Author's Note: Author waits 4 years to start updating his Jinko story. Posts first update in the middle of a Zutara week. Oh, irony.

There were times when Sokka really hated being the plan guy. Invading the fire nation was one time; the stress of so many lives depending on the success of his plan was almost as horrible as having to give that public speech. Keeping his friends on track while they hid in the fire nation was another such time: re-forming a backup plan, keeping their disguises intact, the sheer logistics of it had ruined his sleep schedule. Sitting before a campfire, expected to devise a strategy to re-take an unfamiliar city from an enemy with unknown resources and no discernible goals... Sokka really hated being the plan guy sometimes.

Heaving a sigh, he leaned forward and traced an outline of Ba Sing Se into the dirt with his machete, "Alright, let's attack this problem from a different angle. We were ambushed at the royal palace here." He scratched an X in the center of the circle, "We split up, escaping the city to regroup here in the southeast." He scratched another X in the agrarian zone next to the lake, then sat back on his haunches, tapping the machete idly against his thigh, "It's been several hours, but we haven't been ambushed yet. We haven't even seen a scout. What does that tell us?"

Aang cleared his throat, and five pairs of eyes turned to him. He balked for a moment, before speaking, "Well... what if Azula is busy making sure the city is captured instead of looking for us? Maybe she's not interested in fighting?"

A derisive snort brought all eyes to Zuko, "Please. Azula isn't going to be interested in controlling Ba Sing Se. During the war, the city was a prize to give father in exchange for a pat on the head. Now, she'd probably see burning it to the ground as an improvement." Seeing Jin's look of horror, he quickly amended, "Not that we'll let her!"

Sokka scratched his chin, part of him wishing he'd kept that old fake beard from his Fire Nation disguise, "That may be true, but I think Aang is on to something."

"Really?" Aang looked hopeful.

"Yeah," Sokka continued, "If Zuko's right, and Azula would rather burn down Ba Sing Se than rule it, then the city should be on fire and we should be fighting her right now." Looking left and right, he shrugged, "I don't know about you guys, but I don't see any fires or crazy princesses. So, if she's not trying to kill us, maybe she really is trying to capture the city."

"That's impossible," Zuko stubbornly shook his head, "Even if she wanted to rule Ba Sing Se, what would she gain from it? Sure, she can take the city, but then what? Reinforcements are on their way to take it back. You know it, I know it, and she sure as hell knows it. She probably doesn't even have enough backup to patrol the walls, not to mention maintain order."

Iroh shifted uneasily, "I would not be so sure, nephew. Azula has proven her skill in acquiring new subordinates many times before. We saw Dai Li and Yu Yan during the attack on the palace, and both are no small threat. Who knows what other forces she has bent to her cause?"

Katara groaned and threw up her hands, "Great, now we're right back where we started! We don't know what Azula's doing, or why, or even how many people are with her." She crossed her arms, grumbling, "I can see why Toph and the rest left to get some sleep. At least they're accomplishing something."

Silence fell over the small group again, only broken by the crackling fire. Sokka stared into the dancing flames, content to let the quiet moment stretch longer and longer. Quiet helped him think, except when noise helped him think, or when food helped him think, or the threat of immediate bodily injury helped him think. Right now, though, was probably a time for quiet thinking, and every train of thought he followed led him back to the same answer. Pushing himself to his feet, he broke the silence, "Alright, I've thought about this from every angle, and... I think we should wait. Zuko's right, reinforcements are on the way. Azula's not burning the city down or trying to kill us. So, for once, I think we should hold out for backup instead of trying to be the big damn heroes."

Jin had spent the majority of the meeting sitting meekly behind Zuko, too nervous to speak up in the presence of so many legendary benders, not to mention the Avatar himself. As Sokka continued to outline his plan, her subdued demeanor shifted to outrage, and by the time he was done talking, she was on her feet. "How can you say that! There are innocents in the city! We can't leave people at the mercy of... of... her!" She looked ready to say more, but realizing everyone was staring at her outburst, she flushed in embarrassment, ".. My parents are still in the city," she mumbled.

Sokka sighed, exasperated, "Look, I'm really sorry about that.. uh..." He gestured lamely for a name.

"Her name is Jin," Zuko said, standing up and placing a hand on her shoulder. The implication, "She's with me, watch your words," was left unsaid.

"-Right, I'm sorry about your parents, Jin, really I am. My dad was locked up in a fire nation prison during the war, so I know how it feels. But sometimes we have to put things in perspective. Azula may be ruthless, but unless she has anything to gain, I really doubt she's going to start burninating people at random. Backup will be here in under a week, and everything will be better, okay?"

A few strangled noises was all Jin managed before abruptly turning and rushing away from the fire. Zuko shot Sokka a dirty glare before hurrying off after her.

"Great," Sokka grumbled, smacking his forehead, "That went just great." He plopped back on the ground, and angrily started stirring the fire with a stick, all intentions to go sleep forgotten.

"Of course it didn't go well," Katara admonished, "I can't believe you told a girl who's parents are trapped in a city, with Azula of all people, to just suck it up."

"What was I supposed to do, Katara? Tell her we'd risk everyone's safety on a big fancy mission to break into Ba Sing Se, free her parents, and beat Azula? I know it stinks, but sometimes you can't justify rescue missions."

Deciding to break his silence, Aang spoke up, "I understand what you're saying, Sokka. In the Air Temple, the monks taught that we should never hold the happiness of a few over the happiness of many." Sokka smiled, until Aang continued, "But, you didn't tell Jin that when your dad was imprisoned at the Boiling Rock, you led a crazy rescue mission to go get him instead of waiting."

