Beta-read by Scribbles I

Healed and Hunted

Submission

Chapter Five

Pit Submission Room (Room 417, Hall C)

Kat

She waited until the last possible second, ensuring that hers would be the last processed. It meant that earlier matches would have the pit specification. Her match would be an afterthought. At least she wouldn't face an unreasonable fight.

When she turned around, she saw him entering the room. Since there was only one purpose to this room, it was no accident. He first examined her, and they both smiled.

"Guess we both had the same idea," she said. He simply nodded and put his slip in. He shrugged when she gave him a questioning look. Since she had already submitted their rematch, why put it in twice?

"Can't have people talking," he offered as explanation. It only raised more questions. She said nothing about it, though, knowing she would receive no more answers.

"Guess I'll see you." Kat exited the room with a small bow. He was an odd man, she decided, but funny. The sarcasm in his voice was undeniable.

She was surprised that Toph was asleep, though it was just as well. Serious cleaning was in order, and Toph was always a hindrance when it came to that. Sometimes things were left on the floor, by just about everyone. That made for a very loud and angry blind Inheritor when she tripped. Kat had managed to keep the experience singular. It was something she still shuddered about.

The dirty clothes were placed in the laundry bin, various knickknacks were put in their proper places. Once everything was in order, Kat signed on to the school website. They already had the schedules out. Unsurprising since the matches were so important. She and this Lee -as she had discovered - were the fourth match scheduled. Fair enough, she thought.

She chanced a look at her e-mail. Though the school monitored every keystroke, they had all been allowed to touch the outside world via internet. Nobody wrote about the place though, as negative press about the school was unwelcome.

Kat never actually opened her e-mail at school, though. Especially if there was a message from her father or brother. Usually the titles told her what she needed to know. In their first year, Aang, Toph and Kat had all exchanged e-mail, using random words in their messages to talk about the school and government. It took about seven months, but eventually they were caught. They had lost internet privileges for another three months. So they just decided to complain in person.

"Appa stole my shoes," Toph muttered in her sleep. Kat tried not to laugh loudly and wake Toph up, though she doubted she could even if she tried. The blind girl had literally slept through a train wreck.

"Well go steal them back," Kat told her friend. Toph nodded and turned the other way. Kat snorted and laid down, tired at last.

"Why did Sokka shave Suki's head?" Toph asked right as Kat edged toward sleep.

Feeling obligated to answer Kat whispered, "Because Sokka was jealous of Suki's hair."

The Stands

Aang

"Food in my lap, drink in our joint cup holder," he said to her. She nodded and reached for the food. For the moment, it was nachos. Later it would probably be popcorn, and then when they were hungry for real food, pizza or hotdogs. Toph ate a few chips carefully with one hand, running her fingers over her new book.

"Who's winning?" the girl asked.

Aang looked to the large screen, "That Earth Inheritor, Barklin or something. She's got the other guy hanging off a ledge."

"I like Match-Saturdays." Toph said, "They're better than the teacher-forced ones."

Aang nodded, then verbally agreed.

Aang looked away when the boy fell from the cliff. The crowd gasped and he didn't bother watching. He explained to Toph what had happened more out of habit than anything.

"Is he alright?" the girl wondered.

Aang glanced in time to see the medics carrying the boy out. He was coughing, so Aang took that as a good sign.

"He'll probably be alright." The Ava shrugged.

"Fourth match. Water Tribe versus Fire Nation," rumbled through the air in the arena. Most of the student's 'ooohed' since such a fight was rare. As much as the people groups didn't get along, actual matches were not something normal. Aang saw the pictures displayed on the over head.

Kat Water Tribe vs. Lee Fire Nation was under their respective pictures.

And people once again roared. This had been the talk of the week. They called it a grudge match, though neither of the fighters had reason to hold grudges. It had been an easy win, and that was all. Aang was sure the both of the Inheritors entering the Pit wanted to see what would happen in a real fight.

"This is them, right?" Toph asked, slowing her finger.

Aang answered with a simple yes, and that was all Toph needed to close her book. She leaned forward and Aang was amused at the gesture. It wouldn't do her sight any good, and he didn't think it would make much difference to her hearing. But, he shrugged, let her have her fun.

He settled his gaze on Kat.

She was taking in the Pit. There was a small pond in the center, and there was plenty of mud from earlier fights. The dark-skinned woman bowed in the customary Water Tribe way, and her opponent surprisingly returned the movement with the reciprocal Fire Nation bow.

