FicWad

So, as I already said, I really don't like writing action / battle scenes. Mostly because I feel like I won't do them justice –which means I elaborate on it a lot, which means you guys get a 7,800 word chapter. (Which is only half of what this chapter originally was, the rest will be the next chapters)

I referenced Steven Pressfield's book Gates of Fire (a lot) for help on how to write about the phalanx; being that his book is a historical fiction about Thermopylae. So yeah, if you haven't read that book already, you really should do so –and I'm usually not one for historical fiction. And if you do read it, try to ignore the glaring similarities on pages 285-305ish. Besides, "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."



Do enjoy! and if you spot any miswordings / grammar issues, no matter how minor and petty, please report them through a review or a pm. i proof read it, but things do slip by more often than I care to admit.

*0o

The first ranks of the phalanx tensed as they saw close to fifty men emerge from the small passage that lead into the battlefield. Emerging in three squads of four men across and four men deep, along with low ranked officers that stood out in front of their men. Looking behind them, Suki could see behind them that the fifty men on the narrow field were supported by masses behind the narrow entrance –far too many for her to count with any degree of accuracy.

Suki and every other Kyoshian on the field at that moment found delight in the two officer's discomfort. The unmoving militiamen watched as the officers reared their ostrich horses back after seeing their enemy. One officer looked back in confusion at the Kyoshians, the other in disbelief. How could a puny island muster up an army? The more junior officer thought as he stared at the perfectly formed rows, with the eight and twelve foot spears rising perfectly vertical above the soldiers who wielded them, creating a forest of wood shafts and iron tips. The officer heard a call from the far end of the compact mass of men that was their enemy.

"Down!" he heard a woman shout, and he stared slack jawed as eighty spears descended in unison. The eight foot spears, held by the men in the front rank, and the twelve footers, held by those in the second rank, lowered until they were parallel with the ground beneath them. A nice little trick, Suki thought as she saw the officer's discomfort, to teach them to lower their weapons in unison. Definitely worth the hour of drilling it took to make it perfect.

*0o

The Admiral, still peering through his small telescope, hadn't moved from his chair since his troops first landed on the shore. He sat there, studying the faces of the enemy from his high perch in the ship's bridge. He swept his telescope back and forth between the shore, where the ship nearly ran aground on just ten minutes prior, and the arena like clearing that he would be forced to enter the island through. He frowned as he studied the village, just past the arena where both the armies had gathered but did not yet engage. He scanned each house, looking for signs of life: be it a face peering through a window, or a child who had not yet been ushered inside yet. Abandoned, they must have evacuated it. Thank the spirits for that, a few of the officers on the field wouldn't bat an eye at torching a home with a family inside if it meant conquering the island a little bit faster. He scanned the village once more, pausing to admire the statue of the past Avatar even despite the fading paint and cracking wood. A relic of another time, I can only hope that it's spared when our forces reach the village.

He swept his eyepiece back towards the odd formation that the Kyoshians were in. He saw, but did not hear, the enemy's apparent leader shout a command and, as if the formation he studied was a single being, their weapons lowered; pointing accusingly at the small groups of soldiers in their path. The Admiral, usually a very collected man in the presence of his peers, leapt up from his seat in fear for his own men. For a force to be that well trained –spirits, if they're a professional group…but we had thought the island was too poor to buy mercenaries…and they wear Earth Kingdom armor but seem to have no earth benders…

He sat back down in his chair, trembling, and disturbed by his own thoughts.

*0o

"Forward!" Suki called out once more, relishing in the fear that was nearly tangible as it ran through the enemy ranks. The militiamen began to close the short distance between them and the enemy, marching forward in unison and absolute silence –save for the crunching of snow beneath their feet as they advanced.

And for the little effort that it took to teach them to march properly, spirits how effective it is. If only we had time to polish the shields and acquire actual uniforms… Suki pondered the effect that having a professional looking military would have on the enemy. Because intimidation, she knew, was the second greatest asset we have in this battle. To have an apparently well trained army meet them, when none was expected at all. That must have rattled the soldiers a bit. But even then, our greatest asset today would be because of Raven. No man, soldier or commander, has faced a style of warfare quite like this one and, at least for today, we should be able to fend them off using it. Come tomorrow though, spirits knows how well they will adapt their strategy to overcome ours; and, as every soldier in the Earth Kingdom knows, the Fire Nation is devilishly good at adapting their strategy.

