AU. Zuko is a ruthless assassin in search of his memories. Katara is a witness to an assassination who would rather forget hers. Their strange encounter sparks a journey through their pasts in which captive and captor become closer than they ever imagined.
Memory Lane
Chapter One: Curiosity
"Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect." - Stephen Wright
A boy of eighteen stripped himself of his clothing and stepped into the shower. He tipped his head slightly letting the water run in trails down his face, ridding his alabaster skin of all impurities. The water flowed into a pool of startling red at his feet, the last reminder of his recent assignment. He felt no pity or remorse for the man he had murdered, as was his custom, but he could not help remembering the way he begged to be spared.
Pathetic.
That man had no honor. He almost shook his head at the irony. What right did he have to speak of one's honor when he had yet to reclaim his own? Without his honor he lived a meaningless existence killing people in order to find his purpose. He was nothing more than an emotionless shell, a pawn on an enormous chessboard covered in shades of gray.
He was pathetic.
He sighed and decided it was time to end such useless contemplation; it was getting him nowhere. He turned the knob until the water stopped flowing, stepped out of the shower, and grabbed a towel from the rack. Almost immediately after he had done so, the telltale sound of his cell phone interrupted his moment of solitude. He cursed silently and walked swiftly across the bathroom and into the connected bedroom. His hand grasped the phone and flipped it open in one fluid motion.
"Yes?"
"Your assignment details are disclosed in the manila folder located in your bedside drawer," said the eerie voice that he had become accustomed to listening to over the years. "I expect him dead by the noted time. You will be paid promptly for your services, as usual."
"I understand."
He closed his phone and sighed once again. He despised back-to-back assignments. His boss did not assign them often, but when he did there was a good reason for it. He did not dare question his boss's judgment; he held his past and his future in his hands
Katara stifled a yawn with difficulty. School was such a nuisance. What was the point in dragging her tired body out of bed every morning when she already knew everything that she was being taught? Sometimes she wished she could just escape from the monotony and go on an adventure...
She almost snorted. An adventure? Television was rotting her brain indeed. However, despite the obscenity of the idea, the prospect of an escape from her boring existence seemed exciting.
'I wonder what I should cook for dinner tonight...' she mused, 'Pad Thai sounds really good right now.'
"Miss Katara!"
Her teacher's angry voice shook her out of her stupor, "Hm?"
"I asked you to answer the problem on the board but since you were unable to pay-"
"X equals negative or positive four."Katara answered promptly, "Sorry."
Her teacher nodded slightly, a sign of affirmation. She walked back to the board and began writing the next problem. "Remember that when using the quadratic formula..."
'I really wish that I didn't have to work late tonight. Yue knows I can't resist her damn puppy dog face...'
A white triangle landed on the corner of her desk. Puzzled, she picked it up and unfolded it. She scanned the contents of the letter with a smile. Katara, you know this is the fifth time today that you've been caught staring off into space. You need to work on that. Aang. She turned her head to the side slightly and beamed at her best friend. He always knew how to cheer her up.
She stretched languidly and watched in fascination as a light pink blush spread across his face like wildfire. She was beginning to wonder if her friend had some kind of condition. His face heated up constantly when she was around him. Suddenly concerned, she wrote him a message and threw it discreetly into his lap.
Aang's face seemed to heat up more creating a stark contrast between his face and the ever-present light blue arrow tattoo that adorned his forehead. He scribbled his response shakily and promptly threw it back to her in a similar manner. She unfolded it and raised her eyebrow at his response.
I'm fine... It's just a little hot in here, don't you think?
She was beginning to think that the institution synonymous with a prison facility had finally taken its toll on her friend's sanity. It was cold enough for goose bumps to creep up her legs and arms. She wrote him a response and threw the paper so that it landed on his knee. He unfolded her letter and stifled a laugh preparing to respond.
However, their correspondence was abruptly ended by the shrill sound of the dismissal bell.
Katara couldn't wait until her shift was over. She was ready to go home and relax and the feeling of hunger washing over her didn't help the situation. Her eyes scanned the small store to roughly estimate the number of customers. She felt relieved when she only found one. He was a middle-aged man, probably no more than forty-five. His shaking hands were clasped around a small porcelain doll. He made his way to the counter cautiously, looking over his shoulder occasionally.
