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18 years earlier...

All was silent in the bay as the latest stars began to peek from their hiding places in the inky blue sky. The moon was a thin cresent in the sky, casting dim light down to the earth, reflecting slightly on the dark, motionless water. All was peaceful in the Oakland harbor. Then from a distance, came the low sound of a car, making its way as quietly as possible over the gravel.

A few ways away, was another car, and another, the harbor was surrounded by these silent black cars. The engines were switched off and the cars sat and waited. Then off in the distance, ripples appeared on the still water, and a boat drifted into the bay so quietly it would make a panther jump. But the cars saw it. It's what the cars had been waiting for was that silent boat. And the boat had three minutes...

...

"Is that our guy?"

"Yes that's him."

"How long?"

"Three minutes."

The two of them fell silent again then the one in the passenger seat broke it again. "Ozai look, this probably isn't the best time..."

"Then save it," his eyes were glued to the incoming boat now a few yards away from docking.

"I want out."

"We're already here."

"No not this. After tonight, I want permanent out."

Ozai was silent for a moment as he took in what his partner was saying. "Hakoda, we've been in this game together for ten years."

"I know that-,"

"We have more power in Oakland than the mayor and the city council."

"I'm not going to sell you out if that's what you think. Our friendship doesn't end with my leaving-,"

"You know that once you're in the game, the only way out, is in a coffin." Ozai still hadn't looked at him; the boat was just a few feet away from the dock.

Hakoda looked at the man sitting next to him. He was bigger than he was, and so much more intimidating but Hakoda wasn't afraid of him. At least, he thought he wasn't. "You're going to kill me?" he asked. Not with fright, more with curiosity.

Ozai didn't answer for a while. "We'll discuss this later," the boat had docked and dark figures appeared on the deck and they laid out a ramp. Three men with their hands held in front of them emerged from the ship, then two men alike the three men in the front with a man in between them followed behind. Six more men brought up the tail.

"Signal our guys." Ozai ordered quietly. Hakoda pushed a button on his watch and watches of the men in the other cars began to blink red and each of them ordered two men down to the dock.

When Ozai and Hakoda saw their men moving down, they emerged from their own car.

...

The two men, followed by six men dressed in black and wearing dark sunglasses made their way towards the dock while the man from the boat and his eleven men made their way off the dock. The two parties met in the middle. Neither of the two could see each other clearly, the only light came from the waned moon.

"Bato Tseng," the leader of the party of six said to the one of eleven. "You've been my client for two years, now we finally meet in person."

"Ozai Xing. Yes, we finally meet." The man turned to Ozai's partner. "You must be Hakoda." The man nodded curtly and didn't say anything.

"Do you have what I want?" Ozai asked cutting straight to the chase.

Bato looked at him again then motioned behind him. One of the six men brought forth a huge black case and placed it into the arms of the two men who'd sandwiched Bato. Bato unsnapped the clasps and lifted the lid.

Ozai examined the contents with a blank expression. "Three hundred thousand dollars... cash. Just as you requested," Bato turned back to Ozai. "Now, do you have what I want?"

Ozai turned to Hakoda and his partner pushed another button on his watch. A few seconds later, men appeared on the deck of a boat and a cover was lifted from a huge pile of containers.

"Your heroin, just as you requested," Ozai said coolly.

Bato sent two men up to the boat to check the amount and to confirm it was real. When they returned with confirmation, Bato faced to Ozai.

"Good. Now Ozai," Hakoda noticed Bato's men tense and he immediately sensed something was about to go horribly wrong. "I am secret agent Bato Tseng of the FBI. We've been tracking you for quite some time and now we've got enough evidence against you to lock you away for life," his men all pulled out guns and aimed them towards Ozai's party. "We've got you surrounded. I suggest you don't try anything you're going to regret."

Ozai said nothing for a few seconds; he didn't even acknowledge that eleven guns were now pointed at him, he just stood and put his hands into the pockets of his big black jacket.

"Bato, you see how my game works here," he said thoughtfully. "I don't trust anyone. If you think I'm coming quietly, that is, if you think I'm coming at all," he chuckled. "It won't be easy."

"It doesn't matter how many men you have surrounding us," Bato said. "You lost, one way or another, you're going to end up locked away for life, I suggest we do it the way that ends up, with less dead bodies."

Ozai smiled, a cold, bone chilling smile that made goose bumps appear even on Bato's skin. "Now see, that's just not my style."

Then it began. "LIGHTS!" The surrounding cars and boats switched on blinding white lights, so that Bato and his men could not see anything. The case full of money was grabbed and Ozai's men pulled out guns of their own.

"Get back to the boat!" three of his men were shot and killed, two of them wounded. Because Ozai's men were wearing sunglasses, they could still see their targets, whereas Bato's men shot blindly ahead of them, not hitting any of their targets.

