Sorry for such a long time in between chapters. I got a huge job and stopped really working on the story. But I got an email from the site of a review for this story. I opened up my old chapters read through them again and immediately remembered the direction I wanted to take with this. Again sorry for the long delay but without further ado here is the rest of my story.

Chapter 10

Zuko stared unto the large piece of land ahead, it was filled with towering buildings and a wall surrounding it. Much like the wall of Ba Sing Se, which Zuko believes where they copied their wall from. He had donned a Fire Nation Officers uniform and was standing in the upper deck steering the vehicle into the dock. The dock would have guards everywhere. Patrolling different parts of the docks, from what Zuko knew he could remember some of the posts. But since it was years since he was last here he didn't know how much could have changed.

As he reached closer to the dock he grabbed his sword, which was on the table behind him and he pulled it around his shoulder. He looked forward as a Dock Captain was ushering him forward into an open spot. Zuko pulled the ship in as the Dock Hands waited for the rope lines to fall so they could tie the ship to the dock. But nothing fell to them. They stared at the Captain who commanded the Ship's Captain to drop the ropes down.

Zuko at this point had left the upper control room and had moved on to the bottom floor knowing what was going to happen next. He sat in a dark room waiting listening for his cue to move. He heard a big explosion and knew that his time was almost ready. The Dock Captain grew impatient with the ship's crew and had ordered a team to go in. First they had to blow the locks off the loading ramp. So after the locks were blown which was the explosion Zuko heard, the ramp fell to the floor letting the raid team enter the ship.

Zuko could hear footsteps and voices commanding the soldiers to enter different parts of the ship. Zuko waited for the few soldiers that would enter this part. There would only be two soldiers, Zuko knew this from experience. He waited and heard the footsteps getting closer to the room he was in he held his breath and unsheathed his sword. Pulling on the hilt letting it pull apart into two pieces. Each one resting in his hands.

He waited until they moved into the room next to his and he repositioned himself to be facing the door. He was crouching down with his swords pointed to the door. The plan was for the first soldier to step in Zuko would stab in the stomach with his sword, and then before the second could react he would flip over the soldier stabbing the second. Although things didn't go according to plan.

The first soldier stepped in and Zuko pushed the sword in his left hand straight through the soldier's stomach. The soldier immediately grabbed his stomach and tried to yell out but no sound was heard. Zuko ran forward flipping over the guard with the sword in his right hand ready he stabbed through the air pushing the sword straight for the second soldier.

The second soldier saw it coming after seeing the man in front of him fall over. He moved to the right barely avoiding the blade that came straight for him. He pulled out his own blade swing it for Zuko, as Zuko fell to the floor landing on his two feet as he knelt down catching the blade with his own. He slid underneath the soldier's blade as he shot fire from his feet toward the soldier's legs. The soldier jumped up avoiding the fire, but in doing so was struck in the side by Zuko.

The blade was in his side in between his ribs he looked down shocked as he fell to his right. Zuko stood over the two soldiers as he put his sword away and walked up to the main floor of the ship. He looked out of the tower he was in towards the outside world. He could three soldiers, two standing guard while third obviously the commanding officer stood his ground watching and waiting for his men to return with something. Zuko knew his only way out of this was to jump straight for them. He would not have much time after fighting them to escape. So he had to come up with some other plan.

The first plan that came to mind seemed so stupid and childish that he didn't even want to attempt it. But it was the only thing that came to mind. He ran back down to the other soldiers that he has just killed. He stripped one of his armor and put it on over his own clothes. He made sure to wipe the blood from the outside and put the helmet on. Hoping that it would cover up most of his scar.

He walked back up to the main floor and thought that either this plan was going to work. Or he was going to look like an idiot as he tries to escape. After taking a deep breath he ran out towards the main Officer. He stopped at attention in front of the Officer, as the man looked him up and down before speaking.

"What do you want boy?" He asked obviously taking notice of Zuko's size compared to the other soldiers.

"Sir, we captured the prisoner he's down in the lower decks waiting for you." Zuko trying to disguise his voice stared at the Officer hoping he would buy his story.

"Oh he is, well finally you people have done some sort of good work." The Officer spat the last words out as he walked down into the ship. The other guards following him, leaving Zuko on the main deck alone.

Zuko stood there almost shocked he couldn't believe that his plan actually worked. Without wasting another second he ran as fast as he could off the deck. Hoping nobody would notice him. He ran off the ship down into the main docks as he walked slowly hoping that he would get lost in the sea of soldiers and people.

Zuko walked forward hoping to find some sort of building to change in. He kept walking listening to the people around him. Shop owners trying to sell different types of good. People buying things or just walking around. The ones that made him nervous were the soldiers walking along staring at him. He must of looked out of place most soldiers don't walk alone. Usually they walk in pairs or groups.

Zuko knew this so trying to find someplace to hide was essential. Finally he found what he was looking for, it was a small indoor shop. Out on the docks most shops weren't indoors seeing as how everyone was walking outside trying to get someplace. Most shop owners wanted their merchandise out in the open for people to see.

Zuko slowly walked in as he saw the shop owner a small older man. He stood at around 5'7, he was hunched over as he walked towards Zuko. He had a long white beard that matched his long white hair. He slowly stopped a few feet from Zuko as he looked up at him.

"What can I help you with Sir?" The old man asked as he stared at the Soldier standing in front of him. Something that he doesn't see everyday.

Zuko stood still not knowing what to say he knew this man wasn't about to let him change out of this uniform and let him walk right out of here.

"It's not everyday that a Fire Nation Soldier just walks in here, there must be something you need. If you are tired I have a bed in the back."

Zuko was taken back by the kindness of the man, most people wouldn't just offer their own private bed to a soldier just passing by.

"Yeah that sounds good I have been walking up and down these docks all day," Zuko said as he hoped that was going to be a good enough excuse for the old man.

"Well come on back. I like you guys I know most people don't but what your doing for our nation is amazing. I just hope that you catch that Avatar soon. He thinks he can just disappear and then come back and try to patch everything up. Nothing is wrong with our world everything is right. The strong are growing and the weak are falling. It's the natural order of things," The man spoke and spoke as he led Zuko back to the room.

Zuko not wanting to interrupt listened to the man, obviously knowing this guy hasn't seen any of the world outside of the Fire Nation.

"Here you go," he said as he let Zuko enter a small bedroom in the back. The walls were bare and there was no sense of style to the room just a single mattress sitting in the small room.

"I won't tell your buddies that you're here," The man said as he winked and shut the door behind Zuko.

Zuko sat on the bed taking the helmet off as he stripped himself of the armor. He didn't have a plan on getting to the Fire Nation prison all he knew was that he needed to get out of here at night and find Uncle Iroh. As soon as Zuko's head hit he pillow he was out.

Sorry for the no Gaang in this chapter but I wanted all of this part of Zuko's story to be told in one chapter. And I didn't want to make it too long. So I am already finishing up the next chapter. I am just rereading things and sending it to some of my old beta readers I had. Hopefully most of you still want to know what happens so read and review and let me know how you feel about this story. And the direction it is taking. It will get a lot more darker now and to answer a question I have gotten a lot. Yes Iroh is going to be in the story. Zuko just has to get to the prison first.