Chapter 5
(Open up to Hulk standing over a laughing Attuma looking up at the massive tentacles rising out of the lake as rain pelts his body and the wind rushes past in powerful blustering bursts.)
Attuma: At last! My dream of purifying the world is coming to fruition! A new age is dawning! The flames of heresy will be quenched in a cleansing tsunami!
(Hulk stomps down on Attuma)
Hulk: Puny fishman talk too much!
Attuma: Indeed! Perhaps instead of preaching the Kraken's glories, a better way to make you understand your fate would be to show you his blessings!
(Attuma clenches his fist and the water drenching Hulk's body freezes instantly. He then thrusts his palm forward and pushes the Ice, and by extension the Hulk, away from him. He then stands up as the Hulk frees himself from his icy prison.)
Attuma: Come then, green infidel! Feel the power of a blessed warrior of the Kraken!
(Hulk roars and charges at Attuma and throws a punch, but Attuma easily catches it and freezes Hulk's fist upon contact. Spikes then manifest within the ice and stab deep into the Hulk's skin. Attuma swiftly pulls his hand away and a large icy spike forms at the tip of Hulk's frozen fist. Attuma then swiftly moves his arm to the side and the spiked fist jabs directly into Hulk's neck. However the spike shatters against Hulk's skin and he recovers from the hit, and glares angrily at Attuma. He then tries to hammer fist Attuma from above, but Attuma dodges swiftly and counters with a quick but mighty elbow jab to the back of the neck, sending Hulk to the ground. He then proceeds to punt Hulk into the raging lake before following him with a tremendous leap. Before he can reach the water, however, a massive column of earth rises from the ground and he impacts it head on.)
Toph: Hey, Fishface! If anyone's gonna be kickin' musclehead's butt around here, it's gonna be me!
(Attuma falls to the ground, but gets up relatively unharmed.)
Attuma: Bah! You earthbenders! So obsessively arrogant! Your pride shall be punished as well once the new oceanic age comes!
Toph: Blah! Blah! Blah! Less blabbin' and more battlin', Fishface!
Attuma: As you wish!
(Attuma the proceeds to rip the Column effortlessly out of the ground, wielding it as a club.)
Toph: Uh-oh…
(Attuma then swings the massive column at Toph, but before it hits, bends a pit beneath herself and lowers herself into it as the column impacts the ground above. Then she delivers a mighty forward thrust and the column slams into Attuma knocking him off his feet. Toph then resurfaces and begins running along the column towards Attuma, who then leaps up, wielding a massive ice Trident, thrusting it at Toph, who dodges albeit with some trouble.)
Attuma: I must admit, child, I underestimated you. But it is not a mistake I shall repeat.
Toph: Yea! Cuz I'm gonna beat you up so bad you won't get the chance to do it again!
Attuma: It will amuse me to watch you try.
Toph: As if I'd have to try!
(Toph then slides back and bends a chunk from the column to strike Attuma in the back of the head, stunning him. Toph then leaps forward, up toward Attuma, aided by the thrust of an upheaved earthbent stone and knees Attuma directly in the face, knocking him to the ground. This, however, delivers a great deal of agony to Toph as she lands, clenching her knee.)
Toph: Aaaaarrgh! Like slamming my knee into a steel wall!
(Attuma then gets up and chuckles)
Attuma: I must applaud you child. I actually felt that. But it appears, you did as well.
(Attuma walks over and picks up the wounded Toph.)
Attuma: But fear not, child. For I shall end your pain.
Toph: Put me down ya big-
(Attuma then hurls Toph into the water and she begins sinking into the depths.)
Attuma: Impudent child.
(Gung-Fa and Bao Fei stand watching in the distance.)
Bao Fei: On second thought… maybe we'd be better off watching the kid.
Gung-Fa: It sounds cowardly but… I agree.
(The two turn around and head back to the temple)
(Cut to Sokka and Katara watching over Aang in the Temple.)
Katara: Come on, Aang! Wake up!
Sokka: We reeeeeaaallly kinda need ya now buddy!
(Zoom and fade into the astral plane of Aang's mind where Aang, Roku and the mysterious Doctor Strange stand before eachother.)
Doctor Strange: My name is Doctor Strange. Forgive me if I have caused you any disturbances.
Aang: My name is Aang. And don't worry about it. I actually managed to find out about this mess by thinking you were Roku guiding me.
Roku: Hahahaha! Who would have thought such a case of mistaken identity could prove so fortuitous.
Doctor Strange: Indeed. The fates have a strange way of guiding us to those we must meet. In fact, I don't suppose you know a man by the name of "Bruce Banner," do you?
Aang: Uhh… afraid not, sorry.
Doctor Strange: Hmm… what about the Hulk?
Aang: Now HIM I know… well kinda. I only spoke to him once… and not for very long. But I managed to find him again! He's outside fighting off the evil priest with my friend Toph… in fact I should probably go help them!
Doctor Strange: Just a moment child! It is crucial that you let either Hulk or Banner know that I have been- Hold on… the fabric of this realm feels… wrong… as if something is out of place… and yet at the same time, it feels familiar.
Aang: That's just it! I think there is something about the Hulk that is upsetting the balance of the world and I need to set it back soon!
Doctor Strange: Hmm… that doesn't surprise me. Then it seems we can aid each other in our matters. Tell me about this "evil priest" you are facing.
Aang: Well… he calls himself Attuma and he used me to summon a great lake spirit known as the Kraken.
Doctor Strange: Well then… that certainly explains the familiarity I felt.
Aang: You know them?
Doctor Strange: Yes… but not as you do. Still, right now there is no time to explain. How did he summon the Kraken?
Aang: I dunno. He… took my spiritual power and put it into a stone then broke the stone on an altar or something.
Doctor Strange: That stone is the key to resealing the Kraken and defeating Attuma then. Alright Aang! Listen closely! Here is what you must do!
(Cut to Toph sinking into the lake struggling for her life when suddenly a great shape sweeps her up and carries her to the surface, leaping out of the water and landing safely ashore. She begins regaining her senses, but is still in a slight state of delirium.)
Toph: Oh, Sokka! You saved me!
(She then proceeds to kiss her savior's cheek but then feels it is much warmer and larger than Sokka's. In fact it belongs to the Incredible albeit now slightly confused Hulk.)
Hulk: Rock girl okay?
(Toph blushes heavily in embarrassment over her blunder.)
Toph: No… but I'll live… I think…
Hulk: Rock girl… like Hulk?
Toph: Uhh… Let's just be friends.
Hulk: Rock Girl… Hulk friend?
Toph: JUST SHUT UP AND LET'S SMASH THE BAD GUY!
(Hulk grins)
Hulk: Hulk like smash bad guy!
Toph: Alright! ...Now please put me down.
(The Hulk sets Toph down as they see Attuma approach them through the mist.)
Attuma: I must admit, your tenacity is impressive! Very few can survive the raging currents of the Kraken's waters. Still, while you may prove above the waters of the Kraken, you are still beneath my master's efforts. Thus it falls to me, his humble servant to deal with you.
Toph: Oh, you're gonna be humble alright, fishface!
Hulk: Hulk smash Fishman!
(Hulk Charges toward Attuma.)
Toph: Not very witty, but It'll work I guess.
Hulk: GWUUUAAAAARH!
(Hulk roars as he delivers a mighty punch to Attuma, but Attuma catches it once again.)
Attuma: This again? Don't you learn you brute?
