Chapter 2

The chains were heavily weighing down on both Aang and Mikomi. They were chained between three columns. Mikomi was on the left and Aang on the right. The room was desolate and both of them had remained quiet. Mikomi, trying to think of some escape, but failing thus far and Aang, thinking about Katara and Sokka.

Their thoughts were disturbed when they heard the creaking of the door opening. Both of them looked up at the sound. They saw a Fire Nation armor-clad man. When the man walked up and was now in the light, Mikomi and Aang both recognized him as Zhao.

"We have finally caught you Avatar," Zhao said smirking down at Aang.

Aang just glared up into his eyes and said, faking bravery, "Let me go!"

Zhao glared at him then pulled out a scroll. He smirked and opened it saying, "That will not happen, Avatar. You are wanted." The scroll he had was a detailed wanted poster that showed Aang. It was drawn very well, even including his glider.

Zhao closed the scroll and placed it in his belt. He then walked over to Mikomi who was glaring at him from the moment he walked in. "You are wanted as well, girl," he said opening up a scroll identical to Aang's, except there was a drawing of her within it. Again, it was a perfect drawing, including detailed images of all of her weapons.

"And what am I wanted for?" Mikomi said becoming infuriated. She had a horrible temper that she lost control of easily, at times. Within her closed lips, she was clenching her teeth to refrain from losing her temper.

Zhao closed the scroll and began walking around the chain-bound Mikomi, like a hawk eyeing its prey. "You are wanted for attacking Fire Nation soldiers, for sabotaging Fire Nation traveling equipment, for stealing numerous items from the Fire Nation, and for many other crimes against us."

Aang looked at her questioningly because when she was with him, she had never done any of those things. Mikomi noticed Aang's confused look and said, trying to remain under control of her temper, "I did those things before I met up with you."

"So, you have confessed to your crimes," Zhao said smiling widely. He loved it when he won. "Well, then we must decide your punishment. Death seems suitable. Should it be done quickly or drawn out slowly and painfully?" Zhao was now standing in front of Mikomi, watching her as she glared into his cold eyes. "I like the second one. Perhaps we could give you to one of the soldiers to have some fun with you, first. Many men would enjoy that chance with a pretty, young girl like you."

Zhao was right. She was a pretty, young girl. Her figure was slim and slender. With her smooth, black hair she was pretty. But if you included her bright blue eyes, she was beautiful. Zhao looked into those eyes and then noticed something; they had changed to gold. He was baffled by the sudden change. Hadn't they just been blue?

Zhao's thoughts were interrupted when out of Mikomi's mouth came a stream of fire. She had to release the heat somehow. Fearing that her body would heat the metal chains around her and melt them causing her great pain, she let all of the heat and anger she contained through her mouth. The little trick she just performed was one of the few things she could do without losing control. Zhao had just barely dodged it, as he was standing directly in front of her. Her eyes now returned back to their normal blue.

"And you're a firebender! You traitor!" Zhao shouted as he was straightening himself from dodging the stream of fire. "Why did you do all of things to soldiers of your own nation!"

"The Fire Naiton is not my homeland! Yes, I was born there, but I was raised in the Earth Kingdom!" Mikomi shouted her response at him.

Aang watched the two nervously. He knew that Mikomi would go too far and get herself hurt.

"But you still are a firebender! Why did you attack your fellow firebenders, you disgusting coward!" Zhao screamed at her, his eyes filled with rage.

"I am no coward! And secondly, I attacked them because I am against this war! The Fire Nation has no reason to continue this war yet you do! It's all because of Ozai! The power hungry fool has no right to continue this war! He's a horrible excuse for a leader!" she shouted unleashing all of her rage through words.

The insult against his lord enraged the admiral. So he lifted his hand and swept it down across her face, backhanding her with much of his might. Mikomi winced for a second, but his vicious attack didn't stop her from speaking her mind.

Mikomi leaned her weight against the chains so she was now closer to Zhao so she glared into his eyes. "I GUESS A LAP DOG DOESN'T LIKE IT WHEN HIS MASTER IS INSULTED!" Mikomi screamed at the top of her lungs, accusing Zhao of being Ozai's lap dog, which was completely true.

Aang knew it. She had finally gone too far.

Zhao had enough of her insolence. He drew his fist back and hit her with all of his might this time. His fist landed in her stomach knocking all of the air out of her. Some spit flew for her mouth as her eyes narrowed and widened from the impact. Mikomi's weight fell on the chains as she inhaled heavily trying to retain her lost breath. Her eyes were now closed, and her face was contorted into a grimace.

