The reviewers for last chapter were Kelev, A711owner and Wavebreeze. This chapter we will move onto a more controversial character. That's right, Freedom Fighter leader Jet will take the spotlight. I personally believe that while he is cunning and manipulative, good at getting people to work for him even though his goals were not going to get positive results, I also feel he actually did have personal bonds with people, such as Katara. Let's see how well you feel I addressed this issue.

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own Avatar.


A group of people sat around a large table in this platform among the trees. We had been living here for many years now, and I considered this central meeting area to be a piece of art. As everyone gobbled up the food before them, I decided to stand up and make an announcement. "Today, we struck another blow to the Fire Nation swine." I told my team, updating them on the results of today's mission.

A series of voices cheered in unison. I turned my eyes left and right, looking at this group that stayed loyal to me all this time. The ones with me the longest were in their teenage years, having worked with me since I started getting involved with raiding Fire Nation camps in the region. Others, mainly children, joined me later on, and together we made up the fearsome Freedom Fighters, here to rid the region of Fire Nation invaders. "Now the Fire Nation thinks they don't have to worry about a couple of kids hiding in the trees," I continued, tilting my head mockingly, "maybe they're right…"

Immediately, I was showered by loud boos. The crowd, many of whom left their villages when the Fire Nation invaded them, roared in disapproval of our sworn enemies taking us this lightly. After all, with all the damage we had done to them throughout the years, why should they underestimate us? Playing to that line, I concluded emphatically, "Or maybe, they're dead wrong!" I declared, my face tightening in seriousness.

Upon hearing that, the crowd erupted in applause, the loudest yet of tonight. I climbed off the table and took my seat, right between two Water Tribe siblings that I ran into on my Fire Nation raid earlier this morning. The sister, Katara, was a water bender, and actually helped our raid with her skills. "Hey Jet, nice speech," she complemented.

"Thanks. By the way, I was really impressed with you and Aang," I replied, signalling to the bald boy at Katara's left. Aang, as my group found out, was the long-lost Avatar, and had recently begun training on his second element, water. Even though we only met earlier in the day, something told me that Katara really admired me. Every time she talked, she spoke positively of my acts, and her comments were usually accompanied with a smile and a shy glance to the ground. Knowing she was that talented and that dedicated to my cause, it could come in handy should I ever want to recruit her.

Keeping my grin on, I made my move. I pointed out that Katara and Aang, with their skills, could help us in our struggle. But before they could answer, Katara's brother Sokka, seated at my right, interrupted. "Unfortunately, we have to leave tonight," his voice sliced into our talk, his tone filled with bitterness. I knew it was probably because he didn't fare well at the battle, having knocked out zero fire benders.

Despite his lack of bending and overall clumsiness, there was a use for Sokka in my group as well. He had a quick mind, having been able to come up with new plans that were more useful than what we used to have. Besides, with him being that suspicious of our group, especially regarding my so-called advances on his sister, it was best to appease to him for now. "Sokka, you're kidding me," I called to the figure strolling away from us, filling my tone with as much sincerity as possible, "I needed you on an important mission tomorrow." There was no way someone as bull-headed as him would turn it down.

I could see Sokka pause, his body barely into the shadows as the evening sun dipped even lower on the horizon. My grin spread wider as Sokka slowly tilted his body around, the slanting light catching just enough of his face to reveal his eyes narrowing into darts. "What mission?" he demanded, shooting them right at me.

I could only smirk as I watched Sokka lumber his way back at me. Maybe it was only right that a hot-headed individual like him would react this way, but for now, I had Sokka right where I wanted him. I could test out his true skills while keep a good eye on him. There was no way I would let this wannabe leader ruin my plans.


"Sokka, you told them what happened and you didn't mention the guy was Fire Nation?" I responded nonchalantly, sitting on my bed and countering Sokka's words. As promised, we took Sokka on our mission to raid Fire Nation residents of their resources. At first, Sokka proved to be useful, imbedding his bladed club into a tree trunk and using it to seek out sounds in the forest. We managed to ambush a lone man, snatching his bag and giving him a good scare. To me, it was all part of the game to beat the enemy.

But apparently, that touched a nerve with Sokka, who accused me of attacking an elderly civilian. That ended with Katara and Aang interrogating me like a suspect, all the while hearing Sokka spit his every accusation in their faces. "Even if he was Fire Nation, he was a harmless civilian." Sokka insisted, refusing to budge from his morals.

It was here that I had to show the group once and for all. "He was an assassin, Sokka," I told everyone, revealing a knife from my bed. I slammed it into a nearby stump, the blade swinging slightly but ominously. "There's a compartment for poison in his knife. He was sent to eliminate me. You helped save my life, Sokka." I declared, unscrewing the back while putting on as sincere a look as I could muster to Katara. Knowing that she had good rapport with me, I truly hoped she could be swayed by this.

