A/N: I'm glad y'all are enjoying this little side fic. I haven't forgotten Druid in Blue or Foxfire Life has just been... merciless these past couple weeks.

Chapter summary: In which Zuko takes a chance for hope and vengeance.

Chapter 2

This was probably one of the stupidest things he'd ever done. Not the stupidest. That particular goal would probably never be surpassed. But this was pretty darn close. However, it was their only chance given what and who they had to work with.

"Alright, ready when you are," Sokka said, stepping away from the stone and iron door.

Zuko took a deep breath and shot a thin, precise flame across the tips of the rope hanging from the bags of oil. Sokka had stuffed the bags into the mouths of the iron snakes on the door to Avatar Roku's chamber. If this worked, it would mimic the required five simultaneous fire blasts needed to open the door.

Please work. He was taking a huge chance here.

The ropes ignited and everyone raced to hide behind the columns lining the halls. It wouldn't be long. Just a couple sec-

Sound exploded, assaulting his ears just as heat and light filled the chamber. Had he been looking at the explosion, he probably would have been temporarily blinded. Again. As it was, the noise and light disappeared as thick, black smoke filled the room. Wind rushed around him, whipping his clothes and forcing the smoke out of the hall.

"Thanks Aang," he heard the Water Tribe girl, Katara, say gratefully.

"It doesn't matter," Aang said as Zuko stepped out from behind his column and joined them in the open area. The young boy's big gray eyes were staring up at the door sadly. No. "It didn't work."

Sure enough, the door was still sealed shut. Zuko felt his heart plummet to his feet taking every little spark of hope he had with it. It crushed him, forcing him to his knees. Failure. Fool. Traitor. Useless. Unlucky.

"She was born lucky, you were lucky to be born."

Trapped on this infernal island. Forbidden from going anywhere else, from stepping foot on any other island in the Fire Nation on pain of death. This was his prison. All the times he had tried to escape and caught and dragged back, all the times he stared at the sea or the volcano and wished for an end, all the times he had dreamed of finding his mother… It was all gone. One would almost say it all went up in smoke.

Heh.

"Wait a second," he heard Katara mutter. He could barely bring himself to look up when he heard her soft footsteps move across the floor to the door. "There's soot. It worked."

What?! "It did?" he gasped, staring at the door hopefully.

"It looks like it did," Katara said, turning around with a bright smile on her face.

Zuko's hope collapsed once more. "You're crazy," he said.

"Am I crazy?" she teased. "Or would the Fire Sages be crazy enough to believe it worked?"

Oh. Oh! Zuko's heart thudded. "They might," he said, running through the offered solution in his head. "Aang," he said, turning to the Avatar, "you said your pet Momo could probably fly through the small window and get into the chamber, right?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah," Aang said, bursting into a smile and nodding.

"Then have him do that," Zuko commanded, getting to his feet. "The Fire Sages are skeptical. They might not just believe the explosive residue, but if they saw a shadow moving under the door-"

"They're be more willing," Sokka said, nodding enthusiastically. "Good to know my idea worked."

"It didn't," Zuko said. "Katara's did."

"Hey!"

"Don't be jealous, brother," Katara said, holding herself proudly while the Avatar laughed.

"Gloat later," Zuko said. "Avatar, get Mom in there now. The rest of you, hide. The Fire Sages aren't stupid or deaf. They couldn't miss an explosion like that."

"Right."

The Avatar saluted then raced to the nearest window to whisper some command to the fuzzy flying critter before tossing him out into the air. Then the other hid behind the columns. Zuko waited until he saw the faintest hint of shadows moving in the room before turning on his heel and running out of the great hall in search of the other Fire Sages.

He didn't have to look far. He heard them coming before he ever saw them.

"He's inside!" Zuko shouted as loudly as he could. "The Avatar is inside Roku's chamber!"

"What?!"

You know, Zuko knew the Great Sage was a hale old man, but he still wondered how someone so ancient and crotchety could possibly run up the endless steps in this place as fast as he did.

"Where?" the Great Saggyness demanded. "Show me, boy. Now!"

As you wish, your worshipfulness. "This way," Zuko said, making sure his disdain wasn't quite audible. Wouldn't do to suddenly be completely respectful, now would it?

He led the way back into the great hall. "See?" he said, pointing to the soot covered openings. "He got inside."

"That's impossible," His Saggyness said, although his eyes were wide with shock.

Of course, it was impossible. About as impossible as Zuko ever forgiving him for turning in Master Shyu as a traitor to the Dragon Throne.

"Then explain that!" Zuko said, pointing to the moving shadow underneath the door. Thank Agni that little fuzzy critter made it in there in time.

"But…" The Great Sage sputtered in confusion. "But the Avatar is a boy! He couldn't possibly have mastered firebending yet. That has to be the last of the elements he studies."

