If the chapters seem to take longer between updates, most likely it's due to me working on my Soul Eater story or I'm busy working on building my chicken coop before they show up in less than three weeks. Let's go!
Everything was falling into place as Zanui settled into the barely held together shack in the lowest ring of Ba Sing Se the night of his arrival. He had only lost a few of the weaker links of the group, which he had little issue with, but most of the his earthbenders and firebenders had made it in alongside himself. For now it seemed no one was suspicious of them as they easily blended into the poor population of the city. In less than three hours his plan would go into effect. Thanks to the flashy show in Renjishu Village, Zanui had no doubt Ba Sing Se was in full alert, the city crawling with Dai Li agents. Luckily, he had a contact who had worked with the force, making it easier for them to know the King's plans from within thanks to the information being passed down to him. It seemed the Avatar had a hunch as to what his plan was, throwing a small wrench into his plans so early on. No matter, he still had an ace up his sleeve, one that not even his closest men knew of.
On the outside he appeared to be a firebender, but on the inside was the blood of both a firebender and a waterbender. His mother was from the Northern Water tribe, his father from the Fire Nation. Ever since the hundred-year war began, more and more were uprooted into other Nation's, causing a surge in children being born of two nationalities. Zanui himself was one of those children, growing up with the culture of both elements. Though he could barely waterbend, he had still been trained with the movements, learning to incorporate his movements into his firebending abilities. Once the new moon arrived, he had the briefest window of using its overflowing powers. What he had learned from an ancient waterbender scroll he had borrowed from a trader ship, was that the strongest move was a rare, albeit achievable way of controlling people using their blood. While nowhere near the level of a Master Waterbender, Zanui had at least learned enough of it to cause people to fall unconscious as he rushed the blood to their heads. Only on the new moon could the ability be used and only for a short amount of time, so it was always used wisely. A few times had resulted in self-injury, quickly causing him to limit the immense move.
A middle-aged scruffy man slumped against his shoulder, snoring loudly as drool overflowed from his mouth, dripping onto Zanui's shoulder. Sneering in disgust, he shoved the man off of him, sending him sprawling into a pile of other refugees.
"Watch it, filthy mongrel!" A man yelled as the heavy weight landed on him, startling others around him awake.
"Wha…? Hey, what are you trying to start here? I'll teach you to be disrespectful!" The scruffy man punched the guy in the face, starting a small scuffle in the tiny hut.
"Boss, your contact is here to meet with you." Kenih whispered lowly to his left, acting as if he were being roused from sleep.
"Take care of this quickly before the guards hear the commotion."
"Consider it done."
Zanui excused himself from the flailing pile of limbs to exit the back of the hut, checking every corner and alleyway for Dai Li or wandering drunks. Satisfied there were neither, he wandered down a tunneled alleyway just across the street. His footsteps echoed loudly across the stone, something that almost unnerved the firebender. Stealth was his personally preferred method, but he knew his contact would make sure there were no unwanted ears.
"You could have alerted the Dai Li to your little squabble back there."
Zanui turned, fist flaming as he whirled around to face the person. Seeing who it was, he quickly extinguished the fire, letting out a heavy breath.
"I would advise you not to alarm me like that again, Long Feng."
Long Feng emerged fluidly from with the stone wall, the bricks sealing themselves up once more. "Why so jumpy? You're only going after the Avatar's precious girlfriend, no big deal for you, right?"
"Cut the useless chatter, tell me what I need to know." Zanui snapped, his nerves already frayed. "In a few hours, the plan will begin, and I need to be aware of every movement that Avatar makes. I only have one chance at this, do not make me regret involving you."
"The Avatar and friends have been patrolling the lower rings of the city, searching for any suspicious persons of interest. As of now, they are not a threat to your current plans, though I highly suggest you have a few backup plans if the Avatar were to go into the Avatar state." Long Feng sniffed, showing disinterest in the conversation.
"I have things clean on my end, don't worry."
"You are aware that tonight is the full moon? That the waterbender will be at the peak of her power?"
"I have a little something planned for her. A sedative that paralyzes the body for a short time, almost like a chi blocker, though without the up close and personal business. All I need for you is to uphold your end of the bargain; help me capture the Avatar's girlfriend and you can do whatever you please with him. I assume you have your men patrolling the streets already?"
"Of course."
"Good," Zanui smiled suddenly, Long Feng slightly arching his brow. "We'll be in and out of the city in no time. It's been a pleasure, Long Feng."
"I would have to disagree with that."
