"Seven years you assured me that I'd be fine if I complied. Only push the way off to fight you—
now I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm not sure. Getting off my chest; the story ends." Seven Years, Saosin
Xx
By the time they reach their destination, Zuko is back in the moment, determined to get all of this over and done with so he can go back to Katara and figure out what the hell just happened. Appa lands on the side of the volcano at Zuko's instruction; he knows that the most direct route to the bunkers will be through the tunnels under the volcano. They jump down from Appa and Toph puts her hands on the ground.
"Yup, there are a ton of natural tunnels running underneath the volcano, and a few big hunks of metal spaced out under the palace." She blasts a hole in the slanted ground beneath them, opening up a tunnel. "Let's go."
They charge through the tunnels, silent and determined as the air around them grows thick and hot. Zuko's heart is beating like a violent drum, and not just because he's running. The thought of encountering his father, of Aang having to fight him without mastering the Avatar state, of Toph and Sokka possibly running to their deaths alongside them; he realizes that these people really actually care about him. And he cares about them, too. He'd do whatever it took to get them all out of here alive, and that thought alone is enough to send him reeling.
"Alright." They slow down as Toph speaks. "There's an intersection up ahead that leads to three bunkers, all equidistant from that point. Two of the bunkers have only one person in them, and the other has a whole bunch of people in it. What should we do?" Zuko, Sokka, and Aang look between each other, trying to think of the best plan as they continue to jog towards the three way split.
"I think my father is arrogant enough that he won't believe he needs help." Zuko's breath comes heavy and hot in the stifling tunnel. "Plus, if we're lucky, he doesn't think we'll find him at all."
"Who would be in the other bunkers?" Contrary to Zuko, Aang's breathing is even and measured.
"Probably Azula by herself, and the other one I'm not sure. It's probably just a diversion, but still," he shrugs. Zuko knows what this means for them, and he hates that it's come to this.
"We have to split up." Sokka's voice is steady and commanding, every bit the leader his father is. "Toph and I will take the full bunker; if it's just a diversion, we need one of you two to find Ozai." They come upon the split, Toph motioning to Sokka with a tilt of her head towards the corridor to their left. "Good luck. We've got five minutes until the full eclipse; if your bunker doesn't hold Oazi, come back and choose a different one. He's our top priority." The three men nod to each other, and Toph and Sokka head towards their destination.
"I'll take the one on the right." Aang's eyes are stones, unbreakable and unmovable, a stark contrast to the usual brightness and mirth swimming in them. Zuko nods, and before he can turn around Aang embraces him quickly, and he returns the hug without thinking.
"If it's Azula, come to my bunker immediately. Don't even engage with her. You got this Aang."
They each take a deep breath, break apart, turn around, and sprint away from each other.
Zuko runs at full speed towards the bunker; whoever's in there doesn't matter so much to him, but time is running out for Aang. He secretly hopes it's Azula; he knows that she isn't nearly as skilled as him in close combat, and with the eclipse rendering their bending useless, there's a chance he could take her down. And then what? He ignores the question as he keeps running. He'll just incapacitate her and then… something. I'll figure it out.
After a few minutes he comes upon a set of huge metal doors, and takes a deep breath before pushing one of them with all his might, the hulking thing moving slowly forward before he can step in to face…
His father. Shit. He can't run away; he has to keep Ozai here until Aang shows up. Every nerve in his body wants him to flee, and as the metal door closes loudly behind him, he tries not to think that this might be the end for him.
"Zuko." Ozai drawls, his voice both ice and fire all at once, sending a shiver down Zuko's spine as a thin layer of cold sweat starts to form on his body. "What could a pathetic traitor like you be doing here?"
Despite his nervousness, his voice is steady. "I'm here now fighting alongside the Avatar to take you down." Ozai's eyes narrow dangerously as he stands from his seat.
