Chapter Two:

The cell in the Exterminator was not the worst it could have been. Yue had thought she'd be locked somewhere infinitely more unpleasant. But the metal room was almost clean and the pallet provided didn't writhe the way a bug-infested one would. She'd slept on enough to know. Still, she refused to sit down and rest. When her captors came for her, they'd find that a princess of the Northern Water Tribe was not weak.

These were times for the immovability of an iceberg.

Yue lifted her head a little higher when the cell door swung open. A man stepped into view. At the sight of him, she thought a prayer to La, and added the customary requiem for Tui.

"Yue," greeted the man. He was dressed in the uniform of a Fire Nation admiral, and his beard was the careful work of a fine barber. But even the best beard could not hide the scars on his lower jaw, as if a poisonous star sucker fish had attempted to make a meal of him. Yue had it on the very best authority that was in fact the case. "I feel as if there should be some manner of celebration for our meeting. How long have I been hunting you? Eight years? Nine?"

"You know full well it has been ten years since you cravenly murdered the Spirit of the Moon, instead of fighting us like a true warrior. Are you proud that your greatest accomplishment will be the death of a defenseless fish? All hail the great Zhao, a man of such daring he can conquer a koi pond!" She spat at the destroyer of her people. "Coward."

Zhao struck her hard across the face. Yue wavered, but managed not to fall.

"Now, now, Admiral Zhao, you mustn't break our new prisoner too quickly. And as it seems to be a point of contention, I believe it was ten since she became a fugitive, and eight since we cared," drawled a new voice. A woman a few years younger than Yue stepped into the cell. Her dark hair was pulled up in a topknot with a golden flame as a crown. She had not changed since the battle earlier and mixed in with the scarlet silks were the rusty stains of dried blood. Her smile came from lips perfectly painted to match. "Her little rebellion had an awfully shaky start. Isn't that right, Yue?"

"Princess Yue," she corrected. "And I find it most heartening that I've caused enough trouble to merit both Admiral Zhao and Princess Azula. Though I do wonder who is whose attack gopher dog?"

Azula flicked her fingers. A dart of fire singed off one section of Yue's hair. Yue did not flinch. "That's Fire Lord Azula to you," she snapped. "And Admiral Zhao reports to me."

"Of course he does," responded Yue in the most placating tone she could muster. There was very little she could fear, now that the worst had happened. "Though I am surprised to find him at sea. Isn't that a bit too close for comfort?"

For the man who had killed the Ocean Spirit's lover, Admiral Zhao did not react as she had hoped. "Perhaps, but for the leader of the Rebellion, it is well worth it. After all, I needed to inspect things before we had you transferred to your new accommodations."

Yue did not like the sound of that. Azula noticed her apprehension and laughed. "Oh, you thought we'd do something as mundane as execute you, didn't you? Then you could be the noble martyr for your silly little cause. No, it won't be that easy. I've been telling Admiral Zhao about all the fascinating techniques those old Earth Kingdom spies had. The Dai Li are so creative. He's really looking forward to this."

A sick feeling grew in Yue's stomach. When they came to land, perhaps she could beg the mercy of the restless spirits to -

"And you needn't worry about my safety. I've a new vessel that suits me perfectly. There aren't any alive who can reach it with ease." Zhao smiled. "After all, the airbenders are dead."

Once the cell door had shut behind those smirking faces, Yue sank to the floor. One hand absently stroked the stinging cheek where Zhao had hit her. Her data was correct, then – the Fire Nation had been developing a new airship. Previous airships had shown all the agility of a beached whale, their attacks succeeding more by chance than anything else. Zhao would never desire the command of such crude things. But if those too-clever minds behind the first had designed a new ship, one large enough or destructive enough to be fitting for both Zhao's rank and ego ... an airship whose existence was so tightly guarded that only one of Yue's spies had returned from her mission, and that mortally wounded.

Yue squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to be strong. Lin Hua may have been near death when they brought her aboard, but that master spy had not faltered in the defense of their ship. She had died taking a spear for Yue. They had all died for Yue, and through her, everything she represented. If the Dai Li's interrogation methods were as formidable as rumored, then the rebellion was in more danger than ever – from her. If she broke, all of their plans would come to nothing.

