Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. But I AM watching it right now!

A/N: I'm sorry it's been taking so long! Here we go again: friendship fic, canon pairings, etc. I am SO sorry about the ridiculous italicizing going on in my stories; my word processor is the spawn of Satan! Whoa, okay anyways, I hope you enjoy. Also, another small Monty Python reference in this chapter, let me know if you find it. Please read and review!

The footsteps of the Firenation guard echoed down the hallway, loud enough for Zuko to hear as they came closer. He exchanged a look with his Uncle, who nodded silently. Zuko moved the cell bars, now free of the chains after having melted them. The guard appeared before him, strutting lazily and smirking at the prisoners.

"You comfortable in there?" The guard asked sarcastically. Zuko smirked right back, his eyes flashing, and replied smartly,

"Why don't you come in here and find out. I could take you with both hands tied behind my back."

The guard seethed with rage. He reached through the bars and pulled Zuko towards him until the man's breath was hot on Zuko's face.

"You dare speak to me like that, you traitor! You and your uncle are nothing but an embarrassment to the Firenation!"

"What's going on here?" Came a cold, sharp voice. Azula had appeared. Zuko thought furiously. Now he had to change his plan. But it could still work.

Azula waved the guard away, and he quickly backed off, leaving the firebenders. Azula strode to the cell bars and said with mock sweetness,

"Well, brother. You must have had plenty of time to think about your failure whilst in here."

Zuko did his best to remain calm, and hide away any emotion when she said,

"Let's face it, Zuko. Father loves me, and could care less about you. I'll always be better than you."

His only chance was to beat her at her own game. He had to "fight fire with fire", ironically enough.

"But you'll never be perfect. Will you, Azula?" He didn't want to be cruel. But he had to be.

Azula's eye twitched dangerously. He'd hit the mark. Then she shrugged it off and snapped back,

"Don't change the subject, Zuko." He quickly jumped in again,

"Or are you afraid to admit that?" He didn't want to hurt her. He wanted to make her angry, so cross she would make a mistake. He needed lightening.

***Flashback-Earlier that day, in the cell***

Zuko could not learn to bend lightening. Not yet. Iroh had decided it for him. He said,

"Zuko, you are conflicted inside. You will not be able to bend lightening until you are at peace with yourself."

"But Uncle," Zuko protested, "How can I ever beat Azula if I can't even stop her lightening?"

"Ah, but you can, my nephew. I developed a technique some time ago, by studying the forms of waterbenders. I can teach you to redirect lightening."

***End Flashback***

A few hours had hardly been enough to master the form. To redirect lightening he knew he would need practice. But there was no time for practice. His uncle had flat out refused to shoot lightening at his nephew, and for good reason. He had said there would be to high of a risk; he could not bear to risk Zuko getting anymore hurt on his behalf. Then the fact that the lightening could easily rebound in the small cell…No, Zuko would just have to hope that when the time came, luck would be enough.

Azula's fists clenched, her lip wavered. She just needed one more push…

"You're a monster. They're all afraid of you. Your friends, your soldiers, even your own mother,"

That did it. Azula shrieked in anger and plunged a shaking hand towards Zuko, blue lightening emerging from it and hurtling at him. Towards his heart. In a fit of rage, she fired to kill.

"Zuko!" His uncle cried out, jumping to his feet at the sight of the lightening. He still didn't realize this had been Zuko's plan all along. He shouldn't have let him taunt her like that, as he now thought. He should have realized this would happen. He moved to shield the boy, but he was not quick enough. But Zuko was ready.

As the lightening surged towards him, Zuko caught with two fingers and felt it course through his body. His left arm, his stomach, his right arm. Just as the lightening was about to leave his fingers, Zuko pointed towards the cell door, towards the lock. The lightening came streaking forth from his fingertips and shattered the cell door. Then, several things happened at once.

For one, Zuko had just about felt the last of the lightening leave his body, when suddenly, all the power he had felt vanished and was replaced by a searing pain in his arm. Not all the lightening had gotten out again. He clutched his arm and clenched his teeth against the burn; he couldn't stop now. Just then, Iroh reached the boy, and led him quickly out the door, running to escape the crazed Firenation princess.

Azula had stood shocked, eyes widened, but she quickly recovered herself and chased after them, shooting blue flames without control. She called the guards to her, and soon they too followed.

Iroh turned quickly and shot a blast of lightening to the side of the hall, exploding a pipe on the wall. The force sent Azula and most of the soldiers sprawling, and the two prisoners were able to dodge away in the confusion.

"Nephew, are you alright?" Iroh asked worriedly, gripping Zuko's good arm in concern as he pulled him along. Zuko gritted his teeth and nodded. He managed to say,

"What about the Avatar and his friends?" Iroh looked at him, serious.

"You must decide that, Zuko."

Zuko took a deep breath.

The door of Sokka's cell was wrenched open with a crash. The three inside looked up in utter surprise to see Zuko and Iroh standing over them.

"Zuko?" Sokka cried, unbelieving. The firebender reached his hand out to him a second time.

"Come on."

A/N: I hope this was okay, I kind of struggled with writing Zuko's choice towards the end of this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think, and what you would like to see in the next few chapters.