Position: Water Bender

Genre: Western

Prompts: clock, combustion man, non-bending (bender)

A/N: this is a western AU and a bit of a tribute to my birth state down here in the southwest of the US. Also while some characters only get a cameo I'm hoping I can write more one shots in this AU if people like what I've written.

Words: 2657

The Ranger

Zuko took another drink from his glass, as a beautiful but board looking, saloon girl leaned against him shuffling a deck of cards to start another hand of poker. Across from him, two more beautiful girls and the local preacher sat waiting for another hand. Zuko looked at the growing pot in the middle of the table.

"Dipping in from Sunday's collection Father?" Zuko joked, taking his new hand of cards.

"No, what I play with is my own." Aang smiled taking his cards. "This is mostly what I've won from you Sheriff."

Zuko shook his head. "What would people say seeing you sitting here with these lovely ladies? Not exactly tending to your flock."

"Sure I am! Jesus ate with sinners so shall I!"

The bored girl smirked. "Didn't the Lord eat with them to save their souls? All you seem to do is make it so Zuko can't pay his tab at the end of the night." Mai rolled her eyes. "Doesn't keep him from sinning anymore than when he's rolling in the cash."

Aang chuckled and shrugged. "Well you can't blame a man for trying."

"Or justifying his own vices." Suki smirked. "Face it father you just find us sinners better company."

Suddenly the doors of the saloon blew open and an impossibly tall man with a metal arm walked into the room. He took off his hat revealing a third eye tattooed on his forehead. Zuko turned just as the stranger walked up to the bar and barked out an order, while threatening the bartender with his gun.

Zuko groaned as he stood up. Under his breath he mumbled. "Time to go to work." Zuko tapped the man on the shoulder and flashed his badge. "Sir, I would really appreciate it if you put the gun down and try to act a little more neighborly to bar tender, he's the real heart of this town."

The stranger put down his gun and then suddenly sent a fireball at the back of the bar. Zuko pulled his out gun and pointed it at the stranger. "You really shouldn't have done that stranger."

.o.

Sokka was snoozing in the Ranger office in Omashu, with his feet on his desk right near a photo of him standing next to his younger sister. Wanted posters for 'Anarchy Azula' and 'Jet Valance" hung on the wall next to other infamous out laws still out and about. Sakka was in happy dreamland when the telegram clerk reach the office and handed it to Yue. Yue, the ranger's secretary and blond bombshell that Sokka practically drooled over, flicked his nose and handed it to him.

"Problem in the town of Langtree, go fix it!"

"Oh Miss Yue! You shower me with the nicest notes! Have dinner with me?"

"Come back in one piece and I'll consider it." She slammed his hat on his head. "Now get out before it's a no."

Sokka grabbed his revolver and headed out of the building to find his horse. Not an ostrich horse, nor a panther horse, a regular horse with a mane and hooves and a long tail. She was a golden beauty with black stockings and mane; she had an attitude on her that only Sokka could handle, most of the time. He had named her Agni like fire. Agni was still at the post he left her at, drinking from the water trough. Sokka saddled up and set out in the direction of the little town in trouble.

.o.

Zuko rubbed his burned shoulder trying to ignore the pain. He took a deep breath glancing back from the clock and the direction of Omashu, praying the ranger would get there soon he wasn't sure how much more his little town could handle. Behind him he could hear the undertaker making another coffin for another victim. Nearby, Mai, Ty lee, and Suki stood over their fallen 'saloon sister'. Aang walked up to him, baring a few scratches and a nasty bruise on his jaw. "You should rest my friend."

"I can't. Not until the ranger gets here."

"He will come in the Lord's time and not before."

Zuko shook his head. "I have to ask, you being the avatar and all, why become a man of the cloth and live here?"

Aang sighed. "I am in exile."

Zuko touched the side of his face. "Just like me."

"No." Aang shook his head. "You were unjustly exiled from your home. My exile is self imposed for past sins I hope one day to wash away."

Zuko smirked. "I don't think playing poker with harlots will help you in your penitence father. Call it a hunch."

Aang opened his mouth and closed it as the long awaited ranger rode up to the office. The dark skinned man tipped his hat. "Good afternoon gentle-" Sokka stopped mid sentence and glared at Aang before shaking his head and looking straight at Zuko. "Sheriff. How can I be of service?"