"You weak little—"
"Sit down and shut up!" he growls at Ozai, whose face is painted with shock at Zuko's command. "For too long I've let you control my life." He pulls his twin swords out of the sheath on his back, brandishing them menacingly in front of him. "But I won't any more. You burned half my face off and banished me, a child, for standing up for our soldiers, for people who risk their lives to protect this nation! You're not fit to be Fire Lord; you're cruel and a sadist, and the people of this world despise you!" Ozai's face is contorted with rage, and Zuko fights through his fear to continue. "I've been all over the world in the past seven years, and there isn't one person out there who hasn't been burned by this nation, literally and figuratively. If you stay on the throne, the world will destroy itself. You've managed to turn the people of this world against each other, when they should be turning against you."
Ozai has the audacity to chuckle, the strange broken noise making Zuko shudder. "You have some nerve coming here after so long, and on the wrong side, at that. You will die here, and your little friends and the Avatar will die with the blessing of Sozin's comet as the world burns around them. I should never have spared your pathetic life; death would be kinder to you than the dishonor you'd face as a result of this treason. But I am a merciful father, and I am willing to spare you the dishonor, and give you a swift death in its place." The eclipse must still be a minute away, and Ozai uses this last moment to windmill his arms and conjure lightning. Zuko sheaths his swords and breaths deep, remembering what his uncle taught him. I can do this. A powerful bolt is released from Ozai's fingertips straight at Zuko, but his father is not expecting Zuko to catch it. The electricity feels fuzzy and foreign travelling along his chi, and his mind screams at him to get it out, get it out! But he stays focused, guiding the energy down into his stomach, and out of his opposite hand. The bolt strikes the ground right in front of Ozai, sending him flying backwards and slamming against the far wall with a loud thump. Zuko's breaths are ripping from his throat, the strange fuzzy feeling lingering in his body in the wake of the electricity. Ozai looks unconscious, and Zuko decides that his best bet is to go find Aang; the eclipse must be moments away from starting, and the Avatar needs to fight his father now.
The huge metal doors don't seem as heavy as adrenaline floods his veins, pushing him down the corridor faster than he ever thought he could run. He gets almost back to the intersection of the three hallways before he sees Aang barrelling towards him.
"Aang!" Zuko doesn't even bother to say anything else; he rapidly changes his direction, his shoes sliding on the floor for just a second before he gets his grip and sprints back towards the bunker. Aang whooshes towards him on an air scooter, yanking Zuko's arm to pull him up onto his back. He feels the joint pop— the adrenaline still coursing through his body dulls the pain, his now limp arm letting him know that it's dislocated, but it's the furthest thing from his mind as they swiftly approach the metal door to his father's bunker. The air scooter disappears underneath them, and Zuko stumbles as he rights himself and moves towards the door that Aang is pushing open. They enter the bunker, ready and willing to fight, but Ozai is gone.
"What!" Zuko's voice is shrill, his heart beating wildly in his chest. "He was just here!"
"Damn it!" He's never heard Aang swear, and he thinks that he probably never will again. "Where did he go?!" Think, Zuko, think…
"Who was in the other bunker?" A sinking feeling makes a home in the pit of his stomach as he realizes his mistake.
"Azula. Why does that matter?" Aang growls, fury etched into every line of his face.
"Fuck." Zuko pushes his hair off of his face with his still working arm, the other starting to ache even as he speaks. "She probably brought the Dai Li with her. After you left her bunker she must have sent them here. Fuck!" His breathing turns harsh and sharp, "I shouldn't have left him, I should have stayed and—"
"Zuko." Aang is in front of him and lays a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. Azula would have sent the Dai Li regardless, and then you would have been captured." He's right, as much as Zuko hates to admit it; he can't put all of the blame on himself. "We should have thought of this beforehand."
"You're right, but there's nothing we can do now. What do you want to do?" This is Aang's destiny, and Zuko leaves it up to him to decide where to go from here.
