Chapter 18: Stalling

Chapter 18 has been released. This one is shorter than most but hopefully got some convos out that needed to happen. I realized during the first arc that I hadn't given much attention to the rest of the gang as I gave Sokka as they were all following for the most part, the canon route. But that's going to change as we are traveling in unknown waters.

I know this part might be boring for most people but we got to push through to the more exciting parts, which will come later.

lastly, I hope you guys viewed the map that I sent in the previous chapter because you going to need it in future.

until next time.

Sokka stepped into the medical tent, the thick canvas flaps closed behind them, muffling the distant sounds of battle. His grip tightening around the injured soldier slumped against him. The moment he entered, a wave of heat and the sharp scent of herbs hit him. The place was suffocating—crowded with men lying on cots, their bodies broken and bandaged, some barely moving, others groaning in pain.

Lanterns swayed gently from overhead, their dim glow flickering against the strained faces of nurses and medics who worked tirelessly. The steady murmur of hushed conversations mixed with the occasional pained cry, creating a dull, unrelenting hum.

The sight made his stomach twist.

The Fire Nation had dissolved the Earth Kingdom's army when they seized Ba Sing Se, scattering what remained of its forces. But when the White Lotus led the charge to reclaim the city, many of those displaced soldiers had rejoined the fight, determined to take back their home. Now, after days of relentless fighting and suffering a major setback, They were back on the retreat and a victory looked ever bleak.

Sokka helped the injured man onto an open cot, gritting his teeth as he straightened. His body ached, but now wasn't the time to think about that. Not when things were this bad.

His eyes scanned the tent until they landed on Katara, hunched over a patient on the other side. Her movements were quick and practiced, a damp cloth pressed against the man's burned skin as she bent a stream of glowing water over the wound.

Sokka made his way toward her.

She glanced up as he approached, relief flickering across her face. "You're back." She gestured for him to help the soldier onto a bed. "How bad is it out there?"

Sokka lowered the man onto the cot before rubbing the back of his neck. "Very bad," he admitted. "Like… way worse than it is in here. we gonna need all the help we can get."

Katara pressed her lips into a tight line, nodding. "Are you okay though? You need to be careful, Sokka. You're already pushing yourself too much."

"I'm fine," he replied quickly. "Didn't get into too much trouble."

Katara didn't look convinced. As he turned to leave, her sharp eyes caught the subtle way his hand drifted toward his abdomen. A barely audible grunt slipped from his lips, masked beneath the noise of the tent, but she noticed.

She opened her mouth, hesitating for a split second before asking, "Where's Suki and Zuko?"

Sokka stopped just short of the exit and turned back. "They're fine," he assured her. " I just came from Zuko, He said Jeong Jeong had task for him and Suki."

She gave a slow nod, but before he could take another step, she called out, "Oh! I almost forgot to give you something."

Sokka sighed and turned around. "Katara, we really don't have—"

Before he could finish, she grabbed his shoulders and firmly pushed him onto a nearby cot.

"Sit," she ordered.

Sokka flailed for a moment before shooting her an exasperated look. "Hey, come on, I told you, I'm fine!"

She didn't let go. "I insist," she said, her tone brooking no argument. "And this will go a lot easier if you just go along with it."

Sokka sighed in defeat, running a hand down his face. "Oh, what the hell," he muttered, finally surrendering.

Katara wasted no time. She lifted his shirt—then immediately froze.

Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes widened in horror.

Long, jagged scratch marks lined his chest and back, stark against his skin. Bruises—some faded, others still fresh—were scattered across his torso, each one a reminder of the torment he had endured. Burn marks traced along his arms and shoulders, their edges uneven, their presence unmistakable. Every mark, every scar, had been left by her.

But the worst was the wound on his abdomen. The scar tissue was thick and stretched deep—too precise, too deliberate to have been accidental.

Katara's breath caught as the realization set in.

She slowly lifted her gaze to meet his, but Sokka only looked at her with a resigned expression, as if to say, Yeah. It's bad. But what else is new?

Katara swallowed hard. "Sokka…" she breathed. Her hands trembled slightly as she traced a fingertip near the edge of one of the scars. "This is… alarming. This is very alarming."

She looked up at him again, her voice lower now, almost hesitant. "She did this to you, didn't she?"

Sokka inhaled slowly, as if preparing himself. "…Yes," he admitted. "But there's nothing to worry about. They've already been treated."

Katara's composure cracked.

"What do you mean nothing to worry about?!" she snapped, her voice rising. "This is—how are you even still—" She cut herself off, shaking her head, her throat tightening.

She took a deep breath, struggling to keep her voice steady. "Does Suki… do the others know?"

Sokka shook his head. "No. But that's not important right now. I do need to tell you something else, though."

Katara was still reeling, still trying to process what she was seeing, what he had been through, but his urgency made her pause. "Are you crazy?! What could possibly be more—"

Sokka gripped her shoulders suddenly, stopping her mid-sentence. His eyes were serious, steady.

"She has a healer, Katara." His voice was low, deliberate. "The Fire Nation has a waterbender with them."

