I want to thank Kelev and AvatarCat12 for reviewing the last chapter. This chapter, things are heating up, with Jet making his move on his plan and Zuko making a revelation that fractures the friendships. And just to celebrate the conclusion of the first Avatar manga trilogy, a character reference from "The Promise" will appear in this chapter. Let's see if you diehard fans can spot the reference and its significance.

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own Avatar.

For the second time that week, a group of teenagers and their parents or guardians were called for an emergency meeting. Tyro chose to hold the meeting at his grocery store rather than at someone's house, forcing the group to manoeuvre their way past fruit stands and fridges with frozen meat, just to get to the back. And to no one's surprise, the Bei Fongs were the last people to arrive. Lao took melodramatically high steps to avoid pieces of produce, while Poppy sniffed her nose haughtily, almost like she felt this place was below her. Was it so hard to not look down at someone working in fields different than theirs, Tyro thought to himself.

"Now that we're pretty much all here, maybe we can get started," Tyro insisted, trying hard to ignore the Bei Fongs. He took a gander at the group, and realized one person was missing. "Iroh, does Zuko know about this meeting?" he asked the café owner.

Iroh nodded. "I did tell my nephew of this meeting, but then Ozai cut off my call," he answered calmly, his even tone masking what Tyro figured was some frustration, "Ozai told me neither Zuko nor Azula will be available tonight, and that I shouldn't bother him with this. Since Zuko can't come out, I'll just gather the information and update him later on."

"Just forget about him and get on with it," Lao snapped impatiently, quickly glancing at his wristwatch, "I left Toph at home with the housekeeper, and even then I doubt that rebellious girl will listen to instructions. Plus, I have a lot of paperwork from the office to finish, so I don't have a lot of time to waste on trivial matters."

"Oh, believe me, after you hear this, you won't say it's trivial," Tyro retorted, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at Lao. Tyro and his wife might not be rich and famous, but at least they worked hard and raised their child right. Unlike Lao and Poppy, who oppressed Toph and tossed her aside, Tyro and his wife allowed Haru to learn the ways of life and instilled strong values of hard work and perseverance. Tyro could only hope that with the limited time Toph spent with her friends, Toph was able to pick up some of those things, rather than being stuck at home with two nose-thumbing snobs.

Shaking his head, Tyro returned to the topic at hand. "Today, Haru and Teo brought in a young boy being harassed by a street gang," he explained, gesturing at the teens, "When they attended to the boy's injuries, the boy released some information that I find quite worrisome. And yes, this information has to do with most of us, but especially the Bei Fongs."

Lao and Poppy looked at Tyro, their faces unimpressed but their minds mildly concerned as the shopkeeper described the sequence of events. The young boy, now identified with the odd name of The Duke, told Haru and Teo that he was asked by Jet, the supposed leader of the street gang, to break into the Bei Fong mansion to grab some files. "The Duke originally refused, but then Jet's gang got physical, and he suffered some injuries," Tyro concluded, rubbing his hands together, "I did find it odd that this boy mentioned the Bei Fongs, hence I called this meeting to find out just what's going on, and if we may be in some danger."

The first response from the group was a snort from Lao Bei Fong, who merely brushed off the supposed threat. "You think this street kid with nothing better to do can break into my house and steal files? Pretty good imagination going there, my friend," he scoffed, throwing his hands in the air, "Maybe you should close the store and be a novelist instead!"

"Now hold on, maybe Tyro has a point here," Hakoda interjected. He glanced over at Katara and Sokka, who stood at his either side. While Sokka seemed concerned, Katara's eyes were to the ground, almost like she didn't want to be there. "I mean, we did hear that there's a dropout from the school forming a street gang, so maybe they do plan on doing a break-in of sorts. And who knows what they may target as items for stealing?" he suggested.

"First off, if they are breaking into the house, I can assure you that our house security is strong enough to withstand anything," Poppy responded, casting a condescending look at her husband's employee, "Secondly, why on earth will that boy want to go after documents? If you were a thief, Hakoda, wouldn't you want to go for valuables instead?"

"And that's exactly the point," Haru interjected, stepping up next to his father, "Of all the things Duke talked, why did he talk about taking papers and not money or jewellery? Then when Teo and I asked him more questions, he told us Jet wanted to do something for some employee who suspects your company will go under, and that he can save it with Duke's help."

"I doubt someone in elementary school will know anything about this, so someone must have filled him in," Teo added, wheeling himself forward as well. He could see the Bei Fongs narrow their eyes at him, but Teo was standing his ground on this one. "Duke told us that Jet knows an employee who wants to save Gaoling from a takeover, so fill in the blanks from there."

Lao sputtered, showing for the first time a sense of worry. He had no idea how anyone here found out about what was going on, but for the sake of his reputation he had to limit the damage. "I assure you that no such thing is happening," Lao insisted, waving his hands around, "For you kids to trust some confused boy like that, I'm shocked."

"That's not what Bato and I have been hearing though," Hakoda chimed in earning him a dark look from Lao for the betrayal. "Bato and I heard something weird is going on, and Long Feng is being awfully secretive about this. Are you guys hiding something nefarious?"

"So that's what it's all about, huh?" Sokka added his two cents in, "Will my dad lose his job because of this? For a caring employer, you sure don't act like you care about my dad!"

