Band of Benders(IC)

While running from the Shan's authorities....

David panted loudly while dodging walls, locals, and carts. He carried a bag of food in one hand while pumping his other arm. *Gotta get out of sight* The red robes were catching up on David. He grimaced while thinking of how to escape and get to the base at the same time. David saw his chance while running past and an alley. " Time to lose these hot heads" David escaped into an alley but they were still on his trail. Avatar Shan formed a seperate army just to deal with rebels. They get a huge bounty for catching one but the B.O.B. members werent pushovers. David started through the narrow alley way. He ascended, jumping from wall to wall. David had excellent acrobat skills. Once he was on the roof he made a wall of fire and when the flames were vanished so was David. He had escaped through a secret route to the the HQ of the B.O.B. He had brought food for everyone else. David placed the food on the meeting table and sent out a signal for everyone to come to the table. David needed to discuss something to the rest of the resistance. Very soon they were going to be going on a very important mission...

Kung sighed, having responded to what he thought was one too many of David's signals. "This better be something important, or I swear I'll put him in the ground up to his neck. Let's see him interrupt my meditation then." He muttered this to himself as he ascended through the rock up to the meeting room. The hole closed behind him, and he scooped an apple off the table. As he sat down at the stool-less spot across from the young firebender, a piece of the floor thrusted itself up like a stool. He closed his eyes, letting his seismic sense take over. In these uniquely shaped caverns, Kung could use it to see almost everything going on. After checking that everyone was headed their way, he opened his eyes and shook his head a little to get out of it. He looked up at David, taking a bite of the apple and surveying the boy's face. He seemed a bit preoccupied and impatient, but that was nothing new. Sighing again, he closed his eyes and waited for the rest of the B.O.B to get there.

Nai opened the door as he readied a fireball. He would never open a door the same, and was especially careful when dealing with B.O.B. meetings.

They shared his goals, but they were too altruistic and looked at the world in terms of "good" vs "evil."

Those words had since lost all meaning to him and since then were replaced with different extremes. Suffering was his enemy now, and lack thereof was his goal. He looked only to alleviate the suffering in the world, suffering that --in his mind-- he had caused.

It was for these reasons that he was not an official member, for he was of the opinion that everything that is "good" will at some point cause suffering, as the avatar now did. He was bound by no guild guidelines and pledged allegiance to no leader, and would risk death rather than bow in anyone's presence.

It was this reason that he entered and sat with a stone cold silence, which was strange due to the amount of heat he physically resonated.

He did not take of the food, for the boy had risked life and limb to acquire it. Eating the food would place the band in more eminent need of food, therefor forcing the boy to go out on another run sooner, and if the boy got caught the firebender would have caused...

...more suffering.

Maria sleepily sat up in her cot. She was awakened by David's signal. "This better be important enough to ruin my nap..." She rubbed her eyes and started towards the meeting room. Maria splashed a little water on her face so she could be attentive. She walked in and uttered "hello" under her breathe while grabbing a roll. She sat down at her seat to hear what David has to say. Deep down she liked being around him, and not just because he was the closest age to her. She just liked serious intense men and David was that. She was hoping that B.O.B. would be going into action soon. They had been gathering intel for weeks and she was ready to prove her stregnth.

Nai glared around the table, eying the Band. His sharp eyes cut a hole in everyone he looked at. They tried not to show it, but they feared him, feared his power, his skill, and his darkness. His gruff voice spoke up, a voice that was nothing but a raspy whisper, both centered and calm, a voice that crackled with the fire that was constantly in motion in Nai. his companions could sense the static energy he kept on reserve, it heated the entire room. Maria entered the room. He eyed her as she sat. She was everything he wasn't, perky and emotional, yet he didn't despise her for it. He respected her courage, but, as he privately noted, this trait could cause her to jump to rash decisions. She was also one of the few who had the potential to defeat him, if she chose to become dedicated to her bending.

As it was, his observant eye sent the visual signals of the band to his brain, and his mind said one thing:

Unready. They were unready to face the avatar. She knew it all. Even he couldn't match 1/10th of her power, he had tangled with her before and escaped unconscious, despite being an experienced and dedicated prodigy. Wisely enough, however, this didn't displease him, but rather amuse him, that this rabble could escape such a powerful being. He had the mind of a tactician, and the reason of their survival still eluded him. He suspected that there was something the leader of this band had failed to inform him of.

After all, he had failed so much in the past.

Tao went to get his bag to start his quest his aunt saw him and approached him "Tao I want you to have this it belonged to your grandmother I want you to have it" It was a bracelet made out of a meteorite "It should come in handy it helped your grandmother in many ways possible" Tao took the Bracelet and Wrapped it around his wrist as a perfect fit "Thanks auntie" "Where are you going first" "I don't know where to start this is the point of my journey to find my destiny" Tao started walking down the road to start the search for his destiny.

