Zuko POV:

"You didn't have to come with me."

The scarred teen focused straight ahead as they walked. "I'm here for my own reasons."

No answer. Alfred's very presence was tight with emotion and things left unsaid. Zuko didn't have to look to know he was tense.

Just this morning they'd resolved to remain friendly, and things were almost alright again. But Zuko's sneaking suspicion had been right...it wasn't going to last. Trust goes both ways, and neither party trusted each other as much as they thought they had. It couldn't really be helped, with their respective backgrounds. Now there was a widening crevasse between them, and the only bridge was steadily burning away.

Alfred stopped so suddenly that Zuko nearly bumped into him. They were here.

The silvery moonlight reflected brightly off of the water. The lake itself was large enough that the other side couldn't be seen with the naked eye. Like a freshwater ocean, almost.

Here was Lake Laogai, just as the agent had said. But where was the entrance?

Earth shifted, the water parted, and a platform of raised earth appeared from the lake. A stone manhole slid open, and two Dai Li agents emerged, a ragged figure being dragged between them.

Zuko crouched behind a shrub, and Alfred concealed himself behind a nearby boulder. When the agents reached the edge of the lake, one turned to close the passage again.

Alfred jumped out, hammer swinging into the Dai Li agent's torso and sending him sliding ten feet across the rocky ground. The second agent let out a cry of alarm, dropping the ragged creature he held and kicking a small boulder towards the blond's head. Instead of dodging it, Alfred elected to break the boulder with his forehead, grab the agent's robes, and throw his hopeless opponent flying into the lake.

This all happened in a matter of seconds. Zuko stepped carefully out from behind the shrub. "You didn't have to do that."

"They would've closed the passage," Alfred answered flatly. "Then we'd be the ones having a nice swim."

The crumpled lump of rags on the ground let out a soft moan as it sat up. The worn hood fell away to reveal a familiar face.

Jet looked at the two of them in confusion. He pointed hesitantly at Alfred. "I-I know you...right? I saw you in the...the..." He groaned and held his head in both hands. "I don't remember...Why don't I remember? I know I don't like you..f-for some reason. And I remember you were with me in the...room. We were in a dark room, together. Recently. Why can't I..." He fell to mumbling, staring at the ground as he apparently tried to cope with something.

"A dark room...I was never in a room, with you. So how..." Alfred seemed to lose all the blood from his face. "He met my brother inside...Oh, God..." He turned and sprinted for the entrance, leaving a rather confused Zuko unable to do anything but follow.


Gaang POV:

"You found us!" Aang observed happily.

"I'd know your fairy footsteps anywhere," Toph answered with a smirk.

Sokka looked around warily to ensure no one was paying any attention to them. "Any luck finding the Earth King?"

"We haven't even been able to start looking," Katara explained. "The guy who escorted us in won't leave us alone!"

"Then Sokka and I will keep looking," Aang said. "We can meet up again, later."

The four separated once again. Toph and Katara weaving towards the edge of the crowd, while the two 'busboys' slowly served their way towards the table.

Aang glanced towards the front of the table, observing the seat of honor. He was dismayed to find that it wasn't the King, but a...bear?

Yes, it was a bear. A big, furry, brown bear, and nothing else. It was just...a bear. A freak of nature if the airbender had ever seen one.

Momo stirred under Aang's cap. The airbender struggled to keep the flying lemur still.

"No-...no! Momo, don't-!"

The creature freed itself from Aang's head, taking the hat with him. Aang made a desperate grab, only to miss and fall forward onto his face.

Unfortunately, the brief commotion caused people to start looking his way. With his unmistakable tattoo exposed, it was obvious who he was. The guests began muttering and pointing.

"Do you know who that is-?"

"The Avatar!"

"Why is he here?..."

Aang stood up, rubbing the back of his bald head. The people watched him as if waiting him to do something. Not sure of what else he could say or do, he waved shyly.

Apparently this was sufficient, because a few people actually applauded. Aang plastered on a smile, though on the inside, he was freaking out.

'What do I do, what do I do?! These rich people are still watching me-What do they want from me, what...?'

Then something occurred to him, and he almost hit himself in the head for not thinking of it before.

'I'm the Avatar. They want to see the Avatar do Avatar stuff.'

"Watch this everybody!"


Katara & Toph POV:

"I think we lost him," Katara said with a sigh of relief.

"Let's hope so," Toph replied, leaning on one of the ornate pillars situated around the edges of the ballroom. "Any longer and he'd know something was up."

