Around Katara’s shoulder, the Avatar glared at him, and Zuko’s own good eye narrowed in response, but Katara didn’t notice, hugging the Avatar closer. “Aang, I knew you would come.”
“Uncle, I don’t understand.” Zuko jabbed his finger at the boy, voice hard. “What are you doing with the Avatar?”
“Saving you, that’s what,” the Avatar (Aang, a part of him reminded himself) shot back. Zuko lunged for him, forgetting again for a moment, and only Uncle’s arm kept him from falling.
“Zuko, it’s time we talked.” Uncle steadied him and turned to the others. “Go help your other friends. We’ll catch up with you.”
Before he darted back up the tunnel he had just made into the cave, the Avatar (Aang, Zuko reminded himself again) bowed to Uncle. Pausing, Katara turned at the tunnel entrance and glanced one last time at the two of them, then she too left them alone.
When he spoke again, Zuko’s voice was very soft. “Why Uncle?” he asked, forlorn.
“You are not the man you used to be, Zuko.” Uncle held him close, but Zuko broke away to lean against the wall. “You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been, and now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It’s time for you to choose. It’s time for you to choose good!”
Closing his eyes, Zuko bowed his head. That was the first time his uncle had ever put it that-
Suddenly, the ground lurched and pitched him to his knees. A line of the glowing, green crystals erupted out of the stone, reaching for Uncle. They surged up around him, locking him in place. Scrambling back up, Zuko rested his weight on the crystals, arms in front of him, ready to bend fire.
Azula slid gracefully down the original tunnel, two Dai Li agents close on her heels, but Zuko barely even noticed the agents. His sister was the important one. She strode forward to face him, smirking.
When Zuko noticed out of the corner of his eye that one of the agents’ robes were burned all around the knees, his fire blast had hit, he had to restrain a smirk of his own.
“Going to fight me Zuzu?” Azula clicked her tongue.
“Release him immediately!” Zuko roared, keeping his hands out in front of him.
“Why?” Zuko snarled, and Azula’s eyes narrowed in pleasure at his response. “What could you possibly do that would convince me to let him go?”
With a shout, he heaved a ball of fire at her head, but she just flicked it aside. “Why did you come down here?”
She opened her eyes wide and softened her face the way she used to when they were kids and she wanted everyone to think she was sweet. “What, you don’t believe I just wanted to see you one last time before they locked you away for good?” Zuko let out a wordless howl of rage. “Where’s the girl, Zuko?”
“You’re too late, Azula,” their uncle cut in. “The Avatar came and got her already.”
Azula snarled, eyes narrowing at the hole in the cave wall. “You don’t look like you’ve been fighting.” Her eyes roamed the cave, taking in the intact crystals and the walls, undisturbed except for the new exit. “You haven’t become a traitor, have you, Zuzu?”
Zuko growled deep in his throat.
“I’ll deal with you two later,” she spat menacingly, signaling the Dai Li to leave and sprinting to the tunnel the Avatar had created. For once, Zuko could see her fighting to stay calm.
“Should we secure the prince too, your highness?” the agent who had helped carry him down there asked tentatively at the bottom of the shaft.
“No,” Azula glanced back at her brother. What’s the point? There’s nothing he can do.”
Zuko hurt his leg on the run and it won’t heal 6/7
“Uncle, I don’t understand.” Zuko jabbed his finger at the boy, voice hard. “What are you doing with the Avatar?”
“Saving you, that’s what,” the Avatar (Aang, a part of him reminded himself) shot back. Zuko lunged for him, forgetting again for a moment, and only Uncle’s arm kept him from falling.
“Zuko, it’s time we talked.” Uncle steadied him and turned to the others. “Go help your other friends. We’ll catch up with you.”
Before he darted back up the tunnel he had just made into the cave, the Avatar (Aang, Zuko reminded himself again) bowed to Uncle. Pausing, Katara turned at the tunnel entrance and glanced one last time at the two of them, then she too left them alone.
When he spoke again, Zuko’s voice was very soft. “Why Uncle?” he asked, forlorn.
“You are not the man you used to be, Zuko.” Uncle held him close, but Zuko broke away to lean against the wall. “You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been, and now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It’s time for you to choose. It’s time for you to choose good!”
Closing his eyes, Zuko bowed his head. That was the first time his uncle had ever put it that-
Suddenly, the ground lurched and pitched him to his knees. A line of the glowing, green crystals erupted out of the stone, reaching for Uncle. They surged up around him, locking him in place. Scrambling back up, Zuko rested his weight on the crystals, arms in front of him, ready to bend fire.
Azula slid gracefully down the original tunnel, two Dai Li agents close on her heels, but Zuko barely even noticed the agents. His sister was the important one. She strode forward to face him, smirking.
When Zuko noticed out of the corner of his eye that one of the agents’ robes were burned all around the knees, his fire blast had hit, he had to restrain a smirk of his own.
“Going to fight me Zuzu?” Azula clicked her tongue.
“Release him immediately!” Zuko roared, keeping his hands out in front of him.
“Why?” Zuko snarled, and Azula’s eyes narrowed in pleasure at his response. “What could you possibly do that would convince me to let him go?”
With a shout, he heaved a ball of fire at her head, but she just flicked it aside. “Why did you come down here?”
She opened her eyes wide and softened her face the way she used to when they were kids and she wanted everyone to think she was sweet. “What, you don’t believe I just wanted to see you one last time before they locked you away for good?” Zuko let out a wordless howl of rage. “Where’s the girl, Zuko?”
“You’re too late, Azula,” their uncle cut in. “The Avatar came and got her already.”
Azula snarled, eyes narrowing at the hole in the cave wall. “You don’t look like you’ve been fighting.” Her eyes roamed the cave, taking in the intact crystals and the walls, undisturbed except for the new exit. “You haven’t become a traitor, have you, Zuzu?”
Zuko growled deep in his throat.
“I’ll deal with you two later,” she spat menacingly, signaling the Dai Li to leave and sprinting to the tunnel the Avatar had created. For once, Zuko could see her fighting to stay calm.
“Should we secure the prince too, your highness?” the agent who had helped carry him down there asked tentatively at the bottom of the shaft.
“No,” Azula glanced back at her brother. What’s the point? There’s nothing he can do.”