If Zuko could cross his arms, he would have. "We got an out law terrorizing our town. He's killed four people already and burned down our favorite saloon. He goes by the name Combustion Man and can firebend with his mind. Doesn't need a gun to cause problems."

Sokka rubbed his three-day stubble. "Sparky-Sparky Boom Man, we meet at last."

Just within ear reach, Zuko heard Mai passing a remark to her companions. "Well we're doomed."

.o.

Sokka wandered through the small town, trying to gather as much information as he could from the town's folk. Most had nothing of value to add until he wandered into the blacksmith's shop near the edge of town. The building was hot and filled with steam and soot. Sokka coughed and tried to wave the smoke out of his face. He could hear the sound of metal being pounded. "Hello? Is anybody here?"

A woman with dark hair, dressed in green and covered in dirt stepped out of the smoke. "Yeah, I'm here. What do you want shrimp?"

Sokka frowned and pointed to his badge. "I'm a ranger, here to arrest Combustion Man, you wouldn't happen to have seen him would you miss?"

"It's Toph not miss." She spat into a nearby spittoon. "And no, I ain't seen him nor have I seen my husband neither."

Just then a man walked into the small shack holding a tray of food. "Now Toph, you know that joke's as old as dirt."

Toph chuckled. "Oh but it's so much fun to do with stangers." She waved a hand in front of her face. "I'm blind ranger, but don't think I'm not the best earthbender in the world and the only metalbender to boot."

Sokka's left eye twitched. "Ok…. so do you have any information that can help me?"

Toph nodded. "Yeah, the guy that blew up the saloon. I've felt him walking by here a few nights ago. Rumor has it that he's got a base somewhere to the east of town. Do you need any metal work?"

"Not at the moment but thanks."

"Well if you ever need armor or your horse needs some new shoes you know where to come." She turned and took the tray her husband, Sokka guessed, had left for her and walked into the smoke. "We also do jewelry if you're into that kind of malarkey."

Sokka wasn't, so he tipped his hat, said his goodbyes and jumped onto Agni, riding her in the direction Toph had indicated.

.o.

Sokka found a canyon with a river flowing through it, a few miles out of town and spotted smoke rising from its base. Sokka slipped off his horse and crept into the canyon. Using the bush as cover, he crept closer to the fire and stopped about a hundred yards away. He paused, there was no one by the fire. Sokka turned to see Combustion Man looming over him. Suddenly he was hit hard in the head with a rock and everything went dark. Blood trickled from the wound on his head ran into the water.

Combustion Man grabbed his gun to finish the job, when the water from the river rose up and took the form of a young woman. The spilt blood became the red in her eyes.

"YOU WILL NOT HARM HIM!" The woman demanded, scaring the outlaw and driving him from his camp sight out into the night. Satisfied he was gone, the woman looked at Sokka and shook her head. "It's a good thing you have such a hard head."

.o.

Zuko looked over at Aang and sighed, handing him a glass of beer, which the father took without protest. "So it seems you and the Ranger know each other."

Aang took a swig of his beer. "We knew each other, a long time ago before I became a priest." He took another drink. "I'm pretty sure he hates my guts now."

"It was clear he didn't like you by his face." Zuko admitted, taking a drink of his beer and spying Mai walking down the road. "Good talk Father but I've got to go."

Aang rolled his eyes. "When are you ever going to make an honest girl of miss Mai?"

Zuko smirked as he jumped over the railing. "Father at what time will I ever need an honest girl?" He tipped his hat to Mai and offered his arm that she took without a word just a sly smile.

Aang took another drink of beer and gazed at the stars. "Because one day you might not have the chance to." He whipped a tear away. "Oh my sweetheart I'm so sorry. So very sorry." Aang stayed leaning on the porch railing crying into her beer late into the night.

.o.

Sokka woke up to the burning sun and aching head. Agni had wandered into the campsite and was now drinking from the river. Sokka got up and dusted himself off. He could clearly see the damp sand around him. He gave a little smile and tipped his hat to the sky. "Thanks for watching over me sis." From the same direction of town, Sokka heard an explosion. "That's not good!" Sokka whistled for his horse and like a bolt of lightning, the two rode back to town.

.o.

The town bank looked more like a peeled banana missing its core. A woman with too much makeup and a low cut dress ran up to Sokka. "Combustion Man! He's robed the bank and then he hijacked the train!" Suki tried to fan herself and clam down a little. "Sheriff Zuko went after him on his horse! But with his arm he can't shoot all that good! You got to make sure he doesn't get himself killed!"

