Yo, what's up. Yes, I took a break from this story for a while but we're back. I'll be responding to reviews so if you guys liked the chapter and have criticisms or questions you'd like to ask then feel free to leave a review. Either way, enjoy.

Chapter 5: Growing Terror

"It's been a while… Zuzu."

Zuko grimaced as he pinched his nose. His sister: Azula and Uncle Iroh had just arrived in the Fire Nation a couple minutes ago. Zuko wanted to receive them personally and he initially wanted to bring Katara along, but knowing the bad blood between Katara and Azula, he opted to rather save her the trouble – or himself. Plus, Katara was already somewhat preoccupied with trying to help Lenzo alongside Aang, which only irritated him further. Katara and Aang had only being growing closer since his arrival a few days ago and Zuko couldn't help but feel slightly threatened; with Aang's jokes about stealing Katara away and his abnormal behaviour, Zuko felt rather justified in his suspicions.

Though Zuko figured he could worry about the Avatar and his fiancé later, for now, he had to handle Azula – he didn't know which task was more draining, and that frightened him.

"It certainly has, Azula." Zuko replied, his eyes searching for his Uncle before they eventually landed back on his sister, "I'm glad to see you're doing better though."

"Are you really?" Azula crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, clearly baiting him yet at the same time doubting that her older brother still cared for her despite having her isolated in the Crystal Catacombs for years.

"Yeah, I am," Zuko deadpanned. With Aang's constant abnormal behaviour, his growing relationship with Katara, and Katara's decreasing interest in Zuko himself, he was too tired and on edge to play games with his sister at the moment.

"Well, you're no fun," Azula retorted, pretending to yawn before she donned a mischievous smile. "Where's your Avatar friend, maybe he could entertain me while you're busy sulking in the corner. What was his name again?"

Zuko raised his eyebrow in confusion; out of everyone, he thought Aang would be the last person Azula would want to meet. After what he supposedly did to Ozai – their father – Zuko figured Azula would hate Aang and would seek revenge the moment she was released, if ever. However, now she seemed more than open to the idea of spending time with him. For an odd reason, Zuko felt a certain protectiveness wash over him which confused him; Azula was never the type of sister who required her older brother's protection – if anything, it would be the other way around. Though, Zuko knew in the back of his mind that this could all be a ploy; Zuko doubted that Azula was completely rehabilitated, despite everyone claiming she was. Yet, despite that, here he was feeling somewhat protective over her – maybe it had to do with the fact that if was the Avatar whom she mentioned, but either way, Zuko didn't ponder on it for long.

"Why would you want to meet Aang? After everything I thought you'd want to kill him. Plus, he's busy with…" Zuko trailed off as he glanced away, unable to complete his train of thought.

However, once he noticed the smirk tugging Azula's lips, he frowned and cursed himself. Azula was always impeccable at reading people, it was something that annoyed him dearly as she often tormented him when they were younger by openly announcing his crush on Mai to the world. He understood that even then, Azula was just teasing – even after all the brainwashing their father put them through, Zuko recognised that Azula truly did care for her Ty Lee and Mai; for they were the catalysts for her downfall during Sozin's Comet years ago. Their betrayal certainly did a number on her, and she was only recently able to recover, as it seemed.

"Oh, I see." Azula stated, smirking as she eyed her brother, "The Avatar is with your fiancé as we speak… funny, I thought you'd be more careful, Zuzu."

Zuko was about to yell at her for continuously calling him 'Zuzu' despite his constant protests, but he halted his when he truly analysed her statement. Raising and eyebrow and fearing that his suspicions may become reality, Zuko hesitantly dared Azula to elaborate.

"W-what do you mean?"

The Firebending Princess smirked wider, the small beads of sweat and the nervous energy surrounding her brother not going unnoticed by her as she elaborated willingly. "Really Zuzu? With how close those two are I thought you'd at least be smart enough to keep her at arm's length at all times, let alone allow her to be alone with him."