Dear Agni, give him patience. "And yet he still managed to open the doors and get inside," Zuko snapped in frustration. "He's the Avatar! Avatar Roku could have helped him. I don't know. I don't care. That doesn't matter. All that matters is that he's inside. Unless you'd rather do nothing. I'm sure Fire Lord Ozai would love to hear about how you willingly allowed the Avatar to get access to Roku's chamber."

"Watch your mouth, brat!" His Saggyness roared, cuffing Zuko over the head.

He flinched when knuckles cracked against his skull, ducking his head and clutching the ache. But he couldn't hide the smirk from worming its way onto his face. Oftentimes, the best way to get the Great Sage to do something or believe something was to challenge his authority. The man's pride was notoriously delicate.

"Sages!" His Saggyness commanded. "You too, brat. Get up here."

Zuko took up the position Master Shyu should have occupied, feeling the loss of his only friend keenly once more. Together, the firebenders breathed, took their stances, and punched streams of red-gold flame into the iron serpents' mouths. The sound of gears turns echoed in the great hall as the serpents spun around the door and the decorative iron flame between them parted, unlocking the door revealing-

The Avatar's fuzzy flying pet. Zuko bit his lip but couldn't fight the snort. Which the Great Sage heard.

"Liar," the old man hissed.

"Takes one to know one," Zuko said, right before he punched flame at His Saggyness's face. The pained cry from the horrible man was music to Zuko's ears. "I can't tell you how long I've been waiting to do that," he purred. "This one's for Master Shiyu. Avatar! Get in! Now!"

"What?" one of the Sages cried. "No!"

Zuko leaped between the Sages and the Avatar, spinning low to ground and kicking fire into the air. He knew he wasn't the best firebender out there, he probably wasn't even on the list of top one hundred. But he knew how to handle himself against a bunch of old farts. Landing solidly on his feet, he punched fire at anyone who got too close to his line of defense. But five against one was hardly an even fight. Not unless he wanted to kill them.

He wouldn't be his father.

Water splashed, lashing the nearest Fire Sage in the face like a whip. Blinking in surprise, Zuko turned his head to his right and was surprised to see Katara standing there. Her movements were a fluid but her face was screwed up in the concentration Zuko remembered seeing on his own face or the faces of other beginner level benders. Katara wasn't a beginner, but perhaps she wasn't fully trained. Either way, she knew how to hold a line and that was all Zuko needed right now.

Together, he and Katara held the Sages back. Zuko deflected as many flames as he could while Katara whipped the old men with her water and breathed water remaining on them into ice. Ooh! Nice! Cold was a firebender's anathema.

"Freeze their faces," Zuko said.

"What?" the waterbender gasped. "Why? I could suffocate them."

"You won't." She wasn't nearly strong enough for that. "You'll just distract them. I'll explain later. Aim for the nose and mouth."

"Traitor!"

Oh look. His Saggyness was back in the game. Or… not? Zuko had just enough time to blink when the Great Sage was suddenly struck from behind and fell limply to the ground. Then he had to duck, dragging Katara down with him when something metal and spinning flew by their heads. The other Sages hesitated in surprise, but not for long.

Zuko followed the object's trajectory to Sokka who caught the odd metal weapon and threw it again. Now that was an interesting weapon.

"Aang's in!" Sokka shouted of the ruckus. "Cover me while I close the doors."

Yes! What?!

Blue-white light as bright as lighthouse beacon and as pure as starlight flashed between the doors and the walls on all sides with a radiance that put starbursts in Zuko's vision. It was brilliance and pure and felt… warm and safe, reassuring even. It was odd but Zuko felt a thrill of hope return to his soul. This crazy scheme just might work after all.

Zuko spun, breathing and spiraling his arms and augmenting his own flames with his chi and breath just like Master Shyu had taught him, before thrusting his hands forward and sending the thick flames straight at the other Sages. It wasn't a move he had officially been taught. His firebending skills were sub par at best, rudimentary at worst. The Sages only bothered to reinforce his basics.

But Master Shyu had faith in him. With very few exceptions, Master Shyu taught Zuko everything he knew. Then the other Sages found out where Master Shyu's loyalty truly lied and reported him to the Fire Lord.

They deserved this pain. They betrayed Master Shyu. They had taken the only thing Zuko had left, the only person left in this Agni-forsaken nation who still cared about him. They deserved to suffer like he did.

Most of his strike hit true, but some was deflected. There, to the right. What had-

Fire that wasn't his own devoured the air surrounding his flames, smothering them, and blazed directly at him in a jet of heat and light. Caught off guard, Zuko dodged what he could and deflected what he couldn't.

Katara wasn't so lucky. She cried out as searing heat burned passed by her face. It didn't touch her, but it probably singed her hair loopy-thingies. Too close.

"Well, well. Who knew traitors started so young."

Zuko looked in the direction the attack originated and paled when he saw armored men pour into the hall. Military. Navy? Why was the Fire Navy here?

