A/N: I am very sorry to tell you guys this, but the world is coming to an end. I know this to be a matter of fact.
I know what you're thinking. How on earth would I know something like that? Outlandish predictions such as these are typically uttered by those nutsos who are constantly rambling about stonehenge, UFO's, and an impending zombie armeggedon. I don't really fit into any of these categories, even if I DO have a zombie plan. Everyone in their right mind has a zombie plan nowadays. That and Purelle have been the two things you don't leave home without since the premiere of "Zombieland." Either that, or Red vs. Blue. Take your pick.
But I digress. The point is that the world is ending, and that I am completely, 110% uncertifiably and somewhat sane. And only a little bit delusional. So, trust me. I know what I'm talking about.
Again, how do I know? Let me nip all the improbable BS in the butt right now. I have not sustained any encounters of a third kind. I have not recently had a religious (or even a secular or saccriligious) epiphany, nor have I been the witness of any prophecies or life-changing visions.
No. Instead, I successfully made fried chicken tenders for the first time.
Run. Run now and don't stop. Start looting your local megastores and stock up on ammo, because you'll need it once the zombies start getting peckish...or once other people realize what's happening and that they're woefully lacking in supplies. I am not being melodramatic when I tell you that I am the worst chef since my friend's toddler-aged sibling decided to see what would happen if you put play-doh in an e-z-bake oven; and the fact that I made something even REMOTELY edible can only be a sign of universal impending DOOM.
Still think I'm kidding? Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you guys. You better enjoy this chapter before civilization as we know it comes to a tragic (and somewhat unpredictable) end. Meanwhile, I'll be in Alaska. With my chicken tenders.
Chapter Forty-Six: Lurking Motives
The battle for Kyoshi Island was going very badly for the natives.
Most of the village was already in ruins thanks to the maniacal arsonry of the escaped prisoner, Chaang. It gave the civilians few places to hide and nowhere to flee to except the woods. Oyagi organized the women and children, had them run for it while the Kyoshi Warriors tried to fend off the Firebenders. But he knew it wouldn't do them any good. As talented as those girls were, those were trained soldiers they were up against. It would only be a matter of time before they all had fallen, one by one to the invaders.
Zhao smirked, assured of an easy victory.
"Make sure you capture the village elder and Kyoshi Warriors," Mantis hissed, poking him in the back of the neck. "Don't kill anyone unless you have to."
He glanced at her. "I would have thought you'd want to cut their throats yourself. Are we growing soft?"
She laughed. It was a low, ominous sound.
"The only person who needs to die tonight is Julie," she reminded him. "The others here are unimportant. But it would go better for you not to provoke the citizens of Kyoshi. They could be a useful ally for you in the future, Commander."
"They are weaklings and cowards. Look at them all." He gestured at the retreating villagers and the struggling defenders. "Like koala-sheep ripe for the slaughter."
"That is precisely your trouble, Zhao. You underestimate the value of even the lowest of weaklings. This blindness of yours is what made you lose to Julie the first time, remember?"
He gave her a look. "Your concern is touching," he said dryly. "And your advice has been duly noted."
"Have it your way. I merely thought your Fire Lord would be pleased to have an outpost so close to the Southern Water Tribe. What better place than Kyoshi Island?"
The Commander glanced down at his mount, and then frowned as he lifted his eyes to the turmoil surrounding him. The reason he did this was because his rhino was pawing the earth nervously, lowing in a rumbling undertone. He had specifically chosen this mount for its noticeable eagerness for battle and steady disposition. It took a lot to make this creature flinch, which was why Zhao was mildly surprised to see his rhino so uneasy.
"Hold on to your manipulative schemes for one moment," he said to Mantis. "There's something..."
The sentence ended prematurely as a savage gust of wind cut through the line of enemy soldiers, causing many to lose their seats. The rhinos, now riderless, began lowing in confusion. Zhao swore and grabbed the edge of his saddle before he could be knocked off. He silently thanked the foresight of the breeders who trained these rhinos not to stampede. If they had, it was doubtless that several of his own men would be trampled to death. That would be quite an embarrassment.
A small figure fell from the sky, clutching a glider in his hand. The Avatar, Aang, touched down deftly, landing a mere ten feet from the rhino. It took several steps back in alarm, and Zhao had to tighten his grip on his steed to reign it in. The boy stared down Commander Zhao and Mantis, not moving.
