Ok, so I really hope you all don't hate me now for hurting poor Sokka in the last chapter, but, it had to be done for the purposes of my story! Yes there will be a bit more Sokka violence portrayed in this chapter as well, but then we get to what you guys are REALLY after~! ;)

As for this chapter, it is based on the initial Agni Kai fight between Zhao and Zuko, but with some obvious differences: 1) they are fighting on Zhao's ship, not in the compound in the Earth Nation harbor, 2) Zuko is there to challenge Zhao not only for his honor, but to reclaim Sokka... so the tension is a bit more elevated.

Thanks again for all the favs and reviews! You guys are awesome! Sorry if I'm a little slow, I'm in the process of moving into a new house.. eheh...

-Sha

Ch. 9 - Fighting Fire With Fire

Zhao looked mildly peevish as he stood on the deck of his ship to 'greet' the unwelcome Prince. He'd wanted to simply deny Zuko permission to board... but he knew what the young Prince was there for... and he planned to inflict as many wounds as possible before Zuko left his sight... in as many ways as possible.

"Ah, Prince Zuko, General Iroh... A pleasure, as always."

Zhao murmured with a false smile plastered across his rugged face. The underlying disdain and sarcastic edge to his voice was not unnoticed by either of the royal family. Zuko was done being 'pleasant' to a man that didn't respect him to begin with.

"Wish I could say the same, but such a lie would only leave a bad taste in my mouth..."

Zuko muttered, glancing to his uncle and amused to see the lightest upward curl of the older bender's lips, though he said nothing to chide, nor support Zuko's comment.

Zhao's smile dropped, his lips becoming a thin line and eyes narrowing.

"... I have more important matters to attend to, brat... So, you'd be better off turning around now and getting off my ship."

Zuko's eyes flashed slightly, his anger growing, but he knew to keep a cool head. He'd be no better than Zhao if he let his anger control his every decision.

"I'll leave... AFTER you've returned what is rightfully mine."

The older bender's brows arched and he sputtered on a low laugh. "Rightfully yours? You mean that useless welp?" Zhao laughed deeper now. "I don't know what you see in him... He's worthless as a pleasure slave, and I doubt he's fit for any labor, now..." The Commander's voice grew dark and sinister as he spoke, watching Zuko's reaction carefully.

Zuko felt his breath hitch, his stomach doing a slight flip flop at all that Zhao's words entailed. He'd damaged Sokka, that was obvious... Had possibly broken his body in several places... But... Had he really gone so far as to rape the teen? Zuko grit his jaw against a shudder traveling up his spine.

"Show him to me, Zhao... NOW!"

The smirking Commander snorted and turned his head to look at his men. "Bring out the prisoner... Let the Prince have a good look at him."

Two of the soldiers on deck nodded and went to fetch Sokka from below. Zuko waited with clenched fists and growing dread, his breathing tight. He glanced towards his uncle, seeing the same tension and worry in the former General's eyes.

Sokka grunted as he was tossed at Zhao's feet by the two soldiers hauling him onto the ship deck. He'd been given only water and stale bread the last 3 days and his body showed the results of his meager meals. Aside from being slightly under weight now, he was heavily splotched with bruises and welts overlapping each other, his skin looking more akin in color to an eggplant now. His left ankle was fractured and several fingers broken as well, all lingering reminders of his interrogation, and his fight against Zhao's sexual advances.

He took in a weak breath and slowly glanced up at Zhao before gritting his teeth. Zhao chuckled lightly and reached down, grabbing the broken-in Inuit by his hair and hauling him up onto his good foot to stand, ignoring Sokka's pained shout of protest as his now very tender scalp was yanked on yet again.

"... Your former master is here to fetch you back, dog... Let him look at you. I doubt you're worth anything to him now..." Zhao murmured low at Sokka's ear, making the teen's skin crawl and a light gasp chase the breath from his lips.

Sokka's blue eyes widened as he looked across the ship deck and spotted not only Zuko, but Iroh standing rigidly only a few feet away. Iroh looked horrified, the color having run from his aged face.

... Zuko, however, looked FURIOUS!

"...Z-Zhao..." Zuko's eyes were golden orbs of raging flame, his voice shaking slightly with emotion.

"Not much to look at now, is he, Prince Zuko?... He's got spirit well enough, but he doesn't know how to obey orders... He might have enjoyed himself more if he simply stopped fighting me. Not that it really matters... I like it better when they struggle." Zhao replied in a lofty manner, his serpentine grin exposing his teeth as he looked over Sokka's bare body.

"That's ENOUGH!" Zuko snarled, taking a step forward, his fists clenched and smoke curling out from between his fingers. "I'm taking him back NOW, one way or another, Zhao!"

