AUTHOR'S NOTES—and here's a brief Sokka and Katara interlude, partially because it might be a while before they both show up together. Also note that this is a flashback. In present times, Katara is 18 and Sokka is 19.

AVATAR: THE LAST FIREBENDER

BOOK 1: WATER

CHAPTER 5-1: MY NAME IS JOO DEE

Omashu; midday; two years prior

The Air Warriors made moving around a lot more difficult. Many of them were not even as vicious as they were made out to be, but the calm ones were, if anything, much more frustrating than the fierce ones. Omashu, which had long been informally occupied by Air Warrior forces, witnessed the behavior of these people firsthand. Most of them were female, but there was a good handful of male airbenders in their ranks. Those without bending abilities that wished to donate their skills to the Air Warrior Confederation were often recruited as warriors of some sort, and even Kyoshi Warriors joined their ranks.

Earthbenders were only picked out of their ranks when they were caught doing anything that resembled any kind of conspiring. Warriors and nonbenders were usually just watched under a much closer eye. Those that could fight would often be forcibly recruited if they misbehaved. When they confronted King Bumi about the matter, he told everyone, friend and foe alike, that he would do nothing. These actions (or lack thereof) were questioned by many, but there were at least two citizens in the city that had a little more understanding of what he was doing. Both looked older than they really were, and both were proud Earth Kingdom citizens.

"Sokka, it's really quite simple. He's waiting for the opportune moment to strike. As long as you don't go off acting like some idiot, we'll both be fine."

"Hey," Sokka shrugged, "you're the one that's most likely going to get carted off. If anything, I'll just be recruited as a warrior."

"You're saying you want to fight for them?"

"Now, now, don't go too fast. I never said such a thing. I'm just saying that you might want to lay low for a while. All of this running around you're doing is going to draw attention from the Air Empire."

"Why do you keep calling them that?"

"Katara, empires are evil; kingdoms are good. It's always been that way."

Katara frowned. "Since when have they been that way?" she narrowed her eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"It… it's an unwritten law!" Sokka stammered, "Since when have you ever heard of a good empire?"

Katara rolled her eyes. "Empire or not, they're called the Air Warrior Confederation. I've heard of people getting dragged off for conspiracy just by calling them an 'evil empire'."

"Hey, sometimes the truth needs to be told." Sokka shrugged, but Katara put a hand over his mouth.

"Yeah, but not in broad daylight, you idiot"

"Katara, dad left me in charge when he disappeared…"

"Sokka, he's not coming back."

"Katara! How could you say something like that!"

Katara hesitated for a second, and then pulled Sokka into an alleyway.

"All of my dodging around has given me information, Sokka." She whispered to him, "I don't do it for my good health, or even to hone my earthbending skills. I do it because it keeps me knowing what the Air Warriors are up to, and who they're working with and who they're working against."

"You have any idea about the Water Tribes?" Sokka asked, lowering his voice as well,

"Aye," Katara nodded, "the Southern Water Tribe is fully against them, and the Northern Water Tribe has a rocky relationship, so to speak. I wish I could get close enough to overhear them conversing with the Air Warriors. I'm almost certain I would be able to feel them lying."

"Katara," Sokka frowned, "that ability of yours is really creepy."

"I'm the greatest earthbender in the world," Katara crossed her arms, "I…"

"And so, you will be quite useful to us." A voice interrupted them. It was an airbender—a male, no less. The only surprise factor this generated was that they were so much rarer than the females that dotted the city.

Sokka immediately pulled out a boomerang, and Katara spread her legs apart, locking her feet in place, and took up an unusual earthbending stance.

"Don't you lay a finger on my sister," he threatened, pointing his boomerang at the airbender. However, the man just laughed.

"A warrior, are you?" he smiled, "you might be of some use too then. However, it is not you we are after. Give us the girl, and you can go off unharmed."

"us?" Sokka looked at the man skeptically. "Either way, there's no way you're taking my sister."

Katara's ear twitched. "fight now, talk later, Sokka! Look up!"

In an instant, there was a huge clash. Sokka's boomerang skill was top-notch, and his deadly speed and accuracy with the weapon had him disabling several flying airbenders. Katara's sheer power and skill with earthbending kept her well-defended, but the Air Warriors still has speed and the skies on their side. What they might have lacked in skill, they made up for in cooperative teamwork, as well as sheer numbers. Within minutes, Katara and Sokka were both unconscious, and Katara was taken by one of the airbenders, who flew off with her.

Sokka came to consciousness a few moments later.

"KATARA!" he bellowed, but the only person he could see was an airbender woman. She did not have the Air Nomad insignia on her shirt, so he knew that she was an Air Warrior.

"Your sister is gone," she said calmly as Sokka stood up, "and I suggest you say nothing regarding her disappearance if you ever want to see her or your parents again. You can even keep your little toys you carry."

Sokka contained the anger that was boiling up inside of him, and he did not respond. He reached down to his waist. His club and his boomerang were both still there. He was somewhat surprised that they had not taken them—they had made a huge mistake in not doing so. One 17-year-old nonbending warrior was no match for a slew of Air Warriors, but perhaps the old crazy king of the city had a point. Now was not the time to strike—now was the time to wait—wait and listen for the opportune moment to strike.

Ba Sing Se, a few weeks later

Katara found herself bound in an unknown chamber. Only a few small lights were visible, and Katara could not see the faces of her captors. Her stubbornness led her to refuse to give out any information regarding the knowledge she had about the war. She offered to let them kill her, since she knew she was not going to betray her friends, her family, or her nation.

"Do not think that the Air Warriors would stoop so low as to slaughter a 16-year-old girl, Joo Dee." A voice said from the darkness, "but we know enough about you to know what might get you to move this way or that. You will never see what hit you."

Katara blinked a few times, and struggled against the bonds that kept her mouth, hands, and feet from moving. She did realize that she was wearing different clothes—and that she had some kind of shoes on—they felt like they were made of rock. This put various types of ideas into Katara's head, but it seemed that her chi had been blocked. Something like that, anyways.

That was the last thing she remembered before a distinct set of monotonous words filled her head. The lights that were surrounding her were slowly growing dimmer, and her eyes started to hurt. They were doing something to her, but she could not tell what it was.

Welcome to Ba Sing Se. My Name is Joo Dee.

Had Katara been to Ba Sing Se before, she would have immediately recognized what outfit she was wearing, and perhaps what had just happened to her.