"She's not alone with him…" Zuko retorted, clenching his fists in order to contain his irritation and anger.

"Oh… a threesome, huh?" Azula smiled. "Kinky."

"Shut up."

"Hit a nerve, did I?" Azula's smile only grew wider as the Fire Lord clenched his teeth, seething while he glared daggers at her. This is going exactly as I anticipated; he's losing his mind and can't see the bigger picture, also, as a bonus… it's so fun playing games with him… just like old times – Azula thought as she grinned at her brother's ever-growing rage.

"Nothing's happening between them," Zuko grimaced, sounding like he was trying to convince himself more so than anyone else.

This certainly wasn't how the Firebender thought his reunion with his supposedly 'no-so-crazy' sister would go; he thought they'd exchange some unpleasant pleasantries and call it a day. However, Azula seemed interested, no… she seemed infatuated with Katara and the Avatar's relationship – which only fed Zuko's anxiety further. The Fire Lord's nightmares regarding the two ex-lovers had only gotten worse and became more vivid as the days passed; visions of the two laughing, smiling, kissing and fucking each other itched their way into his brain and made their irremovable mark. Furthermore, with the way they acted around each other, he couldn't help but fool himself. If it was just me suspecting something, then I wouldn't need to worry as much, but if Azula also thinks so, then surely I'm not going crazy – was his reasoning.

However, during that moment, he had remembered one crucial detail: Azula is manipulative and always lies. Old habits die hard.

"If you say so, Zuzu", the Princess responded to her brother's earlier statement and brushed past him.

With that, Azula was escorted to the Royal Palace while Zuko remained at the docks, seemingly lost in thought. His suspicions and fears weren't completely unjustified; Aang and Katara had a past, an intimate past. Behind their story were memories, predominantly heart-warming and joyful ones, ones that he knew both benders cherished dearly – and rightfully so. Thus, considering their history and their now growing closeness, he figured it wasn't completely wrong of him to assume that the warm familiarity of the past as well as the rekindling closeness of the present and the exciting anticipation of the future could reconnect the two lost lovers intimately once more.

However, at the same time, Zuko knew that Katara, above everything, was loyal. She made a commitment; to be Zuko's fiancé meant that she would remain loyal to him, and he had never questioned her loyalty before, so he wasn't going to start now. I trust her – he declared to himself. With that, he opted to follow his sister and the guards back to the Palace, however, he was immediately met with a message that both horrified and irritated him immensely.

Aang observed intently as Katara consoled Lenzo. If they were still together, he probably would've been somewhat jealous considering the amount of attention she was showing him. However, even though he still felt partially bitter, he knew better than anyone that this was just Katara's motherly and compassionate instincts taking over. Aang understood that Katara was a loyal and trustworthy individual above all else, and despite their rocky breakup, he never allowed himself to hold a grudge against her as she simply didn't deserve it and if he was truly being honest with himself, he acted none the wiser despite his aged Avatar Spirit. Even though the both of them were fooled, they simply could not have predicted precisely how hectic Aang's Avatar duties would become and how clingy and reliant the world would grow to become regarding him. Neither he nor Katara were in the wrong regarding their fallout per say, but neither of them were innocent either. Though, he still couldn't help but blame himself, it was just his nature; to find the faults within himself instead of her as he believed she had non – she was his Forever Girl after all. However, he still held many others accountable for the world's, his own, Katara's and Zuko's current predicament, and he would be damned if he allowed his feelings towards the Master Waterbender to doom the world for another 100 years.

He simply could not allow that, and even though he recognised that what he was doing wasn't morally right, he also acknowledged that there was no other way. He had already attempted to appeal to the hearts of those who no longer harboured any, and he had already exhausted all other options. If he couldn't negotiate his way to peace, then he would stay strong willed and fight his way through the chaos to finalise an era without war and unnecessary suffering.

"Aang, are you okay?"

