I was suddenly jerked awake by a foot kicking me in the chest, making my ribs flare with pain. My eyes opened instantly as a voice barked "Get up!" I gingerly proceeded to stand up, but apparently my pace wasn't quick enough for the guard, as she gripped my arms and thrust me upwards until I was standing straight. I winced slightly, but was otherwise able to maintain my composure as the woman started walking away.
I started looking around and examining my surroundings, taking note of where I was. I was standing amongst a group of others, all dressed in ragged, pale red clothes. Looking down, I saw that I, too, was dressed in such attire, which I knew to be prisoners' rags. I didn't recognize any faces, which meant that the invasion force had been split up, and I was alone with a colourful menagerie of war criminals and convicts being sent to spirits know where. "You're awake" a voice noted from beside me, and my heart caught in my chest. I turned and, sure enough, saw Takara standing beside me, stripped of her warrior face paint and green kimono.
With my hands manacled, I wasn't able to wrap my arms around her, and neither was she, but we both leaned in close and kissed, letting each other's presence be a comfort during such a dark time. "Hey! None of that!" another guard barked, roughly tapping us both on the shoulders with a baton. My muscles flared with pain, and our lips parted.
"I was afraid that you'd never wake up" the Kyoshi Warrior told me. "You looked like you'd been trampled by a herd of Badgermoles". Gazing into her blue and green eyes, I could see the concern in them. Judging by my reflection in her alluring orbs, the beating I had received from Ozai and Azula had taken its toll, and I sure felt it in my bones. I was barely able to stand, and any movement whatsoever felt like someone was reaching into my body and stabbing whatever they came across.
With a jolt, I realized that we were in some sort of gondola or a similar device that had just arrived at its destination. The guards ushered us out single file, and we were arranged in a straight line. As we exited the gondola, I took note of my surroundings, seeing that we were inside a volcano of some sort. That didn't exactly narrow down the possible locations, but upon taking note of the steam rising up from all around us, I knew where we were.
A middle-aged man, flanked by two guards, approached us as at least a dozen or so other guards stood nearby. He clasped his hands behind his back as he started to pace in front of us. "Welcome to the Boiling Rock" he said, and with that statement, my fears had come true.
Jin and Li slowly walked alongside Toph, ahead of the others as they all walked towards the Western Air Temple. Appa had gotten tired from carrying so many, hence their current situation. The twins didn't mind, their minds elsewhere. Their attention was focused on the fact that their father and Takara had been taken away… again. Fate, it seemed, reunited them only to rip them all apart. Their father was their whole world, having taken them from the obscurity of being orphans to encouraging them to be the best they could be. He gave them something they had never known before: a family.
Then, Takara had entered the picture. Their relationship had started with her being their prisoner, but she had quickly become close before Azula had taken her. After she had freed herself in Ba Sing Se and rejoined their group, she had completed their little family. The twins had come to think of her as more than just a dear friend, and more of a mother, something they had never had before. Now, she and their father were prisoners being taken to Spirits know where, and they were marching in the opposite direction after a crushing defeat.
Suddenly, they stopped at the exact same moment as Toph, and the blind girl exclaimed "Hey, we're here! I can feel it!" Jin and Li sensed it, too: an entire world beneath their feet, carved with exquisite detail and possessing an ancient aura.
The others, though, as they were without the Earthbenders' sensing ability, looked around in confusion. "Uh, I think your feet need their eyes checked" Katara said dryly.
"No, she's right" Aang said as Momo was draped across his bald head. "We are here". With that, the group mounted Appa, and the Bison was able to summon enough energy to descend into the massive crevice ahead of them, revealing the grand splendour of the Western Air Temple. The entire complex went on for what seemed forever, and it had all been carved into the Earth, with the seemingly bottomless gorge below. They landed in a wide open courtyard with a fountain in the centre. The twins couldn't help but marvel at the architecture, even though their senses had painted a clear picture of the place.
Haru, The Duke, and Teo ran off to explore the temple. Jin and Li were about to accompany them when Katara said "You guys go; I think we need to talk about some things".
As the others ran off, Aang asked Katara "Why can't I go?"
"We need to decide what we're gonna do now, and since you're the Avatar, maybe you should be a part of this". Jin and Li exchanged a glance before shrugging and sitting down as Aang did the same. They might as well involve themselves in a new battle plan before exploring; it would help to distract them from their recent turmoil.
