Chapter 2 - CHANCE
Submitted July 10, 2008 Updated April 25, 2009 Status Incomplete | No one believes Gero when he tells people he saw something potentially life threatening, so he takes it upon himself to find out the truth. But as his findings unravel deeper secrets, he wonders if anything he knows will ever be the same.
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Cartoons » Avatar: The Last Airbender |
Chapter 2 - CHANCE
Chapter 2 - CHANCE
Chapter 2 - CHANCE
Heaped on a chair, Gero sighed silently. It was not the first time he had been here: General Erak's office was the first place all recruits, successful or otherwise, were taken after the Final Test. Besides the infirmary of course.
"Gero," he started, with a voice both booming and gravelly. "I am very disappointed to see you in this position once again. And I am afraid that this is one too many meetings."
"But sir..." Erak's hand was up in an instant. The hard was huge, the fingers wide and the creases looked like they had been chiseled in stone. "You know the rules. A recruit can only take the Final Test five times. This was your fifth attempt. Perhaps you were not meant to join the Earth Army. There are plenty of other worthy professions you could..."
Gero cut through again, this time ignoring the hand, projecting his voice behind it to the General."Sir you can see from the pattern of my battle that something distracted me."
"Distracted you?" it was Erak's turn to interrupt. "What could have possibly distracted you from the Final Test?"
Gero took a deep breath. "I saw a symbol" His voice had lost all the bravado needed to interrupt Erak and now it was nothing more than a nervous quiver."On the head of my final opponent, Sensei Zentaro. I am sure it belonged to the Fire Nation."
General Erak's face was hard to read; enough that he was a good poker player. But Gero could plainly see a look of fear creep into the Generals face. In a blink it was gone.
"Sensei Zentaro is a trusted teacher and a good friend of mine. There is no way he is a member of the Fire Nation. I've known him for years. How can you suggest such a thing?"
"I know what I saw," Gero said defiantly.
"You were in the middle of the toughest battle of your life so far. With all the excitement I expect your brain may not have seen everything as clearly as it normally would have."
"Are you saying I made it up?"
"I'm saying you may have hallucinated because of all the pressure. It is a rather strange thing to have seen."
And that was it. Gero was told he would not be allowed back into Training Headquarters in the New Year. He was told he would not be accepted into the Earth Army. His fight report was stamped with the word Fail and his file was marked unrecruitable. The General said again how sorry he was and bid him farewell.
***
Gero walked home a different way. His mum had asked him to buy some fruit from the market, but Gero was just happy to have time to think.
The market was by the Docks. It made sense so traders were near and could bring their cargo ashore quickly. Originally the Major had not wanted Docks in his town. He had said the Earth people would not rely on water for anything. But when they were built and exports increased, he came round to the idea. All the new things that came on the ships pleased the people greatly and Gero's Mum had fallen in love with a particular fruit from the Air Nation.
He was heading towards the stall of the old man with the long, white beard - he sold the fruit - when he heard a rather heated argument down one of the many side alleys. Keeping deathly quiet, Gero ducked behind a crate and listened carefully.
There were five men. "You imbecile. You've jeopardized our whole mission."
Another voice, "What were you thinking blowing your cover?"
Then a much calmer voice reassured them. "Gentlemen. I was in the middle of a battle. Nobody was watching."
A new voice started. "What about the boy? Is he a threat?"
"The boy?" the calm voice was now almost laughing. "You forget how long we have been planning this. The foolish General trusts me with his life. He would not let a boy try and insult me. Especially one I failed and would want revenge."
This brought silence among the gathering, until the final voice spoke. "If what Tazoren says is true then we will proceed. Everybody is ready so we should start to act." There was a murmuring of agreement."Then it is settled. We shall move our plan into phase two. It's time to take down the Earth Nation from the inside!"
The group disbanded, each in a different direction. Gero waited until he was sure they were all far away enough so as not to hear him, then ran, and did not stop running until he was home.
"Did you get that fruit..." his mum started, but she trailed off when she saw how flustered her son was. "You didn't pass the test did you? Don't worry. And don't worry about the fruit either. I'll make you something nice. You go to your room and get changed."
