A/N: Yo! Sorry about not uploading in like… months ._. But I was on vacation (Out of the state) Idk if this is going to be a one-shot or not…depends on if you guys want me to continue it. This is an AU (Still in the same world, just different story) So, Iroh died in the episode "The Chase" and the Gaang hasn't seen Zuko since! In fact… No one has ._. He just sort of…vanished… (P.S – The time span between 'The Chase" and when the Gaang reaches Ba Sing Se has expanded, giving more time of travel… I would say about 3-4 months expansion) OOC Zuko!
Rated T for language and violence
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The boy brushed dust off of his thin, brown pants. He cleaned the blood from of his swords with a single swipe on the back of his long trench coat. He smirked as a crowd of people gradually surrounded him and the fallen man. He crouched down and grabbed the back of the man's shirt, then stood again and started to drag the body towards a small wooden building, leaving a trail of blood across the dirt road. He stopped dragging the man when he reached the small porch of the wooden building. He slowly stepped inside and walked toward a counter, taking notice of the three small cells near the back wall. The boy pulled a paper out of his pocket and slammed it on the wooden counter. The guard behind the table glanced up and noticed the body near the doorway, then the wanted poster. His eyes widened as he took notice of the boy's dark smirk.
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"So you're a bounty hunter, eh kid?"
The boy simply nodded before taking a sip of his drink. "Ain't you a little young to be drinkin' ?" The bartender asked, "If I can kill, I can drink." The boy replied shortly, setting his glass down. The bartender nodded, then went to serving some partially drunk men. The boy, being sixteen, had seen many things. Some of which even grown men would cower in fear from even thinking of. His name – Zuko, banished prince of the Fire Nation, enemy to the Earth Kingdom, and newly acquired occupation - bounty hunting. He was on his way to Ba Sing Se, a place that his Uncle had always talked about going to during there traveling time. Where was his Uncle now you ask? Probably a better place than this Hell Hole here on Earth. If you asked Zuko, he would probably say that his Uncle personally left him to suffer while he was having the time of his life in the Spirit World. He was traveling by pirate ship for about a month until he was thrown overboard for killing a few of the crew members. Since then, he was stopping every once in a while in a town to turn in some bounties and collect the money. Luckily for him, he only gained one new scar since the past two months. The pink, scarred flesh that was ripped into by a jagged sword had run from his right shoulder down to his wrist. The bastard that did it was one of the larger bounty's, Xié é Cha, wanted dead for murder, rape, and of course, burglary. He had collected quite a sum of money for the bastard, luckily enough to pay off the money he owed to the town's doctor. But right now, he was sitting in a tavern full of wanted men, and men that probably wanted to kill him. He quickly finished his drink and paid the bartender. He stood up from his stool and started to walk toward the door. The boy ducked under a fist and before you could even stop the fight, blood stained the wooden floors and painted Zuko's body, making his dark green tunic, red. "You want to try that again?" The ex-prince asked as he twisted the sword that was shoved through the drunken man's stomach. The man howled in pain as he sank to his knees making the sword slowly slip out of his body. Zuko wiped his sword clean of the fresh blood and turned his heel, once again walking to the doors.
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Finally, he made his way into the city walls. He has reached Ba Sing Se in about a weeks time from the town. In about an hour since he had entered the large city, he was walking through the lower ring, looking for an at least decent place to eat. He may be a homicidal bounty hunting firebender, but technically he was still a prince. "I'm really starting to think I should just sneak into the upper level and steal from one of those rich snobs." He thought, snorting from the irony of the situation. He made his way towards the wall that separated the middle level from the lower level. He took his time, looking around to see old men sitting on the dirt sidewalks chatting, pregnant women trying to get there youngest children to quiet down, and all the stalls that were being run. Zuko eventually reached the wall and tried to find a cracked stone anywhere. Fortunately for him, he found some and he slowly started to make his way up the wall. The firebender reached for the ledge and pulled himself on top of the wall. He huffed out a breath of air and cracked his back. Zuko took a look around to see some more decent places below him, not as poor and dirty as the lower ring was. "Hey! What are you doing up here?" He heard a yell. "Oh shit. I didn't expect them to find me so soon. Guess I got to escape now." He started to run along the wall, guards chasing him and trying to block his way with pillars of earth. Fortunately, his months of fighting barbaric men and running from Earth Kingdom soldiers that recognized him had paid off. He grinned to himself, enjoying the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he ran from the guards. Suddenly, a gust of air had knocked our favorite banished prince off the wall and on to the unforgiving ground below. Zuko hitched a breath as his back connected with the hard dirt, groaning in pain as he tried to get up. He hissed in pain as he put pressure on his arm, trying to lift himself from the ground. "Fuck… Must have dislocated my shoulder when I hit the ground… Who the hell could knock me off this fucking wall?" He slowly stood up, grabbing his shoulder when he was fully standing. He raised the wrist of his left arm in front of his torso. "This is going to hurt like a bitch…" He thought before you pushed his shoulder back in place. He grunted in pain but as soon as it came, it went. "Who are you?" A sudden voice came into ear shot and he turned his head toward the new arrival. Orange clothes filled his vision. The person's eyes widened, "Zuko?"