An indignant defense of his actions died on Sokka's lips as he recognized his hypocrisy, and try as he might, he couldn't think of a response. Scowling, he gave up and redoubled his fire-poking efforts. Aang smiled sadly and stood, walking over to give Sokka a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "I know you'll pull something off, buddy. You always do." Bowing goodnight to Iroh, he offered a hand to Katara. She smiled, accepting the help up, but didn't follow him away from the fire.

"I'll come by later, Aang. I need to go apologize for my big brother first," She rolled her eyes at Sokka, who grunted. Brushing off her dress, she walked off in the direction Jin and Zuko had left.

Sokka remained at the fire, grumpily stirring the coals. Time passed, and eventually he looked up to see Iroh sitting across from him, smiling serenely into the fire. Sokka quirked a brow in surprise, "You're still here?"

Iroh gave him a wounded look, "Would you prefer I leave?"

Sokka hurriedly waved his hands, "No no, I didn't mean it like that! I meant... I just figured you'd be following Zuko, or going to sleep like Aang or something."

"Aaah. Well, Sokka, I've spent enough time with my nephew to know he doesn't want his uncle around when he's trying to comfort a girl. As for sleep, one of the benefits of old age is needing less of it."

"I see," Sokka glumly mumbled, "I don't suppose you have any wisdom to share that'll help me figure out how to retake the city?"

Iroh stroked his beard, looking so sagely that Sokka perked up, hoping for a saying that would give him just the angle he needed to solve the problem of Azula's occupation.

Finally Iroh nodded and spoke up, "No."

Sokka's face fell so fast Iroh couldn't help but laugh, "However! I can sense something about you. You strike me as a very resourceful and intelligent young man. I believe I have just the right blend of tea to lift the worry from your shoulders and help you think clearly about this problem."

Sokka couldn't help but grin. Tea was better than nothing.

Jin was grateful for the soft lap of water against the shore of Lake Laogai. It masked the sound of her tears and washed away the trickle of wet spots they left on the beach. 'How did it come to this?' she wondered, 'Today was supposed to be wonderful...'

"Jin!"

Zuko. He'd followed her here, wanting to help. Of course he would want to help. Even when he was Lee, even on their very first date, he'd always tried to make her happy. Swallowing hard, she tried to put on a brave face as she turned to face him, "Hey Zuko," she managed, trying to force a smile onto her uncooperative face.

Zuko paused at the note of strained sadness in her voice, concern plain on his face. He took a hesitant step towards her, "Jin?" Illuminated by moonlight, he could see her eyes glistening and the trails of wetness marking her cheeks. As he said her name, her lip quivered and she had to bite back a sob. In a heartbeat, Zuko crossed the distance between them, one hand slipping around her waist and the other reaching up to wipe away a fresh tear, "Oh, Jin..."

Her forced cheer broke at that, and she threw herself into his embrace, heaving sobs. Zuko's eyes shot open in sudden shock, but he did his best to console her. Rubbing her back, he sank to the ground with her in his arms, murmuring in her ear all the things he remembered his mother had said when he was upset, "Shhhh... shhhhh... it'll be alright. It'll be okay..." Jin only clutched him tighter, shaking with every sob. "They'll be okay. I know my sister, and only an order from father would get her into the lower ring." He rocked her back and forth, listening to her sobs slowly fade into hiccups and sniffles, "I'm sorry, Jin. I'm so, so sorry." They sat on the beach, clinging to one another until the tears stopped flowing and her breathing returned to normal.

She sat back, sniffling and wiping her eyes before blowing her nose into her sleeve, "T-thank you. It m-means a lot that you care." She smiled wanly, shifting to lean against him as the two looked out over the moonlit lake.

Zuko smiled down at her, letting his arm drape around her waist, "You'll be okay? I know it's not going to be easy waiting. You shouldn't have to deal with that."

Jin's smile faded, and her gaze dropped to her lap. Before she could respond, a voice interrupted them both, "Zuko? Um, Jin?" The two turned to see Katara standing behind them, managing to look apologetic and nervous at the same time.

"Katara? What do you want?" Zuko blurted.

Katara narrowed her eyes at his tone, but bit back a snappy retort. Composing herself, she turned to face Jin, "I came to apologize for my brother. He's usually much more understanding than this... I'm sure he'll come up with a new plan before morning." She smiled warmly at Jin, trying to look more sure than she felt.

"Thank you," Jin returned. She didn't return the smile.

Katara's smile faltered, and she sighed, letting her shoulders sag, "I wish I could offer you more than that." Her eyes fell on Jin's bandaged shoulder and she gasped, "Oh! I can! Would you like me to heal your shoulder? It looks painful."

Jin blinked, looking at her shoulder, then back at Katara, "What?"

Katara smiled again, uncorking her flask and letting a stream of water flow through the air to cover her hands, "It's a waterbender art. I can heal injuries for my friends. Would you like me to look at yours?"

Jin glanced at Zuko, who nodded, "She can. She's healed me before, though, so her definition of friend is pretty broad."

Jin giggled and Katara shot Zuko a dirty look, but stepped closer and kneeled next to Jin's wound. Giving one last glance at Katara's water-wrapped hands, Jin nodded in agreement, "Alright, if it's not too much trouble..."

Placing her hands on Jin's shoulder, Katara slowly worked healing chi into the wound, encouraging Jin's natural healing process to speed up. As she concentrated, the wound knit itself together, taking the pain with it. With a satisfied smile, she bent the water back into her flask and looked up at Jin, "Feel better?"

Blinking, Jin rotated her arm, then swung it back and forth, "Wow, it... it's fine. Just as good as it was this morning." This time, she returned Katara's smile.

Nodding, Katara stood, "Good. Now, I'm going to get some sleep. You two should think about getting some too, maybe things will seem better in the morning." Offering a short wave of goodbye to the pair, she turned and headed back to the camp.

When she had been gone for a few minutes, Jin glanced up at Zuko, "I guess I should probably answer your question."

"Only if you want to."

