Outstanding Match Set-ups from the CBUB (and maybe beyond?)

As inducted by treacherous for winning the CBUB April Challenge 2012. 

Outstanding set up Shadowflesh! Jack (Bio-Shock) vs. Korra (Avatar)

Another day in a child’s most beloved fantasy, another day in this sick and twisted hell. Power Puff Girls fly over the city performing air raids, shadowy creatures known as Heartless act as body guards, and Bugs Bunny is the most feared person in existence. In this world heroes, villains, mutants, monsters, nerds, and talking animals all walk down the street together… And they all try to tear each other limb from limb in an all out war. This is the world I now live in; this is New Convergence.

My name is Jack, and it has been six months since I found myself waking up in this world. When I first arrived, I opened my eyes to a glorious metropolis of shining buildings and beautiful machinery. It was nothing like the rotting sewage pipe I’d come from called Rapture. This place was magnificent and inspiring. Oh but how quickly this would all change.

Apparently, me and a few hundred others were dragged from our own planes of existence to this one. I saw many other things waking up with a confused look on their face. That was probably the same way I looked a moment ago. Some of them looked pretty intimidating, so I took the cautious route and lurked in the shadows until I could figure out what was going on.

Turns out I had the right idea, because as soon as I made it to cover what seemed like over-spliced police officers came to round up everyone who had just appeared in the streets. They wore uniforms and had an air of authority about them, but their bodies where beyond burly with hulking frames and skin like steel. They carried off some of the more dumbfounded people with little effort, but those were their only easy targets. As soon as people caught on to what was happening, everything went to hell. Most of the newcomers decided to fight back… And I’ll be damned if they didn’t break the laws of reality when they fought! blue puppies toppled buildings, a red-haired pirate with almost no torso pull a tank out of his pants, and some italian mobster kept summoning cars from the sky by turning in a particular patern. It was utter madness!

I tried my best to avoid conflict until I knew what was going on. B the key word in that sentence is “tried”. Before I knew it I was dragged into a brawl with the police. Not wanting to kill unnecessarily, I set them ablaze with the snap of my fingers to distract them while I made my escape. Even though I had evaded capture without any problems I kept getting caught up in battle after battle. Eventually I, along with some other level headed people, found out where we were and how we got here.

A grateful young man that I saved from rampaging pokemon explained what this world is, The Convergence. The Convergence is the vertex and information storage area of every other universe and dimension that has ever been or ever will be created. All of the planet’s citizens worked as historians filing and maintaining the records of every other reality. Although this record keeping occupied most of their time, they enjoyed high-tech luxuries such as holographic cinemas of the realities they recorded and even had machines that let them become the which ever characters they wished in virtual battle arenas. But just like all societies this one had a dark side. A group of repels that had been planning the downfall of The Convergence’s civilization. And this group’s actions are what brought me here. In an act of terrorism the rebels blew up a Virtual Projection Arena, the place that transformed people into different beings for battle, and caused the machines to release some of the characters into this reality. And that is when this once enchanting realm of knowledge and intellectualism began its decent into misery.

The young man I saved took me and other good natured “leaks” into his home and sheltered us from execution. But while the rulers of The Convergence worked on exterminating all the people that were released into their world, some of the darkest forces imaginable gathered together and decided to take over. Most leaks were either fighting in the streets or making friends with the historians, but the demon Aku, the mystical drag-queen Him, and the evil witch Maleficent were building an army. In a fiendishly brilliant plot they pooled their magical powers and put all of the cartoon derived beings under their control. For some reason it was easier them to influence beings from a similar realm as themselves. I’m just thankful that those comic book juggernauts like Doomsday and Spawn were held in a different Virtual Projection Arena and didn’t get released.

Over the next few months the toon army succeeded in taking over The Convergence and enslaving its citizens, even the rebels who caused this mess were wiped out. Now all that stands in the way of them taking over all other realities is me and the rest of us game realm beings that are willing to take part in Master Chief’s plan to topple The New Convergence.

The Chief’s plan is a multi-step attack that will allow us to release all the anime and comic derived characters so that they may fight along side us. But before we can even think about that we have to gain the enemy’s attention with a series of raids. And that’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m fighting some element controlling teenager as my allies battle their way thorough this castle full of Nickalodeon mad-men.

While they attacked the house it was my job to keep the atrium clear for a quick retreat. It would have been one of the easiest jobs I’d been give, but the world just doesn’t work that way. One of the enemy officers decided to take a nightly strole and picked NOW of all times to show up and fight. Now, to hold up my end of the mission I had to take this girl down. A voice in my heart whispered, “She is just a girl… She doesn’t know what she’s doing…” But after looking around at the fallen soldiers littered across the courtyard, and remembering how Atlas forced me to do whatever he pleased, I knew fighting was the only option and that little voice kindly shut the hell up!

I watched as the girl across from me danced around causing fire to spark from her limbs, the fountains surrounding us to spurted, and the ground itself to shift. I would have thought her performance mesmerizing, if I hadn’t seen every bloody person that tried to kill me in Rapture using those same types of abilities. So to make her understand just how very unoriginal her powers were I froze the fountains, lobbed a ball of fire to disrupt her movements, and tossed a boulder at her head. Unfortunately this little girl had more skill than I gave her credit for as she dodged the boulder with ease and launched a fiery counter attack. I dove behind a pillar and escaped the flames, but now it was time to complete my mission and show this little girl what I’m really made of. I stepped from behind my marble shield and charged into the open with only victory in mind.

As inducted by LoneWolf. 

Culwych: Randall Flag VS Pennywise
Nuff said:

Warning: This setup contains elements of graphic horror, violence and adult themes. Please only read if you are of age and ideally if you have read previous Stephen King novels. Any complaints about the maturity of content will be ignored - you have been warned.

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THE CYCLE’S END: ENTITIES OF DARKNESS
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Chapter 1: Father Corrin

Mother Mary Cathedral

Father Corrin awoke drenched in sweat, the bed sheets tossed to the floor and the remnants of the nightmare already fading from memory. The room was plunged into utter darkness and silent apart from the quick thumping of his heart. He rubbed his eyes and tried to remember the nightmare but it was like trying to grip ice and kept slipping from his mind, leaving just a casual shiver up his spine.

Wide awake now, he swung his legs over the side of his small bed and checked his clock. 7:34! Corrin jumped out of bed; he had overslept! The first Sunday morning mass began at 8:00 and the Cathedral still needed to be prepared. Fighting the rising panic, Corrin switched on the little bedside lamp and quickly washed his face and teeth at the small sink in his room. Donning his cassock, pausing only to quick smooth down his short hair he rushed out.

The Cathedral was quiet and dark. Father Corrin stopped in the hallway, waiting to hear the usual traffic outside and the hustle and bustle of the other priests inside. After a while he realised he was still standing there, waiting, when he had little time left.

Switching a light switch illuminated the rows upon rows of pews in the Cathedral. Empty rows which should have been at the centre of activity as priests made sure everything was clean and ready to receive the 100 to 200 worshipers. Where was everyone?

Stopping and listening, Father Corrin again noticed the absolute stillness of the world around him. No movement or noise, no beeping cars or screaming babies. The familiar shiver of his nightmare returned, running up his spine as his heartbeat quickened.

Exiting the main Cathedral and almost running, Corrin returned to the Priest House where he lived with 8 other priests. The first door he came to was that of Father O’Malley, the oldest of the priests. He was nearly eighty and rarely awoke before half 8. Due to his diabetes and need for rest he was excused from mass duties but still occasionally came to greet that worshipers as they were leaving.

Corrin’s knock sounded loudly in the silence, echoing through the halls of the priest house. No reply came and Corrin knocked again, his heart fluttering in his chest. Eventually he gave up and moved to the next door, that of Father Smith, a young Scot who had joined the clergy only last year. A good lad who was always eager to help, Smith was surely on his way to an early promotion to Dean.

Again no answer to the knock and this time, Corrin slowly tried the door handle. It was unlocked and the door swung easily open without a sound. The room was dark and a strong smell hit Corrin’s nostrils and made his head reel. He couldn’t place it.

He put his hand against the wall, his hand feeling around for the light switch which he flicked once found. The light flickered for a moment before illuminating the scene before him. Corrin screamed once and fell back as if pushed.

Father Smith was in the bed, his hands around a knife buried in his stomach. He had been completely gutted and his insides laid all around him, a gory mess that drooped over the side of the bed and leaked onto the floor. It was almost as if his guts were trying to escape towards the door, paused whilst crawling away from their owner.

Father Corrin threw up violently onto the stone floor, tears pouring out of his eyes as his whole body shook. He stumbled away from the grizzly sight, slipping and falling as if drunk and without thinking grasped at the next door handle he came to.

The room belonged to Father Stanley, a young man who had grown up in the city. Corrin knew that Stanley hadn’t always been the paragon of virtue he was now and that it was in fact this troubled past that had driven Stanley into the arms of the Lord.

Corrin tried speaking when he flung Stanley’s door open but the words refused to come out. He froze at the sight before him. He had no need to switch the light on to see the carnage and blood (he recognized that strong smell now) that lay on the floor. The mirror above the sink in the small room had been broken and Father Stanley had used a large shard to cut himself - cut his face, cut his arms, cut his legs and ultimately cut his wrists.

Corrin had never seen so much blood in all his life. It was splattered around the room as if done by some insane decorator; and the mangled body on the floor was covered and surrounded by it.
There was nothing left for Corrin to throw up, and shuddering and heaving, he stumbled back to his own room.

Corrin threw himself onto his bed, crying and shivering and he felt like his mind had been ripped out and stamped on. It was about an hour before Corrin managed to stop shaking and even then, it was only so he could grasp the bible that was always at his bedside closely to his chest. He opened it at random, needed the familiar verses to calm his mind and spirit and read out loud. His voice sounded dreadful in the overpowering silence but he managed to keep it even and steady as he read from Peter:

“whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Feeling only marginally better, Corrin eventually left his room to face the grizzly death that had visited the Priest House.

Fear gripped his very soul.... and he thought he felt something peering at him from every corner, tasting that very fear and enjoying it.


Where was everyone? Asked Father Corrin

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Chapter 2: Susan Taylor

Susan was running. Her heart felt like it would burst and she could barely draw another breath but she carried on, her terror and pain keeping her going. She didn’t know where she was running to but knew that running would take her further away from what she had seen. Even if the terrible images kept echoing through her mind, playing themselves over and over again like a skipping CD, at least she would be far away from there.

Susan Taylor, born Susan Francis, was 22 years old and fit for her age. Regular morning runs and trips to the gym had kept the baby weight off her and she turned many a head when she was out. She had married young, to Toby Taylor (known to friends simply as T-man), her childhood sweetheart and everyone had expected as much. To look upon those two was to look upon true love. Kindred spirits they were from birth and nothing would ever have stood between them.

A year almost to the day after their wedding, Susan had announced she was pregnant and everyone had been over the moon. Despite being only 24, T-man was a gifted architect and had impressed some very important people with his designs. The money had come readily but they had been careful with it, putting it aside for the right occasions and avoiding the luxurious lifestyle that they could have easily afforded.

They were happy, and when Anthony Taylor (Young T) came along, Susan and T-man had both cried with joy. Her dad had taken T-man aside and they had shared a huge cigar outside the hospital despite the annoyed looks from the nurses.

Life was good.

Susan stumbled as she ran and fell to one knee. She was drained and simply stayed on her knees, alternating between crying and gasping for breath.

Life had been good, until 6 that morning when she had been getting ready for her morning run.

Dressed in her jogging shorts and tank top, she had quickly brushed her teeth and tied her hair back before going into the living room. She had assumed that T-man and Young T would be in the kitchen going through their usual feeding ritual involving the metaphorical airplane landing at the airport. Young T was still young enough to enjoy the ritual, even if his laughter subsided with certain foods he had grown to dislike.

Instead of being in the kitchen, T-man was in the living room, hunched in the corner.

“What you doing honey?” she asked to which she got no response.

Sensing something was wrong; Susan stopped and looked at the kneeling figure, suddenly alarmed by the lack of motion. With three long strides she was by her husband’s side and gently touched his arm, still looking at the back of his still head.

With a gasp she took her hand away, a scream rising to her lips but unable to escape. She couldn’t understand what she was looking at, just didn’t comprehend the reality of what she could see before her eyes. There were pills scattered all over the floor.

It looked like (but surely couldn’t be) T-man was kneeling over the still body of his son but that Young T, normally so full of bubbly life and enthusiasm, was turned away. No, that wasn’t right. Young T’s body was facing up, but so was the back of his head.

Susan frowned, her brain still refusing to understand what she was seeing. It must be a wig or a trick of the light. Her husband’s big strong hand was around her boy’s neck, twisting it at such an impossible angle and she wanted to tell her husband to stop in case he hurt the child… but again, words refused to surface.

