"I raise my flags, dye my clothes, it's a revolution, I suppose. We're painted red to fit right in, woah.
I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus. This is it, the apocalypse, woah.
I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones, enough to make my systems blow! Welcome to the new age..." Radioactive, Imagine Dragons
Xx
The night before the invasion, they finally get Aang to sleep. They put together a bed made from some koala sheep's wool (wrangling the koala sheep hadn't been easy, and Katara couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Zuko and Sokka attempting to tackle the surprisingly large animals so that she could shear them) and assured him that he was ready to face the Fire Lord. The rest of them had gone to bed a little while later, Sokka and Toph falling asleep immediately while Katara and Zuko stayed up as usual. Normally they would talk during this time, but tonight they were silent as they stared up at the stars.
"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" She knows that she's nervous; she couldn't let Aang see it, but she was worried that things wouldn't go according to plan, and that one of them would get hurt, or worse.
"A little." Zuko shifts so that one hand is below his head and the other is resting on his stomach.
"Me too." The silence stretches on a little longer, but Katara's mind is racing, and she needs to distract herself. "What if you see your father?" She sees him stiffen for a moment, the hand resting on his stomach clenching.
"I plan on it." He stares straight up at the night sky, the stars reflecting in his golden eyes.
"Zuko?" She turns on her side, and he swivels his head to look at her. "We're gonna be okay tomorrow, right?" She can't hide the tears in her eyes— Zuko's brow creases as he sees her distress, and he turns onto his side.
"Hey," he reaches out and takes her hand into his; their bedrolls are only a few feet apart, but the distance between them feels bigger than usual tonight. "We're gonna be fine." He rubs the back of her hand with his thumb, the warmth soothing her even as her tears roll down the side of her face into her hair. "Katara..." He moves so that he's closer to her, briefly letting go of her hand to pull his bedroll up beside hers before reaching back to hold it again. "We'll be okay. It's a solid plan, and we're all ready. We even got Aang to sleep tonight, and if that doesn't mean we're ready, I don't know what does." Her laugh is choked and wet, but it's there.
"I just—" she sniffles, more tears falling as she begins to cry silently. "I can't lose any of you. I can't."
Zuko detaches his hand from hers and gently pulls her into his chest, laying his arm over her waist to rub her back. She fists her hands in his shirt, burying her face into him and trying to ground herself in his warmth and his familiar smell.
"You won't lose any of us, Katara," he whispers into her hair, his voice scratchy and quiet.
He holds her as she cries, staying as quiet as she can so that she doesn't wake any of the others. She doesn't know what she would do without Zuko; he's only been with their group for a little over a week, but already he has cemented his place in her heart. There's something inside her that glows when he's around, a vibration in her chest that purrs like a cat when she's in his arms no matter what she's feeling. Eventually she calms down, matching her breathing with Zuko's even rhythm, but he doesn't move away. He rubs her back until his warmth lulls her to sleep, and right before she drifts off, she thinks she feels the soft press of his lips on the top of her head.
Xx
Luckily for Zuko, he is always the first one awake; he doesn't want to imagine what Sokka's reaction would be if he woke up to find Zuko sleeping with his little sister tucked in his arms. The problem now is that he's addicted, and every morning that he'll have to wake up without her there next to him will be a painful one. He had comforted her until she fell asleep in his arms, and when he was sure that she was asleep, he had laid a gentle kiss on her head (gentle kisses on the head can totally be platonic… right?). He knows it was probably (defintely) stupid, but she had felt so fragile in his arms, and he would have done anything to take away her pain. It feels so right any time she's close to him. It was like as soon as she started crying, his body moved before he had time to think, and then she was in his arms. That magnet in his chest is always pulling him to her, always keeping him within her arm's reach.
The group is in surprisingly good spirits this morning. Sokka has been going over the invasion plans meticulously, and he's asked for Zuko's opinion on a multitude of things before the invasion force got to them, which makes Zuko glow with pride. Aang has finally gotten a good night's sleep, and seems refreshed and confident. Toph is her usual nonchalant self, although she is love-punching (that's the only way he can think to describe her strange show of affection) Aang more frequently. And, despite her anxiety the night before, Katara is downright chipper, her smile radiant and her laugh bubbly and bright. Zuko squashes down the hope that she's in a good mood because of his quality comforting skills, and is just glad to see her happy.
"Oh, no." Zuko and Sokka look up at Katara from their maps. "There's a lot of fog out there. Do you think it'll delay the invasion?" Both Zuko and Sokka stand, and a wide smile stretches over Sokka's face.
"Katara, that is the invasion!"
