More food, more guarded conversation, and another bedroom. Zuko stared up at the ceiling long after the rooms around him fell silent. Instead, he could hear the fountain outside, gurgling like a beast's stomach. He needed to find a way out of here.

Of course, if he were in his own body, escape could have been possible. Bringing Sokka and Katara along would have been more difficult, but still in the realm of manageable. But no, this body had trained for courtly combat, not even the useful skills of a soldier.

This Zuko was barely functional and mostly decorative.

He didn't mind the face though.

With a gruff sigh, Zuko flung back the comforter on his futon and sat up. Rubbing his face, Zuko warmed his hands in an attempt to relax himself. He knew with full certainty that he was never going to get the full story. Everyone was hiding something, and too much of it involved him. There were too many things of which he was dangerously ignorant.

But he knew it involved his family and spirits. Which meant they still needed Aang.

For many reasons, Zuko had to get out.

Standing, he felt the liquid warmth of sleep roll down his limbs. Sick of being stuck in a box, Zuko moved to the back wall, quietly opening the sliding door. The garden was crammed behind a large stone wall, itself yards from the massive metal wall around the base. Zuko liked the stone wall made of gray concrete; anything was better than the rusted metal sheets. When the first Earth Kingdom colonies were established, the Fire Nation was the best equipped for ore refinery. They erected massive factories that churned out swaths of steel as if it were linen.

This wall was almost quaint.

"Not a great view, is it?" Katara asked from behind him. Zuko whirled, staring back at his darkened room, then upward. Katara laughed and waved as he relaxed, waving back.

"I didn't realize you guys were up there." He said.

"I don't think you realized we were here at all." She retorted. Zuko hung his head, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sorry." He said, addressing the grass.

"Has it been a long time since you've seen her?" Katara asked. She went on when he looked back up at her. "Your mother?"

"It's been a long time, for me." Zuko added and she nodded. He watched her sigh and lean on the railing, placing her head on her arms.

"I'm sorry, about yours." He said, his voice halting and skittish. Katara smiled at him before tilting her head to the side.

"Thank you." Her words were almost drowned under the sound of the fountain. Perhaps they were and Zuko only heard what he wanted to hear.

He stepped forward, his mouth open to speak, when Katara suddenly lurched upright and looked out over the garden.

"Someone's coming." She said. Zuko turned just as a row of hooks hit in unison along the top of the concrete wall.

Not Earthbenders then.

"Go." Zuko said, drawing twin blades of fire from his palms. "I'll-"

He stopped as the water from the fountain surged toward him. Looking back just as it froze, he saw Katara jump onto the ramp she created.

Distracted, Zuko missed when the figures breached the wall.

Seven people dressed in dark clothes rushed them. Zuko swung out at them- silent to conserve his breath for his fighting. The figures leapt back, fanning around him and cutting him off from Katara.

Her bending was forceful, but lacked any real skill, so she could only manage to keep the assailants from getting to her.

"They're trying to get into the house." Katara said. Zuko turned and saw one figure break away, indeed heading toward his open room.

"Enough!" Zuko spun, sweeping arcs of bright red fire along the ground, freeing him from the corral.

Katara made a grunt of exertion as she took water from the fountain and whipped it at the figure heading inside. Zuko rushed to her, guarding her back while she fumbled, trying to drag the person away from the door.

Light came from inside.

"We have to go." One figure said. A woman.

"Take the prince and the girl." She said.

"Wait." Katara started just as a figure slipped something out of their pocket and slammed it into the side of her head.

"NO." Zuko surged forward, but felt the same impact Katara did.

And everything went dark.