"…And that's pretty much all we've done," Sokka said, concluding an abbreviated accounting of their adventures. For Zuko, it helped fill in several gaps during his pursuit and explained a number of their decisions.

Suki was quite thrilled. "Wow, you've certainly been busy."

Zuko had made sure to keep some distance between Suki and himself, as the girl was still sending him periodic glances of barely constrained fury.

"Hey, Flappy," Toph groused, "could you stop staring."

Suki was taken slightly aback at the hostile tone. The Kyoshi warrior's anger was still simmering, but reined in for the sake of her friends.

"I'm not ready to forgive you, Lee," she said coldly, "but I'll trust the Avatar's judgment. Just don't try anything."

Zuko kept a level gaze on the girl and spoke with an even voice. "Considering I'm an active fugitive from my own people, I have more to lose than gain in betraying the Avatar."

To everyone's gratitude and relief - especially Zuko's - no one made any airs of pretending nothing was amiss or indirectly implied with that statement.

[-]

It had been a long time since Jet had been on edge. Paranoia was something he had grown up with, lived with, breathed and consumed in abundance. All those moments of the past were miniscule compared to now.

The shadows were less inviting, and open spaces had become suddenly undesirable. Ever shade of green, which were aplenty in Ba Sing Se, were like thinly veiled threats. Being among the crowds felt like he was waiting for someone to attack him, and the throngs of people packed into the Lower Ring made avoiding such crowds nearly impossible.

Glancing aside, Li maintained an emotionless mask. Still, it was clear that she was disturbed by this development.

Arriving at their apartment, they surreptitiously made their entrance, calmly enough that their fellows did not do much more than glance in their direction when they slipped in the door. A second glance drew a more attention from the others as they caught on the readily apparent tension.

"Everyone, listen up," Jet quietly called. "Have any of you seen anything some men in green robes?"

"I've been hearing about them," Smellerbee said. "They're the Dai Li. Cultural police or something. What's up?"

"Some old coot was ranting about the war and they picked him off the street, in broad daylight."

"They can pick up pretty much anyone, near as I can tell," Jia said lazily.

Jet rolled the bit of straw in him mouth. "Did you ever hear a reason?"

"No."

"It's not like they'd advertise that to everyone," Smellerbee added.

Jet plopped onto a cushion they had fished from a trash heap.

"We're going to need to watch our backs," he declared. "Nobody goes out alone."

[-]

"-No!"

"Ha—you…"

Suddenly, Zuko and Aang were ejected from the memories. The two took some time to reacclimate to their surroundings.

Suki was still with Sokka, the two having been enjoying the other's company. Katara was out with Appa. Toph was sprawled out on a cushion, picking at her feet, much to Katara's disgust. Momo had taken residence on Iroh's lap, the kindly man absently scratching the critter behind the ears.

"I think we've hit a dead end," Aang said.

"Perfect," Zuko hissed bitterly.

Their routine for the past weeks had slowed down considerably, unable to get past a certain point in Kinna's memories before they fragmented to unintelligibility. Zuko stood up, his frustration edging dangerously close to boiling over. Having to hide the progress from prying eyes made things more difficult and frustrating.

"What's holding us up?" Zuko vented.

"Maybe we've done all we need to do?" Aang offered.

The exiled prince ran a hand through his growing hair. "Yeah, maybe."

"Hey, why don't you try waterbending again?"

Walking over to the pond, Zuko reached for the pond. Seeing the two of them approach, she withdrew from the garden. He felt the water stir, but still nothing close to distinctive movements. Slamming his fist against the side of the pond, Zuko grumbled, unheeding of the dent he left in the ground. Momo and Appa flinched, both at the sudden violent motion and the pulse sent through the ground.

"Easy, there," Iroh cautioned, calming the lemur as he chittered loudly.

"Hey, guys," Katara announced, rushing into the room. "We got something in the mail."

"Another party for the bear?" Sokka asked.

Zuko perked up slightly, still mildly agitated from before. "Who is it for?"

"It's a letter for Toph," she said, holding it out for the addressee.

The earthbender snatched it out of his hand and passed it on to Zuko, plopping beside the confused lad as he looked over the seal."

"Well?"

Zuko popped the seal and began reading. "It's…a letter from your mother." He paused briefly. "Do you want me to read it for you right now?"

Toph licked her lips nervously. "Yeah. Just…sum it up, will you? She can be chatty in her letters."

Patting her shoulder, Zuko read through the letter. "Your mom's here in the city. And she wants to see you."

The earthbender's eyes widened, followed by a play of emotions that Zuko had trouble following.

