#atla:jet(deogratory)

[awanderingmuse-ficrec]

Always Trust Sokka’s Instincts Series

Fandom: Avatar the Last Airbender

Author: Thisisentertaining

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Violence, Child Abuse, Imprisonment, Strong Language

Word Count:188,824

Characters: Sokka, Jet, Zuko, Smellerbee, Longshot, Pipsqueak, The Duke, Katara, Aang, Chey, Jeong Jeong, Gan Jin leader, Zhang Leader, Canyon Guide, The Gaang, Yue, Pakku, Arnook, Iroh, Zhao, Aunt Wu, Meng, The Fisherman, Zhao, Teo The Mechanist,  Bato, June, The Sun Warriors, Ran and Shaw, General Fong,  Song , OCs, Chong, Lily, Mai, Azula, Ty Lee, Tom-Tom, Mai's Parents, Bumi, Gansu, Sela, Sensu, Toph Beifong, Toph Beifong's Parents, Lee, Jet's freedom fighters

Tags: Jet is crazy, Sokka's instincts, Season 1 Ep 10, Hurt Zuko, Captivity, Non-Graphic Violence, No pairings, Angst, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Zuko and the Gaang bonding, Avatar: The Deserter, Fire Nation, Canon Divergence, Friendship, Bending, Fire Days Festival, Fire Flakes, The Great Divide, yeah that episode, Canyons, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Claustrophobia, Northern Water Tribe, Water Tribe(s), Fighting, Zuko does not like being locked up, Canon-Typical Violence, canon typical sexism, Badass Katara,  Just found that as a tag, That seems repetitve, Episode: s01e19-20 The Siege of the North, Pai Sho, the fortune tellerS1 Ep 14 The Fortune Teller, Sokka is dobtful, Zukos destiny, Basically a character, Ozai's A+ Parenting, Sokka and Zuko Friendship, Firebending  World, bending, Volcano, Avatar: S1 E12Avatar: The Storm, Boats and Ships, Backstory, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, The Blue Spirit, Atla: Season 1 Episode 13, Pohuai Stronghold, Yuyan archers, The Yuyan, Zuko doesn't know how to be good, but hes trying, the northern air temple, theatre nerd!zuko, Angry!Aang, Discussion of destoying relics, Destruction of the air temples, Hurt/Comfort, Bato of the Water Tribe, Daddy Issues, ice dodging, Pouting Aang, Discussions of dead parent, discussions of child abuse, The Avatar State, The Firebending Masters, yup, Two episodes in one,  Kinda, Dragons, Ozai's A+ Fire Lord-ing, Worldbuilding, Sun Warriors, Secret tunnel, season 2 episode 2The Cave of the Two Lovers, Zuko suffers as usual, White Jade Tea, ostrich-horses, Return to Omashu, Omashu, Discussion of contagious disease, Pentapox, The bumi box, Episode: s02e04 The Swamp, Episode: s02e07 Zuko Alone, Episode: s02e05 Avatar Day, Episode: s02e06 The Blind Bandit, The Swamp, Zuko kicks butt, Zuko Alone but he isnt alone, Episode: s02e08 The Chase, Pursuit, Slight Mai/Zuko, Girlfight, Tea, Blue Spirit, Sleep Deprivation, Arguing

Instinctual

Sokka's instincts had screamed at him ever since Jet showed his smarmy, smug, wheat chewing face, but without evidence he couldn't convince Katara and Aang to listen to him. Honestly, as time went on and he couldn't find anything to support his unease he started to doubt it himself.

Then Jet let him in on the Freedom Fighter's biggest secret.

Sokka should have known better than to ignore his instincts.

Divided Instincts

Part of the Instinctual Verse - Please read that first.

The last thing Zuko wants after years of being stuck in that cave is to see any more rocks. Unfortunately, he hadn't had luck since the day he's been born so here they were, staring at world's largest canyon.

Oh well, at least they're flying over it and he won't actually be surrounded by rock walls, right?

...right?

Instincts to Guide in the Storm

Maybe it's the possible impending doom.

Maybe it's the novelty of having someone to tell who might care.

Maybe it's just that kind of storm. The one that makes you want to curl up around a fire to tell stories, and he and Sokka aren't exempt from that even on a perilous ship.

Regardless of the reason, Zuko begins to tell the story that the Freedom Fighters never bothered to even ask about.

A Spirit’s Instincts

Aang should be the one taking care of a sick Katara and Sokka, not Zuko, but the airbender insisted that he be the one to find the medicine.

Now it's been hours, and Zuko is painfully aware that there is a Fire Nation Stronghold nearby that he hadn't been able to warn Aang about.

When the lights of Pohuai light up in victory, he knows without having to be told that Aang has been captured.

Now Zuko has a decision to make.

Could he allow his maybe-friend to be captured by the Fire Nation?

Or was he ready to be the traitor his father had branded him as.

