BOOK 2: EARTH
CHAPTER 17: LAKE LAOGAI
As above, so below
The phase represents that earthly matters mirror the operation of the astral plane. Sometimes it is characterizes the concept of Macrocosm and microcosm. That all things, be it the bigger bodies in the universe are connected to the smaller bodies, which we, people who live on earth. One such case began on this day.
Valen returned to the house in the Upper ring after a long walk while contemplating his place in the Universe. When he entered back inside he found a series of childish drawings of Appa lying on the floor. Sokka was lying on his stomach working intently on yet another set of sketches. Meanwhile Toph, Asura and Dante are reclining on the floor nearby, while Momo licks their feet.
Katara and Aang rush in through the front door causing Valen to step aside upon their approach.
"Whoa there kiddies, what's the rush?" Griffon flapped in the air.
"We found a printer to make our posters." Katara said holding one with an expert rendition of Appa, picture of Aang, and a dense script detailing further information like who, what and where to return him.
"Hey, I thought designing 'the Lost Appa poster' was my job. I and Asura had been working on my Appa." Sokka said smiling drawing with a proud smile. Asura showed his work also.
Aang came over and was greatly perplexed at the stark differences of the two drawings. Sokka's pic, who knows what Appa looks like, was very crude but SHOULD have so detail that is noticeable. "Sokka, the arrow is on Appa's head." Aang pointed out.
"This IS his head." Sokka pointed out.
"Yeesh." Griffon said as he looked at it.
Katara struggles to contain her laughter while taking it to study up close. "Why are the feet coming out of it?"
Sokka snatches back the picture indignantly. "Those are his horns." Hangs his head knowing he can't defend his work against the style of one that is better than his. "I haven't seen him in a while, okay?"
"It looks just like him to me!" Toph says mockingly.
"Thank you, I worked really-" Suddenly remembering that she is blind, again. "Why do you feel the need to do that?"
Dante raises his hand to Toph how gives him a high five. Sokka becomes annoyed by that. "Will you two stop THAT?!"
"Let's just stick with the professional version." said Katara.
Sokka angrily rips up his drawing.
Excitedly, Aang holds up some pamphlets ready to get started. "Come on, let's get busy!" Aang Momo and Griffon (after much persuasion) began dropping dozens of posters all over Ba Sing Se.
Meanwhile at tea shop where Zuko and Iroh are working, Iroh serves tea to two customers, who enjoy it. They approach him wanting to meet the one creates such delicious tea.
"So, you're the genius behind this incredible brew. The whole city is buzzing about you! I hope Pao pays you well."Quon, a very rich and influential man with the city said.
"Good tea is its own reward." Iroh said.
"But it doesn't have to be the only reward. How would you like to have your own tea shop?"
Iroh suddenly became excided. "My own tea shop? This is a dream come true!"
Mr. Pao quickly moved to stand in the middle of the group to prevent what he believes is going to happen. "What's going on here? Are you trying to poach my tea-maker?"
"Sorry Pao, but that's business for you, am I right?" Quon asked with a smile.
Pao began to panic. "Mushi, if you stay, I'll make you assistant manager. Wait, senior assistant manager!"
"I'll provide you with a new apartment in the Upper Ring. The tea shop is yours to do whatever you want, creative freedom." Quon offered. Zuko, who was busy putting empty tea cups on a tray, but now looks up and glances over his shoulder to follow Quon's offer more closely.
Iroh finally asked the question that would be one to decided fate. "I even get to name the shop?"
"Of course!"
"Uh, senior executive assistant manager?" Pao gulped.
Iroh hands him the pot of tea and bows to the customer, agreeing to the terms. Zuko walks by, as Pao walks away sadly. "Did you hear, nephew? This man wants to give us our own tea shop in the Upper Ring of the city!" Iroh said with glee.
"That's right, young man, your life is about to change for the better!" Quon added.
"I'll try to contain my joy." Zuko said sarcastically and walked outside, slams door shut.