She would die before that happened.


The Hawkbat quietly slipped into Suzaku Harbor after nightfall. Sickly gray light from the ashen crescent of the dead moon washed over the city. The port was, in theory, the southernmost stronghold of Fire Nation authority. In practice that distinction was a mere formality. The Fire Nation sought to recoup their financial losses in the war with heavy taxes on such valuable goods as whale oil and ivory, but being so far from the homeland meant such rules were often circumvented. Between the undead and the rebel uprisings, the Fire Nation stayed in the north. In Suzaku, a fortune was to be made in bribes and the black market.

It was a good place to do business. Suzaku had the lawlessness of Tart's Cove and the money to make it worthwhile. Usually. As he guided the Hawkbat into her berth, Zuko eyed the silent hulking form of a Fire Nation battleship anchored on the far side of the bay. It might be the ship from before, or merely the same model. Either way, it was impossible to tell if it was Azula's; he'd been resolute in avoiding the first-hand knowledge needed to recognize the Exterminator. Regardless, if the authorities had come to correct Suzaku's errant ways, he'd better conclude his business quickly, before anyone got too curious. The wanted posters for himself and his uncle no longer promised a great reward, but some of the people they dealt with could be persuaded for a small one.

"Aang," he ordered while he disembarked, "stay here. Iroh and I need to see a man about the cargo. And he doesn't like new faces."

Aang nodded. He was still blinking sleep from his eyes since Iroh had woken him for the approach.

"What are you going to do?" Zuko prompted. Experience had taught him that orders were best repeated with Aang, in case the kid decided to "mishear" them.

"Stay here," mumbled the kid, stretching out his arms and scratching at his ridiculous cap. He'd refused to remove it the entire voyage and the thing had the stench to prove it.

"Exactly. And stay out of sight too. I don't want to be getting a reputation as a nursemaid, either." Zuko ignored his uncle's tsking behind him. At least he wasn't kicking Aang off as soon as they hit land like he had threatened ten or twenty times on their voyage.

"My nephew is correct, if harsh in his wording," Iroh added, settling a dark green cloak on his shoulders. "Discretion is wise in a city such as this. Be careful and we will return shortly."

Aang waved goodbye at them. "I'll be right here. No problem. Have fun!"

Fun was not Zuko's preferred word for dealing with Brock. The small, pigeonrat-faced man was his most reliable contact for unloading hot cargoes, but that never meant he could trust Brock not to cheat him. This was going to be a long night of bargaining and veiled threats.

A man in Brock's business tended towards nocturnal hours, so Zuko had little trouble locating him at the usual dive. He was holding court in the back corner, counting out his take for the evening. Good. That meant he'd have the coin on hand to pay for the shipment. Zuko aimed for the table, trusting his uncle to have his back.

"Got a good cargo for you." Zuko saw no reason to waste time on pleasantries. He needed this deal done. "Whale oil, twenty barrels."

"You and every smuggler in the South Sea," Brock answered, unimpressed. In a few neat moves he slipped his money out of sight. "What makes you think I'm interested?"

"Because when I say I've got the goods, I mean it," Zuko dropped into a chair opposite Brock. "My word's good."

"Ah yes, your word." Brock gestured briefly to his men. Zuko felt them approach from behind. His fingers twitched and he wished he'd brought his swords along, Brock's paranoia be damned. "Captain Zuko, man of honor. I don't mean to impugn your fine sensibilities, but the fact of the matter is, the Fire Nation is in town and she's not happy with the current arrangements. I won't be taking such a risk for a mere twenty barrels."

"It's twenty barrels of the highest quality," Zuko responded, his gut tightening at the mention of 'she.' "I'll give the whole lot to you for four hundred silvers."

"No deal. Tell you what," Brock leaned forward. "I'll sell you the paperwork for authenticated oil transport for one hundred silvers, then buy the goods from you at twelve silvers a barrel. We'll walk into the Bureau of Commerce tomorrow morning and take care of it all legal like, so's I don't have to worry about any unfortunate government interest."

