Ba Sing Se
January 5th, 1941
The loose floorboards creaked under the combined weight of Haiko and Zuko. They were in a house in the Lower Ring, clearing out the remaining Fire Nation forces.
A few days prior, the peasants of Ba Sing Se rebelled against their Fire Nation captors. The only section of the Lower Ring the Fire Nation had been able to hold onto was one of the merchant districts.
Haiko approached a brittle door and touched the door knob.
"Remember what I said," Zuko whispered behind him. Haiko nodded his head.
Zuko and Haiko had cleared multiple houses before. A few times, they would open the door and find Fire Nation soldiers with their weapons aimed at them.
The first time this happened, Zuko had talked the soldiers out of fighting and had them surrender without bloodshed. Haiko had thought Zuko crazy at the time until he revealed his reasoning.
He said that if they hadn't been killed the second they walked through that door, then there was some doubt in their mind. And if there was anything Zuko could work with, it is dealing with doubtful soldiers.
Haiko opened the door and saw there were no soldiers within the room. It was an empty bedroom with a dusty window on the other end of the bed.
Zuko walked over to the dresser and began to try and learn how recently the room had been used. Haiko walked over to the window and gazed out towards the sunny blue skies.
On the other side of the city, he could see smoke billowing from a building. It was the Americans using flamethrowers against soldiers hidden in buildings. This method was horrifying to everyone in the Gaang but it was justified by its practicality.
Suddenly in the room next to them, they heard feet scurry across the floor. Zuko and Haiko glanced nervously at each other before exiting the bedroom. They walked to the door of the other room and Haiko put his hand on the knob again.
Zuko placed his hand on Haiko's shoulder and Haiko turned and stared at him. Zuko nodded reassuringly at him and Haiko let out a sigh. He turned back to the door and opened it.
Instantly, a green blur rushed at him and turned him around while placing a knife at his neck. Haiko felt himself stumble in the grasp of the person and his face had to have displayed shock and horror.
"Jin!" Zuko cried in surprise.
"Lee!" The person, Jin, exclaimed in an equal amount of surprise.
"You two know each other?"
"Yeah, we met a long time ago. Jin, what are you doing here? You should've ran?" Zuko asked.
Jin eased the knife on Haiko's neck allowing him to gasp for air. "I could ask the same from you Lee. You disappear for almost three years and now you appear. Seems pretty suspicious."
Zuko sucked in a deep breath. "Remember how I lit the candles during our date that one time?"
"You mean how you're a firebender. I figured that out."
"You did?" Zuko exclaimed.
"It was pretty easy to. How else could you have done it?"
Zuko's mouth gaped open in shock.
"You also weren't very secretive about it," Jin pointed out.
"Can you please remove the knife from my throat?" Haiko asked.
"Oh, sorry," Jin lowered the knife and put it in a sheath.
"It's not just that. I'm…" Zuko began but there was the sound of a door slamming below them.
"Zuko has to be here! Find them!" A shrill voice yelled. Jin's face exhibited fear while the other two's faces hardened.
"Azula," Zuko growled in a low voice.
"Who's Azula?" Jin asked.
"Zuko's sister," Haiko replied.
"Who's Zuko?"
"I'm Zuko."
"So your real name is Zuko Lee. I can't be surprised that you hid it. I would too if I had the same name as the Fire Nation royalty. It doesn't matter to me if he's a traitor."
Zuko and Haiko exchanged a wary glance. Haiko was about to say something when they heard a pair of feet begin to ascend the stairs.
The three cautiously began to walk down the hall. The footsteps followed.
Zuko grabbed a pistol, a courtesy given to him by a British officer, from his belt and handed it to Jin.
"You know how to use it right?" Zuko asked.
Jin nodded vigorously but she held the gun wrong. Haiko tenderly took it from her and demonstrated the correct way to hold the weapon.
Then the footsteps reached the top of the steps. Out into the open stepped Azula in her brazen glory.
"Zuzu, good to see you. And your pets too! What fun!" From behind Azula stepped Mai, Ty Lee, and two heavily armed guards.
"Wait, you're the Fire Lady of the Fire Nation. And if she's your sister Lee, that means your Prince Zuko!" Jin exclaimed in a weird combination of shock and horror.
Azula gave a little mock clap. "Good job little girlie. I'm surprised you didn't figure it out sooner. Your boyfriend is really your people's most hated enemy."
