Book II: Earth
Chapter III: The Freedom Fighters
Part IV: Battle of Fire Outpost
Near Fire Outpost V
Tizen was on his break enjoying a good fire cracker. The young Fire Nation soldier was on his first tour of duty. An honorable patriot to the end. He had earned high marks and scores in the Fire Academy. He always kept his uniform in tip top shape and his boots in prime condition. He looked around with a satisfied grin on his face. He looked around his surroundings.
"Everything is as it should be. The captain will be pleased."
Somewhere in the bushes overlooking Fire Outpost
Kuzon, his group, and the Freedom Fighters were hiding in the bushes overlooking the Fire Outpost. The firebending Avatar then turned to Jet.
"So what's the plan Jet? Are we planning on just enjoying the scenery?"
Jet turned to the Avatar with a sly grin.
"Of course not. Here's the plan."
He then pointed to one position on the map they had set up on a tree stump.
"We are going to hit them under the cover of stealth."
He then turned to Kuzon and Katara.
"You two..can you both create us a steam cover using firebending and waterbending."
Kuzon and Katara then both glanced at one another and nodded.
Kuzon then shrugged.
"Sure. Would you do the honors sweetie?" Katara then turned back to him with a knowing smirk. "It would be my pleasure sweetie." She then raised her arms in front of her and took in a deep breath. Once the waterbender had sensed the water through her senses, she then began moving them from side to side and then raised them up. A huge wave of water rushed up into the air, covering the whole base. She then turned back to her boyfriend with a knowing smirk on her face. There was a cheery tone in her voice.
" Oh Kuzu! It's your turn sweetie!"
Kuzon gave her a nod. He then took a deep breath in and released a massive amount of flame through his fingertips.
It connected with the wave of water and enveloped the entire camp in steam.
Jet drew out his twin hook swords.
"Freedom Fighters! To arms! Kill everyone of those ashmakers that you see!"
The army of rebels roared in agreement and raised their weapons in unison. They then rushed down the hill.
Katara turned towards her boyfriend worriedly and took his hand in hers.
"Sweetie…I really don't like this. I've got nothing against killing these Fire Nation troops but I don't trust Jet's motives. Are you sure he can be trusted? I don't want you getting hurt again."
Kuzon then put his hands on her shoulders.
"Katara listen to me. Our…alliance…with the Freedom Fighters…is on a trial basis. Sokka and I are feeling him out."
Sokka then came around and put a hand on his sister's shoulder.
"Yeah. Jet knows better than to try to double cross us. He knows how valuable Kuzon is to the world. We have a common enemy,"
Katara glanced at both of them and nodded.
"As I told you both before…I will follow your lead."
She then flipped up her blue hood and pulled the dark blue scarf over her mouth. Kuzon and the others followed her lead. Katara took Kuzon's hand and led him into the battle. Her tone was deadly serious.
"Stick with me sweetie. I'm not losing you."
Lhasang let out a chuckle.
"She's so fiercely possessive of him. I wonder why." Aang put an arm around her. "I'm not sure either." Sokka then drew his sword. "In our culture…we men and women of the Water Tribe are often very possessive and passionate with our partners. It goes back to our belief that the Tribe itself is one huge ohuna. Ohuna means family in Southern Aleutian. We dedicate our lives to the protection of the ohuna."
He then smirked.
"When Kuzon agreed to date my sister…he became a part of that Tribe."
Lhasang just nodded.
"I..see." The Water Tribe warrior and the two Nomads then jumped into the fight.``
During the Battle of Outpost Five
Katara and Kuzon's POV
The Avatar and his firebending master were fighting as one well oiled team. They were each managing to hold their own. Katara then water whipped three firebenders. They crashed hard to the ground. Three more rushed up to meet her in battle. She then drew another tendril of water and formed ice spikes with it.
"I don't think so."
She then aimed the spikes precisely at the weak points in their armor. One of them loudly gasped in pain as two of the spikes hit him in his jugular. He gasped and collapsed to the ground dead. The others met a similar fate. Katara then let out a deep breath in order to calm herself.
Whew. That was a bit of a close one.
Three more firebenders jumped in front of her ready to attack.
The leader then growled.
"Die snow peasant!"
They then decided to attack her all at once.