"We've been scouring the city for hours with no sign of anybody suspicious, can't we just call it a night?" Sokka whined as he dragged his feet across the dirt pathway. "This dude would be stupid to attack my sister on the night of a full moon, so wouldn't he attack in a few days or something?"
"We can't take the risk, Sokka. Besides, all you're doing is making noise and drawing attention to us." Toph scoffed as he groaned dramatically. "Aang is with Katara, there's no way this guy can get through both of them. So let's just—"
Toph stopped short, narrowing her eyes as she twisted her foot into the ground. Vibrations of three people running through the back alleys just up ahead, their movements fast and silent. Not Dai Li agents for sure, judging by their weights and almost erratic movements. It was possible they were just thieves running from a house they had robbed, but there was no other commotion in the area.
"You sense somebody?" Sokka asked quietly, removing his boomerang from its pouch.
Without answering, the earthbender slammed her palm against the earth, a wall shooting up in front of them just as large boulders slammed into it. Dust covered the area, lowering visibility for Sokka as he tried to peer around the barrier. A whizzing sound forced him to duck as another rock exploded against the wall.
"That answer your question?" Toph broke her foot free before slamming her heel down, pulling her arms back with closed hands and then thrusting them forward.
The wall broke free and compacted into pieces before hurtling in the directions the projectiles came from with precision. A few cries of pain rang out and Toph smirked beneath her helmet. With another flick of her wrists, the targets were encased in rock, unable to move their arms to bend free.
"Please, don't hurt us!" One man pleaded as they approached him, his body shaking like a leaf. "We weren't doing anything wrong!"
"Then why are you three out here running around in the middle of the night?" Toph grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt, curling her fist tighter in the fabric. "Answer me! You're plotting something aren't you? I can tell if you're lying!"
"W-we were hired to do some work, honest!"
"What kind of work?" Sokka pointed the tip of the boomerang into his face, a menacing gleam reflecting brightly. "What were you hired to do?"
"We—"
Sokka jerked his head up and yanked Toph back just as a fireball engulfed the man, his screams quickly dying out as he was burned to death.
"Firebenders? I knew something was fishy with these guys!" Toph quickly broke from Sokka's grip, rock encasing her fists as she stomped her foot into the ground, a rock barrier surrounding them.
"Keep up the defenses, I'm going to try and get the angle on them!"
Sokka waited until she lowered a side of the barrier before darting out, rolling to dodge a fireball aimed at his head. The moonlight made it easier to see the firebender atop a bridge above the encased earthbenders. With a quick calculation, he flung the boomerang as hard as he could, watching it slice through the air with ease. Toph crumbled the walls around her as she jumped up before slamming back into the ground, disappearing from sight. Another fireball blasted towards Sokka and he narrowly avoided the singing flames, his upper arm feeling a little too warm for comfort. His weapon connected with a satisfying oof and he raised his hand to catch it. Toph burst through the floor of the bridge, immediately encasing the bender in a rock trap.
"I suggest you tell me who you work for before I smash this boulder over your head!"
The man's head spun from the impact of the boomerang, his vision blurring as he tried to look at the source of the voice. "I'd like an order of Possum Chicken, please…"
"You scrambled his brain, Sokka, how am I supposed to get an answer out of him now?"
"You've still got the other two trapped down here, though I think they're more than willing to give up an answer now." Sokka called up to her, tapping one of the trapped men on the head with the flat side of his weapon.
"P-please don't hurt us! We're just hired mercenaries, nothing more!" The man stuttered fearfully, trembling in his rock prison. "W-we don't even know who we're working for! Some guy tossed us bags of coin and said to distract a Water Tribe guy and a blind girl!"
"Blind girl? Really?" Toph huffed as she encased him tighter, forcing him to squeak. "I'm Toph Beifong, the greatest earthbender and metalbender there ever was!"
"I-I'm s-sorry!" The man wailed. "I didn't know, honest!"
"Is he lying, Toph?"
"No, he's not lying about any of it. He really doesn't know who hired him."
"Great. So, what do we do with them now?" Sokka nearly regretted the question after a devious smile appeared on Toph's face. "I don't even want to know anymore."
"Just a little warning to others who don't know my name."
"It's almost eerie how quiet it is right now," Katara said quietly, rubbing her hands up her arms at the still air. "I hope Toph and Sokka are fine."
"Are you cold?" Aang asked, ready to bend a small fire for her.
"I'm fine, Aang, thank you. It's just this silence is unnerving right now." Katara slowed to a stop as they reached a small plaza, empty vendor carts lining the outer edge. "Something about this doesn't feel right. Usually there are people roaming around at night, right? So why is there no one out right now?"
