Zuko ran frantically through the woods. The rain pounded against the muddy ground and against his armor like a drummer. Around him he saw soldiers of various ages running with him all clad in armor, with handkerchiefs identical to Zuko's tied around their arms.
A piercing whistle ripped through the air, and a man's screams rang out.
Zuko didn't look.
He couldn't look.
He could only run; run to live.
Another whistle, another scream. It was the same process for the next agonizingly long minute. The running footsteps eventually came down to just him and another person. Zuko looked behind him. He barely got a good look at the person, but caught the person's attention.
"What are you doing? Keep moving! We gotta get-"
The whistle ended his words.
"Commander!" Zuko shouted as he shot up from his sleep with an outstretched hand.
He breathed heavily, wiped his now sweaty hair out of his face, and collected his thoughts for a moment all at the same time.
After taking several minutes to calm down, he took a deep breath, and looked up at the sky of the forest that he was sleeping in and saw that daylight was veiled by the trees and a thick layer of cloud. He threw off the blanket that covered him, tied his hair into its low ponytail after getting some of the leaves out, and immediately got his stuff ready.
Zuko stretched his legs and arms to get the rest of the sleep out of his system. When he felt ready to go, he gathered his stuff and went off into the forest, looking for a trail that could lead to the main road so that he could get to an herbalist on a nearby mountain and replenish his medical supplies. He looked around him constantly on alert for the slightest disturbances, but it was difficult as the wind began to pick up speed.
Zuko felt lost, and he went to pine tree and climbed it. When he got up high enough, he could see the mountain he had to get to, and went back down before going in the direction it was in. For close to an hour, Zuko felt he was making good progress toward his goal until he heard birds take flight hurriedly, and turned in the direction of the noise and crouched down. Zuko wanted to get to the mountain quickly without distraction, but he couldn't risk getting caught by bandits or a predator either. He figured it was best to investigate what drove the birds away just to be on the safe side.
Zuko stalked from tree to tree, keeping his body low to avoid detection. He focused on the sounds around him for any hints as to what was responsible for the sudden sounds, but could hear nothing because of the wind.
He crept closer, and when he began to hear the uniform marching of armored boots, then the clanging of metal, he slowed down. His suspicions began to grow, and curiosity demanded he keep moving to confirm. He continued until he heard and remembered the loud roar of a komodo rhino.
"Fire Nation," he whispered.
Zuko's mind immediately told him to go the other way. He suspected a war caravan, with soldiers that were heavily armed and protecting vital supplies for the war. However, he realized that if there was a war caravan, then they had to be using a supply line, and supply lines meant a road of some kind. All he had to do was to get to it, and wait for the soldiers to leave the area, then he could use the road to get to where he needed to go. He started to once again head to the direction he remembered the sound coming from.
Even though he was far away, Zuko kept a low profile and treaded carefully, in case there were any reconnaissance teams in the area. He was careful to watch where he took his step, and looked at the ground in front of him from time to time in order to avoid twigs and anything else that could make a loud noise. He eventually left the wooded areas, saw a cliff edge, and when he checked to see if there was no one in the area, he got on his belly. He squirmed his way to get a good look, and when he got there, he noticed a komodo-rhino pulling a very heavy, iron cage. But that didn't get his attention as much as the men that were escorting it: the Yu Yan Archers.
His mind went into instant survival mode, and for the first time in three years, memories of terror and dread filled his heart. There was no way he could fight the archers. He knew, from personal experience, their lethality, and they would kill him before he could stand. He was about to flee slowly and cautiously when he caught a glimpse of the inside of the cage causing him to stay. There was a boy, a bald boy with yellow and orange clothing, and what looked like a blue tattoo on his head.
'That's...!' his thoughts ran wild as he lifted his head in shock.
Some rocks fell from the cliff edge where Zuko was, and he quickly pushed back and laid down flat on the ground, but it was too late. As he landed on his belly, one of the Yu Yan drew his bow, and shot a whistling arrow at the cliff face. Zuko heard it and quickly rolled, to his left, and not a moment later, four inches of arrow stuck clean through the cliff and into the area where he neck was previously. He held his breath, and his swords together not wanting to risk anything to give his presence to the nearly superhuman archers. He saw to his left something moving, it was a chipmunk-hare burrowing out, and approach the cliff face and stand for all the soldiers to see before running off. The Yu Yan figured that the animal's burrowing was probably what caused the noise in the first place, and motioned the others to continue onward.
