A/N: Oh. My. Fucking. GOD! This chapter is sooooo Goddamn long it took me FOREVER! The damn thing is almost 20 pages long on Word. But finally! It is finished! =D
Enjoy everybody!
Chapter 14—Escape From Berlin
October first finally rolled around and after spending two days in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, to allow for rest and a replenishment of supplies, it was time to head north on the train to Helsingor, a small fishing village on the northern coast of the island. Sokka took his girlfriend's hand and helped her onto the train before climbing in himself and sitting across from his sister and Aang. He allowed Suki to sit in the seat right next to the window while he sat in the seat closest to the compartment door. Toph sat between Aang and Katara while Pipsqueak, Smellerbee, and The Duke sat in the compartment across from their own.
"I wonder what this fishing town will be like," Suki said, staring out the window at the city train station they would soon be leaving behind.
"I bet it's wonderful and full of happy and kind people," Aang replied, a big smile on his face.
"Yeah," Sokka grumbled. "And probably stinky, too."
"Sokka!" Katara cried, frowning at her brother. "Show some respect for the Danish!"
The gypsy only shrugged innocently before his sister. "Hey, all I'm saying is that a fishing village smells strongly of dead fish," he defended. "And dead fish doesn't smell all that great."
He saw his sister roll her eyes from his peripheral vision and sighed. She would find anything to snap at him for. Ever since she found out he had turned in Zuko to the Nazis at Auschwitz, she refused to talk to him unless she could yell at him. In all the years he had known his sister, she had never been this angry at anyone for this long. In all honesty, Sokka was frightened of his sister at this point. It was a new experience and he had no idea what to expect from her.
About halfway through the trip to Helsingor, Sokka had to step out to use the utilities. On the way back, he tripped on the edge of the compartment door and came tumbling in on Suki, who cried out in surprise but was otherwise unhurt. The entire compartment laughed at the gypsy, including Suki, as he grumbled, pulling himself up into a sitting position and crossing his arms in an angry pout. The rest of the trip was uneventful and, Sokka thought, rather boring. No one spoke, even Aang and Toph were sound asleep for most of the trip, Toph's head resting on Aang's shoulder and his, in turn leaning against the train window.
Finally, at five in the afternoon, the train pulled into the station at the small fishing village of Helsingor. Sokka woke his girlfriend from her peaceful nap and helped her off the train as he did getting on and joined the others on the platform. When he got there, he saw Smellerbee talking with an older woman with long, graying hair tied back with a few stray strands falling into her face. She seemed kind but at the same time stern and strict. She was a woman who only meant well when and if she yelled at you.
Walking over to the two conversing, Smellerbee turned to the group and introduced the woman she was talking to. "This is Karin," the Russian said, motioning to the Danish woman. "Her husband and son man a fishing boat that will take us across the ocean to Sweden." She paused, as if expecting someone to say something, but when no one said anything, she continued. "Tonight we will be staying with her and her family in their home and tomorrow, early in the morning, we will head out to the docks and board the boat. Any questions?"
No one moved, no one spoke, and just before Smellerbee spoke again, Sokka would have thought the silence was stifling.
"Good," the Russian woman said and walked off, motioning for the others to follow her. "Then let's go."
Karin nodded and walked to catch up with Smellerbee as the rest of the group followed suit. They walked through the streets until they came to the edge of the town and the beginning of the woods that lined the fishing town. Sokka held Suki's hand as they went through the trees, keeping her close to his side as if he were afraid to lose her.
She smiled at him. "You don't have to protect me all the time, Sokka," she said. "The trees aren't that scary during the day. Besides, I can take care of myself."
He shrugged. "I know that, I just feel like I should. It is a man's duty, after all."
Suki smirked and glared playfully at him. "A man's duty?" she asked, sarcasm in her voice.
Sokka smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, as a Gentleman, it is my duty to treat you like a queen!"
His girlfriend giggled. "Like a queen? I didn't think I was held in such high regard."
"Well, your knight did come and rescue his queen, did he not?" It was a rhetorical yet simple question that made Suki blush madly. Sokka loved it when she blushed, however rare it was, and when she smiled. It made her look even more beautiful than she already was.
They came out of the trees a few minutes later and headed across a field of tall grass to a small cottage near the seaside. The cottage had two levels and a barn with a chicken coop set up right next to it. As he studied the place, he could here Karin speaking to Smellerbee about the family's daily chores.
"I usually take care of the cows in the stable, I take the eggs from the chickens when they have any, and keep the house tidy and clean. My son, Haru, and his father feed the chickens and the cow and clean up the barn when they get home in the evening. I cook dinner while they work."
"I see, and when is that, usually?" Smellerbee asked.
"Around eight at night," the woman replied. "But the times usually vary."
"When will Haru and his father return home?" Sokka heard Katara ask.
"Very soon," Karin answered. "They should be mooring their boat as we speak and will return within the next hour."
Katara smiled. "That's great," she said. "I would love to meet them."
They entered the house and everyone thankfully set their packs down in the family room before gathering in the kitchen and deciding where everyone would sleep. The house was small, with only one couch and one extra bedroom. Also, one person would be able to share the bed with their son, Haru, and a few on the floor of the family room, but that still left three people out in the barn with the cows. Smellerbee took the initiative when no one could decide where they were going to sleep. She stationed Aang in Haru's room, Katara and Suki in the guest bedroom, herself and Toph in the family room, leaving Sokka, The Duke and Pipsqueak in the barn.
Sokka did not like the idea of sleeping with the cows, but he said nothing, merely nodded his agreement and left the house with the others to visit the beach. The three Russians stayed behind to talk with the Danish woman about the plans for crossing to Sweden.
Sokka walked out across the prairie where the grass ended and the sand begun. Standing at the edge of the grass, he stared out across the cool waters to the stretch of land barely visible at the other side of the ocean. They would arrive at Sweden tomorrow and their journey was over. He wondered if their German friend would arrive there after they would, or if he would go straight to Russia with Jet and his companion. After all, it was Jet's mission to begin with to find Zuko and take him back to Russia for debriefing. After a few minutes of pondering the situation, he soon came to the conclusion that Zuko would refuse to travel to Russia until he was able to see Sokka's sister beforehand.
"Sokka?" a female voice came from behind him. "Are you alright?"
He turned around to see Suki standing with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders to protect her from the chilling sea breeze. Although the wind did not affect the others, Suki had suffered more greatly than any of them combined and her greatly thinned and malnourished physique only allowed the cold to penetrate her much quicker. It was then that he had just realized he had been standing in that one spot for quite some time. Smiling, Sokka outstretched his arm, beckoning for her to come near him. When she was close enough, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his warm body.
