Hi guys! It's been a while hasn't it? Sorry that I didn't update sooner. School work and drawing takes up a lot of my time. I hope this chapter makes up for it. Remember Avatar season 2 starts March 17th! I'm super excited. Once again I'm not really good at writing fight scenes. Well on with the chapter.

Let Me Get What I Want

Chapter 5:

The upper half of his face was still sore, his eyes cold, dust passed by as the soft wind blew, cloak and straw hat blowing softly along with it. He relished in the early sun rays heating his face. His five men walking at his side, giving sneered looks at the passerby's looking their way.

It seemed like everyone at the town knew about the benders and the embarrassment of Zheng and his men. If there was anything Zheng couldn't stand it were three things, kids, being surprised, and benders. And what he experienced the evening before were all three. Zheng didn't like it, not one bit.

He felt eyes on him as he continued walking through the town. The wind started to pick up, dust flew everywhere, blurring Zheng's cold eyes. As it dissipated, he saw a figure ahead of him, he was leaning against the wall of a small shop. A dark hood covered his face, but Zheng could still see the figure's eyes. One eye was smaller than the other but their color were of the sun, like the figure's eyes demanded the light to be there, in their eyes. He felt the tension rise between his men, there was something about this figure they didn't like, he just stood against the wall calmly. Zheng took a step foward and the figure straightened himself, arms crossed over his chest. "Is there a problem boy? Or do you just like lazin' around?" Zheng asked incredulously. Zheng saw a brilliant flash go through the figure's eyes but it disappeared quickly.

"I have a job for you," the figure said calmly hinted with anger, his gold eyes glowering at Zheng. Zheng felt the heat within those eyes, as if it had the same intensity of the sun itself.

Their was a creaking sound from the wooden shop sign above the figure as wind blew softly by again. Zheng raised an eyebrow and took another step, "Look here buddy-"

"I'm not your buddy," the figure cut in calmly. His arms were still crossed but Zheng was able to see the tension the figure held.

"...I'm not one to be takin' orders, so you best be leavin' my town," Zheng smirked, tipping his straw hat, mocking politeness. His men behind him smiling as well.

The figure clenched his jaw, and took a deep breath trying to keep calm, "there is payment if you do what I say."

There was silence. The tension was thick in the air. "What type of job we talkin' bout?" Zheng raised an eyebrow, breaking the silence.

"There were three people here last night," The figure looked at Zheng. Though Zheng couldn't see the figure's face, he could tell that there was a smirk on the figure. "They will be coming back again today..." Zheng had a feeling the figure was talking about those benders.

"What makes you so sure they'll be back here?" Zheng asked suspiciously.

"You shouldn't worry about that," the figure said, closing his eyes, putting one hand behind him. At that moment Zheng steadily put a hand on the hilt of his dagger beneath his cloak. Clenching his jaw, readying himself for any possible attack. No way was Zheng going to be surprised again. "Just know that they will be back today, and..." the figure moved his hand from his back holding out a sac, and moved the sac back and forth lightly to make a heavy jingling noise. "...this will be your's if you do the job."

"What is it exactly ya want me to do?" Zheng eyed suspiciously at the figure.

"Simple, when the av- ," the figure stopped abruptly, choosing his words, "when those three get here I want you to fight them."

"What, did you just come in from stupid town or somethin' boy?" Zheng gave the figure a smug look. His men snickering at his side. The figure's fist trembled, Zheng didn't notice. "I guess it just happen' ta slip your min' that they're benders." Zheng shrugged his shoulders still giving a smug look.

The figure breathed out, a thin trail of smoke escaped his nostrils. In a arrogant tone he replied, "benders or no, they're still young, and if you're scared of a bunch of kids, then you're a just a weak pathetic fool."

