"Hi." Todoroki approached Zuko, who was sitting on a rock outside of Katara's tent. "What are you doing?"
He takes a seat next to the other.
"I'm waiting for Katara to wake up. I have some information that I think she'll like." Zuko replied.
It was an ungodly hour, but they were both wide awake. They sat in silence for practically the rest of the night until Katara left her tent.
"You look terrible." she said almost immediately after seeing Zuko.
"I waited out here all night." he replied.
"What do you want?" she combed through her hair impatiently.
"I know who killed your mother. And I'm going to help you find him." Todoroki's eyes widened as he heard this. He stayed silent until Katara had left before confronting Zuko.
"That's what this is about? I haven't exactly had the best familial life myself, but this is-"
"Something that has to be done." Zuko finished his sentence. "If nothing else, it'll help her trust me more."
"Let me come with you." both Todoroki and Zuko were surprised at what he'd said. Saying nothing else, he turned and walked back to his own tent.
Due to the limited supplies, everyone had to share a tent with at least one other person - except Sokka for some reason. Todoroki ended up in a tent with Midoriya, even though he barely used it.
"Shoto, you really should get more sleep. Having such an irregular sleep pattern can't be healthy." Midoriya said as he walked into the tent. He had obviously realised that Todoroki hadn't been there all night.
"Izuku, do you remember when Iida went after Stain?" he looked up at the other and nodded. "Katara wants to find her mother's killer."
The look on Midoriya's face dropped as he heard this.
"I'm going to go with her and Zuko."
~~~~~
"Katara, I don't like this." Aang and Sokka were pleading with them not to go.
"I knew you wouldn't understand." Katara said, tieing her hair back.
"No, I do. That's why I don't want you to do this!"
"She needs this, Aang." Zuko said. They were packing supplies onto Appa for their journey. They expected to take at least a day.
"What about you?" Aang turned to Todoroki. "What do you think?"
"I've experienced first hand impacts of trying to get revenge. Let us go, I'm sure Katara will choose whatever is right in the end." he answered. He wasn't going to give an in depth explanation if he had to.
"You're going too?" Sokka practically shouted.
"Yes."
The rest of the time spent at camp was just Aang and Sokka begging the three not to go. Kirishima, Bakugo and Toph stayed out of it, probably because they were already asleep, even though it was only 9pm.
Katara was the one to steer Appa. She was fully prepared to stay awake for the entire journey, but Zuko made her go to sleep for a little while - "You'll need your strength."
They started at the Fire Navy Communications Tower. They would be able to find out where the Southern Raiders were located. From there, they'd find the captain.
They managed to get through the ventilation system of the tower relatively easy, but the plans room was occupied. Katara bent some ink onto a map of the Southern Water Tribe, just enough for the woman sitting at the desk to leave to get a new map.
Todoroki created some ice to help breaking the hinges to the vent - Zuko and Katara proceeded to drop down into the room to peak at the plans before hearing someone coming.
As quickly as he could, Todoroki made a thin ladder from ice, which was promptly climbed and melted by Katara and Zuko.
"The monster's at Whale Tail Island." Katara whispered as she claimed back through the vents.
~~~~~
Katara and Todoroki slept on the way to Whale Tail Island while Zuko steered.
"Wake up, we're nearly there." he said, shaking the other two slightly. He dove into the sea once Katara was able to bend the water into a submarine before emerging at the Southern Raiders main ship, taking all the crew members off guard.
Tens of fire blasts were sent their way, which Zuko and Todoroki quickly redirected.
Katara used the water in a tentacle like fashion to throw the soldiers into the ocean. She didn't care whether they were injured or not. They worked for her mother's murderer.
The left Appa on deck as they stormed through the ship to the wheelhouse, taking down everyone in their path with ease.
Katara breaks down the door with her water tentacles, and the man - presumably the man they were after - sent several blasts their way which were dissipated by Zuko.
Todoroki could see Katara bending, but didn't realise what exactly she was bending until he saw the captain pin himself down with jerkish movements. He knew that she could bend the blood in animals, but she refused to do it according to Midoriya.
He had severely mistaken how far she was willing to bend her morals to get revenge for her mother.
(A/n iTs nOt rEvEnGe, iTs cLoSuRe)
"Who are you?" the captain managed to get out after the original shock had worn away enough for him to speak.
"You don't recognise her? Think back to your last raid on the Southern Water Tribe!" Zuko shouted, crouching near the man.
"I don't know what you're talking about! Please believe me!" he pleaded with them.
Suddenly, Katara released her grip on his movements as her eyes widened.
"Its not him." her words were barely audible as she said them, as if she couldn't believe she went this far on an innocent man. She turned around to leave when Todoroki froze the man to the wall.
"You must be looking for Yon Rha! He retired four years ago!" he was begging for his life by now - he didn't know the extent they would go. Todoroki tightened his grip slightly as a warning and a threat for him to carry on talking. "He lives in Phoenix Village in the Fire Nation!"
~~~~~
The old man walked through his village, a bag of tomatoes in both hands.
He glanced over his shoulder with a shiver and the sensation of someone watching his every move.
"Show yourself!" he shouted, sending fire in the general direction of a bush, lighting it ablaze.
When no one appeared, he shrugged his feeling off as nothing.
He looked up at the grey sky as it started to rain.
"Typical." he muttered before starting to walk again.
A thin trail of ice followed him a few steps, coating the ground with a crystalline blanket.
Without warning, a man - no, a boy - jumped out from behind a tree. He pinned Yon Rha down as two other figures emerged.
"Do you remember me?" one of the three said, pulling down her mask, glaring into his soul. "You'd better remember me like your life depends on it!"
He looked the girl dead in the eye before realising who he was facing.
"You're the little water tribe girl!" he remembered his last raid on the Southern Water Tribe. There was a small girl, trying to hide with her mother. Her mother, who he proceeded to set alight.
"My mother lied to you!"
He gulped.
"She was protecting the last waterbender!"
The girl paused for a moment, as if waiting for a response.
"Me!"
She took her arms out either side, bending the rain into a dome around the four of them.
The other two pulled their masks down as well. Yon Rha could see the awe on their faces as much as he could see on his own.
The dome changed state, sending daggers of ice accelerating towards him. His life flashed before his eyes as he covered his face with his arm. He knew that there was no getting out of this.
At the very last second, the ice melted, soaking Yon Rha head to foot.
"I always wondered what kind of a person would do such horrible things... But now I see that you're just a pathetic, miserable, old man." she started. She looked him dead in the eye. "Don't think for one second that I've forgiven you. I just can't bring myself to kill you."
Yon Rha sat in place as the trio walked off. He could hear a faint "I'm proud of you, Katara." in the distance while he picked up his bags of tomatoes.