"I'm not sure, maybe it's because everyone is scared to go outside because of the kidnappings." Aang watched as Katara walked to the small fountain centered in the plaza, running her fingers through the water. "If you're unsure about this, we can find another way to track him down, Katara."
"I think this is the only way, Aang. I don't know if there's anyone else out there who could infiltrate their operations. If, when, they take me, I want you to try and stay calm. If you go into the Avatar state then—"
"I could recklessly endanger anyone around me." Aang finished for her, moving to stand beside her. "This feels extremely risky to just let them take you. I'm not comfortable with this, Katara."
"I know, but there's no time to try and find another way. We know he could most likely be in the city right now. This could be our only window to infiltrate their group and rescue the women." Katara cupped his face, resting her forehead against his. "Sweetie, I know this is hard, but it's our only option right now."
"A last reunion, how touching."
Both benders tensed and snapped their attention to the figure standing just feet away from them.
"Is that…Long Feng?" Aang pushed Katara behind him, shifting to a defensive stance. "It can't be a coincidence you're here."
"Whether or not it's a coincidence isn't your biggest concern right now." Long Feng signaled with his hand, the ground shaking beneath them.
Over a dozen Dai Li agents emerged from the ground, surrounding the two with rocks aimed and ready. Katara quickly gathered the fountain water in her hands while Aang readied his stance. They stood back to back, eyeing up their opponents. With a snap of his fingers, they launched. Rocks rained down on them from every angle, relentless as the agents kept up the barrage to keep them on the defensive. Aang sent most of them flying back with a powerful wind before stomping the ground, sending a shockwave to knock the remaining ones flying. Katara water-whipped the rocks away from her with one arm, the other grabbing a Dai Li guard and slamming him into the others. More and more appeared, the numbers seemingly overwhelming against the two benders.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here, boys," A voice from above laughed. "The Avatar and his little girlfriend. What a coincidence to find you both here."
"Funny, I was going to say the same about you and Long Feng. You must be the one kidnapping all those women." Katara said calmly, feeling the full power of the moon surge through her body. "Zanui, am I right?"
"What's your end goal in all of this? Why go through the trouble of kidnapping the most beautiful women throughout the Nations?" Aang clenched his fists in front of him as a shadow landed behind the line of agents.
"Judging from everything I've heard," Zanui casually strolled through the Dai Li, hands shoved deep in his pockets as he ignored Aang's questions. "You already have a guess as to what I'm doing, Avatar. You know, things were going pretty well while you were gone those hundred years. Believe it or not, many of the Nation's mixed together during the years, children of two nationalities honoring and respecting both of their culture's history."
"The previous Fire Lord's did nothing more than murder people who defied their reign of terror. Azulon nearly wiped out the entire Southern Water Tribe, seeing them as a threat to the expansion of his kingdom." Katara glared at Zanui, quickly releasing the entirety of the fountain's water onto the ground. "Ozai nearly destroyed every Nation in order to become supreme ruler over the world by harnessing the overwhelming power of Sozin's Comet. If Aang hadn't—"
"I'm well aware of my own Nation's history, you're wasting your breath. But seeing as you're here, destiny had its own plan for you. The last Southern Water Tribe waterbender. Funny, that makes us practically family."
"What are you saying?" Katara's guard faltered in the slightest, just how he wanted it to.
"Born of from a Fire Nation father and a Northern Water Tribe mother. A mix of the two most opposite elements to create a child with in-depth knowledge of both nationalities." Zanui smiled wider as Katara's eyes widened, her arms dropping slightly.
"You may be born of both fire and water, but we are nothing like to family."
Zanui sighed, placing a hand against his furrowed brows. "And here I thought we could get along, oh well. Yet there you stand, the girl who survived all of the odds only to end up here, right where I wanted you." Zanui smirked as his finger twitched suddenly, both benders catching the movement. "Now, I do have a very busy schedule, so if you would kindly just come with me, I'd prefer to do this without drawing attention to every citizen in the slums."
"Not a chance. Aang!" Katara thrusted her arms forward as Aang released a deep breath.
The water pooling below them morphed into icicles as the two attacks combined, the Dai Li attempting to block the attack with earth walls. Zanui shrugged slightly before launching into the air, right heel and fists aflame. Aang dodged the blow aimed for his chest, sweeping low before blasting air at his back. Katara quickly flung water at him, flicking her fingers to freeze it on contact, but his flames were too hot, instantly turning the water into a steam cover. Flames shot down at them from the top of every wall, forcing them to stay fully on the defensive.
