Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender. It is the property of its creators and Nickelodeon.

Chapter 3: Captured

It was morning in the Western Air Temple. The sun was beginning to rise and bathe the complex with its warming rays of light when Zuko walked through the courtyard. He was taking in the morning air, when he began to feel something was wrong. He couldn't exactly tell what it was, but it unsettled him. He looked around and didn't notice anything unusual, but it was still there.

A pebble skipped past his foot, and he turned around and saw Katara was standing behind him.

"What are you doing?" she asked, suspicious of his presence.

"I'm-do you get the feeling that something doesn't feel right?" asked Zuko.

Katara was about to say something witty when she noticed it also. Something definitely did not sit right with her, and oddly enough it wasn't Zuko. It took her a bit to notice, but she couldn't hear any birds, or feel any wind for that matter.

"It's too quiet," she said.

"…Wake the others, we've got to get out of here," said Zuko.

Before Katara could respond, a giant war balloon emerged from the ravine with Azula standing on the top of it laughing.

"Hello Zuzu! Did you miss me?" she cried before hurling a large, blue fireball at the former prince.

Zuko quickly sent his own flame to cancel the blast, and turned back to Katara.

"Hurry, get the others, I'll hold her off!" shouted Zuko before charging forward to fight his sister.

Azula leapt from the balloon to meet Zuko on the temple grounds. The two began to duel one another with unbridled ferocity, and very shortly that area became a spectacle of red and blue flames. While Zuko fought Azula, everyone had already awoken to the sound of the battle, so all Katara had to do was get everyone to load things on Appa and prepare for their escape.

"Where's Zuko?" asked Aang.

"He's fighting Azula right now," Katara answered.

"We have to help him!" said Aang.

Before Aang could help his teacher, Toph stopped him. She stood there for a moment before her eyes widened.

"Dai Li agents!" she shouted.

Agents had leapt from the giant war balloon as it rose up to the temple's ground level. As they landed, they all darted toward the Aang and the others, and a fight ensued. The Dai Li agents were caught off guard at just how strong the gang had become. In addition to their usual abilities, they had an additional Fire Bender, Chit Sang, and a legendary Water Tribe warrior, Hakoda, and other people who were helping them.

The gang had managed to hold their own against the Dai Li, and they saw them fall back. Now was their chance to escape. Haru and Toph quickly made a tunnel that led into the cliffs of the temple, and Appa was all set to go.

The gang soon saw that it was a good thing that they were ready because four more balloons appeared from beneath the ravine, attached their boarding ramps, and scores of Dai Li agents and Fire Nation soldiers poured into the temple.

"Zuko! Come on!" shouted Toph feeling the number of troops coming toward them.

Zuko heard Toph, and turned toward the group. As he did however, Azula launched two attacks, one following closely behind the other. Zuko noticed only one of them as he sent a fireball while running. The first of Azula's attacks was cancelled, but the second one quickly emerged from the blast of the first. Zuko, noticing the second blast as he ran, quickly turned and tried to make a flame wall to cushion the blast, but it was too late: the fire hit him square in the abdominals and exploded.

Azula smirked at the results, especially when Zuko's body became visible when the smoke cleared. He was down, but not out as he tried to get on his feet, remembering Toph's shouting.

When he finally did get his footing, he immediately bent forward, clutching his side in pain, and to make it worse, he was coughing up blood. His vision had trouble adjusting, and when he saw multicolored shapes of green, red, and blue he immediately limped in that direction.

The others saw Zuko hobbling over in their direction clutching his ribs. After a couple of steps, he collapsed on the floor, a sitting duck for Azula, who sent in the soldiers. Aang and Toph were about to go to rescue and intervene, when Katara surprisingly stepped forward.

"I'll go with you guys," she said.

Both of them smiled as she joined up, and the three of them charged to the prince's aid. Azula simply signaled to her forces to get her brother before the gang did, and a large number of agents and soldiers rushed to Zuko as well. Toph sent some boulders their way, and Aang shot some fire off at them to push them back. Katara lashed her water whips at any of the enemies that tried to go around them. They were about to reach Zuko when Sokka called out to them.