Her gaze followed the arm up and to her horror she saw blood and mucus dripping out of her husband’s mouth and nose. Suddenly her instinct took over and her hand grasped her husband’s broad shoulder.

He toppled backwards, falling flat on the floor and his dead, uncaring eyes were staring straight at her. His hand finally released her son’s neck and the boy fell away, rolling on the floor. When he stopped he was lying on his stomach and she could see the blue-ish tinge of his skin and the way he flopped limply.

Although he was on his stomach, his face was turned completely around at a 180 degree angle and frozen in a horrific rictus of agony. His dead eyes were also open and seemed to stare straight at her.

Something in Susan’s mind snapped at the sight of her husband and son staring at her with those dead eyes and she simply ran….

And kept running.

When she finally stopped she was alone in the park. She had felt the presence of other people as she fled her apartment block, had even seen some horrid sights of mutilated bodies but her mind had completely shut down in self-defence.

She just couldn’t believe the complete madness she had faced and once again, she doubled over in agony.

Her husband was dead.

Her son was dead.

Hang on… this must be a dream she thought desperately to herself. This must just be a terrible nightmare and I’m going to wake up any moment and everything will be back to normal. T-man will be feeding Tony and I’ll go for my morning jog. I may even suggest we all go to Pizza Hut this afternoon as a treat.

But it doesn’t feel like a dream. Susan scratched her head, wondering for a moment why she wasn’t waking up.

Suddenly there was a rustling in the bushes.

She whirled around, peering into the foliage but unable to penetrate the thick leaves and branches and discover what was concealed in the darkness beyond.

“Who’s there?” she asked and instantly felt stupid. It was probably just a fox or squirrel and she was waiting for an answer.

She turned away, once again lost in thought about what she had seen back in the apartment. She was so lost in the horror of what had happened that she failed to notice the shadow rise up from the bushes and silently creep towards her.

The first thing she noticed was the smell; it was a pungent smell of rot and decay mixed with the fumes of old alcohol on turgid breath. Even as she whirled around she was grabbed from behind, a big strong hand grasped her wrist and twisted it behind her back, the other came around her neck in a strangle hold.

The putrid breath was right by her ear and she almost heaved at the smell. Her assailant was huge, taller than her by almost a head and a half and she could feel the scratching of a thick beard against the back of her head.

“Hello love… I’m Harry” whispered a deep gruff voice and her arm was dragged further back up her back, making her squeal in agony.

“Please…” she managed to groan and then stopped as she felt something hard sticking into her lower back.

“Oh yeah…” growled the sick voice behind her, “say please again.” The big hand around her neck travelled lower and roughly squeezed her right breast.

“Please don’t hurt me” squealed Susan, tears streaming down her face.

“No promises darling”, the hand squeezed and pinched and she cried out in agony.


Susan cried and gasped for breath

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Chapter 3: Harry Stephenson

Harry rubbed his hands together and felt the handcuffs digging in tightly. The cops in the front of the car were ignoring his insults but he kept it up nonetheless. There was something magical about being able to call people every name under the sun and them not be able to do anything about it. Sure they could rough him up a bit and they were already going to throw him in jail for what he had done, but it was good knowing that that was pretty much it.

He was going to jail, no doubts about that. But he had been there before and it wasn’t such a big deal. Take the biggest, baddest mofo out and you were top dog, and Harry was a big mofo indeed. When he was just a kid, the other kids had given him the nickname Andre, after Andre the Giant and it was a name he had liked.

Yup, he was gonna go to jail and he didn’t give a damn. It was only a pity that Ralph Molinelli was going to get away with it - Harry would have loved to have him under his fists for just five minutes - that mafia scumbag owed him 5 big ones and was probably half way back to Italy by now. He’d stay there if he knew what was good for him.

The robbery was meant to be like any other; a jewellery store run by a family, far enough from a pig station that if someone tripped the alarm they would hopefully still be quick enough to get away. Only problem was that the family lived upstairs so any noise downstairs would undoubtedly attract unwanted attention.

Surprisingly Ralph had come up with such a simple plan it was brilliant; hit the house upstairs first, lock the family up and then hit the shop downstairs right under their noses. It had to be a quick and slick operation that meant they were in and out in an hour max. Twenty minutes to get the family secured, ten minutes to get all the security codes and keys required and half an hour to hit the shop.

Unfortunately things hadn’t gone quite to plan, primarily down to Ralph being a chicken shit Italian scumbag.

Harry and Ralph had hit the upstairs flat as planned, busting in during the family dinner and getting everyone’s hands where they could see them in an instant. Only thing they didn’t plan for was the owner’s cute niece having come to stay and Harry wasn’t going to pass up and opportunity like this one. She had that vulnerable, trusting and innocent look that he loved.

So he clocked the uncle a good one that had him pissing blood out of his nose and grabbed the girl, telling Ralph to handle the family for 10 minutes while he took care of business.

And that’s when things started going wrong. Ralph had whipped up a gun, saying he couldn’t allow Harry to do that, that this was a robbery and that was all.

Little shit.

Well Harry wasn’t about to let this little one escape his grasp so he brings up his gun and tells Ralph to grow a pair. It must have been during the standoff that uncle triggers a silent alarm and then decides to be heroic.

He whips up a gun from behind the table and suddenly it’s a Mexican standoff with three guns waiting to decide the outcome of the evening. Except one problem, both Ralph and the uncle’s guns are pointing straight at Harry.

With a quick pull, Harry brings the girl around in front of him with one hand around his neck. She’s not much protection as Harry is about twice her size but everyone can see that a simple twist of his hand would break the girl’s neck with little effort.

She’s screaming and twisting and Harry grins at his two opponents.

“I’ll give you to three before I break her neck. One…”

“Please don’t do this” shouts the uncle.

“Two….”

The uncle lowers his gun when he sees Harry’s hand tighten on his niece’s neck.

Harry stares straight at Ralph, who quickly drops his gun on the floor as well.

“Kick them both over here” says Harry and they comply. Harry smiles, then lightning quick he moves forward and punches Ralph hard in the face. Ralph drops and Harry kicks him hard in the stomach, sending him flying through the air with at least one cracked rib. Ralph moans and crawls away.

Harry turns to the uncle and backhands him to the floor. He then proceeds to stomp on his head repeatedly, turning it into a mash of brains and blood. The niece is screaming on the floor and continues screaming as Harry grabs her.

Ten minutes later the cops turn up, breaking down the front door to find Harry holding the struggling niece over the bloody corpse of her uncle whilst he has his way with her. Her screams had drowned out the sounds of the sirens and Ralph is nowhere to be seen.

Scumbag must have crawled away while I was having fun, thought Harry.

And so Harry finds himself in the back of the cop car and wonders what his next meal will be - that little struggling vixen had him work up quite an appetite.

Suddenly the car slams to a stop, the breaks squealing. Around him other cars are doing the same.
The cop on the right pulls out his gun and puts it to his head. Without any hesitation he blows his brains all over the window. The other cop gets out of the car and Harry cringes down, wondering what the hell is going on.

The other cop simply runs into a wall as fast as he can, with his head down. With a sickening crack it splits open and Harry can see brains leaking out.

Second brain I’ve seen today he thinks briefly before watching the other people in other cars. They are all killing themselves, some quickly, others more creatively. One man starts climbing a lamppost with a rope in his hand, another has knelt next to the passenger seat of a car and in slamming his head repeatedly with the car door. A woman has crashed through a window and started cutting herself with the shards of glass whilst a man has emerged from a shop with a table leg which he is working into his stomach.

All of them have this look of complete horror on their faces at what they are doing.

Harry picks the keys to his handcuff off one of the dead cops and runs from the scene.
He ends up in the park and promptly falls asleep. He awoke when a young woman comes running by, crying and sobbing and breathing heavy. For all Harry knows she’s the only person in New York that hasn’t killed herself yet - and she’s a mighty fine looking specimen.

Harry smiles and then creeps towards her. She’s in a world of his own and doesn’t notice him until he grabs her.

His smile turns into a grin as he whispers into her ear:

“Hello love… I’m Harry”.

He then proceeds to feel her up, grabbing and squeezing and enjoying her cries for mercy and pity.

He’s about to unzip himself when suddenly there’s a shout behind him and something hard hit him on the back of his head. Harry dropped to his knees and let go of the girl. The blow would undoubtedly killed a weaker man but Harry growls and starts getting back up to his feet. He sees a young man dragging his prey away - and what the hell - the man seems to be wearing a priest outfit.

Harry’s groggy and quickly loses the couple from sight so he sits down hard and gently touches the back of his head. Looking back he sees there’s blood on the massive rock the priest used on him.
Damn that little shit, Harry thinks. I’ll give him hell when I see him. Make him watch while I do that woman and then tear his head right off his shoulders.

Harry leans back and closes his eyes… and in his dreams sees a face smiling at him.

“You’ve done well my son, come back to the city, we have work to do” says a deep voice, filled with terrible promises and awful redemption.

Harry nods and smiles back.


The man smiled and said “come back to the city, we have work to do”.
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Chapter 4: Fear

Father Corrin and Susan Taylor ran through the park, ignoring the branches that cut at them and the rocks that threatened their footing.

“Faster” whispered Corrin, edging the young woman onwards and she gladly obliged, her mind still reeling from everything that had happened already.

They soon reached the edge of the park and Corrin beckoned her towards a car.

“Quickly, I think I hear him behind us” said Corrin, holding the door open for her.

At first Susan hesitated, already uneasy from her experiences of the day but then obliged, putting her faith in the priestly robes and the kind face that had saved her from a terrible fate.

They drove off and the priest swerved to avoid cars and bodies sitting in the streets.

“What the f*** is going on!” screamed Susan.

“I don’t know” replied the priest softly. “I woke up today and my whole clergy is dead, my worshipers are dead too. Everyone just killed themselves. Some of them on their way to mass.”

“My husband…” Susan couldn’t finish.

“I understand” said Father Corrin. “I tried calling my family as well with no answer. “

“This is a nightmare, it must be. My husband didn’t kill my baby, that just wouldn’t happen.”

Father Corrin looked at her with compassion in his eyes and then sped up.

“I’m afraid that this may just be the beginning.”

“What? How could this possibly get worse?” Susan was almost screaming again, her voice high pitched and approaching hysteria.

“I think that someone is coming”

“Coming? Someone? What are you talking about?”

“They call him the Dark Man but he also goes by the name Randall Flagg, and he will unite all of the evil in this world and destroy it all. That is his only purpose in life, to “uncreate” the whole world.”

“You’re crazy, let me out of this car right now.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that” said the priest sadly, he then whipped his hand round hard and punched Susan in the side of the head. Her head whipped sideways and hit the side of the car hard; darkness engulfed her vision and she passed out.

He drove on.

When Susan awoke, the first thing she thought when opening her eyes was that it was night time. But then a closer inspection revealed that she was in a cave of some description, with the only light coming off some lamps held in brackets around the cave wall.

She tried raising an arm and her heart fluttered when she realised she was tied down. She struggled for a moment but quickly realised that the bonds holding her done were much too strong.

“Help!” she screamed. “Heeeeeelp” her voice turned into a long wail of frustration and agony, a woman pushed to the edge of reason and sanity.

“This won’t take long Susan”, the voice was familiar. The Priest! That was it.

“Please, I don’t know what I’ve done but please let me go, I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

“You don’t understand do you” said the Priest’s voice and, twisting her head, she could see him standing in the corner of the cave. And he wasn’t alone. A throng of people circled her, dark figures with the same look of fear in their eyes as they watched her struggle. “There is no one else but us.”

“Us,” he paused, “and It.”

Suddenly she felt a movement round her foot and her mind cast back to an old fear that had haunted her through childhood and into her grown up years. Her father had once taken her to the zoo and she had managed to escape his protective grasp and run into the reptile house.

There, amidst the dark and damp she had gotten completely lost and suddenly found herself face to face with a huge lizard sitting on a long tree stump. It has just stared at her and she had been completely frozen in its gaze. Her body had simply refused to respond to her brain and, looking into those cold reptile eyes, she had seen the horrors that it could visit upon her. She imagined how its slimy yet cold scales would feel against her skin, imagined those long talons digging into her flesh, that forked tongue flickering against her neck and most frightful of all were those eyes… those terrible cold, inhuman eyes that held the young girl in place. It was as if it could reach into her mind and read her innermost thoughts….

Susan felt something brush up against her foot as the other people in the room suddenly closed their eyes.

“It is here!” exclaimed the priest.

She felt an awful wet and scaly skin press against her ankle, then slowly climb up to her knee. A cold hand touched her sides, dragging a large body up against her legs.

Tears flowed down Susan’s cheeks and she couldn’t breathe as the fear clutched her heart.
She heard a hiss and felt a tongue against her bare stomach…

Slowly, ever so slowly, Susan found the strength within herself to bring her head up… and then she screamed like she had never screamed before.

