Jet held the girl by her throat and growled, seeing the defiance in her eyes. It was late morning, and she still had not given away any information. He could see that she was fading though. She would die of blood loss before he would get anything from her. There was no point in continuing the torture. He snapped her neck and tossed her body aside.

"FUCKING USELESS!" Jet hollered as Longshot looked over at the dead girl. A canon went off, and he could hear the airship flying in to collect the body.

"She told you she would die before telling you anything. You would've had more luck with Hahn. He seems weak and like he would crack under pressure." Longshot commented and Jet kicked the fire, sending sparks in all directions.

Jet glared at his friend and silently wished he had died on day one instead of Smellerbee. He watched her body get picked up and carried away, leaving the two of them alone. He needed a new plan and he needed help. "Let's figure out who's left and see if we can get more help." Jet snapped and sat beside Longshot, naming off the contestants.

Haru and Suki worked underneath each of the contestant pedestals. Suki studied the explosive diagram Jun had sent them with some food from a sponsor and expertly disarmed the small explosives, placing them into his bag. "Are you going to tell anyone about this plan you and Toph came up with?" Suki asked as she placed the last explosive into the bag.

"Oh this was all Toph's idea and I have to say it's kind of genius, but no I'm keeping my mouth shut. We'll start placing these when we walk back, Sokka and Kai." Haru said and lugged the 28 small bombs on his back through the tunnels.

"Finally, we thought you two ditched us." Sokka said with his packed filled with medical supplies and some dehydrated fruits and nuts. Haru rolled his eyes and started to walk with Kai ahead to the lake. "Seriously, what were guys doing?" Sokka asked Suki, who stopped walking and turned to face.

"We were having sex, Sokka. Now, are you happy that you know that information? Can we get back to your girlfriend and make sure she's survived-" Just as Suki was about to finish her statement, they heard a cannon go off.

"YUE!"

"KAT!"

Sokka and Kai took off running towards the lake with Haru and Suki spriting behind them. Sokka felt his heart pounding in his chest. He knew someone was dead; it could be Yue, the love of his life, or his sister, who was his rock and, at times, his mother. Either way, the two most important women in his life were at the lake and had been in danger. One could be dead. He feared that Yue had passed from her infection, or Katara had died trying to protect her. He couldn't run fast enough. His legs carrying him through the brush until a massive wall of fire cut him off. He hopped back and hissed, looking around for a firebender.

Zuko had heard two separate canons go off that morning. He looked around, trying to find any of the other contestants. So far he, Mai, and Ty Lee had been lucky enough to not run into any of the other contestants. Eleven contestants were dead. Eleven, including him, were his friends. That left five contestants out there who were either hiding or hunting them.

"Zuko?" Mai joined him in between the trees and placed a thin hand on his shoulder. "Thank you for not running off when you heard the canons. We'll head to the lake and make sure she's okay." Mai promised, and Zuko let out the breath he was holding and relaxed.

"Thank you, Mai." Zuko turned and gave his friend a small half smile. He knew it wasn't something Mai wanted to do. She wanted to keep him safe and get away from the arena. That meant staying away from the fighting, but he had to know she was okay. It had also been two days since he'd seen her last, and it was driving him crazy. He was so used to see her every day, being able to talk to her, kiss her, and hold her. He needed to hold her. It would put his mind at ease to have her back in the safety of his arms.

"RUN!" Ty Lee's scream made them both jump to attention. They spun around and saw the non-bender boy, Kuzon, running towards them.

"Is he- is that?" Zuko was stumbling over his words as he, Mai, and Ty Lee ran away from the boy.

"He's a bender! He's a fucking bender!" Mai yelled and pushed Zuko out of the way as she threw two of her throwing knives at him. His smirk sent a shiver down her back. He threw his fist forward and stopped the knives with a smoldering boulder.

"That's lava Mai! Who bends lava? Is he a firebender or an earthbender?" Ty Lee questioned as the trio ran from the boulders flying at their heads. "He's going to catch us!" Zuko watched as his friends both took the trees. Zuko skidded to a stop and pulled his swords from his back. His hands and his swords were both covered in flames as he ran towards the boy.

