A/N: Hey, thanks to everyone who reviewed which unfortunately was only 2 people but i noticed a couple of people put it on their story alerts. it'd be great if i could get a few more reviews, perhaps some suggestions. i just...really like reviews...like everybody else so...
Katara groaned as she rolled onto her side. It felt like someone had shoved a knife into her side and she quickly rolled onto her back again. Her head was throbbing painfully and the rest of her body felt battered and bruised. It wasn't helped by the hard cold metal surface beneath her. Even the linen sheet covering her was painfully, chafing against her tender skin. She opened her eyes.
She was lying in an unfamiliar room which was dimly lit by two flames burning in brackets near the door. She turned her head the other way and yelped as she saw the wall hanging.
Fire Nation. What was she doing here? Where was here?
The door opened and a middle-aged man stepped in.
"You're awake," he stated unsmilingly. She glared at him, unable to articulate a menacing threat. Someone knocked at the door and a nervous voice spoke from outside.
"Prince Zuko is wondering if the prisoner is awake yet."
"She's awake," said the healer watching Katara's face contort with horror. Prince Zuko. Of course. He had ambushed their camp and captured her. Her hand's clenched in fury as the said prince stepped into the room, his eyes locked on her.
"You can leave," he ordered the other without looking at him. The healer bowed silently and left the room.
The two benders stared each other down, eyes narrowed. Then without warning, Katara lashed out. Or, tried to. Her hands had been chained to the edge of the bed, the metal so light she hadn't noticed it. He didn't even flinch.
"Very scary," he drawled. "But it would be much better for you if you cooperated."
She scowled. "Like hell I'm gonna cooperate with you."
Undaunted he reached into his robes. "I think this might convince you otherwise." He held up a blue ribbon with a silver pendant attached to it, the symbol of the water tribe carved into it.
"You thief!" Wildly, she tried to snatch at it again but it only caused her more pain as the metal bands dug into her skin.
"I didn't steal it if that's what you think," he said seeing the familiarity of the scene. At least she wasn't tied to a tree this time. "It fell off." He walked around behind her and gently wrapped it around her neck. She stiffened as she felt his warm fingertips brush against her skin as he closed the clasp of the necklace.
"What do you want?" she asked bitterly as he walked back to face her again. Did he think now that he had given her back her necklace she owed him? She avoided his eyes, the same eyes which had haunted her every night since leaving Ba Sing Se.
"I was hoping you could help me with something." There it was. The illusion that they could help each other and then he'd betray her and capture Aang. Well, she wouldn't let it happen.
She raised her chin defiantly. "How stupid do you think I am?" she sneered, imitating him to perfection. "I learned my lesson trying to help you once. And I don't make the same mistakes twice."
His eyes darkened.
"You have some nerve disobeying me, peasant!"
"You have some nerve asking me for help, Prince Zuko. You don't deserve it."
He leaned down, his patience wearing thin, his icy glare inches from her and he gripped her arm forcefully.
"You don't have any right to judge me," he snarled. She winced as his grip tightened. "You don't know…anything about me."
"You'd been banished from your nation and you needed the Avatar to bring back your honor. I know!" she snapped struggling to pull her arm away from him. "You lost your mother; you have a crazy sister and a cruel father. Your life sucks so you're a bitter angry prince whose existence depends on ruining other peoples' lives –"
"Shut up!"
Katara flinched at his voice. He let go of her and clenched his hands. He breathed heavily, his hair falling into his face, partially hiding his scarred eye. After what seemed like hours, he gained control of himself and leaned down again.
"Azula knows the Avatar's alive. She has the resources to find him. When she finds him, she'll kill him on the spot. If you help me, we can find the Avatar alive."
This got her attention. "What's in it for you?" she quizzed suspiciously. He was going to help?
Zuko carefully kept his expression neutral. He had her interest; this might just work. "We find the Avatar, take him to the Fire Nation, he defeats my – the Fire Lord, and everyone's happy."
"You want to defeat your own father?" She raised her eyebrows. Ok, so maybe it wouldn't be that easy.
"Yes."
"Why?" Zuko growled internally. Why couldn't she just accept it and stop questioning him?
"He doesn't deserve to be Fire Lord," said Zuko harshly turning away.
"And you do?" This girl had a knack for pushing his buttons…
"I can stop the war. Isn't that what you want?"
She stared at him for a long time. He took advantage of her silence.
"Will you join me?" he asked, lowering his tone to a soft caress, his eyes smoldering.
Katara gazed into his eyes which seemed so earnest, so…desperate. He wanted to end the war and he was offering to help save Aang. She remembered his vulnerability in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se. His betrayal…
"No."