"We can't move like this!" Katara yelled over the explosive noise, slamming Dai Li members against the square walls, freezing them in place. A rock grazed her cheek as it flew by. "Any ideas?"
"One. Crouch down." Aang slammed and twisted his foot into the earth, erecting a stone barrier around them. "We just need to get above them. There's too many to fight by ourselves and I can't tell who's working for Long Feng and who is loyal to the King."
"And if you try to call for Appa, they'll just target him. I think if we can get above them without being pummeled by rocks and fire, we should be able to send them flying."
"I'll need to use it, Katara," Aang gently wiped away the blood trailing down her face with his thumb. "Just long enough for us to get out of here. If anything happens, know that I love you more than anything."
"I trust you, Aang, and I love you too." Katara leaned into his kiss, feeling the desperation and overwhelming emotion pour into her.
"Ah, ah, ah, Avatar Aang, you're cheating by trying to conceal yourselves." Zanui called down to them, signaling for the firebenders to stop. "Get ready to fire at the waterbender, I want this done in a clean shot, understand?"
"Yes, boss Zanui. I never miss a target." The Yuyan Archer replied quietly, pulling the string of his bow back tightly.
"Good. I want this over before the Avatar's friends or the King's army shows up." Zanui licked his lips in anticipation. He was one step closer to achieving his goal.
Long Feng signaled from below, his double agents sliding into their new positions along the walls. With a nod, Zanui raised his hand, waiting for the firebenders to ready themselves once more.
"You can't keep hiding in there, Aang, just hand over the girl and this can be over."
Blue light glowed through the chipped away parts of the rock barrier and all benders immediately released everything they had. An explosion sent a shockwave through the air, faltering the flames and earth momentarily before the barrage continued. Aang floated in the air, fully in the Avatar State as he signed various attacks, sending every element at them. Zanui's eyes immediately shot to Katara as she controlled the water beneath them, pinning the attackers to the walls with a heavy layer of ice. With a nod to the archer, he jumped from the tall wall with his fist back, flames bursting to life as he shot straight towards the waterbender. He only had one shot to get her into an open position so the tranquilizer arrow could pierce her skin.
"Let's see what you're made of, Katara!" Zanui cackled as he slammed into the ground just feet from her, instantly sweeping at her with flaming feet.
"Tell me where the girls are!" Katara sprung backwards to avoid a pillar of flames shooting from his fist. "If you release them now, your punishment will be less severe."
"'Fraid I can't do that, sweetheart, confidentiality and all that Gemsbok Bull-shit."
They were circling one another, dancing almost, waiting for the other to attack first. Above them, Aang was quickly controlling the Dai Li and firebenders, subduing them with minimal harm or sending them packing for the hills. Nearby residents had heard the commotion and streets of huts had begun to light up. Zanui steamed a blast of water from Katara, taking the chance to circle around her, opening a spot for the archer to strike.
"Do you know about a certain technique rarely known throughout the Water Tribes? One that should be banned for its inhumane usage?"
"Again with the idle chatting? Just spit it out already." Katara felt the water move behind her and she swung her leg out, her heel scraping against something.
"Well, you actually do know the technique, something that only you are capable of doing." Zanui quickly reached out and grabbed her foot after it scraped against his arm, using the momentum to toss her through the steam. He heard her body hit the ground with a grunt of pain. "A woman named Hama created the technique years ago after she was imprisoned in Fire Nation territory. Stolen from her Southern Water Tribe home, forced into a tiny cage with only enough water to survive."
"You know about Blood Bending?" Katara forced a shield of ice up just as a flaming foot aimed for her head.
"Know about it? Dear girl, I may not be a waterbender by birth or choice, but there are some advantages of the new moon having mixed blood." Zanui dissipated the shield with his flames, the intense heat evaporating the water pooling on the ground. "Waterbending styles aren't that much different than the chi flow of firebending. Once you know how to manipulate it, new possibilities tend to open up."
Locking eyes with Katara, Zanui twisted his hands to aim at her, the warm sensation rushing through his veins. Her waterbending movements jerked to a stop, blue eyes going wide as she struggled against the invisible hold within her. The water around her splashed loudly against the stone. With a deep breath out, he lowered his hands, forcing her to double over against the ground. An arrow whizzed through the air just before her body nearly broke free of the hold, the tip piercing fully into her right shoulder. Katara let out a cry of pain, blood spilling from the wound and soaking into her clothes. The wound began to burn painfully, fire racing through her veins with every muscle twitch.