"Fair enough" Aang agreed. "So what's the new plan?"
"Well, if you ask me", Sokka replied, "the new plan is the old plan". The twins looked at him questioningly for a moment before he continued. "You just need to master all four elements and confront the Fire Lord before the comet comes".
"Oh, yeah, that's great" Aang said sarcastically. "No problem, I'll just do that".
"Aang, no one said it's gonna be easy" Katara soothed.
"Well, it's not even gonna be possible!" Aang fired back. "Where am I supposed to get a Firebending teacher?"
The twins stared down at the ground, kicking their feet against the stone as their thoughts inevitably drifted towards their father and Takara. "We could look for Jeong Jeong" Katara offered helpfully.
"Yeah, right" Aang replied. "Like we'll ever run into Jeong Jeong again".
"Who's… oh, never mind" Toph spoke up, crossing her arms. "If it's important, I'll find out".
"Oh, well, guess we can't come up with anybody" Aang said at last, sounding eager to move on to other things, and the twins couldn't agree more. "Why don't we just take a nice tour around the temple?" With that, he was off on his glider, flying away as Momo was in hot pursuit.
"What's up with him?" Toph asked.
Sokka held his chin in thought. "There's got to be someone who can teach him Firebending" he thought out loud. "If only Shan We were still here; he was the perfect teacher!"
Katara leaned over and slapped him across the face. "Shut up, Sokka!" The twins could see her discreetly motioning over to them as she whispered "We don't need them feeling any more depressed!" She then walked over to the Earthbenders and sat down beside them as their eyes became misty with tears.
"I'm sure you've all heard the horrible rumours about our little island" the Warden said as he paced in front of us. "And if you haven't, allow me to enlighten your uneducated minds". I already knew the specifics of the Boiling Rock, having sent many prisoners here during my time in the military. My main concern, at this point, was for Takara. She still hadn't fully recovered from her ordeal at the hands of Azula, and this place was just as bad. The Warden continued pacing as he began to detail the prison's attributes. "The Boiling Rock is the highest security prison in the entire Fire Nation. It's bigger than the Dragon Catacombs prison, more heavily guarded than the Imperial Prison, and more remote than the furthest Fire Nation colony. No one has ever, ever escaped from here. I'd sooner jump in the lake myself than let that record fall".
"As I recall", I said, drawing his gaze as well as the other prisoners', "you were given this post after breaking your leg… falling from your Komodo Rhino while it was standing still". My comment earned derisive snorts from my fellow prisoners, and I could see a few of the guards struggling to stifle amused chuckles.
The Warden gave them all dangerous glares before stepping over to me. He came to stand mere inches away from my face, and as he was considerably shorter than me, I had to crane my neck in order to stare stoically into his eyes. "So, this is the legendary Commander Shan We, son of Admiral Zhao" he said, taking his time with each and every word. "You're a disgrace to your nation and your heritage". He then turned to the others present and raised his voice so that all would hear. "Let this man serve as an example to you all of what happens to cowards and traitors. This man betrayed his people, his family, and his Fire Lord… because of her".
He pointed to Takara, and I couldn't help but glance over at her. The Kyoshi Warrior was standing with her head held high, and I could only hope that her defiance would be enough for this place. The Warden came to stand very close to her, and my hands reflexively clenched into fists as he said "This woman is the reason why one of our greatest military commanders betrayed his people. She has also made several attempts on the life of Princess Azula and aided dangerous radicals who have attempted to bring down our entire society!"
For a long, tense moment, no one said a word. Takara continued to stare defiantly into the Warden's eyes, and the man showed no sign of wavering. Suddenly, and without any warning, she head-butted him, causing him to stagger back as I heard a cracking sound. He cried out in pain and fell onto the floor, several guards rushing to his aid. As he stood up, I saw blood running down from his nose, and suspected that it was broken.
The venom in his gaze made me wary, and he proceeded to grab a baton from a guard and swing at her. Acting on pure instinct, I came to stand in between them, blocking his attack with my manacled hands. My victory was short-lived, however, as a guard walked up and struck me in the side with another baton. I grunted as my ribs exploded with pain, and I fell to the floor, tightly hugging myself. A few guards, joined by the Warden, then proceeded to mercilessly beat me with batons, and I nearly passed out from the pain as my body was constantly being bombarded by blows.
