(I don't own anything but most of the plot. Dark Chrona owns her OC, Val. Sorry for the wait but here it is.)

. . . .

Stay innocent, that's what she had said, not stay in the sense.

Val had slept in a grand looking bed with all the food she could eat, but she found that she could not. While she slept in an actual bed, "Team Avatar," as Sokka called them, slept in chains. She still remembered everyone's look of either anger, surprise, or confusion. She especially remembered Aang's face. First he had seemed confused and surprised; then he seemed astonished, and lastly, he seemed angered. Katara's expression screamed rage and hatred. Toph was confused, while Sokka seemed surprised.

She just hoped the woman had a plan. For once in her life, Val didn't have a complete plan. She was relying on a total stranger. She sighed, thinking about if this was a trap. Would the Fire lord or Zhao come in and-

Suddenly, her door smashed open.

. . . .

The gang had not slept, or at least not well. Who would be able to sleep in chains, right?

Katara opened her eyes to the dim room. "Is it morning?"

"It must be getting close," Sokka started. "Since I can actually see better."

Toph huffed a bit of hair out of her eyes. "Great, try to find a way out, then." She stated, since she couldn't see at all. Her feet didn't touch the ground, not even close, which made her feel strange.

Katara looked around the room, while Sokka's gaze searched it. There was three doors. Two doors were located to either side of them, one on the left and one on the right. The third door was directly across from them. Unlike the other doors, the third door had a small window stretched together with metal bars.

Katara moved her wrists. "Aang, try to cut the chains!" She pulled against the chains, moving her hands. Water appeared from her fingertips, splitting the chain in half. She smiled. "Aang!" She stopped, watching Aang's reaction. Sokka turned to Aang to his left.

"Hey twinkletoes, you alright?" Toph spoke up.

Aang just stared at the floor, silent and still.

"Aang... please answer us..." Katara's voice sounded worried.

Eventually Aang cut the chains (water-bending). He helped cut down Sokka, while Katara assisted Toph. Toph landed on the ground as the center door opened. "Who's there?" She pointed at the newcomer.

The other kids looked the way she pointed. "Fire bender," Sokka stated. Aang and Katara got into a fighting stance.

The fire bender quickly said. "No, I intend to help you." She didn't make a move, only holding up her hands. "Why would I risk coming here if that were not true?"

Toph hesitated. "She is telling the truth." Slowly, the others relaxed.

"Please come with me." The fire bender took off. Sokka shrugged and followed, while the others followed him. The fire bender took them around turns and twists; they went left and right. They stopped; they sprinted and walked. It was long before the Fire Bender went into a room. They followed, and she closed the door. "Stay here," she ordered. "I'll be back, so do not move. Plus, this place will be crawling with Fire Benders in a few minutes." She soon disappeared through the door.

The kids waited, jumping when a crash sounded and people screamed. Someone burst in through the door, nearly plowing over Aang.

"Lets... go..." The person barely forced out through the wheezing.

The others followed the fire bender (again). They ran to the next room, low to the ground, and through that door. The female fire bender had them go into the vents, quick and silent. They crawled for what seemed like forever, until they were all gasping for air. "I... Hope you don't mind... I have another helper..." The fire bender wheezed out.

Sokka raised a brow. "Who-" Suddenly the air vents gave way, and they fell. Right into a mix of Fire Benders!

. . . .

Val's head snapped toward the door, her body reacted, and she slammed the intruder into the wall. She blinked. "It's you," she whispered, closing the door and letting go of the other's wrist. She cautiously watched the female Fire Bender. "What exactly do you want?"

The Fire Bender (the one who told her to stay innocent) gave her a tiny smile. "I want you to escape and dethrone the Fire Lord, so to speak." She brought up a hand, slowly to make sure Val doesn't hurt her again. "Which I know only you and the Avatar can do."

Val instantly looked down. "I'm not sure that'll be easy..."

The Fire Bender nodded. "What you did was unexpected, if they are your true friends they will come around." Val felt the bender's hand on her shoulder. The other bender added, "Plus, I have a plan. It has holes in it, though."

Val heard a knock at the door. A voice told her that the Fire Lord wanted her in a two hours and to be ready. The female bender was silent until the footsteps went away. "We have to hurry," she whispered, holding onto Val's wrist. They went out of the door, down the hallway, and went around a corner.

Val stopped. "What's this so called plan?"

"Not now-" The other responded.

"I want to know, before we get too far ahead."

The other fire bender sighed. "I now know why you graduated ahead of the others. The plan is get you and the Avatar before your two hours are up, and, well, escape or..." She couldn't find the right words.