"Watch your mouth, you ungrateful kid!" Poppy snapped, glaring her set of daggers at Sokka, "My husband handpicked your father to work in Gaoling, so you should be grateful. Instead, you sent my daughter into the pool, and she almost drowned because of that…"

"Oh, please! Not this again," Suki interjected, throwing up her hands. From behind her, Oyaji could only shake his head in disappointment, mainly at how quickly this meeting turned into another pointless shouting match. Could they ever stay on topic for more than a minute? "Don't you think we have more important things to discuss here?"

"No, we don't," Lao firmly concluded, lifting a hand to silence the whole crowd, "I think this whole meeting is pointless, and the whole conspiracy is just speculation. My time is wasted, and I'm very angry. I'd like to go home, have some dinner, make sure my daughter is safe, and get some work done. Do all the crazy detective work you want, but leave my family out of this."

"Look, can you be reasonable here?" Oyaji called as Lao and Poppy turned to leave, the couple stopping one step from the storage room door, "This is the whole reason why nobody can get along with you guys. Every single time someone tries to tell you something different, you either dismiss it or you claim it's not worth your time. If you haven't figured it out, none of us are inferior to you, so I hope you stop treating us that way!"

The couple stayed silent, remaining at their positions for several seconds, letting the chill of the storage room descend upon everyone there. The uncomfortable situation was only cut when the youngest person in the room spoke up. "Mr. Bei Fong, I don't know what's going on, but I know a lot of people are affected by this," Aang began, rubbing the arrow on his forehead to ease his nerves, "I care about my friends a lot, especially Katara. She moved here after her mother passed away, and has to fit in all over again. If Mr. Kuruk loses his job, then she may have to move again. I care about her too much to see bad things like that happen to her. So do you think you can do anything to help us?"

Again, nothing but silence from the Bei Fongs, which only made more goose bumps shoot through Aang's limbs. The young air bender was aware that all eyes were on him, given he just gave everyone a sneak peek into what he truly felt about Katara. Ignoring all the shocked looks, Aang could only wish Lao would reassure them that everything would be alright.

Unfortunately, Lao and Poppy only chose to keep marching out, taking disgusted looks around the grocery store before strolling off. Aang's entire body deflated at that move, with nothing more than disappointment washing over him. With nothing more they could do, Tyro adjourned the meeting and sent everyone home. Aang barely lifted a foot off the ground until Gyatso tapped him on the shoulder. "Quite bold of you to make a move like that," he commented to his ward, "But remember, you can only go with what is, not what may happen in the future."

Aang sighed, glancing over at his friend in question. The female water bender did not say a word at all, and seemed surprisingly nonchalant at the whole thing. Did that mean Katara did not reciprocate the way Aang felt about her? Whatever the case, Aang could only hope she would make it through fine. "Hey, are you doing okay?" Aang could hear Hakoda ask Katara.

Katara only gave a weak nod, but inside it was like she was being eaten alive. Because while Lao and Poppy dismissed everything as a rumour, Katara knew things were about to get worse. "If only you guys knew the truth," she murmured to herself.

"How did you get here anyway?" Toph hissed, leaning her head out the window of her room. While her parents were called off to another meeting, Toph was ordered to stay in the house and only have contact with the housekeeper. It was just as figured by Toph earlier, when she wanted to refuse Jet's crazy plan for the sheer fact that she would be treated like a prisoner. When Lao and Poppy refused to back down an inch, Toph had to swallow her pride hard.

Yet the same person who insisted she went through this was now outside the window, with Toph leaning over this secluded corner and into the backyard. "It's not hard to pick open the gate and climb through some bushes," Jet explained, fingers tapping nonchalantly against the windowsill, "Besides, I have to check on the progress on your side."

"Jet, there's no progress here, okay? My parents try to keep me all locked up, and I can't even get close to Dad's office," Toph snarled, crossing her arms and blowing at the unruly hairs dipping over her eyes, "Unless you have some miraculous method to get in here and find what you're looking for, I don't think there's anything else I can do for you."

"Hey, don't sweat it. I have the details of the files you're looking for right here, so as long as you can get into your dad's office, it'll work out," Jet assured Toph with an arrogant tone. Even though she couldn't see him, Toph was sure Jet was sneering at her or something. Had it not been for the wall separating them, Toph would send a boulder into Jet's face. "Now listen carefully, the files are like this…" Jet explained, outlining the details for Toph.

While Toph stayed silent as Jet went through the details, she was concerned about this operation. Since her father still didn't trust her around the house, chances were slim that she could retrieve anything in the near future. And even if Toph could go near Lao's study, her blindness wouldn't get her anywhere either, leaving her at the mercy of Jet or one of his gang's members. "So all you have to do is let us in, and we'll do the rest," Jet concluded in a flourish, "Any questions on the overall plan, Toph?"

"Wait, what exactly do you mean by letting us in?" Toph demanded, leaning her frowning face closer to Jet. The wall separating them made it harder for Toph to detect his heart rate, hence Toph couldn't tell what Jet's motives were. "Isn't there just one of you climbing into my house? Now you're planning an all-out invasion or something?"

"Sh! We can't let anyone know about this, so keep it down, will you?" Jet whispered, tapping a finger on his lips, "We can't just have one person come. There's got to be people on the lookout at the front gates, people on the lookout outside the window, and then the smallest person will crawl into the study. I have everyone but the small person ready, so we just…"

"Jet, I'm not letting in a whole group of your posse just to look for some crazy file!" Toph ranted, throwing her hands into the air, "Look, I know this can help my dad, and I'm glad you're offering it, but I just don't trust this thing will work out right. What if it goes belly-up and I end up getting in more trouble? I'm not exactly having a good time here!"