Five Water Tribe ships emerge from the fog, and the group quickly head down to the shoreline. Aang and Toph use their earthbending to make a dock, and as the five ships pull in, Katara and Sokka bounce on their toes with excitement. They run towards the dock once men start coming off the ships, embracing one of them tightly. Aang, Toph, and Zuko follow them, walking up to the man who is being held in a loving hug from Sokka and Katara. He's tall and burly with dark skin, has the top portion of his short hair pulled back in a style similar to Sokka's, and has bright blue eyes. This must be their father. Zuko swallows his nerves as he walks up with the other two benders.
"Dad, this is Zuko." Katara pulls him forward towards their father, who definitely recognises him from his name and face. "You remember I told you about him after Ba Sing Se?" The man looks at Zuko with an unreadable expression before a kind smile forms on his face.
"Zuko." He holds out his arm, and Zuko clasps it in the Water Tribe style. The man seems a little impressed that Zuko knows the traditional greeting, and he decides he'll have to tell him someday about his journey from the North Pole. "Thank you for helping Katara and Aang. I'm glad that you're safe." They let go of each other's arms. "Katara was extremely worried about your health the last time I saw her." Zuko tries unsuccessfully to fight against the heat rising into his cheeks.
"We were all worried, dad." Katara's cheeks are a pretty pink color as she corrects her father, who chuckles at her embarrassment. Zuko bows low to Katara's father, again in the Water Tribe style that he learned from his time with the warriors on the Water Tribe ship.
"I'm honored to meet you, sir." He stands upright and flinches when the man lays a warm, heavy hand on his shoulder.
"Call me Hakoda." He smiles at Zuko, who does his best to smile back through his confusion and anxiety. Hakoda moves on to talk to the other Water Tribe men, and Katara waves at Zuko as she turns to follow him. Agni, help me.
A motley crew of people exit off of the Water Tribe vessels; many wear the colors of the Earth Kingdom, a few wear hardly anything at all (Zuko wonders where on earth they found men who wear leaves for hats and travel in loincloths), and some wear the blue of the Water Tribes. Seeing so many different people working together for the same cause inflates a bubble of hope in Zuko; this is evidence that they can build a new world where all the Nations work together in peace and harmony. He hopes that by the end of the day, that dream will have become a reality.
Soon, everyone is gathered in front of a podium where Sokka is going to brief them all on the mission. Katara and Aang are up next to the podium with Sokka and Hakoda, and Zuko has to try his hardest to focus on Sokka when he starts talking and not just stare at Katara the whole time like a creep.
"Alright everyone!" Sokka's voice starts out a little shaky, but when he makes eye contact with Zuko, who gives him a discreet thumbs up, he gains a little bit of confidence. "Today is the day we invade the Fire Nation; the day of black sun. The invasion takes part in two stages, a naval phase, and a land phase." Hakoda puts up a map behind Sokka as he continues. "Our first obstacle is the Great Gates of Azulon," he motions behind him to point at the gates on the map. "The mechanist has built a vessel that will allow us to go underwater for a brief period of time so that we can sneak past, hopefully going undetected. Once we hit land," he moves to point at a different spot on the map, "we have to fight through their battlements to secure the plaza tower. Once we do that, we head up to the Palace, and the eclipse begins."
"The Boulder is confused." A large, muscular man raises his hand. "I thought the point was to invade during the eclipse when the firebenders are at their weakest?"
"The eclipse only lasts eight minutes. We need to get up to the palace and past all the guards before it starts so that Aang has all eight minutes to fight the Fire Lord. When this is over, Aang will have defeated the Fire Lord, and the war will finally be over!"
Cheers ring out from the crowd, and Zuko gives Sokka a big thumbs up this time as Hakoda comes to clap his son affectionately on the shoulder. The crowd moves into action, prepping supplies and transporting things onto the ships as Zuko approaches Sokka.
"You did good up there." He's gotten a little more comfortable with casual touch, and he puts his hand on Sokka's shoulder in solidarity.
"Thanks Zuko. I couldn't have done it without your thumbs up." Zuko rolls his eyes at Sokka's barb, failing to hold back a smile at the sight on the one on Sokka's face.
"You're the worst."
Teasing his friends to show his affection is much easier than outwardly showing any actual affection, and he knows Sokka understands as he starts to laugh. They head over to the ships together to head out, bumping each other's shoulders and laughing the whole way down, trying to cover their nerves with lighthearted jokes.
Xx
It feels like only minutes have passed between then and now as they sail towards the Great Gates of Azulon. Katara and the swampbenders whip up a thick fog to surround them as they approach, hoping to pass through the gates undetected. Unfortunately, luck doesn't seem to be on their side today as a loud alarm bell rings, and a massive net is raised between the two dragon statues that mark the gate, a statue of Azulon himself holding the net up in the middle as it catches on fire.
"Everyone below deck!" Hakoda directs them all into the strange machines that Sokka designed for the man they call the Mechanist. They seal the doors, and the machines part from the ships. Katara and some other waterbenders guide them along underneath the surface using their bending. Zuko can't help but be in awe of Sokka's design, and he understands even more what Piandao saw in him as a student. They surface once between the gates and the beach, all them going up onto deck to get some fresh air.