Gero went but only collapsed on his bed. He could only think of the conversation. They had been talking about what had happened in his fight. And he was sure of it. Without a doubt. He had sat through five years of his lessons. The calm voice belonged to Sensei Zentaro.
Heaped on a chair, Gero sighed silently. It was not the first time he had been here: General Erak's office was the first place all recruits, successful or otherwise, were taken after the Final Test. Besides the infirmary of course.
"Gero," he started, with a voice both booming and gravelly. "I am very disappointed to see you in this position once again. And I am afraid that this is one too many meetings."
"But sir..." Erak's hand was up in an instant. The hard was huge, the fingers wide and the creases looked like they had been chiseled in stone. "You know the rules. A recruit can only take the Final Test five times. This was your fifth attempt. Perhaps you were not meant to join the Earth Army. There are plenty of other worthy professions you could..."
Gero cut through again, this time ignoring the hand, projecting his voice behind it to the General."Sir you can see from the pattern of my battle that something distracted me."
"Distracted you?" it was Erak's turn to interrupt. "What could have possibly distracted you from the Final Test?"
Gero took a deep breath. "I saw a symbol" His voice had lost all the bravado needed to interrupt Erak and now it was nothing more than a nervous quiver."On the head of my final opponent, Sensei Zentaro. I am sure it belonged to the Fire Nation."
General Erak's face was hard to read; enough that he was a good poker player. But Gero could plainly see a look of fear creep into the Generals face. In a blink it was gone.
"Sensei Zentaro is a trusted teacher and a good friend of mine. There is no way he is a member of the Fire Nation. I've known him for years. How can you suggest such a thing?"
"I know what I saw," Gero said defiantly.
"You were in the middle of the toughest battle of your life so far. With all the excitement I expect your brain may not have seen everything as clearly as it normally would have."
"Are you saying I made it up?"
"I'm saying you may have hallucinated because of all the pressure. It is a rather strange thing to have seen."
And that was it. Gero was told he would not be allowed back into Training Headquarters in the New Year. He was told he would not be accepted into the Earth Army. His fight report was stamped with the word Fail and his file was marked unrecruitable. The General said again how sorry he was and bid him farewell.
***
Gero walked home a different way. His mum had asked him to buy some fruit from the market, but Gero was just happy to have time to think.
The market was by the Docks. It made sense so traders were near and could bring their cargo ashore quickly. Originally the Major had not wanted Docks in his town. He had said the Earth people would not rely on water for anything. But when they were built and exports increased, he came round to the idea. All the new things that came on the ships pleased the people greatly and Gero's Mum had fallen in love with a particular fruit from the Air Nation.
He was heading towards the stall of the old man with the long, white beard - he sold the fruit - when he heard a rather heated argument down one of the many side alleys. Keeping deathly quiet, Gero ducked behind a crate and listened carefully.
There were five men. "You imbecile. You've jeopardized our whole mission."
Another voice, "What were you thinking blowing your cover?"
Then a much calmer voice reassured them. "Gentlemen. I was in the middle of a battle. Nobody was watching."
A new voice started. "What about the boy? Is he a threat?"
"The boy?" the calm voice was now almost laughing. "You forget how long we have been planning this. The foolish General trusts me with his life. He would not let a boy try and insult me. Especially one I failed and would want revenge."
This brought silence among the gathering, until the final voice spoke. "If what Tazoren says is true then we will proceed. Everybody is ready so we should start to act." There was a murmuring of agreement."Then it is settled. We shall move our plan into phase two. It's time to take down the Earth Nation from the inside!"
The group disbanded, each in a different direction. Gero waited until he was sure they were all far away enough so as not to hear him, then ran, and did not stop running until he was home.
"Did you get that fruit..." his mum started, but she trailed off when she saw how flustered her son was. "You didn't pass the test did you? Don't worry. And don't worry about the fruit either. I'll make you something nice. You go to your room and get changed."
Gero went but only collapsed on his bed. He could only think of the conversation. They had been talking about what had happened in his fight. And he was sure of it. Without a doubt. He had sat through five years of his lessons. The calm voice belonged to Sensei Zentaro.
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