"The Warden wishes to see you, Prince Zuko."
Zuko peeked up from his plate of some stew that he had no idea what was inside it. The guard was standing in front of him, holding up the metal cuffs for Zuko. With a sigh, he stood up and held his hands out. The cold sensation of the cuffs did nothing to Zuko as he was pushed forward, ignoring the stares from all the other prisoners. Zuko and Katara had been in here for nearly a month now, trapped away from everyone else while his father was getting ready and waiting for the comet to arrive.
"Zuko!"
The firebender looked up, seeing Katara being escorted along with him. He smiled softly towards her as she forced herself to stand next to him. She too had metal cuffs over her hands. Zuko leaned down and kissed the side of her forehead before being pushed forward to start walking again.
"What do you think the Warden wants with us?" Katara asked.
Zuko only shrugged. "I have no idea."
For the month they had been trapped inside the Boiling Rock, the Warden had made sure that Zuko's life was hell. He was the uncle of Mai, Zuko's former wife to be. There was no doubt in Zuko's mind that he was out to get him. It was obvious, to be honest. Zuko was immediately thrown into the Coolers on his first day. The Coolers were designed specifically for rowdy firebenders. The freezing temperatures snuffed one's inner fire and acted as an inhibitor for their firebending. It was the ultimate punishment for firebenders in the Boiling Rock.
The guards stopped them, pushing the door open to the Warden's office. Zuko slowly walked in front of Katara, keeping his eyes narrowed as they both took their seats across from the Warden's desk. The guards gave a bow to the Warden before they turned and walked out, closing the door behind them, leaving Zuko and Katara alone with the Warden, who had a sneer on his face as he stared down at this two newest prisoners.
"Can you imagine my surprise when I first learned the disgraced prince of Caldera and the Avatar were to be my newest prisoners last month?" the Warden prompted. "I was sure it was a cruel joke."
"Jumping with joy, I bet," Zuko grumbled.
"Surely Father Ozai is a great man," the Warden said. "To keep feeding a Fire Nation prison with new criminals is a blessing for me."
Katara had enough of this now. "What do you want with us?"
"In due time, Avatar."
"Go fuck yourself, okay?" Zuko snapped. "You're just bitter because Mai has probably been feeding you lies about me."
The Warden's smirk was replaced with a frown as he leaned forward, his golden eyes looking at the exiled prince. "Mind your tongue, boy. In here, I'm the big boss. You're just another fucking prisoner that will be forgotten. The both of you, that's all you are to me and everyone in here."
Zuko and Katara said nothing, only turn and stared away from the Warden. He rose from his seat, calling out for the guards. The doors reopened, the guards pulling the two prisoners up and escorting them back out to the cell blocks. They were taken to their respective cell, being pushed in after another. Zuko flinched as the metal door was slammed shut behind them.
"I'm scared, Zuko," Katara said as she turned and faced him.
The firebender nodded as he flexed his hands, finally being freed from the metal cuffs. "I know. I am too."
"What do we do? We can't stay in here forever."
"First, we have to find a way to get a message to your brother and the others," Zuko said with a nod as he crossed his arms. "I'm sure Toph alone will be enough to get us out of here."
Katara slowly made her way towards Zuko, wrapping his arms around his body and burying her face into his chest. Zuko draped his arms around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head as he heard the sound of her sobs. He pulled her body closer to his body, holding her tightly as her body rocked with sobs. Zuko knew this wasn't something she had an idea of how to grasp. Zuko had to be her rock, even more than before.
"I think I have a way to get a message to Sokka."
Zuko looked up from his stew, Katara looking across the table at him with a wide smile on her face. He swallowed the portion that was in his mouth, cringing at the taste of it as it slid down his throat.
"And what is it?" Zuko asked, raising a curious brow.
"Well, most prisons have messenger hawk stations, right?" Katara began. "All we have to do is send a message to them."
Zuko only shook his head, causing the smile from Katara's face to disappear as a frown set on her features.
"First off, the Boiling Rock isn't like most prisons," Zuko explained. "These prisoners here have no contact with the outside world. Secondly, even if it did, they would screen the message before letting it be sent off. Unless we can create some code that Sokka might not even understand, we're kind of screwed here."
"Then what?" Katara snapped, slamming her hands on the table. "We just wait until Appa drops out of the sky?"
The firebender shrugged. "We need them to figure out where we are and come to us. That's what we do."
The Avatar sighed, going back to playing with her stew. Zuko frowned, reaching across the table and placing his warm hand over her cold one. Slowly, her blue eyes looked up, tears beginning to form in the corner of her eyes.