"I was just thinking about what Sweden will be like for us," he told her.
She nodded as they watched Toph cautiously place her bare feet in the cold water while Aang attempted to sneak up behind her and splash her with sea water. With her feet bare on the sand, she was able to feel him approaching and turned around quickly, splashing water in his face instead. They all laughed, Katara included, who busied herself with walking knee deep in the ocean, testing out how far she could go before her feet went numb.
A devious smile spread across Sokka's face as he watched his sister in the water. Glancing down at his girlfriend who had stopped shivering in his arms, a plan began to formulate in his mind.
"Suki, are you warm now?" he asked. She stared at him, wondering what he was thinking and nodded. "Good, cause I'm going to need your blanket real soon, and a few more."
Suki raised an eyebrow. "What are you planning?"
"You'll find out," he answered. "But for now, could you go back to the house and get us some more blankets, please?"
Suki said nothing, merely stared at him suspiciously before handing her boyfriend her blanket as he asked for it and walking across the prairie back to the house. Cracking the joints in his knuckles, Sokka removed his socks and shoes and snuck up behind his sister in the water. A chill ran up his spine when the cold water swirled around his ankles, soaking the bottom of his pant legs. Katara had the water up to her thighs now and to get close enough, the waves had to crash around his knees.
His smile never faltering, he was glad Toph and Aang were too busy messing with each other to notice his prowl. Once he was close enough, he prepared himself for a pounce and yelled his sister's name at the top of his lungs.
"Hey, Katara!" She jumped, surprised to find that her brother had been right behind without her noticing. Turning around, she had no time to even throw a glare at her brother before he grabbed her around the middle and picked her up out of the water. Katara squirmed, trying desperately to free herself from her brother's grip, but Sokka held fast, taking the hits she threw his way.
"Let me go, Sokka!" she yelled, thrashing at her brother's head. He just smiled and laughed at his sister's useless attempts to get away. Finally, after two minutes of Katara's yelling and thrashing, Toph frantically asking what was going on, and Aang just staring with rapt amusement at the scene before him, Sokka turned his back to the oncoming waves.
"Prepare to get wet, sis!" he cried and toppled backwards into the water.
"Sokka, don't you da—" but the rest of her sentence was silenced by the cold saltwater encasing his whole body. Once they were completely submerged in the water, Sokka released his sister who scrambled away, kicking him in the stomach in the process and bursting out of the water like a rocket. Opening his eyes, he smiled as he watched her legs stumble back to shore. Unable to hold his breath any longer, he stood up out of the water and burst out laughing.
Walking to shore in his sopping wet clothes, he ignored the shivers he endured from the cold wind against his wet body. He patted his sister on the back as she coughed and sputtered. The surprise of being dunked in the ocean had allowed for a small amount of seawater to enter her mouth but she was otherwise unharmed. Katara glared at her brother but when she saw how hard Sokka was laughing, she could not help but laugh in return.
"Don't you ever do that again," she demanded. But it did not sound as serious laughing as it would have if she was truly angry at him. It was then that he knew she had forgiven him for his past mistakes, she just refused to let him know she had.
"Come on," he said playfully, removing his sopping wet shirt and wringing it out. "You've got to admit that was fun."
Just as he and Katara were wringing out their wet clothes and Katara her hair as well, Suki returned with an armful of blankets and an expression that read, "What the hell just happened?"
"Sokka kidnapped me and threw us both in the ocean," Katara replied to Suki's unspoken question. The Jewish girl raised an eyebrow at Katara's casual explanation and the small giggle that escaped from her friend's lips every now and then, but otherwise said nothing as she gave the siblings the blankets they had collected.
They remained at the seaside for a while longer, Sokka trying to get Suki to huddle with him, insisting he needed her warmth to keep himself from shivering and Suki refusing, saying it was his own fault for getting wet. Besides, he would get her wet and that would only make her colder than she already was.
Near the end of their trip to the beach, the group had grown weary and eventually reduced themselves to sitting on the sand and staring out across the water to the stretch of land on the other side that was Sweden. Eventually, a female voice called from behind them and Sokka turned around to see Smellerbee walking up to them and gesturing for them to return to the house.
"Haru and his father have returned from the docks," she said. "And Karin has prepared supper for us all."
Giving into the growls in their stomachs, the group stood up and followed the Russian woman back to the farm house. When they arrived, Sokka saw two men, one young with dark hair and the other older with a grey beard and small amount of gray hair on his head, sitting at the small kitchen table. They both had tan, weathered skin given to them by the harsh sun and unyielding winds of the open sea. Long days of tossing out and reeling in nets of fish had toned the muscles of both men leaving them strong and sturdy as tree trunks.
When they entered the house, both men stood up and shook Sokka's hand, in turn shaking Aang's as well and kissing the knuckles of both Toph and Katara. The younger man, Haru, seemed to linger a little too long for Sokka's liking on his sister's hand and he glared at the man, sending a telepathic threat to the fisherman. Thankfully, his Protective Older Brother mode did not need to be flipped on once Karin called for her son to help serve the food to their guests.
Sokka kept his eye on Haru all night, making sure he did nothing that would indicate a slimy approach to get his sister in bed. He knew he was just paranoid about his sister's wellbeing, but he could not help it. After Zuko, he knew he had to keep a close eye on Katara. Zuko may not have turned out to be the type of man he thought he was, but that did not mean he would be wrong about others. True, Katara was old enough at the age of twenty to be able to take care of herself, but his father's last request of him was held firm in his mind. He would take care of his little sister whatever the cost.
Once Katara and Sokka had changed into dryer clothes, the whole group along with the three Russians gathered around the small kitchen table for the last meal of the day. Supper was made out of roasted mutton, baked potatoes, and fresh wheat bread lathered in delicious butter made from the cows out in the barn. It had been so long since any of them had eaten any kind of meat or dairy product that they all ate with eager aspiration. Since the German army had taken every last morsel of meat and dairy from their homes in Poland, it was a rare treat to have these products together in a single meal.
When they finished supper, they all went their separate ways, preparing to lie down for the night. Sokka watched his sister tiredly mount the stairs leading to the upstairs guest bedroom. His gaze switched over to the young fisherman who sat calmly in his chair in the kitchen and sipped at a glass of milk. Sokka thought he saw his eyes linger on Katara climbing the stairs then shift back to his mother when she disappeared around the corner. Karin called for her son to help wash the dishes from supper and Haru's attention turned to the new task at hand, his expression changing to one that gave no indication that he had shown any interest in the gypsy whatsoever. Perhaps he was imagining things due to recent, unfriendly events, but even still, he had to be cautious.
