Responses to Reviews:

RonaldM40196867: Korra's story was more rushed with less episodes to tell more story than Avatar, but it also had more good villains and side-characters.

Zigzagdoublezee: Well, she doesn't know Zuko's not part of it. And is that not how lions are meant to hunt?

As Always, Please Review!

Zuko heaved himself on to the wall, and from his vantage point watched the soldiers rushing about the camp. The refugees, having just been informed that the Fire Nation was now in front of them, had been left to mill around while the Governor scrambled for what to do with them.

Zuko, however, had bigger things to worry about. He had seen the Avatar, and the Avatar, more to the point, had seen him. He knew she had seen him, because her eyes had widened and there had been a definite expression of shock.

That was bad. Zuko had saved her life, that was the whole reason he was here, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that his motivations were more nefarious if someone didn't know the whole context. And considering nobody else did know the context, he could find himself in trouble quickly. But where could he go? The Fire Nation were in front of him, and behind him. Maybe he could slip out and try to get through them, but he would then be travelling alone.

He was interrupted by Chen heaving herself onto the wall next to him.

"Are you alright?" She asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Zuko may as well have done, but he shrugged.

"I'm just worried," he said. "About the Fire Nation."

Chen nodded. "I think we all are," she said. "But I believe we'll get through."

"Why?" Zuko turned to her.

"Because we have the Avatar!" Chen said it as though it were obvious.

"Yes," Zuko muttered. "We do."

"Oh, there she is!" Chen pointed excitedly. Zuko's head snapped around to see a familiar and very distinctive figure step out from behind a building and look around. He was so surprised he fell off the wall, landing heavily on his back.

"Ow!"

"What- oh, are you alright?" Chen looked down.

"Oh, I'm fine," Zuko jumped to his feet. "But, ah... I have stuff to do."

"Oh," Chen's face fell. "Anything important?"

Not getting caught. That's pretty important, Zuko thought, but he just nodded.

"That's right!" He said. "I thought I could... get some swords from the armoury!"

He patted himself on the back for the excuse. He could always just say the guards had told him to go away if they asked after the weapons.

"Good luck!" Chen smiled at him.

"Thanks," Zuko smiled back. "I'll need it!"

Then he turned and walked away, picking up the pace once he was out of her line of sight. He was just going to have to hide somewhere for a few minutes. He turned and hurried down the gap between two long, low buildings that looked like barracks.

"Hey Zuko," someone greeted him as he passed.

"Hi," Zuko nodded as he rushed past. Then he stopped in his tracks. "Hang on-"

One of the Southerners travelling with the Avatar appeared from where he had been hiding, with a vicious-looking club in his hand.

"Yue said she'd seen you," he said. "She wants to have a word with you."

He paused.

"And don't think about trying to fight. I'm not here alone."

A moment later his sister appeared, scowling at him with her hand on the cap of a waterskin attached to her belt, ready to flick it open and launch the contents at him at a moment's notice.

Zuko thought about it, but even a successful fight would blow his cover and make his life a lot harder.

"Fine," he said. "But I'm just a refugee now. Don't blow my cover please."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Katara asked. "What's your game? What's your father ordered you to do here?"

"Nothing!" Zuko held his hands up. "I'm not here to fight for my father. I'm trying to escape him."

At that moment the Avatar appeared behind him.

"Escape him?" Katara looked like she was resisting bursting out into laughter. "And why should we believe you?"

"I helped you, remember!" Zuko reminded her. "Father was going to... I don't know what he would have done, but it wouldn't have been good. My cousin helped me escape, and here I am."

"And where does that family you're travelling with fit into all of this?" Yue asked, having listened to the conversation intently up to this point.

"They have nothing to do with this!" Zuko scowled. "They helped me when I needed it, nothing more. They don't even know who I am."

Yue stared at him for a moment.

"You're the one who fought the tank," she said.

Zuko stared back. Then he nodded.

"Why did you do that?"

"I didn't want to see them get captured."

"But you are lying to them," Yue pointed out. "If they don't know who you are, I mean. I assume you've given them a fake name."

"And what do you think would have happened if they knew?" Zuko asked pointedly. "They would hate me."

"Maybe," Yue shrugged. "But if you really are here because you need refuge from your own family, I'm sure they would understand."

"I'm not. Please don't tell them who I am."

Yue stared at him coolly for a moment, big blue eyes studying him intently.

Then she nodded.

"Very well."

"What?" Katara demanded. "You trust him?"

"I owe him," Yue corrected. "We all do."

She looked at Zuko.

"For the sake of what you did in the North, I'll choose to believe you," she said. "Did you give them a fake name?"

"Li," Zuko told her.

Yue frowned.

"I don't like what you're doing," she said. "But if you believe you're in genuine danger then I'll call you Li. But if it turns out you really are working for your country, then we will find you and personally deliver you to the Earth King. Do I make myself clear?"

She left the threat hanging in the air.

Then she grinned.

"Ooh," she said. "I've never threatened anyone before. I don't know how to feel about it."

"Don't worry, you picked it up quickly," Sokka told her.

Zuko gestured back the way he had come.

"Can I go..." he asked.

"Go," Yue told him. "For now. But remember what I told you."

Zuko did not need telling twice, and he ran back down the alley, leaving the Avatar and her companions far behind him.