On a hotter day of traveling the group took a break of flying and settled to camp sooner, where they were in a deep water cavern where Aang immediately went swimming and they had a little beach day to relax and stretch, despite Zuko thinking it was ridiculous.

He sat in the shade reading his letter and the scroll the masters gifted to him. Zukos eyes flickered up at Aang once in a while when he made a loud splash, they were distant for the last few days. Zuko seemed to shut down more often and became silent while they flew. Everyone noticed and started to worry as if they made no progress in the fire benders trust.

Katara swam around but kept an eye on Zuko as well, she noticed his focus was on Aang, like his guard was up again. She didn't understand if they got in a fight or if Aang was careless with his words for empathy.

She looked at her brother and motioned for him to check at Zuko, Sokka shook his head but Katara glared. She groaned and swam over to see why Zuko was isolating himself.

"You gonna come in for a swim?" Katara kicked her feet behind her and propped up her elbows on the edge.

"No," Zuko was busy reading some scroll.

"What's got you all grumpy?" She tilted her head to the side.

They both heard Aang holler in excitement as they all watched Aang disappear down a water tunnel like it was a slide and no one stopped him.

"Did you yell at Aang?" Katara raised a brow seeing the annoyed look on zukos face.

"He was getting to nosy," Zuko scoffed.

"Oh come in the water, it feels great to just float around," she splashed at him a little with a goofy grin.

"I-" Zuko cut himself off and looked embarrassed. "I gotta study,"

"Study?!" Sokka burst out laughing overhearing.

"Study what? The next exam?" Toph snorted as Zuko covered his face.

"No my fire bending teacher sent piandao scrolls for me to study next level," Zuko sighed giving in.

"Oh can I see?" Sokka ran over as Katara got out of the pool curiously.

"Careful idiots these are made by my teacher," Zuko hissed when Sokka tried to grab the scroll.

"Your fire bending teacher? These look like water bender moves," Katara looked over his other shoulder.

"He use to travel, his technique is only made by him, not even fire lord Ozai or Azula knows about these moves," Zuko rolled up the scroll not wanting it to get wet but Katara saw the title.

"Zuko.. that says lightening bending?" She gulped. He was silent.

"Lightening? Like Azula? Your master wants you to bend lightening?!" Sokkas jaw dropped sitting with Zuko now as Toph joined them. "This is amazing! It'll be like tophs metal bending!"

"Seems intense, can't that kill you?" Toph asked curiously.

"Nah it can't kill him since he's the bender, like fire can't burn him either," Sokka waved it off.

"I-um.. the scar on my face is from fire? Lightening and fire are just as dangerous to us," Zuko mumbled looking down and Katara punched her brother in the arm hard.

"Ow!"

"Good! That was rude,"

Zuko seemed to relax a little more when Katara handled her brothers ignorance and Sokka seemed to regret his choice of words now.

"Is.. lightening as dangerous to you though?" Katara inhaled deeply when she asked.

"It is," he nodded.

"But my teacher sent me scrolls to redirect lightening, he said he rather teach me in person how to create it but redirecting will be a better defense," Zuko sighed opening the scroll again and show them the way of lightening.

"You can't let it touch your heart, or you die, there's a reason only the fire lord and Azula know how to create lightening," Zuko told them sternly.

"Wait.. they're the only ones that can create lightening.." Katara thought about it for a moment.

They're the ones Zuko was protecting himself from. His sister and father are the ones that could kill him with this, he knew they would too.

"At least once we kill them you won't have to worry about this ever again," Sokka laughed awkwardly trying to ease the tension.

Katara punched him again, harder.

"Have some respect Sokka!" She snapped.

"Respect for what?! They're monsters! That whole family is a bunch of monsters!" Sokka yelled back in pain as he held his arm.

"Hey not all of them are!" Zuko barked catching them off guard.

"Ozai has an older brother, general iroh, he's not a monster," he glared darkly at Sokka.

"He's still royalty, cushy gold pillow under his head," Sokka rolled his eyes.

"A lot of soldiers have respect for general iroh, he's actually put his life on the line for the war... he cares about the people," Zuko snarled in defense of his uncle.

"He's the only one that doesn't see soldiers as disposables," he huffed shaking his head.

"Isn't there another kid of the fire lord? Or is that the dead one of the general?" Toph asked curiously.

"The dead one?" Sokkas face paled a little.

"Yea there's a prince, he's not apart of the war, useless and inside the palace, forgotten," Zuko grabbed his scrolls and letters as he stood and went to appa.

"You know being so cold about his home, he's going to get upset over the way you talk about it," Katara glared at her friends disappointed.

"I'm just curious about the family tree," Toph shrugged.

"Isn't the royal family the problem anyways?" Sokka rolled his eyes. "We take those privileged bastards out and peace is restored, boom easy,"

She shook her head and saw Aang came back laughing with momo soaking wet on his head before jumping back into the pool while Zuko was putting his scroll away.

"Do you really think you'll need to redirect lightening?" Katara asked quietly as she leaned her back against appa.

"It's not like I'll be welcomed with a warm hug," Zuko shook his head but Katara didn't leave him alone.

