I hadn't been long since Zuko had been accepted, reluctantly, into the Avatar's group and they still didn't trust him. Sure, he could understand where they were coming from. He did try to kill them and capture Aang. A lot. But what in the world did he need to do to really prove himself to them? Zuko had left the group's little hideout in the Western Air Temple for some fresh air, some alone time. His legs, clad with his traditional fire nation clothing, had taken him back to the same small clearing which he had earlier dubbed to be his camp in the woods. He'd abandoned it after insisting that he teach firebending to Aang, but once in awhile he found himself wandering back, especially when things got a bit heated in the group. That seemed to happen a lot when he was around. He hadn't given them space only for his own pleasure, though. They needed the time to get used to him being around. He needed to make sure that none of them tried to clobber him to death whenever he wandered by.

Katara was leaning against a wall of the temple grinning. Ever since Zuko joined them, she always was angry at him, and spoke many things to make him angry. She didn't like him here, it drove her insane. He also didn't seem to care about any of the trouble he had caused them before. She decide to follow him, she didn't trust him, and she needed to see what he was up to.

Katara walked down the path that would lead her to his once camp. She kept her self hidden, because she didn't trust him.

"Okay, Zuko. You've told them everything you can. It's not entirely your fault that they hate you. They're just ... not open to change!" Zuko clenched his jaw as he paced the campground aimlessly. "Who am I kidding?" he added with a sigh. He screwed up and he was trying to fix things. Desperately trying to fix things.

Zuko suddenly halted in his steps, though, when he heard something -- somebody. He'd heard the footsteps and he instinctively whirled around on his heel, raising his arms defensively. "Who's there?"

Katara want to laugh and taunt Zuko. He seemed to honestly realize the position he was in. He was the villain, their enemy, and so there was no way the others would just aspect him, and Katara never planned to, it was his fault after all that Aang, almost died. Katara was glad that she never used the water on him, she felt that he tried to trick her into doing so, and then Aang would defiantly be gone.

She blinked in surprise as he seemed to notice her. She rolled her eyes, and stepped out from her hiding place, " Me" She said harshly.

Zuko immediately relaxed as Katara stepped out from her shadowy hiding place. He had almost been disappointed that he couldn't take his stress out on some fire nation soldier who had stumbled onto his little makeshift camp.

'Whoa, no. Zuko, you are not allowed to think those things anymore,' he silently told himself, half scolding. 'You are good.' He wasn't sure he even believed that statement yet. No wonder the others didn't.

"Now you're following me?" he questioned as he folded his arms casually over his chest and taking note of her harsh tone.

" Yes, I don't trust you, and for all we know, everything you run off, you could be meeting up with fire nation soldiers telling them things about us, and betraying us. " Katara said crossing her arm and glaring. She told he she would trust him, and she would be the first to stop him.

She stood waiting for him to speak, already bored of him. She glanced around the area, so far nothing seemed to speak that he was betraying them.

Zuko watched Katara incredulously for a couple of moments, unsure of what to say. She was really that cautious about him. He was teaching Aang firebending (granted, he'd been doing a terrible job since he, himself, seemed to be in need of some reteachings), for heaven's sake. "Well?" he added, narrowing his eyes a bit and shaking his head. "Have you found what you're looking for? See any fire nation troops? Any written plans on how to foil all of your plans?" No way would she believe him if he told her that he needed some air. No way would she believe the truth.

[Out of curiosity, were you planning on bringing the fire nation soldiers in for Katara's capture in your post?]

[[ You always seem to be online, did you sleep?]][[ I did plan to bring some in.]]



" Not yet, but you must just be simply hiding it well." She said off handily. Katara stepped closer glancing around the area. Well nothing seems out of place, but she was still worried. She was considering returning back to the temple, when suddenly, a group of fire nation troops surrounded them. " If this is your doing, I'll make you pay" She told Zuko.

[Yeah, I did. xD Maybe we're just really good at timing when we're online! I also have no life, though. >_> Though I am going to work in an hour and a half. Also, okay, that's fine! I just wasn't sure whether or not you were expecting me to do it. xD]

As Katara stepped further into his little campground, Zuko was tempted to take a step back as if he were worried that she would, hotheadedly, decide to attack him or something. Instead, though, he held his ground and turned his head as she stepped further.

Zuko's eyes suddenly began to flick in different directions, though, as he heard the shuffling in the woods around them. Furrowing his brow, he turned on his heel just in time to see a group of fire nation soldiers closing in on them from the brush. "No," the banished prince mumbled to himself as he stepped closer to Katara. "This isn't me, Katara, I swear." The boy kept his back to Katara as he lifted his arms defensively, ready to fight back if they tried anything. His own bending was still weaker ever since he had stopped hunting the Avatar, but he was desperately praying that this emotional situation would make up for it.

