"Here I thought this ought to get you through a few meals," Sela gave Zuko a small wicker container as Zuko checked his bag to make sure he had everything.

Zuko was about to take it but they heard a rumbling in the distance and saw dust from soldiers riding in on their ostrich horses.

"What do you think they want?" Gansu asked annoyed seeing the thugs.

"Trouble," Zuko put his hand on the blade handles.

The soldiers rode in quickly and stopped in front of the family and fire bender, no one there looked happy from either side.

"What do you want gow?" The father spat harshly.

"Just thought someone ought to tell you your son's battalion got captured," the leader smirked a little looking down at them.

"You boys hear what the fire nation did to their last group of earth kingdom prisoners?" Gow chuckled looking at the others.

"Dressed them up in fire nation uniforms and put them in the front line unarmed way I heard it," another man smiled cruelly at them. "Then they just watched,"

Zuko glared knowing that was a lie. It sounded as if they were monsters.

"Watch your mouth," gansu barked.

Gow glared and his animal took a few steps towards gansu but Zuko stepped in front of it looking gow in the eyes. Challenging him.

"Why bother rooting around in the mud with these pigs?" Gow rolled his eyes and pulled back as Zuko stood his ground.

"What's going to happen to my brother?" Lee asked behind as his mother and father comforted each other.

"I'm going out to the front, I'm going to find sen su and bring him back," gansu told his wife and kissed her cheek softly before hugging her as she cried into his arms.

The parents went inside but Lee stayed out with Zuko, walking over to the teenager.

"When my dad goes will you stay?" Lee asked sadly.

"No, i need to move forward," Zuko told him without looking at the boy.

"Remember what I taught you, it applies to all weapons," he said before walking down the dirt road to leave the family behind. They were kind but he couldn't stay.

—

By mid day Zuko found a stream to get water from but laid down to take a break, he watched the clouds above remembering the avatar traveled by the sky, his bison blended with the clouds. He wondered if he'd see the avatar in the clouds again.

To capture the avatar to finally do something Azula never could. For her to eat her own words. He needed to find the avatar to return to his troops, to claim his revenge for their fallen brothers. He hoped commander Xai could forgive him. He missed Xai, and even Jay, he missed his troops. He never thought he'd feel so homesick.

Zuko sat up hearing an ostrich horse and a cart his way and saw sela heading towards him in a hurry.

"You have to help! It's lee, the thugs came back as soon as gansu left, when they ordered us to give them food Lee- he grabbed one of the knives and use it as a threat," sela ran to him as Zuko blinked surprised.

"I don't even know why or how-" she stopped when Zuko stood up and brushed his pants off.

"Then they took him away, they told me if he's old enough to fight he's old enough to join the army," she hiccuped a sob and covered her mouth. Zuko looked at her guilty. He couldn't get involved.

"I know we barely know You but-" sela cried into her hands.

Shit. He was going to get involved.

"I'll get your son back," Zuko gave in.

He hopped in her cart and she quickly grabbed the reins and snapped them to get a move on, Zuko pulled his hat down more to cover his eyes from the sun, he owed the family that much. If they might loose one son, they deserve to at least keep the other safe.

—

As the sun was starting to set high in the sky Zuko started to walk so sela didn't get hurt in the fight he knew that would happen. Lee was tied to a post in the middle of the town and gasped happily seeing the scarred teen.

"There he is! I told you he'd come!" Lee kicked his feet happily as the soldiers stood up seeing the stranger return.

Zuko saw gow join the center of the town as civilians were scattered, to afraid to step in. He untied his straw hat and dropped it at his feet while he kept walking.

"Let the kid go," Zuko told them glaring.

It caused gow and the soldiers the laugh mockingly at him but he stopped far enough from them they wouldn't attack yet.

"Who do you think you are? Telling us what to do?" Gow shook his head.

"It doesn't matter who I am, but I know who you are," Zuko frowned.

"Your not soldiers, I've met real earth kingdom soldiers, compared to them, you're embarrassing yourselves with your sad egos," he tilted his head to the side staring them down.

"Free loaders abusing power, mostly over women and children, pathetic, you don't want Lee in your army, your sick cowards messing with a family that's lost a son already," he spat taking another step forward.

"where I'm from youd get killed for that, soldiers like me hold honor... you are nothing, and I'd be happy to take you down," Zuko held his chin high and shoulders strong containing his rage at the men that tried to call themselves soldiers.

