The Fire Nation Town
Chapter 8
Once they were in town, the Earth kingdom soldiers who were disguised as Fire Nation had absolutely no problems finding the medical attention they needed. The town leader who was a nervous, small round man dressed in the garb of a Fire Nation official quickly showed them to the nearest medical center. As they walked through the town Zuko noticed that the town's population was made up of all Fire Nation immigrants. Most of them had the dark brown or black hair, as well as the golden-brown eyes which are common of most Fire Nation citizens.
At the medical center they were shown quickly to a room where the Fire Nation healer went to work, doing their best to get the men back to their fullest health. When they were situated Zuko decided to take a walk outside. So he dawned his helmet and mask, and left the building. The streets where crowded with empty booths and different kinds of stands. It appeared that the Fire Nation's annual Spring Festival had just ended and they were beginning to commence clean up.
Zuko could not help but be reminded of home. It was all too familiar. Back home he remembered going to festivals with his parents, but of course that was long before his father became Fire Lord and changed the young prince's life forever.
As Zuko thought back to the good times before his banishment he did not notice a small boy run out in front of him. He almost tripped over the young kid before he was followed by his worried mother. The mother grabbed her son and gave him a hug.
"Don't you ever do that again." She scolded, before she looked up and saw the faceless skull mask of a Fire Nation soldier above her. With out saying a word she picked up her son and scurried out of there as fast as she could. After seeing that Zuko could not help but to think of his own mother and the last things she said to him before she left him forever.
"Never forget who you are" She had said. It was a phrase the Fire Nation prince could not easily forget.
The thought made Zuko look at himself. True, he was wearing a Fire Nation uniform, but he was under cover as an Earth Kingdom soldier. Was that truly who he was? The banished prince did not get to finish his thoughts before he heard a familiar voice from behind him.
"Hey Lee!" Lang called from behind Zuko, "Wait up."
Zuko turned back around and was going to continue walking anyway, when he noticed a board of wanted posters. Casually, but quickly he went up to the board and grabbed the poster of him and Iroh. Zuko crumbled it up into a paper ball and held it tightly in his hand.
"Lee, what are you doing?" Lang said looking down at Zuko's clutched hand.
"Nothing" Zuko replied.
Lang eyed Zuko's hand and gave him a curious look.
"What ever" Lang shrugged. "Captain Loam wants to see us."
"Ok," Zuko said, "I'll be there in a moment."
After Lang turned to leave Zuko opened his hand and let the black ashes of the poster fall out of his hand and land in the mud on the street.
ATLAB
"Sire, it is important that we do not allow the Avatar much more freedom than necessary." Long Feng said to the Earth King, it was one of their daily discussions of how the city was running.
The King gave his pet bear a pat on the head and then looked up at his most trusted advisor from where he sat on his throne. "I always thought the Avatars were wise? Would it not be good to let such a powerful and wise master of the four elements help us run the city? Perhaps he could point out things that we missed and make Ba Sing Se better for everyone."
Long Feng tried not to let his annoyance show. "I understand Sire, but that was over a hundred years ago. I fear that the new Avatar will not have such an effect on our great city. He is a threat to the well being of our cultural heritage."
"I see" the Earth King said, his face looked as if deep in thought. "I will think on this over tea time. Would you care to join us?"
"No thank you, your majesty I think I'll pass." Feng said before he turned to leave. On the way out he passed a servant bringing in a tea pot as well as cups.
When he was out in the hall way, a Dai Li agent came running up to the Secretariat. The agent took a deep breath.
"The young soldier you requested us to keep an eye on has disappeared and our spy has disappeared as well. The Earth General has already declared them MIA."
So Lee is now missing in action? and possibly dead, no he was not dead. Lee is a survivor, Long Feng could tell, knew that the young man would not die in the army.
"Is there anything else?"
"Sir, Lee's Uncle Mushi was arrested recently and is currently being held in Lake Liogai."
The real ruler of Ba Sing Se paused for a second. With no friends and no family, no one would miss Mushi, not even his boss now that he had been fired.
"Fine" Long Feng finally said, "that may help in the long run and it will keep the old man out of our affairs."
"Very good, Sir," The agent turned to leave and then stopped. "Should we apply the "Treatment" to our guest?"
"No" Long Feng said, "not yet, I wish to question him in a day or two. I would like to know more about Lee, and Mushi may be the key to his secret. I feel I am missing something big."
"With the war?"
"Maybe" Feng said thoughtfully, "and maybe not. The boy may just be a good warrior, either way he may help shape the out come of the war."
"You really expect that much out of an ordinary refugee?" The agent questioned. When Long Feng looked back at the man with an annoyed look, he quickly changed the subject. "How should the old man be treated?"
"Treat him well, at least as well as the other prisoners."
ATLAB
Zuko sat on the window sill, looking out at the town that was before him. It brought back such memories of home. Loam at that same moment was briefing them on the plans he had on escaping the town undetected. Zuko however paid little attention to the details of the actual strategy. His Captain continued talking until he noticed that his men were not all listening.
"You got that all, Lee?" Loam said with a frown.
"Yeah, what ever." Zuko said as he snapped back to this instant.
Loam was just about to reply when they all heard some commotion outside. As the Earth Kingdom soldiers crowded around the window, they noticed the town leader talking to a man in a Fire Nation uniform. The soldiers recognized him only as a Fire Nation general, but Zuko recognized him as the cruel man called General Klow. Klow is revered as one of the top benders in the Fire Nation, as well as one of the most powerful, second only to the Fire Lord's family. The banished Fire prince had no doubt that Klow would recognize him. If he needed to face Klow, Zuko would be forced to fire bend. If it came to that, his life would be over.
