Disclaimer - I don't own Young Justice or Avatar: The Last Airbender. This was written for the Black Belt and final round of Write to Rank 2021 where the goal was to write a 5-10k story based on the line, "a split-second decision between life or death". Warning: Character death.
Forged in Fire: Painted Lady
"We run."
Ursula gently let the chin of her eldest child rest in the palm of her hands while tears welled in his eyes, pouring down his cheeks.
"We run."
She didn't fault Zuko for the tears which fell down his cheeks, not after she heard him relate what Azula, his younger sister told him—that Azulon demanded Ozai kill Zuko so he might understand the pain of losing his firstborn son as his older brother Iroh did in retribution for demanding Iroh's birthright.
"We run."
As a mother, she wouldn't let anyone harm her precious child, but the split-second decision to leave Hinokoku felt like the only choice when the life of her precious child was on the line.
"We run and don't look back."
"Sokka is going to be furious when he sees this."
Katara's mouth twisted into a grimace as she imagined the look on her older brother's face when he saw the poster on her bedroom wall. She dropped the paper bills into the casher's hand, her blue eyes focused on the rolled poster for the superheroine she admired and waited a long time for the Justice League to release just like all of Sokka's favorite heroes and heroines for which he collected posters of.
She felt the change drop into the palm of her hand and watched the cashier hand over the poster. Katara sucked in her breath while her heart pounded in her chest; she tucked the poster under her arm for safekeeping and left so she might head home to the apartment she lived in with her older brother and Gran Gran.
A shadow passed above and Katara's blue eyes fluttered up towards the skyscrapers which soared above her. A sigh escaped her mouth. "It must have been a cloud playing tricks on me rather than a superhero swinging by, but that's probably a good thing given the fact that would actually mean trouble was brewing nearby, right?"
Katara shook her head and continued her walk back to the apartment when someone bumped into her coming out of an alleyway. Katara swallowed while she pulled the poster closer, hoping her treasured item wasn't smashed by her unfortunate collision with the stranger. She lifted her head, drawn back to reality as the person in front of her muttered. "Sorry."
"That's—" Her entire body froze. The young man who bumped into her glanced away while his companion watched the unfolding situation in front of them. There was no mistaking the golden eyes which identified the young man as—"You're Hinokoku, aren't you?" The young man turned his head so he looked her in the eye, worrying his lip. "Guilt. The blasted—"
"Hey. Don't act that way," his companion spoke up.
"Rob," the Hinokoku youth cleared his throat, turning his head to the young man—sorter than both Katara and the Hinokoku youth.
"She doesn't know you, so what right..."
"Don't. Just, Rob, don't." The young man bowed slightly. "Apologies. We'll be on our way. Sorry for bothering you."
Katara pushed her lips together, frustrated beyond belief, her fingers itching for water to manipulate so she might freeze the young man to the wall yet there was none nearby. "Plus. What good would outing yourself as being able to bend water do for Gran Gran and Sokka. We'd have to move again because you drew too much attention to yourself, Katara."
Instead, she let them pass her by and continued on her way to the apartment.
Neither were home, as neither greeted her.
Letting out a sigh, Katara headed into her room and unrolled the poster so she might affix the imagery onto her bedroom wall. Her breath sucked in as her blue eyes widened in excitement, her run-in with the Hinokoku youth disappearing like mist in the sunlight.
The Painted Lady appeared on the poster in all her legendary glory. Her dark locks cascaded over her bare shoulders while the translucent vale dripped from her wei mao hat. The traditional Hinokoku clothing showcases as much beauty as the superheroine the poster showcased, the heroine Katara admired greatly. She swallowed, slight guilt for her tone of voice with the youth she ran into earlier fluttering through her brain.
"What is that?"
"Yup. Sokka's furious about this, but I didn't hear him come in." Katara turned and looked at her older brother, her mouth pressing into a frown. "It's the Painted Lady. Obviously."