What followed was a sequence where siblings became polar opposites. While Katara was compassionate, accepting my explanation without question, Sokka became more enraged, claiming there was no knife. From my position, I could see Katara's face was relaxed and her expression relieved, while Sokka's face was tense and with a huge scowl. Despite having the same parents, they were different as night and day right now. Seeing the split, I had to take action to further cement Katara's support. "You didn't see the knife because he was concealing it." I added, staring back at Sokka's grimace.

That was the last straw for the Water Tribe warrior, who stormed out of my hut in a huff. As he ranted how he wouldn't sacrifice his morals even when facing the Fire Nation, I tried convincing Katara and Aang to stay. "Tell me you guys aren't leaving yet. I really want your help." I pleaded, standing up and reaching to them, "The Fire Nation is planning on burning down our forest. If you use water bending to fill up the reservoir we could fight the fires. But if you leave now, they'll destroy the whole valley."

I could see Katara and Aang look at each other, their eyes meeting with the same look of concern. After an agonizing few seconds, they nodded their heads. "We'll try and convince Sokka to stay too," Katara suggested. They waved at me, leaving me alone in my hut as they returned to theirs, mumbling about Sokka being stubborn the whole time.

As quietness descended upon the forest on this relatively cool evening, I couldn't help but admire the work I did today. Not only did I manage to send a resident of the Fire Nation town a message, I also pulled Katara and Aang closer to me. To be honest, Sokka was right, as there really was no knife. The blade was from the initial raid of the military camp where I first met the threesome. But knowing Sokka's attitude, I had to resort to this to make everyone understand. Why didn't Sokka just see things my way?

I flopped onto my bed, my eyes boring a hole on my sticks and leaves roof as I mulled over today's events. I didn't understand why Sokka had to defend Fire Nation folks, referring to his morals and principles all the time. To me, all Fire Nation people were the same heartless monsters. They burned down my town, killed my parents, and destroyed countless lives. The only punishment they should get tomorrow was death, and if Aang and Katara would stay to help me, they would ensure this victory succeeded.

And the more I thought about Sokka, the more frustrated I became. Gnawing hard on the usual piece of wheat in my mouth, I couldn't understand how two siblings who grew up and experienced the death of their own mother reacted so differently. Katara was completely set on helping me, not even bothering to ask what would happen. Sokka, on the other hand, claimed it was against his principles, and that his "instincts" told him it didn't make sense. Even as I told him to never forget the Fire Nation killed his mother, he still refused to fight the old man we saw, preferring to show mercy and letting him go. If he were a member of the Freedom Fighters, I would have banished him long ago.

Soon, complete darkness smothered our hideout, making this the perfect time to get moving. Years of living in the forest had made me used to operating in the middle of the night on only a few hours of sleep, and this mission was no different. As quietly as possible, I stepped into the tents of those serving me the longest: Longshot the archer, Smellerbee the blades expert, Pipsqueak the strongman, and The Duke, the youngest and most nimble of us. "Let's get our stuff," I told them as we descended from the trees.

We went into the deepest part of the woods, to an area located behind the hideout. This was where we stored all the goods that we stole from the Fire Nation. Here, we had the most important material required for our mission: blasting jelly. Again, thanks to the last raid where we met the Avatar's group, we had enough to destroy an entire dam. "It's crucial that we bring all this," I instructed the group as they began untying the barrels. I signalled to Pipsqueak as he rolled a large cart over, telling the team to place the barrels onto the cart to be transported to the reservoir. "Once we get this to the dam, we'll blow the thing apart and drown the Fire Nation troops in the region. There's no way any of them will survive after this one." I declared, clenching my fist in determination.


"Jet, why?" I could hear Katara's voice ask me. Her tone was still laced with her usual gentleness, one that I would never be tired of hearing, but I also sensed urgency and hurt in her voice. Earlier, I sent Katara and Aang to a series of geysers upstream of the dam and asked them to use water bending to fill the reservoir. I honestly didn't expect her to be here watching us set up the blasting jelly on the dam, as I told them to meet me at the camp. But now, knowing Aang was going to stop us, I had to take action.

With my back still toward her, I stated my premises for this attack. "Think about what the Fire Nation did to your mother. We can't let them do that to anyone else ever again." I reminded her, "I want you to understand me, Katara. I thought your brother would understand." Sokka, as expected, followed my group out to the dam, and spied on us throughout the night. At the crack of dawn, he was discovered by Pipsqueak and Smellerbee, who promptly marched him back to camp as a prisoner. With him out of our way, there wasn't a single obstacle stopping us from flooding the area.

I glanced at Katara, who was visibly shaken, with her eyes screwed shut and tears streaming out from them. I reached out to her, gently brushing her face with my hand. I might have only wanted her help in my Freedom Fighters in the beginning, but for the last few days she stayed with us, I truly grew an attachment to her. Our common past united us on one goal, and I hoped that I could convince her to stay with us. "Katara," I called her name, trying to sooth her increasingly unstable emotions.