"What did you just do?!" She looked up at Aang as her vision blurred, weakly attempting to call for him as she pushed her body to get up.
"Time for a little nap, Katara. We'll talk more once you wake up." Zanui clenched his right hand, angling his left over it. Within seconds she became dizzy as blood rushed to her head, swaying dangerously as she stumbled to her feet before collapsing, unconscious.
Aang whirled around at the cry, watching as Katara collapsed to the ground, an arrow sticking out from her shoulder. The Avatar State weakened as his consciousness began taking back over, the orb of elements surrounding him falling to the ground. He remained floating, a protective orb of air surrounding him and deflecting any attack. The light died out and he began propelling himself towards her with flames, anger contorting his face.
"Don't let up! Give him everything you've got!" Long Feng commanded his men, joining the fight himself by launching massive rock slabs at the airbender.
Fire and earth launched at Aang, completely engulfing his form mid-air. Zanui signaled for the archers to open fire on the Avatar, a volley of sharp arrows streaking through the air. Kenih appeared at his side, lifting the motionless waterbender and tossing her over his shoulder. With one last glance at the element engulfed Avatar, Zanui nodded his head and the three sunk into the ground and disappeared. Bright blue filled the area as Aang lost control, sending the full force of his power at every enemy. Earth and fire began to fly out of the area, crashing down in the streets of the slum.
Toph shattered a large boulder that nearly crushed a shack with her foot, debris rolling down the dirt path she and Sokka were on.
"Has he lost his mind? He's going to hit someone if he doesn't watch it!" Sokka flinched as the earthbender grabbed another boulder and crushed it with her hand.
"Something must have happened to Katara if he's lost control. We need to stop him now before he destroys the entire slum."
"Go, I'll make sure everyone evacuates the area." Sokka began running the opposite way, yelling for people to leave the area as loud as he could.
Toph slammed her heel into the ground, projecting herself through the air and towards the chaos. She could feel the searing heat radiating from the area, shifting her arm to cover her face. Slamming into the wall, Toph began making quick work of the startled firebenders, sending them flying into the center of the square. Aang paid her no heed, unleashing his fury onto everyone in his path.
"Aang, you need to stop! You're going to hurt innocent people!" Toph yelled over the chaos, raising a block of earth before slamming it into a bender. "Snap out of it!"
"Long Feng," The Avatars of the past resonated as Aang's voice boomed over the area. "Your crimes against the Earth Kingdom and the Avatar lineage will not go unpunished. You were given a chance at redemption and it was wasted. You shall pay the price."
"Long Feng?" Toph felt out his footsteps, noting he was located towards the base of the far wall. If she didn't stop Aang now, then he could take a life without realizing it.
Crouching down, the earthbender jerked her arms back then forward as she launched towards the terrified former Dai Li leader. The wind slashed at her face as she soared past Aang, stretching her legs out to absorb the impact. She had a few second window to twist her body around to shield the blow he was about to deal. Twisting her feet upon impact, Toph steadied her stance before forcing a wall between her and Aang, grimacing as she struggled to hold the barrier up against the powerful elements.
"Call off the Dai Li before we both become crushed!"
"G-Gladly." Long Feng released an ear-piercing whistle.
The agents immediately dropped their boulders before sinking into the walls and ground, vanishing from sight. Any remaining benders, noticing their backup was now gone, immediately scrambled from the area. The Yuyan Archers quickly vanished as well, leaving no trace of their presence. Aang pulled his arm back, ready to break through the earth wall blocking his way to Long Feng.
"Twinkletoes, I'm gonna apologize for this in advance." Toph yanked the metal band from her arm, morphing it into a metal chain and shackles between her hands.
The barrier shot into the ground and Toph whipped the chain out, latching the first cuff around his pulled back fist. Sliding across the ground, she got behind him, kicking her heel up, a mound of rock encasing his free arm. With a flick of her wrist the other shackle latched onto him, the metalbender yanking back on the chain, pinning his arms behind his back. Toph's feet sunk into the ground as she struggled to hold him down, gritting her teeth as she twisted her feet for a better grip. Glowing eyes turned to glare at her, his foot shifting to upset the ground beneath her.
"Trap his legs so I can get him tied down!" Long Feng acted, forcing the ground beneath Aang to encase him up to his waist. "You better wake up soon or I'm going to be pissed!"
