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Katara slowly trudged towards her house in the upper part of the North Pole; her feet were sore from helping with repairs and her throat hoarse from her argument with Zuko. He was getting on her last nerves lately; he thought she was so weak and fragile. Earlier this week when she’d yelped from accidently touching a scalding pan he’d rushed to her side and almost dragged her to the hospital; then today he arranged a personal escort to follow her around, when she found out she’d forced the escort to tell her where he was, and when she found him she smacked him so hard it echoed across half the city. She was so fucking pissed off she’d probably punch the next person who got in her way.
She kept to the side streets and shadows, having to cross a bridge only once; she was almost to her- theirs, hers and Zuko’s- house when she was grabbed from behind. She struggled to gain footing or summon water, but a few quick jabs to her arms and she was limp as a noodle. Her attacker covered her mouth and noise with a cloth that reeked of sleeping medicine; she tried to hold her breathe but accidently breathed a little bit of it in. She struggled to stay awake as her vision swam before her, but even she couldn’t defy gravity.
Zuko slowly made his way home feeling like a complete dick. All he had wanted to do was protect Katara and in trying to do so he’d forgotten how strong and powerful she was.
She had had every right to slap in front of everyone; she deserved better than him.
I am such an ass. How will she ever forgive me?
Zuko was just about to round the corner to the street their house lie on when he heard a shuffle of footsteps of to his left. He stopped in his tracks and listened intently for anymore noises, the whiz of an arrow had him sending a tongue of flame off to his left. A pile of dust fell to the ground- the lethal arrow. Had he not been paying attention he would have been tackled to the ground from behind, ducking quickly he caught his opponent off guard flipping him over his head and onto the hard icy ground. Zuko summoned fire daggers and crossed them as the attackers’ throat; the attacker looked fire nation but wore no signaling clothing.
“Who are you? Who sent you?” Zuko demanded afraid he might be ambushed any minute.
“My name is Wong Lee, please I’m a simple traveler. I had no choice, he has my children” The man said frantically, his face livid with fear.
“Who sent you?” Zuko repeated again, his voice lethal as a knife.
The man gulped and tried to say something but just as he was about to an arrow flew out of nowhere and lodged in the side of his neck. He flailed for a moment trying desperately to dislodge the arrow, but in the end he choked on his own blood. A puddle of blood began to spread all around the man’s’ head and the stench of iron filled the air.
His only witness, dead. Zuko was fretting having to deal with this threat when a thought finally burst into his head, where was Katara?
Zuko jumped over the body and practically flew around the corner, down the street, up the front steps and through the open door. Nothing was out of place or broken and no lights were on; the house was as silent as a tomb. Zuko called Katara’s name several times as he searched the house for her slim form, but she was nowhere to be found. He was alone and Katara was long gone. Zuko fell into a nearby chair trying desperately to think of where she could be, but even as he sat there he knew she wasn’t late she had been attacked like him and kidnapped.
Who would want to kidnap her? One of our enemies? Which one? There’s so many.
Maybe the body could give him a clue; he ran back to where the body had been, but it was gone. Who could’ve taken it? There wasn’t even a pot of blood left in the snow. Zuko frantically searched the area, but it was squeaky clean; there was no evidence of who came or where they went, nothing but a note tacked to a nearby building that read.
I have her and unless you come alone, she’ll die by the fiery fist of justice.
-Z
Zuko’s vision turned red, balling his fists he breathed fire and the note was nothing but ash. Zuko couldn’t believe what mess he’d gotten himself and Katara into now. He prayed to the spirits that she was alive and not hurt, and if she had even the slightest scratch he’d make them pay. He’d make Zhao pay for this cruel trick. The situation looked grave, but Zuko would do anything to get back his beloved- even kill.