"I know, Katara, I know. But we don't have any other choice."
The guard was stunned when the boomerang hit him in the back of the head. He was barely staggering forward before a hand was wrapped around his throat and his body was pinned back against the wall. He tried to raise his hands to firebend, but the wall shot out from behind him, enclosing around his hands. A low gasp came from his lips as his mask was ripped off his face. He was now face to face with a blue oni mask.
"Who are you?" The man's voice quivered.
"Where is the Avatar?" the masked man nearly yelled, holding the boomerang high in the air with his other hand.
"I don't know, I swear on Agni, I don't know."
The guard watched as the man turned to stare over his shoulder. He couldn't see what he was looking at, but a sing-song voice made his heart sink.
"Lying."
The masked man's grip on the guard's throat tightened as he leaned his face closer to the guard. A growl could be heard from under the mask as it tilted to the side, rage stemming from the very essence of the mask.
"One last chance," the voice snapped.
"Okay, okay," the guard croaked. "The Boiling Rock. Her and some scarred firebender were taken there. I swear."
"He's telling the truth," the sing-song voice said again.
The mask nodded, clubbing down on the man's head and knocked him unconscious. He stepped back, earning himself a glare from the bald Air Nomad and his girlfriend.
"What?" He asked, removing the mask and revealing his blue eyes. "We don't need him anymore."
"Maybe you could've asked him where this Boiling Rock is, Snoozles," Toph snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Oh."
Sokka only sighed as he tossed the mask of the Blue Spirit back into Zuko's bag. Ever since Zuko and Katara were separated from them, Sokka had hoped there was something in Zuko's possession that would provide some clue of where they might have gone. Instead, all they found were different clothes and the blue oni mask.
"It's better than nothing though," Suki added. "We know where they are being kept, so it's something."
"We just have to keep moving then, keep gathering information," Sokka said as he pulled Zuko's bag to his back. "Maybe this blue mask can help us along the way. People seem pretty scared of him."
The group kept moving, moving through the Fire Nation in secret and trying to find a way to learn more about the Boiling Rock. To Sokka, it sounded morbid and not really something they wanted to get into. But, he knew as the leader of the uprising, he had to be the one to find their secret weapons: the Avatar and an exiled prince who knew the ins and outs of the Fire Nation.
In the days since learning where their friends were being held, they made it through all of the Fire Nation colonies. Several guards that were loyal to the current Fire Lord, not Father Ozai or the Fire Nation troops in Caldera, provided some information on who would know where the Boiling Rock was. They had to track down a man named Jeong Jeong. Fire Nation legend spoke of Jeong Jeon as a deserter and one of the former teachers of the Royal Family of Caldera.
They had tracked down to the outskirts of the Fire Nation on one of the smaller islands of the country. They managed to Appa onto a large cargo ship that was headed to the island of Meng Hua. The island was small, appearing to only hold a small population of people.
"It should be easy to find this Jeong Jeong, right?" Aang asked.
"Hopefully," Sokka sighed as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
"You seek the Deserter?"
A voice made them all look back at the captain of the ship they were on.
"And what if we are?" Toph raised a brow.
"Master Jeong Jeong lives just on the other side of this island," the captain said. "He's a good man. Grumpy, but good. He taught my boy how to firebend."
Without another word, the ship took off, leaving the group with a very stunned expression on their faces. Even Appa was silent as he marched behind everyone else onto the island. It took them a little over an hour to get to the other side of the island. They all watched, seeing an old man with black and gray hair sit lotus style and staring out into the ocean. They all looked to each other, trying to find a way to go and talk to him.
"You go, you're the leader," Aang said as he looked over at Sokka.
"Why me? Send Toph, maybe he'll show some pity," Sokka snapped back. "You know, being blind and all.
"Go fuck yourself," Toph snapped.
"Perhaps maybe all of you could come."
They froze, looking slowly over at Jeong Jeong. He was still in the same position, but now facing them. Sokka stepped out first, everyone else following him and stopping behind Sokka.
"What do you want?" Jeong Jeong snapped.
"We hear you know information about the Boiling Rock and where it's located," Sokka quickly said.
Jeong Jeong shrugged. "Maybe I don't."
"Lying," Toph said in her sing-song voice.
"Very perceptive," Jeong Jeong nodded. "But what does the Boiling Rock have to do with you? None of you are Fire Nation."
"Our friends are in there," Sokka explained. "My sister too, her name is Katara and she's the Avatar. She's with this firebender named Zuko and-…"
"—Zuko?"