Kuzon slammed his fists on the ground and sent a wave of lava towards Zuko. He watched as the lava seemed to engulf the prince. "Yes!" He cheered, but a second later he watched as the prince jumped from a tree with his swords aimed at him. Kuzon brought up a wall of stone to protect him and pushed it towards the prince. "Fuck!" He cursed under his breath and looked around, trying to find the girls he was with. When he couldn't spot them he decided to take off, running back towards the dense forest.

"Not cool!" Ty Lee shouted as she dropped from a tree and jabbed him roughly in the air. Kuzon felt his left arm go limp. He jumped back and sent a boulder her way before feeling a sharp pain in his shoulder. He turned and saw Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee all closing in on him. He stomped his foot on the ground to create an earthquake, shaking them off balance before creating a hole in the ground to jump into and hide. "I thought he was a non-bender!" Ty Lee shouted again as the ground around them cooled and became hard again. "He can bend lava! I've never met a lavabender before." Mai and Zuko both gave Ty Lee a bored, unimpressed look as she continued about Kuzon.

"We need to warn the others about him." Zuko spoke over Ty Lee, and both girls nodded in agreement and started towards the lake and away from the lava covered campsite.

As the trio were running through the forest towards the lake they hear yelling and water hissing. "Katara!" Zuko moved with a grace and speed that Mai and Ty Lee had never seen before. "Katara!" He yelled and watched as the young firebender fought Kai. She was breathing heavily and shaking on unsteady feet when a serious of arrows flew towards the group. "GET DOWN!" He cried out, and everyone hit the ground as the arrows imbedded themselves into a tree trunk.

Zuko joined Sokka, Kai, Suki, and Haru as Longshot called out for Yee to follow him. Yee ran and jumped into the trees as Zuko and Kai sent a fire and water whip towards her catching her ankles. "No!" She cried out, holding onto a tree branch for dear life. "Kuzon, help!" She screamed, and the ground underneath Kai and Zuko started to bubble and buckle beneath them. Zuko grabbed Kai's arm and thrust him back away from the lava that began to seep from the ground. The distraction was enough for Kuzon, Yee, and Longshot to disappear into the forest.

"Zuko! Buddy! I've never been so happy to see you." Sokka ran up to the prince and pulled him for a bone crushing hug. Zuko flinched and awkwardly returned the hug by patting his back.

"Hey, Sokka. Where is Katara? Why isn't she with you?" Zuko asked as he took note of who was in their group.

"That firebender burned Yue on day one, and it got infected. Kai and I left Kat and Yue at the lake to get more medical supplies from the pagoda, but I heard a cannon go off in that direction and tried to run back. Yee? Got in our way, and we've been trying to get away from her this whole time. She's ridiculously fast." Sokka explained, and Zuko fisted his hands by his side and looked back at Kai, who struggled to stay with the group now that they were free to go. "Come on. Let's get to the lake. I need to make sure they're both okay." Sokka finished and made sure to keep himself between the two benders. Suki greeted Mai and Ty Lee, hugging them both tightly.

"Spirits, I'm glad you're both okay. Have you guys seen much action?" Suki asked them, and they both shook their heads. "Same here. We've been lucky. From what Sokka has said, though, Katara has not been so lucky." Suki continued, and Zuko listened to their conversation. Katara had killed Smellerbee, watched Camilla die, killed Chan in cold blood, and was struggling to heal Yue. "Sokka said Jet did something before the games to her but won't say what. She's been an angry mess since day one." Zuko raised an eyebrow toward Sokka and watched as the man's shoulder slumped forward in shame.

"Kai said that Jet assaulted Kat before the games. Somehow he was allowed to go to her room, and he touched her and...forced her to...suck him…" Sokka struggled to keep his voice steady. If Sokka had been a firebender he would've had smoke coming out of his ear and from his fists. Zuko did his best to remain calm, but he was furious because he knew precisely who would allow that to happen.

"She hasn't been handling it well. She's pissed Zuko, and she's bottling up all of the other emotions she feels because she knows we need her. I'm so worried about her. What if she accidentally kills one of us because she doesn't know it's us?" Sokka continued on, and Zuko could tell Kai wasn't talking about this with him. Sokka needed to get this all off his chest, and now Zuko was his confidant.

