AVATAR: Modern Era

Chapter Eight- Calm Before The Storm

Meruan sat in his room, bored. He had a laptop open, but didn't know what to type in or search up. Everything had come to a halt in the world since the attacks, there was no Pro Bending on, nothing other than the news that told the same stuff he already knew, if not he knew more. He knew that troops were moving in on the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, in hopes of neutralizing the situation at hand.

All Meruan could do was remain in Republic City, until he had enough information to make a move, and start his trip with Wang.

That's when he remembered. While he had this remaining down time, he could call up Ace. The girl he ran into at the Coffee Shop, on Kyoshi Bridge, the first day he was out. He walked into the hallway, and picked up the phone that was by the dinning room. He held out the number that was given, and put the number in, hearing it begin to dial, he leaned against the wall. "Please pick up...." he said.

"Hello?" the voice on the other end spoke. "Ace-, hey! It's uh... Meruan." he said. "You told me to call you at the earliest convenience. Well, it just so happens that at the moment, I'm free." he said, hoping that he didn't sound too cocky, or full of himself. "You got a place where you're gonna take me?" she asked. "Uh... I got... a few things in mind." he made up on the fly, knowing that he didn't.

"How about we meet at the coffee shop we saw each other at? I promise, I'll make it worth your while." Meruan said, this time with pure confidence in his voice. "Alright, you're on hot shot. Remember what I said, you fuck this up, you pay for my motercyle customs back." Ace chuckled. "Be there in an hour." she told him. "Alright, see you soon." Meruan hung up the phone, excited.

He ran to get changed, when he ran right by Kuru. "Going somewhere?" she asked. "I- uh, um, I-, how much did you hear of that?" Meruan tripped up on his words, trying to get a straight sentence. "I heard enough. Don't worry, I won't say anything, just get back here safely, okay?" Kuru smiled, patting him on the back. "I will, I promise." he nodded to her.

Meruan went to his room, and put on the Air Nation outfit that he had, jumping out his window with a spin, airbending to gain speed, and opening up his arms so that he could glide to the main city island. He closed his arms, rolling into a ball for a landing. He stood up and began walking, moving his arm and adjusting it.

Outside the coffee shop, he didn't see a motorcycle parked outside. He leaned against the building, waiting for Ace, hoping that she wouldn't stand him up.

"Why would she stand me up anyway?" He talked to himself. "Well, you did fuck her bike up," Meruan thought back, the day he stole her motorcycle on the bridge, using it to catch up to the train. He dismounted off of it, and the bike was left in the tunnel. "Huh, I wonder what happened to it." Meruan put his arms over his head, hearing a voice. "Do you always talk to yourself?" he got startled, seeing Ace on the corner, walking over to him. "You have got to stop doing that." he said, chuckling nervously.

"I do it as a way to calm myself, sometimes I'm my own therapist," he said. "Sounds like you have a lot to unpack." she smiled, walking beside him, the both of them walking down the street. "You have no idea," he said, looking down at the ground. Even though this would mean to be a distraction, he still thought about the attacks. In less than two weeks, he announced his presence as the Avatar. Just five days after that, the missile strikes.

"I'm guessing I opened up a bag that... wasn't the best thing to open up?" Ace noticed how quiet he got, it was the first time he wasn't blabbering on. "Yeah it's uh, it's nothing. It's just been a lot in the past few days." Meruan admitted, looking up at her. "But y'know, there's been some small things that've given me hope, so. Not everythings been complete shit for me." he smiled at Ace. "Good to know. I don't want my date to be depressing too... everything's felt like that lately, I mean, I get why but, hey. It can start to get to you."
"I get what you mean fully." Meruan said. "I know... hell, you're basically at the frontlines of it. I can't imagine what you're feeling." Ace looked him in the eyes, the two stopped walking for a moment. "It's why I kinda admire you for this... taking me out I mean. This has been hard on everyone, but you're here with me right now." she said. "Well, you're a pretty, interesting girl, and I had to make up for what I did already. So, kill two birds with one stone." Meruan smiled at her. "You're not afraid of heights, are you?" he asked. "I don't know. Let's find out together." Ace smirked.