"Where's Katara! I'm gonna kill that smarmy, scarred, ugly, stupid jerk bender! Ima kill that fire bending fucker!" A delirious Sokka lays against Appa.
"Sokka, Sokka! Hey you're sick!" Aang squats next to him, poking the Water Tribe boy. "I'm going to go get help or at least try and get something to help you out. Just stay here. Don't go anywhere." It's pointless to tell him that but Aang has to say it anyway, Katara would want him to say it. A low burning hate has been burning in his chest since his forever girl got captured and his cowardice had him run away when he had the chance to rescue her. He'll get her back or at least go to the Northern Water Tribe for her, right now though he has to get Sokka better. There's an herbalist on top of the nearby mountain. Hopefully she'll have something to help Sokka.
. . .
Katara stands over Zuko with her hands glowing. The tendrils of energy are still mixed up but at least the muscles are looser. She's already healed the scrapes on his palms and knees from his adventure last night. For once he woke up close to the same time as her, actually even later than her since he snuck in so late. Upon waking he immediately asked for a healing session. "Please do as much as you can. I'll need it."
"If you keep Aang safe I'll do this every day." She presses deeper into his back and listens to him sigh. After an hour she's done, there's only so much healing she can handle at once and she's quite honestly at a loss of what to do about the twists of life force. "I need new scrolls. Get me something that teaches about energy inside of people okay."
Zuko nods, something odd flickering across his face. "Katara, how good of a bender do you think you are?"
"Pretty good, why?"
"How good is your endurance?"
"It's good. Why Zuko?"
"No reason, just curious." He shrugs off any other attempts from her to find out why he asks. "Katara."
"What?" She's a little annoyed with him now.
He pulls something out of his nightstand and hands it to her. It's a small knife. "Made in the Earth Kingdom? Okay?"
"No, read the other side."
"Ah," she flips it over. "Never give up without a fight. Why are you giving this to me?"
"My uncle gave it to me when I was little and I want you to have it. You fought me every step of the way when you came on board and you deserve this. Please take good care of it."
"Of course Zuko, but why are you giving this to me?"
He doesn't respond to her question. "You know how to use it right?" Her look is withering, of course she does. "Go get changed."
"Excuse me!" That's not something that he's allowed to say to her! He can try and control a lot but her wardrobe isn't something he can be bossy about.
"Please. Go put on a jacket or something. You'll need it." The please changes things.
Once she's put on a padded robe of his he nods. "Let's go get some breakfast then." It's nearly noon when they head down to the mess hall. Hardly anyone is here, they're out in the town or seeing their friends off. "Lian, I need as much jerky as will fit inside a knapsack. Please have it ready by the end of our meal."
"Sir, is everything all right?" Zuko's tight lips are all the answer he needs before scurrying off. Katara is already sitting chowing down on her rice and orange chicken. Zuko joins her and eats heartily though he's not actually hungry. His stomach wants to reject the meal but he has to keep it down to have energy for tonight. This is going to be a hellish night.
"Are you full?" She nods, they've hardly spoken today and she's still thrown off by his abruptness. "Are you sure?"
"Yes?"
"Good."
He grabs the knapsack on their way out, stuffing something into it and heads down even further into the ship. On the second flight of stairs Katara stops. "I'm not going another step! Not until you tell me what's going on. You're scaring me Zuko!" She doesn't mention that the deeper into the belly of the ship the more afraid she is. He stops cold and turns to her. Fear is plain on his face, mixed with worry and pain but he tries to hide is all behind a blank stare. "Just tell me."
His facade cracks. "I have to go somewhere and rescue the Avatar."
"And I'm coming with you?"
"No, I'm sorry but you're not."
She's shocked and a little upset. "Why not? I'm almost as good of a bender as you are." He looks at her, she knows why she can't come. He doesn't trust her to not knock him down and leave with Aang though he does trust her to not leave him in harm's way.
"Just come see me off, please."
"Okay." She agrees and grabs his hand before beginning the descent again. With each step she squeezes a little harder and Zuko marvels at the strength of her grip though he too takes comfort in it.
"Nephew!" Iroh stands next to a small open hatch with an equally small steam powered boat floating in the water. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes Uncle. I already told you." Zuko turns to look at Katara. "I'm going to get the Avatar back from Zhao. Most likely he already has the boy. Katara, I'm never going to stop chasing the Avatar. He holds the keys to my honor and I need him for that. Without the Avatar I loose everything, my honor, my throne, my country. He can give them all back."