For a second, the two sides eyed each other.
"Ah," said Zhao in a loud voice. "So the imposter reveals himself."
"He's not an imposter," said a girl's voice. He didn't even glance at the Water Tribe girl as she ran to Aang's side. "Aang is the Avatar! And we're going to stop you!"
"Stand aside, girl...unless you have a death wish."
Katara pursed her lips and uncorked her water skin, saying nothing. Aang glanced once at the Waterbender beside him, his eyes skimming over the Kyoshi Warriors as they quickly regrouped for a counter attack...and once catching sight of Oyagi as he stayed with his village, watching the battle with a grim expression.
"I won't let you hurt these people," he said, taking a fighting stance.
"Hand yourself over, and no one needs to get hurt," Mantis replied in a smooth voice. "And while we're on the subject, tell us where Julie is. We know she's here too."
The young monk frowned. "What do you want with her? Why are you trying to capture her?"
"Not capture," the woman corrected. "Julie McVay will die. She cannot be allowed to live. The consequences of her existence threaten to unwravel the fabric of time and space as we know it. If you were truly the Avatar, you would be on our side. Protecting the balance of nature is your responsibility."
Katara looked furious. "You Fire Nation types will say and do anything to get what you want. Aang, don't believe a word of it."
"I won't. Julie isn't a threat...but you guys are. This is your last chance to leave!"
"We're not going anywhere without the girl," said Zhao, fire erupting in his fist. He gestured to his men. "Take them!"
Aang and Katara got back in their fighting stances. But before either of them could launch a single attack on the Firebenders, a shrill whistle filled the air. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! And then a soft thunk as what looked like a set of explosives landed in between the Gaang and their enemies. There was a simultaneous ripple of alarm as everyone within range quickly staggered back.
BOOM!
Black smoke was belched into the air. The explosives had landed nearer to the Fire Nation soldiers, who received the brunt of the attack. The force of the resulting shockwave knocked many of them off their feet. The rest ended up with a lungful of the acrid-smelling cloud and ended up doubled over in an uncontrollable coughing fit. Zhao screamed for reinforcements, but it was too late. The smoke had mostly cleared.
The Avatar and the Waterbender were nowhere to be seen.
There was little time for the Commander to process this information. The Kyoshi Warriors had taken advantage of the confusion to attack the incapacitated soldiers. For the next five minutes, he had no choice but to focus his attention on rallying his men and pushing back the defenders.
"I want you to find whoever it was that threw those explosives and bring him to me," Zhao snarled at his lieutenant. "That was Fire Nation technology...in the hands of a traitor. We'll make an example of him for these villagers. They'll learn what happens to those who stand in my way."
"Yes, Sir."
Mantis had a cloth draped over her nose and mouth. "I suppose I should refrain from saying I told you so, shouldn't I?"
"Yes."
"I told you so."
Zhao gritted his teeth. They would all pay for this. He would personally see to that.
(Zuko's POV, third person)
The Fire Prince hated to say it, even to himself, but Julie had been right...for a change. If he hadn't gone back to the village, the Avatar would have persisted in his foolish stand against Commander Zhao. He'd probably be killed, and that Waterbender girl along with him. Not that he had specifically worried about her; it was simply the fact that she was there that made him reach over and grab her too.
It had been good thinking to bring along those explosives. They proved to be an excellent distraction. While Zhao and his men gagged on the fumes, he had swept in, snatched the monk and his friend, and dragged them out of sight.
The Waterbender looked as though she were going to fight him at first. But the Avatar had taken her hand and pulled her along. Good thing the boy wasn't a complete idiot. He must have realized how poor his odds were at actually beating someone as ruthless and conniving as Zhao. The moment he felt Zuko's hand on his shoulder, he had assented to the plan of escape. He had trusted him immediately.
Zuko felt his insides squirming in turmoil, something he hadn't expected to feel. Julie may have been fooled by his youth and apparent naïveté, but he refused to be so gullible. He would not forget that this was his enemy; no, not just his enemy, but the enemy of his people. He was the only thing that stood in his father's path for global conquest. Capturing him would bring him untold glory, not to mention his throne and honor restored. The fact that he was just a child was of no consequence.