Aang was shaken out of his thoughts as he panned his head to the side and sadly smiled at the Waterbender, the warmth of her hand on his bare-right shoulder not going unnoticed by the Avatar.

"I'm fine, Katara. Just a little preoccupied with everything, that's all." Katara smiled at him and turned back to face Lenzo. Aang followed the gesture shortly after and began conducting business, though somewhat reluctantly since he was suspicious of the man. "So, Lenzo… lets go through this again."

"We've already been over this twice – with you and Fire Lord Zuko," Lenzo argued, looking towards Katara for some backup.

Aang however, spoke up before she could offer any, "I want to go through it step by step, we can't miss a single detail as that would taint your testimony."

Looking to Katara again, who simply nodded in agreement, Lenzo sighed as he slumped back into his chair and folded his arms. He didn't want to describe his experience again as he felt it could be dangerous, but since both Master benders were insisting on it, he felt like he had no other choice – besides, nobody else was particularly anxious to save him. The Master Waterbender and the Avatar were all he had, as well as a reluctant Fire Lord – which was quite a lot if he played his cards right. Accepting rather hesitantly, Lenzo nodded towards Aang, gesturing that he was ready, to which Aang followed up with his recounting of the events that took place.

"Okay… so, you arrived at the apartment, what time of day was it?"

"Dusk or maybe night… I'm not sure, around 6 or 7."

Aang narrowed his eyebrows in concentration, his feet planted on the ground firmly. "Okay, what did you have on you?"

"Some cash, directions to the address, a couple knives, a revolver…"

"Why did they give you a revolver and not a pistol? Surely, if the situation called for it, they'd want you to be discreet in the way you handled it, right?" Aang nonchalantly asked, while Katara raised her eyebrow in confusion – clearly not understanding the motive behind his line of questioning.

"Uh… I – I don't know… I didn't really ask them…"

"How much did she owe them?" Aang interrupted Lenzo.

"W-what?"

"The woman you were after, how much money did she owe the Underground?" Again, Aang planted his feet on the ground, trying to steel himself and remain discreet for as long as he could.

"I don't know, they never told me. They just s-said she owed them and –"

"And you followed their orders like an obedient rat-viper."

"Aang", Katara sternly spoke up in a warning tone. "We aren't here to interrogate or judge him, we're here to help."

"Right," Aang sighed in a fake manner, going unnoticed by Katara but not by Lenzo. "I'm sorry, lets continue." Lenzo gulped loudly and began fidgeting slightly as Aang leaned forward and glared at him passive-aggressively. "So, you walked into the apartment, how did it seem?"

"How do you mean?"

"Was it tidy, messy, clean, dirty? Did it seem like there had been a fight or struggle of any sort?" Aang narrowed his eyes further when Lenzo shifted uncomfortably.

"Umm – no, it was clean for the most part. Except for the – "

"The room where you found her." Aang interrupted, finishing Lenzo's statement for him.

Katara now began to notice Aang's passive aggressive nature as well; how he would often interrupt Lenzo mid statement, how he would lean forward and narrow his eyebrows, how he would occasionally ask questions that had a certain guilty implication attached to them. Katara noticed how Aang's constant interruptions kept this 'discussion' at his pace. She acknowledged how he asserted control and command by constantly cutting off Lenzo. She recognised how intimidating he may have seemed as he clearly was attempting and successfully establishing dominance. She concluded that something was off, regardless, she allowed Aang to continue and opted to observe him for the time being, she'd ask him about his abnormal behaviour later.

Lenzo nodded, confirming Aang's assumption and waited for the hammer to drop. "Did you notice anyone entering or leaving the apartment before your arrival?"

"No."

"Do you recall any signs of how the assailant may have escaped – an open window, a broken or lock-picked door perhaps?"

"I don't know", Lenzo sighed. "I searched for entry and exit points for a while, but if I didn't find the money then I would've lost my life, so I was mainly concerned about that."

Aang hummed in fake agreement and acceptance as he clenched his teeth. It was becoming difficult for him to keep this up without passing out, but he knew he only had a few more questions left to ask before he could relax – then he'd have to play this smart.