His mouth hardened into a line as she refused, the frown on his face growing more pronounced.
"I can't trust you," she said. "I will never trust you again."
He watched her intently before straightening up and heading to the door.
"I'll be waiting for you to change your mind," he said turning back to look at her.
"Keep waiting then," she retorted as he slammed the door shut.
--
She was so infuriating. Stupid Water Tribe peasant!
The worst part was that he couldn't blame her for not agreeing with him. Of course she wouldn't trust him, especially after he turned against her in Ba Sing Se. He had a lot to make up for in her eyes.
Various members of his crew jumped out of his way as he marched up to the deck to fresh air. He calmed down a little as the cool breeze brushed his face blowing his hair back a little. He tugged the black gold-trimmed armor he wore off and threw it on the ground, able to move more freely in his tunic.
That girl irritated him more than Azula ever had. He hated her so much right then.
Not wanting his irritation to cause him to lash out at anyone if they made the mistake of annoying him, he sat down to meditate choosing to do so in the light of the morning sun rather than mere candles in his room.
Slowly, he breathed in and out, the deep calming breaths soothing him as he cleared his head. His muscles began to relax, the tension seeping out of his shoulders, the knots in his back disappearing. The crease in his forehead smoothed out and gradually his inner fire began to push out of his nostrils with little force.
"Sir?"
Completely calm, Zuko opened an eye. "What?"
"The prisoner wants some water to drink."
"Give her some." The eye closed and he resumed his breathing as the footsteps faded away, below deck. Perhaps if she was treated properly she would bend towards his will. That was it. He would show her that she could trust him and she'd fall for it. It had worked once, it would work again. This time, however, he'd need to be more compelling, more charming to draw her in. One mistake, one slip-up of his plan and he'd be battling to the death with the feisty water bender. Even he had to admit her skills were phenomenal. She'd almost taken him down at the North Pole. Hell, she'd almost taken Azula down in Ba Sing Se until he had intervened. A little water and she'd send any aggressor's butt to the moon and back…
Wait.
"No!" he yelled jumping to his feet and racing to the door.
--
As soon as she felt the water enter the room, she forced all the bending she could from her near useless hands and successfully knocked out the fire bender holding the cup it came in. She moved quickly, guessing it would take the idiots a few minutes to realize she had a hold of water, and sliced neatly through the chains. Katara slid off the table and was glad to find standing on her legs wasn't too difficult. She listened at the door and once she'd made sure there was no one outside, slipped out and ran to what she hoped was the exit.
She could feel one of her cuts threatening to reopen and the air bit at her exposed stomach, her fire nation disguise failing to cover it. Breathing heavily, she ducked into a corridor as two crew members walked past. From a distance, she heard a familiar yell and knew she had seconds to get out of here. She slipped out of her hiding place and….
Almost crashed headlong into a group of Zuko's guards who were obviously running around looking for her.
One of them leered at her stepping in front of the others to get to her. Her arm moved so fast he didn't see it as the water hit him in the face and he began to fall backwards. Katara used the opportunity to step on to him and spring herself over them. She ran up the stairs and closed the door carefully behind her. Then she turned around and came face to face with a very angry fire prince.
He stood a little distance from her, arms crossed, his expression cold. Katara stood her ground and faced him. She felt confident. She had almost managed to take out his psychopathic sister so she coudl easily take him down surrounded by an ocean. She drew up two strands of water and held them close, her arms close. He didn't move.
"I'm impressed," he said finally. "You almost escaped from my own ship." Although his eyes were shooting icy daggers at her the rest of his face was remote.
She watched him silently. Did he just pay her a compliment?
"So, now where are you going?" He said it casually, no emotion betraying his tone, all previous anger hidden from view.
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Away from you."
He unfolded his arms, his eyes glittering through the hair falling over them. "Go back to the cabin, water bender. You're still injured."
"Oh, you're concerned now, are you?" she said, ignoring him.
"Yes, I am," he stated his face blank. "Now go."
"I don't take orders from you." With that, she flung one of the spheres of water at him. He swung his leg, fire trailing from his foot as he easily deflected it. She winced as she felt a wound on her stomach split open completely but nevertheless drew more water from the water around them to hurl at him. He walked, almost danced, over to her ducking and blocking gracefully as he reached her. She was panting with the pain and effort. He reached a hand out to her. She slapped it away.
"Don't touch me!" she gasped, leaning against the cabin wall for support. She swayed for a moment before completely collapsing on the ground and blacking out.
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