Fortunately, he had little time to brood over this. The three of them ducked out of sight of the rampaging Fire Nation soldiers, skirting the edge of the forest. They rested behind a crumbling wall and took some time to catch their breaths.
Katara looked at Zuko suspiciously. Of course, she didn't recognize him underneath the mask. If she had, she probably wouldn't have agreed to come with him in the first place...right?
"Who...are you?" she asked. "Why did you help us?"
Aang didn't say anything. He just stared at the Blue Spirit with a puzzled frown on his face.
Zuko didn't say anything. He knew that uttering a single word could potentially reveal himself to his foes. Instead, he motioned at them to be silent and wait. They complied, if only because of the fact that they were still trying to figure out who he was and what he thought he was doing. Zuko took advantage of their silence to think.
Julie was waiting for him by the lifeboat. The longer he wasted time here, the more likely it was that she would be caught...this time by Zhao's men. Zuko thought through the scenario that the soldiers raiding the village were merely the first wave of invaders. He felt a fresh stab of urgency.
But the Avatar. What about the Avatar?
Zuko fought back a wave of frustration. Three years of fruitless searching, all amounting to this. Because what other choice did he have but to help the Avatar escape? At least this way he would have other opportunities to capture him in the future...or so he tried to tell himself. As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't have the leisure to waste time plotting to snatch the Avatar out from under Zhao's nose.
Plus, he wasn't entirely sure that Julie would let him. Damn, peasant. What did it even matter what she thought of him, anyway?
"Um...hello? Mr. Blue Mask Guy?" Aang said slowly. Zuko's gaze swiveled petulantly to meet his, causing the boy to step back. He tried to cover up his brief intimidation by coughing indifferently into his wrist. "Ahem...! Um...sorry, I just...I was just wondering if you happened to know Julie."
He stared at him, not answering.
"Look," the monk tried again. "I'm not sure why you helped us. I don't know if it's because you have something against Zhao or because you're just on our side...but I don't think it's a coincidence that Julie's in the middle of all of this."
He had to pause; trying to find the right words to explain what even he seemed to be having trouble understanding.
"Everything is connected," he said after a while. "Zhao wants to capture Julie, and Katara and I both became good friends with Julie...it can't be a coincidence. That's why I think you know her too."
Zuko closed his eyes for a second, pondering that. Everything is connected. Strange how much he found himself agreeing with the Avatar of all people. He had known deep in his bones that it wasn't just happenstance for Julie to just appear in the South Pole at the same time his ship was passing through. Although he still didn't know (not for certain, anyway) where she came from, he knew...just knew...that it was destiny for them to have met.
But for Julie to be connected to the Avatar...Zuko had thought the same thing, at first, and that was originally why he had been so fixated with her. But things were different now. He had gotten to know her, grown to care about her; and now he couldn't handle her being anything but a troublesome peasant girl. At least then he wouldn't have to deal with all these blurred lines. He didn't want Julie to have anything special with his mortal foe. There was no question of that.
"We need to get to where Julie is. The Fire Nation are after her...and we need to warn her before it's too late. I think..." Aang added, taking a deep breath. "I think that they want her for her bending. They said she was an Energybender."
Zuko watched him, trying to ignore the way his heart sputtered at the casual label the monk had given her. Energybender. Yes, yes she was. It was something he knew very well. It was the very thing that almost drove her away from him, into the hands of the enemy. This power she had, the power she feared and even hated.
"I'm not even really sure what that means," the Avatar continued. "But Julie must not have told much of anybody about it. It has to be pretty serious if Commander Zhao is trying to capture her for it..."
"He doesn't just want to capture her, Aang," Katara interrupted softly. "He wants to kill her. Or at least, the woman does."
Aang acknowledged this with a nod. He looked worried and thoughtful, the way a person's face would look when staring into the eye of a particularly violent storm. He didn't seem to know what to think. Zuko could actually emphasize with the monk on that point. He wasn't sure what to think about this whole mess either. The one thing he really knew for certain was that there was a lot he didn't know about Julie. She was clearly involved in something bigger and more dangerous than even he could wrap his brain around.
But that was his problem to sort out, not the Avatar's. Julie was on his side, not theirs.
"Will you help us?" Aang asked, taking a step forward. He seemed not to notice the tenseness in the Blue Spirit's shoulders nor the aloof gaze coldly emanating from the eyeholes in his mask.
