Title: Blood, Silk, and Steel
Rating: T, although the rating may go up.
Warnings: AU, dark!Sokka, character death, bad language, references to sex and extreme violence, although absolutely nothing explicit, and general conniving and cruelty on behalf of the people you would expect it from.

Disclaimer: Um, this is fanfiction. Hopefully you realize that this means I own nothing you recognize here.

Author's Notes: A bit on the short side, but I like it.

Enjoy.

Chapter 12

Hahn looked up at the last sliver of moon left in the night sky. Tomorrow the moon would be gone and the Northern Water Tribe would be at its weakest point; that was when the Fire Nation troops surrounding the city would invade. His beautiful white city would be covered in the blackest ash under the lightless sky, and when the sun dawned, the canals would run as red as Agni's banners. There was no doubt in his mind that this was what would happen, and that fool Sokka—no, Sokka was no fool; he had learned that the hard way—that monster, was wasting the Water Tribe's precious time and resources with his harebrained schemes to surprise the Fire Nation on their own ships with waterbenders. His fingers curled up into a fist in rage. Or at least they tried to. As he clenched his fist, Hahn remembered that he no longer had fingers on his right hand, just stumps and his frown deepened into a scowl.

His eyes turned, almost against his will, to the black leather gloves that lay discarded on the table. His wife had put them there after he had thrown them against the wall. The gloves, fittingly enough, had been a gift from Sokka. The bastard had come to the North, had taken his wife, embarrassed him in front of the entire tribe, maimed him, destroyed the high esteem in which the Chief held him, and now, he had claimed to want to make amends. Yue, faithless slut that she was, had of course believed Sokka. But Hahn knew better. This was the bastard's way of further ruining him; one last victory. The worst part was that he couldn't think of a single way to sabotage the Southern Rube's effort. It had been keeping him up all night.

He sighed and went over to the table where the black glove was laying. He was going to pick it up with his right hand, until he realized that he couldn't. He took the glove in his left hand, surprised by its weight. He returned to the window, where the moon's dim light better let him observe the gloves, and was astounded at the amount of effort that had gone into the prosthetic. Each finger was stuffed with a carefully carved wooden block which filled out the missing flesh and bone. He closed his hand, and was further amazed at finding that the glove closed in his hand as well. He opened his fist only to find that the glove retained its clenched form. Incredible, each finger was equipped with joints. The clever bastard had spared no effort in completing his humiliation.

Tears of rage began to well around his eyes and Hahn was ready to send the black masterpiece hurling out of the window into the canal, when a black figure caught his eye. It was a man running in the moonlight. The light was dim and the figure was far away. Still, it took Hahn only a second to realize who it was: the Fire Nation soldier they had captured. This was his chance. If he could stop the escaping soldier and bring him back, he would be redeemed in the eyes of the Tribe, and the Chief would have no choice but to let him back into the war council. As quietly as he could, he rushed into his rooms and got dressed. He grabbed a sword with his left hand, and then caught a look at the black glove. He smiled; Sokka's gift would help him. Quickly he put the glove on his ruined hand and closed the mechanical fingers around his weapon.

By the time Hahn got out of his apartment, the Fire Nation fugitive was well out of sight, but his foot prints were still fresh and Hahn eagerly gave chase. He did not notice a pair of blue eyes smiling in the darkness.

- - -

Something was not right. Pakku could feel it in his old bones, something was wrong. Something was very wrong indeed, and the feeling gnawed at him. Up in the sky, the moon was waning, and tomorrow it would be gone. For the first time in his life, Pakku looked up into the sky and saw his mother moon and felt no comfort. He paced back and forth, feeling like a caged animal within the confines of his skin; the terrible presentiment would not leave him. Something was not right, and Pakku had a feeling he knew what it was. He took in a deep breath, praying to Tui and La that they would steady his nerves, and with that he was off into the darkness of the winter night in search of the one whom might explain what it was that wasn't right, and perhaps, the one who could set his weary bones at ease.

The journey was not a long one. Bato's dwellings were a mere thirty minutes away if one walked. A gondola would have saved him ten minutes. But Pakku has no patience that night, and so he set of on his own, running on the water like only a master waterbender could. Five minutes later he arrived at Bato's place, shaking and sweating. The moon was weak and Pakku was old. His heart was beating quickly with adrenalin, his legs felt as if though they might give out from under him at any time.

He knocked on the door. Once. Twice. A third time with all his fury. Then he yelled, first Bato's name, then Sokka's. He was about to demolish the door with his bending when Bato finally opened the door, weary, eyes half closed, as if though he had been asleep.

Bato, had, indeed, been asleep, and he rubbed his eyes in order to make out the figure of the man who had come calling so late.

"Is Sokka home?" Pakku asked with a sense of dire urgency which at last broke all ties that Bato had left with slumber.

"Pakku? What? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Sokka. Is he home?" Pakku repeated.

"Yeah. I suppose so. Yes. It's late Pakku. He's probably sleeping and you look a mess. Go home, whatever you want can wait until morning."

"It is morning. And no, it can't wait. I must speak with Sokka right now."

Bato yawned wearily. "Are you sure?"

"Do I need to shove you aside?" Pakku growled, and Bato hung his head in resignation.

"No, no. Come in. Do you want me to brew you a pot of tea? It's this wonderful drink Sokka brought."

"Sokka. Where is he?"