With a swipe of her hand, Toph linked the shackles together, pinning his hands tightly together. With a quick flick, she anchored the metal into the ground, the chain pulling taut. Tilting her armored helmet up, she moved so Aang could fully see her face. Reaching out, she gripped his shoulders tightly.
"Aang, you need to snap out of it and tell us where Katara went. I don't sense anyone in the nearby area, so we need to move fast to keep track of her. Please, you have to come to your senses if you want to save her and the other kidnapped women."
Aang looked at her, expression becoming neutral as the Avatar State died out. Grey eyes blinked wearily at his blind friend before the tears silently slid down his cheeks.
"Zanui, he overpowered Katara and left with her." Toph released the hold on his legs and arms, allowing him to fall to his knees. "I couldn't reach her in time."
"He'll be out of the city by now, most likely." Long Feng took a step back from the dangerous glares sent his way, throwing his hands up. "I know nothing more than that, honestly. I owed him a favor, nothing else."
"Toph, did you—" Sokka stopped short, looking between the three people questioningly. "Where's Katara?"
"Gone. Zanui's already left the area." Toph remolded the metal around her upper arm.
"Have we got a lead on her yet? She could still be just outside of the city."
"They're gone, Sokka," Aang spoke quietly, remaining hunched over on the ground. "I lost control of my emotions and unleashed the Avatar State in a rage. I'm sorry…"
"They couldn't have gotten that far. We just need to regroup at the Palace and alert King Kuei before tracing out where they could have gone. Wait, why is Long Feng here?" A scowl slipped onto the benders face as he clasped his hands behind his back. "Don't tell me…"
"He helped Zanui distract Aang long enough for them to take Katara. Though now he's our prisoner." Toph encased his hands in rock and chained his feet together.
"You can try, but King Kuei won't get anything information from me." Long Feng spat bitterly. "I won't have my head put on a bounty for that low-life."
"Oh, you're not the King's prisoner, you're ours. I have dozens of ways to make a person talk." Toph grinned widely at him, cracking her knuckles loudly. Long Feng swallowed hard.
"Come on, if we hurry we can still track their movements." Aang looked up at Sokka, his friend holding out a hand. "I know Katara will be fine, trust in her like I do."
Wiping the tears from his face, Aang took his friends hand and was pulled to his feet. Toph motioned with her head for Long Feng to move, spitting as his feet when he didn't budge. Looking around the area, Aang noticed the obvious destruction everywhere. The ground and surrounding walls damaged and charred, debris was blanketing the once beautiful market square. He had destroyed so much, even threatening the lives of nearby residents. Sokka clapped a hand on his shoulder, giving him a comforting smile.
"It wasn't your fault, Aang, we had no idea Long Feng and firebenders would be helping Zanui. This can all be repaired or replaced at another time. For now, we need to focus on finding where he's taking Katara and the other girls. Don't worry, Katara's strong. She can handle herself until we find her."
"I hope you're right, Sokka," Aang looked up at the full moon, unease settling in the pit of his stomach. "I really do."
Katara groaned as she was roused from the depths of darkness, wincing as her head and shoulder throbbed painfully. She tried shifting to a more comfortable position only to realize her hands had been bound above her, chains clinking loudly as she tried to move. Squinting, she became aware there was fabric over her eyes, concealing her surroundings. Chains bound her legs as well, her frustrations growing as she tried to stretch her tucked limbs. The ground beneath her was cold and hard, though the hollow noise made when she moved indicated there was a bedding of hay or straw on top of it. Her clothing felt heavier, uncomfortable, with every shift, a tie around her waist nearly digging into her skin. Even her hair felt loose, her long braid undone and tied back against the nape of her neck.
"Is this all of them?" A voice echoed in the distance, causing Katara to tense up.
"W-well, we've kidnapped so many girls already that the people have become suspicious; they're locking their young daughters up at night! If we start breaking down doors, the Earth kingdom will send the entire army to find us!"
A loud bang resonated through the room, silencing the nervous voice. It was quiet for a tense moment, the air almost palpable. Katara strained to hear the voice. A tense sigh broke the tension.
"We'll have to do with what we have then. I suppose our most recent catch we got will make up for the lack of women. She definitely put up a strong fight,"
"Y-yes, she took out most of the men before the Yuyan Archer managed to subdue her." A low whistle was let out as footsteps padded across the floor, the loose dirt shifting as they moved. "She lives up to her title, definitely a priceless item being a Master Waterbender. Should fetch a high price, Zanui."
Zanui? Everything came flooding back to her; the plan, the fighting, Zanui crippling her stance with Blood Bending, the arrow. Katara's blood boiled as he drew closer, though she remained still.
