Captured

A Hero Always comes Home

Zoe and Zuko were the first to wake up. They looked at each other.

"Thank you for uh… helping me yesterday." Zuko said awkwardly.

"Don't get used to it." Zoe replied coldly.

Well at she's back to the same old Zoe. Zoe walked over to Katara and splashed water onto her. Katara groaned

"Can't I sleep a little longer?"

"Brilliant idea. Why don't you fall asleep while the girl who's been trying to kill me is right next to me?" Zuko replied sarcastically.

"Good point." Katara stated. Katara got up and realized that everything had been taken down and there was no trace of a camp. It looked completely normal. Zuko helped Katara up. Zoe sighed.

"Lovebirds!" she teased. Zuko tried to punch Zoe, but Zoe dodged it easily and punched him. Katara blushed. Suddenly Zoe heard something.

"What's that?" she asked.

"What's what?" Katara asked, suddenly serious. She looked around. There wasn't a river. Thank god that Sokka taught her to fist fight.

Zoe pointed to the trees. There was an evil laugh.

Zuko went into a fighting stance. Azula. Just on cue, she stepped out of the trees.

"Hello Zuzu." Azula coolly said.

"What do you want?" Zoe asked her voice deadly and serious. Azula laughed.

"You. I heard you knocked out my guards. So I've been tracking you." Zoe controlled herself. She felt the moon in the sky faintly and knew in 

a couple moments she wouldn't get any help from it. Zoe raised her hands. Then in a split second she felt someone trying to force her hand down. What the heck is Katara doing? She heard an old lady laughed. Zoe's felt a chill down her spine. So Hama's on Azula's team now.

Katara froze as Zoe prepared to stop Azula. Hama then stepped out. No. Hama stopped Zoe. Katara watched in horror as Zoe fell to the ground. Zoe was sweating.

Zoe felt herself being pushed to the ground. She struggled but looked Azula in the eye. Azula laughed coldly.

"You're coming with me Zoe. Or Zuko and Katara die." Zoe felt her face being pushed down again. She looked up.

"Fine."

Zuko couldn't believe it. He watched in horror as Azula bound Zoe's hands together. He threw a fireball at Azula. Azula deflected it.

"Zuko. Knock it off." Zoe warned. Zuko saw something in Zoe's eye he had only seen when she was fighting. Determination. Zoe wanted to do this. Zuko stepped back in front of Katara.

Katara froze. She couldn't believe was doing this. Hama saw her.

"How's my little bloodbender?" Hama laughed. Zuko held Katara back. Katara felt her blood boil.

"Traitor!" Katara spat.

"I'm protecting my people." Hama laughed again. Hama had a wicked gleam in her eye. Hama laughed and disappeared into the trees. Azula followed. Zoe looked sadly and Katara and followed.



Katara fell to the ground and screamed. Zuko put his hand on her back.

"Katara." Katara looked up. Why didn't Zoe fight back. Why didn't Zuko fight? Katara immediately thought of last night. Zoe had seemed like a regular girl, taking, sharing secrets. She had found a friend. Toph was there but Toph didn't talk about boys or her insecurities. Zoe had. Zoe had opened up to Katara and let her in. Katara had done the same.

"We need to go back. We need to tell Iroh." Zuko said.

"What good will it do?"

"We'll get her back. I swear." Zuko promised. Katara got up.

"Which way?" Zuko pointed. And together they started running.

Azula lead Zoe into a crate. Zoe sat down. Hama sat up front holding the reins to the ostrich horses. Azula looked Zoe in the eye.

"I want you to join me."

"What?" Zoe was caught off guard. Azula smirked. Zoe hadn't expected that.

"You have information on the Avatar. With your help we could end this war." Zoe looked down. She remembered Nate's words. "When this is all over, I'll find you." Zoe heard them echoing in her head.

"You want this war to end. So do I. Together, we could end it." Zoe looked into Azula's eyes.

"I won't betray them." With that Zoe spit fire at Azula. Azula didn't flinch.

"You were never on their side so how could you betray them?"

Zuko saw the shape of the Western air temple in the distance. He heard a familiar voice.

"Keep your knees high twinkletoes!" Toph called out.



"Yes Sifu toph." Aang replied. Suddenly Toph felt vibrations.

"Katara and Zuko are back!" Katara ran up to Toph and hugged her.

Zuko looked over at Aang.

"You have some serious training to make up." Aang groaned. Then Aang looked at Katara.

"Katara why were you crying?" Aang asked. Zuko remembered why they had come back.

"Zoe was captured."

"By who?" Toph asked.

"Azula."

Zoe remembered how Katara had laughed with her; how Iroh had made sure she was okay. She thought of Iroh. What would he say? Azula grabbed Zoe's head and forced Zoe to look into Azula's eyes.

"Well?"

"I'll join you." Zoe heard herself say as though she wasn't saying it. Azula untied her.

"Welcome to the team."

Zuko broke the news to the rest of the gang and Iroh. Iroh looked away.

"We'll get her back. But now we all need to train. Hard."

"Why?" they all asked.

"The comet's coming soon. We have to train, with or without Zoe."