Falling, Fallen

Chapter 19: Deals

Zuko opens his eyes it's still night possibly early morning. He's not sure what woke him up but he knows it was something. Looking to his left he sees Katara curled next to him still fast asleep. Maybe it was nothing. He thinks before he hears it the snap of a twig and some rustling of armor and bushes. Slowly he gets out of the bed and creeps through the shadows to get a look out the window. In the story below he initially sees nothing but as he continues to look he sees a few figures slowly creeping through the brush behind the house.
Rushing back to Katara he grabs their clothes and shakes her awake. "Wh-" she's cut off with one of his hands over her mouth the other he puts to his lips signaling her to be quiet before handing her clothes and gesturing her to follow him.
The reason he picked this house is because there was a secret closet like nook hidden in one of the walls and it was time to put it to use hoping that whoever was out there didn't know about it.
"What are we doing?" She whispered as he closed the door behind them. "Listen." And then she heard it too the foot steps in the sand. They were close. "Let's go get them." "If it's Raisi's men like I'm pretty sure it is they are trained chi blockers we won't stand a chance with how many there are out there." "I'm a master waterbender Zuko not a child-" "Don't you understand," He growled lowly. "We can't take them all not with their chi blocking. If he finds you he will take you away and I might not be able to stop it." She finally nodded and soon they heard the door to the house creak open.
Zuko pulled her close to him. His breathing was frenzied, eyes bright with emotion Katara had only seen once. Zuko was not angry, or in a fury, he was terrified. She thought back to a year ago when he had an Agni Kai with his sister and she tried to fire lightning at her. She somehow knew it was crucial that she remain in Zukos hands. Without thinking the waterbender grabbed his robes, bunching it in her fists, and pulled him closer the sudden fear of losing him again becoming real. Zuko put his forehead to hers breathing in, taking in the moment they had.
Minutes passed and it sounded like the soldiers were gone the two benders left the hiding place and headed for the brush knowing they could escape from there it being too thick to try and see or follow them.
"There they are!" Raisi's soldiers yelled seeing the two across the sand just before they made it to the brush. Zuko pushed katara in the opposite direction just before the heat erupted. She took off toward the brush ready to cover Zuko until he could make it to her when she smacked into someone.
"Ahh finally we meet." Katara looked up at the man a scar ran from his temple to the opposite cheek. Raisi Juh. Before she could do anything Raisi wrapped a thick arm around her neck and held her against him a palm of fire in his other. "Tell the Fire Lord to stop." He whispered in the girls ear, who stayed silent as she temporarily struggled against him before the fire got hotter and closer to her face. "Zuko stop." Katara called out, he instantly turned and noticed the situation before coming to a stop fighting the others. Raisi smiled triumphantly at the fact he had the Fire Lords attention.
Raisi moved aside Katara's hair and smelled her neck grinning wider as the girl squirmed away from him and Zuko take a threatening step towards them. Raisi threw him a challenging glare. "Now Fire Lord are you going to behave and cooperate? Or do you need incentive." "You wouldn't dare harm her?" "Oh really? Let's test that shall we?" Raisi reached to his side and with the once flaming hand pulled out a knife and held it to her cheek. Katara hissed in pain and he drew a line across it crimson blood dripping from it. "Still want to test me Fire Lord Zuko?" He challenged the knife now to her throat. Zuko held up his hands surrendering, two guards cams up hitting pressure points he knew his chi was blocked. Raisi handed Katara off and circled Zuko, who didn't take his eyes away from Katara. Then Zuko felt a sharp pain at his temple before things started to go black. The last thing he saw was Katara yelling a pulling against the guards.