"Disgusting pests," he sneered.

"Are You going to let this stranger stand there and insult you like that?" Gow snarled at the soldier next to him.

The soldier went to attack and Zuko only took a lunge and used the butt of the sword handle to knock the wind out of the man when he flew back. Not even taking his blade out of the holster fully.

It didn't scare the other men off. Another tried to steer his spear straight into the teen but Zuko pulled the wood of the spear forward with one hand and the other hand slammed into the man's face and knocked him into the dirt.

As soon as Zuko stood back tall the third man tried his turn but before the spear made contact with the fire bender, Zuko swung his foot high and snapped half the spear off. The man ran off before he was even hurt. Like the cowards they are.

Lee laughed in victory seeing his friend was winning. He was in awe of how he hasn't even used a weapon yet.

But now it was just Gow and Zuko.

Gow dropped his hammer that had a chain attached to it when it hit the ground. Zuko finally unsheathed his swords.

The earth bender slammed the hammer into the ground as a rock went up and he hit it towards Zuko who sliced the half with a burning glare.

Gow stomped to raise the earth again and sent three rocked at Zuko to fend off but sent a fourth one directly to slam into the teens torso and he grunted being pushed back.

But Zuko stood still and ran to attack again.

The civilians crowded and started to hope for zukos victory, some cheered for him even. Lee couldn't take his eyes off him. Awestruck but worry as well knowing the earth bender was dirty in his fights.

Zuko twisted and used his swords to direct the boulders away from him but Gow struck him once again with a surprise rock directly in his chest to send him flying again. Rolling to his feet Zuko tried to catch his breath feeling it hard to breathe from the impact.

"Look out!" someone yelled for him.

"Behind You!" Lee yelled.

Zuko stood to defend himself From the boulders again but they started to get bigger and bigger where his blades couldn't cut through any, stepping back to hope for less impact. But as soon as he deflected one Boulder there was another, and another, and another.

Just as Zuko thought he would see the next Boulder, the ground started to rise and the earth struck him again and sent him flying far and slammed into the hard ground. People gasping seeing the man they were all rooting for was down.

"I won't hate you, if I wanted to get rid of you I wouldn't have been helping you as long as I have, we're family," lees voice rang through his head.

"Hey," Lee turned to him seriously grasping his shoulders. "I joined the military, I know what I signed up for, so does she, and after this battle we're going home, I wouldn't have it any other way than with you and our friends at our sides for this victory,"

Zuko clenched his jaw tightly not looking at him but Lee kept his brown eyes on the boy. He nodded just the slightest making Lee smile down at him.

"Go get ready for the mission, stay safe kid," Lee pushed him away and Zuko took a shaky breath nodding.

"I'll see you on the battle field!" Lee waved. "Kick ass kid!"

"Zuko! Move! Now!"

Zukos eyes snapped open with a burning rage inside him as his fists felt like they were on fire.

With a battle cry Zuko bended fire around him as he spin kicked his legs around with powerful fire to send Gow flying back . He got to his feet with a dark snarl and heavy breathing with the ground around him on fire.

Gow got back on his feet and got in a fighting stance but Zuko ran through the flames with fire swimming around his swords and sent two large fire blasts from his blades to the earth bender. He flew into a building and the bricks of the wall crashed on the fake soldiers  

"W-who.. who are You?" Gow grunted in pain as he was now stuck under the rubble.

"My name is Zuko, I am a soldier of the fire nation, ex prince and first born son to fire lord Ozai," Zuko stood over him making sure this man knew who he was. He didn't care if he was no longer a prince but he wanted fear to be in this man's heart for the rest of his life.

"Cross me again and I will kill You myself, it wouldn't be my first," he spat.

"I heard of that.. he was disowned by his own father!" A townsfolk pointed at him as Zuko sent a sharp look towards them.

"Sent to fight in front line by your father to be slaughtered like our soldiers!"

Zuko ignored them seeing sela untying lee, wanted to make sure they were okay.

"Not a step closer," sela turned to him.

"Are You okay?" Zuko asked kneeling down to lees level.

"No, I hate you," Lee hid behind his mother.

Zuko didn't react. He didn't show any emotion. He stood back up calmly and went to take one of the soldiers ostrich horses, he hopped on before anyone could stop him and looked back at the mother and son. He hoped the best for them and their family.

But he left to move forward.