But the volcano soon erupted as Katara reached for her sash of water. I soon felt myself lifted into the air, being sent into the distance as Katara shot the water at me. I landed hard on my back, but lifted my head just in time to see Aang reach for his staff, which also doubled as his glider. Realizing that the Avatar would ruin my plans, I pulled out one of my hook swords and lifted the staff away. To ensure there would be no more interruptions, I swung my swords at Aang, beating him into the trees. "You'll have to fight me if you want your glider back." I declared angrily as I jumped into the woods.

The trees, leaves and branches were nothing but a blur as I ventured deeper into the forest. Using my hooked swords as leverage, I leaped and bounded on each branch. I could see the Avatar on an adjacent tree, and decided to swoop in. Gathering momentum with one sword, and propelled myself to Aang, swinging the other sword furiously.

Although he didn't retaliate, I could see Aang trying to hold his own as he shot air blast after air blast at me. The wind tore at my face, whipping my hair into my eyes and making it difficult to see. But knowing our greatest victory was at hand, there was no way I would let anyone, the Avatar included, interfere. Rebalancing myself, I whipped the swords at him again, beating him back several times. I saw that Aang had his eyes on the long and thin object sticking out from my back the entire time, and I wasn't about to let him have an easy way at it. Guessing that he felt the battle was too much, I saw Aang leap into another tree, trying to get back to the dam on foot.

"Oh no, you don't," I muttered under my breath, hooking the nearby branches and pushing myself to Aang. Amidst the leaves and branching whipping at my face, I saw Aang scaling down the trunk and nearly reaching the ground. Lunging forward, I hooked onto his foot and pulled hard. Aang yelped in surprise as he slipped off, plunging straight to the ground in a freefall. I threw myself into the fray, going right after him and swinging my swords. Luckily for us both, a large branch underneath broke our plummet. We managed to catch our balances, before staring down each other in determination.

I made my advancement once again, this time swinging both swords in the latest and most ferocious attempt in beating back Aang. I really had Aang on the defensive as he bobbed and weaved around the blades, even resorting to clutching the tree branch from underneath to scoot away. Silently, I waited for Aang to turn back up, timing it just perfectly for me to charge in. There was no way he could leave unharmed.

But that soon proved to be a costly mistake, as Aang caught me in the act. Using his most unique attack yet, he created a current of air that pushed me back. It wasn't enough to knock me off the trees, but it tore at everything around me. Clothing, weapons, even the staff on my back, they all began to loosen. I felt a searing pain from my legs as I struggled for balance, scratching sounds echoing from the bark below my feet as I began to lose control. Finally giving way, I tumbled from the trees, my body twisting through the air as I flailed around, hoping to grab onto anything sturdy.

My entire spine was yanked mercilessly as my hooked swords bit into another tree branch, halting my downward progress. I twisted my head around to see the Avatar floating to the ground, following his fallen staff. Undaunted by the soreness throughout my body, I released myself from the branch and followed Aang. I ambushed him just in time, thanks to his slower rate of descent due to his use of air bending. Aiming for his back, I slammed into his spine, knocking him into another branch. The Avatar groaned as his stomach absorbed the hit, his body crumpling to the ground like leaves in autumn.

I dropped in right behind him, my eyes burning with anger and hatred. The more I fought Aang, the more I realized that he had no sense of justice in him. While he spoke like some world saviour, he wouldn't even face me directly in a fight. What honour was there in that? How could he defeat the Fire Nation if he couldn't even beat me? Sensing that the Avatar was still groggy, I realized it was best to knock him out and return to my original task. Tapping my swords casually, I moved in for the final blow.

Before I could advance, three blasts of cold water slammed into me. Water coated my face and eyes, making it extremely difficult to see. Then, before long, I could feel my entire body paralyzed, being encased in a cold layer that bit into every exposed skin area. As I tried to wiggle free, I could finally see the person who froze me in approach. "Why, Jet?" Katara asked, her voice almost pleading with me, "I can't believe I trusted you! You lied to me! You're sick, and I trusted you!" She ranted, tears spilling from her eyes.

With every ounce of energy, I blocked out the chills around my body and the ranting in my ears. Focusing on the important task, I edged my head towards the opening of the trees and whistled. It had been a staple of the Freedom Fighters' communication techniques for years, mimicking the sounds of animals in the forest and not giving away our actual locations. After I finished my call, I turned back to Katara and Aang, who now had his staff back in his possession. "You're too late," I smirked.

The final countdown seemed to be in slow motion as a fire arrow from Longshot sizzled through the air. It imbedded into the blasting jelly barrels at the bottom of the dam and lit the area bright orange. The roaring explosion created tremors through the forest, shaking us to the bones and making our environment sway. The water rushed through the dry riverbed and hurtled straight at not just the Fire Nation base camp, but to the nearby village. "This was a victory, Katara," I continued as they regained balance, turning around and glared daggers into me, "the Fire Nation is gone and this valley will be safe."

"It will be safe, without you!" I glanced up in shock as Appa, the Avatar's Sky Bison hovered near the edge. On the back of the large animal was Sokka, staring me down with uncompromising eyes. "I warned the villagers of your plan, just in time."

