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Balanced Ch1

By: RainType on Jan 27th, 2014  |  syntax: None  |  size: 14.39 KB  |  hits: 27  |  expires: Never
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  1. *Rrrring rrrring*
  2. *Click*
  3. “Norman Normal, protection agency, how may I help you?”
  4. >“Hello Mr Normal, I am Ms Leaf, I call you on behalf of Mr Roman, we’d like to hire your services for 3 days.”
  5. “3 days? Alright, what’s the job?”
  6. >“I’ve heard that your specialty was the protection of people and goods, this is exactly what we’re looking for. My employer, Mr Roman, my friend: Mr Pasta and myself need to travel to the Zaku household for business, however, my employer believes that the item we will be carrying might attract some ‘unwanted attention’... To be honest, I don’t share his paranoia and all 3 of us are trained in basic self-defence bending, however, he’s the one with the money, so he’s the one who decides.”
  7. “Let me summarize this so we’re crystal clear: 3 days travel, total protection of a carriage and accessory protection for 3 persons.”
  8. >“Exactly, we’ll leave Republic City the day after tomorrow, does it pose any problems?”
  9. “No problem Miss Leaf, as long as I’m paid. 6000 Yuans and not a single living thing will even scratch you or your carriage.”
  10. >“Perfect, you’ll receive half of the sum tomorrow and I expect you before the 17th White lotus District at sunrise in 2 days. That is all.”
  11. “Thank you for your trust. See you soon.”
  12. *Click*
  13. >This call was a good thing for Norman.
  14. >The payment for his last job was almost entirely spent.
  15.  
  16.  
  17. 2 days later.
  18. >White Lotus District was a high class area of the city, every houses were surrounded by a garden and divided by tall walls of the traditional Earth Kingdom style painted in white.
  19. >The impressive circular double doors were carved with symbols that helped recognize to who the domain belonged to.
  20. >The 17th stood out with its pair of laurels, quite misplaced among the more traditional pictures of boars, tigers and other chimeras.
  21. >Snoring loudly on the highest branch of the tallest tree around, a spirit seemed to taunt her too orderly surroundings.
  22. >“I see you’ve already spotted the troublemaker N°1 from the neighbourhood.”
  23. “Bright pink, not optimal for camouflage, but I believe she hardly needs it. Good morning Ms Leaf.”
  24. >“Good morning to you, Mr Normal, let me introduce you to my companions, my co-worker and friend: Pete Pasta.”
  25. >>“A-a... A pleasure...”
  26. >The stuttering man extends his hand for a shake, before retracting it, he hesitates for a moment and starts a polite bow before stopping in the middle of it.”
  27. “No need for all the fuss, either greeting is fine. Even a simple nod or even a high five if it puts you at ease.”
  28. >>“I-I admit being rarely at ease...”
  29. >“Err... H-here is our employer, Roman Roland.”
  30. >The man eyes Norman suspiciously, when the mercenary steps forward for a handshake, he jumps away.
  31. >>>“No! Stay, right there... I wanna make sure you don’t have a dagger in your sleeve, Sweet Leaf! Check the sleeves!”
  32. >“Roman, for the love of...”
  33. >With a chuckle, the beanie wearing youth pulls up his sleeves to show that he has nothing to hide and his employer has nothing to fear.
  34. “Or maybe we can just bow, you wouldn’t have to come to close in that case.”
  35. >>>“I don’t trust bows, you could aim for my nape.”
  36. >The 2 finally shake hands, accompanied by a sigh from the girl with green hair.
  37.  
  38. >“The Zaku household belongs to a rich family, they bought a large domain away from Republic City because the patriarch is a crumbling ruin.”
  39. >>“S-Sweet Leaf! They’re our business partners!”
  40. >“And? I can say any truth I want to whoever I want as long as it doesn’t hurt the company.”
  41. “I can appreciate honest hearts.”
  42. >“I wanted to ask, your mount, is it a rental?”
  43. “Nope, a friend of mine runs a shelter for animals, she found Oni when he was an egg and gave it to me saying he would come in handy in the future, turns out having a giant lizard as mount and pet is extremely useful in my line of work.”
  44. >Norman finishes his explanation with a pat on the neck of the colossal reptile.
  45. >>“Is it as easy to take care of as it’s rumoured? I’ve only owned Horse-Ostriches and preening them is such a pain.”
  46. “Sprint-Lizards are as clean as the birds, but they shed their skin every years, it’s more work but only once a year. Ho and lizards eat a lot more.”
  47. >Enjoying the silence for a moment, the mercenary takes a look at his surroundings.
  48. >The metropolis is already far behind, the building have been replaced by rocky peaks and the townsfolk by as many trees.
  49. >Spring is a pretty good season to do some sightseeing in the country.
  50.        
  51. >When night falls, the small group reaches the gates of its destination.