Just then, a slapping shut of a notebook got Toph's attention. Chills were sent down her spine as Toph could barely feel Jet's breath across her face, his lips edging closer to her ears while stating in a sinister whisper, "Don't forget what Sozin will do to you if you don't play your part. My parents were at the mercy of a fire bender who showed none, and right now you are in the same spot. You don't work with me here, and I guarantee your dad will lose his job."

That alone got Toph completely settled, like Jet had put a spell over her to force her obedience. The normally defiant and rebellious earth bender was now a mere gear in the larger machinery that was Jet's plan, and there was no way out in the foreseeable future. "Keep the plans in mind, Toph," Jet stated, the sounds of shuffling clothing echoing from the window, "I'll drop by with another update when my team is complete."

When Jet left the windowsill, Toph was now all by her lonesome. She figured that it wouldn't be long before the housekeeper started calling for her, wondering where she was and if she wanted dinner. Throughout Toph's life, she never had to do anything behind people's backs. Her stubborn nature and sharp tongue meant she got anything she wanted directly, and didn't have to resort to Jet's tactics. It did make Toph uncomfortable to sneak around like that, but if it meant saving her parents' company, then it was a chance she was willing to take.

"Toph, what are you doing out here?" And speaking of the devil, Toph could only sigh when the voice of her fussbudget mother pierced into her mind. She could hear the housekeeper conversing with Lao in the background, leaving her alone with Poppy. "I thought I told the cook to make dinner early for you, so why are you here instead of in the dining room?" Poppy asked.

Toph bit her lower lip, whipping her head away from her overbearing mother. "I'm not hungry yet, so I told the housekeeper I'm willing to wait until you guys are back first," Toph spat in annoyance, "Besides, you just said I have to stay in the house. You didn't tell me where in the house, so technically speaking I didn't do anything wrong."

"That's not a very nice tone, young lady," Poppy snapped, planting a hand on Toph's shoulder, "You've gone missing for a few days, and it's only right that your father and I are worried. You still haven't told me which friend you stayed with during the last few days."

"Poppy, is everything okay?" Lao interjected before Toph could respond. While Toph was relieved at ditching the issue, she still had to deal with her haughty father. "Toph didn't do anything unusual while we were gone, right? You didn't do anything dangerous?" he demanded, leaning his head closer to his blind daughter, who only fumed in response.

To no one's surprise, Lao took his attention away from Toph, heading straight for the kitchen. Toph could hear Poppy follow him, with instructions to the cook on what to make for dinner being made. "I have a lot of work to do tonight, so just something easy and fast will be fine," Lao ordered before shuffling out. And just like that, Toph was all alone again.

"Why am I not surprised?" Toph murmured, dragging her body into the dining room and plopping herself onto a chair. She rested her head on the table, with her two hands shielding it from the hard top. Even after going missing for a few days, her parents still refused to change their behaviour, taking her for granted and not letting her have a say in anything. It was like the whole event was nothing more than a ruse for her parents to push her to the side even more.

But deep down, Toph knew things were going to change. Even though she had major reservations about Jet's plans, she knew it was the only way to get back in her parents' good books. The takeover couldn't possibly succeed, and Toph was adamant that she played her role, even though Jet now complicated it more than expected. "It's all or nothing," Toph muttered, lifting her head defiantly, "And failure is not an option right now."

"So Uncle gave me some details about the tense meeting," Zuko murmured at the group's usual lunch table. It was evident that the atmosphere was still tense, with Toph staying silent as the grave regarding her absence and Katara less social than usual. It was making things really awkward for Zuko, which didn't help his already socially awkward nature. "I guess we have a pretty big problem here, huh?" he suggested, scratching his head.

"Well, depending on how you view it, I guess," Sokka replied, the robotic stirring of his noodles indicating the loss of his voracious appetite. Figuring how rare it was for Sokka to give up on food, Zuko realized this event was affecting everyone. "If it's about the kid that Haru and Teo found, then I think the problem's not that big. Haru's parents already contacted the kid's family, so everything should be okay with him. But if you're talking about how the Bei Fong family basically blew everyone off, then yes, it's a big problem. No offense, Toph."

"Oh, none taken," Toph responded nonchalantly, taking a sip of water from her bottle, "I kind of realized that my parents would give you fits. It's what they've been doing to me from the day I was born, so why should we be surprised?"

Zuko took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. He still had suspicions about what his father and sister were up to, but hearing what the rest of the team had to go through, he wasn't sure if more uncertainty was preferable right now. "I do give The Duke a lot of credit," Suki commented, "To have to stand Jet pressuring him, that can't be easy."

Zuko's head shot up at that statement. "Wait, did you say Jet was involved in this?" he demanded, golden orbs shooting at Suki's direction, "I heard about Jet wanting to get involved in something big, but Uncle said nothing about it from the meeting. What really happened there?" The sooner Zuko figured out Jet's plans, the more likely he could link it to Azula's actions.

It was Teo who filled Zuko in on the events that led to the meeting. "Duke's got to be scared, having Jet's whole team gang up on him like that, so Haru and I had to take action," he explained, an uneasy smile on his face. Much as he would love to take credit as the hero, Teo knew the seriousness of this situation at hand. "Haru's dad parked the delivery van at the front, which scared away Jet's team, and Haru and I brought Duke into the store."

