"Walking stinks. How do people go anywhere without a flying bison?" Aang groaned.
Zuko had to admit he agreed. He'd gotten used to the speediness and convenience of bison travel; when your method of transportation was flight, you usually didn't have to worry about taking detours through dense forests like the one they had currently been trudging through for the past few hours.
According to Iroh's map, they were now somewhere in the western Earth Kingdom, north of Omashu across the Serpent River. Unfortunately, after they had left the Earth Kingdom city, their luck with evading the Fire Nation had seemingly run out. Just a few weeks ago, they had helped Katara rescue a village of earthbenders from the Fire Navy, and last week, they'd had a run-in with pirates after they had recognized his, Aang's, and Iroh's faces from the Fire Nation wanted posters that now littered the entire west coast of the Earth Kingdom. Zuko was half expecting admiral Zhao to be who they ran into next. It had definitely been too long—months—since Zuko had seen or heard from the man, which was both relieving and somehow unnerving.
After Momo had been caught in a Fire Nation trap earlier that morning, Sokka had insisted on "laying low" by continuing on foot for the time being. Zuko didn't blame him, as he was not eager to have another hostile encounter with the Fire Nation, nor people who wanted to turn them in to the Fire Nation. Iroh had shared Sokka and Zuko's sentiments, while Aang and Katara had been vocal about their displeasure with having to travel on foot, the latter especially so.
"Well I don't know, Aang," Katara replied sarcastically, turning around to look at Aang. "Why don't you ask Sokka's instincts? They seem to know everything ."
"I'm tired of carrying this pack," Aang complained.
"You know who you should ask to carry it for a while?" Katara continued in her teasing tone. "Sokka's instincts."
"That's a great idea," Aang replied. "Hey, Sokka's instincts, would you mind–"
"Will you two give it a rest?" Zuko interrupted in annoyance. "I don't like walking either, but it's better than being shot at with a thousand flaming boulders."
"Thank you, Zuko," Sokka replied, nodding towards him before turning back to glare at his sister. "Look, guys, I'm tired too. But the important thing is that we're safe from the-"
Before Sokka could finish his sentence, Zuko spotted a plume of smoke rising from just beyond the bushes that the Water Tribe boy was about to walk into, and yanked him back by the collar of his shirt.
"Hey! What was that fo-" Sokka exclaimed before his mouth was promptly covered by Zuko's hand.
"Keep your voice down!" Zuko hissed. "There's a fire burning over there."
Sokka's eyes widened in realization, and Zuko slowly pulled his hand away before motioning for the rest of the group to crouch down.
"Please, we don't know anything!"
Zuko's eyes widened when he peered through the bushes to see an Earth Kingdom mother and young daughter had seemingly been captured by a small camp of Fire Nation soldiers.
"What were you doing this far out into the forest?" a gruff-looking man with an eye patch demanded. "Foraging for berries? " he added sarcastically.
"No, we just got lost on our way to Gaipan! We're from there, my husband is a merchant! His name is Qingqiu!" the distraught woman replied. "Please, if you'll just escort us back-"
"And what if I don't believe you?" the man growled.
"We have to do something," Zuko whispered.
"Zuko," Iroh cautioned. "I don't think it's wise to–"
"They could get hurt!" Zuko hissed, glaring at his uncle.
"Did anyone else hear that?" one of the soldiers cried out.
"It was probably just another hog monkey," another soldier replied, sounding bored.
"Or this bitch was lying," the guard with the eye patch said angrily. "She could have led those rebels right to us!"
Not wanting to waste another minute, Zuko quickly unsheathed his broadswords, and before Iroh could protest, he darted into the clearing. He attempted to make a beeline for the soldier with the eye patch, who was clearly the commander, but stopped short when the man suddenly fell face-first onto the ground.
"Nice work, Zuko!" Aang exclaimed as he, Sokka, Katara, and Iroh ran up behind him. "How'd you do that?"
"I didn't," Zuko replied, blinking several times in confusion, and his eyes darted around the edge of the campsite.
"Look!" Katara cried out, pointing up to one of the trees.
Zuko's gaze followed her line of vision until it landed on a boy who looked to be around his same age standing on one of the tree's large branches. The boy brandished a set of dual hooked swords, then swung himself down from the branch, taking out two soldiers as he landed before dashing forward and hooking two more soldiers by the ankle, throwing them forward onto the unconscious soldier with the eye patch.
"Down you go," the boy said with a smirk. His dark brown eyes, which appeared surprisingly jaded and weary for the boy's age, flicked up to meet Zuko's, and Zuko frowned.
"They're in the trees!" one of the soldiers yelled, and Zuko found himself ducking to avoid a fire blast as the soldiers began to attack anyone who wasn't one of their own.
"Uncle, can you get the mom and her daughter out of here?" Zuko called out over his shoulder as he struggled to parry one of the soldier's melee attacks.
Iroh, who had up until this point remained on the sidelines, nodded succinctly and made his way over to where the terrified Earth Kingdom woman was crouching next to the base of the trees, her daughter watching the battle with fascination.
Several more rebels—some looking to be very young—appeared from within the trees, each taking out a soldier in their own unique way. He took an opportunity to survey the campsite, seeing that Aang and Katara seemed to be doing alright using their bending to fight off attacking soldiers. Sokka, meanwhile, was attempting to attack a soldier with his boomerang, but before he could get to him, the boy with the hooked swords took the soldier down with a powerful kick.
"Man!" Sokka complained in irritation, slumping his shoulders
"Gotta be quicker next time," the boy said with another smirk.
Suddenly, Zuko noticed a firebender approaching both the boy and Sokka from behind. "Watch out!" he shouted, dashing forward. The soldier was momentarily distracted by Zuko's exclamation, and when he spotted him, he shot several blasts of fire, which Zuko deftly evaded before sliding forward and kicking him in the ankles, knocking him over.
The boy blinked several times in surprise. "Impressive."
"You're welcome ," Zuko replied in slight annoyance before blocking another attack, this time from a soldier with a two-handed sword.
The boy then circled around behind the soldier and used his hooked swords to yank one of his legs to the side, and the soldier slammed to the ground.