He leans against the wall and sighs. Even here in the Earth Kingdom, just like in the Fire Nation, people who are powerful offer things that would change the people's lives forever. That is the nature of business. A change of scenery, from the middle ring to lavish upper ring, would be nice. But Rich doesn't mean Royal. Zuko wants his destiny – but for that to happen need the Avatar – and to find him he needs a clue of his whereabouts. Sometimes for once in a while he wished an answer would drop from the clear blue sky … like the falling piece of paper.
He grabs a falling Appa poster and his eyes widen. He looks up to the sky and climbs to the top of a house and notices several of them falling, searching the skies for any sign of the Avatar. He glances down again at the Appa poster. This maybe is the break he is looking for.
Back at the house Sokka and Katara are playing a tile game. Toph is just relaxing, Valen is reading and Dante is playing on his Gishgudi as Aang re-enters the house after a long fly of dropping the flyers all over the city.
"I just finished dropping all the leaflets. Has anyone come in with news about Appa?" Aang said.
"It's only been a day. Just be patient." Katara reminded him.
Aang sits, unenthused until a knock came at the door "Wow, you're right! Patience really pays off!" Aang jumps up and runs to the door. He opens the door, revealing the "original" Joo Dee has returned. "Joo Dee."
"Hello, Aang, and Katara, and Dante, and Valen and Sokka, and Toph, and Asura." Joo Dee greeted with a smile.
"She knows my name, prepare to run like hell." Asura whispered to Toph.
"Hello Scooby Doo. We wondered where were you." Dante said mockingly.
Everyone approaches as Joo Dee enters. "What happened to you? Did the Dai Li throw you in jail?" asked Sokka.
"What? Jail? Of course not. The Dai Li are the protectors of our cultural heritage."
"But you disappeared at the Earth King's party." Toph asked.
"Oh, I simply took a short vacation to Lake Laogai, out in the country. It was quite relaxing." Sokka glares at her skeptically.
"But then they replaced you with some other woman who also said her name was Joo Dee." Katara added.
"I'm Joo Dee." Joo Dee said in surprise.
"Why are you here?" Aang asked.
"Dropping fliers and putting up posters isn't permitted within the city. Not without proper clearance." She said while showing them a copy of one of the posters.
"We can't wait around to get permission for everything." Sokka said.
"You are absolutely forbidden by the rules of the city to continue putting up posters." Joo Dee stated.
"I beg your freaking pardon?" Dante said with narrowed eyes.
Aang angrily yelled at the top of his lungs; during this brief argument, his head turns scarlet red. "We don't care about the rules and we're not asking permission!" Joo Dee's face becomes horrified and slowly backs out of the house as Aang continues to yell at her. "WE'RE FINDING APPA ON OUR OWN AND YOU SHOULD JUST STAY OUT OF OUR WAY!" Aang finally slams the door.
"That might come back to bite us in the ass." Sokka points out.
Aang calms down before he speaks. "I don't care! From now on, we do whatever it takes to find Appa!"
"Yeah, let's break some rules!"Toph takes out a side of the house with earthbending.
Momo flies out the broken side of the house and they all exit. Two Dai Li agents watch overhead from a house roof across the street.
Inside the Royal Palace, where Long Feng meets with that particular Joo Dee in his office with two Dai Li agents stand guard. "I'm very disappointed in your work with the Avatar and his friends, Joo Dee. I had hoped that you would be able to control this situation."
"I am so sorry, but they don't trust me anymore. I don't think I can keep working like this!" Begins to get upset and sobs.
"Joo Dee, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai." Long Feng stated.
As soon as Joo Dee hears this her iris in her eyes dilates and her sobbing ceases an she becomes still as a statue and replies answers in a monotone voice: "I am honored to accept his invitation."
Long Feng nods "Good. Now go await further orders." Joo Dee nods and begins to exit. Long Feng gets up and moves to the fireplace. "If the Avatar keeps searching for his bison, it could upset the delicate balance we've worked so hard to achieve in this city. It could even cost us control of the Earth King."
"Should we take care of him?" One of the Dai Li Agents inquires.
"No. It's much too dangerous for us to confront him directly. Let's see if we can still handle this quietly." Long Feng dictates.
At Iroh and Zuko's place of stay, which is about to change. Zuko enters Iroh's room just as Iroh is packing his clothes. "So, I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How about the Jasmine Dragon? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it."