(Hulk then suddenly swings Attuma into the air with his fist and slams him to the ground before pounding him multiple times under his other fist. Attuma then freezes the water around Hulk's face to disorient him, briefly. Hulk quickly tears the ice away, but it gives Attuma enough time to escape.)
Hulk: Fishman cannot stop Hulk with ice!
Attuma: We shall see, beast!
(Attuma summons his Ice Trident back to him and runs toward the Hulk only to stumble into a pitfall suddenly created by Toph who then closes it up with Attuma still inside.)
Toph: Looks YOU'RE beneath us now, Fishface!
Hulk: Fishman beaten?
Toph: Nah! Just held him back for a few seconds. I can feel him digging his way free.
Hulk: Then Rock Girl smash Fishman with rocks!
Toph: Not that easy, Musclehead. The rain is making the ground all loose and soft. I can't create anything too solid.
Hulk: Grrrn! Fine! Hulk Smash for puny rock girl! ...Hmm?
(Hulk then sees the great stone column Toph summoned earlier lying in the distance.)
Hulk: Hulk found rock for rock girl!
(Toph then notices it too and smiles.)
Toph: Musclehead, you're not as dumb as you talk! Think you can distract fishface while I arm up?
Hulk: Rock girl go! Hulk fight fishman!
Toph: Awesome! I'll be right back!
(Toph rushes off toward the stone column as Attuma emerges from the ground just behind her.)
Attuma: You think you can humiliate me and simply flee, child? You will know the wrath of… of…
(Attuma notices a great shadow descending upon him. He looks up and sees the Hulk about to stomp him down from the sky.)
Attuma: Ohh… poop!
Hulk: SMAAAASH!
(Hulk stomps Attuma to the ground. However Attuma quickly throws him off and gets back up. Hulk swings at him with a mighty fist, but Attuma quickly dodges and jabs at Hulk with his ice trident. Hulk roars as the prongs dig into his hide and quickly turns and snaps the weapon like a twig. Attuma then discards the broken weapon and charges at the Hulk, who charges back in turn, they both collide, Hulk decking Attuma in the face while Attuma delivers a blow to Hulk's gut. They then knock each other back before running at eachother once more. Hulk goes for another punch, but Attuma counters and forces Hulk to the ground using his own weight and momentum against him. Attuma moves in to strike, but Hulk then pounds the Earth and creates a mini quake that knocks Attuma off-balance allowing Hulk to safely recover. Hulk then grabs Attuma, lifting him off the ground in his tremendous grip, practically crushing him. Attuma, however uses a swift leg movement to bend a spear of ice out from the soaked ground and stab Hulk in the gut. Hulk roars in agony before dropping Attuma. Attuma then twitches his wrist and barbs shoot out from the spike and embed themselves in Hulk's wound. This does little to deter the Hulk, however, as he rips the ice out from his wound and hurls it at Attuma. The barbed spike strikes Attuma's face, momentarily blinding and dazing him, thus allowing Hulk to run in and rain down a flurry of punches, each hitting with the force of a wrecking ball slamming into Attuma's body. He then tosses Attuma up into the sky before leaping after him. But as Attuma soars upwards, he bends and manipulates the storm clouds and as Hulk appears after him, a bolt of lightning suddenly blasts Hulk and stuns him. Attuma then strikes Hulk, knocking him down to the ground below. As Attuma falls, he begins forming a new longer sharper and denser ice trident and runs it through the prone Hulk, pinning him to the ground.)
Attuma: Submit, you foul creature! SUBMIT AND DIE!
(Suddenly, a large stony appendage taps Attuma on the shoulder. He then turns around to see Toph in a large suit of stone armor. Toph then delivers a strong blow directly to Attuma's face, knocking him off the Hulk. She then extends a hand to help the Hulk up.)
Toph: Take 5, Musclehead. I'll handle fishface for a while.
(Hulk takes her hand and stands up.)
Hulk: But Hulk not done Smashing yet!
Toph: Alright! Well, why not try smashing the big water monster thing?
Hulk: Hrrmmm… Okay! Hulk smash tentacles! Rock Girl smash fish man!
Toph: Sounds like a plan!
(Toph punches her stone palm with her stone fist, excitedly. Hulk then leaps away and Toph turns her attention to the recovering Attuma.)
Toph: Alright ya lily livered fishman! Time to pound you into chum!
Attuma: Rrrn! Insolent child! Your interference shall cost you your life!
(He conjures his Ice Trident once more. And he and Toph rush towards each other.)
(Cut back over to Aang on the Astral Plane with Roku and Strange.)
Aang: So you're saying I need to put the stone back together and then use my spiritual connection to banish the Kraken back to the spirit world?
Doctor Strange: In short, yes. Theoretically it should reverse Attuma's ritual.
Aang: But… I don't know if I can… I mean, I can barely even earth bend, much less tap into my Avatar state. And sometimes… when I do… people… my friends… they get hurt.
Doctor Strange: I understand the responsibility put upon you, Aang, and the fear that comes with it. I didn't get to be the sorcerer supreme over night. The learning process was challenging not just physically or mentally, but existentially. And then to suddenly be named the successor to the ancient one… Medicine I could handle but… this was something bigger than the universe itself and I was barely an intermediate student of magic. A few months prior, I refuted the possibility of such crafts. But I digress. The point is, you cannot let yourself live in fear of who you are and what you must do. To do so only invites disaster.
Roku: He speaks the truth, Aang. I know the power is hard to control and the consequences can be frightening, but if you refrain from embracing your duty as Avatar, then you condemn your friends and the world around you. No one expects you to learn to be Avatar overnight, but you must try to master your abilities so that no one has to worry about getting hurt by others.
Aang: You're right… I can't be afraid and do nothing when my friends are in danger. The world is out of balance and I am the only one who can set it right. I have to try. Thanks, Roku. Thanks Doctor Strange.
Roku: Of course, Avatar!
Doctor Strange: Happy to help.
Aang: I gotta go now. My friends need my help!
Roku: Good luck, Avatar!
Doctor Strange: And tell Doctor Ba- err… Hulk, that I wish to speak to him.
(cut back to the real world. Aang opens his eyes and finds himself lying in Katara's arms. He blushes at the sight of her.)
Aang: K-Katara?
Katara: Aang! You're awake thank goodness.
Sokka: Perfect timing, baldy. We got company.
(Sokka points at Tiger Shark and Ramona standing in the doorway.)
Tiger Shark: Payback time, kiddies!
Ramona: I shall earn the Kraken's blessing once more by sacrificing you, then reclaim my lost honor from the Hulk.
(Aang then gets up and runs over to the ritual sight.)
Aang: Guys… Don't get mad but… I need you to distract them.
Sokka: You got it Aang… wait WHAT?!
(Tiger Shark lunges at Sokka and tackles him to the ground.)
Katara: Sokka!
(Ramona charges at Katara and knocks her to the ground with a swift leaping kick.)
Ramona: Hahaha! How amusing! Your friend and savior abandons you to save his own skin!
Katara: No! Aang just knows we can handle you creeps! You don't scare us!
(Cut to Sokka on the ground, barely holding Tiger Shark's jaws back with his cudgel.)
Sokka: I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!
Katara: *Sigh*
(She quickly bends out a stream of water and thrusts it behind her, striking ramona in the face causing her to stumble back and allowing Katara to recover. She then swiftly hurls the stream at Tiger Shark, striking his eye, thus making him stumble back and allowing Sokka to escape.)
