Zuko replied "Yes" to the Freedom Fighter's Question with little thought to his uncle. The Freedom Fighter smiled then his eyes darting up to meet the dark holes of Zuko's Mask.
"Wait," Zuko said suddenly, doubt pulsing through him. "I don't know if I can do this." Jet's smile quickly faded and his features became more stiff. Unsure of how to react to this masked mans strange change of emotion he simply asked,
"Why?" With a thousand thoughts rushing through his head, Zuko tried to filter out his thoughts. Unable and unwilling to share the fact that he had an uncle that he was close to Zuko replied
"I'd be leaving someone behind." Jet smirked at this comment. They all had someone or something behind.
"Look, we all have to make sacrifices. We're in the middle of a war. We can't afford to hold on to things, or people for that matter, that we'll inevitably lose." Jet replied smug as ever.
"Sacrifices." Zuko whispered, weighing out the importance of his Uncle, with the idea of going with this high strung and strangely convincing boy. Going with Jet sounded exciting more exciting than being stuck in this wretched city for the rest of his days. Still, he would need more convincing. Things were good with his uncle right now.
"It's up to you. Come with us and save the world, or stay. The decision has to be made now though, we tend to keep moving, and we've already been here too long." Jet answered annoyed. He wouldn't allow this masked man to toy with his head any longer. It was now or never. Him or not.
Feeling that he was now only irritating Jet, Zuko decided to go with the option that presented the most happiness at this time in his life.
"Okay, I'll go with you." Jet's smile once again returned, extending his hand meeting the flesh on Zuko's skin.
"I know you've got this whole mysterious thing going. But you're gonna have gonna have to tell me your name." This cut Zuko off guard, as much as it had the first time he was asked. He had made up a name on the spot once before, but having already meeting Jet as Lee the name was now unavailable.
"My - my name..." Zuko stuttered, his air of mysteriousness now faltering. "Uh Quon." Jet raised his eyebrows.
"Pretty common name if you ask me. Why didn't you just say so the first time? It's not like I'd magically your back story if you told me." Jet asked skeptical of the identity of his masked companion.
"You can't be too careful." Was Zuko's simple reply. Jet shrugged.
"Come on, let's go find trouble." He smirked, making Zuko's stomach flip in a way it only had with Mai. However trouble had come to find them. They had barely begun walking when one of Jet's friends, who Zuko vaguely remembered came running. She seemed to know just where they were which made Zuko wonder if they had been watched during their conversation.
"Jet!" Smellerbee exclaimed through a whisper. "Katara's in trouble!" Jet suddenly became alert, he had already failed her more than once. He felt an overwhelming sense of protection come over him as he started running after Smellerbee.
"What kind of trouble?" He asked urgently, glancing back to make sure Quon was still behind him. Smellerbee only panted out one sentence as she panted forward.
"The Dai Li Jet." Zuko only catching phrases rushed after the Freedom Fighters, part of him couldn't even believe he was now a true traitor bound to find against the Fire Nation. In this fight in particular, he had to be careful not to Firebend, at any cost.
The three slowed to a stop as they entered the town square. Zuko looked at the many streets branching off in this area, watching as Smellerbee assessed which road to take. Curiosity getting the best of him.
"Whose Katara?" The name sounded vaguely familiar making Zuko wonder if she too had been on the ferry where he first met Jet. Jet looked at him slightly shocked.
"I was sure everyone knew the female waterbender traveling with the avatar, well anyone good anyway." Jet explained watching Smellerbee figure things out. This put Zuko in a state of shock. He was suddenly glad that the mask was there to hide his shock. When Smellerbee took off running once again he followed in spite of himself, every step tearing him apart. They darted around corners, and flew down streets. Jet becoming more frantic as they went.
"Smellerbee we're losing time. Where is she?" He yelled angrily. Zuko had never seen that mad especially at a fellow Freedom Fighter. He made a mental note to stay on Jet's good side.
"I'm trying Jet!" Smellerbee snapped back. "Just down the end of the street." As Jet followed Smellerbee's glance he saw nothing. Zuko on the other hand, years trained in fighting, saw a lingering dust and cracks in the ground where there shouldn't be indicating Earthbenders.
