The Girl He Won't Remember

Chapter 24

"We can take the train out to the wall," Sokka explained as we all walked through the middle ring, "but then we'll have to walk." Jet would steal a glance at me every so often, looking conflicted as to whether or not it was a good idea to try to come near or touch me again. Each time, Katara would scowl at him and hook her arm with mine, as if to claim me and vow to destroy him if he came too close. After her reaction to Toph's question, I was beginning to think Jet simply had a thing for waterbenders.

"Don't worry," Aang smiled, genuinely gleeful. "We'll be flying on the way back."

On my left, Toph said with relief, "We're finally leaving Ba Sing Se— worst city ever!"

From behind, I heard a familiar raspy voice calling, "Jet!" We all turned to see Smellerbee running towards him, Longshot not far behind. 

"I thought you said you didn't have your gang anymore!" Katara balled her hands into fists.

"I don't!"

Smellerbee flung herself onto Jet, hugging him. I'd never seen her show any sort of affection. It was an anomaly. "We were so worried about you! How did you get away from the Dai Li?" She asked. 

"The Dai Li?!" Katara echoed.

"I don't know what she's talking about!" Jet retaliated. 

Smellerbee explained, "He got arrested by the Dai Li a couple weeks ago. We saw them drag him away!"

"Why would I be arrested?" Jet asked. "I've been living peacefully in the city!" The strangest thing about this was that Jet sounded genuinely confused. He'd no recollection of what happened that night, which only raised my suspicion. What could the Dai Li have done to him?

Relaying what everyone was thinking, Toph, with her hand pressed against the ground between Smellerbee and Jet, said, "This doesn't make any sense. They're both telling the truth."

"That's impossible," I said. Katara nodded in agreement, still clinging to my arm.

"No, it's not," Sokka objected. "Toph can't tell who's lying because they both think they're telling the truth! Jet's been brainwashed!"

Jet's eyes widened. "That's crazy! It can't be!" He looked around at all of us like a petrified caged animal. 

Sokka and Longshot left forward, grabbing hold of Jet's arms to keep him from running. 

The rest of the day as used to interrogate Jet, find out whatever there was to know. I, however, had very little intrigue in regards to what the Dai Li had done to his mind. Don't get me wrong, it isn't that I didn't care— I did!— but my mind would consistently drift off to the argument I'd had with Zuko. Granted, it definitely wasn't the first argument we've had, and it most certainly wouldn't be the last. But my guilty conscience wouldn't allow me to surpass the fact that it was yet another strain on our lifelong friendship, and that just could not be tolerated. So, at midnight, after telling Sokka that I was going on a walk for some fresh air, I went to go find Zuko. I needed to apologize, despite the fact that I hadn't been wrong. 

Upon walking through the emptied marketplace, a dark figure caught my eye. A dark figure with a white-fanged kabuki mask, that is. He ran silently along the path, shoving past a Dai Li officer. "Out of my way, skinny," I heard the figure say. I sprinted after him, accidentally bumping the man's shoulder along the way. I shouted an apology to the man, but he only became more furious. He was soon running after the both of us. The Blue Spirit, I remembered Iroh calling him, turned a corner into a dead end. I followed. He leaped onto a roof, and I did the same.

Let me tell you: Playing with Ty Lee when the others weren't around had its benefits.

"What are you doing?" Zuko lifted his mask and whispered to me. "Why are you following me?!"

I whispered back, "I need to talk to you."

He put his mask back down and put his fingers to its mouth as if to say, Sshh. He silently jumped down behind the man, holding his dual swords to the officer's throat. I couldn't hear what was being said below. I looked down to see that Zuko had planted a scarecrow dummy with a replica of the mask at the end of the alley. It was now missing its head due to the officer earthbending it to the ground.

After ten minutes, the Dai Li officer ran away. Zuko motioned for me to climb down. The man had obviously complied to whatever demands were given to him. I jumped down and oh so gracefully stumbled into Zuko. He removed his mask and frowned down at me. "You shouldn't have followed me," he said quietly. "You could've jeopardized this whole thing, or gotten hurt."

"But I didn't, and I wasn't," I replied. "I told you, I need to talk to you." He opened his mouth to make some snarky remark, but I blurted, "I'm sorry." This shut him up, and he was ready to listen. "I shouldn't have implied that you can't do this," I said. "I know you are capable of capturing him, and that's what worries me. You've spent so many years obsessing over him. If— I mean, when — you do, then what?"

"So you're afraid that I'll lose purpose?" He asked.

I sighed. "I'm afraid that you'll lose yourself along the way. Nonetheless, I would rather be by your side in the process than to be worried sick because I'm unable to speak to you."

Finally, he cracked a smile.