Chapter 4

Zuko picked up the shoe from the ground and was about to throw it back to Katara, but then loosened his hand, letting the shoe clatter to the ground. He knew he had anger problems. It wasn't good to aggravate these kids more than they already were.

Instead of fighting back, he silently plucked his cell out of Aang's hand, stood up, brushed his clothes off, and started to walk out of the alley. The three kids just stared at him from the ground, all eyes full of hate and anger. He turned away from them again and walked around the dumpster.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, kid?"

Zuko looked up into the eyes of a police officer. Shit, he thought. His dad had called the cops. He just stared up at the policeman, hoping the man wouldn't look behind the dumpster. The officer just stared down at him, implying the question wasn't rhetorical.

Zuko slowed his breathing down and stated, "I was just going to my uncle's place. But you see, it's all the way across town, so I decided to rest for the night and start up again in the morning." Lying to an officer was illegal. And this was all true.

The policeman just kept staring down at Zuko. Finally he said, with a voice full of acid, "I was called here on a noise complaint. There must be others in there with you to cause such a racket. You know, it's against the law to stay in an alley like this one here…next to a bank. And you seem like the type that, well…he he he…." He chuckled to himself.

But Zuko wouldn't back down. He wanted to protect these kids that had just shunned him, though he didn't know why. Putting up a brave front—and pretending he didn't care about that jab at his scar—he looked at the cop's nameplate and said, "Well, Officer Zhao, do I look like the type of kid who would hang out with anyone?" It hurt him badly to say that, especially since right now, it seemed quite true.

Officer Zhao looked Zuko up and down. What the kid said seemed to be true. "Let me just take a look to make sure…" he said. He started to step around the teenager.

But Zuko was quick-witted, and didn't want this Zhao guy to find the street kids…the other street kids….He spotted a lighter on the ground, near some flattened cardboard boxes. Perfect, he thought.

As Zhao walked towards the dumpster—slowly because he wasn't sure if he would get tackled as soon as he reached the other side—Zuko grabbed the lighter and lit the cardboard on fire, throwing it in the officer's way.

The man was quite startled and backed up over a trash bag. He tripped and fell to the ground. While he was down, Zuko pocketed the lighter and ran for his life. He knew that he was now a fugitive of the law and could actually get arrested. And of course his father wouldn't bail him out.

Sokka grabbed Katara's hand and followed Aang around the fire and the police officer and ran the opposite way Zuko went.

After some running, they all stopped, panting for breath. Katara took out a water bottle—one of the only things she was able to save before they ran for it—and took a swig. She handed it to her brother, then Aang. "What are we going to do?"

Aang looked up and down the street. Then he started walking again. He looked over his shoulder and coaxed, "Come on, I think I know where we can stay for a while."

They walked for half an hour in silence. Soon they were outside a city park. It was large and open, not the best place to hide for a long time. Sokka voiced this and Aang just replied, "You'll see…" and kept walking.

He led them over to the other side, where there was a nice wood. On the way they passed street performers, and Aang kept bobbing along to the beat of some of the music. Katara giggled and Sokka just pretended to ignore it all, wanting to keep composer, until his sister jabbed him and he burst out laughing, making Aang jump and turn around confused.

It angered him that Sokka was able to make Katara laugh so easily and they were able to act so much like siblings when he couldn't even get past friends with her. The fact that she stood up for that Zuko guy yesterday really bugged him. He would never want to tell Katara how he felt about her, but maybe he would.

Once they reached the woods, Aang stopped. He looked up to the branches of the winter-bare trees. Making up his mind, he jumped up—quite high for someone so short—and grabbed hold of a low branch. He climbed up quickly, like he was made for climbing—and quite gracefully at that.

Sokka went up after him, not knowing what else to do, but worrying that he would fall the whole time.

"Come on, Katara!" Aang called down. He thought that this was a perfect way to show off to her.

She just looked up and down the tall tree. "I'd rather join the street performers!" she called back. Aang took the sarcasm the wrong way.

He shrugged and jumped down, landing like a cat on the tips of his toes, and ran off back to the path and the performers, laughing childishly all the way. Sokka started to scramble down the tree.

"I was just kidding!! Aang, come back!" Katara ran after him.