Upon seeing the terrible eyes that gazed into her soul, what little remained of Susan’s fragile sanity broke and crumbled.


Susan remembered those terrible cold, inhuman eyes that held her in place.
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Chapter 5: Harry Stephenson

Harry travelled into the city the day after the incident in the park and was met by likeminded souls. They partied hard that whole day, repeatedly enjoying the twenty women they had captured. The men they had captured didn’t last the day as some were crucified and some were tortured for fun.

Randall Flagg had given them this day to do what they wished but tomorrow would mean they had to work to ensure that they were ready.

Ready for what Randall hadn’t said and Harry wasn’t about to ask.
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Chapter 6: Father Corrin

Father Corrin carried the limp body of Susan Taylor back out of the cave. Her death had been swift, a massive heart attack which had fed It well. It had been feeding constantly for the last day, given substance by the followers that brought it sustenance from the scared humans that travelled alone.

It had been weakened before but the meddlesome humans performing the Ritual of Chüd; they hadn’t realised how powerful they were once they grasped their full potential… but they certainly weren’t powerful enough to destroy someone like It.

They had simply made It weak, but the 27 year sleep had seen it revive into a world of pure fear and that fear had given it a strength like never before.

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Chapter 7: Harry Stephenson

Harry woke up refreshed and feeling great. There was a woman in the bed next to him, still asleep. Her face bloody and a large bruise stretched from her chin to her right ear. Serves her right for crying so loudly, thought Harry.

He thought about waking her up and having another go but looking at his watch he realised he had little time. Randall was excepting him in ten minutes.

Throwing some clothes on some water in his face, Harry left the room in a hurry.

Randall was waiting for him in an old casino that had been turned into a base of operations. In the centre of the room, between some poker tables and a huge roulette wheel, on an actual throne sat the Dark Man. He was an attractive man, with an easy smile that nonetheless set Harry’s teeth on edge. It was the smile of a predator, full of wise humour but with teeth as dangerous as a shark.

“Harry, glad you could make it. How’s the woman?” asked Randall, standing up to greet his second in command.

“Which one?” asked Harry grinning.

Randall laughed and clasped the man on his shoulders. Despite towering over Randall, Harry still felt smaller than the man.

“Are you sure that all the preparations are underway?”

“Yes sir” replied Harry. “The troops are getting ready to move and we’ve got people scoping out both of the other camps. We’re expecting a report back on both today.”

“Excellent Harry, you’ve done some excellent work.”

Harry almost felt himself blushing with pride. The two camps in question were both about the same size as Randall Flagg’s; one in the East and one to the North.

The Eastern camp was composed of mainly stragglers who had grouped together around an old woman. Harry was convinced that they were not of any concern despite what Randall seemed to think, not like the one to the North.

The Northern camp was a mystery, with around the same number of people and seeming to worship some deity which lived among them. Any spies that they had sent into their camp had been killed horribly - dragged into a mysterious cave alive and emerging dead or in a seemingly zombie-like state. This was the one that Harry was worried about as their military power seemed to match that of Randall’s band.

“Well thank you sir, it’s an honour” said Harry.

“Good good. Well, I will let you get on with things. But step things up, we need to be ready to move soon.”

Randall grinned again and Harry grinned back, only his eyes betraying the fear he felt.


“You’ve done some excellent work” said Randall.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 8: Father Corrin

Father Corrin knelt before the alter and scrubbed at the blood that was there. The camp preparations were well underway, with his direction stepping things up a gear, ready for whatever waited for them in the South.

It had not given him much information but in dreams he would see the Enemy and know that he was an enemy of his Master.

Suddenly a noise had him twirling around and he was faced with his fear…

His mother stood before him, her eyes running pure red with blood. She grabbed him and he screamed but then slowly her face changed, melted away to be replaced by that of one much more familiar.

Jesus stood before him and put a calming hand on his shoulder.

“You shouldn’t be so scared all the time Father, it’s not good for the heart.” It laughed in its new guise.

“I’m sorry Master, I was just about to make some final preparations for the war to come.”

“Excellent Father, we need to be moving soon. I sense him in the South and am eager to meet him at long last.

“Yes Master.” And then Corrin plucked up the courage to ask “May I ask who he is Master?”

The figure of Jesus stared at him suddenly started bleeding all over. Father Corrin stared upon the bloody figure and wept.

“He’s the Dark Man, the Walkin’ Dude and just as I feed on fear, so does he breed evil. But he is just a plaything before my might and soon he will know the true meaning of fear. The Man in Black is going to be a meal on my plate. And you and my flock will be the instrument that finally destroys this pathetic mortal and the world will be my playground.”

Corrin has shrunk back before the monster’s wrath and now he straightened up.

“Yes Master, I will go and ensure the troops are ready for war.


Father Corrin stared upon the bloody figure of Jesus and wept
-----------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 9: The War

And so the war started brewing, soldiers following beings of unspeakable fear and evil. Gathered in the desolate post-Apocalyptic world a handful of survivors struggle to survive, unaware of the armies that prepare for bloodshed.

The forces of Randall Flagg gather together in the South, bringing more and more evil souls to them and turning their city into a nightmarish vision of torture, violence and humiliation.

In the North, the forces of It feed innocent souls to their terrible god, giving him more and more strength through fear. Their culture of destruction and savagery rivals that of Flagg.

The two forced know of each other and prepare for a war that will only see one survive and true evil unleashed upon the ravaged lands.

God help the innocents, for they haven’t a hope in the darkness about to be released.

Or do they?

To be continued…

As inducted by me for winning the CBUB July Challenge 2012 

Well, you always wanted your place in this thread, Marvel Man, and here it is.

Congrats!

Insurance for Life
--------------------
Punisher War Journal July 22, 2012: Khazan

"Frank. Are you ready?"

I had placed the earpiece in my ear myself, but even so, the sudden sound is surprising. I find my right hand on my .44 Magnum before I even think about it. I've been doing this for so long. Have to relax. Can't go in shooting like a madman. At least, not yet.

The voice on my earpiece asks me if I'm ready to go inside. I ignore the voice. The Batman probably isn't used to being ignored. Funny thing here, almost makes one laugh. The Punisher and the Batman, working together. I probably won't give him a friendship bracelet anytime soon, but we've swallowed our differences for tonight. Like every other hero in this city, he probably hates my methods. But I don't do what I do for anyone's approval. I do it for the regular joe. The average guy. The type of guys who worry about their cars and whether the mechanic is ripping them off. The guys who play catch with their sons and worry about who their daughters go out with. The type of guy I could have been.

With these thoughts in my head, I entered Khazan's Premiere Insurance Store.

--------------------

Frank Castle opens the door and steps inside. On the monitor, I switch to the store's internal cameras and carefully focus on him. Suddenly, Oracle's voice comes in.

"How's the mission going Bruce?"

I go through a couple hundred phrases. Working with the Punisher is an awful idea. You're sure Dick couldn't get here? I should have done this alone.

"Everything's going as planned. The Punisher is entering the insurance office now."

"Oh, that's great. But Bruce, what exactly are you doing running a mission with the Punisher?"

I don't know. Poor planning on my part. Why didn't I think of a better plan? He's crazy.

"The Punisher's Battle Van was crashed into a gas station earlier this week. As you know, around the same time, the Batmobile was involved in a similar incident. In both cases, there was no driver. I wouldn't have gone to him just because of that, but reports have been coming in of people having unnatural bad luck for the last month. Serious property damage is reported. And then this new insurance mega store opens up? It's too suspicious."

I hear Oracle try to hold back her laughter. A few seconds later and she comes back, her voice still filled with amusement.

"Okay Bruce. I'm assuming it's a slow night over in Khazan?"

Now I'm the one holding back laughter. Khazan. The nexus of all reality. Having a slow night?

Suddenly, I see Frank approach the checkpoint. It's time.

"I have to go Oracle. I'll call you in an hour."

--------------------

As I walk in, I do my usual scan. Batman and I already went over the store's layout, but habits are hard to break. It's built like a maze. Everything in Khazan always is. Aflac, GEICO, and all the other major insurance agencies have their little set ups scattered throughout the place. On the outside, the store couldn't be bigger than your local Starbucks, but thanks to Khazan technology (a mix of Skrull, Kree, and anything else you can imagine) the place could easily fit in a couple Wal-Marts.

"Hello sir. How can I help you?"

I'm suppose to be angry. Get myself in trouble. Batman snoops around in the back and gets the info on this place. We bust the guy responsible for all the damages. Not my usual job, and not the usual plan, but this place isn't your usual place. I have a bad feeling about it, and I can tell the Bat feels the same.

The girl from the Progressive commercials is smiling at me. She's smiling at everyone. What's wrong with this place?

"Sir, can I help you?"

I look up, anger building. But suddenly, I'm not angry. Before me is the calmest looking guy in the entire world. It's the african american president from 24, and the guy from all the Allstate commercials. I'm in good hands.

"... I-... I'm looking for some car insurance."

What? No I'm not! Why did I say that?

"Of course. Here, let me show you some of our affordable plans. Remember, with Allstate, you're in good hands."

The man smiles at me and begins to take out some pamphlets or something. I try to frown, to shout, to reach out and punch him. Anything. But I can't. I start to sweat. What's going on?

"See, this is our most popular plan."

He points at something. I look him in the eyes. His face is smiling, but his eyes are grinning. He knows what he's doing to me. I can't fight this feeling. I feel like a small child.

"Sir. I said, this is our most popular plan. Don't you want to look at it?"

I grit my teeth. My neck wants to move. Wants me to look at the paper. I fight it with all my might. He's still smiling. Now I'm smiling. Why am I smiling? Oh god, I'm looking down. What's going on?!

--------------------

Frank's conversation comes in and it's not at all what we rehearsed. I realize something's wrong. He's talking about boat insurance with the salesman. As I walk in, my bat suit under a regular suit, I make a beeline towards where he is. However, Flo, the girl from the Progressive commercials, steps in my way.

"Hello good sir! I see you're heading to Allstate but we have sooooo many better offers."

"No thanks Flo-..."

"GAH! You know my name!"

Flo swoons and tries to grab onto my shoulders. I step back and she falls head first into the ground. I probably should have caught her.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry ma'm. Here, let me help you up."

Reaching down to help her, I'm surprised by her quick reflexes. She grips my arm tightly as she stands. Her face is no longer of an annoying beaming girl but of a terrified woman.

"You have to get out of here! Look... I don't know how you snapped me out of my programming, but this place isn't what you think."

I search her eyes for any trace of the joking Flo I've seen on tv, but there is only fear. Fear and truth.

"Sir, please believe me. I don't know how long I'll be myself. This entire place is owned by a very small very rich very dangerous organization. It only appears like there's competition among different insurance groups. It's all a lie. You have to call the police. Call the military. Call someone!"

Suddenly, Flo begins to jerk violently. I grab her arms trying to help her keep her balance.

"Flo! Stay with me. Who's leading this?"

Her head shakes back and forth. She begins to say all sorts of things.

"GAH! I love working here! Th-th-th-th-eeee BEST part of working here is meeting new people!"

She looks at me and smiles, then frowns, then smiles again. She begins to say something else but instead faints. I've seen this type of brainwashing before. It's very old and usually destroys the victim's mind. This isn't what we thought.

"Oh my gosh! He hurt Flo!" a voice cries out.

Looking up, I see various insurance employees getting closer. When I came in, there seemed to be an even mix of men and women of various ages. Now, only angry men seem to work here. I sling Flo over my should and run towards Frank. He's talking about helicopter insurance now. Obviously, the guy he's talking with isn't your average salesman.

"Why, hello sir. And what can I do for you?"

The man turns to me and I begin to slow down. Whatever he did to Frank, he's doing to me now. Before I lose all will, I do the only thing I can. I throw Flo's body at him, which knocks him out immediately.

That seems to snap Frank out of it too.

"Frank, this whole place is not what we thought. The insurance companies are all owned by a the same people. They're the ones behind the accidents throughout Khazan."

That's the last thing I'm able to say to Frank before it all starts going downhill. At that moment, a powerful alarm buzzes throughout the building. Metal bars emerge, sealing off the windows and doors. The tough looking employees are all smiling now. The ones located behind desks begin to pull out shotguns and automated weapons.

I throw down some smoke pellets and hope Frank knows to get down. I hear him begin to say something, but his words are drowned out by the shooting. Bullets whiz through my makeshift cover, barely missing my head. I scramble for cover behind a desk as I reach for the mask in my suit's inside pocket...

--------------------

The Bat was smart. His smokescreen was the only thing that kept us from biting the dust right there and then. I'll send him a fruit basket later.

As I run for the Progressive section's maze of shelves, I shoot as many lights as I can. The grunts all give cries of surprise as the majority of the building goes dark. The lights that I didn't get give the area only minimum lighting. Perfect.

"He's in the shelves area, get him!"