She shakes her head. "You don't need him for that. You have your own honor and nothing can change that."
The fire bender sighs and drops the knapsack before drawing Iroh into a tight embrace. "Be careful Zuko."
"I will be." His amber eyes lock with Katara's blue ones. Before he stops to tell himself it's stupid, before she can tell him to jump off a bridge, before any of that he darts forward and clumsily pulls her close. Her hair smells like Fire Nation spices and cool ocean breezes. She freezes but reacts milliseconds before he pulls away. Her arms go around his middle and she squeezes. There's something different between last night and right now but she's not sure what she's just suddenly worried that the boy who might be her newest almost friend won't come back alive. He smells like oranges and ginger and she drinks it in. All too soon he's gone, standing in the boat and looking at both of them. "Katara?"
"Yeah?"
"I think you can find your own way back." Her brow furrows. What the hell does he mean by that cryptic statement? The little boat is already too far away to ask him.
"Miss Katara?" Iroh has tears in his eyes. "Forgive an old man his weaknesses but please next time you see me, call me Uncle."
"What do you mean next time I see you?" Then it hits her. The hatch is still open. She's wearing a padded robe. She has a knife and a knapsack full of food. The fire benders aren't exactly letting her go but they're sure as hell not trying to stop her. "Thank you Iroh, sorry, thank you Uncle." She pecks the man on the cheek, grabs the sack and is out the door, surfing on waves of her own creation.
. . .
That's the hardest thing he's ever done. Well no, not really, getting banished was the hardest thing but right now loosing Katara hurts even worse. It had to be done quickly like ripping a scab off. She was right, the Avatar wasn't coming back for her and it was just cruel to keep her there no matter how much he wants her with him. Maybe someday they can be real friends? For once in the privacy of the boat, tears roll down his face. This isn't at all what he expected when he started out on this journey.
. . .
Whizz. One arrow. Whizz another one. "Oh monkey feathers," Aang mutters and bends a shell of air around himself. Arrows fall to the ground around him. "Uh, I think you dropped this?" He doesn't wait for a reply but instead get on an air scooter and high tails it out of there dodging arrows left and right. Nervous sweat drips down his nose. One arrow snags his foot and he tumbles to the ground, getting a face full of mud. Another pins his foot to the ground before he has the chance to move. Aang tugs and tugs and finally manages to pull the arrow out. Another volley is headed his way! He runs on pure adrenaline. The problem is that his adrenaline runs him right over a cliff face. The ground drops out from under his feet but he keeps pedaling and air fills his clothes creating a parachute of sorts. Archers climb down the cliff face after him. The trees rush up at the airbender but he slows his descent. The branches whack his face and water cushions his fall. No arrows whizz by him and so he breathes a sigh of relief. The mud under his fingers twitches. "Huh? Oh! A frog!" A mostly frozen amphibian croaks between his fingers as he tucks it into his clothes. "Maybe whoever those guys are got lost in the forest, hopefully." He doubts it but he can hope. Quickly he tucks a few more frogs into his shirt and begins to walk off, careful not to air bend too much and leave any sort of dust cloud. He hops from tree to tree, trying to escape the forest as quickly as possible. Those archers aren't like anything he's seen before and they don't seem like something Zuko would do. That means someone else is after him and the little boy is scared. Aang picks up one last frog. His hand reaches out for it only to watch in horror as the frog gets impaled. Aang's arm is pinned to the log beside him. The water around him rises up knocking arrows out of the sky. A net cuts through the stream stopping the Avatar's bending and preventing escape.
. . .
Katara is miles north of the ship she had been prisoner in, the waves propelling her forward. Adrenaline left her system hours ago and now her energy is waning, soon she'll have to find a place to camp or else risk drowning. A small sandy cove calls her name, that's where she'll spend the night. First order of business is to find wood for a fire but each branch she tiredly picks up in soaked. She can bend the water out but she is oh so exhausted. Forgoing the fire she opens the knapsack. She can't believe it. It's filled to the brim with jerky and small pieces of taffy fill up any crevices. Tears of relief and thankfulness seep out. Katara tears into a piece of the meat and pulls out the scroll that's been jammed into the bag. It's a map of the world, all the Nations are color coordinated with the Water Tribes snow white. She has to go north. It's a good map but not detailed enough to help her. She has no idea where she is. The back of the scroll fixes those problems. It's an area map with the Yu-Yan archer compound at the southern edge of the map. It doesn't take long to find the large forest she passed half an hour ago so she must be in the little inlet above it. About a week of constant travel will bring her to the North Pole. Zuko said that most likely Zhao has Aang by now but she trusts Zuko to get him away from Zhao and trusts Aang to get away from Zuko. She lays down on the sand, watching the stars and the moon reflect off the ocean. For some reason again she's crying, overwhelmed, exhausted, and relieved. She still wakes up in a cold sweat.
