A/N: Greetings inner-space, I'm really pleased with this chapter. I wanted to be back in the action, but I had to do a transition. So, what better way to transition, then to have some Zutara feels. Yup, you read it correctly, Zutara feels (teen rated). My gift to my loyal reviewer, Kslamm (thanks for the love review, way back in...yikes...December! A thank you overdue but never forgotten:). I would also like to welcome to our little fold, a new followers/favorite: bluewolf545 (trust me, I pay attention and appreciate it). So, let's delve back into our little tale...
Disclaimer: I don't want to end up in Iroh's collection, so will gladly admit that I don't own any rights to Avatar, The Last Airbender or Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.
Katara floats through the main room, determined to focus on the current mission or the greater purpose: how to keep the item and give Zuko the slip. She liked the irritable Prince in an odd sort of way, but history had a way of repeatedly showing her that if Katara placed interest in anyone, besides her immediate family, it meant trouble. Last time, she let herself get swayed by the male persuasion, a certain spiky-haired boy with a penchant for chewing on a piece of straw stole a rather lucrative job out from under her bounty hunter clutches. If Sokka was the brains of their operation, Katara was the heart. She had learned to protect herself, because her vulnerable organ tended to show itself in the most inconvenient times.
A lone moon peach bobs past, bumping against Katara's upper arm. Knowing her brother's endless appetite, she grabs it and puts it in one of her holster pockets. She needs Sokka to be in prime planning mode, devising a multi-step scheme to jettison Zuko far away from them. At the top of the list is how to leave Draconian air territory as soon as possible. Without Sokka figuring out a viable strategy, they were neck-deep in a rotting trough of cow-pig guts. Katara has quick reflexes for combat, but her strategy tends to be reacting first and figure out the rest as her fists keep swinging for potential answers.
Sokka wails pitifully from the bowels of the ship, "Katara!"
"For Yuki's sake, I'm coming Sokka." Katara pushes a floating chair out of her way and then peers down the hold. She hollers through the entrance and exit tube. "What's your problem?"
"My problem? I don't know…" Shoulders slumps dejectedly, Sokka drops back his head and flips in the air. "that I've been down here forever!" He grabs onto the rungs and peers up the ladder. Sokka's affable grin appears when he finally sees his long lost sister and has visual confirmation that he is in-fact not truly floating alone in space. "There you are...at last."
Katara returns her brother's grin. "Yes, Sokka, here I am...at last."
"Where's Prince Ponytail?" Sokka tries looking for the perpetual grumpy aura of Zuko, but Katara's bobbing movements make it difficult for Sokka to detect the lurking presence of grimace boy. "Stop moving, I can't see around you properly."
"Why don't you get out of the way, so I can come down and talk to you."
Sokka pushes away from the ladder. Katara spins around and then dives through the short shoot, not needing the help of ladder when gravity is left out of the equation.
"You didn't bring Zuko down here with you, did you?" Sokka grabs the rungs and looks back up the hole in fear.
"No, Sokka, I left Zuko piloting Shipie. In other words, I'm trying to keep him occupied and out of our way, so we can talk about your plan to get him jettisoned off our ship." She leans back, hovering in the air, folding her arms and crossing her ankles. Her long blue pony tail waves behind her. "So tell me, what's our plan?"
Sokka rests on his side, buoyant in the air. He props up his head with his hand and states matter-of-factly, "There is no plan."
"What!" Katara shrills. Her sudden motion causes her to bolt up towards the ceiling. She braces her hand against the top of the ship, which causes her to push downwards again. Bobbing back and forth, Katara finally stops herself with both hands by firmly grabbing the ladder. Steadying herself, her white knuckle grip loosens. Katara relaxes with the realization that Sokka is merely playing at his infamous "messing with her game". She forces a small laugh. "Ha, ha, good one, Sokka." Katara gives Sokka's shoulder a little punch. "You almost got me."
