Disclaimer – all original Avatar: The Last Airbender characters in this fanfic (excluding my OC's) are the property of Bryana Konietzko and Michaela Dante DiMartino.

Chapter 29. The Search – part 3

Fire Nation Capital, Harbor City Outskirts, Abandoned Smelting Factory.

Huo kept staring daggers at the two men and moved away from Shaku, not wanting his friend to be hit by a random attack. He was angry and could feel his lips curling into a creepy smile, but he quickly closed his eyes and shook his head. This wasn't a place to let his anger control him. Not to mention, he didn't want his friends to see him in such a state.

The boy took a few deep breaths and focused on his opponents. Both seemed to be in their mid-twenties and were very similar to each other, with the only distinctive feature being their height. One was tall, while the other was short. If they were earthbenders like the crippled man, Huo needed to watch out for their slightest movement. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck in the ground again.

Shaku looked at Huo and slowly got back up, but he winced from the pain in his chest. He wanted to help but was too hurt, and even getting back to his feet was difficult. He wouldn't be able to do much.

Huo noticed Shaku getting back up in the corner of his eye. "I got this, Shaku!" he assured, keeping his focus on the two men. "Keep yourself and Eilu safe!"

"Tch, I'm a grown man, and a child fights for me," he commented, not liking this at all. Still, there was nothing else he could do now but hope some miracle would help them in this situation. With a hand on his chest, Shaku walked over to the lying Eilu and crouched beside her.

Huo could now focus entirely on the fight. "Okay, only use firebending available to humans," he reminded himself and took a fighting stance. Unlike his small exchange with Rini, this would be a real fight. He'd really need some advanced techniques of the Fire Keepers, but he made a promise to Wei'Rai. Still, if it turned out that they wanted to kill them and there was no other way, Huo wouldn't hesitate to use everything he knew and face the consequences later.

The tall man threw a punch, conjuring an orange flame toward Huo. The boy took a quick step to the right, avoiding it. A second attack came from the shorter man, who also created a flame from his fist. Huo stepped to the left and smirked. Since he was now sure that he was up against firebenders, he knew they couldn't surprise him.

The boy inhaled, and with an exhale, he thrust his right arm forward, conjuring a blue-colored flame from his open palm. The taller man stepped forward and extinguished the flame with a kick.

"Blue fire," noted the hooded man, observing them from above. "A prodigy."

The archer squinted his eyes and leaned his head forward, noticing something since Huo wasn't wearing his mask anymore. "Is that a tattoo on the kid's forehead?" he asked. "It's either a fake to scare people away or a real thing. If its the latter, he can firebend with his mind like that other guy."

The hooded man didn't reply but began tapping his fingers against the railing. He was clearly intrigued by the boy.

Huo sharply slid his right foot forward, sending a blue-colored flame in a straight line across the floor. The tall firebender moved to the side, avoiding it, and responded with a front kick, sending a large fire attack at Huo. The boy quickly moved to the side and extended his hands towards the orange flame. He spun around, redirecting the flame, which turned blue in the process, back at the man, who immediately put it out by hitting it with both fists.

Wanting to close the distance, Huo dashed forward. The tall firebender shot a large stream of flame at the boy from his fist. Huo slid underneath the stream and shot two flames from his hands at the ground, pushing himself upright. He immediately fired a few fire jabs in quick succession at the tall man from a close distance, forcing him to dodge by jumping to the side.

The boy used this opportunity to move forward so that he was now standing between the two men. He turned to face the short one and leaned forward. He conjured a flame from his right hand, sending it at the firebender while lifting his left leg and firing another blast at the tall firebender, who stood behind him.

The short firebender stepped to the side, dodging the blue flame, while the tall one defused the second blue flame with a roundhouse kick. Both of them immediately retaliated by conjuring flames from their fists at the boy, who quickly executed a cartwheel side flip, evading both attacks. He landed on his feet, turned sideways to both firebenders and backed away to have them both in his field of vision.

Each of Huo's attacks was perfectly executed, and no move was wasted, which was noticed by the hooded man. "This kid isn't from the capital," he pointed out. "He'd be noticed by someone immediately."

"Maybe he's from one of the central islands like Eilu and her friend," guessed the archer. "That would explain how he knows them."

"It's a possibility," the hooded man replied as he continued to watch the fight.