Zheng felt his anger grow. He hated being called a coward. Zheng maybe a crook, he maybe a swindler, and a hector, but he wasn't a coward. "Look ya little piece of-"

"It would do you well to do my job," the figure cut in. The morning sun beat down on Zheng's face. His face began to warm up, whether it was because of his anger or the sun itself, Zheng didn't care. Quiet again took over the area, the people of the town seemed to have avoided that path, keeping their distance from Zheng, his men and the hooded figure. "You do not want to be embarrassed again now would you?" The figure asked in a threatening tone.

One of Zheng's men took a step toward the figure. Zheng raised his hand to stop him, and shook his head. "This better be worth it."Zheng said silently more to himself than the figure. "How much we talkin here?" He said louder.

The figure tossed the sac of money carelessly to the ground, toward Zheng. Zheng signaled his neck for one of his men to pick it up. "Enough for you and your barbarians to last months," Zheng heard some of his men grunt in anger, as he counted the money.

"And all ya want me and my men to do is fight 'em?" Zheng asked looking away from the gold in the sac. The figure simply nodded. "And ya don't mind if we play dirty?" Zheng asked giving a malicious grin. He'd teach those benders to mess with him, especially that girl.

Zuko turned slowly away, "just make sure noone gets in your way." As he turned his back on Zheng, a smirk plastered on his hooded face. A word escaped Zuko's lips quietly. "Fool."

0000

Sokka laid against the sand bored, and hungry, but mainly bored. When he woke in the morning both Aang and Katara were gone. Knowing that both were practicing waterbending, he set off to the beach leaving the sleeping Appa to his much needed rest. He watched them practice with uninterest. The moves all looked the same to him. Momo perched on his shoulder, also giving an indifferent look at the two benders. He heard the little lemur's stomach growl. "You too huh?" Sokka gave Momo a deadpan look. The lemur cocked his head to the side making a purring noise.

Sokka looked back at Katara and Aang, Katara was trying to teach the young Avatar how to make a large whirlpool and transforming it into ice. Sokka sighed, it was the third time Katara tried teaching Aang that move, whether Aang was truly trying or playing around Sokka didn't know. He looked up lazily into the clear blue sky, and gave a soft chuckle. Momo looked at the warrior giving him a quizzical look. "Can you believe it Momo? I want to see Aunt Wu. Me," Looking back at the benders, Sokka pursed his lips together nodding. He looked back at Momo, "here's some advice Momo, if you fall in love," Momo still gave him a quizzical look, "make sure you know everything there is about them." He looked at the sky again, "because not knowing, might just cause you pain," he said so quietly.

Lost in deep thought, Sokka didn't hear Katara speak to him. "Sokka we're done practicing," Katara said. Sokka didn't seem to listen. She crouched to Sokka's level putting a hand on his shoulder. Sokka gave a startled shook and looked at Katara.

"Hey is everything alright Sokka?" Aang asked, standing behind Katara. Momo jumped off of Sokka's shoulder and flew to Aang. The avatar smiled and petted the lemur. Turning his attention back to Sokka, "I bet you're hungry."

Sokka gave Aang an bewildered look, "what, every time I act strange, I have to be hungry?" Aang then gave a hurtful look.

"Sokka he didn't mean it like that," Katara said defiantly removing her hand from Sokka's shoulder.

"...I know," Sokka sighed. "Look I'm sorry Aang," he gave Aang a pleading look.

"It's okay Sokka," the thirteen year old smiled brightly at the warrior. "But are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, it's just..." Sokka trailed off, "...it's just that I miss her sometimes." Sokka closed his eyes tightly. He wouldn't cry.

Katara gave her brother a sympathetic smile, for a lunk headed, childish, sarcastic, overprotective boy he was, Sokka had his moments. "Don't worry Sokka, she'll always be with you," she touched her brother's chest. Boy did that sound corny but it was true. "Just like she said remember?"

Sokka smiled at his sister, "yea, I remember." He then looked at Aang and jokingly he said, "well let's go back to camp and make breakfast, I'm starving."

Katara and Aang laughed nervously. Aang rubbing his bald head, "Yeah..about that," Sokka raised a brow. "Well we kinda ate everything last night, so we umm..." Aang then nudged Katara.