"Katara, I'm not joking. I don't have a plan." Sokka points around the hold, indicating the various charred panels and floating debris that had been blasted off. "Considering how Zuko and you almost destroyed Shipie, I've been spending most of my free time piecing her back together." He resists the urge to sniffle about Shipie's mistreatment, determined to be brave for Shipie's sake. He lovely pats her wounded hyper drive. "You know, it wouldn't hurt if we stopped off at the nearest refueling port to pick up some spare parts. If I know Toph, she won't give up easily."
"Toph never gives up." Katara grouses. The siblings have more than repaid their debt and then some, but Toph won't release them from her eternity contract. "Her tenacity will one day kill us."
"Exactly, this is why we need to get out of here." A wrench floats past Sokka, he brightens. "Hey, I've been looking for that. Thank you anti-gravity seeks and find." Snatching the greasy tool, he shoves it in the back of his pant's pocket. "So, where in the vastness of space are we; and more importantly, can I turn the gravity back on?" Wiggling his feet, Sokka looks down at boots. "I can't tell if my feet are asleep, or that I simply can't feel them because of the effects of anti-gravity."
Katara clears her throat, nervous over informing her brother about the inevitable bad news. She suddenly recalls the moon peach and quickly grabs it from her pocket and thrusts it at Sokka. "I got this for you." The stalling technique could help Sokka digest the bad news better.
Sokka spins around with excitement. "Food!" He grabs the peach and takes a huge bite out of it. His stomach and priorities align with the ingestion of sustenance.
"Well…" Katara glances away and draws out relaying the truth. Sokka doesn't reply, too occupied with his peach and the happy settled feeling of his stomach. Katara sighs and plunges into another mine field. "We can't actually turn on the gravity, since we are in the middle of the Draconian Mine field."
Sokka's face deadpans with his jaw flopping open revealing mashed moon peach.
Katara's stomach heaves; she quickly looks away from the revolting sight of half-eaten food. Shoving down her revulsion, she rushes out the last bit of news. "I should add that we're flying towards Draconian territory." Closing her eyes in case Sokka's food is still in full display, she imparts a bright spot in their latest in-and-out job's development. "The good news is we don't have to worry about Toph." She tries grinning extra widely to help make it all sound more appetizing. Her face did not appropriately reflect her inner feelings. "Toph fled the moment we entered the minefield."
Sokka swallows the lump of food in his mouth. His stomach is grateful, though the enjoyment for the food has vanished, when he deduces the peach wasn't a loving gesture but merely a distraction ploy.
Katara opens one eye to see how her news has been digested. By Sokka's sober face, her nervousness redoubles, and doubt bubbles forth. "Did you hear me?"
Sokka's normally jocular face grows serious. "Yeah, I heard the whole report." He raises an eyebrow at his sister. "I'm also starting to understand why I had so many fires to put out."
Katara floats over to her brother, grabbing his shoulders. "Sokka, I need you to figure out how to get us out of here, keep the item and dump Zuko somewhere far away from us."
"I'm up to speed, Katara, on what we need to do." Sokka takes another bite out of the peach. Slowly chewing, he calculates the various outcomes of their current predicament, mulling between chomps the exact details and ramifications for each potential component to a greater plan.
The minutes stretch for Katara. She frets, starting to gnaw on her nails. Watching her brother's face grow more serious leads her to burst out in anticipation, "Sokka, say something, anything, you're really making me worried."
Sokka glances up and shakes his head, clearing it of the endless mind maps of possibilities. He floats over to his tense sister. Sokka knocks Katara's floating braid out of the way with a comforting arm around his sister's shoulders. "Your big bro has got this all under control"
"You do? Tell me the plan, please." Katara rushes out with relief. "I'm dying inside with worry."
"No dying today, you might want to pencil it in after we get out of this mess, but not today."
Even though Katara is floating, she feels that she is returning to surer footing. The need to need to chastise her brother's cavalier attitude about their potential entrance into the spirit world begins to surface. "I'm glad you can joke about dying, Sokka, because…"
Sokka cuts off Katara's righteous speech, before she can really rattle off a sanctimonious diatribe. "Simmer down, I've got a plan alright and that's precisely why I'm called His Star Lord Shipieness."
Katara deadpans, "No one calls you that but yourself."
