The next morning, Ty Lee and I and woke up together.

She raised her head and smiled at me: ''Good morning.''

''Good morning, slept well?

''Of course, I've been dreaming of you all night.''

''Oh you!''

I gave her a little kiss, then I turned my head and looked towards the window. The sun was already shining through the cracks in the boards, it was probably already bright outside. We rose slowly and began to get dressed again.

While we did this, I asked Ty Lee: ''So, what's on the agenda today?''

''Well, first off, I think that I should return to my own quarters, the others are probably already wondering where I've been this entire time.''

Of course I knew that with she meant Azula and Mai when she said ''the others'', but I didn't say anything about it.

Instead, I asked: ''Tell me: Do you actually like what you're doing?''

She looked at me questioningly: ''How do you mean?''

''Well, do you like travelling with Azula and Mai? I mean sure, you have been friends for a very long time, but during our previous encounters you always seemed as if you didn't do what you did voluntarily.''

She shook her head a little and finally said: ''Well, you are not wrong with that.''

''Then why do you continue anyway? Just leave those two behind and come with me! Just the two of us, taking on the world!''

She took my hand and answered: ''As nice as I think this would be, I just can't, because otherwise Azula...''

''What otherwise?''

I saw that her eyes were becoming very frightened, tears welled up in them. With a trembling voice she said: ''Otherwise...she...will...''

She couldn't continue as she burst into tears and started sobbing loudly. I embraced her and gently stroked over her smooth hair.

''Calm down, don't worry, I'm here, you don't have to be afraid.''

I let her weep herself out, then I said: ''Let me tell you something: If Azula ever only lays a finger on you, then she will wish that she had never been born, because then I will take care of her and I won't hold back!''

I saw a little touch of shock in Ty Lee's face, but it was quickly replaced with relief.

I smiled and kissed her again, afterwards I said: ''Don't worry. With me by your side, you don't have to be afraid of nothing and no one!''

She hugged me dearly, then we left the house together.

We went to one of the big crossroads of the Upper Ring, that's where our paths should separate. When we had reached the place, we looked into each other's eyes again and kissed one more time.

After that, Ty Lee said with a sad voice: ''It's really hard for me to leave you, but I hope that we can see each other again soon.''

''I hope that too.''

We hugged one last time, then Ty Lee turned around and started walking away.

She waved at me, I waved back and thought: ''Take care of yourself, girl. Don't worry, soon we can spend all the time in the world together.''

When Ty Lee had disappeared from my field of view, I turned around as well and started walking back to my hideout, more precisely to my friends' house, as I was sure that they had planned something for today.

When I entered the street where our houses were located, I already saw from afar that my friends had just left their house and started walking down the street.

First, I quickened my steps to catch up with them, but then I slowed down again and hid behind the corner of another house when I discovered the two Dai Li agents that were coming out of a side street and started following my friends with safety distance.

I immediately realized that those two were up to something, I decided to follow them inconspicuously and observe them, while simultaneously following my friends.

As it turned out, my friends had set out into the city to distribute posters that were holding a picture of Appa, probably to get a better chance of finding him.

The two Dai Li agents had disappeared again only a few streets after I had discovered them, therefore I had been able to catch up with my friends relatively fast. Nevertheless, I of course stayed vigilant, I was pretty sure that those two agents were still hiding in the shadows somewhere.

I helped my friends to distribute the posters, while doing so, I noticed that Katara, who was walking with me, repeatedly darted strangely grim glances at me. What was wrong with her? Had I done something wrong? Nothing came to my mind.

While we were engrossed in our work, suddenly, out of nowhere, a young man approached Katara and me. He wore blue and red clothes, carried two swords with hooks on his back and had a blade of grass between his teeth. Katara became furious all of a sudden and charged at the guy.

I asked: ''What's going on? Who is that?''

''Jet! A so called freedom fighter who doesn't care about anything or anybody!''

That's when I remembered the stories Pagan had told me some time ago. He had told that Team Avatar once had encountered so called freedom fighters who I had rather called terrorists. And this guy was one of them? Then I would probably do the world a favor if I would remove him from the face of the earth!

I walked up to him, drew one of my daggers while walking, grabbed him by the collar, pushed him against the nearest wall and put my dagger on his throat!

He looked at me, scared to death, and said: ''Hey man, what are you doing?''

With a grim look in my eyes and a dark voice I said: ''Give me one good reason why shouldn't slice your throat open right here and now!''

''Because I'm here to help you.'', Jet gasped.

Katara asked grimly: ''And why should we believe you?''

''He says the truth.'', it came from Toph who had appeared on the scene now as well. ''His heartbeat stays completely normal, it would be noticeably higher if he was lying.''