Oh, how I hope tomorrow isn't filled with more bloodshed.

*0o

Holly peered past the masses of her fellow rank mates, attempting to get a glimpse of the enemy from her station leading the eighth rank back. Spirits, they aren't much better armed than a prison search party. This, this isn't an army –It's a raiding party. If they send them at us… Holly began rubbing the nape of her neck, distressed by what she saw, this won't be a fight, it'll be a butchery.

Then again, butchery was a rather conservative term for what was to come.

Having no specific orders to take action against a militia, but knowing that they could not turn back to their own ship without having shamed themselves, threw the two officers into a short frenzy. Should we wait for reinforcements? Surely they would already be on their way. Or attack? If we're to be called cowards for not taking action, our families will be shamed. Their thoughts were cut short when the militia passed the halfway mark of the unofficial no-man's land. With their own soldiers preparing to fend off the attack, it was clear there was only one option available to them: the officers called for them to attack.

The attack was hardly felt by the militiamen in the middle ranks, and nonexistent to those in the far back. The front rank of the phalanx braced themselves against their concave shields as the first of the enemy reached them. The stocky farmers-turned-soldiers had no issues holding their position as they thrust their spears downward onto the heads, shoulders, and chests of the men that attacked them; and pushed them back with their shields. Any man attacking the phalanx was not facing a single soldier in a formation. Instead, he was attacking a man who was as immovable as the nine men behind him pressing forward. He was attacking the bronze wall that left no openings, while being rained down upon by the spears of the men taking shelter behind it.

Within minutes of the attack, the third platoon, which had initially held back as the other two rushed forward, committed to the attacked. As they charged into the fray, the body count continued to grow with frightening haste. The bodies that littered the leading edge of the formation now began to pile two or three high as the third group of soldiers met the phalanx. They rushed at the Kyoshians with no particular discipline; scattered in their assault, they attacked the wall of spears and shields no success. The Kyoshians suffered no major injuries or fatalities after the first bloodshed of the day, and the effect that their 'victory' had on the men was highly visible among the different ranks. Those in the further back ranks still stood untouched, and many even waited in anticipation for their chance to prove themselves on the field; while those in the very front ranks had now tasted what it was like to fight like this. Some cheers rose through the first ranks, and even though the men knew that the day was only beginning, this small 'victory' had lent to the militia's morale with great effect. It was not to last, however, as their cheering was abruptly cut short when they saw three more groups march through the narrow entrance and stand in the very same place as their former comrades did no more than ten minutes ago.

The phalanx had stopped advancing when the first attackers launched themselves forward. And now, with dozens of the enemy killed in a single attack, some of the grown men in the front rank ducked behind their shields and vomited. To kill, Suki knew, is an unnatural thing for nearly all of these men. To step up, or perhaps degrade themselves, to doing this for their homeland earns them more respect than many of the Warriors will ever deserve. As Warriors, we became accustomed to fighting early on in our life. Fighting, not killing, was what we knew best. But the idea of killing was never very removed from us if we knew that's what it would take to protect the island. The more Suki thought about it during this lull in the combat, the more she realized that while many of the Warriors have never even killed before, it was not to say that none of them have. Holly, she always comes back home, but it would be ridiculous to think she doesn't have blood on her hands. Didn't Raven say they encountered two patrolmen when they first met? I wonder what had happened to them… Suki already knew the fate of those patrolmen, but it would take her longer to come to terms with it.

Suki looked out from behind her shield, she knew it was possible for a pause in combat to last for this long, but it was never a good sign when it did. I could order an advance and attack them as they are. That is, standing vulnerable in their formations. Suki shook her head at the option, before realizing that many of the people close to her were staring in her direction, looking to the young woman to make a decision, while many others were perfectly content at not having to kill again right this instant. No, I can't. To attack them now wouldn't be a fight, it would be murder. Their commanders are searching for a new strategy right now, no doubt. Should we allow them and take the time to catch our breath? Or press forward with another attack…? She glanced over her shield again, the soldiers were shuffling about now, and their original four by four formations no longer existed. I suppose that answers that. She thought with a grim internal laugh. She watched as the next forty-eight soldiers filed into a phalanx like formation of their own. They formed into groups of eight, with two rows of four soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder, as if imitating the compactness of their enemy's formation.