"This is it, huh?" Aang stands before them, head shaved and new glider ready.
"Are you ready for the Fire Nation to know that the Avatar is alive?" Sokka asks.
"I'm ready." Aang is determined, his voice steady and strong, and Zuko feels a strange sort of pride for the boy standing before him. The group hugs, Zuko standing awkwardly to the side until Toph grabs his arm and roughly pulls him in.
"Alright, time's up!" Hakoda's shout breaks up their hug. "Everyone back inside." Aang nods at them all with a serious face, shakes open his glider, and flies off.
They get to the beach, and Zuko runs up on land with Toph and the massive caterpillar tanks they're using to lead the assault. Zuko had convinced Sokka that he would be most useful if he fought with his swords instead of firebending, under the guise of keeping his identity a secret for as long as they can. He couldn't tell the group that his firebending isn't right, not now, so he runs up along the beach, cutting down soldiers as he needs to, trying to forget that they're his own men. Zuko sees Appa fly off towards the battlements, and they explode shortly after. The ground assault moves forward, and it seems that they're actually managing to push the Fire Nation's army back. Appa comes flying back down, Sokka on his back clad in his fierce warriors armor, looking every bit the commander of their assault.
"Listen up!" His voice raises over the sounds of battle around them. "I want the tanks in wedge formation, warriors and benders in the middle. We're taking that tower, and heading for the royal palace!" They take up their formation, Sokka sitting on Appa at the front with his sword brandished out in front of him. "Charge!"
They fight their way up towards the volcano, pushing Fire Nation soldiers back at every turn. Sokka's strategy is truly one of genius, and it allows them to travel up the side of the volcano without taking any damage from the fireballs flying their way. They're making good progress, and Sokka eventually dismounts from Appa and fights on the ground with him and Toph in the shelter of the large metal tanks. After what feels like hours, but is likely only minutes, Katara approaches them with Hakoda supported on her shoulder.
"Dad! You're on your feet again!" Sokka sounds delighted to see his father, and Zuko doesn't blame him; it looks like he had been hurt pretty badly.
"Thanks to your sister." He sits down, clearly still weak. "I'm in no shape to fight, but maybe there's a way I can help."
"Everythings going great, and the eclipse hasn't even started yet!" Sokka's plan has worked so far, and things seem to be looking up. Speaking of looking up—
"Katara, are you okay?" He sees her face pointed towards the sky, curious as to what she's looking at.
"Is that Aang?" The three men turn their heads up to see Aang flying towards them on his glider. He touches down in front of them looking sullen and dejected, and Zuko's stomach sinks.
"He wasn't there, was he?" Zuko was afraid of this; he had told Sokka that there was a chance that his father would be anticipating an attack, but Sokka had pointed out that this was their only hope to catch him, and they had to take the risk.
"Nobody was." Aang snaps his glider closed. "The entire palace city was empty."
"Shit," Sokka curses under his breath.
"He has a bunker." Everyone turns to Zuko as he speaks. "There's a handful of bunkers below the palace that he could have retreated to."
"I can get us in if we get close enough." Toph's ability to bend metal will never cease to amaze him.
"Wait!" Katara is looking between them all with wide eyes. "It could be a trap. Maybe we should use the time we have left to make sure everyone gets out safely."
"Everyone who came here today came prepared to risk everything," Hakoda interjects from where he sits. "They know the stakes."
"What do you think, Aang?" Sokka asks, and they all turn to look at the Avatar. "You're the one that has to face him."
"I've gotta try." Zuko has to commend the kid; at sixteen, he's already braver than most of the full grown men and women Zuko knows.
"Alright." Sokka nods and looks at his sister. "Katara, you stay here with dad. The rest of us will go to find the bunker." The four of them make their way towards Appa, but Zuko turns as someone grabs his arm.
"Zuko!" He looks down at Katara, her knuckles white where she grips his arm and her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Promise me you'll come back."
"Of course, Katara." The worry in her eyes makes his chest hurt. "I promise." She nods, and he's about to turn away when she gets up on her tiptoes and kisses him softly on the cheek.
"Go." She gently pushes him towards Appa, but his feet are cement blocks, and his eyes are wide as blood rushes to his face.
"Come on, lover boy!" Toph grabs his arm from behind and practically drags him onto Appa. He looks back at Katara once more before Appa jumps into the air and they head towards the palace.
"You're not going to be too distracted to fight, right?" Zuko has to physically shake his head to focus on Sokka's words.
"What?" His head is back on the ground with Katara, wishing he could have said or done something before he had to leave.
"Great." Sokka rolls his eyes. "I'm gonna have to have a talk with Katara about her timing."