"Stop it! Leave her alone!" Aang shouted at Zhao who was now smiling over the heavily breathing Mikomi.

"She has learned her place. Thanks to her mouth, her torture will be twice as worse," he said. Zhao turned and opened the door. He left the room smiling thinking about his job well done on the girl.

Once the door had shut behind Zhao, Aang turned to Mikomi and saw her in the same position. "Mikomi! Are you alright?" Aang asked worriedly.

"……f-fine…," Mikomi muttered still trying to catch the lost breath. Aang decided to help her and just using his fingers, he created a small, thin stream of air. Mikomi looked over at him and noticed what he was doing. She watched as the string of air flew over in front of her mouth. Realizing what Aang meant to do, she opened her mouth and inhaled the stream of air. She exhaled as her breathing returned to normal.

Mikomi looked over at him and said, "Thank you." She even cracked a small smile for a second, but the next it had disappeared, because she had tried to stand up straight, but it hurt her stomach too badly.

Both of the prisoners stared at the door, with most of their hope of escaping gone.

Zuko/Blue Spirit Point of View

I was standing at the door after defeating the four guards that were posted here with ease. It was just as easy getting into the fortress. They really needed to find better guards, especially since they have the Avatar. Opening to door, I saw the Avatar and another person, both chained. The Avatar was standing straight up, but the other was hanging limp on the chains and their head drooped lifelessly. Once I had entered the room and closed the door, the drooping form's head lifted and revealed the face of a girl. It was the girl who always wore black that traveled with the Avatar. I wondered why that idiot, Zhao, had captured her, but then decided I couldn't leave her here. She was wearing black, which was of an advantage, so at least it would add to her stealth.

I pulled out my double swords, swinging them expertly and slicing through the air. Charging the Avatar, I heard him start screaming stupidly. He closed his eyes and then clenched his teeth, expecting a blow, but I cut his chains instead and then cut off the metal handcuffs. The boy looked up at me with a questioning glance. I was wearing a blue mask that my uncle had bought on one of his ridiculous shopping trips. He had bought a whole set of different colored ones that were exactly alike. At least they were of some use.

I walked over to the girl now who still drooped on her chains; she just looked up at me. As her face came into the light and I saw a large purple bruise covering her right cheek. I wondered for a moment how that had happened because it was a large bruise. I lifted my swords, but the girl didn't show fear. She just stared at me with a blank expression, her blue eyes shining along with her black hair. I then cut her chains, but right after I had cut them she fell to her knees, clutching her stomach and moaning. The Avatar ran over to her, grabbing her arm and saying, "Mikomi! Are you alright?"

The girl, Mikomi the Avatar had said, just pulled away stubbornly and said, "I'm fine."

She stood up after some difficulty, then her eyes turned to something in the corner of the room. It was a small, silver pole of some sort. She walked over to it and grabbed it sticking it into her belt. I didn't understand what she needed with a stupid, little pole, but I walked toward the door and motioned for both of them to follow. Opening the door, I stuck my head out to see if anyone had come. The two followed me slowly. I walked past a room that had half frozen toads it in, wondering what frogs were doing in a Fire Nation fortress, but I just continued on. The girl passed the frogs without a word, but the Avatar stopped and started grabbing them.

"The frogs! Stop unfreezing! I need you!" the Avatar said foolishly as he scooped up the frogs. The girl jogged back to him and grabbed his arm and pulled on him saying, "Aang come on! We can get those on the way back!" She pulled and pulled but couldn't budge the Avatar. I sighed to myself and walked back grabbing the Avatar by his collar and picking him up with one hand dragging him along, with the girl jogging behind me.

"Wait! My friends need to suck on those!" the idiot said. I let the comment slide by without any further thought.

The three of us, the girl, the Avatar, and myself, were out of the building, now crossing the dark grounds within the fortress walls. The Avatar, of course being an airbender, was very light and quick during the escape. I was most surprised by the girl, even though she seemed injured, she was extremely agile and very docile. She moved silently and quickly through the grounds. I lifted my sword pointing to a rope that stretched over one of the walls.

Once there the girl was the first to go up the rope, then the Avatar, then me. We were being completely silent, but the alarms suddenly sounded. One of the armor clad guards came up to the top of the rope and sliced it leaving us to fall. The Avatar did some sort of airbending trick letting all three of us land on our feet. I saw an open gate and again lifted my sword and pointed to it.