Suki frowned when she saw the first group of eight rush forward. Their compact formation attacked at the middle of the front ranks. Their new opponents, adorning heavier armor and small bucklers along with their weapons of choice, attempted to imitate the style that their fellow country-men had just been beaten back by.

No archers and no fire benders yet? Strange… Suki had noticed as the middle of their formation was engaged. And although their compatriots were being attacked, the fifteen militiamen and women on each flank of their phalanx could do nothing without breaking their formation, and thus removing any advantages that it offered. It killed Suki inside to see those that she had personally trained fighting, with her helpless only a stone's throw away. "You must stay together. Know your place in the formation and it will hold." Suki remembered Raven telling her when she first suggested the phalanx. Suki bite the inside of her cheek, a habit she had formed to help control herself at times, and dug her nails deeper into the grip of her spear.

She watched helplessly as one of the militiamen had his shield torn from his grip, the leather straps ripped out of their oak base. The bronze shield, with nothing supporting it, fell comically onto the attacker's foot. Had the clashing of steel and bronze not echoed throughout the valley, Suki would have heard the sickening crush as the shield shattered several bones in the man's foot. The Kyoshi Warrior's leader now radiated with pride as she saw the shieldless man attack with his short sword; and the man to his right fall onto one knee, in front of the defenseless man, and brace himself for the impact of the enemy's weapon onto his shield. Suki watched with awe as the duo worked seamlessly together, one defending as one attacked, all the while not threatening the integrity of the front line. Zhang Lei and Wang Yong. She remembered the duo's names. Childhood friends from the village on the west coast, if I remember correctly...I can only hope that they make it out of today alive. Suki sighed, unhappy with her own cynicism.

But she had spoken too soon.

Zhang, the older of the two, cried out in pain as a spear tip shredded through his exposed shoulder and one punctured clear through his shin. Wang thrust forward with his shield, pushing his friend's attackers away, but also pulling himself out of the front line. Suki cursed as she saw the line begin to falter when Wang went into a fit of rage, stepping out of the formation and into the onslaught of the next group of eight fresh soldiers advancing into the battle.

Suki let out a sigh of relief as she saw a few soldiers from the second rank surged forward to fill in the gap and re-strengthen the front line. And then, despite her best efforts, a smile grew on her face. She saw the Wang throw down his shield and rush into the next group of soldiers, who were still advancing to meet the Kyoshians. When he was just a few steps out of their range, an obsidian claw came down from above and scooped him up into the air, before retracting to the back of the battlefield.

*0o

"Stabilized." Wang heard Raven say as she knelt down next to his best friend and rest her hand on his forehead. Raven's chakra glowing slightly as she allowed the two water benders that resided on Kyoshi Island to begin healing him. Once she was satisfied that the bleeding had stopped on both of the wounds she turned up to the injured man's friend.

Raven, keeping her eyes focused on keeping the boy stable and immobile as he was heal, looked up to Wang and said: "That was completely foolish." But I can't say I wouldn't have done it myself.

Wang nodded sheepishly, knowing that this was no time to argue the point. He watched as Raven withdrew her hand from the man's forehead. She formed another claw and sent it soaring above the heads of the two warring armies, until it dipped down to the earth to drag back another man from the front line. This one, an older man well into his sixties, shouted at her insisting that he could fight. Raven wasted no time in binding the man down so the water benders could tear off the bronze armor that had been pierced and treat a gaping stomach wound. Had great amounts of adrenaline not been coursing through the man's veins, he surely would have been unconscious from the pain.

Funny thing, humans are. So feeble, and yet under the right conditions, they can withstand far more than they should be able to…

The man strained against the obsidian bonds while the healers did what they could, although Raven knew that his chances were slim, especially considering his age.

Even from the very back of the phalanx, Raven and the healers, along with the few injured so far, knew that the battle had gone unusually well for them so far. And in the back of everyone's mind, was the recognition that it would eventually change tides.

*0o

"Aces and fives." Beast Boy laid his cards down on the ground as the others began to count the amount of points they had in their hands. He yawned and stretched out his arms, stood up and began stretching out his back. "And the amazing Beast Boy wins again. So why can't we play a different game? I mean, I love winning as much as the next guy, but a game that isn't Three-Thirteen might be a nice change." He gloated as he twisted around to stretch again.

"Because that's the only game Robin knows, and he's too suborn to learn a new one." Cyborg told him for the third time, still unhappy with Robin's choice to not allow him to go into the new dimension with the rest of them, and taking every chance to make a jab at him as possible.