"Tell me how she was. The woman, when you found her… did she seem like she was in a fight, were her clothes ripped or tattered? Did it seem like she struggled? Or was it a quick death?"

Katara cringed internally; she could picture how the scene may have played out, but what worried her more was how Aang was conducting himself and the kind of questions he was asking. Aang was the most passive, life-loving monk she knew - though he never shied away from conflict, he did try to refrain from using violence in every given situation. So, to hear him speaking about such a heavy and sensitive topic so passively… it felt odd… it made her question just how well she knew this 'new' Airbender. Katara understood that people often change through time, so she wasn't as surprised when she witnessed Aang's more assertive, dominant and somewhat smug side – it didn't bother her as much since he became the same nervous yet charming and adorable boy she fell in love with when he was around her. Yet, this Aang, the Aang beside her now… he wasn't what she expected him to ever be.

Lenzo again fiddled with his fingers and hands, seemingly distracted as he attempted to recall the scene he was asked to describe. "She was s-shot; there was a bullet wound on her collarbone, her white robes where c-covered in blood."

"Hers or yours?" Aang quietly asked, narrowing his eyes furthermore as he willed himself to keep his feet planted for a while longer.

"W-what?" Lenzo and Katara both stared at Aang; Lenzo was wide-eyed and bewildered while Katara seemed immensely confused.

"The blood I mean, did it seem like hers or the murderers?"

Lenzo fidgeted nervously as he glanced around, looking anywhere and everywhere while he refused to meet Aang and Katara's eyes.

"I d-don't know. I couldn't r-really tell… hers if I would have to g-guess." Lenzo answered as he began shifting even more when Aang narrowed his eyes for a moment, seemingly staring into his soul and analysing him. His faults, deeds, weaknesses… his humanity – or lack thereof. Lenzo always figured the Avatar was ferocious, but he never knew he could also be so intimidating and… fear-inducing.

Aang sighed lowly and leaned back against the couch, lifting his feet of the ground and leaning back comfortably while he began his slow torture.

"You seem tense, Lenzo." Lenzo's gaze shifted to Aang's, finally meeting the eyes that had been analysing him since the moment he stepped foot into the Royal Palace. "You're sweating, fidgeting nervously, stuttering…" Aang trailed off, noticing Katara eyeing both him and Lenzo from time to time, but he paid her no attention.

"Well, it's rather hot here a-and –"

"You've been a Fire Nation citizen all your life, surely you'd have grown accustomed to the heat by now?" Aang stated as he interrupted Lenzo, once again taking charge and asserting himself as the one in power.

"Uh – well, it was j-just… a traumatic experience and…"

"I'm sure it was," Aang interrupted Lenzo again. "Watching her die like that, it must've messed with your head."

"I – I didn't s-see her die I-"

"Right. Cause she was dead before you got there." Aang folded his arms, narrowing his slightly as Lenzo looked towards Katara who seemed just as bewildered.

"Y-yes…" Lenzo trailed off, seemingly confused and slightly frightened before he grew a backbone and challenged the Avatar. "I'm sorry but is there a point to this. We're just repeating –"

"You ever killed someone, Lenzo?" Aang suddenly asked, catching both Lenzo and Katara off-guard.

"Aang", Katara tried to warn him, but he didn't acknowledge her.

Aang knew that what he was doing was risky, but Lenzo could unknowingly jeopardise his entire plan, and he couldn't have that. Also, Aang recognised the holes in the man's story, and he knew that in time Lenzo himself would reveal the truth. So, for now, all he could do was press on cautiously.

"You must've been really scared" Aang continued, not heeding Katara's warning as his interrogation resumed. "Not finding the money, seeing her lifeless body, all that blood…."