When Zuko heard the archers continue moving with their prize after a few moments, he slowly exhaled, and began to register what just happened. He had once again nearly been killed by the greatest archers in the world, and seen the Avatar... again.
He groaned at the fact that the kid was once again in trouble, but was relieved to know that he was alive. He briefly began to wonder what to do next, but he remembered what he had told the young Avatar weeks ago.
"If you're ever in trouble, I'll help you out. It's kind of what I do for people anyway."
Zuko wondered why he even bothered asking himself. He had promised to help him. Sure he had helped Sokka almost two weeks ago, but that didn't count. He was very specific on who he owed. And besides, whether he was indebted to Aang or not, he couldn't leave the kid in the hands of his people's military. He sighed.
'At least I'll be even with him,' he thought.
When the sounds of the wagon and its escort could no longer be heard, Zuko ran to a nearby tree, and looked down into the cliff. It wasn't far to the bottom, but it was too high to simply jump down either. He noticed some vines and tree roots jutting out of the cliff face, and thought he could use them, but upon closer examination they didn't seem very safe. He searched his bag, got a rope from his pack, tied it to the tree, and repelled to the bottom. He then took off his outer Earth Kingdom robe, and pulled some leather strips from his pack. He removed his swords from his person, and wrapped a very long leather strip around the sheath, and two smaller ones around the handles. His swords stood out, and he could not risk anyone recognizing it after this "rescue" mission, after all Zukonever used such a unique-looking weapon as him.
When he was done with the wrapping, he pulled out a laughing oni mask painted blue and white before hiding his things and following the Avatar's trail.
xXxXx
In the darkness, the fortress glittered like a harsh grey, red, and gold flame against the mountains that required three great walls to contain its fury. Zuko had carefully followed the Yu Yan to the fortress along with their quarry. The oni mask of the blue spirit was tied to his belt, and his swords were at the ready. He hid in some bushes and began to prepare for his clandestine operation.
Whenever he did things like this, he could not afford to not see anything. He rearranged his ponytail in a way that he no longer had bangs, tucked it to the back of his shirt, and pulled out a hood that was folded inside his shirt and put in on to make sure any loose hairs stay out of his face. He also removed his eye patch. Just because he couldn't see very well with that eye, didn't mean he couldn't see with it at all. When he was sure he nothing was out of place, he waited patiently for a supply wagon to come by that evening, and at the same time, he was devising a plan to break in and rescuing the Avatar.
"It's been a long time since I was the Blue Spirit," he whispered his thoughts to himself as he looked at the mask.
The Blue Spirit was notorious in Fire Nation lands. He only used this persona in Fire Nation territory or in Fire Nation military camps, to eliminate the possibility of being recognized by his own people since his scar was a dead giveaway. He had been banished and presumed dead for three years, and he had no intention of proving otherwise.
Normally, he would just charge in and play things by ear, but since his goal was breaking the Fire Nation's most formidable adversary out of custody while in a Fire Nation fortress and guarded by the nation's most elite archers, a plan was probably the wisest thing he could have at the moment.
He went through all of the scenarios in his head, until he heard the wagon that he had been waiting for. He figured the best plan was to just sneak in to the prison area, get the kid, and get out. It was simple plan that could be changed if it needed to.
"In other words, you don't have a plan," said a voice from the past in the back of his head.
He scowled at the knowledge his plan wasn't much of a plan, but smiled at the thought of the one who said those words before he slipped the mask on and immediately went to the road.
...
The wagon was hauled by a Komodo-Rhino and when it reached a certain point on the road, Zuko quietly burst from the ground and rode underneath the wagon. He waited patiently as it approached the fortress. The wagon stopped. Zuko loosened his hold on the wagon, but still held a firm grip. The guard began to check the wagon, and when he approached the side, Zuko let go at the last possible moment and got into the wagon before the guards had a chance to check or notice him.
"All clear, go on in," said the guard.