A few of them started to kick me in my chest, further breaking my ribs. Belatedly, I heard Takara shout "Stop it!" A few sounds of struggle could be heard before she, too, was brought to her knees.
Eventually, the Warden barked "Throw him in a cooler! See how he likes freezing temperatures for a whole day. And toss her into solitary confinement! Let them both reflect on their mistakes". With that, two guards proceeded to roughly grab me by the arms and, since I couldn't stand on my own after the beating I had just endured, dragged me from the roof and into the bowels of the prison itself. For several minutes I was dragged along, finding it difficult to breath, as moving my chest was excruciatingly painful. Finally, I was brought to my destination: a cooler, a fully-insulated cell that constantly maintained freezing temperatures that was designed to suppress one's Firebending.
The guards literally tossed me into the freezing chamber, and I grunted as I landed, my body instantly assaulted by the biting cold. "Why don't you cool off for a bit?" one of the guards asked mockingly. "That ought to get you to cooperate". He then slid the door shut, and I was left alone, with nothing but my thoughts, my pain, and my failures as I gingerly adjusted myself so that I was sitting cross-legged. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, doing my best to maintain my body temperature.
Jin and Li looked up as Aang, followed by Sokka, Katara, and Toph on Appa, landed in the square. The others had gone after the Airbender in an effort to convince him to stop playing around and come up with a plan of attack. The twins could easily tell that they were having a hard time of it. "Oh, and you're gonna love the all-day echo chamber" Aang said, trying his best to be oblivious to the others' arguments.
Suddenly, the Earthbenders' eyes widened with shock as they sensed a particular someone approaching on foot. "I think that'll have to wait" Toph interjected, pointing towards the person as Appa moved out of the way and revealed none other than Prince Zuko standing a few feet away.
Jin and Li were on their feet in an instant as the scarred teenager pleasantly greeted them. "Hello, Zuko here". The others all entered into fighting stances, and the twins summoned rock armour around themselves. "Hey, I heard you guys flying around down there, so I just thought I'd wait for you here".
Appa lumbered over to him, cautiously sniffing the Fire Nation Prince before roaring. He then surprised everyone by licking him across his entire side, leaving it slick with mucous.
"I know you must be surprised to see me here" he continued.
"Not really", Sokka replied sardonically, "Since you've followed us all over the world".
"Right" Zuko said, absently rubbing the back of his head. "Well… uh… Anyway, what I wanted to tell you about is that I've changed, and I, uh, I'm good now. And, well, I think I should join your group". As Jin and Li's mouths fell open at the ludicrous idea, he quickly added "Oh, and I can teach Firebending… to you". The twins could see Aang's demeanor soften somewhat as Zuko said "See, I, uh…"
"You want to what now?" Toph asked incredulously.
"You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you?" Katara asked. "I mean, how stupid do you think we are?"
"Yeah, all you've ever done is try to hunt us down and capture Aang" Sokka added firmly.
"So did Shan We" Zuko pointed out, much to the twins' chagrin. "You let him join your group, and he was worse than me".
"That was different" Katara retorted. "Shan We earned our trust after he saved our lives in Ba Sing Se. He helped Aang recover after YOUR sister killed him and he helped lead the invasion! You, on the other hand, have done nothing of the sort!"
"I've done some good things" Zuko said, a slight edge of desperation creeping into his voice. He almost sounded like he actually believed what he was saying, but the twins knew better than to trust the deceptive Fire Nation Prince. "I mean, I could've stolen your Bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free. That's something". Appa gave credence to his statement by licking him across the back, causing him to shiver in disgust.
"Appa does seem to like him" Toph noted.
Sokka waved the statement aside. "He probably just covered himself in honey or something to that Appa would lick him. I'm not buying it".
Zuko closed his eyes and tilted his head towards the ground. "I can understand why you wouldn't trust me" he said calmly. "And I know I've made some mistakes in the past".
"Like when you attacked our village?" Sokka asked as an example.
"Or when you stole my mother's necklace and used it to track us down and capture us?" Katara added.
"Or when you turned on Shan We and Iroh at Ba Sing Se after all they'd done for you?" Toph asked, giving voice to the twins' sentiments.