Zuko didn't know what to do.
"Aang!" a familiar voice erupted from the trees.
The trio wheeled around. "Julie!" Katara cried in surprise. "...and Suki! What are you guys doing here?"
Zuko felt every nerve-ending in his body react to the sight of the redhead, as though his veins had turned into electric cables and his heart had been replaced with a throbbing nuclear reactor. He barely noticed Suki and Kuba as they followed her into the clearing. What was she doing here? What in the sweet name of the spirits was she doing here when he specifically told her to go wait by the...oh, screw it.
He didn't really expect her to listen to him anyway. He probably should have been relieved to see that the little idiot hadn't gotten herself killed while he was gone. But instead, he just felt extremely annoyed. Though at the same time, he felt a tremor of worry rippling like a current in the pit of his stomach. She was so pale. What had happened to her?
What was she doing here?
"Oh...!" Julie gasped, suddenly noticing him standing there. There seemed to be an awkward pause as she and Zuko (still in disguise, mind you) regarded one another. Zuko folded his arms, causing the girl to grimace sheepishly. Undoubtedly she was thinking along the same lines he was.
But before she could say anything else, the street urchin made a loud noise of angry recognition.
"Hey," Kuba spat. "You're the fucker who kidnapped Julie!"
Katara and Aang both looked at him. "Kidnapped?" the Waterbender repeated.
Zuko found himself going very still. This definitely wasn't turning out the way he thought it would. But then again, since when did things ever go according to plan, these days. As a child, he had envisioned himself at sixteen to be serving faithfully at his father's side, an heir to be proud of, upholding the honor and reputation of the Fire Nation royal family. And now he was a disgraced exile with a massive facial scar who couldn't even get one belligerent peasant girl to see things his way. How was he supposed to command the respect of an entire nation if he couldn't even convince Julie to follow one simple instruction?
Stay by the lifeboat. Was that really asking so much? Was that really so hard to grasp? Stay by the freaking lifeboat. And he couldn't even get her to do that! And now her so-called friends were going to kill him...or try to, anyway.
To his surprise, things went even more unaccording to plan as Julie quickly put herself in between Zuko and the Gaang. She spread her arms out defensively, like some freakish red-haired bird attempting to ward off a ravenous herd of fully-grown saber-toothed mooselions.
"Wait," she said quickly. "It's all right. I know this guy. He's...um..." she glanced back at him uncertainly. "...mostly harmless."
Mostly harmless? He would have snatched her up and thrown her over his shoulder right then and there, just to show her who was boss, if it weren't for the increasingly obvious fact that such an action would be interpreted as a hostile move. If he weren't outnumbered four to one, though...
Damn insubordinate peasant girl. She may be able to talk now, but she's still coming home with me...
With that dark thought in mind, he waited to see just how this bizarre turn of events would unfold.
(Julie's POV)
So, I was getting the feeling that once all of this was over and done with, Zuko would be skinning me alive. His expression, while completely obscured under the Blue Spirit mask he wore, must have been murderous. I felt a chill run up my spine as he stared pointedly at me.
Oh, yeah. I was SO dead.
"Wait, so you do know Julie?" Aang said, turning to him.
I gave them both a puzzled look. What had been going on? What story had Zuko fed Aang and Katara to get them to go someplace secluded and sketchy like this, anyway? For Pete's sake, he didn't even have his swords out! Zuko didn't seem like the kind of guy to chat it up with someone he desperately wanted to bring home to daddy in chains...unless he had some weird quirks that I didn't know about...
Aang seemed to take it in stride when the Blue Spirit remained stubbornly mute. In fact, he seemed to be warming to the guy quite a bit. I had to remember to tease Zuko for it later.
"Well, you must be on our side, then," he said cheerfully. "...especially if Julie says we can trust you."
Ooh, shit, I winced. Had I just said that? I really hoped I wouldn't be eating my words in the next ten minutes...or whenever Zuko got around to closing his hands around Aang's throat. Whichever came first.
It was no surprise to me to see how violently he bristled at that poorly-worded implication. Fortunately, before he could get it in his head to lob any projectiles at the unsuspecting Airbender, Katara broke the silence. Well, pushed her way into it, really. She had more important things on her mind besides the apparent fact that it really was a small world after all.
And it was this. "Where's Sokka? I thought he was with you..."