  52. >The following day is spent in business discussion to which Norman isn’t invited, nor does he wanted to be invited.
  53.  
  54. >The next morning, the team leaves. A sombre mood hanging in the air.
  55. “I suppose your business proposal didn’t go as planned.”
  56. >>“Sadly.”
  57. >“I can’t believe these stuck up! Making light of our hard work! Don’t they realize that such progress is simply phenomenal with this time span?!”
  58. >Punctuating her rant with a scream of rage and a gesture of ‘neck twisting’, Norman is surprised to see a tree mimicking the move.
  59. “You’re a waterbender of the continent? How unusual. Would you like to talk about this whole business thing?”
  60. >>>“Ha-Ha! So you show your true colours! You were after our research this whole time! For who do you work?”
  61. >>“P-Please Roland, Norman is just trying to be civil.”
  62. >A rustle in the branches catches the bodyguard’s attention and with a gesture of the hand, the group halts.
  63. >Falling from the canopy, three men clad in black reveal themselves.
  64. >In the blink of an eye, the man with purple hair jumps on his convoy, back arched like an angry cat.
  65. >His employees believe they heard him hiss, but it might just be their imagination.
  66. “Don’t step any closer! I am Norman Normal, tasked with the security of this carriage. Stand aside or you’ll be considered as hostile to my charge!”
  67. >>>>“Peace mercenary, we are looking for a girl, orange skin and purple hair, we are certain she was heading this way. Have you seen her?”
  68. “No, this road is desert save for us. If that is all, we shall resume our travel.”
  69. >>>>“I have to insist to check your carriage, this child is of utmost importance and we cannot let any possibilities pass.”
  70. “By my contract, I cannot allow this. Only a representative of the Law is allowed.”
  71. >A tense silence settles in the forest.
  72. >>>>“We have to insist.”
  73. “I have to stay adamant.”
  74. >>>>“Then we shall use force.”
  75. “Then we shall defend ourselves.”
  76. >As if it was the signal awaited, the 3 men step forward, thrusting their fist forward in perfect synch, 3 gusts of flames lunge towards Norman, before crashing against a wall of dirt.
  77. >Using the occasion to dismount and send Oni to safety, Norman puts his back against his impromptu shield.
  78. >In a single motion, Pete lifts 4 more walls to form a pyramid over the carriage, before joining the mercenary and  his friends next to his 1st creation.
  79. >“Shouldn’t we counter-attack?”
  80. “No, if they want the carriage, we’ll use the opportunity they’ll give us. Also, have you seen their clothes? Assassin outfit I’d think.”
  81. >As the explanation reaches its end, a black figure jumps above the protection, but his leap is too high, and the branches he just grazed take life and grab him by the legs before launching him away like a catapult throws a boulder.
  82. “You two have nice reflexes...”
  83. >Hearing an intake of breath from the other side of the wall, Norman has only the time to shove his companions away and roll to the side before the shield is pulverized by a burst of fire.
  84. >Immediately on his feet, the mercenary runs straight at the aggressor. The fiery hook of the assassin is dodged by a quick duck, bringing Norman under his opponents guard.
  85. >2 quick hits on the left arm and the muscles loose all reactivity, same thing on the right and the firebender is left defenceless.
  86. >A full second of complete incomprehension is all it takes for the man in orange to ready a violent uppercut that sends the sandbag flying backward.
  87. >>>>“Y-you’re Normalizer Norman! The former Equalist!”
  88. “People call me that... I don’t like it, but a reputation is a reputation.”
  89. >>>>“Tch... Then I’ll be a freaking hero after taking you down.”
  90. >The last assassin readies his stance and inhales deeply.
  91. >This isn’t the 1st time Norman fought a Dragon Breath style user. He knows how destructive these skills are, he runs towards the firebender.
  92. >Dragon breath is not a move you can dodge nor is it a move you should guard against the only solution is preventing it to happen.
  93. >But an experienced fighter knows his weakness and how to compensate those.
  94. >The 2 mercenaries trade blows, but the tide of the duel quickly shifts. Norman cannot guard against the flames his opponent, relying on his nimbleness to dodge he has to give up some ground and the firebender presses on his advantage.
  95. >Then, as the assassin grows overconfident, he makes a mistake, his sweeping kick is blocked by the thick leather gloves on Norman’s arm, the unexpected contact causes him to loses his balance and the non-bender goes for the finishing blow.
  96. >2 light punches in the abdomen and one to the throat is all it takes for the assassin to lose consciousness.
  97. >The threat neutralized, all tension vanishes.
  98. “Thank you, your help was appreciated.”
  99. >“Heh, you were right, that battle plan works in all situations.”
  100. >>“We see the experience at work. What de we do with them?”
  101. “Leave them here, the one sent flying will come back and makes sure nothing happen to his teammates until they wake up. Killing them will only bring trouble and we can’t tie them, they would be defenceless against some wild beast.”