The boy lets out a labored breath. "Let's go find Sokka and Toph. The eclipse is almost over, and the Dai Li could have taken Ozai anywhere; he's probably long gone." They turn and head out the monolith doors, leaving the empty metal cavern and their hopes of winning the day behind them as they run towards the last bunker.
As they approach, the sounds of battle reach their ears, and no words are needed as they speed up in tandem, racing towards the sounds of shouting and clanking metal. The scene they come upon in the last bunker is chaotic, to say the least. Toph is single-handedly fighting at least fifty men, incredibly holding her own even though blood has soaked through her tunic from a point on her right side. Aang springs into action to assist her as Zuko looks around trying to find Sokka; there's no way he would have left Toph to fight alone unless there was a good reason, or he was too injured, or— don't even go there, Zuko. He runs through the sea of soldiers, some already unconscious or dead on the ground, some still fighting as he cuts them down with his sword, only to come upon a strange space in the middle of the fight.
Inside of the mostly empty circle stands Sokka, his wolf helmet nowhere to be seen. He sports a gash deep enough on his arm to bleed through the thick hide draped over his shoulder, and a few other sizable red spots staining his tunic as he faces off against none other than a mangled Admiral Zhao. His jaw looks wonky, and he's favoring his left side as he and Sokka fight. Sokka charges at him again and again, fluidly evading the weak fire that Zhao throws at him; he has Zhao on the ropes, much more blood stained and dripping from him than Sokka, his movements stunted and uncoordinated. He leaves himself open for a brief moment, but it's long enough for Sokka to bury his black sword into Zhao's chest. The Admiral coughs a small spurt of blood, and Sokka uses his foot to shove Zhao off of his sword and onto the floor, his wide amber eyes unblinking as blood pools from his mouth.
Zuko rushes forward, not caring about the men he slices at with his sword, doing his best to shield his useless arm as he approaches a paralyzed Sokka.
"Sokka!"
The other man looks at him with dead eyes, his hair undone from it's normal pulled back style, looking disheveled and slick with sweat. Zuko sheaths his sword as he takes Sokka's hand. He understands the daze he's in; he had felt it when he killed for the first time as well.
"Let's go." He tugs Sokka gently at first to get his feet going beneath him, and then they start running towards Aang and Toph, who are doing a fair job holding their own against the soldiers. They both sense Zuko and Sokka approaching them and running straight past them for the large doors, and follow closely behind, blocking the door off with a massive slab of stone behind them.
"I'm gonna assume that you didn't get the Fire Lord?" Toph is starting to lag behind, the red stain on her tunic growing darker and larger, and Aang helps her up onto his back. She winces at the pain, clutching Aang as tightly as she can without choking him.
"No." Aang doesn't elaborate.
They race back out the way they came, running into bright, blinding sunlight when they exit. They help each other onto Appa's back; the only one without blood on them is Aang, but Zuko can't tell which spots are their own blood and what belongs to other people. They fly back to the others in silence, Sokka sitting next to Zuko in a daze, empty eyes staring straight ahead as they soar through the air. Zuko makes a silent promise to Sokka that they'll talk later as he squeezes his uninjured shoulder. They land back down with the rest of the invasion force; Aang lifts Toph as gently as he can onto the ground as Sokka and Zuko disembark, and sharp pain flares in his injured shoulder upon landing.
"Oh, Spirits!"
Katara hurdles forward, immediately coating her hands in water to heal Toph, who is definitely the worst off between them all. The other three stand in silence, and Aang shakes his head slowly at Hakoda who stands behind Katara. He looks at Sokka, and understanding falls upon his face; Hakoda is a warrior, and Zuko has no doubt that he's had his fair share of difficult kills. Not difficult in terms of the fight, but difficult in terms of staring into a person's eyes as you take their life, whether out of revenge or necessity, neither being easier than the other. He walks over to Sokka and puts a comforting hand on his shoulder, no words passing between the two to convey the emotions Zuko knows are flooding Sokka's mind.