Crouching down, Zanui grasped the woman by a large handful of hair and jerked up to turn her face towards him. "She'll indeed fetch a good price, such an exquisite beauty from such a savage and primitive tribe. Dark skin, crystal clear blue eyes with such a fire in them. Strong body as well; perhaps, I may keep her to myself," He moved his thumb towards her mouth, pressing down on her bottom lip. Teeth suddenly clamped down on the appendage, causing the man to curse in surprise and jerk his hand backwards.
"I'll defeat you all before you have the chance to make any profit off of me," Katara growled lowly, spitting towards the man and lunging forward, the chains clanking loudly as they were pulled taut. "You won't get away with this!"
Zanui examined his finger briefly before flicking it, blood splattering against the dirty hay. With a deep sigh, his hand shot forward and latched around the woman's throat, lifting her into the air easily. A strangled gasp escaped before the fingers tightened around her neck, completely blocking her windpipe. If only she had her hands free…
"Such a strong will, eh? Well, we'll break that soon enough, so I suggest you behave!" With flick of his wrist, he forcefully flung her back against the wall, a pained wheeze pushed from her lungs. The chains rattled loudly as she collapsed against the floor, coughing and gasping as much needed air filled her lungs.
"Z-Zanui, w-we shouldn't leave any m-marks on her, it would depreciate her value amongst the buyers…" Kaito stuttered as he looked back at the girl, averting his eyes from the towering man walking past him. Heat suddenly exploded near his hand and he screamed in horror as the entirety of his hand burst into flames, the smell of burnt flesh filling the air. As quickly as it appeared, it vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving behind deeply burnt skin that oozed blood.
"I suggest next time you hold your tongue unless you want that burned as well," Zanui snarled, his lip curling upwards.
Kaito whimpered in pain as he cradled his bleeding hand, watching as Zanui traveled further into the caverns. Slowly moving his other uninjured hand, he conjured a small flame, taking in the motionless girl slumped against the wall. He almost took pity on her. She was known as the greatest waterbender in the world, including the best healer, a title she had earned just a few years ago. Hell, she had even helped the Avatar save the world from Fire Lord Ozai's reign of terror. But now…now she was a prisoner of Zanui, a ruthless man who cared more about money than anything else.
"I can heal you," Katara said quietly, startling the nervous man. "Release my hands and find me some water, I can heal your hand."
"S-shut up! You're just a prisoner now!" Kaito hissed as he stumbled over to her. "You'll be sold off to the highest bidder. That is, if Zanui doesn't keep you as his own personal entertainment."
He swung his leg out, catching Katara in the stomach. Again and again he struck, hitting her in places that wouldn't be easily visible. After about a dozen hits, he stopped, the girl barely moving. Panting, Kaito doubled over, attempting to catch his breath. The waterbender grunted as she shifted to rest her back against the wall, wheezing in pain.
"You may be a powerful waterbender, but now you're nothing more than a piece of meat to be sold off. Not even the Avatar will be able to find you now."
Kaito spat at her feet before stumbling down the cavernous hallway, darkness creeping over Katara once more. Pain radiated from her ribs making every breath excruciating. He may think he was breaking her down, tearing her will to shreds, but she had overcome far worse than a few possibly broken ribs. She would wait, play along with their games, even if it meant being away from Aang longer. For now, she would just wait and play along, learning everything she could about their plans.
A heaviness settled over her and she succumbed to the darkness once more.
"Long Feng…I cannot believe you were conspiring with the Dai Li agents again!" King Kuei glared down at the chained man kneeling before him. "Obviously, I was too lenient the first time around. I want him arrested and charged with conspiring against the Earth Kingdom, assault, property damage, kidnapping, and whatever else you can think of! You will spend the rest of your life behind bars."
"Maybe you can take away his bending, Aang, prevent him from attacking anyone else." Sokka leaned over and whispered to him, wincing as the King continued loudly chewing out Long Feng.
"He hasn't technically harmed anyone with his bending, he's just manipulative and controlling." Aang whispered back, watching as the non-Dai Li guards dragged him away.
"Avatar Aang, I am very sorry to hear Katara was taken by Zanui." King Kuei turned to him with a distressed expression. "Do you have any leads as to where he has taken her?"
"Actually, we do." Sokka cut off a confused Aang with a knowing wink. "Obviously, he's a smart guy if he's gotten away quickly every time, right? He's very calculating, planning his attacks beforehand and scoping out the area for escape routes. We think he's got a place where he's hiding all of the women, most likely next to a body of water that connects to the ocean. Plus, it doesn't make sense for him to move them in small groups at a time, that's just more work he has to do. So, the question is, has he reached his goal of the amount of women needed for him to mass move them and slip away?"