Noticed by Aang, Lenzo began tapping his foot ever so slightly, clearly trying to shake of his nervousness as Aang continued. "I could understand if you felt trapped, like you had no room to breathe – and then you saw the children…." Lenzo's eyes hot up suddenly, meeting the Avatar's firm gaze while Katara glared at the Airbender beside her.

"You saw them staring at you; an unknown man roaming around their house, searching for something frantically while their mother was nowhere to be seen"

"Do you have a question for me?" Lenzo suddenly asked, seemingly frustrated and too frightened to continue on as his eyes pleaded with Katara to end it.

"Is there anything you haven't yet told me, are you keeping anything from me?" Aang narrowed his eyes while Lenzo steeled himself, controlling his own body for once as he stopped fidgeting and shifting nervously.

"No."

It was quiet for a moment. Neither man dropped their gaze as the first one who did would be admitting defeat. Katara watched them with great unease, especially Aang; the heat and tension within his gaze was practically oozing out of him as his eyes bore a hole into Lenzo's. Though Lenzo, credit to him, met the Avatar's challenge and steeled himself further.

The moment of silence was broken when Aang suddenly spoke in a cheery voice as he got up, taking Katara's hand in his thus forcing her up as well. "Well, that's great then. You are free to go for now." Aang however, never broke eye contact with Lenzo, and once Aang stood tall, Lenzo finally sighed and glance away, staring at his shoes while the Avatar continued glaring at the man.

Rather confused, Katara trailed behind the Avatar as they walked side by side, "Where are you taking me Aang?" She asked.

"To the war meeting, Zuko changed the timing; its now and we're late." Aang answered, not meeting her eyes as she stared at him.

"What was that back there?" She prodded.

"I was trying to get information out of him", Aang answered nonchalantly as they turned a corner, their fingers still interlocked.

"You were trying to intimidate and scare him", Katara retorted, still eyeing the Airbender as they turned another corner.

"What's wrong partner? Did you not like playing good cop?" The Avatar joked, grinning as his eyes conveyed a playfulness when he met her gaze.

She didn't know why, but the sight of him grinning his goofy grin caused her to smile back – it was a subconscious notion that was firmly engraved in her mind and heart; when Aang was happy, so was she… when Aang was smiling, so was she, and vice versa.

"So, that's all that was back there? An act?" She asked, semi-serious and semi-casual as they locked eyes once again.

Aang simply grinned back at her as they turned yet another corner, "How'd you like my acting? It was impressive, wasn't it."

Katara smirked at him as they shuffled down the hall, hastily walking towards the war room, "Were you trying to impress me or solve a case?"

"Maybe I was trying to kill two birds with one stone", Aang suggested as he shrugged his shoulders – grinning internally as Katara still hadn't realised they were holding hands while they neared the war room.

"For someone who claims to be a pacifist, you sure talk about death a lot," Katara retorted, still half-joking and half-serious as she wondered why Aang seemed so calm when talking about a subject he once avoided at all costs as it would dampen his spirit.

Upon registering her question however, Aang's mood suddenly darkened as his smile fell, overtaken by a frown as he glanced away from her – unwilling to show her the true pain hiding behind his statement as he spoke. "Well, when your surrounded by death your entire life, you tend to become somewhat immune to the thought if it being horrific as it has already the norm for you."

Katara's eyes widened, she opened her mouth to say something but… she realised she didn't really know what to say. Aang's statement, although true, was immensely vague – at least in his case, and she didn't want to assume or say something wrong or hurtful, in the process opening a wound that hadn't yet healed. So, she opted to rather stay quiet as she subconsciously squeezed his hand, reassuring him that she was there for him if he ever wanted to talk.

As they approached the war meeting, Aang turned to her and smiled sadly; silently thanking her for being there for him and not assuming the worst of him immediately, unlike others. Katara smiled back and paid no attention to the fact that their fingers were still intertwined, and their hands still locked as they entered the war room. However, once she saw both Zuko's and the many other Generals' eyes homed in on their intertwined hands, she grew wide-eyed as she blushed and broke away. Katara felt extremely embarrassed as she was caught holding hands with her best friend and hadn't even realised it until it was brought to her attention, though, she didn't ponder on the thought for long.

