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Chapter 10 – Escape

Toph stopped in her tracks. "We're here."

After stealing a glance out of the alley, Katara stopped beside her. Xuon's house was directly opposite them. She couldn't see Zuko, though she hadn't expected to. "Where is he?"

"I…don't know," Toph mumbled, her forehead creasing in concentration. "Hang on a sec, he is…on the second floor, up the stairs, first room to the left."

Katara nodded and looked at Toph strangely when she made no move towards the house. "Coming?" she asked motioning across the street.

"No way! I like earth. I'll stand guard here."

Smirking, she nodded again. She should have figured as much, Toph hated leaving ground.

"He'll be hiding when he hears you coming. Call him Lee, 'cause those annoying metal men might be some sneaky eavesdroppers."

"All right." Her eyes ran over the moderate sized, three-story, stone building. It was dark, though she wasn't sure if was from dirt or tinted stone. There were only windows on the first floor and they were very small. Predictably, the lights were out, and it looked vacant.

"And Katara?"

"What?"

"Good luck."

She smiled. "Thanks, you too, Toph." Katara looked down either side of what appeared to be an empty street before venturing out. With as much stealth as she could muster (which wasn't much), she came across the road. Taking another look around, she tried to stay composed and drew some falling rain to mold around one arm before opening the front door.

The house was dim and warm. Outlines of wooden chairs, tables, oversized paintings and unlit candlesticks were all she could see. She inched forward. Lightning cracked and the room was illuminated for a split-second. Her hands covered her mouth to muffle a gasp. It was in disarray with maps, letters and other documents strewn over the desks and the floor. Drawers were open, stools were overturned and there was a large hole in the floor marked with angry chafe marks as though someone had burned through it. Katara felt defenseless. It was a feeling she hadn't felt in years. Instinctively, she raised the water in her hand a little higher. She pleaded inwardly that it had been Zuko who trashed this place, and no one else.

Her fingers reached up to the staircase railing, hugging it tightly. She took one steady step after another. "Zu – Lee?" Her quiet voice echoed back at her. The second story was nothing but darkness. "Lee-" She groaned as she tripped over something and caught herself on the wall. It had made a snapping sound like the breaking of soft plastic. She reached down and felt a soft, very thin and slippery material only a few centimeters wide and very long, in fact, she couldn't find the end of it. It was like smooth, warm ice and little ridges along either side. She had never felt anything like it before. Interest about what it was would have peaked had the situation not been so urgent.

She stood up again and took a step forward, shivering, her form still soaked in muck and frigid rain. "Lee, please."

A hand covered her mouth, an arm wrapped around her waist and her back collided with something solid and very warm. She tensed before relaxing, she knew who it was. "What are you doing here?" he hissed into her ear.

Katara sighed and let herself sag into Zuko's grasp in relief. He let go of her, turned her around, and kept his hands on her shoulders to hold her in place. Amber eyes pierced through the darkness, a combination of concern and frustration.

"They know about me, Xuon and the Legion. Toph and I only just lost them." Her voice sounded strangely high-pitched. "They'll be here soon. They don't know about you though-"

Zuko's eyes widened in alarm and he covered her mouth again, his other arm swiped her feet out from beneath her and he flew silently into a neighboring room, closing the door behind him. He removed his hand, placed her on the floor and put a silencing finger over his lips, to which she nodded.

She couldn't hear a thing, but Zuko obviously had. He was a few steps in front of her, hunched over with an ear pressed to the door, eyes closed. His fist clenched, and he returned to her, his expression doing nothing to calm her nerves.

Zuko patted his shoulders, and after a moment, she understood. Get on his back, just like before. He kneeled down, and she slid on, one arm holding around his neck, the other still streaming with water.

He made it across the room in three strides, stopping in front of the wall. One arm let got of her and he pressed his palm against the stone. Slowly, his hand began to glow red and flames burst forth, breaking through the wall, creating a large, messy hole. Zuko jumped back as some of the rubble tumbled not only into the alley below, but towards him.