Zuko struggled not to show his dismay on his face. Brock knew this was a deal he couldn't accept. There was no way he could walk into an official Fire Nation building, with his wanted poster on the wall. He'd known twenty a barrel was unlikely, but Brock's counteroffer already undercut his by far more than anticipated.

He tried to bluff a little. "I can always take my cargo elsewhere. I'm sure someone in this city knows the value of a purchase off the books."

"You may find better luck elsewhere." Brock smirked. "Though did I mention the name of the battleship that graces my fair city? It's the Exterminator."

Azula's flagship. Agni's balls. It had been her. Zuko knew he had to unload, and unload fast. And that every minute spent looking for a better deal was another one closer to discovery.

Brock probably wouldn't betray him. A reputation for snitching could be more trouble than the reward was worth. But he knew enough to know Zuko was trapped. He would have to accept whatever Brock deigned to offer, and hope Brock didn't want Azula's attention any more than he did.

Zuko took a moment to curse his sister, his father, and himself for this state of affairs. He'd broken all ties with them when he was sixteen and in return he was forced to exist at the margins of society where even the bottom feeders could outmaneuver him.

After a few more rounds of bargaining, Zuko sold his cargo for a mere five silvers a barrel. In the overland trade, it could be worth thirty.

Zuko left the bar fuming. They'd barely made enough to cover the cost of sailing. The only bright side was he didn't have to pay Aang.

"You did the right thing there, nephew," Iroh said as they walked back to the ship, hurrying as fast as they could without drawing attention to themselves. "With the information Brock gave us, we know that our leaving is tied more to our fortunes than any wealth that could be had. It is a fool who jumps a canyon to reach the moonpeach on the other side."

"Tell me that on your third week of hardtack," snapped Zuko as he neared the Hawkbat, scanning for any sign of Aang. Good. The kid had kept his head down as instructed. "He cheated us, and we both know it."

"Better our money than our lives."

"I do not want your proverbs right now, uncle." Zuko climbed aboard and took a moment to feel the calming rock of the ship. "Aang, you can come out now."

No response. Had the kid fallen asleep? Zuko called out again. They needed all hands to roll the barrels out and into the generous embrace of Brock and his men. He heard no answer in return.

Aang was not in his bunk, or anywhere in the hold. Zuko climbed out onto the deck, cursing the brat for running before he could kick him out himself. He'd almost been willing to keep Aang on. He should have known better. The kid must have taken off the instant Zuko was out of sight. But why? For him to even ask himself the question showed how much Aang had gotten under his skin. The brat.

"Zuko!"

Iroh sounded frantic. A small flame danced in the palm of his right hand and in his left he held a scrap of paper. Zuko snatched it out of his hand. It was a note written in a messy scribble that could only be Aang's.

Dear Captain Zuko and Iroh,

I know you told me to stay on the ship but I overheard some pirates walking by and they were the ones who took Appa from me. Appa's all I got left so I have to follow them. I'm really sorry but I'll be back soon (hopefully with Appa, he's really nice, you'll like him!) anyways they said they were going to go talk to someone on the Extreme Baker or something I will know when I get there.

Aang

That complete and utter idiot. Even if Appa was all Aang had left of his family (and Zuko was unclear on this – he was fairly certain that Appa was some kind of pet), running after a band of pirates was pure suicide.

"Zuko, you must go find him." Iroh crumbled the scrap in his hand. "I fear Aang is walking into danger he is not yet ready to encounter."

"Obviously." Zuko swallowed, his throat thick. "And I was just beginning to like the kid. But we can't draw attention to ourselves if he's run up against some pirates! Remember the last time we faced some pirates, Uncle? You know, when they blew up my ship?"

"It is more than that. He must be headed towards the Exterminator. Were Azula to get her hands on the – on an innocent like that, the results will be far worse than we can imagine. Perhaps he has not gone far. You will go and find him. Quickly."

"Uncle, we have our own problems. Brock's men will be coming – "

"I will finish our business here. You will take care of Aang."

"Uncle – "

"That child is under our protection!" Zuko had not seen Iroh so vehement in a long time. "What is the honorable thing to do?"