Sokka shrugs, "I've heard it referenced several times during the bounty hunter slideshow nights. It's catching on."
Katara snorts, "Keep dreaming." She crosses her arms and taps her foot in the air.
Sokka grins, his eyes twinkling in teasing delight. "Listen, between the two of us, who is the one that is going to figure out how to get us out here?"
Katara wrinkles her nose and glowers at her brother. "This isn't helping us with you being all superior right now."
Sokka strikes a superhero pose in mid-air, his hands at his waist and chest puffed out. "I am what I am, which is outer-worldly awesome."
Katara lowers her chins and glares at Sokka. "Really, Sokka, really!"
"Fine, have your boring," Sokka does air quotes. "Let's talk about the plan way." He holds out his hand. "Do you have the item?"
Katara unclips her holster belt and pulls out the item from one of the pockets. She hands her brother the metal ball. "What are you going to do with it?"
Sokka's fingers close around the cool metal, clasping it firmly in his hand. The metal ball is the only thing keeping his head firmly upon his shoulders and out of Iroh's collection. "Don't worry about it?" He grabs his sister's shoulders and says seriously, "the key to our main problem is for you to distract Zuko. I'll handle the rest."
"How am I supposed to distract Zuko?"
"You figure it out. It's not that hard." Sokka drops his hands and waggles his eyebrows. "I know I have a certain method that seems to work well with the ladies."
Katara gasps and chokes out her shock at what her brother is implying. "Sokka, but, but..."
Sokka pats Katara's back gently to still her choking. They both bob up and down in the air to his motions. "Listen, I do not like the idea of my baby sister giving smoochies-smoochies to anyone. I mean, it was bad enough when you got so distracted by Jett that you..."
Katara doesn't feel like being reminded of how she let her heart get the best of her and ended up being out-scored on a job. She interjects, "Sokka, the plan?"
"But...we have to do something to keep Zuko distracted. This may seem alien to you..." Sokka chuckles and slaps his knee, which causes him to flip in the air. "Get it, alien and we're in space..."
Katara's face registers annoyance, waiting for her brother to get over his lame joke.
Sokka calms himself. "Anyway, you use your feminine charms on Zuko; I'll do the rest." Katara opens up her mouth to protest this little element to Sokka's plan. While looking away, he holds out his hand, waggling it in front of her face. "By the way, I don't have to ever know how you charmed Zuko, and I would like to add that I hopefully will never find out what you did either." He drops his hand and turns back to his sister, stating firmly. "But figure something out alright."
Katara wonders if she can even flirt. Typically, she manages to get what she wants with her two fists and swift upper cut. If that didn't work, she would use her retractable blade. She never had to rely on flirting. Even with Jett, he did most of the work. She had doe-eyed tripped after him into...well, she wouldn't think about that right now. That was a previous mission from a long time ago and was better left forgotten.
"Fine, but promise me that you won't take too long." Katara swallows as she looks up at the ladder and flicks her feet downwards, kicking herself up through the shoot.
Zuko touches his throbbing scar. Memories always trigger his most intense headaches. Feeling his disfigurement, it is rough and jagged along his eye. He drops his hand, disgusted. Glancing over at the empty passenger seat, he thinks about Katara. At first it made him relieved to not have her prattling away, barking orders, like she was the one in charge. He was use to working alone and realized with Katara's every know-it-all command uttered that she assumed her training was superior to Zuko's expertise. He is a trained assassin. There was no comparison between the two of him.
It wasn't Zuko's extensive indoctrination by Thanos that made him separate from Katara. No, it was his upbringing. He had been taught that he was the head dragon, Fire Lord, Prince, born to rule his planet and the Draconian Galaxy. It wasn't only his birth right but his destiny. Yet, it was Ozai, the one who Zuko could no longer call father, who had ultimately sacrificed his own children to Thanos. Ozai saw his chance to enlarge the Draconian dominion by brokering Thanos's help in trying to conquer the whole universe.