"Two more days here, and then we get her out. Once she's safe, maybe she'll start to process what happened." Zuko reminded him, and Sokka looked up at him, grateful that he was there and willing to listen.

"We can't stay here. Yee knows where you are and knows Yue is injured. She'll come back." Toph said, and Aang nervously agreed. Katara looked down at Yue, who looked better after eating, drinking, and another round of healing.

"Ok, but where do we go?" Katara asked, and Toph looked towards the mountainside.

"To the next spot," Toph answered confidently, "Come on, I don't want to be here when she comes back." Katara helped Yue stand, and the four teens crawled out of the cavern. Aang put his arm around Yue's waist and held her upright.

"You can climb on my back, and I can carry you. I'm a lot stronger than I look." Yue stifled a laugh and watched as Aang crouched down. She climbed on his back and wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Aang gripped her thighs and started to walk off with the girls. Strangely, he felt safer with Toph and Katara than he had with Suki and Haru.

The group travels together until a little past noon when Toph stops them feeling the next weak spot. She explains that she's going to check the cave to see if it's safe for them to camp in tonight. If it weren't, they would move onto the next one they came across.

Katara watched as Aang gingerly put down Yue and sat beside her. Katara gloved her hand in the water and took to healing Yue's arm again. Slowly, it was starting to look better. She would have a large scar from the burn, but the infection was out of her system.

"How are you doing?" Yue asked her, and Katara took a deep breath. It was more comfortable being around Toph and Aang. With them, they had a clear goal, and they had no idea what had happened to her.

"Fine." Katara tried to keep the anger out of her voice, but Yue's narrowed gaze told her she hadn't. "I know I haven't been handling things very well, but I don't know how I'm supposed to feel Yue. I'm so angry and scared. I want to kill him, but I'm also terrified of what he'll do if I see him again." Katara admitted, and it felt a weight was lifting off her chest. She took several deep breaths, knowing she couldn't breakdown yet. Once she got on the boat, she could cry, but not any sooner.

Yue pulled Katara into a tight hug and rubbed her back. She could tell that Katara was still holding back and wished there was more she could do for her friend. "When you're ready to talk about what happened. I'm here for you. Whatever you need, even if it's just a shoulder to cry on." Yue vowed, and the two girls held each other as they waited for Toph to reappear from the cave. "And if you don't mind, can I ask you about Zuko and Kai?" Katara froze and looked up at her friend, blushing a deep shade of red.

"What do you want to know?" Katara asked her as she ran her fingers through her hair. Yue bit her lip and smiled, seeing how anxious her friend was.

"You have two incredibly attractive guys chasing you around. I want to know everything." Yue gushed, and Katara rolled her eyes but decided to indulge her friend, who felt more like a sister.

"Kai is wonderful. He's the sweetest man I've ever known, and I know my dad would be over the moon if I married him. Kai and I make a great team, and two waterbenders leading the tribe would lead to a stronger nation. Then he could send Sokka up North to marry you. Something both our fathers have always wanted." Katara started, and Yue sighed as she pictured her life with Sokka in the North. "But Kai what everyone expects of me. Kai is almost too perfect. I feel like I would end up letting him down."

"Whereas Zuko needs me as much as I need him. We both have been through so much, and he's so different from everyone at home. His strength comes from suffering, his affection comes from years of being looked over, and his kindness-well, I don't know where that comes from because it's not from his father. On top of everything, he's really hot. Literally and physically. He's so warm and so muscular. I've never had...I want him Yue. Every time we're alone, I want him. I don't feel that way with Kai. I know Kai would make me happy and do anything to give the best life possible, but it wouldn't be fair to him if I felt so strongly for someone else...sexually." Katara finally laid out her feelings, but her fears still weighed on her.

