The Phoenix Takes Flight
During the night, Aang and the gang sleeps, but Xiong hears something and wakes up. He heads over to the door and peeks outside. He sees rustling in the woods and is surprised. He rushes over and wraps up several days worth of food in bundles of cloth. He rushes over to the gang and wakes them up one by one. Aang, Katara, and Sokka yawn and stretch. "We going to begin our training now Xiong?" Aang says sleepily with his left eye still closed. "We won't be able to train together. The fire nation has discovered this shack and are on their way here to take me and you all. They'll be here in 10 minutes. I'm giving you all the food I bought, it should help keep your strength up." Xiong say each of them two clothes filled with food. "What about you Xiong?" Katara says concerned. "I'll be fine, they'll take me to their highest security prison, but I won't go without a fight, besides, I need to hold them back from following you." Xiong says determined. "Will we ever see you again?" Aang says depressed at the thought of leaving one if not his only chance of learning firebending from a friendly firebender.
"We'll meet again Aang. Behind this shack a couple hundred yards into the forest lies Jiang Jong, another person who left the fire nation. His methods are stricter than mine. It was nice meeting you all." Xiong says as he heads out of the shack. Aang, Katara, and Sokka take the food packages and run behind the shack. Katara "It was nice meeting you Xiong." Katara calls out to Xiong as the wind blows, moving their hair, giving her a feeling that something bad's going to happen. Katara turns back around and resumes running with Aang and Sokka. Xiong turns to face the direction the three of them are running in, but he turns his attention back to the forest as one dozen firebenders emerge from the forest all in battle pose. "Where's the avatar fallen phoenix?" One firebender says. "I am the young phoenix, not the fallen phoenix. Also, the avatar was never hear. It was just me." Xiong says displeased with the title. "Doesn't matter, you are under arrest." Another firebender says. "Try and take me in. I'll show you why I am the second best firebender of the new generation." Xiong says as he gets into battle pose.
The firebenders are shoot fire at Xiong. Xiong jumps into the air and shoots a ring of fire in the air. Three of the fire benders get hit and knocked into trees, falling to the ground unconscious. The remaining nine shoot several fireballs at Xiong after he lands. Xiong sends out a wave of flame that destroys all the fireballs and still heads toward the firebenders. Two firebenders roll and hit each other, knocking each other out. The remaining seven use various moves toward Xiong. Xiong blocks several of the attacks, but gets knocked back by a fireball. Xiong sends several fire waves then jumps in the air shooting fireballs at all seven of the firebenders. Five of the firebenders are knocked out by the moves while the remaining two avoid the strikes. The remaining two have a showdown with Xiong. Xiong quickly fires several fireballs followed by a pair of waves at the pair. One of the remaining two gets knocked out by a fireball, the other one gets knocked out by a wave after avoiding the fireballs. Xiong looks around and sees a messenger hawk flying over the area.
Xiong holds his arm out and the hawk lands on his arm. Xiong gives the hawk some food while he pulls out the message and reads it. "Soldiers, when you have captured the phoenix, meet me back at the shore where we are docked at. Signed Admiral Zhao." Xiong says reading the paper out loud. "Aye aye sir. He put up a fierce fight, but we managed to subdue him, we'll be moving to the shore asap so we can continue on with our next objective." Xiong says making a rather elegant x that can stick out anywhere. Xiong puts the message into the container on the messenger hawk's back and has it fly back to Zhao. Xiong instantly recognizes the spot that Zhao is talking about and walks toward it.
Xiong takes several breaks and roughly three fourths of the way to the shore, he takes a break and rests for the night. The next morning, Xiong wakes up and keeps walking through the forest. As he gets closer to the shore he begins to hear voices. "You thought you had me by making me destroy my own boats, but I have you now avatar." A voice that Xiong instantly recognizes as Zhao's. "This isn't good." Aang says beyond the trees. Xiong climbs up a tree right on the borderline of the shoreline and the forest. He then runs up and jumps out of the tree. While in midair, Xiong knocks out the firebenders behind Aang. "Who did that?" Zhao says angrily. "I did that." Xiong says as he lands in front of Aang. "Xiong, what are you doing here?" Aang says surprised by Xiong's appearance. "Coming to where he said he would be coming." Zhao says as he takes out the paper. "How did you know that was me?" Xiong says surprised by the fact he's been discovered. "You are the only one that I know who makes your x like that. Anyways, the fire lord will be pleased that I captured the traitor and the avatar." Zhao says pleased with the turn of events. "No, you won't have the avatar. Aang run." Xiong says defiantly. "What about you?" Aang says concerned.
"The world needs the avatar." Xiong says. "The world needs firebenders like you." Aang replies upset. "End this conquest and they'll be more of us. Now go." Xiong says still facing Zhao. Aang runs away from Zhao into the forest. "You're not going anywhere avatar. Soldiers attack." Zhao says before giving an order to the soldiers. The soldiers get ready to attack, but Xiong stops them by shooting fireballs at all of them. Once Aang is out of his sight, Xiong surrenders himself. "You are going to the boiling rock." Zhao says proud with this victory, but upset about losing the avatar. "Tell me something I don't know." Xiong says undeterred by meeting Zhao. "You are never getting off of the boiling rock." Zhao says angrily but stills victorious. "I know that already, can someone just take me there, talking with Zhao is bad enough as it is." Xiong says grinning. Zhao scowls. "We'll see how funny you think you are when you get to the boiling rock. Get a boat repaired, and take him away when ready to depart." Zhao says angrily. "Aye aye sir." The soldiers say as Zhao keeps Xiong from attacking him or trying to escape.