"We have to go back to town to get more supplies," Katara smiled nervously at Sokka..

"WHHAAAAT!" Sokka yelled, Aang, Katara and Momo flinched. "Are you crazy? Back to that town? With those crazy murderous psycho thieves! We should go to the next town!"

"Sokka, we don't know how far the next town is, and besides, we beat them really easy," Aang said matter-of-factly.

"Well that was probably because we had the element of surprise. They had no idea you guys were benders!"

"But you're not a bender and you fought them easy too," Aang stated again.

Sokka gave a smug look, "yea well, I am a warrior after all."He said boastingly. He then changed his mood, "but still, I don't think we should go. Maybe we'll find some food in the forest."

Katara rolled her eyes, "are these you're instincts talking?" Aang only flinched. That must've struck a nerve with Sokka.

"Hey now, my instincts have right before! Remember? Or did you just happen to forget about Jet?" Sokka sternly said. Aang flinched again. That must've struck a nerve with Katara.

Katara only grumbled, "don't ever mention that creep again. He was just a wolf in sheep's clothing," Katara turned away from her brother facing the sea. Taking a deep breath, smelling the salty air, trying to calm down.

Sokka only sighed. "If we go, we have be ready for anything."

"Don't worry Sokka, you act like they're expecting us or something," Aang said jokingly, petting behind Momo's ear. The lemur cooed.

"Yeah I know...but, just don't let your guard down okay?" Sokka looked to Katara's back. "And don't expect some kind of Prince Charming coming in to rescue the day if anything goes bad."

The salty air blew by softly, blowing Katara's braid gently. She turned back around to Sokka and Aang. "I can take care of myself Sokka, if you haven't noticed!" Gods her brother could be so overprotective sometimes.

Before Sokka could say anything, Aang cut in, "of course you can Katara, if it weren't for you, how would we take care of ourselves?" Aang smiled.

Katara giggled, "thanks Aang." She walked toward the young Avatar and patted his shoulder gently. "Come on let's get going. The earlier it is in the town the less likely we'll see them, right?"

Aang followed Katara, shortly after Sokka did. "Yeah I bet that guy is still picking the ice off his face," Aang said chuckling. Katara giggled and Sokka cracked a grin, yet Sokka couldn't shake the uneasiness he felt.

0000

When Aang and the others arrived at the town again, the sun became brighter in the clear blue sky. The wind was calm, trees rustling behind. But the town was quiet, no birds chirping in the background, the few people who were out were too quiet. Like a quiet before a storm. All three travelers including Momo gave around wary glances.

"Don't you think it's a bit too quiet?" Katara asked. She was never one to mind silence before. Traveling with Aang and Sokka, silence was sometimes a luxury, but this was an eerie silence, one Katara didn't like, as if the people of the town knew why it was so quiet. Some of the people looked their way, and when Aang, Katara, or Sokka ever caught them glancing at the trio, the villagers quickly looked away.

Aang just shrugged as they continued walking, "maybe they're not morning people."

The wind gave a low howl, there was a creaking from shop signs overhead. As the trio continued to walk by some people looked out their windows, or doors with fear in their eyes. When Katara took a step toward a vegetable shop, the owner quickly closed the door. "That was strange," Katara muttered.

"I'm really not liking this guys," Sokka said suspiciously looking around the area at the villagers. He took a step foward to another shop, and an old woman quickly jittered heading toward the door of her shop. "Hey what's going o-" Sokka said but the old woman closed the door before he could finish. The people around the are walk quickly before Sokka could say anything. "Geez what's going on?" Sokka said to himself.

Momo's ear suddenly perked up. Aang felt the little lemur stiffen. "What's wrong Momo?" Aang asked worried. Momo made a 'qrrrrrrrr' noise.

It was just the three of them now. The people were either indoors or left the area. "Umm guys?" Katara asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Yeah?" Both Sokka and Aang asked in unison.

"Do you feel that?" Soon both Sokka and Aang felt a light rumbling on the ground. The rumbling beneath them became stronger, Momo's screeching became louder.