"Guys hurry up!" he yelled as stray agents made their way to him and the others.

"I'll get Zuko, you help the others get out of here," said Katara.

The two of them understood, and Toph made some walls to protect Zuko's body as Katara made her way over to him. Aang rushed back to support Sokka, and to tell Hakoda, Haru, the Duke, Teo, and Chit Sang to go through the tunnel while the rest of them held the others off. Katara managed to catch a glimpse of her father, who nodded in her direction before taking off into the tunnel, which was promptly sealed by Haru afterward. She felt tears well up, but she held them back to return to the task at hand and managed to get to Zuko.

As she got the prince, Suki, Sokka, Aang, and Toph had charged into the fray and were repelling as many enemies as they could while trying to draw attention away from Zuko and Katara's position. But there was no end to them; they kept coming in like droves of insects in hive mode.

"We can't hold them off like this forever!" said Sokka as he threw his boomerang at a Dai Li agent.

"We don't have to, just long enough for Katara to get Zuko out of there!" said Aang sending a powerful gust at a squad of Fire Nation soldiers.

Suki had managed to take a spear from a soldier, and began to take down the other enemies with it. She found it very difficult to take down an enemy without killing them, due to the amount of focus that she had to have to pull it off, but it was Aang's wish that she did so. Toph repelled approaching enemies with boulders and walls, but it became apparent to her that not even she could keep it up at the rate the enemy was coming. They had to fall back to recover from the ever growing onslaught.

"Hurry up Sugar Queen!" Toph shouted.

Katara had to heal Zuko enough for him to walk; it was the only way she could get both of her and him back to the others alive, and she knew she had only a limited amount of time to get Zuko awake. She drew out water from her pouches, and began to quickly heal him. After a few moments, Zuko coughed up blood, and his eyes opened to see a cringing water bender.

"Katara…?" he groaned.

"Get up!" was all she said.

Zuko, as quickly as he could, got on his feet, and Katara slung his arm over her shoulder. The two were making their way back to the others when Azula lunged in from behind. Aang saw this and shot a pillar up, but Azula used it simply as a skipping stone and landed right in front of Katara. She immediately attacked Katara who ducked, and set Zuko down. She lashed out with a water whip, and the two began to clash.

Seeing Katara in danger immediately made Aang lose focus as a Fire Nation soldier closed in on him. Sokka drew his sword and repelled the attack snapping Aang out of his daze.

"Sokka, Katara she's-"

"Yeah, I know," he responded.

Katara saw the droves of soldier closing in, and her friends losing ground. And to add to that, Azula's presence created a large buffer zone that she was in no way capable of surmounting on her own. Realizing that it must have been Azula's plan to capture Aang by dividing them up, she made a decision.

"Guy's get out of here! You have to escape!" she yelled.

Aang was horrified at what she had said, and as Azula lunged again, Katara ducked.

"I'm not leaving you!" he shouted.

"Aang, we don't have a choice! There's too many of them!" shouted Toph, "Suki get on Appa, we're going!"

Aang quickly made a bee line for Katara, but Sokka stopped him.

"Are you nuts? You'll get killed before you even reach her!" he shouted.

"But Katara!" shouted Aang.

Sokka looked to her sister, who gave him a hard, determined look. Sokka simply closed his eyes in understanding.

"We need to leave now," he said, trying to keep his composure.

"But-"

"Aang, you have to go! We can't risk losing you again!" screamed Katara.

Aang looked tearfully at Katara before running to Appa. Toph, and Sokka quickly followed and joined the others on the saddle before Aang mounted. He looked one last time at Katara, and tugged Appa's reins.

"Yip Yip!" he cried out.

Appa whipped his tail, blasting wind at the enemies before flying around the temple structure to the closest opening beyond the ravine they could find.

Azula looked at Katara and Zuko with evil looks in her eyes. Katara, seeing herself surrounded dropped the water, and hung her head in defeat.

"Take them to the holding cells."

