One Month Later,

D

arkness fell everywhere in the old Fire Nation Prison. It was the most secured one, the Prison of the Capital. The only sources of light were the torches that spread sporadically at the heavy stoned halls. There were guards outside each most important villain's cell. At the left side of the tower, there was only one, Ozai. Only one guard stood outside of the cell. The other guards were on the other side of the tower.

It'd passed hours of standing, unmoved, his legs wanted to inflect and rest for a while, but his post wouldn't allow him to do so. He felt a strong hit at his head with the bricks of the wall behind him, as if someone pushed him or forced him to hit his head on the wall. Blood slipped out of his shuttered skull coloring his pitch black hair with its deep red color.

The guard fell down at the floor. His blood slipping in the cracks on the floor from the plaques it was build from. The intruder looked down at him with a smirk on his lips. The hall's darkness fell on his face, anyone who would barge in, wouldn't be able to recognize him.

The intruder walked in the cell. The man behind the bars, Ozai, wasn't sleeping. He sat straight. An evil smile creaked over Ozai's lips, fists clenching, legs crossed. He'd been waiting for that visit for far too long.

And he knew, that, would be his chance, not just out of the bars, but a chance for revenge...

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"We're here! We're finally here!" Aang's voice sounded excited.

Iris's eyes snapped open and she sat straight on the saddle. It'd been a whole night of journey on Appa towards the Fire Nation Capital. Sokka, Toph and Katara were there too. Everyone would be there. It was Zuko's Nineteenth Birthday.

Aang wrapped Appa's reins directing the bison down, closer to the ground. Appa covered some height with the ground with a sudden shift in the air. Toph's shout heard as she slipped from the one side of the saddle to the other. She wrapped her hands immediately around anything that would keep her from falling.

Sokka gasped surprised when he noticed Toph having her hands wrapped around his torso. Face pressed on his chest and eyes shut closed, waiting terrifyingly, for a strong impact.

"Aang! A little warning next time?!" Sokka asked irritatingly as he passed one hand around Toph.

"I think we'd all appreciate that," Katara said half awake from her sleeping bag.

"Sorry, guys, I'm just excited to see Zuko," Aang apologized.

"Wasn't Iris supposed to be excited about seeing Zuko?" Toph asked pulling away from Sokka.

"Who said I wasn't?" Iris asked and she sat beside her brother on the saddle.

She knew everyone would notice the ring on her finger, so she wrapped it in a thread around her neck with the Defender's Pendant, and it wasn't visible to anyone... well, except Toph. Caldera City could be seen from above. It was such a beautiful City, the Palace lied in the middle and there was a lake in the Royal Garden. Iris smiled, that was where he had proposed to her. She couldn't wait until they'd reach the Palace and see him again. It'd been a month, and she had missed him.

They finally landed on the Palace's yard. The servants would take care of Appa and one of the guards guided them in the Throne Room. Zuko held some documents in his hands and he was discussing something with General Mak. At first, he seemed too busy to notice the others being there, until the guard, who escorted them through there, caught his attention.

"Fire Lord Zuko, your guests have arrived,"

Zuko lifted his gaze at the others. Eyes widening in surprise and excitement, he smiled widely and he walked hastily towards his friends. His gaze firstly fell at Iris and he pulled her in a tight hug.

"I missed you," Zuko said taking a deep breath from her hair and closing his eyes briefly.

"I missed you too," Iris said pulling back. Zuko lifted her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her palm, eyes locking... until Aang pulled Zuko in a tight hug.

Zuko smiled tapping his friend's back.

"I've been waiting the whole month for this!" Aang said excitedly pulling back and giving a wide smile at his best friend.

"So, I suppose you've prepared quite a celebration, huh?" Toph asked.

"With a big banquet, I hope!" Sokka said.

"Well, I've assigned the whole party-setting to my mother. She always liked decorating stuff," Zuko said smiling.

"That's great, Zuko," Katara said.

Zuko's smile disappeared as he gave a look back at the documents he held in his hands.

"What's wrong?" Iris asked worriedly.

"This morning, the soldier that guarded Ozai's cell was found dead," Zuko said darkly "...but Ozai was still inside,"

"Any suspicion or clue of who could have done it?" Sokka asked raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms and placing the one on his chin.