Back in the car, Ozai pulled out of the harbor quickly and followed by his three cars, he made his way out onto the highway.

...

"That was surprisingly easy," Hakoda said looking out the window behind them as they raced down they highway.

"That's because it's not over," Ozai replied quietly. "He said we were surrounded, my guess is they tapped the cars while we were at the dock and we're being traced right now."

He checked his rearview mirror. "Look out the back window," Hakoda looked.

"There's nothing."

"Three... two... one..."

"Damn it there's a helicopter!"

"I said it wasn't over. We're taking a detour."

Hakoda looked at his partner. After ten years, he was still amazed at how calm he appeared in situations such as this.

Ozai took a sudden left turn and the cars following just barely made it in time. Then two cop cars appeared.

"Ozai, it's me again," came Bato's voice over a loud speaker. Hakoda guessed he must've been in the helicopter. "This would be a lot easier if you just turned yourself in."

"When is that son of a bitch going to get it through his thick skull," Ozai said. "That's not my style."

He stepped on the gas and soon they were zooming one hundred and twenty miles per hour down the road. Five more cop cars had joined the pursuit.

Hakoda was getting nervous; they'd never been in this situation before and he began to doubt Ozai had any more tricks up his sleeve.

More cops appeared and the helicopter was still trailing them.

"It's only a matter of time before you run out of gas Ozai, you can't keep running forever," Bato called over the loudspeaker again.

"Someone tell that fool to shut up," Ozai said boredly.

Then Hakoda read a sign as they zoomed by. "Junk yard next right exit."

Ozai nodded. "Perfect."

...

"Did we lose them?" The two of them were in the junkyard, hiding with the briefcase in a rusty old car.

Ozai peered out of the broken windshield and scanned the area ahead of them. "Maybe. I'm not going to sit here a moment longer. Guard the money, I'm going to look around."

He stepped out of the car and started forward out of their hiding place. Despite his confident, cool posture, Hakoda knew he was on his guard.

When he was about a hundred feet away from where Hakoda hid with the money, he froze as if he'd heard something. Then he turned and started running back towards the junk car but out of a pile of smashed cars ran a group of angry dogs and then police emerged from every corner.

"Put your hands up! Ozai Xing you are under arrest! Put your hands up!" The helicopter appeared up above and put the spotlight on Ozai who froze and coolly he put his hands up then looked straight at Hakoda. Don't you dare leave me.

Hakoda's heart raced in his chest as a million thoughts came to mind. He had money, Ozai was about to be put under arrest. This was his chance to get out of the game and leave it behind him forever. But then there were also doubts, Ozai was very powerful. If he crossed him... he shuddered at the thought. But he could get out! If the law was powerful enough to catch Ozai, maybe they'd be able to keep him contained...

Then he pushed all of the thoughts out of his mind. Now wasn't the time to think, he had to act. As if on their own accord, his legs moved out of the car, his arms lifted the suit case and he felt Ozai's eyes on him burning a hole in his back as he fled the scene. Traitor. You will pay...

...

eighteen years later...

He knew something was off as soon as the clock had struck eight-thirty in the office, so he'd dismissed himself to go home early. There were lights, sirens, and a stretcher. A stretcher with a body on it.

He moved towards it with tears in his eyes but someone tried to stop him.

"Sir I'm going to have to ask you to keep your distance-,"

"This is my house! Who is it on the stretcher!? Let me go!" He shoved the man away from him and reached the stretcher before anyone else could stop him. When he pulled the cloth away from her face, he lost all feeling in his body as his heart stopped. No... no no no no NO! "NO! NO!" He put his hand on her cold cheek and tears poured out of his eyes. "Please don't be dead. Please Karena no..." she didn't answer him and he gathered her body into his arms. "Karena don't leave me!" He kissed her but her cold lips did not respond. His heart broke even more with every passing second. She's not dead, she's not dead...

She is dead. Then he remembered. "Where are my kids?" he asked the nearest person in a uniform.

"Are you Hakoda Long?" The man asked reaching into his pocket.

"Where are my children?" he demanded again putting down his late wife's body and standing.

"This was found hammered to your door." The man handed him a piece of paper addressed to him.

Hello Old Friend,

You remember that night eighteen years ago right? When you left me to be taken away to prison? That was a mistake Hakoda. Now you have one month to cough up my money, all three hundred thousand dollars or you'll never see your precious children again...

"Do you have any idea who wrote this?"

Hakoda didn't hear him; he wrinkled the paper in his hand as hate burned in his chest. Killing my wife... kidnapping my children... that was a mistake Ozai.., now you're going to pay...

"I need to contact Bato Tseng..."

Ha! Flashback chapter! How was it? Review please!!

And don't worry, I promise, you'll see Zuko and Katara soon enough, this is a Zutara.