Ch 5 secrets and earthbending
Zuko, my love. Everything I've done is to protect you. Remember this. No matter what changes, never forget who you are.
Ursa woke up, and felt a sharp pain in her upper torso.
"She's awake." Wash said.
"What… where am I?" Ursa asked.
"Toph and Aang chose this spot to practice their earthbending." Wash said.
"What happened?" Ursa asked, putting a hand on her chest and felt the burnt skin.
"Azula shot you." Wash said.
Ursa sighed as Wash sat her up against him, resting against his armor.
"She was always… complicated." Ursa said.
"Complicated doesn't drive a person to commit matricide. She's psychotic." Wash said.
Ursa looked at Wash, with tears in her eyes. Instead of seeing Wash's face, she saw her own reflection in his visor.
"It's my fault." Ursa said, and fell into his arms, sobbing.
"Ursa, if you were threatened in the fire nation, why didn't you take your kids with you?" Wash asked.
"Because he said we'd be killed if I took them." Ursa sobbed.
"Who?" Wash asked.
Ursa decided to take a chance and talk.
"My husband. He's… he's the firelord." Ursa said.
Wash quickly looked to the left and right to make sure no-one heard what she said.
"Excuse me?" Wash asked.
"Firelord Ozai. He's my former husband. My brother in law was in line for the throne, but his sun, my nephew, Lu Ten, was killed in battle." Ursa said.
"And without an heir…" Wash said.
"Iroh wasn't eligible for the throne. So Ozai said 'give me the throne.' And that's when all hell broke loose." Ursa said.
"Christ. Feudal countries are always at risk of going into civil war. And sometimes, they do." Wash said.
"Ozai didn't get the throne right away. He was to be punished for making such a rash demand." Ursa said.
"You said it was to protect both Zuko and Ursa. And Azula said you betrayed the fire nation, putting Zuko ahead of the country. Can you make anything from that?" Wash asked.
"Yeah. Zuko was to be killed." Ursa said.
"Say what?!" Wash hissed.
"Iroh lost his son, so the punishment was that Ozai should know the pain of losing a son. I couldn't let that happen, so I told Ozai I would take both Azula and Zuko, and leave. Didn't work, so I had one option left." Ursa said.
"I killed the firelord, Azulon, so Ozai could take the throne. And Zuko would be spared." Ursa said.
Wash didn't know what to say. What could he say? As bad as project Freelancer was, what he heard was worse. The director would never do anything like that. Would he?
"I don't know what say. But I promise you. I will do everything I can to end the war. And Ozai, will be dead. I promise you." Wash said, hugging Ursa.
Ursa allowed herself to relax in Washington's embrace. Despite being on the run, and being a high value target, she felt at peace, even with the world collapsing around.
"So Wash, tell me more about yourself." Ursa said.
"Where I came from, The UNSC. We were involved in a 27-year long war with an alien race against the covenant. We won the war, but at a severely high cost. I fought in the war and killed plenty of alien troops." Wash said.
"Aliens?" Ursa asked.
"Yes. Aliens. Near the end of the war, my CO ordered the platoon I was in to attack a heavily defended position. I shot the CO, and the platoon lived to fight another day. But apparently, the value of one CO is far more important than an entire platoon. I was kicked out of the marines, and went to project freelancer." Wash said.
"What is project freelancer?" Ursa asked.
"I can't say much about it. Even though it's gone, I'm still under orders not to reveal classified information." Wash said.
"I understand. You have any family?" Ursa asked.
"I have a brother and 4 sisters. Never really saw them because I was constantly on the frontlines. Had a few friends in project freelancer." Wash said.
"Children? A wife?" Ursa asked.
"No on both accounts. I did have a girlfriend, but long distance relationships never work." Wash said.
As the two chatted away, Ursa had an idea.
"I want to practice hand to hand." Ursa said.
"Sure thing. Stand up." Wash said, as he removed his armor and the upper portion of the black body suit.
Ursa observed Wash's cut figure. Years of hard combat had toned his body to be a killing machine. And he had plenty of scars and what looked like the remains of burns from incendiary weapons.
Ursa struck first, attacking with a flurry of kicks and punches. Wash's high training kicked in, and he easily dodged or blocked Ursa's attacks.
"You fight well. Go for the vulnerable parts. The face, groin, neck- AGHHH!" Wash screamed, as Ursa quickly kicked him in the genitals as hard as she could.
"What? You said go for the groin." Ursa playfully said.
"Good thing I have a high pain tolerance." Wash said.
Suddenly, Aang ran into both of them.
"Guys, Sokka's missing. I need you to help to find him." Aang said.
"How long was he gone?" Ursa asked.
