Chapter 9

Zuko walked around his room pacing. He had changed into his disguise and hoped for the best. He assured Katara that he'd be with her as much as possible. Unfortunately she was still confused about the whole Blue Spirit thing. He wasn't surprised at all about Katara not knowing that he was the one who freed Aang from his imprisonment with Admiral Zhao; speaking of which that bastard was surely to be there too. Zuko was really starting to get worried. Katara was to be in his room about a minute ago. Okay yeah he was blowing this way out of proportion but everything had flow smoothly. The door opened and Katara walked in surprised to see the Blue spirit standing there instead of Zuko.

"Katara," Zuko said taking off his mask, "are you sure you're ready for this?"

Katara nodded and made her way over to the prince. "Things sure are different now then when we first started." She was trying to make conversation with him and he knew it.

"Yeah maybe I'll join your team and rescue you from danger."

"I'm not a damsel in distressed." Katara replied hotly.

"Yeah you're not pretty enough. And it would be a waste of my talents to save you anyway." He joked winking.

"Right sure uh huh." Katara laughed as Iroh walked in.

"Everything is in order Commander Zuko." Zuko had purposely given himself a title for this mission. He needed to be called something other than Prince Zuko every so often.

"And my father's ship?"

"In the dock."

Katara looked worriedly at the prince. He showed no sign of emotion what so ever. "Zuko…"

"Katara, you'll be fine. I'll be right behind you." Zuko slipped his mask back over his face as they exited the door.

"Tell her in case you die." Iroh hissed.

Sokka was pacing around the castle nervously. He knew that Katara was supposed to meet Ruko out here for a friendly conversation but he couldn't help wondering what would happen if things went wrong. After all Zuko wasn't one to trust. He thought about his argument with Katara. Maybe he had been too harsh on the girl. After all she really did try to look for the best in people. He shook his head. Nah forget it. He was just being big brother.

Katara walked passed him without a word. She flipped her hair back; Sokka knew the sign well. It meant: follow me the plan is in order. He followed her closely and knew his line down to the last part. After all, all he had to do was act like a big brother.

"Okay so this guy you keep telling me about is your boyfriend?" Sokka asked looking behind him to see if Zuko was following him. No sign of the prince yet.

"Yes he's the greatest." Katara nearly gagged at the last part. She knew that it wasn't true. In fact he was the furthest thing from the greatest. He was lower than dirt.

They continued on their way to the docks without another word. What more was there to talk about? After all Katara still wasn't talking to Sokka technically. It was more a plot something that wasn't true. That slut comment was unacceptable in fact it was down right uncalled for.

"Katara," Sokka whispered, "I made a mistake. Calling you a slut and everything."

That was new. After all they worked together since their mother died two years ago. Sokka never did approve of Katara's choice boys. Well not until Zuko that was. After all the prince was raised up by a good mother and uncle. (We're not about to go into anything about his father.) Sokka sighed and watched Katara stand up straight as they walked into the docks.

"Sokka if I don't make it out of this tell Zuko I…" Katara couldn't finish her sentence after what happened the first time she told Zuko she didn't want it to happen again. "Ruko baby!" Katara ran up to the prince and smiled giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Hey girly." Ruko put his arm around her waist and gave Sokka a dirty look. "Katara this is Lord Ozai, my father." Katara put on a fake smile and nodded.

"Hello sir," She said bowing then turned to Ruko. "Ruko this my brother Sokka."

Ruko nodded and looked at his father. "Father, Zuko is accused of several accounts. He is sentence to death early this morning."

Katara looked away from Lord Ozai and thought, not if I have something to do with it.

Sokka looked around for Zuko. There was still no sign of the fire prince. He saw some guy in a blue mask and shrugged it off. He was worried about the protection of Katara. It wasn't every day that someone got this close to the Fire Lord. Zuko better know what he is doing, Sokka thought narrowing his eyes.

"Great work son. I've brought Admiral Zhao along with me he has reasons that Zuko was in the Fire Nation during the Winter Solstice." Ozai muttered checking out Katara.

"He was sir." Sokka piped in. "We were traveling with the Avatar at the time and saw him."

"Really?"

"Oh yes. Of course the Avatar turned his back on us and left us. He said something about getting his laid or something." Sokka lied trying hard not to laugh.

"Of course it would make sense about that boy." Ozai said as Ruko lead them up to his castle. "I'm tired from my journey son. I'd like to retire early if you don't mind."

"No father I understand that you've had a hard day. After all Katara and I have some stuff to deal with as well." Ruko said moving his hands lower on Katara.

Zuko watched the group from a nearby bush. That idiot was allowing his sister to be succumbed by Ruko's charm, if you could call it that. It wasn't going to happen as long as Zuko was standing there. Of course he didn't want to blow their cover so he allowed it to slide this one time. He then saw Admiral Zhao along with his father. Of course that bastard would be there with him. Nothing surprised him at all. This was all working out too perfectly.

Once they were inside a maid showed Lord Ozai into his room and left Zhao, Sokka, Ruko, and Katara alone. Zhao had his eyes on the young 'couple' and the boy wondering where the Avatar was. Of course there was always one way to get out the things he needed.

"So traveling with the Avatar must be hard work. What made you travel with him in the first place?" Zhao asked.

"I was banished from my village along with Aang and I guess traveling with him gives me a chance to see the world and such." Katara shrugged.

Zuko looked over at Katara. It seemed that they had more in common than he thought. But there was still the pesky problem of getting his brother out of the picture. He turned around and saw that the coast was clear. He took out two exploding leachy nuts and threw them down the hall. After they exploded both Zhao and Ruko looked behind them and shrugged. When another explosion went off this caused all four of them to go running. As Ruko ran past Zuko grabbed him and covered his mouth so he wouldn't scream like the sissy he was.

Ruko looked up at the Blue Spirit and began to squirm as he was dragged down the hall. Katara looked behind her and saw that Ruko was no longer with them. She turned back to look at her brother who was still running. Whistling twice then cooing once Katara gave the signal. Sokka slid to a stop hitting Zhao in the process causing the Admiral to go flying into the wall.

Katara suppressed a giggle and began to run up to Ember's room for part two of the plan. It was going to be more complicated for this part but Aang grabbed her shoulder stopping her from running any further.

"Katara something went wrong." Aang whispered hurriedly.

"What do you mean? I saw the Blue Spirit take Ruko." She answered as Aang pulled her down the hall.

Sokka was shaking his head as he reached and grabbed a torch from the side. Seeing Katara in next to Aang he leaned down and picked up Zuko's blue mask. He then moved the torch down to the ground and up on the wall slightly.

"Katara there was a struggle." Aang said as her eyes widened.

"Yeah so Zuko would have won." Katara had her hopes set on high. Sokka was worried to raise the torch higher or not.

"We have reason to believe that Zuko didn't win that struggle." Sokka said, raising the torch higher relieving a splatter of blood on the wall. He moved the torch back down to the ground reveling the pool of blood on the ground.

K15: (eerie music plays) Okay guys ZUko's dead! Ha ha no kiddning. I worked hard on this chappy. Anyway I hope you like. THere's not much to say cuz I said it in my other fic. Yeah... oh keep me on author alert or check my stories page thingy every so often. I came up with a couple new ideas for fics. So they'll be posted up here sooner or later. Okay yeah. I'll update as soon as I can. Later. K15