As Katara and Aang stared up in delight, Sokka continued his story, telling us that he was dismissed by the Fire Nation troops who thought he was a spy. But there was one man who believed him and insisted that the villagers heard Sokka out. "It was the same old man you attacked," Sokka spat, his tone filled with disgust, "he urged them to trust me, and we got everyone out in time." As he finished his description, Sokka tilted Appa around, allowing Aang and Katara to hop onto its back.

"Sokka, you fool! We could have freed this valley! You traitor!" I shouted. Had it not been for the ice around my body, I would have killed Sokka on the spot.

"No, Jet. You became the traitor when you stopped protecting innocent people." Sokka retorted, his tone easing down. It was there that I realized my hopes to keep Aang and Katara on my side were all but dashed, as the two were on their way out of here.

My eyes trailed to Katara, who was about to hop on the bison. Her shoulders still shuddered as she climbed on, but I could tell she was much more relieved. I begged her one last time, requesting that she stayed with me. But she replied with only one line, the two words etching forever into my brain. "Goodbye, Jet." She declared. As she took a seat on the bison, Sokka steered Appa away from the woods and sailed into the skies.

As I remained stuck at that tree, I couldn't help but replay the words again and again. Was I truly a traitor when I let loose that water on the village? They were Fire Nation villagers, so what was wrong with driving them out? Realizing the damage I might have done to the reputation of the Freedom Fighters, with the Avatar now against me, I came to a difficult decision. I was going to disband the group and start fresh. Once the team rejoined at the base, I would make this announcement. Anyone who still wanted to stay with me could do so, but those who wanted a new life were free to go.


The train station bustled with people as we waited for our ride into the city of Ba Sing Se. It was months ago that I officially disbanded the Freedom Fighters, letting each member go their own way and find a new life for themselves. I decided to start over in the Earth Kingdom's capital and largest city, and made the trek to the Serpent's Pass ferry terminal for a boat to the city. The pier was filled with refugees hoping to escape the Fire Nation, heading for a safer and probably more prosperous life in the walled city.

"Hey Jet!" I heard Smellerbee call my name. The chatter from various directions, thanks to the people surrounding us on this train station, nearly drowned out her softer voice. Smellerbee and Longshot were the only members of my original group left with me, staying loyal to the end. I didn't see anybody leaving as traitors, as I made it clear that what they chose to do with their lives would be their decision. Looking around, I could see those from troubled backgrounds, broken families, and general misery from the refugees. To me, it might not be a bad idea to restart the Freedom Fighters in the city, where I could help these poor souls out in relative safety away from the Fire Nation.

And that was when my eyes turned back at the two figures sitting on a nearby bench. The old man, Mushi, was taking his nephew, Lee, to Ba Sing Se for a new start. From the scar on Lee's face, I could tell that he was an outcast like me. So, I made it clear to my group that we were to stick with him, as outcasts ought to support each other. "I think Lee would make a good Freedom Fighter," I commented, rolling the piece of wheat in my mouth, "he's just trying to find his way in the world."

Smellerbee, however, wasn't too impressed with the idea of reviving our old team. "You don't know anything about him, Jet," she pointed out, the eyebrows above her round eyes curling in uncertainty, "besides, I thought we're going straight now."

"We are, and the new Freedom Fighters could use a guy like Lee," I insisted, nodding at the scarred teenager, "what do you think, Longshot?" I asked our archer.

Longshot merely nodded, but didn't say a thing. Longshot wasn't a person of many words, as I barely recalled him saying too much throughout my years of working with him. There could be situations where he went on for days without saying a single thing, leading some to believe he didn't exist at all. But despite all the times he kept to himself, I always valued his opinion, as he had been a loyal team member. Also, given his proficiency at shooting arrows, I could never underestimate him, and always admired his abilities. "I can respect that," I replied, acknowledging his silent support.

Just then, a tea vendor stopped by, advertising Ba Sing Se's specials. Mushi raised his hand and requested jasmine, which gave me the perfect opportunity to speak with Lee regarding my plans. Excusing myself from my two comrades, I took a seat next to Lee, who seemed somewhat grumpy with his eyes on the ground and a scowl on his face. I guessed he must have had a long journey, and was too tired to think about anything else. Trying to lighten the mood, I asked, "You guys got plans once you're inside the city?"

Before Lee could answer, his uncle spat out the tea and grunted in displeasure. "Coldest tea in Ba Sing Se is more like it," he grumbled, "what a disgrace!"

While Mushi continued his rant about the tea, I pulled Lee aside and offered him to join us. "We made a great team looting that captain's food," I advocated, pointing to the event on the ferry. Lee and I met on the boat when he was unhappy with the terrible food being served. Knowing the captain had many good meals, and most refugees also desired better, I convinced Lee to join Longshot, Smellerbee and I in stealing the crew's rations and splitting it with others. It was there that I saw Lee's fine physical skills in play. In minutes, he scaled the crew's quarters, swiped the food with ease, and left undetected. It was then that I decided I would accept him into my crew. "Think of all the good we could do for all these refugees." I told him, proudly gazing all over the station.