"Boy, you really have just one thing on your mind tonight. Why do you need to speak with Sokka so urgently?"

"I have had, let's say, a premonition. I would very much like to see Sokka's plans and put them in a place for safekeeping."

Bato lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "You mean, he hasn't given them to you?"

"I've seen them, but I haven't studied them as closely as I would have liked. I think it would be best to keep them somewhere safe. Especially now that the moon is so frail in the sky."

"But, what does the moon have to do with anything?"

Pakku shot Bato a glance filled with daggers. "The moon has everything to do with everything. I wouldn't expect someone like you to know, but waterbenders derive their strength from the moon. Tomorrow there will be no moon, and the waterbenders will be at their weakest."

Bato smiled. "I see, well if that's what's making you antsy, let me just go get Sokka. Although, the boy is a pretty heavy sleeper, so it may take a while."

"Never mind, I'll go up with you." Bato could see from the stern tone of Pakku's voice that there would be no arguing with the man, and so Bato yawned again and shrugged, leading the way towards Sokka's room.

Bato knocked on the door and waited for an answer. When none was forthcoming and he knocked again, softly calling out Sokka's name. Pakku rolled his eyes in rage and pushed Bato aside roughly, opening the door to Sokka's room. "Sokka?" he called out coldly.

"Shh!" Bato interjected. "You'll wake him up."

Pakku grimaced. Yes. "That was the general idea… Sokka? Sokka!"

"I told you," Bato said, "He's a heavy sleeper. There'll be nothing to do but to shake him awake, and then he'll be in a terrible mood. You should come back in the morning."

"I told you," Pakku raged. "It can't wait. It might be too late by morning," and then he slammed his fist hard against the wall. "For all I know, it's already too late."

"Wait. Is something seriously wrong?"

"It might be, we'll wake Sokka up and find out for sure."

"Oh. Ok." Bato moved towards Sokka's bed where Sokka seemed to be sleeping soundly. "Sokka," he whispered. "Sokka, wake up." When that didn't work either, he put his hand on Sokka's shoulder to wake him, only to find that his fingers sank in too easily. He pulled back suddenly, not quite understanding what was going on. At the first sign that something might be wrong, Pakku's nerved flared again and he was at once by Sokka's bedside. Without much care he pulled the covers off, revealing that what Bato had taken to be Sokka was nothing more than a pile of parkas loosely arranged into the form of a sleeping figure.

"I don't understand," Bato said in confusion. "If he needed to go somewhere, why not just tell me about it?"

"It's nothing. Maybe. At best it's a romantic escapade with Princess Yue, help me look for the plans."

"What do you mean at best?" Bato asked, shocked. "It would be an absolute disaster if he were out with Princess Yue. Wait. You aren't the one who put that stupid idea into his head, are you?"

"Of course I am. I lost the love of my life once because I didn't fight hard enough, and I've lived with the weight of that decision hanging over me every day of my life. I wouldn't wish that on the Fire Lord himself. But there's more to it, I had hope that if he could find love in Princess Yue, then maybe…"

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe he wouldn't be a problem."

"Problem, what problem? You aren't on about your ridiculous theory again are you? Sokka's been doing more than anyone to keep this tribe safe. He's a good man, just like his father."

"Sokka isn't his father. No man ever is. Help me look for these plans," Pakku ordered.

"No. I have half a mind to throw you out and call the chief and have you locked up."

"Well then shut up and don't get in my way."

By this point Pakku was wildly looking through Sokka's sack. There was nothing of interest there. He cast the thing aside violently. "Wait," Bato exclaimed. "You have no right to go through Sokka's things."

Pakku ignored the Southern Warrior and lit what was left of the candle on Sokka's nightstand, moving towards Sokka's desk, where he opened up a drawer. This was too much for Bato, and the Southern Warrior moved to attack the Northern Master. Pakku would have frozen him in place, but he didn't. The force of the impact sent both men to the floor. Pakku didn't move to get up. He didn't flinch when Bato moved to punch him in the face, and it was this lack of response which stopped Bato's fist.

"Pakku, are you ok?"

"It was too late. It was already too late," the old man whispered to no one in particular, and for the first time, Bato noticed just how old the old man really was.

"What are you going on about?" Bato asked, not understanding anything of the situation.

"I found Sokka's plans."

"And?"

"Look at them for yourself," Pakku nodded his head dejectedly towards the open drawer. Bato took the candle from the floor and lit it again with the spark rocks on Sokka's desk. The candle cast a sickly dying glow over the room and just enough light to see what was inside the desk drawers.

It didn't make any sense. He sank his fingers into the desk and pulled them back out covered in black ash. It didn't make any sense. "But, what does it mean?"

Pakku got up and brushed himself off. "It means, my dear Bato, that in all likelihood, Sokka isn't out with Princess Yue."

"So, what do we do now?" Bato asked dumbfounded.

"Now," Pakku sighed, "Now we wait 'til morning." Silently he turned and left, leaving a dumfounded Bato alone with the flickering light of the dying candle and the ash of burnt plans.

Author's Notes: There was supposed to be more to this chapter, but I'm comfortable breaking it off here and picking up next time. That, and I wanted messages in my inbox. So please don't forget to review. (I'm very lonely...)

The school year is almost over. I'm also almost dead, but I should in theory be updating a lot more often this summer. Depending on my spirits I may post the next chapter tomorrow night or sometime Sunday. Of course, reviews always do wonders for my spirits. :)