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"What are you doing in Ba Sing Se? And what are you doing here with Aang? Aang what is he doing here with you?" The Water Tribe boy screeched, looking back and forth from their guest, who had taken a comfy seat on the couch with his feet up on the table, and the young Avatar. Aang rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Well, you see Sokka… Zuko isn't after us anymore. I found his running from some guards along the Middle Ring's wall." Aang explained. "How do you know he isn't lying? I mean… He did chase us across the world for a year, why stop now?" Sokka questioned. "I'm right here you know, Water Tribe." Zuko said, "If you don't mind me, I'll be raiding your food while you sit here wondering why I haven't killed you yet." He stood up and started to walk toward the kitchen. "Oh no you don't! You come inside OUR house, an enemy to us! And now you're going to eat our food?" Sokka protested, blocking the doorway into the kitchen. "Seems about right." The firebender smirked, pushing Sokka out the way. Before he could get any further into the kitchen, the front door slid open, revealing two girls. The first one, having chocolate tan skin, blue eyes like the ocean, and dark hair, and the second one, being shorter than the first, having pale skin, and murky white eyes, following with dark black hair. "I knew someone else what in here!" The shorter one yelled with pride. "What the hell is he doing here?" The waterbender shouted. "Stealing your food and taking comfort in your house." Zuko stated bluntly. She glared at him and uncapped her flask, pulling out water. "Wait Katara! Don't attack him!" Aang said to her before any damage was done. Toph had already plopped herself on the couch and started to pick her toes, completely ignoring the house guest. Zuko was raiding the fridge while Sokka was trying to pull him away – failing terribly, and Aang had tried to explain the situation to Katara.
Keyword, -Tried-
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"Are you joking Aang? You let our enemy in the house and you don't even act a tiny bit suspicious of him?" Katara screeched, trying to comprehend the ridiculous situation. "But Katara! He's not our enemy anymore! He could have killed all of us by now but he hasn't! The only thing he's done is eat all of Sokka's food!" The young Avatar tried to reason. Unfortunately, it was no use to her, for she had already brought up all the wrong things that he has done at least ten times in their conversation. Aang had quit trying to reason with Katara, playing with Momo instead. Katara walked up the firebender who was lazily laying on the couch, bandana over his eyes and tied around his head. She glared at him, "What are you really doing here?" She hissed the question at him. He lifted the bandana from over his eyes and on to his forehead, staring at her. "Well, I was planning on stealing some food from the upper class snobs but that obviously didn't work out. Since we last saw each other I've been bounty hunting." He said shortly, closing his eyes. "So you were going to STEAL from people?" She shouted, "And you expect us to let you get away with that?" She grabbed the water flask at her hip. "Well, seeing how I didn't do anything, you can't really punish me for anything." Zuko shrugged. "Besides, I got my meal off of you guys." He smirked as he patted his now full stomach. Katara glared at him then sat at a chair across the table. Mere minutes later and the banished prince was already sleeping. "I guess a short nap wouldn't hurt, I just hope that the banshee doesn't drown me in my sleep." He thought before he fell asleep. "Who the hell does he think he is? Taking comfort in OUR home? Eating all of OUR food? Bastard…" Katara venomously thought, glaring at Zuko's sleeping figure. Minute after minute, her glares were getting more intense and Zuko could practically feel it even in his sleep.
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"Well, I guess I'll be going now." The banished prince announced before walking through the front door. "Where do you think your going?" Katara asked angrily, grabbing his collar and dragging him back into the house. He glared at her, daring her to do it again. "Not sure, probably back down into the lower level. Maybe I'll steal a few coins from some richies up here before I head back." Zuko shrugged. "Oh? And now were back to the stealing case huh?"
"Why are you annoying me about stealing?"
"Because it's wrong! And besides, if you're going to steal then don't tell someone that!"
"Oh, so suddenly stealing is wrong yet your telling me how to do it? Nice logic there Princess" Zuko snorted. Katara gasped, "Did…Did you just call me PRINCESS?" She yelled. The two bickered for a good ten minutes, entertaining the small audience. "Do you think they'll stop soon?" Aang asked nervously, "Oh chill out Twinkletoes, I bet Sugar Queen is just PMSing and she needed someone to take it out on." Toph shrugged as she watched the fight sightlessly. "You think this is going to get physical?" Sokka asked her, "If it were my choice, yes. But since Twinkletoes is here, probably not. Or at least not very far in a fight for any serious damage." Sokka nodded at her explanation, watching the argument between the two benders, amused.
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"Okay! This time I'm seriously planning on leaving if the banshee doesn't keep me here." Zuko announced. He walked out the door without any other goodbyes. He looked over his shoulder and smirked, "Maybe… Just maybe I might come back to these idiots. On purpose this time."
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A/N: Okay! Welp, there you have it! "Bounty Hunter" is finished (Unless you guys don't want it to be finished, then I'll continue it) I hope you enjoyed the story! I'm going to be updating my other two stories so check out those! Remember to review, favorite, and follow me! Oh, and I eat flames for breakfast so… I don't really care if you flame me . Bye!