Haiko noticed how Jin was clearly distancing herself more and more from Zuko. But Zuko he saw was ignoring this and simply had a scowl on his face. They backed up until their backs were against a wall with a large window.
"Haiko, take Jin and run."
Haiko smashed the window with the butt of his rifle and grabbed Jin's hand, causing her to fall through it with him. They fell to the top of a rooftop that was below them and Haiko looked back up.
In the window above, he could see flames dashing through the hallway. Haiko stared at it for a second before grasping Jin's hand tightly and forcing her into a heavy sprint. They leaped over alleyways and across gardens.
Finally, Haiko chanced a glance backwards and saw Zuko being chased by two firebenders, Ty Lee, Mai, and Azula.
He glanced at Jin and saw her aiming the pistol at the group with seemingly no care for who she hit. She pulled the trigger.
The resulting bang caused her to drop the gun and scream. However, one of the firebenders fell to the ground with a shout as he leaped across an alleyway.
Once again, he grabbed her by the forearm and pulled her along as they ran. But not before picking up the handgun. Zuko eventually caught up to them due to his athletic prowess and they ran together as they leaped across the roofs of Ba Sing Se.
"Jin, take the rifle!" Haiko yelled.
Jin took it from Haiko and he put the handgun back towards the people. He stopped, turned, and fired three shots. He had aimed at Azula and smiled upon seeing her fall to the ground.
Her two friends grabbed Azula and began to pull her back as Azula protested loudly. The final Fire Nation soldier however still ran at them with a fury.
Haiko pointed his pistol at him and pulled the trigger. But there was just a low click. He chuckled lowly upon realizing he was out of ammo and resigned himself to his fate.
But then there was a loud crack and the Fire Nation soldier fell to the ground, shot in the head. Haiko turned and saw Jin with her rifle raised.
"You could've killed me!" He exclaimed.
"But she didn't," Zuko said with a laugh. Jin had an equally wide grin on her face too.
They were almost in the clear so they decided to walk the rest of the way back. They walked along the cobbled streets of Ba Sing Se with speed while Haiko kept his eyes open for movement.
"Lee, or should I say Zuko, you're the Fire Nation Prince?"
Zuko nodded. "I came to Ba Sing Se so long ago to flee from my sister who was obsessed with killing me. But now I'm with Team Avatar and I taught him firebending."
"So does that mean your with Team Avatar too?" Jin asked Haiko.
"Uhhhhhh," Haiko droned as he thought until Zuko interjected for him. "He is. We met him in the other world and he just began traveling with us."
Jin nodded in understanding. He breathed a sigh of relief and watched the girl sway in her light green robes. It was mesmerizing. That is until Zuko slapped him across the arm. Then it wasn't so.
"So what are you doing in Ba Sing Se Jin? You should have left," Zuko said and Jin shrugged.
"My family helped revolt against the Fire Nation. My father and brothers went off to fight but then the Fire Nation moved into our district. I saw them begin to kill innocent civilians and I knew that I couldn't be caught. So I hid until you two found me," Jin explained.
Haiko nodded and they reached a roadblock of American soldiers.
"State your names!" One of them called out.
"It's Prince Zuko and Private Haiko. We have a civilian teenager with us!" Zuko shouted back.
They walked through the roadblock and Haiko saw how the Americans watched Jin hungrily. He stepped a little closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.
She gazed up at him questioningly and Haiko gestured to the surrounding soldiers. She understood.
Ba Sing Se
January 7th, 1941
Azula screamed as the doctors removed a bullet from her leg. Her mouth spewed dark blue fire into the faces of the people trying to help her.
"Hang in there Fire Lady. This bullet will be removed in no time," one of the doctor's said. Ty Lee and Mai stood off to the side watching her writhe in agony. Traitors.
Azula screamed again as she felt them push aside the flesh to try and squeeze the bullet out. These were the best doctors in the Fire Nation. Couldn't they have been more careful about it, she thought. But she had forgotten that she had turned down the offers of morphine so that she wouldn't feel a thing.
"I can deal with the pain," was what she had said. But even a Fire Lady couldn't deal with a bullet.
When the operation finally finished, she breathed heavily while laying on the hospital bed. Then a courier rushed into the room with a piece of paper in his hand.
He had a look of sheer terror on his face as he handed it to the Azula. Then, he ran out of the room.
