"Those meetings never end, ever," Sokka griped as the group trudged through the winding corridor.
"At least you didn't have to deal with a crying child through the entirety of it," Katara rebuked as she shifted the toddler to her other hip, heaving an exasperated sigh. Her husband lifted their son from her to alleviate her stress as he smiled down at her.
"Bumi was an angel!" Aang exclaimed, beaming at the little boy, "He behaved much better than teenage Sokka did at his first war meeting!" Aang joked as he gave his brother-in-law a sideways glance, and Sokka sulked, as Zuko snickered in the background.
"These meetings are pointless. They drag me all the way out from the Fire Nation, away from my duties and never-ending paperwork, and we're always stuck in a logjam. It's always the same!" Zuko complained, walking alongside the trio.
"They really shouldn't drag you all the way out here with no reason," Sokka agreed, resting his forearm on Zuko's shoulder.
"They want Zuko's opinion as representative as the Fire Nation," Katara said in defense, folding her arms over her chest, glaring at her brother and best friend, "Obviously, Zuko doesn't want to voice it."
"Hey, I never said that," Zuko snapped, "They don't let me talk, and they just bicker for a few hours, and stay in the same deadlock."
"Zuko does have a point," Aang supplemented as his wife just rolled her eyes, "Right, Bumi?" Aang asked rhetorically to his young son.
"What are you brainwashing my poor nephew into? Please," Sokka groaned, pulling the child from his brother's-in-law hands, "Uncle Sokka's here to set things straight from these three anti-fun-ners!"
"Sokka, you're twenty-six," Zuko mumbled as he watched his friend pout.
"So, are you, what's your point? Are you trying to make me feel old or something?" Sokka rebuked with a snort, his arm still slung over Zuko's shoulder as the fire lord just pressed his fingers to his head tediously. Just then, a low-ranking politician came scooting around the corner.
"Avatar Aang! Master Katara! Councilman Sokka!" He shouted as they all darted their heads around, their interests piqued.
"What is it? Is something wrong?" Katara asked, furrowing her eyebrows in concern.
"No, not at all," The politician answered, "The other members of the board came up with a compromise, they'd like you to come vote on it!"
"Again?!" Sokka whined, flailing his arms as his sister slapped his arm.
"What about me?" Zuko exclaimed.
"I'm sorry, Fire Lord Zuko, where your opinion is valued and your contribution needed, you are not a Republic City citizen," The politician answered, and Zuko rolled his gaze over to Katara.
"Tell me my presence matters now?" Zuko growled and Katara jeered innocently.
"It does! I'm not taking Bumi in there again! I need to concentrate! Zuko, please keep an eye on him for me, we'll only be a short while," Katara supplanted as she took her son from her brother and handed him to her friend.
"More like a few more hours," Zuko sighed, "But of course, I'll watch him. We'll probably have more fun anyway out here," Zuko moaned as the toddler gripped Zuko around his neck in an embrace.
"Uncle Zuko!" Bumi exclaimed, dragging his grubby hand down the side of Zuko's scarred face as Zuko pouted and groaned.
"Yes, hello, Bumi," Zuko said with a sigh.
"Thanks, Zuko, you're a lifesaver!" Katara exclaimed graciously as she darted back to the councilroom.
"Thanks, buddy," Aang said, as he walked by clapping his shoulder, and Sokka patted Zuko's cheek as he too passed by, causing Zuko to roll his eyes.
"Well, Bumi, looks like it's just you and me," Zuko mumbled as he sat the toddler down, and then sat beside him, "You've got an interesting family, you know that, Bumi?" Zuko told the toddler with a slim grin on his face, but it faded, "Not that I'm one to talk."
"I like your hair, Uncle Zuko," Bumi said as he stumbled to his feet, having just learned to walk on the two of them. He pulled out Zuko's topknot and put it into his mouth.
"B-Bumi! No! D-don't do that!" Zuko snapped, flustered, as he grabbed the golden heirloom from the childhood. Bumi's lip began to tremble and his eyes quake.
"My shiny," Bumi muttered, his lip still shaking as Zuko panicked.
