Sokka huffed. He shifted. He sighed, sank his head into his hands. He glanced at the iron-clad meatheads crowding around him.

"This isn't right." He finally whined.

Aang was strung up on the opposite wall, his arms and legs spread-eagled, much like he'd been prisoner before in Zhao's care. Except this time there was a metal contraption around his mouth, preventing him from inhaling or exhaling enough air to allow him to do any harm. The monk in question rolled his eyes at Sokka. He'd been complaining about the situation since they'd been thrown onto the ship.

"How come he gets rope and chains, and I get the five of you?" Sokka whined once more.

The water tribe boy was completely unbound. As if to prove his purpose on the ship, Azula had ordered his treatment to be similar to a baby's. Stand around him, she had instructed, and don't let him do anything stupid. He was to be used only as a threat to the avatar, should he even consider escaping.

"Silence." A soldier growled from beneath his helmet.

"Aang, seriously, go! Nothing is stopping you but me! I'm gonna say this again; it's either me or the world. Now the logical choice is the world. Ask anyone, ask him," Sokka pointed to the soldier on his right, "And he'll tell you the same thing. My life is insignificant! And I really will not forgive you if anything happens to Katara." Sokka fumbled with his ungloved hand. "I know… that you have feelings for her, Aang. What will you do, if ten years from now you're locked away in a cell and the rest of the world is dying, including Katara? Please, if you do this for anyone, do it for her."

Aang's shoulders trembled and his eyes filled with tears. His head dropped to his chest and he shook his head.

"I won't let you go," Aang said, and it came out of his mask as a distant metallic slur, but still understandable to his companion.

"Aang…" Sokka said, holding out his hand in a plea, "Please."

The boy didn't respond, but only kept his head slumped.

Tears rolled down his cheeks and fell onto the metal mask he bore around his mouth.

xxx

"What do we do?" Katara muttered, staring into the forest canopy.

She hadn't had this much dread carried in her heart since she'd been in the South Pole, when the Fire Nation had attacked and stole her mother's life away.

"She expects us." Zuko said. He was leaning against Appa, trying to borrow strength from the bushy animal; he hoped that the stronghold of a beast radiated power, and that Zuko might be able to catch some of it. "If Azula is prepared to meet us, we have no hope."

"Sokka…" Katara whispered, and buried her head into her arms draped across her knees.

Haru put a hand on Katara's shoulder. "There are only three of us. If only we had more people…"

"Nishe." Katara said at once and rose to her feet and began to climb up onto Appa.

"The people aren't just going to volunteer to go against Azula. She's a powerful fire bender, and she probably has fifty or so soldiers at her will!" Zuko protested.

"Katara's done this before," Haru grinned, "She convinced us to rise against our captors back at the prison camp. And besides, the earth bending tournament is going on. Some of the best earth benders from the nation will be there!"

Haru dashed up onto Appa's saddle, leaving Zuko to stare dumbfounded up at the two of them.

"Are you serious? You're sure it will work?" Zuko gasped.

"I won't sit here and let the three of them be turned over the Fire Lord." Katara replied sternly. "And no, I don't know if it will work."

Zuko felt a twinge of admiration for her. She was willing to go with her gut, despite the fact that she could fail and die along with her good intentions.

He gave one final glance around him, as if savoring the last of safety he would be granted for a long time ahead. "Okay." He said gruffly and was hoisted up into the saddle.

xxx

A/N

I made this one short on purpose. One, it makes me feel slightly more accomplished (Hey, I finished a chapter in an hour!), and two, it fits my chapter plan. Yeah, surprisingly I have a plan!