Katara just glanced at them with a focused look in her eyes. She then brought up a water wall which protected her from the onslaught of flame. With a few hand motions, she then released row after row of ice spikes at the three men.
The men all screamed in pain as the spikes managed to hit the weak points in their armor.
Katara then ran from under her cover and kicked one in the head, snapping his neck. The other one attempted to attack her trying to save his friend. She then ducked under his flame burst and popped out her right wristblade and jabbed one into his armpit. She then used her left one to get him between the ribs and then precisely sliced at his throat with her right one. He then fell to the ground. He brought a hand to his throat and started gasping for air. The last one glared at her with hate in his eyes.
"Damn snow peasant! Die!"
He drew his blade and rushed at her with killing intent in his eyes.
Katara nimbly dodged his first strike and then his second strike. She then kicked the man hard in his right shin.
The man howled in pain and fell to one knee. Katara then kneeled him hard in the face causing him to fall hard on his back.
"Gah! Damn it! That hurt!"
Katara then looked him in the eyes with the coldest look she could muster.
"Tell me. Do you regret killing so many innocents?"
The man glared at her.
"Innocents? Hah. These damned dirt mongers committed the grave crime of refusing the Fire Lord's hospitality. They deserve what is coming to them."
He then spat at her.
"So will the Avatar. He turned against us. All of us. I heard of how the great Prince offered him the chance to redeem his family's honor. All he had to do was destroy your village. He could have become the greatest warrior in the history of the Fire Nation! Instead he decided to have sympathy for you damned snow peasants! He will pay for his betrayal! You can count on that!" Katara just nodded and then held the man's face in his hands.
He glanced at her confused.
"What are you doing?"
He then felt the frost and the cold enter his body. He was shaking and shivering. It was unlike any cold he had experienced before. He felt as if his insides were freezing solid.
"W-What are you doing?"
Katara spoke in a rather cold tone.
"Freezing you from the inside. Feels cold doesn't it?"
The man tried to desperately fight out of her grasp but Katara had an iron grip.
"No. You don't get to escape. You ashmakers are a threat to the one I love. A threat to my friends. A threat to my family. Kuzon may be honor-bound to spare the lives of his enemies but I'm not. I lost my mother to you ashmakers. That is never happening again."
The man's eyes rolled to the back of his skull as the cold killed him from the inside. His arms limply fell to their sides and he let out a final gasp.
Katara then got off of him.
"Tell the Fire Lord the Ice Queen is coming for him." She then heard Kuzon yelp in pain. She then saw that he was outnumbered eight to one. She saw that Kuzon had managed to take out two groups of four before he got overwhelmed.
One of the attacking firebenders had managed to hit the burn on his arm. He howled in pain and fell on both knees gasping for breath.
Damn it. He got me good.
The lead one then laughed and stepped out in front of the others. He then turned back to them.
"Well well The great Flame of Redemption on his knees. Not so high and mighty now huh traitor?"
Kuzon then turned up to glare at him.
"You know me and my reputation. I'll fight with one foot if I have to."
He then drew his sword and rushed at them. He slashed into one causing him to fall dead and slashed into the arm of another causing him to collapse to the ground. The pain from his unhealed burn proved to be too much and he collapsed down to one knee gasping in pain. The lead one nodded and stepped forward in front of the others.
"Admirable display Avatar. I must say you fight with grit and bravery. As expected of a Fire National."
The man then tilted his head at the Avatar with an amused smile on his face.
"Answer a question for me young traitor. Why fight so hard for these dirt mongers? You have no stake…no loyalty to them. The world hates you. The people of the Earth Kingdom hate you. You may fight on their side but do you believe that any of them…the snow peasants…the dirt mongers, or the damn monks are going to see you as anything more than just another ashmaker."
He then narrowed his eyes at Kuzon.
"Your eyes mark you as Fire Nation. Your affinity with firebending marks you as one of us. If you manage to beat the Fire Lord...the world will turn on you. They will lock you away out of fear. They will look upon you with hate and scorn. You must know this."
Kuzon grit his teeth. The pain searing through the burn on his left arm was extremely intense.
"I don't care. I'm fulfilling my destiny. Even if the world hates me for what I am…I will still fight to protect it. That...is my Avatar duty. I would rather die than give up."