Tiger Shark: Grrrn! Pesky brat! You just became my next meal!
(Tiger Shark lunges at Katara)
Katara: Sokka!
Sokka: Right!
(Sokka chucks his boomerang at Tiger Shark but the boomerang bounces harmlessly off Tiger Shark's hide. Katara then shoots Sokka a disappointed glare.)
Sokka: IT WORKED ON THE DOGS!
(Ramona then rushes Sokka and engages him in combat)
Katara: Aang!
Aang: Katara!
(Before Tiger Shark can attack, he is intercepted by Gung-Fa who rushes in and body chucks Tiger Shark away.)
Gung-Fa: Are you alright, young one?
Katara: Yea! Thanks for the save!
(Bao Fei runs up to Aang)
Bao Fei: Ya alright, kiddo?
Aang: I'm fine, sir! But my friends need help!
Bao Fei: Okay, but what are YOU doing? Aren't you the Avatar? Why aren't YOU defending them?
Aang: I need to put Attuma's rock back together to banish the Kraken!
Bao Fei: That so?
(Bao Fei then bends the shards up off the ground and into Aang's hands.)
Bao Fei: There ya go!
Aang: Wow! Thanks, Old Man!
Bao Fei: Don't mention it. Figured that ought to help move things along.
Aang: Thanks. Now please help my friends.
Bao Fei: Alright, but you gotta learn to fight your own battles in the future, kid.
Aang: Haha! Okay! Promise!
Bao Fei: Honor to meet you, by the way, Avatar!
(Bao Fei joins the fray and surveys the battlefield. He then spies a loose brick in the wall behind where Sokka and Ramona are fighting and hurls the brick at the back of her head. It strikes her and she falls unconscious.)
Bao Fei: BOOM! Two for two, baby! That girl needs to learn to watch her blind spot!
Sokka: Hey! I had her on the ropes!
Katara: Guys!
(The two look over to see Katara and Gung-Fa battling Tiger Shark.)
Katara: Little help!
Bao Fei: JEEZ! WHAT THE HECK IS THAT THING?!
(Tiger Shark then knocks Gung-Fa to the ground and pins him down, burying his claws in Gung-Fa's shoulders. Gung-Fa screams in agony as Tiger Shark gets ready to deliver the killing bite. But before he can snap his jaws, Bao Fei raises a column of stone to strike Tiger Shark in the nose. Tiger Shark roars in agony as he stumbles back. Gung-Fa then trips him with a sweep and Bao Fei summons stone bonds to hold Tiger Shark in place. Tiger Shark thrashes and struggles, but the bonds hold strong.)
Katara: Wow! Nice work, guys!
Bao Fei: How's the stone coming along, kiddo?
Aang: I… I'm trying but… it won't hold.
(Bao Fei approaches Aang.)
Bao Fei: Don't think of it as stone, kid.
Aang: Huh?
Bao Fei: Earthbending ain't just stone bending kid. Earth is whatever an earthbender makes it. To master it, you must make yourself the element's master and understand it in all its forms. If you wanna pack stones together, treat them as clay. The rest will take care of itself.
(Aang takes a deep breath and tries to mold the stones together. He finds them begin to slip into place under his will.)
Aang: It's working!
Sokka: That's awesome Aang! But you better hurry. This place is beginning to flood.
(Sokka lifts his foot out of the now heel deep waters that line the floor of the temple from the rain water flooding the area outside. Tiger Shark then smiles.)
Tiger Shark: Sweet moisture!
(Tiger Shark's bonds begin to crack and crumble.)
Bao Fei: Uh oh! Make a break for it kid!
Aang: B-But… I can't just leave!
Bao Fei: Don't worry about us, kid! We'll be fine! You need ta finish molding that stone back together to stop this rain soaked nightmare!
Aang: B-But…
Katara: He's right, Aang! Don't worry about us! Just go!
(Aang sighs and looks a his friends)
Aang: Be careful!
(Aang runs off out into the storm as Tiger Shark breaks his bonds and looks at the party standing ready to oppose him.)
Tiger Shark: You lot are fools to try and oppose a shark in the water. But who am I to complain about a free feast?
Sokka: Pfft! I've hunted seals scarier than you!
(Tiger Shark then lunges at Sokka with incredible speed and knocks him out against the wall.)
Katara: SOKKA!
Tiger Shark: Bah! Too easy! Give me a thrilling hunt!
(Cut over to the Hulk battling the Kraken. Hulk is knocked and tossed about by the current and battered by massive squid tentacles, but each time he is ensnared he breaks free, ripping and tearing through the massive tentacles like raw meat, but despite Hulk's mutilations, the tentacles simply regenerate within seconds. Hulk then sees a massive shape traveling up towards him from the depths. It looks like a massive crevice with jagged edges rising up from the depths. But as it looms ever closer to the thrashing Hulk, it's appearance becomes ever clearer as the maw of a massive shark. The Kraken's Tentacles batter Hulk down toward the mouth of the beast and a current begins to pull Hulk in. However Hulk is able to swim just out of reach of the mighty Kraken's jaws while fighting off a barrage of tentacles. It is then, however, that Hulk is knocked away by the clawed hand of the great beast, which crashes into him from beneath and sends him flying toward the surface leaving a trail of blood.)
(Cut back over to Attuma and Toph battling it out. Attuma Jabs at Toph with his trident, but Toph blocks it with her wrist armor and jabs attuma with great speed and force in his open gut a few times then uppercutting him and knocking him on his back. This does little to slow him down though, as he quickly leaps back to his feet, sending a mighty wave of ground water to slow Toph down with mild success. He then rushes toward Toph and delivers and furious flurry of blows to the armored Earthbender. Toph tries to bury him by collapsing the ground around him, but he simply creates a water jet to shoot him upwards, delivering a flip kick to Toph's face and taking a chunk from her armor and landing gracefully. He then conjures another ice trident which he chucks at Toph and it pierces her stone armor in the chest.)
Toph: Yikes! Nice try, Fishface! But-
(He then recalls the Trident, dragging Toph, with it.)
Toph: Whoa! Hey! No fair! Alright! If that's how you wanna play it…
(Spikes suddenly protrude out of Toph's stone armor as she hurls toward Attuma. Attuma appears alarmed and stops her momentum, but the spikes then shoot out towards him. Attuma then nimbly dodges the spikes as he dashes at Toph, striking the armor dead center and shattering it with one tremendous blow sending Toph flying across the battlefield, bouncing a few times against the ground before tumbling to a dazed halt.)
Toph: Oooh…. Mmm….
(Attuma recalls his Trident as he approaches the dazed Toph menacingly.)
Attuma: A valiant effort, child, but a futile effort nonetheless.
(Attuma raises his trident to deliver the final blow to Toph, but before he can, a great shadow descends on him. He looks up to see the body of the Hulk falling toward him at an alarming rate. He attempts to dodge but to no avail. The falling Hulk lands like a meteor atop the mighty Attuma. Toph smiles.)
Toph: Nnh… Thanks for the save, musclehead.
(Hulk opens his eyes weakly and wipes the blood from his lips just before Attuma tosses him off and rises to his feet once more.)
Attuma: As expected, The Kraken has deemed you unworthy of facing him. Thus, I shall be your executioner!
Hulk: Grrrn! Fine! First Hulk Smash Fishman! Then Hulk smash Squid Monster!
Toph: Hey! Save some smashing for me too, Hulk!
(Toph says as she rises to her feet and assumes a fighting stance.)
