Re: I don't own Avatar. I hate Zhao. He's a prick.

Poll: Has anyone figured She-Wolf's real name out yet? (JW) And her past will be explained very soon...I think...

AN: The word 'anzha' can be used as a curse in some nations, but in other nations it can be a name. shrug You pick which one I AM using it as.

Before I knew that I could,
I was nearly crippled by the voices of criticism.

Chapter 5: Worry About Yourself

"And don't try anything, this blade's sharp." She-Wolf silently berated herself for letting anyone get so close to her. She had a lot to lose. Keeping her head up and away from the blade, she stood slowly by surely. She could feel a sense of elation coming from her captor and decided to play off his obviously typical maleness…so she whimpered, very convincingly.

He immediately softened. "Don't worry," he said. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She whimpered again, and he relaxed even more, and her mouth twisted into a smirk. "Worry about yourself, little boy."

With this, she dropped to the ground, spinning around as she stuck out a leg and brought her would-be captor to the ground. His blade had indeed been sharp and she could feel the stinging line it had left across her throat. She barely had time to register a teenage-looking Water Tribe boy before she snatched up her bag and ran.

Zuko cursed to himself as the big ship pulled up next to his. He'd been several times to spy on Zhao since She-Wolf had accompanied him, but he'd never been seen, he'd never broken in to something, but the last time he'd gone, Zhao had something he needed…desperately. Zhao had the Avatar. His decision had been instant and unchallenged by his honor-bound conscience, but as the Avatar's rescue commenced and lengthened into difficulty, he found himself wishing She-Wolf was with him. The way they had bended against each other the night they met showed Zuko simply that she was intimately tuned in to his movements. He knew she was a formidable opponent, which could only mean she would be a defiant teammate. But, somehow, the simple fact that she was in sync with him would have helped him as he and the Avatar had fought their way from the fortress. But they had gotten out, without her help. Though, Zuko couldn't help feeling that if she had been there, he wouldn't be indebted to the Avatar. Even if it had been She-Wolf who saved him that night, he'd much rather owe her that the Avatar. But, in the way this sick twisted world works, she had been there.
His answer to the Avatar's question was a burst of flame and when it faded, the Avatar was gone, flashing through the treetops. He watched intently until the Avatar was gone from his sight.

"Real witty, Zuko."

He spun around, relaxing instantly upon seeing the now familiar wolf's mask. His anger flared up, anger that she had seen him weak and at the Avatar's mercy, anger that she could've helped, anger left from their last two meetings, he was going to burst, but he kept the usual flames from igniting his hands.

"What are you doing here?" She smiled, infuriating him more, if possible.

"Same as always dear Prince." Now he couldn't hold those simple flames back any longer, but she took no heed.

"Why won't you answer my questions, She-Wolf? Why don't you want me to know who you are? How you know me? Those things should be simple to answer but you remain nauseatingly quiet!"

She finally frowned. "What you wish to know will be revealed in time, but that time…" She never got to finish, for Zuko sent an arc of flame at her. She blocked it easily but, even if she hadn't wanted to counterattack, there was never time. Zuko sent wave after wave of fire at her and she desperately blocked each attack. He was still yelling at her, but she could no longer understand him. As a particularly fierce fireball flew past her, she screamed, "Stop it Zuko!"

Zuko didn't hear her cry out to him, all that filled his mind was anger; anger at her, anger at his father, his uncle, Zhao, the Avatar, but most of all, himself, and he was taking it all out on her.

The flames were all around her, licking at her face and hands, always reflecting the anger with which their creator was fueled. A fireball came at her, barely distinguishable against the flames all around her, but she blocked it. And even as it fell, she was unprepared for the one less than a second behind the first one. She screamed.

Her scream seemed to wake Zuko from his rampage. He stopped scorching her and when the flames died away, he choked. What have I become? He thought desperately.

She-Wolf stood with her back against a tree, and when she lowered her arms from in front of her face, the ashes of her sleeves fell away. She brushed them away, seemingly nonchalantly, but he could see her shaking. He had scared her and could think of nothing to say. He couldn't even tell the bottom of her face from the black mask.

She started to cough, and she bent over, with arms over her stomach and her saliva was black. When she finished coughing, she straightened and looked at him. He started towards her and she recoiled, her shivering redoubling. No anger filled his heart now, only a deepening sorrow. He'd actually come to think of She-Wolf as a friend, but now…moving carefully around her, he snatched up his mask and disappeared into the words.

"Well if it isn't Zuko." Zuko could practically feel Zhao's smirk burning into his back and he refused to turn to face him. He was simply too physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted.

"Admiral Zhao, what an honor to have you on my ship." The mocking tone in Zuko's voice was clear, but Zhao chose to ignore him and he assumed a fake concerned voice.

"Zuko, how are you feeling?" Zuko rolled his eyes at Zhao's tone but decided to answer.

"Somewhere between exhausted and dead."

"Good. Perhaps some news will make you feel worse."

Zuko personally thought this impossible but made no effort to stop Zhao from sharing his 'news.'

"I captured the Avatar."

"Good for you."

This caused Zhao to frown; he had expected utmost despair from the boy, not this indifferent glazed look.

"But he escaped..."

"Bad for you, Good for me."

"…with the help of this thief."

Zhao shoved a wanted notice for the Blue Spirit under Zuko's nose, but Zuko merely glanced at it indifferently. Zhao's opportunity for gloating and accusing was turning into a disgrace. In the moment, Zhao never hated Zuko more.

