15. Hadoka

The journey was deceptively calm. Zuko stood at the bow to prepare for his training.

Suddenly, the world lurched.

A boom resonated through the ship and threw both him and the crewmen off balance. Then the alarm klaxons began to wail immediately.

“We’re being attacked!” a lookout screamed from the crow’s nest. “They’re on the port side!”

Zuko strode to the railing. When he extended a hand, a scared soldier slapped a telescope into his palm. Through the lens, he saw them: three Wolf Cove cutters weaving through the ice.

“Waterbenders,” he muttered, lowering the telescope.

“What shall you have us do?” Iroh asked, stepping up beside him.

Zuko stretched his arms. He didn’t look worried. He instead looked eager. “Defend against any further hull damage. But hold your fire to let them board.”

“Let them board?” Iroh blinked.

The crew also exchanged bewildered glances. This went against every naval doctrine in the book. One should never invite the enemy onto their flagship. But Zuko was the prince of their nation and the one who managed to kill Ozai.

No one dared to disobey.

Moments later, grappling hooks clattered over the railing. Ropes tightened as the small cutters slammed against the cruiser’s hull.

“For the Tribe!” a voice roared.

Six warriors then vaulted over the railing before landing in a crouch on the deck. They were dressed in blue wolf-armor and their faces were painted for war.

When they drew whale-tooth machetes and clubs, expecting a phalanx of firebenders, they were surprised to find a single boy standing in the open.

Zuko’s hands were clasped behind his back as he looked at them with unimpressed eyes. The rest of the Fire Nation crew stood on the upper deck.

“We’re taking this ship!” the lead warrior declared.

“Shouldn’t we do something?” a young soldier whispered to Iroh.

“No,” Iroh softly answered, stroking his beard. “I do believe my nephew has a reason for letting them get this far.”

Zuko looked at the men without fear. When he analyzed their stances, he saw the following: sloppy, emotional, and a little bit of desperation.

“It’s a shame that you chose this ship to attack today,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter!” the leader yelled. “All Fire Nation ships are a target!”

At those words, two warriors charged. They were fast as they swung their clubs in unison. Zuko quickly dodged left and then unleashed his fingers.

Jab, jab.

A warrior’s arm went dead, and his leg buckled. He then collapsed before he realized he’d been hit.

When the second man swung, Zuko ducked, spun low, and drove two fingers into the man’s solar plexus. The warrior wheezed before dropping his weapon.

Two grown men down in just a matter of seconds.

“Don’t go easy on him!” someone shouted.

A warrior in the back uncorked a waterskin. He then swung his arms, pulling out a whip of water that lashed out. Zuko planted his feet and thrust his palms forward.

Roar!

A wall of white fire erupted from his hands, causing the water whip to instantly evaporate.

The attackers couldn’t help but shield their eyes. And when the wall of flames ceased, they lost sight of the boy.

“Up here!”

Zuko dropped from the air before landing right in the middle of their formation.

Bang-bang.

Two precise jabs to the waterbender’s shoulder and neck. The man dropped as another warrior lunged. Zuko didn’t even turn his head. He snapped his leg out in a high arc, unleashing a linear blast of fire from his heel.

Swoosh!

The concussive force caught the man in the chest before launching him backward into the railing with a clang.

“Got you!” a warrior said, wrapping his arms around Zuko’s torso.

Zuko quickly threw his weight backward, then kicked his legs up, performing a backflip while still being held. He landed perfectly on the man’s shoulders. The man turned to find where he had gone but hadn’t seen that Zuko was in a handstand position like playing on the monkey bars.

Bang-bang.

The man’s eyes rolled back in his head as he crumpled like a sack of rice. Zuko then flipped off of him before landing lightly on his feet.

There was now only one man remaining: the leader.

The warrior slowly backed away as he looked at his fallen comrades. They were either groaning, paralyzed, or unconscious. And when he looked at Zuko, the boy had hardly broken a sweat!

Zuko raised his finger-gun.

“Crap,” the warrior hissed. “Hakoda, we’re in some serious trouble.”

Zuko froze before the chi could be gathered. ‘Hakoda?’ He knew that name. Hakoda was the father of Sokka and Katara. He was a pivotal figure, being the man who would eventually lead the invasion on the Day of Black Sun and break out of the Boiling Rock.

So Zuko lowered his hand and asked, “Why did you attack my ship?” The warrior remained quiet. He knew he was outmatched, but he held his ground with a defiant glare. “If you tell me the truth, I’ll let you and your men live.”

Shock filled the Fire Nation crew on the upper deck. Only Iroh was smiling.

The Water Tribe warrior looked more confused as he gazed at his injured men. “We… We’re against all of the Fire Nation. Your ship was the first we’ve seen in months. We thought it was a straggler, so we weren’t gonna let the opportunity slip by.”

“I see,” Zuko said. He then gestured to the fallen warriors. “Take your injured men and return to your vessel. If I see your sails on the horizon in ten minutes, I won’t hesitate to attack. Got it?”

The man hesitated for only a second until he understood that he had been given a second chance. So he quickly helped his unconscious and paralyzed comrades back to their cruisers.

The ropes were cut, and the Water Tribe cutters peeled away from the ship.

One of the crew came to the main deck and dropped to one knee. “My prince… forgive me if I’m stepping out of line. But you clearly had them. So why let them go?”

Zuko looked up at Iroh, who was nodding approvingly. He needed an excuse that fit the persona he was crafting. So he did what he always did as the bad guy: he lied.

The crew was satisfied by whatever philosophical answer he gave since he had used Iroh’s former nickname. That, of course, made Iroh full of pride. Inside, however, Zuko breathed a sigh of relief.

‘That was close,’ he thought. ‘If I had killed Katara’s dad, the plot armor would have been ruined.’