dive and disappear without a trace (ATLA x BNHA)

Chapter Two

Hey! I hope you're enjoying the story so far, even though nothing has happened lol :/ This one's going to be Shouto getting some info about the Avatar world!

____________

As soon as Shouto woke from his sleep, he searched out Sokka. He had to get more information from him. Eventually, he found Sokka surrounded by little kids, yelling about being warriors and protecting the tribe. It seemed a bit odd to be telling this to five-year-olds, but he figured it might just be the culture.

"Sokka," he said, interrupting his speech. "I have some questions I need to ask you."

"Shouto, I'm kind of in the middle of something." He gestured to the bored-looking children. "I have to train them to be blood-thirsty warriors!" At this line, Sokka raised his spear in the air, but the children continued to look uninterestedly around their surroundings.

"...I can see that, but it's very important that you answer these. The sooner you do, the sooner I can get out of your hair."

That seemed to grab Sokka's attention, their mutual dislike of Shouto's current situation helping to unite them.

"Fine," Sokka said, pretending to not care but definitely caring. "You guys, go practice your battle moves! I'll be back soon." He made the "I'm watching you" gesture with his fingers, then led Shouto to where he had slept before.

"Alright, ask away."

"Can you tell me about the war?" Shouto asked immediately, watching intently for a reaction or response. At the very mention of it, the mood in the room darkened. It was obvious Sokka was suspicious of how he didn't know, but luckily he answered without question.

"A hundred years ago, the four nations coexisted peacefully. But then, the fire nation attacked. They wiped out all the air nomads, destroyed lands, and killed thousands. Including the Avatar, apparently, since he hasn't been seen since the war began." Shouto stayed silent for a moment. This entire tribe was totally delusional.

The short spiel brought up thousands of more questions for Shouto, but he decided to settle on just a couple. The others could wait.

"Fire nation?" Shouto prompted. Sokka again looked a bit weirded out, but answered his question nonetheless.

"Uh, yeah. Where all the firebenders live?"

"Firebenders?" There was an awkward silence at Shouto's lack of knowledge.

"I can't believe you don't know this! Is this some sort of joke?" Sokka exclaimed loudly, staring at Shouto like he was some alien. Or, well, he sort of was.

"No," Shouto said honestly. "Please just tell me what they are."

Sokka stared judgementally, then sighed. "Firebenders can literally bend fire."

A glance at Shouto probably told him he was lost, so he continued with his explanation. "It's like, they can make fire and...influence it? Yeah."

"So...people who have a fire quirk, basically?"

"Uh, no? What's a fire quirk?"

"You...don't know what quirks are?" Shouto was dumbfounded. There was no way this place was that isolated from society.

Sokka had the gall to look at Shouto like he was the delusional one. "Like...oddities?"

"N—well, that's one definition, but I mean like, quirks. Powers."