That seemed logical to me, I loosened my grip and removed my dagger. Jet took a few deep breaths and then ordered us to follow him to a big warehouse.

When we arrived there, he said: ''This is the place where your bison was imprisoned.''

Toph added: ''He's right, here!''

The young earth bender had picked up a tuft of fur that was of the same color and type of hair as Appa's.

''Are you searching for the giant bison?'', an old man holding a broom suddenly asked. ''I'm sorry, but you're too late, the fine animal has already been shipped to Whaletail Island in the southern polar circle.''

''Well great! It would take us months to get there without any proper form of transportation!'', I said annoyed.

But Aang seemed to be completely determined to risk this forlorn hope and Jet wanted to join him. We decided to come along as well, as Katara and I still didn't trust the slyly grinning terrorist.

Some time after our departure, we were stopped by two strangers. They turned out to be companions of Jet, a young girl named Smellerbee and a mute young man named Longshot. With their appearance, Katara became furious again, as Jet had claimed only shortly before that he had left his group behind. Jet asserted that he had told the truth as he was now living a peaceful life in Ba Sing Se, but Smellerbee said that he apparently had been arrested by the Dai Li some time ago.

I asked Toph: ''Who is right now?''

''Both.''

What? That could not be! But surprisingly, Sokka had an explanation: ''They both think that they're telling the truth. Jet has somehow been influenced by the Dai Li to get rid of us!''

That was the last straw! That treacherous Gaijin! He was actually using techniques of this kind now to gain an advantage for himself! Oh, I would bring him such infernal pain that he would beg on his knees for me to end it quickly!

The others decided to question Jet about where he had been held when the Dai Li had manipulated his mind, as Aang suspected that Appa was there as well. Therefore, I tied Jet's arms and legs with my metal-enforced ropes and Katara used her healing abilities to loosen his mind so that he could remember. He slightly remembered something that he described as an underground base hidden beneath a lake. Smellerbee realized that it had to be Lake Laogai, a lake not far from Ba Sing Se. We decided to set out and pay this lake a visit.

When we had reached the lake the next morning, we noticed nothing unusual first. But after a short search, Toph discovered a hidden tunnel that led under the lake. Through this tunnel, we reached a wide-ranging underground location, just like Jet had described it.

Jet was walking in front and led the way, through many rooms filled with green pillars to a cell in which Appa apparently had been held in, as it was the only cell of the complex that was big enough to hold a sky bison. When we got closer to the cell, I suddenly felt an enemy presence close to us.

I said: ''Watch out! Somebody is here with us!''

As soon as we had turned around, we already were face to face with Long Feng and other Dai Li agents. Long Feng, the Gaijin, took a step forward and talked with a diabolical grin on his face:

''Did you really believe that you could outsmart me? You won't find anything here. Now, please follow me, you will be led out of Ba Sing Se at once.''

Now I couldn't hide my identity behind my anger any longer. I stepped in front of the others and said with a dark voice: ''We won't follow you nowhere ... Gaijin!''

Long Feng's eyes grew huge with shock, he stammered: ''You ... are ... no ... that is impossible!''

I put on my grimmest expression and continued talking: ''The Order never forgets, Long Feng! You have betrayed us! You were marked forever! And now you will be judged so that the Spirits can give you your fair punishment!''

Long Feng stared at me with a face that was filled of fear, then he told the other Dai Li agents: ''Get them!'', before he himself ran in the other direction and out of the room.

I of course immediately rushed after him, Aang and Jet followed me.

We chased Long Feng through large parts of the complex, until we finally caught up and confronted him inside a large hall.

I fixed my eyes on him and said: ''There's nowhere left to run for you, Gaijin! Face your destiny, then the Spirits might have mercy with you!''

''Never!'', Long Feng shouted, before he started reciting some kind of formula, he did it so quietly that I wasn't able to understand one word, but it resulted in Jet's eyes suddenly turning completely white and him attacking myself and Aang.

He grabbed both his hooked swords and wanted to charge at Aang, but I was able to intervene at the last moment, our swords collided with a loud clinking sound. I saw his white eyes and the true power of the Gaijin's manipulation in them, I had to kill him as fast as possible, before he could turn even more people into spineless slaves using this dreadful technique.

We fought for several minutes, I tried everything to break Jet's trance. Finally, a possibility arose: I made a circular motion with my katanas, driving his swords apart so that I was able to hit his chin with a well-aimed knee strike. He staggered backwards, stunned, but still on his feet. He looked around slightly confused, then I saw that his pupils had reappeared in his eyes, I had broken the trance!

Long Feng stared at the whole scene completely aghast before he shouted: ''What are you waiting for? Attack them!''

