Twenty-nine
When she found him, he was standing in a small clearing, and there was still smoke coming from his body. "Go away!" he yelled, without looking to see who it was.
"Zuko, what's wrong?" she asked gently.
"What do you think is wrong?" he shouted, spinning to face her. "It's like every time he gets near me, things start happening and I lose him again!"
"Aang, you mean?"
"Yes! Aang! The Avatar! Whatever the hell you want to call him! I don't care! But it's like every time I think I'm about to finally capture him, something terrible happens and my life just gets worse!"
She sighed. "Maybe that's the Universe trying to tell you that you shouldn't be trying to capture him."
"And you!" he suddenly screamed, getting in her face.
She jumped and took a step back, terrified.
"You let him escape! Don't think I forgot about that! How could you? Do you have any idea the lengths I went to just to find him that first time at the South Pole? I had already been searching for a fucking year before you showed up! And you let… him… go… Just like that. You fucking let him go. I should kill you where you stand for all the shit you've put me through!"
Something snapped inside Maya. She felt more courageous than she ever had before. "Zuko! How dare you talk to me like that? You think I'm such a bad person, but do you even hear yourself? You've let this obsession go too far! You're just as bad as my father! Why do I even bother with you? You're such a pain the ass and you're mean to everyone! Look, I know you've had a hard life – or so Uncle tells me – but that does not give you the right to treat everyone like shit all the time!"
She took a few deep breaths. "I'm going back to the ship now. I'm tired of feeling like I have to mother you." Before he could say a word, she stomped away back to Uncle.