Siezen just gave the young Avatar a sad nod.
"I see now your dedication to your treachery will forever blind you to the truth. You poor boy."
Kuzon howled in pain and collapsed to one knee. He found the pain to be so great that he could barely move.
Siezen then brought out his Fire knives.
"I'll try to make your end painless boy. That is the least I can do for a fellow Fire National."
Katara then jumped in front of Kuzon with a deadly serious look in her eyes.
"Get away from him!"
Kuzon hissed at her.
"Katara! We need to get out of here! There are too many of them…even for both of us!"
Katara sighed and turned her head back at him.
"Kuzon…sweetie…you know we can't do that. We are surrounded."
She then kneeled in front of him and took his hands into hers, gently kissing them.
"It will be alright. I promise. I will protect you with my last breath. Trust in me as I trust in you. I'll get us out of this."
She then turned to the attacking firebenders and got into attack mode. Siezen glared at her.
"For a snow peasant…you are quite the brave one girl. Tell me...why would someone like you defend one of our own. I'm rather curious. Does he not share lineage with us? Why would you fight alongside a firebender? "
Katara stared at him with coldness in her eyes.
"Because this firebender is the one that I love. He saved my people from your Fire Lord's tyrannical wrath and gave me a reason to hope. He has sacrificed everything to make sure that I have a homeland to go to when this war is over. I would do anything to keep him safe."
She then bended the water and formed it in front of her.
No fear. I will protect Kuzu with my life if that is what it takes. He saved my life at back at Agna Qel'a. It's my turn to return the favor.
Siezen then just shrugged at her.
"Then I shall grant you two your deaths together."
The next thing he knew…an arrow struck him in the right eye. He fell to the ground dead.
The others suddenly got fearful looks on their faces.
"What? What? What is..going.."
Jet and Smellerbee then rushed to save the bending couple.
Jet hit one of them with the handle of his hook sword. The man was rendered unconscious by the blow. Smellerbee then managed to dodge his firebending attacks and stabbed him in places where he wasn't armored. He stumbled back coughing up blood. He then felt himself get light headed and lost his balance falling on the back of his head. He was now gasping for breath as blood filled his lungs.
Smellerbee then mounted the dying man and then glared at him.
"Ashmaker scum!"
The man then gasped for air one last time.
"Dirt monger filth. We will rule this entire countryside one day. Your friends…your family..will all…"
Smellerbee cut his speech short by slicing his throat.
"You ashmakers talk too much."
The two remaining, knowing they were outnumbered now, tried to make a run for it.
Jet, seeing this, just bird whistled.
Longshot then took aim with his bow and managed to nail both of them in the back of the knees. They howled in pain and collapsed to the floor. As they tried to stand themselves back up, The both of them came face to face with Pipsqueak.
The large burly man picked both of them up by the throat and snapped their necks.
Jet and Smellerbee then turned to Kuzon and Katara.
Smellerbee then called out to them.
"Hey you two alright?"
Kuzon then howled in pain clutching his arm.
"The pain!"
Katara quickly rushed over to him and helped him up to his feet by putting his arm around her shoulder.
"It's alright sweetie. I've got you now. Lean on me."
She then turned to Smellerbee.
"We're..fine. Thanks for the save."
Smellerbee smirked at the waterbender.
"My pleasure! I have to admit you and the Avatar are quite the team! I'm impressed!"
Aang and Lhasang's POV
The airbender couple were having a much easier time fighting through the groups of firebenders. This was because they were natural airbenders. Air beat fire so the firebenders facing them were at a severe disadvantage. They were like a well-coordinated team.
Aang brought up one firebender in the air.
Lhasang jumped off his shoulders and forced him down hard with a gust of wind. The two then took a deep breath and glanced at one another.
Another large group rushed at them.
Aang and Lhasang gave each other a nod.
They then each formed mini-hurricanes under the large groups of men. This caught them off guard and they were lifted several feet in the air.
Aang then took Lhasang's hand.
"Come on sweet wind! We have to find the others!"
Lhasang gave him a nod.
"Lead the way!"
It wasn't long until the two were stopped by what looked like two firebenders. These were different from most of those they had faced before. These two men were encased in heavy metallic armor and wielded double-bladed swords. They also wore heavy blackened helmets.