"Oh, we left him with the kids," I said quickly.
"He's perfectly fine," Suki added tersely. "Now let's quit wasting time and put out this fire. What happened, anyway? Did that Fire Nation soldier do all of this?"
"No," Katara replied, looking tense all of a sudden. "Commander Zhao and a team of rhinos did this. He's invading the island. He's demanding that we surrender Aang and Julie, and he's threatening to destroy the village if we don't."
Um...WHAT THE FUCK DID SHE JUST SAY?
(Katara's POV, third person)
The guy in the blue mask was Prince Zuko.
It hadn't occurred to Katara when he first grabbed her by the arm and towed her and Aang out of Commander Zhao's line of sight. After all, the idea was just so improbable; especially given that Zuko and Zhao should have been on the same side. They were both Fire Nation after all.
Secret identity none withstanding, Katara had been all set to punch this interloper in the face. And why not? He totally scared the crap out of her, first with those damn explosives and then appearing out of no-where, grabbing her and Aang by the arms and all but dragging them into the nearest alley...well, let's just say that Gran-Gran had warned her about guys like that. She may have been an optimist, but she wasn't that hopelessly naive, and certainly wasn't stupid either. She knew exactly what crazies in masks were capable of doing to young girls like her.
Besides, she was a Waterbender...which, therefore implied that she was at least somewhat capable of helping to defend this village. And Katara wasn't the kind of person to just turn her back on someone in need. Especially when that person was Aang. She couldn't let him fight Zhao alone. So, naturally, when the stranger in the blue mask started pulling her away from the fight, she could have killed him.
She knew it had been a split-second decision on his part, but if Aang hadn't decided to trust this guy...well...she didn't think she'd have been able to walk away. Would she...could she have beaten Zhao?
The spinning thought was mercilessly driven from her mind when she heard a familiar voice piercing through the veil of trees surrounding them.
"Hey!"
Katara felt her stomach clench in surprise as Julie came sprinting into the clearing. Suki and the small Earthbender boy ran to keep up with her. As observant as she was, she had immediately noticed how unkempt they all were. They all looked as though they had been through the works, and Kuba in particular looked exhausted. He was also looking a little singed, and his arms had fresh bandages (underneath, Katara had a feeling she would find burn-wounds). Her stomach went tight with alarm.
Her eyes flickered to Julie, looking for an explanation. She was startled to see that her face was the palest white she had ever seen in a complexion. Her immediate concern was that the redhead would collapse where she stood. How had she managed to run all this way?
"Julie!" she gasped. "…and Suki! What are you guys doing here?"
Stay calm, she told herself. After all, they couldn't have been that badly off if they were able to manage the trip through the woods. She was probably just projecting, given just how chaotic everything had become. The town was on fire, a stranger in a blue mask had just rescued them for reasons she couldn't understand, and now the others were here...wait, no. Sokka was missing.
She was afraid again. Where was her brother? Was that why Julie was so pale? Had something happened to Sokka?
Katara had almost missed Julie's reaction to the Blue Spirit (a fitting name for him, she decided). The redhead stopped in place and let out a tiny gasp of surprise. But it wasn't just surprise...it was startled recognition. Her suspicion was aroused again, even in the wake of her worry for her missing older sibling.
"Hey!" Kuba spat angrily. Katara's eyes flickered to him and saw that he was glaring fiercely at the Blue Spirit. "You're the fucker who kidnapped Julie!"
"Kidnapped?" she found herself exclaiming.
The Blue Spirit was looking visibly nervous now. Almost guilty. Katara narrowed her eyes at him, starting to connect the dots. He had tried to kidnap Julie? That must have been why Julie had given him that look just now. And then it hit her like a wrecking ball. This guy, whoever he was, was after Julie. Had his merciful intervention been a ploy? An act to get her and Aang to show him where she was hiding?
She could have smacked herself in the face for her stupidity. Of course that was it. And she had been about to let Aang lead him right to her! What kind of friend was she, anyway? She had been this close to trusting their mortal enemy! No wonder Julie was so weirdly paranoid of the people around her. If she couldn't even rely on her friends to have an ounce of common sense, who could she trust?
Katara was shocked at what happened next.
"Wait," the redhead exclaimed hastily, just as everyone started to turn on the Blue Spirit.