The overhead boards pinged, counting down the beginning of the match. As soon as the bell rung to start, Kat was lifting water, and Lee was shooting flames. Neither one of them wasted time in gaining a better vantage point.

Lee took the same route as before by setting the grass on fire. Kat, toying with the man, put the flames out and recalled the steam into water. He seemed surprised by this, and also by the fact that the grass was harder to light the second time.

Kat held out an arm and Aang could see the sharp ice-claws form around her fingers. She meant to make the Nation dance. She tossed the ice faster than he could melt it. Eventually, the man just settled for a wall of fire. He couldn't see past it, however, and Kat used that to her advantage.

She moved even closer, making sure that she was safe enough. When the Nation realized she was no longer throwing things, he let his wall down. Kat whipped his arm, leaving a cut so large Aang could see it from his seat. Aang would have missed it, if he didn't know what to look for, but Kat did something unsurprising. She healed a large portion of the cut, leaving only a thin line. Kat had done it so quickly, the cameras didn't seem to notice.

"It's quiet," Toph said. And it was. Everyone was holding their applause or abusive screams for when something real happened, not just these petty games. They were holding their breath for the right moment.

"She landed the first hit," Aang whispered.

Toph reached over to touch his hand. "You know she's going to be alright."

"I know. Fire just makes me nervous. Especially with her."

"She's good. Just relax and tell me what's going on," Toph said, wrapping her hand around his.

The Pit

Lee

She was better than they gave her credit for. And completely strange. The cut on his arm stung, but he supposed it could be worse. It had been, at first, but some of the pain had subsided. He knew she had caused more damage than was there, and didn't quite understand it. Had she actually healed him? Could Water Inheritors even do that, now? He had never seen it.

He lashed out with a large flame and he could see her panic. She jerked away from the fire, and he saw how little damage he had actually done. Her clothes were singed, and that was it. But she seemed so...disturbed by it. The files had mentioned nothing about her being afraid of fire. He tried to look around for a way to use that, but she kept interrupting.

She wielded the water like a whip, and hit him with far too much accuracy. She licked him twice in the face, one more on his neck-shoulder area than the other, and once in the abdomen. His shirt was ripped, and he was having to run to get out of her range.

Once he hid behind a large boulder - this was a permanent fixture of the Pit - he leaned down to tend to his face. He used the edge of his shirt to staunch the blood flow. Everywhere pulsed as if bruised, and he found himself gasping.

He had been taking it too easy.

And then there was an awful noise behind him. The stone that protected him crumbled into several pieces at his back. When he turned to survey the damage, he saw that she had somehow cut the stone. The marks were clean and even, and he had never known stone to be cut so smoothly.

And then he was knocked over, washed by water. The liquid kept coming and coming, and finally it froze over. It was heavy on his chest, and breathing was becoming difficult. The vest of frozen water tightened, spreading over his arms and hips.

She was standing next to him when she asked, "Are you alright?"

Now everywhere but his head was frozen.

"I think we're about finished. I'm a little tired, but if you're willing to keep going, so am I," she spoke to him.

Lee didn't know what to say. She was so odd. She had no problem fighting, but didn't want to hurt anyone. She could have injured him so many times over, but she kept the pain to a relative minimum. It didn't make sense. But breathing was becoming a priority. There would be time to ponder her methods later.

He tried to heat himself up, but without air the task was next to impossible. And she seemed to know that. She didn't seem at all worried that he would suddenly jump and attack her.

"Well, are we done?" she asked again.

Lee couldn't believe he was saying this. He was the best Fire Inheritor here, and he'd been beaten in less than thirty minutes. Lee was, despite all prior lessons, a proud man, and it was not easy to admit defeat. Nonetheless, "I concede."

She seemed amused at his choice of words, and it took a moment for Lee to realize why. The board began to make noise, counting backwards. It did this when defeat was confirmed.

"I accept the concession. Game, set, match," she said with good cheer, along with the pings. Her arms flew behind her and the ice fell off of him. She offered a hand, but Lee was too proud to accept.

The woman ran off, escaping the Pit before Lee could say anything. Not that he really had anything to say. She confused him, and that was all. He found himself... curious.

Perhaps he would ask around.

It was alright to admit he wanted to know more, wasn't it?

A/N: Haha, well... sorry. School started up. I didn't have a schedule for... just about four days. That means today, I knew where I was supposed be! Yay. Enjoy? Lemme know how I can improve.

Oh, and thank you Scribbles. For your patience. I promise I didn't mean to not answer.

Thank you all, again!