But Lee refused to budge, claiming that it wasn't a good idea to incorporate him on the team. "I say no," he concluded, returning to his uncle. I could only look on as he sat beside Mushi, who sipped happily from a steaming cup.

Wait, steaming cup? When had the ice-cold tea became hot? How did they get a fire lit without any equipment? "Fire benders, I can't believe it!" I murmured, feeling my entire body tense up. Immediately, I hurried back to Longshot and Smellerbee. I realized that to beat down our enemies, I must have all the help I could get.

By the time I got the two over to the platform, the train had already arrived. I kept explaining to Longshot and Smellerbee of my observation, trying to convince them to help me take action. But I soon found a tough audience as neither one of them was keen on starting a fight. As I scanned the platform, trying to locate Lee and Mushi, Smellerbee insisted I was paranoid. "So the old guy has some hot tea, big deal!"

"He heated it himself," I ranted, taking long and forceful strides onto the train, "those guys are fire benders!" I took one last glance, and saw the two enter the train in a compartment ahead of ours. Once this train stopped, I swore that I would not let them out of my sight. I wasn't going to let two disguised fire benders into this city and hurt more people, and I was intent to hunt them down and defeat them myself.


"Jet, we have to talk!" I snapped out of my trance-like observation state, the soft female voice doing just enough to slice into my concentration on this dark, cool night. I turned just in time to see Smellerbee and Longshot stand beside my hiding spot, which comprised of several old baskets and wood pieces. Even in relatively dim lighting, I saw the concerned expressions on their faces. "We've been talking," Smellerbee continued, "and I think you're becoming obsessed with this. It's not healthy!"

"Oh really, you both think this?" I asked, signalling at the tea shop before me. I had been following Lee and Mushi ever since we got off the train, as I couldn't just let two fire benders exist right under everyone's noses. I figured that it had been at least a day since I tailed them, and so far I couldn't catch either one fire bending. Agitated, I was determined to expose their secret, and show the entire world the fake refugees they were.

"We came here to make a fresh start," Smellerbee explained, "but you won't let this go, even though there's no real proof!" Earlier in the day, Smellerbee insisted that an old man with a hot cup of tea wasn't reason enough for us to bust into their new home to start a fight. So, instead of violence, I merely changed tactics to an observational one, getting enough evidence to report them to the police.

But from then on, I had extreme trouble getting Longshot and Smellerbee to help me. Neither one was convinced to spend their time doing this, as they were more intent on finding a new home and starting over. That left me by myself, making me resort to more extreme tactics to get the proof I needed. Just around the sunset, I sneaked up to them and stole their spark rocks. Without them, they couldn't make a fire for heating, meaning they must fire bend. I was intent on catching them in the act and reporting them to police, but unlucky for me, they managed to borrow new ones from the neighbours.

Yet the more elusive their fire bending became, the more determined I was to crack their shield. Even without concrete acts showing their malicious sides, the risk of having two fire benders in a city of refugees was too great. "Maybe you've forgotten why we need to start over," I retorted, "maybe you've forgotten that the Fire Nation left us all homeless? How they wiped out all the people we loved? If you don't want to help me, then I'll get the evidence on my own." Then, before Smellerbee and Longshot could reach for me, I leaped out from the hiding spot and marched straight for the tea shop.

In one smooth motion, I shoved the door wide open, letting the cool night wind into the shop and at the customers. I could see Mushi move back to the counter with a teapot in hand, while Lee took some cups away from one table. Seething with anger, I charged straight at the two tea servers. "These two men are fire benders!" I shouted, signalling at Lee and Mushi while reaching for my hooked crowd, stunned at my accusation, sat so quietly that I could hear the night insects' chirping. Seizing my chance, I further explained, "I saw the old man heating his tea!"

The customers at the table Lee served consisted of two local law enforcers, and they didn't seem convinced of my claim. "He works in a tea shop, so why won't he be heating tea?" he challenged, "Drop your swords, boy. Nice and easy," he commanded, slowing getting out of his seat with his partner.

I ignored the officers, knowing that they were probably too well duped. I swung my swords around and approached uncle and nephew. "You'll have to defend yourself, and then everyone will know," I sneered, "go ahead and show them what you can do."

A bigger bombshell was dropped when Lee placed his serving tray on a nearby table and grabbed the dual swords of the officer. "I'll give you a show," he responded. In one smooth motion, he yanked another table from its position and kicked it at me.

I barely reacted in time as the flying piece of wood came at me like the platypus bear checking refugees' luggage at the ferries. As the table was just about to slam into my knees, I rammed my swords down on the tabletop and somersaulted myself over it. I landed right in front of Lee, waving my swords and beating him back. The scarred teenager backpedalled and hopped onto a third table, escaping my blows just in time.