Sokka nodded. "Well he's a fire bender ma'am, I think he can hold off until I catch up." Sokka reared his horse and headed down one direction of the tracks.

"He's not a fire bender!" Suki called after him. "And you're going the wrong way!"

Sokka switched direction. "Thank you!" He yelled as he passed her again.

.o.

Zuko made a leap of faith from his horse onto the cabooses of the now run away train. Zuko gritted his teeth as he kicked in the train car's door. "How more cliché can this guy get? Did he tie anyone to the tracks while I wasn't looking?"

.o.

Mai sat on the tracks tied up and sighed. "I'm so glad the train was going in the other direction…. is someone going to untie me? No? Oh lovely."

.o.

Zuko moved through the train cars, had to climb over trunks in the baggage car and moved past panicked people in regular and dining cars. Zuko took a deep breath once he reached the coal car. "This isn't going to be easy is it?"

"It never is!" yelled Sokka as he road next to the train, leaping from his horse and grabbing on to the coal car. Zuko grabbed him and helped him onto a more secure platform. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Zuko pulled out his gun. "Now let's go get this S.O.B."

Sokka shook his head. "No! I'll go! You stay here! Try to uncouple the cars from the engine! We have to protect the passengers!"

Zuko frowned but nodded and let Sokka climb up the ladder and onto the top of the coal car.

.o.

The wind whipped passed Sokka's face as he walked through the coal and slid down into the cabin of the engine. He pointed his gun at Combustion Man's back. "Hands up and turn around slowly! You're under arrest!"

The man turned, holding his hands up but then suddenly he shot an explosive beam from his head. Sokka dodged it but the attack set the coal behind him on fire.

Sokka gulped. If he wanted to walk away from this fight, he was going to have to win. Sokka aimed his gun but it was knocked away by the guy's metal arm. Sokka rolled out of the way of another strike, grabbing the heavy gold clock Combustion man had stolen and slamming it into the man's head.

The man stumbled but picked up the shovel and tried to do the same to Sokka. Sokka dodged it by diving past him and kicking the man hard in the back of the knee. Grabbing his gun from the floor. A true miracle it didn't fall out. Sokka took the shot point blank at the man's head, hitting him right in the third eye. The man stumbled back before completely falling off the train and into the river the train was currently crossing.

Sokka gave a sigh of relief and wiped his brow before pulling the brakes and slowing the train to a peaceful stop.

.o.

"So you're not a fire bender?" Sokka looked at Zuko in surprise as they sat in Zuko's office. "Not even a little bit?"

Zuko shook his head. "Nope." Zuko touched his scare. "That's how I got this scar. When my father found out I wasn't going to be a bender he disowned me and sent a fire ball at my face."

Sokka frowned. "That's rough buddy."

"What your daddy did to you is nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you!" Mai screamed, walking into the room in a torn dress and smeared makeup. "I got tied to the rail road tracks and you did nothing to save me!" She slapped Zuko hard across the face. "If you ever want back in these petty coats again you better! And I mean better! Start kissing my ass right now!"

Sokka smiled and backed out of the Sheriff's office to leave the lovebirds alone and almost walked right into Aang. Aang looked flustered and tried to gather up his stuff. Sokka frowned but didn't help, instead walked away as fast as he could.

"Wait!" Aang yelled. "Please wait! I need to talk to you!"

"Far as I'm concerned I have no use of a church man at the moment." Sokka adjusted the straps on his saddle before mounting it. "And I've sure as hell don't have any use for forgiveness." Sokka tipped his hat to a few passing gals before heading to the blacksmith shop where Toph stood leaning against the door.

"I heard your horse tottering along. What can I do for you Ranger?"

"Can you make me something that will steal any lady's heart?"

Toph nodded. "I don't pretend to know things about a ladies heart but I'll do my best. You saved most of my stolen gold, least I could do. Though you broke my gold clock. Well I guess I didn't have that much use for it anyway."

.o.

Sokka smiled as he entered the Ranger office and handed a small package to Yue and smiled. She opened it to find a solid gold broach of a heart.

Sokka grinned. "Now how about that dinner?"

A/N: Thanks again for reading please leave a comment if you feel so inclined and if you want to see more of this AU please let me know and I'll write some more and post it in this story. Thanks again!