Sokka's eyes narrowed but he shook it off as he took his girlfriend's hand and helped her up the stairs to the guest bedroom. When they entered the room, he saw Katara pulling back the bedcovers, her nightdress already pulled over her head, her shoes neatly tucked away at the foot of the bed, and her hair brushed and untangled. As Suki turned around to change into her own nightdress, Sokka turned to his sister.
"You should be cautious of Haru," he told her. She looked up from the bed to give her brother a confused stare.
"What on earth are you talking about?" she asked.
"He likes you," he explained. "I think he wants more than just friendship from you."
Katara let out a slight laugh. "Oh, come now, Sokka." She shook her head at his absurd remark. "You're just paranoid. Haru is just a kind man. He's not what you think he is."
Sokka sighed. "I'm just looking out for you," he said in his defense.
She smiled before walking up to him and giving him a hug. "I know, but sometimes you take it a little too far."
He embraced his sister in return and left, allowing Katara and Suki their privacy for a good night's rest. Walking through the family room where Toph and Smellerbee were preparing their beds for the night, he left the house and headed for the barn where The Duke and Pipsqueak were surely already sound asleep in comfortable piles of hay. He knew Katara was right. He did tend to take Hakoda's request a little too far. His sister must think he's smothering her. Maybe he should give Katara a little bit more room, he was a little too impeding when it came to her life and he knew he was nothing short of a jackass when it had come to Zuko. Still, Sokka could not get the look he thought he saw in Haru's eyes when he looked at his sister out of his mind. Perhaps it was just his protective brotherly senses that went into overdrive when he saw Katara with men, but he could have sworn he saw a hint of lust in the young fisherman's eyes.
Maybe Katara was right. He was paranoid.
Shaking it off, he entered the barn, seeing The Duke and Pipsqueak fast asleep as he had predicted, and found a place for himself. Grabbing a thick blanket that had been set out for them to use, he threw it over his body and fell straight to sleep on a pile of soft hay.
---
Jet left the inn and walked down the street in West Berlin in the direction of an outdoor market he had seen when they had first arrived. The wanted posters of himself and the German were unsettling, but they need supplies and Zuko needed time to rest in a decent setting. An inn in Berlin was much homier than sleeping mats and blankets on the side of the road and would allow for much better healing.
He had made sure Longshot stayed with the sleeping German in the room while he was gone. He did not want the German to wander off somewhere alone with Nazi soldiers out searching for them everywhere they went. It was dangerous to stay in Berlin, Jet knew that, but it was the only place they were close too and night was falling fast. Making a rash decision, he ordered for them to stay in the German capital for only one night. Besides, Jet thought, what better place for the three to hide than right under their pursuer's nose?
He passed a small barber's shop and reminded himself that when he arrived in Denmark, he would treat himself to a good haircut and a clean shave. Being on the road for days at a time did a number on his hygiene and appearance. Glancing at himself in the reflection of the window, he concluded that he looked like a disgusting, homeless bum who just got kicked out of a bar for being completely shitfaced, obnoxious and broke. His long hair was matted and filthy, a beard was beginning to grow all across his face with a matching mustache to go with it, and his clothes were filthy and torn in several places most likely from the barbed wire in Auschwitz and the trees in the forest. Breathing deeply, he continued walking down the street until he came to the market and began browsing their selection of fruits and canned foods for their trip.
He had not been there long until rows of soldiers marched passed him in the market and down the road in the direction he had just come. Startled, he looked up and watched them from his discreet location behind a vendor of fruits and vegetables. He did not want them to see his face lest they recognize him from the poster's hanging on the wall of a nearby building. Brushing the event off as a normal drill, he continued perusing the vendors until a second row of soldiers marched passed, this time followed by confused expressions and questions that flew around the little market place like a swarm of locusts.
Jet blended into the crowd, trusting the lurching in his stomach that told him that something was not right. Slowly making his way out of the market place, he overheard a man inquiring a nearby guard about the sudden commotion and hubbub that so unceremoniously interrupted their beautiful day.
"The hideout of two fugitives has just been found," the soldier replied without looking at the man. Jet narrowed his eyes from his position right behind the German civilian. "These soldiers are going to apprehend them now."
The Russian slipped down a back alley and ran as fast as he could back to the inn where he had left Longshot and Zuko. He had to get back to the inn before the guards did. If not, his mission, his life, everything he had worked so hard to achieve, would be lost. Darting down a new road free of soldiers, it was a straight shot to the inn. If he made it in time, he would be able to sneak in the back entrance and warn the two men in time to make a clean getaway.
The inn was in sight within a few seconds. As quickly as he could without arousing suspicion, Jet flew up the stairs to the second floor of the inn and ran down the hall before hastily entering the room and locking the door behind him. When he turned around, Zuko had just woken up from his short nap while Longshot looked up at his leader with a surprised and questioning expression on his face.
"We need to leave," he said without explanation. When no one moved, he barked at them. "Now!"
"What the hell is going on?" Zuko asked as he jumped out of bed and began shoving items into his travel bag. "Why the urgency?"
Jet grabbed his pack that was stuffed full and hoisted it over his back. "In about two minutes, German soldiers will be banging down our door. If we want to avoid getting arrested, we better leave."
Jet saw Zuko's eyes widen when he heard the news and his progress immediately sped up. Longshot on the other hand, made no attempt to pack or run. He simply took his rifle and stowed it under the bed where Zuko had been laying. One glance from the silent sniper was enough to tell Jet what the man was planning. Nodding, he took out a rope and tied a three-barbed hook on the end. Grabbing Zuko by the arm, he dragged the German over to the window that overlooked a back alley. They would not be able to exit out the back of the inn because by now it would be crawling with Nazi soldiers.
The Russian exited first, hanging on to the window panes before tossing the grappling hook up over the roof of the building, making sure it did not pass over another window. It passed over the fourth story of the inn before tugging on the rope to make sure the hook was fastened tightly against a solid object. Now gripping the rope, he ducked under the open window and motioned for Zuko to follow him.
"Get your butt over here, stupid!" he almost yelled when the German did not move but stood staring dumbly at the Russian hanging out the window. It was not until they could hear a loud knocking on their room door did Zuko start towards the window.
"Open up!" They could hear the soldier's thick German through the thin, wooden door of the inn. "If you do not open up, we will force our way in!"