But Jet was no longer under his control! The young freedom fighter stormed at the Gaijin and tried to attack him with his swords. But I already had a feeling that this would not end well for him, as Long Feng had the training of an Assassin and therefore was an experienced fighter.

And I was right! He dodged the attacks and countered with a devastating strike with the edge of his hand against Jet's chest. I knew this strike, it was one of the many unarmed lethal attacks used by the Assassins. If the Gaijin had performed the strike correctly, and I was quite sure that he did, there unfortunately was no more help for Jet, as the strike caused a fissure in the opponent's heart, causing them to slowly bleed out internally. The Gaijin once again grinned diabolically as Jet crumpled to the ground, lethally wounded.

He said quietly: ''Well, boy, you wanted too much!'', before he fled again, out of the hall, towards the surface.

I took a look at Jet, who was lying on the ground, and called out to Aang: ''You stay here, I'll follow Long Feng!''

Aang nodded and ran over to the wounded freedom fighter. I followed the Gaijin, out of the complex and back outside.

When I had reached the surface, I saw the Gaijin standing directly at lakeside, he seemed to recover from the escape.

I called: ''Gaijin! There's no escape! You will pay for all your crimes!''

Long Feng turned around, when he noticed me, his face became frightened again.

But only seconds later, this face changed into a determined one, when he said: ''If you want it this way, boy, then so be it!''

So there we were standing now: Assassin against Assassin, fire bender against earth bender, and only one of us would leave this lake alive!

Long Feng made the first move and bent himself some earth chunks which he then hurled at me, of course I was able to dodge them easily. I countered with two big fire bursts, Long Feng dodged them just barely.

So the fight continued, always even, it was clearly visible that the two of us, even though we were of different elements, had practically experienced the same training, but I still had the advantage that my training had been way longer than his, therefore I technically had more experience, even though the Gaijin was older than me.

With time, the Gaijin was noticeably able to wear me out, he was clearly targeting my endurance, the constant dodging and blocking of his earth bending really took it out of me. So much that I became unobservant for a second, Long Feng used this to tie my arms and legs using boulders he created from the ground.

Now I was hanging there, defenseless, Long Fend walked up to me with the diabolical grin on his face, he said slimily: ''Well, looks like I'm superior to you. And you call yourself Master? Ridiculous!''

He bent himself a sharp stone peg which he held a few meters away from my face, ready for the final blow!

He grinned into my face once again and said: ''Send the Spirits my regards!'', but I coldly replied:

''I'm not the one who will meet the Spirits today!''

At the same moment, the rocks that had tied my limbs exploded into a million pieces, I had been able to create Impulsive Lightning thanks to my fingers being free inside the boulders, their charge had blasted the rocks.

By the force of the explosion, Long Feng was thrown backwards, but I was far from finished yet! I concentrated, began a quick form of the lightning concentration practice, stared at Long Feng's terror-stricken face and fired a purple lightning bolt at him with full power! The electricity crackled loudly as it shot through the air and hit the Gaijin with all its force! He was thrown backwards again by the force and landed on the ground a few meters further, his whole body was smoking.

I walked up to him, took my little crossbow, loaded it with a steel bolt and then bent over the defeated Gaijin, who was staring at me, his face still filled with fear as he was lying there in front of me, paralyzed.

I rose again, pointed the crossbow at his head, said: ''Last Assassin standing!'' and fired the crossbow bolt right into his forehead!

All that was heard was the clicking sound of the trigger, then everything was silent. I had done it! I had killed the Gaijin and thereby accomplished one of the most important missions of the Order! I was really proud of myself!

Shortly after, my friends returned to the surface as well, and to the joy of us all, they had Appa with them, they had found him in another cell in the complex.

When I noticed that Smellerbee and Longshot were not with them, I asked: ''Where are the others?''

Aang and Katara hung their heads, I immediately understood.

I clenched my hand into a fist and tapped myself on the chest while I looked up to the sky and said: ''Anxi, Jet! May the Spirits give your soul eternal peace!''

Afterwards, we began to make our way back, Pagan was also glad to see Appa again, he really had missed his aerial companion.

While we were flying, I asked myself what would happen now. Long Feng was dead, technically our way to the Earth King was now free. But what would happen to the Dai Li, now that they had no leader? Maybe I could do something about that, we would definitely talk about everything important with the Earth King.

Of course, I also thought of Ty Lee, how things would continue for the two of us. Despite our love, we were still on opposing sides, a condition that would hopefully not last much longer.

As so often, one had to practice patience and let the next events just come upon oneself. And especially the events of the coming days should have quite a lot of things ready for us.

Next chapter: Caught in the middle