It'd been weeks since the Avatar and his friends had left. Since they'd flooded the valley and finally driven their enemies out. But Jet was still restless… And he didn't know why.
He sat in his cabin, twittering his foot impatiently. The Fire Nation was gone… He'd won… they were gone and they weren't coming back… So why did he feel so on edge? It wasn't like they could come back even if they wanted to. The river was still swollen from the geysers, and the destruction of the dam meant there wasn't even a place for a town anymore, aside from in the forest.
And yet he still couldn't get his mind off them. What if they came back, what if they found him, what if the military tried to retaliate for the town's destruction…?
Jet stood up and started pacing around in his hut. It was starting to become a habit, that and training. He just couldn't sit still and enjoy the peace. Not while the Fire Nation was still out there, not while they were still burning down people's homes, not while they continued to spread pain, and suffering, and misery.
But the people here, they needed him, he was their leader. He couldn't just get up a leave now that they didn't have anyone to fight anymore. Though they could handle themselves, there were lots of people besides him strong enough to be leaders. Long-shot, sure he didn't talk much, but he somehow always knew just what to say when he did. Pipsqueak, he was a big guy, and though he often let his stomach do the thinking, he was a compassionate guy, he'd make a fine leader. Or The Duke, he was still young, but he knew more than he thought he did, and maybe once he'd gotten some real responsibility he could become a better leader than Jet ever was. Of course the obvious choice would be Smeller Bee, she was rough enough to know what things simply had to be done, but at the same time was soft where it counted, people often thought of her as the 'mom' of their little group. Jet smirked; did that make him the dad?
There was a knock on his door, he spun to face it perhaps a little too jumpy for his own good, he already had a hand on a sword. "Jet?" he let out a sigh, it was just Smeller Bee. "Jet can I talk to you?" She pushed the door open a little, his was the only door in camp that had a lock on it, but he only actually locked it to sleep.
"Yeah…" Jet took his hand off his sword, and sat back onto the small cot that was his bed. "What is it?"
The small painted girl pushed the door open and walked a few steps into her leader's room. "Jet we need to talk. There are tones of stuff we need your help with…"
"The Fire Nation's gone, what could you possibly need my help for?" He interrupted her; he honestly didn't know what he was still doing there anyway. They'd driven the Fire Nation out; he should've chased them down, he should've made certain they couldn't hurt anyone else, ever again. Of course he wouldn't have had to if it weren't for Sokka…
"Jet listen me! We're running out of food, without the convoys to raid we can't keep everyone fed, and the way things are going I don't think we'll be able to stay here much longer…" She sighed and looked at her feet a little, not like Jet was looking her in the eye anyway, he'd gotten more withdrawn since the Avatar and his friends had left, he hardly ever gave speeches anymore, and hadn't called a town meeting in weeks. "Jet, I think it's time we came out of hiding. The Fire Nation's gone; we don't even know who we're hiding from anymore… I've talked with some of the others… and we think it's time to make a really village, scrap the tree-houses and make a place that could actually become something…"
"Actually... I've been thinking a lot about what to do now…" Jet stood up, taking that commanding posture that had won him his leadership. "And I think I should go."
"What?! Jet you can't leave! We need you here! Jet! You're our leader!" Smeller Bee sounded almost outraged at the idea, there was no way they'd survive without Jet. He was the only reason they'd made it this far. Without him they'd just be a bunch of kids playing at being bandits, he was what made them, them.
"Smeller Bee." He held up a hand and spoke slowly, calmly. "Just think about it… The Fire Nation is gone, you guys don't need me to protect you anymore, and there're probably people just us out there somewhere, people who need our help. You guys can fend for yourselves, you're all strong enough to whatever you want, and I'll stick around long enough to make sure you're not gonna just fall apart without me, but I really think this is what's best…"
"So what?! You're just gonna abandon us now that the Fire Nation's been driven out?!" She was justifiable mad at him. It wasn't like he hadn't expected her to be, Smeller Bee had always been a bit of a hot head, but she was smart, smart enough to realize that he'd make no kind of villager. He was a bandit, and she knew it.
"I'll stick around for a few more nights." Jet smile and held up a hand, she looked kind of like she wanted to punch him. "But I'm gonna tell the others tonight, after dinner… I can't stay here, not as long as there are people who need me. Not as long at the Fire Nation's still out there…" He took a deep breath and nodded, more to himself that to her, and walked out of his hut past her, not planning on returning.
Jet looked around at his base, walking through it for what he planned to make the last time. He remembered each expansion, how he'd met each of the people who now inhabited the branches. The place had started out just as him camping out in a tree. Then as he met the others they started camping out in the branches with him, and eventually that grew into their base. A smile graced his face as he leaned over one of the few actual railings in the place. He'd been there so long; it was almost starting to feel like home. But it wasn't home, he didn't have a home. The Fire Nation had made sure of that. And he couldn't let himself forget that, not ever.
He chewed on the end of the grass in his mouth. He'd told Smeller Bee he'd stay for a few nights, but if he stayed much longer he'd either lose his nerve or his mind. Jet just couldn't stand all this sitting around. They hadn't attack someone in weeks, there hadn't been anyone to attack. Smeller Bee had said something about how they needed the raids to keep people fed; perhaps it would be better if they became a group of bandits, raiding Fire Nation encampments all around the Earth Kingdom.
Jet smirked; yeah he could see himself doing that. Moving around, raiding the Fire Nation, then disappearing into the night, and just generally making things difficult for the Fire Nation. Maybe he could even convince some of the others to join him…
He kept wandering the various platforms all day. Just generally taking an inventory of where everyone was at. They all seemed so happy, not that they shouldn't be, but it was, isolating, to be the only one feeling so on edge when everyone else was enjoying themselves. It only proved to strengthen Jet's decision to leave. He waited till that night, and called a meeting.
Everyone there was excited. They always were at Jet's meetings. A few of them actually manage to get Jet to smile while they ate. Though he himself remained somber, and hardly touched a thing. He felt like he was abandoning them, which he was, and he knew it, but he also knew he couldn't stay there. He was too useless where he was…
Jet stood and raised his cup, ushering silence throughout the trees. He took a deep breath. "It's been a few weeks now since we drove out the Fire Nation, and reclaimed out valley!" Cheers echoed throughout the trees. "And we've been making the best of it!" Again cheers met his voice, and this time Jet smiled. "And they say all good things must come to an end!" Booing met Jet this time, but optimistic booing that so often accompanied his speeches. Jet took a deep breath and sighed quietly, Smeller Bee looked up at him like she hoped he wasn't actually going to announce his departure. "And unfortunately this time they're right." The crowd was silent, confused, but silent. "I've decided to leave and become a full time bandit." Again the crowd was confused, but silent. "But just because I'm leaving doesn't mean your good times have to end! And any of you who want to come with me are more than welcome! I know you can endure without me just as you have with me. The Fire Nation is gone from this valley, and I intend to chase them to the ends of the Earth Kingdom, and all the way back to the where they came from!" Cheers rose up around him, rising from a humble clapping to a deafening roar. Jet smiled, now this, was a hero's send off.