"Obviously, you shouldn't have anything Hinokoku related in this house. You know as well as I that the Hinokoku are driving us, the Minuzoku tribes from their homes, but we're not the only ones they're doing that too, Katara."
"She's different!" Katara protested, glaring at her older brother. "And that's what that boy named Rob meant. That I shouldn't judge what his friend is like because he's Hinokoku." She folded her arms across her chest while the poster rolled back up. "You know just as well as I that she fights against the Hinokoku, instilling..."
"She's Hinokoku, but her partner Blue Spirit is likely as well, not to mention there is likely some kind of alternative agenda."
"You don't know that."
"Plus, Boomerang Man is way cooler."
"Who cares about your made-up superhero identity?"
"Oh, come on! You can be my sidekick," Sokka said. "Sock Girl!"
Katara glared at her older brother, super irritated at his suggestion. "I refuse to do your laundry."
"But it's better than Sock-a Girl, right?"
"And that joke's getting old." Katara let out a sigh, heading into the kitchen. She tugged at the handle of the faucet, letting the water pour out before pulling out a pot which she set on the stove. She held her hands out palms towards the faucet and twisted her wrists so the water lifted into the air. A bubble formed and glided over to the pot when—
"What are you doing?"
Instinct kicked in. Katara swung around. The water moved with her and froze. A yelp escaped Sokka's mouth. His blue eyes glared at her.
"Katara!"
"Sorry!" Katara quickly rotated her wrists. The melted water flung across the room into the sink.
"You're not sorry! You're always..."
"You know what! Make your own dinner!" Katara turned for the door and grabbed a grey sweat jacket which she pulled over her head.
"At least turn the water off before you go!"
"Do it yourself!"
"Why? Why did you have to do that when we're supposed to be meeting up with my partner—" The young man reached out for a keypad and punched in the code which allowed the door to slide open. "This is our current safe house."
"You mean your mom," Robin sighed, his arms tucked behind his head as he leaned against the wall nearby.
"Whatever. We're not supposed to be drawing attention due to the fact you're in your civies and yet you went and did that?" Zuko slipped behind a curtain and slipped off his civies and into his uniform.
"That person doesn't know you and had no right to judge you based on your race."
"Which really wasn't any of your business Rob."
"Don't say it's not any of my business when you're my friend BS."
A sigh escaped as the young man stepped from behind the curtain slipping the mask of the Blue Spirit onto his face. He drew a finger across his throat and shook his head. "Why hasn't he gotten it through his head that I don't like that nickname as it isn't just short for my code name?"
"You know. I know that you're not mute, so you can actually speak around me when it's just us and you're wearing the mask you know."
Blue Spirit shook his head before he headed to the door. "Why'd Batman decide Robin should join us on this mission anyway? Actually, why did mom think we needed a bit of extra help on this one?"
The wind blew salt air into Katara's face. She leaned up against the railing near the local warehouses while her fingers ached for the chance to manipulate the salty water, yet in the back of her mind, she knew she couldn't. "Not when it might bring attention to my family. Maybe I should get my own persona so I can fight crime, but Sokka—he'd freak out. But I..."
A flicker of movement drew Katara's attention. She turned her head and saw a group of Hinokoku girls as the sunset over the docks, yet all three seemed too rich for the area. Katara's hands reached up and tugged her grey hood down lower, her eyes fixed on the girls as they approached a nearby warehouse. The door opened and another Hinokoku peaked out, this one dressed in the armor Katara remembered when everyone in their village was driven.
"This land is being claimed for the Hinokoku and you shall vacate the land and if you don't..."
Thoughts of flames licking at the homes made from ice flickered through her mind. Katara tugged at the hood again. "Someone has to do something."
Katara took a deep breath and stepped forward. Her blue eyes glanced at the perimeter and her entire body froze.
