Chapter 3 The Boy In The Iceberg & The Avatar Awakens Part 3

He ran at Zuko, war-cry echoing through the wind. Zuko didn't flinch. He barely moved. In fact, all he had to do was roundhouse kick once, and the club in the boy's hands went flying.

Another kick sent him flying into the snow. Azira let out a disappointed sigh. If this was the best the Southern Water Tribe had to offer, it was best that they just gave up the Avatar now.

There weren't many people once they reached the bottom. A small group of old people, Women, and children. That was what they were working with. No Avatar in sight.

"Where are you hiding him?" Zuko demanded, voice steel as he spoke to the group. When no one spoke up, he grabbed an old woman by her coat, hauling her forward.

Azira kept a steady hand on her sword. She didn't want this to be the moment that she came to odds with Zuko. But she also didn't want him killing innocent people. It wasn't worth it.

"He would be about this age! Master of all elements!" Zuko snarled. Silence, yet again. He blasted fire forward, keeping it a steady distance from the people.

All a show of fear.

"I know you're hiding him!" Zuko snapped.

Just then, a yell came from behind again. This time, Azira was ready. The Water Tribe boy came sprinting at them and Azira slid forward, leg sweeping his feet out from under him. He crashed to the ground and Zuko brought his leg down, fire spreading across the snow towards the boy.

Then came a small shock. The boy rolled into a kneeled position and threw a boomerang into the air. Azra just stared for a minute. The boomerang missed Zuko completely, sailing off somewhere.

"Show no fear!" A child cried, tossing the boy a spear.

Catching it with one hand, he twisted to his feet and ran again. Zuko just gestured at the boy and Azira couldn't help but grin. He ran at them, spear in hand and she twisted to the side, pulling it straight from his grasp and slamming it into his chin.

The boy hit the ground harshly and she leaned down. "Listen, you're cute, I'd hate to kill you. l'd stay down if I were you." Azira stated, then rose back to her full height.

Just then, the boomerang returned, hitting Zuko squarely in the helmet. Eyes wide, Azira knew that it was about to go down. Zuko let out a low groan of annoyance and fiery daggers filled his hands.

Before he could blast the boy, something quite literally, out of nowhere, smacked straight into Zuko's legs, sending him flying to the ground. Azira was there in seconds, sword in hand and eyes watching the newcomer carefully.

The soldiers surrounded the boy dressed in orange and beige clothing, fanning out on either side. Azira felt the energy surge before it happened; the boy raised his stick and snow shot outwards.

She stepped forward in front of Zuko and the snow sailed harmlessly passed the two of them. Steam curled off of Zuko's hands as he breathed out in anger. "Looking for me?" The bald boy demanded.

"You're the airbender? You're the avatar?!" Zuko demanded in surprise. He stepped forward, hands raised. "T've spent years preparing and training for this encounter, meditating. You're just a child!"

The airbender considered him. "Well you're just a teenager." He pointed out.

Zuko let out a snarl and fire swirled from his hands, blasting towards the boy. Azira watched in horror and fascination as the boy just spun his staff, counteracting the fire with gusts of wind.

Fire scorched towards him again, this time nearing the southerners. The avatar seemed to recognize this, and doing something Azira never would have done, he stopped. "Ifl go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?"

Zuko considered this for a moment, and then gave a nod.

Soldiers immediately grabbed him by either arm and began dragging him towards the ship. "Head a course for the Fire Nation! 'm going home!" Zuko said to his captain.

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Zuko considered the boy, staring him down. He grabbed onto the staff, studying it for a moment. "This staff will make an excellent gift for my father." He murmured, eying the craftsmanship. "I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks. Azira, take the prisoner to the hold" He commanded.

Azira gave a nod, leading the avatar down into the hold of the ship. As they crossed down into the hold, Azira glanced at him. "You're really the avatar, kid?"

"I mean, I guess so." The boy gave a shrug.

Azira pulled him into a hallway, staring him down. It was weird though. Just as much as she was staring him down, he seemed to be peering right into her soul.

"If l get you out" Azira lowered her voice. "|-" She cut herself off, panic beginning to build in her chest.

Was she actually brave enough to do it? To betray the Fire Nation? Hana would have been proud, but Hana probably would have let the boy die.

She didn't want to be like the Fire Nation. And she didn't want to be like Hana either.