Katara had watched her put herself in between them and this complete stranger with her mouth agape; because as little as she knew about Julie, the one thing she could say for certain was that she didn't trust people that easily. Especially not complete strangers who didn't talk and hid their face behind a creepy-looking blue mask.
"It's all right. I know this guy. He's...um..." she glanced back at him uncertainly. "...mostly harmless."
Katara reeled. She stepped back. She did a double-take, her gaze moving back and forth from Julie to the Blue Spirit. She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming (and she wasn't, just so you know). Julie knew this guy. And for some bizarre, inexplicable reason, Katara's brain had a miraculous leap in understanding. Her mind jumped beyond logic and just screamed, Zuko.
Looking at him more closely, he was the right size and build to be Prince Zuko. And come on. How many guys did Julie know that well, anyway? Who else could it be? The foaming-mouth-guy?
But even as her heart reached this conclusion, her mind was having trouble grasping this. Because the fact of the matter was that it was impossible for it to be Zuko behind that mask. It went against everything she had ever felt and thought about the boy since the day she met him back at the South Pole...on that day he had raided her village, manhandled her Gran-Gran, and threatened to burn down her home. All in the name of capturing a sweet, goofy kid like Aang. People who were that ruthless did not just rescue their enemies...not without good reason, at least.
But it was Zuko. Katara was sure of it.
Call it woman's intuition. Call it paranoia or wistful thinking (depending on whatever kind of shipper you are). Either way, once the thought had entered her brain, she couldn't shake it away. Nor could she take her eyes off of this so-called Blue Spirit. Because if it was true, and this guy really was who she thought she was...well...where was the logic in all of this? Why would Zuko help them? Why?
And why would Julie of all people stick up for him? Wasn't she on their side?
Aang was being absurdly naive about all of this. Not only had he failed to reach the same conclusion she had, he was even grinning at the guy in the blue mask. Grinning, like they were already friends. Friends! With Prince Zuko! Of the Fire Nation! Katara wanted to strangle the Airbender...or beat some sense into him. But, of course, that would just make her look like the bad guy...beating on a twelve-year-old.
Spirits.
"Well, you must be on our side, then," he said cheerfully. "...especially if Julie says we can trust you."
Katara had to keep herself from groaning in exasperation. Julie winced, as though Aang had just committed some kind of huge social blunder (which would only make sense if the Blue Spirit really was Zuko). But that was nothing compared to the Blue Spirit's reaction, which was that silent wave a resentment that made his whole body shudder; as though Aang's words were a bucket full of ice water someone had dumped over his shoulders. Was she seriously the only one who noticed that? Seriously?
She gave up. She had more important things to worry about. She could deal with Zuko later. Right now, Katara had her family to think of, and she refused to let anything distract her. Not even a potential psychopath in a blue mask.
"Where's Sokka?" she interrupted, causing Julie to shoot her a bizarrely relieved look. As though the subject change had been for her benefit. "I thought he was with you..."
There was another moment of stomach-twisting anxiety before the redhead broke the silence.
"Oh," she said quickly, noticing the look on Katara's face. "We left him with the kids.
"He's perfectly fine," Suki threw in, putting the Waterbender at ease. If the Kyoshi Warrior could afford to be annoyed with Sokka, it had to mean that he was alive and well...if incredibly frustrating, as was getting increasingly apparent by Suki's fluctuating reactions to him. In any case, she seemed to have other things on her mind. "Now let's quit wasting time and put out this fire. What happened, anyway? Did that Fire Nation soldier do all of this?"
Katara remembered Zhao and Mantis and felt her hands clench into angry fists.
"No," she replied stiffly. "Commander Zhao and a team of rhinos did this. He's invading the island. He's demanding that we surrender Aang and Julie, and he's threatening to destroy the village if we don't."
The end of her sentence was punctuated by Julie as she let out a sharp noise. Alarm, fear, anger, and something Katara couldn't put her finger on. But the end-result wasn't pleasant. It sounded like the death-warble of a walrus-seal...only much higher pitched.
Some of the color had been returning to Julie's face during their conversation; stopping to rest was doing her a little good. But one mention of Commander Zhao had quickly eradicated that, making her look even paler than she had looked when she had first arrived. That was saying quite a bit. Katara had never seen Julie looking so bad in all the time they knew each other. It scared her.
Even the Blue Spirit...Zuko...was staring at Julie now.
