Startled, Ash turned towards the voice, his expression softening in recognition. "Zuko?" he murmured, disbelief coloring his tone.

Emerging from behind a nearby rock, Zuko stepped into view, his scarred face etched with a mix of surprise and concern. "I can't believe it's really you," Zuko said, his gaze locked onto Ash.

Team Avatar looked on, bewildered by this unexpected reunion and the apparent connection between Ash and Zuko.

Ash's initial resolve seemed to waver as he took in Zuko's presence. "What are you doing here?" Ash asked with uncertainty in his voice and a frown etched on his face.

Zuko's expression darkened slightly. "I could ask you the same thing," he replied, his tone guarded.

Aang, sensing the tension between the two, interjected with curiosity. "You know each other?" he asked, glancing between Ash and Zuko.

As tensions mounted between Ash and Zuko, their exchange grew more heated, each probing the other's motives with thinly veiled suspicion. Ash chuckled slightly in amusement at Zuko's question, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "As if you need to ask that, Zuko. I could ask you the same thing. Why are you after the Avatar?" he taunted.

Zuko's glare intensified, his patience wearing thin. "Don't turn this on me, Ash!" he growled. "I'm not going to ask you again!"

Despite Zuko's stern warning, Ash sighed, relenting slightly. "Fine," he conceded. "Fire Lord Ozai has assigned me to take down the Avatar and bring him to him."

His revelation elicited gasps from the gathered group, including Zuko, who seemed taken aback by the severity of Ash's mission. "So if you'll excuse me, I have a mission to fulfill and I don't need y-" Ash's voice trailed off as he finally noticed the scar marred across Zuko's face, his expression softening in genuine concern. "-what happened to your face?"

Zuko's hand instinctively rose to touch the scar, his expression darkening with painful memories. "This..." he began, his voice heavy with emotion, "...was done by the man who we thought was our father."

Ash's eyes widened in shock at the revelation, his own memories stirring at the mention of their shared past. "What?" he breathed, disbelief coloring his tone.

As Sokka overheard the conversation and began to piece together the connection between Ash and Zuko, a realization dawned on the rest of Team Avatar. "Did Zuko just say 'Father'?" Sokka exclaimed, his eyes widening in comprehension.

Katara's expression mirrored her brother's as she, too, began to connect the dots. "Does that mean..." she murmured, trailing off as the pieces fell into place.

Finally, the truth hit Team Avatar like a thunderbolt. "They are brothers?!" Aang exclaimed, shock evident in his voice.

Ignoring the whispers and speculation swirling around them, Ash's blue eyes narrowed in disbelief at Zuko's claim. "You lie. Father may be cold towards outsiders like me, but he would never do that to his own flesh and blood," Ash insisted, his voice tinged with skepticism.

"It's the truth!" Zuko retorted, frustration evident in his tone.

Ash's patience wore thin as he confronted his brother. "Enough!" he snapped, startling Zuko with the intensity of his outburst. "Quit wasting my time with this nonsense. Either help me capture the Avatar or step aside. Those are your only choices, Zuko!"

Zuko met Ash's challenge with a defiant glare, his own resolve unwavering. "And what if I refuse?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing with determination.

A tense silence settled over the two brothers as they faced off, their eyes locked in a steely gaze. Without a word, Ash's blue eyes narrowed as he slowly drew his sword from its sheath, the gleam of metal catching the sunlight. "Then you leave me no choice. I'll force you to stay out of my way!" he warned, his voice firm.

Zuko's expression hardened as he drew out his dual blades, his grip tight and his stance ready. "Then so be it, Ash!" he declared, his voice matching his brother's determination.

With a shared understanding of the inevitable confrontation ahead, the two brothers sprinted forward, their swords clashing with a resounding clang. The sound of metal meeting metal echoed through the mountainside as they engaged in an intense duel, each blow fueled by years of tension and conflicting feelings.

"Um...should we help Zuko?" Aang's incredulous question lingered in the air as he and his companions watched the intense duel unfold before them. The Last Airbender glanced around at his friends, seeking their opinions on whether to intervene.

Sokka shrugged with a nonchalant expression. "Nah... it's not our business to deal with their brotherly issues," he remarked casually. "Also, it's kind of fun to see Zuko get his butt handed to him for all the times he's been chasing us."

Sokka was right about Zuko having a difficult time dealing with Ash's swordsmanship. When they were younger, Zuko would always best Ash. But now, after being away from the Fire Nation for several years, his skills have sharpened and more experienced.

Aang couldn't help but chuckle at Sokka's blunt assessment, though he couldn't deny the truth in his words.

Zuko was losing.

Sokka's observation proved accurate as they watched Zuko struggle to keep up with Ash's skilled swordsmanship. In their younger days, Zuko had always bested Ash in combat. However, after years of separation and honing his skills away from the Fire Nation, Ash had grown into a formidable opponent.

"What's the matter, Zuko? Can't keep up?" Ash taunted, a confident smirk playing on his lips as the two brothers locked in a deadlock, their blades pressing against each other.

