((The endgame has begun! Only a few chapters left of Book One now! Hope you all enjoyed the last few chapters, they were extremely fun to write! Thanks for all the views and reviews, it's a great motivation knowing you all enjoy reading!))

Fighting for Family:

It was always them. No matter what, his brother and aunt just constantly attracted trouble. He'd tried to convince Zukoh not to stay in Republic City but his brother hadn't listened. That stubbornness had always been a key trait in their family; Zukoh's namesake had been famous for it. Still, at least he was recovering after that dreadful incident with his wife.

Kazon hadn't approved of her. "She's crazy!" he'd exclaim to his brother, to which Zukoh would roll his eyes and walk off. Kazon was rather good at reading people but Zukoh had never really had the knack for it. Hence the incident.

His aunt wasn't much better. Ridiculously aggressive against everyone she met, Akirai just had one of those personalities that made the Fire Nation's reputation seem spot on. Although the years of being ignored by her mother must have had an impact; not all unhappy children turned out well. But that was ok. Akirai was just Akirai and Kazon actually quite liked the fact his aunt was one of the toughest people around. She was a good laugh, at any rate.

"Prince Kazon, we're within range of the city. Should we fire?" one of the crew asked him.

The Prince blinked and looked over his shoulder. "Not yet. We don't even know where to fire AT yet. It wouldn't be appropriate just shooting blindly into the city. We could cause more damage than we stop."

"Er…what should we do then?"

Kazon stroked his short black goatee as he thought. "All we can do right now is wait for the Airbenders to show. They'll be our intelligence on this mission."

"And if the Red Lotus attack us before the Airbenders arrive, Sir?"

Kazon winked at the crewman. "Well then soldier, you'll know where the enemy is if they're busy blasting the elements at us."

The man nodded and bowed. "Very true, my Prince. I'll let the crew know of the plan."

Kazon nodded back and gestured to the rest of the crew on the bridge. "Let the fleet know, we're dropping anchor here until further instructions. Nobody is to fire on the city without my command. Prepare the troops in case we need to deploy but no action. Got it?"

"Aye Sir!" the crew all replied in unison.

Kazon turned to look out of the window. "You better be safe…" he mumbled to Zukoh.

Wherever he was.

The fresh air was a mercy on his face. The jail had been horribly stuffy and for once, Tenzin sympathised with the criminals of Republic City. Being locked in those cells would not be fun for anyone. Especially with Lin in charge. How she still had the energy to head all of the city's police at the age of seventy-four was beyond him, although Tenzin secretly knew that she gave most of the action-based crimes to Mako these days. The firebender was always keen to help out, as he was determined to keep his position as Deputy Chief.

Lin was capable, he knew that. He wouldn't dare suggest it to her face, as she still had the strength to seriously show him otherwise. Even her mother had been more than capable at over the age of ninety. It wasn't a matter of capability, Tenzin knew. He knew Lin better than most people; he believed that her desire to settle down had finally tempered that stubbornness to pursue justice. Then again, her husband may have had something to do with it.

Thinking of Lin's husband made Tenzin's thoughts stray to his own wife. Pema was away with his grandson at one of the Air Temples and he missed her dearly. Especially after the last few days. Her smile would make it all worthwhile and he couldn't wait to hold her in his arms once more.

The courtyard was wide but thankfully it was also empty. Tenzin cautiously peered round a statue of Toph Beifong as he double-checked that there were no Red Lotus guards around. After a quick surveillance, he was sure that his escape would go unnoticed. Jumping into the air, Tenzin propelled himself up to the roof that stretched around the courtyard using Airbending and landed lightly. He looked up and braced himself to jump higher. Before he could do so, however, something to the side caught his eye.

His daughter Jinora was floating in the air, a huge smile on her face. Bright blue and transparent, her astral projection had finally located her father and she was clearly beyond happy at discovering his survival. "Hey Dad," she said quietly.

"Jinora. You're ok…" he whispered back. Relief flooded his body, making him feel twenty years younger.

She nodded. "Yeah. Just about. It's been…crazy. Are you ok?"

Tenzin shrugged slightly. "Ah, it'll take a little more than the Red Lotus to take your old Dad down. Where are you sweetheart?" he asked. He could feel tears welling in his eyes but he forced them to go away. The son of the Avatar didn't cry on rooftops.