"We need you here," he said. "We need you to keep the machine running and secure. You know how to work it best, it would only make sense." Cyborg grumbled something under his breath. Logical, yeah, that's it. What's logical about not taking one of your teammates to help you, when we barely have a clue about what will be on the other side on that portal? Why can't I help save Raven? Heck, who's to say she even needs to be saved? She can handle herself better than anyone.

"Hey, it's not like I had a boat load of time to learn card games when I was a kid." Robin countered.

"You still are a kid, most of the time at least." Cyborg said, his voice hushed.

"Hey, lighten up a bit Cy, this ain't like you, man." Beast Boy interjected.

"What? Tell me I'm wrong."

"Please stop this, friends. Especially during this hour. We must get along with each other. Now of all times." Starfire pleaded.

The three boys said nothing for some time until the transporter, only a handful of feet away from them, let out a small spark of magenta colored energy. The spark, no longer than a man's thumb, only lasted for a split second before it faded away. A few minutes later, another spark shot out from the rim of the ring shaped transporter, followed shortly by two, and three more. Then a short arc shot between the narrowest portion of the opening.

"Looks like it's starting to happen. When do you think we should go through, Cy?"

"Not until the sparks settle, and those arcs become more lasting. That's what I'd think at least. From what I can tell, Slade must be just warming his up. What'd Professor tell us again? A hour? Yeah, an hour I think. We got some time before we can go through."

The group sat themselves back down again as Starfire dealt the next hand of cards.

"Hey guys, what's wild this hand?"

"Count'yo cards, BB"

"Oh, these then?" He said as he pulled out two eights and a joker from his hand and showed him to Cyborg.

"Yeah, you won't need 'em though." He said before discarding and knocking his fist against the ground –signaling that he was out.

"Aww, dude! How is that even possible?"

Cyborg flashed a smile as he waited for the others to take their last turn before he revealed his hand.

*0o

From the bridge of the flagship of the small fleet, the Admiral was satisfied that all of the ground forces were off his ship, and crowded onto the thin strip of land that the locals called a beach. He ordered the ship into full reverse, hoping to wrench his vessel free from the rocky bottom of the bay, and, once it was freed, the Admiral watched with pride as the next largest ship of the fleet steamed forward to offload its cargo. The new ship, an actual Troop Transport Vessel, and not a converted Siege Platform, had many times more soldiers held within it. Along with the only fire bending platoon that we have. The Admiral noted, beaming with pride for a second time.

On shore, the attackers had stopped for the time being, the officers there quickly realizing that attacking the same area, using their enemy's own technique, wouldn't weaken the line as much as they hoped. And thus, they had agreed to regress to an effective, yet brutal, tactic: a full frontal assault.

Within the boxed in area that the Kyoshians had chosen to make their battleground, only a few companies of Fire Nation soldiers remained intact. The soldiers awaited their orders, weighed down by the heavy armor, but vitalized by the cold air and the stench of blood that lingered in it.

Suki had known, beyond any doubt, that there were far more forces gathered on the shored awaiting their turn to attack the "pigs who have opposed their nation", as one propaganda poster put it. But when she saw the flow of men push through the narrow channel into the field, her mouth went dry and her hands trembled ever-so-slightly. The sea of red painted iron had forced into way through the gate, throwing the companies already on the barren field out of their own ranks until they were lost among the growing crowd and organization was a thing of the past. With the mass of soldiers ever-increasing, the Kyoshians in the front rank of the phalanx could see yet another ship anchor itself just offshore, and begin to release rafts of men to the shore. The rafts, so full that they were at a great risk of capsizing, held the last of the soldiers that had come to invade their small island that day.

Suki's mind raced as she attempted to estimate how many soldiers there were. Well over a thousand, no doubt. More than fifteen hundred? Definitely possible. And even if we did try to escape now, were would be trapped on the island. Then it would be a matter of time before we were all killed, or worse – sent to their POW camps, or working in their weapons factories. No man or woman here would choose to make weapons for their enemy over dying in a fight for their homeland. And even if we wanted to get off the island, every cargo and merchant ship is packed with our loved ones and sailing away right now.

The sharp call from a bugle on the fleet's flagship was something that every man on that field would remember, and many would be haunted by for years to come.