"Who are you?" Katara demanded, streaming water from her canteen and the splatter on the floor to her hands, ready to use.

…oh yeah. The Avatar had to get into the Fire Nation somehow. That meant he had to pass the blockade. Nicely done. But damn. Zuko wasn't good enough to take a trained military officer. Especially a military officer who, judging by the gold lining his uniform, was of high rank. They were screwed.

"Step aside children," the officer obviously in charge said, waving his hand dismissively at Zuko and Katara. "Let the adults do their jobs."

"Sink to La's deepest trench," Zuko snapped viciously.

"Hey!" both Sokka and Katara cried, staring at him in horrified offense.

The officer grinned and chuckled. "Got a mouth on you, I see," he said jovially. "I would have thought you'd learned your lesson the first time." His amber eyes narrowed. "Apparently not."

It took more effort than Zuko was willing to admit to keep from flinching at the reminder. He would never forget was that one small slip had cost him. He saw it every day in his reflection.

Wait. What was that whistling sound?

A solid thud accompanied by a pained grunt startled Zuko from his darker memories. His gaze followed the glint of metal as it spiraled back to the Water Tribe boy. Agni, Zuko really like that weapon.

"You damn water weevil-rat," the officer hissed, thrusting both fists out and sending a fire bloom straight at them.

There was no way Zuko could deflect it all, even with his fire shield. But that didn't stop him from trying. Fortunately, Katara added her own bending to his, forming a thin wall of ice between Zuko's fire shield and their faces. That smart move saved them both from burn scars neither wanted.

"Where is the Avatar?" the officer demanded loudly. "Tell me, bastard. Where is he?"

Zuko ignored the insult, mostly. "Careful officer," he said. "There are ladies present."

By his side, Katara frowned, melting what little ice was left and swirling it back near her hands.

The officer's fists began to smoke with his frustration. His stern face framed by dark brown sideburns emphasized the lines around furious snarl. "I am Commander Zhao of the Fire Navy," he declared. "It is my sworn duty to apprehend traitors to the Dragon Throne. Tell me where the Avatar is, bastard, and I'll leave you with your life."

"I already have that," Zuko said mildly.

"But you won't for much longer if you don't tell me where the Avatar is right now!" Zhao roared.

"It doesn't matter," Sokka said from somewhere behind Zuko, hopefully still guarding the closed doors. "You can't get to him."

"He's inside the chamber then," Zhao said, lifting his gaze to the locked room. "Men, in formation. Open those doors."

The injured Sages scurried out of the way so the soldiers could take up positions on either side of Commander Zhao. Zuko could block some of them, but not all of them. Even with Katara and Sokka, there was no way they would come out of this unscathed. Besides, that blue glow…

"It won't work," Zuko said sharply.

Commander Zhao laughed. "Well, true, we'll have to burn through you three first. No real loss. I might even get a reward for getting rid of the bastard son of the faithless wench-"

"Don't talk about my mother like that!" Zuko cried, feeling his inner fire singe his skin, begging to explode outward.

When Zhao grinned, Zuko knew he had lost.

"Zuko's right," Katara said suddenly. "You won't be able to open those doors. Avatar Roku sealed it shut."

What? Why would Katara… The blue light. The only other time Zuko had ever seen light like that was when Avatar Roku's eyes glowed. The day the Fire Sages learned the Avatar had returned. The day Zuko first felt hope as fragile as spun glass take root in his heart.

"She's right," Sokka said, stepping up to Zuko's other side. "We saw the light ourselves."

Well, they saw the light. But they weren't sure what that meant. It could just be Avatar Roku appearing to Aang. But Zhao didn't know that.

"Give up, Zhao," Zuko said, deliberately refusing to use the polite reference to the man's rank. "You won't get in."

This was Zuko's one chance to escape this place, avenge Master Shyu, and find his mother. He wasn't going to watch it slip through his fingers.

The commander grit his teeth and glared at Zuko and his companions. Zuko braced for the inevitable.

Then Zhao chuckled. "Well, if we can't get in, then I guess we'll just wait." What? "The Avatar will have to come out, after all." No. "I'm sure he wouldn't want his friends to suffer in his place." Agni, no. "Although, I don't see why there's a need for all of you to be here. One will do just fine."

"Yeah? Well we don't care what you think," Katara snapped.

No. She didn't understand. Katara and Sokka couldn't be older than Zuko. He knew what it felt like to fail, to be burned so badly all hope was lost. Thy didn't. They couldn't die here. Zuko wanted out, be he doubted any of them would be able to survive the world alone. Besides, Katara was a girl and Zuko didn't trust a man like Zhao anywhere within fire blast radius of her.

Zhao grinned. "Kill the boys," he commanded. "Leave the girl."

No. "Wait!" Zuko shouted. The soldiers took their stances and- "Agni Kai!"