"I gave up on honor long ago," said Zuko bitterly. Brock and others like him may taunt him for his "honorable" ways, but he knew what he had done to survive since the day of his second exile. Memories of a mask now lying at the bottom of a river swam through his head. His time as the Blue Spirit may have earned him the Hawkbat, but there had been no honor in those deeds.

"No," said Iroh. "You redefined it. Now follow the path that has been set for you and bring Aang home."

Zuko opened his mouth to deliver a retort, a denial, an insult - but suddenly found he had nothing to say. He clenched his jaw shut and ducked into the cabin. He took a moment to secure his swords and then he set out into the night in the direction of the Exterminator. He was going to deliver the most blistering lecture he could when he found Aang again.

He slipped from shadow to shadow, mindful of his risk. All he needed was some bright-eyed soldier recognizing him and jumping at the chance for promotion. Why did it have to be the Exterminator? Azula's flagship usually patrolled farther north, where the Fire Nation had more sensitive interests. Azula herself, he knew, was called Fire Lord now, though she acted as Ozai's chief enforcer. Their ancestors would be ashamed to see the title of Fire Lord so profaned. The throne would never be his, but some days it stung a little less, when he thought about what it had become.

Zuko wound through several city blocks near the waterfront, keeping his ears alert for any group that sounded particularly piratical or anyone that sounded particularly annoying. How did Iroh think he could find one boy in a city this size? Aang probably wasn't even heading towards Azula's ship. He'd written "Extreme Baker" after all. They weren't that similar. The kid was probably now cheerfully harassing the beleaguered staff of some unlucky all-night bakery about wind pie cushions, whatever those were. He couldn't possibly be so foolish as to follow a band of pirates into a Fire Nation stronghold…

Zuko muttered a curse and picked up his pace. He dearly hoped Aang was showing a previously unknown sense of preservation and stopped this idiocy before he ended up sandwiched between two groups of people willing to kill him with a smile.

He arrived at the Exterminator's pier. It was empty, except for a small group of men who were trying to skulk in the shadows of the nearest building. There were three of them, one with a parrot-lizard on his shoulder, or just a very misshapen hunchback. They looked familiar. Zuko narrowed his eyes, but shoved aside the urge to sneak closer and wring their stupid necks. If those were the same pirates, revenge wasn't going to help him now, and jumping out of an exploding ship was not an experience he cared to repeat. He scanned the area to see if the kid was anywhere to be seen, but he'd barely begun to search when the boarding ramp of the Exterminator lowered with a muffled thump. A man in a heavy dark cloak stole out of the ship and over to the skulking band of no-good dirty lowlifes.

Zuko snorted quietly to himself. This guy was about as stealthy as a komodo-rhino in a china shop.

"What are you idiots doing here?" whisper-shouted the cloaked man. His voiced sounded familiar. "I told you never to come to me. I'll decide when and where we meet."

"You asked us to go digging for information. If you don't want to know where the rebel princess is, then it's your loss," said the hunchback-parrot-lizard man.

"I know where she is. That freakish little white-haired bitch is currently in the hold of the ship behind me. The one belonging to Fire Lord Azula, who," the cloaked man grabbed the pirate leader by his shirt and hissed in his face, "if she hears of our little arrangement, will kill us all. Slowly and with pleasure."

Someone moved in the shadows behind the pirates. Zuko darted closer. If the cloaked man was who Zuko thought it was, he wouldn't have the least compunction in silencing potential threats, no matter how young.

"We've other information as well, Admiral," gasped the leader, tugging ineffectually at the cloaked man's grip. He released him with a shove. The pirate staggered a moment and continued. "We discovered a most unusual animal – "

"Silence! I don't care about that. Save that nonsense for the circus."

That was definitely Zhao's voice. Great. Someone else who wanted him dead. What a fool his younger self had been, not to kill Zhao in their Agni Kai when he'd had a chance. Zuko sank deeper into the darkness. On the bright side, it seemed Zhao was likely to get himself killed soon enough, plotting behind Azula's back. Zuko had thought Zhao smarter than that.