The girl nodded and the Avatar said, "Okay, stay close to me." He began running at a fast rate. The girl followed directly after him being extremely quick. I was to the side of her and I saw her pull the silver pole out of her belt, as she saw guards coming toward them.

'What is she going to do? Beat them with that little stick?' I thought sarcastically to myself. But then the pole suddenly grew in size as she pressed some sort of button on the side of it. I remembered in their previous encounters that she did have a pole that length and I remembered that she was skilled in the martial arts. My thoughts were distracted when the Avatar had met a group of soldiers, whom he blasted to the side with a powerful gust of wind. As those guards scattered, more guards encircled the girl and me. I began to attack them, as did she. She was extremely fast and twirled her pole expertly, hitting any of her opponents, knocking them into the ground. We both fought for a while, but then all of the men around us were blown away. I turned and saw the Avatar holding a spear with the blade broken off.

"Hold, Mikomi!" he ordered me pointing his stick directly at me.

'Who does he think he is giving me orders? I'm the one rescuing them!' I thought to myself.

Aggravated, I picked up the girl bridal style, not knowing what the Avatar was going to do. He lifted the stick he was pointing at me and catapulted the girl and myself through the air. The girl didn't make a sound as we landed. I dropped her once we landed and then even more men surrounded us again. We took up our fighting stances, but then the Avatar came over the wall, twirling his stick over his head to fly. He used his legs to grab me under my arms, but he didn't grab the girl so I sheathed my swords quickly and grabbed her by the waist. The three of us flew over the wall. I held the girl close so that nothing would hit her, but spears started to come at us, and the girl held out her pole and said, "Lower me as far as you can."

I stretched out my arms lowering her as far under me as I could. She began twirling her pole just like the Avatar was doing above us. Her pole blocked all of the spears that came our way. We were almost to the next wall, when the Avatar began to grunt with the effort he was giving. He was beginning to scream and we landed on the wall. I landed on top of the girl and the Avatar landed on top of me. When I got up I saw that the girl had had her face planted into the cold stone. She stood up blinking, and said, "Ow…"

It was somewhat funny knowing that the girl had to land underneath of us, but the humor didn't last long as the soldiers had ladders made of bamboo that they were setting up so that they could capture us. There were three ladders. One of us was at each of them. I was using my swords to beat down the soldiers, the Avatar used his airbending, and the girl used her pole. Once the Avatar was rid of his soldiers, he helped the two of us defeat ours. He ordered us to pull up the ladders, so we did. The Avatar left his standing and he jumped out on it and ordered me to jump on his back. I did so and the girl jumped on me so she was sitting on my shoulders. I held her legs as the held onto the other ladders.

This escape plan was absolutely crazy. The Avatar used the ladders as giant stilts to get across to the next wall. We were almost there when one of the soldiers set our ladder on fire, making the Avatar jump off too early. He had to use his airbending to propel us far enough. I grabbed onto the wall, but I couldn't hold on. The girl didn't dare hold onto the wall because if I dropped with her legs still wrapped around my neck, she could hang me. We fell landing on the ground, this time the girl landed on top. The guards charged us and the Avatar grabbed my shoulders and spun me around, but before he could I grabbed the girl by the waist and took her with me. Now the Avatar was facing the guards and I had my back to them, using my body to shield the girl. I felt a great gust of wind go around us as the Avatar blocked an attack.

I heard the familiar voice that I despise, "Stop! The Avatar must be captured alive!"

I turned and saw Zhao standing there, looking somewhat nervous of losing his precious capture. Realizing a way out of the fortress, I grabbed the girl and the Avatar and put my swords at their necks. I doubt Zhao cared about the girl, but I had to have her under my blade so I could take her with me.

The anger that spread across Zhao's face brought me great joy. I smiled underneath the mask I wore.

"Open the gate," he forcedly said. The gate slowly opened and I back out just as slowly, showing them that the Avatar was an inch away from death. I watched them as I back away. I saw Zhao at the top of the wall as I was nearing the forest.

'Almost there,' I thought hopefully. I thought we were going to make it, but then I heard something whistle through the air. By the time I spotted it, it was too late. An arrow hit me. My head throbbed with pain as I fell to the ground releasing my hostages. My vision blurred and then everything went black.