Val let out a sigh of her own. 'Great,' she thought to herself, 'truly a great plan.'

Before Val could respond or say anything, she felt her back hit the wall, hard. She blinked, staring at the other Fire Bender.

What the Bender said confused her more. "You are not going to betray the Fire Lord!" The other screamed at her.

Val's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Excuse me-"

"You heard me! I won't let you!" The Fire Bender looked uneasily at Val, sweat sticking to her skin.

Val saw a Bender approach, and she tackled him. While pressing a pressure point and slumping him onto the ground, she turned to the other female.

The other girl smiled nervously. "I'm glad you got my clue... heh..."

Val, honestly, just realized a few moments ago that was to distract the bender at her feet. She gave a nod. "Get the others, and meet me in the Fire Lord's chamber."

The other bender smiled and nodded. She rushed by Val, while Val edged around the other corner. She stuck her head around the corner, and she realized no one was down that way. She crept forward slowly, leaping to the side as a fireball came inches from her face. Rolling onto her side, she coughed, and she received a sharp boot to her side. She let out a groan. She swept her attacker's legs out from underneath them, only to end up face-to-face with a pair of gold eyes.

'Crap,' Val stated into her mind.

The girl in front of her backed up a bit. "I had not thought you would be so good... However, you are not good enough." Two of her fingers came up, glowing, almost like lightning. She smirked slightly, aiming her fingers at Val.

Val, at the last second, turned her body sideways to escape the blow. She sucked in a breath, though. She gasped as the girl seemed to appear in front of her. The girl elbowed her in the chest, and Val slid onto her side on the ground.

"Pathetic." The girl growled some. She kicked Val's side.

Val grunted, bearing the pain in her, well everything, and she punched the girl in the jaw. The girl looked stunned as she landed on the floor. Val stood straight, hand outstretched. "Sorry I'm not good enough, Princess." Instead of burning Azula, Val kicked the other, making her smash back into the wall. Suddenly, Val took off. Just what she needed, Azula. She heard footsteps behind her. She ducked into a dark hallway, listening. Soon the footsteps faded away.

Val backed up against the wall, panting slightly. She felt something. It felt cold. And metal like and jagged. Her fingertips grazed a object that resembled the shape of a door. The door wouldn't open. With a sigh, Val turned away. She had to keep going. She went to the Fire Lord's chamber. No one was there, or so she thought. She felt something creep over her. It made her feel uneasy and suspicious.

"The great Val." The young masculine voice mockingly-said from somewhere in the room.

Val didn't see the person, only the hot blaze of light going at her. It was so close; as if in slow motion, she went to move. However, the blaze was in something of a fast mode. It seemed faster than anything else. Out of nowhere, Val's eyes narrowed, and her hands came up. The blast came at her and exploded. Smoke filled some of the room.

A boy with dark hair and gold eyes came to where the blast had hit. Nothing was there. She was one: gone, or two: dead.

Fire Benders approached him. "Prince Zuko, you got rid of the trader?" One asked him, interested.

The boy, Zuko, ignored him, looking around the room. He suspected she was not dead. She wouldn't die so easily, he did not think at least.

. . . . .

Val watched from the shadows as the Prince went to where her disappearing act had occurred. She saw a Fire Bender ask him something, which he didn't bother to answer. He seemed to be focused on something else, probably on finding her. Val exhaled slowly and quietly. She lifted up a hand off a beam she was kneeling on, while the other held onto a supporting beam next to her head.

'Now or never.' Her hand produced a flame.

The flame burst into a bunch of bigger flames that crawled up to her wrist. She shoved her feet off the beam. She could see it all happening. She would come flying down and take out the Prince with her one hand and get the others as well. She would have to knock them out, which she really didn't want too, but she didn't really have a choice. She would end up using both of her hands and both of her legs. With calculated dodges and quick and fluent movements, she could leave without much of a mark. She hoped at least.

Suddenly, just as her feet left the beam, the ceiling caved in. She hurriedly yanked herself onto another beam. She blinked. 'What an entrance,' she thought, seeing five familiar faces. She felt like laughing for some reason. She quickly got serious as Zuko glared at the bald kid, her bald kid. She blinked. Did she just say hers? Well, she couldn't think of that because Zuko went to attack the kid.

Before she could react, the bald one dodged to the other side of Zuko. Like in slow motion, Zuko shot fire at the other, who just barely moved out of the way. Val remained calm and stared around. She saw a thing dangling from the ceiling, and her hand whipped out, releasing a small knife and splitting through the cord. The giant item collapsed and fell, straight toward them.