"I can't get caught. I can't..." A flicker of the moment on the roof draws her attention. Her blue eyes widened as two shadows slunk towards the skylight, but in the setting sun Katara couldn't make out who they were. She took a deep breath and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans and started walking while she kept her head down. Her sneakers scraped the sidewalk while she acted as if she were simply a local out for a walk. "I hope I don't look suspicious, particularly..."
Eventually, she arrived at the other side of the warehouse and turned. Without a second thought, she used the salty water from the harbor and propelled herself up to the room. Water-soaked into her jeans possibly from her lack of control and she tumbled onto the roof. Her landing left scrapes on her hands while the salt from the water and air made the scrapes sting even more.
"What am I doing?"
Katara approached the skylight for the warehouse and noted where the two shadows entered.
"I can enter here, but..."
In the back of her mind, she knew Sokka would be furious if he found out, yet...
"I can't believe I'm going to do this!"
Katara sucked in air and jumped—it felt like the spirits were beckoning, that she needed to be there at that moment. "Trust the spirits when they speak, Katara?"
"Gran-Gran? How do you know when the spirits are talking?"
"You'll know when you know."
"Why does he have to be such a chatterbox? He reminds me of..." Blue Spirit froze and Robin stopped speaking as a rather bubbly voice drifted up from the ground below. His eyes opened and closed behind the mask and Blue Spirit almost let out a sigh of recognition. "Yup. He's as much if not more of a chatterbox than I remember Ty Lee ever being, but why is..."
"This is boring," said someone in a rather monotone voice.
"Don't worry Mai," a sickly-sweet voice said. Blue Spirit cringed. "Father's going to kill you."
"No, he's not."
"What do you mean he's not?"
"You always lie Azula, but..."
"Grandfather said so. He said that his father had to sacrifice you for his transgression against Azulon's firstborn. You're going to die, Zu Zu."
"Hey." Robin tapped him on the shoulder. "Concentrate." Blue Spirit turned his head to look at him. "Do you know them?"
Blue Spirit stared, swallowing behind the mask. "We're supposed to be meeting up with mom, but she's already in here investigating because we had to finish with school, but yes—I do know them."
"I'll take that reaction as a yes."
"In other words, he saw me swallow." Blue Spirit turned his head back towards the warehouse, yet his mind registered something else, something Azula said after saying a few other things while Mai sighed.
"The mouse is almost to the trap."
"Mouse. Who's the mouse?"
"The Painted Lady," Azula muttered. Blue Spirit froze, standing up straight while he looked down at his sister.
"Hey! BS!" Robin hissed as he stood up next to him. His hand reached out for Blue Spirit's shoulder which was at Robin's eye level.
"Don't know who that witch is, but she's been a thorn in father's side ever since he took over for the old man."
"I've never cared what happened to Azulon, given he wanted me dead, but Uncle Iroh—"
"So, the trap is set to kill the Painted Lady?" Mai flipped one of her weapons while letting out a sigh while Blue Spirit felt a chill run down his spine.
"Yes." Azula held up her hands then spread her fingers wide, a sickening grin on her face before letting out a sound that sounded like an explosion.
"BS, don't!"
Blue Spirit didn't listen and dropped down to the ground. "I've got to get her out of here, but why would..." One of Mai's tools almost took off his mask. Thankfully he dodged aside. "Because Azula can control the flames? That..."
Someone dropped down behind him. "BS. Get your head into the game!"
"BS?" Mai let out a laugh while her fingers twirled the weapon in her hand as she prepared to throw another weapon. "As in bull shit?"
"Huh. So, there are two more rats in the mousetrap." Azula's mouth is twisted. She held her hands towards the ground with her palms up. A fireball formed in each hand and Azula pitched one then the other towards Blue Spirit and Robin. Blue Spirit dodged away. He spun around and pulled out his blades in time to deflect some of Mai's throwing weapons. The metal clattered against the floor.
