Hey there readers! Oh wow, I can't apologise enough for the long wait in uploading! It's a little bit hectic in the house at the moment, it has been for months! I hate moving things around... Any way!

I love love LOOOOOOVE the reviews you were all kind enough to leave! ~blows kisses~ You lovely people. Also, thanks to those who just read as well, I feel loved. Okay, so this chapter now!

Also, sorry for any spelling or/and grammar mistakes or issues in the previous chapter.

Warning: Boyxboy love. Yaoi. Shonen-ai. Jet and Zuko love. Violence? Swearing? A little bit.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Avatar is the wonderful love child of Mike and Bryan! Story line is mine. Maybe similar to others though... damnit.

So, for now my pretties... ENJOY! XD

The creepy man with the odd pony-tail let slip a smile which would give any human a chill.

"Yes... you are to kill this fire bender immediately!"

Jets hook swords hung down at his sides for a second and Zuko took another step back.

"Jet...J-"

The hooks darted up and clashed with Zuko's swords. The fire prince's arms shook as he held off the pressured attack.

They weren't just shaking from the force Jet was using, but from fear and shock and confusion.

"Jet, what are you doing?"

Zuko managed to leap out of reach and catch his breath. Trying to assess the situation, he stared horrified at the hollow expression in the other teens eyes. Zuko was hoping Jet wasn't acting on behalf of his own will, he was really hoping.

Sure, Jet could handle the fact that Zuko was a fire bender and therefore from the fire nation... but to discover Zuko was the Banished Prince Zuko, supposed next heir to the throne when he regained his honour? Any normal man would snap at that. Was the fire bender all on his own for certain now?

Jet lashed out and cut and slashed and kicked and fought. His fighting style was pretty much his own, but it had a drive behind it that nearly took off Zuko's head on more than one account in only a few minutes. As well as Jet, every now and again Zuko would have to avoid a rock or cope with the earth shifting beneath his feet. The creepy man frowned in a little disappointment when Zuko forcefully shoved Jet off balance instead of taking the strike.

"What is the matter, Prince Zuko? Why don't you just fire bend already? It's quite obvious you will not make it out of here alive without it..."
He chuckled and added.

"Well, not that you're getting out of here alive."

The creepy man then snipped loudly in the same tone he used before to turn Jet mind warped. Although, he sounded a little annoyed.

"Jet, this fire bender is still alive! Use your impeccable skills and protect your country, kill him where he stands, no matter what."

Gritting his teeth, when their metal clashed again, Zuko swept Jet's feet out from under him and pinned him. By now, he was sure Jet wasn't doing this because he wanted to. He then desperately whispered to him.

"You're being made to do this, Jet, and I know you can snap out of it!"

Zuko looked into Jet's eyes, hoping for something. He saw a flash but that was quickly dulled out again. Unable to hold Jet down, Zuko was thrown across the large round stone platform and hit by a rock from the side, so he rolled and fell limp half off the edge of the platform.

He went to move, but felt the pain of bruised or broken ribs and winced, letting out a near non-existent groan and an exhausted breath but he knew he had to get up because he could hear lone footsteps making their way in his direction.

He painfully lifted his head and squinted through a little dribble of blood dripping from his eye brow. He noticed Jet only had a bleeding lip. Himself on the other hand? Possibly broken ribs, sprained wrist, beaten face and body in general and all in all he could have looked better. He felt like before, when the pirates tried to blow him up.

Jet grabbed him by the scruff and lifted him up off of his feet and Zuko clasped his hands desperately around the larger, tan ones on his clothing. Jet then asked in a monotone voice.

"How should he die...?"

The creepy man pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes.

"Actually..."

He smiled.

"I think I'll just kill two birds with one stone."

The creepy man then signalled to a group of earth benders sharply.

Jet didn't move... but Zuko did. He saw the earth breaking up and getting closer. He took his hands and manoeuvred them around Jet's arms and pushed sharply and quickly on Jet's chest. The tan teen was shoved backwards and he stumbled and fell.