Attuma: Bah! One opponent or two, it makes no difference! You both shall die this day!
(Attuma, Hulk and Toph then charge towards each other. Toph and Hulk both throw punches, Toph's fist covered in a stone gauntlet. Attuma dodges Hulk's punch and catches Toph's, crushing her wrist in his hand. She screams in pain as he lifts her by her gauntlet and throws her against the Hulk's face, blinding him. Hulk moves to peel Toph off his face leaving himself open for a blow from Attuma, which Attuma exploits with a vicious punch to the gut. Hulk falls to his knees as Toph struggles dazed and writhing in agony from her shattered wrist. Attuma smirks as he approaches his opponents.)
Attuma: While this little exercise has proven briefly amusing, it is time for your meddling to be put to an end!
(Attuma conjures another ice trident and readies it to slay Hulk. But as he strikes down, Toph flings a glob of mud into his face, blinding and disorienting him briefly. Attuma quickly recovers and turns his gaze to Toph.)
Attuma: Very well then! If you wish to die first, SO BE IT!
(Attuma hurls his icy trident towards the prone Toph but it is intercepted by the massive green bulk of Hulk's body which it shatters harmlessly against. Attuma recoils in shock.)
Attuma: What?! That's not possible!
(Hulk rises and turns to face Attuma.)
Hulk: First fishman hurt rock girl, then fishman attack Hulk with rock girl, then fish man try to kill rock girl!
(Hulk begins making his way toward Attuma. Attuma then begins chucking spear after spear of ice at Hulk, but they all shatter against Hulk's hide.)
Attuma: Impossible! IMPOSSIBLE!
Hulk: Fish man no hurt rock girl! Rock girl Hulk's friend!
(Attuma trembles and scurries back in terror before the green behemoth approaching him.)
Attuma: I don't understand! My weapons rended your flesh with ease before! Why aren't my weapons working anymore?!
Hulk: Because fish man made the mistake of hurting Hulk's friend! That makes Hulk mad!
(Hulk then charges at attuma like a one man stampede, pulling back his fist for a mighty blow.)
Hulk: AND WHEN HULK GETS MAD, NOTHING CAN STOP HULK!
(Hulk then delivers a tremendous charging punch. Attuma raises his hands to catch Hulk's fist, but it avails him none as Hulk's great punch overwhelms his defenses and knocks him sky high. Hulk then roars triumphantly.)
(Cut back to the temple where Tiger Shark is doing battle with the rest of the Gaang. Katara is tending to an unconscious Sokka while Gung-Fa and Bao Fei battle the beast. Bao Fei summons a chunk of stone and hurls it at Tiger Shark, but he simply deflects it back at Bao Fei with a swing of his great tail. Gung-Fa then tries to deck Tiger Shark from the side, but he sees it coming and grabs him before bashing his head against the ground until he loses consciousness. Tiger Shark then shoots a sinister gaze to Katara.)
Tiger Shark: And now with the other distractions out of the way, I can complete my retribution.
(Tiger Shark begins to make his way toward Katara and she glares at the beast as it approaches.)
Tiger Shark: Your determined facade is… "convincing" child, but I can smell your fear. Hahaha! You shall taste exquisite as I rip the flesh from your bones and guzzle down your blood in a frenzy of passion and hunger!
(Katara's eyes suddenly glaze over and a smarmy grin then crosses her face. Tiger Shark then suddenly stops in his tracks.)
Katara: Chilling. Very well spoken for an aquatic Wendigo.
Tiger Shark: What's this? All at once… your fear has… vanished?!
Katara: Indeed. For I've been studying you quite closely and have now deduced your weakness.
Tiger Shark: Such arrogance! You will learn respect, human!
(Tiger Shark then lunges at Katara, but she nimbly sidesteps his attack before delivering a firm swift strike to his gills, stunning him and hindering his breathing. She then stands to the side and begins to perform Tai-Chi and pull the water off of Tiger Shark's body as well as his immediate area, amassing it all in a giant orb that hovers just above her. Tiger Shark then begins to panic.)
Tiger Shark: *Cough!* *Wheeze!* No… the water… need… water….
(Tiger Shark begins to tremble as he moves, his skin cracking and blistering from dehydration.)
Katara: Honestly, I don't see how these morons didn't didn't put this together sooner. *Sigh* Such is the pitiful plight of lesser minds.
Tiger Shark: Not possible… *Gag* mortal benders… *Ack!* can't do this!
Katara: On the contrary! The limits of bending are limited only to the imagination of the user. The normal "limitations" are merely self-imposed mental barriers to maintain some arbitrary balance or something. Barriers that I have shattered. True it is taxing on this vessel, but as is with any exercise, her body will recover and adapt.
Tiger Shark: Who… are you?
Katara: ...I am the leader of this world… and every other as well. They simply don't know it yet.
(Katara thrusts her palm forward and snaps her wrist downward, bending the remaining blood in Tiger Shark's jaw, forcing it open.)
Katara: A pity you will not be able to see my new world. It will be… perfect.
(Katara thrusts her other palm forward and a spike of ice shoots out from the mass of water and stabs Tiger Shark through the roof of his mouth, piercing his brain, killing him. Katara then releases the mass of water into the room, the sudden splashes waking her comrades.)
Sokka: Uggh… My head… Katara!
(Sokka whirls around to see his sister standing over the dead body of Tiger Shark. Sokka, Bao Fei and Gung-Fa gaze in awe.)
Sokka: Whoa…. Katara… what did you do?!
(The glaze fades and the humanity returns to Katara's eyes along with her consciousness.)
Katara: I… I don't know… I didn't mean to! He charged at me! I panicked and I just… I threw something at him and… then he stopped. When I opened my eyes… Oh gosh... Sokka…
(Katara then passes out. Sokka runs over and catches her before she hits the ground.)
Sokka: KATARA!
(Gung-Fa approaches checking her pulse and her breathing)
Gung-Fa: She will be fine… I think the shock of her actions simply overwhelmed her.
Bao Fei: Poor kid… I mean, thanks to her we're still kickin but… my goodness.
Sokka: Dad told me on my first hunting trip, "The first kill rarely sits well with anyone. Even when it is needed for survival." Mine was just a seal and I felt like I was gonna be sick for days…. What must poor Katara be thinking?
(Cut back over to Toph and the Hulk)
Toph: Whoa… nice punch, big guy… now how about helpin' me maybe?
(Hulk turns with a snarl to Toph, but his rage quickly subsides as he sees his friend in pain. He walks over to Toph, looking rather concerned.)
Hulk: Toph… hurt?
Toph: Well it smarts like no ones business but I think I can manage.
Aang: TOPH!
(Hulk turns to see Aang rushing towards Toph, he growls as Aang approaches, but Toph places a hand on Hulk and reassures him.)
Toph: I-it's alright, Hulk. *Rngh!* T-Twinkletoes is a friend.
Hulk: Friend?
Toph: That's right, big guy. Friend. Mmph!
(Aang arrives at Toph's side.)
Aang: Toph! Are you okay?!
Toph: Well, my hand feels like dust, but I'll live… Thanks to musclehead, here.
Aang: Don't move. Let me see if I can heal it at all.
(Aang bends some water over her shattered hand and the wounds and bruises begin to fade slightly as the water vanishes.)
Aang: I hope that helps… it's the best I can do right now. I'm still a bit rusty at healing.
Toph: Well it hurts a lot less, so that's a plus.
(Aang turns to Hulk)
Aang: Thank you for helping my friend.