[[ Nah, I was gonna do it. Ah, alright, maybe we are good at timing it, I normally and on much more, I've just had plans and parties to go to. What's your time zone?]]

" It better not be" She said, she pulled off the top of her water pouch, as the soldiers round in on them before they attacked. Katara was worried, she knew her self that she couldn't take on all this soldiers, and Zuko's bending was rather weak. She pulled the water into her famous water whip attack, and whip it at the soldiers, trying to knock a few of them out.

[EST.]

Zuko let out a groan at Katara's harsh response, but rather than arguing with her, Zuko took a step away from the girl and toward his half of the fire nation soldiers. The soldiers began to them, weapons held firmly in front of them. With a clenched jaw and a pair of narrow golden eyes, Zuko stepped forward, performing a simple series of kicks and punches. He pridefully watched as those movements began to emit strong puffs of flames. So far so good. After a couple of moments, though, any fire that shot out was beginning to wither.

Pausing and taking a couple of steps back, Zuko swore under his breath. His bending didn't seem to on his side at the moment.

[[ We have same time zone]]

Katara could tell that the others bending was failing, and it seem more solider would appear and take the places of the ones she knocked down. " If we get out of this, you need to get your bending fix" She told him. She fought, but she was getting worn out, she attacked another solider and didn't noticed the one behind her.

The man behind her swung down the case of his sword onto her head, knocking her out, as Katara fell to the ground out cold, her water fell to the ground.

[No wonder we're always on at the same time!]

"No kidding!" Zuko shouted to Katara as he began some hand to hand combat. Each time he knocked down a soldier, though, another immediately followed. Zuko desperately attempted to look over the crowds of fire nation troops to get an estimate on how many there were, but it was impossible.

Suddenly, though, he heard a yell behind him and he turned just in time to see Katara falling to the ground. "No!" He looked up, lunging toward the same man who had swung at her and knocked her out. He was already beginning to regret this little trip he'd taken out here.

[[ Yeah.]]

The men just laughed at Zuko's attempt, and threw him away from them. One men picked Katara up, and slung her over his back, and then the started to move away from the area. They seemed to have gotten what they were after.

Zuko winced as he hit the ground a ways from the man. He layed there still for a moment, having landed awkwardly on his right arm, which was now throbbing in pain. By the time he had forced himself to jump back onto his feet, though, Katara was being carried away. He watched hopelessly from his campground, taking that moment to catch his breath. "This ... isn't good," he muttered softly. He'd considered heading back to Aang and the others but he had a horrible feeling that he would easily be blamed for the entire ordeal.

He was going to take this into his own hands.

The men eventually made it back to there ship. They tied up the waterbender, and made sure to cover her hands. Then the ship left, they weren't sure, why they were only suppose to capture the water girl, but they did as the told, in a about a day she would be at a fire nation camp, being held there, were they would be met by fire nation officials.

[[ So should we time skip, since I can't do much right now?]]

[Time skip sounds good. (: ]

Zuko followed behind the ship at a safe distance, using the same small boat he had used to find Aang and his friends. He found it incredible how a month ago, he had been hunting down the Avatar and now, here he was, trying to save the one person who probably resented him the most.

A full day passed before the reached land, a full day without a moment of sleep. Zuko had to admit that he was tired, but the danger of the situation did well to keep him wide awake. Zuko hopped off of his small bought a ways away from the fire nation ship, leaving it hidden among the leaves of the nearby forest. He made his way slowly and cautiously throughout the wood until he reached the edge of the camp. Katara was in there, somewhere.

Katara was struggling against her chains, she had been trying to break free everyday. This place scared her, she had no idea their plans for her, but it worried her. Though as much as she wanted to blame this all on Zuko, sadly it seemed he had nothing to do with this. She knew today was the day, some group would show to collect her. If that happened she knew she wouldn't be able to get back to Aang and the others. She wonder if they were looking for her.

Azula with the rest of her group, walked off a ship, and into the camp. Azula, told the other two to wait outside, and went into the Captain's tent to talk with him. After a while, she walked out and headed to the area, Katara was being held.

The camp was crawling with fire nation soldiers and he cursed himself for having quite possibly the most recognizable physical feature on the planet. This scar just screamed failure and banishment and ... well, he wasn't going to get far with it scrawled on his face. Unfortunately, he couldn't do a single thing about that. This was going to be very difficult.

