The Locked Doors

"We'll have to visit them again once we get your sister back, to properly thank them for their help," Korra stated, the decision made without asking. Sokka didn't seem to mind though, judging by his lack of an outraged response. However, it could just as easily have been the hangover. Korra winked and elbowed him in the side. "Maybe next time you'll actually manage to kiss Suki."

That drew the outraged cry from the young Water Tribe man. Korra laughed at his flustered attempt to shut her down, shouting angry nonsense. He almost sounded genuine, but his voice was an octave too high.

A couple of hours had passed since they'd departed from Kyoshi Island, leaving their new warrior friends behind. Suki, in particular, had been difficult to say goodbye to.

"I think she liked you."

He made a point of avoiding eye contact. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I mean, I find it hard to believe too, a girl as smart and pretty as Suki having any interest in someone like you."

"Hey!"

Korra laughed, thinking back to their last day on the island. They'd spent several hours gathering supplies for the continuing journey, and in addition to a hearty supply of food and water, the Kyoshi Islanders had also willingly gifted them several other useful items. An old brass compass, which Suki had sheepishly confessed may not always be entirely accurate, and some candles and spark stones to start fires.

After everything was packed, Korra had given the warriors her promised lesson in hand-to-hand combat, "Water Tribe Style". The girls were very quick learners, which wasn't a surprise. In the evening, several of them had joined Korra and Sokka for dinner and drinks of fermented plum and rice wines as a farewell. Suki, of course, was among them.

"If you ever need anything," the pretty -and by that point quite tipsy- girl had stumbled, throwing her arms around both Korra and Sokka's shoulders, "just come back here and find me."

Korra, equally drunk on the sweet alcohols, had squeezed Suki into a tight hug and declared her, "the nicest and hottest girl I've ever met that could also kick your ass."

"Not counting you," the younger girl had playfully countered.

Sokka, having never been drunk before, quickly earned several slaps from various females throughout the evening. Unperturbed, he chimed in his approval and agreeance that both Korra and Suki were "too hot to be as freakishly strong as you are".

Korra had rolled her eyes at his statement, but it somehow had earned him a laugh from Suki, as well as a wet kiss on the cheek. The next morning though, when they'd said their true goodbyes, there was no second kiss.

But the hug Suki gave Sokka lasted several seconds longer than the one she and Korra shared.

"Have you even kissed a girl before?" Korra asked now. "Really kissed one." She sounded curious, a playful interest but not belittling.

Sokka's flushed cheeks darkened further. "What does that have to do with anything?"

The older girl shrugged, turning her attention back to Naga's reigns and the horizon ahead. "Just curious."

He was silent for a moment, and instead of answering asked her, "Well, have you kissed anyone?"

Korra gave a short, single laugh. "Ha. Yeah, there's been a few guys here and there." Before he could quip something inappropriate, she added, "I mean, just two. Just friends. I mean, options are pretty limited in the South Pole, I'm sure you know."

He arched a devious eyebrow during her little speech, looking at her sideways with a smug grin. "Sounds like you were pretty good friends."

She reached out and shoved him. "Shut up. They were just nice guys that I sometimes went on dates with. Not fiancé material. The guys in my village are idiots." She cast a sly grin herself. "I'm sure you'd get along well."

The outraged yelling returned for an encore appearance.

Things had been quiet for a while. Completely quiet, with the exception of the sound of her breathing. Katara had been sitting still on the bed for maybe an hour, listening to the world around her for indicators of the goings-on. The footsteps that she'd grown accustomed to pacing outside the door had disappeared, and not even the faintest of voices had carried through the air since. All was silent.

She rose to press her face against the small round window in the wall, and though it needed to be cleaned, she could see that they were stationed at a harbor. A military harbor, it seemed. It seemed unlikely that they had reached the Fire Nation, but the red flame insignia on the neighboring ship specified that it was also Fire Nation.