"N-no! D-don't cry!" Zuko cried, as he handed the child back the ancient artifact, "H-here you go! Take the shiny!"
"My shiny!" The toddler exclaimed, giving Zuko a hug as Zuko smiled lightly and returned it.
"Yeah, yeah, just don't put it in your mouth, okay?" Zuko explained and the boy nodded as he began to try climbing up Zuko's shoulders and back. Zuko winced as the small child attempted to use him as a personal rock-climbing attraction, stepping all over him, and nearly breaking his neck.
From a secluded distance, a group of loyalist rebels watched, glancing from behind the other side of the wall. The Ozai Loyalists were a radical group who remained loyal to the Sozin reign, and were adamant against any reform the new fire lord attempted. They were caught and settled, their lives dedicated to the past, served in wars for it, ready to die for it- ready to kill for it.
"There's the traitor of a fire lord," The female rebel husked from their espionage position.
"We aren't targeting him this time, Ryu," The male rebel reminded, "We're here to kill the avatar's son. He's the main ally's child of our head honcho problem. And, the avatar is the cause of our nation's grief since we began to spread our greatness. Any spawn of the avatar must be eradicated, you heard what Chara clearly instructed us, Ryu."
"I know, I know, Yezo," Ryu gritted through her teeth, "-Tch, they're so stupid," She spat, glaring at Zuko and Bumi laughing in the hall.
"That's an additional reason to rid of them," Yezo grunted as he patted his chest which underneath his don held his weapon, "Are you prepared to chi-block the fire lord?"
"Of course I am," Ryu swooned as she slid on her gloves with a devious smirk.
"We have to do this stealthily, don't be an idiot, Ryu," Yezon hollared pejoratively.
"I have done it only a thousand times," Ryu reminded, glaring at her aid.
"Well, this is our most important mission yet, so don't screw it up," Yezon demanded, and Ryu nodded.
"We need to hurry before they return," Ryu added and Yezon nodded.
"Don't forget your mask," Yezon reminded as he reached for the hat the hung on the top of her head, but he mistakenly knocked off her head, causing it to fall into the visibility of the young fire lord. As Zuko allowed the toddler to yank at his face, he noticed the hat lying on the ground, the breeze from the cracked window blowing it towards him. Zuko shifted his friends' son in his arms as he walked a few paces to pick up the hat. His eyes bolted open wide as he immediately recognized the insignia, and frantically glanced about.
"And, you keep calling me the idiot!" Ryu snapped in a whisper as she pulled her partner back out of Zuko's sight.
"You should have secured your coverup or kept it on. Your incompetence got us here," Yezon excused as Ryu narrowed her eyes. Zuko's heart began to race in his chest, that was the emblem of the Ozai Loyalist party, a group that'd gave attempts on his life multiple times. Zuko didn't know what they were after. Bumi kept giggling, blissfully unaware to the potential maelstrom that could face them. Zuko hushed the child as he frantically searched for somewhere to hide. He noticed a crawlspace door, only big enough to fit Bumi. Zuko thrust open the creaky, wooden, tiny door, and he turned to the now petrified child, sensing his surrogate uncle's frightened demeanor.
"Bumi, Bumi, buddy, listen to Uncle Zuko," Zuko began, biting his bottom lip as he kept looking over his shoulder in fear, "We're playing hide-and-seek with Uncle Sokka," Zuko continued, "We're going to beat him this time, but you have to stay here and don't make a sound, not a peep!" Zuko whispered as he eased the child into the creepy, dingy crawlspace. The boy grinned and nodded, putting his index finger vertically over his lips, and Zuko nodded, emulating him. "Not a peep!" Zuko whispered, his hands trembling as Bumi nodded. Zuko then closed the door, feeling the sweat cling to his body. He now had to find a hiding spot that would fit a full-grown man. In panic he began to search, trying to keep quiet. Zuko found another door and he darted towards it, finding it to be locked as he cursed beneath his breath, frenetically shaking the doorknob before feeling a prick on several points on his back before he went completely stiff and numb, collapsing to the floor.
