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The training begins. Fire punches and fire kicks burn from one side of the ship to the other. You are both tired from today’s events and it’s noticeable. The cold does something to you. Even after you warm up, your body feels tired, heavy, you can’t move as well as usual.
It’s clear the cold took a greater toll on Zuko. He was unconscious under the freezing water for a good while and didn’t raise his temperature through bending like you did. His movements are sluggish, but he can keep up with you at certain points. The training session itself wasn’t going to be too productive today.
“There’s one thing I don’t understand.” Zuko says. “You’re being awfully nice.”
You simply continue to throw kicks at him, unwilling to hear out his thoughts. He dodges to the sides, using his arms to bend away the incoming fire that might’ve hit him.
“Before, I would’ve thought this was one of your ploys.” He continues as he fires a few fireballs that you dodge or bend off with punches of your own. He then delivers a frontal kick that creates a wave of fire which you break in two with your clasped hands. “But you protected me, saved me even.”
For a moment, he returns to a neutral stance. “Why? Why now?”
You don’t know. A part of you still thinks that this may be part of a devious plan in some depth of your mind. But you don’t know, and you won’t answer him. “Come on Zuzu.” You reply. “Take a wider stance and stop being so tense.” You fire a flurry of fire bolts at him and he takes a hit or two while blocking the rest.
He still seems curious but he drops the subject entirely. “About the Avatar… Do you really want to kill him?”
You chuckle. “Don’t you have a mission given by the Fire Lord?” You reply. “You must kill the Avatar, regain your honor.”
“But… The Avatar is a child.” He says. “How good would that look for the Fire Nation anyway? To kill a child just because he’s the Avatar.” His words are pragmatic, but he clearly has negative feelings for the mere thought of killing a kid. “What do you think?”
>The Avatar is more useful alive as a propaganda tool, clearly.
>The Avatar is dangerous and better off dead or in deep in the deepest jail.
>Write-in.