The boy's eyes seemed to fill with a bit of light. "You're not like them." He said observantly.

"No" Azira agreed. "Im not. The best I can do is help you get out. If you head back down this hallway, you should be clear:"

He stared at her for another moment, then turned and sprinted away. Azira just let out a deep breath, leaning against the wall. She couldn't do it. She just-couldn't.

Sounds from above filled her ears, but she-she could barely breathe. What in Sozin's name was she doing?

It was simple, really. Did she want to be part ofa solution? Or did she want to run away? Because if she ran, she would never stop, that much she knew.

Letting out a deep breath, Azira dragged herself out from the corridor and sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Her eyes landed on Zuko and the avatar, both laying facedown on the deck of the ship.

Before Zuko could bark an order to her, a low and loud groan of an animal was heard. She spun, eyes landing on something huge flying through the sky. "What is that thing?" Zuko breathed out.

"Appa!" The avatar cried in happiness. He turned back to Zuko, spinning his staff to deflect the fire.

"Azira, get the kid!" Zuko yelled.

But Azira just remained frozen in place. Her eyes flicked between Zuko, her oldest, and probably only friend, and the avatar. The avatar, who was just a kid. And if she took him to the Fire Nation, he would be murdered.

Her hands curled. She didn't want to be a murderer. Never again.

The avatar seemed to be looking at her, too. Eyes searching hers for some kind of hope. That she would do the right thing. Azira could have cursed. She was going to do it.

Fire blasted towards the avatar and suddenly, steam curled. Azira stood in front of the boy, water rising on either side of her, hands outstretched.

The secret was out and there was no going back now.

Zuko stood frozen in place, eyes flickering between doubt, horror, anger, and-betrayal. That's what he was feeling. She was-

He roared in anger and fire shot out from everywhere on his body. It blasted past her shield of water and knocked her straight into the avatar. He toppled straight back into the water and Azira didn't have time to react to that.

Zuko was sprinting forward, flames shooting out of his feet as he kicked at her. She brought her hands up defensively in front of her body and water pushed back against his flames. She punched, as if she were a firebender, and the water powerfully shoved him backwards.

Just then, something surged within the water. The boy rose from the water and it circled him, lifting him higher and higher, eyes glowing. He billowed over the ship, then made his landing as Zuko swept Azira's legs out from beneath her.

"TRAITOR!" He screamed.

Azira never got a chance to respond. Water whipped Zuko to the side and away from her. She scrambled to her feet, eyes landing on the avatar, who was collapsing tiredly on the deck of the ship.

Before she could get any closer to him, both watertribe siblings had landed on the ship, defensively staring her down. "Hey Sokka, hey Katara. She's...nice. She's a friend." The avatar tiredly breathed out, gesturing at her.

"She's-Fire Nation-" Presumably Sokka

snapped.

"Well technically" Azira said, palm filling with water. "l'm Water-Tribe."

Sokka's jaw dropped. "I dropped my staff." The avatar cut in.

The boy was quick to retrieve the staff, and Azira found the Watertribe girl staring her down. "You should go. They'll be hunting all of you now." Azira stated. "I can-"

Suddenly, the avatar had grabbed onto her wrist. "Come with us."

"But -"

"Please?" The boy begged.

Azira weighed her options. Go with the avatar and his friends, who deeply disliked her. Or stay on the ship, where Zuko would presumably attempt to murder her. The decision was easy.

"Alright, I'm coming." Azira said, following them onto the creature. Katara's eyes set on something behind Azra and her hands moved forward. Azira spun, finding one of the soldiers frozen behind her. "Nice job." Azra breathed out.

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Azira sat on the creature, far from the others, feeling their glares dig into her. She turned her attention to the avatar. "So you got a name, Kid Wonder?"

He grinned. "Aang."

"Td say it's nice to meet you, but I'm pretty sure I just destroyed my whole life." Azira admitted awkwardly. All she had was the clothes she was wearing and her sword.

"Who are you, anyway?" Katara questioned, narrowing her gaze at her.

"T'm Azira. I..l'm someone who wants to get away from the Fire Nation." Azira finally settled on that.

"How does a waterbender even end up in the Fire Nation to begin with?" Sokka demanded, crossing his arms.

"It's kind of a long story." Azira said, rubbing the back of her neck.

Aang just smiled. "Well it's a good thing you're stuck with us now."