Avatar Month: Freedom Fighters

Series: Avatar: The Last Airbender

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"... and then, I added whiskers - the big lug didn't even twitch!" The Duke continued, posing on the stump with dramatic flair he had learned from Jet.

The audience of younger Freedom Fighters clapped, laughed, and cheered appreciatively. It was the third time The Duke had told the story in the space of an hour, but the spectators kept demanding to hear it again and again.

The Duke was more than happy to oblige.

"And with one last finishing touch, I vanished into the forest like a spirit," he concluded with a flourish of the ink-stained brush he held in his hand. "Sneers'll never..."

"Uh, The Duke?" Pipsqueak interrupted, tapping on the boy's helmet.

The Duke, annoyed, ignored him. "Sneers thinks he's so great, thinking he can boss us around just because we're smaller!" The Duke exclaimed, "Well, now let's see how bi..."

"The Duke, I really think you should..."

"Can't you see I'm trying to tell a story here?!" The Duke demanded, whirling around. "Erk!"

"Oh, no, you really ought to finish that story of yours," Sneers encouraged with a smile that could only be described as "maniacal."

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"Jet! Jet!"

"What is it?" Jet asked, turning o see the scrawny form of Pigeon sprinting toward him full bore. "I'm about to lead off a patrol, Pigeon, can't you...?"

"Sneers is chasing The Duke with his naginata!" the little girl gasped, shuddering for breath.

"What, again?" Smellerbee wanted to know, "What did The Duke do this time?"

"He painted stuff on Sneers's face while he was sleeping..."

"Oh, that again? Geez, I wish..."

"... with Sneers's boar-q-pine brush and his special ebony ink, and he lost the inkstick," Pigeon finished.

Smellerbee, Jet and all those in hearing distance exchanged glances ranging from shock to resignation.

"Better go find Skillet," Jet advised, "Or we'll be cleaning pieces of that kid off the hideout for a week."

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Entry for Freedom Fighter Day of 's Avatar Month fanart project.

This was inspired by a comment-chat with swan-swan over who is the heir for Iroh's title of "Grand-Master-Pimp-Daddy" of Avatar. Clearly, the answer is Sokka, but for the next generation, swan-swan nominated the Duke.

I think it works.