"Just let it flow over you. Don't grab hold of anything," Suki said calmly to Zuko as he glanced at her on his left side. The black helmet underlit her face in bright yellow, making her blue eyes shine like twin moons. "Just sink into the Drift."

"Right," Zuko said nervously, nodding his head as he blew out a breath and settled his weight onto the platform, sweating inside of his armor. The light-up panel in front of him swam a little as he relaxed his body.

"The Kaiju is destroying the outer walls of Kyoshi Island and the Blind Bandit's in trouble. I know this is personal for you, Suki," Teo's voice said over the speakers in their ears. "Can you handle this?"

"It's been personal to me for a long time, Teo. I've got this," Suki said in a tight voice and then glanced at Zuko. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do. I'm the only one who's Drift compatible with you and I'm not going to sit around while my people need me," Zuko said adamantly. "While you need me."

Suki smirked a little. "Only because I can't pilot this thing alone. I'm not Toph, after all…who doesn't even need to create a neural bridge with anyone else."

Zuko chuckled a little. "She's one of a kind."

"And she's in trouble. The Blind Bandit's lost an arm and the Kaiju has her on the ropes. We're ready to fire you guys up. Are you ready?" Teo barked in their ears.

"Do it," Suki said as she caught Zuko's gaze.

"Are you ready? It's the first time since…" he trailed off, unable to say it. The pain was still fresh for him. He couldn't imagine what it felt like for her. He had a feeling he was about to.

Suki's face hardened. "I'm ready."

He nodded and they both closed their eyes as the Drift initiated and took hold of them.

It was an odd sensation. Like floating in warm water in pitch darkness. And then there was a light, a rush of sound. Images flickered across Zuko's mind. Of a girl with scabby knees playing warrior with a stick. Painting her face with mud and the juice from berries. Her father—his father now—crying as he told her that her mother—their mother—hadn't survived the birthing. What about her baby brother? Her father cried harder and crushed her into a hug and she understood then. The memory washed over him, like a tidal wave.

Another took its place. There was a fan in his hand, sharp and deadly. His body moved in perfect unison with the other Kyoshi warriors. A Waterbender boy appeared, all swagger and arrogance, which faded into respect and acceptance. His heart pounded. He saw himself riding into town. Saw himself throwing fire, striking her.

He breathed out, horrified at the memory.

"That was a long time ago. Relax," Suki breathed beside him and he let the memories drift over him. He knew what she was seeing, knew that she knew the horrors of his childhood, of his desperate search for honor and his father's acceptance. There was no room for shame.

He drifted, seeing love and war blooming in her life. Saw her and Sokka's bodies moving into one another, whispering to each other of dreams that would never be. Saw the first attack of the Kaiju as it rose mysteriously from the sea, from a rift in the spirit world. Saw Sokka standing where Zuko was standing now, strapped into the Jaeger he had helped invent. Saw the monster rip him away from Suki—from himself. He felt the pain, the betrayal, the loss. He let it flow, accepted it as part of her, and now part of him.

She was inside of him. And he was inside of her. He burrowed down deep, nestling up against her thoughts. She was warm and solid, familiar and a part of him. He could feel her there and never wanted to lose her again. He loved the feeling.

His eyes opened and he stared at a world made anew. He could feel Suki beside him and knew that he didn't have to look at her to know that she was smiling. He lifted his hand and he felt the Jaeger respond, matching his movements perfectly. He made a fist and the weapons display reacted, lighting up around his hand.

"This is incredible."

"Damn straight," Suki said and took a step forward. He knew that she was going to do it the moment the thought entered her head and he adjusted. The mechanics attached to their bodies moved with them, at foot, knee, arm and waist. Together they left the hangar at a walk and then, with a mischievous grin from Suki, they broke into a run.

"I guess that answers the compatibility question," Teo said in his ear. "Honor Bravo, you are go for Kaiju intercept."

"Honor Bravo?" he hazarded as they jumped in unison, clearing a small mountain. "Thought this heap was called Boomerang Bang…"

"Thought the old girl could use a new name," Suki said, punching buttons on her side. "You like?"

He answered with a grunt as the land sloped toward the sea. They were ten miles from Kyoshi Island, but they could see the Kaiju in the distance, and the Blind Bandit fighting the creature.

"Can we get Toph on the comm?" he asked Teo.

"No, her communications are down. Assist and destroy."

"Got it," Zuko said and blew out another breath. He and Suki moved together, charging through the ocean at a dead run. His muscles screamed from the exertion, but he didn't flag. Her strength gave him strength.

Get him off of Toph first. Distract him.

Suki's thoughts rippled through him, so deeply in his mind that they might have been his. He understood. Electricity cannon?

The Blind Bandit isn't insulated against electricity. I keep telling Toph to change the design but she's too damned stubborn and says it severs her connection with the metal. We'd fry Toph. Distract it first and then go in for the kill. We're gonna have to get up close and personal with the ugly bastard.

Kyoshi Island was in ruins. The Kaiju was massive, the color of old mushrooms with sharp teeth the size of small mountains, and razor sharp talons tipping its hands. It had a tail, a whipping thing that uprooted forests and decimated half of Suki's home village in one swipe. Luckily, the island had been abandoned after the second creature had risen from the seas. It wasn't safe any longer. No place was safe.

The Blind Bandit was staggering, one armed, sparks fitfully spitting from its severed shoulder joint. A sword was in the mecha's remaining hand and she was hacking and slashing at the monster's thick hide between vicious swipes of the bladed talons to her midsection. Curls of metal twisted and dripped from the thick chest plate as the Kaiju attempted to pluck out its driver.