The bugle's call ended abruptly, and what was otherwise dead silence turned into a chorus of war cries as the mass of soldiers charged the phalanx.

At first impact, the phalanx swayed back as the men were pushed from their feet and into the person behind them. With the horde of soldiers rushing at the Kyoshians, and many more filing in from the shore, there was no militiaman in the first four ranks that wasn't in the fray. The healers in the back had become overwhelmed, and resorted to only taking to the back those who were wounded the worst, leaving those with relatively minor injuries to fend for themselves for the time being.

By the time that they were pushed back to within spitting distance of the back wall, behind which was the village, there was only a vague resemblance of order and organization among the Kyoshians. Although, to their credit, the Fire Nation lacked any at all. The sea of red and black armor could be compared to a riot under any other circumstances.

A man, one that would later take no credit for his actions, thrust his spear upward many times, as if cheering, trying to rally the militiamen. "Re-form! Re-form!" He shouted above the din of clashing metal and cries of anger and pain. The villagers realized their state of disarray and began to work themselves back into their tightly packed rows. The front line closed their ranks even tighter to create a wall of bronze and a hedge of spears to face the scrambled mass –buying precious moments for the men in the back to reform and disperse themselves to the areas where the wall of men grew thin. This process was of the utmost necessity, as the constant actions of Raven and the water benders extracting the severely wounded had left small gaps in the ranks. In one area, where the gaps had especially widened, the formation was at great risk of buckling. With that concern brought to the militiamen's attention, they needed no further guidance and filled in the gaps with haste –knowing that the longer they took, the more strain was put on the front line as they fought without the safety and comfort of having their fellow comrades behind them for support.

Each man in the back ranks placing his shield into the small of the back of the person in front of him. And, pushing with all of his weight and strength, the phalanx surged forward into the riot-like crowd of soldiers. The power of every farmer, merchant, and warrior, alike pushed against the front rank. Propelling them ahead with such force that the men had no time to attack with their spears. Instead, the Kyoshians in the front braced themselves against the bowls of their shields and prayed that a spear didn't strike them from above. The phalanx came forward with such force that the enemy was no longer being stabbed with spears, or slashed at with short swords. Rather, they had become akin to the asphalt being crushed down and flattened by a steamroller. Those in the back ranks were now responsible for thrusting the butt-spikes on their spears into the men that they walked over, killing those who hadn't been crushed to death already. As if they moved as a single being, the phalanx pulsated as the militiamen heaved and shoved their shields into the backs of them men in front of them. As the front rank adjusted to the rhythm of the heaving of the men behind them, they began to thrust down with their spears again. With the force of four hundred men pressing forward, the front line of the phalanx forced the enemy soldiers back into their own comrades. It was as if a wall was closing in on the soldiers; a breathing, killing, human and bronze wall. Only a short time after the mass frontal attack had begun, the soldiers on either side were not treading on the dry earth anymore. For the Kyoshians, they were advancing over a platform of fallen enemies. As for the Fire Nation soldiers, many of them retreated over their own comrades, clawing their way over each other or taking refuge behind the few who dared to stand and fight.

*0o

This, it's going well. That is, if you could a fight to the death "well"…

Suki thrust her spear down into the chest of a soldiers in front of her.

I know the Fire Nation uses their new recruits for small attacks…

The soldier's helmet was knocked off to reveal his fair, round and bulbous, topped by his long black hair tied up into a topknot.

But spirits, he can't be older than twenty. I'll bet that this is his first mission, too.

Suki pulled back on the spear, but it was lodged between the man's bones.

This, this is a massacre. Damn those soldiers, and damn their commanders even more. The young soldier fell and Suki saw the spear splinter and tear away from her grip. This didn't have to happen. Surely these men didn't have to lose their lives, and our villagers didn't have to lose their innocence.

She stooped down and her hand found another wooden shaft lodged in another body. It made a sickening, hollow, sound when she wrenched it loose from his body and used it as her own.

Wasn't that why we, the Warriors, existed? Not only to protect the island, but to protect its residents and preserve their humanity?

She ducked behind her shield as a throwing knife punched into it. Poking her head above the bronze rim, a spear was thrust past her face from behind her and plunged into a soldier before her.

Soon the benders will come out then. For all that this formation has done for us, I think it will be close to useless against them.