Sokka nodded once. "You know him?"
"I taught him firebending when he was a little kid," the master said as he stood up now, stretching his muscles. "If you say he is in there, then we have to hurry and get him out. The Grand Master will not be happy to hear this."
"Grand Master?" all four of them spoke. "You mean Iroh?"
"Correct," Jeong Jeong said. "Grand Master Iroh is Zuko's uncle. Now, listen carefully because we'll only have one chance at this."
"New prisoners coming in, got someone called the Deserter headlining."
Zuko and Katara peeked up at the words of the guards mumbling to each other. A frown settled on the firebender's features, that label sounding very familiar, but not able to remember where he had heard it from.
"A little early for new prisoners, isn't it?" Katara asked. "I thought it was once every month?"
"We've been here for almost two months," Zuko said, playing with the god-awful stew. "I'm actually surprised it took this long."
"And who is the Deserter?" The Avatar asked. "Must be some big shot if he gets his own nickname."
The firebender only shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I know I've heard that name before. I just don't know where."
The doors clanged again, the new prisoners being led in by the guards. Zuko looked back over his shoulders, his eyes falling on him. The image came back into his head as he stared at Jeong Jeong, the Deserter. He remembered the tales he heard when he was in Ba Sing Se of a master firebender turning his back on Father Ozai and the entire Fire Nation.
"I know him," Zuko said.
"Who is he?" Katara asked.
"His name is Jeong Jeong… he was my firebending teacher."
"On your feet, traitor."
Zuko looked up from his small cot, being pulled up roughly by the guards. They didn't say anything else, only dragged him out of his cell and up towards the Warden's office. He sighed, wondering what he had to deal with today from the Warden. He didn't even flinch as the door was slammed shut behind him after he was tossed in. As he rolled his shoulders and tried to dust himself off, he felt an odd presence in the room that wasn't the Warden. He turned towards the desk, now flinching.
Mai sat there, a dull look on her face.
"Hello, Zuko."
"Mai... what are you doing here?"
The girl shrugged, leaning back in the chair and propping her feet up on the table. "What are you doing with the uprising?"
The firebender narrowed his eyes as he stared at his former lover. "Did Azula send you here to interrogate me?"
"You shouldn't worry about Azula," Mai snapped. "I'm the one with the knife hidden up my sleeve."
The only thing about that was that Mai was being quite literal about the knife in her sleeve. Zuko sighed, finally sitting down across from Mai. He leaned forward slightly, resting his hands on the table as he stared at her. Her blank expression was a maze for Zuko, not being able to truly understand what she was thinking. Then again, that's how she always was.
"I'm sorry," Zuko said.
"For what?"
"For just leaving you," Zuko snapped. "I know it wasn't right... but I just couldn't be there anymore."
Mai scoffed, smirking softly. "A simple letter could've worked, you know?"
"I don't know what else you want me to say."
Mai frowned now, lowering her feet from the desk and standing up straight. Zuko looked up at her with his golden eyes, seeing the emotionless expression again as she rounded the desk. She narrowed her eyes, grabbing him by the jaw and placing a hard and rough kiss on his lips. She pulled away quickly, turning to the door and banging on it so the guards could come. Mai turned around, taking one last look at the firebender, seeing him stare at her with a confused expression.
"You're a bastard."
The door opened to his cell, the guard forcing Zuko back inside his cell. He turned and glared at the guard, who came in holding a tray with his daily lunch. The firebender noticed a white envelope on top of the food. He raised a brow, turning back to the guards and pointing to the envelope."
"What's that?" Zuko asked.
"Message from someone named Snoozles," the guard grumbled. "The Warden may be a dick to you, but there's still some honor left in him."
The firebender only smirked as the door was closed behind the guard. He turned his body to the tray, grabbing the envelope and ripping it open. He pulled open the letter, staring at it with narrow eyes.
Sparky,
The Master holds the key. You and Sweetness in the Courtyard, today at noon.
Snoozles.
Zuko smiled to himself, quickly burning the letter to ashes as he quickly ate his breakfast afterwards. He would soon be let out of his cell with the rest of the inmates for their three hour of recreation time. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he knew that something big was going to happen. For the meantime, Zuko quietly ate his lunch in peace.
The loud buzz went off some hours later, signaling for all the cell doors to be opened and everyone let out into the Courtyard. Zuko didn't need the guards to say anything as he walked outside. His golden eyes quickly found Katara, marching straight over to the table she was sitting on.
"Sokka and the others are coming today," Zuko quickly said.