"There." He interjected, pointing as they neared the area. "They were here." Jet looked skeptically at Zuko, trusting him above Smellerbee. All of a sudden silent as night, ten Dai Li agents surrounded them, and without warning sent hands flying in every direction. Jet yelled in pain as one made contact with his shoulder. He was unable to move his left arm. He feared it was broken. Zuko keenly aware of the blow his leader just took, he made sure to stay to the left of him, guarding him. Protecting him.
"Watch out!" Zuko yelled seeing more hands flying towards them. He pushed Jet to the ground hoping he hadn't further injured his shoulder. Remembering a trick he learned from one of his masters. Zuko dragged his sword against the ground where settled dust from the Earthbending was situated. Unable to use his bending to create smoke he hoped the dust alone would create enough cover. Jet began to follow his lead and yelled to Smellerbee.
"We have to get out of here! Split up!" Jet yelled when he was sure there was enough cover. Zuko got up from his guarding position only to get hit and knocked unconscious by another rock hand. When he awoke, All he could see were Dai Li agents.
"Well well. My lucky day. Prince Zuko. Nice mask, unfortunately you've been discovered." Zuko's eyes widened as the mask was destroyed in front of his eyes. How would he be a Freedom Fighter now? "Take him away. Lock him with the girl." Long Feng walked away as Zuko was dragged to meet his fate.
She didn't know how long she had been there. The minutes felt like hours as she was locked away in these miserable catacombs. Her eyes had just gotten used to the dim light haunting her, when suddenly a crack in the ceiling became a hole and another body was thrust into the catacombs with her.
"Zuko!" She yelled in disbelief and anger. Of all the people to be locked up with. Zuko gave her no reply. Too confused and angry to say anything, and still unable to think clearly from the blow to his head.
"Perfect just perfect!" Katara yelled. She faced him, a sudden rush of courage and anger welling up inside of her. "You're a terrible person you know that? Constantly following trying to destroy the worlds last hope for peace? But you're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading hate and destruction is in your blood." She spat.
"I didn't get thrown in this dungeon on purpose." He grumbled back. Feeling a twinge of guilt and a pit of anger that she had just created. "I wasn't trying to find you - well I was but not for the reason that you think." This earned a laugh from Katara. Not the kind of laugh that makes a room a light, a condescending laugh.
"Oh what? Like I'm supposed to believe you? That you were trying to save me or something? Save it Zuko." Katara yelled kicking dirt in his direction.
"Look I just - forget it!" Zuko wiped the powdery dirt from his pants now frustrated. "Don't act like you know me." Katara's eyes narrowed.
"Oh I know you. You have the perfect life, servants and palaces and gold. Not to mention a full family. You don't know what this war has put me through. Me personally the Fire Nation took my mother away from me." Katara sat down hating herself for crying in front of him. Zuko wanted to tell her about how is life was far from perfect, how he had been banished from his own country by his own father. How he hadn't slept in a good bed for three years. How foolish she was for making those assumptions. But he felt pity for her, because he knew how it felt to have lost a mother.
"That's something we have in common." Katara looked up.
"What?" She asked, attempting to choke back tears.
"Yeah," He said quietly. "This war's been no picnic for me either... I - I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you." Katara couldn't believe her ears. Was he apologizing, on her behalf? Come to think of it, they hadn't seen much of him lately. Had he given up? Was he finally on their side?
"How'd you get your scar?" Katara asked, desperately wanting answers, wanting to know if her instincts were right, or if bad instinct ran in the family.
"How did I-" Zuko repeated struck once again by immense shock. He had never told anyone his story, even those who dared to ask, he felt indebted to her though and wondered if this might make it up to her. "I was thirteen years old. And I was attending my first war meeting. Something that I was excited about at the time. Most of it I don't remember all that clearly now, but there was a General there explaining his plan of action. He wanted to send newly trained troops to the battle front as a distraction. He planned for all of them to die, while our best troops attacked a different way. I knew I was supposed to be quiet, my uncle had told me. But I - I couldn't just let him go through with it and I spoke up. I told him that it was wrong to sacrifice the men that were fighting for our country. The General was outraged, and so was my father. My father said that it was dishonorable to speak out of turn and humiliate the General, and that the only way to settle it was for an Agni Kai... a Firebending dual. The General was old and weak, so I accepted, but I didn't realize that..." Zuko trailed off not wanting to repeat this next part.
