Avatar: The New World

Prologue: A Bender is Born

"What the..." The other nurse's voice broke Jeera's trance and his eyes sprang open. He saw that there was a glowing sheet of water between his hands and the patient's body. He let out a startled noise and leapt back. As soon as his hands pulled away the water stopped glowing and splashed down onto the floor.

"What was that?"

"I, I don't know!" Jeera looked from the palms of his hands to the patient. "The lacerations, the bruises!" He lowered his hand to her chest again and felt the smooth skin.

"Alright, alright!" The doctor backed into the room through a swinging door, freshly cleaned and gloved hands held in the air to keep them sterile. "What's the damage here?"

"It, she, um..." The second nurse sputtered.

"She's fine," Jeera said. He wasn't sure what had happened but he was sure that he'd done it somehow. "A couple nicks and bruises, but she doesn't need surgery."

"What?" The doctor stormed forward and looked down at the body of the still unconscious holostar. "That's impossible! The paramedic said--oh, you heard him!"

"Yeah..." Jeera stared at the other nurse, who still seemed too shocked to find words. "But you know paramedics, always rushing, never paying attention. There was a lot of blood, they must have been confused."

"Then where did the blood come from?"

"I don't know but when I washed it away, she was fine."

"Well, damn it! This was supposed to be my big pay day!" The doctor ripped off his gloves and tossed them to the floor. "I'm goin' for a drink!" He said as if he were cursing and stomped out of the room again.

"Why did you lie?" The second nurse asked Jeera when they were alone.

Jeera stared down at Lula Lavender, slowly beginning to regain consciousness. "I don't know," he said, "it just felt like I should."

"What did you do, anyway?"

"I really don't know. I think I'm gonna go ahead and take the night off after all."

It didn't take long for Jeera to change and get out of the hospital. He thought he wanted to work tonight, but after what happened all he wanted was some fresh air. It was a good night for it too, crisp and cool, as if there was rain on the way. Jeera always liked the rain, it seemed to refresh him.

He watched his hands as he walked, afraid that each finger might do something unpredictable if he looked away, but as he reached the platform for his train he felt the first drops of rain on his head and it made him relax just a little. As he tore his attention away from his hands, the train rushed towards him and somewhere to the side of the platform he became aware of someone watching him. He turned to see a woman wearing a long black coat, its hem just barely graced the ground and it had a hood with a circular white symbol sewn into it. She nodded her head towards him and he clenched his fists. Something wasn't right.

Jeera was so focused on the mysterious woman that he didn't even realize the drops of rain in his immediate vicinity were circling around him. The soft blue glow of the train's hover engines grew dimmer as it pulled to a stop, doors sliding open all along the side of its sleek form. He stepped onto an empty car, unaware of his trailing escort of water, and as he took a seat each drop of rain fell to the floor and the empty seats around him. A quick glance out the window revealed that the woman was still standing on the platform. She nodded to him again and he felt a sick feeling rising in his gut. As the train took off, Jeera realized he'd been holding his breath. He slowly exhaled and closed his eyes just in time to miss the woman in the black jacket as she leapt on top of the slowly accelerating vehicle.

Jeera was glad to be alone on the train, but it didn't last long. It came to a stop at the next platform and five people entered, two taking up positions on his right while the other three stood on his left. They were all wearing matching black suits with a familiar logo stitched to their sleeves, a segmented white hexagon with a stylized silver 'TC' in the center. Despite a multitude of empty seats, all five of them remained standing and Jeera slowly became aware that they were watching him. His nerves began to fire one at a time, filling him with fear. He clenched his fists and this time he took note of the fact that the residual rain water that had puddled around him was slowly lifting into the air, one drop at a time.

"What's going on here?" He asked as the strangers on either side of him started to inch forward, cutting him off from the exits. He moved to stand but the person closest to him easily pushed him back into his seat.

"Please remain seated, sir, there is nothing to worry about."

He glanced out the window at the next platform, sure that he could make an escape there, but instead the train rushed past without stopping.

"Who are you people?"

Again the man pushed Jeera back down. "We're here to help--"

Jeera roared and lashed out at the man. He jumped to his feet and felt his fist tighten. As he swung at the stranger, the rain water around him rushed forward.

"We have confirmation." Another one of the strangers said into her fist and the others quickly moved in to surround Jeera. He panicked and pushed one aside, then swung a punch at another. This time the water around him lashed out like a whip, sending the stranger shattering through the nearest window. One of Jeera's attackers came at him from behind and he swung around, his whip drawing in more rain from outside which magnified its size and force. It lashed out against two of the strangers and they bowled backwards. Jeera was so distracted he didn't see the woman in the long black coat silently swing in through the broken window. He lashed out with his mysterious new powers, splashing his vicious whip against another attacker as the woman behind him easily dispatched two others on her own. Pumped full of adrenaline, Jeera turned on the woman and moved to attack her, but she grabbed his fist with such force he felt the bones of his fingers grinding together. The water around him splashed to the floor and he tried to pull away but she was strong.

"Relax, I'm a friend," she said, "I'm here to help."