The tall firebender lifted his leg high and created a vertical flame arch with an axe kick. Huo stepped to the right, dodging it, and leaned back. He thrust both of his arms forward and lifted his right leg, conjuring a large flame from all of his three limbs. Still, the short firebender extinguished it with a strong kick.

Huo leaned back and repeated the attack, but once again, it was extinguished. The boy leaned back for the third time. Both men thought that the boy was simply getting irritated and desperate, but this time, instead of his limbs, Huo thrust his head forward. A thin transparent beam came from his forehead, making a sound similar to firecrackers.

At the last second, the short firebender created a fire shield, and the beam collided with it, creating a flash and a loud bang. The floor in the spot cracked, and the catwalk above them shook. The short firebender was sent flying on his back while the tall one crossed his arms in front of him, trying not to be blown away by the shockwave.

The hooded man hit the railing with his fist. "Yes! Haha, this is perfect!" he exclaimed with clear joy.

Huo exhaled and looked at the knocked-down firebender, who shook his head and slowly tried to get back to his feet. The other firebender was clearly surprised, but he regained his composure and took a fighting stance.

Shaku couldn't believe what he was seeing. He always admired Huo when they were kids but never suspected the boy of being this talented. Huo was able to compete with two adult firebenders. He was amazing.

"Okay, I've seen enough," the hooded man stated, turning his head towards the archer, who put his standard arrow back in the quiver and pulled out a blunt non-lethal arrow. He aimed at the boy and fired.

Huo was focused on the firebenders and didn't expect to be attacked by an archer. He heard a hissing sound and instinctively began to turn his head towards it. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain as something hit him on the side of his head, close to his right eye. Before darkness engulfed him, he heard Shaku screaming his name.

"Ugghh!" Huo groaned and slowly opened his eyes, noticing he was lying on an old mattress. He placed his hand at the spot where he was hit, noticing his head was bandaged, and sat up. Looking around, he realized he was in a dirty, dimly lit room with no windows, one small torch, and only one chair in the middle.

The door to the room opened with a screech, and the hooded man entered it. "Ah, you're awake, good," he said, earning a glare from Huo. "Sorry about the arrow to the head, but I guessed that you wouldn't simply surrender if asked."

The boy immediately got up and prepared to attack, but the man raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. "Easy now, I'm not here to fight," he assured. "I only want to talk with you."

"Where are my friends?!" Huo demanded.

"They're safe and being examined by a medic like you were," the hooded man answered, approaching the chair. He sat down and pulled back his hood, revealing his face.

Huo took a good look at the man, who was in his early thirties, noticing he was well-groomed. He had fair skin, black hair tied in a top-knot, which was adorned with a red-colored headpiece in the shape of a feather, and brown-colored eyes. He wasn't an average thug who roamed the streets. He looked more like one of the nobles, and Huo had a hunch he was the guy Sunlin had warned him about.

"My boy, I don't say it often, but you are a gem," the man praised. "A true firebending prodigy and the answer to my prayers."

Huo arched his eyebrow, confused and slightly creeped out. "I didn't come here to be praised," he replied coldly. "I came here to save my friends."

"Oh, believe me when I say that you're the only person here who can make that happen," the hooded man replied. "You can help them and make sure they'll remain unharmed by helping me. If you do, they'll return to their families safe and sound."

"And I'm suppose to believe you?" Huo asked, squinting his orange-colored eyes.

"To be fair, you don't have a choice," the man replied. "Yes, you can attack me, and I have no means of defending myself because I'm not a bender, but my men are ordered to execute your friends if you cause any more trouble. So think about your next move carefully."

Huo didn't trust the man, but it was evident he didn't have a choice in this situation. He needed to at least hear what the man wanted to say. "Fine, I'm listening," the boy said, sitting back on the mattress and crossing his legs. "What do you want from me?"

"I knew you were a smart boy," the man smiled. "If I heard correctly, your name is Huo, yes?"

"Yes," Huo confirmed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Huo, my name is Weng," the man introduced himself, confirming Huo's hunch. "Now tell me, who rules our nation?"

"What? Ummm... Fire Lord Azulon," Huo answered, slightly confused by the unexpected question.