When she spoke, her voice was a pained mumble, "I never told them about you. About where I was going today. All they know is I snuck out this morning and I've been gone during the entire attack on the city. They must be so afraid, and it's all my fault..." Absently, she picked up a pebble, worrying it between her fingers to help her collect her thoughts. "I feel so... so helpless. They're right there in the city, not even an hour away," She sniffed, wiping her eyes again, "I'm so close, and I can't even see them! I just want to tell them I'm okay, and be sure they're okay..." She tossed the pebble into the lake, skipping it across the surface.

Splish, splish, splish, sploosh.

Silence filled the air.

"My mom taught me to do that," she finally said, picking up another pebble, "It wasn't a good day. She took me to a fountain and taught me how to skip rocks. She said skipping pebbles helped her deal with her bad days." She tossed the pebble.

Splish, splish, splish, splish, sploosh.

"My mom taught me to feed turtle ducks when I was upset," Zuko said. Jin looked up at him. Zuko flushed in embarrassment, but continued, "We had a pond, and whenever Azula was being mean, or I didn't meet father's expectations, she'd take me to the pond and we'd feed the turtle ducks."

Jin smiled sadly, "Aww. That sounds wonderful."

"It was. Skipping rocks sounds like a great idea, too." He picked up a smooth pebble, turning it over in his hands, "Show me how?"

Jin nodded, "I'd love to." She coached him briefly through the motion, then demonstrated with her own pebble.

Splish, splish, splish, sploosh.

Zuko concentrated, tossing the pebble exactly how he'd seen Jin do it.

Splunk.

Jin giggled despite herself, "That's how my first dozen tries went, too."

A comfortable silence settled between the two, broken only by the gentle splashes of pebbles on the water. Dozens of tries later, Zuko had almost grasped the technique when Jin spoke up, "Have you ever been stuck like this? Having people you care about so close, but so far away? Unable to do anything?"

He didn't even have to think. "Yes." When she looked to him for explanation, he continued, "It was after I left the city. When I sided with my sister, my Uncle sided with the Avatar. He was arrested for treason and thrown in prison. I spent weeks trying to justify it in my head, but at the end of the day, he was rotting in jail and if I wanted to keep my father's favor, I couldn't do anything about it. I know it's not the same, but... I know how you feel, Jin. I know it hurts."

She sniffled, raising her knees and wrapping her arms around her legs, "It stinks."

Zuko rubbed the pebble in his hand, "Yeah..." He tossed the stone.

Splish, splish, CLUNK.

The two blinked, glancing at one another.

"What was that?" Jin asked.

"I'm not sure." Zuko squinted, gazing out over the water. A flash of blue and white caught his eye, and his breath hitched in his throat, "There's no way..."

"What? There's no way what, Zuko?" But he was already up and wading into the lake. Gathering herself up, Jin followed him, the water quickly soaking the bottom of her dress, "Zuko? Zuko, what are you doing?" She caught him several yards out standing thigh-deep in water, holding something solid and dripping in his hands. "What is that?"

He turned to face her, holding the object up in the moonlight. The grinning face of a blue oni mask stared up at her. "This," Zuko said, "Is how we're going to see your parents."

There were definitely times where Sokka loved being the idea guy. Successfully breaking his father and girlfriend out of the fire nation's most secure prison had been one time. Destroying and entire fleet of airships with nothing but hasty improvisation and quick thinking had been another. With his brain on overdrive calculating the pros and cons of his new plans, the night was fast shaping up to be another such time.

Pacing back and forth, Sokka downed his fifth cup of tea. "Man, this stuff is great! What do you put in this?"

"An old man must have some secrets, no?" Iroh chuckled.

"Well, whatever it is, it's really really really-," Sokka broke off, squinting at two approaching figures before waving wildly, "Hey, it's Zuko and whatshername! I should tell them the new plan, that'll make 'em happy! Hey Zuko! Hey!"

The two teenagers rushed up to one another, both spaking at the same time, "I have a new plan!" They said at once. Both blinked, then frowned, "Me first!"

Zuko's lower eyelid twitched. "Fine, you first."

"Thank you," Sokka cleared his throat, "Okay, so I was sitting here after Aang went to sleep and Katara went off after you and your girlfriend and I was down because the old plan sucked but I couldn't think of a better one so I started talking to your uncle because he stayed and I asked him if he had any advice and he said no and I was frustrated, but then he gave me some really good tea and I drank it and it was like my head was totally clear and I could see what I missed before and..." He trailed off under the force of Zuko's withering glare. "Uh.. so, the point is we didn't have enough information to make a good plan before. So, the new plan will fix the problem with the old plan and let us make a new new plan." Sokka grinned, "The idea is a covert mission. No fighting, we just sneak into Ba Sing Se, gather information, and sneak out. Whaddaya think?"

Zuko held up the mask of the Blue Spirit, "I think I had the same idea."

Iroh's eyes widened as Zuko produced the mask, "Hmmm. It seems the spirits aren't in the mood for subtleties tonight."

Zuko looked back to Sokka, "So, what are we waiting for? Go wake up the Avatar and your friends and lets start investigating."

"What, tonight? Are you crazy? We just survived a huge ambush by the skin of our teeth this morning! I'm tired, Aang's tired, everyone's tired. Going in tonight is just going to mean stupid mistakes and taking naps in enemy territory. I was planning on going in tomorrow night."

Zuko gritted his teeth and looked to Jin. She opened her mouth to argue, but only succeeded in producing a loud yawn. Reddening in embarrassment, she smiled, "... Maybe that's a good idea. I'd feel better if we were all prepared."

"Alright," Zuko turned to Sokka, "On one condition."

"What's that?"

"You and your friends can gather information. I'm helping Jin get to her parents."