"Just returning the favor," the boy said with a wink before dashing off towards another group of soldiers.
Before Zuko knew it, the battle was over, and surprisingly, this band of rebels seemed to have come out victorious.
"You just took out a whole army almost single-handed," Aang breathed in amazement, addressing the boy with the hooked swords, who appeared to be the leader of the rebels.
"Army?!" Sokka scoffed. "Pfft! There were only, like, twenty guys."
The boy flashed a crooked smile, and Zuko noticed that he was chewing on what looked to be a piece of wheat. "My name is Jet," the boy said, leaning casually against a tree as the rest of the rebels began to search the camp for supplies. "These are my Freedom Fighters. Sneers, Longshot, Smellerbee, The Duke, and Pipsqueak."
Zuko looked back to the camp to see a collection of eccentric looking individuals searching for supplies. Some looked very young, while others looked to be in their twenties.
"Ha ha! Pipsqueak, that's a funny name," Aang laughed, looking down at a small rebel wearing a helmet that looked to be far too large for his head.
The small boy sniffed in response and looked up at the rebel next to him: a large, threatening-looking man with a scowl on his face.
"You think my name is funny?" the man demanded, looming over Aang.
Aang blinked several times, then grinned. "It's hilarious."
Zuko sighed in relief as he watched the large man, small boy, and Aang erupt into uproarious laughter. For a moment, he'd thought the Avatar was about to be punched.
"Umm, thanks for saving us, Jet," Katara said, walking over to the rebel leader with her hands behind her back. "We're lucky you were there."
"I should be thanking you guys," Jet replied, nodding towards Katara. "We were waiting to ambush those soldiers all morning. We just needed the right distraction." He turned to Zuko, smirking again. "And then you jumped out of the bushes."
Zuko felt a slight warmth in his ears. He hated to admit it, but the boy was quite handsome.
"That woman and her daughter were in danger," Zuko replied, folding his arms. "They needed help, and you all were just sitting in the trees watching?" He looked across the campsite, and spotted Iroh, who appeared to be comforting the woman and her child.
Jet's smile did not disappear. "Listen, I admire your bravery…"
"Lee."
"Lee. And your skill with those broadswords is impressive. But you can't just rush into situations like this. You'll get yourself killed."
"That's Lee for you," Sokka said. "He can be pretty hot -headed."
Zuko shot the Water Tribe boy a glare.
"Hey, Jet, these barrels are filled of blasting jelly," Pipsqueak called out.
"That's a great score," Jet replied approvingly.
"And these boxes are filled with jelly candy!" The Duke added excitedly.
"Also good. Let's not get those mixed up."
"We'll take this stuff back to the hideout," The Duke replied with a nod.
"You guys have a hideout?" Aang asked, looking intrigued.
"You wanna see it?" Jet replied.
"Yes, we wanna see it!" Katara immediately replied, clasping her hands together.
"What about the woman and her daughter?" Zuko asked with a frown. "We need to make sure they get somewhere safe."
"I would be happy to escort them to their destination," Iroh said, and Zuko turned to see his uncle walking towards them.
"This is my uncle, Mushi," Zuko said, gesturing to Iroh, who nodded respectfully towards Jet.
"Impressive ambush back there, young man," Iroh complimented.
"Thanks," Jet replied. "Name's Jet."
"Pleased to meet you," Iroh said politely.
"Uncle, where were they trying to get to?" Zuko asked, beginning to grow impatient.
"Like she told the soldiers, she said she's supposed to meet her husband in Gaipan," Iroh replied. "She was en route back to the town after visiting her sister in Ba Sing Se when her caravan was attacked by bandits. She and her daughter managed to escape into the forest, but got lost."
"I wouldn't suggest going to Gaipan," Jet interjected. "That town is under Fire Nation control."
"Well we can't just leave them here," Zuko said, narrowing his eyes at Jet. "Besides, if anything happens, we can take care of ourselves."
"It's okay, nephew," Iroh said, placing a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "I'll be fine on my own. We can move faster if it's just the three of us. You kids should go get some rest."
"Are you kidding? You shouldn't be going alone!" Zuko argued with a frown.
"Pipsqueak can take your uncle there," Jet said, waving the large man over. "He knows the fastest routes through the forest, and if they run into any trouble, he's a good man to have on your side. Plus, he can take him back to our hideout when they're done."
"Come on, hotman!" Aang said, walking over to Zuko and putting his arm around his shoulder. "Your uncle will be fine with Pipsqueak there to protect him."
Zuko eyed a grinning Aang apprehensively, then looked at the gigantic man. He had just seen him take down multiple Fire Nation soldiers.
"I'll take good care of him," Pipsqueak promised, slapping Iroh on the back, causing the old man to jerk forward. Once he had regained his balance, Iroh nodded and smiled in agreement.
"Fine," Zuko grumbled.
"We're here," Jet announced at last after what felt like another hour of walking through the forest.
"Where?" Sokka asked, sounding annoyed. "There's nothing here."
"Hold this," Jet instructed, handing the Water Tribe boy a rope with a small loop on the end. Zuko craned his head up and squinted to see what the rope was attached to, but it disappeared into the red foliage above.
"Why?" Sokka asked skeptically. "What's this do?"
Suddenly, Sokka was yanked upwards with a yelp, and disappeared into the foliage along with the rope.
Zuko stared wide-eyed at the spot his friend had disappeared to, and looked back down quizzically at Jet, who smirked.
"Aang?" Jet asked, grabbing another rope and offering it to the Avatar.
Aang shook his head. "I'll get up on my own," he replied, and promptly leapt up into the trees using airbending.
"What about you, Lee?" Jet asked, turning to Zuko and holding out his free hand. "Want a lift?"
Zuko felt his ears warm slightly again, and frowned. "I'll be fine on my own," he replied, snatching the rope from the boy's other hand and ignoring the outstretched one.
Jet simply shrugged, grabbing another rope, then turned to Katara. "Grab hold of me, Katara," he said, stretching his hand out to her and pulling the blushing girl close to him.