"You know... youre not useless," Katara moved her wet hair off her shoulder.

"Huh?" He frowned.

"Youre not useless, and youre definitely not forgettable," she pursed her lips.

Zukos gaze softened seeing how it effected her more than him. It's words he's been hearing for so long by many around him, she's always been so kind to those that don't deserve it.

"Thank you.." he pursed his lips and nodded. Kataras words were appreciated but he had to much on his mind about the future he didn't feel like talking to anyone.

——

Late in the night everyone slept on their own sleeping bags, with how humid it felt at night they slept on top of the bags as Aang and Sokka slept shirtless, Katara slept in her white undergarments, Toph and Zuko didn't have their vest sashes on nor did anyone wear shoes.

Zuko laid on his back picking at his fingers and nails while he watched the stars above, unable to sleep again, he heard shuffling next to him as Toph sat up touching the ground a little frantic.

"What is it?" He whispered pushing himself up.

"Somethings coming," she frowned.

"Guys youre going to think I'm crazy but I think a metal man is coming," Toph called louder to the others that were sleeping.

"A what?" Aang yawned with his eyes still closed but they all noticed a large man standing at the top of the cliff above them. Sokka grabbed his sword as Katara reached for her water pouch slowly. No one took their eyes off him.

Aang quickly got to his feet when there was a slight move from the new enemy and there was an explosion right at their camp.

It sent everyone flying back with a yell, Toph rolled to her feet and sent a Boulder at the man but it exploded in mid air.

Katara dropped her water pouch and used the pool next to her as she and Zuko struck the man on each side with a stream of their elements but created a bright flash with a combo of the three. Blinding them all and by the time their eyes adjusted he was gone.

"A friend of yours?" Zuko asked looking at Aang.

"We've never seen him before!" Aang cried out but gasped when he saw the man in the distance behind Zuko and a explosion coming at them both.

"Zuko!" Aang reached out and the two boys went flying away from the camp sight.

Aang then realized they were the targets.

"Zuko you okay?" The avatar asked quickly with a scrap on his shoulder and back where he landed and saw zukos palms were also scrapped up.

"I'm good, what the hell is this guy?" Zuko stood up confused as Aang hid behind him.

"I think he's a bounty hunter, cause he's coming after us," aangs eyes widen as he gripped zukos shirt tightly.

"Go!" Zuko spun around and shoved Aang in front of him before they bolted away from the others.

"Aang! Zuko!" Katara yelled.

"Get appa! We'll distract him!" Aang waved them off as the two disappeared over a cliff as he used his air bending to fly Zuko up with him.

They weaved around tall thin rocks that covered like a field as they both hid behind separate ones to catch their breaths. Aang looked at Zuko confused but they nodded to stay as quiet as possible. Unsure how close the metal man was.

Aang looked around to see if the man was close but they could hear the large metal footsteps in the distance, stomping across the gravel to find them. How did he know the avatar was alive? Did he just happen to find them or had he been hunting them from a distance for some time? Aang had no idea what this man could be capable of.

Zuko closed his eyes listening to the mans footsteps coming closer and closer, heading towards Aang.

He turned to the footsteps and sent a blast of fire at the Hunter from the side, but the man aimed at him and blew up the rock he hid behind and two next to him so he couldn't hide that quick.

Zuko jumped back from it but the metal man was sprinting at him with his eyes locked. He was out to kill.

Zuko balled his fist up with flames as the man grabbed his neck with his human hand, and with his metal hand he stopped zukos hand that had fire, bending it back till Zuko yelled in pain.

"Get off of me!" Zuko snarled trying to kick but the man switched his hands and slammed Zuko into the ground with his metal claws.

"Who are you?! Who sent you!" Zuko yelled again but gasped when the man's started to push on his neck into the cracked earth under them.

Zuko choked on the air as the mans face had no emotion but stared him in the eyes while Zuko gripped his wrist tightly with both hands, using his bending trying to burn the mans wrists but he was budging.

Aang grunted as he bended a large rock to crash against the man's head causing him to fall forward from the impact. Zuko gasped for air and used the moment to kick the man off him and got to his feet quickly.

"He's trying to kill you?!" Aang cried out seeing the man rise again and was watching Zuko.

Zuko couldn't respond, he couldn't breathe as he ran, the taste of blood in his mouth, the pain in the back of his head, his lungs burned.

Aang slowed down for a moment turning when the man sent an explosion at them, but Aang used his air bending to create a shield around the explosion to aim the blow lower and grabbed Zuko so they flew above the rocks to escape. They landed on top of appa before they hit the ground.

"Nice catch," Katara smiled at Sokka when the boys steadied themselves on the saddle. Her smile dropped when Zuko was gasping for air and spit blood off the side of the bison.

"Your hurt-" "I'm fine, I just had the wind knocked out of me," Zuko wheezed as he covered his mouth. She saw the marks around his neck that started to bruise into hand prints.

"Well that was random," Toph finally said after a moment of silence.

"I don't think it was, I get the feeling he knows who we are," Katara frowned looking behind them where they escaped.

Aang looked at Zuko but the soldier shook his head.

"Let's just get away from here," Aang gulped a little.