But it would take more than fancy footwork to stop me as I proceeded to hacking the table apart. I swung one sword down the middle of the table, slicing into two. Then, I whipped my right sword around, sending one half of the table against the wall. Lee only jumped off and landed on the other half, in which I attacked with my left sword, cutting the table leg off cleanly. As the large piece of wood slammed into the ground, Lee leaped into the air and came down hard with both his swords at my feet. That caused me to be on retreat, rushing backwards and screeching to a halt just before the door.

Taking several deep breaths, I regained balance and rushed in. So far, Lee hadn't shown his full skill, most likely because he was keeping the customers' safety in mind. It was time I used that to my advantage as I made a swift turn and targeted the other tables. Hollers of fear echoed off the walls as I threw hot tea, noodles, and other dinner entrees at Lee, all of which he dodged or batted down with ease. I could also see that we reversed our positions, as Lee was now at the door while I was near the counter. Since taking him outside would mean more eyes could see his fire bending, I lunged forward for the hit.

Lee crashed through the door, but maintained his balance even after my series of blows. I slammed my hooks into him, bringing him to his knees as Lee blocked with his swords. "You must be getting tired using those swords," I taunted him, his grimaced face and gritted teeth squarely in my vision, "why don't you fire bend at me?"

Somehow, Lee pushed his way back up, getting back on his feet and going on the attack. We parried and jousted for what seemed like an eternity, and I could tell that both of us were probably fatigued. But I couldn't possibly stop now, as I couldn't let this fire bender win. "Bet you could use a little help from your fire fists right now," I mocked him again, hoping to entice him into letting loose a flame or two.

But that proved to be my mistake as Lee slammed one of his swords onto my left hook, lodging it into the ground and inhibiting one of my weapons. "You're the one who needs help," he retorted. He pounced at me, right blade up high, before bringing it down in one smooth motion. I bent my back over as far as possible, barely avoiding the slicing blade. But when I got back up, I could tell the piece of wheat in my mouth was cut off.

Our battle continued with each side holding only one sword. There was nothing but clangs of metal echoing into the night as we circled each other, trying to gain the upper hand. It wasn't until a booming, authoritative voice cut in that we stopped our parrying. "Drop your weapons!" I could hear a man in a dark robe and hat call.

I stood back, taking a good look at Lee. His shoulders heaved up and down, his face scrunched in tightness after the fight. Given his fatigue, he would have no choice but to fire bend when the police apprehended him. "Arrest them," I told the new officers that just arrived, pointing at my opponent, "They're fire benders!"

For some reason, nobody moved a muscle. I could only stare in horror as Mushi pointed to me being confused. Their manager, the tea shop owner, claimed that I wrecked his shop and assaulted his employees, and the officers Lee served earlier agreed as well. My heart rate jumped to unbelievable levels as the two robed men grabbed me. Twisting my arms back, they forced my only sword to drop with a clang. "You don't understand, they're Fire Nation," I objected, trying to get free from them, "you have to believe me."

I felt myself get shoved onto a cart, my face hitting the ground as the door was shut behind me. The entire journey was done in darkness as I wondered where I was taken to. By the time I arrived, they pulled me into another dark room and slammed me against a wall. "You have to believe me. They're fire benders, they won't stop until they win the war," I kept pleading my case, hoping at least one person would set me free.

But it was to no avail as they locked me in place. I could hear footsteps around me, but the only thing I could see was a single light swinging back and forth before my eyes. "Calm down, you're safe now," I heard a male voice told me in a relaxed tone, "There is no war in Ba Sing Se. There is no war within the walls. Here we are safe, here we are free," the voice continued. Before long, the monotonous chanting put me into a daze, my entire body loosening as I allowed myself to be consumed by the darkness.


"The Dai Li must have sent Jet to mislead us," Katara stated emphatically, her arms crossed and her face fuming. For some strange reason, I had this strange need to go to the Avatar's group, informing them of where Aang's missing Sky Bison was. But yet, somewhere in the deepest parts of my mind, I had no idea how I came across this lead. In fact, I wasn't even sure what I was doing, let alone how I knew that Aang was in town.

"I've been to nowhere. I don't know what you're talking about!" I insisted, glancing helplessly at Aang, who demanded to know where I was captured or something like that. It was already an awkward scene when I first approached Katara earlier in the day, only to have her freeze me against a wall and threatened to stab me with a custom-made icicle. Then, two people, a short girl with an almost buzz cut and a taller boy with a bow and arrow claiming to be people I used to know marched up to me in the middle of the street and demanded where I was. Even though I didn't recognize her, the oddest thing was, according to Sokka, he felt both the girl and I were telling the truth.

"We have to find a way to jog his real memories," Aang suggested. I looked at the Avatar in disbelief, as there was no way I would be led to think that I had amnesia. Even with Sokka's taunting of Katara, asking her to kiss me, I still didn't see what good this experiment would do. How could they claim I lost memory when I was perfectly aware of where I was and what I was doing? This was Ba Sing Se, and I was locating Aang.

