Sokka POV:
They were now on the edges of the Middle Ring, and Matthew was still going straight. That could only mean he was going to the Lower Ring. Now why in the name of the spirits would he be going there?...
Sokka's speculations were interrupted when he bumped into someone-an elderly man with a cane. The old man started berating him, brandishing his cane angrily. The Water Tribe teen stuttered out apologies, peeking none-to-covertly over the man's shoulder in an effort to keep Matthew in sight.
The blond's head and shoulders were getting farther and farther away. Sokka pushed past the elder and began weaving through the crowd to follow. Matthew was already mounting the great stone stairs leading into the next train station. Sokka began to jog up the stairs, only to be accosted by a vendor once he reached the top.
"Fresh tea, young man?" the short woman inquired with a scratchy voice. "Best in Ba Sing Se! Two coppers!" She shoved a steaming cup up to his face, the greenish-brown liquid sloshing around and splashing onto his blue tunic.
Sokka winced at the feeling of hot tea. "S-Sorry, Ma'am. I, uh...don't have any money." He retreated quickly, his eyes scanning the crowd intently as he searched for his quarry.
There! Matthew was boarding the train. Sokka lurched forward. 'I can make it. I can make it. I can make-'
He didn't make it. The train was already moving. Sokka slumped as the train began to pick up speed. So close!...
He struck upon an insane idea as the caboose began to pass him. He screwed up his courage, dashed forward, and jumped at a height and distance that he felt would make Aang proud. His feet found their mark between the two earthbenders that powered the train, much to their shock and surprise. Sokka's balanced wavered slightly as he grabbed the door handle. He could get in the car behind Matthew's and...
The door was locked. Sokka groaned. Over the whipping wind that threatened to throw him off he yelled, "Hope you guys don't mind having some company for a little while!"
The one to his left smiled and shook his head with amusement, apparently not able to waste breath with speaking as he pushed the train even faster. The one to his right rolled his eyes. Sokka took that as assent, and held on for dear life.
Zuko POV:
At Pao's blessed announcement of lunch break, Alfred collapsed into a chair at one of the tables in a deserted corner of the shop. On a whim, Zuko joined him. The scarred teen shifted uncomfortably. "...Hello."
Alfred raised an eyebrow. "What's eatin' ya?"
"Coin thinks you're a demon," Zuko answered in a hushed tone. "What did you do to make him come to that conclusion?" He lowered his voice even further as he asked, "Who's blood was on your tunic last night?"
The blond sighed with a resigned expression. "It was...mine. Coin's goons tried to kill me. I scared them off by pulling the knife out of my stomach."
Zuko blinked, trying to fit that statement with logic and reason. "And you just...walked away from it? Like, completely healthy and...alive?"
Alfred rubbed the back of his neck-a nervous habit that Zuko had come to recognize. "...Yeah."
"You're awful at laying low," Zuko decided. He crossed his arms and leaned over the table, studying Alfred closely. "Are you a demon of some sort?"
The blond apparently found this idea amusing as he chuckled and said, "No, no. Nothing like that."
The Fire Nation teen narrowed his eyes. "Then what am I sharing an apartment with, exactly?"
Alfred's bright blue eyes dimmed slightly. He looked down at the table with something akin to sadness. "I'm sorry...I still can't tell you."
Zuko frowned. His impromptu interrogation was cut off when Pao called out, "Lee! Alfred! Break's over; you're needed over here!"
Despite his general ignorance of Common Language, Alfred clearly knew enough to get what Pao wanted as he stood up with evident relief and retreated to the back room. Zuko sighed, adding Alfred's stubborn silence to the growing list of things he was worried about.
Sokka POV:
The Water Tribe teen trudged along tiredly. Matthew must have crossed half of Ba Sing Se, and hadn't shown any sign of stopping. He didn't even look winded, for La's sake!
A while further, and Sokka had followed the blond into a large market square. The place was swathed in a rainbow of colors from all sorts of products and the din of salesmen hawking their wares. The place was busy enough for Sokka to have to slow down and crane his neck to try and find Matthew in the milling crowd.
Nothing. The violet-eyed blond had disappeared. Sokka released a frustrated breath, bringing his palms up to his temples. After taking so much effort to keep his enigmatic friend in sight, he'd lost his tail in the span of a few seconds. Half a day, gone to waste. He scowled and stalked back towards the train station. There was no reason for him to stay here.
Matthew POV:
He looked back, and breathed sigh of relief. His conspicuous blue-clad tail was gone. Really, did Sokka think he could outsmart someone hundreds of years older than him with such amateur tactics?
