Withheld by the Enemy

AN: Wow! I like that title. It has a cool ring to it! "Withheld by the Enemy"! Awesome! Anyway, here's the chappie!

"Sir, we are running low on fuel (hmm? That sounds familiar. Remember the other time someone was low on fuel and what happened to them? Just kidding! You'll just have to read!), should we stop by a nearby island and grab some more?" Lieutenant Gee (Yes, I know I probably spelled his name wrong. I bet it's G or Gi or Geee! Lol!) asked Prince Zuko.

"Fine, but make it quick. I want to get to the Fire Nation faster than a canoe." Zuko replied, annoyed, and also worried that there were many people on their tail.

Zhao and Jet sat in the room, having tea (Dang! I can't imagine Jet sitting down, sipping tea, and without his little piece of grass! Can you?), conversing about Zuko, the Avatar, and Katara.

"So. You think that this girl is the solution (yes, Katara is the solution to everything. And we will always need her.) to getting Zuko AND capturing the Avatar? You think that a water tribe peasant could kill Zuko and gain me a higher rank—get me promoted?" Zhao asked, leaning forward, and preparing for what Jet had to saying, wanting to somehow prove him wrong.

Jet smirked evilly, and said, "Yes. She is one of the Avatar's closest companions—he couldn't live without her. And Zuko and Katara seem to have a relationship for what I know now. But we'll need a plan to get everyone, and a good one. A foolproof one that could fool someone as high as the Fire Lord."

"Yes, but the plan I've already come up with just needs one more thing. And that is that nice little person right here!" Zhao finished, holding up the wanted poster of Katara that he had acquired from Jet. (No idea why Jet took it along—he knows what she looks like!—or how it survived their little date with the water!)

Zuko knew that Katara would not run away, as she needed her friends and the flying buffalo—thing (I'm still laughing, Dragon Jadefire!)hadn't been seen since Zuko captured the Avatar –and that other guy.

So, Zuko asked Katara, "Would you walk with me? While the retards get the fuel!"

Katara giggled solemnly (yeah. She giggled solemnly. Don't ask.) and said, "I guess."

…

Zuko and Katara sat together by the river, talking.

"So. What are you going to do once we finally get back into the Fire Nation?" Katara asked, "And are able to rule again? Are you ever going to even remember any of us?"

"Katara! Of course I'll remember you, and I don't really know. What I'll do once I arrive in the Fire Nation. And once we get the Avatar—er, there." Zuko replied uneasily.

"What was that!" Zuko said suddenly, whipping around to find a dozen soldiers. (I that's what happened with Haru, but this is different! Just wait!)

"Katara! Run!" he yelled, getting into a fighting stance.

Katara ran off, back into the woods, while looking over her shoulders constantly.

She ran straight and fast, but then she accidentally stepped into a pile of leaves. A cage sprung up quickly around her, enclosing her, and pulled her up to great heights.

Zuko flipped over two of the nearest soldiers, knocking them down and sending a few unfriendly flames after them, knocking them out. He glimpsed three different soldiers running at him from three different angles, and he waited…waited…JUMPED! And all three of them crashed into each other, collapsing. Zuko smirked, and did a sidekick at another approaching fire bender, at the same time ducking five different flames that would have likely killed him.

Half were down, and six more to go, but Zuko was getting exhausted from this unfair combat. Twelve to one odds were unlikely for the "one", but Zuko was more trained, and certainly more determined.

The soldiers blasted fire at him, but Zuko created a big shield of fire around himself to block. Then he sent a whip of fire from each hand, blasting back two more men, with scorch marks on the lifeless chests. (I bet someone could die from a fire whip—copyright 2005 of zuko luva 1! MY IDEA!) The remaining four closed in on him, preparing for their greatest attack..

The man facing Zuko breathed deeply in, and then let out a huge blast of fire. Zuko ducked, just quick enough, and heard a loud "oof!" from the man behind him as he was hit with the fireball. Zuko jumped up again, brining around his foot, slamming it into the back of the man's legs, knocking him over.

As he fell towards Zuko, Zuko sent a big flame to his face, then kicked him aside and jumped up completely.

With still two left, the most skilled of all to have lasted this far, Zuko couldn't help thinking I've already got ten of them. Now I should just be worrying if these people will ever live to see tomorrow!

And with that, Zuko ducked as yet another flame was sent at him, then jumped up and over to the man, punching him in the face and kicking him hard in the side. He went flying over to the same tree where another soldier lay unconscious, and collapsed.

One left. And all during this time, Zuko's anger had been mounting higher and higher, as his temper boiler was easy to reach as usual, and he would just love to take this anger all out onto the last soldier.

Unfortunately, the soldier either realized this, or simply knew that he wouldn't be able to take down Zuko alone, and he tried to run off to the "safety" of the forest.

Zuko growled, attacking him from behind, and bringing him to the ground.

Once there, he punched his head so hard it started to bleed, then jumped up and ran after Katara after sending one last kick into his back.

Zuko was now even MORE angry, and he would stop at nothing to get Katara back. He did not want her hurt again, or taken from him, and he knew only to well that there wouldn't be twelve soldiers out to get him—and Katara—for no reason, and he had a bad feeling about who was behind all this.

Katara reached through the bars on the Fire Nation trap, working to untie the strings that held her up, and break the pulley. She jerked desperately at the pulley, and it finally broke.

Yeah! I did it! Oh, no, She thought as she plummeted toward the ground. I didn't think of that.

Katara shut her eyes as she hit the ground.

The cage sprung open, tumbling out her unconscious body. (Wow. She has been unconscious or asleep a lot hasn't she?)

Zhao and Jet (Don't see that combination too much) stepped out from the shadows, picking up Katara's limp body and carrying it back to the ship, after plowing over a man doing his yard work without a mind for trouble. After reaching the ship, they hurried aboard, and sailed off east again.

Zuko stumbled through the forest, and finally he left it to see if anyone had a glimpse of Katara.

"You there!" Zuko yelled at a man that looked as if he had just been trampled, standing at the edge of the forest. "Did you see a girl with pretty, long, brown hair—about fourteen—and wearing a blue outfit go by?"

"Yes." The man wheezed, pointing to the harbor on which there was a boat speeding away.

Zuko comprehended who had taken Katara where, and why, and nodded in thanks to the man. He then hurried off to his own ship, sailing off west, not north as the other ship had gone.

Zuko, in his quarters, sat down on his bed, waiting for them to reach the Fire Nation. He wanted Katara back, and was scared for her life—knowing that who she was with would not be merciful when it came to things like these—desperate measures when innocent, fourteen year old girls are kidnapped.

But Zuko was not going after Katara for the wise reason.

Zhao would be expecting him, because that would be why he had initially captured Katara. He might not know that Zuko had the Avatar, but even with someone like Katara—who could be so stubborn—he would quickly find out. Therefore, Zhao would try to stop him, and it would be wise for Zuko to get a good head start, fulfilling his plan before the Admiral even arrived in Fire Nation waters.

AN: Smart and complicated! And this was a nice long chappie, right? Good! Read and reply! And I know that the title—my only sort of good one—doesn't even suit the chapter. But it was better than "Untitled"!