"It makes sense he would do that, please continue." King Kuei intertwined his fingers, resting his chin on them as he stared down at Sokka.
"I've memorized a map of the Earth Kingdom and all bodies of water nearby. For the quickest escape, he would have to go to the Serpent's Pass which drains out to the ocean the fastest. What Aang explained on the way back was that there were multiple parties involved. Earthbenders, firebenders, and archers."
"There is only one group of archers I know that would be involved in all of this, the Yuyan Archers. Extremely talented with deadly precision accuracy. But they are Fire Nation, so why would they be involved in this?"
"Because Zanui is a firebender." Aang stood up from his chair and moved to the center of the room, Sokka quickly following. Toph remained seated, listening intently through the floor for lies. "It was most likely him who started the fires in all of the other villages. There was something in his eyes when he attacked that reminded me of my battle with Ozai. He's power-hungry and filled with greed, taking what he wants, when he wants."
"I can immediately close off all ports by the Serpent's Pass, no one in or out without proper authorization—"
"It could be risky doing that, he could use the girls as hostages if denied exit from the port." Toph tossed in. "Things could get messy if we try to stop him where the elements are in his favor. Earthbenders would need a supply of earth to bend, firebenders can fight without their element nearby. The more we isolate them from their natural elements, the easier it will be to take them down. They need to be allowed to leave."
"Toph, we could stop this here and now. We could get Katara back before she's gone completely." Aang protested, voice pleading. "Please—"
"No, she's right, Aang." Sokka grabbed a handful of scrolls from his sling, dropping them out on the elongated table. "Look, we need to let them leave, to get out in the open. There could be waterbenders with them, we don't know that, but Aang is a waterbender and I know how the Water Tribe traverses that area when travelling from the Southern Tribe to the Northern, so I'm familiar with it. If they've been taking mostly Earth Nation girls, then I highly doubt they'd be going to the Northern Water Tribe, which leaves…"
"The Fire Nation." Aang finished solemnly.
"This…I don't even know how to handle all of this right now." King Kuei stood from his throne, pacing back and forth anxiously. "We should get a hold of Fire Lord Zuko and make him aware of your ideas. Sokka, please get with the keeper of the hawks and have him send your message immediately."
"Aang, Toph, I want you guys to scope out the area, see if you can find any tunnels they used to get away. I'll handle the situation with Zuko. If you find them, don't engage. It could do more harm than good." Sokka ordered before hurrying to write his message.
"Toph," Aang turned on his heel, his friend close behind as they sprinted for the doors.
"Avatar Aang, wait!" King Kuei called out, running down the stairs leading to his throne. "I have men readily available to serve under you if needed, please, feel free to use them."
"I'm afraid I will have to decline, King Kuei," Aang slowed to a stop, turning and facing the King before bowing. "The less people, the better this will turn out. This has become a personal matter, not just as a friend and partner, but as the Avatar, it's my duty to protect the world and those who inhabit it."
Aang sprinted after Toph, missing the pained look Sokka was sending his way, the letter crinkling slightly in his clenched grasp. By the time they had reached the main entrance, the sun was beginning to rise above the city, another sweltering day beginning.
"I understand how you feel, Aang, though I can't say I'd remain calm like you are now." Toph stopped just before the stairs, turning in his direction. "I would say to not worry, we'll find them, but I don't think this will be that easy. I know Sugar Queen can take care of herself, but if this Zanui guy is as bad as we think, then I'm not so sure she can handle this alone."
Aang let out a heavy breath, shielding his eyes from the blinding sun. "I can barely control my anger, my grief, the slurry of emotions constantly plaguing me. I knew it was a bad idea to let her become an open target like that, yet I still let it happen. I couldn't stop him in time from knocking her out. She was injured because I couldn't protect her. They shot her with an arrow, Toph. They had everything coordinated down to the smallest second."
"Blaming yourself isn't going to get us anywhere, Aang, right now we need to focus on finding out how they escaped the city unnoticed. It was fuzzy, but I think there's a tunnel system beneath the square." Toph placed her hand gently on his shoulder, her face softening. "Katara is strong, she'll find a way to save those girls. All we can do now is have faith in her."
"Thank you, Toph."
"Anytime, Twinkletoes, now let's go find us a hidden tunnel."
I definitely struggled with this a few times, but I think it came out fairly good.