Redeemed (Sokka x O.C.) ‐ Finished- Trigger Warning In Discription

97. Imbalance (NEW CHAPTER)

The group watched as Toph joined a young earthbender girl and followed her into a meeting space.

"Tu Cho," Sokka said with a smile, still riding his earlier high, "I just want to say you look absolutely glowing in your disguise."

Tu Cho smiled. "Thank you, Sokka. You look so handsome in yours."

"Okay," Aang said as he stood. "Let's go."

The four approached a man dressed in green. "What's the password?" He asked.

"Imbalance," Aang said.

The man opened the door. "Welcome to the cause, my friends."

The door led to a small room. On the other wall was a lantern lit tunnel leading down.

"A tunnel under the city..." Katara said, remembering the Dai Li of Ba Sing Se.

"It looks like the old mines," Tu Cho said. "They were supposed to be filled in."

"Guess they didn't do that..." Aang led the way down the tunnel.

They soon came to a large cavern. A stage had been bent of earth on the other side and many people stood around the cavern. There was people of every nation mixed together.

"Aang," Sokka leaned into the younger boy. "Some of the business council members are here."

"Yeah," Aang said. "And so is one of the kids we met on the beach two days ago."

"There's Toph," Tu Cho pointed toward the stage. "Up at the front with Yaling. Should we get closer to her?"

Sokka shook his head. "Let's hang back and see what happens."

"But she's alone," Tu Cho pointed out. "I know she can handle herself but shouldn't we be closer to give back-?"

"Benders of Cranefish Town!" Council Woman Liling interupted from the stage. Her daughter Ru stood quietly behind her. "This city has fallen out of balance! Only two days ago, Lao Beifong, the nonbender head of Earthern Fire Industries, tried to pass a law preventing benders from using their abilities! His intent was clear. He wants to push benders into the margins. To replace us with machinery controlled only by people like him!"

The crowd erupted into shouts of out rage.

"There is a natural order to the world. Benders are leaders!" Liling continued. "We rule governments! We guide communities! We defend our families! Our abilities make us stronger! Make us greater! We are worth more than non benders! We will not stand by while they deny us our rightful place in the world!"

Sokka and Tu Cho looked at each other with matching expressions of worry.

"I am here to tell you to come together as benders! To put aside your fire nation, Earth Kingdom, and Water Tribe differences. Join together against this non-bender insurgency! With your help I will take back what is ours!"

"This woman is out of her mind," Katara said quietly. "We need to stop this."

"We can't start a fight here," Aang told her. "We're outnumbered."

"How are we supposed to fight against the non benders?" A woman called out. "Half the business council is nonbenders! All they have to do is complain to the Earth King and he'll March his army down here to punish us for rebelling!"

"I have a plan which will allow us to drive the non benders out of the city through legitimate means," Liling responded. "Without attracting the attention of the Earth King. We will bankrupt their factories. They rely on machines to do their work. If those machines are destroyed, they won't be able to fulfill their orders and will quickly go out of business. My plan is already in motion. One by one the nonbender businesses will fail and we will drive them from our home! We will set right the imbalance in the world! Cranefish Town will become a city that belongs to benders alone!"