Zuko immediately rolled his eyes and yanked down on his rope, not eager to witness such a display, and felt himself being pulled up into the trees, where he landed next to a frazzled looking Sokka on a wooden platform that had been built around the trunk of one of the giant trees.
"I really don't like this guy," Sokka grumbled, brushing a few stray leaves off of his clothes.
"He's got 'arrogant' written all over him, that's for sure," Zuko replied, shaking his head.
Shortly after, Jet and Katara appeared, entering through the same hole in the platform that Zuko had just come through.
"Nice place you got here!" Zuko heard Aang call out from somewhere above, and looked up to see that the Avatar was zip lining through the trees, Momo latched onto his shoulder.
"It's beautiful up here!" Katara gushed.
"It's beautiful, and more importantly, the Fire Nation can't find us," Jet said proudly.
Zuko turned to see another one of Jet's companions ascend through the hole in the platform, where she landed behind him. "They would love to find you," she said. "Wouldn't they, Jet?"
"It's not gonna happen, Smellerbee," Jet replied with a chuckle.
"Why does the Fire Nation want you?" Katara asked as they began to follow Jet across a bridge.
"I guess you could say I've been causing them a little trouble," Jet replied, smirking again, and he glanced back towards Zuko.
What is this guy's game? Zuko thought as he pointedly looked away in response.
"We've been ambushing their troops, cutting off their supply lines, and doing anything we can to mess with them," Smellerbee added with a grin.
"One day, we'll drive the Fire Nation out of here for good and free that town," Jet said, folding his arms proudly.
"You mean Gaipan?" Zuko asked.
"Exactly," Jet replied. "You saw how those Fire Nation bastards treated that poor woman and her daughter. Once that town is freed, this forest will be safe again."
"That's so brave," Katara said, beaming at Jet.
"Yeah, nothing's braver than a guy in a tree house," Sokka said sarcastically.
"Don't pay any attention to my brother," Katara said, waving her hand and frowning at Sokka.
"No problem. He probably had a rough day."
Realizing he was being ignored, Sokka said nothing, simply grumbling as he shrunk back next to Zuko.
"So, you all live here?" Katara asked.
"That's right. Longshot over there?" Jet replied, gesturing to a tall boy wearing a bamboo hat with a bow and arrows on his back. "His town got burned down by the Fire Nation. And we found The Duke trying to steal our food. I don't think he ever really had a home."
"What about you?" Katara questioned.
Jet came to a stop, and Katara and Zuko stopped along with him, while Sokka and the rest of the Freedom Fighters continued walking.
"The Fire Nation killed my parents," Jet replied quietly. "I was only eight years old. That day changed me forever."
"Sokka and I lost our mother to the Fire Nation," Katara said somberly, looking down. Suddenly, she seemed to realize that Zuko was still there, and looked at him somewhat apologetically. She was a smart girl, and likely knew that it must be difficult for Zuko to hear about all of the horrible things the Fire Nation had done. And she was right.
Jet seemed to notice this, though he seemed to have come to a different conclusion about the look's meaning. His eyes moved back and forth between the two. "I'm so sorry, Katara," he said before turning to Zuko. "I'm… guessing you have a similar story, Lee?"
Zuko did not miss how the boy's eyes moved to his scar.
"Yeah. The Fire Nation left me with this," Zuko replied, touching the pads of his fingers to his scar. "And… they also took my mother away from me." Both of these things were technically the truth.
Katara's eyes widened briefly upon hearing the latter statement, and it was then that Zuko realized he actually hadn't talked to anyone about his mother aside from Iroh, not even Aang.
"That's horrible. I'm so sorry, Lee," Jet said as he put a hand on his shoulder, surprising him with his genuineness.
"It's fine," Zuko replied quietly, looking down at his feet.
Maybe I judged him too harshly…
"Today, we struck another blow against the Fire Nation swine," Jet announced, standing up at the end of the banquet table they were dining at that evening.
The rebels at the table and in the surrounding trees cheered. Aang and Katara smiled up at the boy, while Sokka watched with an unimpressed look. Zuko rested his chin on his propped-up hand as he watched Jet speak, still conflicted about what to think of the rebel leader.
"I got a special joy from the look on one soldier's face when The Duke dropped down on his helmet and rode him like a wild hog monkey."
In response to this declaration of praise, The Duke stood up and marched along the top of the table, waving his fists proudly as the crowd cheered.
"Now, the Fire Nation thinks they don't have to worry about a couple of kids hiding in the trees," Jet continued, and was silent for a moment as he lifted his wooden cup to his mouth. "Maybe they're right..."
The rebels booed.
"Or maybe ... they're dead wrong."
The rebels erupted into cheers once more, and Jet made his way to sit back down, winking at Zuko as he sat down between him and Katara. Zuko folded his arms and looked away, once again feeling the slight tinge of warmth in his ears.
"Hey, Jet," Katara said, beaming at the rebel leader. "Nice speech."
"Thanks," Jet replied. "By the way, I was really impressed with you and Aang. That was some great bending I saw out there today."
"Well, he's great. He's the Avatar. I could use some more training," Katara said, clearly blushing.
" Avatar , huh?" Jet said, raising his eyebrows in surprise. " Very nice."
"Thanks, Jet," Aang replied with a grin.
"So I might know a way that you and Aang can help in our struggle," Jet began, and Zuko cocked his head, wondering what he was about to suggest.
"Unfortunately, we have to leave tonight," Sokka interjected, standing up and beginning to walk away.
"Sokka, we can't leave yet. Uncle hasn't gotten back," Zuko said.
"Exactly!" Jet agreed, slinging his arm over Zuko's shoulder.
Zuko tensed at the sudden contact. "Jet, does it usually take this long to go to Gaipan and back?"
"I'm sure they're fine," Jet said, waving his hand nonchalantly. "They might have had to camp in the woods on the way back. If they're not back by tomorrow morning, we can look for them on the mission."
"Mission?" Zuko questioned.
"Yep. I need both you and Sokka to help with a very important mission tomorrow," Jet replied, flashing another crooked smile.