Aang grit his teeth.
"I don't think that these guys are going to be affected by our bending. They are too heavily armored."
Lhasang then squeezed his hand.
"What do we do then?"
Aang sighed and shook his head.
"We have to run."
Sokka's POV
Sokka noticed that Aang and Lhasang were in danger. He had been watching from afar. He pulled out his trusty boomerang and carefully aimed it for the firebender's helmets.
"Come on boomerang!" Don't fail me now!"
He then threw it as hard as he could. The boomerang then hit both of the warriors in the helmet rendering them both unconscious.
They then collapsed to the ground.
Aang and Lhasang's POV
Aang and Lhasang watched as the men collapsed to the ground.
Aang then looked around in shock.
"What? Who?"
The two heard Sokka's voice.
"Yo airheads! Up here!"
The two then looked up at a tower and saw Sokka waving and grinning at them.
Aang beamed.
"Sokka!"
The warrior then jumped down and walked over to them.
"I thought you two needed a little assistance!"
Lhasang smiled at him.
"We appreciate the help Sokka! Truly!"
Katara then ran up to them.
"Sokka! Lhasang! Aang! I've got bad news!"
Sokka eyed his sister worriedly.
"What's wrong sis?"
Katara sighed.
"One of the firebenders managed to land a hit on Kuzon's unhealed burn! He's hurt bad! We're retreating to the Freedom Fighters' Compound!"
Sokka then took a look around.
"Well we came to disrupt the Fire Nation's operations in this area..and we have succeeded. Pulling out is probably a good idea! Let's go!"
The three of them then followed Katara to the Freedom Fighters' Compound.
Freedom Fighters' Compound
A day later
Kuzon blinked as he woke up. He again found himself in the same bed clothed in his clothes.. His burned arm was wrapped up in bandages.
Jet's voice filled the room.
"Well well if it isn't the hero of the hour."
The firebender stiffened when he saw Jet watching over him. The Earth Kingdom rebel just smirked at the Avatar.
"Easy there kid. I'm not going to hurt you. No need to get defensive."
He then sat down on a seat beside Kuzon.
"I have to admit it. I was wrong to be suspicious about you Kuzon. I admit I had heard rumors about the infamous Flame of Redemption. The firebending Avatar who was leading the fight against his own countrymen. I thought you were just a rumor."
Kuzon just blankly stared at him and crossed his arms.
"And what do you think now?"
Jet just half grinned at the firebending Avatar. The piece of straw in his mouth jumbled around as he talked.
"I think that you and I have more in common than I realized. The way I see it…you have proven yourself to be an ally to the cause of the Freedom Fighters. You can rest easy here."
Kuzon then raised an eyebrow at him.
"Do the others feel the same way?"
Jet nodded with a smile.
"That they do. Mei was especially impressed.
Jet then leaned in to whisper.
"She likes you, you know. Maybe you should consider it."
Kuzon glared at him, scoffing.
"You obviously don't know Katara. She would kill me if I flirted with another girl."
Jet chuckled.
"That's if she finds out. I won't tell. Bro code y'know."
Kuzon shook his head.
"Anyone who is stupid enough to cheat on a Water Tribe girl must have a death wish. I know how Katara is. She can kill a man with a well aimed ice spike to the temple. She once jumped in front of me and held off four master waterbenders by herself. I would have to be out of my mind to betray her trust."
Jet reasoned.
"You have your Avatar powers."
Kuzon scoffed and grinned at him bitterly.
"Hah. You really think that would be enough to fend her off? I'd be lucky to escape with my legs intact. Hell hath no fury than a girl that can freeze your insides. Not to mention I'd bring the wrath of the entire Southern Water Tribe on my shoulders. She would probably leave me out in the snowstorm to freeze to death and her brother…would probably hack my limbs off one by one. Such a death would be dishonorable."
The firebender then shuddered.
The mental image of having Sokka chop his limbs off piece by piece frightened him. Jet just walked off with a shrug laughing.
"Okay. I get your meaning. I won't mention her again. I'm just saying you have options."
He then shook his head.
"Man. You Fire Nation types really are all about honor huh?"
Kuzon nodded bitterly.
"Duly noted and yes."
He was already getting annoyed by the rebel leader.
"Is there anything else we need to discuss?"
