(A/N)- 'SUUUUUUUUUUP?

Hello hello my faithful readers! We are so close to being done with Season One I can taste it lol. I won't keep you much longer, let's get into the chapter.

Disclaimer: Nah, still don't own. Drat.


Firefight

She was sitting so utterly still he thought for a moment she might not be breathing.

Katar checked the soft movement of her chest and forced himself to calm down.

Yuan apparently had the same concerns as him, for the prince gripped his spear shaft a fraction tighter, apprehensive with fear. "Is she okay?" he warbled.

He watched the tranquil movement of her collar for a few long moments, relaxing, slightly awed now at how smooth the transition had been for her.

She was progressing so fast with her abilities.

She was becoming a true Avatar.

Warm pride filled his heart as he beheld her. He watched her sit and meditate a second longer, before stirring and answering, "She's crossing into the Spirit World." He took in a long slow breath, his worries releasing into the ether. "She'll be fine as long as we don't move her body." He glanced up at Yuan with a reassuring smile. "That's her way back to the physical world," he explained.

Yaun bit his lip, glancing at Angka doubtfully.

"Maybe we should get some help?" he suggested.

Katar wondered if Yuan was worried Chief Arnook wouldn't approve of their plan; if he thought the head of the Northern Water Tribe would question the wisdom of arguably their most powerful player on the field taking a detour to summon help even greater than she.

Or maybe Yuan just worried about her, like he did.

Smiling, Katar put on a confident brave face.

"No," he said. "She'll be okay. If trouble comes..." A determined fist clenched at his side. "I'm perfectly capable of protecting her now."

He had made so much progress with Pakku. He almost felt like he could take on Zuka herself and win.

As if his thoughts had summoned her, he suddenly heard the bone-chilling sound of her voice.

"Well. Aren't you finally manning up."

Cold dread pooled in his stomach. He whipped around to see her crossing over one of the bridges of the oasis, her normal armor eschewed for pale thermal cloth, white as bone.

"No..." he breathed in disbelief.

His mind screamed in denial. How was she here?! How had she penetrated the city's defenses?!

A moment later anger seeped hot like burning coals into him. His clenched fists gripped tighter as he and Yuan whirled to face her. The prince pointed his spear but it was wavering, his hands were shaking on his weapon, his eyes wide with fear. Katar paid a brief sympathetic glance back at him.

Stiff-limbed. Bald terror. Freezing up at the sight of the threat and unable to will himself to action.

Katar knew how he felt. Intimately.

Flashes of that day came back to him, how utterly helpless he was and felt before the tall looming Fire Nation soldier.

Katar stirred, a somber little smile on his face as he prepared to make the same decision as his mother.

He took a breath.

"Yuan." His voice was surprisingly firm and calm, all fear banished, tucked away in some far corner of his being. "Go. Go get Sokki," he ordered.

Yuan's eyes darted briefly to him, then back to Zuka, trembling.

"But—" he started to protest.

"Go," Katar repeated, with fervent emphasis. "I've got this." He raised his hands, falling into a much-practiced waterbending stance as he faced Zuka and squared off. "I'm not a helpless kid anymore," he declared.

Yuan hesitated a fraction longer before tucking up and running, disappearing towards the exit.

Katar moved his attention to his target, limbs coiled in preparation.

Zuka seemed unimpressed, shaking her head, her topknot ponytail flicking with the movement. "That was an unwise choice, sending away your backup," she scolded. Her scowl was harsh with the moonlight framing her scarred face. "Hand her over and I won't have to hurt you," she demanded.

He narrowed eyes, mouth twisting. "I don't need backup," he growled. "I can take you on myself."

"So confident," Zuka mocked. "Let's see how far that gets you," she snarled, posing to strike.

He was ready as she leapt up with a high kick, flames darting from the sole of her foot. She followed up with two sharp punches, all of which were blocked as Katar summoned water as a moving shield to absorb them.

At a brief pause in the onslaught, he struck.

His water blast knocked the Fire Nation princess off her feet, slamming her to the ground in an embarrassingly easy fashion.

Katar kept his eyes firmly on her as she got up, sputtering about how she didn't come this far to lose to him, and felt a brief flash of mean satisfaction in his gut. He didn't look back, but he was acutely aware of Angka's presence behind him, still and defenseless.

"Leave her alone," he growled with protective anger.

He pushed Zuka back, catching her off-guard, putting her on the backfoot as his water stream hit her, sending her stumbling into the river and freezing her feet in place with a thought.

The bright white light of the full moon in the sky above was invigorating. Katar could feel it in his veins, surging with power and strength.

His arms began moving rapidfire, slicing the air as the water rose up around Zuka, surrounded her, enveloped her, froze in place trapping her inside an ice bubble.

Droplets misted past his eyes as he smirked.

He'd left Zuka enough room to breathe and she used it to snarl at him.

"You little peasant!" she spat. "You've found a master, haven't you?"

The ice began glowing orange around her as she summoned some kind of inner heat. Katar stepped a fraction closer to Angka as steam rose off the ice ball.

The glow intensified and then burst, ice shards flying everywhere as Zuka freed herself from her prison.

But Katar was already sending water blasts her way, faster and faster as she moved in closer.

One flame-covered hand seemed to come straight for his face. He flinched a bit but ducked it neatly, relying on instinct honed by Pakku's rigorous training.

He straightened up and exchanged close blows with her for a couples moments, heart beating fast from adrenaline.

She kicked up a fireblast and it briefly blinded him, briefly obscured his vision.

When his eyes cleared she was no longer in front of him. She had slipped around behind him somehow.

He whipped around in time to catch her reaching for Angka's collar.

Red crept into his vision, inflaming him with anger; his body was moving almost before he could think, reacting with pure righteous fury.

"Don't touch her!" he screamed as his water tendril slammed into Zuka, knocking her immediately far away from her target, into the ice wall on the other side of the oasis.

Zuka crumpled in place but Katar wasn't done, grunting as he dipped into a form that sent water streaming up from the oasis river, flowing against Zuka and dragging her up against the wall.

The rapid current blasted her for several potent seconds as Katar forced it to flow up, then quickly solidified as his thoughts cooled, crystalizing rapidly, water turning once again into ice.

She hung there, limply, hands loose and useless, eyes closed.

Vigor flowed through him. The moonlight resonated inside his body, tingling, sweet with the thrill of victory.

He straightened up from his stance. He looked over his work, giving a stiff nod.

He had neutralized the threat.

The knowledge beat loud against the insides of his head.

Angka was safe. He had protected her.

His heart thrummed warm around the heavy pounding still moving through him.

I did it, Mom, he thought, nerves alight and vibrating, This time I saved you.

He reveled in the feeling a moment more.


(A/N)- Katar and Zuka square up and round one goes to Katar, meanwhile Angka just kinda be there chilling lol.

Frick I think I hurt myself on that last bit there. Debated a couple times if I wanted to keep going into round two but ultimately decided to let Katar have this moment of victory and healing. I'll knock him down and delve into that sweet sweet failure angst next chapter maybe.

Thanks for reading!