Sokka, who had stopped in his tracks at this point, slowly turned around. "What mission?"
The following morning, Zuko was disappointed to find that Iroh and Pipsqueak had still not yet returned from their journey to Gaipan.
"What if he got captured by the Fire Nation, and they're taking him back to my father right now?" Zuko rambled anxiously as he paced inside the hut that they had slept in that night. "Or what if he got hurt? Or worse…"
"Hey," Aang said, standing up and grabbing Zuko's arm gently. "It's gonna be okay, Zuko. Iroh can handle himself. I'm sure they'll be back by the end of today."
Zuko looked into Aang's kind gray eyes and felt his heart skip a beat, a small, familiar feeling of warmth growing in his chest. However, this was not enough to completely distract him from his anxiety, and he pulled away, walking over to the doorway and staring out into the forest, gripping his forearms tightly.
"What if Pipsqueak found out that uncle's a Fire National?" Zuko murmured. "What do you think he would do to him?"
"Zuko…" Katara said. "Jet's not a bad person. Even if that did happen, I'm sure he wouldn't let his gang hurt Iroh without good reason…"
"We've literally known him less than one whole day, Katara," Sokka said. "You don't know what kind of person he is."
Katara frowned. "I know he wants to help save innocent people from the Fire Nation."
"Well I think he just likes playing hero."
"He is a hero!"
"Can you guys stop with the bickering?" Zuko said in annoyance, spinning around. "Uncle is missing! "
"Good morning, guys," Zuko heard Jet say from behind him, and he turned around again. "Am I interrupting something?"
"Nope," Zuko quickly replied. "Are we doing this mission, or not? I need to find my uncle."
"Of course," Jet said. "We're ready whenever you guys are."
Zuko tried his best to keep himself calm and distracted as he and Sokka followed Jet and several of his rebels into the forest while Aang and Katara stayed back at the hideout. Unfortunately, his brain just wouldn't stop coming up with new, horrible scenarios that Iroh could have possibly gotten into.
When they finally reached their destination, Jet instructed the two boys to hold positions in the branches of a tree overlooking a small clearing. Zuko watched curiously as Jet cupped his hands together and brought them to his mouth, making a whistling sound that was reminiscent of a bird call. From the trees on the opposite side of the road, an echoing whistling sound could be heard, and Zuko could just barely see several more Freedom Fighters huddled in the branches.
From beside him, Sokka brandished a small jawbone knife and slammed it into the trunk of the tree.
"What are you doing?" Jet whispered from the branch below them.
"Shh ... It amplifies vibrations," Sokka replied, placing his ear next to the knife.
"Good trick," Jet said, looking impressed.
"Do you hear anything?" Zuko asked.
"Nothing yet," Sokka replied, and was quiet for another moment. "Wait! Yes, someone's approaching."
"How many?" Jet asked.
"I think there's just one."
"Good work, Sokka," Jet praised. "Ready your weapons, both of you."
Sokka removed the knife from the tree, while Zuko brandished his broadswords.
"Wait, false alarm," Sokka whispered, eyes widening as a lone figure entered the clearing.
"Sokka's right," Zuko added. "It looks like an old man."
To Zuko's surprise, Jet did not respond to either of them, instead brandishing his hooked swords and leaping down to land directly in front of the man, and Sokka and Zuko both gaped at one another.
"What are you doing in our woods, you leech? " Jet spat at the old man.
"Please sir, I'm just a traveler," the old man begged.
Jet took a step forward, then swiped one of his swords, hooking the old man's cane and sending it flying out of his hands. Zuko felt his insides begin to boil with anger as he watched the old man get pushed forward onto the ground by Smellerbee, who smirked triumphantly as she snatched his satchel.
"We've gotta stop them," Zuko growled. Sokka nodded in agreement, and the two began to make their descent.
"Do you like destroying towns? Do you like destroying families? Do you?!" Jet demanded.
"Oh ... Please, let me go ... have mercy …" the old man pleaded.
"Does the Fire Nation let people go?! Does the Fire Nation have mercy?!"
Jet pulled his foot back, clearly intending to kick the old man. However, before he could do so, Sokka hooked Jet's foot with his club, stopping him and causing him to look back in bewilderment, while Zuko dashed over between the angry boy and the old man. When Jet turned back around, he seemed even more bewildered to see Zuko standing in front of him.
"Jet, he's just an old man!" Sokka exclaimed.
"He's Fire Nation!" Jet growled.
"But he's not hurting anyone!" Sokka argued.
"I would have expected this from you , Sokka. But Lee?" Jet turned to Zuko and narrowed his eyes. "Have you both forgotten what the Fire Nation did to you?" His eyes flicked to Zuko's scar again. "They killed your mothers! Remember why you fight!"
Sokka's brow furrowed, and he looked back and forth at Zuko and Jet with a mixed look of surprise and confusion for a moment.
"We've got his stuff, Jet," Smellerbee called out, holding up the satchel she had stolen.
"This doesn't feel right," Sokka said apprehensively.
"It's what has to be done. Now let's get outta here," Jet said coldly, pushing past Sokka.
Sokka and Zuko exchanged a glance, and Zuko sheathed his broadswords, seeing that the old man was no longer physically in danger. Sokka looked down at the old man, and Zuko glanced over his shoulder at him as well.
Of course he understood Jet's hatred for the Fire Nation and what they had done to him and his friends. Technically, there was no way to confirm that the old man wasn't a former Fire Nation soldier who had killed hundreds of innocents. But there was also no way to confirm that the man had done anything of the sort, and he was clearly defenseless now…
"Come on, you guys!" Jet demanded from ahead of them, interrupting his thoughts.
As he tore his gaze away from the pitiful old man and looked back to Jet, Zuko was suddenly very uncomfortably reminded of Gilak and Thod.
He had to agree with Sokka. This felt wrong.
"Zuko! Sokka! Look what The Duke gave me!" Aang declared cheerily as he jumped down onto the deck from one of the ziplines. He dug into the satchel he was wearing and produced what looked to be a small black rock, and with a sly grin, he tossed it at Momo's feet, where it exploded with a popping sound. The startled lemur arched his back in terror before hissing and immediately lunging for the bag, where he grabbed several more of the rocks and began throwing them at Aang's feet in revenge. "Ow! Quit it!"
