Zhao leveled Zuko with a glance to the left side of his face. “You have the scar to prove it.”
A wounded cry bubbled its way out of Zuko’s throat as he launched himself forward. “Maybe you’d like one to match!”
Zhao blinked, but then his smile widened. “Is that a challenge?”
“An Agni Kai.” Zuko confirmed with a low growl. “At sunset.”
“Very well. It’s a shame your father won’t be here to watch me humiliate you. I guess your crew will have to do.” Zhao’s lip curled. “Not that any of them will care. They know what you are. Your ship wouldn’t be a punishment detail if anyone wanted to sail under you.”
Seething, Zuko watched him leave and closed his eyes, keeping his breath even and readying himself for the fight.
~*~
Zuko watched the sky darken through the cloth walls. The soldiers led him out of the tent and into the center of camp, his mind showing over and over again what had happened last time-
Zhao smirked at him across the empty ground. “This will be over quickly.”
A gong sounded over the center of camp. Zuko stepped forward to face Zhao and struck out, the fire sizzling in the cold air. There was somewhere his mind went during a fight, and afterwards, he knew he would never be able to say what had happened, what sequence of strikes and counter strikes had burned through the air around them, only that he saw and opening, and took it, and Zhao ended up on the ground, his feet swept out from under him. It wasn’t important how he got there anyway. All that mattered was that Zuko stood above him.
“Do it!” Zhao’s eyes gleamed with fear. They grew huge as Zuko lifted his hand, until the fire flew and died in the dust beside him, and Zuko closed his eyes and turned away. “That’s it?” Zhao chuckled breathlessly. “Your father raised a coward.”
Zuko glanced back at him coldly. “Next time you get in my way, I promise I won’t hold back.”
Leaping to his feet, Fire gathered in Zhao’s hand, and stretched into a thick cord. He snarled in fury as he brought it down onto Zuko’s unprotected back. Zuko’s screams rang hollowly on the icy air. A frightening, horrible smell filled his nose. He knew that smell. It was the smell of his own skin bubbling in the fire. He couldn’t even hear himself screaming any more. He couldn’t see, couldn’t think, all he could do was smell that smell and feel the burn sink deep into his flesh.
~*~
The physician propped Zuko’s useless, numb arm up on a side table. The bandages stuck to his skin as the physician pulled the bandage away. Zuko hissed as it pealed off and fluid oozed down his back. The physician wrapped new, clean gauze over the burn as Zuko held himself still and gritted his teeth.
The tent flaps swung inwards. Zhao stalked across the carpet and stopped to loom over the bed. “Feeling better, Prince Zuko?”
“Go away.”
“I’d suggest you start playing nice, Prince Zuko. By the time you’re recovered, your father will have the Avatar. I don’t think you’ll get to keep your crew and your cozy,” Zhao sneered. “Little ship after your exile becomes permanent, do you?”
“You’re not going to get away with this, Zhao!” Zuko snarled, throwing the blanket off from around his waist and trying to leap to his feet.
The physician pushed him back down. “Lie down, Prince Zuko.”
Zuko closed his eyes and grimaced as he lay down on his stomach, even the small movements needing to do that sending waves of pain crashing down over him.
“Who are you going to tell, Prince Zuko?” Zhao asked, pityingly. “Who do you think is going to care?”
Ozai doesn’t allow the Dragon of the West to join Zuko in exile Pt. 3/3
A wounded cry bubbled its way out of Zuko’s throat as he launched himself forward. “Maybe you’d like one to match!”
Zhao blinked, but then his smile widened. “Is that a challenge?”
“An Agni Kai.” Zuko confirmed with a low growl. “At sunset.”
“Very well. It’s a shame your father won’t be here to watch me humiliate you. I guess your crew will have to do.” Zhao’s lip curled. “Not that any of them will care. They know what you are. Your ship wouldn’t be a punishment detail if anyone wanted to sail under you.”
Seething, Zuko watched him leave and closed his eyes, keeping his breath even and readying himself for the fight.
~*~
Zuko watched the sky darken through the cloth walls. The soldiers led him out of the tent and into the center of camp, his mind showing over and over again what had happened last time-
Zhao smirked at him across the empty ground. “This will be over quickly.”
A gong sounded over the center of camp. Zuko stepped forward to face Zhao and struck out, the fire sizzling in the cold air. There was somewhere his mind went during a fight, and afterwards, he knew he would never be able to say what had happened, what sequence of strikes and counter strikes had burned through the air around them, only that he saw and opening, and took it, and Zhao ended up on the ground, his feet swept out from under him. It wasn’t important how he got there anyway. All that mattered was that Zuko stood above him.
“Do it!” Zhao’s eyes gleamed with fear. They grew huge as Zuko lifted his hand, until the fire flew and died in the dust beside him, and Zuko closed his eyes and turned away. “That’s it?” Zhao chuckled breathlessly. “Your father raised a coward.”
Zuko glanced back at him coldly. “Next time you get in my way, I promise I won’t hold back.”
Leaping to his feet, Fire gathered in Zhao’s hand, and stretched into a thick cord. He snarled in fury as he brought it down onto Zuko’s unprotected back. Zuko’s screams rang hollowly on the icy air. A frightening, horrible smell filled his nose. He knew that smell. It was the smell of his own skin bubbling in the fire. He couldn’t even hear himself screaming any more. He couldn’t see, couldn’t think, all he could do was smell that smell and feel the burn sink deep into his flesh.
~*~
The physician propped Zuko’s useless, numb arm up on a side table. The bandages stuck to his skin as the physician pulled the bandage away. Zuko hissed as it pealed off and fluid oozed down his back. The physician wrapped new, clean gauze over the burn as Zuko held himself still and gritted his teeth.
The tent flaps swung inwards. Zhao stalked across the carpet and stopped to loom over the bed. “Feeling better, Prince Zuko?”
“Go away.”
“I’d suggest you start playing nice, Prince Zuko. By the time you’re recovered, your father will have the Avatar. I don’t think you’ll get to keep your crew and your cozy,” Zhao sneered. “Little ship after your exile becomes permanent, do you?”
“You’re not going to get away with this, Zhao!” Zuko snarled, throwing the blanket off from around his waist and trying to leap to his feet.
The physician pushed him back down. “Lie down, Prince Zuko.”
Zuko closed his eyes and grimaced as he lay down on his stomach, even the small movements needing to do that sending waves of pain crashing down over him.
“Who are you going to tell, Prince Zuko?” Zhao asked, pityingly. “Who do you think is going to care?”
Zuko turned his head away and didn’t answer.