"No, we found nothing," Zuko answered.

"How did he exactly die?" Iris asked.

"The doctors diagnosed a crack on the soldier's skull and terrible hemorrhage," General Mak said making some steps closer.

"So someone threw a stone on his head," Toph suggested.

"Or someone hit his head on the wall," Sokka said.

"Both possible, we'll continue the research," General Mak said and then he bowed at Zuko taking the documents back "Fire Lord..." he said firmly and then he bowed at Iris and Aang "...Avatar, Defender," and he walked away.

"Zuko, we need to see the crime scheme," Aang said.

"I was going to suggest the same," Zuko said looking at Toph and Iris "Toph, we'll be interrogating Ozai, I need you to see if he's lying. Iris, please try and read his mind,"

"Of course, Zuko,"

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Sokka knelt on the floor. Some sticky remaining of blood was stuck on the plaques. He had suggested checking the area for any clues, despite the hundreds of times Zuko's soldiers had inspected it. Sokka was sure his 'detective' skills would see something no one else saw.

He touched the sticky blood, taking a good look at its color and then he woke up looking at the wall close to it. There was indeed a familiar color on the bricks that was different from their normal red shade. It was the same color with the blood on the floor.

His hand slipped at a black burn mark on the wall. His eyebrow twitched. He touched the burn and it was indeed covered with black ash. Why would the wall be burnt?

Let's take this from the beginning: So, probably the intruder hit the soldier's head on the wall. It takes a lot of strength, since the skull nearly shuttered. It must be a man. Sokka thought and he looked again at the black ashes that were stuck on the wall. What is this burn mark doing here?

He crossed his arms and then he looked around the hall he stood in. Sokka was sure that something in there could possibly have the answer to his question. He noticed the torches that were spread sporadically on the walls, they were all turned to the same direction, all placed in the same perfect position.

Sokka turned around and looked at the torch on the wall close to the crime scheme. His eyes widened... Bingo!

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Toph, Iris and Sokka walked in Ozai's cell. He was sitting cross-legged, fists on his knees, his hair fell on his face and his shoulders. There was light coming out of the window and there was also a torch on the right wall.

Toph sat cross-legged in front of him, she placed both opened palms on the floor so she could take a good reading on him. Iris and Sokka sat beside her on their knees. Ozai didn't speak, he raised his gaze and it fell immediately on Iris. A smile creaked over the corners of his lips.

"We'll get right down to business," Sokka said "What happened last night?" he asked.

"You mean in here or outside?" Ozai asked, knowing exactly what he meant. He just wanted to mess around with them and waste their time.

"In here," Sokka answered.

Ozai chuckled "You think I'll tell you?"

"We're not expecting you to. That's why we brought the Defender," Sokka said giving a short look at Iris, smirking.

"The Defender?" Ozai asked and then he started laughing ironically "How can you call such a person 'friend' after everything she's done?"

Toph growled angrily and she tried to wake up and kick his ass, but Sokka wrapped her hand and shoved her back down. Iris bit her lip harshly.

"You know nothing about her past, don't you?" Ozai asked.

With a sudden motion he woke up and he tried to reach close to the bars, close to Iris, but the chains that were tied around his neck shoved him back down.

His sick gaze fell on her "There are so many victims... so many deaths, so much blood on her hands. Once your true identity is out, the people will come storming for revenge. Then the Defender's title won't be enough to save you, you'll have nowhere to run!" he said hatefully.

Iris gritted her teeth powerfully that her jaw ached. She would never be able to forget her past, and the terrible things she was forced to do to survive. After all that time of finally getting to escape from it, there she was, getting accused once again about all of them.

"Iris," Sokka's voice heard from behind as he touched her shoulder "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

Iris didn't look at Sokka, she kept her hateful gaze pinned on Ozai. "Just give me a second to concentrate," she said placing the tips of her two fingers on the right side of her forehead and she tried to read his mind.

~ {0} ~

"The agents have finally reunited, everything is settled. The Red Leader is welcoming you, Phoenix King Ozai. You'll have your revenge soon," The Man said as he bowed respectfully.