With a slightly exasperated sigh, Zuko replied "Look, I admit I've done some awful things. I was wrong to try to capture you, and I'm sorry that I attacked the Water Tribe. And I never should've sent that Fire Nation assassin after you. I'm gonna try to stop him". The twins' eyes opened wide with shock, and Li thrust his fist forward, encasing Zuko in a rock prison, leaving only his head free.
"Wait, YOU sent Combustion Man after us?" Sokka demanded, drawing his boomerang.
After a moment of struggling, the Fire Nation Prince replied "Well, that's not his name, but…"
"Oh, sorry", the Water Tribe boy replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "I didn't mean to insult your friend".
"He's not my friend!" Zuko said earnestly.
Toph pointed an accusatory finger at the Fire Nation Prince. "That guy locked me and Katara in jail and tried to blow us all up!"
Zuko sighed before turning to regard Aang, who hadn't uttered a single word during the heated exchange. "Why aren't you saying anything? You once said you thought we could be friends". Out of the corner of his eye, Jin could see Aang looking off in the distance, contemplating the teenager's words. "You know I have good in me".
Aang turned to look at the others, and after a moment, returned his gaze towards Zuko. "There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done. We'll never let you join us".
The scarred teenager's expression became crestfallen as Katara said "You need to get out of here, now". Her tone was menacing, and judging by her stance, she was ready to attack at a moment's notice.
"I'm trying to explain that I'm not that person anymore!" Jin glanced over at Sokka, who nodded. The Earthbender nodded in turn before striking his foot against the floor, causing a rock column to shoot diagonally at Zuko, launching him towards the nearest stairs that led to the surface. With that, the twins shed their earthen armour, and proceeded to wrap an arm around each other's shoulders.
Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation, stood with her hands clasped behind her back as the gondola began its journey over the lake of boiling water below. She was flanked by guards on either side, but she paid them no mind; her attention was focused elsewhere. When the traitor Shan We had led the invasion of the capital with his pitiable force, the demon from her nightmares had come to haunt her in the waking world.
She could remember cowering in fear from the man, running away at a display of his Firebending prowess, which had disfigured her upon its miraculous return in Ba Sing Se. The memory made the Fire Nation Princess dig her sharpened fingernails into her palms, drawing blood. She had shown weakness in that battle, but after besting his little Earth Kingdom girl, she had joined with her father and had defeated Shan We, besting the man who had haunted her nights for weeks.
And yet, she did not feel wholly free. She was still scarred, just like little Zuzu, and the scar proved to be an unending reminder of her failure against the traitorous son of Admiral Zhao. Her nightmares had not gone away, and they had continued to torment her for some time. Now, she was here, at the Boiling Rock, and she would finally put her fears to rest.
The gondola came to a halt as it landed at the prison proper, and the Fire Nation Princess summarily stepped off, her guards ever one step behind her. The Warden approached, flanked by guards of his own, and as Azula approached, he bowed and greeted "Welcome, Princess Azula. To what do we…"
"Take me to Shan We" she said, cutting the man off. He was momentarily taken aback by the interruption, but quickly returned to his respectful demeanor.
"Of course, Princess" the middle-aged man replied, turning on his heel and leading her into the depths of the Fire Nation's greatest prison, but not before glancing at her face before hastily looking away. The action was so quick that it was almost imperceptible, but being as perceptive as she was, Azula had easily noticed it. She was both pleased and angered; on the one hand, his nervousness around her disfigurement meant that he feared her, which suited her just fine, but the scar was also a permanent reminder that she had failed, and in her eyes, it would always show weakness.
Weakness was something she would not tolerate.
As she was being led through the prison, she took note of all the prisoners she passed by: the war criminals, petty thieves, deserters. The scum of the Fire Nation were kept right here, and it was the perfect place for Shan We and his devious little playmate.
Eventually, they arrived at their destination, which was one of the many coolers the prison featured that were specially designed for Firebenders. Remembering to use the unburnt side of her face, her lips curled into a smirk. The Warden motioned to one of his guards, and the man proceeded to open the rounded metal door. The Fire Nation Princess instantly felt a blast of freezing cold air on her skin, which sent the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up. She had such control over herself, however, that she did not shiver, always careful to maintain her controlled persona in front of her subjects.
