As it turned out… Having the help of the Avatar when trying to raid a whole factory was in fact… A really really good thing.
It was easy for Zuko to climb up to his entrance on the roof… not quite as easy for Katara and Aang used his air bending to quickly propel Katara up there.
Ones they were inside the factory Katara started to feel faint… Zuko couldn't really blame her that much. This was hot for him and he was a fire bender! When even he was sweating then it had to be hell from the girl who had grown up on the south pole!
Zuko was purposeful though, leading them to the infirmary first where they opened up the cabinets to be faced with what remained of medicines.
Quickly they each grabbed their own bag and just started to fill them up until not one single bandage nor jar of salve was left and then they all snook out with each their bag over their shoulder unto the cafeteria and the back room where sacks of rise were waiting for them as well as gallons of clean water… Clearly because no one should be drinking the water from the river and lake right next to the factory.
Aang and Zuko put their hands against the backwall and started to heat up the metal until it was molten hot and started to melt creating a big hole to the outside world.
When the hole was big enough Katara raised her arms cooling their new escape down so it was safe to use.
And then they went to work first throwing their bags of medicine out there and then grabbing the bags of rice to get them out through the hole.
They were about half way done as a shout came from the cafeteria.
"Hey! I think someone is in there!"
"Who's there?!"
All three stiffened and they looked up then Zuko spoke.
"You two keep going. I'll distract them." Zuko said as he pulled down his mask and stood up.
"Wait." Aang whispered.
"What?" Zuko asked.
"Let me help you a bit along." Aang asked. "Without me being seen of course but you know… We're spirits right?"
Zuko nodded. "Okay. Just stay out of sight and then when I am gone you help Katara. I'll meet you outside."
"Got it." Katara said as Zuko headed to the door and true enough saw two men approaching and then slowly.
Slowly Zuko stepped out revealing himself from the shadows.
The two men halted.
"What in the?" A man asked.
Zuko felt it. A wind coming from behind him… Aangs wind and the two men held up their hands. Slowly they lowered their hands and Zuko just stood. Half covered in shadows.
And then… The room temperature started to drop. Zuko didn't have to look behind to know that Aang and Katara was working together putting their hands on the floor sending the cold with the metal flooring out in the room.
The two men started to shiver as they wrapped their arms around themselves. Mist started to escape their lips.
"Ho-How?!" One asked. "We are melting Iron the next room over!"
"I..I….I…" The other gasped and then Zuko came. He ran straight for the two poor men who gasped and Zuko jumped up in their air. Then made a round kick sending them both to each their side and ran through the door.
The two gasped as they sat up. "AFTER HIM!" one shouted only for the other to scramble up.
"Dude that was the dark water spirit!" He gasped. "It has to be! Only a spirit would be able to..."
"Pull yourself together dumbass!" The first one grabbed his shirt. "There is no such things as spirits! They are just legends told be such savage nations as water tribes and air nomads! It's just a dude! LET'S GO!" and he pulled his terrified friend with him.
Aang blinked as he turned to Katara. "Fire nation don't believe spirits are real?"
"Obviously most of them lack respect for spirits. I mean hello. Zhao." Katara reminded Aang.
"We need to ask Zuko about this." Aang concluded. "But first after we are done with this!" he stated as he grabbed a bag of rice and they both worked to get it all out there.
Swiftly Zuko moved through the halls as he heard the factory workers scream right behind him and of course getting even more attention as people started to step out of their sleeping quarters and blink confused.
"DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!" one screamed as Zuko turned and ran into another hallway and then jumped up to lodge himself up on the ceiling just for the men to run in and wide-eyed looked around.
"Where… Where did he go?" One asked.
"Dude I told you! It's a freaking spirit! Just don't."
And just then Zuko jumped over their heads and back into the hall they came from gaining momentum before anyone managed to turn around to see what was going on.
Finally Zuko found his way into the main factory which was a much larger open space and allowed him better opportunities to slip away as he could climb upwards towards the open hatches above.
He had made his way up to a support beam in the ceiling as someone pointed. "THERE! There he is!"
"Someone do something! Shoot him down or I don't know!"
"Wait! CLOSE THE HATCHES!" Another yelled and people ran to chains hanging from the ceiling pulling in them and Zuko gasped as slowly the hatches started to close.
Swiftly he ran towards the nearest one… Come on! Come on! He reached up a hand and… It was to late. The hatch was closed shut.
Damn.
Zuko looked left and right and then ran another way with people following. Above the motel iron that painted the room it is warm orange light.
Zuko dropped down on the floor rolled around and ran the other way.
"I HAVE AN IDEA!" Came the yell from one of the workers.
What that idea was Zuko didn't know as he was looking for an exit. The way he had come from was blocked. Obviously… There had to be something and then suddenly…
Zuko looked up. Above was what looked like a giant container of molten steel and it was positioned right above him and then… It started to tip.
