"Jet," I repeated. "What brings you to attack us?"

"I thought you were Fire Nation," Jet said with a knowing smirk, twirling the weed in his mouth.

"D you want to see my hideout?" he said nicely, his eyebrows still arched in that half smirk.

"Yeah, we'd love to see your hideout," I smiled, and I felt Zuko tense behind me.

"Great," Jet smiled, satisfied, and waved his arm for us to follow him. As he walked, I put an arm around Zuko's shoulders.

"It's okay, Z," I grinned, "He's a nice guy. And he hates the Fire Nation, which means we can trust him, right?"

His amber eyes narrowed and he pushed me roughly, walking past me. I shook it off and walked to Zian who raised an eyebrow.

"Why did you let him push you?" Zian asked.

"Poor guy. I was mean to him. I deserved the push," I shrugged.

"Well, whatever. And what are you going to do about this boy's hatred for the Fire Nation?"

"I'll have to deal with it. I wanna know who he is, you know? How it feels like to be hated for once. If you know what I'm saying," I said to Zian, linking arms.

"Um, no. I don't get you." He furrowed his brow.

"Well, you know no one has ever hated me—"

"Are you sure about that?" he smirked.

I punched him lightly on the arm, pulling my other arm out of the link. "Aha-ha very funny." I rolled my eyes.

"Go catch up with your friend," he just laughed.

"Uh yeah, I think I'll do that," I said with a nod and ran towards Jet who was far up ahead.

A few minutes later, deep into the woods, Jet stopped. "Everyone, grab a handle!" he announced and grabbed a hold of one. They were hanging low from the trees, barely visible, and long. Zian grabbed up and was instantly yanked up, disappearing into the leaves. Jet's friends did too, until only Zuko, Jet and I were alone and there were two handles left. "Wanna come with?" Jet asked, stretching out his hand.

"Uh, no thanks, you can go on ahead. I'll be up there in a few," I said, taking a step back.

"Are you sure?" His smirk faded.

"Positive," I confirmed.

Jet blew out through his lips and grabbed a handle, yanking it, and then he disappeared.

I turned to Zuko.

"Why don't you trust the guy? He's helping us," I said.

"I don't and I never will. I'm not coming with you. He hates the Fire Nation," Zuko said dryly, "And that gives me no reason to like him, let alone trust him. I'm out." Zuko ripped off his straw hat and turned his back on me.

"Zuko, there's one handle left. Are you sure you want to do this?" I grabbed his arm to stop him.

He yanked it out of my grasp, his eyes shooting daggers into mine. "Yes."

"But we need you, Zuko. Zian and I. You're the only one that can help."

"Who? You?" Zuko whipped around. "Since we came here, everything's been about you! Do you think I wanted to be here? I only came because I respected my uncle," he said, towering over me as I leaned back under his powerful gaze. "He said maybe I'd learn something along the way. But all I've really learned is nothing but how to argue and how to blow out of control and get angry, and that doesn't help when you're me. Our situations are different, Ayame. They'll always be that: different. Do you know how much time I've wasted here while I could be put there, hunting the Avatar?" he swept his hand across the forest to emphasize his point. "You wasted all my time." He pointed at me. "And you're wasting even more of it, acting foolish and following this Jet guy. You're stubborn and selfish."

I realized I had shrunk all the way back against a tree, and I looked weak, so I stood up and got as tall as I could, which probably wasn't that tall because all I could see from a straight point of view was his neck.

"Do you think I want you to be here, complaining about my every move? If you hate it so much go back to your uncle!" I yelled back, furious. "All I've done is try to make you happy whenever you lie around and mourn over who knows what. All I want is for you to have some fun because you need it, and we all know it. So just lighten up for goodness sake!" I pushed him in anger. "And you're thankless and selfish. Your main goal is 'honor, honor!'" I mocked.

"Don't bring that in here," Zuko snarled.

"I have to because your brain is too damaged to realize that that your main goal should be is finding your destiny, not trying to follow a destiny someone's forced on you."

"I—"

"No 'I's," I stepped forward and grabbed his arm, holding on tightly, and in one quick movement I yanked the handle, and then we were zooming up the trees.

🔥🔥🔥

"Well, you're finally here," Jet smirked. I'm not sure if it was a smirk, but it was a half smile.

"Yeah." I nodded uneasily. "What do you need to show us?"

"Well, first off, you must be hungry. Come with me," he motioned for us to follow him.

We washed up and sat around a fire, when I realized I felt much safer up here than down there, like I was untouchable; sort of like . . . invincible, you know?

I looked around us as the sun began to set. "It's beautiful up here," I breathed.

"Yeah, and more importantly," Jet circled around me, "The Fire Nation can't find us up here."

As he said that, I gulped, keeping myself cool and cold in case my fire bending started acting up.

"Come sit." He pushed me to a table and we started to eat, everyone welcome. Many Freedom Fighters were sitting atop trees watching us, and I felt safe.

For once.

Suddenly, Jet stood up. "Today, we struck another blow against the Fire Nation swine," he began. Everyone cheered except for Zuko. "I got a special joy from the look on one soldier's face, when The Duke dropped down on his helmet and rode him like a wild hog monkey." The Duke, without his helmet, climbed up the table. Then, He marched on the table with his arms in the air. "Now, the Fire Nation thinks they don't have to worry about a couple of kids hiding in the trees." He prepared to take a drink from his wooden cup, "maybe they're right." A very loud and long boo was sent from everyone; angry faces peeking out at him. "Or maybe... they are dead wrong." Jet smirked. A loud and long cheer erupted from the trees and all around us as Jet came to sit beside me.

"Nice speech," I admitted, and he nodded.

"Thanks. We have to keep 'em going somehow, Longshot and I. They're strong and brave, and we have to keep their minds off their familes." Jet said as he sipped from his cup.

"Why? Are all their families . . . you know," I trailed off, unable to finish the sentence as I picked at a greasy bone on my plate.

"Yeah." Jet nodded, sorrow filling his eyes. "That's why we're Freedom Fighters. We fight for our freedom, from the Fire Nation." Jet leaned back on his arm against a tree trunk.

I choked on my water I was drinking and nearly spewed it all over the place.

"Sorry," I wheezed.

"No problem. Are you okay?" Jet asked, concerned.

"Yup," I wiped my mouth on the back of my wrist, "Water went down . . . Wrong way . . ."

Jet laughed. "You know, you're unlike and girl I've ever met."

"Well that's because the only girl you've ever met is Smellerbee," I pointed out, and we both cracked up.

"Good point. But you're just different."

"Is that good or bad?"

"However you want to take it."

I grinned. "You're fast at this."

"I've had past experiences," Jet said, folding his arms behind his neck to prop himself up against the trunk.

"Yeah? With who?" He flicked the bone away and it hit Pipsqueak in the head, who turned my way, his giant face angry. I averted my eyes quickly and acted casual.

"Nice cover up," Jet chuckled, slipping one of those weeds in the corner of his mouth.

"I've had past experience," I mocked with a smirk.

Jet laughed harder. "No one's talked to me that way before."

"Well I won't be the last, I can assure you that," I put in modestly.

Jet raised his fist and I knuckle punched him.

Looks like we were going to get along just fine.