The Dai Li and several soldiers hauled the two benders off to the airship, while the others gathered the injured from the attack, or looked for a way to pursue those who went into the tunnel.

xXxXx

Everything felt numb, but there was so much pain coursing throughout his body. Zuko wondered if he was dead, or if the spirits decided to have a little bit of fun before making their decision.

THUD!

Zuko's eyes quickly snapped open to the same foggy vision that he had before. After a moment, he began to see red, then metal, then grey sheets. His vision cleared, and he realized where he was. He tried to get up, but a sharp, familiar pain raked him in the side and he collapsed on a lumpy mattress adding more pain.

"Don't move too much," said a voice, "you'll make yourself worse than you already are."

He turned toward it, and saw Katara sitting facing a bolted vault door on a flimsy metal frame with a cotton pad an inch thick serving as a mattress. He couldn't tell that she was irritated in sharing the same cell with him, or in being defeated and taken prisoner. He remembered fighting Azula and running toward the group in order to escape, but that was it.

"How long was I out?" he asked weakly.

"An hour," she replied curtly.

After a moment of silence, Katara turned to him. He was trying to sit up, but was having trouble simply pushing himself up. As much as she didn't like him, she found the sight pitiful, and she got up to help him. He looked at her in a slight disbelief before looking away.

"Thanks, Katara," he said politely.

She just went back to her bed in response. Zuko held his ribs and gingerly prodded himself to check if he had broken anything, or if anything was in danger of rupturing. He winced as his finger grazed a bruise, but gave no indication to Katara that he was in pain.

Katara saw the state that Zuko was in, and sighed. She got up again and walked over to him.

"Take off your shirt," she ordered.

"Excuse me?" he said looking at her.

"You heard me, take it off," she said.

Zuko slowly complied with her orders, and began to undo his belt, loosening the outer vestment, and allowing himself to remove his shirt. He removed it slowly and painfully, and when it was removed, Katara began to examine it.

"This is bad," she said.

"How bad are we talking?" he asked.

"I can't tell for sure, but it's not good. If I had water, then I'd be able to patch it up, or at least get a better idea of what it is."

Katara got lost in her thoughts as she examined his body. Zuko noticed her red face.

"Are you ok Katara? You look…feverish," he commented.

"Oh," she said snapping out of her daze, "No, just frustrated."

Zuko got the feeling she wasn't being totally honest with her answer, but he didn't push it. Katara was probably still mad at him, and he didn't think taunting or prodding would help him, especially in his condition. As he began to put on his shirt, he heard footsteps, and turned to see Katara pacing back and forth with her hand on her chin.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Thinking," she said.

"About?"

"How we can get out of here."

Zuko stared at her as she paced back and forth like a pendulum, and it didn't take her long to notice the injured prince looking at her.

"Any suggestions would be nice," she said irritated by his apparent lack of help, "I mean, is there like some way of getting out of this airship and to the others?"

Zuko thought for a moment.

"Well, there is a way, but it's too dangerous."

"And being in your sister's custody is safer?"

Zuko thought again.

"…Good point," he replied before thinking, "Well…the only way I could think of to get out of here is-"

He stopped when he heard footsteps outside of the door. The lock clicked, and the door opened slowly revealing Azula. She entered the cell with an angry look etched on her face, and two Dai Li agents on both her left and right side.

"Where are they?" she demanded.

"Nice to see you too," muttered Zuko.

"Be silent traitor, you have no right to speak to me," she spat back before turning her attention to Katara, "Where are they?"

"I don't know," she said.

"Oh, I think you do. If anyone would know where the Avatar is, it's you. Now where is he?"

Katara stared right into Azula's eyes.

"Even if I did know, do you really think I would tell you?" she challenged.

Azula smirked.

"You're certainly brave, challenging me like that, and it's so admirable to see someone so devoted to a cause," she said while walking around Katara, "But even one such as you, has a weakness."

She stopped right next to Zuko, and quickly sent her knee straight into his bruise. Zuko bit back a scream of pain, instead giving a grunt of frustration. He began to clutch his side, and act as if it didn't hurt as much as really did. He glared at his sister, who looked disappointed.

Katara was mortified at what just happened.