Katara clutched his shirt tightly and turned away as the debris fell towards them. Her gaze returned forward, her eyes watering from the thick air and soot made her cough weakly. Along with Zuko's loud explosion, the winds howling and drumming thunder would have given away their position to anyone close enough

Zuko stepped towards the hole scanned the outside with a frown. There was a roof seven meters out and three meters up. How Zuko was going to manage this, Katara had no idea.

"You'll need both hands to hold on."

"But-"

"There's plenty of water out there if you need it."

She nodded and turned her head around to face the door of the room. Her hand glided through the air, guiding the water to the door, freezing it and turned back to Zuko, latching on tightly. "I'm ready."

Zuko hopped onto the base of the hole, one arm holding onto the side to steady himself, wind whipping his hair into his face. Looking up, he retightened his hold, bent his knees low and jumped.

She thought he hadn't made it, but a few moments later, there was a shattering around her, a stinging along the base of her neck and down her back. They had broken through a window on the opposite side of the street. The next second, Zuko was in full flight again. He ran down the stairs and out the back door of the house they had fallen into.

Katara's grip slackened and vision blurred. There was a sticky feeling sliding along her back, and she realized that she was bleeding badly.

Zuko jumped to get a better grasp as Katara's slipped. "Hold on." His voice was determined while his chest was heaved.

And Katara did. She buried her head in his neck, closed her eyes and held. The rain was dull knives against her wounds. If only she could heal them right away. She slumped more against his back, but her grip held.

Zuko kept running, she didn't know for how long, but she soon felt herself being set down. When she was let go, she slumped over entirely, lying down on the wood, pressing her cheek to the damp floor, her already closed eyes growing heavy. The cold rain was still falling and her back felt icky.

"Katara? Katara?"

"Hmm?" She let her body go limp against the wood beneath her. Her brain was fuzzy and her movements were slowing.

"Damn it." She was being propped up slightly and shaken around the shoulders. "Katara!" The voice was more urgent.

Her head lolled forward so it was resting on her chest, her wet hair covering her face. "Yes…?"

Her chin was lifted up and a warm though damp hand was on her cheek. "You're hurt."

"No, just tired," Katara mumbled, she winced as thunder rumbled again, the low tone hurting her ears. She tried to brush the hands away but lacked coordination and strength.

She heard him swear again, and she was picked up before being placed down gently, with her back brushing lightly against a wall, the same strong, heated hand behind her neck. The rain was gone now, but the wind was still in her face. "Open your eyes."

"Hmm."

"Katara," he ordered, a damp hand bushed her hair back and she heard a slump as mud from her tangled locks hit the floor, "open your eyes."

She did slightly and Zuko was staring at her, a basin of water in his hand. "Can you still bend? Do you think you can heal yourself?"

She blinked a few times and nodded. Time began to slow. She was exhausted. Her eyes, along with the rest of her body, just wanted to doze off. He held out the basin for her, and she made a few lethargic motions, trying to focus on the task of healing as much as she could. Vaguely, she was aware that she was in a cabin on Master Pakku's boat.

"The wound on the back of your left shoulder blade is the worst."

Zuko leaned over her shoulder. She felt calloused fingers bush near the gash and grimaced.

"Wait." His voice was low. "There is glass in here." He tried to sound a matter-of-factly but his voice wavered.

"Zuko," she mumbled.

"What is it?" He pulled back, his face coming right in front of hers.

"Get us out of here. I can heal later…just get us out of here, Zuko."

"Katara."

"Do it." Her eyes drifted close again.

He squeezed her wrist. "Fine. I'll be back soon. Don't fall asleep."

Zuko got up. The door closed with a snap, and the wind stopped. All she could hear was the whistling from outside with a crack and rumble every now and again. Taking a few deep breaths, she pushed away from the wall and turned to lay stomach down on the hard floor.