"But I don't know what can happen with Zuko. After this, we go off to fight a war. Say we survive. What happens? I'll be needed in the South, and he'll be needed in Caldera City. I'm sure his country won't want him with a waterbender, especially not the one that helped overthrow the Empire. And what if he can't marry someone outside the Fire Nation? What if he has to marry a noblewoman or something? Zuko is fantastic, but there are just too many what-ifs. Kai is a safer option, and we could be very happy together." Katara took a deep breath and brought her knees up to her chest. She hugged them tightly and thought about everything she just confessed.

Zuko was the most impressive, loving, kind-hearted man she had ever met. Kai was one of her oldest friends, sweet, protective, and loved by her family. They were both perfect in their own ways, and they both wanted her. She couldn't deny that she had feelings for them both, but as a prince, Zuko was responsible to his country and people, and she had the same responsibility. She also had to help repopulate the waterbenders in her tribe. Her worst fear was that this romance was just brought on by the games. They were forced together, shared a mutual attraction, and right now, they're perfect for each other. What if they win the war to come and he finds another girl from his home who he likes more? What if the minute the games are over, he ends things with her? What if he just wants to have sex with her and then be done?

Katara rested her forehead on her knees, and Yue watched her friend struggle internally with her feelings. Katara was right about her fears when it came to Zuko. The mixed families of the colonies were outcasts and treated horribly. The world may never accept their relationship, which meant it would end, or he may have to marry some noblewoman to satisfy the Fire Nation court. Kai was the safer option, but it was clear she didn't feel as strongly for the sweet boy. True, she could learn to love him and maybe find that same passion she clearly shared with Zuko, but it wouldn't be fair to Kai.

"I'm a horrible person. I don't want to lose Kai, but I lo- I need Zuko." Katara confessed, and it felt so good saying it out loud without someone judging her. She could never say any of this to Sokka. He would tell her that it would never work with Zuko and just be happy with Kai.

"I don't think you're a horrible person. I don't love Hahn by any means, but I know I'm safe with him and that he'll treat me well. I love your brother with all my heart, but like Zuko, Sokka belongs in the South running the tribe. As you said, Sokka and I can only get married if you marry Kai. It's tough being in love." Yue knew exactly how Katara felt. The only difference was that both the men in her life were Water Tribe, and that hurdle was one she did not have to worry about.

"Wow, you guys have it bad." Aang said, and the group felt the earth shake. Katara glanced over and saw that Aang had been sitting there the entire time. "I think Zuko would fight to have you, though. If that helps. You fell asleep on the airship while they were putting in our trackers. He made sure they were very gentle with you and held you the whole way here." Aang explained and smiled warmly at both of them. Katara crawled over to him and gave a huge hug.

"Whoever you end up with, Aang is going to be very lucky." Katara told him, and Aang blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, blushing.

"Let's go lily livers! This cave just fell apart!" Toph announced, and Aang was up and ready to move. Aang crouched back down for Yue, who climbed onto his back with ease. "How much water you got, Sugar Queen?" Toph asked as the group began to hike through the forest.

"We'll need to find a river or stream for me to refill." Katara told her, and Toph slammed her foot on the ground before changing her direction and leading the group towards water.

"Katara! Yue!" Sokka called out while Zuko and Kai ran to the cavern. Haru and Suki took note of the scorch marks on the trees at the edge of the lake and the broken glider floating in the shallow water.

"They aren't here! Why would they leave?" Zuko, in his frustration, sent a fireball into the air.

"Probably Yee and Freya. Look scorch marks and a glider." Suki pointed to what she and Haru had found as she calmly walked around to find any clue of where they might have gone.

"Spot number two or three. I say we had straight to three and see if we find them there." Haru offered, and everyone except Zuko nodded. His heart was pounding. Katara had to face more contestants than anyone else. All he could picture was the fear in her eyes when they were still on the airship. The way she clung to him all the way to her room. His midnight hair fell in his eyes as the group filled up canteens and cups that Haru made from the earth. He needed her more and more by the minute. The longer they were separated, the harder it was for him to focus and not think the worst. Please be okay. Please be safe. He prayed to Agni that they would find each other soon.

Mai wandered off with Suki and found the berry bush she had been looking for. She began picking the berries and stuffing them in her pack with her knives. Now when that lavabender came upon them again, she could take him out without getting close.