The wagon started moving and soon enough, the gates began to open. Once he was inside the fortress itself, he kept low and waited until it stopped, and was bunched together with other supply wagons. After taking a deep breath, he immediately got out, saw he was behind the second wall, and used the shadows and darkness to sneak past guards until he arrived and his behind some crates. He looked over them and saw the army was assembling in the area behind the third inner wall. He looked for an alternative route when he noticed some scaffolding. Zuko quickly went for it and climbed to the top of the wall using the scaffolding, and some of the unfinished masonry that was yet to be covered with sheet metal. When he got to the top snuck his way around the wall. He found a rope and figured he could use it; he got it, and continued along the wall. As he did, he overheard a voice. It was proclaiming the glory of the Fire Nation army, and the capture of the Avatar. It served Zuko's needs as the soldiers were all distracted by the man's impassioned speech.
He spotted the fortress cistern from the wall, and slid down to the ground on the rope he found. He then dashed for it and went inside the piping. He navigated through the maze of wet cylindrical metal, and eventually found a service ladder that led to the first floor of the fortress. He climbed it and got onto a railing platform before he entered into the building, and took a quick glance at his surroundings, before going up the stairs.
Zuko had managed to get to the prison level of the tower. He slowly opened the door to the hallway, and noticed a single firebender guard walking the opposite way. He got out, slipped into a maintenance closet on the opposite side of the hall, and looked for anything that he could use to help him out in dealing with the guards. He found some chains and some chamois cloths, and took them with him. There was also a bucket that he thought could come in handy later.
He left the broom closet quietly, and began to quickly tail the Firebender without making a sound. The Firebender began to feel uneasy and turned around, but before he had time to react, Zuko elbowed him hard in the gut, and knocked him to the ground unconscious. He dragged his body to the broom closet quickly, and took his helmet and the bucket from earlier before taking off into the hall again.
Zuko had arrived at a turn in the hallway, and thought he heard frogs in the corner. When he got to the intersection of the hall, he drew out his pearl dagger, and he exposed it slightly and saw four guards looking at the ground in the reflection.
'So many for one cell... that must be where the kid is,' he thought to himself.
He set the bucket, now filled with water, down and threw the helmet at them and hid while they were distracted. He heard the approach of one of the guards, and he leapt up to the ceiling and waited for his chance to pounce. When the guard entered into the hallway, and just in front of him from below, he jumped down and shot a flame. The flame was only large enough to distract the guard while he knocked him out with a martial arts combo. He quickly tied him up with part of the chain, and gagged him with a chamois cloth before hanging him by his wrists. He heard more guards approaching, and returned to the same position. Just as the next set of guards arrived, he struck them from behind, and did the same thing to them as he did to the first. All he had left now was one chain, and one more piece of chamois cloth. He dashed in with the bucket of water in one hand, and a throwing knife in the other. He quickly threw his knife at the signal horn as the guard was about to blow it. The bender quickly got into a stance of attack, but Zuko got the bucket and tossed the water just as he shot the fire blast, dousing it. In the same motion, he swept the legs of his opponent with the bucket, knocking him to the floor. He gripped the guard's neck quickly, cutting off blood flow to the brain. The guard fell unconscious in a matter of seconds, and Zuko checked his pulse to make sure the guard was alive. When Zuko confirmed the guard was, he tied him up with the last chain, and gagged him before getting the keys and opening the door.
Zuko slid in quickly, and saw Aang chained to posts. He drew his swords, and twirled them around before he ran to him. Aang screamed loudly, and closed his eyes in fear as Zuko charged at him and cut the chains.
After a moment, he opened his eyes and stared at him. Zuko could see that the kid was terrified. He leaned toward him, with a finger over the grinning mouth over the mask.
"Shh! Do you want to alert the guards?" he whispered harshly.
"...Lee?" asked Aang bewildered, "Is that you? What are you doing here?"
"You're lucky I saw you. I'm making good on my promise, and helping you out, since you seem to have a penchant for trouble," answered Zuko.
Zuko cut the shackles around the Avatar's wrists and ankles with expert precision. He put one of his dual dao swords in the sheath, and walked to the door.