Zuko gripped Jet's hand and allowed the Russian to help him out the window.
"You go up first," Jet ordered, as he sidestepped on the window sill to allow the German to grab the rope.
"What are we doing?" Zuko asked, obviously confused. But Jet spared no time and hastily shoved the man up the rope.
"Escaping," he quickly replied. "Now climb!"
The German did as he was told, gripping the rope as ordered, he used all his strength to hoist himself up the side of the building. Jet followed right behind him, pulling the end of the rope up with him so none could be seen unless the soldiers leaned out the window and craned their backs to look up.
Jet could hear the commotion in the room below them. Even when he and Zuko were standing on the roof of the building, the shouts could be heard as clearly as if he were standing right outside the room. The moment the door to the room was busted down, shouts issued from the window and resounded up to the roof.
"Where are they!?" he could hear the man screech. Obviously, Longshot remained silent just as he always did which made the soldier even angrier. "Answer me, fool!"
It was silent for a short while until shuffling could be heard and the soldier's head poked out of the window below. Jet smiled as he leaned over the side of the building to watch, knowing full well what had happened. Longshot had pointed out the window, indicating that the "fugitives" had escaped out the window and into the alley below. A complete lie but one the soldier was dumb enough to believe.
Tucking his head back in the room, he shouted at his men. "They've gone down the alley! Get down their quickly and inform the rest. I want you to cut them off before they escape the city!"
The soldiers shuffle out the door and down the stairs before one asked their officer a question. "What do we do with him?"
"Leave him," the Nazi answered. "He was smart enough to tell us where the fugitives have gone and will not be punished." Then they were gone. Not even a shuffle of the boot could be heard from their position on the roof.
"Great," Jet heard Zuko say behind him. "Now how do we get down?"
Jet sighed and turned around. "Same way we got up."
"But then how will you get your grappling hook back?"
"I don't need to," the Russian explained as he re-hooked the barbs to the side of the building and swung over the edge. "I have another one in my pack. Now get over here, we've got to go." Jet then slipped down the wall, not even waiting to see if Zuko followed or not. He knew that if the man wanted to leave the city and continue to Sweden, he would follow.
When they climbed back into the room through the window, Longshot was waiting for them, his things packed away and rifle hidden discretely as a shovel strapped across his back. They left the building, not bothering to pay the innkeeper for their short stay, and slipped out the back door. By now, the soldiers were gone and on their way to intercept fugitives that were not there so the way was clear.
The soldiers had run east through the city, making the tiny group's path easier to traverse. They had to travel west to escape the city and Longshot had sent them in completely the wrong direction.
They kept to the crowds knowing full well that it would be difficult to spot three fugitives in a city filled with innocents. After an hour, they were about eight blocks from the edge of the city and on their way to leave with no more problems when they made a wrong turn.
Zuko was the first to turn right onto a new road when he literally ran into a guard coming the other way. The soldier seemed angry at first, snapping impatiently as Zuko worked diligently as an innocent civilian to help pick the man up off the sidewalk and back onto his feet. The soldier brushed aside Zuko's help until he finally looked the German fugitive in the face.
"Zuko?" he asked in a tone that sounded more like a long lost friend than someone trying to apprehend them. "Is that you?"
Jet shot a glance at the German who appeared to be staring wide-eyed at the soldier he had inadvertently knocked to the ground. It was not until Zuko spoke the man's name that Jet realized that the two were old friends.
"Hans? What are you doing here?" After a brief moment of surprise, the two men smiled and embraced each other in a brotherly fashion.
"It's been forever, my friend!" Hans spoke with joyous enthusiasm at finding his old friend again. "What have you been up to?"
Jet growled and tapped Zuko on the shoulder. This was not a time for catching up. "Zuko, we need to get going."
The German nodded and turned back to his friend. "Listen, Hans," he started. "Where in a little trouble, could you help us get out of the city? I'll explain on the way." Hans looked behind his friend at the two Russians standing impatiently behind him. When he studied the both of them, he nodded and motioned for them to follow him.
"This way," he said and took off jogging down the street in the direction they were originally headed. Jet saw the German smile, apparently happy he found someone in the Nazi army he could trust, but the Russian was not so easily persuaded. This Hans may have been friends with Zuko a while back, but there was no way he could be the same as he was back then. Hitler had changed the world so drastically; even a man's personality could change as a result of his power. He glared at the man's back and the swastika armband wrapped around his uniform as Zuko ran up beside him and explained the situation.
When Zuko came back to talk to the Russians, Jet brought up his distress. "Can we really trust this man? He is a Nazi after all and war does change a man." he asked, expressing his concern through his tone.
Zuko nodded. "He's an old childhood friend of mine. We grew up together and he was the only friend I ever had growing up. I know he can help us."
Jet only nodded, not even bothering to argue with the German. There was no point in arguing with a man who had it set in his mind that they could trust someone. So they followed him. Hans led them through an intricate zig zag of street corners and winded roads before Jet decided to ask where they were going.
"I'm just making sure no one is following us," he answered. "I know Zuko said that they went in the wrong direction, but I just want to be cautious."
Jet raised an eyebrow at the man's answer but said nothing. He wanted to wait and see what this Nazi had in store for them.
"We should get to my home soon. I have a car you can use to leave the city in without being noticed."
They rounded a corner only to find a whole group of soldiers standing just around the building they were headed. The soldiers immediately looked up and eyed the group with surprise that soon turned to fierce determination.
"Well done, Wolfe," a well-decorated officer stated when he saw the Nazi who had led them to the intersection. "Now hand over the fugitives as ordered."
Jets distrust of the man instantly turned to hatred and anger at the same time his face went from shock to a glare that could burn through metal. He was right about this Hans fellow Zuko had sworn was a good man. Glancing at the German in question, Jet saw that Zuko had an expression of shocked disbelief on his face.
"Hans, what is going on?" Zuko asked. It was obvious from his tone that he was worried, and slightly angry at what had been said.
Jet could only see the back of Hans' head when the man spoke, but he could tell he felt no remorse for his actions. "I'm sorry, Zuko," he said. "But I cannot allow a traitor to go free." He turned around to face his friend. "Even if they are an old, childhood friend."
Hans Wolfe stepped back with the soldiers in the intersection and pulled his weapon at the same time, pointing it at the three fugitives. Jet eyed each soldier, carefully calculating what each man would do if any of them made the slightest movement. The three were in a tight situation, more so than they were at the inn. Even with his experience as a Partisan and years of training, Jet could not think of a way out.