It's clear that they did not succeed— nobody needs to voice the disappointment clouding the group. Another Water Tribe warrior runs up to them, alarm on his face.
"They're going to destroy the submarines!" Hokoda's face falls for just a moment before he schools his features.
"How are we all going to get out?" Katara asks, having moved to her brother to heal his injuries with her glowing water.
"We aren't.' Hakoda's voice is hard and has taken on the tone of a man leading an army. "You all have to leave." Katara's head whips up, and even Sokka turns to look at his father with downturned brows.
"No!" Katara's eyes fill with tears as she loses her concentration on healing Sokka, the water she had been using splashing onto the ground. "We won't leave you all! We can't!"
"You have to." Hakoda braces both his hands on Katara's shoulders. "You kids are our only hope to win this war. We'll surrender; we'll go to jail, but we'll survive." He looks at Zuko, Toph, and Aang. "Get yourselves somewhere safe. It wasn't our day today, but that day is coming. We tasted victory, and that counts for something." Hakoda pulls his children in for a hug, and Zuko turns away from the intimate moment, putting his hand on Aang's shoulder.
"We'll get him, Aang." The boy looks up at him, unshed tears in his wide gray eyes.
"We have to." The weight of all his years is evident in the Avatar's voice, and Zuko gives his shoulder an affectionate squeeze.
They all pile onto Appa with Zuko's arm still hanging limp by his side, the pain getting more intense by the second. They all have a last look at the invasion force as Appa takes off, and Zuko thinks that he's never seen a group of people more honorable and brave then the invasion force, except for the four others sitting in Appa's saddle.
"Zuko?" He turns towards Katara, wincing as pain lances through his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"Oh, my shoulder is dislocated." Her mouth drops open in shock.
"Why didn't you say anything!" She rushes over and sits across from him in the lotus position, close enough that their knees are touching. "You must be in so much pain, you should have told me sooner!"
"I mean," he shrugs with his other shoulder, "you were kind of busy." She shoots him a look that he reads as "you're a dumbass but you're also right," and lifts the hand of his dislocated arm onto her shoulder. He clenches his teeth against the pain, and her face turns apologetic.
"I'm sorry, I know it hurts." She coats her hands with water and starts massaging his bicep. "I'm gonna massage your muscles so that your shoulder can pop itself back into place. It won't hurt, but it'll definitely feel weird when it pops back in." He tries to listen to what she's saying, but her proximity and the feeling of her massaging his arm makes it very, very difficult.
"Where are we going?" Toph asks the group in general, but Aang is the one who answers.
"The Western Air Temple. We should be safe there and have a chance to lay low and form a new plan."
They travel in silence for a while, Katara continuing to massage Zuko's bicep and shoulder to relax the muscles. He's glad that she hadn't asked him to take his shirt off; her hands are distracting enough, and if they were on his bare skin he's worried that he would unintentionally embarrass himself. As it is he keeps having to remind himself that this is strictly to heal him, there's no reason for him to get flustered. Even if her hair smells good and she keeps licking her lips and she's so damn close—
"Are you feeling any pain?" Katara's voice is soft, her blue eyes full of concern. Don't kiss her, don't kiss her, don't kiss her—
"No, actually." He is surprised by that; whenever he had dislocated his shoulder in the past, whoever had been treating him had just shoved it back into place, and that definitely hurt.
"Good. I've never actually done this before, so I'm glad it's working."
"What, so I'm your guinea pig?" he teases, and she looks up at him with a smirk, his insides fluttering at the shrewd look in her eye.
"Yes, actually." There's something in her voice, something definitely flirty and warm and— Agni, I think I'm going to die if she keeps looking at me like that.
They fly for some time, the sun lowering towards the horizon as they go, the day of black sun coming to a close. He wonders what they'll do now, where they'll go from here, and about what lies ahead for their little group. Agni kisses the horizon as the Western Air Temple comes into view in the distance, its beautiful and strange architecture bathed in a warm orange glow, their temporary home growing closer with every moment.