Zuko shows Iroh the flyer. "The Avatar is here in Ba Sing Se and he's lost his bison."
Iroh grabs the flyer to take a closer look; he then turns to Zuko who is looking out a window. "We have a chance for a new life here. If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us."
Zuko turns to Iroh. "Good things that are happening for you! Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea?" he said.
"There is nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity. I suggest you think about what it is that you want from your life and why."
"I want my destiny."
"What that means is up to you." Iroh concludes. With anything left to say Zuko walks away. Iroh continues brainstorming names for his new tea shop. "The Tea Weevil! No, that's stupid."
Elsewhere,Team Avatar, who are working to put up more posters, things seem to be going smoothly.
"We'll split up to cover more area. Toph, I guess you should just come with me." Sokka said.
The Blind Bandit suddenly becomes peevishly. "Why? Because you think I can't put up posters on my own?!" Angrily she takes the paintbrush of glue from Sokka and throws glue on the wall. She slams a poster on it, but it is backward. After an awkward pause she asked a odd question. "It's upside-down, isn't it? I'll just go with Sokka."
They all go their separate ways, with Toph following Sokka. In a open square Katara puts up a poster on a stone plinth near a flowing water stream. Suddenly, behind her, she hears a familiar voice call out. "Katara?" She turns around to see Jet is seen emerging from an alleyway at the edge of the square. Katara wheels around with a startled gasp. Smiling confidently, jet walks over. "I think I can help you." Katara's shocked blush transforms into a look of pure outrage. With a sweep of her arms, she bends up water from a lake directly at him while screaming in rage. Jet looks at the wave in fright. "Katara, I've changed!"
The wave hits Jet, sending him back quite a distance. Katara bends up remaining water from the wave to strike. "Tell it to some other girl, Jet!" She turns the water to ice, which sends Jet back to a wall.
Jet blocks the ice with his swords. "I don't want to fight you, I'm here to help!"Throws his swords down, and reaches for something behind his back. Katara quickly fires more ice crystals, which pin him to the wall. The rest of the team approaches.
"Katara, what is it?" Sokka said upon hearing the ruckus.
"Jet's back. We can't trust anything Jet says." states Katara.
"But we don't even know why he's here!"
"I don't care why he's here, whatever the reason is, it can't be good!"
Dante steps in front with his hands in a T sign. "Whoa, whoa, time out. Could someone please tell who this guy is and why Katara wants to kill him so badly?" Dante asked.
"Jet is a leader of the Freedom Fighters would are trying to inspire people to help them subvert Fire Nation forces here in the Earth Kingdom." Sokka explained.
Dante nods his head. "Nice."
"But then he and his group tried to utter destroy a village that the Fire Nation was currently occupying, if we hadn't stop him he would have killed them along with the innocent people living there."
"Ah, nice." Dante said with sarcasm. "Mass murder seems to be on everyone's mine lately."
Suddenly, Katara felt V's cane tap her left shoulder. "Katara, if he's here to ask for an audience, the least be could do is listen. Mr. Jet, your name is it? Please give us your testament."
"I'm here to help you find Appa!" Jet final opens his hand and reveals he is holding a missing Appa poster.
Aang's turning from the leaflet back to Katara. "Katara, we have to give him a chance."
"I swear, I've changed! I was a troubled person and I let my anger get out of control, but I don't even have the gang now! I've put all that behind me!" Jet pleaded honestly.
"You're lying!" Katara snapped.
Toph gets an idea that might help and walks up to Jet and feels the wall he is pinned to. "He's not lying." She deduces.
"How can you tell?" Sokka asked.
"I can feel his breathing and heartbeat." Toph explained. "When people lie, there's a physical reaction. He's telling the truth."
Dante shrugs. "I can't argue with a living lie detector test." Dante said and leans back against the wall beside Toph.
"Katara, we don't have any leads. If Jet says he can take us to Appa, we have to check it out." Aang said in one last plea to see what Jet has to offer.
"All right." Points and looks angrily at Jet. "But we're not letting you out of our sight."She stabs her finger at Jet once more for emphasis, eyes narrowed.