It was just when the Russian thought that they would have to surrender and was regretting ever agreeing to go to Sweden in the first place when out of nowhere, the intersection was lit up with gunfire as a black sedan came barreling through, finally spinning to a stop between the Nazi soldiers and the three fugitives. Jet lingered long enough to see a handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes jump from the car with three others, guns blazing and voices yelling at the top of their lungs. They immediately attacked the soldiers, giving Zuko and his Russian escorts the proper diversion for an escape.
Grabbing the German by the upper arm, Jet pulled him away from the intersection and down a new street devoid of soldiers but packed with civilians. They shoved through the busy crowd, attempting to draw the least amount of attention to themselves as they possibly could running through the streets of Berlin. After passing through an intersection, Jet heard a few angry shouts from behind him and turned around to see Zuko stumble and fall into a group of women who had been walking along the street on a casual shopping spree judging by the paper-wrapped parcels they carried under their arms.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, Jet doubled back and helped the injured German back to his feet and relentlessly dragged him on. He knew that the smallest bit of commotion would attract attention from the soldiers. Zuko's recent spill would have that section of the street crawling with guards in no time flat.
The three continued running down the street until Jet heard someone yell a small distance behind them. "There they are!" Turning around, he saw a group of soldiers chasing after them while pushing innocent civilians out of their way.
Turning back to face what was in front of him, Jet saw another small group of soldiers coming at them from their other side. His stomach did a flip as he felt his body panic at the sight of them. But his mind took advantage of their surroundings and used the crowd to their advantage. Making sure he spoke loud enough for both Zuko and Longshot to hear him, but keeping quiet enough so that the soldiers could not, he told both of them to duck and crawl below the heads of the people in the street. He could tell the soldiers were having trouble finding them as soon as their heads disappeared in the sea of people.
Jet was still looking for an outlet. As far as he knew, they were still trapped in the street square. He glanced around until he saw a small alleyway and shuffled his companions into the dark, shadowed space where they could not be seen. Jet continued to back them up facing the street they had just come from but did not notice the street behind them opening up as the other in front of them closed. Jet finally stopped backing up when he saw the soldiers pass by the mouth of the alley, bicker for a moment, and run off all together back to the intersection they had come from. He heard Zuko let out a sigh of relief that he was only able to enjoy for a split second. As soon as they watched the soldiers run off, Jet felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to face the one man who had betrayed them to his comrades.
Hans Wolfe's smiling face stood in front of him with a pistol pointed right at his gut. Jet could only assume the man had gone all the way around the block to cut them off in the alley way. Before anyone could do anything, Longshot pulled the rifle he had strapped to his back and belted the traitor hard across the face. Now was their chance. Longshot knew what to do, but Jet had to grab Zuko's arm once again and drag him off in the opposite direction he was staring. This man was a soldier? It was hard to believe now that he was reduced to a dumbstruck, lovesick fugitive.
They ran back to the crowded street they came from as more soldiers appeared at the end of the alley they were running away from. Jet could hear the man Longshot decked yell in a now distorted voice at his comrades. "They went that way! Get them!"
When they reached the street, they weaved in and out of the crowd, trying desperately to evade the Nazis trailing them. As they reached the next cross street, Jet dragged them down a new road, one less populated but still rather crowded. However, this street had more vehicle traffic than the last one. As they ran, Jet became aware of a black sedan following their movement on the sidewalk from the road. When they came to another intersection, the Russian was surprised to find the car swerve in front of them and stop. The door opened and Jet could see the young blonde haired man from before sitting in the driver's seat, his other two companions suspiciously missing.
"Get in," was all he said. He seemed like a shifty fellow but quite serious. Glancing at the silent sniper, one look was all Jet needed to clarify that this kid was the only chance they had of escaping the city alive. Nodding once, he shoved Zuko in the back seat, Longshot following, while he himself took the front passenger's seat.
The moment the door closed, the car sped off down the street at an alarming rate. The man did not even bother to offer an explanation of who he was or what he was doing and only whooped and hollered at the top of his lungs with joy as they weaved in and out of traffic and caught the attention of the soldiers. The young man, no older than a few days passed twenty, was enjoying the chase, giving the Nazis something to chase. A sure way to create a distraction from some other purpose the young man had in mind.
Jet had no problem zooming in and out of traffic with a high chance of crashing. He knew Longshot was completely calm but when he turned around to look in the back seat, he noticed that Zuko's visible eye had grown wide with fear. It was obvious the German had never traveled so fast in a car in his entire life.
The Russian turned his eyes back to the road whipping by in front of him. The nose of the car nearly missed hitting the concrete side of a building by an alarming distance of two feet. In the rearview mirror, Jet could see three black cars trailing the rouge vehicle quite closely. His life and that of his three companions were now in the hands of one young blonde boy in the driver's seat yelling excitedly at the top of his lungs.
He glanced back again only to see that one of the black cars trailing them had disappeared. Frowning, Jet settled back in his seat but caught something out of the corner of his eye. Turning to look out the passenger side window, he was surprised to find that he had not expected to see the missing black car right next to them. The Nazi in the driver's seat held a Broom Handle in one hand, pointed directly at Jet while the other hand gripped the steering wheel tightly. The Russian yelled, whether he said anything comprehensible or just gibberish he left up to the others in the car to determine.
The soldier driving the car next to them took his eyes off the road for a short moment and took aim at the Russian sitting in the passenger's seat of the sedan. Jet was about to yell at their mysterious driver to duck low when the sedan took a sudden turn down a small, one way street; ironically driving the wrong way and startling many unaware citizens from the street to the almost nonexistent sidewalk. Luckily, no cars came the other way and the black volts wagon with the driver that was about to shoot them was unable to follow, and as Jet stuck his head out the window and looked behind them, he saw it had skidded in its attempt to follow them and slammed into the side of the building. Several civilians had already congregated around the volts wagon in an attempt to see if the driver and passengers were all right. Unfortunately, the other two volts wagons had not had to overcompensate for the sudden turn and were hot on their trail just as they had been.
Shots fired from the two remaining volts wagons and Jet had to quickly pull his head back into the sedan to avoid several bullets that narrowly missed digging into several points of his skull. The glass on the back window shattered, startling Zuko who covered his head in surprised. But Longshot was unperturbed by the sudden disturbance and immediately took out his rifle to retaliate.
"Great idea!" their mystery driver called to the back seat. "Hit 'em with all you got!" He let out an ecstatic whoop before skidding back out onto another large and busy street.
