to get everything on board as well as get back to the camp at full speed. The quietness set in as the ship neared the coastline of their former base of operations, many wondering what the next step was. Xeras knew his distraction wouldn't delay his adversaries for long, and it would be only logical for them to search the nearby island cluster for him. His mind began racing to try to figure out where to take his group, he felt they would need to go south as the nearest northern island was a popular vacation home for fire nation nobles. The problem is the southern ice region is populated by tribes of waterbenders that could prove a hazard in their native terrain. His options were few and time was limited, as the vessel dropped anchor and the crew rushed ashore. Eve began coordinating a somewhat scorched earth policy, taking everything they needed with them and destroying anything that was either unnecessary, or that could leave a trail for their pursuers. The crew scurried around the basecamp like frenzied mice, tents were packed up, fires put out, and anything deemed unnecessary was put to the torch. Xeras decided they had no other choice but to head to the southern frozen tundra for secrecy, hoping to avoid the sparse populace that inhabited the region. Time wasn't on their side and Xeras knew it, at this rate they wouldn't escape in time; it seems open combat would be inevitable and this time there would be no way of escaping giving Katara's mastery of bending the waves. He prepared himself for battle, informing eve to prepare the men for a possible final stand. It seemed the Avatar was a pacifist and would not take life, something he couldn't comprehend. He overlooked this weakness as his adversary obviously held great power and could prove quite the foe. Evelyn would be crucial to keep the benders' powers in check during the skirmish. The former base was becoming a makeshift barricaded outpost as defensive positions were made and traps set. Spikes barricades lined the beachhead and hidden ambush positions were prepared. Xeras decided to put some faith in his human pawns, seeing as they've proven somewhat competently loyal during the mission. As he looked on the horizon, he could make out the silhouette of the flying bison, and a fire nation ship.

_Minutes earlier, onboard the Royal Ship Spirit of Fire_

The gang was in the command room, planning their strategy of attack. The map of the area showed the only plausible location for any kind of base was a small beachhead. The position looked highly defensible, and chances are the enemy knew they were coming. Sokka was unable to find any other reasonable routes of attack, except circle around the island to flank them, but giving the enemy plenty of time to escape. Aang didn't like the idea of a head on assault, but they had no choice or else risk losing their quarry. The ship pushed ahead at full steam, scout in the crow's nest kept a watchful eye for any signs of their adversary. The group prepared themselves for a stiff resistance, seeing as their foe had nowhere to run, and would fight ferociously. The group agreed on separating the Necron from his closest ally Evelyn, so that the benders could utilize their full strength against the metallic killing machine. They knew no punches would be pulled and most likely no bargains would be made for a more peaceful ending to the conflict. Aang was attempting to settle an inner conflict, he was a pacifist at heart and swore never to take a life, even sparing Fire Lord Ozai during their battle. He didn't know if he should, or could take the life of the Necron, knowing it was merciless and not human; yet it was a sentient being that was technically alive. Could he bring himself to kill such a being that cared so little for life? The question rang throughout his mind as the helmsman reported scouts had spotted the island, and a ship docked nearby. The time for discussion and planning was over, battle would be joined.

Appa flew the group over the beachhead, it was obviously made for heavy defenses, yet it seemed only Xeras and Evelyn stood on the shoreline. While confusing, they hoped this meant their supporters abandoned them, meaning for an easier fight. The Spirit of Fire landed alongside the smaller vessel, quickly securing the empty ship. The group joined the line of royal soldiers forming a thin phalanx two rows deep, many of them attempting to hide the fear in their hearts at the thoughts of facing the metallic monster in front of them. The green eyes staring into their very souls, sending shivers down the spine of every man who dared look back into them. The group took the lead, slowly approaching their nemesis' knowing how cunning they were.

The plan seemed to be working, the Avatar and his forces were easily fooled. While Xeras would've mostly preferred open combat, he knew his ragtag force wasn't of Necron caliber. Instead of lines of undying, ruthless soldiers, he was forced to use elder tactics of deception and trickery. He had to admit what the humans lacked in strength and firepower, they made up for in agility, cunning, and ingenuity. His foes slowly approached his position, passing by the static barricades they only placed as a façade. With each step his adversaries felt safer, being within his makeshift perimeter; all according to plan. The lines of soldiers stood behind the main group as they approached him, coming within a few feet of him and Evelyn. An eerie silence passed over both groups, as the wind whistled around them. Aang was the first to speak.

"Give up now, your outnumbered and have nowhere to run. Come peacefully and you won't be harmed."

Aang's voice was stern, but sincere. Xeras knew the Avatar would honor the terms; unfortunately, he had no interest in them.

"A generous offer, Avatar. Unfortunately, I must decline. This world properly belongs to me, as it did eons ago, yet, If possible I would leave this world at the soonest possible moment. Even though your kind is too primitive for space flight, I feel as if relics of my past could prove valuable in my departure. I have already found one artifact far too powerful for human hands, which leads me to believe others may reside here. I hereby offer you a counter offer, leave this place and allow me to continue my search for a way off this planet; or you can attempt to battle me here, and die."

His words rung out with the same cold, emotionless tone that they all recognized.

"And what exactly could these artifacts be? We can't simply let you go after what you've done." Zuko proclaimed, meeting the lifeless gaze of the Necron head on.