Zukos eyes widened. They were going to pour molten metal right over him!
Zuko looked to the left and then the right, guards coming… He was blocked off.
He felt the heat of the steel above him and then he gasped… heat… Fire… Was heat… He remembered how it felt. Absorbing fire itself… The energy that was heat and he took a stance.
And then… A rain of molten steel that looked like it covered the masked figure standing there.
People were gasping as the bright hot steel poured and hit the floor and then as it was done… Only to reveal a cocoon of steel that looked like it was protecting the masked man inside.
And inside Zuko was gasping as his body was burning hot. He had absorbed the heat of the steel coming at him and it had created this cocoon.
Then he put his hands on his steel cocoon and released the heat back out, melting the side allowing Zuko to step out and the guards who watched was screeching.
Still with the bit Zuko had released it still wasn't enough. He was still filled to the brim with this massive heat. And he put his hand on the machine next to him… And it became a bright orange colour as the metal itself started to melt.
The factory men all screamed as they stumbled back and Zuko took a step. Stepping in the molten steel on the floor that all froze as he sucked the heat out of it into his own body. Only to spread out his arms to both sides. Touching both machines releasing the heat as he walked forward. Leaving two lines of bright red molten metal where his hands touched.
Using himself as a conduit Zuko was taking the heat from the steel on the floor and put it into the machines that started to protest and complain. And the guards and workers were stumbling backwards as they screeched.
"I told you! I told you!" One yelled. "IT'S A SPIRIT!" and they all yelled as he they turned and ran for dear life.
Zuko gasped… All of this heat. It was too much and he ran to the wall where he put his hands unto it melting a hole in the wall. Barely had the hole been created before Zuko just ran as fast as he could to the cliff and jumped, one long swan dive into the muddy waters below and the moment he hit releasing a giant cloud of pure steam followed with an amazing hissing noise.
Zuko gasped as he tried to come back up but felt himself being dragged down… No-No-No! Desperately he tried to reach up a hand that barely broke the surface and then… It was grabbed.
And Zuko felt himself being pulled up by one air bender flying on his glider and then deposit him on the shore where Zuko was left coughing as he ripped off his mask to clear his air ways. "How…. How did you?" Zuko asked.
"I saw you jump." Aang gasped. "That was scary. Why did you do that?"
"Had to...Had to cool down. Too much heat." Zuko tried to explain.
Just then Katara came skating down as well using her water bending to create a slide and landed in front of them. "Zuko what…" Katara began but didn't get to say anymore as Zuko headed directly for the ice and laid down on it making it start to melt under him.
"He said he needed to cool down… Really bad." Aang informed.
"Oh." Katara blinked. "Why exactly…"
"Do you guys remember when I absorbed fire to spit it back out?" Zuko asked and they both nodded. "Well it was like that… But with the heat from the molten iron and steel."
Aang and Katara's eyes both widened and Zuko sighed. "I managed to destroy a lot of the machinery in there." he said. "If you block the pipes now. That factory is going to be done for."
Katara and Aang both nodded. "We got it." Aang said. "You just rest okay. We'll be back for you."
Zuko nodded and kept laying on the ice as he watched the other two going to work, raising the waters and sending the slush back up the pipes. Zuko glanced up at the factory and saw the smoke starting to escape it as well as small silhouettes of people running while the factory itself started to crumble and Zuko exhaled deeply as he closed his eyes… Good. They were fine now.
As the trio slowly returned to camp Zuko hopelessly tried to rid himself from the mud though he already knew this required clean water and soup. "Urggh." he groaned.
"It'll be okay. With a bit of water bending I'll clean you right up." Katara assured. "Just need some of the clean water at camp."
"Thanks." Zuko hissed. "So what happened to the food and medicine?"
"We hid it." Katara assured.
"I made a big hole in the ground we could dump it into and then covered it again." Aang grinned. "We can get it later."
"Good." Zuko groaned deeply.
"So erhm…" Aang halted. "Is it true the fire nation don't believe in spirits?" he asked. "Don't you guys worship Agni like the water tribes worship Tui and La?" he asked.
"Oh." Zuko looked at Aang. "Well… We used too." he said. "Uncle taught me about it." he admitted. "There was a time where the fire nation would be very respectful towards the spirits. The fire sages as well would be a group separate from the royal line solely dedicated to the worships of spirits. And as the Avatar is the bridge between the human and the spirit world. He would be a holy figure for them." he said. "How-ever when Sozin rose to power he could not tolerate that there would be any authority higher than him. People needed to worship him rather than the spirits, so this worship was banned and eventually dwindled. Some people still do it in secret of course. Like the people in the fishing village worshipping their guardian. But they are not supposed to. The fire lord is supposed to be the highest authority of the land and people are supposed to worship him. Not the spirits."
