I now lifted the shells into the big guns by myself. It reminded me constantly of him, but I found that that helped. Muscles sprung up in places where there previously had been none, and the one that already existed grew more defined.

This new body couldn't bend like the old one could.

I got hit by a piece of shrapnel, only fuelling my anger even more. I spent two days in the overrun infirmary, and then went back to the front. They said that it would scar and I was lucky to still have the use of my eye. Aang joked that I looked like a pirate with the line of soon-to-be scar tissue across my left eye.

The fact that it was on the left side only served as a physical reminder.

-XOX-

"Where are you going?"

Aang froze mid-step, confirming my suspicions that he was keeping something from me.

"Meeting with the commander." He reluctantly stated.

"Excellent. Wait for me."

I pulled on my combat boots and gestured for him to lead the way. They thought it was too soon to give me specialized missions, but I would prove them wrong.

-XOX-

"Gentlemen, I'm not going to lie to you. Our situation here is desperate, within a month we will have no food. Within two our ammunition will be gone. We have made contact with resistance fighters on the other side of the blockade. If we can reach them, they will join forces with us and together we can tip the balance of this war. The only problem is getting to them."

I pick up a pen, knowing the time to speak up was now. I leant over the map on the table and drew a line from the front line to where the rebel soldiers were amassing.

"You need someone to break the lines, right? I'll do it."

I knew that was what the commander was getting at, so his lack of protest didn't surprise me.

"Sokka! That's a suicide mission!" Aang yelled.

That didn't much surprise me either.

"You know I can do this. I have to do it for him."

Zukos name had become almost taboo. To the former students he reminded them that anyone could get taken or killed, no matter how good they were.

The commander nodded at my decision.

"You have three days to prepare yourself. Take any weapons you need. We won't let you go alone; there will be an elite team to hold the channel you create open for the rebels to make it through."

-XOX-

Aang volunteered to be in the support team, and I understood why. He had already lost one friend, and wanted to try his hardest to keep the other in one piece.

The night before the mission, I took out my piercing with unshaking hands, and left it inside the top drawer of Zukos chest of drawers. That time was past. The revenge begins here.