Robin ducked into a roll before coming up out of his tumble. He twisted around and looked right at Blue Spirit. "Can you take care of these guys so I can take care of the bomb?"
Ty Lee flipped forward into a summersault only rivaled by Robin's acrobatics. When she landed, her hands surged forward palms down in hopes of hitting a key point for temporarily paralyzing parts of her opponent's body. Azula let out a laugh. "Take care of us? And you think that you can—" Her eyes narrowed and her lips pushed together. "Focus on the brat."
"What?" Ty Lee turned her head yet ducked as one of Blue Spirit's blades soared through the air.
"I really should take up Batman's offer to provide me with similar weapons which won't kill," Bue thought to himself.
"I said to focus on the brat! He can disarm the bomb our Fire Lord arranged to kill the Painted Lady."
"On it!" Mai twisted and flung a set of weapons at Robin who bent over backward as they went by which led directly into him backflipping onto his hands as Ty Lee darted away from Blue Spirit and towards Robin. Her hands jabbed out, making Robin dodge back and forth while Azula turned her flames onto Robin, sending a wave.
Blue Spirit swallowed. "Batman might be able to take all three on, but Robin's being overwhelmed."
He moved. Blue Spirit brought his right sword arm up and his left underneath his arm as he moved to intercept one of the individuals attacking Robin only for a wave of flames to rush his direction. He sucked in his breath, pulling his arms up to guard his facial features covered by the mask while he dove behind something. At that moment he heard the sound of Robin letting out a sound of pain.
He hurried out the other side and saw Robin clutching a hand over his eye while blood trickled underneath his fingers. Both Mai and Ty Lee were in close-quarter combat with him which forced Robin to fully utilize his acrobatic skills yet whatever injury he'd sustained from Mai's blades handicapped him.
"BS!"
"I really wish he wouldn't call me that."
"I'll think of a better nickname later! Get to Painted Lady!"
Blue Spirit stiffened, yet still ducked into a roll as a wave of flames rushed towards him. "I'm going to feel that one in the morning as I moved wrong, but I'm also not going to abandon a friend."
"I'll be fine."
Blue Spirit continued to avoid Azula's flames while wanting to glare at Robin, to tell him what he thought. "No, you won't. Not against all three. I'd have an issue with Azula even without using my fire, so maybe..."
Except, Blue Spirit didn't use fire abilities, just as the Painted Lady didn't use water abilities—not that his mother could use either like the Blue Spirit could use fire abilities. It kept people from guessing who they were.
Yet, at that moment Blue Spirit wanted to use his fire abilities, to counter Azula's flames so he might help Robin who would be overwhelmed. He started sheathing so he might move his hands to counter when a surge of water came hurtling at the flames. He paused as did Azula.
A figure dropped from above beside Robin who seemed just as surprised, but they brought with them water. "They can use water."
"Go. I'll help your friend here. Heal them even. He said to get to the Painted Lady, didn't he?"
Blue Spirit didn't hesitate. Azula screeched and sent a wave of flames after him, but the water bender used nearby water to quickly douse the flames as he headed towards the other part of the warehouse.
"Go. I'll help your friend here. Heal them even. He said to get to the Painted Lady, didn't he?" Katara felt her heart pound in her throat. "I can't believe I'm doing this! I can't believe I'm doing this. Sokka will kill me if he ever finds out."
Somehow, she managed to hold off the blasts of the flames which came her way, but the Hinokoku girl—the fire user—looked at her with complete fury on her face. She felt her companion go up against her back. "So..."
"As I said. I'll heal you."
"I'll be fine. Robin by the way. You are—"
"Wait? Robin?"
"I'm kinda in civies—duck!"
Katara ducked as blades swung at her head.
"Look. My identity—I can't let you see it and I'm used to blind fighting."
"It's bleeding!"
"Yeah. Its slowed. Just focus on the fight right now, okay—um..."
"I don't have—"
"Okay. I'll call you GH. And duck again!"