The rocks shot out of the ground and up and hit Zuko just as he pushed a flaming hand out in some sort of failed attempt to lessen the painful blow he knew would come. He hit the floor with a loud thud. Jet sat up, still hallow faced but looked towards Zuko. The creepy man sighed.

"Oh well, looks like that wasn't going to hap-..."

He stopped himself when Jet stumbled up and slowly made his way over to Zuko. The scarred teen was clenching his chest.

Their eyes met and Zuko muttered one word.

"...Jet..."
The haze was beginning to fall in his eyes and Jet asked, still a little monotone.

"...Why...?"
Zuko blinked slowly and took in a deep breath.

"Beacause... I can't let you ...die for me..."

The final words to break the haze, or more like snap it and shatter it into a billion pieces. It was almost like what Jet had told him back then, in the woods with the burning barn, when he barely knew Zuko and was already up to risking his life for him... because Zuko was so damn special, the thought of letting him fight alone and possibly die seemed weird and just not right inside... not right at all.

So how could this stupid hypnotism possibly blind him to that very precious thought and feeling? It shouldn't have!

The creepy man could not hear their small, rather cheesy but heartfelt conversation and gave a sigh of impatience.

"Jet, kill the fire bender now. Do not hesitate, he will burn and kill us all!"

That would have nearly made Jet laugh if he was not so busy mulling over how he could have injured his Zuko. He crouched down, behind the rocks so that the creepy man and earth benders could not see.

"Li I-..."

"Zuko."
Jet looked at the scarred teen who had just interrupted him.

"I'm Zuko..."

Jet took a few moments to register and his snap reaction came freely.

"I don't care what your name is..."

Zuko closed his eyes, letting out a long breath and almost crying, but that soft moment was kind of interrupted by Zuko wincing in pain and touching his chest. Jet took in a sharp breath and clenched his teeth and his hook swords.

"Damn it... I'm going to kill those bastards..."

He muttered under his breath and looked up sharply from behind his fallen hair at the creepy man. Said creep flinched.

"Jet...?"

Zuko gasped and went to grab Jet as he stood up and damn near roared, charging in creepy man's direction. Zuko grimaced as he forced himself past the pain. Jet was busy with earth benders and killing them and the like. It wasn't long before Jet and Zuko were truly surrounded.

Suddenly, an arrow knocked one of the earth benders off target at the rock flew just between the two teens heads. Looking up, Jet was only too glad to see Longshot.

Smellerbee then zip-wired down the rope attached to the arrow and landed defensively at Jet's side. One knife clenched between her teeth and an extra two poised and ready to kill. Jet Smiled.

"Where have you been...?"

She looked up at him from under her low headband and grumbled through the knife.

"Well you made enough noise for us to find ya'..."

Creepy pony-tail man looked about at the four and shouted.

"It's an ambush! More are coming! Retreat!"

The earth benders still attacked as Smellerbee and Longshot scared them off with their awesome skills. While they were doing that, Jet automatically snagged Zuko's hand and took him out of there, knowing that his fire bender was injured badly. Thus, the fours teens were separated again.

It wasn't as if their exiting was easy. They ran into all sorts of issues, mainly Dai-Li agents and more of the like. Poor Zuko was nearly incapable of doing anything, his possible broken ribs rendered him dangerously vulnerable.

Such as the brief incident when a Dai-Li agent clamped him around the waist with rock fists while he was distracted. Zuko was then dragged helplessly away, and he would have been captured if it wasn't for Jet keeping his wit about his Zuko. The tanned teen snagged Zuko back by the waist and kicked away some flying projectile objects.

Even Jet's embrace nearly pained him to death right then and there. This is when Zuko realised it was getting too real and they were dangerously outnumbered.

And true enough, it wasn't long before Jet was slashed in the side. The force the spear was thrown knocked him off his feet, even though it didn't hit him directly. He did a full one and a half spin before painfully hitting the floor. Zuko barely stepped in to deflect more of an attack but was also knocked off of his feet, landing on Jet.