Aang blushed as well, though, only to hide the massive grin that would've consumed his lips when he caught Zuko staring at them, his eyes glaring daggers at their hands as they broke away and took their seats, acting as nonchalant as they possibly could.

Zuko stood there for a while, his mind racing as he tried to contain his ever-growing anxiety. There just holding hands – he reasoned – they were literally tickling each other and rolling around the other day, compared to that holding hands isn't anything – though his reasoning wasn't reassuring in the slightest. Aang and Katara holding hands definitely wasn't not that big of a deal, however, by the way they were both blushing when they were caught, Zuko couldn't help but worry. Furthermore, just the fact that apparently neither of them knew they were even holding hands in the first place until they were caught only angered Zuko more. His irrational side began drawing out conclusions without proper reasoning; everything Aang said, everything Azula said, and the way they've been acting lately – is Aang really here to steal her away from me?

Zuko's inner conflict was interrupted when a General of his cleared his throat, clearly indicating that everyone was waiting for the Fire Lord. Regaining his train of thought, Zuko stared at the many faces at the war table, which eventually landed on Katara, who was actually stealing glances at Aang, and Aang who was also stealing glances at Katara. He felt his anger and anxiety building yet again but he clenched his fists and jaw and controlled his emotions.

Zuko cleared his throat rather loudly, thus causing both Aang and Katara to refocus on him instead of each other. "The reason I called for this emergency meeting is due to many reasons, one of which; Councilman Zayn is no longer with us."

Many gasps of surprise and shock echoed through the room, among those, a certain General Fang seemed the most surprised as he stared wide-eyed at the table he was seated beside while the Avatar eyed him from a distance. Amon had demanded that Fang relay Zayn's coordinates to him and he complied hesitantly. Amon never explained his intentions and it worried General Fang, but he still thought Amon wouldn't harm the Councilman – he was clearly proved wrong. This made Fang doubt himself as he wondered exactly what kind of man – or rather, what kind of monster he had acquainted himself with.

"The Councilman was found in his home, beaten and battered, crushed beneath his chandelier. The guards were all incapacitated, their alive but they have no recollection regarding the assailant." After a few murmurs from the several Councilmen and Generals, Zuko continued relaying his message, "We also found nothing that could lead us to or hint to exactly who committed this monstrous act." After a couple sighs and couple more murmurs, Zuko sat down at the head of the table and faced his Generals and Councilmembers head on, as well as the Avatar and his fiancé. "We will launch a formal investigation concerning the death of Councilman Zayn and believe me when I say, we will catch and sentence the one responsible."

"The other reason as to why I called this meeting: I am sure you all are aware of the mass murders that took place a few nights ago in Downtown Capitol." After a couple nods and agreements, Zuko sighed as he relayed the entirety of his message. "As you know, we have yet to identify the individual behind the attack and we have yet to locate the stolen explosives and weaponry. Warrior Sokka as well as many of our detectives are working vigorously to solve this case. However, its not enough. So, I have requested the Avatar's assistance to help solve these matters. He, in return, has requested complete autonomy, and I…" Zuko trailed off, seething as he glared at the Avatar a few feet away who glared back with a small smirk tugging his lips. His fellow Generals and Councilmen waited intently, hoping that the Fire Lord hadn't in fact accepted the Avatar's outlandish request. Sighing again, Zuko met the eyes of the Generals as he finished, "I have decided to – "

"Pardon me, Fire Lord", the man known as General Fang suddenly spoke up, following Amon's every instruction as he continued with his intrusion. "But I have some information that could shed some light as to who this murderer is. In fact, I have a strong reason to believe that the one who massacred the Southern Indians and the one who killed Councilman Zayn is the same individual."

Zuko raised an eyebrow as everyone, including Katara and Aang, stared at the General, sceptical and confused. "And how did you come to that conclusion, General Fang."