"Duke told us that Jet wanted a small person to sneak into Toph's mansion," Haru continued, his version of the events coinciding with the version Iroh told Zuko. The fire bender's stomach sank to his knees when he heard the news, realizing that all his fears were now substantiated. "And no matter what we say, we can't get Toph's parents to believe this. I don't even know what to do," Haru concluded with a sigh.

Zuko took a deep breath to calm the butterflies in his stomach. It didn't help that the sun was right above him, the rays beating down on his head like a spotlight. "What I'm about to say may shock you even more than what The Duke said, but I swear that I heard this with my own ears," Zuko announced, lifting his hands slightly off the table like he was bracing for impact, "I was at home the day before The Duke was found by Haru and Teo, and I overheard my father telling my sister to keep an eye on Jet. I didn't get what was going on, and Azula didn't tell me anything, but I suspect they may be behind some of these things happening right now."

Just then, every set of eyes turned to Zuko, causing cold sweat to develop on the back of his neck. "My father kept talking about something going on with his company, and he's been on the phone almost every day recently," Zuko described, swallowing hard to remedy his sandpaper throat, "In an argument with Azula, she kind of let it loose that my father wanted to engineer a takeover of Gaoling while it's still in a mess. I don't know if that's what will happen right now, but I'm very concerned about it. That's why I'm updating you, and I'm hoping everything will work out fine for you all."

"Work out for us, or work out for your father when he throws my dad out of work?" Katara snapped back. She shot out of her seat and slapped her hands on the table, a murderous glare shooting in Zuko's way. "You realize if this takeover succeeds, and your father is now leading Gaoling, my dad will lose his job. Is that what you want?"

Zuko sputtered several times before he could gather his bearings. "Katara, I got wind of this just a few days ago. I had no idea what's going on with my dad's plans!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms about in anxiety, "Look, my father and my sister barely say a word to me when I get home, so I have no clue what they're up to anyway. It's just I heard all this news, and I figured this is getting serious, and that's why I'm raising it right now. Please believe me!"

"Zuko, I find it very hard to believe you when the very people you live with are planning something like this. You think it's funny to pretend you don't know anything, but then poof, you start acting like an expert witness telling us all these weird stories about how your dad will engineer a takeover!" Katara retorted, planting her hands on her hips and leaning her head lower and closer to Zuko, "What else have you been hiding from us? You better spill it, because I happen to know a lot more than you give me credit for!"

"Katara, can you calm down for a second?" Sokka shouted, grabbing Katara's shoulder and pulling her back to the seat, "Who in the right mind will think a teenager knows anything about a corporate takeover? Stop assuming things about Zuko, and just hear him out!"

"Sokka, you heard Dad's phone conversations with Bato," Katara berated her brother, turning her dark look at him instead, "I'm sure something is nefarious going on, and Zuko's dad is behind this. If Dad loses his job, then we'll have to move again. How can you just sit by and do nothing when something this serious is going on?" Katara ended, tears forming in her eyes.

"Much as I don't agree with Sugar Queen's meltdown, I think she does have a point," Toph chimed in, her voice growing serious for the first time that day, "Zuko pretty much proved that there's something weird going on, and that means my dad should watch his back. But I swear, if Sozin tries to threaten my dad, they'll be sorry they ever approached us."

"Toph, nobody is threatening anyone here. Can you just relax for a second?" Sokka scolded, pinching the bridge of his nose as well, "I admit that it's kind of awkward to know that one of our friends is related to someone who may put my dad out of a job, but I don't think this animosity is the right way to go. Let's just calm down and think rationally…"

"I can't believe that just came out of your mouth, Sokka!" Katara yelled, shooting out of her seat once more, "Don't you even care that we may have to move again? Don't you even care that Dad might lose his job?" Turning to the table, Katara grabbed all her belongings and shoved them into her bag. "I'm leaving. There's no way I can stand here listening to this. Zuko, I don't want to see you around, and that doubles for Sokka if you don't care about Dad."

Surprisingly, Toph stormed off with Katara as well, refusing to say another word to the group. It was evident that both girls were frustrated at Zuko, which left the rest of the group in a weird spot. "Don't take it personally, okay?" Suki soothed, patting Zuko on the back, "Give them some time to let it sink in. I'm sure if they think it through, things will be okay."

But the one most devastated by this was a young air bender sitting on the edge seat of the table. Aang hadn't gotten a chance to get a single word in, which totally destroyed him from within. "Hope for the best and prepare for the worst," he muttered to himself, "Well, the worst thing has just happened. How do I go on from here now?"

Aang's comment wasn't unnoticed by Sokka, who turned to him with an exasperated look. "I heard what you said to Mr. Bei Fong back at the store, about how much you care about my sister," he stated, neither angry nor surprised, "As Katara's brother, I think I should get the inside scoop on what's going on. Care to share your thoughts with me?"

Aang could only shake his head and sigh. "Yeah, Sokka, I do care about Katara a lot, and I don't want to see her move," he admitted, his shoulders sagging lower than usual, "But with things going crazy, and Katara in such a bad mood, I feel like I'm failing her. And if I fail her, then I know I'll lose her. I just don't want anything bad to happen to her, you know?"

Sokka bit his lower lip. He did see a positive in having Katara and Aang form a closer bond, given how emotionally attached his sister could get to those around her. But with things in a mess right now, he wasn't sure if this would make things improve, or make them worse. "I'll try to keep an eye on her, alright?" Sokka assured the bald boy. Even though he tried to smile and sound optimistic, Sokka knew he was ultimately being dragged into the abyss as well.