(Hulk hesitates for a moment then smiles warmly)
Hulk: Friend.
(Suddenly a loud crash emanates from the lake as the Kraken's gargantuan form suddenly rises from the depths. It's massive body towering over the landscape as tentacles squirm and thrash at its base.)
Aang: ...I'm guessing that's the Kraken.
Hulk: Grrrr!
(The Kraken roars as his tentacles stretch out over the land and begin crushing and destroying anything in their path.)
Toph: Incoming!
(Hulk grabs Toph and Aang and leaps high into the air to avoid the thrashing tendrils of the Kraken. He lands in a nearby patch of land out of the Kraken's current path.)
Toph: Whew! Quick thinkin', Musclehead!
Hulk: Friends okay?
Aang: We're fine, Hulk.
Hulk: Good. Friends stay here. Hulk go back and smash Croctopus.
Aang: Hulk! No! You can't!
Hulk: Watch me!
(Hulk then leaps off back toward the Kraken.)
Aang: Hulk! No! You don't understand!
Toph: Don't worry twinkletoes. He can handle himself.
Aang: Maybe, but the only way to stop that thing is with this.
(Aang holds out the shards of Attuma's aragonite pendant.)
Toph: You know if that were anything other than stone, you'd look like a jerk right now.
Aang: Sorry. But anyways, these are the shards of Attuma's pendant. This is the only thing that can banish the Kraken back to the spirit realm. So far I've had some luck re-assembling it but… I can't quite restore it entirely.
Toph: Twinkletoes, you came to the right earthbender! Let's get to work!
(Cut to Hulk landing back in the fray. The Kraken's incomprehensible mass of tentacles rampaging through and destroying all in their path. Hulk looks toward the towering spirit and scowls.)
Hulk: Grrn! Squid monster thinks it is stronger than Hulk! But Hulk show squid Monster how strong Hulk is!
(Hulk stomps the ground and generates a shockwave that stuns the tendrils of the Kraken momentarily. Hulk then leaps into the air toward the terrible titan and lands halfway up one of its tentacles and begins charging up the slick and slender slope at superhuman speeds. As he runs, however, the mass he stands on begins to move, trying to throw him off. Hulk stumbles and struggles to maintain his balance, but stands strong.)
Hulk: RRRRGH! Squid monster no want Hulk running on tentacles? Fine! Hulk no run!
(Hulk then bounds toward his quarry with a gamma powered leap)
Hulk: Hulk jump!
(But as Hulk leaps ever closer to the sinister cephalopod, an incoming barrage of tentacles threatens to swat him down. However, when the Hulk collides with the beast's titanic limbs, his sheer force of will and boundless rage allow him to repel the tentacles grabbing two of them and pushing them away and even forcing one down to use one as solid footing for his next mighty leap, propelling him toward the Kraken's scaly torso and astonishing speeds.)
Hulk: RAAAAAAAHHHHRG! HULK SMASH SQUID MONSTER!
(Despite the vast size difference between the Kraken and the Hulk the sheer force behind the impact combined with the Hulk's great strength proves powerful enough to shatter the diamond like hide of the Kraken and summon forth a stream of an eerie green ethereal essence as Hulk learns that even spirits can bleed. However, even the blood of a titanic spirit is enough to scorch the flesh of any mortal.)
Hulk: RRAAAARRGH! IT BURNS!
(Hulks surface layer of flesh is seared off by the blood of the Kraken, however, the Kraken's sudden howl of agony spurns the Hulk on and he strikes deeper into the wounded Kraken. His blow punctures deeper into the Kraken's body, but also summons significantly more blood that erupts out in a sudden fiery gush and expels Hulk away with the force of a Volcanic explosion, searing away even more of the Hulk's flesh.)
(Cut back to Aang and Toph bending Attuma's aragonite back together. It shimmers a brilliant green upon reassembly.)
Aang: We did it!
Toph: What would you do without me, twinkletoes?
(Aang then takes the stone and pockets it.)
Aang: Now stay here and lay low while I go and banish the Kraken.
Toph: Oh no! You're not cutting me out of the fight that easy!
Aang: Toph, you're hurt!
Toph: It's nothing! I'm fine!
Aang: Toph! Please! If anything happened to you I-
Toph: Ugh! You sound just like my parents! I'm going and that's that!
(Toph then runs off toward the battlefield. Aang reaches out to stop her in vain, then sighs in surrender before rushing off to join her. Eventually they reach the Kraken by following the sounds of his agonized wails and the distant dreadful silhouette. They arrive at the battlefield to find a horribly burned and scarred Hulk with half his face burned off leaving only a seared eye and bone while the rest of his body is covered in 3rd degree burns with exposed bone here and there. Aang recoils in horror at the gruesome sight.)
Toph: Hulk! You okay there, big guy?
Aang: Toph… I don't think he can-
(Hulk's head suddenly snaps toward Toph and Aang with a look of agony and furious anger. Aang cries out in horror at the movement of what he thought was a corpse while Toph laughs at Aang's hysteria. Meanwhile, Hulk slowly rises to his feet as his wounds heal and close rapidly. Hulk then stands before them, snarling and frothing with rage, barely cognizant. He looks toward them and growls.)
Toph: Easy, Musclehead. It's rock girl. Friend, remember?
(Hulk bellows at her but she stands firm!)
Toph: Hey! I get it! You're ticked off! But don't take it out on us!
(Hulk slowly begins to regain hints of lucidity.)
Hulk: Rock… girl… friend…
Toph: If you wanna blow off some steam, take it out on the big monster guy making this storm.
(Hulk, now fully recovered, then turns and leaps once more toward the Kraken.)
Toph: That should keep that big fish distracted for a little bit. Now quickly, Twinkletoes, go all Avatar and send this octocroc back to the spirit world.
Aang: *Sigh* I'll try.
(Aang closes his eyes and begins to meditate, trying to summon forth the Avatar state.)
Aang: Come on… Avatar state! Avatar state!
Toph: Any time now, Twinkletoes!
Aang: I'm trying!
(Suddenly one of the Kraken's massive tentacles slams down and sends an enormous tidal wave crashing towards Toph and Aang. They watch in horror as the wave crashes down and swallows them up. As they are swept away by the rushing flood, Aang sees Toph slam into a tree and lose consciousness before being limply swept off into the abyss out of Aang's view. The apparent loss of his friend and earthbending teacher summons a great emotional reaction from Aang, which triggers the Avatar state. Aang then rises out from the water and angrily rushes toward the massive Kraken. The Kraken sees Aang coming and moves to strike Aang with it's mighty tentacles, but Aang dodges or repels each strike with blustering gales as his fists surge with lightning. He then thrusts his palm forward and blasts the Kraken with a massive discharge of electricity and it shrieks in pain as the voltage shoots through its massive body. Aang then raises his other hand and clenches a fist and lightning strikes down from the storming skies and hits the Kraken directly, stunning it. Aang then summons all the water surrounding the kraken to encase its entire body and freeze it still.)
(Cut over to Hulk, wrestling with the Kraken's tentacles while trying to make his way to the beast's body. Suddenly, the water around the Kraken begins to freeze and hold it in place. Hulk is puzzled by this turn of events, but his gaze then shifts to the unconscious body of Toph being swept past him. He then leaps away from the tentacle and dives after Toph. Using his incredible muscles to propel himself forward, he reaches Toph's body and leaps out of the brine, saving her from a watery grave. As he ascends with Toph in hand he sees Aang freezing the Kraken.)