It was dawn in Ba Sing Se, and Azula rose with the sun. She had always been quick to wake, grogginess and yawns were the domain of the weak. From the moment she opened her eyes, it was only moments until she was on her feet, opening the curtains of her chambers to greet the sun's rays. She breathed deep, feeling the first stirrings of power that came with every dawn's light. Her inner fire leaped at the sight of its larger twin, hungry after the night's fast. Her personal Dai Li attendant found her in the same position, hands clasped behind her back, drinking in the solar power.

"My lady," he intoned obediently. His entrance had been soundless, but she wasn't surprised. Azula had known down to the second when he would enter. She made it her business to know. Couldn't be too careful. Not after the last time. "Leave me," she commanded, sounding almost bored, "I will descend to oversee our operations shortly. I understand our agents need my... unique touch."

Seasoned veteran that he was, the attendant couldn't suppress his shiver, "Yes, my lady." He had the unpleasant feeling she'd felt him shake. He took his leave as fast as decorum would allow.

Azula allowed herself precisely twenty-six seconds more to soak in the dawn before snapping her curtains shut. She had work to do. Military precision governed each of her actions: armor donned and fastened, boots pulled tight and shined enough to reflect, guards snapped tight around her forearms. Several quick knife strokes and her fingernails were immaculately trimmed and cuticle-free. She turned to face the mirror and the most unpleasant task. Her movements were swift and sure; carefully practiced to leave her mane of raven hair in a perfect topknot with two bangs gracefully framing her face. The motions were perfect. The result would be perfect. She looked in the mirror.

Staring back at her was a crazed, haggard face. Her eyes were wide and rimmed with shadows, her lips were cracked and caught between a smile and a sob, and her hair... her hair was a tangle of knots and stray ends, unkempt bangs hanging in front of her eyes, where they weren't cut by the work of a madwoman's scissors.

She shut her eyes. That wasn't right. She counted backwards from five before opening them to look again into the mirror. The girl before her was perfect: sharp eyes that caught everything, lips pursed in a grim line, not a hair out of place. She allowed herself a smile for recovering so fast. Some days that hallucination took a twenty-count to dispel. Turning swiftly, she stalked out of her chambers. Today was going to be a busy day.

She reached the caverns below the palace quickly, her agents bowing as she passed, as they should. As everyone should. Two massive earthen doors stood between her and reason she'd returned to this rats nest of a city at all. Oh, disrupting the peace talks had been a nice bonus. After all, it was good to remind dear Zuzu that his happiness still rested in her hands. But her true motives, well... Those were far more entertaining. The slightest of gestures had Dai Li scrambling to open the door to admit her. Green light from the crystallic formations within filtered through the ever-widening crack in the door, and Azula allowed herself yet another smile as she looked upon her works.

Before her loomed a complex arrangement of twisting metal tracks and resonating crystal formations. Lanterns slid soundlessly along the tracks, scattering light through the crystalline structures in ways that hurt the eyes to look at. Twin pillars marked the entrance to the apparatus, leading into a short corridor. At the end of the corridor was a focal point which every crystal refracted towards. That focal point, Azula knew, was where the days entertainment was waiting.

The Dai Li had invented brainwashing. Azula had perfected it.

Basking in the glory of her accomplishments, she strode purposefully towards the maze of shifting light. Kneeling before the entrance were her three greatest success stories. The first had been horribly injured, but she had seen his potential and insisted he make a full recovery. Luring the other two had been as simple as loosing him in the city once more. Together, they were almost frighteningly effective.

"I see you three have been guarding the last prisoner. Excellent work. It saddens me to hear that he is proving more difficult than the earth kingdom nobles. Continue to watch the entrance. I will deal with our royal disturbance myself."

"Yes, mistress," replied the girl and one of the young men. The other said nothing, but then, he never talked at all. They rose in unison as she passed them. Just before entering the mind-controlling chamber, she turned and called out to her new favorite servants.

"Jet, Smellerbee, Longshot!"

The three whirled, snapping to attention, "Yes mistress?"

"What are you?"

Two voices answered immediately, "Freedom fighters."

Azula smiled sweetly, "And who's freedom are you fighting for?"

The three knelt once more, each word delivered with fanatical passion, "We fight for the freedom of the true Fire Nation against the false Fire Lord Zuko."

Azula's smile grew into a wide grin, "Never give up the fight." She turned and entered the apparatus without another word.

Chief Arnook's screams echoed through the caverns for hours.

As the last rays of the sun blazed over the horizon, Jin threw herself on the ground, utterly exhausted, "I thought we were supposed to be fresh and rested for this mission thingy!"

Her chuckling boyfriend sat down beside her, "You will be. We still have a few hours to nap and prepare; we don't enter the city until the moon is halfway overhead."

A groan expressed her opinion on that matter and she wished she had someone to blame other than herself. Early that morning, she had asked Zuko how they were going to get to her parents. He'd tossed her a pair of swords, "First I'm going to make sure you can defend yourself if things go south. Then we'll worry about that." She'd dropped the swords. The seven hour long swordplay crash course hadn't gone much better.

"I'm more tired than I was last night, and my hands are one big callus, and you think this is funny, don't you?"

Zuko stifled another chuckle, trying and failing to look innocent, "Who, me? No, I was just... remembering a funny joke that uncle told once."

"Uh huh," Jin rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself, "How kind of you not to laugh at a lady's distress."

"I'd rather you were distressed out here than inside the city tonight."

"Good point. I hope I'll be useful if we're discovered."

Zuko kept his face carefully neutral. After an entire day of drilling, he was sure that Jin would be able to hold her swords right, but that was about it. Unless Azula's soldiers were the kind to be intimidated by panicked flailing, that is. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that," he said in a tone he usually reserved for touchy political discussions.

She nodded wordlessly. She knew she was a terrible dual swordsman, but his attempt at diplomacy was sweet, if a little obvious. She hoped he wasn't that transparent during touchy political talks. She rolled onto her back, gazing at the brilliant wash of colors on the horizon, feeling drowsiness weigh heavily on her eyes, "Zuko?"

