Fic: A New One [Jet/Zuko]
Aug. 20th, 2008 01:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
foxysquidalsoAnother story for Jetko Week!
Because I am apparently predictable, this one is also set in my One Exception AU. It's fun to write about. At this point in the story, Jet and Zuko are fighting against the occupying forces in Ba Sing Se. Also, they aren't quite involved yet, but there is some tension between the two of them.
Other stories set in that universe are The One Exception, Tomorrow, and The Cure for Sleeplessness.
Title: A New One
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender (AU)
Pairing: Jet/Zuko
Word count: 1,950
Rating: PG
Summary: When Jet is injured in battle, Li is a welcome distraction from the pain.
Notes: Set in my relatively lighthearted "One Exception" AU. Jet doesn't see Iroh Firebend his tea. Katara never sees Zuko at the Jasmine Dragon. So when Ba Sing Se is conquered, Jet and Zuko (aka "Li") team up to mobilize a resistance against the occupying Fire Nation forces and the Dai Li.
A New One.
Jet hissed through his teeth as the needle moved through his flesh. The stitching was worse than the actual injury. He had barely felt being wounded. The sharp rock projectile had cut cleanly through the flesh of his upper arm, and in the quickness and immediacy of battle, the pain had been definite, but not excruciating. He hadn't guessed how bad it was until afterwards, when he had glanced down and seen the dark fabric of his torn tunic stained darker, sodden with blood.
He didn't look as Longshot as the boy sewed up his wound. It was better not to look. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on Li. Jet liked looking at him. Sometimes he wondered why that was. The other boy's face was drawn with worry. "It's not so bad," Jet said. "Feels better than a burn." It was nice to have someone worry, but at the same time, he didn't want to cause Li any distress.
Li had just taken off his mask and pulled back his hood. His hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat. At Jet's words, Li didn't seem to think of his own burn scar, instead glancing down at the expanse of dark, raised scar tissue that covered much of the lower portion of Jet's currently uninjured arm.
"Oh, you noticed that? That was a good one." Jet used a grin as an excuse to grit his teeth. "We took on a Firebending Squad one time. They were trying to burn down a village. Everything was going perfectly until one of them surprised me. An ambush. He almost charred me--but I was able to get away in time." The memory was vivid. The burn had been so bad that as soon as the excitement of the combat had faded and his energy had drained with it, he'd fallen to his knees, retching. Pipsqueak had carried him back to the hideout, and the others had tried to keep him in bed for a week, although he'd managed to escape a few days early. It had been another week or two before his control over his arm had become sufficient enough that he could fight again. That had been one of his worst injuries. This new cut was deep--cutting down into his muscle--but clean. The rock missiles had been sharp and fast. They'd sliced like a blade.
"I'm sorry," said Li gravely.
"Don't worry about it. I just wanted you to know that I've had worse."
Li frowned, clearly unconvinced. The boy wasn't precisely taciturn, and he was certainly more talkative than Longshot, but he didn't speak a great deal even in the most agreeable of situations. At a time like this, he was positively tightlipped.
"I'll be fine," Jet reassured him further. At the same time, he was wondering how long his arm would be useless. This was the last thing he needed. The slightest stiffness or slowness could kill him. They were fighting against Earthbenders as well as Firebenders, and he wasn't fully accustomed to countering Earthbender techniques. It was a different style of fighting, requiring entirely different tactics on his part.
Jet hissed again at the movement of the needle. Longshot was taking his time, making careful stitches, close together and evenly space. It took longer--which meant more pain--but it was better that way. Fortunately, they had time for such a luxury. They'd evaded the Earthbenders, and they were secure for the moment, hidden in the basement of a safe house. The sympathetic couple who lived there had given them a needle, thread, bandages, and healing herbs. They were good people.
Though Li was not exactly loquacious, talking to him helped distract Jet from the pain. He liked talking to him. Li was still contemplating Jet's scar. Jet hadn't thought about that burn scar in some time. There was always another new injury to think about, another scar.