Suddenly, Zuko's arm was grabbed, and in the shock of the moment he nearly burned it to a crisp, but when he looked up it was Longshot. He allowed himself to be dragged up and pulled Jet with him.

They escaped down the narrow crack of a passage way and met up with Smellerbee. She hushed them and slipped a knife around the corner.

"I can't tell for sure, but it look like there are a lot of guys between us and our exit. What should be do Jet?"

She turned and then gaped at his side. Her voice came hysterical but she kept it quiet.

"Jet! Your side-!"

He covered it instantly and turned so she couldn't see it any more.

"I'm fine. Just a scratch."

She looked at him long and hard, but he just continued.

"As for the situation? My plan is, we bust those glowy green lights and we make a run for it. Simple enough? We just need to cause a little distraction. Got any of those cherry bombs left Longshot?"
He nodded and took out a small bag from... somewhere... and sifted through it with Smellerbee.

Zuko noted how Jet was clenching his side and gritting his teeth, sweat rolling by the bead down his face. He then thought about something and pulled Jet further back into the crack to talk.

"It's not you they're after. It's me."
Jet obliviously agreed in a way, since he missed what Zuko was trying to say.

"I know, that's why I'm going to get you out of here if it ki-"

Zuko growled.

"No! You're not dying! Nobody is..."

The prince looked off to the ground.

Jet raised a slightly bloody hand and placed a finger under Zuko's chin.

"I don't like to repeat myself... but I'm willing to risk everything I have to get you safe...Because I can't think of a world where I didn't have you..."

He hovered his mouth over Zuko's, letting out a hot breath before engaging in a kiss. It was passionate and hot and most disappointing of all, brief on Jet's side.

But Zuko's plan would mean not seeing Jet again, so he aggressively grabbed the taller teens shoulders, nearly ripping his clothes, and pulled Jet back in. Zuko pushed his tongue in deeper and kept on pulling Jet in, even though they were as close together as humanly possible. Even though Zuko's ribs screamed in protest to such brutality in actions.

Jets arms had wrapped around his back and squeezed, making more pain for the both of them. The taller teen pulling on Zuko's hair, so the fire benders head fell back and Jet plunged deeper into the kiss. A few moments later and Zuko pulled out of it. Commenting of Jets previous remark.

"Me neither..."

Jet began to smile, but noticed the downward look in Zuko's eyes and didn't have time to react. Zuko had hit him hard in a spot on the neck and Jet blacked out. Falling into Zuko's shaky arms.

He then heard the cherry bombs going off, and presented Jet to Smellerbee and Longshot. The two gave him a look that said it all, and Zuko explained himself immediately and with the utmost importance.

"Listen, I'm the one they want. They're after me. So I'll be taking the rest of those cherry bombs and leading them away, and you'll be taking Jet out of here safely..."

Smellerbee was about to ask.

"But what about-...?"

Zuko's shoulder fell as he forced himself to say the words he didn't believe in.

"Trust me. It's for the best that you do this. Regardless of what he says, he can't come looking for me."
Smellerbee looked up at Zuko... Jet's most precious person, and temporarily hesitated and doubted every little bit of this new plan. She knew that if Zuko was to run off and disappear forever just to save Jet's life... even maybe get himself killed... Jet would never forgive himself or Smellerbee or Longshot for that matter.

Although, she didn't have much time to disagree. Since Longshot prodded her firmly on the arm. Nodding, she took two bombs and threw them at the two lamps lighting up that end of the long corridor. It went dark and the Dai-Li were confused, but soon found their target as Zuko distracted them with bombs in his direction.

Soon, they gave chase to Zuko, letting the other three escape.

Zuko was cornered soon, since he wasn't really expecting to get terribly far. And as daggered rocks flew at him from all angles, his fire and that which didn't belong to him surrounded his body and when the flames cleared, he was gone.