"Are you nuts? That could have killed him?" she screamed.

"Oh? How nice Zuzu, the water witch cares about you."

"No she doesn't, she needs me alive to teach the Avatar fire bending," he said before Katara could retaliate.

"Oh, is that so?" Azula kneed the bruise again, this time even harder. Zuko took the punishment while suppressing any sounds of discomfort, "I don't think that's the case; I know her type: the kind that can't stand by and let an injustice or any kind of suffering happen when she's around. You know the kind, I'm talking about, don't you Zuzu?"

Azula kneed her brother again.

"Where are they?" she repeated.

Katara did not answer. Azula sent in knee after knee, but not once did Zuko lose his composure in front of his sister. Katara saw Azula's attacks turning into a frenzy and could hear the cracking of the ribs, but that's not what unsettled her. What did unsettle her was the fact that Azula was enjoying every moment of the act.

After a few more knees to the side, Zuko coughed up blood and fell onto the floor. He began to breathe so hard that Katara could hear the pain behind each breath.

"Now, will you tell me where the Avatar is?" she said coldly.

Katara looked at Zuko, who was reeling in pain. He turned his head to her, stared at her, and cringed his face. Katara understood the meaning.

"I don't know," she said, trying to keep her composure.

After a moment of silence, Azula burst out laughing as she looked down on her brother.

"Isn't this sweet Zuzu. You're willing to take punishment just so that she doesn't have to talk, how noble."

Zuko struggled to get up, but Azula cringed.

"Do you need help brother dear?"

She grabbed Zuko's hair and slowly pulled him up to eye level. Katara found it difficult to watch, and that confused her. For several weeks she had thought of all the ways that she could punish Zuko for what he did, or what he may have done. But actually seeing it done to him turned her stomach.

'I hate him, don't I?' she asked in horror of the sight, 'Why do I feel this way then?'

"If you want to talk so much, then why don't you tell me where they are!" Azula screamed at her brother.

"You sound a little worked up," he managed to say, "What's wrong? Still shaken up about Mai and Ty Lee?"

That did it. She threw him to the floor, hard on his back, and she applied pressure to his chest with her boot.

"Who are you to tell me anything! You're just some filthy traitor who could never measure up to the standards of royalty! You're a disgrace to your people, a loser with no honor!"

Azula quickly composed herself, and took her boot off of her brother's body in a rough manner. She took a few steps away, when she looked to Katara.

"I will ask you one last time. Where. Are. They."

"Give it a rest," said Zuko, "She doesn't know anything."

"Protecting her, are you? You know it's that kind of attitude that got you banished in the first place," said Azula before signaling the Dai Li agents, "Take him to the interrogation room, we have loads to catch up on."

"Stop!" shouted Katara, causing everyone of them to look at her, "If you kill him-"

Azula slapped Katara hard across the cheek, and she fell to the floor. She looked up at the enraged princess, shocked that she had been hit, and Azula smiled wickedly at her. She and her retinue all left Katara alone in her cell as Zuko was hauled off.

xXxXx

Aang was tired, and above all, furious. He had left the one person in the world he would have sacrificed anything for in the hands of Azula. He was quiet the whole trip to who knows where in the Fire Nation.

Sokka, sensing his friend's anger and concern, scooted over to him.

"You wanna talk buddy?"

Aang didn't respond.

"You know, I'm still mad too. I don't want my sister there any more than you do."

"Then why? Why did we leave her behind?" Aang demanded.

"Because they would have killed us before we got close to them," said Toph.

"You don't know that!" Aang shot back, "Appa could have-"

"Been shot by lightning Aang!" she interrupted, "Azula is crazy strong; even without her fire bending, she could run circles around us, or did you forget about the invasion."

Aang was going to say something when Suki intervened.

"Look, Aang I know what you're thinking," she began, "but don't worry. Azula won't kill Katara."

"And how do you know?" he demanded.

"Hey, don't talk to her like that," cut in Sokka, but Suki put her hand on his shoulder.

"It's just a theory, but I know because of the number of soldiers that Azula had with her," said Suki, "Azula probably wanted you most of all, and knew she was going to need lots of soldiers in order to capture you. That's why Katara did what she did; to make sure you got away."