Katara sighed and fell back against the bed with a thud. In addition to violating her sense of human dignity and freedom, being a captive was also incredibly boring. She thought longingly of stretching her legs above decks, able to breathe in the fresh salty air for the first time in days. Of course, this prince Zuko would never allow that; placing her near any open contact with water was far too dangerous. In their minds, at least. If they only knew how truly pitiful her waterbending abilities were.

At first she didn't notice the reappearance of footsteps in the outside hallway, distracted by her gloomy thoughts. She sat up as they grew louder, voices accompanying them. One voice was familiar, that of the angry prince, but the other she didn't recognize. They were muffled through the distance and thickness of the walls and door, but she could make out that they were discussing plans for the ship.

"Once the damages are repaired, what do you plan to do next?" This unfamiliar voice had a conceited air to it, like her brother sometimes sounded when he tried to show off.

"We're heading back to the Southern Water Tribe to continue our search."

Katara's heart gave a sad leap hearing those words, but she knew it was a lie. They were traveling further away from the South Pole every day. This stranger seemed to note the same.

"Interesting path, that you would come to dock at my harbor, so far away from the South Pole."

The voice of Zuko paused, but quickly answered. Perhaps too quickly. "We were running low on supplies, which brought us further north toward the nearest Earth Kingdom traders. After restocking, then we planned to head back south."

Katara was now very interested, holding her breath to hear better. Whoever this stranger was, it seemed important that he not know the true intentions of the ship. And more likely than not, that she was aboard.

A quiet moment passed, and she began to think they would turn away to another part of the ship. But suddenly, the footsteps moved closer and stopped outside her door.

"What's in here?"

"Just spare quarters. We use it for storage."

That was his mistake.

"Storage for what?" the first voice asked, noticeably interested. She could somehow imagine him smiling, a wicked, delighted smile. "I thought you were low on supplies."

Zuko didn't have a chance to defend his claim before her door handle rattled loudly. Katara jumped back, startled. The door remain closed.

"Why is this door locked?"

Again, there was no time to answer before the door shook again. Katara screamed as it burst open, the stranger revealing himself as he broke into the room, tall and fierce looking. He was obviously Fire Nation as well, and military, from the black and blood red uniform he wore. His eyes darted to her, and after a moment his surprised expression changed to the wicked grin she had envisioned.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

She shivered at the piercing look he gave her.

"Pretty thing, she is."

His eyes slowly trailed from her to the bed she still sat on, and finally to Zuko. "A Water Tribe girl, locked up in here. That's some storage."

The burned prince regarded him carefully, his expression stern and betraying nothing. "We found her on our last trip to the South Pole. I keep her locked here so the other's don't get any ideas. She's mine."

Katara looked at him, stunned. Anger and embarrassment quickly began to flood her veins, but she quickly found herself too upset to speak. The implication in his words made her feel violated on an entirely new level.

The arrogant Fire Nation man had turned his attention back to her though. He reached forward and cupped her chin in his large rough hand and his next words made her blood go instantly cold.

"Well, now she's mine. Leave me with her."

Katara felt her heart stop, and a thrill of genuine, crippling fear ripped through her. Sharp tears sprang up and blinded her vision, her body trembling as panic froze her joints, numbing her into helplessness. She couldn't move.

"Mom…Dad…Sokka…help me. Oh Agni, help me."

"No."

The voice that answered her mind's desperate plea was none that she'd imagined, and it was a very real voice. She cast her shuddering vision back to her original captor, and saw with relief that he looked livid and, it almost seemed, jealous.

"I said she's mine, Zhao. That applies to you as well."

The man identified as Zhao frowned with an angry exhale, smoke blowing out of his nostrils. He dropped Katara's chin and turned back to Zuko, that hand now clenched in a fist.

"It's Commander, you little shit. Find another girl. You said yourself you're heading back there soon. I haven't seen one this pretty in months."

Zuko's glare didn't lighten a flicker. "I said, she's mine."

"Is that a challenge?" Zhao had now come to stand directly in front of the younger man, his towering frame making the quite strong Zuko seem weak in comparison.