"Let's go," said Zuko motioning the boy to follow him.
"Ok," said Aang.
The two left the confinement room. Aang saw Lee's handiwork on the guard outside his cell, and later with the other three at the hallway intersection. Aang was thankful the guards were alive, despite how they treated him, and quickly remembered what Sokka said at Jet's tree house. Lee was indeed a very scary guy, and he was glad Lee wasn't their enemy. They walked a little further down the halls when Aang's curiosity fell on Lee's outfit.
"So... what's with the mask?" he asked.
"So I don't get recognized," said Zuko, "I try to blend in both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom held areas, and I can't really do that if people know what I look like."
"Oh," said Aang understanding, "Anyway, thanks Lee, for getting me out of here."
"You're welcome, but we seriously have to stop meeting like this."
Aang looked back to him.
"Like what?" asked Aang.
"This," said Zuko hoarsely trying to include the current setting into the conversation, "It seems that every time I run into you guys, you're all in some kind of trouble. First it was pirates, then that Jet guy, and now the Fire Nation army. I mean is this normal for you?"
"Normally no," said Aang, "But whenever we did, me and my friends usually figure out a way to get away from it."
"Did?" asked Zuko catching the tense of Aang's words, "Why not 'do?"
"Well, since you showed up... you've kind of been the one to bail us out," said Aang.
"...I see," groaned Zuko, "Speaking of which, where are your friends? Have they been captured too?"
"They're sick," said Aang, "I was going to get medicine for them, when I got caught."
Zuko now felt a little bad for being frustrated at Aang earlier.
"Oh, well then we better get moving," he said, "Now for the record, when we get out of here, we're even. As fun as it is for us to bond like this I..." he stopped when he heard nothing but silence.
"Are you even listen-"
Zuko turned around to find Aang trying to catch some frogs, and his good eye twitched behind the mask.
'I take it back, there is no hope for this group,' he thought.
He walked up to Aang, and dragged him by the collar to the exit, ignoring something about his friends having to suck on the frogs.
Right now, all that mattered to him was getting out of the fortress quietly and quickly so that he could leave these kids and be on his way, away from them... but that wasn't going to happen at all.
Unfortunately, the escape from the fortress did not go as Zuko planned. He and Aang had both taken too long to get away, giving the guards enough time to figure out what was going on. The alarm rang out, and they both had to fight their way out of the fortress. Aang naturally held them off, and he was surprised by Lee. He knew he was a good fighter, but he was impressed that he was also able to keep up with him since Katara and Sokka usually couldn't.
They fought very hard, and they had managed to get past two of the three walls without too much stress. However, they had failed to get past the third, and were trapped between an entire army and a locked gate. Zuko stood swords drawn between a line of firebenders prepared to shoot a volley at him and Aang. When they fired, Aang quickly stood in between and made an air shield to safeguard them from the blast.
"Hold your fire! The Avatar must be captured alive!" shouted the man who had given the speech.
Zuko immediately put his swords to Aang's neck in a scissor-like fashion, and held him as a hostage.
"L-Le-" began Aang but Zuko tightened the scissor.
"Don't say anything," he whispered quickly, "Just play along."
The Fire Nation leader gave him a fierce look, and Zuko's eyes widened behind his mask momentarily as he realized who he was.
'Zhao...? Great...' he sighed inwardly.
Zuko remembered Zhao back when he still lived in the homeland. He was supposedly a capable captain who led the country to many victories, but Zuko knew him to be nothing but sycophant. And when Zuko was in exile, he learned that he was a short-tempered man of nearly unparalleled cruelty. He had taken pride in his loyal service to his father, but that was also his greatest weakness. He was now gambling on Zhao's pride as their means of escape, hoping he would rather let the Avatar get away to be recaptured rather than have to tell his father that he failed to keep a boy alive till the end of the war.
"Open the gates," said Zhao, confirming Zuko's hopes.
"But Admiral...!" said one of the officers.
"Do it now!" he ordered.
As the gates opened, and Zuko leaned in as he and Aang walked backwards to freedom.
"Good, keep acting like I'm about to kill you, and walk slowly," instructed Zuko in whispers when the gates closed in front of them.