Katara gave him a small smile, "Is that doll for your daughter?"
The man looked up at her with wide frightened eyes, "Y-yes. She's been waiting over a year for this doll to come out. It's her birthday today."
"That's very sweet of you. I'm sure she'll love it," she said as she took the doll from him and ran it under the scanner, "Your total is fifteen dollars and fifty cents." The man handed her a fifty and walked swiftly out of the store. Katara looked after him in puzzlement. The man didn't even bother to wait for his change.
She shrugged, let out a deep breath, and began to close down the store. Food was what she needed to be worried about. Perhaps she wouldn't cook dinner. She could just simply walk to the Thai restaurant, order some food, and eat it at home without wasting any of her limited alone time.
She turned off the lights and walked out of the door, making sure to lock it behind her. Her feet ached in protest as she walked in the direction opposite her apartment. It was times like these that she wished that the restaurant delivered. She lived no more than a ten minutes walk away from the store and she was sure that they could drive to her apartment building in less than two minutes. She didn't mind walking to the restaurant; it wasn't a strenuous journey. The only down side was that the surrounding area was poorly lighted. Fear gripped her heart temporarily before she shook her head and brushed it off. She was being ridiculous. Nothing ever happened here. She began walking faster; growing more confident with every step she took.
After a while, her feet seemed to move on their own accord. Her fear had diminished leaving only hunger in its wake. The restaurant was in her line of vision and she could feel her pace quickening. However, as she drew nearer to the door she noticed something that made her heart sink.
It was closed.
How could she forget that they were closed on Thursdays? Feeling dejected, she walked away from the restaurant. She had wasted her time for nothing; now she would have to cook. The pain and fear washed over her once again as she trudged through the eerie darkness.
Now that she thought of it, it would have been wise to ask Aang to come with her. As she walked, it seemed as though every sound was amplified by a hundred decibels. Every shadow seemed to sway in a sinister manner, sending chills down her spine. She didn't know why this street seemed so horrifying. She had walked home from late shifts before and it didn't affect her nearly as much as it did now.
Up until now, she had let her body let the way. Walking home from the Thai restaurant was such a habitual action that it was almost second nature. However, as she looked around, her surroundings seemed alien to her. If there was one thing that she could ascertain, it was that she was walking down a dark alley. She let a string of curses pass through her lips. How could she let her fear overwhelm her like that? She turned around and prepared to continue walking in the opposite direction, but something stopped her.
"Please, don't do this!" a familiar voice pleaded, "My daughter's birthday is today! I promised her that I would be home tonight to give her a present…"
Her eyes widened. That was the voice of her last customer from the shop. But what was he doing here? She pressed her self against the wall and moved further down the alley, being careful not to make a sound.
A light from the other side of the alley dimly illuminated two figures. The older man was on his knees clutching a doll so tightly that it was a wonder it hadn't shattered into a million pieces. An imposing figure was standing over him holding two identical swords. Katara tried to catch a glimpse of his face, but the strange blue mask he was wearing hid it from view.
"I'll give you anything you want! Name your price."
The masked man pulled his sword back behind his head, "Your life."
Before the man could respond, the cold metal of the sword pierced through his chest, impaling his heart. He fell over backwards, his head connecting with the pavement with a sickening crack.
Katara's legs felt like led. She couldn't believe what had just transpired in front of her very eyes. She had just met the man less than forty minutes ago and there he was, motionless on the ground still clutching his daughter's birthday present in his cold lifeless hands.
She could feel the bile rising in her throat as she watched the murderer pull his sword out of the man's body and wipe the blood on the victim's clothes nonchalantly. If she stayed where she was, he was definitely going to find her. She began to slip away slowly, but before she could even lift her right foot two hands slammed her roughly into the cold brick wall. She hissed in pain.
"Thought you were pretty clever, didn't you?" he whispered. His voice was smooth, beautiful in a terrifying way. "I don't know who sent you to follow me, but they'll certainly regret it once they discover that their spy has been murdered."
Katara couldn't speak. Her lungs refused to cooperate with her. He was going to kill her. He was going to kill her. He was going to kill her.