Azula read the paper before gripping it in pure fury. Then the paper caught on fire in her hands and she tossed it to the floor.
Her father wanted her to leave the city. No, not wanted, demanded. He saw her as a failure to defend the jewel of the empire.
It would be just like mother. He would stop talking to her and then everything would fall apart.
Azula began to suck in more and more breaths until she screamed and the building shook.
January 10th, 1941
Western Earth Kingdom
The moon gazed brightly on the outskirts of the village. The hills surrounding the village sloped down towards the ocean. The village was right on the coast of the water like a maid fetching water.
On one of these hills stood three figures who were staring below with a sense of ease. Their hair glistened in the moonlight like diamonds and their eyes shined with hope.
"So are we going down?" Zim asked.
Souza nodded firmly. "I'd rather not be up here when the sun rises. There could be Japanese patrols," he replied.
Then he began to walk down the hill at a quick pace. Anza and Zim rushed after him with a small stumble on their parts.
The only light for them were the lights from the village and the moon. They walked towards the west side of the village, cautiously avoiding the east side where there was a Japanese camp.
Souza had come up with the plan a few days ago. They were going to try and get a fishing boat to take them across the Fushong Sea that would bring them to Yu Dao. The only thing they would have to do was convince a fisherman to take them across.
It was a daring plan that many would call far too risky. But it was the only chance they had.
They entered the village through its dark shadows and made their way to the docks. They still had their weapons on their backs but they would have to be discarded so that they could blend in.
So when they reached the docks, they opened a few barrels and put their guns, swords, and Zim's bow in them. Then they rolled the barrels to a burnt down building and placed them in a hole. Finally, Souza placed a few floorboards over this hole.
Souza took out a cigarette and began to smoke easily. Zim pulled a hood over his head and wrapped an arm around Anza.
"Split up and try to find someone sympathetic," Souza whispered slowly. Anza and Zim nodded before walking off into the darkness.
Souza glided through the streets of the village while he smoked the cigarette. How he hated the cigarettes that Zim had forced him to smoke. They sucked utterly and completely.
He removed it from his mouth and glanced inside an old shack. It was full of fishing gear, nets, poles, buoys, maps, that sort of thing.
He decided that he would wait here for whoever the man who owned the place would come. He was sure that a man would come eventually. The stock of the store had to have some sort of value.
Then in the building across, Souza saw a light flicker on. He watched the light move across the windows, then down a floor, until finally it illuminated the door.
Next, the door opened revealing a wave of light that caused Souza to wince and cover his eyes. Out of it stepped an older man, sixties perhaps. He had long white hair and a bushy white beard. Along the side of his face was a long scar and his eyes had a weathered look to them.
"What are yeh doing outside meh shop?" The weathered man asked.
Souza tried to maintain his composure and stood a little straighter. He tried his best to try and maintain an emotionless facade. Luckily, the lantern the man carried helped hide the exact features of his face. He flicked the cigar to the pavement and squashed it with his foot.
"I'm a friend looking for help. Honest help from a man like you," he said. It was a risk saying this to the man but Souza would need all the help he could get. If he could convince the man through well placed words then all the better.
The man grunted and got closer to Souza. He raised his lantern closer to Souza's face, leading him to wince.
"Yeh Fire Nation aren't yeh?" The man grunted out.
Souza looked at the man in shock and horror. He should've ran away but his instincts told him to stay.
"But yeh don't need to worry about snitching on meh part. I hate the Japanese more than I hate the Fire Nation. At least yeh brought yeh own food. The Japanese steal from us without a care."
Souza nodded energetically. Maybe this was the man they were looking for.
"Let's head into meh shop so we can have a private conversation without prying eyes," the man said, sidestepping Souza and unlocking the door with a set of keys. He pushed open the door and Souza followed.
The man closed the door behind Souza and lit a lantern within the shop. "Do yeh like all the fishing gear?" The man asked.
"Is it a store?"
"No, it's meh personal storage house. I'm one of the most successful fishers in this town. But meh wife hates meh job. Says I'm never home. That's why I take a break from fishing in the winter."
"So when do you go out again?"
"Yeh looking for work or something?"
"No, it's something more important. I'll get caught here as Fire Nation. I stand out like a sore thumb."
"That's true, are yeh the only Fire Nation man here?"
"No, there's me and two others. One a fifteen year old girl and a seventeen year old."
"Yeh are all pretty young. Shouldn't yeh be with the army?"