"Oh." Aang blinked as he looked up at Zuko. "Do you intend to continue that practise?"
"Hell no." Zuko exclaimed. "I saw La on his rampage all right. With my own eyes. Obviously spirits are real and needs to be respected. I mean Agni. I bet they are pissed enough at the fire nation all ready! No wonder Roku just destroyed a temple that had ones been for spirit worship. The place itself had become a joke!"
"You mean… The big volcano thing I destroyed?" Aang asked.
"Well you looked a lot like Roku at that time." Zuko defended himself. "Aren't you and Roku the same person anyway? Isn't that how this works?"
"Well yeah." Aang admitted.
Zuko groaned as he ran his hair through his muddy hair. "Another thing to add to the list." he muttered. "End the war. Change school curriculum. Stop factories from destroying our own country. Rebuild some temples and re-direct peoples worship to where it's supposed to go." and he groaned deeply.
Katara smirked then shook her head. "It'll be okay Zuko. We're going to help you." she assured. "What-ever you need. We'll be here for you."
Zuko blinked as he turned to Katara. "Oh." he said. "That… That means a lot. Thank you." he said just as they stepped unto camp.
"And where have you three been?!"
All three halted as they suddenly faced an angry looking Sokka standing there with crossed arms and a pouty looking Toph.
"Erhm." Zuko halted.
"So it was you three!" Sokka exclaimed. "You three brought the village water, food and medicine!" he exclaimed.
"Well actually it was just those two. I just figured out today." Aang smirked embarrassed. "But I did help destroy the factory."
"You did what?!" Sokka asked.
"You said it yourself! The factory was the problem so we destroyed it!" Katara said.
"Are you insane?!" Sokka asked. "That factory is part of the fire nation military. You think they are just going to let that go?!" he asked. "Soldiers are going to come here now looking for who-ever sabotaged that factory!"
The three gaped as their eyes widened.
"And we can not afford being spotted here!" Sokka exclaimed. "If you or you get recognised." he pointed at Aang and Zuko. "Azula will be back on our tails in days. And the military will be here looking for us."
"But Sokka!" Katara began.
"I told you all ready didn't I?" Sokka asked. "The best way to help these people would be to defeat the Fire Lord and put Zuko on the throne so he can fix it! Now we have to leave before the entire place is crawling with military." he said. "Now help me pack up so we can leave before sunrise!" he asked and they both gasped.
Then Zuko looked up. "No." he said.
"What?" Sokka turned to him.
"I said no." Zuko said. "I'm sorry but… Sokka. Don't you understand. In Ba Sing Se… I embraced the title of Prince." he said. "I wore the crown meant for the crown Prince of the fire nation. I presented myself as Prince Zuko." he said. "I allowed Zhau-Li to serve me… He really believed he was serving a real prince. The refuges back then all treated me with respect, because they believed the same thing. That means I owe it them to be that person! All of that… Taking that title. Trying to become fire lord. That means I have a responsibility Sokka." he said. "To these people." he said reaching out an arm. "If I just pass by them without helping just to safe my own hide. I am no better than the Fire Lord or Azula." he said. "This problem was caused by the current Fire Lord! I know it's dangerous and stupid but…" he swallowed. "I just can't… Sokka. Especially not now if soldiers are coming and it's my fault." he said. "Listen. None of you have to be a part of this any more. You can move on with Appa. We can meet at the rendezvous before the eclipse with the others. But I can't leave until I know these people are all right…. I can't call myself a prince of the fire nation and then just leave fire nation Citizens like that. If I leave now… I will have no right to call myself a prince or claim the title of Fire Lord."
Zuko halted as he swallowed a breath all wide-eyed looked at him as he just stood there dripping in mud gasping for breath.
"I… I'm sorry." Zuko whispered.
Then Katara stepped forward. "I'm not just going to leave Zuko here! If he stays. I stay."
"Yeah. Me too!" Aang exclaimed.
Toph sighed deeply. "Dammit. Me too." she muttered.
And Sokka groaned as he rubbed his forehead. "Darn you are making me look like the bad guy here."
"Sokka.." Katara tried.
"No… Listen." Sokka said. "Of course I'm not going to just leave the group. I still think the smartest move would be the move on and don't risk it." he said. "But I can see why this is important to you guys. I am not happy about it… I'm voting against it. But I am not going to just leave you guys hanging. So fine." he sighed deeply. "We're staying."
"SOKKA!" Katara cried happily as she threw herself at her brother hugging him and Zuko smiled.
"Thank you." Zuko whispered.
"On one condition though." Sokka commented as he glanced at Zuko. "Dude you need to take a bath."
And Zuko groaned. "I know." he muttered.