(Julie's POV)
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fucking motherfucking mother of all fucks!
"Julie," said Kuba suddenly, latching on to my elbow. "You all right?"
I was making a keening sound into the fist I had shoved into my pie-hole. Zhao. Zhao was here. He was HERE and he was looking for ME.
Zuko's eyes were fastened to me as I floundered for whatever ounce of self-control I had left. I knew that he wasn't the only person staring at me, but his was the only pair of eyes I could really pay attention to while my brain imploded on itself. Come on; a homicidal fire-breathing maniac had somehow figured out where I was, followed me here, and planned to roast me over an open flame. How the fuck had he found me? How did he know I was here? Why couldn't he just leave me the hell alone, anyway?
I mean, yeah. I pretty much lost the guy an arm. And permanently damaged his good name all along the ends of the southern docks just by surviving the Agni Kai. Surely he wasn't so fixated on revenge that he'd have stalked me all the way to a secluded no-man's-land (and I mean that literally) like Kyoshi Island...was he?
"You don't look so good," Katara said, taking me by the shoulders. For some reason, this caused Zuko to give a start...almost like he wanted to stop her. I barely noticed, though, in the wake of my impending murder. "Come on, we'll get you out of here. If we leave together, Zhao will probably follow us. He'll leave Kyoshi Island, and we can escape."
Escape. Escape was good. Escape meant surviving...and I liked surviving. Survival was good too.
My brain really didn't have the leisure to think this through more coherently. As I stood there, blinking on the spot like a total numb-nut, Zuko moved. It happened very fast. One second he was standing by himself, the next he had grabbed me by the other shoulder and pried me out of Katara's grip. He jerked be behind him, putting himself in between me and the rest of the group. I only had time to feel a sharp twist of panic. It was enough to send me lurching forward again.
I grabbed a hold of his arm, pulling him back; closer to me than to the Gaang.
He glanced sharply at me. I heard him breathe out heavily through his nose.
"We'll all escape," I said firmly, not taking my eyes off Zuko. "We can work out the details later."
I could feel everyone's eyes on me, but again, I only had eyes for the Blue Spirit. The only person whose reaction mattered to me was hidden underneath that mask. I felt an irrational urge to see his eyes, or to somehow know what he was thinking. Though it was probably a good thing that I didn't. I had a strong hunch that Zuko regretted having ever bothered to come rescue me in the first place.
"I need to stay with the village," Suki said tersely. "Sokka's waiting by Oyagi's hut in the woods." She paused, looking worried. "What about Merle and Sanji, though?"
"We'll take them with us if we have to," said Aang. "At least until this all blows over. We can always bring them back once the Fire Nation leaves."
She nodded.
"Tell Sokka...tell him good-bye for me. And thanks."
I barely noticed this exchange. I was waiting for Zuko to shake me off, but he never did. He refused to look at me again, but at least he let me hang on to his arm. And let me just say right now that I wasn't doing it because I wanted to touch him or anything. I just had to cling to something in the worst way. I was so freaked out by this whole thing with Zhao that I couldn't get my hands to stop trembling.
"Can we go?" I said impatiently, looking nervously at the burning village. "We're like sitting turtleducks out here."
Everyone mumbled a hasty assent. All except Zuko, who just jerked me closer to him in a single, rough motion. I made a tiny noise of surprise, which he chose to ignore as he started pulling me along into the trees. It took me a minute to realize that he was trying to keep pace with Aang specifically...and was perfectly willing to jerk me around like a dog on a chain if he had to.
I couldn't figure out why he wouldn't just let me flounder on my own. Moron. Couldn't he remember just for one second that he was supposed to hate me?
My fingers closed tighter around his forearm almost on their own accord, letting Zuko drag me deeper into the woods.
"Let me get this straight," said Mantis slowly, eying the Fire Navy Commander in deep suspicion. "You're going to pursue the Avatar and his friend...alone?"
It didn't really seem to matter to either of them that there was a battle being fought around them. To them, the screaming of the warriors and the town's slow consumption by ravenous fire was the perfect backdrop for some idle chit-chat. Only occasionally did one of them have to defend themselves or parry a blow. The small machete on Mantis's back was already slick with fresh blood...not a drop of it hers, of course.