"Can't we just run now?" Aang whispered back, genuinely afraid.
"No!" Zuko objected silently, "If you don't play hostage, then we'll both be killed. So calm down and be patient; we're almost out of this mess."
Zuko however felt that this was way too easy. There was no way the Fire Nation was just going to let them off the hook like this.
"When we get into the forest, you run, got it?" Zuko whispered through the mask after seeing the wooded sanctuary.
Aang nodded readily, and Zuko returned to thinking about what they were planning. Suddenly, he saw a twinkle from one of the battlements of the fortress.
A whistle ripped through the air.
The world went black.
xXxXx
Aang was terrified out of his wits. He had just been captured by Zhao, and now had two swords at his neck. However, Lee reassured him that it was an act, and Aang calmed down. Lee, though only a recent acquaintance, always helped him and the others out in someway, and Aang knew he could be trusted.
Suddenly he heard and felt something whiz by his head, and heard what sounded like a loud ringing noise. The swords broke away from the scissor form they were used in, and their master fell hard to the ground with his mask dislodged.
Aang looked to see Lee on the ground, alive but unconscious. He bent air into the ground to create cover out of dust, and rushed to his side. He saw something that caught his eye; it was something red on his face. He removed the dislodged mask, and was shocked. He had always wondered what was behind his eye patch, and it was revealed to be an angry burn scar on the left side of his face. He snapped out of his surprise, and returned to the situation at hand.
Lee had saved him, and he couldn't leave him. He forced the swords back in the sheath, got the older boy onto his back, and quickly dashed into the forest before Zhao's men could get to them.
Aang had run for a good hour before finally stopping. He was tired, and he needed to rest. He set Lee on the ground, and gathered some leaves together as a make shift bed and put the young man on them. He got up into a tree, and laid down on a branch. He slowly drifted off to sleep, hoping that Zhao's men wouldn't find them.
xXxXx
Aang was standing alone on a field of freshly fallen snow. Momo and Appa were with him, and the two were playing around in the soft, white powder. Aang couldn't resist and immediately followed his two friends' example.
They were all having fun, when suddenly the snow turned to ashes, and a merciless wind kicked them into clouds. Aang blew them all away only to reveal an entire Fire Nation army in front of him. The soldiers, their komodo-rhinos, and their machines and war drums all beat the ground and the air ferociously as they marched and cried out for blood.
He was nervous and terrified at the sight. But just as all hope seemed lost, comforting hands rested on both of his shoulders: two on one side and one on the other. He looked up, and saw Katara and Sokka on one side giving him their comforting smiles, and on the other he saw... Lee? He gave him a reassuring smirk, and drew his swords at the ready. He looked to the other side, and saw Sokka arming himself and Katara bending water to her command. Appa also roared bravely and Momo shrieked on Appa's head.
Aang felt his confidence return, and got his staff.
The army charged, and the six of them immediately readied themselves for battle.
Aang woke up from his dream, and noticed that it was morning. The sunlight pierced through the thick treetops, and sent their warm light to the forest floor. Aang gave a good stretch, and looked down to the forest floor at Lee and wondered why he had seen him in a dream.
'Maybe it was coincidence; he was pretty cool in the prison and all,' he thought.
Somehow, that didn't sound right at all. Something deep in his mind and heart told him it couldn't have been a coincidence. He looked at Lee, and wondered. He was different from the other people he met on his journey north. Lee had run into the group twice, and always left an impression and more on them.
He was a talented fighter, and when they parted ways with him, the group had all learned something about how they should go about their way. Katara had been more careful with what she did since she took the scroll from the pirates, and Sokka had learned that there were more important things worth fight for since the encounter with Jet. Aang wondered what he had learned.
"So calm down and be patient..."
Patience.
Aang realized it was his own impatience that got him caught. He probably ran so fast to the herbalist that he was instantly recognized by Fire Nation scouts. And again in the prison, he wanted to catch the frogs that he had earlier to refreeze them rather than wait to get out and get a freshly frozen batch from the swamp. Although he was still alive, Aang realized it was Lee who paid the price for his impatience.
The three of them had all learned something from their encounters with Lee, and he was grateful for it. Granted, Lee didn't want to be involved with them, but he had quickly become a familiar and reliable ally.