. . .
Zhao circles the Avatar, strung up the same way Katara had been with his wrists manacled and pulled apart, the same with his feet forming a human X. "So," Zhao prods him. "You're the great Avatar, master of all the elements? I don't know how you managed to elude the Fire Nation for a hundred years, but your little game of hide-and-seek is over."
"I've never hidden from you! Untie me and I'll fight you right now!" This is far worse than he had imagined. He could handle Zuko but this monster of a man, Aang has no idea how to get away.
Zhao laughs, wallowing in the young boy's discomfort. "Uh no. Tell me, how does it feel to be the only air bender left? Do you miss your people?" He smirks as Aang's head and shoulders droop. "Don't worry, you won't be killed like they were. If you die you'll just be reborn and then the Fire Nation will have to begin it's search for the Avatar all over again." Zhao sighs theatrically. "I'll keep you alive, but only barely. Not like your water bender, she's alive and well. Did I tell you I saw her yesterday?"
"What!" Aang's head shoots up and again he struggles against the chains.
"Yes, I saw her in Prince Zuko's bedroom they were oh so comfortable there. Did you know she doesn't even stay chained, it looks like the banished prince has her trained already." Zhao's smile grows as Aang's fury rises and he jabs a little more. "I bet they stay nice and warm at night, her giving away all of your secrets." He walks out, leaving a screaming crying Aang. The Avatar's arrows and eyes start to glow but stop the more he collapses in on himself, the tears streaming down his face.
"You don't know her! You don't know anything!" Air bangs against the door but unless he goes into the avatar state, there's nothing he can do.
. . .
All thoughts of Katara are out of the Prince's mind. Right now there's a job to be done. He rides into the compound underneath a livestock carriage, the driver oblivious. Once through the main gates he sneaks off, the black of his clothes blending him into the background. Now the question of where the Avatar is being kept. Most likely it's in the tallest building in the compound, it seems to have the most lights on anyway. He sneaks up the stairs of the wall surrounding it hiding in alcoves or pressing against the wall whenever someone comes by. Zhao's unmistakably vile voice screams down the walls. It sounds like a speech of some sorts. After twelve more steps he reaches the origin of the voice. There's no other way except past Zhao and his entourage. Zuko sweats behind his mask. If he's caught - no he can't think like that. All of the men are looking out as the Commander now Admiral Zhao shouts about fire being the superior element. He crawls past, thankful that no one chose that moment to turn around. An open walkway is the next challenge. The walls are only a scarce three feet tall and Zuko can't crawl the entire way it would take to long. Crouching is the best option but he's more likely to be seen. It's too late to turn around, he's already invested. The Avatar is the key to his honor, the key to everything.
Katara's words echo in his mind 'you have your own honor' but that can't be true. What he's doing right now isn't honorable but that doesn't stop it from being the right thing, the only thing he can do. He sprints across the walkway in a crouch, no horns or alarms start blaring. Now he's close to the structure. He drops down over the wall on a rope and quickly finds a sewer. The mask blocks some of the stench but unfortunately not all. Human waste sloshes between his feet. There's a gate up ahead. It's not very effective since Zuko slips through the bars easily and begins the journey through the sewers. He comes up in a toilet stall, the hole in the ground large enough for him to crawl through. It's easy to figure out where Aang is, he just has to follow the sound of voices. Getting past them could prove much more difficult. At that moment croaking starts. To both his and the guards' dismay half frozen frogs crawl out from under a large door - no one else except the Avatar would have half frozen frogs with him, that must be the room he's in. A guard down the hall didn't hear the croaking and didn't turn to look so he doesn't see the Blue Spirit approach and put a soaked rag over his nose. After a moment of struggling the man goes limp.
Zuko takes the helmet and tosses it past the turn in the hallway. Yes, the four guards take the bait! One comes to investigate but in downed by a swift kick as the man tries creates a small plume of fire. The next two are felled by Zuko dropping from the ceiling between them, using his Dao swords to knock them off balance and quick strikes to their heads with the hilts to render them unconscious. The last man will be harder. He'll be on his guard and so won't go down as easily. Zuko walks around the corner just in time to see the last man reach for an alarm horn. The horn never makes it to his lips, a knife splitting it in half.
