Chapter 6- The Thieves
Team Avatar stood up from their chairs and looked at the teens.
“Who in here was money?” The main one asked.
No one answered.
“We can do this the easy way, or the hard way,” He threatened them.
Still no one replied.
One of the other teenagers turned to their leader and said, “They obviously want to play the hard way, Lee.”
“You’re right,” Lee agreed, smiling evilly.
He scanned across the room, searching for something or someone. Then his eyes landed on Katara. Katara grew chills up her arms.
“You,” Lee said.
He walked up to Katara and nearly got in her face.
“You look like a pretty girl with a lot of money…so…,” Lee said. “Where is it?”
Katara bended water out of her pouch strapped to her and whipped it at Lee. He stumbled back in shock.
“Get out of here,” Katara told him angrily. “Before we make you.”
Aang, Sokka, Toph and Suki walked over to where Katara and Zuko were. Lee looked and them.
“Looks like we have a whole group to steal from,” he assumed. He seemed to be looking at what they wore. “And they’re from around the world.”
Aang walked a step closer.
“I am the Avatar,” he announced. “My friends and I are here with the Fire Lord.”
He pointed his staff across his friends at Zuko.
“If you don’t leave this store immediately we’ll have you arrested,” Aang threatened.
At first Lee looked surprised. Then an evil smile spread back on his face. His four friends suddenly attacked team Avatar, shooting fire at them and throwing kicks and punches. They ducked and fought back. While they were distracted, Lee ran up behind Katara who was about to water-bend at his friend and grabbed her. She tried to bend more water from her pouch, but Lee held her hands tight behind her back. He stepped back away from the fight. Everybody looked at Lee and Katara.
“Let her go,” Zuko growled.
“Only if you hand me a great amount of gold pieces,” Lee told them. “If you don’t, your friend here will get fried.”
He grabbed Katara tighter. She gritted her teeth angrily at him.
“We’ll never give you anything,” Suki said.
“Wrong answer,” Lee said.
One of his friends went up to Katara and raised his fist, about to blast her with fire.
With a whoosh of his staff, Aang air-blasted him and he went flying into a wall. Toph earth-bended the earth just under Lee. He crashed through the roof. Katara used her water to whip the rest of the guys out the shop with one, long water whip. Once she did that, team Avatar ran out of the shop.
“What do we do now?” Suki asked as they ran.
“We can leave them to the town’s soldiers,” Zuko answered. “We need to move on.”
They all understood. They were re-united with Appa and they flew off again.
That night they made camp in a grassy clearing. Tomorrow after a few more hours of flying, they’ll be at the Earth Kingdom.
In her tent, Katara worried for Zuko. There were so many towns in the Earth Kingdom; they would be about fifty years old by the time they searched in every one of them. What if they could never find her?
“Katara?” Aang’s voice interrupted her thoughts. He must’ve walked in the tent while she was thinking.
“Oh! Hey, Aang,” Katara said.
He sat down next to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“I’m sorry about what happened today at the shop,” Aang told her.
“It’s okay. They were nothing we couldn’t handle,” Katara assured him.
“I was just saying that because you seem sad. Is everything fine?” he asked.
Katara looked into his eyes and said, “I’m worried for Zuko and his mom. The Earth Kingdom…it’s just so big…”
She looked down, trying to hide her downcast expression. Mistaking it for a sign to kiss her, Aang leaned in and placed his lips on hers. Katara pulled back suddenly. Even though Aang was her boyfriend, she wasn’t expecting a kiss at that moment, nor wanted one.
Aang stared at her feeling surprised, confused, and hurt.
“I’m sorry,” Katara apologized, placing her hand on his face. “I just need some air.”
She attempted a smile for reassurance and headed out the tent.
Team Avatar stood up from their chairs and looked at the teens.
“Who in here was money?” The main one asked.
No one answered.
“We can do this the easy way, or the hard way,” He threatened them.
Still no one replied.
One of the other teenagers turned to their leader and said, “They obviously want to play the hard way, Lee.”
“You’re right,” Lee agreed, smiling evilly.
He scanned across the room, searching for something or someone. Then his eyes landed on Katara. Katara grew chills up her arms.
“You,” Lee said.
He walked up to Katara and nearly got in her face.
“You look like a pretty girl with a lot of money…so…,” Lee said. “Where is it?”
Katara bended water out of her pouch strapped to her and whipped it at Lee. He stumbled back in shock.
“Get out of here,” Katara told him angrily. “Before we make you.”
Aang, Sokka, Toph and Suki walked over to where Katara and Zuko were. Lee looked and them.
“Looks like we have a whole group to steal from,” he assumed. He seemed to be looking at what they wore. “And they’re from around the world.”
Aang walked a step closer.
“I am the Avatar,” he announced. “My friends and I are here with the Fire Lord.”
He pointed his staff across his friends at Zuko.
“If you don’t leave this store immediately we’ll have you arrested,” Aang threatened.
At first Lee looked surprised. Then an evil smile spread back on his face. His four friends suddenly attacked team Avatar, shooting fire at them and throwing kicks and punches. They ducked and fought back. While they were distracted, Lee ran up behind Katara who was about to water-bend at his friend and grabbed her. She tried to bend more water from her pouch, but Lee held her hands tight behind her back. He stepped back away from the fight. Everybody looked at Lee and Katara.
“Let her go,” Zuko growled.
“Only if you hand me a great amount of gold pieces,” Lee told them. “If you don’t, your friend here will get fried.”
He grabbed Katara tighter. She gritted her teeth angrily at him.
“We’ll never give you anything,” Suki said.
“Wrong answer,” Lee said.
One of his friends went up to Katara and raised his fist, about to blast her with fire.
With a whoosh of his staff, Aang air-blasted him and he went flying into a wall. Toph earth-bended the earth just under Lee. He crashed through the roof. Katara used her water to whip the rest of the guys out the shop with one, long water whip. Once she did that, team Avatar ran out of the shop.
“What do we do now?” Suki asked as they ran.
“We can leave them to the town’s soldiers,” Zuko answered. “We need to move on.”
They all understood. They were re-united with Appa and they flew off again.
That night they made camp in a grassy clearing. Tomorrow after a few more hours of flying, they’ll be at the Earth Kingdom.
In her tent, Katara worried for Zuko. There were so many towns in the Earth Kingdom; they would be about fifty years old by the time they searched in every one of them. What if they could never find her?
“Katara?” Aang’s voice interrupted her thoughts. He must’ve walked in the tent while she was thinking.
“Oh! Hey, Aang,” Katara said.
He sat down next to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“I’m sorry about what happened today at the shop,” Aang told her.
“It’s okay. They were nothing we couldn’t handle,” Katara assured him.
“I was just saying that because you seem sad. Is everything fine?” he asked.
Katara looked into his eyes and said, “I’m worried for Zuko and his mom. The Earth Kingdom…it’s just so big…”
She looked down, trying to hide her downcast expression. Mistaking it for a sign to kiss her, Aang leaned in and placed his lips on hers. Katara pulled back suddenly. Even though Aang was her boyfriend, she wasn’t expecting a kiss at that moment, nor wanted one.
Aang stared at her feeling surprised, confused, and hurt.
“I’m sorry,” Katara apologized, placing her hand on his face. “I just need some air.”
She attempted a smile for reassurance and headed out the tent.
