*(Zuko again-- Katara will have to wait lol)
Zuko slumps against the wall next to the door of Hama's "secret lair". He can't stop thinking about what Katara is getting into without even realizing it.
He was at war with himself; on one hand, he didn't want to risk suffering the consequences of betraying Hama by releasing the captives, but on the other hand he knew what she was doing was a terrible crime.
Shifting his black mask, he tries to find a more comfortable position; his black suit was getting hot and itchy.
Suddenly Aang, Sokka and Toph come running into view.
"Go away! You shouldn't be here!" He shouts-- even as he knows it is too late.
"Ha! I knew you were in on this; whatever it is!" Sokka exclaims as they get closer. "Thanks to Old Man Ding, we know your little secret!"
"Move out of the way, Lee." Toph cracks her knuckles and gets into a bending crouch.
"We don't want to hurt you, so just move out of the way."
"Aang, are you crazy!? Of course we want to hurt him; he's obviously guarding the entrance to the mountain cave thing!"
"Toph, calm down. Let's just talk this out."
"He went on a date with my sister! I'm not talking anything out!" And with that Sokka raises his club and charges at Zuko with a loud battle cry.
Zuko tries not to roll his eyes as Sokka rushes forward dramatically. He jumps out of the way and Sokka crashes head first into the door.
He gets up shakily. "Pretty yellow birdies," he says, slurring his words and pointing above him.
"I don't want to fight you guys," Zuko remarks.
"You just did by hurting Sokka!" Toph chucks a boulder at Zuko but he uses the wall to push off and leap over them. He puts his fists up, trying to avoid using weapons.
"Why don't you at least take off your mask?" Aang calls. "Then we can at least see the face of our enemy."
"I though airbenders were everybody's friend," Zuko taunts before jumping into action.
He charges Aang but slides to the left, swinging his leg out and tripping Aang. He back springs off the ground to twist and face Toph-- they circle eachother.
Toph makes the first move and gets two slates of rock to try and smash Zuko's head between them, but he ducks at the last moment.
Zuko does a round house kick at Toph's head but she blocks it with her arm. She uses the ground to slide backward and builds a suit of armor with the ground.
She then pushes forward and Zuko tries to shove back, but her rock suit is too rough. She thrusts out an armored fist and gets a good hit at Zuko's torso, leaving him winded and sprawled on the ground.
He gets up but apparently Aang and Sokka are fine now because they also charge at him. Now he fights three foes, and it tires him quickly.
Aang thrusts a ball of air at him but he leaps away, narrowly avoiding Sokka's boomerang as well.
Zuko's moves are becoming sloppy and slow, and as the three others advance, many thoughts fly through his head. The first of which is, Am I really going to be beat by these kids again?!
However, he never gives up until Sokka hits him in the back of his head, almost knocking him unconscious and leaving him lying on the ground.
He barely feels Aang take off his mask, but their shocked gasps bring him back.
"Zuko!" They shout together.
"No duh," He groans, sitting up. "I'm surprised you didn't figure it out sooner."
"I knew you were familiar!" Sokka yells triumphantly. "But wait-- Ahh! You went on a date with my sister!" He cringes. "How dare you!?"
"Oh for the love of the spirits shut up about that already!" Toph snarls as she smacks him.
"But it's-- it was-- it was Zuko! How are any of you fine with this?!"
"I'm not," Aang says quietly. "Take us to the room where you and Hama hid everyone. Now."
Zuko glares at them. "You are all just kids; you don't stand a chance against her."
"How do you know?!" Aang shouts angrily.
"Hama is a master blood bender, FYI. She can literally control a person's movements!"
Instead of responding, the three kids drag Zuko to his feet. Sokka pokes him with a dagger. "Move it, lover boy; and when this is over, you are dead. Meat."
Zuko complies, grumbling as he leads them to the cavern. As he lights the torches lining the walls, the prisoners slowly appear.
Aang gasps softly at the sight of them chained to their posts. Sokka gags and Toph just stays silent, observing.
"No, please! Not again!" Someone cries out.
"Don't worry everyone, we are here to set you free!" Aang replies, his voice breaking.
"It's him-- that boy right there with the black suit and swords! He comes with Hama to help her practice and hone her blood bending skills!"
"So it was you all that I heard screaming." Toph remarks.
"She visits us once a week, and kidnaps more every month; most just believe it is an angry spirit, but it is really that witch!"
"Yes! She may seem like a kind old woman, but she is a horrible person. She stole me from my only son and now he is an orphan!"
Zuko is the only one to stand by, afraid to approach the people who he used to torture for the past few months.
"Has anyone... you know..." Toph asks a man with a long white beard.
"Only one. Her name was May-Lin, but she did not die through Hama and the blood bending. It was a horrible night, just after Hama had left with him." The man spits out the word like poison and Zuko shrinks back into the shadows.
"It was so sad," someone else pipes up. It is a tall young woman with dark brown hair. "She was a very nice girl, soon to be married. After Hama had gone, she somehow managed to... And then in the morning, we awoke to find her limp in her bonds with blood-- so much of it." The woman break down into tears and Sokka pats her back.
"Zuko, how could you?!" Aang turns on him.
"I swear I never knew about this," Zuko says, staying in place. Toph and Sokka were also glaring at him.
"Leave. Now. We never want to see your face again." Aang is no longer yelling, but his murderous expression betrays his calm voice.
Using his common sense, Zuko turns and flees down the tunnel and out into the bright moon light. He mentally punches himself for acting like such a coward; he can't help his instincts for his own well being.
He stops running when he can barely breath, and collapses against a tree. Whatever his destiny was, he doubted it included helping to save some random villagers.
"Besides, I have no room for love in my life! I've already left Mai, so no sense in starting an already doomed relationship, right?" Zuko screams at the silent tree tops.
This is a chance to leave and forget about this place-- to start over new, somewhere else...
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What will Zuko do next?! O.O
P.s I apologize if my description of the fight scene was a little bland... Comments and suggestions appreciated!