"I'm in the Spirit World. It's a long story Dad, but basically Jahn locked the portal, we met a new friend, hunted down a bad spirit and stopped it from killing everyone. How's the city doing?"

Tenzin's eyes widened. Why did his children always have the craziest adventures when they went off on their own? Did he need to make sure they were always with him so they'd be safe?"

"The city? Oh. Yes, the city. It's not great here, Jinora. The Red Lotus have totally taken the city and I haven't seen anything of anyone else. You're the first I've heard from. I didn't even see Lin when she surrendered the Police Headquarters," said Tenzin ruefully.

"Is Aana ok? She should be safe now, as long as she's at the Temple."

Tenzin closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't know sweetheart, but I'll try and find out."

Jinora looked towards the direction of the Island but her sight was blocked by the buildings. "Thank you. I'd look myself but we need to keep moving. We're on our way towards the portal and hopefully Jahn will reopen it. I don't know how long it will take though…"

Tenzin smiled and raised his hand as if to touch Jinora's face. "I'll see you soon sweetheart…"

"Bye Dad. Keep safe."

Jinora flickered and vanished, leaving Tenzin alone on the roof. He was quiet for a moment, before turning and jumping along the rooftop. If he could make it down to the front of the Headquarters, he could take a Satomobile and drive to the Temple. He'd need a change of robes too; his current ones were covered in dirt and torn considerably.

Descending gently, he looked around but the plaza was empty. A lone Satomobile was parked a few meters away and it was this vehicle that the Airbender targeted. Jumping into the driver's seat, he looked around but could not find the keys.

"Just perfect…" he grumbled to himself. He'd never learnt how to hotwire a Satomobile but he knew enough from what Kai had once accidentally told him. That man was such a troublemaker.

Sparks flew as he held the two wires together. Nothing happened, making Tenzin grit his teeth in impatience. Any moment now, the Red Lotus would come round a corner and find him escaping and that would be that.

Trying another colour wire, he held it away from him and pressed the ends together. Still nothing.

"Blast this thing! Bet my father didn't have to deal with all this technology rubbish…" Tenzin said with a sigh, rubbing his hand after he'd punched the dashboard in frustration.

A chunk of road flew over his head and crashed into the Headquarters. Looking up quickly, Tenzin noticed a truck that had just arrived on the other side of the plaza and Red Lotus members were piling out of it. One of them had already attacked and was running closer and closer.

"Come on!" Tenzin shouted at the Satomobile, desperately trying another wire. The engine spluttered and started and Tenzin quickly put the vehicle into reverse. It squealed backwards, away from the enemies, and he span it round, throwing it into drive as he did so. Pulling out of the spin, Tenzin pressed down on the pedal and the Satomobile shot forward.

He drove a few blocks before he noticed his pursuers. Two other Satomobiles were chasing him through the city and in each one, the passengers were firing fire and water at him from the front seats. Tenzin twisted the wheel quickly, dodging their attacks as he drove frantically through the city. It was quite empty, as everyone had retreated inside when the Red Lotus had taken over.

The Airbender steered right and the vehicle roared into a nearby alley. He crashed through bins and a flimsy wire fence before bursting out onto another street. As he steered to the left, he thrust back with his right hand. The bins in the alley all flew into the air with the strength of his Airbending, crashing into one of the pursuing vehicles. It squealed to a halt but the other was not behind it.

Tenzin focused on the road for the next few blocks until he was sure that his pursuers had been left behind. Turning the radio on, he hoped for an update on what was happening elsewhere in the city. He was met by total static and silence.

"The Temple will have information at least…" Tenzin muttered.

The Satomobile lurched forward as the water hit the rear bumper. The other Satomobile had caught up and the waterbender in the front seat had begun to fire ice shards at the wheels, hoping to burst one of them.

"No you don't…" Tenzin growled under his breath. On the next volley of ice shards, he let go of the wheel and pushed behind him with both hands. The powerful tunnel of air caught the ice in mid-flight and sent them flying back at the enemy Satomobile. They crashed into the dashboard and struck the driver on the forehead. He slumped over the wheel and the whole vehicle turned sideways quickly. It flipped over and continued to roll as Tenzin sped away down the street.

Kai landed on the Fire Nation ship and folded his suit away as he waited for somebody to receive him. Behind him, Auri also landed softly, using a small cyclone of air to descend vertically. She wrinkled her face at the ship and her already comely face became even less attractive. It didn't detract from her bravery and willingness to help Kai, however, so he ignored the thought.