Making a noise, Val whistled loudly. From above, Val saw the taller boy with a "pony tail," or a warrior whatever he had called it, shove the others of Team Avatar out of the way.

"Team Avatar, Attack!" He cried out, raising his arm in a dramatic way.

That received a raised brow from his sister. "Really?" She didn't say anything else as water circled her arms out of thin air.

The bald one was distracted.

"Aang!"

"Hm?" The bald one turned to the other male with the warrior tail. "What was that, Sokka?"

Sokka sighed. "You're not even listening-"

"Sokka," his sister started.

"No-no, he's right." Aang nodded a bit.

Toph laughed. "About time!" She turned and jabbed a person in the side.

The person grunted slightly, just as Katara gasped and turned to Aang. Aang just stared. Sokka smiled at the person. "Nice work, Val."

. . . . .

The other Firebender (the one that gave Val advice) had left before anyone had noticed her. It was all Val's plan. "Do not get caught, we may need inside help," Val had said to her. It was more of a command though, slightly. She was to return to leave them, in case they truly needed her help. However, if her help was not necessarily important, she would remain on the Fire Lord's side.

She would resume her "normal" life, only after this one thing.

. . . . .

Aang felt his eyes narrow at Val. Val went to walk forward, but stopped. Aang suddenly found himself scowling. Katara glared, positioning herself between Val and Aang. "Don't even think about it!"

Val took a step forward and water whipped her back. She didn't yell or anything. She just plainly stated. "Aang, it is not what you think."

"Val..." Sokka sounded nervous. "We need to go, now."

Zuko came out of nowhere and landed on Aang. "Secure the traitor and the others. I've the Avatar." He commanded the other soldiers. They attacked Katara, Sokka, and Toph. They missed Val as she leaped above them in a long arch of a flip. Landing on her feet, her voice sounded perfectly stoic. "I'll help him."

Aang's eyes widened. She was actually... She was going to help Zuko kill me! His breathing pitched into his throat. He only saw Val, coming straight for him. Her foot went at him, and he gasped and clenched his eyes shut. Then, he felt nothing. No one was on him. Opening his eyes, he saw Zuko on the ground feet away, and Zuko's face had a cut across his cheek. Val stood over him.

She said something to Zuko, but Aang didn't know what was told. Aang slowly got to his feet, dumb-founded. Val turned to him. "Aang, I-"

Zuko swept her legs underneath her. Val hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of her. Accomplished, Zuko stalked toward Aang. "I will capture, once and for all, Avatar."

"I-Is that... so..?" He barely got out as Zuko grabbed his neck. Aang gulped, black spots appeared in his vision. However, he saw Sokka.

Sokka had his arms locked with a Fir Bender to keep them from burning him. "Aang, it was all Plan B!" Aang was so confused. Sokka continued. "We had a plan. She would pretend to betray us to get us out of here. Toph and I were in on it." Aang saw Sokka's dead-serious look and his worry. "AANG!" Sokka yelled.

Aang couldn't breathe, as his vision began to blacken. He saw Katara scream at him and a flash of light came at him. Zuko fell with a sharp pitched noise, and his grip released Aang. Aang gasped, holding his throat gingerly. Hands gently pulled him to his feet. Aang's eyes burned; suddenly, he found himself crying. "So, y-you really are on our side?"

Val nodded, hugging him. "No doubt about it." She looked to where the others were, letting Aang go.

Katara looked at her quizzically. "I still don't know what you're intentions are, but you did save Aang..." She eyed Sokka. "Why exactly didn't you tell me?!" She practically screamed at him.

Sokka was taken-aback slightly and recovered just as fast. "You... aren't exactly..." How do I say this without her blowing up at me? He thought to himself.

"It was better if only a few people knew about it," saved Toph. Sokka nodded and agreed. Toph smirked. "Plus, I think it worked in the end."

Katara sighed, opening her mouth, but Aang asked. "Why didn't I know?"

Sokka said. "You're response wouldn't have been as believable."

"Sorry Twinkletoes." Toph frowned.

Val turned her at the door. "We should get going." Instead of going toward an exit, she wandered to a corner.

"How is this getting us out of here," asked Katara with some attitude. Her hands were on her hips, eyebrow raised slightly.

Val just grinned at her. "In a minute..." She reached under a tiny hole and took out a folder. "Now we can." She walked to an exit, with the others behind her. Commotion came from the other exits, many feet pounded, coming straight to where they were.

Zuko started to stand. He did not seem pleased! He glared at Val. He just glared at her. No words were exchanged until Val turned away.