Zuko gritted his teeth in frustration, sweat pouring down his face as he struggled to match Ash's skill. He had to admit, Ash had honed his skills and become much stronger since the last time they crossed paths. However, Zuko refused to back down now. With a determined grunt, Zuko pulled back before lunging forward, performing several quick strikes in rapid succession. But to his dismay, Ash seemed to predict each movement with ease, effortlessly evading his attacks.

Before long, Ash seized the opportunity, stepping forward and knocking Zuko's blades from his grasp with one quick strike. Left wide open, Zuko found himself vulnerable as Ash delivered a powerful kick towards his chest, sending him flying several feet through the air. With a resounding groan, Zuko landed on his back, his dual blades clattering to the ground beside him.

As Zuko struggled to regain his breath, his chest heaving with exertion, Ash stood over him, his expression unreadable. "Well, that was fun, Zuko. However, it's best for you to stay down while I handle my business with the Avatar," he spat, his tone dripping with disdain.

The Fire Nation prince emitted a frustrated growl, his pride wounded by his defeat at his brother's hands. But even as he lay on the ground, Zuko refused to yield.

Ash scoffed at Zuko's defiance, turning away dismissively and beginning to stride confidently towards Aang's direction. However, he didn't get far before he heard Zuko's determined voice behind him. "Not so fast, Ash!"

Slowly, Ash glanced back to see Zuko pushing himself to his feet through gritted teeth, his determination shining through despite his exhaustion. "This isn't over...yet!" Zuko declared, thrusting his fist forward and sending a blazing torrent of flames towards his adoptive brother.

But Ash was already prepared, easily sidestepping the desperate attack with a swift movement. "Have it your way, Zuko!" he called out, his voice filled with determination as he sprinted forward once more, his focus solely on evading Zuko's incoming Firebending while closing the distance.

As Zuko continued his barrage of Firebending, aiming his attacks at his charging adoptive brother, Ash remained focused and agile, deftly navigating around Zuko's sloppy technique. Having trained together in their youth, Ash knew Zuko's abilities well, including the flaws in his Firebending. Ducking underneath a stream of flames, Ash swiftly planted his blade into the ground, using it to increase his momentum as he closed the distance between himself and Zuko. In the blink of an eye, he was already behind his brother.

With a firm grip, Ash snatched Zuko's arm and twisted it with precision, causing Zuko's momentum to momentarily halt. Then, with calculated force, Ash lifted his brother's arm high before driving his knee forcefully into Zuko's side, the impact causing a bone-crushing sound to echo through the air. Zuko groaned in agony as he stumbled forward, collapsing to his knees and clutching his side in pain. It was evident that Ash's attack had either bruised or broken his ribs, leaving Zuko vulnerable.

As Zuko gritted his teeth against the searing pain radiating from his injured ribs, Ash stood over him, his expression unreadable. "Now stay down for good, Zuko, or next time it will be more than just your ribs," he warned, his voice laced with a cold tone.

Ash began to walk away from Zuko, his gaze fixed on the glint of his sword in the distance.

Zuko struggled to push through the agony, his muscles tensing as he attempted to rise to his feet, but the pain was too intense, overwhelming his determination. "W-Wait..." he managed to choke out, desperation tingeing his voice.

But before Zuko could utter another word, a wave of excruciating pain washed over him, causing him to collapse back to his knees with a guttural groan of agony.

As Ash approached with a confident stride and sword in his grasp, Aang and his team tensed up, fully aware of the formidable opponent they faced. Aang could sense the aura of power emanating from Ash, a reminder that they couldn't afford to underestimate him. If he could handle Zuko without bending, they needed to be prepared.

Glancing at his team, Aang sought their input, hoping someone had a strategy to deal with their new adversary. "Any ideas, guys?" he inquired, his voice tinged with urgency.

Sokka's smug smirk hinted at a plan forming in his mind. "Here's one!" he declared, heaving his boomerang with all his might at Ash. However, their hopes were dashed as Ash effortlessly knocked the projectile aside with his blade, leaving Sokka looking on in disbelief.

"Okay, I'm all out of ideas. Anyone else?" Sokka admitted, a hint of resignation creeping into his voice.

Aang, Katara, and even Toph exchanged bemused glances at Sokka's failed attempt. "You know what, Sokka?" Toph taunted with a smirk. "How about you stand on the sideline and pretend to be useful while we handle the cute guy, okay?"

"Hey!" Sokka protested, his pride stung by Toph's mocking remark.

"Here he comes!" Aang's urgent shout echoed through the air, prompting the team to spring into action. Gripping his staff tightly, the Last Airbender prepared for the impending clash as Ash charged towards them with determined strides.

Sokka took a step back, his confidence wavering slightly as he watched the benders prepare to engage in battle. Aang, Katara, and Toph moved forward, their movements fluid and coordinated as they braced themselves for the intense showdown ahead.

As Ash approached, a smirk played across his lips as he faced the oncoming benders. In his mind, they were about to learn firsthand that they were in way over their heads, even if one of them was the Avatar himself. After all, he was born to defeat the Avatar, and nothing was going to stand in his way.