(1) Augmentum | Zuko

Chapter Forty-Nine

Pipsqueak and Smellerbee follow Sokka, who has his hands tied behind his back. Smellerbee gives his prisoner a shove; Sokka stumbles but remains on his feet. He rolls his eyes and lets out an annoyed breath.

"Come on, move along!" Smellerbee pushes of him. Sokka clenches his jaw in annoyance.

"How can you stand by and do nothing while Jet wipes out a whole town?" Sokka asks them.

"Hey, listen, Sokka" Pipsqueak answers. "Jet's a great leader. We follow what he says, and things always turn out okay" Sokka notices a rustling in the bushes before two eyes peer out surrounded by a cute round blue face. Wartortle. They stare at one another before Wartortle charges out of the bushes startling Smellerbee and Pipsqueak before he lets loose a water blast that sends the two of them flying backwards. Sokka pulls his restraints, undoing them before he scoops up Wartortle and runs away with him. Smellerbee and Pipsqueak chasing after them. Noivern flies down towards them, Sokka holds up his hand and Rana's fingers wrap around his wrist as they fly past, pulling him up onto Noivern's back with Wartortle. Rana steers them away from their pursuits and heads back towards the village.

"Your timing," Sokka tells her with a smile. "Wait" He looks at her face. "How long were you following us?"

"Don't worry, Wartortle was keeping an eye on you whilst I checked on Aang and your sister" She answers. "Now, hush, I have to concentrate on steering" Sokka hmms a little and then peers over the side of Noivern.

.......

Katara and Aang are standing on the edge of the cliff where they look at the base of the dam, here, four of Jet's people are unloading barrels from the wagon and arranging them.

"...What are they doing?" Katara asks.

"Hey, those are the red barrels he got from the Fire Nation" Aang points out.

"Why would they need blasting jelly?" She muses. Aang figures it out first. He sees it all playing out in front of his eyes.

"Because Jet's gonna blow up the dam" Aang realises.

"What? No, that would destroy the town. Jet wouldn't do that" Katara argues. Aang snaps his glider wings open.

"I've got to stop him" Aang runs for the edge.

"Jet wouldn't do that" Katara repeats, though she sounds less convinced now. Before Aang can reach the edge, Jet crosses his path from behind and snatches the glider. Aang is left wobbling precariously on the edge, and uses an air-bending move to get himself back on stable footing.

"Yes, I would" Jet argues with Katara whose face falls.

"Jet..." She whispers. "Why?"

"Katara, you would too if you just stopped to think" Jet scolds her. "Think about what the Fire Nation did to your mother. we can't let them do that to anyone else, ever again"

"This isn't the answer!" Katara snaps.

"I want you to understand me Katara. I thought your brother would understand, but..."

"Where's Sokka?" Katara asks as tears fall from her eyes. "Where's Rana?" Jet reaches out and touches her face.

"Katara" She bows her head, then with a shout sends Jet flying with the water from her waterskin. She draws it back into the skin when she's done.

"I need to get to the dam," Aang tells Katara who nods. Aang's closed glider is on the ground. As he reaches for it, the crescent end of one of Jet's hooked blades pins it like an axe. Jet has the two weapons hook to hook; with a yank, he pulls the sword and Aang's glider to him.