collision → atla, reader insert

chapter ten

CHAPTER TEN!

❝ JEONG JEONG ❞

SOMETHING WAS BUBBLING IN [Y/N], that she couldn't explain. Forced to stare at the back of one of their disguised escorts, she tried to map out any type of exit, but ultimately failed. She kept forgetting she had zero combat skills and was—in this moment—severely outnumbered. One lucky arrow wasn't enough to fuel her confidence in her archery.

     The warrior's dismissal of Chey didn't make her feel any better about this situation. And frankly, the Avatar's insistence to see the infamous Jeong Jeong he spoke so highly of made her feel even worse. Her toes tingled with the urge to break away, but with four guys with spears surrounding you, she didn't want to do anything to make her seem like a threat.

     The siblings stood behind her, whispering to themselves after Aang bursted into Jeong Jeong's tent unwanted. She impatiently waited for any sign that he threw the young Avatar out so she could be on her way and figure out what to do next now that her odd dream no longer taunted her.

      To her surprise, Aang emerged from the tent—giddy as usual. When he told them Jeong Jeong agreed to teach him firebending, they were all surprised. And when the guards attempted to escort all of them to the free tent, Chey called out her name and waited for the others to disperse to speak.

      "Jeong Jeong asked to speak with you," he said to her, "alone."

      Immediately, she was confused. "Why?"

      Chey's mouth formed into a straight line. His eyes still were heavy with the shame from being fussed at by his idol. He shrugged and stepped out of the way, clearing the path down to the tent.

     With a deep breath, she walked down the poorly made path to the tent. She felt Chey's eyes on her back all the way down. The speared men followed the Avatar and his friends; she still could leave if she wanted to, but now she itched with curiosity. The great "Jeong Jeong" Chey spoke of wanted to speak to her? And not the Avatar?

     She peeled back the curtain to the tent and was greeted with heat from the several candles lit in a semicircle six feet away from her. A man with a head of thick, gray hairs sat in the middle with his back toward her. It was oddly silent; she didn't know if she should speak first.

     The man hummed. It seemed to echo off the walls. Silence followed after.

     [Y/N] unclenched her hands from her bag strap. "Yes?" Her voice came out quieter than she intended. This has been the least confident she'd ever felt since she woke up not remembering a thing. 

     "Long way from home, aren't you?" Jeong Jeong said.

     [Y/N]'s throat went dry. Did he see the poster? Does he know her? Will he alert the Fire Nation guards? He left the Fire Nation just like she supposedly did, but there was no telling what tricks he had up his sleeve. He may know [Y/N], but she didn't know him.

     She hesitated before asking, "How do you—"

     "Word spreads fast, Miss [Y/N]," he chuckled, but she didn't find anything funny. She didn't get to think of a comeback when Jeong Jeong got to his feet with a grunt and turned to her. She was able to properly see his mess of grayed hair and a rat-like mustache to match. There was a glint in his eyes she couldn't figure out. "Your father is looking for you."

     "My father?" She repeated. It was the first mention of someone related to her, but the more she tried to picture someone, she couldn't. She had a father—good start. Though the way her stomach churned at the fact, she began to think maybe it wasn't so good after all.

     Jeong Jeong hummed again and walked forward. She thought he was coming to her, but he instead walked straight past her. She whirled around and his back was to her again.

     "Get some rest, Miss [Y/N]," he said before slipping through the curtain, leaving her alone in the tent.

     Three seconds passed and the candles began to blow out one by one. She followed him, but as she stepped outside, he was nowhere to be seen. Confused, she huffed.

     "Old people are weird," she muttered.