Katara's anger faded instantly, replaced with shock. "What?"

Sokka exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know much. Her name is Tuka—Tuka of the Northern Water Tribe. She's about yay high," he gestured vaguely, "probably in her mid-to-late forties if I had to guess." His expression shifted slightly, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes. " And she kinda looks like… in fact, at first, I completely mistook her for Mom."

Katara's brows shot up. "No way."

Sokka nodded. "Yes way and she's working for the Fire Nation." His voice dropped slightly, the weight of that realization settling between them.

Katara frowned, her mind racing. "She's probably being coerced in some way. What's her story?"

Sokka sighed. "I wish I knew. But I wouldn't exactly call her a prisoner."

Katara's frown deepened. "What do you mean?"

"I mean she wasn't locked up. No guards watching her, no chains, no torture. She moved freely through the entire palace."

Katara crossed her arms, thoughtful. "That's… interesting. Besides myself, the only other healer I know from the Northern Water Tribe is Yagoda. If Tuka's that skilled, she must have been one of her students."

Sokka nodded, but before either of them could say more, a commotion at the tent's entrance stole their attention.

Toph stormed in, a wounded soldier slung over her shoulder as if he weighed nothing. Without hesitation, she strode across the tent and deposited the man onto an open cot.

"Heeyy, I've been looking all over for you two," she said, brushing some stray dust off her arms.

Katara was already moving, bending a stream of glowing water over the man's wounds.

Meanwhile, Toph turned to Sokka, her sightless gaze settling on him. "Uhm Sokka, why are you just sitting here? Are you injured or something?"

Sokka blinked, glancing briefly at Katara before turning back to Toph. "No. I'm all good."

"Hah, I can tell you're lying but anyway, just came to tell you that they need your help back there, and I'm already busy with my own thing," Toph said bluntly. "I can't focus on both."

Sokka nodded, quickly pulling his shirt back on. As he stood, he rolled his shoulders and gave a small grin. "Right. Just took a breather. Let's go."

They made their way out of the tent, the cool night air hitting them as they stepped away from the warm, overcrowded space. As they walked, something nagged at Sokka's mind.

"So… what exactly are you working on?" he asked, glancing sideways at her.

Toph smirked but didn't stop walking. "Don't worry, Snoozles, you'll see soon enough."

The night was eerily silent, save for the distant sounds of battle in the city.

Then, without warning—

A blast of fire erupted from the darkness.

Zuko struck first, launching a wave of flame that knocked two unsuspecting soldiers off their feet. Before the others could react, Suki was already in motion, weaving through the chaos with practiced agility.

One of the firebenders retaliated quickly, sending a stream of fire toward Zuko, but he rolled to the side, dodging it just in time. He countered with a powerful flame arc, forcing his opponent back. Another soldier lunged at him with a spear, but Zuko twisted, grabbing the shaft and using his opponent's own momentum to send him crashing into a pile of crates.

Meanwhile, Suki took on two soldiers at once, her blades flashing in the faint light. One came at her with a sword—she ducked, sweeping his legs out from under him before delivering a sharp kick to his chest, sending him sprawling. The second soldier was faster, swinging his blade toward her midsection, but she blocked it with her sword and struck his wrist, forcing him to drop the weapon.

A sudden heat surged behind Zuko—one of the firebenders had broken through his defenses and was preparing to strike.

Before he could turn—

CRACK!

Suki's foot connected with the firebender's head in a powerful spinning kick, sending him crashing to the ground before he could unleash his attack. Zuko exhaled sharply, recovering his stance, then shot her a quick look of gratitude before refocusing on the remaining enemies.

The last soldier charged Suki with a dagger, but she sidestepped smoothly, catching his arm mid-swing. With a sharp twist, she disarmed him and sent him tumbling forward, knocking him out cold against the factory wall.

The fight was over.

Zuko took a deep breath, glancing at the fallen soldiers. "I'll never get used to fighting my own people."

Suki wiped the back of her hand across her brow. "Right. Better start getting used to it then."

He looked at her briefly before they both got to work.

The factory was large, filled with towering stacks of metal ingots, tools, and half-assembled machinery. The Fire Nation had clearly been using it as a supply hub for the city, but now it belonged to them. It wasn't much, but it was enough—enough to fuel whatever plan Jeong Jeong had in store.

Zuko and Suki worked in silence, each focused on their task. Zuko carried crates of processed metal toward the entrance, while Suki sorted through weapon parts, setting aside anything that looked salvageable.

Minutes passed without a word between them until Suki finally broke the quiet.

"Hey," she said, lifting a crate of metal, "does Sokka… I don't know, seem different to you?"

Zuko, carrying a heavy stack of armor pieces on the other side of the factory, didn't turn around. "No. Why?"

Suki frowned. "Seriously? Nothing at all?"

Zuko finally set his load down, straightening with a sigh. "I mean… he's been keeping a lot to himself lately."

Suki let out a sigh, gripping the edge of the crate she was carrying. "It's more than that," she said. "Something's clearly wrong, and he won't admit it."