Hulk: Grrrn! Bald man no steal Hulk's fight! Hulk will prove he is stronger than squid monster without baldy's help!
(Hulk then changes course and begins leaping toward Aang, Toph still resting on his shoulders.)
(Cut back over to Aang, who is struggling to hold the Kraken still in the ice.)
Aang: Nnngg! Gotta… use… the stone.. but… Ice… too much…
Hulk: RAAAAAARGH!
(Hulk's distant bellow catches Aang's attention. He looks over and sees Hulk leaping towards him with his friend in tow. He smiles as fate has smiled upon him as well it seems. Hulk grabs hold of a tree top a few feet below Aang and begins scolding him.)
Aang: Hulk!
Hulk: Baldy no mess with squid monster! Hulk will defeat squid monster himself!
Aang: Hulk… the stone!
(Aang bends the aragonite toward Hulk. Hulk takes it and looks curiously at it.)
Hulk: What is this? Hulk doesn't need puny stone to beat Kraken!
Aang: Hulk! Please… you have to… only way… I can't hold it back much longer!
(Hulk scoffs and takes the stone.)
Hulk: Fine! Hulk throw rock at squid monster.
(Hulk then leaps from the treetop to the raised frozen tentacles of the Kraken, treating them as platforms until he finally reaches the area where he wounded the Kraken before. He then takes the stone and hurls it into the open wound. It crashes through the ice and punctures the Kraken's flesh like a bullet. The ice containing the Kraken begins to crack as the monstrous spirit starts to fade away. Hulk then bellows victoriously.)
Hulk: HULK IS STRONGEST THERE IS!
(But no sooner does Hulk finish his thought does his platform shatter and he plummets down into the rushing current with Toph in hand and they are both swept away. Meanwhile, Aang, seeing the great spirit banished back and order restored, leaves the Avatar state and floats to the ground, falling unconscious from exhaustion immediately upon contact.)
(Cut to Aang waking up surrounded by his friends in the ruined temple.)
Katara: He's waking up! Thank goodness!
Sokka: You had us going there for a while, baldy!
Bao Fei: Ya did good, kid! You'll make a fine Avatar yet!
Gung-Fa: Indeed! This shall be a tale worthy of telling in the great feasting halls of Ba Sing Se! The Avatar banishes the Kraken with the aid of the Incredible Hulk! Hahaha!
Bao Fei: Heh! Well let's make sure the kid is healthy enough to tell the tale first eh, Gung-Fa?
Aang: Mmph… Hulk… TOPH!
(Aang shoots up suddenly)
Aang: Where is the Hulk? Did he ever bring Toph to safety?
(The others suddenly look concerned.)
Katara: You mean, you don't know where Toph is?
Sokka: Last we saw her she was with you!
Gung-Fa: Along with the Hulk!
Bao Fei: When was the last time you saw them?
Aang: *Sigh* I was in the Avatar state struggling to hold the Kraken in place when I saw Hulk leap up with Toph on his shoulders. I gave him the Aragonite and told him to finish the Kraken off with it. Then he leapt away… he must have done that at least because I saw the Kraken fade away as the ice broke.
Gung-Fa: Hmm… perhaps he took a fall and got swept away by the river.
Katara: This is awful! Poor Toph is stranded and alone who knows where with that monster!
Bao Fei: Hey! That "monster" just helped save our butts.
Katara: That thing also nearly killed Toph the last time they met.
Aang: That's enough. Fighting amongst ourselves won't get us anywhere. The fact of the matter is that both our friends are missing and we need to find them.
Gung-Fa: I think I can help us with that. As a nomad I have a excellent tracking skills. Not to mention my familiarity and kinship with the open world.
Aang: Think you can track via sky bison?
Gung-Fa: I've never tried it, but I am always up for a challenge! Haha!
(Cut over to a distant shoreline. We see an unconscious Toph apparently floating along the water on her back. But as she drifts toward the shore we see the Hulk emerge from the water and gasp for air holding her above his head. He carries her over and sets her down in the sand, panting heavily before falling to his knees and passing out and collapsing as he reverts back to Banner. We then see fire nation troops creep out and surround the bodies.)
Troop 1: There's no mistaking it! This is them alright!
Troop 2: Inform Lady Azula at once! The rest of you, help me get them into shackles.
(The first troop runs off while the rest move in to capture the unconscious duo. But suddenly a bulky humanoid silhouette steps into view and interrupts the capture.)
?: Step away from the girl and the geek!
(The fire nation soldiers turn to face the mysterious aggressor.)
Troop 2: Who dares interrupt- GAHHH! WHAT THE HECK IS THAT THING?!
(Cut over to reveal the figure to be a six foot tall walking humanoid mass of orange rocks with blue eyes wearing blue shorts with a black waistband with the number 4 in the center. The imposing figure is none other than Ben Grimm, the ever lovin' blue-eyed Thing of the Fantastic 4.)
Thing: Buddy, I think you just answered yer own question. Now here's one fer you! Do any of you mooks know what time it is?! I'll give ya hint!
(Ben pounds his fist into his palm and cracks his knuckles. The fire nation staggers back in fear of this intimidating orange golem. A smile crosses the Thing's face.)
Thing: Heh! That look tells me you guessed it, kiddies!
(The Thing then charges into the fray)
Thing: IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!
(The Fire Nation Soldiers cry out in terror at the Thing's assault.)
(Cut over to the Fire Nation compound. Mad Thinker and Mai are standing opposite one another, staring eachother down after an intense conversation. Suddenly, a soldier enters the room.)
Soldier: Royal Thinker! The Princess has requested your presence.
Thinker: *sigh* Alas, duty calls. I do hope we can pick up this conversation again soon though. But I must warn you, miss Mai, you say that it upsets you not knowing what I am, well where I come from there is a saying, "Ignorance is bliss."
(He and Andy then get up and leave Mai alone in the room as he follows the soldier, thunder blaring as he exits.)
Soldier: Lady Mai… your presence was requested as well.
Mai: Tell her I'm busy.
Soldier: But-
Mai: She won't care. I promise you won't suffer her wrath. Now go!
Soldier: Y-Yes… my lady.
(The Guard bows and escorts Thinker to Azula. Leaving Mai alone in Thinker's study. Mai then scans the room carefully.)
Mai: This jerk has an I.Q. the size of Ba Sing Se and an even bigger ego. So obviously he's gonna hide his secrets in plain sight to mock those of lesser intellect.
(Mai begins walking around the room as she scans)
Mai: But even so… he wouldn't just leave them unguarded like this would he?
(Mai makes her way over to the bookshelf, scanning it and its contents carefully for any abnormalities no matter how slight.)
Mai: No… this is a test, isn't it?
(She finds a book with a gold lined spine sitting in the left side of the top shelf. She then pulls it out gingerly, testing for a response. Nothing. She takes the book down and begins to thumb through it, looking for anything unusual inside.)
Mai: He wants to see if I can crack his little riddle.
(She finishes looking through the book, closes it, then puts it back on the shelf, just as she had found it. She then makes her way over to a portrait of the royal family and begins to analyze it as well. The faces, the eyes, the backdrop, the frame, the wall around it, everything. No detail must be overlooked.)
Mai: He's running threat assessment. Wanting to see just how clever I am and if I'm gonna be a problem or not.
(Nothing. She then makes her way back to where she started.)
Mai: What's more, assuming I do figure this out, there's probably a trap just waiting for me inside whatever secret door he has in here.