"About time we got you here," Jet snapped as Pipsqueak pulled The Duke into the Freedom Fighters meeting. The Duke had a few days to calm down after the incident at Haru's store, but he had virtually no luck in avoiding Jet's group. They circled him like vultures every time they saw him, and it was obviously no good trying to shake loose from the grip of someone as strong as Pipsqueak. "I was about to show everyone the whole operation, so you should have been here early, instead of having Pipsqueak drag you in."

"My parents told me I'm not supposed to hang around you guys anymore, and what you did to me last time isn't making me want to stay either," The Duke protested, shaking his body enough to make Pipsqueak release him. Straightening up his close, The Duke narrowed his eyes and glared at his so-called leader. "And Sneers isn't here either, so why complain about me?"

"Sneers already scouted out the target area before, so he knows what the plan is," Jet retorted, planting his hands on his hips and glaring back at the youngster. Around him, the other two members of the Freedom Fighters, Longshot and Smellerbee, were increasingly concerned at Jet's attitude towards The Duke. Seeing Jet's obsession over this mission was really worrying, but so far neither individual raised any issue over it. "While I would like Sneers to come, he's too busy trying to get a date with a rich girl. Do you guys know Kori Morishita?"

"Kori Morishita? I've heard a bit about her," Smellerbee chimed in, hoping to diffuse the tense situation by changing the topic, "Her father works in the mayor's office, right? I heard he's one of the mayor's assistants, and Kori herself attends a private school or something. How did Sneers get hooked up with a rich kid like Kori?" she asked.

"I'm half-tempted to throw Sneers off the team if he keeps up the act," Jet snarled, his fume an indication that Smellerbee's attempt to calm things down backfired, "Let's not forget that Mr. Morishita is from a family of fire benders, and Kori herself has at least two fire bending cousins. Why Sneers chose Kori, I'll never understand, especially when I told him our group has to stop the activities of those disgusting fire benders!"

"I don't think that's fair, Jet," Smellerbee countered, her patience running thin on her leader. While she understood Jet's hatred for fire benders, and admired his ability to lead a group that struck back against rich snobs who took advantage of the weak, Smellerbee felt Jet was borderline irrational right now. "Kori's mother is an earth bender, and Kori herself has some earth bending skills. Maybe having a girl who understands two elements isn't a bad thing."

"Or, we can just say Kori's a girl who gave up her earth side and started playing for the other team," Jet snapped back, shooting Smellerbee a dark look. Leaving the girl to fume, Jet turned back to the centre table and unrolled the map. "This is the map of the Bei Fong mansion, which Sneers and I had a chance to scout out. We found the office where the files we want are stored, and I've also gotten Toph Bei Fong's word that she will let us in."

The whole group listened on intently as Jet outlined everything from gates to bushes to windows at the Bei Fong mansion. It didn't matter they were in a private warehouse, gathered around old equipment that didn't belong to them. For the Freedom Fighters, this was how they rolled, given how they should have a fair share of the property belonging to richer folks in the first place. If Sozin was to take advantage of other folks, then Jet was adamant that it was up to his team to stick it to that nasty fire bender. "Toph will have a side window open for us, and that's when one of our smaller members would go in," Jet explained, turning his eyes to The Duke and Smellerbee, "I'm thinking one of the two of you will do it."

The Duke violently shook his head. "No way, Jet! I promised my parents I wouldn't do anything this crazy. Besides, Haru and Teo already told their parents about this, so it's bound to fail anyway! Can we just help Toph another way?" the boy pleaded.

"Much as I don't like Sozin, I don't know if this is the right way to go," Smellerbee added, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes, "Even though you say Toph will let us in, I still think this is borderline break-and-enter. And if we're taking documents belonging to her father, without his permission, then it's like stealing as well. I'm all for standing up for the little guy, but isn't this stretching it too far? It doesn't seem like something we should be doing."

Jet shot the girl an unimpressed look. "Smellerbee, I thought you and Longshot were with me on this. To hear you say that about me, I'm disappointed," Jet replied. While there was no anger in his tone, it was clear that he intended to make Smellerbee uncomfortable. "Think about what good we can do if we stop a monster like Sozin. Do you seriously want someone like Toph, who is blind and helpless, to lose her home? And all this is caused by a fire bender, no less…"

"Jet, stop lying through your teeth," The Duke shouted, his fists shaking in anger, "Toph is not as helpless as you say she is. She's an earth bender who can probably kick all our butts, and even though you say fire benders are bad, I think you're wrong. Zuko and Iroh always go to help Haru and Teo, and there are other fire benders in my class that I'm friends with. I think you are just being mean to everyone, and I don't like that!"

Before Jet could retort back at The Duke, Smellerbee interjected as well. "You seem like you really want to do this plan, even though it's probably outside of what we're trying to do," she observed, sending dart-like pupils at her leader, "What's more, you still haven't told us who these caring employees of Gaoling are, and why they recruited us to do this. Is there something going on that you won't tell us?" she demanded.

"So all of you doubt me," Jet responded, his tone quiet but dark, "I can't believe you would trust fire benders more than me. You know what, if that's the case, then you're all out of the team. I'll do this by myself if I have to." With that, he curled up the map and threw it into his bag, zipping it up violently and whipping it over his shoulder.