"That's correct," Weng nodded and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "The Fire Lord is the autocratic leader of our nation and he can do anything he wants like for example, start a war, but it wasn't always like that. Centuries ago, the power to rule the Fire Nation was shared between the Fire Lord, the Fire Sages, and the noble clans, who descended from the warlords who ruled the Fire Islands before its unification. That all changed during the reign of Fire Lord Zoryu, who created a plan to take away any real power away from the clans and placing it behind the throne."

Huo didn't really understand what that got to do with him, but he listened closely.

"The Fire Sages held their share of power slightly longer because of their spirituality," Weng continued. "Before the war, we were a very spiritual people, but eventually, mostly because of Fire Lord Sozin, the military might became more important and the Fire Sages became little more than aging remnants of old times. Yes, they still perform marriage ceremonies etc etc, but they have nothing to say when it comes to making important decision regarding the nation."

"The point is," Weng continued. "The war would never happened if the Fire Sages and the noble clans would still have power because they'd never let the Fire Lord to invade other nations. That's my goal and my dream. I want to get rid of corruption in the Fire Nation by bringing the Fire Sages and the nobles back to power they once had."

Huo smirked and then chuckled. "You want to get rid of corruption?" he asked incredulously. "You keep people imprisoned in the cells, you held my friends there as well, and you ordered your men to injure one of them. You expect me to believe you're a good guy who wants to change the Fire Nation?"

"Sometimes good people have no choice but to do bad things for the greater good," Weng replied with a serious expression. "I blackmailed and manipulated more people than I can count. I hurt many and ordered to kill a few because I had no choice. Yes, many people consider me a monster and a heartless being, who only cares for power, but power is what I need to succeed. If I need to do those things so our people won't die because of a meaningless war, then so be it."

Huo opened his mouth to say something but closed it and exhaled through his nose. He was in a similar situation since he needed to kill the Avatar to save the world from Yuan'Shi. Did that mean he'd need to become like Weng?

"You know what I'm talking about, don't you?" Weng asked, noticing the boy's reaction. "I'm good at reading people. I've been doing it for as long as I can remember. That's why Eilu worked for me for a while since I knew she also wanted the Fire Nation to change. However, she was too pure-hearted and couldn't handle the way I did things. She threatened to reveal everything to the high-ranking officers, so I needed to lock her up, and when her boyfriend arrived, he joined her because he was asking too many questions. But now, since you're here, we can solve this problem."

"If I do as you say," Huo stated. "So you're blackmailing me now."

"Exactly," Weng admitted. "It's simple. You'll work for me, and I order my men to take your friends back to their town where they can continue their lives. However, if you escape or betray me, they'll die. If they return to cause me trouble, they'll also die. Do we understand each other?"

"Crystal," Huo answered, squinting his eyes. "So I'm simply becoming one of your lackeys."

"Oh no, believe me you'll have a much bigger role," Weng assured. "You, my boy, are going to become my son."

"Say what?!" Huo's eyes widened in shock. "You want to adopt me?!"

"No, it's slightly more complicated than that, but I'll explain later," Weng got up from his chair and began to pace around the room. "For now, answer me this. Where are your parents? I don't think they'd let their child go on such a rescue mission."

Still shocked by the statement, Huo regained his composure after a few moments. Lying to the man wasn't a good idea since it would endanger other people. "My dad was killed by my mom, who ran away, and I haven't seen her since then," the boy answered, pointing at his vertical scar. "She also gave me this before she left the island. I don't know where she is now, and I'm certain she doesn't know I'm here."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Weng said, sounding sincere. "Why did she kill him?"

Huo lowered his head, looking at the floor, and didn't answer. This was a question he couldn't answer without triggering more questions. After a few seconds, Weng broke the silence. "I see that's a sensitive topic for you," he noted. "Fine, I don't need to know the details. Do you have any other relatives? Brothers? Sisters? Aunts? Uncles? Grandparents? I need to make sure a member of your family won't suddenly knock on my door and cause trouble."

"No," Huo shook his head and looked back at Weng. "Not to my knowledge at least and even if I had, I don't think they know about my existence much less where I am right now."

Weng stopped and turned to face Huo. "Alright, last question, and I need you to think carefully about the answer. When you were looking for your friends in the capital, did anyone see your face up close?" he asked, almost piercing Huo with his brown-colored eyes. "I'm talking about important people like high-ranking officers or nobles."

