MISSION

Mai shoved through the crowded metal hall of topless men. She continued rolling her eyes at the ones who tried to catch her attention. She made her way to a room to see Zuko sitting on the edge of his bed pulling his shirt over his head.She couldn't help but gawk at his well defined muscles before opening her mouth.

"Over sleeping?" she stated with a smirk on her face and Zuko turned around, startled at her entrance.

"No, I rise with the sun. You know that." he thrashed at invisible dust and stood up.

"Okay, so you were taking a nap?" Mai persisted

"No!" Zuko tried to storm past her through the door but she blocked the way.

"Stop being so defensive, I was only joking." She said bluntly, "Now," she kissed his cheek, "Jet has got a job for you."

Zuko snarled a smile and reached for his twin blades, "A job, huh? Who is it this time?"

"I dunno…he didn't fill me in, but I wish you the best of luck." It sounded as if she didn't mean it by her monotone voice.

"Luck," he let out a short laugh, "I don't need it." with that he walked out of the door to Jet's "office".

"Zuko! Just the man I wanted to see." Jet sat in a body smothering chair grinning when the firebender arrived.

Zuko breathed heavily, "Cut the crap, who is it?"

"It's Lady Katara of the South Pole. She's, uh, she broke my heart, Zuko." Jet smirked and stood up snatching Zuko's blades, inspecting them.

"What? That ice palace is swarming with guards!" Zuko snatched his twins back, checking it for any blemishes.

"I know," he kept that eerie grin on his face, "That's why I chose you."

Zuko furrowed his eyebrows, "How'd she manage to do that?"

"What? Break my heart?" he sighed heavily, "She's my girl, Zuko, but she doesn't like what I do…you understand?" his smirk was finally gone.

"So you want me to kill her?" Zuko gave a silent laugh at the idea.

"No, I just want you to bring her to me so I can…maybe, knock some sense into her. And it's not just that. She went off and married some…guy, claiming it's her duty to marry someone with his riches with her element…Its-its bull shit Zuko, and I aint buyin' it for a minute."

Zuko couldn't help but laugh, "For a girl?"

Jet shot up out of his seat, anger raging in his eyes, "You think it's funny!"

Zuko, un-intimidated, simply replied, "Yes."

His anger was quickly gone and his smirk replaced it, "You wouldn't do it for Mai?"

Zuko opened the door peeking around the corners making sure Mai wasn't listening, like she usually did. When he saw no sight of her he shook his head, "No…I like her, but it's not like it was back at the palace."

"Why didn't you ever go back there?"

"The palace…just wasn't the same…and besides the firenation wouldn't except me as heir to the throne…not after what I did."

"What? Join the avatar and kill your father? Yeah…I wouldn't except ya either, bud."

Jet patted Zuko on the shoulder; he clearly wasn't cut out for "pep talks."

"Yeah, well, how'd you come to this…career choice?"

Jet sat back down in his large chair and motioned Zuko to sit as well, "Well, after my near death experience… I figured out one thing. Ya know what that was? It was that people were just no good. So ya know what I decided? I decided I wanted to kill the bad bastards before they kill me. I'm not goin' down without a fight."

"If you're in it for the bad guys, why are you kidnapping Katara?" Zuko couldn't help but ask.

"She broke my heart. Anyone who breaks my heart is a bad guy." They sat in silence for a while reminiscing on his words.

"So…Zuko, since we are opening up…" Jet clearly hesitated, "…tell me, where'd that scar come from?"

Zuko smirked, "I'm not opening up that much." Zuko sheathed his swords carefully and stood up to head for the door.

Jet stood at the table looking at his retreating back, he finally shouted his last request to him,

"Hey!" Zuko stopped dead in his tracks and slightly turned his head,

"Maybe another time?"

Zuko smirked, "Maybe." And with that he exited the room only to find a fuming Mai waiting for him.

"You wouldn't kidnap me!?" Mai cheeks began to turn rose red.

"You'd want me to!?" Zuko had to admit this argument was a little odd.

"If it was because you loved me!"

"You were listening to us!?" Zuko could've sworn she wasn't eves dropping this time.

"Do you love me?" Mai's voice was quiet and more hoarse that usually. Zuko looked down to look in her eyes, was she crying? A tear dropped and he was positive she was.

"Don't cry…" Zuko used the side of his thumb to wipe a tear away, but Mai swiped his hand and put her head down.

"Just answer the question." She demanded through gritted teeth.

"It's just-" Mai cut in,

"Not the same as it was in the palace?"

"You heard that?" Zuko questioned, unable to deny the truth.

She turned her back to Zuko and she slowly sauntered through the bustling halls of "men-in-training."

Zuko didn't try to stop her and let her walk away.

"She'd find out sooner or later." Zuko mumbled under his breath, but found himself unsatisfied.

Zuko entered his room late that night. His room was pitch black when he entered. He found his way to his bed and lay down.

He quickly jumped back up. There was something big in his bed. He prodded it until it started to move. The lump wiggled under his touch and he rushed to light a candle. The candle light awoke his room mate and he too, joined in poking the lump.

"Maybe it's a hog-monkey?" His brown haired, brown eyed, tall roommate suggested.

"I'm no hog-monkey!" The bump spoke.

"It talks!" The room mate fell to the floor in surprise.

Zuko recognized the voice immediately, "The bumps right, it's no hog -monkey." he pulled back the covers, "it's Mai."

The roommate let out a haughty laugh, "Well, I'll turn out the candle light and turn my head…" he smirked

The roommate did as he said and Zuko fell onto his bed, brushing back his thick black hair.

Mai sat next to him, "I'm sorry. I know things aren't the way they used to be, but I, uh, we can fix that."

Despite the darkness Zuko could see the pleading in her eyes, it was killing him…although he was the assassin.

"Mai," he started, but couldn't find the courage to finish. As if right on time Jet burst through the door.

"We gotta move by night. So we'd better head out while the moon is high."

Zuko stood up from the bed and gazed at Mai, she lowered her head, "I understand."

The firebender grabbed his red bag and threw it over his shoulder. He dismantled his twin blades from the wall and sheathed them.

Before he followed Jet out the room he looked at Mai and nodded. His eyes began to get warm and damp and he thanked Agni it was dark. However, he swore his eyes were just sweating from the heat, but Mai believed she saw a developing tear before he turned and closed the door.