Thanos thrived on strife. Zuko's adopted father gained in breadth and stature with each conflict he induced. Thanos especially exalted whenever he pitted Zuko and Azula against each other. "Children, power isn't for the weak. You must crush those around you to achieve glory." Thanos looked down from his elevated stone chair, tapping his thick fingers against the stone, his face implacable. Azula didn't need encouragement to highlight Zuko's flaws; she was possessed to best her brother at every turn. Her determination to shame Zuko in front of their adopted father has become an all-consuming passion for her.
From what Zuko has deduced from his brief interactions with Sokka and Katara, the siblings are devoted to each other. They might bicker, but it is friendly rather than a competitive animosity. Their familial relationship mocked what Zuko and Azula had now; two individuals vying against each other for jobs and survival. Zuko especially couldn't afford the physical cost to disappoint Thanos again and face another failure in front of Azula.
Zuko's life is a series of commands and missions but fighting with Katara verbally and physically made Zuko feel alive, rather than some automaton. He shakes his head to clear out that dangerous flight pattern of introspection. Focus on retrieving the item, the last time he saw it, Katara had concealed it within a metal ball and then placed it in one of her pockets along her holster belt. He must get it, but how?
Zuko knows the Southern Aquaquadrant siblings are plotting against him. Sokka appears to be nothing more than a mechanic and an endless source of mediocre jokes, but Katara has a power that he has only seen matched within Azula. Zuko knows that Katara is looking for the first opportunity to get rid of him. What Zuko secretly wonders whether Katara thinks about him beyond her plots and schemes? She had referenced his scar at their first meeting inside the cave, making a not-so-veiled inference that his disfigurement was due to his poor fighting abilities. Zuko proved how incorrect her suppositions were with his tenacity in subduing her and getting onto Shipie.
Shipie, what a stupid name. Zuko thinks with more than slight irritation that he has adopted the spacecraft's moniker. It is another indicator that he is getting too involved.
Shipie easily pilots through the mines. The intricate lacework of bombs seem endless, but Zuko knows it is only a matter of time before Shipie will reach official Draconian air space. The bombs repel away from the spacecraft and then return to their original position. The mines' hypnotic movements do little to relax the tension within him. The anti-gravity has created an invisible buffer surrounding Shipie. This same buffer is how Zuko learned to protect himself, detach, don't feel, and never get involved.
Zuko is startled by the floral scent wafting within the pilot's cabin. His senses are alert, detecting Katara's presence even before she speaks.
"Zuko, I need to talk to you." Katara hovers behind Zuko's seat. His black ponytail tickles her chest. She can see his face reflected on the windshield. An immediate tension fills the small space, radiating off Zuko in thick waves. Katara tries plastering on a smile. This is going to be harder than I thought.
"Talk about what?" Zuko is rigid, ignoring how every part of him is heedful of Katara's essence, her gentle efflorescent wrapping around him. His muscles flex in anticipation with this onslaught of sensations. Zuko's voice gets lower and rougher. His toneless quality doesn't match the warm feelings churning within him.
Katara's nerves tingle with the rough timbre of Zuko's words. She doesn't like that fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach. She is supposed to seduce him, not be swayed by some renegade bounty hunter. Katara, get a hold of yourself. Remember, you're a professional! A burst of insight chases away her confusion over Zuko, maybe she won't have to flirt after all. It might be easier to provoke Zuko into a distraction with the much more comforting territory of their verbal sparring.
The angst which was mounting within her settles somewhat. Katara adds a punch of exasperation onto her pointed words. "I'd like to hear what you plan to do once we get into Draconian space, duh!" A reflection of Katara's eyes flash icy blue and a rosy blush highlights her dusky cheekbones.
Zuko smiles and feels comfortable. This is the kind of energy that is predictable and even comforting. "Why should I tell you?"
Katara folds her arms and tries to prod Zuko further. He isn't getting angry at all only calmer. His voice is even smoother, almost purring at her. She tries again, "I don't know, maybe, because it involves my brother and me."
Zuko flips the autopilot on and calmly unbuckles his seatbelt. He feels lighter, and it isn't from the lack of gravity. Floating past her, he gloats. "You'll know when you know and not sooner."
Katara exclaims triumphantly, "Ha! You mean, when you know, do you even know anything?"
