nothing to lose | zuko x oc

16

the avatar was in ba sing se. he lost his bison. he was here.

just when zuko had decided to cease the hunt, he was here.

zuko's palms were moist, his mouth was dry. he was slowly connecting the dots.

vada was in ba sing se with her friends, looking for a stolen pet. the avatar was in ba sing se, looking for his stolen bison.

either this was a coincidence, or his girlfriend was allies with his enemy. which technically made her his enemy, too.

great.

he'd have to tell her the truth sooner or later. she was bound to want him to meet her friends, she was bound to find out that he was the fire Prince.

the banished fire Prince, forced to hunt the avatar for the remainder of his days.

and he couldn't keep his identity a secret from her for much longer. every time she called him 'lee', it made his heart sink down into his stomach. he felt guilty for keeping this lie going for so long in the first place.

then again, he could tell her the truth and then he could capture the avatar's bison with her help. after all, wouldn't she be acqainted with the beast after a few weeks of traveling with it?

if he could catch it and use it as a trap, he could go home with her on his arm and give her all the luxury she deserved.

besides, the people of the water tribes are loyal, she'd never turn her back on him.

but what if she did?

what if her loyalties lied with the avatar? what if she chose him instead of zuko?

then he'd just catch the bison on his own and take vada home with him after he had the avatar in his custody.

yeah. that could work...

couldn't it?

~

"you said you didn't have your gang anymore!"

"i don't!"

katara was angry, staring at jet accusingly as vada stood beside her.

vada was calmer, the serenity of her mood even granting her friend some comfort, although it didn't help much.

a girl with short hair and face paint, and a quiet archer boy had approached the group not long earlier, hugging jet as if they had been worried for his safety.

"we were so worried!" the girl said, "how did you get away from the dai li?"

vada raised an eyebrow, "the dai li?" she questioned, eyeing jet suspiciously.

"i dont know what she's talking about." the teenager replied, taking a step away from his companion. "you were arrested a couple weeks ago." she stated.

"arrested?!" katara hissed.

jet folded his arms. "why would they arrest me? I've been living peacefully in the city." he said.

toph crouched down and placed her hand on the stone ground beneath them. "this isn't making sense. they're both telling the truth."

vada thought for a moment, this wasn't possible. if they were both telling the truth, then one of them had to be lying and believing it to be true.

"what if one of them were brainwashed. it's the only explanation." sokka said, "I think it was jet."

jet looked around. "that's insane! it can't be!"

the group began closing in on the teen, needing to apprehend him as he was panicking.

vada quickly took his hands together and they lead him away to his apartment.