"An Agni Kai."

Zhao smirked, but in the next moments he grew considerate. His eyebrows slanted down in thought, eyes narrowed as he regarded Zuko's stern rebuttal. He looked back to Katara, and she saw a spark of recognition flash in his eyes. "No ordinary peasant girl is worth the sacrifice of an Agni Kai."

He turned his full attention back to her, a new intensity to his stare. "Isn't the missing Avatar a waterbender?"

"She's not a waterbender," Zuko answered swiftly, giving Katara a glare that shouted at her to keep her mouth shut. Of the two men, Zuko seemed the less terrifying option, so she complied.

This Commander Zhao, however, seemed surprisingly intelligent. He surveyed the surrounding room, eying her bound wrists and the lack of any sink or even cup or bucket of water. The window, too, was tightly locked, cutting off access to the sea. "Yes she is."

Zuko didn't even have time to blink, before the room erupted in fire. He dived away from Zhao's direct attack, quickly unleashing his own flames. Katara screamed and pushed herself as closely to the back wall as possible, shrinking away from the powerful heat. She watched as the men continued to struggle, alternating between offense and defense.

The fight moved outside with a fiery kick from Zhao that hit Zuko squarely in the chest. He flew backwards and hit the back hallway wall before jumping back to his feet. As they chased each other further and further down the hallway, moving up decks from the sound of it, Katara seized this perfect opportunity to escape. It seemed they had forgotten her.

She sprang to her feet and ran out into the hallway, quickly scanning its length for possible routes. Loud footsteps ran down the left side, guards and crew members probably alarmed to the firebending match currently devastating the ship. She ran to the right, the same direction Zhao and Zuko had disappeared, and ran up a flight of stairs before turning down the first passageway she encountered. Looking around wildly, she spotted several doors lining the walls.

She darted to the first door on her right, grabbing the handle and turning. It was locked.

The footsteps grew louder from below, voices now accompanying them. Panicked, Katara turned and ran to the next door, this one on the left. She tried the door, which was cracked slightly open, and after a mild struggle it swung open completely. She moved inside, shutting it behind her.

Heart pounding, she closed her eyes and released a deep and shaky breath. She waited, not daring to move, for a minute. Two minutes. Three minutes.

Not realizing she'd been holding much of her breath, she again released it. It seemed no one was coming. She opened her eyes and turned around to see what kind of room she'd found; hopefully one with something sharp she could use to cut her rope bindings.

It was a bedroom, obviously someone's private quarters. A giant flag bearing the Fire Nation insignia hung on the back wall above the bed, which had blood red sheets matching the ones in her 'room'. She scanned the chair and desk, buried under scrolls and a giant world map. And something else. A helmet.

She came closer to examine it better, squinting as she tried to place it. It looked familiar. A design more unique than the typical Fire Nation helmet.

With a small gasp she recognized who she'd seen wearing it upon their meeting. She was in Prince Zuko's room.

She ran back to the door, any sense of safety her relocation had brought immediately eradicated by the fear of him catching her here, where she most certainly should not be. She had to get out, to any room other than here.

She pushed against the door, but it wouldn't budge. With her bound hands behind her back, she reached for a handle, but there wasn't one. The door, like the one in her room, locked and unlocked from the outside.

She was locked inside.

On the ship's stern deck, Zuko wasn't doing well. Despite being a strong and passionate firebender, he was still green, having almost no training in bending beyond the basics. Zhao, on the other hand, was an accomplished and very learned bender. A prodigy, it could be said.

Zuko was already badly injured.

Everything had happened so quickly, and only now were more people beginning to arrive on the scene. Zhao had insisted on taking his tour of the ship with Zuko and Zuko alone, barring even Iroh from accompanying. They'd all gone back to working on the ship's repairs. Except for Iroh, of course, who sat in his room strategizing his future games of Pai Sho.