"What?" Katara said. At that moment, she realized Robin followed everyone's movements despite having only one eye but he noticed movements she didn't.
"Short for Grey Hood. At least for the time being GH."
"Is he insane?" Katara brought her water up to blast a fireball away. A sudden jab to the shoulder made her arm go limp. Katara's eyes narrowed.
"Okay. Do not want to get hit by that chick by the way as she can block chi points!"
"She—"
"She can stop you from moving, but also using your powers."
Katara swung her hand out. The movement brought a wave of water. She heard the crackling of ice forming and saw Ty Lee freeze mid-swing before darting backward.
"Oh. Cool. You can freeze things. Well, probably not Princess Azula over there?"
"Oh?"
"Duck!" Robin called out before pulling her down so a rather large fireball hurtled over their heads.
"So you actually know who I am? But then, you're Robin. My father—he'd really like me to bring you in, but he'd like you to be alive, given—"
"Yada, yada, yada. The typical use me against Batman thing and find out our secret identities. Not happening lady."
"Lady?"
"Yup. I just called you an old hag."
The fearful looks on the faces of the girl making the jabs and the one using weapons made Katara realize the flames would soon get hotter than they were before. "And all because he decided to snipe at her? What is wrong with him?"
"I know this is a trap, but..." Painted Lady dropped through the skylight. "Robin and Blue Spirit are behind me and the Justice League said they would try and bring me more help if they could manage it, but even Batman is currently busy. Wish they'd brought more of that young team in, but the spirits don't seem to be favoring us today."
Quiet permeated the warehouse as she dropped down. Her traditional clothing shifted while she looked around for any guards who might pass by yet saw nobody. Painted Lady took in a deep breath and headed towards the back of the warehouse where whatever the Hinokoku soldiers smuggled in would be located.
Her thin fingers reached out, pushing the door open. The sound of metal creaking echoed through the otherwise quiet workshop as did the clicking sound of her traditional shoes. "The clothing provides a similar effect to Batman's ensemble, but it doesn't allow for moving around easily." A series of soft sobs greeted her and her lips pushed together. "Of course they would be smuggling people."
A group of people huddled in a rather large cage, but the green traditional clothing indicated the people were of Chikyu Okoku, one of the ethnic groups the Hinokoku persecuted. Painted Lady bit down on her lip and tasted a slight taste of blood as she did, but her injury didn't compare to the injuries she saw adorning the bodies of the people in there, including a small child held tightly in their mother's arms.
She also saw the bomb and the yellow digital numbers ticking down. Her eyes narrowed as she walked towards the device. "Of course they'd use the lives of others into a trap for me." She stepped towards the explosive device. A frown spread across her face while her head attempted to calculate what she would need to do to disarm the bomb. "Thankfully, Robin is here, so this won't be a problem for him, but just in case—I'll see what I can figure out."
From outside the room with the bomb, she heard fighting which meant Blue Spirit and Robin arrived while her thin fingers attempted opening the panel revealing less time than she thought as if the more visible clock were a decoy. Sweat dripped down her face past the makeup which she used to hide her facial features from being recognized and her mouth opened slightly.
A movement behind her made her turn her head. Her eyes blinked. "Blue Spirit?"
His fingers flicked out, pointing at the bomb.
"Where's Robin?" Of course, she knew that answer. "Please tell me he's not injured and that you left him alone to deal with whatever fighting..."
Blue Spirit held up two fingers.
"Someone else showed up to help?"
He nodded his head. Painted Lady swallowed, looking at the device as she took in the fact there wasn't much time, but the one person who might be able to deactivate the device with little trouble wasn't there. She turned her head, looking at the mother clutching the child—a child that was small enough.
"A decision between the life and death of one's child—there is only one choice." She turned. "Would it be possible to hand your child to Blue Spirit?"