Katara's mind was quick, and she could all too well see that the dishonor was not on the General but on the Fire Lord himself.
"Zuko - I... that's horrible. I'm sorry I yelled at you before. It's just for so long when I pictured the face of the enemy it was your face. But obviously you've been affected personally too." Katara's hand lingered on her mother's necklace. She felt as though it was apart her, but she knew that was entirely different than a scar that would never go away.
"My face..." Zuko sighed closing his eyes in shame. "I see." Katara put a hand on his shoulder.
"No, that's not what I meant. I just..." She trailed off not sure what to say, because that was entirely what she had meant. Zuko ran his fingers along his scar picturing this entire ordeal from Katara's angle. Of course the scar would be all that she would remember along with all the hatred and violence that came with it.
"You don't have to apologize." He told her and then admitted, "I've always hated my scar, I thought that it marked me as no more than the banished Prince of the Fire Nation. I've learned though, that just because the scar will always be there, doesn't mean that all the anger and pain have to be there too." His thoughts drifted to Jet, hoping he was safe, and his wound tended to. Katara pondered her next move. She didn't know if she should risk helping him, in the event this was a trap, but the trust in her told her otherwise.
"Maybe you could be rid of it." She said taking out a small vile with a moon on it. "This is spirit water from the oasis at the north pole." Zuko cringed, he had knocked her out there and left her alone, taking the avatar. Not a memory he was proud of. "I don't know if it would work, but I have healing powers, and this might be strong enough to heal even the deepest scar." She looked into his eyes trying to read his expression. Of all the questions running through Zuko's head he only asked her,
"Why? Why would you do this for me?" Part of him wished, that he hadn't said anything. She might change her mind. But he had to know, what he had done to deserve this. When she had said herself that all he had done for her was cause pain. Katara took a moment of contemplation, how could she explain the trust that was growing within her, that she too would do just about anything to get her family back. She settled on saying,
"You and I aren't so different. And it seems like maybe you've changed, somehow. If I do this for you. You have to leave us, alone, stop hunting the Avatar. What happened in that war meeting, you wanting to protect innocent people, that's what we're doing, but on a larger scale. Can you promise me that?" She asked, hope rising within her, confident of his answer. "I'm offering you a new start Zuko. A new life. Is it worth it?" Zuko was touched, nobody had offered him this. No one had taken his story into consideration. She made it sound as if, he'd always obtained the honor that he was yearning for so badly. For that reason, he answered in confidence.
"Yes. I promise you." She smiled inwardly.
"Close your eyes." As he did she lightly touched his scar. She could feel it was deep, and she was afraid it wouldn't work. But it had to. For both their sakes. She opened the vile and drew out the water, beginning to use her healing powers on it. The sensation was unlike anything Zuko had felt before, he could barely see through closed eyes the glowing. And when it faded, he was scared.
He knew that it was now time, but he didn't want to open his eyes. As if keeping them closed would also close out the reality that the scar might still be there. When he reached up to touch the scarred area, he felt only the smoothness of soft full skin. Katara smiled. He was quite handsome. She bended some water from her pouched and froze it, creating a sort of mirror.
"Would you like to see?" She asked, very gently. This was so sensitive, and such a big moment in his life. Trying to keep his breath Zuko shakily replied,
"Yes, yes let me see." He took hold of the mirror. Staring back at him was the face he'd only dreamt about. The face he could've grown into, had his father not destroyed it, and his life. He looked up at this girl, this girl who had trusted him.
"Thank you Katara." He said solemnly. Although it was gone, he felt a sense of sorrow, for he felt like he lost a part of himself, however terrible, it was gone.
