Author's Note: I don't know about you guys, but I'm loving the Christmas music and movies! This is the best time of the year, in my opinion :) I'll get back with Zuko in this chapter, and he'll be going on his first mission. How exciting! Comments/suggestions welcome and appreciated, thanks for reading! Have a great Christmas :)
"And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. Unto you is born this day a Savior which is Christ the Lord.'"
~Luke 2:11
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.
Zuko took a deep breath as he followed Jet outside of the warehouse and into the chilly night air. His air puffed out in a silver cloud, and the slow breeze ruffled his hair slightly, making him shiver despite the thick coat he wore. The streets were dimly lit by moonlight, but the alleys and corners of the city were engulfed in dark shadows.
"Remember: Stealth is the key. If your target doesn't hear you coming, you can grab what you need and take off before they even realize what happened."
Zuko remembered Sneers' words spoken only a few hours prior. Just as promised by Jet, Sneers had walked Zuko through the steps of a successful theft.
"How will I know what a person is carrying? Or if I don't know where to find an item on my list…what then?" Zuko had questioned.
Sneers had patiently replied, "Usually, you would pick a hidden place with a good view of a store where your item can be found. You have to keep a constant lookout, though, because as soon as you see someone buy your item, it's show time. As soon as your target walks out of the store, you have 3 simple steps to follow." Sneers held up his fingers as he counted them off. "Number one – Close the distance. Number two – Take the item. Number three – run like crazy."
Zuko had nodded his head, his heart beginning to pound in anticipation.
Sneers continued, "As for finding the items: you can usually tell by the names of the stores, but if you have questions, just ask. But you'll get the hang of it in no time; the longer you're in this part of the city, the more you learn about the places – and people – in it."
His throat felling too dry to speak, Zuko had once again nodded in understanding.
"Oh, and one more thing," Sneers added with a smirk. "Whatever you do, don't get caught."
Zuko was snapped out of his thoughts by Jet's voice.
"For the first few months of this, you'll need to wear a mask to cover your face," the tan boy told Zuko, handing him a black ski mask. "After a while, you get more experienced with hiding your face from your target, but there's no need to have you worrying about that now if you don't have to."
Zuko grabbed the mask from him, before slipping it over his face. "How original," he muttered sarcastically.
Jet snorted, in something Zuko assumed was laughter. "Do you remember your items?"
"A pocketknife and a blanket, right?" Zuko asked, adjusting the mask so that he could talk more comfortably.
The other boy nodded. "For tonight, let's just stick with the pocketknife. The sooner you get that, the better. Some of the residents of this part of town are a little…ah…vicious."
Zuko swallowed, anxiety fluttering in his chest. "Where will I be tonight?"
Jet turned and stalked quietly down the street. "Follow me."
The two headed down the dark road, their serious expressions illuminated every few seconds by the street lamps that lined the path. They passed many shops, many of which had closed hours earlier. There was one, however, that cast bright light onto the street through its windows. Zuko looked up above the doorway and saw that the store was called Outdoor Equipment. The letters were made of a sturdy-looking wood, and they were painted a dark green, which reminded Zuko of a pine forest.
"This is the best place in town to find pocketknives," Jet told Zuko. He paused. "The only place, actually."
The sound of footsteps coming from down the street made both boys turn; there were two figures walking toward them, and when they passed under a street lamp, Zuko and Jet could see that it was what appeared to be a guy and his girlfriend.
"Hide," Jet hissed, pulling Zuko into a dark alley before they could be seen by the couple. The shadows seemed to swallow them as they crouched behind a garbage can, breathing slowly and silently so as not to be heard by the two people passing. As the couple neared the boys, their conversation could be heard echoing through the vacant streets.
"…but she never called me back!" the girl was saying in a whiny voice.
Her boyfriend said nothing, but Zuko thought he could see him roll his eyes.
"Hey – let's stop here real quick," the guy muttered, stepping up to the front door of Outdoor Equipment.
"Seriously? You know I hate this store," the girl whined, chomping loudly on a piece of gum.
"Just for a few minutes," her boyfriend sighed as he opened the door and walked inside.
The girl followed him inside with a huff, stomping in her high heels. It was a wonder she didn't break an ankle.
Jet patted Zuko on the back. "Keep an eye on the knife rack – see it? It's the one next to the counter."
Zuko looked inside the store and searched for the rack, nodding when he found it.
"Keep watching that rack," Jet instructed him. "I've got a good feeling about this one."
Zuko took a deep breath, in an attempt to steady his racing heart. Part of him hoped that the guy wouldn't pick out a knife; he still wasn't completely comfortable with the idea of this. But on the other hand, he knew it was time to start carrying his weight around the Den. He wanted to prove to the gang that he had what it took to complete a mission, but even more than that, he wanted to earn their respect.
Inside the store, the guy perused the selections, pausing every so often to examine different equipment. His girlfriend trailed behind him, her mouth moving in silent complaints about the time they were spending in the store. The man behind the counter was glaring at her, his lip curled in annoyance. Zuko's eyes widened as the guy stopped in front of the knife rack, and grabbed a knife with a thick red handle, and a shiny silver blade. His heart seemed to stop as the guy walked over to the counter and set the knife down, pulling out his wallet to pay for the knife. Zuko looked over at Jet, raising his eyebrows in question.
Jet nodded, a smile spreading across his handsome face. "This is it."