"Take heed Jet, the pointer finger is mightier that the sword." Valen said.
Jet nods and takes everyone to a place to give evidence to his words. Dante lead over to Toph to whisper something to her. "The Middle-finger also mightier than the sword sometimes." Toph couldn't help but smirk as she chuckled silently.
Jet leads the to a dimly lit warehouse, which sits empty except for a few sacks and a pile of canvas and rope.
"This is the place I heard about." Jet said.
"There's nothing here." Aang said.
Katara prepares to waterbend in defense. "If this is a trap–"
"I told you, I work nearby! Two guys were talking about some giant furry creature they had, I figured it must be Appa!" Jet said.
Toph sensed something on the ground and walked over to pick it up. "He was here!" She shows them a clump of Appa's fur. She then gave to Aang who inspected it more closely. He became sad when he saw it was. "We missed him." he said.
An old white haired man with a push-broom crosses behind the group. "Hey winkles, you seen a big, hairy thingy around here?" Asura asked.
"They took that big thing yesterday." "Shipped him out to some island. About time, I've been cleaning up fur, and various, uhhh ... leavings all day." The old janitor said.
Aang straightens with a shocked look and swiftly moves closer to the man. "What island? Where's Appa?"
"Foreman said some rich royal type on Whaletail Island bought him up. Guess for a zoo or such. Though, could be the meat that'd be good."
"We've got to get to Whaletail Island! … Where's Whaletail Island? Aang asked dejectedly.
Sokka took out a map of the known world of the Four Elemental Nations. "Far, very far." He puts the map on the floor. "Here it is. It's near the South Pole, almost all the way back home."
"What is the South Pole like?" Asura asked.
"Damn cold." Dante said bluntly.
"Hey!" Sokka objected.
"… Unless you wear a warm parka." Dante added with a smile.
Sokka nodded in approval of the statement. "Much better."
"Aang, it will take us weeks just to get to the tip of the Earth Kingdom. And then we'll need to find a boat to get to the island." Katara explained.
"I don't care. We have a chance to find Appa! We have to try!" Aang stated.
"I'm in." Asura gave his approval.
"Must be nice to visit an island. I haven't had a vacation for years." The old man said.
"Don't you have some more hair to clean up?" Katara remind him of his job.
"Shuffle on, I get you. No more need for Old Sweepy ..."
"You're right Aang, right now our first concern has to be finding Appa. We can come back when we have him."
"All right, let's get moving." Sokka said.
"I'll come with you." Jet informed everyone.
"We don't need your help!" Katara reminded him.
"Why won't you trust me?" Jet walks after the rest of the group.
Katara muttered. "Gee, I wonder."
After Jet walks away Toph decided to ask Katara a question. "Was this guy your boyfriend or something?"
"What ... no!" She folds her arms and looks away defiantly.
Toph smiles at the response. "I can tell you're lying ..." Katara runs away from her, embarrassed.
Valen turned around just as Toph and Katara caught up with the rest. He looked at the warehouse briefly, pondering all the information they gather. Something was indeed off.
Back within the city the group considered their options. "We can take the train out to the wall but then we'll have to walk." Sokka said.
"Don't worry, on the way back we'll be flying!" Aang said joyfully.
"Let's just hope we won't be late for Black Sun." Dante stated. He hated being late for stuff, or worst it started without him.
Spreads her arms outward in celebration. "We're finally leaving Ba Sing Se. Worst ... city ... ever!"
Suddenly Smellerbee and Longshot appear in the background and notice Jet. "JET!"
Everyone turns around to see the rest of the freedom fighters.
Katara turned to Jet angrily. "I thought you said you didn't have your "gang" anymore!"
Jet became confused. "I don't!"
Smellerbee runs up to Jet and hugs him. "We were so worried. How did you get away from the Dai Li?"
Katara became shocked. "THE DAI LI?!"
"The plot thickens like lumpy gravy." Dante said while leaning against a wall.
"I don't know what she's talking about!" Jet said nervously.
"He got arrested by the Dai Li a couple of weeks ago. We saw them drag him away!" Smellerbee explained.
Jet shook his head "Why would I be arrested? I've been living peacefully in the city!"