Jet watched as the ground opened up beneath him, and three teens leaped out. "I didn't hear any cannons!" He snapped, and the two Fire Nation teens flinched and looked to Longshot for guidance. He pointed them towards their supplies so that they could clean up and get something to eat. Jet watched them scurry away and turned to face Longshot. "No one is dead. Why isn't anyone dead?" Longshot rolled his eyes and took out his arrows, counting how many he had left in his quiver. Jet took a deep breath and knew he was receiving the silent treatment because he was being an ass. In his defense, he was always an ass.

Jet took a seat next to his friend and muttered an apology. Longshot knew he was on edge. All of their targets were still alive, and they were all together in a large group protecting each other. The prince looked fresh as a daisy. Today must have been the first day he saw any action. "There were too many of them. Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee are with Sokka, Kai, Haru, and Suki. Katara, Toph, and Yue weren't with them." Longshot explained, and Jet threw a rock off the side of the cliff they were sitting on. Inside, the two Fire Nation teens were quietly eating and whispering to each other. "They're both benders. Apparently, the boy, Kuzon, never told anyone he was an earthbender." Longshot explained, and Jet turned eyeing the boy. That could come in handy.

"Hahn and Enzo are still at the lake. If we take them out, that leaves fewer people to deal with, or we could convince one of them to join us, we would have three benders working with us." Jet was thinking out loud. It would be nice to have the aid of some benders. Especially since Katara and Toph seemed far more capable than he had ever imagined.

"It sounds like you want to kill Hahn, which I'm fine with. The guy seems like a prick, but how would you get Enzo to turn on his friends? He would die for the princesses before turning against them." Longshot questioned his leader but watched as he turned to look at the earthbender again.

"A hard enough knock to the head will either kill him or confuse him enough to work with us." Jet reasoned, and the duo walked into the cave to sit with the two dirty teens to explain their plan.

Enzo paced back and forth at their camp and kicked the water in front of him. "She's dead, Hahn. Calista is dead, and we don't even know how or why she's dead." Enzo groaned and fell into a squat in front of the fire.

"We don't know that she's the one who-" Hahn started, but the icy glare he received from Enzo told him to shut up. "Fine, so what she's dead. She was a shitty waterbender and pretty useless around camp." Hahn stated and continued cooking their fish. It had been three days, and Enzo had made him stay with him at the lake. He knew Sokka was with Yue, and they were probably with Kai and Katara, so she was safe, but damn if he wasn't pissed. He was supposed to be protecting Yue. She was his betrothed, but she had spent the week and the last three days running to Sokka. He knew how she felt about the Southern prince and that this may be all the time they got, but it still made his blood boil. She was his chance to rule a nation, have a family, and she was supposed to be his ticket out of the games. Instead, he had to spend the week hearing Sokka and his betrothed in his room every night. Part of him wanted to find Sokka and kill him. This would be his chance after all. They were supposed to be killing each other, and all he wanted to do was rip Sokka apart.

"You know this is why Yue prefers Sokka. He gives a shit about other people." Enzo told him and stalked off towards the water.

"Sokka can go fuck himself!" Hahn yelled to Enzo as he ripped into the fish he had been cooking.

Little did either man know they were being watched. Jet changed his plan after seeing the two talk. Enzo would never betray his friends, but Hahn would do anything to get Yue back. He could kill them both once Sokka was out of the way. Longshot watched his leader's mind work and nodded when Jet sent him off to the lake. Jet stood from his place in the bushes and sauntered over to the campfire hook swords at the ready. Hahn smirked and pulled the club from his back.

"I won't make this easy." Hahn tossed the club in the air and stood ready to fight.

"I was hoping we could talk now that your friend is gone" A pained cry came from the lake, water splashing, and a cannon blast.

"About?" Hahn swallowed and said a silent prayer for his fallen friend. They may not have agreed on everything, but he was still a friend, and he was from home.

"Sokka. You want him gone, right? I need him and Kai dead. See, Katara and I had a moment, and I want to have more with her. I know you want Yue back. If you work with my team and me, we can both get who we want." Jet explained, and Hahn took note of the smug grin on his face as his team stepped out of the bushes. The two Fire Nation teens and Longshot. Hahn looked towards the lake and then back at the man offering him exactly what he wanted. They took out Enzo with little trouble. If they could do that to a man who was almost a master, they could kill Sokka with little difficulty.