To a seeing person, the streets of Ba Sing Se would appear to be quite empty, but Toph knew better. Every crook and corner seemed to bear a Dai Li agent, strategically placed to be out of side to any trouble making civilian out on the streets in this late hour. More disturbing then the fact that she could feel all the agents however, was the fact that she could not feel Katara anywhere. She only hoped that her friends were having better luck on their search, because after hours of looking she had no progress. It didn't help that she was under constant watch though, because one wrong move could land her in a battle with the five agents posted on the street alone. Toph understood that Ba Sing Se was a chaotic place but the strange security tactics seemed to only add to it all. In a regular city if one's friend was missing, it would be natural to seek out help from the authorities, but Toph knew good and well that the Dai Li were not the type to offer help. Especially after the run in at Lake Laogai. It seemed that they were all alone on this one.
"Hey wait!" Toph heard a voice yell sensing two figures. The same two figures she sensed at Lake Laogai. As Jet caught up to her, she could the two figures panting. "Have you seen either a girl in Watertibe garb or a man wearing a mask?" Jet asked urgently, his shoulder still blinding him with pain.
"A girl in Watertribe garb?" Toph repeated. "I think we're looking for the same person, what do you want with Katara?" Jet interjected.
"Smellerbee here saw her getting attacked. By the time the two of us got there she was gone, and we were then under attack. We lost a man in a mask, another one us Freedom Fighters. Why are you looking for her?" Jet asked, not trusting of this strange girl alone on the streets in Ba Sing Se at this ungodly hour.
"Attacked by who?" Toph asked not caring much about anything else. "Katara's my friend, I'm inclined to help my friends when they get in trouble." Jet then had an epiphany.
"Wait... Lake Laogai was underground right? Maybe that's where the Dai Li took her!" Answering Toph's question without attempting too. He then huffed. "But how are we supposed to find her, it's not like we can see underground." Toph smirked at that.
"We're very fortunate to have found each other." She told Jet and promptly knelt to the ground. "We'll find them soon, I've got it covered." Toph sensed the underground catacombs. She looked up at the Freedom Fighters and smirked creating a hole in the ground, she keenly kept a look out for the Dai Li, who hadn't seem to notice yet, maybe luck was on their side.
"Get in fast." She urged. "We're not alone here." She then hopped in leading the way through the dark tunnel, trusting that her new companions would follow behind her.
"What did you mean earlier, when you said you were looking for me?" Katara asked shyly. She had to remind herself although a new face, Zuko was still Zuko... she yet again remembered a time when he had held her wrists and told her he'd save from pirates, she was feeling the same things now. Zuko hesitated choosing his words carefully,
"I've recently become aquatinted with your friend Jet. I was with him when he found out that you were in trouble so I went along with him to find you, but we ran into some Dai Li agents, I was singled out and here I am." All Katara heard was that Jet and Zuko were aquatinted.
"Wait... Jet? As in Freedom Fighters Jet? He hates the Fire Nation. How did that happen?" Katara asked shocked.
"That's... not important." Zuko replied. He then decided that if she could trust him enough to heal his scar he could let her in on the secret. "He doesn't know who I am. I've been wearing a mask but... the Dai Li destroyed it. I don't know what's going to happen if I see him again." Katara smiled.
"Well you don't exactly look like you anymore, so maybe he won't notice. Who does he think you are... and why were you wearing a mask?" She had a lot of questions, Katara was usually more reserved but Zuko made her want to know everything about his past present and future.
"He thinks I'm just a regular Earthbending citizen, a non bender." He answered and then paused, deciding if he should continue on and answer the second question. Something about Katara felt safe, so he did. "And the mask was... well a disguise that I used when I would go out and do things. Things where people couldn't know who I was. When Jet and I met, I was just about to settle some business with the Dai Li, actually I was looking for your bison." Zuko sighed then bracing himself for whatever might come after he finished the story. "I was looking to capture him myself, but then something changed in me, and I set him free." Zuko didn't want to say that Jet was what changed him, for as he was drawn to him, he felt drawn to her too. His confusion grew deeper and deeper as he wondered could he have feelings for both?
Katara on the other hand wasn't sure how to react. His transformation everything... happened in the course of two days? She hoped she hadn't made a mistake.