Jet had a lot of scars. He didn't take the time to think about such things often--in fact, he rarely looked at his bare skin these days, as he only took his clothes off to wash. He had to be ready to move at all times. But here in the basement, stripped to the waist, there wasn't much else to look at. Li wouldn't have seen any of his scars before. Most of them were on his torso and his arms, although a few were farther down. "See those long ones there?" Jet asked, indicating the area he meant with a look, as he was trying to keep as still as possible so as not to make Longshot's task any more difficult.
"Yes," said Li.
"I gave those to myself, can you believe that? By accident, of course. When I was first using how to use my swords."
Li smiled. "How did you manage that?"
"I didn't know how to use hook swords. I'd never even seen a pair of them before. It was when I was still living on my own, out in the woods. I found a cave to hide in, and there was an old man there. Though he wasn't actually there anymore, really. He'd died, probably only a day or so before. He'd been wounded, so I my guess is that some soldiers must have attacked him, but he'd fought them off and made it to this cave, where he died. He had those swords with him." Jet's swords were resting on the floor nearby. "At the time, I only had a knife for myself, and I knew I needed something better."
To him, the hook swords had seemed like something out of a story. A real warrior's weapons. They had been sharp in every possible way: barbed at both ends and along the hilt. The dead man had been lying by the mouth of the cave, and along with his swords, Jet had studied his face: bearded and deeply lined. He'd wondered why the man had come to the forest, what he had been doing there. In the end, he had decided that the man was a great fighter who had dedicated his life to fighting the Fire Nation. He had only been a kid. That had seemed like a good story at the time. To this day, Jet didn't know the real story. He wished he could find out--someday, somehow. In a strange way, he still regarded that dead man as his swordmaster.
"So I took his swords," said Jet. "After all, he didn't need them anymore."
"That makes sense," said Li. "You did need them."
"That's right, I did." Jet laughed, a little ruefully. "And then I taught myself to use them. Which didn't always go very well."
"You taught yourself?" Li asked.
"Yeah. I already knew a little about using a sword, but not swords like that."
"No wonder you cut yourself." Li shook his head, but his expression was admiring.
"I was a very determined kid. Even though I was way too small for those swords."
"But you got bigger."
"I guess you're right. I did." Li had such a funny way of putting things. "But anyway, that's how I got those scars."
Li still did not mention his own scar. Jet thought about it often, that scar. So striking and dark, marring half of his face. Yet he never spoke of it. Nor did his uncle. It made Jet suspect that the truth of it must be something awful. Unspeakable. Like the scar on his own back. Long and thin and pale with age, it ran from his shoulder at an angle down towards his side. He couldn't see it without a mirror, but he knew it was there. He had reached back to feel the length of it with his fingertips many times.
When they had burned his village, he'd run from the flames at first, but then he had made the mistake of looking back. The fire had burned so bright, setting the hours back as twilight suddenly seemed like noon. He hadn't been able to move, his gaze fixed on the flames. His mother and father. His brother and sisters. They were in there. At any moment he expected them to appear. They had to come. He couldn't go until they came.
He didn't move until he heard a noise. A rider emerged from the trees, then stopped as he saw Jet. It was a man, mounted on a komodo rhino. Jet had heard of the animals before, but he had never seen one. It was bigger than he had expected--huge and frighteningly fierce. The man looked at him. His expression was grim, but not angry. He eyed Jet levelly. He didn't move towards him.
Jet took a step back. Then he turned and broke into a run. He didn't see the other rider until it was almost too late. The komodo rhinos were surprisingly fast for animals of that size, and the second rider was almost upon him before he realized what was happening and changed course, veering towards the cover of the trees.
