Ablaze

Chapter 2 - It Burns

He woke with a start. He was still in that same cell, but he wasn't hanging by his arms anymore. Instead, his wrists were bandaged, and he was on his side, his face numb from being against the cold floor. He could see now that the pain in his head gave him a short break.

Near him, he could see his robe strewn along the floor. His top half was still bare, with what looked like bruises all over him. He shot up, the earlier events beginning to come back to him slowly. He stumbled around as he gathered his clothes and hastily put them on, hugging himself tightly as he shifted to the corner of his cell. It was dark and cold. If the slightest bit of light were to leak in, he swore he could see his own breath.

His eyes were wild as he tried to adjust to his dark surroundings. His hands found their way to his hair. He tugged until his breathing returned to normal. Only now, his head was full of questions, and it gifted him with a pit in his stomach and a constricted feeling in his chest.

What happened to him while he was out? What did they do to him? Did they-? No he couldn't bring himself to ask. Not without a lurching feeling in his stomach. He felt filthy. Dirty and disgraced. He wouldn't give into what they wanted.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't realize he was starting to panic. His breaths became faster and lighter. He would start hyperventilating if he didn't stop soon. He began to tug at his hair again until everything fell silent around him. He focused on his breathing. He was hungry. He was tired. He was cold. But now he felt sick to his stomach too.

It wasn't long before he heard more footsteps though. He instinctively cowered back into his corner, clutching his robes to his chest. Were they back? Were they here to finish what they started now that he was awake? Or worse... Did they already finish what they started? Were they back to torture him again? All his questions were answered when two guards walked in instead of three.

In their candlelight, he could see that there were two men this time. His grip on his robes loosened but he still sunk into the corner, nonetheless. He was still their prisoner. One of the men, who Zuko recognized to be Taosen, pulled him up by his collar and pushed him against the wall of his cell. Zuko groaned in pain as Taosen cuffed his hands behind his back.

"Alright sleeping beauty. You're coming with us now." they pushed Zuko out of his cell as he struggled against them.

"I must say, your screams last week were delightful to the ears."

Last week? Zuko almost halted in his tracks, but the guards pushed him along.

"Last week!?" he was in disbelief.

"What? You don't remember everything else?" The guard stopped, "Oh that's no fun! Kai and I played connect the Pai Sho tiles on your back. It does explain why you were so awfully quiet."

Zuko couldn't believe what he was hearing. But as they continued to talk, his back started to burn. He then felt the burning run down his arms and chest. It was burning. The guards were forced to stop as Zuko doubled over in pain.

"Wh-what's happening? What a-are y-you doing to m-me" he said with gritted teeth.

The guards only smirked before throwing him into his new cell. The walls were lined with burning coal the ground felt unbelievably hot. Zuko screamed in agony as the guards locked him in. He could feel all his injuries come alive in the firey hot cell. He was a fire Bender after all.

He felt hot tears streak down his face. The feeling of exhaustion was flooding back. He was disassociating again. He tried to shake himself awake. This wouldn't do. He had to get out. But how? How could he escape like this? Limp and weak? He would die.

That's it! He forced himself up, his palms burning in the coal. He groaned. His bending would be gone for as long as he was here. But they couldn't let him die. He was the prince after all. He was wanted alive.

He waited until he heard guards near his cell before crying out in bloody murder.

"Please!" he grasped at the metal bars, "Please, help me! Help me please! I-" he gasped for air, "I- I can't breath, please!"

The guards seemed new to his luck. They looked at each other and back to Zuko. He needed to do more.

"Please! Water. Just some water," he begged, "Please I'll die! I can't-" He trailed off as he pretended to go limp against the hot bars. This caught their attention.

One of the guards stood watch over Zuko as the other arrived with the water. They opened the door to his cell and rushed towards him, leaving the gate unlocked. His perfect opportunity. If there was anything he learned from Ty Lee, it would be saving him now.

He jabbed both of them near their chest and torso. They fell limp and bending-less in front of him. He took one of their uniforms and locked the guards into his cell before putting on their helmet. He tried to walk as normally as possible despite the sharp burning sensation he felt with every step.

He was at the door. He could almost feel his bending coming back. The sun. He needed the sun. He forced open the door to the prison, met with the two guards that has imprisoned him. He tensed but quickly turned away from them. Their stare lingered on him every so slightly before they shrugged and walked inside.

Zuko didn't have much time. They would know soon. He made a run for it just as the alarms started to sound. The pain he felt in his body was unbearable, but he knew he had to get away. He was free. He needed to get to the Avatar.