Forged in Fire: Painted Lady (Young Justice/AtlA Crossover)

Painted Lady

"We run."

Ursula gently let the chin of her eldest child rest in the palm of her hands while tears welled in his eyes, pouring down his cheeks.

"We run."

She didn't fault Zuko for the tears which fell down his cheeks, not after she heard him relate what Azula, his younger sister told him—that Azulon demanded Ozai kill Zuko so he might understand the pain of losing his firstborn son as his older brother Iroh did in retribution for demanding Iroh's birthright.

"We run."

As a mother, she wouldn't let anyone harm her precious child, but the split-second decision to leave Hinokoku felt like the only choice when the life of her precious child was on the line.

"We run and don't look back."

~

"Sokka is going to be furious when he sees this."

Katara's mouth twisted into a grimace as she imagined the look on her older brother's face when he saw the poster on her bedroom wall. She dropped the paper bills into the casher's hand, her blue eyes focused on the rolled poster for the superheroine she admired and waited a long time for the Justice League to release just like all of Sokka's favorite heroes and heroines for which he collected posters of.

She felt the change drop into the palm of her hand and watched the cashier hand over the poster. Katara sucked in her breath while her heart pounded in her chest; she tucked the poster under her arm for safekeeping and left so she might head home to the apartment she lived in with her older brother and Gran Gran.

A shadow passed above and Katara's blue eyes fluttered up towards the skyscrapers which soared above her. A sigh escaped her mouth. "It must have been a cloud playing tricks on me rather than a superhero swinging by, but that's probably a good thing given the fact that would actually mean trouble was brewing nearby, right?"

Katara shook her head and continued her walk back to the apartment when someone bumped into her coming out of an alleyway. Katara swallowed while she pulled the poster closer, hoping her treasured item wasn't smashed by her unfortunate collision with the stranger. She lifted her head, drawn back to reality as the person in front of her muttered. "Sorry."

"That's—" Her entire body froze. The young man who bumped into her glanced away while his companion watched the unfolding situation in front of them. There was no mistaking the golden eyes which identified the young man as—"You're Hinokoku, aren't you?" The young man turned his head so he looked her in the eye, worrying his lip. "Guilt. The blasted—"

"Hey. Don't act that way," his companion spoke up.

"Rob," the Hinokoku youth cleared his throat, turning his head to the young man—sorter than both Katara and the Hinokoku youth.

"She doesn't know you, so what right..."

"Don't. Just, Rob, don't." The young man bowed slightly. "Apologies. We'll be on our way. Sorry for bothering you."

Katara pushed her lips together, frustrated beyond belief, her fingers itching for water to manipulate so she might freeze the young man to the wall yet there was none nearby. "Plus. What good would outing yourself as being able to bend water do for Gran Gran and Sokka. We'd have to move again because you drew too much attention to yourself, Katara."

Instead, she let them pass her by and continued on her way to the apartment.

Neither were home, as neither greeted her.

Letting out a sigh, Katara headed into her room and unrolled the poster so she might affix the imagery onto her bedroom wall. Her breath sucked in as her blue eyes widened in excitement, her run-in with the Hinokoku youth disappearing like mist in the sunlight.