Azula frowned at what she saw: Shan We was indeed inside the cooler, but he was not in the state she was expecting. The experienced Firebender was sitting cross-legged inside the freezing chamber, his eyes closed as he took carefully-measured breaths. Each time he exhaled, his breath was visible, a tiny white cloud inside frozen isolation. His skin was covered in goose bumps, and the hairs on his arm were straighter than a soldier at an inspection, but he otherwise appeared… normal.
The Fire Nation Princess was inwardly furious; he should be lying down, curled into a ball and shivering uncontrollably! Instead, he appeared as calm and collected as ever, and Azula once again dug her fingernails into her palm.
"Visitors, and so soon into my sentence" the older man said evenly, his damnable stoic demeanor back in place. He then opened his eyes, and his amber orbs examined all who stood before him before focusing on Azula. "A visit from the Princess; this truly is a special day".
"You're awfully calm for being in one of the most inhospitable locales in the Fire Nation" she said, crossing her arms as she gazed down at the man. Her will was such that she would never allow herself to be defeated in a stare-down, especially to him.
"I have often found that one must take pleasure in the small things in order to make the best of unfortunate circumstances" Shan We replied, his tone close to being pleasant. "For example, I am quite pleased by these accommodations that the Warden arranged for me. The cooler temperatures are a wonderful off-set for the hot, steamy air outside".
Azula, careful to keep her lips sealed, gnashed her teeth together. This was not how it should be, she thought to herself as she beheld the man sitting before her. Remembering the injuries she and her father had given him, she turned to one of her guards and nodded. The man walked into the cooler and proceeded to punch Shan We in the side, putting as much force into the blow as he was able to.
Now, the Fire Nation Princess had the satisfaction of seeing the other Firebender grunting as he gripped his side in obvious pain. His breathing changed from controlled to heavy panting; as his concentration was now broken, he was now feeling the pain he had been able to suppress until this point. Struggling to bring his breathing back under control, he said "Oh! Thank you! I was having a little trouble concentrating earlier, and was close to falling asleep. Now that I am properly invigorated, I will have no trouble staying awake".
Azula couldn't help but sneer in derision. "You don't get to be flippant with me! You are the son of a failure, and you are a disgraceful traitor! I came here today so that I could see your suffering, and right now, I have no problem with seeing past your ruse".
Shan We started to chuckle, which infuriated the Fire Nation Princess even further. "We both know why you're here" he said, looking up at her. "You're here to set your fears in place. If you see me suffering beyond my limits, you hope to end the spectre of me that haunts you. I can tell you right now, Princess Azula, that no torture is enough to break me. I have experienced losses that someone like you will never understand, and nothing you do to me will make a difference!"
Azula was just about ready to incinerate the disrespectful man, but then she had an epiphany, helpfully provided by Shan We himself. She returned to her controlled persona, crossing her arms as she said "Why of course. You are far too stoic and tough to be broken by simple tortures such as these". She gestured at the cooler as she said the last, and she caught the Warden scowling slightly at her insulting his facility. It was no matter; his opinions were his own, and they had no bearing on her. "But I'm willing to bet that your precious little girlfriend won't be so hard to break. After all, she's probably still a little sore about the reminders I gave her".
Shan We's expression instantly changed, and his face contorted into an expression of rage. The Fire Nation Princess motioned to the guards, who promptly shut the cooler door as the Firebender shouted "Azula!" For the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to smile with both sides of her lips and even laughed a little.
Jin and Li continued to search the temple for Toph, only to continually come up empty. A short time after she had stormed off last night, they had been looking for her, becoming worried now that it was morning. The others had argued for some time after Zuko had made his plea, and Toph, understandably, stormed off when everyone wouldn't get past their negative feelings towards the banished Prince.
The twins were divided on the subject, but as they thought the matter over, they were reminded of their father; he thought that Zuko was a confused teenager who, amidst pressure from a ruthless father and psychotic sister, had been forced to do some pretty despicable things.
Suddenly, the twins' inner ruminations were interrupted when they sensed their blind companion nearby. They exchanged a glance before looking in her direction just as she emerged from a nearby room, crawling on her hands. Jin and Li hurried over to her, and as they helped her stand, she nervously smiled and said "Hey guys. Funny story…"
A few minutes later, and Jin thrust his arms forward, demolishing the wall in front of them and clearing a path into the square overlooking the ravine. The others instantly rushed over to them as Katara said "Toph! Jin, Li! What happened?"