"Aang, where's Katara?" Sokka asked, ignoring the Avatar's shenanigans.
"I dunno," Aang replied, finally managing to wave Momo off of him. "She said she was making something for Jet."
Zuko and Sokka shared an equally unimpressed look.
"Oh, did you find Iroh?" Aang asked, seeming to have just remembered that this was the entire reason Zuko had agreed to go on the mission in the first place.
"Does it look like we did?" Sokka replied sarcastically.
Zuko frowned at the Water Tribe boy, who looked slightly guilty upon seeing his serious expression, then turned back to Aang. "No. The forest is too big, and Jet wouldn't take us too close to Gaipan for some reason. He kept saying it was too risky."
"Well, he probably is the Fire Nation's number one target in this area," Aang said.
"Hey, Sokka, Zuko," Katara said, and Zuko looked up to see the Water Tribe girl descending the ladder on the tree trunk next to them. "Is Jet back?"
"Yeah, he's back. But we're leaving," Sokka replied.
"What?" Aang remarked confusedly.
"But I made him this hat," Katara said disappointedly, holding up a relatively well-made but gaudy-looking hat made of leaves stitched together.
"Your boyfriend Jet's a thug," Sokka said, folding his arms.
"What?! No, he's not," Katara replied in irritation. "Zuko, you know Jet's a good guy. What's Sokka talking about?"
"He's telling the truth," Zuko replied, folding his arms as well. "Jet's definitely got some deep-seated anger issues. And I would know."
"He's messed up, Katara," Sokka added.
"He's not messed up," Aang interjected. "He's just got a different way of life, a really fun way of life!"
"He beat and robbed a harmless old man!" Sokka shot back angrily, and Aang blinked in surprise.
Katara looked back at Zuko in desperation, as if expecting him to deny this claim.
"Katara, I was there. I saw it happen. If Sokka and I hadn't stopped him, he could have seriously hurt the old man."
Not receiving the response she had wanted to hear, Katara's pleading expression morphed into a frown, and she narrowed her eyes. "I want to hear Jet's side of the story."
Seeing as there was likely no way to stop her, Sokka rolled his eyes and began to follow his sister, with Zuko and Aang trailing behind him.
"Are you still worried about Iroh?" Aang asked as they walked. "Do you think he's okay?"
Zuko sighed. "I don't know. But I really don't think we should stay here too much longer. We should at least check Gaipan to see if he's there, or if the people there know where he may have gone." He shook his head. "And Jet isn't going to help us."
Aang's brow furrowed, and he bit his lip. "I'm sure he has a good reason for being cautious…"
Before Zuko had the chance to reply, they arrived at Jet's hut.
"Sokka, you and Lee told them what happened, but you didn't mention that the guy was Fire Nation?" Jet said as Zuko and Aang entered.
"No, they conveniently left that part out," Katara said, shooting her brother a glare.
"Fine! But even if he was Fire Nation, he was a harmless civilian!" Sokka argued.
"Sokka's right," Zuko said, stepping forward. "He had no weapons. He wasn't a threat to anyone, he was just walking through the forest!"
Jet was silent for a moment as he looked at Zuko with an intense gaze. If Zuko didn't know any better, he would say that the boy almost looked hurt. "He was an assassin, Lee."
Zuko's brow furrowed as he watched Jet pull out a sinister-looking knife, thrusting it into the tree stump in front of him.
"See? There's a compartment for poison in the knife." Jet pulled the ring on the end of the knife's handle, and a small vial of red liquid was revealed. "He was sent to eliminate me. You both helped save my life."
"I knew there was an explanation," Katara said, sounding relieved.
Sokka narrowed his eyes as he stared at the weapon. "I didn't see any knife!"
"That's because he was concealing it," Jet said.
"I didn't see a knife either," Zuko said with a frown.
"Lee, come on," Jet said, looking clearly hurt now. "You really don't believe me? It was in his satchel."
Zuko blinked several times, and he looked to the side. Who was to say Jet wasn't telling the truth? The old man could very well have actually been a Fire Nation assassin.
Then why do I still get the feeling that he wasn't?
"There was no knife!" Sokka snapped, and turned around to exit the tent. "I'm going back to the hut and packing my things."
"Tell me you guys aren't leaving yet. I really need your help," Jet said, turning to Aang and Katara.
"What can we do?" Aang asked.
"The Fire Nation is planning on burning down our forest," Jet explained. "If you both use waterbending to fill the reservoir, we could fight the fires. But if you leave now, they'll destroy the whole valley."
Aang and Katara immediately shared an anxious look, while Zuko narrowed his eyes suspiciously. As usual, Jet seemed genuine, at least on the surface. But there was something in his tone of voice, something in his expression that just seemed off.
"We'll talk to Sokka," Katara said apologetically.
"Thanks, Katara," Jet said, flashing his usual crooked smile, causing Katara to blush.
As Zuko began to follow his companions out of the hut, he suddenly felt a hand grab hold of his arm, and he turned to see Jet directly behind him.
"Lee," Jet said, a strange, almost desperate look in his eyes. "Do you want to leave, too?"
Zuko's eyes widened and he blinked in surprise several times before yanking his arm away. He could have sworn he saw the rebel boy's cheeks flush for a moment. "Yes, eventually. Aang's got to get to the North Pole to learn waterbending."
Jet frowned slightly and was silent for a moment. "You know, as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were," he said quietly, stepping forward. "You're an outcast, like me. And us outcasts have to stick together. We have to watch each other's backs. Because no one else will."
Zuko's eyebrows rose slightly. "I've learned that being on your own isn't always the best path," he said. "I'm not just going to abandon Aang to join your rebels."
"But it's not like you'd be leaving him alone," Jet said. "He has Katara and Sokka."
"We're all a team. And Aang is my best friend. I won't leave him," Zuko said with a frown. "Plus, I still need to find my uncle."
"Right. Of course…" Jet said, folding his arms and looking off to the side.