*0o

"Men, advance!" The senior officer called out to the two score of soldiers that he personally oversaw. The soldiers stepped out of their small landing craft, and onto the shore. The soldiers, which were the only fire benders participating in the invasion, also happened to the only platoon consisting of only veterans. The sea of red armor parted as the forty men filed off the small vessel and onto the shore. Once they made their way to the narrow channel that separated the beach and the battlefield, the senior officer created a fire whip and lashed it out against the mass of his own countrymen before him. He snapped the whip back just before it made contact with one of the Fire Nation soldiers who was in the initial attack. With his own soldiers following suit, they forced their own comrades forward and back into the fray that they were so desperately trying to escape from.

Suki frowned at seeing the long whips of fire raise above the enemy mass in the distance.

Of course they would force their own men back into the fight, into the killing fields.

She grimaced, unsure of whose favor the rest of the fighting that day would be in. Now, with the enemy soldiers on the front preoccupied by the activity behind them, Suki decided not to waste the momentary pause in the bloodshed.

Knowing that the first four to five ranks were already nearing the point of exhaustion, Suki called out another order.

"Change!" Her shout accompanied by the pounding of her heavy shield against the cold steel of the sword that hung at her waist.

On that command, the front ranks lost their tightknit formation and allowed the back five ranks to surge forward. As the back ranks came forward, quickly moving in between their now exhausted peers, the men in the front ranks allowed themselves to relax –even if they knew it would be short lived. The men, completely spent from the constant fighting, allowing their shields to weigh them down and their bloodied spears to go slack. The thrusting and retracting of their spears, with the help of the heavy armor they wore, had worn them out; and, now that the adrenaline began to work its self out of the men's bloodstream, more than a few of them collapsed to the ground in fatigue.

"War is work, and let nobody fool you into believing something else." That's what she always said… Suki's mind wandered back to her own mentor, and the teachings that Suki now adopted as some of her own. Suki held onto her shield once the former sixth rank swept past her to take its place in the front. She knew that the carnage could continue at any second, and now with the fire benders making their presence known, the fighting would intensify greatly. Or, perhaps we will just get wiped out, annihilated. Suki banished the thought from her mind. Even though she had her serious concerns about facing the fire benders, she knew that her fellow soldiers, her friends, even, were looking at her for the courage to continue. And even though she had her own doubts, expressing them would do nothing to help the situation. She put on a neutral expression, one that was almost calm, and pushed her spear upright into its proper position. And now, I suppose, I have to encourage them to keep fighting. Suki took a long look at the bodies she was standing on, now stacked two to three high. The ground no longer visible, being masked either by corpses or bloodstained snow that was permeated with the footprints of a thousand men. At least they served well today. Honestly, I don't think I could have asked any better of them myself. Surely their families will hear of it too, how their husbands or fathers, she swallowed hard, or daughters, had fought bravely this day.

*0o

The fire benders in the rear of the enemy horde had "encouraged" the non-bending soldiers forward into the front line of the phalanx once again. The lull in combat, caused by the confusion of the novice soldiers as they fled into their own forces, had ended. The Kyoshians were attacked with a new ferocity held by their enemy, their battle cries had intensified along with the amount of injuries they inflicted upon the islanders.

"Many things can drive courage, be it love for those you fight alongside, or fear for those that you fight for. Enough fear that you believe you are better off risking your life than standing up to them and refusing."

Ko remembered her mentor's teachings as a short sword sliced the thin sleeve of her warrior's uniform.

"Of course, courage that is driven by love, by sisterhood, is what we strive to teach you. It is the most potent of them all, and often the most reliable."

Then they're being driven by fear. Ko realized. Either the immediate fear of the fire benders behind them, or of punishment if they retreat.

She saw the fire whips rise again from behind the non-bending soldiers, and felt pity for any person who had their own fear used against them in such a way. Ko, now leading the second rank back from the front line, felt the left flank of the phalanx lurch backward as a new wave of the enemy hit them with their full strength. She felt the cold metal of a shield pressing against her back, and she pushed hers into the woman in front of her, continuing to thrust her spear over the shoulder of said warrior. Even despite the force of over three hundred bodies bracing themselves for the next impact, the left flank was hammered back by the relentless onslaught of the fear-driven soldiers. Not long after the second wave of soldiers attacked the new ranks, the fire benders had worked their way to the front of the fray. Their senior officer, seeing the poor condition of the left flank, focused his small but battle hardened forces on that same area.