"Is that a challenge?" Zhao almost purred, his dark eyes glimmering.

"An Agni Kai!" Zuko growled, his body tight with anger. "I challenge you right here and now!"

Zhao laughed and shook his head. "In what world do you think you could best ME?"

"Don't underestimate me, Zhao..." Zuko whispered low, his tone deadly serious.

Sokka furrowed his brows as he looked between the two benders. He didn't know what an Agni Kai was, but he assumed it was a fight... A fight he REALLY didn't want to get caught in the middle of! He glanced from Zhao, who seemed all TOO eager to destroy his own Prince, to Zuko, who amazingly stood without an ounce of fear to him. Where Sokka had too often seen a hot-headed young man now stood a man of absolute resolve and readiness... It was an amazing transformation.

Zhao smirked mildly and pushed Sokka back into the arms of his men once more, Sokka stumbling on his bad ankle and cursing softly as he sagged heavily in the grip of the two guards holding him.

"... Very well... We fight for the slave. When I win, I expect you to leave my ship AND Earth Nation waters and never show your disgraced face to me again... And as for the welp... Well, he stays with me until I find something more 'useful' for him to do..."

Sokka swallowed tightly, looking over at Zuko and Iroh with worry creasing his brow.

"... Agreed." Zuko murmured, holding himself tall. "And if I win, Sokka returns to me, and you, Zhao, never take my title so lightly again..."

Zhao chuckled and turned, ordering his men to clear out and make room for the fight, murmuring low under his breath, "... This will be over with quickly..."

The ship deck was cleared to leave a large open space in the middle, Zhao's crew standing around the side rails of the ship to watch as the two benders prepared themselves for battle. Sokka wanted to be as far away as possible from what he now realized would be a fire fight, but was forced to sit on the deck surface between the two on the sidelines, like some trophy waiting to be claimed.

Iroh sighed low, gazing down at his nephew as he kneeled in traditional starting stance. He didn't want this Agni Kai to end up like the last one for Zuko... but then again, last time, Zuko had refused to fight back. That was not the case this time.

"...Remember your fire bending basics Prince Zuko... They are your greatest weapons."

Zuko's eyes opened, determination set in his gaze.

"I refuse to let him win..." He murmured low, voice steady before he stood and turned to face his opponent.

Zhao stood and turned, the crimson sash across his shoulders falling away as he moved into the 'ring' and stood at the ready. Zuko approached, standing across from the smug Commander and narrowing his eyes before moving into his first attack.

Sokka could only marvel as the two benders clashed. It was clear that Zhao was the more experienced of the two, and had greater starting stamina than Zuko... As the battle unfolded before him, Sokka seriously began to fear that his fate would remain in the cruel hands of the Commander. Zuko, though having a strong start, was steadily being driven backwards, merely fending off the flames surrounding him instead of counter-attacking.

The Inuit glanced over as he heard Iroh shout from the side lines... Something about Basics... and breaking Zhao's root... It was a good piece of advice, but Sokka cringed as Zuko, not Zhao, fell first.

Zuko grunted roughly as he hit the hard deck flat on his back, sucking in a tight gasp as he looked up at Zhao before his eyes quickly flickered to Sokka. The younger man was sitting tense and upright, watching Zuko with an expression both worried, and desperate. But Zuko noticed Sokka's fists clench, and his lips move in such a way as to silently cry 'come on!'.

Zhao was over him, fist raised and fire already crackling from his fingers, sparking along his muscular arm. The younger bender's eyes widened and his breath stilled as, for this great instant, everything slowed and the world seemed to pause on a bated breath.

It was in this moment, Zuko found his clarity.

A roar ripped from his throat as he threw himself back from Zhao's flame, twisting his own body into a quick, low roundhouse that caught Zhao at the ankle and ripped the Commander's balance right out from under him.

Zhao cried out in surprise, stumbling back.

Sokka couldn't help himself as he pumped both his fists into the air and let out a resounding whoop of exhilaration.

Now grounded, confidence restored, Zuko stared down his opponent and smirked, that joyous sound of Sokka's encouragement ringing clear and crisp in his ears.

He would NOT fall again.

Zuko took stance and pivoted his foot forward, sending out a wave of flame from his feet. Zhao stumbled back, trying to correct his footing while quickly avoiding getting his own feet burned, the result of which made him more off balance than before. The heir to the Fire Nation didn't let up for an instant. Step after step, he slammed his feet down, driving the arrogant Commander back further and further. Whenever Zhao seemed to gain a foot hold, Zuko kicked upwards at his chest instead, blasting the older man with heated waves, one after another.