The waterbender looked out at the party. "Yeah...I didn't think he'd be so persistent. Like, doesn't the Grand Secretariat have other things to do?"

No answer.

"Toph?"

Still nothing. Katara barely had time to register that the earthbender was gone before she herself felt a stone hand clamp over her mouth and shoulder, and was carried off into the dark.


Iroh POV:

He walked up the path to the lake, to find a familiar teenage boy on the verge of having a mental breakdown.

"Why can't I remember? Where was the dark room? Was I even in the dark room? Haven't I been living peacefully in the city? Do I even really know him? What the hell is wrong with me?..." Jet gripped his hair and pulled at it. "Gaaaah! Someone help me, I'm going insane!"

The ex-general approached carefully. "Young man?"

Jet started violently and looked up at Iroh with bloodshot eyes. "You...who are you? Aren't you the tea maker?..."

Iroh frowned inwardly. Something was wrong with his head...And so close to the Dai Li headquarters...Perhaps the rumors were true.

Which means that Jet, for all his flaws, needed help. And Iroh was the only one who could give it.

"Yes, I'm a tea maker. I was just out for a stroll beyond the city to find fresh herbs. But what are you doing out so far and so late?" He put on a kindly smile for Jet's benefit.

"I-I don't know." The black-haired teen shook his head as if trying to clear it. "My memory's really fuzzy..."

Iroh battle with himself internally for a brief moment. He wanted to be there when Zuko made his choice...to be a voice of reason that could get past all that anger. But here was a terrified young man, his mind invaded and changed, left to the elements and wild animals outside. Agni knows what a passing Dai Li agent might do if they came across Jet like this.

He made his decision, helping Jet to his feet. "It's alright, young man. I'll escort you back into the city."

He sent a silent prayer up to any spirit that might listen. Hopefully either Alfred or sheer circumstance, could act as a voice of reason in his stead.

Because he didn't think he would be able to fit a bison into the new apartment.


Sokka POV:

"What are you doing here?"

Sokka turned about to see none other than Joo Dee looking at him with a disturbing mixture of false cheer and incredible fear.

"We're here to see the King. Don't try to stop us."

"'We'? You're all here?" She shook her head frantically and began trying to steer Sokka towards the exit. "No. No, no. You can't be here. We will all get in serious trouble if you don't leave here right now."

"Not until we see the Earth King," Sokka said flatly. "A month is too long to wait-we have to get things moving before it's too late!"

There was a great commotion near the table. A gong rang out, and all the guests became quiet. A procession of highly decorated guards came out and line up at the front of the room, and a heavily decorated palanquin was carried out. There was no mistaking who this was. The Earth King had finally arrived.

Aang popped up out of nowhere, and began flying down the table on an air-scooter with an excited grin on his face. "Greetings, Your Majest-!"

And just like that, the palanquin was carried away. A man in dark green robes calmly stepped out in front of Aang just as the Avatar used a cushion of air to stop himself.

Something was wrong, here. Sokka pushed past Joo Dee and began making his way through the stunned crowd and towards the pair at the table. Then he felt a hard, cold hand on his shoulder and over his mouth. And then he was being dragged away, with no way to call for help.

The last thing he saw before being enveloped by the shadows, was Joo Dee being escorted in another direction by a Dai Li agent.


Zuko POV:

"Alfred!" he furiously whispered, grabbing his companion's shoulder before he could charge into another corridor. "You need to slow down!"

Alfred let out an almost feral growl as he shook Zuko's hand off. "You don't understand. If I find Matthew as fucked up in the head as his cellmate was..." He trailed off, and twitched dangerously. "I'll kill them all."

Zuko felt a trill of unease trail down his spine at the raw, barely contained rage he heard in the big blond's voice. The air suddenly felt hotter. His instincts told him to leave...but he couldn't. Zuko couldn't bring himself to abandon his maybe-a-friend and get on with his mission. He looked around to ensure that no Dai Li were around before he said, "The agent said the holding cells were straight ahead. We'll find what we're looking for, there."

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Alfred demanded shortly. "I can do this on my own."

Zuko unsheathed his dao. "Not until I know your brother is alright."

The air cooled again. Gratefulness flitted across Alfred's face, and though it was gone as quickly as it came, the message was clear.

'Thank you.'

And with that, the emotional distance between them was just a little less impossible to cross.


Wooh! I am on a ROLL right now! It must be the ice cream...Lord knows I need it in the 117 degree heat...

Aaaaanyway, thank you all for the favs, follows, and reviews! Every one is appreciated! Soooooo, tell me what your thoughts are for this chapter?

Later dudes. ^J^