Luke

"Luke! There you are."

I had finally found my squad amidst the post-battle re-organization of the camp. Most of the new forward camps had been occupied and dug out, but I finally managed to find where my squad had been during it all.

I didn't see Boss near the front, so I held back any salutes. I had none to give unless it was demanded by me. I wasn't particularly pleased to say the least. It didn't matter what Danev and Lu Ten had said. I had missed it. Missed it all. I was lucky enough to be in the trenches for the 3 and a half minutes that the fighting had been going on, but that was that. I should have been in my tank, at the front, leading the charge, trampling over their trenches and attacking the camp head on. That's where I was meant to be, not on some idiotic patrol mission.

And Lu Ten was wrong, in a sense. Boss may have given me my orders to patrol before we knew about the attack, but I heard about the blackfyre member getting to camp before I left. He came saying there would be an attack, and Boss didn't bother to tell me. He excluded me.

I didn't care about being excluded. I didn't care if I was liked or not in my squad. It made no difference to me. I was only in a squad because without one, I wasn't being deployed again. I was being sent back. Away from the front. And I wasn't going to let that happen. I was here to fight, and I would take every opportunity I got.

"Boss wants to see you." Said Gordez, who after 2 months' time no longer viewed me as a stranger, for better or worse.

"Convenient." I said as I passed him. "I want to see him too."

I walked past and maintained my course headed straight for his command tent, which really, was nothing special, just his tent which he didn't share with anyone else. That was as glorious as command of a squad got.

I opened the tent and there he was, at a small table in the back-right corner, seated behind it, with Zek standing directly in front. So Zek ratted me out to Boss. That's nice.

And of course, Boss spoke first. "So I hear you abandoned your patrol to engage the enemy last night."

Oh. So he wasn't beating around the bush. That's a nice surprise. I could've made an argument about how I didn't abandon my patrol. About how I was merely getting in closer for a batter look, but much like my renowned squad leader, I was in no mood for bullshit.

"Yes. I did."

"Why?" He didn't say those last words with malicious intent or disappointment. He said them like a University student in a lecture asking why a certain physical equation worked. He had no preconceived notions about what I did, save the fact I disobeyed orders. At least, that's what I believed.

"Sir, I was sent to Ba Sing Se for one reason. I'm a fire bender, and we're in short supply in high demand. I was sent here to kill Earth Benders. So that's what I did. I killed Earth Benders."

"You disobeyed a direct order."

"I disobeyed your order, but right now, it's more important that I'm out there killing he enemy than waiting around, counting landmines that were going to get run over and disabled anyway. It's more important, than counting squared feet of a trench line that isn't going to change any upcoming battle because, wait, it's already started."

"So you get to decide which orders are important and which aren't?"

Was he framing me for insubordination or treason right now? Trying to make it look like I was a traitor acting against the Fire Nation's interests?

"I get to decide when I'm being wasted. I get to notice when resources aren't being used as this should, and I get to decide when I have the chance to fix that."

"No. You don't." His voice was louder this time, and he seemed to realize that when he saw the look on Zek's face. I, however, remained still. I knew I was in the right. I wasn't going to let myself get wasted by a commander who clearly didn't recognize what I was capable of. Boss turned to Zek. "You're dismissed."

And so Zek saluted and left, no doubt happy for it.

And the second Zek was out of eyesight of Boss, he continued. "How long have you been in the Fire Nation, Luke? A year? Less?"

"11 months."

"11 months. I've been in the Fire Nation for 5 years, kid. Since I was 14. Do you know how things work in this army? You follow orders. Whether you like them or not. Whether they're right or wrong."

"Are you saying what you did was a mistake, then? Keeping me on patrol."

"It wasn't a mistake. I kept you on patrol for a reason."

"What reason!? I'm a good soldier. I can fight. I can kill. This arm. It's nothing. I don't need it. I can fight without it."

"Being able to kill a trench of Earth Kingdom soldiers doesn't make you a soldier! It's makes you a killer. Following orders makes you a soldier. Like them or not."

"Even if they're wrong? Even if they're clearly short-sighted?"

"Get used to it, kid. That's the army. And that's our squad. You're with us now, like it or not. You follow my orders. Do what I say. And you never, under any circumstances, put the life of a comrade in harm's way."

I had to scoff at that. "Who's life?"

"Zek's. You abandoned him in the middle of a minefield."

"A minefield he had the map to."

"At minimal distance away from an enemy trench line."

"A trench line under attack from overwhelming allied forces."

"With no form of self-defense."

"What? So I'm his baby sitter? I'm responsible that he didn't bring a weapon with him? What was I supposed to do? Just keep on 'patrolling' the area for anything of interest when there's a battle happening a minute's run away where our help would be more than welcome?"

"You're expected to do your part! For the Fire Nation and for your squad!"

"That's what I was doing! I was fighting. I'm a warrior. I'm a soldier. It's not your interests I care about. It's the Fire Nation's. The world's. I'm trying to fight to end this war as soon as possible and you're holding me back!"

"You're fighting for your own bloodlust, Luke. You don't care about the Fire Nation. You don't care about the world. I'm not saying you hate the two, but they had nothing to do with your decision to kill those Earth Benders last night. You did that because you wanted them dead. Because you're angry and hateful. I can't have that here."

"Then get rid of me. Kick me out of this squad."

"Would that I could, but Division command is more interested in organizing resources for the next assault than reassigning soldiers. I can't kick you out. You're just going to have to tough it out with us."

"Fine. Then I quit. I'll find a transfer. I'm sure Division Command would just love another Fire Bender. Maybe then I'll finally find a unit where I can fight. Make a difference."

Boss was silent at that. He looked worried. Not in a worry for himself, but something else. Worry for me? Yeah. Right.

"What?" I asked. "Nothing to say?"

What was I waiting for? For him to make me another deal? Promise he'd give me a better assignment in the future?

I scoffed. "Fuck this. You'll have your orders by tonight. Agree or don't. It doesn't matter to me, but I'm gone. One way or another.