"Hey Jet, calm down. We're not trying to doubt you, it's just that maybe there's a better way to do this," Pipsqueak suggested, trying to block Jet's path, "We still think you're a great leader, but shouldn't a leader be talking with the team first?"

Jet shot Pipsqueak one final unimpressed look before storming away, his voice echoing through the warehouse as he snapped at his team, "I'll find my own way to do this. If you want to get brainwashed by fire benders the way Haru and Teo did, then that's your loss!" Before long, Jet's shadow disappeared from the warehouse, leaving the foursome alone in their wake.

Oddly enough, it was the one person who didn't speak that ended up deciding the final move. "I'll keep an eye on him. He's our leader, after all," Longshot decided. Nodding to his teammates, he stepped out of the room with Smellerbee, hoping to catch up with Jet. For these four, the only thing they had in mind was to stop Jet before he put himself in more danger.

"Here is what you can do to make your airship sturdier," Piandao recommended, placing a piece of metal against the frame of Sokka's airship. What was supposed to be a regular meeting with the shop teacher to discuss improvements to the airship turned out to be a nightmare for Sokka, who had to witness his sister and Toph both suffer a meltdown before him. That scene alone was enough to sap his energy and concentration away from everything else in the day.

The part that disturbed Sokka the most was how both girls pinned it on Zuko, making the fire bender seem like he was the bad guy in all this. While Sokka was concerned at Hakoda losing his job, the last person he would blame is Zuko, who he knew was just as confused and concerned as Sokka was. Now, with the eruption from Katara and Toph, it felt like Sokka and the rest of the group were keeping this friendship together by the skins of their teeth. "Why can't those two girls just calm down and think rationally for a second?" Sokka murmured to himself.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Piandao asked. That snapped Sokka out of his daze, focusing his attention back on the bearded teacher, who glanced at him in worry. "You seem like you're really out of it today, Sokka. Are you feeling alright?" Piandao observed.

Sokka shook his head. "A bunch of things are happening, and I'm really distracted," he replied, massaging his temples with his knuckles, "My sister and my friends got in an argument, and I'm trying to play peacemaker, which is harder than it looks."

Piandao stood up straight and cupped his chin. "It's never good when those around you are feuding and threatening to tear your relationships apart, but maybe something to relax the mind will be useful," he suggested, "Have you ever tried artwork or calligraphy? By placing your mind in something that peaceful and beautiful, it can lead to better concentration and focus in the long run. Have you considered picking up one of those skills before?"

Sokka again answered in the negative, whereby Piandao suggested Sokka did some paper planning for a few minutes. Claiming that it would calm Sokka's mind, Piandao instructed Sokka to redraw some amendments they suggested for the airship in meetings past. With Piandao taking the chance to speak to other students requiring help, it left Sokka sitting alone, facing a blank page and twirling a pencil in his hand. "How's this supposed to work?" he muttered.

Sokka placed the pencil to the page, trying to focus on the changes to the design. Yet every time he made a mark, his mind cut it off after less than a second. The image of Katara yelling at Zuko, and later on him, kept replaying in his mind. It was followed by Katara and Toph both storming away from the table, with Zuko feeling embarrassed while Suki tried to comfort him. For Katara, it was an even bigger blow-up than the one she had when Hakoda first suggested they moved to Republic City. Sokka knew Katara cared a lot about family, but to have that reaction even after settling here and meeting new friends was truly out of the norm.

Sokka pressed the pencil to the page again, only to have the lead snap off on him. Like the pencil, Sokka felt a similar phenomenon would happen to his group of friends. He knew things were bad when the ever chipper and optimistic Aang had a mood greyer than his eyes. Sokka recalled Aang making comments about how much he cared about Katara, and how he didn't want to see her like that. If his protective big brother side took over, Sokka would ask if Aang had a crush on Katara or something like that. But right now, with Katara and Toph both having fragile states of mind, Sokka really didn't think this was the right time to inquire Aang's love interests. "Besides, I promised to look out for Katara, for both my sake and Aang's. I can't just take my mind off this issue right now," Sokka softly declared.

"Insane in the membrane, are we, Soh-ka?" an annoying voice called. Sokka turned to his left and could only let out a growl at the appearance of a condescending face. There was Hahn, the shallow freak who always got under Sokka's skin, leaning over with a lopsided smirk. "It's not a good sign when you're there talking to yourself. Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

Sokka sighed, squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose. Katara and Toph were already destroying his mind, and the last thing Sokka wanted was more irritating remarks from this good-for-nothing jerk. "Hahn, I don't have the time for this, okay?" Sokka snapped, glaring at his rival, "I have a ton of stuff to do, and very little time to waste. If you don't have better things to do, then I suggest you run along and let me be. Go hang out in the shallow end of the gene pool," Sokka concluded with shoo-shoo motions of his hands.

Before Hahn could get another word off, a cellphone chime broke both their trains of thought. Both teens checked their cellphones, and found out it was Hahn's that was ringing. "It's your shallow club calling," Sokka added, the frown still plastered on his face, "Why don't you take off and deal with them while I try to get some actual work done?"

Hahn shot Sokka one more dark look before slipping off to the side, leaving Sokka alone in his wake. Sokka rubbed his temples again, hoping to concentrate on his work rather than let his distractions take over. There were better things to do than to let Hahn get him all riled up, especially when Katara and Toph were that riled up. "Level head, that's all I have to keep," Sokka reminded himself, rifling through his pencil case for a new pencil.