Zuko was quiet for a moment, his golden eyes shadowed as he thought back to his earlier conversation with Sokka. After a pause, he picked up another crate, his movements slower, more deliberate.

"I don't think he's ready to talk about it," Zuko said finally. "But… I think I know why."

Suki turned to face him fully, concern etched into her features. "What do you mean?"

Zuko shifted uncomfortably, still not looking at her. "I spoke to him earlier, before I came here to meet you," he started. " We spoke a bit, I asked him if, while he was imprisoned at the Boiling Rock, he ever saw Mai."

Suki's brows furrowed. "And?"

"He said no," Zuko answered. "He only saw her that day, along with Ty Lee, apparently she had betrayed Azula as well."

"She must have been pissed." Suki said. "Betrayed by the only friends, she had."

He nodded, then continued. "After that, they were separated and he never saw anyone else for a while—except her."

Suki stiffened.

Zuko's grip tightened around the metal crate in his hands. "He told me the first few days were the worst. Anyone could see, She was losing her grip on reality, and her methods were… brutal."

Suki inhaled sharply, her fingers twitching against the cool metal of the crate she was holding. Zuko continued, his voice lower now, more measured.

"By the third night, he had barely slept. He said he started seeing her everywhere, even when she wasn't there."

Suki lifted a hand to her mouth, before continuing. "He also told me, that at one point… he asked her if Mai and Ty Lee were still alive."

Suki's breath caught. "Did she say anything?"

Zuko let out a heavy sigh. "She didn't. She became enraged, like the thought of him even asking was offensive to her—like she'd never dream of hurting them."

Suki's stomach twisted. "Don't tell me she…"

Zuko quickly shook his head. "No," he said firmly. "She didn't kill them. I think She's keeping them somewhere."

Suki exhaled, her shoulders relaxing slightly. But then a new thought crept in, and her expression hardened. "How would you know that?"

Zuko hesitated before answering. "I just know they're alive. She wouldn't..." His voice held conviction, but it was laced with something else—

He picked up another crate, but his movements were tense, his grip tightening around the edges. His mind swirled with everything that had happened, with everything that was still happening.

Suki watched him closely. "You just know?"

Zuko didn't respond right away. Instead, his grip on the crate tightened even further.

Then, without warning, he let go.

The heavy crate of metal crashed to the floor with a clang that rang through the factory.

Suki flinched, her eyes snapping to him. Zuko stood rigid, his fists clenched, his breath uneven. His frustration simmered just beneath the surface, and now it was spilling over.

"I should've stopped her," he muttered, his voice low but edged with anger. "I should've done something before it got this far."

Suki's expression hardened. "Zuko…"

He ran a hand through his hair, pacing slightly. "And my uncle—he trusted me to do the right thing. And where is he now? Trapped in the palace because of me. And Mai and Ty Lee is Agni knows where, because of me.

Suki stepped forward without hesitation. "None of that is your fault," she said firmly.

Zuko exhaled sharply, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. He knew she was right. He knew it. But that didn't make it any easier to accept.

Before he could respond, the heavy doors to the factory swung open.

Jeong Jeong stepped inside, flanked by a small group of White Lotus members.

Zuko and Suki turned their attention to him instantly.

Jeong Jeong folded his arms. "You've done well," he said, his voice steady, but there was little satisfaction in it. "But the night is far from over. There is still much to do."

Suki wiped her brow, rolling her shoulder. "Yeah, I figured," she muttered under her breath.

Zuko straightened. "We secured the factory like you asked. There were only a few soldiers guarding it, but they didn't go down easy." He paused, glancing at the supplies. "What exactly do you need all this metal for?"

"Hopefully to slow down the Fire Nation but that will all depend on what your friend Toph can do with it." Jeong Jeong said.

Behind him, two men stepped forward. "These are Lieutenants Akee and Hulo," Jeong Jeong continued. " They'll oversee the metal transport to the tram station."

Suki and Zuko both nodded in acknowledgment.

"Come," Jeong Jeong said, turning on his heel. "We have other matters to attend to."

Without hesitation, they followed him outside.

The air outside was thick with smoke and the distant echoes of battle. Fires burned in the far distance. The White Lotus forces moved with haste, preparing for what lay ahead.

Sokka was already waiting with the others, his arms crossed as he spoke with some soldiers.

As Suki stepped forward, her gaze locked onto Sokka's for a brief moment. She wanted to say something—to reach out—but now wasn't the time.

Jeong Jeong wasted no time, stepping forward to address the gathered fighters. His presence alone was enough to command attention.

"Our goal is simple," he stated, his voice carrying across the assembled warriors. "We draw the Fire Nation's forces toward us and hold them as long as possible, so everyone else can escape. They need time and we must give it to them."

He let the weight of his words settle before continuing. "The comet's power is gone, but that does not make the Fire Nation weak. Do not underestimate them. One mistake, one break in the line, and we lose." His sharp gaze swept over the fighters, ensuring they understood the gravity of their mission.

A heavy silence followed.

Then, with a final nod, he said, "Good luck. We regroup at the tram station by morning."