Nai let his mind wonder. It had become sporadic from the unkind years. People often questioned his motives, but were often too scared to question his methods.

He stood and left the room. Had quite literally come in, sat down, stood up, and left.

He had realized what he needed in order to make himself ready. He had spent years mastering fire-bending, but now, he needed to acquire the Onyx fire-orb. This would be a long quest, and would take a while, but it would be worth while when he returned, ready to do his part. He was sure he left questioning people as to his sudden departure, but it was not the first, nor the last time he would leave in the middle of a conversation or before a meeting had started.

David sat down at the end ofthe table. He clapsed his hands infront of his face.*sigh* " Ok, ill make this quick...Our EX-allies Benders Against Stress(B.A.D.) have surrendered to Avatar Shan. They have joined sides with her and because oof it, we are in danger of losing the secrecy of our base. As you should know they are located in the Shaolin Mtns, in the north, and in a secret building in the fire nation. B.A.D. has lost our respect and honor by folding without a fight. Like I said anything that puts this worlds peace further in danger will be...eliminated. If he gives our information to the Avatar. We will have to work twice as hard to beat her. Now, the plan is to eliminate B.A.D. before we regret that we hadnt. Be ready tommorow morning as we will split into 2 groups.
Ill tell you the groups tommorow. Questions?" Davids face remained expressionless.

Waya was siting quietly in her seat listening to David's rant about the B.A.D members, she hadn't been with B.O.B for long but she remember meeting with 'bad' and they were just like them trying to find peace. Waya sighed, she could never kill someone it wasn't how Katara raised her.
"There has to be another way, maybe we can talk to them and come up with a plan to get them back to our side." Waya blurted before thinking but she felt it was a good thing to blurt. "We can't just start killing people just because they are on the different side, what would make us different from the Avatar?"

Maria nodded her head at Waya. "She's right, ya know. Killing traitors is heartless to me even if they work with the Avatar, David. " Maria crossed her arms. She wasn't about to kill someone unless they threatened her life first. She didn't join BOB to become an assasin. She joined to stop the murdering from continuing.

David sat still for a few seconds. "Maybe your right but if we don't do something well have to leave or we will be attacked. All the suffering over the years has made me a bit harsh at the least. I don't want to kill them. Sooner or later Shan won't need them anymore and she will probably have them killed regardless. Ok, if Shan talked to them we might be able to get information from them. At this time we need all the info we can get. We don't have to kill them but I'm going to tell you now, any of them that attacks show no mercy and immobilize them. Chances are they will attack since they work with the Avatar but we will try and negotiate with them. Usually I would just force the info but I guess a conversation will suffice. We still leave tomorrow bgot it?"

Kung opened his eyes, sat up straight and put his clasped hands on the table in order to give himself a larger presence in the room. ''David, I think you are being much too... hasty. This new development could work for us, in more ways than one. It would be almost a non-issue to relocate the base. We move the supplies, the wounded and the refugees away into a separate, secure spot, then lie in wait here ourselves. The B.A.D. will be desperate to prove themselves to Shan, and we are quite well known in the rebel circles as an active group. Most likely they will tell her this location, and she will send either Rine or Hui and their contingents of soldiers to apprehend us. However, when they arrive they will perceive the base to be empty, giving us the element of surprise. We could take out a third of Shan's inner circle in one fell swoop. Much better than some possible information after a drawn out fight, I think. This group works as a democracy, though, so we should put it to a vote. I, of course, vote for my own plan."

He leaned back, scratched his cheek and slowly took another bite out of his apple, inspecting the other faces around the table. He didn't expect many other members to vote with him, as they were mostly young and (as he perceived it) impatient, craving instant gratification. "We shall see..."

David looked at the table. "So your saying we ambush them. It does make sense. An atttack on the base would give us the advantage. We could send someone to act as a member of B.A.D. and reveal our location. We will need to move everything before hand, and work on the plan after. Hopefully shell send Rine or Hui and we can pull intel from them. But it wont be a walk in the park." Although David didnt show it he was getting anxious for they had a plan going.

