Chapter XIX - Turmoil

It wasn't the first time she was working undercover. But it was the first time she was doing it alone. The helmet was doing a pretty good job covering her face. Iris was anything but scared. She was only trying to come up with a plan whilst executing the orders of her superiors. If she made any suspicious moves, she was sure that she wouldn't be able to fight them all on her own.

But she had one advantage. She was on the inside. She had eavesdropped and she was already aware of their plans. They were going to attack the Water Tribes first. It made sense that they would. The Water Tribes were smaller in size and population, making them easy to defeat. But they had formed alliances with both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, especially the Southern Water Tribe.

The Southern Water Tribe didn't have lots of benders. Which meant, that there wasn't enough chi for the chi-deprived citizens of the Nadilva Tribe. This idea wasn't so smart after all. She couldn't expect anything more from Jet and Nergratia who were leading the Revolution. They named it Predominant Order. More than the two thirds of the SRC were followers of that idea.

It took Iris some time, but she did find where her father had been held. It was a cell, but it wasn't just any cell. It was bigger and he was just locked and lived in it. She hadn't found her daughter. She didn't know where they were keeping her, but she wanted to gut herself in the idea of her being dead. She didn't care much about her father's physical condition. She only wanted to find her father because he potentially knew where hers and Sokka's daughter was.

Huang jumped on his feet when he saw a soldier entering his cell. Something about that soldier told him that they were not a threat. But he still threw a protective hand over the servant and Karel that she held in her hands. Iris threw a glare behind the helmet that she wore towards the woman who held her daughter.

"Leave us," She said coldly. The woman shakily nodded before she set off to leave the room with the child in her hands. "Hand me the child," Iris said and before the woman had the chance to comply, Huang fell in the way.

"Touch her, and I promise you will die by my hand,"

Iris sighed before she took off the helmet and dropped it on the floor, revealing her face. Huang let out a sigh of relief and he retreated. The woman handed her Karel and Iris didn't waste a moment to bring her close and kiss her little forehead. She sighed. That child was the reason she couldn't be with Zuko. She cursed and thanked Karel's existence every single day.

"What are you doing here?" Huang asked.

"I'm taking my daughter out of here,"

"Wait! You can't leave, this is your people, Iris, if they go on with this plan, they're going to get to get slaughtered,"

"They're not my people," Iris hissed. "You failed, father. I thought you had complete control over your subjects,"

"The SRCs are tired. They're tired of hiding,"

"Doesn't mean they should wipe out the entire world!" Iris growled.

"I agree. I need your help, daughter. I can't do this alone,"

Iris gave her old man a considerate look before she looked down at Karel. She didn't want her daughter to grow up into a terrorized world. Iris sighed heavily before she turned at her father.

"You better have a plan,"

Huang nodded. "I do,"

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It took no more than a few hours for the team to reach Yu Dao. Sokka had sent a Messenger Hawk to Suki, notifying her of their arrival. Aang had insisted there was no reason alarm Zuko about Iris's condition if they didn't first make sure whether she was with him. The Fire Lord would be staying at the estate that he had built for the couple of days that it would take for the negotiations to be complete.

Appa landed nearby and the team jumped in the large, green garden where the Fire Lord and two Kyoshi Warriors awaited.

"So nice to see you, buddy!" Aang said excitedly before he pulled Zuko in a tight hug and pulled back.

Zuko smiled at his friend before he turned at Sokka and punched him across the face. It happened so fast, Sokka didn't even get the time to react or do anything to evade. And the punch was strong enough to break a tooth or two.

"Whoah!"

"What the hell?!"

"Back the fuck down, Zuko!" Katara got in the way. She shot him that same glare she had shot him when she threatened him back then in the Western Air Temple. She got in her stance. Her hand was on her pouch around her waist.

Zuko did not back down like he had backed down back then. She didn't know. None of them knew what was really going on. "Get out of the way, Katara. I won't say it twice," He created a flame in his hand, and for a moment, he did think of taking those breathing exercises that Iroh had taught him to control his anger.

"What's wrong with you?!" Katara cried out.

"Zuko, what the hell?!" Suki cried out.

"Maybe we should all calm down and talk this through," Aang suggested hopelessly falling in the middle.

"Not all problems are solved by talking them through, Aang," Zuko growled.