"I know plenty." Zuko feels different. A feeling of being alive and tingling begins to grow with each of their repartees. The actual truth is that his plan's general framework is there, but like most of his jobs, he works better under pressure and with split-like decisions. A smile almost catches on his lips at the thought of not serving Katara a heaping plate of satisfaction. She wasn't far off that Zuko had a vague idea of how to escape from Draconian territory.
"More like, Newbie, you know plenty of nothing!" Katara floats past him with haughty triumphant manner. She manages to swivel her hips.
Zuko's eyes take in her curves, almost blushing over the pull he feels at the sight of her. However, he bristles at her continued use of the made-up nickname. He bursts out in anger, "Stop calling me, Newbie! You know nothing about me or my training."
"Really, nothing? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you work in the shadows, and that you are on some kind of mission which means nothing to you personally. This isn't another job for Sokka and me. When we give the item to Iroh, it will save Sokka from being a collector's piece in one of Iroh's cases."
Zuko reaches out and grabs Katara's wrist. He yanks her against his chest. "You don't know what is important to me. What I have been through, or what motivates me."
Katara twists her wrist, breaking Zuko's grasp. She grabs his forearm, proving she has the upper hand. "You've told me repeatedly, honor." Katara hisses, "Sokka and I need to return that item to gain his freedom. What is more honorable than that?"
Zuko grabs Katara's free arm. His chest is heaving from sudden insight over their mutual intentions. "I'm getting it for my freedom, too."
"Liar!" Katara pushes herself next Zuko, repeatedly bumping and brushing against him. "You said you needed the item for Thanos!"
"What Thanos needs has never been a concern for me. I'm buying my way out slavery." Zuko is so close to Katara's face; their lips are almost touching.
"You are insane. Thanos will send you to the spirit world for defying him." Katara looks back and forth at Zuko's scar and to his handsome side.
"Thanos values power and those who try to best him." The heat of anger isn't the only thing between them. Zuko feels himself drawn into Katara's eyes, blue whirlpools of questions.
"What about your honor?" Katara whispers, as the warmth of their intimate proximity builds between them.
"I told Thanos I would get the item. I never told him I would give it to him." Zuko sneers. "My sister taught me how to twist words to your own benefit."
"Sokka and I are taking the item to Iroh. After that, you can give it or not give it to whomever you want." Katara wants to get away from Zuko, but she can't let herself be the first one to relinquish her grip. Her thighs keep brushing against Zuko's, distracting her. Her voice is now husky. "Nothing will happen if we can't escape out of Draconian space."
Zuko's voice is slow and low, tingling her skin and senses. "When we reach beyond the mine border, we'll turn around and go back into the field." The corners of his mouth lift up slightly.
Katara's eyes are drawn to Zuko's mouth. His lips are full. She breathes out, "Then what? We're back to our original problem."
"I don't see a problem." Something pulls in Zuko's gut, each time Katara's words caress his good cheek.
Katara reaches out to tear at Zuko's idea. She knows differently, but tries to goad Zuko anyway. "What about Toph? She and the Flying Pig's readied fire power will be waiting for us again."
"You knocked those mines loose. Trust me; the Flying Pig has high tailed it out-of-there." Zuko knew that much for sure. The reverse gravity was a well kept secret, only the initial engineers and the royal family knew about that classified information.
"The engineers had all been killed, Zuzu," Azula coos, "Then mother died, very convenient, don't you think? It left getting rid of the children."
Zuko groans, drops Katara's arm and almost pushes away from her. He presses his hand against his forehead as the blinding pain and Azula mockery consumes him.
Katara glances at Zuko. His face is ashen. She feels badly. It has been a while since she tried extorting information out of him with the enticement of food. He seemed desperately hungry at that point, now he must be starving.
"Come on, you don't look so good. Let me make you something to eat." Katara moves over to the kitchen. She is flooded with the cooling relief being separated from those strange feelings; the same emotions she felt with Jett. "I can't make you a fully cooked meal, but we have these energy pouches that should help."
"I'm not hungry." Zuko's stomach grumbles, clawing at his insides with a loud counterargument to his statement.
