Author's note: A quick little project because I was bored and the idea got stuck in my head. For those who follow me, no, this is not me making my big come-back to FF.N. I'll most likely write this whole story tonight and upload the chapters (there will only be three or four) over the next few weeks.

Set in an alternative modern/dystopian universe. You'll pick up what you need to know. I'm thinking of this as an evolved version of The Crossroads of Destiny, when Zuko and Katara are stuck in the cave together. Of course, I've changed a lot of stuff. Might sneak in some Zutara. Hope you like it, and please review.

Chapter 1

Katara sat picking her nails in the corner of the library after school. Laid out on the desk in front of her was a sketchbook, half-filled with random drawings; a mixture of the results of boredom and creativity, and the most recent edition which Ms Joo Dee deemed highly inappropriate. She had discovered Katara adding the final touches to an elaborate drawing of an army of men dressed in green. At the front of the group was the country's monarch, King Kuei. A title in thick black markers and sharp letters read "PUPPETS ON STRINGS". This daring political statement had angered Ms Joo Dee enough to deal Katara with an after school detention.

Whilst waiting for her supervised punishment to begin, Katara flicked through the book from the beginning and took in the different pictures, some half finished, some uncoloured, some in pencil, marker, pen… She lingered for a moment on a picture she'd drawn of her friend Aang. He was sitting upright in a hospital bed smiling from ear to ear. She thought vaguely back to the day she'd drawn that picture; she'd been sitting on a chair next to him, keeping him company. He'd drawn an arrow on his bald head just for the fun of it. "Having cancer might have made me lose my hair, but there are other ways to decorate my head!" She'd drawn him with the arrow on his head too; bright blue, just like the sky. She'd meant to visit him in the hospital after school and had tried to convince Ms Joo Dee to schedule her detention for another time, but the conservative teacher had refused.

"I'm glad to see you're on time, Katara," Ms Joo Dee said with her giant, fake grin. The amount of Botox in her cheeks sickened Katara. As the teacher entered the room, another figure followed her in, head bowed and silent. "And Zuko, I'm glad you are not late this time. I would have had to increase your punishment, as you are a repeat offender of lateness to detentions."

Zuko sat at the furthermost table from Katara and didn't speak a word. She cast a venomous glance at him and closed the sketchbook in front of her. Ms Joo Dee shuffled a few pieces of paper in her hands and cleared her throat to get their attention, but Zuko kept his head down and Katara continued staring at him.

"Students sitting in detention after school will sit in the area designated by the supervising teacher from 3:30pm until 4:30pm, at which time they will be dismissed. Students sitting in detention are to remain silent at all times, unless given expressed permission by the supervising teacher. Students are not to use mobile phones, laptops, iPods or other electronic devises during this period. Students may use detention time productively by completing approved homework tasks which do not require internet or computer access. Alternatively, students may sit in silence. Students in detention may have a bottle of water with them, but may not consume any other food or beverage during the detention period. Detention period begins now."

Ms Joo Dee sat down at a desk and started flicking through a pile of paper with a red pen in hand, marking maths equations with ticks and crosses and annotating essays with spelling and grammar corrections and comments of agreement or disapproval. She was a jack-of-all-classes teacher. She'd seen Katara's supposedly inappropriate illustration during an art class, and noticed Zuko on his way to her psychology class "attempting to initiate a violent scuffle" with a group of boys – his sister's friends – he "claims" were harassing him, regarding his family situation.

Zuko's father was the alleged leader of a resistance group planning to overthrow King Kuei. He and his group had gone underground three years ago, when authorities had discovered them, and Zuko hadn't had contact with him since. His sister, Azula, had disappeared soon after, but returned to school recently, though he didn't know where she was living. He had a feeling that she was still in contact with their father. It made him feel isolated and alone. Their father had always preferred Azula. Zuko was the unwanted child, inferior to his sister in all aspects of life. While she excelled in everything she did, he was nothing more than a scar-faced straggler in his father's eyes.

Katara stared darkly at him for a solid five minutes before he finally looked across at her and stared right back. His eyes were just as cold as she perceived his heart to be. But she didn't know a thing about him, not really. She knew who his father was, but didn't know the conflict that existed within what he had to call a family. But his father was the resistance group leader, and while she wasn't the biggest fan of King Kuei herself, she was even less of a fan of Ozai and his Red Army. Of course, she had her reasons.

Eventually, she came to feel unnerved by his eyes and she looked back down at her desk. After a moment, she pulled a pencil case out of her bag and flipped her sketchbook open to a fresh page. She started sketching an image she knew well; an icy beach with half-frozen water that stretched out to the horizon and reflected rays of sunlight. It was an image she had grown up seeing every day of her life in her own home, much further south, where sometimes it was so cold that it snowed all year round. She'd promised to draw it for Aang, and she thought of a poem she could accompany the picture with. But no sooner had she started her new project, Ms Joo Dee came to stand over her desk.

"Katara," she said sternly. "Students may use detention time productively to complete approved homework tasks which do not require internet or computers. Alternatively, students may sit in silence."

Katara looked up at Ms Joo Dee with a frown. The ridiculously huge smile spread across her face was unbearable. "I'm only drawing."

Ms Joo Dee tried to frown against the Botox, but to no avail. "Drawing is not approved homework, Katara."

"But it's for my art folio!"

"Please do not answer back. You may not draw in detention. You may complete approved homework tasks or alternatively sit in silence." Ms Joo Dee and Katara stared at each other for a long while. Zuko watched them silently, vaguely interested and slightly amused. Then, Ms Joo Dee snatched up Katara's sketch book and snapped it shut. Katara opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off. "This sketchbook has inappropriate contents, and as you refuse to comply with the rules of your detention period, I am confiscating it until further notice."

Katara pushed her chair back and stood up. "You can't do that! Whatever happened to freedom of speech and –"

"Katara, sit down."

The offended girl closed her mouth and stared at the teacher. After a moment, she obeyed the order and sat. "When can I have it back?"

"I'll let you know. I'll go and put it in the confiscation box in my office now. We will discuss this another time." Ms Joo Dee tucked the sketchbook under her arm and marched out of the library.

Author's Note: Let me know what you think. Leave a review :)