Blue Spirit flinched. He held up his hands in an attempt to protest. The mother in the cage hesitated, but only for a short period before she stepped forward. The child slipped through the bars, small enough to fit through and Blue Spirit took the child into his arms.
"Get the child out of here."
Silence, for the Blue Spirit never spoke.
"Why, when for so long his voice was silent after we left. Then, he kept the image up." She looked at the bomb. "I'm going to deactivate the bomb. Tell Robin and the other person to retreat."
"But..."
"Do it!" She pushed her lips together. "If he's speaking for once, then he knows." She took a deep breath. "I've got to try. I can't leave them, but you—you can get that child to safety. Understand?"
"Yes," Blue Spirit muttered before disappearing into the shadows.
Robin's head swum, as he'd been hit with one of Ty Lee's hands in the forehead before Mai followed up with the weapon. "Not that Blue Spirit saw that." No matter what he said, Blue Spirit wouldn't go after his mother. Not until another person showed up with the promise of healing him. "Not that we can do that with Zuko's sister and her friends holding us down."
Of course...
"Yada, yada, yada. The typical use me against Batman thing and find out our secret identities. Not happening lady."
"Lady?"
"Yup. I just called you and old hag."
The moment the words left Robin's mouth, Azula lost her cool. A wave of flame rushed out, but she didn't care if she hit her allies. The girl who arrived in the grey hood ducked with him behind a set of crates. "What were you thinking?"
"Isn't she easier to dodge?" Robin smirked at her. "And her allies are having to doge as well."
"Are you crazy?"
"Well, I'm Batman's partner, and to be his partner you've got to have some level of craziness going on. I mean, look at who we tend to go up against?" Robin said as another wave of flames rushed at them and they dodged into a new hiding place. He let out a laugh as he did, possibly proving just how crazy he was while his head turned to look in the direction Blue Spirit headed.
"At least let me heal you."
"Not really any time—" Robin's eyes widened as Blue Spirit existed in the room at the back of the warehouse. In Blue Spirit's arms was a small child. A wave of flames rushed at the young hero whose blades were sheathed so he might carry the injured child. He ducked under the flames, quickly proceeding into a roll with the child gently held in his arms but Robin watched his hand motion with two fingers that they should exist.
The smile on Robin's face dropped. "That can only mean one thing." He quickly darted towards the girl in the grey hood, his cheeky smile returned. "We need to get out of here."
"What?"
Robin grabbed onto the sleeve of her jacket and darted for the door. The girl at first tugged back, resiting his movement but then followed after him while he tossed out a few smoke bombs which he'd not yet used now that he found himself free to use his toolbelt. A wave of flames still rushed over their heads as Azula yelled in fury, but her two companions didn't follow through the smoke.
Robin continued running and held onto the sleeve of the girl in the grey hood. Arriving at one of the exists he quickly let go of the girl's hand and jumped. His feet kicked the door open while cool air greeted them from the outside. He sucked in his breath and took in the smell of the salty sea area. "Wasn't that a bit much?"
"Yeah, well—" Robin turned so he might speak to the girl in the grey hood in time to see Blue Spirit hurry out of the warehouse himself, the child clutched in his arms. His smile left again while his eyes narrowed. Blue Spirit looked at the girl.
"What?"
"You said you can heal, and—" Robin pressed his lips together.
Without hesitation, the girl took the child from the Blue Spirit and set them down so she might use her water to heal the child. Blue Spirit turned so he might head back in.
"Wait! Don't—" Robin's hand reached for the back of Blue Spirit's uniform only for a loud rumbling to be heard. Heat rushed towards them. Robin turned and threw himself on top of the girl and child while his eyes closed. He sucked in a deep breath, waiting for the flames from the bast to catch up to them.
Nothing made sense.
"He says he's Robin, but he's in his civies? And why are we rushing out of there? What—" Katara felt herself pushed to the ground along with the child Blue Spirit handed her, but from the clothing, the child wore she knew they were from Chikyu Okoku. She turned her head so she might see why Robin was pushing her to the ground and saw Blue Spirit still standing there as she heard the rumble from the explosion inside.