"There'll be here any second, so let's move-" Val started.

Katara said slowly. "How are we sure you aren't going to betray us again?"

Val gave a sigh. "We can argue about this later if you want." She bolted down the hallway. Glancing back to make sure Sokka, Aang, Toph, and Katara was following her, she ran faster. Suddenly she shouted, "Remember left, right, straight, up." Then, she twisted her body around as the others ran past. When they stopped, she told them to go ahead. Her look made them all obey her. Aang frowned, but went after the others.

Val turned to the approaching Fire Benders. There were more than she expected. She exhaled and smiled faintly at them. "Looking for me?"

. . . .

Aang saw her determined look. There was no way to change her mind, even if there was time. Regretfully, he turned his back on her and the Fire Benders that were nearly on her. He soon caught up with the others. They looked at him. Their eyes questioned him.

Katara asked. "Where'd she go?"

Aang gave her a smile. "She'll be coming once she can, don't worry."

Katara actually seemed relieved, but she only nodded. "Then we should go."

Sokka took the lead and started to go straight.

"Wait," Toph said, "didn't she say something about a right of a left..?" She titled her head, hearing approaching feet. There was at least ten feet coming, so at least five people were approaching.

"Yes! She did. She said 'left, right, straight, up,'" exclaimed Aang. He seemed pleased. He took a left then a right, while the others followed him. They raced straight after a few yards, and then they stopped. It was a dead end.

"It's a dead end!" Katara pointed out.

Sokka looked toward the opening they had came from; people were near. They all got ready. Any second now someone would come face-to-face with them. "Sokka," Aang commented, "look."

Sokka turned to Aang, who was pointing up to an air vent. "You may be young, but you are a genius, sometimes."

Aang hopped into the vent, hooking his legs on it, and outstretched his hands. He first helped Toph up, then Katara, and then lastly Sokka. As soon as Sokka and Aang closed the grate at the opening of the grate, they saw Fire Benders. They seemed confused, but eventually they left without even noticing the children. For minutes the children sat, they didn't know what to do.

Aang yelled out. "VAL!" He dove out of the air vent and unto the girl. Noticing her disheveled appearance, he grew perturbed. "What happened?"

She just pushed up into the air vent, got in herself, and closed the grate. She put her finger to her lips for silence. Yells came from down below and pounding feet echoed along with them. She ushered them forward, silent and careful. Suddenly, the vents shook violently. Katara stifled a cry as the metal of the air vent broke under her hands. Blood seeped their her clenched hands.

Sokka and Aang grabbed hold of her as the vent fell. Toph clutched wildly for something as she felt the vent shudder again. Soon Toph felt only air and knew she was falling. "Help-" She grunted as she felt hands take her wrist. She was pulled up by a person, and she held onto their wrist. "What's happening?"

Val's voice responded next to her. "Someone knows we're up here." Val had saved Toph. She led Toph and the others forward. "We need to be expeditious." She held onto Toph's wrist as she crawled through the vents. Val told Sokka to hold onto Toph and the others to stay put. When she crept a few yards away, her hands started to sweat. She whipped them on her silk robe thing, more like a skirt looking article of clothing.

She set them down on the metal and bit her lip, pulling her hands away from it. The metal was red hot, literally. It was so hot that it was withering and morphing into a ripple of metal. She backed up. They knew that Team Avatar was up here, along with the traitor. She climbed back to them. "We need to hurry and do not touch the metal. Understood?"

Aang hesitated. "Wh-" He started, but Katara asked, "Can we just go back and escape?"

"No, it's too dangerous." Val said coldly. "Even more than getting some minor burns. Aang, you first." She had him stay by the top of the vent and slide himself above the boiling metal. Sokka went next, and Toph went after. Both Val and Sokka gave her specific instructions, so she wouldn't fall. "Now, Katara," Val told her to take her time, especially when no doubt the metal would be hotter than before.

Katara positioned herself up. Slowly, she went forward. Her foot slipped, but she caught herself. She panted slightly, while everyone else held their breath. Val saw it before it happened. Katara started to fall. Aang screamed a name, probably both of Katara's and Val's. Val dove into the metal and angled Katara toward the other side. Katara yelled out as Val broke their the vent.

Aang went after her. Almost there! He blinked at Val's blank expression. He grabbed her, frowning. Quickly, fire exploded out of Val's feet, and they shot up to the vents. Aang held her close, extremely sad looking. Val was shuddering so much. Her whole body was tensed up, as well. Katara frowned just like Aang. "Is she... alright?"