A disemboweled villager lay at her feet, still gurgling long after he had expired. Come to think of it, he hadn't really been attacking when Mantis cut him down. Even further retrospect caused the woman to admit to herself that he had actually been fleeing for his life...huh.
Well, no use crying over spilled organs. She could still manage to manipulate the villagers even after thoughtlessly cutting down one of their own. After all, she had been doing it all along, hadn't she? The evidence of her success was enveloping her in all its blood-spattered glory. A successfully planned invasion, all thanks to her cunning.
Zhao stepped over the body of the villager and took up the reigns of his rhino. "No," he said simply. "I am not going to pursue them. I already know where they're going. I am merely going to wait for them there. But yes, since you asked, I plan to go alone."
Mantis pursed her lips.
"And you're leaving me...here. You are temporarily relinquishing command over your men? To me?"
"Unless you think you can't handle the responsibility."
She threw her head back and let out a short, piercing laugh. "Ha! You have no idea just how responsible I can be..." She trailed off, her expression darker for a brief moment. "Believe me," she said dryly. "I know how to take responsibility for my mistakes..."
"Or destroy the evidence of them."
Mantis met his gaze levelly. "In this instance, I am doing both. But you needn't worry about your precious army. I'll just finish things up here while you nab your precious Avatar. Oh. And, Commander?"
He glanced back at her.
"For your sake, you'd better make sure you nab Julie too. She's the real reason why you're here. And I don't mean on Kyoshi Island, either."
Zhao's jaw clenched.
"You don't need to remind me," he growled. "I know my duties, Lady Mantis. I'll make sure to bring back your precious little mistake so you can kill her yourself." He stared off into the flames for a moment. "Just don't expect her in one piece."
Mantis's gaze was cold. "So be it," she said softly. "So long as she's still alive. Barely alive..."
Zhao turned towards the men still under his direct command, ignoring the woman in black. He stared at the squadron of Firebenders, giving them one order.
"Go after the Avatar. I want you to herd him and whoever he's with towards the rendezvous point. I will be waiting for you there with further instructions."
The men clustered onto the backs of a couple of riderless rhinos and charged off towards the woods. Seeing the way they carelessly trod over the foliage, Zhao sighed; grateful he had the foresight to have someone track the direction of the attempted retreat first. They hadn't even taken the time to cover their tracks...the fools. But then, weren't the weak food for the strong?
The battle continued to rage around them, kicking up in tempo to match the savagery of the flames. It wasn't lost on Mantis, who suddenly grinned like a maniac.
"This should be fun," she purred.
A/N: Okay, I know. I did it again. I just can't resist throwing in Zhao and Mantis...and besides, they won't let me do anything else.
It's pretty much unavoidable. I mean, I can plan out a script and all, but if the characters refuse to follow it, that's just the way the cookie crumbles. In this situation, Zhao and Mantis both enjoyed the spotlight so much that they simply refused to relinquish control over it. And so, after multiple death threats...er...I mean, after they very calmly stated their argument, I saw some sense in allowing them to narrate some more.
After all, they're the main villains for this episode arch. Can you guys imagine the hell that would ensue if I just left them to their own devices for one or more chapters? I swear to God, it's true. I left Mantis alone for half a chapter and what did I find when I got back? A disemboweled villager! But I suppose I should be grateful it was only ONE dead body I found that day. I nearly lost my mind when Zhao just veered away from the planned script by leaving Mantis in charge of his men. I just know he did that to fuck with my brain. He's getting eerily good at that these days.
If it helps, though, I let some other characters narrate for a change. I already promised a Zuko scene, even though we hear from him all the time; but one reviewer pointed out that Katara hadn't actually done anything in a while (something that had been bothering me too, I admit). So I gave her control over a scene and just let the dice fall where they may.
She did surprisingly well on such short notice. Katara didn't even NEED a script. Now THAT'S the kind of improvisation I can work with. I'm surprised at her sense of humor, too. I never suspected I'd end up poking fun at Blutara in this chapter. Not only was she NOT turned on by having a stranger in a blue mask pop up and rescue her, she was a hair's breath away from murdering him.
And when she (correctly) suspects that Zuko is the Blue Spirit, she becomes determined to figure out his true motives. Will she expose the Fire Prince to the rest of the group? Will Julie be able to stay neutral, or will she be forced to choose sides? Will Zhao manage to catch up with Team Avatar?
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