Fire suddenly came out of every exist including the one they just came out of. She watched the Blue Spirit lift his hands towards the fire which rushed straight towards him, her and the other two and—
She watched his hands reach for the fire and how he spun around sending most of the fire which came towards them up into the sky. The flames which he didn't turn away hit his mask away while it burned away parts of his uniform and there she saw the Hinokoku boy from earlier—the one she reacted so negatively to seeing.
"She doesn't know you, so what right..."
"Don't. Just, Rob, don't." Rob was in other words short for Robin and she'd seen Robin in his civies earlier. "Apologies. We'll be on our way. Sorry for bothering you."
His mask clattered onto the ground and he looked at her in panic but then turned towards the fiery inferno. "Mom!"
The Blue Spirit wasn't supposed to speak, but the mask was off. Katara watched him start towards the flames. She set the child onto the ground and reached out. Her arms wrapped around his chest. "Don't!"
Robin stood up from where he landed and with one swift move scooped up the mask before his fingers latched onto the Blue Spirit's sleeve. Blue Spirit tried to pull away. "She's right. We need to get out of here."
Katara glanced back at the child. "And you need to let the people who come with the ambulance heal them. Just—trust me."
Katara let out a sigh and followed after the two genuine heroes as Robin pulled Blue Spirit away. "Maybe I shouldn't have gotten caught up in this."
"One day, we can stop running."
Zuko felt hot tears run down his cheeks and his chin as the girl—Katara she said her name was—sat down next to him on the couch in the hideout. Vaguely, he remembered Robin typing in the code meaning he'd memorized the digits when he punched them in before.
"Hey."
"Stop running and make some friends Zuko," his mother said when he'd joined up with the team at Young Justice.
He didn't feel the tears would stop, nor did he think his world would ever be alright, not with the death of his mother. The last time he felt so afraid, he and his mother fled Hinokoku for their lives, becoming the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit so they might put a dent in the misery their family—his family, caused for others. His hands hung in front of him, the tears continuing to fall.
"Could you hold out your hands?"
"And once you do, don't look back on our past and just keep moving forward."
Katara reached out and made his hands face palm up. "You burned them when you redirected the flames. I didn't know a Hinokoku fire bender could actually get burned by fire."
"I—uh, yeah. It happens."
The tears continued falling as a water sphere formed. In the back of his head, something told him to run as normally the Mizuzoku and the Hinokoku didn't mix, particularly after the Hinokoku destroyed so many of the Mizuzoku villages in the search for something—he never did learn what it was.
He didn't run and instead watched the burns heal while some of the tears continued falling. "That—that is amazing."
"Thanks. I'm sorry—" The girl stopped speaking then said. "I'm sorry about your mom."
"What?"
"The Painted Lady was your mother, wasn't she?"
"She's really dead, isn't she?"
"Batman," Robin suddenly leaned over the couch, not hanging on his shoulders hugging him like usual. "He's looking into it, but they're not finding anything. Of course, they're not finding your sister either."
"Sister?" Katara's mouth twisted into a frown.
"Azula. Azula is my sister."
"Wait. Princess Azula. Doesn't that make you..."
"Prince Zuko," Robin chirped.
"I'm not a prince anymore," Zuko closed his eyes while the tears continued falling. "It was a life or death situation." He realized he'd not just burned his hands which explained why Robin wasn't attempting to hug him yet he felt cold water cover the burns. "And she's gone as well."
"Sorry about that."
"It's—okay." Except it wasn't.
"Keep moving forward and don't look back Zuko. One day, you'll be able to stop running, but also make friends even if I'm not around. The spirits. They have a way about them."
Zuko glanced over, catching sight of Katara, someone able to use water just like the Painted Lady from mythos could yet—the meeting hurt.