"You better watch how you address to my boyfriend-"

"It's alright, Katara, I deserve this," Sokka said and everybody turned and looked at him surprised and confused.

Only Toph had her eyes closed and her hands crossed against her chest with a smirk on her face. "So, you're gonna let him kick your ass or what?" She asked, she was clearly amused by all this.

"Why let him?! What's going?!" Suki asked confusedly but she received no response.

"Enough with the drama!" Toph cut in before she stepped between Katara, Aang and Zuko and pushed them away from each other. "Dramaqueen has been kidnapped by the SRCs. Unless you wanna be too late to her rescue, I suggest you assholes solve whatever stupidity it is that's going on, some other -fuckin'- time!" (A/N: I'd let Toph step on me ngl 😩)

At that, Zuko's expression softened and the flame disappeared from his hand. He turned and looked at Toph and the others and he got off his stance. "She has been..." he stammered before he shook his head. His heart beat fast. He did want to have a few words with her, but in no way did he want her to get harmed.

"She's not with you, is she?" Sokka asked.

"No," Zuko shook his head before he chuckled bitterly. "I thought she'd be with you," He shot Sokka another glare and Sokka regretfully shook his head. Zuko frowned. "Some friend you are," He turned around to walk back into the building "Follow me,"

Tea was served. The team sat around the couches of the living room, and for once, Katara was surprised to find that Sokka wasn't eating anything of whatever cookies were served with the tea. She knew something was going terribly wrong. Something that her brother wasn't telling her. And something that she knew Toph was suspecting.

Only Zuko was standing. He was staring at the dusk outside of the window with his back turned against the team. He sighed heavily as the team explained what had been going on. He couldn't say whether he wanted to help to Iris's rescue. He loved her. He loved her but she had broken his heart in the vilest of ways. He had accepted it all. Everything that she had ever thrown at him, he had taken it all and he had still accepted her with open arms. But she left. She left and she had given him no choice.

"...if you could gather a few of your troops and help us-"

"No," He cut Aang midsentence. Zuko turned and looked at the surprised team. "Iris did something to me... something I cannot forgive. The Fire Nation has wasted too much of its time fighting senseless wars. I will protect my people should the SRC reach our doorstep. But here the SRCs and the Defender's rescue are the Avatar's and Earth King Kuei's problem,"

"You're kidding me?!" Aang cried out.

"You can't be possibly backing down!" Katara cried out.

Toph shrugged. "Meh," She expected this.

"I am," Zuko said before he turned around to leave the room, but Sokka's voice stopped him.

"She loves you," Sokka said and at that Zuko turned around and shot him a glare.

"She loves me?!" Zuko cried out. "Is that all that you have to say, Sokka?!" He pointed a finger at himself. "It was I who loved her, but she never felt the same,"

Sokka stood up. "How dare you say that?! Do you have any idea what she was made to do to keep you safe?! Do you have any idea what I had to do to keep you safe that one year we were undercover?! I learned how to kill, Zuko, and she taught me how. She had to go back to that part of herself that she hated. We had to kill so many people and blend into a society of murderers just, just for you, Zuko!"

"That doesn't excuse what you two did!"

"Enough!" "Enough!"

It was both Katara's and Aang's voices that came in unison. The two of them stood up and made sure they were standing between Sokka and Zuko. "I'm sure we all want to know whatever the fuck it is that the two of you are talking about, but my sister's life is in danger and I got no time to waste," Aang said angrily. "You two will stay here and solve whatever it is that you're fighting for. Katara, Toph and I will travel with Appa to Si Wong Desert to rescue my sister. Is that clear?"

Katara had a smirk on her lips as she leaned close to her boyfriend. "I love it when you get like that,"

"This is not the time, sweetie," Aang winked at her before he turned at the others.

Sokka and Zuko didn't show any sign of cooperation, but Aang hardly cared. Aang, Katara and Toph headed out of the room, but before they could leave the building, Zuko's voice stopped them.

"Wait,"

Aang turned and looked at his friend.

"The Kyoshi Warriors will assist you," 

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Thanks for reading! The ending is close! I estimate around five chapters left (maybe???). I will try to finally finish this book and finally give Iris's story an ending 😭 It's been a loooooong ride, hasn't it?

Thanks for sticking with me all those years omg ❤ 

Please Vote and Comment to lemme know what you think of it so far!

Love y'all~your author, Sandy ❤