"And if I remember correctly, you were the one who said you weren't willing to go with us to Gaipan."
"It's too dangerous, and not just for us," Jet argued. "You really shouldn't go there at all, I'm sure your uncle is–"
"I don't care!" Zuko snapped, causing the rebel boy to flinch. "It's been an entire day. I'm not just going to sit around up here waiting for him to possibly show up or not!"
"Hey," Jet said, putting a hand on Zuko's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "I understand. Your uncle's family. He's important to you. I'll send some scouts to search the forest some more tonight, okay?"
"...Thanks," Zuko said apprehensively, calming down somewhat, but not at all sure how to feel.
Jet smiled. "Just… promise me you'll think about staying."
Zuko took a step back from the rebel leader, then turned around. "I can't promise you anything," he replied over his shoulder before exiting the hut.
"We can't leave now with the Fire Nation about to burn down a forest!"
"I'm sorry, Katara. Jet's very smooth, but we can't trust him."
Zuko could hear the familiar sound of the Water Tribe siblings bickering before he even entered their hut. He pulled back the tarp that covered the entrance to see that Sokka was packing up his bedroll, while Katara was standing with her hands on her hips and an irritated expression on her face. Aang, meanwhile, was looking back and forth between the siblings with a concerned expression.
"Katara, I'm not jealous of Jet," Sokka sighed. "It's just that my instincts–"
"Well, my instincts tell me we need to stay here a little longer and help Jet," Katara snapped. "Come on, Aang."
Aang looked apologetically at the Water Tribe boy, who glared back at him. "Sorry, Sokka."
As the Avatar followed Katara out of the hut, he also gave Zuko an apologetic look, though he said nothing. Zuko simply sighed and pinched his nose bridge in response.
"Ugh. I can't believe them! How can they not see how much of a jerk this guy is?!" Sokka exclaimed, angrily kicking the tree trunk next to him and promptly wincing as a result.
"Sokka, calm down," Zuko said, noting how strange it was for him not to be the angry one for once. "You and I both know that something was fishy about that whole knife story. All we need to do is find some evidence that Jet isn't the noble hero they think he is. There's got to be something."
The anger in Sokka's eyes began to fade as he processed Zuko's words, and he nodded slowly. "I don't know why I didn't think of that."
Zuko was awoken late that night by Sokka, who was shaking him gently by the shoulder. He gave the Water Tribe boy a mixed look of annoyance and confusion for a moment before realizing that he was pointing emphatically towards the outside of the hut with one hand and making a shushing motion over his mouth with the other.
"Let's go."
Zuko recognized Jet's voice coming from outside the hut, and quietly grabbed his broadsword scabbard, following Sokka to the door flap. Sokka lifted the flap aside slightly, and Zuko spotted several Freedom Fighters descending to the forest floor using the rope mechanisms.
The two boys exchanged a knowing glance. This could be their chance to expose Jet.
They quickly and quietly followed suit, landing on a branch overlooking a wagon loaded with several barrels, which was being pushed by several of the rebels, all being led by Jet.
Zuko and Sokka stealthily followed the wagon for some time until at last, Jet and his followers emerged from the forest onto a cliff overlooking a valley. From where he and Sokka sat in the bushes at the edge of the forest, Zuko squinted to see what looked to be a man-made dam to the east of the valley, while to the west, a walled village sat on the north side of a very thin river.
"Now listen, you are not to blow the dam until I give the signal," Jet instructed. "If the reservoir isn't full, the Fire Nation troops could survive."
"But what about the people in the town?" The Duke asked, hopping off of the wagon. "Won't they get wiped out, too?"
"Look, Duke, that's the price of ridding this area of the Fire Nation," Jet said, patting the small boy on the shoulder before turning to Longshot. "Now don't blow the dam until I give the signal. Got it?"
Longshot simply nodded in response.
Sokka and Zuko each shared a horrified glance. This was far worse than Zuko had anticipated. Worse than even Gilak or Thod. Even with all their hatred for Fire Nationals, he'd like to think neither of them would be willing to sacrifice an entire town of innocents just to take out some Fire Nation soldiers.
"Pipsqueak? What took you so long?"
Zuko's head snapped back forward, eyes widening. Sure enough, he could see the large man lumbering up the hill coming from the direction of the village.
Gaipan, Zuko realized with a horrible jolt in his stomach.
And Iroh was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's the old man?" Jet demanded as he marched over to Pipsqueak, who surprisingly shrank back. "I told you to get him out of the village!"
"I've been trying for the past two days!" Pipsqueak replied. "The Fire Nation isn't letting anyone in or out of Gaipan. They know something's up, Jet."
Jet's eyebrow twitched in anger, and his fists began to shake at his side. "We've been planning this for months. We can't back down now," he said quietly.
"Uncle, " Zuko murmured under his breath, feelings of disgust and betrayal beginning to arise within him.
Suddenly, Sokka yelped, and before Zuko could reach back to unsheathe his swords, he felt himself being grabbed from behind, his arms pinned behind him.
"Where do you think you're going, ponytail? "
Zuko craned his head to see that a sneering Smellerbee was holding a knife to Sokka's throat, while another Freedom Fighter—Sneers, if Zuko remembered correctly—was grabbing hold of the boy's ponytail.
Zuko and Sokka's hands were quickly tied in place behind their backs, and the two boys were shoved forward, falling to their knees in front of Jet.
"Sokka," Jet said lightly, looking down at Sokka with an arrogant smirk. However, when his eyes moved to Zuko and met his burning gaze, a brief flicker of fear and guilt flashed within them. "... Lee. I'm glad you've decided to join us."
"We heard your plan to destroy the Earth Kingdom town," Sokka said, glaring at Jet.
"Our plan is to rid the valley of the Fire Nation," Jet replied simply.
"Jet, my uncle is still in that town," Zuko growled. "Not to mention innocent people! Children! "
Jet turned away from them, and Zuko could no longer see his expression. "... We can't win without making some sacrifices."
"You lied to Aang and Katara about the forest fire!" Sokka shouted.