The rushing thoughts were rudely interrupted when Sokka rushed in and shoved a piece of wheat into my mouth. I was nearly knocked backwards from my chair, my eyes widening as I glanced at the semi-circle of people before me. "I don't think it's working," I responded, spitting it out in disgust. To be honest, it was getting kind of annoying, and I really didn't see the point in continuing this exercise.

At this time, Toph, a petite girl and the Avatar's earth bending teacher, told me to think of something from my past that triggered my emotions, such as a Fire Nation attack I was involved in. I must admit I was very impressed by this individual, as her cloudy eyes indicated that she was blind. But to still master earth bending and teach it to Aang, that was truly remarkable. I took a deep breath and thought back, getting through the impression that I had been living peacefully in the city and digging into my past. "Close your eyes," I heard Katara say with determination, "Picture it."

Within seconds, a sea of flames surrounded me, the heat so great that it nearly burned my skin. I could hear people screaming, villagers rushing past me and away from the Fire Nation troops attacking my home. The smell of ashes and soot clogged up my nose as I saw the leader of the Fire Nation invasion troop. He has only one streak of hair going down the middle of his head, with the end tied up into a ponytail. Then, as if in slow motion, the head tilted around to face me, the final victim still in the village.

"No!" I screamed, shooting up from my chair, "it's too painful." I could feel the beads of sweat rolling down my face, my diaphragm pulling hard on my lungs as gulps of air rushed through. It got so bad that Katara, who I heard learned abilities to heal with water, had to place her water-covered hands to my temples just to settle my mind.

As I felt the liquid ease the pain, I was transported to yet another place. I was on the edge of a lake, seeing the clear blue water beneath me. The sky was clear, giving way to a perfect view of the mountains before me. I saw a balding, middle-aged man stand in the middle of the lake, inviting me into the water. Before long, I was taken underneath the lake, through a set of passages and into a dark room. I was stuck against a wall, with a small light circling me and a younger man in dark robes chanting to me. "They took me to their headquarters underwater, like a lake." I declared, the events finally coming back.

Immediately, Sokka got up and told us the possible destination: Lake Laogai. We hurried out of our chamber and onto the streets, racing for the area where we believed Appa was held. As I raced through Ba Sing Se, I could tell that my memory had been regained. No longer was I Jet, the Ba Sing Se native. I truly remembered my past, why I created the Freedom Fighters to ward off the Fire Nation, and Longshot and Smellerbee, the two members of the Freedom Fighters that journeyed with me. Now, I had one more target: the Dai Li, who kidnapped me and supposedly brainwashed me into this scheme.


"You have made yourselves enemies of the state," the balding man from my memory sequence announced in a low tone. We were in a large, cavernous underground chamber surrounded by rocks and dimly lit with small torches. Several Dai Li agents dropped down from the ceiling and encircled us, giving us no room to manoeuvre. "Take them into custody," the leader, identified as Long Feng, ordered his troops.

There was sheer pandemonium as Dai Li agents shot earthen fists at us. The first blows were deflected by Toph, but it became an all-out brawl when everyone went on the offensive. I tried protecting myself when two agents shot their earthen fists at me, raising my swords and knocking the blasts out from the air as they came close. In one smooth motion, I slid between the agents and hooked onto their ankles with my swords, pulling hard and toppling the two robed men to my either side. As they landed onto the rocky ground with a thud, I quickly got up and scanned for more enemies.

In the middle of the room, I could see a series of pillars created by bending. A tall one jutted up from the centre, carrying Toph above the battlefield. Two Dai Li agents from her either side scaled the walls and shot their own sets of pillars, going horizontally across the way. Toph managed to hold them both off, but a third agent from the ground shot a fist that pounded at her back, sending her tumbling to the ground. "No!" I called, lunging forward with my hooked swords. I managed to hook onto her shirt just before she slammed into the ground, preventing her from some very serious injuries.

The Dai Li agent that knocked Toph off the pillar followed us closely, shooting a series of rocks at us. Longshot, ever the expert archer, held him at bay with several arrows, giving me just enough time to pick up the pace. Holding my two swords before me, I swung them around like a windmill, batting down any rocks the Dai Li agent threw at us. With the barrage dying down, it gave us enough room to advance our group, and just enough time to see Long Feng hurry out of the room through a back door.

Aang, who used air to blow back several agents surrounding him, was aware of the escape as well. Calling to me, we hustled to the side closest to the exit and blasted the wall open with Aang's earth bending. We could see Long Feng's silhouette at the end of the hallway, turning a corner and disappearing out of sight. Our legs churned as we raced down the damp sewer-like ground, going under an arch and into yet another chamber. This one had running water, flowing in the direction away from us from two pipes above and on either side of our heads. Just then, the room was sealed shut.

We turned to the source of the tremors, and there was Long Feng glaring at us with an infuriated look. "Alright, Avatar, you've caused me enough problems. This is you last chance, if you want your bison back." he threatened, taking a bold step forward.

