The Burning Truth-Harmony

Part 20~Combustion Man

"The plan is simple: This wanted poster says you're worth a lot of money. Ten times more than you've made in all of your scams. So I'm gonna turn you in and collect the reward. Then you metalbend yourself out of jail, and we're on our way." Katara shared a grin with Toph as they began their plan.

~~~

"How could you do this to me? You betrayed me," Toph fake glared at Katara as she crossed her arms.

"You brought this on yourself. I had no choice." Katara turned away from Toph as she was dragged away in a net.

Katara smiled before she turned to the Chief of authorities. "You did the right thing by turning in the Runaway."

"The right thing is its own reward."

"Well, I'm happy to hear you say that."

Kataara paused. "But I still want the actual reward."

"Of course. Right this way."

~~~

The guard dragged Toph into a jail, throwing her inside a wooden cell and slamming it shut. Toph gasped, feeling the floor of the cell as she tried to understand her environment. "Hey! What kind of cell is this?"

"A wooden one," the guard snapped back as Toph continued to feel about, finding nothing she could bend.

~~~

Katara walked into an office as the town authority grabbed a box underneath his desk and looked in it. He looked at Katara before closing it. "That's her. That's the girl you were looking for."

Katara turned, her eyes widening as she spotted the assassin with the third eye tattoo on his head.

~~~

Isu paced back and forth, twisting at her wrist. "Do you think this scam of theirs should be taking this long?"

"I was just wondering the same thing. We'd better check it out," Sokka turned to Hawky, pointing at him. "You behave. Iroh's in charge."

Iroh blinked up as Hawky landed on Iroh's shoulder. Iroh turned to the bird, a soft smile on his face as he gave it a seed.

"Should we get Zuko and Hachi?" Isu glanced at where the boys were sleeping on each other.

"I'm not touching that," Sokka grumbled as Isu hummed.

"I'm sure it'll be fine."

~~~

Katara sighed, leaning against the cell she had been thrown in.

Toph shot up suddenly. "Wait. It's a trap."

"Really? No kidding. Is that why we're sitting in a wooden cage right now? Gee, how'd you figure out it was a trap?"

"Not for us, Katara. We're the bait. He wants Zuko."

Katara's eyes widened in shock as she sat up. "I can't believe I'm so stupid. See? This is exactly why I'm against these scams. I knew this would happen."

"But this was your idea."

"I know. I wanted to show that I'm not so motherly. I wanted to show you that I can have fun too."

"Katara, you are fun. If nothing else, you're at least fun to argue with."

"I know your relationship with your parents is complicated. And I shouldn't have said what I said."

"It's okay. I was really mad when you said that because... well because maybe it's true." Toph blinked her eyes as the water watered around it. "I try not to think about it, but when I left, I probably really hurt them."

Katara embraced Toph, holding her close.

~~~

Sokka frowned as he and Isu made their way through the seemingly abandoned town. "Where do you think they might be?"

"Where do you think anyone is?" Isu froze, turning around as she spotted the assassin. "Sokka, watch out." She grabbed Sokka dodging the blast barely. "It's Explosion man."

"It's Sparky-Sparky-Boom Man."

"Dude."

The assassin jumped down, firing another blast which sent them flying back, shaking the ceiling of Toph and Katara's cell.

Toph tried to break out, pushing against the wood.

"What are we gonna do?" Katara glanced around as Toph gritted her teeth.

"I don't know. I wish we had some Earth or Water. We need bendables."

"What about your meteor bracelet? You can make a saw."

"I left it back at camp. I was worried they would take it."

Katara exhaled deeply as she wiped her forehead, her eyes widening as she looked at the sweat. She jumped up, running in place as Toph gave her a confused look.

"Katara? Are you okay?"

"Just fine."

"Well, what are you doing?"

"I'm making my own water." Katara stopped, wiping her forehead again, this time she bent the water, creating a blade that began to cut at the wooden cage.

"Katara! You're a genius. A sweaty, stinky genius!"

Katara cut the wood again.

~~~

The blasts hit the ground as Sokka and Isu ran to the side.

"This guy is too good. He shoots fire from his brain," Sokka shouted as Isu let out a pained sound.

"We should split up. He can't chase us both." Isu nodded at Sokka as she ran to the left, and Sokka ran right. The assassin blasted the wheelbarrow, blowing it up as Isu ran onto the roof. The assassin followed her, creating explosions behind her and throwing her onto the Ozai statue.

She jumped to the ground as the assassin prepared for another attack, unable to finish as the ice encased his head.

Isu grinned, seeing Katara and Toph. "Katara."

"Get up. We need to go."

"On it." Isu turned, grabbing Sokka and jumping up, using her airbending to join Katara and Toph. The assassin launched another explosion as Toph launched a boulder at the blast, meeting the explosion in the middle.

The rubble flew out, a small piece hitting the assassin in his third eye, stopping the explosions from going further than a few inches. As the assassin finally got control, team Avatar was gone.

"Hey, I got it. The perfect name for that guy, 'Combustion Man'," Sokka shouted as Toph scoffed.

"Good job, Sokka. Now let's get outta here before Combustion Man catches us."

"See? It fits so well."

~~~

Sokka leaned back on Corno as the group landed once more. "Well, I'm exhausted, Hawky, how about you buddy?" Sokka glanced at Hawky who let out a quiet call. "Yeah. You're such a lazy little bird."

Katara jumped off Corno's back, about to step up camp, but Toph stopped her. "Katara? I need your help."

"What is it, Toph?"

Toph pulled out a sheet of paper and held it to Katara. "I need you to write some things down for me. I wanna send a letter to my parents."

"I'll be happy to help."

Toph and Katara sat down together, writing the letter together before Katara grabbed Hawky, giving him the letter and letting him fly away.

Sokka sat up, looking around in confusion. "Hey, where'd Hawky go?"