Zhao leaned over the table in front of Zuko, face low and close to Zuko’s. His teeth were bared, but he was so calm, so self satisfied. Zuko fought down a desperate need to run. “Prince Zuko, the Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war.” Zhao’s voice grew louder on every word. Something in Zuko’s gut eased. It was good if Zhao was angry. “If you have an ounce of loyalty left, you’ll tell me what you’ve found!”
“I haven’t found anything.” Zuko hung his head. He had a chance to go home, a real chance. “It’s like you said. The Avatar probably died a long time ago.” He pushed himself back from the table and up onto his feet. He had to force himself to walk, to keep his back straight, and not to run out like he had something to hide.
Zhao’s soldiers, who had ignored him as he stumbled, and as Zhao shoved him down crossed their spears in front of him. Another soldier pushed open the tent flaps and bowed to the commander. “Commander Zhao, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody, but let him escape.”
There hadn’t been enough time for Zhao’s soldiers to capture his crew and torture them, which meant all they had to do was ask, and they just told...
Of course they weren’t loyal to him. Of course. It wasn’t like they hadn’t been Zhao’s men just a month ago.
“Now, remind me.” Zhao put his hand on Zuko’s shoulder again, and rumbled into his ear, “How exactly was your ship damaged?”
Zuko looked down at the floor. His jaw jumped. “I found him. I’m not going to let you sweep in and take all the glor-”
Zhao’s hand closed around Zuko’s armored shoulder and yanked him back. “Sit down.”
Dragging his arm out of Zhao’s grip, Zuko scrambled backwards. His knuckles turned white around the arm of the chair. He pulled himself up into it shaking with rage. “I don’t have to tell you anything. Capturing the Avatar is my job.”
“You failed, Prince Zuko,” Zhao reminded him mockingly. “You found him, and you let him slip through your fingers.
Zuko glowered at the table. “I underestimated him once, but it will not happen again.”
“No, it will not.” Zhao snapped. “Because you won’t have a second chance.”
“Commander Zhao,” Zuko’s fingernails dug into the padding on the chair’s arms. “I’ve been hunting the Avatar for two years and I-”
“And you failed! Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager’s hands. He’s mine now,” Zhao told him scornfully. As the guards parted to let him leave, he faced the soldiers gathered just outside the tent. “Keep him here.”
Zuko could hear Zhao’s boots clicking on the stone outside the tent. He stared past the feet of the soldiers as the moved in on him at the place where the tent’s cloth walls met the ground. It would be so easy to push his way under the cloth, if the soldiers weren’t all around him.
~*~
“My search party is ready.” Zhao stood in the middle of his circle of soldiers, smiling coldly at the prince. “Once I’m out to sea, my guards will escort you back to your ship and you’ll be free to go.”
Zuko’s eyes narrowed. “Why? Are you worried I’m going to try and stop you?”
“You?” Zhao laughed. “Stop me? Impossible.”
He turned to leave again, but Zuko shot to his feet, hands balled into fists. “Don’t underestimate me, Zhao. I will capture the Avatar before you.”
Zhao glanced back at Zuko, amused. “You can’t compete with me. I have hundreds of warships under my command, and you... you’re just a banished prince. No home. No allies. Your own father doesn’t even want you.”
“You’re wrong.” Zuko held his head up. “Once I deliver the Avatar to my father he will welcome me home with honor and restore my rightful place on the throne.”
“If your father really wanted you home, he’d have let you return by now, Avatar or no Avatar, but in his eyes you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation.”
Ozai doesn’t allow the Dragon of the West to join Zuko in exile Pt. 2/3
“I haven’t found anything.” Zuko hung his head. He had a chance to go home, a real chance. “It’s like you said. The Avatar probably died a long time ago.” He pushed himself back from the table and up onto his feet. He had to force himself to walk, to keep his back straight, and not to run out like he had something to hide.
Zhao’s soldiers, who had ignored him as he stumbled, and as Zhao shoved him down crossed their spears in front of him. Another soldier pushed open the tent flaps and bowed to the commander. “Commander Zhao, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody, but let him escape.”
There hadn’t been enough time for Zhao’s soldiers to capture his crew and torture them, which meant all they had to do was ask, and they just told...
Of course they weren’t loyal to him. Of course. It wasn’t like they hadn’t been Zhao’s men just a month ago.
“Now, remind me.” Zhao put his hand on Zuko’s shoulder again, and rumbled into his ear, “How exactly was your ship damaged?”
Zuko looked down at the floor. His jaw jumped. “I found him. I’m not going to let you sweep in and take all the glor-”
Zhao’s hand closed around Zuko’s armored shoulder and yanked him back. “Sit down.”
Dragging his arm out of Zhao’s grip, Zuko scrambled backwards. His knuckles turned white around the arm of the chair. He pulled himself up into it shaking with rage. “I don’t have to tell you anything. Capturing the Avatar is my job.”
“You failed, Prince Zuko,” Zhao reminded him mockingly. “You found him, and you let him slip through your fingers.
Zuko glowered at the table. “I underestimated him once, but it will not happen again.”
“No, it will not.” Zhao snapped. “Because you won’t have a second chance.”
“Commander Zhao,” Zuko’s fingernails dug into the padding on the chair’s arms. “I’ve been hunting the Avatar for two years and I-”
“And you failed! Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager’s hands. He’s mine now,” Zhao told him scornfully. As the guards parted to let him leave, he faced the soldiers gathered just outside the tent. “Keep him here.”
Zuko could hear Zhao’s boots clicking on the stone outside the tent. He stared past the feet of the soldiers as the moved in on him at the place where the tent’s cloth walls met the ground. It would be so easy to push his way under the cloth, if the soldiers weren’t all around him.
~*~
“My search party is ready.” Zhao stood in the middle of his circle of soldiers, smiling coldly at the prince. “Once I’m out to sea, my guards will escort you back to your ship and you’ll be free to go.”
Zuko’s eyes narrowed. “Why? Are you worried I’m going to try and stop you?”
“You?” Zhao laughed. “Stop me? Impossible.”
He turned to leave again, but Zuko shot to his feet, hands balled into fists. “Don’t underestimate me, Zhao. I will capture the Avatar before you.”
Zhao glanced back at Zuko, amused. “You can’t compete with me. I have hundreds of warships under my command, and you... you’re just a banished prince. No home. No allies. Your own father doesn’t even want you.”
“You’re wrong.” Zuko held his head up. “Once I deliver the Avatar to my father he will welcome me home with honor and restore my rightful place on the throne.”
“If your father really wanted you home, he’d have let you return by now, Avatar or no Avatar, but in his eyes you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation.”
“That’s not true,” Zuko shouted.