Aang hissed angrily. "You do have Appa. Tell me where he is!" He demanded, stomping defiantly up to Long Feng. It was evident that he wasn't about to back down, even when he knew how dangerous of a man Long Feng could be.

However, Long Feng was no pushover either, opting to bargain with the Avatar. He insisted that Aang departed the city at once, in return for getting back Appa and not having been branded as a criminal in Ba Sing Se. Hearing the Dai Li leader taunt Aang like a criminal, I became more incensed. For once in my life, I was convinced that there were people less honourable than the Fire Nation, and the perfect example was standing right before me. "You're in no position to bargain," I chimed in, waving my swords.

But Long Feng was not worried. Rather, in a calm and clear voice, he stated the following words, "Jet, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai."

It was like my mind lost control of my body as I felt the urge to attack Aang. In a trance-like state, I murmured, "I am honoured to accept his invitation." With that, I held my swords in Aang's direction and swung at him furiously.

Aang dodged the first blow, but it only drove me to attacking him even more. I had no control over what I did, as somehow I saw Aang as an enemy. All I could do was chase him around the room, thrusting and jabbing my swords in his direction while he pleaded with me to stop. "Jet, it's me, Aang. You don't have to do this!" Even as Aang blew me back with an air blast, I still had a burning desire to attack the bald boy. As I marched forward again, ready to slice into Aang, the Avatar declared, "Look inside your heart. He can't make you do this. You're a Freedom Fighter!" He put extra emphasis on the last two words, as if they had extra meaning in my life.

But it was those two words that charged up my brain, as a sudden burst of energy shocked me back into reality. I recalled the time I formed the Freedom Fighters and how we raided Fire Nation camps in order to drive them out of our homes in the forest. The faces of Longshot, Smellerbee, Pipesqueak, and The Duke raced through my eyes. I also saw Aang and the two Water Tribe siblings, meeting them on a raid, inviting them to my camp, and trying to convince Katara and Aang to help me. Lastly, I recalled Katara's rejection of me, and Sokka lecturing me on how I had betrayed my cause by sending innocent people to die. That was when I realized why I had come to Ba Sing Se: to start a new life, only to be captured and brainwashed by the Dai Li.

Turning around, I saw the lowlife of an earth bender at the door, urging me on to attack the Avatar. It was scum like him that made it easy for the Fire Nation to bully us. Long Feng manipulated those around him, weakening them so he could control them easier. Seething with anger, I clutched my left sword and hurled it at him like a spear.

The next few seconds appeared to play out in slow motion, as the sword clanged against the stone walls behind Long Feng. The Dai Li head ducked his head and shot out a fist, sending a huge slab of rock at me. My eyes widened as I tried to pick up my feet, but it was too late. The rock slammed into my chest, sending me straight to the ground. I saw nothing but dust around me as a piercing pain shot through my body. I could feel my ribs were no longer in the correct places, and it became increasingly difficult to breathe.

As my ragged breathing decreased significantly, I could feel a group of people surround me. My vision blurred as a set of water-covered hands rubbed my chest, the soothing feeling giving me the last bit of comfort before the end. I could hear Smellerbee tell Aang and his group to leave us, and Longshot offering to take care of me. "There's no time, just go. We'll take care of him. He's our leader." The archer added. Just like how I had known him, the archer didn't say much, but he made every word count. As Katara looked on in worry, I assured her I would be fine, even eking out a smile. I could feel Aang's group shuffle past me to the next chamber, leaving me in my final moments.

Maybe it was poetic justice that I had to end it this way. I lived fast and risky, putting my life on the line and cheating death multiple times. I didn't regret forming the Freedom Fighters and convincing them to live this way with me. Rather, my only regret was that I didn't get to know Katara better. Somehow, I felt we really bonded during our times together, and I did admit that I had some admiration for her. Had I survived, maybe we could be a couple? Who knows, but that's not important right now. What's important was to give Aang's team enough time to save Appa, and hoped he could in turn save the world. With the Freedom Fighters completely dispersed, Aang was the only hope now.

And maybe it was most fitting that Smellerbee and Longshot would stick with me to the end. They were the longest serving Freedom Fighters, and they were the most loyal to me. I could hear Smellerbee sobbing, her tears probably rushing down her cheeks and splashing onto the ground. Rumbles were heard from the other side, prompting Longshot to hook an arrow and prepare to fire. Soon, I would give way, letting dozens of Dai Li agents into the chamber. Longshot and Smellerbee might stand a chance against them, but probably not for more than a few minutes. In my last breath, I formed one thought.

My name is Jet. That was my story. Those were my rites of passage.


No editors to thank this time, as a recent incident involving them has put us on negative terms. While you guys may think that what you did was a "simple joke" and that I was a "big sissy" for reacting that way, let me tell you that I saw no humour in humiliating a person to the point of emotional breakdown. I saw no humour in toying with a person's feelings to the point where friendships are falling apart. I've been on this website for two and half years and I can honestly say that was the lowest of the low, there is no rationale or justification for what happened, and I have no intention in revisiting that episode again. As for the rest of us, we're moving on.