The grunts rush forward, apparently unaware of who I am. Whipping out twin uzis, I unload on the mindless horde and make the local undertaker a rich man. Two waves of grunts later and the whole place is going crazy. They stop rushing into the opening in front of me, maybe because they're smart or maybe because they're scared. Either way, I dont wait around. Running deeper into the Progressive area, I try to shoot more lights.

Suddenly a British voice shouts something at me. Maybe it's Australian. I can't tell. Spinning around, I aim at the Geico Gecko. I never imagined I'd ever find myself aiming at a talking gecko.

"Wait! Don't shoot!" he says. Oh, if I had a dime for every time I heard that. As always, I shoot anyways. Blood and small green parts fly everywhere.

"YOU SHOT HIM!!!"

The voice startles me, but not quite as much as the punch that follows. Recovering from the hit, I find myself face to face with the Geico Caveman. He's not angry about being called dumb now. Instead, he's just angry. And strong.

"IMMA KILL YOU!" He shouts out. Again, another classic phrase.

Before I can take aim, he's at me again. One single punch sends me flying into a shelf. My guns slip out of my hand, but at least I don't let the darkness take me. I'm groggy, yeah, but at least I'm still awake for when he wraps his hairy hands around my neck. I've been in this position before though, so before he can get a good grip, I throw my hand up and poke his eyes. A childish move? Maybe. But the Caveman does what they all do. He screams and grabs his face. Taking advantage of the moment, I give him a good kick to his sensitive parts and throw him off.

I reach for my old friend, who's all loaded and ready to help. However, before I can give him the final blow, a voice shouts out from behind me.

"Hello Punisher! Welcome to Progressive! How can I help you???!!"

It's Flo. Flo from those commercials. Flo with an RPG.

I dive for cover and the projectile barely goes over my left shoulder. It hits another shelf and explodes, sending wood and general debris in all directions. I whip out my gun and aim to where Flo was, but now she's gone. Or maybe she's still here. I can't tell with all the smoke.

Suddenly, a hand grabs my shoulder. It clamps down hard and begins to crush some bones. My gun drops to the floor as pain fills my mind. I fling my head back, breaking the Caveman's nose. He lets go, and I crash forward reaching blindly for my gun.

"Progressive will suit all your needs!" Flo shouts out. I look up just in time to see her take aim.

Just then, for absolutely no reason, the wall besides us explodes. I grab my gun and do my best to roll with the blast's wave. Concrete and debris falls from all around as other explosions rock the building.

I struggle to stay on my feet...

--------------------

"Where is he?!"

Whether they're corporate goons or just muggers on the streets, criminals are all the same. Full of fear. They fear because they know what I am. I am the justice they can't escape from.

I sweep down, delivering a punch to the man's jaw. He's unconscious before he hits the floor. I disappear into the shadows again, leaving the other goons to shoot blindly. They're easy pickings.

Suddenly, I hear a voice.

"It's the middle of an epic battle between good and evil, and you think you have the whole thing figured out. But I'm the crazy guy who planted bombs all over the place. They're about to go off. And your cut rate insurance may not cover this. So switch to Allstate, and be better protected from Mayhem. Like me."

I look up and see Mayhem. He looks down at me from a metal beam and smiles. He presses a button on his watch and the whole game changes. I shoot out a cable to grab onto the metal beam, but the desk besides me explodes, sending me flying. Elsewhere, various other places explode as well. The insurance employees run around like headless chickens, but it doesn't matter where they run. Bombs seem to be everywhere. One after another, they go off, sending concrete and bodies flying.

Speaking of flying, I barely hang on to my own lifeline as it automatically zips me up. I swing over the metal beam and land as gracefully as I can. The blast left me disoriented, but at least it's just me and Mayhem now.

"Hello Batman. I'm Erin Esurance." A voice says. I turn around and see a woman land on the metal beam with the grace only trained individuals possess. She pulls out a handgun.

I look back at Mayhem, but he has disappeared. Where he'll appear next, I don't know. Turning back to Erin, I reach down for a batarang...

As inducted by Culwych1. 

I just felt like this story deserved to be in here; part of a great arc by our resident horror writer. Great to see the evolution of ND7's writing and the effort he puts in to his setups.


Michael Myers vs. Ashley J. Williams vs. The Creeper

by ND7

Author’s note: Just so it all makes sense, time is slower in Hell in this storyline which is why Pinhead can afford to send the Creeper on a day’s flight to meet Michale and Ash.
Summary: It seems our mysterious man AKA Pinhead has indeed uses for Jason and Freddy. But due to Ghostface’s failure, the chosen one remains out of his grasp. And it seems Michael Meyers has a role as well. So, sending his ‘enforcer’ to do the job, days pass before the three eventually cross paths on a hill side road to Dearborn, Michigan.

Ash had it all, a nice girlfriend, the perfect job at S-Mart, and good friends, until that night in the cabin, the night they found the book. The Necronomicon Ex-Mortis aka the book of the dead. Inked in and blood and bound in human flesh. The book itself can summon the forces of darkness. One by one his friends were claimed by the darkness, and Ash himself had to kill them to survive. With an army of demoniacally possessed beings, dub deadites by Ash, trying to bring the world to darkness, Ash made it his mission to wipe out the deadites, and bring the threat of the book to a rest.
Ash was successful in destroying the Evil Dead with the aid of a girl named Ann, however their actions had caused Ash to travel to 1300th AD. Ash was captured by King Henry's army after being presumed to be there enemy, however after Ash killed a deadite he earned there respect, and helped fend off an army of deadites led by his evil twin Evil Ash. With the help of a wizard Ash was sent back to his time, a time without the necronomicon, without fighting deadites, a time to live a normal life. However that was never meant to be...

Dearborn Michigan, 1999.

As, Ash had slowly been making his way around his house (which took a lot of moolah by the way) he started to make his way up the stairs with shotgun in hand. Taking the initiative, he opened the closest door which was the bedroom and no sign of any intruders. So, shrugging Ash would have closed the door but then he caught out of the corner of his eye, the bathroom door opening and something emerging from it. Turning to face the figure, he frowned at what he saw coming at him with a hunting knife in hand. Not even bothering to shoot the man, he grabbed the knife with his metal hand and wrenching it from the masked chump’s grasp, Ash quickly drove a knee into his stomach causing a cry of ‘oof!’ to come as he fell back against the wall, his hands near where he had been hit.
“Now, you sit there like a good little dork in a Halloween costume, okay?”, Ash asked, rolling his eyes before he heard the clicking of a gun nearby and looking down the stairs, his eyes went wide as he saw another costumed man but this one had a pistol and so not being dumb as bricks, he quickly flew into the still open bathroom. But, although he had avoided the second killer’s attack for now, the first had recovered and as Ash had dropped his knife once he jumped into the bathroom, he picked up his knife and charged after Ash.
“Think you’re tough shit huh? Well, I got something for ya. It’s a bit painful so you might want to sit down!” Once he had belted that out, he swung at the killer’s face knocking the mask off and making a familiar noise of bones being broken-presumably his cheek and jaw bones. Scratching his head at how young this ‘killer’ seemed, Ash shrugged. At least it seemed like he was knocked out now-Ah crap.

“Huh. So you knocked Stu out. Figures. I knew the whipped *vulgarity*er wouldn’t last... But against you? I'm surprised, Ash. Or do you prefer ‘Chosen One’?”, The second killer said as he pulled off his mask and flung it to the ground while still keeping the pistol aimed at Ash.
“Well, before I can answer that, got a question of my own. Blow?” With that, Ash pulled the trigger on the shotgun knocking Billy into the bedroom door knocking it over. Once it seemed like he wasn’t going to be getting up any time soon, Ash made his way over to Billy and looking down at him he spoke.
“Alright, seeing as how the both of you are messed up and numero uno isn’t, think it states somewhere that means you spill the beans on why you followed me, broke into my house, tried to stab and shoot me?”
Billy merely coughed up blood which got a sheepish nod from Ash. “Maybe I should have shot after he answered my questions..”But, then as it seemed he was about to speak hellfire would have covered both Stu and him.
“"NO!" Billy roared, as he managed to get on his knees as he cried out in pain. "Pinhead. We had a deal! We would do what you asked us and you would let us kill Sidney eventually! Gahhhh!!” Pinhead? Ash pondered as he assumed that he or it was behind the sudden teen barbeque.
But, breaking Ash out of his pondering was Billy who despite the pain got to his feet as he pointed at Ash.
“Hahahahah! Hey ‘Chosen One’, don’t think just because Stu and I *vulgarity*ed up that the ‘other’ guy will! He took out Jason*vulgarity*ING Voorhees!!”Billy exclaimed before the hellfire covered the two Ghostface killers completely and then suddenly vanished with nothing of the killers except for their pistol and knife. Once they were gone, Ash slammed his fist into the wall.
Ash rubbed his head to ease the tension mustered from his encounter.

"God damn it where are all these weirdos coming from? I'm amazed they haven't tried to capture me in broad daylight, except these aren’t zombies, they were like normal punk teens with a little bit of crazy on the side and maybe a demoniacally possessed weirdo!", Ash sighed as he then noticed the hole he had made in the wall and groaned. Great, more crap to fix.

Back in Hell on the other hand or more specifically in the colosseum where Mr. Kruger has been taken..
The coliseum could only be descried as magnificent and colossus, even for those against sin and pain could not deny the sheer power and fear that was given off by this place. Its pillars tall and reaching high into the endless black sky, as going along them lay rows of seats filled with all the Cenobites of the Labyrinth. There were many, all of different shapes and sizes, but with disturbing disfigurements, some more grotesque than the others. Many followers of Leviathan were classed in ranks, the lower Cenobites that were still learning the ways of pain and pleasure's co-existence waited at the back, while those more experienced would have a front row seat of the action below.
The ground itself was like an entire World War battle area closed into a small base, however to those who would have the unfortunate fate of fighting would vomit at the mass of the area, or it could just be from the fear of the fights approaching. Sand drenched in the blood of many gladiators that have fallen before, chains scattered around the jagged rocks that lay about and around the arena were four caged doors carved into the wall. Meanwhile, high upon the main throne, just above the battleground was none other than the lead Cenobite himself, Xipe Totec, and his longest serving Cenobites; Chatterer, Butterball and Nikoletta. Beside them were Pistonhead and Dreamer who had also had the privilege of watching this tradition from the most cherished place in the Gladiator arena. Behind them was Angelique, not at all bothered by what was going down below, while Skinner stood by her side like a loyal dog to its master.

`And one couldn’t simply go without our ‘Mysterious Man’ himself better known as Pinhead who after having disposed of Billy Loomis and Stu Macher for failing him, made his way to where he had a throne waiting for him. Once there, all he had to do was merely raise his hand signaling for silence that he got without another seconds hesitation. Once all was silent, he addressed his fellow
Cenobites. ''Brothers! Sisters! We are here to witness a most satisfying tradition in the ways of flesh, today, we shall see the blood spill and the skin torn of the three most dreaded 'Slashers', that have taken the lives of many of God's little clay creations. And a ‘Chosen One’ who has murdered many of the Necronomicon’s Deadites. This is a very exquisite show! Pistonhead, if you will!''
''Oh, never thought you would ask!'' Pistonhead said with glee, but not before turning to his beloved Dreamer. ''Be right back babe, got to go make my big moment!''

''Pistonhead!'' Pinhead barked at his annoying comrade. Reluctantly Pistonhead walked away from Dreamer and towards the edge to address the crowd. His confidence and booming voice was perfect for strengthening the atmosphere of this tradition.
''As Xipe here has said…three Slashers of Earth, three but just who are they really?'' He asked the crowd rhetorically.
As he went on, Nikoletta leaned in closer to Pinhead so only he could hear her words. ''I do wish I could just slit his throat, that way we would have silence from his obnoxious…''

''Let it be,'' Pinhead interrupted. ' As long as I see Frederick Krueger and Jason Voorhees experience the pain they have inflicted on their victims be placed upon them tenfold and more!''
At that moment, something was going on in the room below the arena. His eyes opened the stiches having obviously been removed. But, then he looked around-No more of the S&M Hel Gang to torture him. But, what he saw next made his eyes go wide. Immediately awe-struck by the figure chained up against the wall, Freddy rolled his eyes as he spoke. ''Well well..Looks like we meet again huh Short Bus?'' He muttered.

Not having heard him, the zombie continued to look off into the darkness of the room. Last he recalled the strange creature had put him to sleep because of course like his Mama said ‘he could never die’ and now he was here. Freddy noticed Jason staring off into space and decided to have a little fun. ''What's the matter? Scared of some lil chains?”, Freddy joked but deep down in his mind he tried to wrap his mind around the apparent situation. The Creeper had killed Jason but now he was back in Hell and the two of them were still together. But for what reason?