Jet had no gun or rifle and felt utterly useless in this particular field of battle. Zuko would be of no help at all. Having one eye almost completely destroyed by fire, his eyesight was no longer what it used to be. Adjusting in his leather seat to look in the back, he asked the German to cough up the Broom Handle he had taken from Auschwitz while Longshot readied his rifle. He seemed reluctant at first but when he realized how damaged he was, he begrudgingly gave up the weapon.
Cocking a bullet into place, Jet leaned out the window of the black car and took aim at their pursuers. He squeezed the trigger, holding his arm steady to keep the recoil from smacking his knuckles against his face. The bullets tore little rivets in the side of a building just short of the pursuing Volts Wagons and caused a few innocent pedestrians to scream with surprise. The Russian silently cursed under his breath. He should have known. Though the Broom Handle was a very versatile weapon, it was still just a pistol. Frustrated, he tossed the weapon back into Zuko's lap.
"You, Aryan," Jet said with a demanding voice, pointing at their driver. "Is there a weapon in this car I will be able to use against our pursuers?"
Their mystery driver did not respond right away, but shouted with excitement as he took the car around a very sharp turn down a very long and narrow underground tunnel. Jet was nearly thrown out of the speeding car through his open window from the sudden change in direction but was able to grab onto the back of his seat to keep himself inside. Glancing in the back seat, he saw Longshot take quick and careful aim at the first car that appeared in the tunnel after them and fired. A visible crack appeared in the windshield of their pursuers and the Volts Wagon swerved and slammed into the side of the tunnel, spinning around and finally coming to a stop in the middle of the road. Before the Nazis were able to climb out of the crunched up car, the second and last Volts Wagon crashed into the side of their destroyed companions, shoving the vehicle to the side of the tunnel.
The last Volts Wagon continued to chase after them, remaining unharmed throughout the chase through the tunnel. When they emerged from the underground tunnel, their mysterious driver finally saw fit to answer Jet's question.
"I have a Kar 98 under my seat. You can have your bandaged friend get it for you."
Jet looked back at Zuko and nodded. Understanding, the German bent over and shoved his hand under the seat, fishing for the military grade rifle. While he waited, Jet kept his eye on the road that zoomed by beneath them. They were driving through a market place of sorts. When they were spotted, pedestrians seemed to run out of the way to sidewalks. It still did not matter, however. Their driver was so reckless and had so much determination to lose the Nazis chasing them that he was all over the road. When a fruit cart had found its way right in front of them, their driver jerked the wheel to the right, sending the car into a drifting skid, narrowly missing the cart and ultimately disrupting Longshot's aim.
The Russian in the front seat stared back at the sniper with disbelief. Never in his life had Jet known Longshot to miss a target. He looked up to see the wet road from a busted water barrel as a result of the sniper's missed target zoom by beneath the pursuing Volts Wagon. Jet could hardly believe what his eyes had shown him. Longshot had missed his target only because of the unpredictable movements of the car they were riding in. The rough ride was sure to disrupt anyone's aim. Now Jet was just trying to justify his companion's blunder. It did not matter, though. If he had to pick anyone to cover his ass from a distance, he would, without hesitation, choose Longshot over any other sniper in all of Europe.
Jet saw Zuko's face turn from concentration to excitement out of the corner of his eye. Glancing down, he was just in time to see the German pull the Kar 98 out from under the seat. He handed it to the Russian who took the weapon with a sadistic smile on his face. Finally, this chase was about to come to an end.
Once again, Jet leaned out the passenger side window of the black sedan. Readying the rifle, he took careful aim and unloaded several rounds in the direction of their pursuers. He was careful not to hit any innocents as he readied the rifle once more. He had hit the hood of the Volts Wagon chasing them, but the car was still in working order and gaining on their rear. The Nazis unleashed their own firepower, the rounds flying right through the already busted back window and shattering the windshield in turn. The glass was forced back into the cab by the wind, falling onto their driver and Jet. Wind hit the side of Jet's face just as it had when his head was outside the window. Now it was no different inside the car than outside.
"Hey! Watch it!" their driver yelled, shoving his hand out the window and flashing a derogatory hand gesture at the gaining Nazis. "Assholes!"
Jet ignored the young man and concentrated on aiming right for the driver of the Volts Wagon. His aim was no match for Longshot's and as he unloaded more rounds at the black car, he succeeded only in creating a distraction so that his sniper companion could easily take out the driver himself. Jet watched as the windshield shattered, the enemy driver keel over backwards against his seat, and the now destroyed Volts Wagon swerve and crash into a building Jet assumed was a police station given the sign and the men in uniforms that were not Nazi gathering around the crashed vehicle.
Sighing with relief, the Russian sat back down in his seat. He relaxed as he put the rifle he held on safe and set the butt on the floor of the car, resting the barrel between his knees. He made sure to keep the muzzle pointing up at the ceiling and not his own head. Looking in the back seat, he saw Longshot lower his own rifle and placed it back in its holder on his back. Jet then looked over at Zuko, the very cause and reason why they had men after them, and noticed that his face was surprisingly calm. Of course, being a hardened German soldier, he was used to the field of battle and recovered quickly from the shock and exhilaration they had just experienced. Nodding once, Jet turned back to face the wind whipping through the smashed windshield.
Now that they were no longer being chased by cold-hearted, New World Order obsessed Nazis, their driver had slowed down the car and was actually more reserved around them. His face was serious, almost angry and he seemed as if he wanted to ask the three several questions but did not know where to start. But before he was able to say anything, Jet spoke first.
"Who are you?" he asked. "Why did you save us?"
Their mystery driver calmly turned a corner onto a secluded side street before answering. "My name's Alphonse," he said. "Alphonse Ostheim. I am the leader of an underground resistance force devoted to driving the Nazis out of Berlin." The car slowed as it came to a cross street and stopped. Alphonse glanced down the street and when no cars were coming, he pulled out and turned right. "When I saw your posters, I knew that if you came here, you would need my help. I had no idea you would actually be stupid enough to come to Berlin!"
Jet glared at the man. He did not like that this man was already insulting them after he just met them. The car took a left into a thin alley way. When they emerged from the alley, they came across a large, broken down building. The windows were busted in and one corner was rotted and crumbling. Jet was surprised to find that this was where the man called Alphonse lived when he drove the sedan through a large doorway that led to an underground parking garage.
Alphonse parked the busted black sedan and they all crawled out of the vehicle. As soon as they were all standing and stretching their tight limbs, a girl shouted from the other end of the garage.
