The White Assassin

Ch. 11 - Over Enemy Lines

I was sparring with Pete while the others went with Haron to go and get some fresh air. We have been training for a couple of weeks and our team has gotten a lot stronger. We were strong to begin with but now we're even better. However, something seems off with Aang. I worry about him sometimes, he stares off into space and won't look at me. If I did something I don't know what it was, maybe the whole reunion with my parents made him miss his own? That could be the case but anything other than that would be improbable. It's not like he's in love with me or anything. I wish he was however. My feelings toward him have gotten stronger, they won't die down. I was hoping once I was reunited with my old friends that I would those feelings would fade away but they've only increased. My want to see him has gone from 50% to about 75%. It's annoying how one can get so attached to someone else. Maybe this was how life wanted me to act. Maybe fate wants me to suffer and be bared with this feeling of loneliness and longing. Whatever fate has in store I hope it comes soon, I'm getting tired of this pit in my stomach. 

"Hale you alright?" Pete asked me. I looked at him and saw that I was standing still. He was in a sparring position and I was just standing there, not doing anything.

"Hm? Oh yeah, I'm fine!" I said. He gave a face that read I-don't-believe-you. I sighed and sat down on the mat with my chin in my palm. "No. No, I'm not.."

"What's the matter?" He asked me. he sat down next to me on the mat and put an arm around my back. "You can always tell me, I'm one of you're childhood friends."

"Well.." I started. I couldn't find the words to continue, but Pete did for me.

"It's Aang isn't it?" He asked me. I looked at him with wide eyes. Sure Pete was a troublemaker but he was rather observant. He could tell what someone was thinking just by looking at their posture. He could tell someone's life story from the sparkle in their eyes, he was something else.

"Y-yea." I stuttered. "I don't know what it is, but every time I see him with another girl I just want to rip him away from her."

"Ahh," Pete said. I looked at him confused. "You, my dear friend are head over heels!"

"A-am not!" I exclaimed. I felt my face heat up and I stood up from where I was sitting.

"Are too and you know it!" He said back to me. I sighed and nodded my head. I knew that I loved Aang but he would never love someone like me. I'm a wreck. I don't have a good relationship with my parents and I have a lot of enemies. Aang probably likes the sweet and strong females like Katara. They would be cute together. "Don't get yourself down over it though," Pete said. He stood up and patted my back with his left hand. "Loving someone doesn't make you weak, it makes you stronger." He smiled at me and I smiled back.

"Thanks, Pete, I-" before I could finish my sentence an alarm sounded off throughout the castle. There were red lights flashing everywhere and a flashback played in my head. There was a small girl training with another boy. Soldiers came rushing in and grabbed the two children. Behind them, feelings of heat and rage came pouring in. They were taken into a room and hid in a cabinet of some sort. The structure was then locked and so was the door to the room. Nothing could be heard but after that the only color I could see was red. That girl was me and that boy was Haron. Haron.. "Aang!" I exclaimed and ran towards where Haron took them.

"Hale wait!" Pete screamed.

"I have to save them! They could be in trouble, come on!" I shouted back. We ran towards the garden where they were said to have gone. When we reached it there were soldiers holding my friends captive. Haron was on the ground bleeding and motionless. Katara, Sokka, and Toph were also on the ground near Haron. However, Aang was unconscious and being held captive by none other than the bastard himself; Prince Zuko. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I exclaimed. The prince raised his eyebrows at me.

"Well my dear, we'll be taking the avatar with us back to the fire nation. Now if you don't mind, we have places to be." He said back to me. The fire nation soldiers turned to Aang and began to walk away.

"No!" I screamed. I bent the air around the fire soldiers to become heavier. It was harder for them to breathe and Zuko dropped Aang. "Get Aang Pete!" I said. Pete ran to the soldiers and created a wall between them and him with his earth bending. Pete grabbed Aang and ran back towards me. He held him behind me and I lifted the air to its normal density. The soldiers began to cough and I began to breathe heavily. I never knew I could actually do that. I was taught it but I never actually executed it correctly. I always hoped that I would one day and I now can say that I've accomplished that goal. But now I have bigger problems. How was I going to get the others back to safety without letting my guard down?

"Hale we have to go!" Pete said loudly. The fire benders were beginning to destroy his wall. They hit it one by one and the wall fell piece by piece. I had to think of something and fast. I saw some earth kingdom soldiers coming to our aid and I knew what I had to do.

"Take the rest of them and get out of here!" I exclaimed.

"Hale are you crazy?! We just got you back there's no way we're losing you again!" Pete exclaimed.

"Listen to me for once damn it!" I screamed. He stopped in his tracks and I clenched my fists. "I am not some child," I said coldly. "I know what I'm doing. You haven't seen what I'm capable of. Now listen to me and get them out of here!" Pete stood there for a couple of minutes before nodding.

"If you don't come back this time I'm seriously going to kick your ass." He shouted back. I chuckled.

"Wouldn't plan on it," I said back to him. I turned just in time to see Pete grab Haron and Aang. I felt a pang of guilt thinking that it was my fault that they got hurt. I turned to see that the others were taken by the earth kingdom soldiers. I felt relief but it was short lived as I heard the sound of stone crumble from the left of me. I turned to see that the wall Pete had created had officially been broken by the fire nation soldiers.

"Well well well.." Zuko said. I gave him my strongest glare that I could muster. "If it isn't the little twerp that ruined my first attempt at capturing the avatar. You really need to get a better hobby."

"What do you want Zuko?" I asked angrily.

"I want the avatar, and you're going to get him for me," Zuko replied.

"I wouldn't give him to you even if you captured me and tortured me! Aang is a person, not a possession!" I screamed back. Zuko chuckled and all at once the fire nation soldiers surrounded me. I didn't even flinch, I could hear them behind me and to my left and right.

"You talk a lot for someone who hides behind a white mask," Zuko said to me. I was mad, not only did he hurt my friends, but he's pissing me off. I felt the wind underneath me swirl around and I got angrier and angrier as time progressed. I clenched my fists and Zuko grinned wickedly. As the wind picked up faster and faster a hot sensation was felt on the back of my leg. I fell to the ground holding the burn from one of the fire soldiers, I looked to see that the skin was still bubbling. I just thought of that man from Salerno that was getting beaten for no reason. With that thought, I got even angrier and the wind around turned into a tornado. The rest of the soldiers were blown away but Zuko still stood, a bit shaken but on both feet. I stood up closing one eye in pain. Wincing with every inch I ascended, I eventually fully stood up. "Had enough?" He asked me. I just stared at him and he continued to smile. He flew towards me and began to fire bend. He tried to hit me with his flames but I dodged his attacks. He became frustrated and jumped away. As he did, he flipped himself and shot fireballs at me. I bent the air to blow them out so there was nothing. He continued to do so and I continued to blow them out. He gritted his teeth and ran towards me but this time I was ready. He came rushing with a fist coated with a burning fire. He tried to hit me but before he could make an impact I extinguished his flame. Then, I grabbed his arm and threw him into one of the castle walls. This kind of fighting continued for a couple more minutes. We both flew back from each other and began to heavy breathe. I was about to rush at him when a shout of my name stopped me. I turned to see my parents standing there with fear struck on their faces.

"Mom? Dad? What're you doing here?" I exclaimed. Zuko took the distraction to his advantage and shot a fireball at me. I didn't have time to block this attack and it hit me dead on. "Ah!" I screamed. The fire hit me straight in the stomach and it burned through my clothes. I fell to the ground in excruciating pain. My parents screamed my name and ran towards me. Zuko took his leave and the last thing I remember is my father with tears in his eyes holding me before everything went black.