Jet shook his head.
"Well I was curious to see if you wanted to spar sometime? I have a couple of tricks I can teach if you are interested."
Kuzon shrugged.
"Sure. The more skills..the better." Jet then half-grinned. "Good to hear. That will be all then. I'll let you know when we plan to hit another outpost."
The two boys then noticed a group of young girls had been gathering outside the treehouse. They were staring at Jet with wonder in their eyes. One of them peeked her head in. She was a pretty brunette about Kuzon's height and jade green eyes.
"There you are Jet! What is taking you so long?"
Kuzon raised an eyebrow at the warrior.
"Your girlfriend I presume?"
Jet turned back to him and smirked. He then placed his left shoulder.
"One of many."
He then turned to Li.
"I'll be there in one moment Li."
Li just blushed and nodded.
Suddenly Katara's voice cleared the air.
"Everyone has exactly one minute to get out of my way before I freeze you alive!"
All of the girls then cleared a path for the master waterbender.
Katara gave all of them dirty looks.
She then noticed Jet and Kuzon.
"Jet! What are you doing here?"
Jet just smirked at her.
"Easy Katara. I just wanted to extend my thanks to the Avatar here and see how he was holding up. I figured it was an honorable thing to do."
Katara just crossed her arms at him and nodded.
"Glad to see you care about him. I'll take it from here."
The tone of the girl's voice made it clear that she wanted Jet to leave.
Jet let out a chuckle. He then turned to Kuzon with a sly smirk.
"I got to say Kuzon. You have interesting taste in girls. She sounds like such a buzzkill. What do you see in her? Tying yourself to one girl? Not exactly a smart decision."
Kuzon just shrugged at him, annoyed.
"At least I have the decency to pick only one girl in my life. Tell me something Jet. Just how long do you think you can keep your little fan club? Allow me to bestow a bit of Fire National wisdom on you. The flames of wrath hold no contest to a woman scorned."
Jet just chuckled and dismissively waved the other boy off.
"Save the Fire Nation wisdom for someone who believes in it."
The swordsman then turned back to grin at Kuzon.
"I'm just saying though. Consider the option we talked about. You're the Avatar. Nobody ever said that you weren't allowed to enjoy the fame."
He then walked off and put his arm around Li.
"Let's go Li. I think the lovebirds need some time alone."
The girl just cuddled him in response, smiling.
"Of course my love."
The two then left the room with the group of girls following them.
Soon, Katara and Kuzon were again alone in the room.
Katara then walked over to the bed and sat down on the side of it. She then took Kuzon's hand into hers. She muttered.
"Chauvinistic pig. I despise guys like him with a passion."
Kuzon just nodded.
"As do I."
Katara then eyed her boyfriend curiously.
"I have to know. What exactly did you and Jet talk about?"
Kuzon hesitated a bit before answering. He supposed she deserved to hear the truth. She would probably be able to guess if he were lying anyway.
"He thanked me for my efforts in destroying the fort."
Katara just nodded along.
"So he just came to say thank you then?"
Kuzon shook his head.
"Not exactly. He also told me that Mei liked me. He..encouraged me to go for her."
Katara felt herself get angry. Her temper flared up.
Hm. Typical. I expected that from him. Judging from all those girls…he doesn't seem like the type to commit.
"What did you tell him?"
Kuzon sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"I told him that he was insane. I told him there was no way in Agni that you would ever allow me to just mess around. I told him that I'd have to have some sort of death wish to sneak around behind your back. I know you and your culture. Your people don't treat philanderers with kindness. Those sort…often end up dead."
He then stared down at his hands.
"I've already cheated death once in my life. I really don't want to try that again. Dying in a frozen blizzard would be…dishonorable."
Katara kissed him on the cheek and giggled.
"Smart choice sweetie. That is a very smart choice."
The two then smiled at each other.
Katara let out a deep sigh and pulled him in for a kiss.
It lasted for a few moments before both of them pulled away from one another.
Katara smiled warmly at him and spoke in a flirty tone.
"I've been wanting to do that for hours."
Kuzon nodded with a blush on his face.
"Me too."
He then let out a sigh.
"Can I ask you something?"
Katara just let out a giggle, rolling her eyes.
"Kuzon..you don't ever need my permission to ask me anything. You are my boyfriend. My best friend. Just say what's on your mind."
