Chapter 4: The Protegé Returns

"Katara, I want to know what's going on," Sokka said to her as they threw their things in their lockers at Ba Sing Se Central High. She hadn't said a word to him since they had left, and she was really excited about something, but he couldn't figure out what. He hadn't seen her this worked up over anything in ages. "You're acting kinda weird."

In response, Katara simply smiled at Sokka and said one word: "Aang."

Sokka stared at her, mouth hanging open. "Aang?"

"Yes," she replied. "He's back."

Sokka was shocked. "You're serious?"

"Yes."

Sokka broke into a manic grin. "Where is he?"

"I don't know," Katara replied. "But the office does. And we both have first period free. So..."

Before she got a chance to finish, Sokka took off down the hall, leaving her to try to catch up. After two years, they were finally going to find Aang.

-.-.-.-

Zuko was relieved that he had first period free on Mondays. That meant a little more time for him to be alone, a little less time having to deal with people. He soon found himself aimlessly wandering through the hallways. Most people were either in a class or hanging out in the cafeteria and catching up with old friends, so the hallways were a great place to find some room to think.

Of course, for him, thinking meant thinking about Katara. He knew he had hurt her, but he still blamed her for part of it. Why couldn't she help him? Why couldn't any of them help him? The mere sight of Katara used to be enough to make him forget his troubles. But not anymore. Once Aang left, it changed. When Zuko would get angry, nothing seemed to be able to calm him down. He made some bad choices. He started hanging out with James Muramoto and his gang, the "Freedom Fighters," a local group of troublemakers. They all had codenames for each other. James was "Jet." They called Zuko "The Prince," a crack at his father. He racked up a criminal record. And then he started to vent his anger at Katara. He even tried to make her... No. He wouldn't think about that. He felt too ashamed.

"Hey, Zuko, long time, no see!" a voice from behind him said in a genial tone. This got him angry. Some joker was trying to get on his nerves. He must have a death wish. He chose to ignore the comment, though. He tried to keep walking.

"C'mon, talk to me!" the voice continued. "How's Katara?"

That did it. No one mocked him about that and left unmolested. Without a word, Zuko whipped around, grabbed the boy by the collar and slammed him against a locker, and got his first look at him. The thing that stood out to Zuko the most was the woolen cap the boy was wearing. The design... he had seen it somewhere before. But he ignored it. He glared into the kid's eyes.

"Look, kid," Zuko growled, "Don't play with fire. You might get burned." The boy's face was twisted into an expression of pain and confusion. Zuko quickly sized him up. Skinny, but with definite muscles hiding there. The kid could fight, maybe. But he couldn't take Zuko on. Nobody could but Azula, Sokka... and Aang. So he was genuinely surprised when the kid knocked his hand away and circled around behind him, quick as lightning. Before he knew it, the boy's hand was resting on his spine. Zuko tried to spin around to face him, but the boy remained behind him, silently countering every step he took.

Zuko's anger and frustration was turning into rage. He sent a kick straight back, but the kid dodged it. Unfortunately for the kid, he broke his hold on Zuko to do so. Zuko turned to attack again, but he never got a chance to. A fist connected with the side of his head and sent him sprawling. It wasn't the kid's fist.

He looked up off of the floor to see Sokka standing over him, looking furious. "Zuko, what the hell?" he shouted. "What is your fucking problem? I ought to kill you!"

Zuko took a second to look at the boy that he had been fighting. Katara was hugging him. Hugging him? Was she behind all this? Did she send him to make a fool out of Zuko?

"Thank God you're okay," Zuko heard her say to the boy. "I'm so sorry this happened, Aang."

That design on the boy's hat, that blue arrow, finally registered in Zuko's mind. Aang. It was Aang. Oh, God. Not Aang. He tried to hurt Aang. No. NO.

"No," he whispered. "No, there's no way-"

"You'd better leave," Sokka hissed at Zuko. "Now."

He ran.

-.-.-.-

Aang sat on the ground and crossed his legs. He was still shocked over what happened. "I don't get it," he said. "Zuko couldn't... Why did he do that?"

Katara knelt down and put an arm around his shoulders. "Zuko's changed," she said. "He's lost."

"He'd better stay lost," Sokka shouted down the hall in the direction Zuko ran off, "'cause if I find him, he's dead!"

Aang's eyes began to well up. "This can't be happening." He looked at Katara. "How could you let this happen?"

She looked hurt. "I tried to stop it," she said, "but he wouldn't let me help. He needed you."

"Damn it!" Aang shouted. "If only I could have stayed..." He pulled off his cap and ran his fingers through his hair. This was wrong. Zuko was their friend.

"I should have been there."

Doctor Worm: Welcome to Aangst-land. Population: Freaking EVERYBODY.

Oh, and Sokka has a potty mouth. I may change that later. Tell me what you think about that and, well, everything else, in a... REVIEW!