"I can go with you," Zuko offered. "Since this is partially my fault. I won't have to go inside with you unless you want me to."

Toph considered it for a moment before answering. "Yeah...sure."

[-]

The streets were quiet. Zuko was being quiet, too, but that was more a function him looking every which way, bracing for trouble.

Paranoid princess, she thought.

Strangely, she did not immediately rebuff his efforts. If there was anything that Toph detested, it was being talked down to, being treated as helpless.

Zuko never did that.

They had established a bond of mutual respect, decorated with playful teasing, mostly from her. Zuko was a good sport about it, too. He complained, sure, but he took the ribbing with remarkable aplomb.

It didn't hurt that he was a good sparring partner. No one else really came close to matching her in a fight.

"This the place?" Zuko asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Toph nodded.

"Remember, if you want to leave or want me to come inside, let me know."

"I can take care of myself!" she said firmly, but softened her tone. "But, thanks."

Zuko leaned against post of the steps to the house as Toph climbed up. Taking a breath, she turned the knob and stepped inside. It was rather dark, but that was not too surprising, as her father had no plans involving the house in the immediate future.

Walking further in, she could not see anyone. Nor was there any sign someone had been there recently, much less the Beifong matriarch.

"Hello?" she called out. "Mom? Anyone home?" Where is she? There should at least be…uh oh.

A metal shell fell over her, blocking out her vision. Banging her fist on the walls, she pulled herself up to the bars that blocked the only opening she could find and began shouting.

"Hey! Who do you think you're dealing with?"

"An errant child who has strayed too far from home," a familiar voice said.

Before he could make any further overtures of capture, the front wall practically exploded as Zuko made his entrance, throwing a pair of battered goons through the opening. The remaining hirelings encircled the cage, taking up defensive positions.

"There was a door," Yu chided.

The young man's eyes narrowed on the earthbending master. "Yu…" he growled out.

"Yes, I am Yu."

"No, I am me. You are you."

"Yes."

"And Yu."

Toph rolled her eyes at the exchange, quietly chortling to herself. Yu, on the other hand, quirked an eyebrow.

"You're doing that on purpose," Yu reproved.

Zuko shrugged, but kept his guard up. Inside the cage, Toph could feel the ground outside the cage, but the thugs were keeping close watch on her, making sure she did not reach through the bars.

"Master Lee, I implore you allow me to return Toph to her home."

"And if I refuse?"

"What you intend is of no consequence. She will be returned to her father."

"From where I'm standing it doesn't look like she wants to leave."

"It doesn't matter-" Yu cut himself off. "Very well. Get rid of the boy. I'll secure the girl."

Turning away, Master Yu felt half of his moustache burn off as a molten shuriken flew less than a foot from his face, clipping the wall as it looped around and settled, hovering between the boy's hands. The object spun rapidly, even as he let it hang at his side.

"A lavabender?!" Yu gasped.

Zuko charged forward, shuriken trailing behind him, shoulder-checking the poor schmuck who stepped in his way.

Master Yu raised a wall between himself and the boy and kicked a volley of stones when he vaulted the obstacle. The blast of rocks broke the shuriken, but Zuko was close enough to engage the earthbender in a melee. The hired thugs moved towards them, surrounding the dueling men. Zuko glanced over his shoulder, blocking a strike aimed for his back.

The momentary distraction was enough for Yu to send the boy flying up. The ceiling shook at his impact, and shuddered when he launched himself at the nearest collection of thugs. Planting his foot in one's face and flipping back onto the cage.

Looking up, Toph saw ripples spread from where Zuko landed, loud and distinct.

Just like the drill…

From the sounds of things, Zuko was holding his own, but just barely. She needed to get out, and fast.

Feeling the walls of her prison, she took a series of deep breaths. Every theory she had heard of said that no one could bend metal. As far as she knew, that theory had held true for as long as she been earthbending.

She began tapping on the walls, incrementally escalating to pounding her fist against the surface. Along the way, she began to see faint ripples. Not from the metal, but from the earthen impurities inside the metal.

That'll have to do, she thought, slamming her fists against the walls of the cage and leaning against them. Come on, metal…budge!

Drawing her hands back a final time, she slammed her fists against the walls of her cage, leaving an impressive dent.

"Woo!" she cheered. "Toph, you rule."

Working out a plan, she kicked the doors off their hinges, warping them well out of shape, then hurled herself out.

Her feet reconnected with her element, she saw the remaining combatants, including Master Yu, and launched them into the air on spokes of stone, pinning them against the ceiling.

Surveying the wreckage of her family's town home

"Thanks," Zuko panted.