Zuko awoke to a throbbing head and was in chains arms spread apart. "Good to see you awake." "Where am I?" He asked looking around not yet seeing who he was replying to. "Doesn't matter we have you and the waterbender." You're fight is with me not her." Zuko said pulling at the chains. Raisi came into view smirking. "Actually she's who he's after. She's step one of the plan." "What plan." "My plan to take back everything I've ever wanted..and then some." A voice said. Ozia stepped into the cell two guards holding Katara between the two. "Zuko!" Katara cried. Trying her best to reach him but hands grabbed at her arms holding her away. The thought of anyone touching Katara made Zuko heat up. "Keep your hands off her!" He hissed lunging forward pulling the chains that held him.
"Ah ah. Not yet she is needed. After some studying we found she's the one that hold everything together, not only are you and the Avatar romantically involved with her but she's the Southern Water Tribes chief's sister and the master waterbender of the Northern Tribe. She's the bargaining chip I need for my come back." "So what next you use her to make everyone bow down to you it won't happen." Zuko spat. "No I use her, end the Avatar the first one standing in my way. Then you will fall shortly after since I've already got you that won't be hard. Everything else will fall into place." "So you're gonna leave us locked up then?" "Oh no, until needed you'll remain here, and as a reward for catching you, she belongs to Raisi until she's fulfilled her part." Zuko's father smirked at the color that left his sons face.
Once Ozia left, Raisi returned to Zukos side standing behind him looking over the mans shoulder so their eyes looked at the same terrified girl. "I too will get to take everything I've ever wanted. First I'm going to take the girl...repeatedly." He grinned as Zuko thrashed in his chains. "Chain her up and take her to my chambers. I have some work to get done." Raisi snapped at the guards before leaving the four of them. One guard let go of her so he could grab some cuffs.
"Zuko no!" Her sudden pull against them after how still she had been helped her get out of the hold on her as rushed to him. "I..." she started tears welling up in her eyes unable to finish not knowing exactly what to say in the seconds they had to spare. They leaned forward lips inches apart but before they could meet they were yanked apart again. "Katara!" He yelled as they tried to drag her out of the room.
Zuko didn't know if the blocking had worn off or if by some miracle of him willing it to come back he felt the chains melt from aground his wrists. His rage, from the thought of someone else touching her and her screams calling for him, raising his body temperature to to point it almost hurt. One good yank on the chains and his hands were free he wasted no time taking them by surprise, their whole focus was on Katara, and swiftly knocking them out. He grabbed the key holder from one of the guards belts and locked them in.
"We need to find a way out fast." Zuko whispered looking down the hall his hand never letting go of hers. After a series of hallways and turns they were trapped guards on patrol coming toward them. "In here." Katara said opening a door and pulling Zuko inside.
An empty bedroom. Raisi's from the look of everything. "A window come on. He'll be coming soon." They looked down to the sea beneath them. Katara looked worried knowing her bending wasn't to full power yet. "We'll be ok." Zuko assured her kissing the hand that held his own. She nodded determined at him even know she felt he was lying. And together they leaped from the window.

Two plunged into the icy water below but only one resurfaced. "Zuko?" She called but also tried to be quiet so not to get noticed if they hadn't already. Panic started to rise in her chest. Soon he popped up gasping for air instantly searching for her. "Katara you alright?" He asking swimming closer to her. "I'm fine but we have to find a boat or something I'm not all full bending yet and they will know we're gone soon." Zuko searched the bay and noticed a boat. It looked small enough that they'd be able to steer it themselves.

They climbed aboard and quickly checked and it was empty. "I can operate it but they'll know. Are you able to get us out of here?" Zuko asked looking to her. "I can try." She nodded. Once making sure everything was ready she went on deck and took a deep calming breath. Water around the boat became higher and quick and quietly the boat began to move out to sea. Zuko listened carefully for any sign that they had been spotted and once far enough he got it going. After checking a few maps and finding their location he sett a course for Ba Sing Se, knowing if they couldn't find Aang there they'd at least find General Iroh who would help until they got word to the Avatar.
Once things were settled Zuko went to the captains courters knowing that's where Katara was. She sat on the bed, water bended from from her clothes, and wrapped in a blanket but still was shivering. Zuko slipped onto the bed next to her and pulled her into his lap listening to her sigh against his heated skin, he rested his head on top of hers.
"I though I lost you." She whispered after a few minutes. "Lost me?" "Raisi, he hit your head, you were bleeding, then you stopped moving..I.." he could hear her voice catching and felt the wetness his his arms so he held her tighter. "I begged them to let me heal you..Raisi offered a deal in exchange, said if he let me do something I'd have to let him do something in return." The hairs stood up on the back of his neck knowing what that meant, Zuko pulled her away from him checking her over seeing if there was any sign that someone's hands but his had toughed her. "I'm going to kill him I swear I will." "Before I could agree a guard reminded him that Ozai wants to alive so he had no choice but to let me heal you." she whispered pulling his face to meet hers. "He didn't.." Zuko trailed on. She shook her head.
"Why would you almost agree to that Katara?" Zuko paced the room angry and he knew it shouldn't be all directed at her but he was also angry with her. "Zuko you would do anything for me if the roles were reversed." Katara said trying to calm him down. "That's not the point! Do you know what he would have done to you!" "Yes I know Zuko! But that was the second time you almost died over me!" "And I'd do it 1000 more times I'd do whatever I have to do to save you and keep you from harms way!" "Then why does it matter if I try to do the same?" "Because!" "Because why?" "Because I love you!" Zuko shouted the flames from the candles shooting up with the shout.
Once realizing what he said they both sucked in a breath but he didn't wait around for the next response he returned to the bridge.