"Sokka!" She wanted to yell, but the poison of the shirshu kept her immobilized as her brother tumbled off the back of the beast as it reared. The hot hand gripping the back of her tunic was the only thing that kept her on, though she would rather have fallen. The giant beast had come out of nowhere with a scary woman, Zuko, and his Uncle on its back and immediately knocked them to the ground with its tongue. Zuko had lifted them onto the back on their stomachs, despite their attempted struggles.

"We have the girl, what else do you want?" The woman cried as the shirshu danced around, jostling its riders. "Nyla smells something up ahead. She's getting confused."

Katara watched as Zuko's face darkened. Undoubtedly he was after Aang, but she'd never tell where he was. The Prince looked down at Sokka on the ground. Her brother was lying with his arms at strange angles, though he didn't look hurt. "Peasant, blink if you can hear me." Sokka glared at him instead. "Tell the Avatar I have his girlfriend, and if he wants her back, he has to come get her." Turning to June he said: "Back to the ship."

"I thought she was your girlfriend." June jibed as she whipped Nyla back towards the docks. The shirshu jolted off, leaving Sokka in its dust.

Katara whined in her throat as she almost fell off, but Zuko's hand kept a hold of her.

"Shut up." He growled over his shoulder. She glared at him, wishing she could move and shove him off of the beast.

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"The brig, nephew?" Iroh asked quietly as he counted out gold pieces to the grinning bounty hunter. "That is no place for a young lady."

"Well, where would you put her, Uncle?" Zuko whispered back fiercely.

Iroh sighed. "Nephew, you never think these things through. The brig is too close to the water, she would be able to sense it and could bend a hole in your ship."

Zuko grimaced. He hadn't even considered that. "So somewhere that is close to the middle of the ship." He shot a glare at his Uncle. "No."

"It is the only answer, nephew." Iroh said, smiling at the bounty hunter as she wiggled her fingers at him for more coins. "It already has a good lock on the door, and no windows."

"My chambers? Where will I sleep?" Zuko shouted.

"I am sure the guest suit will do nicely for you until the Avatar comes for her." Iroh said, laying the last piece of gold in June's hand and clasping his own over it. She grimaced. "It was lovely to meet you, miss June."

"Likewise, grandpa." She leapt back on to her shirshu, depositing Katara on the ground beside the docks. "Until next time. Oh," She leered at Zuko. "maybe you should try talking it out next time she runs away."

"She's not my girlfriend!" He shouted after her as she kicked Nyla in the sides, laughing. They sped away, back into the forest.

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Katara was thinking that she could almost move her pinky toe as strong hands gripped her and slung her over a shoulder. She squeaked as sharp metal armor plates dug into her stomach and the man under her shifted. He began walking up the gangplank and onto the ship. She wished fervently that she could wriggle, struggle, do anything that might get her away before they locked her in whatever hellhole they kept prisoners in on the ship.

"Prince Zuko!" A voice called. "I can do that, sir!"

"I'm fine, Admiral Ji." The man under her, Zuko, growled. He shifted her bodily, knocking her arm against his shoulder spike.

"Yes, sir."

Katara could only see the ground and her arms below her as they swayed while Zuko carried her through a maze of walkways and corridors until they reached a red metal door. He fumbled in his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a key, unlocking the door.

"If you touch anything," he hissed, pushing it open. "I'll chain you in the corner."

Katara noticed dark rugs on the floor and realized it wasn't the prison hold. She squeaked in her throat but he ignored her. Suddenly she was falling backwards, dumped unceremoniously on a large, soft bed. She rolled her eyes around what she could see of the room, noting a pair of crossed glaives, a large fire nation flag, and a writing desk with candles.

Zuko stomped around the room and took the glaives, a pair of swords, the knife hidden under his pillow, and all but one of the candles out of the room.

Katara was working on wriggling her whole foot when he returned, clutching a length of rope. "If you behave, I'll take this off." He growled at her, binding her wrists together harshly and tethering her to a bedpost. "My Uncle will bring you food later."

He strode back out, slamming and locking the door behind him. Katara glanced around the room and sighed.

She wanted to tell him that he was a bully, a bigot, and not worthy of whatever bogus title he held. But she still couldn't move.

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Zuko slumped back against the door, hearing her sigh on the other side. He wanted to tell her that he was sorry his shoulder blade had hurt her stomach, that this hadn't been his original plan and he would have rather left her out of it altogether. That he was sorry if he had scared her. But she was his captive, and captors weren't kind to their captives.

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A.N.: Quick first chapter of the story I'm writing for Kat-Tastrophe Woo!