Kuzon nodded.
"Right. Sorry. Old habits."
He then took a deep breath.
"I keep thinking of what that man told me back during the battle for the fort. He kept telling me that no matter what I do to undo the effects of this war…I will always be viewed by the other nations as just another ashmaker. Just another colonizer. I..really don't want that. I want to redeem my people. I'm…aware of the suffering Fire Nationals have caused to this world. I want to have hope that we can all live in peace one day." That's what I fight for. I fight for peace."
He then shook his head with a frustrated sigh.
"I don't know though. I.."
The boy was stopped in his moping when she kissed him on the cheek. She then picked up his head with a hand. She smiled sadly at him.
"We really need to talk about your guilt complex sweetie. It isn't healthy for you to put yourself down so much."
She then took his hands in hers.
"Kuzon.. You are my first and only love. I love you. My father respects you. Sokka respects you. Everyone in the Tribe respects you. You saved our lives. If it hadn't been for you…we wouldn't have known about the Fire Nation's plan to invade the Northern Tribe. Thousands of our people would have died if not for you."
She then smiled at him as she held his face in her hands.
"Repeat after me. I am not an monster."
Kuzon sighed and took a deep breath.
"I..am not an monster."
Katara then pulled him into a hug smiling.
"You are a natural empath sweetie. There is nothing wrong with that. That quality is what seperates you from people like Zuko or Azula. The three of you share a homeland but that is it. They don't have your conviction. They don't have your compassion. You are not them."
She then pulled away with a serious look in her eyes.
"You are doing everything you can. Nobody has the right to call you a monster. If they do…I promise you that I will personally take care of them. You are part of my ohuna. You are my kaori."
Kuzon blinked at her confused.
"What does kaori mean
Katara smiled at him.
"Kaori is the Southern Aleutian word for love."
Kuzon nodded blushing.
"Oh."
Katara giggled when she saw his flabbergasted expression. She then looked at him with pouty eyes.
"Now can you promise me that you will stop blaming yourself for everything your people have done? I don't like it when you talk yourself down. It breaks my heart to see you like this."
Kuzon took in a deep breath.
This is going to be hard for me. I'm naturally hardwired to blame myself. I suppose it is part of my heritage. I have to try though. For Katara at least. I don't like seeing her upset and I know it bothers her when I start downplaying myself.
"Alright…I promise."
Katara felt the weight lift itself off her chest. She then hugged him. Warm tears rolled down her eyes.
"Thank you. I know this isn't easy for you. I appreciate you trying."
Kuzon sighed trying to take in a deep breath.
"Of course."
She then placed her hand along his bandaged arm and back.
"Now stand up. I need to check your injuries."
Kuzon did as she asked.
Katara then began unwrapping the bandages around his back and his left arm burn. She immediately felt a sense of relief when she saw that the enormous wound on his back had actually scarred over. It was just all made of scar tissue. She felt her face heat up a bit and felt her jaw drop. The scars looked oddly attractive on him.
"Umm…would it be okay of me to say I found your scars attractive?"
Kuzon turned to her flabbergasted.
"Y-You find my scars attractive? Why?"
Katara giggled.
"Well..they show how brave you are. You took up all this fighting from the beginning and have never given up even when the world was against you. Your determination is one of your most admirable qualities."
Kuzon took in a deep breath smiling to himself.
"Well…I suppose I don't mind it. It's just part of who I am."
Katara then hugged from behind smiling.
"Well…good. I'd hate to make you uncomfortable."
She then grabbed his hand and squeezed it.
"Good news by the way. The scar on your back has finally healed."
Kuzon gave her a nod.
"And what about my arm?"
Katara glanced over at the firebender's left arm and ran her hand gently across it afraid too much pressure would cause him too much pain. She frowned.
"It isn't fully healed. I'll heal it up and wrap it. I reccomend not firebending with it for a while."
Kuzon just nodded.
"Not a problem. I need to brush up on my waterbending anyway."
Katara then smirked at him.
"Are you saying that just to placate me or are you serious?"
Kuzon turned back to her.
"I'm serious."
The waterbender smirked at her boyfriend and kissed him on the right cheek.
"Okay then. I'm going to hold you to those words."
Read and review!