(Mai sits down in the Thinker's chair and sighs.)
Mai: Or perhaps I'm simply being paranoid. After all, this is a Fire Nation Compound. He couldn't just build a secret bunker overnight, and never without anyone noticing… maybe he's just trying to intimidate me.
(Mai then notices something just beneath the tablecloth on the table in front of the Thinker's chair. It is faint and difficult to notice to the untrained eye, but most definitely visible to Mai. She grabs the edge of the tablecloth and carefully lifts to reveal a circular imprint. Probably left from a cup of some kind. Her eyes then turned to the tea cup the Thinker was sipping on, then back to the imprint.)
Mai: Heh… why not? It'll be the most interesting thing that's happened around here in awhile if this pays off.
(Mai then sets the tea cup on the imprint. She then waits a few moments for something to happen.)
Mai: …*Sigh* Well, what the heck did I expect?
(At that moment, the room around her starts to dissolve and fade, being replaced by somewhere entirely new. A large white room made of plastic and metal full of towering metal boxes and flickering glass screens with strange text written within them. Along the walls are several tables covered in strange metal tools with odd wires the seem to be attached to the walls and strange small boxes. On another table are several odd shaped glass containers with liquids of strange color bubbling inside them. Mai then got up and explored further and at the end of the room she saw a massive machine with two open cylindrical pods illuminated by bright violet light. One of the pods had an open door, while the other was shut. Mai wanders the large room in curious awe.)
Mai: What is this place? What the heck is all this?
Thinker: Curiouser and curiouser, isn't it, Alice?
(Mai freezes in her tracks, startled by the sudden voice of the Thinker. At that moment, a dart pierces her neck. She clutches it instinctively, pulling out the now empty dart before suddenly collapsing to the ground as she feels her whole body go numb. The Thinker then steps out in front of her holding a tranq gun, a smug grin on his face as her vision blurs and darkens.)
Thinker: To coin a phrase, "You didn't see that coming?"
(Mai passes out as the leader cackles.)
(Mai then wakes up in a big featureless metal room. As she opens her eyes she sees she is not wearing her normal clothes, but a strange red form fitting suit with a black outline.)
Mai: Mmmf… Wha? What?! What the?! What happened?! Where am I?!
(Thinker's voice then emits from hidden speakers in the cell)
Thinker: You wandered into a place where you didn't belong, Lady Mai. So now you are in a cell where I can better… observe you.
Mai: How are you here? You were in the throne room with Lady Azula!
Thinker: Was I now? Hmm… Curious that. Heh! Heh! Heh! Heh! Heh!
Mai: You can't keep me here. My friends will know I'm gone.
Thinker: Tsk! Tsk! Mai! You of all people ought to know I'm smarter than to overlook that. It's why I chose you.
Mai: Chose me? For what?
Thinker: We will get to that momentarily. For now, allow me to address your point regarding your presence among your friends.
(A section of the floor slides away and a platform rises from below holding an android that looks exactly like Mai. Mai recoils in horror at the sight of it.)
Mai: W-WHAT IS THAT?! WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE ME?! HOW DOES IT LOOK LIKE ME?!
Thinker: Oh, you women! So obsessed with your appearance. Mai, meet LMD unit MA1.
Mai: LMD?
Thinker: Life Model Decoy. Designed to look, sound and act exactly like you to fill your place among peers during your indefinite stay here.
Mai: You're insane! They'll never believe-
MA1: Sheesh! Am I really this whiny?
Mai: What?!
MA1: Honestly. I can't believe I'm losing my cool like this. It's pathetic really.
Thinker: Eh? Pretty accurate, wouldn't you say?
Mai: This isn't possible! THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE! I WON'T LET YOU STEAL MY LIFE YOU FREAK!
(Mai charges toward the LMD, her mind and body filled with a burning anger, and delivers a tremendous punch full of rage and fear directly to the imposter Mai's face. The impostor doesn't even flinch as her punch harmlessly impacts her metal reinforced body, doing significantly more damage to Mai then her imposter. Mai pulls her hand back, clutching her wrists in pain and panting heavily as the LMD is brought back down into the ground.)
Thinker: Are you quite done, Ms. Mai?
(Mai manages to recover from her trauma enough to respond to the leader, her voice shaking.)
Mai: You said… you chose me… what for exactly?
Thinker: As you know, the Hulk's sudden presence here creates something of a threat to me and my operations in this realm. And while my bodyguard, Andy, makes for a stalwart and dependable companion, I'm afraid I will require a bigger arsenal in order to securely see my plans through. Plus the princess has authorized me to use any means necessary to stock the arsenal of the Fire Nation with weapons capable of combating the Hulk. That, my dear girl, is where you come in.
Mai: You really are crazy! Even if I was willing to help you, my weapons couldn't even scratch the Hulk!
Thinker: Hahahahahahahaha! Indeed Lady Mai! Your normal state is quite useless to me. That's why I decided to augment you.
(Mai's eyes widen in horror at the word "augment.")
Mai: ...What did you do to me?
Thinker: I've placed a device onto your heart that will fill your blood with cosmic radiation at my command.
(Mai places a hand over her heart.)
Thinker: You see, I've discovered that this particular realm is incredibly sensitive to cosmic radiation, both natural and artificial. For some reason, the potency of cosmic rays and those affected by them is increased exponentially in this world. So I figured I would try a few experiments. You ought to be honored Lady Mai. You will be my first experiment in this realm. I do hope you are a success.
(Mai suddenly clutches her heart, grunting loudly in pain as she feels a sudden shock course through her body. Her muscle mass suddenly bulks up and her skin darkens to a crimson red. Long black talons tear through her fingertips while her feet painfully reform and mutate into long thin strong taloned feet like those of a bird of prey. Her eyes turn a burning yellow as black feathers begin to crop up along her wrists, thighs, back and breast. All the while she screams in agony as two adjacent bulges begin to form in her back, stretching and bulging from beneath the skin further and further until finally the skin tears away and two massive black feathered wings burst from her back as she lets out a shrill glass shattering cry. She then begins letting out furious and powerful blasts of cosmic energy that scorch the walls of her cell as she rampages about like the angry savage beast she has become.)
Thinker: Well, I can see now that I was right to go with the adamantium cell. Curious though. It seems her mutation is similar to the Harpy created by MODOK from Banner's old flame… Hmm… very well then. You, Mai, shall now be my "Red Harpy."
(Mai then shrieks and a blast of cosmic energy erupts from her mouth.)
Mai: SKREEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWW!
(Cut over to Zuko and Iroh taking shelter from the Kraken's storm in a cave.)
Iroh: Ahh… not exactly a tea shop, but it will do for the time being.
?: Oh! My goodness! You startled me!
(Zuko suddenly draws his blade and points it into the shadows.)
Zuko: Who's there?! Show yourself!
(Malekith then walks out from the shadows)
Malekith: Greetings, fellow travelers.
Zuko: Who are you?! What are you doing here?
Malekith: I would imagine the same as you, I am but a traveller seeking refuge from the storm.
(Malekith looks at the blade pointed at him.)
Malkeith: That's a lovely blade my boy. What is it made from?
(Moves the blade a few inches closer to the Dark Elf's throat.)
Zuko: Fire Nation steel, sharp enough to easily rend the flesh of any dishonorable cur who crosses me.
(Malekith nods before taking a finger and pressing it gently on the tip of the blade and moving it aside.)
Malekith: Hmm… well we certainly don't want that.