Ko floundered as a fire whip wrapped around her spear and pulled it away from her. Ko tried to pull back, but she was too late as the fire ate away at the dense wood that was the shaft of the spear. With the front tip of the spear now laying on the ground, she swung the back end over her and down into one of the benders. The butt-spike glanced off the shoulder plate of the bender, who shrugged off the blow before returning the favor with a small sphere of flames directed at the closest person. The sphere dispersed on a bronze shield. The senior officer, standing in the center of his specialized force, drew out the whip coiled at his side and slung it behind him, ready to use it. With a flick of his wrist, it shot forward and wrapped itself around Yumiko's forearm –who was currently leading the front rank in the assault, with Ko directly behind her and Holly leading the third rank back.

The officer, after giving the whip a brief tug, grew a wicked, maniacal grin. A moment later the whip burst into flames. Yumiko's scream was lost in the sounds of the battle. She lurched forward, pulled by the whip and the weight of her own armor dragging her down. Ko leapt forward to block Yumiko from an incoming fire ball. Another soldier, grasping a short sword, wedged his way past Ko and unleashed on Holly.

Taken by surprise, the short sword came down onto Holly's shoulder, carving deep into her before the soldier was pierced by no less than six spears from soldiers behind her and to her side. Holly dropped her shield to the ground, the weight of it too heavy to bear with the sudden pain. With her shield lowered, she became a prime target. A bender, wielding two short blades made of fire, emerged from behind the officer and rushed at her. He threw one of the blades at her, creating another to replace it immediately. She leapt to the side, letting it disperse against the shield of the Warrior behind her. As she dodged it, she saw him release another blade at her, this time an actual knife, which became embedded in the leather armor lines with steel strips.

Yumiko had regained her balance and stood back up, the cloth around her bracer had been burnt away. Shock registered on her face when, just after she stood up, she felt another searing pain in her arm. She tried to see what damage had been done, and in doing so, caught the shimmer of light flashing off metal in her peripherals. Before it reached its target, the center of her chest, she saw the spear become encased in obsidian and crumble as if it was made from dust. Oh, thank the spirits for that girl. Yumiko silently thought. Raven, who only moments before had saved her life, could be seen hovering a dozen feet above the heads of everyone else. Dark ropes of energy stretching down from her as she tried to both heal the injured and protect the Warriors in the front ranks.

*0o

"Be safe in there, and get her back in one piece." Cyborg said as the other titans prepared to enter the now fully formed portal. "You have a short time, five, six minutes at most, until Slade can use his. How long exactly I can't say. And if Slade's shuts down, I'll signal you guys. From then, you have just less than ten minutes before our will start to fade." Cyborg felt like he was running through the instructions again to calm his own nerves more than to inform the others –considering they had all heard it a half dozen times by now.

"Will do. Hopefully we won't be that long anyway." Robin confirmed as he finished rechecking his belt. The three of them lined up in front of the portal. "Are we good?" Robin asked.

"Safety checks say so. Ready to see if this baby really works?" Cyborg answered him.

"Dude. Not funny." Beast Boy said to him right before he stepped through the portal, Robin having already entered and Starfire waiting behind him.

Cyborg gave a grunt as Beast Boy stepped into the portal and disappeared into the swirl of misty purple energy that the transporter framed.

"We shall see you again in the near future, friend Cyborg." Starfire bade him farewell.

With that, Cyborg preoccupied himself with watching the instrument panel. The main screen showing two prisms that represented the dimensions, with a thin multi-colored tunnel linking the two. Just above the tunnel was another, much larger, one that also connected in-between the dimensions –Slade's own portal to this new world. He stretched his neck and yawned before dealing out a game of solitaire on the ground in front of the machine.

*0o

"You sure about this?" Wisdom asked to Courage.

"Not one bit. But…it's the only option, right? I mean, you know the numbers. And I know that they won't last much longer with the left flank as it is. We don't have a choice, do we?" Courage responded, not confident with about what she was about to let happen, and looking to Wisdom for validation.

"I'll admit, it looks pretty grim if we don't do something. Something more than healing, at least."

"Alright, let her out then. But…just make sure Love is with her too."

"Of course; that is the only reason we're considering it, after all." Wisdom said before disappearing into Rage's domain. Courage cursed a few times before going into her own, not happy with the decision, but knowing it had to be done.

*0o

The first thing that Wisdom felt when she entered the domain was the heat. Great Azar, it must be a hundred-and-fifteen degrees in here. The second thing she noticed was Rage's wicked grin.