Her eyes squinted open, and she reached her arm behind her back, her fingers brushing against the injury on her shoulder and cried out in pain. She was thankful that her scream was drowned out by the weather. With another deep breath, she reached behind again and tore the cloth of her shirt almost all the way down her back. She gave a heavy exhale, pushing the excess material on either side of her. She winced when she found the glass and pulled it out. It felt like she was slicing off a finger. She finally managed to remove it and dropped it on the ground beside her with a clatter. Bad idea. It was half a foot long and covered in blood. She grimaced and turned to face the other direction. Gasping for air, she set her fingers to work again, pulling out piece after piece. Slowly, the pain tapered and became manageable, her eyes darkening.

Soon, the pile of bloody glass beside her was nauseating. It would have made her queasy had she not been fighting for consciousness.

She mumbled something incoherently as she heard a snap and wind brushed against her back before a door shut, cutting off the wind. "Katara!"

Zuko was kneeling beside her, a hand on the small of her back. With a shocked expression, he eyed the bloody mass of glass. "Agni." He gulped and stared at her.

"I'm fine," she snapped sounding annoyed though extremely lightheaded. "I'm fine," she repeated. "Just help me up."

Zuko turned her over, held around the shoulders to prevent the material of her top from slipping and made sure her injuries didn't touch the ground.

She brought her arms forward, wrapping water from the basin around her hands. Reaching behind, she placed her palm over the wounds on her back and neck, a cooling sensation soothing her body. Sighing, she went to work on the next one. She leaned her head on Zuko's shoulder and one of his hands brushed her hair, tentatively at first before he began running his fingers from her scalp to her tips, working cautiously as though her locks had been pristine rather than covered in mud, blood and sweat. She smiled and relaxed. "We gone, Zuko?"

"Yes. We're far away; they won't be able to track us."

Instinctively, she leaned into his touch. He paused at the action before resuming. "That's good," she mumbled. Her muscles and skin felt renewed as a few more wounds mended under her skill. Her lightheadedness was slowly fading. "Thanks for saving us back there."

Zuko looked away, his shoulders squaring, and his hand froze in her hair again.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," he replied quietly and detangled his fingers from her tresses.

Katara frowned at the loss though didn't protest. She stretched out her shoulders. "There, all done."

"Not yet."

She looked up at him, confused.

His face lowered coming within inches of hers, and she flushed (luckily it didn't show much because of her blood loss). He raised his palm to her cheek and pressed lightly against her skin. She winced, it felt very tender. Then she remembered that Xuon had slapped her, she had forgotten. "Oh, that." She brought some more water to her cheek and the swelling went down after a while, though it still gave off a dull throb.

"Who did that?"

"This?" She asked touching her lip. Hazily, she detected anger in his voice.

He nodded, eying where the large imprint of a hand had been moments earlier.

"Xuon."

"Mmm." His eyes narrowed at the thought of the spy.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling Zuko's scent. It smelled like the smoke coming off a fire that had just been put out. "Why?"

He let go of her, and she had to reach a hand to the floor to steady herself. He stood up and turned away. "I'm …keeping notes."

Her eyes opened to glare at him as he stole away his warmth. "Keeping…notes, Zuko?" she asked raising a brow.

"Of people I owe."

She scoffed, her tired gaze squinting with humor. "Owe?"

He nodded more firmly this time. "Yes."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Don't get too hung up on it because I think there might be a few things a little higher on our priority list right now," she said grinning slightly. "Besides, I already got him back. His nose – well let's just say that he won't be winning any beauty contests anytime soon."

He gave a small smirk, pleased. He just wished that he could have landed his own personal blow.

Katara tried to stand up, but wavered, and Zuko was there a moment later, picking her up.

"Hey, put me down! I am perfectly capable of walking."

He ignored her and dropped her in a cot a few feet away. "You're still weak."

She glared at him. "I am only weak because you decided to jump through a window!"

He looked down at the ground, his shoulders hunching. "I know," he whispered.

"Zuko, I-"

"Go to sleep, Katara." And he left the room.

Even though this has yet to be beta-ed, thanks njty9101, AvocadoLove and MizJoely for their terrific work.

much love,

temariXshikamaruluva