"Al!" she called. Alphonse turned, along with the three fugitives, to see a tall blonde haired girl run from a flight of stairs towards the Resistance leader. Jet's eyes widened in astonishment as the girl jumped up into Alphonse's arms, hugging him tightly.
"It's okay, Sarah," he said in a soothing voice. "I'm fine."
The Russian was immediately gripped with one solid question: who the hell is this? But he felt a little silly after seeing the Aryan tenderly kiss the girl on the lips before setting her back down on her feet.
"I was so scared," the girl, who looked no older than seventeen, said as she rubbed the back of her hands. "When I heard about the dangerous car chase and the battle in the square, I thought…" Her voice trailed off as the young man lovingly ran his hands down her arms.
"Everything is fine, Sarah," he said, reassuring her. "I am unharmed and my men are not far behind me." He smiled, his face kind, and she could not help but smile in return. Alphonse then turned to the three fugitives that had arrived with him. "Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet my wife, Sarah Ostheim. She is one of few Jews who were not taken to the camps when the Nazis came to take them away."
"But she seems so young," Jet heard Zuko comment. "Where is her family?" Jet knew the young German was thinking strongly of himself and his gypsy, Katara. His sadness was written all over his face.
"Her parents have been safely smuggled out of the country and are living safely in Denmark. I had my best friend and most trusted man take them there personally."
"But how was she able to stay in the city while her parents were smuggled out?" Jet asked, his curiosity about the girl growing.
"Alphonse tricked the soldiers into thinking that I was his little sister," the girl said, speaking to the three fugitives for the first time. "He used to have a younger sister who looked a lot like me. She died of pneumonia when she was six."
The five of them were silent for a while before Alphonse spoke up, breaking the eerie silence. "Well, that's enough of that depressing topic!" he piped up with obvious fake joy. "Come, let me show you to your rooms." Taking Sarah's hand, he walked off towards the staircase the girl had run down from only moments before.
"We're staying the night?" Zuko asked, confused.
"Of course," the Aryan responded. "You can't leave now; the Nazis will be all over you in seconds. It would be wise to stay a while and wait for things to simmer down before trying to escape."
Jet sighed from exhaustion. He was about to say the exact same thing to their German companion before the young Resistance leader beat him to the punch. He was right though, it would be unwise to try and leave while the Nazis were still hot on their trail. It was best to wait for the best possible moment before making their escape. Beckoning for his companions to follow him, he followed Alphonse to the stairs to the upper levels of the old building.
---
Zuko grumbled as he slowly woke up from his long sleep. He opened his eyes slightly only to see the body of a girl sitting in a chair next to his bed. As he slowly fought away sleep, he realized that he was lying on his stomach, his shirt removed and he could feel cool water dribbling down his wounded back. His ankle was wrapped tightly with something harder than the linen that had been used before.
Opening his eyes all the way, he positioned his head in an uncomfortable position to see Sarah, the blonde Jewish girl from the day before dabbing at his wounds with a soaking wet cloth. It was then he realized that the bandages that covered his left eye were missing leaving the ugly burn to air out. Strangely, it felt rather good to have cool, fresh air kiss the burned flesh. Lately it had become so hot and sweaty beneath the cotton bandages he could have sworn a horrible smelling puss had formed over the charred skin.
Now the smell was gone and replaced by something else. …Roses?
Grumbling, he slowly pushed himself up off the mattress, startling the poor girl that was tending to him. Zuko turned, swung his legs off the side of the bed and sat up straight, rubbing his unburned eye with the heel of his hand. He yawned before finally looking the girl Sarah in the eyes and asking her what time it was.
"Um, ten thirty," she replied. He nodded and said nothing more. "Uh, do you mind?" Sarah said awkwardly. "I wasn't finished." She gestured toward the cloth she had floating in a bowl of soapy water. Understanding right away, Zuko lay back down on the bed and allowed her to continue washing the scabs the whip had left in his back. He had noticed that his ankle had been sealed in a plaster cast. Where these people managed to find plaster casting was a mystery to him.
He allowed her to finish cleaning his scabs while he wrapped his arms around his pillow, effectively making a perfect chin rest. Her touch was gentle and caring and for the first time since receiving the wounds, his back did not hurt. The girl reminded Zuko strongly of Katara and he relaxed on the pillow, knowing he would see her soon.
When she was finished cleaning she dried off his skin with a warm towel and told him to sit up. "You can put your shirt back on now if you want."
He did, buttoning it up as she cleaned up her mess of bandages and dirty cloths. When she left the room, he realized that she had not bandaged up his eye again. Concluding that she had left it like that on purpose to keep the wound clean, he stood up and walked across the room to a mirror that hung on the wall. He studied his reflection in the mirror, carefully touching the burn around his left eye to feel how well it was healing. It was not bad but he would never look the same again.
The burn had finally begun to scab over, leaving his face horribly disfigured and ugly. Turning his face to the right, he pulled back the long, scraggily hair that had grown out during his travels and got a good look at his destroyed ear for the very first time. It was a lot smaller now. The cartilage had been almost completely burned away by the oil lamp leaving a small little stub with a very miniscule amount of cartilage that served for a poor hearing device. He decided he was lucky to still have even a face after what had happened to him.
Sighing deeply, he left the room and headed out down the hall in search of Jet and Longshot. According to Alphonse from the night before, the three of them would leave the next morning just as soon as all of them woke up. Turning a corner, Zuko ran down a flight of stairs and ended up in a small room that doubled as a kitchen and a dining room. Two tables were set up near open windows with the curtains drawn while the stove and oven were situated against the wall adjacent to the door the German had just entered.
He saw the girl, Sarah, starting up the stove and take out several potatoes, a shredder, and a large frying pan. He realized when she took out a few more ingredients that she was making a traditional German breakfast; Potato Pancakes.
Zuko made his way to the table and sat down next to Longshot. Alphonse and Jet sat across from him. As soon as he sat down the Resistance leader took out a small cup and poured hot tea. He handed the tea to the German across from him who took it gratefully, blowing on it to cool it down and taking small sips.
"So, I was wondering, "Alphonse said as he watched Zuko sip at his tea while stirring sugar into his own. "How did you manage to burn the left side of your face?"
Zuko nearly choked on the tea he was drinking when he heard the young man's question. Setting the cup down on the table, he glanced quickly at Jet who did not look back at him but closed his eyes and sipped at his tea silently. It was obvious the Russian had not told Alphonse anything or perhaps told him to ask Zuko himself. Never the less, it was an honest question that deserved an answer.