The rider had a bladed weapon with a long handle. Jet heard a whistle as it whipped through the air, and a moment later, he felt a quick, hot pain lance across his back. He'd never felt anything like it. His face was wet with tears, and part of him wanted to fall down on the ground and start to cry, but instead he ran faster, his heart pounding.
Somehow, he made it to the trees, and they stopped pursuing him. He didn't know why. Maybe another survivor had distracted them. Maybe they didn't consider him worth the effort. He crept through the underbrush until he had found what seemed like a safe place near the edge of the wood. He had knelt down in the leaves and watched the fire again. His village was still burning. It took a long time for an entire village to burn. He saw no sign of his village or his family. Only the fire. The light of those flames was seared into his eyes. He would never be able to forget them.
Jet hadn't thought about the wound on his back. Even when he'd passed out, he hadn't realized why it was happening to him. He was fortunate that the survivors from his village had organized to find the injured once the attackers had gone.
Maybe Li's scar was something like that. Jet didn't ask about it. "Oh, and I got that scar on my shoulder from Longshot," he said. "See that? He got mad at me when I beat him at cards, so he shot me. He doesn't like it when I mention it, though. He's got the worst temper."
Li laughed. "What really happened?"
"A Fire Nation archer shot at me. But then I slit his throat. So he never shot at anyone else."
Li was silent.
"Done," said Longshot finally.
Jet exhaled in relief as Longshot put herbs on the stitched wound and bandaged it. Jet smiled at both his friends. "Thanks. I owe you two. Again."
Longshot shook his head. Jet knew what he meant. They'd all helped each other.
Jet turned to Li. "Sorry I didn't have time to tell you about all the scars," he joked. "Maybe next time." Maybe someday Li would tell Jet about his scar. Maybe Jet would tell him about the long scar on his back. Hopefully they'd have the chance. Hopefully the next Earthbender wouldn't have better aim.
Li nodded. "Next time," he said.
Jet pointed to his most recent injury. "But I won't have to tell you about this one," he said. "Because you were there."
Because I am apparently predictable, this one is also set in my One Exception AU. It's fun to write about. At this point in the story, Jet and Zuko are fighting against the occupying forces in Ba Sing Se. Also, they aren't quite involved yet, but there is some tension between the two of them.
Other stories set in that universe are The One Exception, Tomorrow, and The Cure for Sleeplessness.
Title: A New One
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender (AU)
Pairing: Jet/Zuko
Word count: 1,950
Rating: PG
Summary: When Jet is injured in battle, Li is a welcome distraction from the pain.
Notes: Set in my relatively lighthearted "One Exception" AU. Jet doesn't see Iroh Firebend his tea. Katara never sees Zuko at the Jasmine Dragon. So when Ba Sing Se is conquered, Jet and Zuko (aka "Li") team up to mobilize a resistance against the occupying Fire Nation forces and the Dai Li.
A New One.
Jet hissed through his teeth as the needle moved through his flesh. The stitching was worse than the actual injury. He had barely felt being wounded. The sharp rock projectile had cut cleanly through the flesh of his upper arm, and in the quickness and immediacy of battle, the pain had been definite, but not excruciating. He hadn't guessed how bad it was until afterwards, when he had glanced down and seen the dark fabric of his torn tunic stained darker, sodden with blood.
He didn't look as Longshot as the boy sewed up his wound. It was better not to look. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on Li. Jet liked looking at him. Sometimes he wondered why that was. The other boy's face was drawn with worry. "It's not so bad," Jet said. "Feels better than a burn." It was nice to have someone worry, but at the same time, he didn't want to cause Li any distress.
Li had just taken off his mask and pulled back his hood. His hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat. At Jet's words, Li didn't seem to think of his own burn scar, instead glancing down at the expanse of dark, raised scar tissue that covered much of the lower portion of Jet's currently uninjured arm.