Then, suddenly, Zuko spotted her. His brilliantly sadistic little sister, Azula. Clenching his jaw, the banished prince turned away, his back to a tent by the edge of the camp. His sister had been hunting him down as well. He wasn't sure whether or not she had yet realized that he was now on "Team Avatar" but either way he was going to have to deal with his sister's famous attitude.

If he walked straight in there, though, he would either be killed or captured, depending on his sister's mood. Zuko bit down gently on his bottom lip, pondering the situation. Before he knew it, though, he was dragging the body of a guard he had subtly knocked out and throwing his armor on over his own. He'd made sure to target one of the soldiers wearing the full helmets. Thankfully, his scar was barely visible beneath the shadow that blanketed his eyes after he put on the helmet so it would take more than a glance to realize who he was. According to theory, at least. So Zuko walked straight into the camp.

Azula looked down at Katara, and spoke rudely to her. She then spoke once more," I demand you tell me, where the Avatar and the rest of his group is hiding and the locations, of each of the rebels on your side" She said with a dark voice.

Katara glared at her," I would never tell you that" She said, before spitting at Azula.

Azula angry, rose and she grabbed Katara's hair, yanking painfully, before smacking her loudly against her face. " Oh you will regret that" She said. She laughed evilly, and then left the tent in order to plan Katara's torture.

Zuko had to admit that he was relieved he didn't need to completely rely on his firebending. He would have gone so far as to re-enact his first night as The Blue Spirit had he been even remotely prepared. That wasn't the case, though. As he made his way slowly through the camp, though, he had managed to quietly dispatch a few of the guards, dragging them off into shaded areas and into vacant tents. It would only be so long, though, before he was found out. That was where these precautions became useful. He would much rather spare himself the trouble of dealing with a few more troops than needed.

His pace slowed a bit more as he approached the tent which he was almost positive Katara was being held in. He sucked in a deep breath, taken by surprise as Azula suddenly exited the tent. He whirled around the corner, just out of view. Once he was sure she was a decent ways away, though, Zuko turned and slipped into the tent behind her.

And there she was. Katara, in chains. He narrowed his eyes a bit, hating to see her this way and he felt his eyes lingering on the mark on her face formed from a fresh slap. He began to approach her, but slowed his pace the closer he got. "It's me," he whispered just loud enough for her to hear and hopefully recognize his voice. He didn't want to say any names aloud, just in case.

The moment Azula left, Katara was struggling to break free once more, her arms were starting to rub raw. She stopped moving after another solider walked in. She looked up at him with hate. She look this man over after he spoke, eyes widening a bit, and coming to rest on the part of the mark that was visible. She laughed in an odd way. " Just you isn't it?" She mumbled.



Azula glanced around, and not long after that found the knocked out guard. She whirled around, and then went rushing towards Katara's tent.

Zuko let out a sigh as he quickened his approach slightly. "I'm gonna get you out of here," he said as he took hold of the chains with both hands and shut his eyes, beginning to raise his own body temperature. Eventually, his hands were releasing quite a bit of heat and the chains themselves had begun to heat up. "Bear with me," he muttered. "Burned hands are a small price to pay for having your life saved. But I'll try not to."

Every once in awhile Zuko would glance behind him toward the entrance to the tent to make sure that nobody was peeking in before returning his attention to Katara's chains. "Do you believe me now?" he asked her with a mixture of desperation and bitterness. If this didn't prove to her that he was on her side, he wasn't sure what would. Zuko quickly unsheathed his sword and began to dig at the heat chain links, which were softening at the exposure.

" It's alright" She told him, burned hands was something she could heal. " I-...I...don't know...I should, but...still I want the past is something hard to let go of" She said regretfully.

Azula stormed into the tent and shot lighting at the one trying to free Katara.

" WATCH OUT" She screamed.

Azula cackled with mad laughter," Which one of her little friends are you?" She demanded to know.

By the time Azula had come charging into the tent, Zuko had managed to free Katara of one chain. That wasn't going to help her run, though. But suddenly he could hear the lightning thrashing toward him from behind and Katara was shouting at him. The boy clenched his eyes shut and closed in on Katara protectively, letting the lightning hit him square in the back. It hurt, but he was willing to take the hit for now. "You'd better let go soon," he said bitterly to Katara, his golden eyes watching her before he turned on his heel to face his sister.

"Your own flesh and blood!" he shouted in return just as he stepped forward, stomping his right foot harshly on the dirt ground beneath him before pulling it up into the air in a strong kick. Seconds later, a ball of fire had escaped that foot, flinging toward Azula. There was no way he could possibly disguise himself from his own sister, so he figured it wouldn't to at least act like the hero type. That was what he was going for, wasn't he?