The barrage of strikes proved too much and Zhao stumbled again, this time falling hard to the deck in a weak roll. Still on the defense, Zuko rushed forward, standing over his fallen opponent, and fists in strike position. There was a moment of stillness between the two benders, an internal battle now between Prince and Soldier to determine who was stronger within. The air between them was so tense, even Sokka held his breath.

"DO IT!" Zhao snarled suddenly, his teeth bared and body tensing for pain.

Zuko's muscles flexed and he let out an angry roar, shooting a blast of flame forward. Sokka had expected to hear a cry of pain from the Commander... but none came. Zhao remained unburned, smoke swirling up from the scorched deck just beyond his shoulder.

The Prince took a low breath and straightened his back, resting his arms down at his side, finished.

Zhao blinked, his eyes wild and filled with shocked fury.

"That's IT? Your father raised a coward!"

Zuko leveled the beaten Commander with his gaze, his posture tall and triumphant.

"Next time you get in my way, I PROMISE... I won't hold back."

With that, Zuko turned, striding across the open deck towards his prize. Sokka glanced up at Zuko as the young bender approached, his pulse quickening slightly. His blue eyes flickered to the side, seeing movement behind the Prince as Zhao stood once more and turned to get in one last strike. Sokka's mouth opened to cry out a warning, but Zhao's attack was cut off no sooner than the flame had left his foot. Iroh's strong grip clamped down on the Commander's foot, squelching out the flame before tossing the large soldier back as effortlessly as if he were a bag of feathers.

Zhao grunted as he went sprawling for the second time. Zuko turned in time to see his uncle fend off the sneak attack, his rage boiling over again as he let out a yell of fury and prepared to make good on his threat only moments before. Iroh, however, quickly stepped between the two, placing his hand on Zuko's bare chest to halt his lunge for the Commander.

"No, Prince Zuko! ... Do not taint your victory..." He murmured soothingly, nodding towards Sokka to remind his nephew of why they were here. Zuko grit his jaw tightly but stood down, taking a low breath and casting one last glare at Zhao before turning to retrieve Sokka.

The Inuit swallowed slightly as he gazed up at the bare-chested bender, his brows weakly furrowed at the stern expression set on Zuko's face. But when the Prince spoke, his voice was low, even gentle.

"... Can you stand?"

Sokka glanced down at his fractured ankle, uncertain, and looked back at Zuko as the fire bender offered the younger teen his hand. Taking it, Sokka shifted his weight onto his good foot and pushed himself up onto both feet, though his injured foot was held up slightly with his weight off it. Zuko kept hold of Sokka's hand, holding him steady as he got up off the deck and looking at his swollen ankle with quiet contemplation. Sokka could tell he was trying to judge if the Inuit could walk on his own and he carefully put his foot down, testing his weight on it.

Pain shot like lightning up his leg and Sokka barely stifled a cry as his ankle and knee tried to buckle. Zuko's arms were around him in an instant, holding him upright and steady, his lips near Sokka's ear, making the younger man blush at the soft caress of warm breath against his skin when his captor-turned-rescuer spoke.

"...If you can walk... Do it. Don't give him the satisfaction of your pain..."

Those words steeled something profound in Sokka. All the pain and humiliation Zhao had put him through... If he showed his pain now, it would only prove to Zhao that he'd won his dirty little game. Sokka tensed and nodded, straightening himself up and ignoring the agonizing protest in his leg as he settled his weight evenly over both feet. Even with his ankle on fire, the small almost proud smile that moved across Zuko's lips gave Sokka the extra boost he needed and when Iroh walked over to join them, he walked off the Commanders ship with his head held high, flanked on either side by the Fire Nations royal family.

Once back on Zuko's smaller ship, the Prince ordered his men to disengage from Zhao's larger battleship and make for the Earth Nation. Sokka held strong until they'd left the Commander in their wake when his leg, unable to hold him any longer, buckled like a snapped twig under his weight and he tumbled forward... But he never hit the deck.

Sokka blinked as he registered warm, strong arms wrapped around him once again; turning him to be picked up bridal style so that all the pressure was taken off both his legs. He turned his head to the side, confronted by Zuko's brilliant golden eyes.

"... Don't worry. I've got you..." Zuko whispered low, easily holding Sokka aloft against his chest.

The younger teen opened his mouth to say something... but there seemed too much to say... And thank you wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. Feeling foolish and at a loss, grateful, and yet still so hurt by all Zuko had done and said before this mess... he closed his mouth again and frowned weakly, closing his eyes as tears he'd held back the entire time under Zhao's control finally refused to be contained any longer and slid down his face.

He nodded and turned his face against the bender's chest as he was carried inside to rest.

Everything else... all those unsaid words could wait... Right now all that mattered was that he was safe... and Zuko had him.

TBC