Sokka was still trying to get out of the tree. "Oh, come on! Guys! Wait up! Guys! Aang! Katara?! OUCH!" He got his foot caught. "I guess I'll just wait here…"

Katara kept calling after Aang, but he kept running until he spotted one group with music he liked. There was a keyboardist and a flutist playing classical music around a benched area, so older people could sit and listen.

Aang leapt into the circle of benches and twirled around on the spot. He then raised his arms over his head, stood on the toes of his sneakers, and walked around. The elders got a kick out of him. They watched, fascinated. So did Katara.

He was amazing; he must have taken ballet classes before. After almost ten minutes straight of him dancing, he had gathered quite a crowd. They threw him money, but he ignored it, eyes closed most of the time. He had a relaxed smile on his face. It was heart-warming.

Soon, Sokka limped over. "Thanks for waiting," he spat at Katara. Then he looked up at who was in the center of the circle…and burst into a laughing fit. She gave him a dirty look, but went back to watching Aang.

However, he had stopped when he heard the laughter. Almost tripping on a few coins, he noticed the money for the first time. He picked it all up quickly and shoved the bills and coins in his pockets. The crowd dispersed and he hurried over to his friends. Sokka was wiping a tear out of his eye from his laughing.

But before he could make any comment, Katara exclaimed, "That was amazing! When did you take dance?!"

Aang looked down, embarrassed. "My…parents…w-were dancers…Th-they made me…when I was little…." He had never mentioned his parents before. It was hard for him.

Someone cleared his throat behind them. They all jumped and whipped around to see a man in a suit with a stern look in his face staring straight at Aang.

Zuko ran for as long as he possibly could. He was never on the track team at his private school, but they would've loved him on it if they saw him right at that moment.

After ten minutes straight of running, he stopped. Sadly, he didn't recognize his surroundings. This was a part of the city he didn't know. Who knew that ten minutes away from his cozy little part of the city, there was a slum neighborhood?

There were bums and hobos all around him. Each stared at him in turn, admiring his dirty, yet still fancy clothes. When he looked back at them, however, they turned away. My scar, Zuko thought, ashamed. Even bums won't look at me.

With a heavy heart and guilt spreading through his body, he trudged on. There was no one to comfort him. There was no one to offer help. Mai, he thought. No, she would only try to distract him, maybe with a kiss. Mom, he tried. Yes, if she was here right now, she would hold his hand and guide him through this place. She would hold him tight and never let go.

"But Mom's not here now. No, I made sure of that," Zuko muttered bitterly, sarcastically. He missed his mom terribly. If he just hadn't started that fire, then nothing would have happened. He would still have a non-convict mother, his father wouldn't have thrown him out, and he would still have family.

A man in ratty old clothes called him out of his thoughts. "Hey, kid. You gots any money?" the guy whispered. He was walking towards Zuko slowly, as not to scare him.

Ignore them, he reminded himself—for more reason than one. And he kept on walking. He knew that there was a way out of here close-by. He could feel it: the wind able to escape from the tall, yet crumbling buildings.

Finally, he stepped into open country. He must have been walking through the outskirts of the city!

"This is just great!" he murmured, along with some very colorful swears.

Pulling his sleeves over his hands, shielding them from the bitter winds, he started to run again, this time making sure to stay out of the strange neighborhood he was just in.

I'll be at Uncle's soon enough, he thought. Then he can help me figure out what to do.

And with the thought of capturing that boy, Aang, and bringing the street-rat back to his father, he kept running on towards a new home, a new future.

Author's note: WOOT!!! another chapter up! the zuko half of this was really tough to write. i wrote the whole *gaang* (for lack of other names...) scene in one sitting, but it took me several to write zuko's. see, i didnt know what i wanted to happen for his. but for the gaang, i knew i wanted to show aang's abilities....

this is really scary now, isnt it? you need to know what happens to the gaang, dont you? WELL, THATS TOO BAD!! i've got another fanfiction i really need to work on along w/ two other original stories. one of which i am working on some drawings for...dont ask. just go to http:// fictionpress. com/ ~zena silverwing (just take out the spaces...) /~zenasilverwing see, last time i put in a link, it got all messed up. whichever way is better, go for it!

remember, review please!! and i might give some secrets out. i could tell you what is takin the place of the elements, though i think that this chapter gave A LOT of clues!! there were a couple in chapter 3 as well. well, good night (day) and have a pleasant tomorrow. or not. whichever you prefer.