Chapter 14: Escaping the Abbey

Zuko walked back up the beach, back through the forest, and onto the main road that circled south of the Abbey before splitting off to the north. He walked for about half the day before he felt compelled to rest at the side of the road. That's when he saw the tracks.

They were very large, deep set, and tipped with claw marks. There was something about them, something familiar. A vision popped into Zuko's head; a woman, black hair, with tattoos and a whip.

He groaned aloud before muttering, "June."

He looked to where the tracks were headed, though he'd already guessed their destination. The Abbey.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Out loud he said, "You could keep going. It's not your problem. Besides Aang can deal with a bounty hunter; he'll be fine."

He then thought June and his knowledge of her methods, her handiwork, and her general reputation in the bounty hunting business.

Zuko shook his head and stood up. "He's doomed."

He began jogging back the way he came.

He didn't have to sprint for long before he ran into the last people he expected. Bato, Sokka, and Katara were walking along the path towards him; no sign of Aang or Appa.

Bato and Sokka's hands shot towards their weapons when they saw a running figure, but pulled away when they realised it was Zuko.

Zuko stopped, hands on his knees. He gasped, "Where's the Avatar?"

Sokka and Katara's faces were both stern. Sokka cried out, "Who cares? Heading north probably. Alone! Which is what he deserves after lying to us about—"

Zuko waved him off. "Doesn't matter, I don't care. He's in trouble."

Katara frowned. "What sort of trouble? We've only been gone less than an hour."

Zuko said, "Bounty hunter, dangerous one."

Sokka shook his head. He said dismissively, "He's the Avatar. I'm sure he can handle it."

He started to walk away. Zuko shook his head. "Whatever. I'll help him. Thought you people were supposed to be his friends."

He took off running again, leaving Sokka and Katara with guilty expressions.

Sokka and Katara stared at each other for a long moment after Zuko took off. A silent agreement was reached.

Sokka sighed. "Bato, we can't go with you. We need to finish what we started and help Aang."

Katara nodded in agreement.

Bato sighed as well. "I know you do. I know your Dad would be proud of you both for this. I'll be sure to let him know I've seen you and what's happening."

He reached into his bag and passed Sokka the rendezvous information. "Here, take this. I know where I'm heading. If you get the chance, head to that location. I don't know how long we'll be there, but I'll try to leave you a clue of where we're headed next."

Sokka clasped wrists with the older warrior. "Thanks, Bato."

Katara hugged the man and echoed the sentiment. Then they nodded to one another and took off running after Zuko.

Inexplicably, Zuko beats the shirshu to the Abbey. He hurriedly searches the building before finding Aang and Appa in the rear courtyard. The Avatar appeared to be petting the sky bison and talking in a low voice.

The boy looked up when he heard Zuko's approach. "Lee? I thought—I thought you left."

Zuko clearly heard the unsaid 'like Sokka and Katara'. Ignoring that he said, "Aang, you need to leave. Now."

Aang frowned. "What? Why?"

"Bounty hunter. She's tracking you. I found signs of her on the north road, heading this way."

"Well, how do you know she's looking for me?"

Zuko raised his single eyebrow. "Aang, you're the biggest game out here. Trust me, there's no other reason she'd be here. She's after you. I only beat Nyla here because I knew where you were."

"Nyla? Is that the bounty hunter?"

"No, it's her pet shirshu."

"Her what?"

Zuko waved his hands. "Doesn't matter. You need to leave before she gets here. Shirshus can paralyse their prey. It's how June captures bounties. She gets here, and you don't get the chance to escape."

Aang nodded. "Okay. Okay. You're coming with me, right?"

Zuko opened his mouth to say 'no'. Then he saw the absolutely defeated look on the young boy's face and his heart twists.

Zuko struggled to remember being as young and as carefree as Aang; he wasn't sure he ever truly was. But he knew what it was like, to be young and alone. To want so desperately to have someone there that it leads to trusting the wrong type of people. You'd let people do some pretty terrible things to you, just to avoid being alone.

He shook the thought away and resolved himself with being the right kind of person in the Avatar's life.

He said, "Yeah, sure. Let's go."

They were so close.

Zuko was just about to climb into the saddle when he heard, "Hope you're not trying to poach my bounty, Lee."

That's when he felt all the muscles in his body freeze. He dropped to the stone floor with a thud. He heard Aang cry out and assumed that he'd also been paralysed by Nyla's venomous tongue.

June appeared in his field of vision. She nodded to him, amiably. "Lee." She greeted.

Zuko was unable to respond verbally, but he did his best to glare at the bounty hunter.

She shook her head. "You're always so grumpy. You're gonna give yourself wrinkles and then where will you be? Scarred and wrinkled."

He watched as she turned away. He heard her say, "So, I've lived up to my end. Your turn, Sideburns."

He frowned at the nickname. Then his fears were confirmed when Zhao's voice could be heard.

"Yes, quite." There was a clinking, as if made by heavy coin-purse. "Your money, hunter."

"Thanks, honey. Be sure to call if you need any more help with catching kids. Not my usual gig, but I can't argue with the pay-out."

Zuko heard boots approached. Then Zhao appeared above him, sneering down.

"Well, well, if it isn't the deserter. You're finally where you belong." He kicked dust into Zuko's face. "At my feet."

Zuko glared, his temper flaring. If he could move, he'd be setting Zhao's stupid sideburns alight.

Wait, Zuko thought. There was something there… A memory. He struggled to dig it out of his mind.

Something to do with poison and Firebending. There was something there. If only he could—

Lu Ten. That was it.

When Zuko was seven-years-old, Cousin Lu Ten had told him a story about a talented Firebender who'd been bitten by a deadly serpent. Fearing death, the Firebender had ignited his chi lines and managed to purge the poison from his body, thus saving his life.