"What? How?"
Zuko silenced her loud outburst. "Jeong Jeong is going to help us get out. Whenever he does what he's supposed to do, we have to ready to go in the Courtyard. Understand?"
"What is he supposed to be doing?" Katara asked.
Zuko shrugged his shoulders, looking around the Courtyard and seeing no sign of Jeong Jeong. The sun was reaching its highest point in the sky, meaning that it was ready to happen in a matter of moments. He turned back to his Avatar, offering a small smile at her distraught face.
"Hey, we're getting out of her, okay?" Zuko said as he reached across the table and grabbed her hand. "We're gonna be back with everyone else."
Before Katara could say anything, there was an explosion that rocked the entire prison complex. Zuko and Katara looked up, seeing black smoke and orange flames coming from where the Warden's office was.
"I guess that's the signal," Katara suggested.
Another explosion ripped through the air as they saw Jeong Jeong flying through the air. He landed in a crouch, turning on his heel and spraying fire towards the guards. His eyes met Zuko's, and he gave a nod. The two nodded back, sprinting towards Jeong Jeong. They repelled fire of their own back at the guards as the three were now back to back, hands raised and ready to attack.
"Your friends will be here shortly," Jeong Jeong yelled over the sound of roaring fire. "Be ready."
The firebending master stepped forward, raising his hands high into the air with a deep exhale. A circle of fire rose around the three of them, shooting high into the air. Zuko and Katara watched in awe as he stepped forward, pushing the fire out in a giant wave that sent everyone flying back now. Around them, the other prisoners were jumping into the makeshift riot now.
"Where are they?" Zuko yelled, looking back up at the sky.
There, somewhere in the black clouds, Zuko saw a figure jump from the office of the Warden. His eyes widened as he quickly saw the stiletto flying towards him. If it wasn't for Katara's quick airbending punch, it would've sliced through him. Zuko snapped out of it, seeing Mai flying down towards them. She landed in a roll, blood dripping down her face with a large sneer on her face.
"Mai, please, stop this," Zuko begged, stepping in front of Katara.
"You're a traitor, Zuko," Mai snapped. "You're dead to me and the rest of Caldera for betraying us."
"I only left because of what Ozai did to me," Zuko yelled, showing Mai his scars, feeling Katara flinch behind him. "I already told you, I never meant to hurt anyone."
"Well you did, Zuko. Not just me but Azula as well. Do you know what Ozai did to her when you left? The way he treated you was nothing to how he treated her."
Zuko shook his head, not letting the images linger in his mind. Before he could even react, there was a roar from the sky. Everyone looked up, seeing the large sky-bison descending through the steam. Zuko could see Aang redirecting the hot air around them so Appa could land with ease. The firebender smiled at Katara before turning back to see Mai already in the motion of throwing another stiletto. It never got the chance to leave her hand. Katara stomped hard onto the ground, shooting her fist out. The ground shot out and hit Mai in the chest, sending her flying backwards and landing unconscious.
"Zuko, let's go!" Katara's voiced snapped him out of his trance.
He didn't look back as he moved and climbed up the side of Appa's saddle. Zuko quickly looked back down, seeing Jeong Jeong fending off guards and other prisoners now.
"Jeong Jeong, let's go," Zuko yelled.
"No," the firebending master said, turning to face Zuko. "You are the hope of Caldera, you and Avatar Katara. Go now, Prince Zuko. The Order of the White Lotus needs you alive."
Zuko gasped, stunned by this revelation that Jeong Jeong was another of Iroh's allies. Had Jeong Jeong always been a member of the White Lotus? Even back when he was his firebending teacher? The firebender looked back at Jeong Jeong, who had a smile on his face.
"Those who search will always find their treasure."
Appa roared as he raced back up into the sky as a large flame slowly consumed Jeong Jeong. Zuko screamed his lungs out, seeing his master engulfed by the flames. Tears began to run down his face, his body trembling as he felt Katara's warm arms around his body. He could feel her breath on his neck, hearing her words for him to calm down and let it go. There was a deafening silence on the saddle as Appa finally made it away from the Boiling Rock.
"I'm sorry, Zuko," Katara whispered into Zuko's ear as she rested her chin on his shoulder, listening to him breathe. "I'm sorry."
"What do we do now?" Toph asked.
Zuko sucked in air, letting himself relax before he sat up straight. Katara's arms were still around him as he stared off into the distance, his eyes narrowed as the fire inside of him was burning hot now.
"We train Katara, make her a master of all four elements," Zuko ordered. "And when she's ready, we go after my father."