It was the Ozai Loyalists. They were evasive and managed to silently maneuver to Zuko, taking him down. Zuko's pupils dilated in horror as Yezo grabbed him roughly by the collar, shaking him.
"You piece of trash, tell me where that child is," Yezo shouted, bearing his teeth.
"No," Zuko said candidly in a tone of disgust as he glared.
"Do you know how easily I could kill you and how beneficial that would be? Now, whose life do you value more: some child you hardly know, or your own?" Ryu spat.
"The child's," Zuko replied bitterly, wanting so much to beat the daylights out both of them, but after being chi-blocked he was powerless and paralyzed. They had him at their very disposal.
"You know we hate you with every ounce of our being, it's our purpose. So, you know we wouldn't hesitate to kill you brutally. Now, tell us where the child is. We know you know, we saw you with him. I will kill you right now if you don't drop the dime," Yezo screamed as he thrashed Zuko's limp body to the ground, kicking him in the gut as he moaned and adamantly shook his head in intransigent refusal.
"Go ahead, but I won't let you near the boy," Zuko insisted as Yezo shouted in frustration.
"Fine, have it your way, piece of s***!" Yezo screamed, kicking him again repeatedly as Ryu grabbed his shoulder.
"Wait- that wasn't the mission," Ryu whispered in confusion.
"He won't budge, he's too stubborn, which is why he's horrible for politics. We might as well put some fear into him so next time he won't say no. Besides, I despise him so much nothing else would give me more pleasure," Yezo spat as he lifted Zuko against the wall by his robe collar.
"I dare you," Zuko taunted, though his heart racing. Yezo scoffed at the fire lord's façade and drew his dagger. Zuko's eyes widened and Yezo caught it.
"Do you?" Yezo replied as he roughly and repeatedly began stabbing the sharp object into the fire lord's stomach and abdomen, making the somewhat squeamish Ryu to yelp and Zuko to scream in terror before he lost strength to. Ryu finished off by pounding in the fire lord's face with his fist, throwing him against the wall, battered, bloody, and bruised. "I hate you, I hope you die. I'll call it a mistake, and nothing will bring me more joy. You should have handed over the child, you idiot," Yezo screamed his animadversion as he spat on the dying fire lord literally. Zuko felt an unquenchable rage spark in the pit of his stomach, though physically incapable of quenching it, as he lied there bleeding to death, fearing it to be the end, but praying for the meeting's hasty end.
The minutes dragged on for what felt like hours as Zuko lied there. He started thinking of his uncle, his wife, his daughter, of his friends, of Bumi, who he prayed was still in the crawlspace and not the clutches of the Ozai Loyalists. Zuko wondered how anyone could have not heard the commotion, and pondered if Bumi was in the creepy, claustrophobic, little room bawling his eyes out in terror.
Gentle footsteps then were faintly heard down the corridor, the familiar sound of his three friends walking.
"Zuko?" He heard Aang's voice call faintly in his fading consciousness. Zuko made an inaudible sound as he feebly lifted his arm.
"Zuko!" Sokka cried, as he slapped both his sister and friend's arms to grab their attention, before darting to his side.
"What happened to you?" Aang shouted, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Zuko!" Katara screamed as she knelt beside him, pushing the bloody bangs from his face, "Where is Bumi? Where is my baby? Zuko!" Katara cried, as a primary focus as a mother. She thought only the worst for her son as she saw her friend's horrid condition, "You let someone take him?" Katara screamed, tears falling from her face, "Dammit, Zuko!"
"Katara," Sokka said gently, realizing her paranoia, but knowing it couldn't have been Zuko's fault from the look of him, "Do you see him?" Sokka snapped, tears welling in his eyes. Katara shook her head, crying more as Aang held her tightly, kissing her head, she put her hand to her mouth.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Katara pleaded, her head falling onto her friend's bloody shoulder. Aang then lied Zuko down more comfortably as he groaned, they used a piece of Aang's robe to cushion Zuko's head.
"Katara, he's going to die, heal him. What are you waiting for, you always bring your spare of spirit water in case of emergency," Aang snapped as Katara came out from her gaze, crying harder.