"Mm?"

"Thank you for everything."

She was dimly aware of strong hands brushing her hair being her ear before she drifted off to sleep. It seemed like she had just shut her eyes when the same hands shook her awake. In place of a blazing sun, a pale half moon hung suspended in the sky.

"Jin? Wake up, Jin, we're getting ready to move."

She was awake and on her feet faster than she'd moved in months, hurrying after Zuko. Gathered around the fire, the Avatar and the rest of his companions were changing into clothes more suitable for subterfuge. The water-tribe boy was talking while he rubbed some kind of paint on his face. When Zuko walked into the circle with her trailing behind him, he glanced up and smiled. The firelight dancing across his white and blue marked face gave the impression of a grinning corpse. Jin shivered.

"Zuko, glad you're here. Okay, everyone: here's how it's going down..."

A shadow passed over the roofs of Ba Sing Se. High in the air, a glider flew soundlessly into the city, two figures clad in black suspended below. If any patrolling guard chanced to look up at the sky, only the faintest, tiniest outline would betray the craft, and even that would swiftly be gone. Within minutes, the two had passed beyond the walls of the middle ring, and minutes more saw them above the upper ring. A shift in the wind, and the glider began its slow descent, spiraling noiselessly into an alley. An unnaturally sudden updraft brought the glider to a halt, hovering above the pavement. One figure detached itself, dropping to the ground to land in a roll. Blue eyes looked upwards to see the second figure collapse the glider's wings and drift silently to the ground. Grey eyes met blue.

"Aang and Katara, you'll head to the upper ring and see how many forces Azula has stationed. If you can, try and check on the palace, but get out of there if things look suspicious."

Wordlessly, the two figures vanished into the darkness of the city.

Deep underground, beneath tons of earth and water, a tunnel was opening in the darkness. Bricks slid aside or crumbled away as a small pale hand pushed out from the rock and into a man-made lair. The hand withdrew, and suddenly the entire wall slid aside to reveal two mismatched intruders. The small one took the larger by the hand and quickly led off into the darkness, no light needed to guide the way. Only the echoing drip of water could be heard.

"Toph and I are going to investigate the old Dai Li headquarters. I have a hunch I want to investigate."

Soft footsteps marked the passage of a Dai Li agent through Ba Sing Se's lower ring. His eyes were shadowed by the wide brim hat characteristic of his order, but his gaze missed nothing. Every flitting shadow, every overturned pebble, every closing door: all were noted. Most of them were his comrades. Some of them were the vermin that plagued this part of town. He drew to an abrupt halt beside an alley. Scuffling noises reached his ear. That was neither. Swiveling to the left, he walked into the alley, rock-covered hands emerging from his sleeves. The sound halted, and the Dai Li halted as well. The alley was empty, but two large earthen pots stood between him and a dead-end wall. He scanned back and forth. Nothing. Several beats passed, and he turned to go... only to whirl around, robes flapping, sending twin rock gloves hurtling at the pots. The sharp crack of shattering pottery filled the air, followed by the yowl of a pygmy puma as it dashed between his legs and out of the alley. Frowning, the agent recalled his gloves and turned to leave.

Above him, two shadows crossed the night sky, leaping across the alley. Somewhere, a tsungi horn was playing.

"Zuko, you go with Jin and do what you have to, but while you're out, get an estimate of how many forces Azula has in the lower ring."

Dashing from rooftop to rooftop, seeking cover under the eaves when guards chanced to look his way, Zuko estimated Azula's forces to number somewhere in the neighborhood of, 'Way too many.' Soundlessly, he flipped from the rooftop to the ground, landing with swords drawn. The girl in black who followed him did so somewhat less agilely, falling off the rooftop with a muffled thump. He lifted a finger to the lips of his mask, motioning for quiet. She nodded sheepishly, but he was already stalking out of the alley, and she had to scramble to keep up before loosing him in the dark.

At the entrance to the street, Zuko froze, sword slashing out to block her path. Her breath hitched in her throat as a small group of soldiers in Fire Nation red patrolled past them. Jin said a prayer to thank the spirits for the darkness that hid them from sight, then made a note to thank a specific blue spirit later. When the sounds of marching had faded into nothing, Zuko sheathed his swords and shifted into a solid firebending stance. Exhaling slowly, he made a smooth, calming motion and one by one, the torches illuminating the empty street winked out. Re-drawing his swords, he motioned for Jin to do the same, then he was moving, running low across the empty street. Jin pulled the blades from their sheath and followed as fast as she could.

The entrance to the small ghetto that contained her apartment was blocked by a ramshackle wooden gate. Jin remembered an elderly couple had convinced some of the young men to build it after a particularly bad robbery. It hadn't helped. With a soundless leap, Zuko vaulted the gate, landing with a roll on the other side, looking left and right for assailants. A small squeak from behind him made him spin, swords raised. He was greeted by the sight of Jin swinging open the gate and tip-toeing through. She smiled ruefully, holding up a key. Behind the mask, Zuko rolled his eyes.

The pair moved swiftly into the apartment complex, Jin taking the lead through the twisting maze of stairs and balconies. Zuko winced at every creaking board and muffled footstep, but there were no patrols in sight. At the fourth door of the third floor, Jin drew to a halt. This was her door, home was right here, her parents were just on the other side. Only Zuko's firm hand on her shoulder stopped her from flinging it open then and there. She gave him an impatient frown, but the frozen face of the Blue Spirit shook back and forth in a clear no. Pushing her gently to the side, he flipped his left blade to a reverse grip and carefully eased the door open. Only darkness and silence rose to greet them.

