Avatar: The Last Airbender: Reemergence

10

"Avatar, please reconsider," Chao said respectively, "Your presence will comfort the people of this city. I'm not asking you to take part in the execution; all I'm asking is for you to be there."

Aang scowled, it was early in the morning and Chao had decided to pay them a visit in Aang and Katara's room. Sokka, Suki, and Katara each kept themselves against one of the rooms walls as the Avatar and Mogdashu's leader argued.

"I don't support what you're doing here," Aang responded angrily at him, crossing his arms and leaning up against his bed, "I'm not going anywhere near this execution of yours. I'll find out whatever it is that is happening around here and why people are all of the sudden deciding to commit murder but I will not support any execution."

"It's called justice Avatar," Chao told him, stepping closer to Aang before the Avatar's voice stopped him.

"It's called murder," he corrected, "And if you want my help after you execute Shino then I need your word that there will be no more of it until we get to the bottom of this problem. I promise you, if you kill one more person, my friends and I will be out of here as quickly as we came."

Chao gazed at the Avatar before sighing and shaking his head, "I'm sorry you feel that way Avatar but this execution will happen. However, in the interest of solving this problem, we will hold off any other executions until we determine the cause of all of this," Chao begin to walk out of the doorway, "If you change your mind about coming, you know where to find us."

Aang shook his head in disgust as Chao left the room only to smile a little bit when Katara walked up and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"That's what I'm talking about," Sokka complimented, clapping his hands, "Way to stick up to him Aang."

"Thought you'd like it," Aang joked, "I'm surprised you kept quiet."

"Eh," Sokka shrugged, "I was going to join in but you seemed to have it under control. You don't know it but by standing up to that guy, you hurt his pride a little. Now he might be a little more considerate when dealing with us."

"Right," Katara agreed, "Not herding us around like he did yesterday. I can't believe he thought we would even want to watch the execution."

"You wouldn't say that if you're seeing what I'm seeing," Suki spoke up, looking out the window and seeing dozens of people walking down the streets towards the center of the city where the execution was going to take place.

Everyone joined her and look out the window as well.

"Man," Sokka shook his head, "These people must really like watching others kick the bucket."

Katara scowled and smacked him on the side of the head, "This isn't a joke Sokka! Somebody is about to be killed out there."

"Yeah, well there is nothing we can do about it if we want these people to let us help them," Aang stepped back from the window defeated, "We need to start investigating."

"Well where would we start?" Suki asked, turning her gaze at him, "All the evidence points to these people being guilty."

"But all of them are saying they are innocent," Katara pointed out, walking over to sit next to Aang, who had thrown himself onto the bed, "If that's true then that would mean either some outside force is making them do these things or they somehow simply forgot."

"Forgetting wouldn't explain why these people would commit any crimes though," Aang spoke up, "This town is supposed to be very peaceful."

"And look what all of this has reduced them to," Katara sighed, "They take pride now in killing one of their own just because of something that they think they did."