"Jet, what's going on? Where do you want me to go?" The sudden mention of a certain delinquent's name got Sokka's attention. The pony-tailed teen turned to his right, where Hahn was huddled in the corner speaking discreetly into his phone. The time Sokka was at the shop with Teo, he found out that Hahn and Jet used to know each other. While a phone call between two friends was anything but awkward, there was something unusual about this one. Why was Hahn acting like he had something to hide when he was so open about knowing Jet before?

"What do you mean, it's an emergency?" Hahn demanded, causing Sokka to cock an eyebrow this time. Sokka could tell Hahn was getting somewhat frantic, constantly rubbing his face while pacing impatiently. Whatever Jet was requesting of Hahn, it must have been really important to get Hahn that riled up. Sokka knew Jet was bad news, and if he was that desperate to get help, he most likely got himself into some big trouble.

"Alright, where do you want me to meet you? Near the Jasmine Dragon, right?" The name of Iroh's café caught Sokka's attention, making the Kuruk teen realize that his friends were about to be dragged into this. Sokka knew that if Jet showed up at the strip mall again, he might do something similar as what he did last time, when Haru and Teo found The Duke crying after Jet abused him. Even though Katara and Toph weren't too hot about helping Zuko, Sokka still had some loyalty to the fire bender that was their friend for all this time. Keeping a hawk's eye on Hahn, Sokka carefully pulled out his cellphone from his pants pocket.

No sooner had Sokka done that, Hahn cut his conversation short. Shoving his cellphone back into his pocket, Hahn lumbered back to the workbench where he placed his things. Sokka could see his rival throw everything into his bag in annoyance, slinging it over his shoulder and heading straight for the door. Hahn didn't even shoot dark looks or make faces at Sokka, which Sokka admitted was a good thing. But much as Sokka could be happy that he didn't have to take any more abuse from Hahn, he still had to make sure he knew what Hahn was up to. Flipping his phone open, he scrolled through the ID's and clicked on one that he could count on.

It took at least a couple of rings before a female voice answered the call. "Suki, it's Sokka. You have practice right now, right? Can you do me a huge favour after you're done?" Sokka requested, giving Suki a rundown of the observations he made of Hahn.

"Sokka, are you serious? I know you don't like Hahn, and none of us can trust Jet, but you're making some pretty big allegations here," Suki pointed out, the scepticism in her voice knifing through Sokka's desperateness, "To claim they'll do something to Iroh's café is a bit of a stretch, even though it's not out of the question for Jet. Are you sure you want me to check?"

"I don't know when I can leave the shop. That's the main problem here," Sokka further described, pressing the phone harder to his ear while wringing his free hand, "If they aren't doing anything, then fine. But if they are, then at least we have an extra set of eyes, right?"

After some hesitation, Suki finally agreed to the plan. "Ty Lee and I are meeting up after this anyway, and her gymnastics club is located near the Jasmine Dragon. We can drop by to take a look, although I really doubt they'll burn the place down," Suki retorted.

After thanking her multiple times, Sokka snapped the phone shut and slipped it away. He turned back to his page and realized he hadn't gotten a single thing done. "You must be really out of it to still have a blank page," the voice of Piandao commented, zapping Sokka back like a bolt of lightning, "Are you sure everything is going okay between you and your friends?"

"If you only knew, Mr. Piandao," Sokka replied through clenched teeth and a stretched fake grin. Despite the reassuring statement to the shop teacher, Sokka realized things could potentially get a lost worse than what anyone bargained for.

"What on earth is Sokka thinking, asking me to do something like this?" Suki grumbled, trying hard to keep the strap of her sports bag slinging over her shoulder. She just got out from soccer tryouts, with news that the final roster would be announced in the next few days, when Sokka phoned her for help. Suki was really suspicious about Sokka overhearing a phone conversation about Hahn and Jet meeting up to do something odd at the Jasmine Dragon. If it weren't for Suki's friendship with Sokka, she doubted she would waste her time to do this.

"And I didn't even get a chance to get changed either, so he better be grateful," Suki hissed, taking a gander at her current outfit. It was the same outfit as she had on when she first went jogging with Aang, Katara, and Sokka, a burgundy belly shirt and red track pants. Suki had a sports jacket in the bag, choosing not to wear it due to how hot it was after practice. Despite that, Suki could still feel the chills going down her body as she crept closer to the destination, with the recognizable sign getting bigger and bigger. "Why did I ever agree to this?"

"Hey, Suki!" a bubbly voice from the side called, snapping Suki's attention away from the café. There was Suki's friend and former gymnastics classmate, Ty Lee, bounding up to her and engulfing her in a huge hug. "Haven't heard from you for a while, Suki," Ty Lee greeted, "What's going on? I got your message from my cell, so why are we meeting here?"

Suki pulled herself out of Ty Lee's embrace, getting a good look at her friend first. Ty Lee was wearing clothing similar to Suki's, except the half-shirt and track pants were both pink instead. "Ty Lee, I was told something weird is happening at Iroh's café, so that's why I want you to help me watch the area," Suki explained, gently holding her friend's shoulders, "Do you know a guy named Jet, who dropped out of school just to form a gang?"

"Jet? Yeah, I heard of him before. I heard he's kind of a hot, swashbuckling type of guy," Ty Lee exclaimed, eyes twinkling at each word. While the gymnast wondered what it would be like for a girl to fall for Jet, Suki could only roll her eyes. Ty Lee had this notion that she could get any guy's attention, and the last thing Suki wanted was for Jet to take advantage of Ty Lee.

