Keith tapped his fingers against the breakfast table methodically. He stared at his father in a way that could be seen as a glare, if you looked close enough. General Kogane was having an early audience with Admiral Jo Shang of the northern fire fleet.

"General Kogane, I think it would be in your best interest to accompany me and my fleet in finding the Avatar…As we all know your reputation with the past Avatar, Fire Lord Ozai requested specially for your assistance in this endeavor." Shang said so in a matter of fact tone, staring holes into General Kogane's face.

The Kogane family name was highly regarded in the homeland of the Fire Nation. Keith's great grandfather fought against Avatar Roku, and ensured that he knew nothing of the war that would begin. Kogane was a catalyst in the war, and for that Keith despised his name and everything it stood for.

"Of course, Admiral Shang. Keith, and myself would be honored to once again serve Fire Lord Ozai in this war." Keith's fingers ceased tapping. His breath hitched and he shot his glare between his father and Admiral Shang. He knew that he was a valuable asset to his father, he was a prodigy firebender, working with two masters at once, but he would rather be a non-bending peasant, than a prodigy and weapon to be used against innocent children and families that the Fire Nation frequently 'sacrificed' in the name of war and 'peace'.

"Father, I know our position, but I will not-" Keith started,

"Silence! Know your place child and keep quiet," his father cut him off before Keith had time to oppose.

"Yes, Father. I'm sorry-" Keith bit his tongue and crossed his arms. His brows knotted and he diverted his glare towards the ground. The scars on his back reminded him of the consequences his father gave every time he spoke out of term during his audiences.

"Thank you for your support General, now if you would excuse us Keith, we need to talk about something in private."

"FUCK" Keith hissed, kicking his door shut hard, leaving a sizable dent in the metal before turning around.

His feet steamed as he stomped a trail in his room where he paced. He couldn't support this war this way.

How could his father volunteer his son for his own battle? How could he be born in a family who blindly followed their predecessors that lied to the Avatar?

His jaw clenched in anger. Keith took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself, he closed his eyes. They opened a few seconds later, settling on the Fire Nation emblem that draped over his bed.

His heel dug dents into the ground as his he punched a ferocious flame at the symbol. It caught flame. Slowly deteriorating. Keith took deep breaths, staring at the flag as it died of it's own legacy.

He looked down at his hands, and closed them tightly, crescents developing in his palms.

He knew very well of what he had to do now.

"Okay. So I'm going to go in there and bend a blockade for the fish, and you two are going to come in after me with the net. All I need you to do is throw it in, I'll push the fish up, and you guys pull it out real fast. Can you handle that?" Pidge asked, frowning as they saw Lance, finger in his ear and not paying attention to anything they were saying at all.

Pidge sighed and stomped their foot slightly, a column of rock shot up from Lance's left foot, making him lose balance and fall backwards onto his ass.

"Would you please TRY to pay attention to me when we have important stuff to do?" Pidge said in an aggravated voice.

"Pidge, I heard you! Fish, blah blah, throw something, blah," defended Lance. He pushed himself up and dusted off his traditional water tribe clothes. "We've done this a million times, I think Hunk and I know how to go fishing by now. Hunk?" Lance nudged Hunk, who was paying no attention either, instead looking at the market.

"Huh?" mumbled Hunk, looking at the two of them confused.

"Seriously guys?", Pidge stomped at the ground and send two rows of rock, knocking both of them on their butts. "I get it that you guys hate fishing and all, but it's gotta be done. We'll do our fishing and be on our way."

Lance hissed and rubbed his butt and sighed and mumbled, "It would be easier if I could BEND the fish out of the water…"

Pidge looked down at Lance and frowned slightly, "Lance I'm sorry, I know it's hard for you right now since you lost your bending, but we just have to deal with it until we can get to the North Pole water tribe and get you healed. For now, we just have to suck it up and do the best that we can."

Pidge has adopted the role of peacekeeper while Shiro was ahead of them. He had important battle plans with Earth King to attend to, and that meant no one to keep Lance in check and stopping him from doing, well- Lance things.

"Can't we just buy some food from the market place? I don't mean to knock the whole fish thing Pidge, but it's getting so old and I don't think I can handle any more scales going down." Hunk complained.

"No, we have to save our cash for whatever it takes to heal Lance."

Lance furrows his brows and stares down at his hands. His palms were soft, but strong, with long slender fingers. Waterbending hands. He was good with swords, sure. He can handle his own when shit hits the pan and he needs to beat some Fire Nation scum with a whale-tooth sword, but not being able to bend has him feeling...vulnerable.

The gang had a run in with some questionable mudbenders in a swamp a few weeks ago. Turned out they weren't only mudbenders. One of the crew got pissed by Lance flirting with one of the village girls, and he bloodbended Lance. It was terrible. No one was around. He doesn't know what that man did, but whatever it was locked up his waterbending. He couldn't even make a splash, that's why they had to head North. Lance needed the specialized waterhealing that they had there.

"Let's just get this over with so we can get out of here. Please." Lance picked up the net, the other two exchanged sympathetic looks.