"Maybe he murdered someone." Asura said.
Toph decided to shed some clarity on the subject. She felt the ground between Jet and Smellerbee and discovered something was very off. "This doesn't make any sense. They're both telling the truth."
"That's impossible." Katara said.
"No it's not! Toph can't tell who's lying because they both think they're telling the truth. Jet's been brainwashed!" Sokka stated.
Jet couldn't believe what he was hearing "That's crazy! It can't be! Stay away from me!" Jet glances to the sides as they all surrounded him.
"Easy, we aren't going anything. But I got to ask … what's your favorite color?" Valen asked.
"What?"
Valen quickly gripped the sided around his neck and collar bone causing him to fall backwards unconscious. Those behind him quickly caught him. "What did you do?" Smellerbee asked.
"I knocked him out with a Vulcan Nerve Pinch." Valen said.
"A what." Sokka asked.
"Nevermind, let's just GO before someone sees us!" Dante said.
Night has now covered Ba Sing Se and the streets and alleys were mostly vacant. A lone a Dai Li agent walking the streets on patrol; Zuko, disguised as the Blue Spirit, runs by. "Out of my way, skinny!"
Aggravating the agent he prepares to use his rock glove, but pauses when the disguised man turns into an alley. The agent runs to the alley and sees a figure that appears to be him. He fires his rock gloves at the figure's chest and head, knocking off the stuffed figure's head and knocking it down.
"Huh?"
Suddenly the agent is lifted in the air by an invisible hand and slammed against the walls repeatedly. Finally he was released and slumped to the ground. When he rose there is the whisper of a drawn blade behind him and Zuko, still disguised, captures him and places one of his swords to the agent's neck.
"If you don't want to end up like him, you'll do what I say."
Zuko turned to Indra who immerged from the shadows. The boy smiled, Zuko has assimilated Indra powers well and is steadily getting grips with it as the days go by. With some luck their goal will achieve sooner, rather than later.
Back in an unknown building, Team Avatar, Longshot, and Smellerbee all surrounding a seated Jet.
"The Dai Li must have sent Jet to mislead us, and that janitor was part of their plot, too!" Katara said.
"I bet they have Appa here in the city. Maybe he's in the same place they took Jet! Where did they take you?" Aang asked.
Jet hung his head in defeat. "Nowhere! I- I don't know what you're talking about!"
"We need to find a way to jog his real memories." Aang proposed.
Sokka smirked as he got an idea. "Maybe Katara should kiss him. That should bring something back!" he suggested teasingly.
"BUUUUURRRRROOOOP!" Asura suddenly belched loudly everyone looked at him with a absolute surprise. "Heh, sorry. Big lunch." Asura said with one hand scratching the back of his head nervously.
"Maybe you should kiss him, Sokka!" Katara suggested.
"Hey, just an idea!" Sokka said with no harm intended.
"A bad one." Aang replied a bit jealously.
Then Sokka snapped his fingers "Ooh, wait! I've got it!"he plucks a straw from his mattress, pokes it into Jet's mouth in trademark fashion and regards him thoughtfully.
"What the hell is Sokka doing?" Dante asked Katara.
"Jet always had a piece of straw in his mouth. Think he's trying bring back his old self. " she explained.
"I don't think its working." Jet informs them and spits the straw out.
"Try to think of something from your past that triggers your emotions." Toph suggests a new tactic.
"The Fire Nation! Remember what they did to your family!" Smellerbee said.
Katara nods and turns to Jet. "Close your eyes. Picture it."
Jet decides to give it a try closes his eyes, while sweat beads start to form on his forehead. Suddenly his eyes suddenly snap wide open and he sees images of himself at a younger age watching his town burning down. He cried for help but could not see his parents. Then he saw him. A bald man who was leading a group of warriors riding large who turned rhinos looking back at him.
"No! It's too painful!"
Katara takes water and puts it around his ears, using healing to clear his mind. "Maybe this will help."
Jet looks up from the floor and sees an images of Long Feng standing above a lake. Long Feng stares at Jet, and Jet sinks down under the lake into an underground room. He sees an image of a Dai Li agent shining a spinning light in his face before the vision ends. "They took me to a headquarters under the water. Like a lake!"