"Because they don't understand the demands of war," Jet said, whipping back to face them. "Not like we do."
"I do understand," Sokka shot back. "I understand that there's nothing you won't do to get what you want."
"I was hoping you'd have an open mind, but I can see you've made your choice," Jet said with a sneer, and his gaze moved back to Zuko. "Lee?" he questioned, his features momentarily losing their intensity. There was that same pleading look Zuko had seen the night before in his eyes again. "You understand, right?"
"This is wrong, Jet, and you know it," Zuko retorted angrily. "You're letting revenge cloud your judgment. I know what it's like because I've been there. "
Jet's eyes darted over Zuko's features rapidly for a moment, and a look of apprehension appeared on his face. However, it was quickly replaced by anger.
"I can't let you warn Katara and Aang," Jet said, turning around to face the valley, folding his arms behind his back. "Pipsqueak, Smellerbee—take them both for a walk. A long walk."
"Jet, please. Think about what you're doing," Zuko shouted as he and Sokka were pulled to their feet.
"You can't do this!" Sokka cried out angrily as he attempted to thrash out of the grip of his captors.
"Cheer up, you two," Jet said, still facing the valley. "We're gonna win a great victory against the Fire Nation today."
Zuko glowered as he and Sokka were led through the forest. He had to do something, and quickly, or his uncle and everyone in Gaipan would die.
Should I just use my firebending? he thought. I could maybe burn the ropes off of my hands, at least…
Suddenly, Sokka lurched forward, stumbling slightly as Smellerbee shoved him.
"Come on, move along!" the Freedom Fighter ordered.
"How can you stand by and do nothing while Jet wipes out a whole town?" Sokka questioned angrily.
"Hey, listen, Sokka," Pipsqueak said. "Jet's a great leader. We follow what he says, and things always turn out okay."
"You people hate the Fire Nation for what they did to you, to your families, and to your homes," Zuko growled, craning his neck around. "And yet, here you are, perfectly fine with letting an entire town of innocent people die just to get revenge. You're no better than the Fire Nation, and Jet's no great leader. If he goes through with this, he's a murderer. "
Smellerbee and Pipsqueak looked quite taken aback by Zuko's biting remarks, and exchanged an uneasy glance before turning around to discuss something in hushed whispers.
Zuko was snapped out of his loathsome glare towards the Freedom Fighters when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see that Sokka had undone his bindings, and the Water Tribe boy quickly undid Zuko's own. Sokka jerked his head to the side, where Zuko spotted several suspiciously neat leaf piles with lychee nuts placed on top of them—very similar to the pile of lychee nuts that had enticed Momo a few days prior and had led to him getting trapped in a hog monkey snare. Having realized what Sokka's plan likely was, Zuko nodded.
"Lee's right," Sokka said. "If that's how Jet leads… Then he's got a lot to learn!"
Right as the confused Freedom Fighters turned back around, Sokka dashed towards the hog monkey traps.
"Hey!" Smellerbee shouted, and she and Pipsqueak immediately ran after him. However, while Sokka smartly jumped over the leaf piles, Smellerbee and Pipsqueak did not, and were quickly ensnared by the traps, which lifted them up into the air.
Sokka smirked. "While you two are up there, you might want to practice your knot work," he called up to the irritated rebels.
"Smart thinking, Sokka," Zuko praised as he jogged over to the Water Tribe boy. "Now let's get to the dam."
"Actually, I think we should go to the village," Sokka said.
"What? Why?" Zuko asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.
"If we're too late getting to the dam, or if we aren't able to stop them, then the town and everyone in it will be wiped out," Sokka explained. "But if we can get all of the villagers out ahead of time, we can guarantee that no lives will be lost."
Zuko blinked several times. Sokka had an excellent point. "Okay, yeah. That makes sense. Let's go."
Zuko and Sokka were careful to avoid any signs of rebels, and stuck to the bushes as they followed the river past the dam to the west. When they finally arrived at the Gaipan town gate, they found themselves standing face-to-face with two large Fire Nation soldiers.
"Where do you think you two kids are going?" one of the soldiers demanded, brandishing his spear. "No one is allowed in or out of Gaipan without explicit written approval."
"Please, we have an urgent message!" Sokka exclaimed, clearly beginning to grow panicked at this point. "You have to let us in, let us talk to whoever's in charge!"
"This town is in immediate danger," Zuko said, trying not to worry too much about the fact that these soldiers might recognize his face as one they had seen on a wanted poster. "A band of rebels is going to blow up the dam soon. We need everyone to evacuate."
The Fire Nation soldiers exchanged a look. "That dam is Fire Nation-built. Nothing those puny rebels can do will take it down," the second soldier replied with a frown. "We know they've been planning something, but it's almost amusing that they thought sending a couple of spies to scare us into leaving town would actually work."
"We're not spies, and we're not with the rebels," Zuko protested. "You have to believe us!"
"Enough," the first soldier barked. "Tell it to the captain, kid."
Zuko felt a spike of panic as the soldiers began to advance on them, pulling out two sets of metal cuffs. The two boys began to back away slowly, Sokka's hand gripping tight on his machete, while Zuko slowly reached back over his shoulder to grab the hilts of his broadswords.
"Wait!" a voice suddenly cried out from behind the Fire Nation soldiers. "You should listen to them!"
The two surprised soldiers both turned around, and Zuko's eyes widened in recognition when he saw who had come to their defense. It was the old Fire Nation man Jet had attacked the day prior.
"Sir," one of the soldiers began. "These two juveniles are obviously not to be trusted."
The old man shook his head. "These boys are telling the truth. Those are not the faces of liars."
"Please," Zuko begged one last time, hoping that the soldiers still had enough humanity in them to recognize the genuineness in his eyes.
The silence that followed seemed to last for an eternity as the soldiers looked apprehensively at Zuko, then back to the old man.
"Raise the village alarm," the first soldier said at last to the second soldier. "Inform the captain that there is an immediate threat to the town, and tell everyone to evacuate immediately to higher ground, away from the valley. Tell them to only bring essentials, and not to dawdle."