"Fine, I'm in, but only for Yue." Hahn stuck out his hand, and Jet eagerly took it, shaking on their deal. Hahn would save Yue and meet with the original gang to escape the arena. Jet didn't need to know that though.

Katara and Yue watched as Aang tried again to put his arm around Toph while they huddled around a campfire in a small cave. Every time the monk moved to make his move, Toph would start laughing from something Yue or her said, or would make an exaggerated arm movement when describing her own story. The poor monk looked like he was about to give up when Toph started to shiver. Katara took the blanket she had been using and handed it to him. His eyes went wide, and his smile was brighter than the sun.

Aang wrapped the blanket around him and Toph and pulled her in close to him. Yue took note of both their blushing faces. "Thank you, Aang." Toph whispered to him, and Aang nervously laughed it off. The two were starting to whisper to each other about Aang's love to ride strange animals. Katara heard him promise to take Toph with him to ride hogmonkeys and rabaroos. He also said that when this was all over, they would have to go penguin sledding. Toph looked more like a sixteen girl as their whispered promises continued.

Katara knew that Toph's parents were strict and had very little faith in their daughter's abilities. Toph had explained in detail how her parents had tried to 'protect' her. Some of the ways seemed cruel and inhumane to Katara, and Toph eagerly agreed. So, to see the sixteen year old genuinely smile at the thought of traveling the world with the shy monk made this whole seem like a little blessing. Toph and Aang never would've met if they both hadn't been picked, and they definitely wouldn't be around to get close like they currently were.

"Hey, why don't you three get some sleep. I'll see who we lost today and tell you in the morning." Katara said, and the three yawned and stretched into sleeping positions.

"Wake me up in a couple of hours as we'll switch." Aang said and laid down Toph by his side. They weren't as close as they were moments ago, but the chilly night would soon fix that. Katara nodded and looked up at the sky as Freya's, Calista's, and Enzo's face lit up the sky. She swallowed back a sob seeing her two friend's smiling faces looking down at her. Two more people she couldn't protect or save. She hoped they had gone quickly and that it hadn't been too painful. She hoped they were watching over the rest of their friends now.

Sokka and Zuko sat watch over the group while they slept. "I can't believe Enzo is gone… He was strong, brave, and so loyal." Sokka said and wished he had something more substantial than water to drink. Zuko remembered seeing Chan's face in the sky and felt nothing. He wondered how he would feel if it was Sokka's face or Aang's. He would probably sound like Sokka did at the moment. The thought made him smile to himself. He went to having only Lu Ten as a friend to having Sokka, Haru, Aang, and Kai. He knew Suki liked him as well, and Toph seemed to enjoy his company as well.

Sokka noticed the smile on his friend's face and raised a brow in confusion. "I've never had...had friends before. No one to confide in or be that for someone else…" Zuko explained, and Sokka playfully punched his arm. He kept forgetting that the prince was a total loner before all of this. Maybe the games weren't all bad. It gave a pretty decent guy a chance to branch out and meet more people.

"Well, you're officially stuck with me." Sokka announced, and Zuko let out a hearty laugh. "And probably Aang too. Something tells me we're never going to be able to shake the kid." Another laugh left him at the thought of Aang following them around. He wasn't wholly opposed to the idea. His sister was a nightmare and made it impossible to have a relationship with her. He could see Aang or even Toph filling that role better.

"Do you think they're okay?" Zuko wondered out loud, and Sokka nodded.

"Toph and Katara together are pretty much unstoppable. I think everyone else here should steer clear of them." Sokka said confidently and looked out into the dark forest. "We'll find them tomorrow, and then you get all mushy gushy with my sister. Just not in front of Kai. Show a little respect for the man." Zuko blushed and swallowed, thinking how Kai would feel seeing Katara tomorrow. Zuko remembered how easy Kai's relationship with Katara and that pang of jealousy hit him again. Katara would have the final say, and he would just have to accept whoever she picked.