Jason's head spun round to face Freddy; although that strange creature had put him to sleep, he could at least have his final battle with Freddy. Although, unknown to them they would have to wait just a bit longer before they could finish each other off as up in the stands, Pinhead who thanks to his and Pistonhead’s words had bought some time to try once more to capture The Chosen One and the ‘third slasher’. Since his human slaves had failed him, he turned to the one he had used to first ‘kill’ Jason Voorhees.
“Ah, yes ‘Creeper’ I do have high hopes that you will be able to do what my two human killers failed to and kill The Chosen One and our third ‘slasher’ so that I may be able to trap them down in the room below and the match can finally began?”, The general of Hell’s Army mentally asked The Creeper who having found a bird’s wing to eat, had been taking to the air but listened intently to Pinhead’s words and let out a growl showing he understood.

“Good…Remember though, the price of failure is high. I will tear your soul..Apart.”, With that the voice hushed up and keeping that in the back of it’s mind, The Creeper flew off to where it had been told he would meet the two.

Old Meyers House
Michael Audrey Myers one of the world's greatest killers was pronounced dead by the authorities after being put in a coma after being shot in the head by a police officer. But in reality Michael escaped and killed a nurse and two guards. Now Michael had made his way to Michigan in pursuit of his sister Laurie Strodes who he had heard had moved here to get away from him-Not believing him truly dead. She was right. So, having made his choice of pursuit on foot after days of walking, he finally would have been walking down a road to Dearborn which was the city in Michigan that Laurie seemed to be living in.

Though, Michael eventually expected to come across his sister he didn’t expect to come across Ashley J. Williams better known to others as ‘The Chosen One’. He also didn’t expect to come across the hood of Ash’s car which slammed into him and sent him rolling across the street. Ash had been on his way to somewhere to think about what this all meant. Was the Necronomicon involved? Why was he involved-Oh right Chosen one and oh person! Cursing, Ash would have exited his car with shotgun slung over his back (just incase y’know.) as he called out to Michael.

“Hey! Buddy, look I was just on my way to find somewhere to think! Didn’t mean to y’know run into you like that. Do you need some help?” He asked rubbing the back of his head reaching into his car for his phone before stopping as he saw the man he had hit slowly rise back to his feet and tilt his head. Two thoughts ran through Ash’s head. Either this was the guy that one fried punk warned him about as no normal guy could just get up like that. Or, he was the luckiest bastard on Earth. His shotgun assumed the former and so did Ash and unslinging the shotgun, he made his way to his back trunk where he kept his chainsaw. Taking that out, he looked back to where the man had gotten up. Aiming his shotgun, he spit before speaking.

“Alright tall dark and masked hows about telling me who this Pinhead guy is and why he sent those two mooks after me?” Silence, of course he would get nothing but silence. Shrugging, Ash used his teeth to pull on the cord to start up his chainsaw.

“Well pal you can keep up the cool silent guy act. I’ll keep up my asskicking guy with the gun act.” He quipped which merely got a head tilt from Meyers who reached for his trademark kitchen knife. Ash prepared to fire but before he could, he glanced out of the corner of his eye and quickly leapt to the left as some winged bastard landed on the roof of his car denting it. Staring at Meyers who stared right back and staring at Ash, it was good to finally see the faces of those he would kill and after tipping his hat he stretched.

“Yeah, I was way off. That’s the guy that crazy bastard was talking about.” Ash grumbled as he now aimed his shotgun at the Creeper. “And he wrecked my car too. Can’t let that go.” He said matter-of factly and it was obvious The Creeper and Michael weren’t going to let him go so easily either. Ugh, days of trying to find a place to think and this happens? Only to the Chosen One..

Okay! Three way battle!
It’s a fight to the death for the two killers while Ash just wants to either incapicate/kill.
Michael has his kitchen knife and his trademark durability
The Creeper has three bone daggers, his wings and strength.
Ash has his sawed off shotgun and chainsaw(Also his metal hand)

As inducted by treacherous for winning the CBUB December Challenge 2012. 

Outstanding Set ups is turning into the Boratz show. Congratulations big guy on your December Challenge win.

Jack in the Box vs. Ronald McDonald

You’re traveling to another town… Next stop…

MASKOTVILLE

Well, I know it sounds a bit weird for a town but don’t let the name fool you. The town of Maskotville is full of wonderful well-meaning town folks, who enjoy the company of strangers. The mayor of the town is one that is known all throughout as simply Burger King, while ol’ Burger King is pretty well connected throughout the town, there is another one who has a pretty decent role in the town. For many, he is simply an entertainer or a comedian but to some, he is just a simple clown who tries to put a smile on everyone’s’ face. Despite being one of the friendliest towns you’ll ever have the privilege of visiting, it is also a very competitive town. Nearly everyone has something to offer; while it may vary from burgers to fries or milkshakes to frosties, the town welcomes all who wish to compete with its citizens…

Now let’s take a drive down FasFood Ave. Sometimes you will see kids running around with a toy in their hands that they have just gotten from one of their recent meals, while other kids are not exactly running but wobbling instead or rolling in some cases. Yes, it is a sad fact but some of the residents of the great town of Maskotville are in face a little on the heavy side but that does not stop the friendly
competition. On the corner FasFood Ave. there is something quite interesting that usually gets the attention of people who come to visit the dear old town or are just simply passing through. There is a dog that runs around without a leash of course, who can actually talk. This dog known as Gidget to his owner but to many he is known as the Taco Bell Chihuahua. Gidget runs around with his owner and dear friend, who own the small taco stand called Taco Bell.

Now let drive a little further down this famous road and let’s meet Jack Box. He is the town’s sheriff and owner of a small restaurant called Jack in the Box. Many people who come by usually enjoy Jack because of his warm hearted smile and his ever so friendly conversations. With the challenges of owning a small town restaurant, he also keeps the town ever so safe.

Now I must confess that not all the competition in the friend town of Maskotville is in the business of food. There are many other competitions all throughout the town for example; another one of the great attractions would have to be the Energizer Bunny. Now this little guy is one crazy sick freak. Many people always say how he is “going and going and then he is gone.” But this false is many different ways because for one, the Pink Bunny never really leaves but he does cause a lot of ruckus when he continually beats on his drums in the middle of the night. Usually, Sheriff Jack Box is called in because of a noise complaint but eventually they had to come to terms with it. The Bunny would always keep going.

Now let’s move down the road to our next big attraction who is also a prominent member of the town and the committee. This is probably the smallest member of any town that you will ever meet but he does leave a pretty big impression. This little man has traveled the world but he eventually settled down in Maskotville. This guy let me tell you will always leave some kind of impression on you whether it is good or bad, you will never get a normal moment with him. This great man is Geico Gecko. While he works to sell car insurance, he never stops trying to sell his presence as a leader and commander.

Now that I’ve introduced you to some of the members of this great town, let’s move on and begin a journey will leave you either speechless or indifferent. I guess I will begin to tell you about an incident that is about to happen in the town. While I did say the town is a pretty darn friendly place, it also has a couple little dark things stored deep in the freezer. I guess I should stop babbling and just begin the story already so here it goes…

The ever burning sun hid behind the marshmallow shapes clouds, as Sheriff Jack Box drove up onto the scene of a crime. He got out of his truck with that never ending warm smile across his face. After he glanced around at the grizzly scene, he saw something that would almost break any smile on a man but not the sheriff, mainly because he could never stop smiling. He gazed down at the mutilated body of on Gidget, the Taco Bell Chihuahua and his dear owner. Jack took of his yellow hat and waved his hand across his big white head. He watched as Mayor Burger King started to approach him.

“Well this certainly is not good for any day of the week.” Burger King said as he pointed down at all the blood and the guts.

“No, I guess it never is.” Jack Box said as he put his yellow hat back on his big white head.

“You know what you have to do, right?” Burger King asked as he turned his attention to Jack.

“Oh yeah! Now it’s time that I catch me a criminal.” Jack said as he took out a pair of dark sun glass and struggled to put them over his eyes.

“Maybe you should invest in a larger pair of glasses.” Burger King said as he tried to help.

Jack slapped his hand away in frustration. “I got it!” Finally, the glasses covered his blue eyes and Jack looked back at Burger King, “Time to play bad cop.”

“But you just said it was time to catch a criminal… How can it be both time to be bad cop and time to catch a criminal?” Burger King asked with a weird look on his face.

“I don’t know but we will find out.” Jack said as he left.

Now it wasn’t much longer until several other citizens’ corpses were found all throughout the town. The only evidence was a couple spots left from food grease and ketchup. Jack rushed to the end of the town to make sure not another person would meet their grizzly end. As the trail grew thinner, he got a distress call from Mayor Burger King. Jack rushed to city hall and he did it with the protection of Geico insurance, so he was covered during his race against time but sadly not before the urges of hunger took over him. He stopped for a quick burger at McDonalds to give him a little energy boost for his rescue of the Mayor. Now he sat out in his truck in front of city hall which happened to be named after the mayor, Burger King.

As Jack busted inside with the McDonalds’ bag in his hand he raced to find the mayor, only to find him tied up to a chair along with the rest of the town’s council; with the exception of Geico Gecko, who was locked away in an aquarium. Jack searched for the one behind all of this but suddenly he was knocked back on the ground by some force. He pushed himself up to see none other than Ronald McDonald.

“Why Ron? You’ve brought so much laughter for so many years?!” Jack asked in complete and utter surprise.

“Because I am not an Agent of Laughter or Comedy… No… I am an Agent of Chaos!” Ronald McDonald yelled out with a menacing laughter.

“But if you’re not an Agent of Laughter, how come you are laughing right now?” Burger King asked.

“Well mainly because it is supposed to add onto the effect of my villainy.” Ronald McDonald said as he tried to answer the question the best he could.

“And how come you are always smiling? Oh and red and yellow really don’t match with chaos, maybe purple and green would do better… Also Ronald McDonald is not a really good chaotic name, maybe something along the lines of Joker or Killer Clown.” Burger King replied.

“Shut up you big dumb crown wearing…… king.” Ronald McDonald said as he tried to put on a furious face but failed miserably.

“You are a failure at being a villain.” Burger King said as he laughed.

“Oh yeah?!” Ronald McDonald said as he walked up to the mayor.

“Yeah!” Burger King shouted.

“How about now?!” Ronald McDonald said as he poured a pan of hot grease upon the face of Burger King.

Burger King cried out in pain as Ronald McDonald laughed. “And just so you all know, that grease came from my fries.” Ronald said as he looked over at Jack he was trying to do something heroic.

“And to think I ate at your place twice a week!” Jack yelled as he threw the McDonalds’ bag on the ground.

“Is it go time?!” Ronald McDonald yelled.

“Yeah it is go time!” Jack yelled as he took out his gun.

Ronald stopped and looked at Jack for a moment. “How come you didn’t even try to save help the mayor from being burned by my hot grease?”

Jack stopped for a moment and lowered his gun for a second to ponder on the question. Finally, he came up with an answer. “Well to be completely honest with you, I never really like interrupting people when they spoke. I don’t know it is one of those little jack in the boxes
with me.”

“Jack in the boxes?” Ronald asked.

“Yeah… Yeah.. You know it is an old saying.” Jack replied.

“I have honestly never heard it before and it sounds pretty stupid.” Ronald replied.

“I think it sounds pretty cool.” Jack said.

“Really? I just can’t think of why anyone would think it sounds good.” Ronald said.

“CAN’T YOU JUST STOP HIM ALREADY!” Burger King yelled with a horribly scared face.

“He’s right we should finish this.” Jack said as he lifted his gun once again.

“How about we… TAKE THIS TO THE ROOF?!” Ronald yelled as he ran to the roof.

“Damn! I probably should have had some besides a Big Mac, fries, and a super-sized coke.” Jack said as he started chasing after him.

As the two got to the roof, both of them had to take a moment to catch their breath, but finally both of them pointed guns at one another.

“Now what?” Ronald asked

“I honestly do not know, I’ve never done this before.” Jack replied.

“Me neither…. Well granted I did take a couple of the citizens of Maskotville but that’s really not the point. I’ve never been in an actual gunfight before.” Ronald said.

“Yeah so I guess we just run for cover and shoot at each other until one of us gets shot.” Jack said.

“YES AND IF WE BOTH RUN OUT OF BULLETS WE CAN DO IT OLD SCHOOL AND JUST FIGHT!” Ronald yelled.

“Agreed… TIMES STARTS NOW!” Jack yelled quickly as he ran for cover.

Both men now under the cover of whatever is on top of City Hall or Burger King as some know it, are in an all-out fight to the death. Who will win and who will die?

I guess during this part of this story, you will choose the fate of the survivor so I guess have fun choosing.

As inducted by Ruinus for winning the CBUB February Challenge 2013. 

And here is Nova Force Nova winning the February 2013 challenge with Princess Azula and Katara fighting over Aang's heart.