The second soldier blinked in surprise for a moment before nodding in agreement and dashing off into the village. The first soldier then turned to Sokka and Zuko. "You'd better be telling the truth," he said seriously.
Zuko and Sokka both nodded emphatically, and the man turned back around to follow his companion as the evacuation bell began to sound.
"Thank you," Zuko said, bowing deeply towards the old man, and Sokka did the same.
"No need," the old man said with a smile. "Thank you for the warning. A lot of innocent lives will be saved today."
Zuko and Sokka shared a smile, and the old man gave them a wave before exiting the village through the front gate.
"Nephew?"
Zuko whipped around to see his uncle standing next to the woman and child they had rescued several days prior, along with a large, serious-looking man who was presumably the woman's husband. Both the husband and wife had satchels on their backs.
"Uncle!" Zuko exclaimed in relief, running over to the old man and slamming him into a tight hug. "Thank goodness you're alright," he murmured as his uncle chuckled and patted him gently on the back.
"What's this the soldiers are saying about a threat to the town?" Iroh asked as he pulled back from the hug. "Is it true?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Sokka said. "Jet and his rebels are planning on blowing up the dam to the east of here any minute. It's gonna take out the whole village."
Iroh and the Earth Kingdom family exchanged shocked and horrified glances.
"Which is why we need to move, now," Zuko said urgently.
"But mommy, I forgot Mrs. Pretty!" the small girl cried out as the group quickly followed Zuko, Sokka, and the rest of the villagers out of the main gate.
"We'll get you a new Mrs. Pretty, Tiantian," the woman said, shushing the child. Zuko could see tears in her eyes as she looked up somberly at her husband.
when they reached the top of the nearby hill, Zuko watched anxiously as the last few villagers exited the village gate, gaze flickering back and forth between Gaipan and the dam in the distance. He breathed a sigh of relief when, at last, the Fire Nation captain declared that the entire village had been successfully evacuated.
"Where are Aang and Katara?" Iroh asked with a worried look. "Are they alright?"
"I don't know. But now that the village is safe, we should go find them," Sokka replied, waving his arm over towards the direction of the forest.
"Jet didn't take too kindly to us opposing his plan," Zuko added as they jogged, and felt the spark of anger begin to kindle in his chest again as he recalled their last conversation with the rebel leader. "If he's done anything to them, I swear to the spirits …"
"Aang and Katara can hold their own against that jerk," Sokka interjected. "And I would not want to be on the receiving end of Katara's wrath."
Suddenly, a loud explosion sounded, shaking the ground below them, stopping them in their tracks. They each looked up in horror to see the dam explode in a cloud of ash and smoke, releasing a massive wave of water that crashed into the town below in the blink of an eye.
The village Gaipan was no more, but at least its inhabitants were safe.
"All those people… Jet, you monster! " Zuko heard Katara shout as Appa ascended the cliffside.
"This was a victory, Katara," Jet replied triumphantly. Zuko was shocked but relieved to see that Katara had indeed managed to incapacitate him by freezing him to a tree with waterbending. "Remember that. The Fire Nation is gone and this valley will be safe."
"They will be safe," Sokka declared from where he sat on Appa's head, reins in hand. "Without you ."
The triumphant expression on Jet's face was replaced with one of shock when he spotted the bison, while Aang and Katara whipped around, looking positively elated.
"Sokka!" Katara exclaimed, tears in her eyes.
"Zu– I mean, Lee!" Aang shouted, looking similarly overjoyed and relieved. "And Mushi!"
"We warned the villagers of your plan just in time," Zuko said, standing up in the saddle and staring down at Jet with disdain.
The shocked look on Jet's face quickly shifted to one of outrage. "What?! "
"At first, they didn't believe us," Sokka said. "The Fire Nation assumed we were spies. But one man vouched for us."
"The old man you attacked," Zuko added. "He urged them to trust us, and we got everyone out in time."
Jet glared with a resentful expression as Katara and Aang climbed onto Appa's saddle, struggling with all his might to free himself from Katara's ice, to no avail. "You fools! We could have freed this valley!"
"Who would be free? Everyone would be dead," Sokka shot back.
Jet's expression contorted once again in rage. "You traitors!"
"No, Jet," Sokka said disappointedly. "You became the traitor when you stopped protecting innocent people."
Beginning to grow desperate, Jet's eyes once again moved to Zuko, and that pleading expression returned. "Lee. Please. Help me."
Zuko stared back at the rebel boy, feeling a strange mixture of pity and empathy stirring deep within him. Would he have eventually gone down a similar path if he hadn't met Aang?
Zuko closed his eyes, then shook his head. "Goodbye, Jet," he said, turning around to sit down in the saddle.
"Yip yip," Sokka said with a whip of the reins, and the sky bison soared off into the sky.
Despite how much he attempted to resist the urge, Zuko couldn't help but give Jet one last pitying look as they passed through a layer of clouds.
"I'm so glad you're all okay," Katara said with a sigh of relief.
"Iroh, what happened?" Aang asked. "Why didn't you come to the hideout?"
"It wasn't by choice," Iroh said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Pipsqueak took us to the edge of the forest, and told us he was going to wait there while I escorted the young woman and her child back to the village, as he did not want to risk being recognized by the Fire Nation soldiers. But shortly after we entered the town, the soldiers declared that no one was allowed to leave without explicit approval."
Zuko nodded. "We heard Pipsqueak tell Jet that this morning."
Iroh nodded. "They seemed to have known Jet's rebels were up to something after they ambushed that camp. I'm assuming they thought he was intending to take control of the town, not wipe it out." He shook his head in disgust.
"We thought that you would have gone to the dam," Aang said, turning to Zuko. "How come you guys went to the town?"
"Let me guess," Katara interjected. "Sokka's instincts told you?"
"Hey, sometimes they're right," Sokka replied over his shoulder with a shrug.
Aang craned his head around and peered over the edge of the saddle. "Um… Sokka? You know we're going the wrong way, right?" he asked.
Zuko saw Sokka stiffen in surprise for a moment. "And sometimes they're wrong," he replied over his shoulder with a grin, and pulled Appa's reins to turn them back to the north.