"My feet got burned" the blind Earthbender replied as the twins handed her over to the Waterbender.
As she took a look at the damage, Katara asked "Oh, no, what happened?"
Toph's expression became instantly deadpan. "I just told you: my feet got burned".
"I meant how" Katara clarified, looking a little displeased at Toph's usual sarcastic nature.
The twins exchanged a nervous glance before she replied "Well, I kind of went to see Zuko last night". The others' eyes all shot open with shock, and Jin and Li wished that they possessed voices with which to come to Toph's aid.
"You what?" Aang demanded.
"Zuko?" Katara asked as Sokka merely gasped.
"I just thought he could be helpful to us" Toph explained. "And if I talked to him, maybe we could work something out".
"So he attacked you?" Sokka asked.
"Well, he did and he didn't. It was sort of an accident".
"But he did Firebend at you?" Aang asked, and the twins could see Toph looking away, even though she technically couldn't see anything.
"Yes" she said resignedly.
"See? You trusted Zuko and got burned… literally!" Sokka said, placing his hands on his hips matter-of-factly. Jin walked over and punched the older boy in the arm, hard, and he cried out in pain and asked "Hey, what was that for?"
As the Earthbending boy gave him a scowl, Katara worked on Toph's burned and blistered feet. "It's gonna take a while for your feet to get better. I wish I could've worked on them sooner".
"Yeah, me too" Toph agreed.
"Zuko's clearly too dangerous to be left alone" Sokka decided, holding his chin in thought. "We're gonna have to go after him".
"I hate to go looking for a fight, but you're right" Aang reluctantly agreed. "After what he did to Toph, I don't think we have a choice".
"He's crafty, but we'll find a way to capture him" Sokka said, looking and sounding like he was developing a strategy.
"Maybe just invite him back here" Toph suggested. "He's already offered himself up as a prisoner once".
Jin and Li frowned as the Water Tribe boy's face lit up. "Yeah… get him to come back and say he'll be our prisoner, then we'll jump him and really make him our prisoner! He'll never suspect it".
"You are a master of surprise, Sokka" Katara said sardonically. Li walked over and tugged on her shoulder, and when she looked down at him, he crouched and wrote on the ground.
"What's he saying?" Aang asked upon noticing the exchange.
The Waterbender craned her neck and read aloud "He says to remember that Zuko is just a confused teenager with a psychotic family. Like Shan We, he only ever wanted to be accepted by his father, and that drove him to do all those things he did in the past. Now, it looks like he's realized that what he did was wrong, and that he wants to make things right".
"Wow, that's pretty wise for just a kid" Sokka casually remarked, earning a scowl from Jin and Li. "Where did you guys come up with that?"
Li wrote something else, and Katara read "From their father". Sokka's demeanor became slightly more serious as things took a more sombre turn. He and Aang proceeded to place Toph's feet into the fountain, and as she let out a pleased sigh, the twins walked over to the edge of the square, gazing off into the distance as they inevitably thought of their father. Suddenly, and without warning, a massive explosion rocked the section of the temple they occupied, and Li fell off of the edge as a result of the vibrations.
Jin reacted instantly, sliding his foot forward and extending a section of the floor as a platform that Li fell on. The brothers clasped hands just as they heard Zuko's voice from far away saying "Stop! They turned and saw the teenager on a balcony a fair ways away, along with the hulking frame of Combustion Man. "I don't want you hunting the Avatar anymore". The twins, along with everyone else, stared in shock as he stood in front of the massive assassin, waving his arms. "The mission is off. I'm ordering you to stop".
Combustion Man easily swatted Zuko aside like a porcelain doll, proceeding to take a deep breath and launch another deadly beam at the twins and their companions. The beam struck the top of the fountain, creating a fantastic explosion that sent bits of rock and debris flying all over the place as the square shook. Jin and Li raised a protective rock barrier in front of themselves as the others hid behind the edge of the fountain.
"If you keep attacking, I won't pay you" Zuko said as his fist became wreathed in crimson flame. His attack was thwarted, however, as Combustion Man held him back with barely any effort. Switching tactics, Zuko said "Alright, I'll pay you double to stop".