***

The war had ended nearly a month ago. Between the Avatar and the new Firelord, the armies had withdrawn back to their own nations. A hundred years of fighting had indeed "left the world scarred and divided." The Avatar made a promise to heal what he could and set the world on a new path of love and peace. He has done remarkably well in that regard but the world wasn't the only thing that has been damaged, scarred, broken or shattered by the 100 year war.

-----------------------

Firelord Zuko stifles a yawn as he glances over all the paperwork on his desk. Reaching for his fourth cup of tea, he shakes his head. "I knew ruling a nation wasn't easy but I never imagined all this." he says to the shadowy corner where he knew his girlfriend was sitting. Mai stands up and walks over to him, her hands rubbing his shoulders. "You should take it easy. That's your fourth cup. You're going to drive yourself insane staying up all the time...not that I would be adverse to entertaining myself by watching that." She adds slyly.

He smirks at that. "I could always dump you again, spice things up." He bites back. He looks down again. "Listen...something's been on the back of my mind for a few weeks now."

"What is it?" She asks, sitting down across from him.

"It concerns Azula." He replies. To say that statement had a clear reaction was an understatement. Indeed, the tension in the air is palpable. Mai, even with all her skill at controlling emotions, can't stop the split second look of shock, anger and curiosity from showing in her face and eyes. "What about her?" She asks, the last word dripping with venom.

Zuko sighs. "I was thinking...that she deserves a second chance." Predictably, his wife explodes in response. "WHAT? ARE YOU INSANE? SHE NEARLY KILLED YOU, LOCKED ME AND TY LEE IN THE DEEPEST, DARKEST HOLE SHE COULD FIND AND SHE RELISHED IN DESTRUCTION."

Zuko runs a hand through his hair. "Now humor me for a moment. I know she did all those things...but keep in mind who the person who shaped her as an individual was. He made her do what he wanted, molded her to be what he needed, used her like any good tool and then discarded when her usefulness has come to an end. I wasn't much different from her, you must realize that. And I got both my mother and my uncle, both people who truly cared for me. She...she never had a chance to be anything else than what Ozai wanted. Our father has scarred us both...it's just, no one noticed it because only one of us has a scar that can be seen. The struggles of the silent go unseen in the dark. Now that he's no longer in charge, she can finally have the chance to be who she wants to be. I'll let you in on a little secret my uncle revealed to me months ago. I was so conflicted about what I had done in Ba Sing Se because the two bloodlines present in me were on opposite sides in the very beginning of the war. Sozin, my father's grandfather, who started the war when the Avatar died and wiped out the Air Nomads in an attempt to kill the next one...and Roku, my mother's grandfather, the Avatar left behind by his best friend to die. Both of them live on within me...and in one other person. Azula. She deserves a second chance."

Mai gives a quick side glance before returning her gaze to Zuko's golden eyes. "I think you're being naive and idealistic...but that is why I fell in love with you. I'll stand behind whatever you decide. Just one thing...how do you propose to give her a second chance?"

Zuko responds with a tight smile. "I know just the guy to help my sister on her path to finding herself. If he can't do it...no one can."

-----------------------

Aang has been a busy little Avatar. Gliding in and out of towns daily, settling problems in the colonies, attempting to get their plans for Republic City together so the four nations can truly live in harmony...and yet none of that compared to the difficulty of what Firelord Zuko has asked of him recently.

By Agni...how am I supposed to do this? To try and help Azula get better...is it even possible? He wonders to himself. Resting his chin on the palm of his hand, he sighs. I am supposed to restore balance to the world...and everyone in it. And it isn't like I have got anything better to do...I pretty much stabilized this region...and since Katara and I put things on hold until the world is in a stable state...I should reach out to the former Princess.

He frowns. "I just hope I'm not making a big mistake." He says before gliding off in the direction of the Fire Nation.

-----------------------

Zuko stands outside the asylum where his sister, the deposed Princess Azula, now resides. "Aang should be here by now." Zuko remarks. The heart of the Fire Nation isn't that far from the colonies...perhaps he was diverted? Zuko thinks, seriously considering sending another messenger hawk to Aang...at least before a familiar sight comes into view on the horizon. "Finally." Zuko smirks.

As the Avatar flew through the air currents, the wind pushing against his robes and cooling him down, the asylum slowly came closer and closer. Pulling in for a landing, Aang leaps down onto the ground, folding his glider back into his staff and coming to a stop before Zuko. "Hello Sifu Hotman." Aang says in greeting.

Zuko facepalms. "I thought I told you not to call me that."

Aang chuckles. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. Especially given what you ask me to do."

Zuko nods. "I understand. It's a daunting task...but you are a smart kid, have the wisdom of hundreds of people and most importantly, lots of patience and kindness. If you can't do this, no one else can..." Zuko admits. "...and I am forced to resign my sister to this place." He adds bitterly. "Don't worry, I'm prepared to do so."

Aang solemnly nods, before embracing his friend in a quick hug. "I better get going, huh?"

"Yeah." Zuko responds. "Good luck." He says as he walks back to the Palace, his administrative duties calling.

"Thanks." The Avatar says to the departing Firelord. "I have a feeling I'm going to need it." Aang states as he walks into the asylum.

-----------------------

It didn't take long for his presence to be noted by the staff. Indeed, almost as soon as he walked in, no less than four attendants waved to him. "Avatar Aang, the Firelord told us you were coming. For Azula, right?" One of them asks.

Aang nods. "That is correct."

"Alright then...second door down the hall on the left side. She is in there...a warning, she can be a bit...temperamental. We'll be outside just in case."

Temperamental? You don't say? Aang thinks. Between that and his history with Azula, that doesn't exactly inspire him. Nevertheless, he steps down the hall before knocking on the right door.

10 seconds pass. 20. 30. Still no response. Deciding to press his luck, Aang opens the door, moving to step in whilst fully expecting a wave of azure fire to come over him.

He is pleasantly surprised when it doesn't. Sparing a glance at the former Princess, he can see why. She's lying on a disheveled bed, with equally disheveled hair and bags under her eyes. "Azula?" he calls out.

The bed shifts, her golden eyes focusing on him. "What do you want, Avatar? Come to gloat?" she asks, her tone dripping with venom.

"No. I just came to help you." He earnestly replies.

"Help me? The individual who for all intents and purposes, killed you? However brief it was...forgive me for not believing your lies." Azula retorts.

"I'm not lying to you Azula, I want to help give you a second chance. To be someone other than your father's tool. To be yourself." Aang responds.

She scrutinizes him for a moment. It might has well have been an eternity. "Why?" She finally asks.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, no matter what their crimes." He remarks.

"Hmph. You're a naive, idealistic fool, Avatar. You're wasting your time. Go away." She demands.

"Azula--" He starts...she doesn't let him finish.

"I SAID GO AWAY! GO BACK TO YOUR PEASANT FRIENDS! LEAVE ME ALONE!" She yells, throwing a pillow at him.



Aang lowers his head and moves to exit the room. "I will be back Azula. I won't let your soul fall any further into the abyss...not when I can save it."

"I don't need your pity or your false sympathy." She bites back as Aang closes the door.

Once outside, he exhaled. "That...could have gone better. It could have gone worse too...I guess that's something. I won't let you down Zuko...or you Azula."

Azula hears every word, despite her best efforts not to. Her first thought was to call the Avatar a fool again...and yet deep down, she knew she yearns to hear those words. She shakes her head and tries to sleep, to get away from this revelation and the persistent hallucinations of her mother, Ursa.

It didn't work.

"Daughter?" a voice rang out, soft and melodious.

Azula has, since the end of the war, accepted these hallucinations as her conscience(what was left of it) given form. Her cross to bear. "What do you want now Mother?"

"Don't you think you should give him a chance?"

"Why should I mother? It's like I told you all that time ago. Trust is for fools."

"Is that what you believe...or what your father believes?"

Azula knew what she was hinting at but was reluctant to believe that truth. "I am what he made me, mother. No one can change that."

"You're wrong about that. The person who can change you just left. I know he can help you...if you let him."



Azula closes her eyes and holds her hands over her ears, praying the hallucination would go away if no attention was given to it. Soon enough her efforts led to actual sleep and Azula drifts off to her dreams, one of the places where she didn't have to be herself.

-----------------------

It had been a few days since his visit to the asylum. Aang had been busy lately, assisting the Firelord with peacekeeping and such. As he lands outside, he was glad to get away from it all. He didn't like all the fame, all the crowds. He'd much rather be by himself, humble as he is.

As he made his way inside, he saw no staff at the reception desk. With a shrug, he headed down to Azula's room and knocked before entering. It was empty. Quickly, a bolt of pure terror ran down his spine. Does this mean she escap--

"Ah, Avatar Aang, good to see you." A doctor says as he rounds the corner. "Are you looking for Azula? I didn't receive word of any visits planned today."

"Yeah, it was kind of impulsive. Do you know where she is?" Aang asks.

"Yes, she's out in the park area, under discreet supervision." the doctor answers.

"Thank you." Aang replies before heading that way.

"No problem, just be careful." The doctor notes before heading down the hall.

"No need to tell me twice." Aang remarks.

-----------------------

As he enters the park, he glances left and right before scanning the area for Azula. He spots her sitting against a tree on the far side, partially covered by the shade it provides. He starts walking that way and she seems to not notice. As he nears the princess, his sight of her increases in clarity. What he sees stops him in his tracks. He never thought he would see this...the mighty, cold, calculating, intelligent, cunning, powerful princess, all those layers and defenses have fallen, leaving only what he sees before him. A young teenager, sobbing underneath the tree and the obscurity it provides. Rooted to the spot, Aang quickly thinks about what to do...and makes a decision. Being as light and quiet as he can possibly be, he makes his way to the opposite side of the tree, so Azula doesn't see him. He stands there for a moment, before trying his luck and attempting to see the princess. Stepping to the side, he can see her but she doesn't see him, too lost in her own thoughts. As he steps closer, his foot steps onto a fallen twig. CRACK! Oh Agni, Aang thinks as he ducks back behind the tree.

That moment seems to have slowed down time. The sobs stop, her eyes narrow and she glances where the sound came from. "WHO'S THERE?" she shouts and demands.

A moment passes. Two.

Aang slowly steps out from behind the tree, hands raised. Her eyes get even narrower, her face contorting with rage. She leaps up and steps back a fair amount to put some more distance between them.

Aang only watches as she does so, curious at the action...until he sees a familiar sight. An azure wave of flame, beautiful and deadly. Just like the Princess who conjured it.



As it heads his way, his mind races through dozens of options to blow it aside...he settles on trying something else. Something unpredictable. Something that can show her he can be trusted. This may be the bravest thing I've ever done...or the stupidest. Maybe both. He thinks.

He lets the flame burn him. Her shocked face speaks volumes.

As he burns, he uses his power to cool the flame, before dispersing it. He leaves the burn marks alone as he leans against the tree. As he moves to sit down, he gestures to the princess to join him. As she regains her composure, she stops gaping in shock. "Why...why did you let the flame hit you?" she asks.

"I wanted to prove something to you." Aang answers.

"What did you want to prove, Avatar?" Azula asks.

"I wanted to convince you that I'm going to be here for you." Aang reveals.

"Why?"

"Because...when I saw you crying, I realized something. Look, I know we may have been enemies before...but that doesn't mean we have to hate each other. That's a choice we make ourselves. And when I saw you crying, I didn't see the arrogant and mighty princess. I saw a broken beautiful teenager letting herself feel for once. I realized that I couldn't hate you. You and your brother, you both had your scars. But everyone focused on your brother's...and they never noticed yours. You can pretend to be the hateful, malicious princess but I have seen the true you. A heart of stone, of malice can not shed tears like you did. I let the flames hit me because I wanted to prove to you that I am willing to brave anything to help you. I know you push people away, as you see being close to someone as a sign of weakness. Trust me, it's the opposite. It strengthens you. Two heads are better than one. If it takes being burned to get to know the real you, then that is what I will do."

Azula stands there speechless, unsure of what to say. Aang pats the grass near him and she reluctantly moves there and sits down, a strange feeling coming over her. It felt good.

"You've been the brother of Zuko, the daughter of Ozai. I think it is time for you to be yourself. You have been repressed by your father but I know you have it within you to step out of his shadow. You can be so much more." Aang says.

Azula sighs and shakes her head. "I'm not sure if I want to be."

Aang nods. "Let's find out together." he remarks.

God, he's so corny, so sappy, so naive...and yet, his words resonate within me. I shudder to think the child Avatar may be onto something. Azula thinks, as she gives a slight smirk.

Aang watches the princess, sees the edge of her mouth tilt upwards in a smirk.

He smiles in return. Progress! Success!



"Are you going to get those burns healed by that peasant waterbender?" Azula asks.

He frowns. Still have a long ways to go. "No." he responds.

"Why not?" she retorts.

"I want them to serve as a physical reminder. Everytime you see me you will realize that I took the worst thing you could do to me and I did it all for you. You deserve your second chance. I'm going to help you get it."