"Wait... you mean to tell me that two days ago you were still looking to capture Aang and this transformation happened in two days?" Katara was beginning to become frantic, what had she done?
"Wait no!" Zuko panicked. "I was just telling you that to be honest. Things have been different lately. Not just with the avatar, but with my life. I'm a happier person than I was a few months ago, a better person. There was a lot leading up to my... transformation as you call it." Katara stared deep into his gold eyes. She believed him, she couldn't pin point why, but she did.
"Zuko... I'm glad you shared all this with me." Katara blushed slightly, fortunately the dim lighting from the green crystals didn't allow Zuko to see it.
"Now let me ask you something." Zuko challenged. His flirtatious tone making Katara's blush deepen. "What were you doing all alone in the streets of the lower ring at that hour." Katara sighed. After the conversation she'd had with Aang and her brother, Toph miraculously suggested they go on patrol, making sure the Dai Li were behaving themselves. Her blush fading she explained to Zuko,
"We don't trust the Dai Li, especially after they captured Appa, Aang Toph my brother and I were patrolling. I hope they're okay." Katara knew they most likely were otherwise they would be there with them right now.
"They're probably out looking for you." Zuko smirked and seeing her unsettled expression added "Don't worry I'm sure they're fine." Katara looked up.
"They're my family now. I haven't seen my dad in two years, my mother..." Katara trailed off touching her necklace. "I don't what I'd do if I lost them."
"You won't." Zuko promised her. "They want to see you again, just as much as you want to see them. If they don't find you here, when we get out I'll see to it myself that you make it back to them." Katara's blush was unmistakable. He had changed. He really really had. Losing control of herself for just a moment, she leaned over and pecked his cheek, right where his scar used to be. She looked away quickly, not wanting to see his reaction.
"Thank you Zuko." They stood in silence for a few moments. She didn't think he would say anything so she lightened the air... "So about getting out of here..." Almost on cue Toph broke through the cave. Smellerbee and Jet close behind.
"Toph! You're okay!" Katara ran and hugged her, nodding shyly to Jet and Smellerbee who made their way over to Zuko.
"Of course I'm okay. I'm not the one who got captured by the Dai Li Toph remarked. "But wow sugar queen you sure do have a knack for getting into trouble." Jet made his way over to Zuko quickly.
"Quon are you okay?" Noticing the handsome face behind the mask. There was no time to remark for Katara rushed over.
"Jet you're hurt." She exclaimed, brushing the bloody garments of his shoulder aside giving her room to heal him.
"That's better. Thank you Katara. We have to get out of here now." The foursome ran back through the tunnel out into the lower ring. Once the coast the was clear they hid in an ally that the Dai Li had overlooked.
"We can't stay long." Toph said assessing the situation. "It was nice collaborating but we're going to have to go our separate ways." At this Zuko and Katara's eyes flickered up meeting briefly.
"It's been..." Katara started. But Zuko merely shook his head. She looked at him, and wondered if she'd ever see him again. He stared back at her appreciation he hoped she saw in his eyes.
"Quon? Are you coming?" Jet asked. Zuko's stomached flipped. He knew he had too. He wanted to, and he had promised Katara. A promise he intended to keep.
"Yeah." He answered over his shoulder to Jet and then turned to Katara holding back the words that he should of said, and replacing them with a small bow. "Goodbye then." Jet walked over to Katara and gave her a small hug apologizing in her ear for what had happened some time ago. She accepted it, for she was in a forgiving mood. She watched as Zuko and Jet walked away, Zuko didn't look. Katara felt like a giant weight had been placed on her shoulders.
When the three Freedom Fighter's were out of hearing distance Toph turned to her friend, "What happened in that cave?" Katara turned away from Toph knowing she could still see her clearly.
"Nothing. Nothing important. Come on let's go find Aang and Sokka." Katara started walking off, somehow she wanted what happened in the cave to stay secret. She knew Zuko wouldn't try to hurt them, so they didn't need to know the details, and she wouldn't risk hurting Aang like that. Not after everything that'd happened.
Toph followed obediently but wouldn't allow herself to be played as the fool,
"I know you're lying Katara."