The little voice in the back of his mind chided him softly, 'Curb that ego. He's not a professional, and he honestly has no idea. He's just wondering why his friend is acting so strange.'
Matthew sighed. He had to keep this away from the others, for both his and his brother's sake. The last thing he wanted was Alfred being robbed of essential training because of some long-standing grudge and a war that didn't involve them...His brother mixed with fire was already a volatile recipe for disaster as it was.
He turned a corner, opting to take what looked like a short cut through the alley. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, that it wasn't until he found himself pinned to the wall by unrelenting stone manacles that he even knew he had been assaulted.
A short cloaked figure darted out from behind a stack of crates. There was a glint of steel, and then there was a knife on his throat. "Who are you?" his attacker hissed in an angry feminine voice.
"J-just passing through..." Matthew stuttered. Death threats didn't particularly scare him. He was personally more concerned about the mess that his blood would wreak on his clothing. It would only lead to more questions, later.
The woman growled, and used her free hand to grab his collar. "That wasn't my question."
The blond marveled for a fleeting moment at how strong this woman's grip was. But that didn't mean he was going to capitulate so easily. He brought his knees up to his chest and kicked the woman square in the torso, sending her wheeling towards the other wall. Her knife skittered far out of reach. The manacles fell away, and he immediately went for his water skin. Katara hadn't taught him much as far as battle goes, so he'd just have to improvise.
The attacker went in to a steady-yet-fluid stance and watched his movements. She was waiting for the right time to strike, it seemed. The mark of a good earthbender, according to Toph.
He himself streamed water from his water skin and allowed it to encircle his hands. He breathed deeply, noting how his own breath had begun to condense.
"A waterbender," the woman mused. "Are you one of the poles?"
Matthew, wondering if he'd misheard, only shook his head. The two benders circled each other in the small alley, each one looking for an opening. The woman apparently found one as she performed a series of punches that sent a small army of pavestones his way. He sidestepped the largest group, and broke the rest with several razor-edged streams of water. He dashed forward, and had the streams converge to one hand as he went for his attacker's hooded face. While she occupied herself with that, he brought up his other hand and grabbed her jaw.
She almost immediately recoiled, trying to pry the thick layer of ice that had formed from her face. She made several muffled, frustrated sounds as she did so. Matthew assumed they were curses. He was sorely tempted to stay and watch her panic.
But now was his chance. He spun around. The alley was clear-he could get away and-
"Wait!"
Her voice, loud enough to be heard through the ice, and frantic enough for him to pay attention. He faced her again. "It is your own fault."
"I-I know, damn it!" the earthbender snapped, still working at the mask. Matthew got the sense that apologies didn't come naturally to her. "Just get this off me! I can't breathe!"
Matthew approached the struggling woman cautiously. "You will not attack me?"
"I swear on my honor-I won't!" she answered. She sounded almost panicked, now.
"Good enough," the blond sighed. He touched his fingers to the ice, and focused on it unfreezing. It was still rather hard for him-water just liked to freeze around him.
The mask melted off of her face. He streamed the newly melted water into his waterskin. Now he could get some answers, at least.
"What's your name?" she asked immediately, seeming more than a little miffed. "And that was a nasty trick, by the way."
"You could have asked nicely from the beginning, and none of this would have happened, " Matthew retorted. "I will tell you my name if you let me see your eyes."
The woman stiffened, suddenly cautious again. "...Why?"
"I have a hunch," the waterbender answered. "And it may effect my answer, somewhat."
She was silent for a full minute as she seemed to deliberate with herself. Slowly, she brought her hands up, and lowered her hood to reveal extremely dark brown hair and strangely luminous emerald eyes. Rather pretty, if it weren't for the forbidding expression and masculine stance.
The blond nodded to himself-it was just as he thought. The eyes told all. "I am Canada...But please just call me Matthew."
The woman arched one elegant eyebrow. "I go by 'Oma'. I gather my other name need not be said aloud?"
Matthew inclined his head. "Oma it is, then. Since you are here, though...Could you spare some time and come with me before any further explanations?"
Oma seemed to think about it. "...It's not as if I have a way out of the city, yet. I will accompany you, for now. But where are we going?"
Matthew smiled in an effort to ease her suspicion. "I'd like you to meet my brother."
I'M SO, SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT. It's been way to long, and I hate it as much as you probably do. But my grades are suffering and my parents are pushing me into part time job-hood. Sooooo, yeah. BUT I AM HERE RIGH NOW AND THAT IS WHAT MATTERS!
Thank you all for the favs, follows, and reviews! And thank you all for waiting-I know how much waiting sucks. Tell me how I did with this chapter, pleeease?
Later dudes. ^J^