Once again she is speechless. Words can't describe the emotions running though her at that moment. Her old self would have called it weak. She no longer wants to be her old self.

"Azula!" a doctor's voice calls for her.

The pair stand up slowly. Azula, still confused and somewhat dazed by vertigo wobbles and nearly falls...Aang catches her at the last second, helping her up. "You okay?" he asks. She doesn't know what to say back, so she does something else. Aang didn't see that coming but is pleasantly surprised it did. As Aang pats her on the back, she releases her hug. Actions do speak louder than words.

Yet...she has taken one of the things he said to heart. "Thank you Avat...Aang. For everything." she says as she walks away. Good things come in pairs.



"Anytime, Azula."

-----------------------

Another week passed. More missions, more errands. The life of an Avatar was busy to say the least. Yet it all passed by like a blur to Aang. He was focusing on one thing, Azula. He didn't understand why she was on his mind all the time. Yeah helping her is important but to be thinking about her all the time...it was driving him crazy. He didn't think it was love, at least not in the romantic sense. He loved Katara...yet they had grown a bit distant since the end of the war. Okay, fairly distant but that was not intentional...he hoped these sessions with Azula were just that. He didn't want to help her find her way only to break her heart.

This could be problematic. He thinks as he lands outside the aslyum again.


-----------------------

As he enters the building, the staff nod to him. He returns the nod, already heading for Azula's room. He knocks. "Come in Aang."

He does so. "Good morning Azula."

"Indeed it is. Having all the peasants around, cluttering up the place, that is so good."

"Well, better enjoy these good times, as they may be over soon." Aang reveals.

"Really? Amusing...well um, listen Aang. I wanted to um..." She trails off.

"Wanted to what?" Aang inquires.

She turns her gaze to the ground. "Apologize. For...for burning you. I made my father proud by doing that. I also disappointed myself by doing it. All I wanted was someone to truly love me for me. I liked to pretend my father did but everytime I looked at my mother and brother together, I knew it wasn't love between us. Not truly. I just felt hollow inside...Zuko got Mother's attention always and I was jealous. That pushed me to my father even more and I lost myself. I become a tool, to be used and discarded. Everyone gave up on me, understandably of course. When I tried to kill my own brother, one of two people in this world who genuinely care about me, I just snapped. It was a long time coming but that was the breaking point. Then you came in and endured searing hot flame just to prove that you cared. It was hard coming to terms with that fact but my old self would have found it impossible. I don't want to have to have all these layers to protect me, to keep others away. I want to know, have to know what it is to be safe. To be secure. To be loved. You are the only person who makes me feel like I can live forever, with you...my love."

"That sounds a lot like something Toph asked of me once."

"What did Toph ask?"

"We had just learned that my friend and mentor, Monk Gyatso had been close friends with my predecessor Avatar Roku, your grandfather. Roku told me about it and explained that is why we were so close. We were silent for a while, before she asked me: "Do you really think friendships can transcend lifetimes?"

"How did you answer?" Azula asks, curious.

Aang smiles. "I don't see why not." he repeats from memory.

She sheds a tear at that, the emotions nearly overwhelming her before she remembers her dignity. "That means more to me than you can ever know." she states as she looks to the sky.

As the words fade away, Azula quickly steps forward. Wrapping her arms around Aang, she leans in to kiss him. Aang nearly jumped in surprise at first but as the kiss deepens, he returns the kiss in earnest. It feels like a lifetime passes by before Aang remembers what's happening. The reality sinks in. AGNI! I'm kissing Azula! AZULA! As his mind races with that fact, he breaks off the kiss. "I'm sorry Azula..." He begins, his face red. "I have to go, Zuko has a meeting planned soon and I need to be there."

Her face drops. "Oh. So it isn't enough that Zuko gets my mother, he gets you too? Figures."

"What? No no no, Azula it is nothing like that. The meeting concerns you."

"Oh really? Concerning my imminent release no doubt." she replies sarcastically.

"Actually, it does. Zuko was incredulous when I told him about all the progress I had made. So fast. It sounded too good to be true...he thinks you're faking it to get out of here. Maybe I'm making a mistake here but I don't believe that at all. You acknowledged yourself as a good liar and I admit that you are, but I feel you're more sincere than he thinks you are."

"Really?"

"Yes. His mantra was 'Azula always lies' for a reason." Aang remarks.

"Funny. I tried so hard to be perfection made form and look what that got me. Father disowned me. Mother left me. Brother confined me to this hole. Uncle never cared. What kind of person I was...that no one wanted me. My family doesn't even want me." Azula admits.

He lays a hand on her shoulder. "Your brother does. He wanted me to do this and you know it. Now is your chance to repent. If it is what you want. I leave it to you. Now I must go talk to Zuko. I'll be back." Aang says as he departs.

Azula nods, before going back to lie down on the bed. "I'll be waiting." she whispers. Oh, how much she has changed so fast...all thanks to the catalyst, the Avatar.

She recalls the last time she had felt like this, the last time she had been truly at peace and happy. It had been a few years she realizes as she loses herself in her flashback.

Punch. Kick. Flourish. Jump. Azula was going through the motions, attempting to learn a kata that should have been out of her reach for another 5 years. She was indeed a prodigy.

She fell over on the fourth move of the set. She was not perfect however. Father would be displeased. As the pale blue flame faded from existence, she felt a pair of hands grab her from behind.

Turning around swiftly, she found her cousin. "Lu Ten!" she exclaims.

"Evening Azula. Isn't it past your bed time?"

"Please don't tell mommy or daddy!" she pleads. "I only wanted to practice my bending."

Lu Ten nods. "Only if you promise to go to bed."

"I will." She says, smiling in appreciation.

"Good." he replies before scooping her up in his arms and tickling her.

"Ahahahahahahaha!" she lets out. "Lu Ten...please stop...Please!" She says in between fits of gleeful laughter.

"Alright Azula." He remarks as he carries her to her room. She was content resting in her cousin's arms. He loved her for her and nothing else, unlike her father. Lifting her gaze to the clear night sky, a question popped into her mind.

"Lu Ten, can I ask you a question?"

"You already did but go ahead."

She hesitates for a moment before quietly asking "What are stars made out of?"

"Big balls of fire, millions of miles away."

"They're made of fire? So I can bend them?" She wonders, excitement filling her.

He chuckles. "If you ever get close enough, maybe you can."

She smiles before closing her eyes and drifting away into her dreams. She dreams that one day, she would bend the stars.
-----------------------

As Aang enters the office of the Firelord he is surprised to see all the faces he sees. Zuko sitting at his desk, Mai right beside him sitting on the desk, Sokka on a couch nearby snacking on fireflakes, Toph leaning against the wall in her usual manner, Suki and Ty Lee flanking Zuko on either side as his bodyguards, Iroh standing behind Zuko's shoulder and Katara running his way. She jumped into his arms. "AANG! It's been so long." she states. "Yeah." he replies meekly. How do I tell her? Can I tell her? What haunts him the most is that he doesn't know the answer. She tilts her head, puzzled, before letting go.

"Well finally! The whole gang is here!" Sokka exclaims with his mouth full, spreading fireflakes everywhere.

"Sokka, please don't make a mess." Zuko asks as he facepalms.

"Nice job Sokka." Toph snickers. "So Aang, how's rehab with Princess Psycho?"

"She's not crazy...just confused." Aang reveals. "I've made a lot of progress with her. I can understand how it might seem fake or forced, given the speed of her change but I believe her to be completely sincere."

"Are you sure she's not playing you? She has fooled a lot of people." Katara wonders.

"No. I really don't that is the case. Like I said, she's just lost. Look at Zuko. He was scarred by his father, he was as lost as they come. She is scarred as well, she should have the same chance he had. They share blood, she has the same conflicts he does. It's just, she never had a good support. All she had was Ozai. Plus, I've seen her hopes, her dreams, her fears, her ambitions...everything. It's hard not to get close, to not trust someone when they pour out their soul and reveal the very best and worst of themselves." Aang remarks with all his Air Nomad monk wisdom.

Zuko asks the question on everyone's mind. "So...you believe her ready to come out?"

The answer comes without hesitation. "Yes." Aang says.

Zuko folds his hands and nods. "Very well, I'll notify the staff to let her out with basic provisions."

Katara crosses her arms. "You're going to bring her here?"

Zuko shakes his head. "No. I leave it to her to decide what she wants."

"Why?" Sokka asks.

"This was always about choice. Her choice. This whole thing, Aang's rehab of sorts, it would never have worked if Azula herself didn't want a second chance. So, I'm giving her a second chance, she can do what she wants with it." Zuko answers.

Katara's eyes narrow. "And if she makes the wrong choice?"

"Then everything she does is on us." Aang and Zuko admit at the same time.

-----------------------

Azula gazes across the blue sky, ganders at the green trees, glances at the various towns dotting the landscape. Taking in all those sights is amazing, after more than a month of staring at nothing but a 5 by 7 foot gray desolate room. She closes her eyes after appreciating the view. "It feels like ages since I've just stared at the horizon." she murmurs. Thank you Aang...and Zuko, her idiot brother who didn't want to give up on her so easily.

It was ironic though. She was finally free...and yet she felt more trapped than ever. She didn't know what to do. A whole world of possibilities was out there. Hours passed by as she simply stood there, unsure of what she wanted. Finally she decided to head to the Fire Nation Palace to meet with Zuko. She owed him that much.

-----------------------

It had been a long trek, mostly uneventful, except for one detail. The various towns she had passed, their townspeople had cowed in fear at the sight of her. Apparently they had heard of her cruelty and madness. There was a time such acts would have pleased her. That time was long gone. It had fueled her arrogance, her belief in her own superiority and in the end, that destroyed her. She didn't know what to feel about it now so she just tredged onwards.

As she arrived at the palace, her brother Zuko met her at the front of the Palace. "Azula, I'm glad you made it!"

"Zuko." She replies evenly. "You thought I couldn't handle it?" She snarks before bowing to the Fire Lord as is customary.

"Come now Azula, you don't have to bow to me. I view you as an equal and my sister. And I knew you could make it, I just wanted to say I'm glad to see you, that's all." Zuko remarks before moving closer for a tight bear hug.

Azula does nothing for a second or two, before returning the embrace, albeit with less enthusiasm. "Thank you...Zu-zu."

She smiles when he grimaces at the sound of that accursed nickname. "So, how did you know I was coming?" she asks.

"Are you kidding? The villages you traveled through were beside themselves with stories and gossip about it."

"I suppose they were."

"I'll admit I was surprised. I didn't figure you'd come here."

"Where do you think I would go?"

"To find Aang."

"I'm not like you Zu-Zu, chasing after the Avatar all over the world."

"That's a low blow."

"I came here as I believed this was the best place to await the Avatar's return. I'm hated by the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes. The only solace I could find is here, with your good graces."

"That's it? No ulterior motives?"

She mockingly feigns shock. "What, don't you trust me?"

"I know you too well." He snickers.

"Now who is it who delivers the low blow?"

They both stare at each other for a moment, tension building...before both start laughing. "I'll admit, I missed bantering with you." Zuko admits. 'However I must tell you the Avatar is not here yet. A number of his friends are though. Play nice." Zuko states before walking towards his quarters.

"I'll do my best, Zu-zu."

-----------------------

The water peasant is the first one she runs into.

"Princess." the waterbender says, looking for an excuse to quit being civil.

"Peasant."

She finds it.



"I have a name you know?"

"I'm sorry, did you call me by my name, peasant?"

Katara's eyes narrow. "That's different."

"How?"

"I'm not the crazy girl who nearly killed the last chance for the world, who nearly killed her own sibling."

"I did what I had to. I had no choice."

"Really, princess?"

"You have seen what our father did to my brother's face. Do you think I would be any different?"

"I don't see any scars on your face."

"Zuko and I are the same...and yet different. He carries a physical scar, nothing can change that. I carried mental scars...and the damage those caused can be fixed. Have been fixed."

"By Aang?"

"Yes."

Katara laughs. "I told this to your brother once, I will tell it to you, simply because Aang believes in you. Take one step backward, give me one reason to believe you might hurt Aang and I will end you. Permanently." She coldly states before walking away.

-----------------------

Sokka and Toph are next.

"So, Princess Psycho at last." Toph greets, blunt as always.

"Excuse me?" Azula asks.

Sokka snickers. "Ignore her, she hasn't had her daily medication. She's kind of grumpy."

Toph playfully punches him in the arm. "Hey that hurt."

"Who's laughing now Sokka? I thought you said you were tough."

Sokka ignores her. "So, Azula...I take from that shouting match I heard earlier that you met my sister."

"Yes, the peasant was--"

Sokka held up a hand. "First of all, her name is Katara, I'm Sokka and this is Toph. I'd appreciate it if you used our names."