"I received this", The General retrieved a scroll from his robes and handed it over to the Fire Lord. "The man we're speaking of also paid me a visit. I was dealing with new recruits for most of the day, but when I returned to my office, I caught a hooded figure with clown-like makeup going through my files."

Zuko's eyes widened slightly in interest as he heard the General's declaration; Zuko had ordered Sokka, with the help of real artists, to talk to witnesses around the area to compile a sketch of the perpetrator. Zuko had received the sketch this morning, and although it resembled no one in particular, what was made clear to Zuko – through many witness statements – was that everyone saw a man with black robes and white face paint, black eye patches, a red smile and red hair – the image painted was obviously that of a clown. What was most interesting however, was the fact that ever since Zuko had received the sketch this morning, he had essentially no time to inform anyone else of the man in suspicion. Therefore, if the General really did have a run in with a hooded, clown-like figure, then there was no reason to suspect him.

And as if to further justify himself, the General retrieved a package from his robes and handed it to the Fire Lord while declaring, "He escaped before we could detain him, and when I went through my files, I saw that all were there except the one containing information regarding Councilman Zayn. Also, before he left, he told me he had a message for the Fire lord, one that he would deliver in due time. And he left this package…"

As Zuko opened the package, and flipped it over, he was shocked to see the head of the Indian they identified as Raees, roll onto the middle of the table. Following the gruesome display, fell out the pistol owned by Councilman Zayn – engraved with the initials: 'C, Z' on the grip.

While everyone watched in complete horror at the realisation that they were dealing with a completely sick and twisted maniac, Katara was already too lost in her own thoughts to pay proper attention. Though she hadn't ever heard of a man donning clown make up going around killing people in the Fire Nation before, she did remember one thing: a face. White paint all over, black eye patches, a red sickening smile, red slick hair and a hooded face – smiling at her from a distance in the sea of people who were present at the announcement a couple days ago. Though she only saw him for a few odd seconds, she could never forget that face. It seemed to convey danger and imminent threat – similar to what General Fang was currently describing. However, she couldn't get over the eyes; she caught a glimpse of grey within the darker depths of his eyes, and Katara couldn't shake the feeling of uncertainty as she eyed the Avatar from the corner of her eye while Zuko read aloud the letter written to him.

"Fire Lord Zuko, Councilmen and Generals. Dear Avatar and Lady Katara…"

Zuko trailed off, wondering how this person knew Katara and Aang would be present in the meeting. Zuko had kept Aang's arrival a secret to the public, only people who resided around the Palace knew of his presence… and this is the first meeting Katara has ever attended since she had arrived in the Fire Nation. So, how exactly did he know they'd be here? Was it just a lucky guess, or did he predict this somehow? Zuko asked himself.

Although he didn't have the answers, his theory that someone within his administration was contacting known criminals or was in contact with this specific individual only proved to strengthen.

"I am Amon."

"Amon? Like the clown from those stupid Water Tribe Spirit Books?" A Councilman spoke up. However, once he registered the glares he was receiving from the Fire Lord, the Master Waterbender and the Avatar, he apologised for intruding, and thus Zuko continued.

"Fire Lord Zuko, I am formally declaring that I am taking your beloved Capitol City hostage. This city has long been rotting with criminals and lowlifes who do nothing but add to the stench. And spineless rulers like yourself have done nothing to remedy the situation. So, I have taken it upon myself to fix this once beloved Nation. I am currently in possession of the explosives and weaponry I stole from the Indians. You have one week to forfeit your claim and position as the Fire Lord…"

Councilman Fang attempted to hide his grin once he heard the words – Amon was doing exactly what he promised he would, and soon, Fang would be the Fire Lord. Meanwhile, Zuko clutched onto the scroll for dear life, trying to hide his anger while he continued to read, not noticing the uncomfortable expressions the many Generals and Councilmen had donned.

"If you don't, then the beloved Capitol City of the Fire Nation with bathe in blood."