"We're deserters."
"I see."
The man's face brightened considerably when he learned they were deserters. It was like his honor wouldn't be insulted if he helped them.
"Why did yeh desert?"
"Our army got demolished by the Japanese and now we're trying to find our way home. We don't want to fight anymore."
The fisherman nodded. "That's an understandable statement. What is it yeh need?"
"We need a ride to the other side of the Fushong Sea. We need to get to Yu Dao so we can go home."
The man stroked his beard in thought. "I can help yeh but not now. Maybe in a few weeks. There aren't many fishing boats out and it would be suspicious if I went out. The Japanese also conduct searches of fishing boats for food on occasion. Sometimes they find the unlucky Fire Nation person trying to flee and both they and the boat captain get in trouble."
"Thank you sir, that's very kind of you. We'll stay in the woods and out of your way for the time being then."
"No, yeh and yeh two friends are gonna stay in the basement of the cottage. We have room downstairs and not many people know of it."
"Thank you sir! We won't forget this!"
Souza left the warehouse and began to wander the streets in search of Anza and Zim. He found them chatting with another couple.
"Kanu, Lee, I found somewhere to stay!" He called out to them while using their fake names.
Anza turned around and said, "Really!"
Zim waved goodbye to the couple and walked over to the two. "How did you do that?"
"The kindness of one man can truly be a game changer," Souza replied.
They began to walk back towards the warehouse.
"Did you find us a ride to get us across the Fushong Sea?" Anza asked.
"The same man is a fisherman and he said we could have a ride when the fishing season begins."
"That's great!" Zim said with a wide smile.
When they reached the warehouse, the door was unlocked and the man was gone. Souza found a pile of keys on a table and used them to lock the door.
Now, they had to find the cellar. They looked around until they found it under some nets. Souza grabbed another key and unlocked the cellar.
They pried it open and then climbed in, settling down for the foreseeable future.
Ba Sing Se
January 20th, 1941
Aang stood next to a few officers as he watched a few engineers hook up loudspeakers around the Middle Ring.
It had been Aang's idea to try and convince the Fire Nation soldiers to surrender. They were under siege in a city not their own and their princess had fled. There were no other reasons to fight.
The officers had even stopped any bombing runs or artillery strikes from occurring so that the Fire Nation could see their true kindness.
"Sirs, all the mics are hooked up," an engineer told the officers.
"Good," one of the American officers said as he walked over to the microphone. He tapped the microphone leading to a loud noise coursing through the city.
He nodded to the other officers before taking the mic. He was the one that was best with words. If he was unable to stop the Fire Nation defenders from putting up a defense then no one could.
"Soldiers of the Fire Nation. Are you not tired from the continuous fight? We know your low on food and supplies. If you were to come out now, we can give you medical supplies and all the food to your desire. We also attest to the fact that you will be treated very kindly under the stipulations of Geneva."
"Why do you keep on fighting my friends? None of us want to kill our fellow men and women. You suffer in a city not even your own. Why do you do this?"
"Even your queen has realized the futility of your situation. She has left you to rot in this eternal city and has fled like a coward. You fight for cowardly people. They hide behind their thrones of power and ask that you fight for them? Will you let them do this to you?"
"Anybody that comes out to surrender now will keep everything they have. They will have the highest commodities and the best of all we have. We can guarantee anything is better than what you have now."
"If it is your honor that prevents you from surrendering, then ask yourself this question. Is it honorable to fight to the death in a foreign city? Why do you force yourself to suffer my friends?"
"Today, you have the choice to decide the course of your life. You could choose freedom or imprisonment. Freedom outside this devilish city where you can live peacefully or imprisonment in the cold hard ground. It is your choice."
"Don't let yourself be fooled by your commanders. What your fighting is a losing battle. If you don't surrender today, then the full force of the alliance will come down upon your sorry souls. And you won't survive."
"Think of your families back home. Their smiling faces upon hoping for your return. You don't want to disappoint them do you? Will you deny your mother you face? Will you deny your father your hand? What about your siblings or your lady friend?"
"You have your options my friends. Choose freedom or death. Leave or stay. It is out of my hands now. Your fate now rests on your shoulders. Farewell and we hope to see you soon! Our supplies are ready for you!"
The American officer moved back away from the microphone and stood next to the other officers and Aang. They stood in front of the Middle Ring and a British officer lit a pipe.