(Zuko swiftly puts the other blade to Malekith's throat.)
Malekith: And it has a twin!
Zuko: Who are you?!
Malekith: My name is Ma-le. And as I said, I am but a traveller seeking refuge.
Zuko: Well seek it elsewhere!
Malekith: ….Well… I was here first.
(Zuko pauses and sheathes his blades)
Zuko: We are leaving uncle…
Iroh: What? But Zuko, we only just got here! Is it so much of a bother to share?
Malekith: Zuko? As in… the exiled prince, Zuko? Which makes you… Iroh?
Zuko: Grrn! Rambling old fool! Do you see what you've done now?!
Iroh: Hrmm… maybe that was a bit careless.
Malekith: Now! Now! There's no need to fret! I am no friend to the Fire Nation. And as far as I am concerned, any enemy of theirs is a friend of mine.
Iroh: You see, Zuko? You worry too much!
Zuko: Perhaps you don't worry enough, uncle.
Malekith: Now! Now! No need for such hostilities! What do you say we get a fire going and I prepare us a pot of jasmine tea?
Iroh: Ha! Ha! The kindness of strangers!
Zuko: Hmph! Fine! But I'm watching you.
(Cut to a few moments later. Iroh, Zuko and Malekith are sitting around a fire with a pot of Jasmine Tea steaming. They each hold a cup of piping hot fresh tea in their hands. Iroh contently sips his tea before speaking to Malekith.)
Iroh: So tell us, Ma-Le, where do you come from?
Malekith: Oh, I would tell but I sincerely doubt you would believe me.
Iroh: Oh, come on! Try us!
Malekith: Well… it's a rather obscure place. Hidden well away from a place like this. A place of cold and darkness full of all manner or majestic and terrifying beasts. A place whose people are strong, proud, relentless, cunning and durable to whatever her foes throw at her and they do have a great many foes. But… they are also a confused people. They are a people who have since lost their way, who give into weakness out of fear instead of standing strong to be the rulers and masters they were meant to be. A people whose vision has been corrupted by time and meddlers from the outside. But… now I am just rambling.
Iroh: Ha! Ha! How very compelling! You make a very good storyteller, sir!
Zuko: Your home… you never told us its name.
Malekith: Svartalfheim.
(Zuko looks confused by the name)
Malekith: Yes, yes. The name comes from a tongue that is… challenging to most outsiders.
Zuko: You say you're people have become misguided… is that why you left?
Malekith: Yes and no. I did not leave because my people lost their way. I was exiled by them because I tried to put them back on the right path and they refused. You see, my young prince… we may have more in common then you know.
Zuko: You are an exiled royal as well, then?
Malekith: You're as sharp as your Fire Nation steel, boy.
Zuko: Well then, you say your people refused to see the right path. What exactly would you have them do?
Iroh: Nephew! That's quite enough!
(Malekith chuckles)
Malektih: It's alright. Though really I don't want to bore you with a lecture about the culture and politics of a land you are only recently aware of. Now...
(Malekith then stands up)
Malekith: If you will excuse me, I must step out for a moment. Commoner or king in lands both prominent and obscure, when nature calls… well you know the rest.
(Iroh chuckles at the allusion while Zuko scoffs in disgust as Malekith leaves the cave. Once he is out of sight, Malekith dismisses his human disguise and procures a communicator from his cloak.)
Malekith: My… *sigh* My Leader, I have confirmed the targets. The rites have been set and the artifact is ready.
Leader: Perfect. Proceed, Malekith.
(Cut back to Zuko and Iroh inside the cave sitting by the fire.)
Iroh: That was quite a story from our new acquaintance, wouldn't you say, nephew?
Zuko: Indeed. It was quite compelling with its vague descriptions and cryptic allusions.
Iroh: Ah ha! This coming from Mr. "Don't tell him our names, Uncle!"
Zuko: I was being careful. This guy is just taunting us.
Iroh: Hmm… I suppose you have a point nephew. Still, a benefit of him knowing who we are means he must know we aren't pushovers either. We may be fugitives but our reputations still proceed us. Hahahaha!
(Suddenly the fire flares up and sputters, spewing a strange smoke the spreads through the cave before all at once dying allowing darkness to set in. Zuko and Iroh both begin coughing from the smoke and holding their sleeves to their mouths. They ignite their hands with flames to aid their sight, but it proves to be of little use against the black smokescreen surrounding them.)
Zuko: Uncle! Are you alright?
Iroh: *Cough* *Cough* I'm unharmed nephew! Yourself?
Zuko: I'm okay. I had a feeling something like this would happen.
Iroh: Oh really?
Zuko: Be quiet! We must stay on guard! He is trying to use the smoke to his advant-
(Malekith then suddenly leaps from the smoke and hammers Zuko in the cut with a forceful punch, knocking the wind out of him and dropping him unconscious.)
Iroh: NEPHEW!
(Iroh whirls around and sends a stream of fire rushing toward Maliketh, knocking the dark elf off his feet and into the inky abyss.)
Malekith: Not bad, human! You actually got me with that! Quite an impressive flame as well.
Iroh: Great spirit! If we disturbed your domain, we apologize! It was not our intent to threaten you.
Malekith: Spirit?! Hahahahaha! Don't make me laugh, old man! I have made spirits bend knee to my presence along with countless other beings whose power you could never even begin to comprehend.
(As Malekith speaks, Iroh shuts his eyes and listens to the area around him, painting a rough image of his surroundings in his mind.)
Iroh: So you are not a spirit, then?
Malektih: Oh no! I am something FAR more deadly! I am Malekith the Accursed. And you, human, are about to-
(Before Malekith can finish his speech, Iroh lets loose a powerful lightning bolt that strikes Malekith, who was lurking a mere yard behind Iroh. The bolt collides with Malekith who cries in agony as the voltage fills his body and once again knocks him off his feet. The black smoke then parts and Iroh ignites his hand once more. He then sees Malekith scorched and lying on the ground moaning and wheezing in a daze. He approaches his fallen foe, a stern angry glare on his face. When he gets a good look at Malekith's true form, he hesitates, unsure of exactly what he was looking at. The former general, in all his years of conquest and experience, had never laid eyes on a dark elf before. But in that moment of hesitation, Malekith struck. He flings a hair thin needle coated in a numbing toxin into Iroh's leg. Iroh winces at the puncture, but that's about all he has time to do before the poison takes effect and paralyzes him. Iroh then collapses to the ground, still conscious but unable to move. Malekith then gets up and puts on a chainmail glove decorated in strange runes and glyphs connected to a wire that ran into his cloak. The sinister dark elf then approaches the fallen general.)
Malekith: I must admit, I underestimated you, human. I thought the younger one would be the bigger threat by far. But unlike most of your kind, your age has not dulled your potence. Still, you succumb to the flaw of being inherently inferior. Now, since I was so kind to tell you about my home, why don't you tell me about yours?
(Iroh sees Malekith's glove descend upon him, then blacks out.)
(Cut back to the leader sitting in his chair and watching monitor screens flash with images and information about the Fire Nation. He grins with delight as he watches.)
Leader: Perfect! Perfectly executed, Malekith! I should have called on your services ages ago. With the information I'm gaining from the exiled prince and general, I can begin fleshing out the next stage of my plan…
(The screens then flash over to an image of Ozai sitting on his throne as the Leader procures another slave disc from his pocket.)
Leader: ...instilling a puppet monarch. Heheheheheh! Hahahahahahah! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!