Unable to contain herself, Jin pushed her way into the house, swords sheathed, "Mom! Dad?" Zuko slipped in behind her, willing his eyes to adjust faster to the darkness. Something about this was off... had seemed off ever since they'd entered the city.

"Jin? Honey, is that you?"

"Mom! Dad!"

Moonlight streaming in through the only window in the room revealed a man and a woman, kneeling on the floor. The man was large; all hard lines and craggy features, while the woman was small, her hair pulled tight in a bun. Jin was already rushing towards them. Zuko didn't like this. When their daughter entered the light, the couple broke down sobbing, "No! Jin, you have to leave! Go! Go!"

Zuko really didn't like this.

The fear in her parents' voices stopped Jin cold. Beside her, the barest flash of light betrayed steel in the darkness. Zuko acted. Grabbing the collar of her suit, he vaulted over Jin's back, twin swords flashing as he put himself between her and the darkness that surrounded them. From every side, figures detached themselves from the shadows, stepping into the moon's pale glow. Half a dozen grim-faced soldiers leveled the points of their spears at the two. Jin's mother screamed. The soldiers lunged.

The Blue Spirit became a whirlwind of steel. Two spears thrust at him from either side; he caught the blades with his swords, spinning to flick them aside before slicing the spears in two. Continuing through the spin, he kicked aside a spear aimed at Jin's huddled form, deflecting it into the floor where it stuck, useless. The remaining two armed soldiers rushed him from behind, spears raised to skewer him through heart and neck. As Zuko spun to face them, Jin scrambled to grab her swords, swinging them low at the soldier's feet. One managed to leap the blades, but the other tripped, falling flat on his face.

Zuko met the final soldier's charge, shifting so the spear passed harmlessly between his arm and side. Trapping the shaft between his elbow and body, he wrenched it from the soldier's grip, spinning to deliver a crushing blow to the head with the but of the spear. The man was unconscious before he hit the ground. The sound of a soldier attempting to wrench his spear from the floor made Zuko turn. The man froze, but Zuko was already moving, running up the shaft of the spear to deliver a punishing boot to the face.

"Hey! Let me go!"

Zuko whirled at the sound of Jin's voice. The last conscious soldier was wrestling with her for her swords, his hands locked around her wrists. Zuko snarled and ran to help, but Jin moved faster.

"I said, LET ME GO!" Leaping into the air, she smashed her head down like a hammer into the bigger man's skull. He crumpled to the floor with a groan. Zuko was grateful his mask was there to hide his jaw hanging open in surprise. Shaking his head, he sheathed his weapons as Jin rushed to her parents, her own swords forgotten on the floor.

"Mom, dad, are you okay? Oh spirits, I'm so sorry for leaving, I should have stayed, I should have been here, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorr-"

Jin's parents cut her off, drawing her into a family hug, tears of happiness running down their cheeks, "Shhh, oh honey, shhhhh, don't be sorry. We're not mad, we're not mad. We were just so scared for you."

"Oh, mom..."

Zuko stood awkwardly to the side before turning away with a mixture of embarrassment and a feeling he couldn't quite identify. Jin's parents were safe, and loved her dearly. He was happy for her, but it was still hard for him to watch. He busied himself with the unconscious soldiers, dragging them together to bind with a coil of rope. Behind him, Jin's parents continued to fret.

"We were worried you'd been gone for so long without saying anything, but when soldiers came to our door asking for you... What is going on, Jin? Why is the Fire Nation in Ba Sing Se, and why were they asking after you?"

"They're not the Fire Nation! At least... not really." Jin bit her lip, stealing a glance back at Zuko. In the darkness of her apartment, the mask was his only visible feature.

Her father followed her gaze, "And who is that? Jin, honey, you need to tell us what's going on right now."

Jin looked helplessly between Zuko and her parent's concerned faces. She didn't like lying, but telling the truth had never seemed like a stupider idea, "I... um... Mom, Dad, this is..."

"Lee."

Three sets of eyes turned to lay on him, and he immediately regretted the deception. However, explaining to Jin's parents that he was the Fire Lord in the middle of an apparent Fire Nation attack on Ba Sing Se, not to mention he was interested in their daughter... Even Zuko could tell that would be a spectacularly bad idea. "My name is Lee. I used to work at a tea shop near here. Jin may have said something about me?" He gave a stiff bow and prayed she hadn't said too much about him.

A pensive look crossed the parents' faces. Finally, her father spoke up, "Lee. Yes, I remember Jin talking about a young man by that name, though she never mentioned his skill with swords. Why don't you take off that mask, so we can talk face-to-face, Lee?" His tone was challenging.

Zuko froze. A memory of Jin's voice from yesterday floated through his mind. They hung up posters displaying our new lords. Imagine my surprise when one face looked exactly like teashop Lee. Clearing his throat, Zuko shook his head, "I can't."

Jin gulped nervously as her parents frowned, "Why not?" Her mother asked, "Surely you understand it's natural for us to be on edge, considering the circumstances? I'd like to see the face of my daughter's friend." She peered intently at his mask, and Zuko had the unpleasant feeling she was looking right through it.

"I understand, but I still can't. There, uh, might be more agents watching from somewhere. If they know who I am, it'll risk my uncle's safety."

It was a stretch, even to Zuko's ears. Jin stood up, cutting off her parent's protests before they could begin, "Really, mom and dad? Lee risked his life to help me see you two!" She waved a hand at the pile of unconscious soldiers, "They're trying to hurt us, not him! After all he's done, Lee deserves our thanks, not our suspicion."

Her mother pursed her lips, but her father sighed, shoulders slumping, "You're right, Jin. It seems I've let my courtesy fall along with the city." He looked up at Zuko, "Forgive me, young man, I owe you my thanks for bringing my daughter back to me and saving us from these thugs."

"But why did he have to?" Jin looked to her mother, who continued, "Why would the Fire Nation send soldiers here, of all places, looking for our daughter? We're not rich, or powerful, why our Jin?" She looked back and forth from Jin to Zuko, seeking an answer.