"Wait! Remember what Joo Dee said? She said she went on vacation to Lake Laogai!" Sokka said.
Jet stands up as he finally remembers. "That's it! Lake Laogai."
LAKE LAOGAI
Team Avatar, Jet, Longshot, and Smellerbee standing at the edge of the lake.
"So where's this secret headquarters?" Sokka asked.
"Under the water, I think." Jet thinks on where it could be.
"There's a tunnel right there by the shore." Toph points to the side and whistles as she walks to the edge of the shore. She uses her earthbending to bring up a slab of rock with an entrance. She moves the rock out the way with the same technique. They all look down at the tunnel and Momo flies away.
"As above, so below." Valen said and jumped through the hole with the help of Griffon to slow his decent.
Inside the secret headquarters. Jet checks to make sure the coast is clear and they walk down a long hallway. "It's all starting to come back to me!"
Jet walks past a room where a member of the Dai Li brainwashes a group of women.
"I'm Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se." the brainwasher says.
"I'm Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se." the Joo Dees reply backsimultaneously.
"We're so lucky to have our walls to create order." the brainwasher says.
"We're so lucky to have our walls to create order." the Joo Dees reply again.
The group continues down the hall until Jet stops at a door. "I think there might be a cell big enough to hold Appa up ahead. I think it's through here!" he opens the door to see what lies inside.
A door opens in his cell and Appa wakes up where he's been chained for days. At the door stood the Blue Spirit with a young boy who was not Aang.
"Expecting someone else?" Zuko asked with irony.
Back with the gangJet opens the other door to a large chamber. Cautiously they entered inside.
The door closes suddenly behind them. Lights turn on, revealing the Dai Li agents waiting on the ceiling.
"Now that's something different." Sokka said, being impressed in the matter.
Dante summons Temüjin, unsheathes it and turns it backwards. He was itching for a fight.
"You have made yourselves enemies of the state. Take them into custody." Long Feng ordered.
"As above, so below." V said.
"Place your bets on which way the head will roll." Dante added.
The Dai Li agents jump off the ceiling and surround them. Two agents fire rock gloves, but Toph breaks them up and sends the two agents flying through the air with rock pillars. Jet runs toward the agents and breaks two other gloves fired by agents with his swords, and trips another. A full battle ensues. Aang deals with a pair of Dai Li agents. Dante dodges a pair of rock gloves throws his sword at the agent who steps to the side to evade it, Dante rolled grabbed his sword and spun around cutting the agent across his midsection sending to the ground dead. Sokka and Katara destroy two Dai Li gloves, but a second pair grabs them.
Toph saves them by creating a rock wall and she raises ground up. Toph knocks away the four Dai Li agents that attack her, but a glove captures her and Jet swings by to free her. The agent fires his other rock glove, and Longshot fires an arrow, which destroys the glove. Jet jumps in front of Longshot to hold off more of their rock attacks. Long Feng feeling that he is lose ground escapes via one of the tunnels.
Aang knocks away two agents with airbending. "Long Feng is escaping!" Jet, Aang and Valen chase him. They head into another part of the headquarters with many pipes of all sizes sticking out of the walls, with some of them pouring out water, but are sealed in by Long Feng, who has his quarrel right where he wants them. "All right, Avatar, you've caused me enough problems. This is your last chance ... if you want your bison back."
"You do have Appa! Tell me where he is!" Aang demanded.
"Agree to exit the city now, and I'll waive all charges against you and allow you to leave with your lost pet." Long Feng offered his proposal.
Jet gets into a fighting position. "You're in no position to bargain."
"Am I not?" Long Feng asked.
"You're definitely not!" Aang readied himself to fight.
Valen raised a brow, something bad was about to happen, he could feel it.
"Jet, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai." Long Feng stated.
The voice of Long Feng echoes in his mind causing his eye to dilate. "I am honored to accept his invitation." Jet replied back in a monotonous voice.
Jet immediately attacks Aang and Valen who are force on the defensive by the suddenly turn of events.
At that same time elsewhere Appa growling at the disguised Zuko. Appa tries to strike Zuko, but his chained feet hold him back. "You're mine now."