"He was supposed to go hunting." Aang said, watching as Wash grabbed his DMR.
The three headed in a direction and quickly ran into Sokka, who was stuck in the ground up to his neck. Next to him, was a small animal.
"Aang, Ursa, Wash. Thank goodness. You have any meat?" Sokka asked.
"You're stuck down there, and you're concerned about food?" Wash asked, slinging his rifle.
"Hey, I have needs." Sokka said.
Aang tried to pull Sokka out of the hole, but it didn't work.
"Maybe I can airbend you out of there." Aang said, and used a strong air blast. It did nothing more than launch Sokka's weapons into the air and they landed on his head.
"Nice one, Aang. If those weapons were a revolution off, Sokka would be dead." Wash said, grabbing Aang and threw him away from Sokka, anger clearly in his movements.
Wash knelt down, and attempted to break the earth surrounding Sokka.
"Wash, you'll need an earthbender to free Sokka. Aang, do you know earthbending?" Ursa asked.
"No. I can't." Aang said.
"Well, go get Toph." Sokka said.
"That would make it, uncomfortable." Aang said.
"Gee, wouldn't want to make it uncomfortable." Sokka said.
"This whole earthbending thing has me really confused. There's so much pressure. Everyone expects me to get it right away. It really puts me in an awkward position." Aang said.
"Awkward. I think I know the feeling." Sokka said.
"If I try, I fail. And if I don't try, I'll never get it. I feel like I'm caught between a rock and a hard place." Aang said.
"How about that." Sokka said.
A baby sabertooth mooselion came in.
"Aang, meet Foo Foo Cuddlypoops. Foo Foo Cuddlypoops, Aang." Sokka said.
"What kind of a name is that?" Wash asked.
"A strange one." Ursa said.
"What a cute name for a little sabertooth mooselion cub." Aang said, picking it up.
"He looks like nothing like a sabertooth mooselion." Sokka said.
"It's hard to tell before their giant teeth and horns grow in." Aang said.
"If the baby cub is here, than its mother is nearby. And it will not see us as friends." Ursa warned. The charging of a bolt meant that Wash heeded her warning.
"Guys, I think it's mother is here." Wash said, aiming his rifle towards the bushes. The mooselion came out, very angry.
Wash gulped, and realized that his DMR didn't have the punch to kill it. And he wasn't wearing his armor. So the bigger animal can easily tear him to pieces.
"Hey, there... we found your cub!" Aang said, putting the baby cub on the ground.
"See? We've no problem with you! We're friendly." Aang said.
"Aang, shut it. You're not helping. Ursa, run. Me and Aang will fight it." Wash said.
The mother stampeded towards the group. Wash fired his rifle at it, and while the beast grunted in pain, the adrenaline rush it was having gave it plenty of energy. Aang used his airbending to lift the mother inches of Sokka.
"This is really bad! Please, Aang! You have to earthbend me out, there's no other way!" Sokka frantically shouted.
Aang attempts some earthbending moves, but it's clear nothing is happening. The mooselion charges again. Wash aims for the legs and fires. One of the bullets hits it in the thigh, but it doesn't slow it down.
In a move of pure stupidity, Aang jumps onto a rock and starts some dancing move, trying to distract it.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Wash yells, as he slings his rifle and brings out his combat knife.
Aang jumps back and pushes the mooselion away with his airbending.
"Please, don't leave me again." Sokka said, terrified.
"I won't." Aang said.
"Are you sure?" Wash cynically asks, not trusting him.
The mooselion makes one final charge, dripping blood from Wash's shooting. Aang stands his ground, and pushes it back away with a strong airblast.
The dust clears, and light clapping is heard.
"What are you doing here?" Sokka asked.
"Just enjoying the show." Toph said.
"You were here the whole time?" Aang asked.
"Pretty much." Toph said.
"We were all in trouble. You could have gotten Sokka out and saved us!" Aang said.
"I guess it didn't occur to me." Toph said.
Toph tossed a nut on the ground, and raised Aang's staff. She was about to break the nut open when Aang grabs the staff.
"Enough. I want my staff back!" Aang forcefully said.
"Do it now." Toph said.
"Do what?" Aang asked.
"Earthbend, twinkle toes. You stood your ground against a crazy beast, and more importantly, you stood up to me. You've got the stuff." Toph said.
"But…" Aang said.
"Do it!" Toph shouted.
Aang stomps on the ground and pushes his arms forward, causing a boulder to shoot forward into the canyon walls.
"You did it. You're an earthbender." Toph said.
"Well, guess dreams do come true." Wash half cynically said to Ursa, who raised an eyebrow at him.