Jin averted her eyes from her mother's questioning gaze, wringing her hands nervously, "Well... you see, mom, I was..."

Zuko tensed. His cover hinged on her answer, and he couldn't think of any answer she could give that wouldn't be suspicious our give everything away outright.

"... I was part of the resistance during the last occupation. They probably got a list of the members from someone and started sending soldiers out to round them up before they could start resisting again. I'm sorry I never told you, I was scared you'd worry." Jin smiled hopefully. Technically it wasn't a lie: she had been part of the resistance.

Zuko knew the real reason the soldiers had been here. If Azula had really wanted to kill or capture anyone, she would have sent more than six spearman. No, this little ambush had been a message, not an attack, and as he watched Jin try to calm her frightened parents, he could almost hear Azula say it.

I know who she is, big brother. Zuzu's got a girlfriend...

Deep underground in the old Dai Li headquarters, Toph halted abruptly. Sokka promptly tripped over her, breaking his fall with his face. Grinning in the darkness, she poked at him with a toe, "This is the place, snoozles."

She heard the sound of someone scrambling to their feet, "A little warning next time?" Came the indignant reply.

"Where's the fun in that?"

Sokka didn't need to see her; he could practically hear the mocking smile. Grumbling something about unfair advantages and earthbenders, he slung the rucksack off his back, setting the canvass bag on the stone floor with a thump. A few moments of rummaging inside produced two sparkrocks. He held them up, prepared to send a shower of sparks onto the piece of torchwood Toph had nabbed from the walls earlier. "You're sure there's nobody here?"

"More than sure. For one, the only thing moving in here is rats. Secondly, people would mean light, and light would mean you wouldn't need me to keep you from running into walls."

Resuming his grumbling about earthbender unfairness and possible ambushes, Sokka struck the rocks together, raining embers onto the hunk of wood until it caught. The sudden flare of light forced back the darkness and revealed the gigantic grin he'd known Toph was wearing. With a sigh, he raised the torch, illuminating the area. Instinct had made him ask Toph to bring him to the old brainwashing section of the headquarters. Regardless of what Katara had to say about his instincts (often, and loudly), they'd kept him out of trouble and steered him to success at least half the time, which was good enough for him.

Scanning the brightened stone chambers, he frowned. "It's empty."

"I could have told you that."

Brows lowered in concentration, Sokka kneeled to the floor. He recognized this cell as one of the lantern-track brainwashing units he'd glimpsed during their rescue of Appa. The lantern track and accompanying lantern were missing, however, and Sokka didn't like the implications of that.

"Did you expect this place to be the same as we left it two years ago? Obviously the Earth King had his cronies come clean house and destroy the spooky brain-bending stations." Toph was starting to sound bored.

She could be right, Sokka knew, but he doubted it. By the time the Earth King had known the full extent of the Dai Li corruption, Azula had overthrown the city. He supposed the king might have remembered the bit about brainwashing during his many months wandering the kingdom, but that was a big maybe. Furthermore, that was optimistically assuming someone had divulged the nature of the brainwashing procedure to the king in the first place. Sokka wasn't stupid, despite the universe's constant attempts to show he was. He knew the overwhelming tactical advantages the brainwashing procedure granted to those who knew it; advantages that would be compounded by a monopoly on it. At this point, he was ready to bet Boomerang that one of the generals had ensured the devices remained intact and unmoved, should the need for them arise in the future.

The fact that they were not unmoved was a serious problem that only made sense under two scenarios. The first involved the Earth Kingdom forces moving the stations somewhere more secure or more secret. Sokka didn't want to think about the second scenario. Unfortunately, experience had taught him that only made it more likely to be true. Sokka shook his head: he needed more information. Passing his torch over the floor to look for clues, something caught his eye. Marked on the stone, so faint it was hard to distinguish from a trick of the light, was a discolored spot. Blinking twice to make sure he wasn't seeing things, he checked again. The spot was definitely real on an otherwise unmarred floor. He broke out in a smile, "Now we're getting somewhere."

"Huh?"

He didn't bother to answer her, instead licking the back of his thumb and wiping it across the discolored patch before holding it up to the light. What he saw made him smile even wider: no dust. Quickly getting to his feet, he unsheathed his machete and traced of a large circle, starting from the discolored spot. Following the outline, it was only seconds before he arrived at another spot, and then another, and then another, before he had traced the circle right back to where he started. A circular track with four supports would leave marks on the stone where the covered rock was less weathered. These marks would be visible if the track was moved, but dust should have accumulated evenly if they were moved long ago. If they had been moved recently, though...

Standing and sheathing his machete in one motion, he turned to Toph, "We need to find Aang and Zuko. Now."

"Wait, Aang." Katara's voice was a hushed whisper in the darkness of Ba Sing Se's sewers.

Glancing over his shoulder, Aang shot her a curious glance, "What is it, Katara?"

"I'm not sure... I just had a bad feeling. Do we really have to investigate the palace? We scouted out Azula's forces already, we should be happy with that."

Aang kept moving, "The more information we can give Sokka, the more he can make sure we don't have to take risks that could get people hurt. Besides, we'll be in and out in a jiffy."

Katara was unconvinced, "Are you sure the sewers will lead us into the palace?" Crossing her arms, she suppressed a shiver. The sewers were disturbing enough without strange hunches setting her on edge.

She could tell from the way Aang's eyes crinkled that he was doing his best to give her a reassuring smile, even if his mouth was covered by black cloth, "Don't worry, Katara, every big fortress always has a way in through the sewer or a drain or something."

Frowning, she waded after him, doing her best to avoid splashing too loudly, "You said that when you were trying to convince me to follow you into this smelly tunnel and I'm still not sure how you know that."