"I…I… was- I mean I'm not a s-spy!" she stuttered finding her voice at last, "I just… heard that man p-pleading with you."
"Curiosity," The assailant pulled his sword behind his head once again, "killed the cat."
She was frozen in fear. This was it. She had to do something, anything at all. The next few seconds would determine if she would live or die. She took a deep breath, lifter her head and screamed as loud as she possibly could. Her attacker released her, but before she could even attempt to get away he hit her sharply in the back of her head. Darkness clouded her vision as she slumped over, unconscious.
The assassin prepared himself to strike once again, but the sound of footsteps alerted him to get away. He grabbed the girl by her waist and hoisted her unceremoniously onto his back. He jumped into the air and disappeared into the night. There was no time to kill the girl now. He would deal with her later.
Katara opened her eyes groggily and attempted to discern her location through her blurry vision. She would soon discover that her efforts were to no avail; the room was encased in darkness. She tried to stand up, but unfortunately her legs and arms were together in tight knots.
She had gotten herself in some big trouble this time. What had possessed her to do satisfy her curiosity? She knew better than to meddle in other people's affairs. An exasperated sigh escaped from her lips. There had to be some way to undo the ropes. She leaned forward so that her teeth clenched around the rope.
"Don't even bother."
Katara froze in her attempt. He was in the room watching her this whole time? The man was becoming creepier with every passing second. "Why were you watching me?"
The man was taken aback. Who was she to think that she was in the position to ask him questions? "You might think it wise to hold your tongue, girl." he hissed.
But she didn't heed his words, "My name is Katara," She scoffed, "Let me guess yours. Is it bastard, perhaps?"
Before a smirk could even grace her face, she could feel the cold metal of one of the assassin's swords pressing against her neck. "My name is Zuko. Remember it, it's the last thing you'll here before you die."
The shrill sound of a cell phone rang through the silence causing Zuko to remove the sword from Katara's neck and walk swiftly out of the room.
"I am both very pleased and very disappointed with your performance tonight, Blue Spirit." Said his boss in a voice that caused Zuko to flinch slightly, "You killed the man as I asked. But you seem to have forgotten to kill the witness. I believe you are slipping.
"However, I don't want you to kill the girl just yet. Allow her to live just a while longer."
Zuko was slightly puzzled by his boss's strange request, but he didn't question it. It seemed as though the man had several spies watching him on his every mission, making sure he didn't screw anything up. They were probably even watching him as they had their conversation.
"Understood."
He flipped his phone shut and shoved it into his pocket. What the hell was he supposed to do with the brat? If she continued smart-mouthing him he couldn't guarantee her safety. He should have killed her when he had the chance…
He walked back to the room that held his difficult prisoner and opened it wide, illuminating the entire room in the process. It was then that he got his first glance at the girl. She wasn't as young as he previously assumed, though he could tell that she was younger than him. Her eyes, a shocking bright blue, were staring at him in utmost hatred.
"Come to kill me, bastard?" she seethed, her eyes narrowing, "Go ahead, I'm not afraid of death anymore."
What happened to the scared timid girl he had encountered in the ally? How was she able to look at him without fear when she had seen him murder someone in her presence?
"It's not like I haven't seen someone get murdered before." she whispered, "It's your job to destroy the lives of others. So do me a favor and get it over with."
He narrowed his eyes at her, though she did not notice this due to the mask concealing his face, "I don't follow orders from people like you."
"Oh that's right," she said with a mocking tone, "You follow orders from people who are far better than me. People who hire dogs to do their dirty work because they are too weak to do it themselves."
Zuko clenched his fingers so hard that he was surprised that he didn't draw blood. "You shouldn't speak ill against the man who spared your life."
He walked over to Katara, held her shoulders, and leaned in so close that she could feel his breath against her skin, "I don't know why he wants you alive, but I am certain your value is only temporary. When the time comes that you are no longer useful, I promise you I won't hesitate before I slit your throat."
With that he walked out of the room and closed the door, leaving Katara in darkness once again.
TBC…
Hey! What'd you think of the first chapter? I've had this idea for quite a while now; it's just taken me a while to develop. Please review and let me know what you think. Remember that constructive criticism is welcomed, but destructive criticism (a.k.a flames) is not. See you next chapter!
Andi-Chan