“You don’t even like kids,” Ty Lee pleaded. “What do you want with her?”
Mai looked into her friend’s eyes. “Don’t ask.”
“I don’t know what you’re doing with them.” Ty Lee grabbed for the key ring. “Just don’t hurt her.
Mai whirled around like she had been slapped. “Don’t worry.” Ty Lee backed away from the door. Mai glanced at the red blotches on her friend’s face. “Have you been crying?”
“No.” Ty Lee hunched her shoulders.
Mai put her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Don’t lie.”
“It’s nothing.” Ty Lee waved her away. “Do whatever you were going to do. Just leave me out of it.”
“Don’t worry,” Mai repeated. She pulled the door open. She heard Ty Lee’s footsteps growing farther away down the prison hall. The little girl cowered away from her when she walked in. Mai crouched down low and held out her hands. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
She just sank further into the shadows. “Mamamamamama,” she whined, and Mai glanced up at the metal ceiling.
When Mai got close, the girl tried to slip under her arms, but Mai pinned her and picked her up. “Come on. I’m going to take you to your mom.”
Sparks blossomed off the little girl’s fingers, and Mai stroked her hair absently, the way she sometimes did with Tom Tom when she couldn’t avoid him. She squirmed, and Mai held on tighter, and when she started to scream, Mai clamped her hand over the little girl’s mouth.
“Come on.” Mai muttered. She marched down the hall, the girl under her arm. When she opened the door to Lu Ten’s cell, she almost threw the girl into his arms. “There. You have your daughter. Get Zuko and get out of here.”
Lu Ten pulled his daughter to his chest. “I’m not leaving without my father. And Rinzee.”
Mai held up the keys. “Fine. Come with me.”
~*~
The lifeboat rocked gently in the water. “Come with us,” Zuko murmured.
“I can’t. I have a family.”
Zuko held his hand up to her. “If you stay here, Azula’s just going to kill you. She’ll know it’s you.”
Mai, taking Azula’s plan down from the inside (AU of Ice Flows Through) Pt. 4/4
Mai looked into her friend’s eyes. “Don’t ask.”
“I don’t know what you’re doing with them.” Ty Lee grabbed for the key ring. “Just don’t hurt her.
Mai whirled around like she had been slapped. “Don’t worry.” Ty Lee backed away from the door. Mai glanced at the red blotches on her friend’s face. “Have you been crying?”
“No.” Ty Lee hunched her shoulders.
Mai put her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Don’t lie.”
“It’s nothing.” Ty Lee waved her away. “Do whatever you were going to do. Just leave me out of it.”
“Don’t worry,” Mai repeated. She pulled the door open. She heard Ty Lee’s footsteps growing farther away down the prison hall. The little girl cowered away from her when she walked in. Mai crouched down low and held out her hands. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
She just sank further into the shadows. “Mamamamamama,” she whined, and Mai glanced up at the metal ceiling.
When Mai got close, the girl tried to slip under her arms, but Mai pinned her and picked her up. “Come on. I’m going to take you to your mom.”
Sparks blossomed off the little girl’s fingers, and Mai stroked her hair absently, the way she sometimes did with Tom Tom when she couldn’t avoid him. She squirmed, and Mai held on tighter, and when she started to scream, Mai clamped her hand over the little girl’s mouth.
“Come on.” Mai muttered. She marched down the hall, the girl under her arm. When she opened the door to Lu Ten’s cell, she almost threw the girl into his arms. “There. You have your daughter. Get Zuko and get out of here.”
Lu Ten pulled his daughter to his chest. “I’m not leaving without my father. And Rinzee.”
Mai held up the keys. “Fine. Come with me.”
~*~
The lifeboat rocked gently in the water. “Come with us,” Zuko murmured.
“I can’t. I have a family.”
Zuko held his hand up to her. “If you stay here, Azula’s just going to kill you. She’ll know it’s you.”
Iroh held his head up. “We can get your family.”
“Come with us, please, Mai!”
Mai shook her head and cut the rope.