Memories of an escape through a storm drain with the aid of a blue-masked prisoner flashed through Aang's mind, "Eerrr... you know, it's in all the stories and stuff. Why would it be there if it wasn't at least a little true?"

Only the film of sewage coating her hands prevented Katara from smacking her forehead, "Aang, people make those things up because they sound good, not because they're true. Now, we've been wading through here for almost an hou-"

"Shhhh!" He cut her off, pointing ahead with his staff. Down the tunnel, light filtered in from above. Motioning for quiet, Aang tip-toed closer, face screwed up in concentration. Katara had no choice but to follow. The two halted directly below the opening. Above them, a grate opened into a stone chamber, lit by torches. Katara flicked her wrist and twin water lashes cut through the metal bars. Aang caught the grating before it could hit the water, then set it down gently. One windmill gesture summoned enough wind to propel them up out of the sewer and into the palace.

The next several minutes were a blur of empty corridors and stairs as the two rushed silently through the palace. Neither knew what they were looking for, but they were confident they'd recognize it when they saw it. Patrolling guards were scarce, and those they encountered never looked too intently into dark corners where Aang and Katara would hide. Toph probably would have thought that was suspicious; Sokka would have told them it was suspicious, but neither of them were present and Aang and Katara merely counted it as good luck.

Slowly, Aang oriented their current location to what he remembered of the palace from so long ago. If he was right, the throne room was just a few hallways away. He was still thinking when he ran into Katara's back. They had arrived at an intersection; hallways lay open to the right and left. Katara started left as he went right. Both froze. Frowned. They opened their mouths to argue, but before the words could form, other voices cut them off.

"Hmmm? Yes, it should be ready soon."

The two froze, looking back and forth. From either hallway, shadows were looming, revealing figures on their way. Panicing, the two looked back and forth for a room to enter, a pot to duck in, a tapestry to hide behind, anything. Unfortunately, the hall was as bare as Aang's head. The voices drew closer and closer. The sound of footsteps was clearly audible. Four soldiers strode into the intersection: two from either direction, "So, an airship, huh? How'd she manage to smuggle that in here?"

"She didn't. Word is she had people building it under the city for months. Crazy, huh?"

"I don't know what's crazier, that or the fact we're leaving the day after overthrowing the city. What is she thinking?"

"From what I hear? She's thinking about starting a little celebratory bonfire to mark her exit. With all of Ba Sing Se as the fuel."

Directly above them, Aang and Katara pressed themselves as close to the ceiling as possible, bracing against the walls with their hands and feet. The guards were almost directly below them; if they chanced to look up, all hope of stealth was lost. Aang's nervousness condensed itself into a single bead of sweat, slowly meandering its way from his forehead to the tip of his nose. He crossed his eyes, staring at it, willing it to remain still, praying for it to remain still.

It dropped.

Aang's heart was in his throat as the drop of moisture plummeted to the floor and landed with a little plip. The soldiers immediately... kept on walking and talking to one another, soon vanishing from sight in the distant hallways. Aang let out a huge sigh of relief: why the heck had he been afraid they would hear a single drop of sweat?

Katara was the first to speak as they dropped to the floor, "Did you hear that, Aang? Azula's leaving the city tonight, and she's going to burn down Ba Sing Se to cover her escape. That's just... how can anyone be so horrible?"

"I don't know." Aang's face was grim, "It's hard to believe she's related to Zuko." Granted, everything Aang knew about families was second-hand information: Air Nomads were raised communally. However, years of watching and interacting with Sokka and Katara had taught him that brothers and sisters usually had a lot in common. The massive differences between Azula and Zuko confused him like nothing else.

They were moving now, heading for the royal hall and the massive doors that marked the exit to the palace. Katara spoke again, her voice a hushed whisper, "Maybe, but she's definitely related to her father. This is almost worse than dealing with the Fire Lord."

Aang nodded as they rushed for the exit. Children resembled their parents too, something he'd been able to tell after about four minutes with Sokka and Hakoda. If Azula took after Ozai... Aang shivered. He was beginning to understand the wisdom behind his people's preference of teachers instead of parents. Teachers had to be qualified. As they emerged into the royal hall, he voiced his thoughts with a careless remark, "I'm glad Air Nomads didn't do families, something like this would have been horrible." A sharp intake of air from Katara was his first clue he'd said something wrong.

When he turned to glance at her, the look in her eyes was one of confusion... and something else he couldn't place. "What? Aang, you can't be saying families are bad."

"No, not always! I just... you know, everything has it's upsides and downsides and c'mon Katara we have to leave!" Aang gestured hurriedly at the massive exit to the palace. The throne room was empty for now, but who knew how long that would last?

Katara was following him, but a note of what sounded like hurt had crept into her voice, "Don't you want to start a family someday?"

The danger of their surroundings, the atrocity Azula was planning, and the increasingly strange questions Katara was asking him were piling up in Aang's brain. An edge of frustration lined his answer, "My people decided a long time ago that attaching the self to a family isn't the airbender way. I'm not about to go back on that."

"What!" Katara's answer rang through the chambers like a bell toll. She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, while Aang froze in place. Every echo produced a wince from them both. After a beat without the sounds of running guards or firebending, they slowly relaxed. Then a voice cut through the air like a knife.

"Oh, a lover's spat. How droll."

The icy talons of fear grabbed them both by the heart, and each ringing footstep of boot against stone drove them deeper. Behind them, Azula was striding casually down a flight of steps, dozens of Yu-Yan at either flank.

"I must admit, when I laid this little trap, I assumed it would be Zuzu who would come running into it. I even went to the trouble of sending a little message to get him all riled up. Instead I get the Avatar and a water peasent. Pity. Oh well, royalty mustn't complain. I suppose I'll make do."

Arrows flew.

A/N: Concerns, comments, complaints? Review now, or forever hold your peace.