𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋 ᵃᵗˡᵃ

Chapter Thirteen: All Good Things Must Come to an End

I peered over the dilapidated rooftop. Aang sat at the end of the old street, broken buildings on either side of him. Trapping him in. Not the best place for a showdown.

Aang told me to go with Katara, Sokka, and Appa, while he would distract Azula and her posse. But I had a gut feeling that something bad was going to happen. So I followed him.

A rumbling noise pulled me from my thoughts. A giant lizard ran up, and the Fire Freak herself hopped off.

Aang glared at her. "Okay. You've got me all to yourself."

"You might want to rethink that." I jumped off the rooftop, flipping over so I would land facing Azula. "I got your back, kid."

He gawked at me. "Beth? What're you doing here? I thought I told--"

"Kid," I cut him off, "You may be the Avatar, but I'm four years older than you." He opened his mouth. "Biologically. I'm not going into that 'hundred-years-older' stuff. So, I don't have to listen to every order you give me."

The Fire Freak narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

I cracked my knuckles. "Queen. Annabeth Queen."

"Ah, I remember you now." Azula smirked. "The girl with that flimsy bow. Really, you'll never win a fight with that." Her smirk turned into a sneer. "However, you are not my target. He is." She pointed with one claw-like nail at the airbender.

I moved in front of Aang. "You want him ..." I made my fists flare up, the green flames licking at my knuckles and wrists.

"... you have to go through me."

Aang touched my shoulder. "Beth, you don't have to do this. You should go back, with the others."

"Yes, little girl, run away. You're no match for me," Fire Freak drawled. We'll see about that. "Now, do you two really want to fight me?"

"Yes," a somewhat raspy voice answered. A boy jumped out of an allyway. He looked about my age, with short, spiky black hair and a big burn scar on the left side of his face. "I do."

I feel like I know this guy ...

Aang gasped, "Zuko!"

I stared at the newcomer in surprise. "Wait, wait. That's Zuko? I thought you guys said he was 'an angry freak with a ponytail'." Zuko glared at me. "Well, at least the fight's fair now."

Azula laughed. I shuddered at the sound. "Fair? Oh, that's rich! Let me guess: you've only recently discovered bending, and you've had no real training." I blinked. "You think this will be fair? Ha! I'll beat you in two seconds flat."

I shifted into my defensive stance. "We'll see."

The four of us glanced at each other, battle ready and wary of one another.

Azula made the first move, sending a jet of blue fire at Zuko. He barely had enough time to block it before being thrown back into an old house. Aang tried to fly away on his glider, but she created a big line of flames that forced him to come down.

I blocked the fire with my own and sent a few fireballs at the princess. She swatted them away like pesky flies and jumped up onto the rooftops, running towards Aang.

"Oh, no you don't!" I started forward, but backpedaled when red flames flew past my face. I turned and punched at Zuko. He blocked my attack and swept an arc of fire at me. I redirected it, like I'd seen Katara do with water, and sent it back at him. Zuko flipped away.

I ran over to Aang and Azula, who were locked in combat. I growled and punched a stream of green flames at the Fire Freak. She blocked it and threw a fireball at me; I was forced to drop to the ground and roll off to the side.