The taste of fear welled in Zuko's mouth. Fear of the creature, and fear for his friend inside the Jaeger.

"All right, Tall, Dark and Ugly…let's see what you're made of," Suki said aloud beside him and he saw her plans in his mind's eye.

They moved together, digging into the sandy sea floor for leverage and then leaping at the Kaiju's back. They twisted and turned as the beast roared its disapproval. A clawed hand slashed at them and metal screeched.

Punch.

Zuko made a fist, following Suki's thought in an instant. His body was her body and they flowed into the strike like a…well, like a well-oiled machine. The punch took the Kaiju in the mouth, breaking off two teeth and denting Honor Bravo's knuckles.

The Kaiju roared as it staggered back away from Blind Bandit, lashing out with its massive talons and slicing at Honor Bravo's midsection. He could hear the screech of metal and as they twisted in sync, Suki brought the mecha's right hand around and smashed it across the monster's face.

After that everything was a blur of violence, of punches, shots from their cannon. Their bodies moved in perfect unison, every muscle in tune to one another. He could feel Suki, every bit of her, closer and closer with each breath.

To the left.

Got it.

Down!

Good one.

Thanks.

He could feel her emotions resonated across the Drift and reacted to them. He went deeper and she followed him, breaking through into something deeper, something hidden. He heard Suki gasp beside him and felt a thin pop of desperation fill him.

Shouldn't feel this.

Best friend's girl.

Zuko, I…

Concentrate.

That night.

The Kaiju knocked them back, getting the upper hand and grasping Honor Bravo's forearms. The metal caved in a little, sparks dancing.

Concentrate!

You kissed me.

Suki…

The Kaiju delivered a devastating uppercut, hard enough to knock them back into the sea. The water rushed over them in a tidal wave and gushed in through the rents in the mecha's hull. They moved, the Jaeger lumbering to its feet in a wash of seawater and the groan of metal, only to get smashed by a gigantic fist. Suki cried out beside him as their harnesses lurched under the blow. Sparks showered them.

"Suki!"

"I'm fine. Let's get this thing!"

The Kaiju hit them again, smashing down into the Jaeger's head and ripping it to shreds with a mighty groan and screech of metal.

Zuko gritted his teeth with the effort, trying to ignore the pulse of information coming across the Drift at him. He could see Suki in his mind's eye. Crying in the moonlight, as beautiful as the dawn. Could feel her lips on his as he'd held her. And the guilt that had followed in the both of them.

"Don't chase the memory!" Suki yelled beside him.

Zuko shook his head, trying to free himself from the shared memory, the lines between them blurred beyond all recognition. "I'm sorry!"

The Kaiju hit them again, driving them to their knees. "This thing is gonna tear us apart!"

"Not if I can help it!" a familiar voice said over their comm. The next instant, the Kaiju was blasted away from them in a hail of earth.

"Toph!" Zuko exclaimed, peering at the monitors. "We thought you were down!"

"Down, but not out!" Toph said, panting with the effort, static crackling over the line. "Fucker took my arm. Zuko, is that you?"

"Yeah."

"Bought time you got your hands dirty, Scar-face! And it's nice to see you back in the fight again, Suki," she shouted over the static-laced comm. "I'm sending him your way. Suki, shove that sword up his ass. I'm tired of his bullshit!"

"You got it, Toph!"

They gained their feet and with a flick of Suki's wrist, a massive sword shot out of their arm with a metal snikt. Blind Bandit delivered a hard kick to the Kaiju's midsection, driving it straight at them. Zuko and Suki braced their feet, digging the Jaeger into the sea floor. They reeled back their arms and then, with a mighty thrust, shoved the sword up into the Kaiju's back. The point pierced the hard skin, punching through the spine and up out of the chest cavity. Blue blood splattered the ground in massive pools as the monster roared in pain and rage.

Blind Bandit lurched toward the impaled monster, one-armed, its green paint scuffed and covered in Kaiju blood.

"Chump," Toph said over the comm and then she shoved her sword up and through the monster's jaw, piercing its brain. The body slumped forward and then fell between them, taking both swords with it. It hit the shore of Kyoshi Island, causing an earthquake and a tsunami to form. The water gushed and rushed up to their Jaeger's metal hips, but they stayed firm as the water receded.

Zuko let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and glanced at Suki beside him. She was covered in sweat, the yellow light of her helmet highlighting the shocked white color of her face. She felt his eyes on her at the same moment she felt his thoughts and turned to look at him.

A nervous smile crossed his lips and she returned it.

Back at the Hangar, after he had been disconnected from the Drift, Zuko felt like a part of him had been cut off. His right hand throbbed, as if it were a phantom limb, abruptly severed. Suki avoided his gaze as they climbed out of the Jaeger, and met Toph on the ground. The blind woman was grinning, blood from a bitten tongue at the corner of her mouth.

"Good job you two. Didn't know you had it in you," Toph said, throwing her arms around their shoulders.

"Thanks."

"No, thank you. I would have died if you two hadn't shown up. It was good to have you at my back again, Suki. After everything that happened…I didn't think they'd ever get you back inside that thing. But I knew Boomerang Bang's footsteps the minute I felt them."

"The Jaeger's called Honor Bravo now," Suki said and met his eye for a moment. He remembered everything then, every memory, every moment, every thought, every emotion.

"Well, whatever you call that hunk of metal, I'm grateful. Zuko, nice to have you on the team," Toph said and walked away, shouting for something to drink, medical attention and a man to service her. Zuko smirked. Some things never changed.

Zuko stood beside Suki, watching Toph walk away. After a few minutes, he felt her hand slip into his. He squeezed her fingers.

They didn't talk.

They didn't have to.

(end)