Chapter 15
Jet. Battered, bruised and extremely thin, but definitely Jet. The freedom fighter that Katara believed had died below Lake Loogai.
"H..how? You...died, at Lake Loogai...we watched...Toph said...Smellerbee and Longshot.."
"Now, Katara is that anyway to greet an old friend? Let's dance." He said, giving her that half smile that she had fallen for in the woods of the Earth Kingdom.
They danced for a few minutes in a rigid fashion, while Katara eyed him suspiciously, while thinking, how was Toph not sensing her discomfort and Jet's vibrations?
"How?" she demanded with the tone she used in council meetings.
"You couldn't stay and watch could you? Such a shame. Then I wouldn't have had to wait so long to make my move. Long Feng was brilliant at teaching breathing techniques that can fool even your foot friend, and Smellerbee and Longshot had minds so easy to mould, it took mere minutes to get them under the power of Lake Loogai"
"Make your move?... Smellerbee and Longshot got brainwashed?" she eyed the pair, who had come together as dance partners again.
Jet walked to the nearest corner, which was covered by a large plant, and because she was a curious person, Katara followed.
"Yes, just like I was, but once Long Feng had established that I would work better without the brainwashing, and could recruit for him, he released me, and just in time for to deceive the Avatar...and you. Had I not had to recruit Smellerbee and Longshot at that time though, I could have joined you, and your group, and I could have gotten to the precious Fire Lord quicker and wiped him out." he said, a menacing look in his eyes, as he looked down at Katara.
"Well, by the looks of you, I'm guessing you haven't heard, but Ozai fell..."
"Not Ozai. Fire Lord Zuko"
"...Zuko?"
"That's right. Your precious Zuko is due to be wiped off of the board. I had such high hopes for you Katara, I can't believe you are in so...close with him"
Katara rose up to her full height and squared up to him.
"You won't even get close to him if I'm anywhere nearby"
"Oh, Katara, you're always going to be one step behind."
She heard the announcing guard tap his stick to call everyone's attention, and saw Zuko and Sokka move to the front of the crowd. The secret. Then she saw it. A twitch in the necks of Smellerbee and Longshot. His hand moving under his shirt, and a blow gun coming out. She turned to Jet. He was gone, but she had no time to worry about that. She rushed out from behind the plant concealing her, and before she even thought it through, lifted Longshot into the air from her position and took control of his limbs, causing him to drop the blow gun, and for good measure, lifted Smellerbee too.
"Katara, why are you lifting guests into the air? ...How are you lifting guests in to the air?" Zuko asked, concern in his eyes
Sokka rushed to her side, knowing she would only bloodbend if something was really wrong.
She was quickly draining her energy doing this level of bending with the full moon still a week away. It was only the adrenaline of knowing Zuko was in trouble that allowed her to do it in the first place.
"Katara..." Sokka whispered, noticing the tightness of the grip she had over the floating couple, who were turning blue.
"Jet is alive, and after Zuko" was all she managed to say, before the couple crumpled to the ground and Katara blacked out.
A/N Never imagined I would ever write a chapter like this. Please review guys, let me know what you think. I might have to change the category for the fanfiction if I carry on like this. I promise, I'll eventually get Sokka and Suki engaged. But first, they have to take down Jet and whoever else is working with him. Please review or PM me and tell me what you think :) do we like this direction, or do we want to just go back to harmless fluff?