Azula starts to fume, perturbed by the arrogance of the water peasant, before she exhales and lets it go.



"Very well. Only because Zu-Zu asked."

"Now I--" Sokka starts before Toph interrupts, feeling something with her trusty feet. "Hey morons, Aang's here!"

"Oh great, more oogies between my sister and the avatar." Sokka murmurs as he and Toph exit the room, leaving Azula alone with her thoughts.

-----------------------

Aang has barely touched down on the outskirts of the palace before he is bum rushed by his GAang as Sokka so eloquently put it. Katara catches him in a hug so tight that when it ends he has to struggle to regain his breath.

"Nice to see you too Katara." He says between breaths.

"How was the mission?" she wonders.

"Not good. The Yu Dao issue is...full of tension. Zuko won't be pleased." Aang answers.

"Indeed he isn't." The Fire Lord cuts in. "However he is willing to overlook it because someone more important to me than the colony debacle has arrived."

"Azula?"

Zuko nods.

"How is she?"

"Princess Psycho is okay I guess Aang. She hasn't burned down the palace at least." Toph jokes.

"This is no laughing matter Toph. And please stop with the nicknames." Aang demands.

"Ok fine sheesh, don't get your robes in a bunch. Go ask her if you need to." Toph retorts, pointing a thumb behind her to a shadowed pillar Azula was hiding behind.

Dammit Earthbender Azula thinks before stepping out from behind the pillar, hoping to meet Aang alone.

"Hi Azula." Aang eagerly greets.

"Hello Aang." Azula returns. "Um...can we have a moment alone?"



"Why? So you can kill him?" Katara accuses.

"Katara, take it easy. I can take care of myself." Aang remarks. "Alright Azula, lead the way."

The pair depart, heading for a quiet room.

-----------------------

"I want to tell you something Aang." Azula says as the Avatar closes the door behind him.

"Fair enough. Go ahead." he replies.

"I just want you to know that you're important to me, more than you can ever know. I stood there and heard and watched as the waterbender..." Azula starts before remembering her promise "...Katara, showed her affection for you through her actions. What you and her share...that's what I want."

It was at that moment Katara burst in, no longer content to eavesdrop at the door. "You what?!" she angrily asks.



"So it isn't enough for you to try to murder him, now you want to take him from me another way?" Katara seethes.

"It...it isn't like that..." Azula tries to explain.

"Then what is it like?" Katara demands to know.

"Do you know what it is like, to grow up like I did? To have your domineering father make himself the only one that can shape your worldview. To see your mother leave you, watch your brother be scarred and banished, look as your fuddy duddy uncle departs and to be forced to pretend that you don't care about any of it, lest my father do the same to me? My mother loved Zuko, my Uncle loved Zuko. I thought I had my father's love but it wasn't love. Not really. Not that I care anymore. I just want to know what real love is. Is that too much to ask?"

"You aren't the only one with a difficult childhood. You just have to deal." Katara retorts.

"I agree. This is how I do it." Azula tells them both.

"Well, it appears we are at the crossroads of destiny yet again. I sense neither will budge on this issue, princess."

"Indeed. I need him more than anything, anyone. He's proven he's willing to enter the fire to help me. No one else has."

"Well Aang...it seems you must choose, it will only get more intense, more awkward if you don't."

Aang stands there, speechless. He couldn't believe this was happening. He never imagined this would happen...two teenage girls asking for the same thing of him, love. One as cool and soothing as water, the other as brash and passionate as fire. It was like the world had ended, he was so confused. He didn't know what to do.

He ran his hands down his face, pacing back and forth. "Just, just give me some time to think." He says as his eyes glance back and forth between Katara's pure blue eyes and Azula's shiny gold ones. "I don't know, I don't know!" He really didn't. Katara and him had been through so much through the war, had gotten so close over all their adventures...and yet had drifted slowly apart since the war's end. Azula had shown him everything she is, a troubled soul just begging for love and help...even the Avatar, with all his wisdom, didn't know.

Azula closes her eyes and frowns, steeling herself for what she feels she has to do given his admission. Her tears fall unabated and in the eyes of others, intentionally, unlike that day in the park. She starts to move, an intricate set of motions.



Their elegance belied their deadliness. As she starts to glow with the energy, she aims her fingers at the Avatar, even if it breaks her in more ways than one to do. She lets the lightning go.

Aang was caught almost completely unaware. He moves to get into position to redirect it. He semi does, allowing the majority of the lightning to fly into the sky. The remainder however, stays within. The Avatar falls to the ground, in a semi-seizure, spasming as the lightning courses through his body whilst it goes into shock.

Azula continues to cry. "This...this isn't how I wanted it Aang. I may have enjoyed this once but now it is just torture to me."

Katara finally got over her shock. "I knew you hadn't changed!" Katara screams.

"Oh I have." Azula admits. "Don't misunderstand me, I'm not doing this out of hate. I'm doing it out of love!"

"HOW IS THIS IN ANY WAY LOVE, PRINCESS?"

"IF I CAN'T HAVE AANG, NO ONE WILL!"

"You, you would really go that far?"

"I have no choice. My father ruined my first chance, you ruined my second Katara. And this, I can't accept."

"We always have a choice Azula."

"That's easy for you to say. Your past was nothing like mine."

"Trust me Azula, our past doesn't have to define who we are. We can be so much more."

Azula grimaces, not wanting to accept the bitter truth. "Even if I believed you, it is too late. The damage is done." She gestures to Aang.

"I can heal him."

"I no longer believe that. The physical injury, yes. The broken bond, the broken trust. Those things are not easily healed."

"Aang has it in him to--"

"Don't patronize me, I KNOW WHAT HE IS CAPABLE OF. You and your friends aren't as capable or forgiving."

"You don't know that."

"I know that you defeated me last time. I WILL NOT LET A COMMON PEASANT SUCH AS YOU BEAT ROYALTY AGAIN. You have no idea how losing everything to a common piece of trash like you is. I'm of royal blood, through and through. By Agni, I have the blood of an Avatar within me. WHAT MAKES YOU SO SPECIAL YOU WATER TRIBE PEASANT? I'm going to tear you apart to find out if I have to!" Azula says, her anger overwhelming her.

"Azula, it isn't something found within your physical body. It's your personality that makes you special. What makes anyone special."

"Spoken like a true peasant. Let's finish this."

"We--"

"ENOUGH WORDS. This can only end one way. Your death...or mine."

"I'm sorry Azula." Katara says, meaning it truly.

"No need to apologize. I made my choice." Azula remarks.

"In a perfect world, you shouldn't have had to."

"I longed for perfection once. I don't want it anymore. Bring your best or I will end you. Permanently. Isn't that what you said? Let's see how tough you really are peasant. You took everything from me...NOW I WILL TAKE IT FROM YOU! " Azula yells before cutting the conversation short by firing a blast of azul flame at the waterbender, who blocked it with a stream of water from one of her many gourds on her belt. The duel began.

Some scars ran too deep to be healed, despite the best of efforts.
----------------------------

Author's Note: What follows after this was edited in after the match ended, just for kicks as I had fun writing this story(which is the point, amirite?) Two endings follow, one true ending going by the votes and the alternate ending in which the other individual won. First is the true ending. Cheers and enjoy!

----------------------------

To say Azula has lost it is an understatement. Indeed the sheer ferocity and amount of flames getting launched was nearly overwhelming.

Katara couldn't even make an offensive move, she was kept on defense. And with her lesser stamina, she would lose to Azula at this rate. "Princess! Azula! Please stop this, you don't have to do this!" she pleads.

Azula snarls. "Yes I do! You, a mere peasant, have ruined everything! If you and him hadn't fallen for each other, I still could have had a chance at redemption! Now all I have is rage and hate and jealousy and sadness and I'm going to take it out on you!"

Katara deflects another incoming flame. "Azula, you can still have him as a friend, he won't abandon you like your mother or your father! We can work something out!"

"Don't compare him to my mother or father! My mother hated me and my father used me. They're nothing like him! 'Work something out?' I don't want a friend, I have poured out my soul to him, I want the same in return! I have the rational solution right here! Taking you out."

"Azula--"

"SHUT UP PEASANT! I will endure no more of you! Now you die!" Azula pronounces as she fires off the biggest plume of flame she has ever made. It overwhelms Katara with ease, knocking her to the ground as she tumbles and rolls several feet.

Katara groans in pain and looks up at the Princess. "Azula please--"

"Shut up I said!"

"Don't do this!"

"Watch me." Azula exclaims as she starts to go through the familiar lightning kata. Slowly however, to emphasize the action and put true fear into the peasant's eyes.

"We can work it out!" Katara yells as she starts to cry. Her mom tendencies were showing, even now.

"Very soon peasant, this will all be over!"

"It doesn't have to be like this!"

"SHUT UP!"

"We can--"

"THIS WILL SILENCE YOU FOR ALL TIME! YOU WILL NEVER RISE FROM THE ASHES OF YOUR DEFEAT!" Azula shouts as she finishes her kata, moving her hand into position to aim at the peasant.

"Azula...I'm sorry." Katara quietly admits, closing her eyes as she launches the ice projectile she had formed moments ago behind the Princess's back.

It comes forward, impaling Azula from behind. Death was instantaneous.

Katara couldn't bear to look at her handiwork, averting her eyes to the ground where she let tears fall unabated.

"Uh..." Aang stirs. Katara looks his way. In the midst of everything she had forgotten about him. Standing up she makes his way toward him, pulling out some water for a quick healing session.

As the cool and refreshing water eases his pain, Aang opens his eyes to see the beautiful face of Katara. "Thank you Katara." He whispers.

She looks away. "Don't thank me for this." She replies.

"Why not?" He asks.

In response she helps him onto his feet before turning him in the direction of the Princess.

She stares at his eyes as a million different emotions seem to run through them in less time than it took to blink. "By Agni..."

Katara continues to cry. "She...she couldn't be talked down! She was about to kill me. I did what I had to, but it still doesn't feel right. Or just."

"No, justice hasn't been done here. I'm not sure if it ever could have been done here. The damage Ozai put on her as he influenced her, it led her to believe this was the only choice she could make." Aang states. "Damn that man." he coldly adds.

"Come on, let's go back to the palace...I can't take this sight any longer."

"Not yet." Aang retorts as he makes his way closer to the fallen princess. Grasping her limp right hand, holding it within his own, he sheds a few tears. "I'm sorry Azula. I hope you find the peace in death, that I could not give you in life."

----------------------------

Author's note: And here's the alternate ending!

----------------------------
As the waterbender falls to Azula's blinding azul flames, the princess couldn't help but fall to the ground all the same. Sure, she feels a little better after beating the peasant...but the cost may have been too high. As she stares at the unmoving body of the peasant, Aang stirs, fully conscious.

"Hello?" he asks weakly. "Anyone there?"

Azula nearly jumps in surprise. "Aang?"

"Azula, where are you?"

"I'm coming." she says as she stands and walks over.

As she comes into view, he can't help but notice the battle damage her clothes have received. Between that and his unconsciousness, he is concerned. "What happened? I don't..don't recall much."

"It's hard to explain." She reveals, kneeling down to help him up.

"Hard to explain how?" He asks as he grasps her shoulder for support, before feeling something. "Your shoulder...it's wet! Why--" he starts to ask. Glancing around, he cuts the question short when he spots the fallen form of Katara.

Running toward her, he holds his fingers to her neck feeling for a pulse. Not finding one, he turns Katara over. Seeing several burn marks, he looks to Azula. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" he shouts.

She doesn't waver. "What I had to. You couldn't choose between us, so I had to make a choice. I chose to cut out the other option. If I couldn't have you, neither could she. I don't regret it."

He looks away, tears in his eyes. "If I had known helping you would have lead to this...I would have--"

"What? Let me rot in the asylum? Because in the grand scheme of things, she is more important than I am?" Azula asks.

That question is armor piercing. Aang doesn't want to admit it but deep down he knows it is true. In the end, neither was more important to the overall balance than the other.

"She was my first love, she kept us going when things looked to be at their roughest during the war...and you killed her. And I gave you the motive, the opportunity. It's my fault." Aang admits before grabbing his trusty stuff and gliding off into the horizon leaving behind two cold individuals, one alive and one dead.

That was the last time Aang and Azula saw each other. The broken down Avatar pushed himself even further into his work, attempting to fix everything as penance for the sins he thought he had led to occur.

As for the Princess, she doesn't know what to do. She simply sat there for the longest time before she dimly heard some footsteps heading her way. Glancing that way she spots the familiar entourage, her brother Zuko, Mai, the earthbender and the other water tribe peasant.

She smiles one last time. "Thank you Zuko." she whispers before performing her final action. As she goes through the motions of generating lightning, she is about to release it. Turning her hand towards herself, she releases it. The lightning sears her right above her heart, overpowering her with sheer pain before everything fades to black.

----------------------------

Thanks for reading! Until next time!