"No problem, Thunder-Toes," Toph beamed.

"So. Metalbending?"

"Eyup! Come on. Let's go spread the news."

[-]

"I thought we were supposed to be turning a new leaf. And isn't the Earth Kingdom supposed to be, you know... our side?"

Longshot nodded his agreement.

Jet narrowed his eyes. This was not how he wanted to live, waiting for his own people to abduct him and his for speaking their minds, for speaking the truth. At any moment, they had to worry about someone listening in and arresting them for mentioning the war raging outside the walls.

"And ignoring the problem is going to make it go away?" Jet retorted.

"What do you intend to do? Storm the palace and talk to the Earth King?" Smellerbee scoffed. "Like we'd be allowed into the Inner Ring. I'm not sure they'd let us leave the Outer Ring."

"Well, we aren't going to make any progress here. Let's find the others."

Leading the group through the crowd, one word cut through the haze.

"-Avatar-"

Jet's ears immediately perked and he homed in on the source. He pushed through the crowd to a small gossiping circle, dragging the motley crew along with him. A pair of old men, one greyed and the other completely bald, were chattering, the rest of the crowd listening intently.

"The Avatar is here?" Jet asked impertinently.

The bald one, annoyed at the interruption, sneered at the boy. "Yeah, kid. Got wax in yer ear?"

"Where is he?"

"How should I know?"

"Probably in the Upper Ring," the other man interjected. "With all the nobles and fancy people, I'd wager."

"How much?" the bald one said after a pause.

"Hm?

"How much do ya wager?"

Jet tuned out the rest of the exchange. If there was anyone who could and would do anything about the present state of Ba Sing Se, Aang would be probably the best person to go to.

The big question was how to talk to Aang without being turned into a smear on the ground.

Yun rushed into the room, puffing.

"Where's Li?" Jia asked.

"Some goons picked her off the street," Yun panted. "Dai Li."

That got everyone's attention. Jia frowned and reached for her knives. Jet checked to make sure his weapons were on hand in case agents burst through the door.

"This is too big of a problem for us to face alone," Jet said.

"Really?" Smellerbee drawled.

"Really. That's why we're going to find the Avatar."

Jia's eyebrows raised infinitesimally.

"It'll be difficult to move a large group around," she stated.

Jet pondered for a moment. "Me, Smellerbee, and Longshot can sneak to the Upper Ring then. Stay in the area and see if you can find any clues as to where they took her."

[-]

"What do you mean someone tried kidnapping you?" Katara railed.

"Not just anyone," Zuko countered. "It was her old master, sent by her parents, I'm guessing."

"Do you think this is Long Feng's doing?" Sokka suggested. "He's clearly in charge of the city, so there's no way he can't know."

"It could be, but I doubt he'd let someone do such a terrible job at it. Especially if it got one of us out of the picture."

"Then again, it would make it easy for him to deny it by having an unwitting stooge take the fall."

"We can't stay here anymore if this is going to keep happening," Katara said, crossing her arms. "If this is Long Feng's doing, things are only going to get worse."

"I'm with-" Toph started, but stopped short. "Someone's at the door."

Everyone, save Iroh, jumped to their feet. Shortly after, they heard a knock. Cautiously, Zuko approached the door. Nodding to the others, he slowly opened it, preparing to make a quick escape in the event someone else who had a grudge against him had come calling.

Standing at the door was a frazzled young man, clearly out of place among the typical high-society folk that was prevalent among the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. The weapons and cobbled armor indicated a background in insurgency, likely from areas already taken by the Fire Nation.

"Yes," Zuko greeted diplomatically.

"Is the Avatar in?" the lad asked.

"Um…" Zuko looked inside, silently inquiring. Katara moved up and leaned around him.

Narrowing her eyes, she snarled.

"Jet."

A/N: That…took way too long. Seriously, almost a third of the year is up and I haven't really done anything with this (or any other stories for that matter) since the start of the year, but that wasn't without cause.

Short version of the long? Among other things, I was working on a novel. It's currently undergoing revision and may be published within the year, depending on how things go.

Anywho, some things to cover: 1) there was no way I would leave out metalbending, 2) things will be rushing from here to the end of Book Two in terms of story pacing, and likely beyond that, and 3) if you want to ask something about the story (OOC moments, continuity errors, errors in general, voicing your theories, etc.), feel free to PM me o rleave a review.

Thank you for your patience and I appreciate the increase of activity, even in my extended absence. If any of this chapter seems rushed, awkward, or is missing something, it's because I was getting annoyed at the lack of progress and started hammering away at it like a madman.