"I-I don't want to use it all," She muttered.
"Bumi," Aang uttered, biting his lip as Zuko kept trying to explain, but his voice too weak.
"So, you two are going to watch Zuko die? You don't even know what happened to Bumi?" Sokka cried.
"Sokka! No one- no one is going to watch Zuko die!" Katara cried as she looked at him sympathetically and in fear.
"We just don't know if we should set some aside or not!" Aang shouted back at Sokka, "Of course we wouldn't leave him for dead!"
"We don't have time to discuss this, it isn't a meeting," Sokka cried as Zuko began to cough up blood.
"Bumi-" Zuko began, spluttering out blood from his mouth, trying to finish his sentence.
"What?" Katara asked, taking him by the hand, rubbing her thumb over it, "Zuko, Zuko, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say those things to you. Zuko, please, please don't die, we need you."
"Shh, Katara, it'll be okay, Zuko will be fine, let him finish," Aang said softly as a tear fell from his eye, he was still filled with fury and a vindictive feeling from seeing his best friend in such a state, but he needed to focus now on where his son was, and healing both of them, "Go on, buddy, I know you're tired, but please-"
"Crawlspace," Zuko moaned, rolling over in pain, coughing more blood.
"He's in the crawlspace, I'll get him. Katara, heal him, now," Aang ordered as he began sprinting through the hall, on his hands and knees, desperately looking for a little door. Aang finally spotted it and flung it open, becoming overwhelmed with emotion to see his little boy unscathed. Aang pulled his son into his arms, holding him close, kissing his little head.
"You found me! Aw, man! Now we have to tell Uncle Zuko we lost hide-and-seek!" Bumi pouted as Aang bit his lip, scooping his son into his arms, kissing his forehead and scurrying back to the scene of the crime where Katara was working determinedly at Zuko's injuries. "Uncle Zuko!" Bumi cried, seeing him so hurt.
"Bumi, you're alright," Katara muttered, as she resisted the urge to embrace the boy for ten minutes straight, knowing the situation at hand was more than crucial. Katara felt tears fall from her eyes, "Who did this to you, Zuko?" Katara mused aloud as she vigorously worked at healing him, pinching her eyes shut tight to keep the tears from falling. She was enraged.
"When I found out, they won't breathe another breath," Sokka gritted from his teeth as he squeezed tight his fists.
"We'll get to the bottom of it," Aang swore, his eyes clouding. Katara finally sealed over the last fatal gash, and Zuko seemed to have his strength lifted slightly.
"Thank you, Katara," Zuko said, and Katara let a tear fall at the painfully familiar line.
"Stop it," Katara replied as she put her hand to his cheek.
"Daddy found me, Uncle Zuko!" Bumi cried, stirring from his nap, as Zuko frailly grinned.
"What do you mean?" Katara asked.
"Zuko knew they were coming, he hid Bumi in there, and to keep him quiet told him Sokka was playing hide-and-seek," Aang explained, looking at his friend with eyes of incredible gratitude.
"What did they want from you, buddy," Sokka asked, as he motioned for Aang, to carefully help their friend to his feet.
"They wanted to kill Bumi," Zuko said bitterly as all their eyes widened.
"Wh-why did they hurt you, Zuko?" Aang asked, still looking on at him in concern, Katara holding Bumi close, now. Zuko sighed.
"They said if I didn't tell, they'd kill me. They tried to get it out of me by hitting me," Zuko explained, avoiding their gaze. Aang looked at him in awe, as Katara began to weep. Aang pulled his friend into a cautious embrace, Sokka having an arm of graciousness on his shoulder.
"You saved my son, Zuko," Aang muttered.
"Aang, I couldn't let them hurt Bumi," Zuko muttered weakly and overtly.
"You idiot," Katara said as she kissed his cheek bruised, black-and-blue cheek, tears all over her face.
"Come on," Sokka said as his voice cracked, "Let's get Jerkbender here to a proper hospital."
"Let's," Katara spoke as Aang came from Zuko's embrace, as his wife kissed his lips, the family holding close as Zuko watched with a smile from afar.
"Let's."