The assassin would have none of that, and returned his attention back to the group. Zuko, however, managed to kick the massive man, which sent his next attack astray. He turned and gazed menacingly at the teenager before firing a destructive beam at him just as he raised a flaming shield. Once the explosion cleared, Zuko was gone, and the twins exchanged a glance as they thought that he had finally been defeated once and for all.
As he once again turned to face the group, Jin and Li went on the offensive, thrusting their arms forward several times and launching a barrage of small boulders at their opponent. Several barely missed their mark as Combustion Man dodged out of the way, while a few others were swatted aside by his clawed metal arm.
Aang charged forward, and after dodging another beam, launched a spinning tornado. Combustion Man responded by leaping off of his balcony and over the tornado before coming to land closer to the group. Katara attacked this time, taking water from the fountain and shooting it at him in the form of a storm of ice needles.
Unfortunately, he blocked them with his metal arm and leg, but the attack was enough of a diversion for the group to find better cover just inside a corridor. Another explosion sounded, and Toph said "He's going to blast this whole place right off the cliffside!"
Katara peered around the corner, only to bring her head right back as an explosion struck near her. "I can't step out to Waterbend at him without getting blown up" she said helplessly. "And I can't get a good enough angle on him from down here".
Jin and Li furrowed their brows in thought, trying to think of something that would help them defeat this seemingly-unbeatable foe. Suddenly, Sokka said "I know how to get an angle on him". He then drew his boomerang, peering out for a moment before another explosion struck nearby. He then drew his arm back and said to his favourite weapon "All right, buddy, don't fail me now". He hurled the boomerang, and the twins watched as it rounded a pillar before disappearing from sight. Eventually, it came back, and the group cautiously emerged from behind their cover as Sokka caught his weapon and cried out "Yeah, boomerang!" Jin tapped him on the shoulder before pointing at Combustion Man, who even now stood back up, and Sokka's expression then fell as he said "Aw, boomerang".
The next thing they knew, just as they were all prepared to get blasted, a massive explosion consumed the upside-down tower Combustion Man was on. It was then ripped from the cliffside, plummeting into the ravine below. Haru, Teo, and The Duke all cautiously peered around the corner of a pillar at this point, looking just as stunned as everyone else.
A few minutes later, and Zuko was approaching, looking no worse for wear after almost being disintegrated. The twins had been impressed by his actions during the attack, and that had proven to them that the teenager was honest about his wish to join them. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but thanks, Zuko" Aang said.
"Hey, what about me?" Sokka demanded indignantly. He then struck a heroic pose and added "I did the boomerang thing".
"Listen, I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday. I've been through a lot in the past few years, and it's been hard. But I'm realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth: I thought I had lost my honour, and that somehow, my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honour. It's something you earn for yourself by choosing to do what's right. All I want now is to play my part in ending this war. And I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world".
Jin and Li smirked as they crossed their arms, nodding to the teenager. He was starting to sound and act a lot like their father, and that was a good thing; maybe he had finally started walking down the proper path.
He turned to Toph and said "I'm sorry for what I did to you. It was an accident. Fire can be dangerous and wild, so as a Firebender, I need to be more careful and control my Bending so I don't hurt people unintentionally".
The twins exchanged a devious glance, and Jin proceeded to tap his heel against the ground, causing an earthen pillar to emerge underneath Zuko, launching him into the air before he came crashing down with a grunt. Everyone turned to look at the Earthbenders, and Toph smiled as she turned to look in the twins' direction. "Now, we're even".
As Zuko dusted himself off, Aang said "I think you are supposed to be my Firebending teacher. When I first tried to learn Firebending, I burned Katara. And after that, I never wanted to Firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love. I'd like you to teach me".
He then bowed to the teenager, who returned the gesture and said "Thank you. I'm so happy you've accepted me into your group". After Aang got the others' opinions on the matter, he allowed Zuko to join. After some tentative smiles and congratulations, Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Toph walked away, leaving Zuko and the twins. The Earthbending twins approached their former adversary, and the three exchanged bows before moving on.
So, Zuko is now officially part of the gaang!
After the positive feedback for the Azula scenes I included for the invasion, I decided to add another one here. It was really fun to write her conversation with Shan We, and it was really fun to see her so unsettled. She's usually the master of any interaction, but our friendly neighbourhood Firebender was able to throw her off-balance, and he knew exactly what to say and do.
Let me know what y'all think!