Again, Aang remembered his dream, but was it more than a dream?
Could it have been fate.
He continued to think about it, and the more he did the more he began to believe it was. It did make sense. Maybe the run-ins were fate. Perhaps seeing Lee and having his help in a dream wasn't just a coincidence maybe it was meant to happen, like Katara finding him in the iceberg.
'It could have been a message from the spirits!' thought Aang excitedly.
But he couldn't ask Lee to come with them.
Lee had broken him out of prison. They were even just as-
"Katara and Sokka are still sick!" he shouted in realization.
"Ughh..."
Aang looked down, as Lee began to wake up. His eyes opened and he turned his head to see him.
"You're awake!" exclaimed Aang.
"Where are... we?" he groaned, feeling a massive headache.
"We're in the forest; we got away from Zhao's men just in time," explained Aang.
"I remember... an arrow, I think... hitting my mask," he muttered as he tried to get up.
"Yeah, you were knocked out," said Aang.
Lee rubbed his forehead, and looked at Aang.
"You carried me out of there?" he asked.
Aang nodded.
"Thanks, I guess I still owe you one," said Lee.
"No, you rescued me from that prison, we're even," replied the Avatar, half expecting it.
"No, you kept me from being captured; there must be something I can do to repay you." he offered.
Aang thought about the boy's offer.
'I guess Lee could help me find some more frogs so that me, Katara, and Sokka could return to out trip to the North Pole, and find a teacher... for... me...'
Aang smiled. He came up with an idea; a way that Lee could pay him back. A sly grin formed on his face, and Lee had a look of discomfort on his face at the sight of the young monk's expression.
"Tell me," began Aang, "Do you know an herbalist on the mountain not too far from here?"
"Yes, I was on my way there," he replied cautiously.
"Meet me there tomorrow at noon. I'll tell you what you can do for us," he said before leaping away on to the branches.
"Wait, 'us?" asked Lee fruitlessly.
Aang looked back briefly at Lee as he hopped from tree to tree, and his grin returned.
"Sokka and Katara wouldn't mind, I'm sure of it," he said to himself.
Aang went immediately to the swamps and enthusiastically got more frozen frogs. He quickly ran back and arrived at the temple mid morning where Sokka and Katara were lying down peacefully. He pulled out the frozen frogs as he approached his two friends who were sleeping on Appa, who woke up to the sounds of his footsteps.
"Suck on these, they'll make you feel better," said Aang with an enthusiastic grin.
He stuck the frogs in both of their mouths.
"Aang, how was your trip? Did you make any new friends?" asked a dazed Sokka as he sucked on the frozen amphibian.
"Yeah, I think I did," he answered.
"Well, that's great Aang. So, who's the new friend?" asked Katara, a little tired from the illness as she sucked on her frog.
Aang wanted to surprise them, so he just smiled.
"You guys focus on getting better and rest for the rest of the day, ok?" said Aang, "I'll tell you all about it later.
"Ok," said Katara.
Aang plopped himself on Appa's tail, and quickly fell asleep.
"MMM... this is tashty," said Sokka.
No sooner than he said that, the frogs thawed out, and came alive again. Sokka felt the squirming and actually looked down at what was in his mouth, and promptly spit it out. Katara shrieked, and did the same. The started gagging and spitting as Momo chased down the frogs.
xXxXx
Zuko arrived at the place he had seen the Avatar in the cage while he was being escorted by the Yu Yan archers. He found his pack right where he left it, and put the mask in the bag. He got the outer Earth Kingdom robe, and put it on. He found a pool of water nearby, and washed his face, and hair. After drying himself off, he fixed his ponytail letting his bangs fall, and combing the moist messy hair with his hands, and put his eye patch back on.