A Fortune Teller’s Instincts

Zuko may be free from Jet, but he is struggling to earn the full trust of the Gaang.

More than that, he isn't sure what do do with his life now that he is no longer crown prince and is no longer facing a life in chains. He used to know his destiny, now he has no clue where his life should go.

Maybe the famous Aunt Wu will be able to help.

Bato’s Instincts

Katara still hates him.

Sokka is following some Water-Tribe-Father-Figure around with stars in his eyes.

Aang is pouting because his friends are paying more attention to the Water-Tribe-Father-Figure than him.

Oh, and there is a Water-Tribe-Father-Figure now. And Zuko has a wonderful track record with Fathers.

Overall, this is a /great/ time to be Zuko.

A Deserter’s Instincts

Part of the Instinctual Verse, please read that first.

It had been weeks since Sokka had freed Zuko from Jet's clutches, and Zuko... he still can't make a spark. He's spent every available moment in the sun, and while his chi is growing stronger, he can do no more than manipulate an existing flame. He's trying not to let on how... concerned he is, but since Sokka maintains that he's a 'terrible liar', he doesn't think it's particularly effective.

He knows that going to the Fire Days festival was probably a bad idea, after all there is a whole wall of wanted posters featuring them right outside the city wall. But honestly, if Zuko never made a bad decision, he'd never do anything, and he wants a taste of home so badly.

What's the worse that could happen?

The Instinct’s of the Airwalkers

Zuko wasn't sure what to think about the tales of modern day figures living and flying in the Northen Air Temple. His people are... thorough. He doesn't want to let Aang down, but he finds it hard to believe that anyone not stuck in an iceberg had escaped the eradication.

When he got to the temple, he hated being proven right. What's more, he hated seeing Earth Kingdom strangers destroying what little of Aang's heritage survived the attack of his people. But the day that the Fire Nation launches a second attack on this once idyllic temple, Zuko hates the most that he has to finally make a clear choice.

He'd thought he'd made this choice already, thought he'd made it several times over, but the question remains when he'd least like it to: Is he willing to fight against his Nation?

Cold Hard Instincts

Part of the Instinctual Verse, please read those first!

Zuko is glad that he had started getting his bending back before they hit the frigid North Pole, but it turns out that the Northern Water Tribe doesn't feel the same way.

They hadn't even gotten close to the city yet and he was half frozen in a block of ice, freezing and bound as his captors ignore Katara, Aang, and Sokka's protests. He really should have known something like this would happen, but as usual he'd underestimated his luck and now he had to come up with a way to convince the Northern Chief to allow a firebender to walk free in his village.

He HAD to, because he wasn't going to let himself become a prisoner. Not again.

The Instincts of the Sun Warriors

Zuko... may have been hasty, when he got on that raft instead of finding his friends and at least seeing if he needed to pull this disappearing act. It was day three of sitting of a raft in the middle of the ocean though, and a little too late for him to do anything about his regrets.

He had other stuff he could focus on, like perfecting the Dancing Dragon and trying to figure out why Uncle was steering them to the northern tip of the Fire Nation.

Meanwhile, the Gaang have left the North Pole and are on their way to pick up Bumi and round out the gaang, they just had to stop and talk to the General Fong guy first. This shouldn't lead to any complications, right?

The Instincts of Healers and Nomads

Zuko is, surprise surprise, on the run once again. At least this time he has Uncle, someone to watch his back and someone he can trust to know absolutely everything about his past, his identity.

Now he just has to find his friends before they do something stupid.

He isn't holding his breath.

Especially since apparently, Uncle is no better than him at identifying what plants are good to make tea out of, and which ones are poison.

Instincts in Omashu (not Bumi’s instincts)

Being on the run is bad enough, but at least they have an Ostrich Horse now. Unfortunately, that doesn't help them make money, and Zuko has to endure begging with Uncle on the streets and put up with jerks who swing swords at (seemingly) defenseless old men.

Or does he?

Meanwhile, the Gaang is braving a very different Omashu than they remember. Aang is faced with the realization that his last old friend had fallen to the Fire Nation, just like everyone else he had remembered. He does have new friends now though, and new promises. He told Zuko that he would remember that the Fire Nation soldiers were people too, and as much as he didn't want to, this was a good place to start.

Zuko’s Instincts

Zuko and the Gaang are separated.

Yes, Zuko knows that it's his fault. Now though, he is travelling with Uncle throughout the Earth Kingdom to find them, all while trying to avoid the sister hunting him down. The way is treacherous and littered with friends and enemies alike. The hot headed teen is faced time and time again with danger, both natural and born of his own making.

At least he isn't alone.

The Instincts of the Chased

Katara thought that Zuko was one of the most stubborn, heard headed people she'd ever meet.

Enter Toph Beifong.

Meanwhile Iroh is trying to figure out how to approach his nephew about his habit of running off alone, which would be easier to do if the younger firebender hadn't run off alone the instant he saw a bit of bison fur.