"They hold far more power than you could possibly imagine human, I am giving you a chance to leave here alive. I assure you, when I find a way off this planet I will indeed take it; but for now, I require time and to be left alone. Those I killed stood in my path, and so I cut them down. I will not slay any more of your kind as long as they do not stand in the way of my mission. Now I say again, stand aside this is your final warning."

The standoff grew tense, each side waiting for the other to make a move. Sokka was the one who snapped first.

"You heartless monster! Those were innocent people you butchered! He yelled, charging sword in hand at his unsurprised foe. As sword clashed with staff, Xeras received his answer.

"So be it, warriors! To battle!" his voice range out, swiftly joined by the war cries of hidden "soldiers" surrounding the area. Arrows zoomed out from the tree line, soldiers hidden in the sands rose up from beneath the royal troops' feet. Others charged out swords and spears shining from the brush at the rear of the formations. The Royal guards were taken completely by surprise, several being cut down before the main force could even react. They were forced into a porcupine formation to repel attacks from all angles, while fire benders put out as much firepower as they could to keep the assailants at bay.

Meanwhile, Xeras had tossed Sokka aside after parrying his strike, sending him into a nearby tree. The Avatar's group put their battle strategy into action, as Suki and Ty Lee rushed at Evelyn, forcing her to go on the defensive while slowly retreating, separating her from Xeras. The Necron was unable to aid her, as he was caught by a large gust of wind that sent him skidding several meters backwards. Sokka rejoined the fight after gaining his bearings, this time joining the assault on the swift assassin. Xeras realized the clever strategy his opponent employed, and made a mental note to prepare for it the next time they clashed; if their was indeed a next time. While the benders attempted to keep him locked down in a defensive fight against all of the elements, Xeras still had the technological advantage. While the Avatar was the most dangerous opponent, he decided to eliminate his support first so he could fully concentrate on defeating the multi-bender in single combat. After dodging a boulder headed for his head, Xeras teleported behind Toph, her special sight unable to predict or counter such a move, and delivered a sharp kick to the popliteal artery (area on the back of the knee for those that don't know the name, I didn't know either) that sent her to her knees. Before any of them could react, a spear found itself pierced through her left leg and a sharp kick to her skull sent her body face first into the earth.

He tossed her body aside before noticing he was surrounded by swirling waters that engulfed him, instantly freezing him in place. He internally chastised himself for being caught off guard, noticing the ice was seemingly tightening. He noticed the rage expressed in Katara's face as she seemed intent on crushing him into oblivion. His Necrodermic frame kept himself from being pulverized as he directed his energy into his gauntlet of fire, the swirling energies becoming more powerful. The ice swiftly melted around his fist using what momentum he could muster, he broke himself free of his icy prison. He dashed over to the waterbender, grabbing her by the throat. He watched as her skin grew pale as the flow of oxygen suddenly ceased. Before her compatriots could come to her aid he delivered a swift kick to the rib cage along with an elbow to the back of the skull.

He flung her near unconscious body several meters away, re directing his attention to the two remaining foes. The firebender assaulted him in a wild fury, flame after flame colliding with his metallic frame. Much to his surprise, the heat was beginning to damage his body as the attacks were relentless and unremitting, forcing him to take evasive action. With every sphere of flame he dodged, he slowly closed in on his target. As he gained on his enraged adversary, the firebender did something unexpected. Lightning formed in his hands, and was directed straight at Xeras. Taken back by this, he had no time to react as his body took the full brunt of the attack. For the first time since his awakening, Xeras was sent into the darkness. Shock took hold of everyone in the area, as the Necron frame collapsed, the green light dimming to darkness. The battlefield went quiet, time itself seemed to stand still. As Zuko was about to claim victory, his exhaust stricken body froze in place. The seemingly lifeless corpse of the Necron once again spurred to life. The green glow returned to its' frame, and the legs planted themselves in the ground allowing his body to creepily raise itself back upright. The sheer look of horror across everyone's face was somewhat pleasing to Xeras' eyes.

"A valiant attempt human, but we Necrons never truly die. Now it's my turn."

Zuko never had time to react before Xeras appeared behind him, the next second Zuko's screams of pain echoed across the beach as the Necronic energies coursed through his veins. His body twitching as constant streams of energy flooded his body. After a few seconds Xeras flung him like a child's toy into the brush nearby, leaving Aang alone to face this seemingly invincible enemy.

Aang had had enough, activating the Avatar state, his tattoos began to glow and he began to float. Forming a massive version of himself composed of the four elements, towering over the Necron. The battle between the two sides quickly stopped as the towering figure appeared above them; Even the fight between Katarina and the non-benders in the forests, stopped to take in the spectacle. Evelyn quickly realized that Xeras only had one option to confront this, and what that entailed.

"Oh no… I have to get back there now!" she dashed back to the beach through the trees, Ty Lee and the others confusedly chasing after her.

"I doubt your metal friend needs your help now get back here!" Sokka exhaustedly yelled trying to keep up.

"If he does what I think he's going to do, we could ALL get killed!" she screamed back, keeping her pace at full sprint. She noticed Ty Lee and Suki at each of her sides, yet not seeming to stop her.

"Aang's in the Avatar state, what's more dangerous than that?" Ty Lee asked curiously. Evelyn returned her question with a stern look and a cryptic answer.

"Unleashing the Nightbringer."


End file.