"Oh, you noticed that? That was a good one." Jet used a grin as an excuse to grit his teeth. "We took on a Firebending Squad one time. They were trying to burn down a village. Everything was going perfectly until one of them surprised me. An ambush. He almost charred me--but I was able to get away in time." The memory was vivid. The burn had been so bad that as soon as the excitement of the combat had faded and his energy had drained with it, he'd fallen to his knees, retching. Pipsqueak had carried him back to the hideout, and the others had tried to keep him in bed for a week, although he'd managed to escape a few days early. It had been another week or two before his control over his arm had become sufficient enough that he could fight again. That had been one of his worst injuries. This new cut was deep--cutting down into his muscle--but clean. The rock missiles had been sharp and fast. They'd sliced like a blade.
"I'm sorry," said Li gravely.
"Don't worry about it. I just wanted you to know that I've had worse."
Li frowned, clearly unconvinced. The boy wasn't precisely taciturn, and he was certainly more talkative than Longshot, but he didn't speak a great deal even in the most agreeable of situations. At a time like this, he was positively tightlipped.
"I'll be fine," Jet reassured him further. At the same time, he was wondering how long his arm would be useless. This was the last thing he needed. The slightest stiffness or slowness could kill him. They were fighting against Earthbenders as well as Firebenders, and he wasn't fully accustomed to countering Earthbender techniques. It was a different style of fighting, requiring entirely different tactics on his part.
Jet hissed again at the movement of the needle. Longshot was taking his time, making careful stitches, close together and evenly space. It took longer--which meant more pain--but it was better that way. Fortunately, they had time for such a luxury. They'd evaded the Earthbenders, and they were secure for the moment, hidden in the basement of a safe house. The sympathetic couple who lived there had given them a needle, thread, bandages, and healing herbs. They were good people.
Though Li was not exactly loquacious, talking to him helped distract Jet from the pain. He liked talking to him. Li was still contemplating Jet's scar. Jet hadn't thought about that burn scar in some time. There was always another new injury to think about, another scar.
Jet had a lot of scars. He didn't take the time to think about such things often--in fact, he rarely looked at his bare skin these days, as he only took his clothes off to wash. He had to be ready to move at all times. But here in the basement, stripped to the waist, there wasn't much else to look at. Li wouldn't have seen any of his scars before. Most of them were on his torso and his arms, although a few were farther down. "See those long ones there?" Jet asked, indicating the area he meant with a look, as he was trying to keep as still as possible so as not to make Longshot's task any more difficult.
"Yes," said Li.
"I gave those to myself, can you believe that? By accident, of course. When I was first using how to use my swords."
Li smiled. "How did you manage that?"
"I didn't know how to use hook swords. I'd never even seen a pair of them before. It was when I was still living on my own, out in the woods. I found a cave to hide in, and there was an old man there. Though he wasn't actually there anymore, really. He'd died, probably only a day or so before. He'd been wounded, so I my guess is that some soldiers must have attacked him, but he'd fought them off and made it to this cave, where he died. He had those swords with him." Jet's swords were resting on the floor nearby. "At the time, I only had a knife for myself, and I knew I needed something better."
To him, the hook swords had seemed like something out of a story. A real warrior's weapons. They had been sharp in every possible way: barbed at both ends and along the hilt. The dead man had been lying by the mouth of the cave, and along with his swords, Jet had studied his face: bearded and deeply lined. He'd wondered why the man had come to the forest, what he had been doing there. In the end, he had decided that the man was a great fighter who had dedicated his life to fighting the Fire Nation. He had only been a kid. That had seemed like a good story at the time. To this day, Jet didn't know the real story. He wished he could find out--someday, somehow. In a strange way, he still regarded that dead man as his swordmaster.
"So I took his swords," said Jet. "After all, he didn't need them anymore."
"That makes sense," said Li. "You did need them."
"That's right, I did." Jet laughed, a little ruefully. "And then I taught myself to use them. Which didn't always go very well."
"You taught yourself?" Li asked.
"Yeah. I already knew a little about using a sword, but not swords like that."