Aang was quiet for some time. His brain felt like it was in a printing press, and he needed some time to his thoughts.

"Suki has a point Aang," began Sokka, "If you're the one Azula wants she won't risk killing her only sources of information. They'll live."

"That's right," began Toph, "And besides, Katara's one of the toughest people I know. She can handle herself. Plus, Zuko's with her; he'll make sure nothing bad happens to her."

"…Whatever…" said Aang sullenly.

As much as he was counting on Zuko to protect Katara, that's what bothered Aang the most. He still hadn't forgotten about Ba Sing Se, how he and Katara were alone together, and how close they were standing toward one another. He was worried then, but he was even more worried now. Zuko had changed, and because of the field trips that members of the group had been taking with him, they had all become a lot closer to him. He was worried that even though Katara hated Zuko, she would get closer to him now that they were alone.

He sighed in distress, and piloted Appa.

"Hey, what is that, Toph?" asked Suki

xXxXx

Many hours had passed since Zuko was taken to the interrogation room. Katara sat on the mattress huddled in a ball. She wondered what was taking them so long.

'They're really interrogating Zuko,' she thought, 'No, maybe they're celebrating, and they just want me to think it's an interrogation.'

She realized that that conspiracy theory was an utterly ridiculous thought. If there was a celebration, she might have been able to hear it. And besides, she couldn't get the events from earlier out of her head. Azula joyfully harming her own brother like a rabid hogmonkey. It was horrifying for her because of her Water Tribe background; she had been raised to value her family, to treasure them, and the way that Azula treated a member of her own family was unthinkable to her.

The more she thought about it, the more she was confused on where she stood on Zuko.

'Is he still an enemy, or is he truly an ally?' she wondered.

The door clicked, snapping Katara out of her daze. Two Dai Li agents were holding Zuko by the arms and threw him in the holding cell. He was beaten, bruised, and bloodied, and Katara felt her legs carry her to his mangled form.

"Zuko," she involuntarily whispered.

One of the agents tossed her a small skin of water.

"Heal him," he ordered, "He's to be taken in for interrogation tomorrow."

"Just so you can do this to him again? I refuse!" she challenged fiercely.

"Then we take him in for interrogation like that," he answered.

Zuko wouldn't survive another interrogation in his current state. She looked at the skin, and couldn't help think about using it to escape. But she realized that even with all her water bending skills, she couldn't take on the entire crew and Azula with such little water. And besides, there was still Zuko to consider. Even if she could take out the guards in front of her, she couldn't defend herself and Zuko as they made their escape. Plus, she was unfamiliar with the layout of an airship; one wrong turn could spell death for them.

She took the skin, and started to get to work. Water responded to her command as it wrapped around her hands, and she began to heal him. The damage was worse than she previously thought: she could feel broken ribs, and internal bleeding. She worked quickly to patch him up, but it was easier said than done. It took her thirty minutes to mend his body, and another thirty to bring him back to consciousness.

"K-Katara?" he began.

"Zuko!" she said almost joyfully.

Dirt flew straight into the water, turning it into mud. The Dai Li agents bent the mud out, left the cell, and locked up the door.

Katara wanted to heal him further, but it couldn't be helped. She began to help Zuko up to the bed, and laid him down comfortably. She moved the hair out of his face to help him cool off, when she realized what was happening: she was taking care of him. She became so confused upon the realization; she had not forgiven him, and her hatred began to return.

But it was difficult to maintain it. She didn't have the heart to be mad at Zuko, at least not right now. He was way too injured to put up with her usual bantering, and she decided to let him have her fury when they got out. If they got out, and if he recovered.

"I didn't say anything," he mumbled with his eyes closed.

"I know," she replied coolly, "You wouldn't be in this state if you did."

It was quiet.

"I've got to tell you-," said Zuko before succumbing to exhaustion.

She looked toward him with curiosity.

"Later Zuko, just get some rest."

So there is the new version of the story. I hope you all liked it.

Thank you for reading and please review.