Katara buttons her lips to conceal her smile. "Zuko, you need to eat. I promise I won't poison you. Now, if Sokka was cooking that couldn't be a guarantee. He is the only one that has developed a cast-iron stomach to handle his kitchen skills." As Zuko's face tightens into a more set resolved, Katara realizes a little bit of couch psychology might be the only weapon she can use to get him to listen. "If you really want to get that item from me, you will only get it with a fight. At your current state, you aren't fighting anyone." Katara grins; a proud blush covers her cheeks. "Especially the best bounty hunter in the universe."
Zuko grumbles out a lie in stubborn retaliation. "You're not even the best one in this galaxy." He does see reason in Katara's logic. The lack of food might explain Zuko's barrage of memories. "Fine, I'll take that food you're offering."
Katara floats over to the kitchen. She pulls out a drawer and quickly retrieves several pouches before all the food can escape into the cabin. It is good to be distracted again. Whatever was happening between Zuko and Katara made her nervous, and it isn't for the reason that he was her opponent. She broke the seal on the food and then pressed the pouch in half. It immediately expanded in size. The smell of roasted turducken suddenly permeates within the kitchen galley and lounge. "Here, enjoy." Handing the pouch over to Zuko, his eyes gleam at the appearance of food.
Zuko snatches the pouch from Katara, almost as if he assumed she was going to revoke her offer of food. He twists off the package's top, squeezing the tube of roasted turducken into his mouth. Katara hides her smile of satisfaction as she repeats her preparation for the two pouches which are butter cauliflower taters and moon peach pie.
Katara passes Zuko the other two expanded tubes. He takes them and follows the same method of eating but much less frantic. Zuko isn't eating like Sokka's typical inhaling method, which usually included her brother reaching for food off of Katara's plate before she even had taken the first bite.
Zuko obviously savors every morsel, the pinched look of hunger eases from his persona. The tube pouches become thin shell casings; all the contents thoroughly emptied. Swallowing the last bite of constituted moon peach pie, his face exudes a sated expression. He hands the empty tubes to Katara, who disposes them into the garbage incinerator.
Zuko hovers next to Katara. "The food was delicious. Thank you."
Katara blinks, recovering slowly from Zuko's genuine expression of appreciation. "You're welcome." Katara reflects on Zuko's blatant dismissal of her fighting skills. She asks hesitantly, "Do you really think I'm not a good bounty hunter?"
Zuko watches the way Katara bites on her lower lip, creating a soft vulnerable look to her face. The truth is drawn out of Zuko, almost tethering them together. "No, you are a pretty amazing…" His eyes are riveted to Katara's mouth, as it tilts upwards into a pleased grin. "for a bounty hunter."
Katara's hand wants to reach up to Zuko's face and trail down his scar. She drifts closer; her breasts brush against Zuko's wide chest. "Zuko, will you help us?"
Zuko nodes and reaches out for Katara's hand. He threads his fingers through hers. "Yes, I'll help you." The last word is said with such suggestion and meaning, directed toward Katara and not to both Southern Aquaquadrant siblings. Katara closes her fingers around Zuko's hand, sealing their promise.
A loud beeping suddenly resounds in the cabin. Lights flash repeatedly. With hands clasped, Zuko and Katara don't have to speak their intentions; both intuitively kick off, zooming toward the pilot cabin. They arrive, horrified to see Shipie breaching the mine border and flying right towards the waiting fleet of Draconian space cruisers.
A high pitch squeal emits through Shipie's speakers, causing Zuko and Katara to release their hands, pressing their palms over their ears and wincing painfully.
A crackle and a booming voice echoes around the whole spacecraft, blasting out of every speaker. "You are in Draconian territory! Your appearance is a blatant signal of an act of war. Stand down and prepare to be boarded."
A/N: Yikes! Now, who is going to board Shipie? Which Darth Vader (I know, wrong franchise, but...) could it be someone from Avatar, the Last Airbender or Guardians of the Galaxy? Time will tell, hopefully it will write/tell sooner. Hope you like them Zutara feels. Show your love and write a review/favorite/follower.