Zuko had never heard of another Firebender trying this. He didn't know if it was real. But, if it didn't work, he and Aang would be at the mercy of the Fire Lord.

And Zuko knew, without one shadow of a doubt, that the Fire Lord had no mercy.

He closed his eyes and tried to focus on his inner flame and where it branched out into his chi lines. He began stoking the flame, building it up higher and higher. Then, with a long exhale, he allowed the heat to spread along his chi pathways, igniting them. He gasped and felt his muscles begin to spasm.

He heard June say, "Is he having a seizure or something?"

Then everything went dark.

Sokka and Katara paused as they entered the grounds of the Abbey, ducking low behind the bushes. They watched as a pair of Fire Nation soldiers patrolled the perimeter.

He slowly reached behind his back and retrieved his boomerang. He took a second to judge the angles, and then threw it, hard. It ricocheted between the two soldiers, colliding with their helmets and knocking them unconscious.

They scurried out of the bushes, Sokka scooping up his boomerang as they ran past it.

They could hear Zhao talking, congratulating himself on capturing the Avatar. They followed the voice until the reached a courtyard at the back of the Abbey.

They arrived just in time to hear a woman say, "Is he having a seizure or something?"

That's when Sokka burst into the courtyard, screaming. "AAAAHHHH!"

Katara quickly followed, water whipping out and knocking a pair of soldiers to the floor. She hurriedly looked around and saw Aang laid down beside a twitching and struggling Appa.

"Aang!" She ran over to him and sat him up against Appa's side. The Airbender's eyes were moving rapidly, panicked, but the rest of his body was completely still.

She looked over to see Lee passed out on the floor and her brother dodging Firebenders. She lashed out with her water whip, taking down another soldier.

"SOKKA!"

Her brother glanced across at her and ran over, dodging fire left and right. That's when she felt a low grumble beside her and Appa stood up, having shook off whatever was troubling him.

She reached down and tried to heave Aang up the bison's side and into the saddle. Sokka appeared at her side and helped her. As soon as Aang was in the saddle, Appa turned and lashed out with his tail, buying them some time.

Sokka shouted, "Where's Lee?"

Katara looked over and saw that Lee had disappeared. She shook her head at him.

She said, "Sokka, we need to go!"

He looked torn, but eventually nodded. They climbed onto Appa's back.

Sokka yelled, "Appa, yip yip."

The sky bison heaved himself into the air, sending Fire Nation soldiers reeling. As they rose higher, they could see where Lee had gone.

Zuko's eyes snapped open and he sat up gasping for air. He shook his head, trying to focus his eye onto anything, everything. He forced himself to his feet and clumsily drew his swords.

He lashed out at a nearby soldier, taking his hand off at the wrist. The Firebender cried out and collapsed to the floor, blood spewing out of his stump of a wrist. Zuko turned around and his eyes fell on Zhao.

The Admiral was advancing on Katara and Sokka, who were struggling to get Aang into Appa's saddle.

Zuko reached around to the small of his back and drew a throwing knife. The feel of it brought memories of a pretty, dark-haired Noble's daughter. He dismissed the thoughts, even as he launched the knife at Zhao.

It hit the Admiral in the shoulder blade, slipping between a gap in his armour. Zhao roared in pain and turned, eyes narrowing when he saw Zuko standing there, swords drawn.

The older Firebender launched a devastating series of attacks, causing Zuko to go on the defensive. The former Prince turned and ducked through an archway, Zhao quickly following.

Zuko turned back suddenly, swords crossed in front of his body. The Admiral skidded to a halt and lashed out with a round kick that trailed fire. Zuko ducked under the kick and slashed towards Zhao's face.

The Admiral dodged out of the way, but only just.

Zhao spat, "I may have lost the Avatar today, but I'll still deliver your charred corpse to the Fire Lord!"

Zuko looked up and grinned. He said, "Good luck with that."

Appa's tail swept down and blew Zhao back into the courtyard. A rope fell from the saddle. Zuko grabbed it and wrapped it tight around his wrist.

A voice shouted, "Hey, Kid!"

Zuko turned to see June leaning against an arch, Nyla by her side. She raised an eyebrow. "No hard feelings, right?"

Despite himself, Zuko couldn't help but smirk. He shouted, "No hard feelings."

She grinned back before mounting the shirshu and hurrying from the scene. Zuko was swept into the air by the ascending sky bison.

He looked down to see smoke and fire ravaging the Abbey. He closed his eyes and hoped that the nuns got away and escaped Zhao's inevitable rampage.

They were sat in the saddle, all of them. Appa was just drifting between clouds, letting the wind carry him further and further north.

Eventually Zuko cleared his throat and sat up a little. He said awkwardly, "I guess you should just, you know, let me off down there… somewhere?"

The others frowned at him. Aang said, "You're not coming with us?"

Sokka added, "Kind of assumed that you were coming with, after the whole 'hurrying back to save Aang' thing. Even if me and Katara did most of the actual rescuing."

The Water Tribe siblings high-fived. It made Zuko thing about Azula, though they'd never shared so close a relationship.

He said, "I, uh, didn't think anything had changed, you know. I'm still, well, I'm a Firebender."

Katara said, "Lee, or Zuko—whatever you want to be called, you've saved our lives so many times by this point. I think we can trust you."

Zuko ducked his head. "Thanks, guys."

Sokka reached over and patted his shoulder. "No problem, Jerkbender."

Zuko scowled. "Call me that again and I throw you off the bison."

Sokka grinned. "Nah, you like us too much."

Zuko sighed. "Okay, Aang, you can definitely drop me off here."

The Avatar laughed. So did Sokka and Katara. Zuko cracked a smile.