Iris couldn't recognize his voice or make out his face. Neither Ozai knew who he was, but he knew the reason he was there. Iris tried to read further into his memories, into his thoughts, but she found nothing alike.

Nothing that had to do with agents or 'Red Leaders'...

What is going on?

~ {0} ~

"You won't take much from me. I don't know everything. I just made an agreement," Ozai said and Iris opened her eyes looking at him.

"What kind of agreement?!" Iris demanded.

"If your friend is as smart as he thinks he is, I don't need to say anything," Ozai said giving a brief look at Sokka.

Sokka seemed to understand. His eyes widening as if had figured something really terrible and important.

"Who is the Red Leader?!" Iris demanded.

Ozai shrugged indifferently "I don't know,"

Sokka growled angrily "Don't lie!" And he tried to wake up but Toph placed her hand on his chest shoving him back down.

"He's not lying!" Toph said and Sokka looked at her confusedly "Ozai's being sincere he doesn't even know who this 'Red Leader' guy is or who they are,"

"Toph... are you sure?" Sokka asked confused.

"Toph's right," Iris said testing the vibrations once again.

"We gotta tell Zuko,"

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Team Avatar gathered at the Throne Room. Sokka and Iris explained everything about their conversation with Ozai. Sokka said he also found out how the guard died. He said that the intruder took the torch from the wall and hit the guard's head. Thus, there was still blood stuck on the wall, and a burn mark, though, the torch close to this area was the only one in different position than the others.

"So what is that agreement?" Aang asked looking worriedly at Iris, Toph and Sokka.

"What did you figure out, Sokka?" Katara asked looking at her brother.

"It's simple. Ozai mentioned something about victims of Iris's past so, probably, the guys, he's working with, want Iris dead. Ozai probably wants to be freed. Taking out Iris is a way to take his revenge, not just to you..." Sokka said pointing at Iris and then he turned at Zuko and Aang "...to all of you,"

"What does that supposed to mean?!" Aang demanded angrily, fists clenching.

"Ozai's freedom for Iris's life," Sokka answered darkly.

Zuko growled angrily and he buried his face in his hands, gritting his teeth, trying to maintain his anger. Aang kicked the floor growling as well in anger. Katara gasped and Toph's jaw dropped in surprise.

Iris just moved her head negatively, practically in need to laugh at the irony. She had given anything to stop this war. She'd been tortured, imprisoned, she had lost her own humanity for the future generations of the world to live in freedom, and there were still people that wanted her dead.

"No!" Zuko snapped. He turned at Iris, noticing the bitter look on her face. He cupped her cheek "I won't let that happen. I'm not gonna let any of them touch you,"

"I can take care of myself, Zuko," Iris said stubbornly moving away from his touch, but Zuko held her tightly in place.

"I know you can, but I still got your back. I love you, Iris, I can't lose you," Zuko said worriedly.

"You won't lose me, Zuko, you won't," Iris said cupping his face.

"We all got your back," Sokka's voice heard from behind and they snapped away from each other.

Aang took his sister's hand in his giving her a consoling smile. Iris forced a smile back at her brother and he hugged her tightly for a brief moment.

"Where do we even start?" Katara asked.

"Yeah, we have no idea about what their plans and who those guys are," Toph said crossing her arms.

A small moment of silence fell, all trying to figure something out. The possible sources where they could find out either the enemy's identity or their intentions... until Sokka said.

"Zuko, do you still have Iris's biography? Like who people she killed, their numbers, their names?" Sokka asked.

Iris sighed heavily and buried her face in her hands. Aang placed a hand on her shoulder and Zuko looked angrily at Sokka "For Agni's sake, Sokka! Stop talking about it!" he exclaimed.

"No," Iris said trying to remain calm and she placed her hand on Zuko's shoulder "...it's okay..." Zuko took her hand in his giving it a gentle squeeze and she forced a smile at him, assuring him that she was okay. "...let's start from that,"

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Here it is, guys! Tell me, do you like the plot so far? I know it's only been a chapter but the next chapters are gonna be a lot more... sad (No spoilers! *giggle*)

I hope you liked it and if you did Vote and Comment me your ideas!

:)