Fire bursts from the guard which Zuko dodges. No one can know he's a fire bender. As far as these people are concerned the Blue Spirit only uses his swords. He grabs the soldier's forearm and throws him over his shoulder, knocking the air solidly out of him. Fire benders don't go down that easily. The guard raises up, ready to spew fire but Zuko is already on his back and slams the man's head into the wall, knocking him out.
Keys hang on a peg beside the door. They slide easily into the lock and it clicks open. Zuko's heart drops and bile threatens to escape his mouth. All he can see is Katara, her body strung up and bleeding. He shakes his head, it's not her. He's here for the Avatar. That doesn't stop the rage from putting more force into his swipes than necessary. The chains clatter to the ground and the Avatar's red rimmed eyes stare at him in awe. "Who are you? What's going on? Are you here to rescue me?" Zuko says nothing but cuts the manacles from off the boy's wrists and ankles. "You want me to come with you?" Agni this kid is dense! He just opens the door and walks out, hoping the Avatar will get the right idea.
They walk past the unconscious guards, Zuko fully intent on heading back to the sewers until Aang starts talking. "My frogs! Come back!" How Katara is capable of being around this buffoon is a mystery. The boy is chasing after the half frozen frogs when he should be trying to escape. Zuko grabs the back of his shirt and drags him along. "Wait! My friend needs to suck on those frogs!" Aang is ignored. They come to the toilet stall. "There's no way I'm jumping in that." The Blue Spirit mask makes Zuko's eyes hardly visible but Aang feels the frustration of the glare anyway. "I'm just saying -" Whatever he's saying gets cut off as Zuko shoves the boy into the sewers. "Eeeeeew!" Zuko keeps walking.
Eventually they make it back to the gate, the Avatar not saying anything else on the trip thankfully. Zuko slips through easily and so does Aang and they wait for the footsteps above them to fade away. Zuko pops his head up. The coast is clear. He guides Aang to the rope he used earlier and boosts the kid up. A deep horn blows, sending reverberations through them both. "Shit," Zuko mutters and Aang starts to climb quickly, the prince not far behind him.
"There, on the wall!" Someone shouts and Zuko starts swearing again. Someone else cuts the rope they're climbing up and they fall. The landing is cushioned by air bending and Zuko already has his swords at the ready when they begin sprinting.
"The Avatar has escaped! Close all the gates immediately!" Zhao roars.
Aang runs in front of the Blue Spirit. "Stay close to me!" Guards block their exit out of the closest gate but Aang bends a massive blast of air that knocks them all away and keeps running. Zuko isn't quite fast enough. Soldiers surround him, trying to jab at him with long spears. He dodges one, cuts the tip off of another one, dodges yet again. Aang makes it to the gate but stops since his liberator is so far behind. A guard attacks him. He bends the man through the closing gates and breaks the tip of the spear, using it as an impromptu staff. With a blow Aang pushes the soldiers away from Zuko and catapults him onto the wall. The spear he grabbed moments ago twirls in his hands, giving him lift. He flies over the wall and grabs the man who rescued him. Zuko clings to his leg, fighting off more spears. Aang can't get as much air as he needs to clear the next wall. They're dipping! They crash on top of the battlement sending Aang's spear spinning out of reach. More guards are coming up through a hatch. Aang darts towards the spear but it's knocked aside and he's forced to sidestep an angry soldier. Zuko grabs the man and flips him off the battlement, not hearing the crunch from the man landing. Ladders scale the battlement and men climb up quickly. Zuko slashes at them while Aang air bends people off the ladders. More crunches follow but neither Aang nor Zuko can hear them past the adrenaline. Aang grabs two ladders in a stroke of pure genius or utter stupidity hands one to the Blue Spirit and shouts, "Take this! Jump on my back!" They use the them as giant stilts and Zuko's stomach wobbles. Once this is all over he's sure to be sick. They shed one ladder and use the next for the next step. The final ladder brings them almost to the wall but a fire bender ignites the bottom. Zuko and Aang jump off. Almost, almost, almost, they fall instead of getting over the wall though Aang cushions the fall again with air bending. They're right beside the gate, so close to victory and escape! Fire benders surround them and blast. Aang jumps in front and deflects the flames.