The door opens and Zuko gets into a fighting stance. Iroh enters causing Zuko to stand down. Indra stood silently, still unseen by Iroh.
"Uncle?"
Iroh begins to stroke his bread thoughtfully. "So, the Blue Spirit. I wonder who could be behind that mask ..."
Zuko sighs and takes off the mask. "What are you doing here?"
"I was just about to ask you the same thing. What do you plan to do now that you've found the Avatar's bison? Keep him locked in our new apartment? Should I go put on a pot of tea for him?"
"First I have to get it out of here." Zuko said to Iroh.
"And then what!? You never think these things through! This is exactly what happened when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole! You had him, and then you had nowhere to go!"
"I would have figured something out!"
"No! If his friends and Dante hadn't found you, you would have frozen to death!"
"I know my own destiny, Uncle!"
"Is it your own destiny, or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you?"
"Stop it, Uncle! I have to do this!"
"I'm begging you, Prince Zuko! It's time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions. Who are you, and what do you want?"
Zuko screams loudly, throwing down his swords and Blue Spirit mask. Zuko realizes that once again his uncle was right. They were in the middle of the Dai Li hideout that is underwater and Zuko was about to free and creature that didn't like him at the point in time. The odds were not in Zuko's favor.
Back in another room of the facility a brainwashed Jet continuing to swing at Aang. Valen engaged in hand-to-hand combat n an attempt to split up the workload.
Aang tried to get through to his friend. "Jet, it's me, Aang! You don't have to do this!"
Long Feng create a wall from the floor to block Griffon lightning strikes. "I'm afraid he no longer has a choice."
Jet resumes his attempts at attacking Aang, who dodges them and uses airbending to knock him back. Jet uses his hook swords to stop himself and he pants heavily.
"Jet, I'm your friend! Look inside your heart!" Aang tried to get Jet to remember.
"Do your duty, Jet!" Long Feng ordered.
"He can't make you do this! You're a Freedom Fighter!"
At these final words, Jet straightens in shock. Everything in his mind goes white and he has rapid flashbacks of his past as a Freedom Fighter, seeing Longshot, Smellerbee, Pipsqueak and the Duke, and him with Katara. The Freedom Fighters cheer fades to him with Smellerbee and Longshot, before showing him sitting down with Iroh and Zuko. He sees himself giving the passengers food, and quickly to him being dragged away by the Dai Li to Jet's brainwashing, and to Long Feng on Lake Laogai. He sees his burning village, to Iroh, to him with Zuko, to him with Katara, to him watching his burning village crying while watching his village burn as Mongke watches him. The flashback ends and Jet's irises return to normal. He is finally free and remembers everything.
"Do it! Do it now!"
Jet fires a sword at Long Feng, which misses. Long Feng blacks Valen and counters Jet with an uplifted rock which strikes Jet down hard. Long Feng escapes upward to a pipe in the wall. "Foolish boy. You've chosen your own demise."
Aang and Valen runs toward Jet. "I'm sorry ... Aang." Jet said weakly
"Don't be." Aang said.
The rest of the group arrives, all struck with sorrow and shock as they gather around Jet.
"Jet … stood his ground." Valen said to the group as he picked up his cane.
Katara stares open-mouthed at Jet, her hands hovering near her mouth in shock. Snapping out of it, she withdraws water from her water skin, with which she covers her hands, and it begins to glow as she kneels down next to him. Jet glancing at her while she rubs her hands over his chest in an attempt to heal him. After rubbing his chest three times, the glow fades; the water stains Jet's clothing. "This isn't good." Katara informs everyone of the diagnosis.
"I should have foreseen this. Given how clever the fox is it could have been avoided. And you wouldn't be down." V said.
"Like Aang said: Don't be sorry." Jet said. Everyone stared at Dante who walked over and knelt down by jet's side. "You stood your ground and that was good."
"Heh … thanks." Jet said.
"You guys go and find Appa. We'll take care of Jet." Smellerbee said.
"We're not going to leave you." Katara said.
Then Longshot did something that left everyone speechless "There's no time. Just go. We'll take care of him. He's our leader."