A figure emerged from the bridge and made his way over, traditional red and gold robes flapping in the breeze. He had long black hair and a small goatee, with the classic golden eyes of the Fire Nation royal family. His likeness to the old Fire Lord Ozai was uncanny but this man had kindness in his eyes.

"Kai, is it? Nice to meet you at last. I've heard a lot about you all over the years. I'm Prince Kazon, here to help," he said with a smile, holding out his hand. Kai took it and they shook once, firmly.

"Likewise. This is Auri. She was with me at the Office. The President's been killed by the Red Lotus," Kai replied, gesturing towards the other airbender before running a hand through his hair in a stressful motion.

Kazon's left eyebrow raised. "The President's dead? We weren't here in time then. What of the other World Leaders?"

Kai shrugged. Auri stepped forward and scratched her bald head as she spoke. "We don't think they're in trouble yet. The Red Lotus are using the city as their base for when they strike into each nation."

Kazon sniffed. His eyes narrowed and he seemed to be under intense concentration. Freezing for a second, he did not move until he sneezed violently, blowing flames across the deck. "ACHOO!" he yelled.

Auri laughed. She had a beautiful, tinkling laugh that contrasted her appearance greatly.

"Sorry…" Kazon apologised, wiping his nose. "The Fire Nation isn't this cold. I'm not used to sea temperatures…"

Kai frowned. "You're the Admiral. How are you not used to them?"

It was Kazon's turn to shrug. "I was only promoted last year. My father, Fire Lord Iroh, thought it best I learnt some military training for when I take the throne. Seeing as my older brother joined the White Lotus instead."

"How old are you? If you don't mind me asking," Auri inquired with a slight smile.

"Twenty-eight. My brother is only two years old than I am; my father did not have much time for families when he was in the United Forces, so we were born but didn't see much of him as babies," Kazon said, somewhat nonchalantly. "He made up for it after he left though. He's a great inspiration for us."

Auri smiled. "That's good! It's always nice to see parents as important as yours still making an effort," she said.

Kai sniffed. "Yeah yeah, that's enough of the introductions. We can grab some tea afterwards or something. You needed us?" he asked Kazon.

The Fire Prince nodded. "What's the situation? Where are our forces needed most?"

"Well the Red Lotus are quite spread out but pockets of resistance are keeping them busy. It's not enough though. We need to convince all the citizens of Republic City to help kick them out but to be honest, we need a figurehead for that," Kai conceded.

Kazon winked. "Bit generous! Fine, fine, I accept…"

Kai chuckled. "Yeah, that's a good one. I meant the Avatar. But he's in the Spirit World and the only way to get him back in time is through the portal."

The firebender stroked his goatee once more. "Hmm. So we need to clear the portal so that the Avatar isn't captured immediately when he comes back through?"

Kai nodded. "It'll be tough. There'll be plenty of the bad guys protecting it."

"Plus, it's right in the middle of the city. We'd have to storm through to even get there…" Auri said sadly.

Kazon smiled. "Have some faith there little lady. The Second Fire Navy Fleet is the strongest in the world and our soldiers are some of the strongest."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Avatar Aang found that out during the Hundred Year War…"

The smile vanished from Kazon's face. "I'd rather we not mention that," he said, his voice suddenly cold. The rapid change in character threw Kai off slightly, but he passed over it and pointed towards the city.

"We'll need to deploy by the docks and then you'll have to try and push straight into the city. We can't afford to really drag this out," the Airbender said.

Kazon nodded. "I agree," he said, his usual demeanour returning. "I'll contact the rest of the fleet and tell them to deploy at the docks. You need to be our scouts; fly over the city and try and work out where the Red Lotus are. If possible, we need to try and group them together, so I'll send a radio broadcast to the city telling them that the Avatar is returning soon. That should draw them towards the portal."

Kai looked at Auri, who nodded. "I…ok then," he said regretfully, looking over at Air Temple Island. "I'll be back soon honey…" he whispered.

The Airbenders detached their suits and sprang into the air, soaring off towards the city as Kazon watched on.

"I guess we're all fighting for family then. Huh," he said with a thoughtful smile. Turning, he signalled for the crew to press forward.

The Fire Nation fleet began to move in on the city as the Red Lotus massed their forces. The latest battle for Republic City's freedom had begun.