The retired general now rushed into the wrestle, blocking a deadly strike before it struck his nephew, who was now lying on the ground.

"Enough!" Iroh shouted, grabbing Zhao's foot as he aimed it down for a stomach kick. "He is already defeated. Back down."

"He has the Avatar!" Zhao bellowed.

Iroh sighed, tightening his hold on the commander's foot. In the next moment, he twisted it. Hard. There was an audible snap, and a cry of agony pierced the air. While momentarily distracted, the general launched a second attack, bringing Zhao down to his knees before he collapsed, unconscious. The commander might be a powerful and highly gifted firebender, but he was still no match for the legendary Dragon of the West.

Turning to the crew, who had stood by motionlessly to watch, Iroh addressed several of them standing nearby. "You and you, bring Commander Zhao below decks. Put him in one of the spare quarters, and lock the door. Find the medical supplies and bring a wrapping for his foot."

He turned to another pair. "You two, bring Prince Zuko to his quarters, and bring the rest of the medical supplies. I will follow momentarily."

As the men rushed to follow his orders, Iroh addressed the captain. "How are the repairs?"

"There's still a lot of work to be done before she's back in solid condition."

"What about acceptable condition?"

The captain looked at him with slightly furrowed brows. "Sir?"

"Is she safe to sail now, just enough to make it to the next port?"

The younger man considered, and after a long and calculating pause, he gave a curt not. "I believe that is possible. But, it'll be slow. And we can't come into contact with anything threatening, more ice or even most waves."

There was no hesitation. "Take her to sea, immediately."

"Your door is locked, sir."

Zuko had reluctantly allowed his crewmen to support him as he walked back down the first flight of stairs and down the hallway to his quarters. His whole body ached terribly, a throbbing headache additionally forcing him to close his eyes for a small relief. Now they widened at once.

"That's impossible. It was open when I left."

He reached to find the key tucked away in his armor, producing it after a moment's search and slipping it into the lock.

"Be alert."

He turned the key, and the lock clinked open. Throwing open the door with as much force as he could find in his weakened body, he barreled inside and came face to face with a beautiful Water Tribe girl.

(A/N: Yay, another chapter at last! I'm back from my adventures in Europe, I'm back in my hometown, and I'm back at a normal job to give my life some structure and normality until I abandon it all and run away to LA to be a movie star...yay! But that's another story for another time!

The story for now is, that this story still hasn't died! Yay! I'm so amazed at everyone that's waited so patiently, and several of you who have written to ask how I'm doing etc.; it always makes me so happy to hear from my fellow writers and readers and ATLA/LOK enthusiasts! I feel so guilty, I'm the shittiest when it comes to frequent updates, I'm sorry. I'm just really flippin' busy these days. And, as I've stated before, I only write when I feel in the proper motivated and inspired mood. Writing should be natural, never forced.

On that note, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. One thing I love about the freedoms I have with rewriting the Avatar story as a more adult crossover with LOK is that it gets to be more...well, adult than the original show. There will be a lot of mature content in this story as it progresses, some of it the fun sexual stuff, but some of it will be some difficult issues, such as mental health, drug use, and sexual assault, as was very briefly (but hopefully still chillingly) covered in this chapter with Zhao and Katara. There will be more of that, and it will be more graphic. I've been there, folks. Getting raped or even just inappropriately interacted with is a traumatizing experience, but it should be written about and discussed.

The next chapter will be very Zuko/Katara heavy, and I'm fucking STOKED to write it so I think this time the next update will HONESTLY be soon (or soonish). In case you haven't noticed, Zutara is my end-all die-hard sacrifice-my-fucking-soul-for changed-my-life can't-even-properly-explain ship that has been sailing strong since 2005, when a certain banished prince with an incredibly sexy voice promised to save a then-innocent girl from pirates. Swoon. Sokka/Korra is the fun experiment that I'm enjoying studying and watching play out, but writing the Zuko/Katara bits are what really feed my soul. So, stay tuned for more!

-Kamogawan