"I don't think they're coming old chap," the British officer with a pipe said.
"They will, Ba Sing Se is a large place. Have patience," Aang replied. The American officer nodded in agreement.
They waited a little while longer until finally, one of the German officers said, "It's time to resume ze artillery."
Aang hung his head. The Fire Nation refused to surrender and now there would be more bloodshed. Why? Why did they have to be so entranced in their propaganda?
Aang turned and began to walk away when he heard the gates of the Middle Ring slam open. He hastily turned back around and watched as hundreds of Fire Nation soldiers, led by their commanding officer, marched out.
"Bloody hell, I guess your speech did work chap!" The British officer exclaimed.
"Of course it did, if I could convince a couple of Germans and Americans to fight with it, then I could convince a city of Fire Nation soldiers and Earth nobility," the American officer replied haughtily.
Aang watched as the Fire Nation soldiers discarded their weapons to the side of the gate and walked with their hands raised. The commander walked up to the officers and bowed to them.
"Please accept our humble surrender," he said.
The German officer nodded, "It is accepted."
He gestured his hand and a wave of medics and soldiers carrying food and supplies approached the rundown Fire Nation soldiers. They handed them out to the masses.
Somehow, alcohol got included in the mix and the Fire Nation and Allied soldiers forgot they were enemies. They began talking amiably and cheering. Drinks were shared and music began to play.
Aang smiled happily. Maybe peace wasn't so far off.
Pass of Yanlei
February 3rd, 1941
Colonel Han Zou watched the refugees stumble helplessly towards the Pass of Yanlei from atop his ostrich horse. He sighed sadly at the sight.
Word had leaked out of atrocities in the east. There were murmurs of rape, murder, and robbings. It was inducing the people to flee from the Allied advance that wasn't very far away.
Ever since the fall of Ba Sing Se, a three prong attack had begun under Soviet, German, and American forces. The Fire Nation was on the run.
Most of the atrocities were happening with the Soviets. Many villages that had been in their path had been burned to the ground. It was downright sickening what they did.
But another thing that occurred was the shooting of unarmed prisoners. Each of the Allied powers did this to Fire Nation soldiers and this provided incentive for the soldiers to not surrender. Instead they retreated all the way back towards Yu Dao.
Each group had stories of massacres and rapes. Then after doing all this, they would leave a burnt village in their wake.
Of course, the Fire Nation was also guilty of doing this in their previous wars with the Earth Kingdom. Han Zou wasn't like others who said the Fire Nation was perfect. Far from it actually. But at least it was better than the Allied powers. They disgusted the young colonel.
There were men, women, and children all trying to flee. Some were walking on foot. Others on wagons or other ostrich horses.
Han Zou turned and gazed at the pass. To reach it, one had to walk up a long slope of rocky ground. Once they reached it, there were ledges everywhere. These ledges were perfect positions for artillery or anti-tank guns.
Outstretching from the pass was a large plain. It was primarily tall yellow grass with a dirt road in the middle. In the far corner, Han Zou could begin to make out a village.
On the dirt road, Han Zou could see miles upon miles of refugees, Earth and Fire, working together to get to Yu Dao. From Yu Dao, they would flee to the safe haven of the Fire Nation by boat.
While Han Zou stared at the plain, he came to a startling conclusion. This plain could easily be turned into a kill zone against the Allies.
Then Han Zou heard the padding of an ostrich horse approaching. He turned to see General Shinu pull to a stop beside the tired colonel.
"Colonel," General Shinu greeted.
"General," Han Zou replied before turning back to the refugees.
"It truly is depressing to think about," Shinu said.
"What is General?"
"The fact that the enemy will reach these people. It will be the greatest massacre in history. I doubt any will show mercy. And the worst part is I can do nothing to stop it. I have orders to march to Yu Dao from the Fire Lord himself."
Han Zou hung his head. Each of the people that passed him now would die. The joint Soviet, German, and American force was spearheading for this pass. When they reached the civilians, it would be a slaughter.
"How far away do you think they are?"
"A few days to a week. Our reconnaissance isn't really sure but they're moving fast. Faster than any army we've ever seen before."
"How do they do it?"
"They put most of their supplies on trucks and the lead of the spearhead is mostly tanks."
"Sounds like plans for a disaster."
"Mhm, exactly my thoughts," General Shinu began to turn away until Han Zou placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Sir, I think I have a plan."