Hilong walked through a town with his hood covering his face hoping no one would bother him. Hilong had heard while traveling that their where rebel benders somewhere hidden planning to take down the Avatar. Hilong wanted to see what they where about and if they where true he would try to join them. Hilong didn't know where they where but he had a feeling he knew who did. Hilong remembered his Grandfather told him all about the order of the white lotus and that if i needed help i could always ask them. But he had to know how to ask them and he did know. Hilong walked into a restaurant and looked around in the corner he spotted a old man sitting in front of a pai sho. Hilong walked over to him and began to talk. "May i play a game with you kind sir" "Yes you may". Hilong sat down and began he took a white lotus tile and placed it in the middle of the board. "so i see you favor the white lotus lets began". The game began Hilong and the old man place tile after tile in many different places. They had finally stopped and the tiles on the board formed a lotus it was hard fore him to remember everything but he did it. The old man nodded his head and said. "The order of the white lotus welcomes you follow me". Hilong and the old man got up and walked into a the back room through three doors and where finally alone. Hilong had not really met the order of the white lotus but he was some what a member. "so young member how may i help you" "Hello Grand lotus I was wondering if you can help me I'm em trying to find out a way to find the band of benders i wish to see what they are about." "I trust you because I know your Grandfather and I know you could not be with the evil Avatar. It is said that over the mountains across rivers and through the meadows to a large town it is said that one of there hideouts are around there and remember tell no one of this information." "Thank you Grand Lotus I must be on my way." Hilong left the restaurant and began on his way to find the B.O.B he just hoped no one would bother him.

Waya was pleased that Maria backed her up and that an alternative plan was in play, she wasn't ok with tracking someone down and destroying them but she would defend herself and her friends. She looked at Kung and smiled and mouthed a thank you to the old man that reminded her of her grandfather. "So what should we do in the mean time?" she looked at David studying him for a second. She thought we was pretty cute but he was so wrapped up in this war that it really was hard to get to know him but she knew why he was like he was and didn't blame him.

Kung winked at Waya, then frowned, feeling a ripple of seismic power moving their way through the stone walls. Suddenly it reached the room, and indents started to form on the meeting table. After a moment they resolved themselves, forming a detailed pai sho tile formation. He studied it for a moment, then placed his hand on the table and smoothed it back off, effectively erasing the message. He then spoke to the group, "A fellow lotus has apparently given our general location to Hilong, the Fire Prince himself. With his royal family disgraced, he has a motive against Shan. He is also most likely a powerful firebender in his own right. We should send a welcoming party to meet him and bring him here. We will have to keep him blindfolded, though. If decides not to join we don't want him to know exactly where we are. Also, there's a possibility he has joined forces with Shan, and was sent here as a spy. In either case, we need to form the small group that is going to meet with him. Hmm, Maria and David? No, no, we'll probably need three. I'll be busy with the other Earth benders relocating the base, so... Waya. You should go with them. Okay, are the three of you up to it? Ha, I don't even have to ask. I know you well enough. You can handle it. He'll probably just go with you. But be wary. If he asks about our location too eagerly, or objects to wearing the blindfold, he's most likely a spy. Now you should go out to the town and look for him. He'll be wearing a hooded cloak, most likely. And his picture is up there on the wall. Well, I think that's everything. Good luck, you three."

With that he stood up and left, headed to the storage room to assist in the relocation.

David looked around. He pushed back his chair and got up. "Yea, I guess I can do it. Waya, Maria you want to do this?" David put a gold wristband on just incase they ran into trouble. He put his hands in his pockets and waited on the others.

Maria shrugged her shoulders." Sure, I don't care..." Maria looked away like she wasn't interested when really she was glad to be going somewhere with David. She also noticed Waya and how she might actually be competition. But really David was not even paying attention to any of the girls, he was too busy focusing on his goal. Maria pulled on her gloved and stood by the exit.

Waya smiled at the others, she got up and ran to her room to pick up a pack full of things they might need and a couple of water pouches "never know where you'll end up" she said quietly ti herself. Waya made her way back to the others and stood on Maria side, "So are we leaving now or what?" she was so excited to leave with Danny and Maria, she wasn't able to leave base by herself and was happy to get out of the "hole and the ground base."

Nai was readying himself in the next room for his quest when his friend, wendy, who was acting as waiter for the band during the meeting, approached him:
W. "you're leaving?"
N. "yes. I must acquire an ancient artifact that might be able to help us defeat the avatar."
W. "we need you here. It's going to be a very dangerous mission."
N. "what did our young leader have to say?"
W. "he wants to kill B.A.D."
N. "I'll bet those youngsters were up in arms against that. They want to fight, but they don't want to kill. You don't get in a fight with an organization like B.A.D. and live to tell about it if you only go halfway."
W. "But they're like us onl--"
N. "They turned on us. An unreliable friend is worse than a deadly enemy, especially when threatened by both at once. I see I am needed here."
W. "Nai, don't cause more suffering than you can prevent.

Nai hesitated at this, but realized that Wendi knew the "buzzword" --suffering-- that is, and by the time he was done packing, he had made up his mind to stay with the group for this mission before departing to find his mythical artifact. He walked back to the others.

"Let's go."

wendy stayed back at the base, it was her job to take care of the base, she knew, although she wished that she could go with them.