trans_9 | In my element [Open]

After all, here was where water was plentiful, and she had lots of space to move. The past few days had been amazing of course: she got to know several different people and experience certain parts of their world. If anybody stepped in here though, they would know the part of Katara's world she stopped being a child. Her inquisitiveness was a way she coped with a truth she knew, and was sure some of the other "kids" shared: certain experiences were adult, and they called for adult action.

She had her hair free, and was breathing a little to ready herself. She'd already flexed and stretched enough: she planned to get a workout. She entered the nearest Sensorium and closed her eyes.

"The Earth General who went too far," Katara said, and the world materialized: there were the Earth Nation banners towering, and there were members of the Dai Li, coming at her full force. This was of course not accurate: there WERE no members of the Dai Li when they approached earth general Fong that attacked Aang in order to force him into the Avatar state. Still, Katara wanted them a part of this program anyway: it would be harder to get to that Earth general.

First they erected the rock pillars, like the day they'd uncovered Lake Laogai. That was fine: Katara knew what move would come after. There were fifteen strong: seven at the back and eight at her front. They hovered on the rock, waiting a moment, and then the ones at her back slid down quickly, the rock hands coming for her, the ones in front following suit.

She froze the hands first, then crouched down and arose with water tentacles. Katara hadn't gotten her octopus water attack down just yet then (that would happen when she fought Azula) but she did now, and the several tentacles went toward those at her back, knocking three down. Katara jumped up from that formation and rode a wave from the lake nearby, going to meet with the front attack of the Dai Li. She met them with a tidal wave and froze them all for several seconds before thawing, and the men, in a state of shock, fell uneasily to the floor, cold and beaten. Katara turned to the four remaining Dai Li and took them out with a far reaching water whip. Once they'd fallen, she turned her head toward General Fong and rose with a wave again. He looked shocked for a moment, then came at her with a rock pillar aiming toward her head.

"HA!" Katara grunted and split the rock easily in two: she'd learned a thing or two from Toph, a true Earthbending master. She flung her whip to the ground beneath the kings feet and froze, making him slip and ruining his stance. Katara was there in an instant, outstretched hand to his neck, her face grim with determination.

"You lose," the girl said, and froze the bottom part of his body. He growled and tried to free himself, but could not, of course. This was how Katara would have like their terms to end. In reality, General Fong had caught her by surprise and used her to push Aang into the Avatar state against his wishes.

If there was one thing Katara hated, it was being a victim. If there were another thing...it was being used to hurt Aang.

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He had an air about him, this one. He reminded her of Jet, BEFORE he went crazy (the first time). She didn't mind Jet then, and this Gambit was another one of those older men Katara thought she might like.

Not that Katara didn't understand where he was coming from. "In my tribe, I'm the only one. left who can do this. In my world, you either use your ability to try and help others, you waste it being a bully, or you use it to conquer others. The Fire nation used their abilities for a lot of bad things, including imprisoning everyone from my tribe who could waterbend. I...just got lucky."

Luck had nothing to do with it, but the real reason wasn't one Katara liked thinking about too hard. Besides, it was enough to have nightmares about it anyway.

He nodded, listening quietly as she explained the inner workings of her world to him. Admittedly, it all sounded rather familiar. People with powers using them to "rule" over those that didn't and attacking anyone else that got in the way of their plans for conquest. And then there was what seemed to him to be overwhelming racism, just like back home.

"Sound like you had it rough, too, petite."

"A lot of us have had it rough," Katara said. "In fact, when I got on this ship, it seems like a lot of us have pretty bad stories. I don't think mine is any worse or better than anybody elses. The truth is though, I was looking forward to not having to fight for a little while. We stopped the big war and I finally got to be with the person I care about most. Next thing I know, I'm here, popping out of some slimy alien egg with no clothes."

Which would have been funny if it wasn't so absurd.

"But maybe its a good thing. I do like the people here, and if there's any reason to fight, its to finally get to see Aang-"

At that, Katara covered her mouth, turning red.

Too late, Katara, the Avatar is out of the bag now!

"Oh yeah?" he said, looking at her with an interest that was reminiscent of an uncle that has just discovered his pre-teen nephew has a girlfriend. Except, in this case, Gambit wasn't the uncle and she definitely wasn't anyone's nephew. "Who's Aang?"

Katara shook her head, looking a little bashful. "Well, he's...pretty special, actually. He's the Avatar, the reincarnation of past Avatars who have brought balance to our world. They can bend all four elements and have immense strength in the Avatar state. But to make a long story short, he's...well, kind of my boyfriend."

Not that there was a kind of anywhere, even Katara knew that, but she sure wasn't going to say that aloud. Hell, she hadn't even THOUGHT it until now!

"Is dat right?" His smile got little bigger. "He get left back home?"

"Which still doesn't make any sense to me. If Stacy knew what we were capable of, she should know How strong Aang is too. Aang is stronger than anyone from my world, so why only bring us? It doesn't make any sense."

Katara sighed. "Not that being here makes a whole lot of sense to begin with. How long have you been here?"

Gambit shrugged. "I don't know, petite. It hard to tell around here. Time don't seem to work here like it do everywhere else. A few weeks, mebbe. All Gambit know is dat it been a while. Longer dan he like."

Katara did look a little downtrodden at this. "I don't think I like the idea of being on a ship this long and not knowing how much time has passed. Every day is a precious thing to me since there have been plenty of times I've come close to dying. I'm going to have to try and see if any of the more scientific people on the ship know how to make a sort of time keeper."

Truthfully, if that was how things were going to be on the ship, she hoped the training started soon. The idea of staying on a ship doing nothing bothered her a lot, even if it was in space.

"Gambit thought de same ting when he got here," Remy agreed. But, given his tone, there was definitely a very big 'but' on its way...

"...but den I figure sittin' around watchin' a clock tick ain't much better den just sittin' around with no clock. Least dis way we can't complain 'bout tings takin' forever."

Katara laughed. "I don't think there will be a time I'm bored on Stacy. Frustrated, tired, irritated maybe, but definitely not bored. I haven't even begun exploring all of the city yet, let alone one main part, and then there are the other parts of the ship. We're also supposed to be going on missions too. I think knowing what the day is is more important than the time, really."

She liked the accent. "Where are you from, Gambit? You remind me of some people I met in my world, swamp benders."

"Mebbe dat because I grew up in de bayou," Remy answered. "I'm from Louisiana. New Orleans. But Gambit ain't been back dere for long time. I live in New York with de X-men now."

This "bayou" sound a little like the swamp benders after all.

"New Yourk? What is it like, and why is it new? Did the old one get destroyed?"

In my element [Open]

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