Huo looked to the side and squinted his eyes. He needed to be careful with the answer to protect Sunlin and her gang. "Actually, the only adult who saw my face was the shop owner, who sold me the mask," the boy answered. "I talked with many guards and a bartender, but I always wore the mask during the conversations. A few children saw my face up close when I ate a dumpling at the park. Maybe some adults saw me from afar back then, but definitely not up close."

"Excellent," Weng smiled. "As you see, you're going to become a son of a noble. Many children would do anything to be in your place."

"Lucky me," Huo remarked, not sharing the man's enthusiasm. "I want to talk with my friends and make sure their okay."

"Sure," Weng agreed. "In fact, I actually prefer you explain the situation to them yourself since they probably won't trust me."

"I wonder why," Huo commented and got up.

Weng left the room with Huo and led the boy to a second room on the same level, which was guarded by the two firebenders and the earthbender. Huo entered the room alone, and when a firebender closed the door behind him, he immediately spotted his friends. Eilu was now conscious and sat on a bed beside Shaku, who was topless and his shoulder was bandaged.

"This can't be," the woman said, covering her mouth with her hand when she looked at the young boy who approached them.

"Told you," Shaku added. "I couldn't believe it myself when I first saw him."

Eilu got up from the bed and moved closer to Huo, who smiled. "Hey, Eilu," he said. "I hope they didn't hurt you."

"Huo," Eilu whispered and knelled in front of the boy. She hugged her friend tightly, who hugged her back. After a few moments, Eilu pulled away. "How? Why are you still a boy?" she asked.

"When I was injured by my mother, I was taken to a Spirit World and placed in a pond, which healed me, but my body stooped aging for the duration on the healing," Huo explained. "I lived four years with in the Spirit World with my dad, who became a spirit."

"Ummm... okay," Shaku replied, rubbing the back of his head. "That's a lot to take in at once."

"I'm glad you're safe," Eilu stated. "I heard you came here to save us. I'm sorry you got into this mess because of us."

"Don't worry, everything is going to be alright," Huo reassured. "I made a deal with Weng and you're going to be send home."

"What do you mean?" Shaku squinted his eyes.

"I know too much and he won't let us go just like that," Eilu pointed out.

"Well, in return, I need to become his son and help him with his plan," Huo said. "If I betray him or run away, he's going to kill both you. The same will happen if you return here to cause him trouble."

"That dirty son of a-," Eilu wanted to curse, but she stopped herself. "No, I won't leave you alone with him. You have no idea what kind of a man he is."

"I'll be fine, Eilu," Huo reassured. "I came here to save both of you and if I have to play a son of a noble to make it happen, then so be it. It could've ended far worse for me. I don't trust him at all, but I have no choice. Plus, if I decide to leave and he won't let me, I only need to meditate and ask the spirits for help. I'm friends with spirits, who are powerful enough to level this whole city."

"We'll take your word for it," Shaku replied.

"I do have a favor to ask, though," Huo smiled, looking at Eilu. "I learned that you're in trouble because I talked with your mother pretending to be a spirit of a violet-colored phoenix. When you return home, don't tell anyone that 'I' helped you, but say a spirit did that, okay?"

Eilu and Shaku looked at each other, slightly confused. "Well, it's the least we can do," Shaku shrugged.

"That's the second time you're saving me," Eilu said, kissing Huo's cheek and making the boy blush. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Huo replied. "Just promise me you'll both stay safe."

"We will," Eilu promised with a smile.

Huo smiled as well and sighed. "Well, I better go tell Weng that everything is settled," he said. "I'd love to talk with you more, but the sooner you guys return home, the better."

"Good luck," Shaku said.

"And be careful, Huo," Eilu warned. "Weng is a man who doesn't hesitate to do anything to get what he wants."

"I'm aware," Huo replied and turned around, heading towards the door. When he left the room, Weng was talking with the earthbender, waiting for him. "And?" he asked, turning to look at Huo.

"They agreed," the boy announced. "Just make sure they reach their home safely."

"Oh, you can count on that," Weng stated. "It's in my best interest to make sure they get home in one piece."

"So you can keep blackmailing me," Huo crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, I already learned how this works."

"Then we'll have no problem working together, my son," Weng smirked.

"Tch, so what's the plan, father?" Huo asked with disdain.

Please R&R ;)