The meeting lingered a few moments longer. There were recriminations, directions to send discreet messenger hawks to chosen locations, and Zhao's boasts about his new command, the Flaming Fist. Once Zhao was satisfied he had reestablished his power and importance, he finally left.

The pirates began to disperse and Zuko prepared to follow them, itching for a fight even though he knew it would be suicidal. Aang would be nearby if they were truly his only lead to the mysterious Appa. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a small figure darting towards one of the chains that anchored the battleship to the pier. Why was Aang moving away from the pirates? And towards the Exterminator?

Zuko gave chase. Just before Aang prepared to shimmy up the chain, he grabbed his ankle and dumped him on the ground.

The kid's response surprised him. Aang sprang to his feet, his body settling in the unmistakable crouch of a fighter. But he didn't attack. Instead, he darted nimbly away and sprang onto a nearby pile of shipping crates. Zuko climbed after him, calling his name in the loudest voice he dared.

"Aang! It's me."

The kid halted. "Captain Zuko?" He jumped backwards once more, landing another row up as easily if it had been daylight. "I'm sorry I left the ship, but I had to find out."

"Yeah, I get it." Zuko scaled another crate. "This is why we need to go after the pirates, who went that way. Let's go get your Appa."

Aang stopped his retreat. "You'll come with me? Really?"

"Really." Zuko was now on the same level as Aang. He stood and wobbled a moment before finding his footing.

Aang was surprisingly torn with indecision.

"It's just that – Appa's special, they probably won't hurt him," he said with the conviction of someone who refused to believe anything else. "But the princess – she won't be so lucky."

Zuko did not like the sound of that. At all.

Aang continued, "That man said she has white hair, like the girl we saw get captured before. And now I know she's a rebel and fighting against the Fire Nation. We – I – didn't do anything before and now I have to do something. I owe them. I have to try."

"You don't owe anyone anything." That wasn't right. "No, wait. You owe me. Me and my uncle. And we need you safe." Zuko braced himself. "So you are going to come back to the Hawkbat with me. Understood?"

Aang shook his head and Zuko pounced. He was a grown man. He could take Aang back by force if necessary.

The kid dodged. Zuko spun around and lunged after him, but Aang danced effortlessly away again. This was ridiculous. He should be able to catch one scrawny kid, no matter how agile he was.

"Will you just – hold – still?" Zuko grunted. He dove towards Aang to bring him down in a tackle.

Aang simply leapt over him with a forward handspring, and as Zuko tucked in a roll and came to his feet, he vaulted lightly over the edge.

Aang landed neatly on the ground and tilted his head towards Zuko. "I'm sorry," he said softly, "but I have to do this." And then he launched himself once more onto the chain and made his way onto the Exterminator.

Zuko clambered down off the crates, but it was too late. He watched him disappear into the ship, and cursed.

The easy thing to do would be to let the kid get himself killed. It was just like the sea chase earlier – not his problem. Only it was. This wasn't some random stranger, this was Aang. Aang, whose idea of being cool involved spouting off slang used by crotchety old men. Aang, who laughed at his uncle's stupid jokes and listened to his endless anecdotes about tea with all apparent interest. Aang, who talked to Zuko constantly and paid attention to his teaching (eventually) and who inevitably looked happy to see him, no matter how hard he scowled. As annoying as the kid was, as naïve and strange, Zuko knew he couldn't just leave him to Azula. He'd known it would come to this the instant Iroh said Aang's safety was his duty. Zuko crouched, gathered his strength, and leapt after Aang.

If Aang's safety was his responsibility, then the only person who was allowed to strangle him was Zuko.

He shimmied up the chain and through the porthole, after peering through it to see if there was anyone looking. It was a tight squeeze – though he was sure the kid had slipped through just fine. He fell into a storage room empty of people but for Aang. Who was perched on a box, knees bent, resting his chin on both hands. It was the expectant look on his face that made Zuko want to scream. Aang was not surprised that he'd followed.

"You," Zuko said, in the off chance the kid would listen this time, "are coming with me."

"No, I'm not. Do you know where the prison cells are on a battleship?"