"And what brings you here, dear?" Rage addressed her with a sick pleasure.

"You know why, we haven't time to waste either." Wisdom said, trying to not let the heat and distant scream distract her.

"You could at least amuse me for a time here. Why don't you go fetch Courage to tell me why? Yes, I think I'd enjoy that very much."

"Don't be ridiculous. If we don't act now, she'll be in more danger than she is already." Wisdom said, not appealing to Rage, but hoping Love was within ear-shot of them.

"Then shut the hell up and let's go already!" A faint smirk appeared on Wisdom's face as Love dashed towards them both, her exclamation causing Rage to squeeze her eyes shut in slight annoyance.

"And you best remember our agreement: nobody from Kyoshi gets hurt by your actions." Wisdom added before Love reached them both.

"I gave you my word that I wouldn't. If you believe in only one thing about me, believe in that." Rage's thoughts turned to more gruesome images. "But no other exceptions, right?"

"You know your limits. And listen to Love, at least she has a sense of morality."

"I guess this can still be fun." Rage mumbled as Love took her wrist and pulled on it until she stood up and followed Love out of the domain. Wisdom looked around one last time, taking note of every detail about the domain she could-–considering that she wouldn't mind never coming back. Hmm, I'm sure that's new. She thought, seeing a small additional gate off in the distance that linked directly from Rage's domain to Love's.

*0o

Raven, still levitating well above the ongoing battle, watched as the left flank came within seconds of collapsing to the fire bender's continual assault. Only with Raven's repeated intervention had none of the original Kyoshi Warriors become killed or mortally wounded. A shame I can't do the same the same for the rest of the Kyoshians fighting, impossible to keep them all alive during this. Rage, are you ready? A pulling sensation in her chest answered for Rage, and Raven let go of the barriers that she had spent her childhood learning to create –even if it was for a short time.

Holly's body shook as a wave of relief passed over her. She watched as Raven's eyes went from their trademark violet to blood red. Never a welcoming sight. That is, unless she's protecting you.

Raven, becoming possessed by the Rage had kept pent up within herself, no longer appeared human. But nor did she look like the other times that Rage had taken control over her. This time, it had gone much further, her body now glowing –even if only dimly –with the runes of her shunned father. Her eyes had become endless pits into which one could gaze into, and practically hear the screams of the mortal souls who were damned enough to call that their home.

Raven, or perhaps Rage, extended her soul self out over the phalanx, until it reach the front line –where the fighting had stopped completely as every man and woman stared at her. The fire bender who had thrown the blade at Holly stepped back as Raven lowered herself in front of him. The four blood red eyes stared down on him for a long, terrifying moment. Raven bent down to his eye level to stare at him briefly before plunging an obsidian spike through his chest. For that one instant, not a soul on the entire battlefield made a sound. The silence broken by the clattering of metal as a soldier brandished his weapon at her –either out of foolishness, or out of fear of being killed as his comrades just stood there in shock. The man was on his knees before he advanced another step. He clutched his wrist, the rest of his hand no longer present, in a state of disbelief. A second later the pain hit him, and hit him hard. Raven watched in amusement, her possessed form still towering over everybody around her, as the grown man writhed in pain on the ground. Another obsidian spike shot up through his ankle, and stayed there anchoring him to the ground on which he laid on.

"Don't play with him like that, he doesn't deserve it." A quiet voice came from the phalanx.

Raven twisted her head around until she laid her eyed on Holly, the speaker. Turning back to the soldier, she ended his life before he could let out another long, primal scream.

Several officers from the back of the crowd yelled out, attempting to rally their troops. "Get the witch!" One called to his men. "Kill her, hold nothing back!" Another one shouted. Jeers were elicited from the mass of soldiers surrounding them. A dozen soldiers were rallied enough to attempt to push forward again, but it was short lived at best.

"Who said that? Which one of you dare defile my name to the likelihood of a witch?" Raven grew as she spoke, staring at every one of the soldiers who had pushed forward to attack her individually. "I am a sorceress, I am an Azarathian, I am a demon, and I hail from Earth. I will not be degraded to that of a witch. Now reveal yourself, so I can send you to a special hell." Raven scooped up a soldier and brought him to eye level, before discarding him and grabbing hold of another.

"Very well," she continued, becoming impatient, "then I shall kill all of you."