Thinking quickly, Zuko surveyed the surrounding area. He spotted an old building that appeared to be abandoned. Maybe if he could get Klow into that building he could duel him privately.
When the Earth benders came out into the hall, they heard voices down stairs. Zuko had no doubt that they were the soldiers coming to find them.
"We need to get out of here," Loam said, as he started for the door and motioned for the rest to do the same.
"What about my men!" Sen asked, he was the only man present from the liberated group. "Most of them won't be ready to move that fast, much less fight off all those Fire benders."
The Earth soldiers stopped, as they heard the clicking of heels on the wooden floor below them. Not a single one of them said a single word, as if the thought of even a breath might alert their enemies to their position. A few bumps on the floor sounded as if they just finished putting down some heavy objects. After that, a door shut, signaling that who ever was down there joined the rest of their comrades out side.
Zuko and the rest hurried to the room of their injured companions. After they reached the room, the Earth Kingdom soldiers heard the voice of their enemy out side the open window.
"Come out!" Klow called, "We have the building surrounded and loaded with blasting jelly."
The town leader, who was standing next to the general spoke.
"Sir, that is a hospital, we have many of our own inside."
"It would be unfortunate if Fire Nation citizens were to be killed in this affair." Klow said thoughtfully, then his tone turned icy. "but there may be someone very important in there and I can not afford to allow him to escape. Any further interruptions and I will arrest you for treason, after all you did help the enemy."
In the hospital, the Earth Kingdom soldiers frantically tried to plan a way to escape. There was a back door, but no doubt, it was also guarded. They soon came to the conclusion that the only way out was to fight. That produce the problem of the wounded, they were not benders and they held no weapons.
It was decided that the benders and whoever else had a weapon would fight to protect those who are unable, at least until they reach the woods, there they felt confident that they would be able to lose their pursuers.
As they readied themselves for battle, Zuko placed the fire helmet and mask on his head. When Lang noticed this he raised a questioning brow. Zuko ignored it and checked to make sure his blades were strapped properly to his waist.
ATLAB
The Fire soldiers got into position as the Earth Kingdom soldiers came out of the building.
Good, Klow thought, This is going over quite nicely. But where's the banished Prince?
It was not long until the Fire Nation General spotted one of the Earth soldiers still wearing a helmet and mask. That's when he knew that must be Prince Zuko. His prey was coming to him, he might even get promoted. That is if that Fire Princess brat didn't have him killed first.
One of the men, who Klow guessed to be the leader, started walking forward. His hands, raised as a sign of surrender. The rest of the men stayed back towards the hospital in a position that told Klow they were going to try and protect their weak.
When the man was no more than five feet from the General he stopped. Then in one quick motion he raised a rock out of the ground and hurled it at his enemy. Klow however, was not quick enough to block or counter his opponent's attack. The rock hit him in the chest, throwing him backwards before he hit the ground and his vision went black.
ATLAB
Seeing their leader laying upon the ground, gave the Fire benders cause to attack. The front row of the benders launched a volley of flaming balls towards the Earth soldiers. The Earth benders countered the attack by raising a rock wall in front of them. Flames flew in every direction before being doused. The Earth benders returned the attack by hurling rocks at their adversaries.
As the battle began, Zuko did his best to protect his man and stay alive at the same time. He called upon all his training and experience to fight off his attackers. At least he did not have to fight with a spear, then he would have been in real trouble.
He defeated man after man, it took more work than defending off the men at Zhao's strong hold. Then he had the help of the Avatar now he only had himself. The other men were busy fighting in the battle. The Earth Kingdom soldiers fought against the incredible odds. It seemed Klow had brought the entire Fire Nation army with him.
During that battle, Zuko witnessed the true talent of his comrades. The brothers, Kin-lo and Jin-lo did some incredible bending. Where in one simultaneous motion they opened up the ground and swallowed up a dozen soldiers. But where one Fire Nation soldier fell one was always there to take his place. So far only one of the rescued prisoners fell with a burnt hole in his chest. It was the man Lang was to protect, he however did not let it faze him. Lang and Katso only had their knives to fight with, it was only a matter of time before they could no longer hold off the Fire benders .
During the fight Zuko saw Klow get off the ground, then rubbed his head before he started straight for the banished prince. Realizing the General was heading for him, Zuko panicked and lost his focus on the battle for one moment and that was all it took for a Fire Nation spearman to sneak up behind and take down the man he was to protect down.
He had no time to absorb the shock before General Klow launched a huge fire ball towards the banished prince. Zuko rolled away from the fire, feeling the heat fly by him. He backed up, there was no way he could defeat Klow with only his swords.
Zuko struck down the spearmen before backing up to the hospital. The abandoned building would have been ideal for this situation, but a hospital full of blasting jelly would have to do. Zuko cringed as he thought of the blasting jelly, it was not the best idea to have a fire duel in the same room with an explosive.
He dodged another attack before backing through the door and into the building. Klow, smiled to himself. He knew what the prince wanted and Klow was ok with it. It would be an honor to kill a member of the Fire Lord's family with his own hand. The Fire Nation General followed Zuko into the building.
Author's Note: I finally got this posted, this is my longest chapter yet! I didn't get on the computer as much as I wanted the past few weeks. My sister just got IM and is on it all the time, any way I'll post the next chapter as soon as possible.
Thank to my reviewers!