"No wonder you cut yourself." Li shook his head, but his expression was admiring.
"I was a very determined kid. Even though I was way too small for those swords."
"But you got bigger."
"I guess you're right. I did." Li had such a funny way of putting things. "But anyway, that's how I got those scars."
Li still did not mention his own scar. Jet thought about it often, that scar. So striking and dark, marring half of his face. Yet he never spoke of it. Nor did his uncle. It made Jet suspect that the truth of it must be something awful. Unspeakable. Like the scar on his own back. Long and thin and pale with age, it ran from his shoulder at an angle down towards his side. He couldn't see it without a mirror, but he knew it was there. He had reached back to feel the length of it with his fingertips many times.
When they had burned his village, he'd run from the flames at first, but then he had made the mistake of looking back. The fire had burned so bright, setting the hours back as twilight suddenly seemed like noon. He hadn't been able to move, his gaze fixed on the flames. His mother and father. His brother and sisters. They were in there. At any moment he expected them to appear. They had to come. He couldn't go until they came.
He didn't move until he heard a noise. A rider emerged from the trees, then stopped as he saw Jet. It was a man, mounted on a komodo rhino. Jet had heard of the animals before, but he had never seen one. It was bigger than he had expected--huge and frighteningly fierce. The man looked at him. His expression was grim, but not angry. He eyed Jet levelly. He didn't move towards him.
Jet took a step back. Then he turned and broke into a run. He didn't see the other rider until it was almost too late. The komodo rhinos were surprisingly fast for animals of that size, and the second rider was almost upon him before he realized what was happening and changed course, veering towards the cover of the trees.
The rider had a bladed weapon with a long handle. Jet heard a whistle as it whipped through the air, and a moment later, he felt a quick, hot pain lance across his back. He'd never felt anything like it. His face was wet with tears, and part of him wanted to fall down on the ground and start to cry, but instead he ran faster, his heart pounding.
Somehow, he made it to the trees, and they stopped pursuing him. He didn't know why. Maybe another survivor had distracted them. Maybe they didn't consider him worth the effort. He crept through the underbrush until he had found what seemed like a safe place near the edge of the wood. He had knelt down in the leaves and watched the fire again. His village was still burning. It took a long time for an entire village to burn. He saw no sign of his village or his family. Only the fire. The light of those flames was seared into his eyes. He would never be able to forget them.
Jet hadn't thought about the wound on his back. Even when he'd passed out, he hadn't realized why it was happening to him. He was fortunate that the survivors from his village had organized to find the injured once the attackers had gone.
Maybe Li's scar was something like that. Jet didn't ask about it. "Oh, and I got that scar on my shoulder from Longshot," he said. "See that? He got mad at me when I beat him at cards, so he shot me. He doesn't like it when I mention it, though. He's got the worst temper."
Li laughed. "What really happened?"
"A Fire Nation archer shot at me. But then I slit his throat. So he never shot at anyone else."
Li was silent.
"Done," said Longshot finally.
Jet exhaled in relief as Longshot put herbs on the stitched wound and bandaged it. Jet smiled at both his friends. "Thanks. I owe you two. Again."
Longshot shook his head. Jet knew what he meant. They'd all helped each other.
Jet turned to Li. "Sorry I didn't have time to tell you about all the scars," he joked. "Maybe next time." Maybe someday Li would tell Jet about his scar. Maybe Jet would tell him about the long scar on his back. Hopefully they'd have the chance. Hopefully the next Earthbender wouldn't have better aim.
Li nodded. "Next time," he said.
Jet pointed to his most recent injury. "But I won't have to tell you about this one," he said. "Because you were there."
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 07:53 am (UTC)That line really, really got me, because it had just never really occured to me before... Poor Jet. And the last line, too, is just fiercely lovely.
*sniffle*
no subject
Date: 2008-08-24 02:15 am (UTC)