"Hold your fire! The Avatar must be captured alive!" Zhao shouts and the fires immediately burn out. Zuko however hears this and reacts by placing the dao swords across Aang's neck. Zhao glares but has no choice. "Open the gate," he spits.
An older man beside him pipes up. "Admiral, what are you doing!"
"Let them out. Now." The gate creaks open and The Blue Spirit walks out with the Avatar still in his death hold. Zuko walks backwards making sure not to trip but still using Aang as yards. Fifty yards. A hundred yards. They're safe! Zuko breathes a sigh of relief when pain erupts on his forehead.
Aang's liberator lies flat on his back, the mask askew. Something's different than what the Avatar's expecting, there's discoloration on the guy's face. He creates a dust cloud and reaches for the mask.
Zuko! Rage erupts inside Aang and for one terrifying moment he wants to leave the man here. Zuko has caused so much trouble for him, he's hurt Katara, he's everything bad. Aang even goes as far as to begin to run away when the sick feeling in his stomach starts. Zuko saved him. Regardless of everything else, he can't purposely leave someone to be slaughtered. That's not the Air Nomad way. Aang sighs and heaves Zuko onto his back, running far away from the compound.
Aang makes camp far away from there and frets over what to do. Every fiber of his body says to hurt the man, kick him, punch him, do anything to hurt him but everything he's been taught, everything he tries to be goes against that. He leaves Zuko on the ground and goes off to find more frozen frogs, determined to confront the guy once he comes back.
. . .
Katara jolts awake, confused as to where she is. The sun is blinding this early in the morning and she wants nothing more than to hide her face in soft pillows but the pillows aren't there. She's become scarily adjusted to sleeping on that ship. Truth be told she was making friends with the men there, she trusts them even if they are Fire Nation and some part of her feels sick for it. She ignores that and chomps on more jerky, thanking Lian silently for throwing the salt water taffy in there which is quickly becoming her favorite thing to eat. Looking at the map again shows that she needs to continue following the coast awhile before having to get a boat at a northern Earth Kingdom town. She stuffs her scant provisions into the pitch lined bag and sets off using all the hours of bending practice to her advantage.
. . .
The weird annoying monk is sitting right beside him talking, probably not even aware that Zuko's now awake. "You know what the worst part about being born over a hundred years ago is? I miss all the friends I used to hang out with. Before the war started I used to always visit my friend Kuzon. The two of us, we used to get into so much trouble. He was one of the best friends I've ever had and he was from the Fire Nation." Aang laughs then his mood sours. "I guess Katara was right when she said everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. If you hadn't captured Katara we could have been friends back then."
Zuko looks at him balefully, wondering how stupid the kid is and how he's going to capture him without any rope. "Katara's safe."
Aang jumps. "You're awake!"
"Yes, and I might have captured Katara but she's gone now."
"I don't believe you!"
"I don't lie," His voice is monotone.
"That crazy guy who locked me up said you keep her in your room!" Aang's face twists into one of disgust.
Zuko growls and pounces on the child but Aang's ten feet in the air and blows Zuko back against a tree. "It's not like that!"
"He said you had her trained and that she tells you all my secrets. What have you done to her! Don't lie to me!"
"I'm not lying." Zuko fights against the gusts of wind and watches in fascination and horror as Aang's tattoos begin to glow. "Katara left yesterday!" he shouts, trying to be heard by the enraged child. "She left when I went to get you! I didn't hurt her!" His back is smashed against the tree and a knot is digging into his spine. Any awe has turned to fear, the wind is so strong Zuko can't even move. "I never touched her! I swear! I swear I didn't touch her!"
"Don't lie to me!" The Avatar's voice echoes around the clearing and shakes the trees.
"I'm not! I couldn't hurt her if I wanted too! She's safe. She's a powerful bender! Please, calm down!" The tree snaps and Zuko goes flying. The last thing he sees before blacking out is the Avatar hurtling off in rage.
. . .
Sorry Extended Experience, your smut just dove out the hatch.
SomethingIknow I'm posting this story as I write it so no you wouldn't have read it anywhere else. The first chapter and a half are on my tumblr but that's it. It might be because zutara capture fics are fairly common though I try to give it a different spin or because I've read a lot of fan fiction and maybe some of it seeped into my writing? If you figure it out let me know.
Thank you everyone for your continued support and encouragement!
2019 edit: I've definitely noticed my favorite swearword is the f-bomb. Tried to clean it up a bit, not sure how well that worked.