"We should leave." Aang threw his glider in the air, as he jumped to it, a net came and enclosed Aang's body. He fell to the ground with a hard thud.

"AANG!" Katara yelled running toward the young airbender. But a flash of what looked like a dagger passed her and the point hit the ground close to Aang. She quickly stopped in her tracks.

"Next time I won't miss," said a voice. Katara's eyes went wide in shock. She slowly turned around and saw Zheng. He was mounted on an emu horse, his five other men as well. All smugly smiling at the trio.

"Leave us alone!" Sokka demanded grasping onto his boomerang tightly. He quickly grabbed Katara's arm and put her behind him. She turned her head back at Aang. He was laying motionless. She hoped to the gods that he would be okay, for all of them to be okay. How she wished for Appa to be with them, but the unconscious Aang had the whistle. She turned back to the tense Sokka, "where did Momo go?" Katara whispered. Momo seemed to have disappeared. The little lemur sometimes got them out of sticky situations. Maybe he went back to Appa, Katara thought.

"Now, now, why don't you share with the us what you were whisperin'," Zheng smirked at Katara. She glowered at Zheng, how she really wanted to slap that smile off him.

"Eat komodo- rhino dung!" Sokka snarled, throwing the boomerang at Zheng, who evaded the attack by simply moving his head aside.

Zheng smirked again moving his eyes to Sokka, "you need to practice ya aimin' boy." He quickly pulled a whip from his cloak, and went to strike at Sokka. At the same moment Katara pushed herself and Sokka out of the way and hurtled a jet of water from her water skin, freezing it forming into a spike of ice heading toward Zheng. Zheng pulled on the reins of his emu horse to move away, but the ice grazed his cheek. He snarled in pain as blood slowly trickled down his face. He turned his face in disgust to Katara, "you're gonna pay for that ya lil' twit!"

Zheng raised to fingers in the air signaling his men, and pointed at the trio. Each man mounted off their horse walking a steady pace toward them. Sokka felt the beating of his heart rise, but a glint in the sky caught his eye, he quickly looked up and saw his boomerang heading back. It then hit a one of Zheng's men in the head who fell to the ground. "One down," Sokka muttered. He then pulled his club out. "On the count of three Katara I want you to use that spike of ice again okay?" Katara only nodded. "THREE!" Sokka shouted.

Katara lifted the ice spike that was used to hit Zheng. With a quick movement of her hand the large spike separated into five smaller versions, each targeting a man's leg. Three men were caught, each crying in pain. Zheng hit the other spikes with his whip before it could hit the other two. He then looked at Katara and gave her an arrogant smirk, wagging his finger.

At that moment Sokka ran to one of the other men taking a swing with his club, The large man grabbed the club, lifting it even though Sokka was still grasping onto it. Sokka gave the man a nervous grin. The man gave Sokka a crooked smirk, and then punched Sokka in the gut. Sokka's eyes went wide and made a 'oof' sound, his grasp on the club slipped, and he fell on the ground clutching his stomach. The man was about to hit Sokka with the club when Katara threw a ice ball at the man's head, knocking him down.

Katara quickly ran to her brother, "Sokka are you okay?" Her voice in worry.

"I will be" Sokka grunted. "Check on Aang."

Katara eyes went in shock. In all the frenzy, she seemed to have forgot about Aang. She turned back around and ran to the thirteen year old, but something caught on her foot, and she fell to the ground, twisting her foot in the process. The waterbender groaned in pain. A shadow loomed over her. She turned around feeling the pain of her ankle as she did. There stood Zheng, a smirk on his face. "Now where do ya think ya goin'?" He the raised his whip to strike at Katara. Katara closed her eyes waiting for the impact, and waited, and waited, and waited. Slowly she peaked one eye open and her eyes went wide with shock. There stood another figure before her, his arm raised that blocked the whip. And only one word, more like a whisper, escaped her lips, "Zuko."

A/N: I told you they would meet in chapter 5 What do you guys think? Is it good? I hope to update next week. Please review:D