"Of course I do – don't. Definitely not. My uncle sent me to rescue you from your own stupidity, so we're going to go through that porthole and back to where it's safe."

"Well," Aang began, in far too reasonable a tone, "I'm going to rescue the princess, and so if you're rescuing me, you have to rescue her. Did you find out where the prison cells were when you were exiled? On the ship you didn't blow up?"

Zuko ground his teeth very loudly. He'd known every inch of his first ship, the old steamer his father had granted him for the first portion of his exile. It had been his only home for three years until Zhao's pirates had destroyed it. If Zuko was going to do something stupid, he would much rather it involved sticking it to said pirates than standing around in his sister's flagship arguing with a twelve-year-old.

"The princess can solve her own problems. We need to – "

"Is somebody there?" a voice called out. Zuko spun towards the doorway. A Fire Nation soldier in full uniform appeared. "Listen, you're not supposed to be here."

They were caught. Zuko struggled to think up a plan.

Aang scratched his cap. "Would you believe we're ghosts?" he asked. "And this is all a dream?"

The guard shook his head. "You can't be ghosts; you haven't tried to kill me yet." He frowned, pinched himself, and then peered at them. "No, you're not dreams either. I'm going to have to take you in."

"Oh, don't mind him. That's my idiot brother," Zuko grabbed Aang by the collar and yanked him back, "he wanted to see what a real live Fire Nation battleship looked like. I'll just take him and we'll be on our way. You are in so much trouble, young man."

Zuko bowed and dragged Aang towards the porthole. With Agni's blessing, the guard would stay confused long enough for them to run.

"Hey, do I know you? You look familiar," said the guard. He lifted his faceplate to examine Zuko more closely.

"Really? I guess I just have one of those faces. Never seen you before on my life, sorry to bother you," Zuko babbled as he hastened away.

Agni had never liked Zuko very much.

"Wait, I've seen you on wanted posters!" His mouth dropped open. "You're Prince Zuko!" He gaped at them in astonishment.

"Er …" said Zuko.

The guard blinked, then began to shout for help.

He didn't get to finish. Zuko let go of Aang and sprang across the room, knocking him out in one swift blow. The guard crumpled to the floor.

Zuko cursed. The man had managed to get off one good shout – more soldiers would be coming. There wasn't much time. He assessed the room they were in. It was a storage space, with crates stacked up to the back. There might be space to stuff a body or two. He hoped for two.

He began to strip the armor off the guard.

"You really are a prince?" whispered Aang. "Then where did you learn to bake?"

"What? It doesn't matter. I'm not anymore." Zuko grunted as he struggled with the dead weight. "Help me get his uniform off. If we hurry we might have a chance of surviving this mess a little longer."

In a few hasty moments, they'd stripped the guard and shoved him behind a large crate marked for sanitation use. Zuko could hear the footsteps of other Fire Nation soldiers approaching. He quickly dressed himself in the stolen armor. Aang tried to help with a few of the straps. The footsteps were coming closer. Whatever he was wearing would have to do. Zuko yanked the faceplate down and pushed Aang into the same cramped space as the guard. He didn't even have time to admonish Aang to be silent when two men, wearing armor much like his, entered the storage room.

"Private Li, report!" barked one. He wore the insignia of a sergeant.

"There was a pigeonrat, sir," Zuko answered as smartly as he could.

"You shouted an alarm for a pigeonrat?"

"It was a big pigeonrat. Sir."

Even through the faceplate, Zuko could tell the sergeant was looking at him with utter disgust. "For the last time, Li, I don't care how big the pigeonrats are. I'm putting you on sewage maintenance for your next rotation. Maybe that'll teach you not to shout at every rodent you see."

He beckoned to his underling and began to leave. He was halfway out the door when he turned around. "And Li?"

"Yes sir?"

"Fix your breastplate fastenings. Spirits forbid the Fire Lord saw you like that. We'd all be fried."

Finally, the soldiers left. Once he was certain they were gone, Zuko dropped his head against the wall. The helmet clanked in a satisfying way. Now he needed to collect Aang, and figure out some way to get the hell off this ship, before anyone killed him or he did it himself, to save on exasperation.