  102. >“Still... To find assassins here... After a girl?”
  103. >>“Maybe they were lying to trick us into seeing what we carry?”
  104. >“Possible, but strange... Now I wonder what could have interested them...”
  105. >>>“... One moment if you please...”
  106. >Roland gestures to his friends to come closer as they start whispering.
  107. “I’ll let you guys conspire alone, I need to get Oni. If anything happens, scream as loud as you can and I’ll run back to you.”
  108.  
  109. >Walking away from the path, Norman follows the deep gashes in the trees left by his Lizard’s claws, whistling a little tune that his pet can recognize even from afar.
  110. >A clapping sound reaches the mercenary’s ears, a signal the mount uses to call its master.
  111. >Following the clack of teeth closing on air leads the young man to a strange scene.
  112. >At the foot of a tree is sitting Oni, watching closely a girl perched as high as possible, away from the reptile.
  113. “What have you got here boy?”
  114. >“S-stay away!”
  115. “Calm down kid. Oni’s a nice lizard, he doesn’t eat children. Also, climbing in a tree won’t help from getting away from him, have you seen his claws? That thing can run along walls even with someone like me on his back.”
  116. >“Then why is he still waiting down here heh?”
  117. “Cuz he’s trained to do that. Sorry if he was scaring you with his teeth clacking, it’s his way to call me. So what are you doing up there?”
  118. >“...”
  119. “Are you lost?”
  120. >“K-kinda...”
  121. “Alright, I’m going to Republic City, come with me. Can you come down?”
  122. >“I think I can...”
  123. “If you’re not sure then don’t take any risks, I’ll climb and help you.”
  124. >Norman sits on Oni’s saddle and, with a short command, the Lizard reaches the top of the tree in the blink of an eye.
  125. >Now close enough to the child, Norman realizes that she isn’t anyone.
  126. >Orange skin and purple hair.
  127. “Hold on tight, by the way, what’s your name? I’m Norman, Normal Norman.”
  128. >“S-Scootaloo.”
  129. “Say... There were some guys looking for you... W-”
  130. >“Are they still around?”
  131. >There is panic in her voice.
  132. “Yes, but they won’t come near me or my friends. What did they want with ya?”
  133. >“I... I don’t know... I don’t remember...”
  134. “What do you mean?”
  135. >“I’m not sure... I feel like I’ve forgotten something really important...”
  136.  
  137. >The team, now one person bigger, regroups.
  138. >>“That child!”
  139. “Yeah... Say Sweet Leaf, do you know Healing Waterbending? She has quite a few scratches...”
  140. >“No... But I have some medical equipment in the carriage.”
  141. >>>“H-hey! Not the carriage!”
  142. >“It’s for a child Roland, let me do this.”
  143. >>>“What if she’s a spy!”
  144. >“At her age? Unlikely. Now step aside or your butt is gonna have a meeting with this blackberry bush.”
  145. >Despite his business etiquette, Norman’s curiosity gets the better of him as he steals a quick glance inside of the carriage as the green haired girl opens the door.
  146. >Filled with bottles, plants and chemical equipment.
  147. >>“Before you get any wrong ideas, we’re not drug dealers. We’re pharmacologists.”
  148. “Why so much secrecy then?”
  149. >“We can’t say more, let’s just add that our latest finding is extremely interesting for both the police and the triads.”
  150.  
  151. >The treatment doesn’t take long under Sweet Leaf’s obviously trained hands. The trip resumes quickly, with Scootaloo asleep in the carriage.
  152. >“She’s exhausted. Probably ran the whole night...”
  153. “Yet she managed to avoid these guys... Either she’s incredibly lucky or there is more to her than meets the eye.”
  154. >>>“I’m tellin’ you! She’s some sort of Fire Nation’s next superweapon!”
  155. >>“S-sure thing Roland... What do we do with her once we’re in Republic City?”
  156. “I’ll keep her in my apartment and do some research on her. If there is a bounty on her head, I wanna know why.”
  157. >“Before turning her in?”
  158. “... Maybe... However, this whole thing is just fishy.”
  159. >>“What’s stopping us from battling you and protect her ourselves?”
  160. “Your only advantage is that I’m alone and you’re 3. However, if it’s a Triad that’s after her, you won’t last long. I know how the gangs work, but if it things are even worse than what I think might be goin’ on, then I’ll need all the help I can get, and I expect you to help me.”
  161. >>>“Wh-what? Why?”
  162. “Cuz’ I can see that you guys are on the right side of this stuff.”
  163. >>“That’s... Oddly unconvincing.”
  164. “Call it a gut feeling then.”
  165. >“I have a bad feeling about all this... But it’s the kind of bad feeling I like, playin’ all day long with my chemist kit was startin’ to get boring.”
  166. >The group shares a light chuckle.