They stare at Longshot in surprise. Upon hear Long shot speak Jet smiles a little. "Don't worry, Katara. I'll be fine."
Katara closes her eyes in painful sadness and opens them again as she Avatar begins to exit.
Toph whispers to Sokka about Jet condition. "He's lying ..."
"Everybody lies." V whispered to them.
Smellerbee weeps as Longshot watches Team Avatar completely leave through a tunnel that is earthbent open before turning the other way to the other exit and standing guard, prepping an arrow.
Team Avatar reaches Appa's hold, only to discover that it is empty.
"Ugh!" Asura stomps his foot.
Aang couldn't believe it either. "Appa's gone! Long Feng beat us here."
"If we keep moving, maybe we can catch up with them!" Sokka said.
They find an exit back to the beach. As they make their escape, several Dai Li agents jump out from behind them.
"You think we can outrun them?" Sokka asked.
"I don't think it's gonna matter!" Aang says and points in front of them.
Another group of Dai Li agents, plus Long Feng, stand in front of them. All the agents box them in, lifting up the ground on both sides. Dai Li agents stand on all three walls. Momo flies to Aang with startling news.
"What is it, Momo?" Aang asked.
Momo flies to the sky and chirps excitedly. Suddenly, Appa flies down at top speed. Team Avatar's faces are overjoyed to see him.
"Appa!" Aang shouts.
Appa smashes through the rock walls, scattering the Dai Li agents. Aang and Toph use earthbending to knock other nearby agents off a cliff and into the lake.
"That's Appa?" Asura asked.
Appa finally lands to confront Long Feng, his captor.
"I can handle you by myself." Long Feng takes a fighting stance.
Long Feng charges at Appa, but Appa grabs his leg his teeth. Feng struggles to free himself until he sees V walking toward him.
""The cut worm forgives the plow." What do you say?" V asked Appa. Appa hurtles him skipping into the lake. Appa spits out Long Feng's shoe. V smiles "Your right. Dip him in the river who loves water."
The team cheers and they run toward Appa.
"Yeah! Appa!" Sokka cheers.
Aang leaps onto Appa side to embrace his friend, he happily cries with joy. "I missed you, buddy."
Dante walks around toward Appa's right side. He likes him straight in the eyes and falls forward to give him a pat and a rub. Appa closes his eyes in satisfaction. High over head as they flew they the air.
Katara sheds some tears as somberly looks over Lake Laogai as they fly over it Aang places his hand on her shoulder. The team all gathers in a group hug, expected Asura who watched them felt happy that they found their friend again. He then turned to look at the Lake Laogai below.
Down below Zuko and Iroh emerge from the Dai Li headquarters.
"You did the right thing, nephew." Iroh said. Zuko looks at his Blue Spirit mask as Iroh rests a hand on its shoulder. "Leave it behind."
Zuko walks to the edge and tosses the mask into the water, Zuko, Iroh and Indra watch it slowly sinks to the bottom of the lake.
Indra wasn't pleased that Zuko released the bison but maybe it was for the best. The bison was captured by an outside party. If Zuko captured it to lure the avatar to him then it would be fair game. But things are not fair. Indra will just have to find a new strategy.
Indra suddenly looked up in the blue cloudy sky. Expected to see something but saw nothing. No. he scene a presence of someone who is here, someone he remembers.
I may not need the Avatar after all, Indra thinks to himself.
As for Zuko it is better if the Blue Spirit disappears completely. He remembers seeing Fire Nation wanted posters of the Blue Spirit. By casting off the mask his old self dies and his new self can emerge. In the course of the universe we gain some and we lose some.
As above, so below
AUTHOR'S NOTES
I hope my stories get more likes and reviews, even in the comment section. It motivates me to do more and I need now more than ever as I try to keep from getting sick.
Oh and if any of you ask let me tell you now. since V join the group back in Chapter 5 I always wondered what V's name would be like in the Reboot universe (Some people have called him Vinnie, Vincent, Valentine, and Van in some stories). I decided in my mythos V's birth name would be "Valen"; some of you have noticed I sometimes alternate between the names V and Valen. I did that on purpose for the "wanderer on many names" trope.
Until then safe healthy and keep reading. ;3