Aang let go of Val, just as she said. "Y-yes..." Val pulled her cloak to her body. "It's just a little burn." She sat up more. "Go straight, I'll catch up."

Without hesitating, Aang shook his head, and Sokka said to her. "Not this time."

Eventually, they made it to the end of the vent and Val kicked it out.

. . . . .

The Fire Benders had stopped when Val had asked. "Looking for me?"

A Fire Bender commanded her. "Tell us where the Avatar went!"

"Hm..." Val had put her finger to her chin. "Yeah sure. He checked out. The service at this place is terrible."

They didn't like that. The Fire Bender let out a grunt. "Insolent child." He went at Val, which she easily dodged.

She ticked a finger at him. "Have to be faster."

He tried again, and she appeared behind him. He growled. "Stop moving." He swung his elbow at where her head was. He only got air, again.

Her voice came from in front of him. "Where would the fun be in that?" She gave a laugh. "Maybe send out the others? Make it even."

He smirked. "Good idea."

Val had blinked. She thought he wouldn't take her bluff. Oh well. She uncrossed her arms, calmly. "Bring it."

The other Fire Benders attacked her. She dodged as best as she could, only receiving a few kicks to the shins, an elbow to her chin, and a fist to her side. She had to admit all those hits were nothing compared to the next one. Out of nowhere, a fist collided with her chin and another hit her in the chest. Then, a boot smashed her chest again as she fell to the ground.

A ball of fire came at her face. She rolled to escape most of the impact. It hit the tip of her shoulder. She clenched her teeth, leaped to her feet, and punched away a Fire Bender.

"Stop." A Fire Bender told them all. He came up to Val, who glared faintly. The Fire Bender stated. "The more time we waste on this thing; the more time we have to go after the Avatar." He went for Val one last time, and flames surrounded her. When the smoke cleared, Val was no longer there. Instead, she was running to where the others would be.

. . . .

Val dropped to the ground after smashing the vent. She gave a sigh of relief. Appa was where the female Fire Bender had said he would be. Aang hugged the big furry thing and another smaller furry thing came from the big furry thing's saddle. "Appa, Momo!" Aang smiled as the flying lemur perched on his shoulder. Katara petted the bison with a smile.

Val cringed a bit at her shoulder. It was where the metal had burned her more, just like the fireball. She also probably had a huge burn along her right side. "Shall we go?" Val gave a grin, despite her aching body.

They climbed aboard. Katara smiled a bit. "Let me heal your burns."

"Burns can't exactly 'heal,'" teased Val, but she let Katara heal them as much as she could.

"Thank you, by the way." Katara commented. She added, "And I'm sorry I didn't believe you didn't betray us." Her eyes went to Val's burns.

Val waved it off with her uninjured arm. "It's okay, and plus, I've been in worse scraps than this." She gestured to her burns with a smirk. She remembered how a memory came to her as she fell from the vent the last time.

- Val had let out a scream as her fingertips burned.

"Stand up and stop your quivering!" The General demanded her.

Val did as she was told, sniffing up another screech as the General hit her with another fireball. She hit the floor again.

"Stand up! The burn will fade. It is not going to kill you!"

She stood again.

"You should keep your mouth shut more." He glared at her. "Maybe next time you won't interfere with my lessons." He approached Val. "Next time you're punishment will be greater than this." He walked away from her.

Val had now knew her true mission. Just because she saw the General purposely hitting a recruit for accidentally tripping and she tried to help the recruit, she was punished in the same way the other recruit had been. She stared at her pink fingers. Yeah they stung, but the General didn't just give her advice on burns. Burns most likely wouldn't kill her. However, if you did it enough to one person, they would be seriously injured.

She had to save them from this. The Fire Lord must be stopped! -

Now, Val sat with Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Momo. Unconsciously, Val found herself looking at her fingertips. That day changed her life.

Sokka smiled as he asked, bringing Val's attention to the present. "What was in that folder that you took?"

Val grinned. "More things that have 'problems,' a map of the Fire Nation, and other documents they want to keep hidden."

Sokka and Katara hugged. "The Fire Nation won't know what hit them when the eclipse comes!"

"You're attacking that day." It was more of a statement. Val added, "I want in."

Aang smiled. "Of course you can help." Val's hand slipped into his hand. He blushed a bit.

"The Fire Nation definitely going down now." Sokka piped up.

Toph punched Val in the shoulder, the one not belonging to the hand holding Aang's. "It'll be nice to have you around, Val."

Val cringed. "Y-yeah." The sun just reached above the horizon. Val realized, they could actually take down Ozai.

They could do it!