"Ty Lee, stop for a second!" Suki called, clamping her hands on Ty Lee's shoulders, "Jet isn't a guy you want to be meeting. Instead, he's dangerous, and isn't afraid to manipulate people into doing what he wants. Assuming Sokka's right, which I still doubt, there's no telling what Jet may be up to. If you don't want Iroh or Zuko to get hurt, you have to focus here, okay?"

"Geez, way to take the fun out of everything, Suki," Ty Lee murmured, rotation her shoulders a couple of times and rubbing them with her hands after Suki released her, "I do care about Zuko, and Mai, who's dating Zuko, is also my best friend. So sure, I'll help you out."

"Thank you, Ty Lee," Suki sighed in gratitude. Turning back to face the Jasmine Dragon, Suki's eyes scanned the area for anything suspicious. With things in her group a total mess, Suki was glad to be able to spend some time with Ty Lee, who attended a different school and wasn't privy to the arguments. Suki figured that the best way to handle the current disputes was to step away from it and be around someone who could relax her, and that was where Ty Lee came in. Despite her craziness, Ty Lee was a breath of fresh air that always brought a smile to the faces of those around her, maybe with the exception of Azula, who was grumpy no matter what.

Suddenly, a teenage male lumbered up to the café. He tilted his head back and forth, as if he was afraid someone would spot him. Suki found that awkward, giving her a hint that he might not be a customer. Judging by the way that teen yanked at his blue jacket, it felt like he wanted to do something sneaky. "Ty Lee, take a look at that," Suki called, grabbing Ty Lee's hand.

Ty Lee leaned her head over the back of Suki's shoulder, getting a good look at the teen in question. "A sneaky, stealthy type," Ty Lee observed, "Not sure if he's my type of guy. What do you think he's up to, Suki? Is he going into the café at all?"

Suki shook her head. "If he's sneaking around anyway, why would he enter?" Suki replied, "Let's follow him. I think something's about to go down." With that, the two girls trotted closer to the café, keeping their eyes on the strange visitor.

It didn't take long for Suki and Ty Lee to find out what this visitor was up to. Instead of entering the Jasmine Dragon, he turned into the alley beside the café. A figure from the shadows soon emerged, approaching and starting a discussion with the stranger. Suki and Ty Lee both pressed themselves to the wall, trying to avoid being in their line of sight. Despite only seeing parts of their faces, Suki was pretty certain who this was. "It's Jet alright," she informed Ty Lee, "And the person he's talking to must be Hahn, the guy Sokka was talking about."

Ty Lee craned her neck to get a glimpse of the person in question. Attending a private school away from Suki, Ty Lee never got a chance to meet Jet, so her knowledge of this person's reputation was minimal. "That's the scary guy you're talking about? Doesn't look that scary to me," Ty Lee observed, "If he spots us, maybe we'll just say hi back to him."

"Ty Lee, don't be ridiculous, okay? This guy's bad news, and most likely his friend is too," Suki responded, keeping an ear open for the content of the conversation. She could see some papers being exchanged, followed by some instructions about going into someone's house. "Besides, Katara told me Jet said some inappropriate things when he saw her wearing a crop top. Given we're both showing our belly buttons, what do you think he'll say when he sees us?"

Ty Lee shrugged, taking a gander at the deep depressions on their respective stomachs. "I don't see anything wrong with showing my belly button," she commented, eyes alternating between the two individual navels, "Why would letting Jet see that be a bad thing?"

Suki didn't reply, opting to listen in on the conversation instead. She heard comments about the Freedom Fighters, which was Jet's vigilante group, and the goal of getting important documents regarding Gaoling, which was consistent with what The Duke told Haru and Teo. Even without direct details on what the plan was, Suki had enough information to relay back to Sokka and the group. "Let's go, Ty Lee," Suki announced, turning her head back to the gymnast and tilting it in the direction of the parking lot, "I don't want them to spot us here."

Suki hurried off, with Ty Lee leisurely strolling after her. For Ty Lee, she really hoped Suki didn't get that bent out of shape over this issue. After all, stress could lead to bad skin, which was the last thing Ty Lee wanted for her friend. She could see Suki enter the Jasmine Dragon, quickly whipping out her cellphone and most likely dialling for Sokka. "I hope Suki knows what she's doing right now," Ty Lee murmured, placing a hand on her hip.

"Hey, Ty Lee," a familiar voice called. Ty Lee turned around and saw someone in an Infiniti sedan waving at her. Inching away from the restaurant, she approached the moving car, which now slid into a parking slot a few metres away from the front door. "Why are you here?"

"Azula, what's going on?" Ty Lee asked, watching the familiar figure that was her friend and classmate turn off the ignition. The distinguishable arrogance of Azula was showcased once more as the fire bending prodigy opened the car door with a flourish, stepping into the open like she was some master performer. "Were you here the whole time?" Ty Lee inquired.

So just for the record, in case anyone couldn't catch the twists in here: Zuko overhears Ozai and Azula mention Jet, but didn't know what it was about. Haru and Teo hears from The Duke that Jet wants to break-and-enter Toph's home, but didn't know it was related to Ozai. Katara and Toph thinks Zuko confirmed their greatest fears with what he overheard, and that's why they don't trust him. And in between it all, Sokka (and to an extent Suki) is trying to play peacemaker to prevent everyone from going insane. Hope you can follow all that, and I'll see you next chapter.