Once he was refreshed, he got his pack and made his way to the herbalist. His thoughts drifted to the Avatar, and what he had told him to do. Aang wanted to meet him tomorrow at noon, and he wondered what he would ask for. He had hoped to repay his debt to him already, but he felt being rescued from Zhao's clutches was worth another favor. He couldn't help but wonder what that was as his mind drifted to many different possibilities
He felt tired, and thought it would be a good idea to rest before heading out. He got his things, went into a nearby clearing off the road, and rested his head on his pack, mentally preparing himself for whatever the kid was going to ask him to do for him.
xXxXx
It was evening in the temple complex, and Aang was telling Sokka and Katara all about his trip yesterday. He told them about the crazy herbalist, the tattooed archers, Zhao capturing him, and his rescuer the blue and white oni mask. He wanted it to be a surprise and was careful to keep any giveaways to Lee down to a minimum. All the while, Sokka found himself booing the idea of having to suck on the frogs, and rooting for the guy in the mask who they were supposed to meet tomorrow. Katara had look of worry throughout the entire story, especially the part where Aang and this guy were fighting their way out of the fortress, and the part where he used Aang as a hostage. That was also the only time that Sokka booed the guy.
"How could he do that to you after rescuing you?" demanded Katara.
"He told me to play along, and it worked." said Aang quickly defending Lee's position, "But the only really scary part was the arrow that went to his mask."
"You mean... he's dead?" asked Sokka, "Those archers sound scary."
"Well, no he didn't die," said Aang, "His mask seemed pretty heavy and it saved him, and well I got a look at him. I carried him and we got away, and when he woke up, he said he owed me."
"So, what are you going to make him do?" asked Sokka.
"Well..." Aang trailed off, "I kind of want him to join us."
Sokka and Katara's faces both fell.
"After he used you as a hostage?" shrieked Katara.
"Aang! He could be a psycho!" shouted Sokka.
Aang raised his hands in a peaceful gesture.
"Guys, I'm still here, aren't I?" said Aang, "Besides, we can trust him, we all know him."
Aang thought now was the best time to reveal to them who he wanted to join.
"So, who is he?" asked Katara.
"Alright brace yourselves," said Aang before breaking into a smile, "It's Lee."
Katara's face instantly dropped, but Sokka's went from surprise to thoughtfulness. Aang was surprised. He thought they would be happy, but instead things were quiet for a moment before Katara burst out with emotion in her voice.
"That jer-"
"Great idea Aang," interrupted Sokka.
"Thank you Sokka-WHAT?" she cried out, "You're supporting this?"
"Well... I actually think he'd be a great addition," said Sokka.
"NO! He wouldn't be a great addition! He's a jerk, and he picks fights with people. He... he'd ruin the whole group dynamic!"
"Are you sure it's us he'd mess with, or just you?" asked Sokka cunningly.
Katara was fairly livid at this point. Of all the people Aang could possibly ask to join the group, it had to be Lee.
"Ok fine, I don't get along with him. Would you if he called you stupid?"
"No, I probably wouldn't, but-"
"So you see my point," said Katara before facing Aang, "What would possess you to want him to join our group?"
"I had a vision," said Aang.
This ended Katara's anger, and actually piqued Sokka's usually skeptical interest.
"I dreamt I was facing this huge Fire Nation army. There were so many of them and everything seemed hopeless. But then you, and Sokka, and Lee were there to help me. The more I thought about it as being a vision, the more it felt right. I think it's my Avatar senses telling me that the run-ins with Lee are all meant to be for a reason. I think we keep running into him because he's supposed to be part of out group. That's what I believe anyway," explained Aang.
Sokka scratched his chin, and Katara looked away with a conflicted expression.
"Well," began Sokka, "I'm not sure about the whole spirit mumbo jumbo, but I still think Lee would make a great addition. I mean if what you told me about these archers is true, then it's safe to assume the Fire Nation is taking us more seriously. We're going to need all the help we can get if we're going to survive."
Aang smiled in approval, and looked to Katara.
"Are you sure this was a vision Aang? I mean you could have just been thinking about the rescue, and put Lee in a dream to make you feel better," she tried in a lame attempt to get Aang to reconsider.
The thought of Lee in the group...
"I'm sure it was a vision. That's what I believe with all my heart," said Aang, "Besides, I kind of already told him to meet with us tomorrow."
"Well, I suppose if the spirits deem it fit... I mean we can't really go against their wishes can we?" said Katara, "Wait, does he know? About what you're planning for him I mean."
"...Not yet," said Aang sheepishly.