"I know it was you, prince." Zhao had no intentions of saying that, but it felt good. He expected a blatant denial, anger flames forming around the banished prince's fists, but nothing happened. The brat didn't even twitch. The vein in Zhao's forehead pulsed with his growing anger.

"I know it was you." Zhao repeated, more than a little of his fury showing in his tone. Zuko turned his head and looked at him. Zhao could see sparks of anger in those golden eyes, but mostly…

"You are very annoying, Admiral Zhao, and I'd love to humor your misguided accusations, but I'm tired. So, guess what? I'm going to bed." With this, Zuko turned and went below deck, presumably to his room, slamming the door behind him.

Zhao stared at the closed door in a mixture of shock and pure fury. By his inattention, he was startled when Lieutenant Gi came up on the deck and spoke to him.

"When did the Avatar escape, Admiral?"

Zhao eyed the lieutenant evilly before replying. "Last night."

"Then for Prince Zuko to be the Blue Spirit is inconceivable, for he was here all last night with us. I know because it was music night, and for the first time, he participated."

Zhao scowled murderously, for he had quickly been stripped of yet another reason to torture Zuko until he screamed and begged for mercy.

He turned away from the lieutenant and stormed off the ship. Just as he reached the bottom of the ramp, a voice made him turn.

"I had the feeling you had one more question for me." Zuko was standing at the railing of the ship, looking down at Zhao with powerful indifference. Zhao hated feeling this helpless and dependent, but he had to know, and he wondered how Zuko knew he had to know.

"Yes, banished prince, tell me about…the Source." For the first time that morning, something other than annoyance or indifference crossed Zuko's face. It was surprise.

"The Source? Are you sure?"

Greed crossed Zhao's face. He was thinking of the untold wonders the Elder had described at the graduation; the power that the Elder had said the Zuko and his friend had tapped. "Yes, the Source." But it seemed Zuko knew his exact reason for asking.

"Imagine a flame, concentrate it into a ball, and then stick it in the hole where your heart supposed to be." Then Zuko repeated his earlier exit.

Zhao growled, and returned to his ship, or at least tried to. He remembered at the last minute that his men were searching the woods for the Avatar and headed off in search of his captain.

Zuko cursed. Zhao's question had brought up some VERY unpleasant memories…and some pleasant ones. Apparently, memories were something he really had to deal with lately, because She-Wolf awakened them too. In a desperate move to ignore the surging recollections, Zuko locked himself in his room and began to meditate.
Zhao cursed as the forest became denser. He was following the signs of his men, which were terrible at moving easily through the forest. Broken branches, twisted vines, boot prints, even scorched trees all made it obvious his men had been here.

"Stupid soldiers." He said simply as his growing anger at the stupid spoiled prince caused flames to erupt along his arms, but he stopped dead when he heard a laugh behind him. "Is that all you can come up with Daddy?" He turned slowly, recognizing the strikingly pretty Fire Nation teenager behind him.

"Dear daughter, what brings you to these filthy woods?" Zhao managed to let a smile grace his features. To his great regret, he still felt some love for his only child. She only smiled.

"Mainly because I love forests. You should tell your men to be quieter; it's so easy to avoid them." As she spoke, Zhao moved towards her. If he could get hold of her, he could put her on a ship home. Lock her in her room and he'd never have to see her again. But she knew his intentions. She always had. "Catch me if you can Daddy."

She flew off into the woods and he followed her. For her to just exist jeopardized so much. Why couldn't she have been a boy? Why? It was his wife's fault, completely. They crashed through the trees, making as much noise as a couple of hog-monkeys. As they flew into a clearing, she paused at the edge and he stopped at the other side and panted.

She turned and smiled at him. "Come on Daddy. You couldn't catch me before, now's the time to redeem yourself." He glared at her. Those were close to the exact words he'd spoken to Zuko as he was banished. Roaring, he leapt at her, landing on the ground a foot in front of her as she stepped back laughing. And the ground immediately spun around him and lifted him up. He felt himself forcibly scrunched up into a ball and finally, he looked down at his daughter through steel bars. He was caught in a hog-monkey trap.

He watched as she doubled over in laughter. As her shoulders shook with mirth, and when she finally straightened she drew just enough breath to say…

"Daddy, you look just like a hog-monkey."

"Anzha, daughter, get me down from here. That is an order from your father."

She shook her head lightly and pulled out a wolf's mask from the bag on her back. "Recognize this?" He gasped as he did. "Alright, Daddy. If I'm She-Wolf, three guesses and the first two don't count on who the Blue Spirit is." With this she turned and disappeared into the woods. Zhao screeched inhumanly and began to tear at the bars.

She-Wolf jogged lightly through the trees, little to no sound erupting from her movements. She sighed. Telling off her father made a lot of her little pains go away. Now the only ones left were the physical ones Zuko had left with his onslaught. No, I won't hold that against him. He lost control. He's done it before. She stopped dead, surrounded by trees. What had happened to him these past few years? I have to know. Because, as much as I hate to admit it,Zula was right, I love him. She was brought quickly from her thoughts as a branch broke behind her. She spun around to behold a small white lemur. Relaxing, she never expected the club to come out from behind her and crack against her head. Lights exploded behind her eyes and she fell.

"Good work Momo." This was the last thing she heard before consciousness slipped away from her.

In response:

I have a gray Arabian gelding named Thom and a brown/black Quarter Horse mare named Kody.

Random Note:

Over 200 hits and 3 people review. Does my writing suck that bad? Oh wait, I understand. This isn't a Zutara. Go figure.