"I got it from an oil lamp at Auschwitz while I was escaping," he replied, fingering his tea cup nervously. He wished the man had never asked the question so he would not have to remember that horrible night. "My sister was the one to smash the lamp in my face."
Even though Zuko suddenly found great interest in his tea cup, he knew Alphonse wanted to ask more but a look from Jet was enough to tell him to let the subject drop. Instead, he changed the subject to escaping from the city. "So anyways, on a lighter note, we will be able to get you out of Berlin this morning." He paused while his wife Sarah came and placed a new pot of tea in the middle of the table before removing the now empty one. "I have another car that we just received a few weeks ago and has not been used yet. We just fixed it up and got it running two days ago so the Nazis do not know that we have it." He glanced at Jet before turning back to Longshot and Zuko. "Your leader has told me that you are traveling to Sweden, is this correct?"
Zuko and Longshot both nodded in unison before Alphonse continued. "Then I will give you this car to take you there."
"But don't you need it?" Zuko asked. It seemed strange that a fugitive from the Nazis would give up a valuable asset to help travelers.
"We have plenty of perfectly good working cars in the garage below ground. This was just one we would hope to sell for some money to buy food. But as it turns out, we don't need to sell it. While my men and I were distracting the soldiers in that intersection we found you in, others who work with me were sneaking into the building they were guarding and they made out with lots of valuables and money. The car was a last resort unless we could not pull off the mission."
Zuko nodded once. "I see."
"After breakfast, you will pack all your things and head down to the garage. Once you load all your belongings into the car, I will direct you on the best route out of the city. After that, it is up to you. I cannot help you any further than that."
Zuko merely nodded, assuming Alphonse had already told Longshot and Jet this information. After that, the kitchen was silent aside from the sound of the potato pancakes sizzling on the frying pan. Not long after, Sarah filled four plates with two pancakes each and handed them out to the men sitting at the table before filling her own plate and sitting down at the end of the table next to her husband. They ate in silence, a few of them every so often reaching into the center of the table to the applesauce jar to dip their pancakes in for added flavor.
When breakfast was over, Sarah took everyone's plates and set them in the kitchen sink to wash later. She then joined Alphonse and escorted Jet, Longshot, and Zuko downstairs to the underground garage. While they descended the stairs, Zuko caught Jet filling his pip with tobacco, shoving the end in his mouth and lighting it. Immediately a terrible smelling smoke billowed up from the pipe making the German crinkle his nose in disgust.
As they made their way across the large room when they arrived downstairs, Zuko glanced around at the many assortments of vehicles the Resistance leader owned. From Volts Wagons to American-made Chevys; he had them all. He was even surprised to see a Japanese car in which he did not recognize.
They walked passed a small clump of Motorcycles and came across a dull gray farm truck. The moment the group stopped walking, Jet flung his bags into the bed and opened the driver's side door. Getting in, he started up the engine, revving it a few times to make sure it worked properly as Zuko and Longshot followed the Russian's lead, tossing their own bags in to the bed and climbing in the truck.
The old truck had only one row of seats making the three of them sit side by side. However, the cab was spacious and wide so each man had plenty of elbow room. Longshot had climbed in before Zuko so the German was given the luxury of a window seat allowing cool, fresh air to blow in his face as they drove.
Comfortably situating himself, Zuko reached out and grabbed the open passenger door and slammed it shut. He was about to roll down the window when he caught Jet's eye who glared menacingly at him and shook his head. Nodding once, the German removed his hand from the window crank and sat back in his seat. He understood Jet's reasoning. If his window was rolled down, there was a high chance a Nazi soldier would recognize him easily. They could not take that risk.
He would be safe to roll down the window once they were out of the city.
Jet shifted into reverse and was about to back out when the girl, Sarah, rapped three times on his closed window. He kept his foot on the brake and Zuko watched as the Russian rolled down the window to talk to her.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Here," she said, handing him a small bag Zuko had seen from the kitchen only a few minutes earlier. "This should last you until you get to Denmark. It will hopefully cut down time for lunch breaks."
Jet took the bag and handed it to Longshot who in turn handed the bag to Zuko. Curious, he undid the tie at the top and peered inside. The bag was filled with lots of bread and several different types of cheeses. It was not much, but it was better than beans.
Tying the bag off and placing it on the floor by his feet, Zuko looked back over to Jet and Sarah outside the window that was now joined by Alphonse.
"Take the road that heads east out of the city," he told Jet. "It should take you straight to Odense. While still in the city, I suggest you take the back roads, the Nazis usually don't patrol those roads even though people travel them frequently." He held out his hand to Jet who took it and gripped it hard in a farewell handshake. "Good Luck, Jet." He turned to the others in the truck. "And to you, Zuko and Longshot. May you have a safe journey and live to sea Germany in its rightful place in the world; free of Hitler's reign."
Waving one last goodbye, Jet waved at the young Resistance leader and rolled up his window. Taking his foot off the break, he turned the truck around and drove out of the parking garage.
Taking Alphonse's advice, Jet kept to the back roads until he came to the edge of the city and turned onto the road that headed east out of Berlin. They were stopped only once at the edge of the city by Nazi guardsmen and surprisingly got through without any problems.
Finally, they were out of Berlin and on a sure path to Denmark. Zuko rolled down his window when Berlin was out of sight and let the cool, fresh air blow against his face. It felt good to have the air touch his burned skin for the first time in weeks. His back no longer needed bandages, but after a while, his face would. After two hours of driving with the window down, he felt a nudge on his shoulder and turned to see Longshot staring disapprovingly at him. Somehow understanding, Zuko rolled the window back up and turned to face the sniper. Longshot reached into a bag he had brought with him and pulled out more cotton bandages which he used to wrap the German's burn. When he finished, Zuko turned back to look out the window at the countryside flying past him.
With a car, their trip would be shortened by several days. By the end of tomorrow, they would have crossed safely into Denmark and on their way to Copenhagen. Zuko rested his head against the headrest of his seat and closed his eyes. He could not wait to see the free city for the first time in his life.
And then after that, Katara.
A/N: Okay, I'm sorry if the part with Sokka's point of view is not exactly like Sokka, but I tried, I really did! Hopefully we'll get more funny Sokka later on. I will try, I swear! D:
Sorry for a terrible ending to the chapter but I just go soooo sick of this chapter I just wanted to end it. So there you go, bad ending to a VERY long chapter.
Oh, and those German pancakes; REALLY delicious with applesauce! I had them at Big Bear lake in California. Yummmmm! P:
Review, plz!