“Listen, you little shit, if you pull that again, we’ll strangle you right here and tell your sister you died choking on the gag. You want that?”
Zuko shook his head and spat out another mouthful of bile. “No.”
He tugged against the bonds on his wrists and ankles. The fabric slid under them and snagged. His skin tore, and the blood made his movements easier, and just as ineffective as ever. His eyes darted up to the the shiny burn on the agent’s hand, and he almost vibrated with impotent fury. It was such a minor burn, like the man could have gotten by touching a pot that hadn’t been off the fire for long enough. It probably wouldn’t even scar. His fire hadn’t even made it all the way through the man’s robes. It was pathetic.
The burn probably hurt, though. He just had to keep reminding himself of that.
The other agent grabbed Zuko’s arms and drew him up to his feet. As the Dai Li agents dragged him down the corridor, his bound feet banged over the iron floor, echoing dully. He had to fight not to grit his teeth against the pain as his head bounced around on his neck. The pouch with Uncle’s ashes thumped against his hip, and he tried to reach out to it automatically, through the cloud threatening to engulf his mind. But his hands were cuffed, and he just felt stupid.
The Dai Li agent who he had burned pulled a ring of keys out of his robe and unlocked a heavy, metal cell door. The boy inside scrambled to his feet and tried to rush the door as the Dai Li threw Zuko inside. They crashed into each other Sokka grunted as he hit the ground, Zuko on top of his chest. The key turned in the lock again and the rocks around Zuko’s wrists and ankles flew off and out the door grille, back to the agents.
Zuko rolled off him and glanced around in the gloom, trying to take stock of where he was, but it hurt just to turn his head, and his brain wouldn’t work...
“Oh, hello.” The Earth King waved to him almost fanatically from a corner of the cell, his voice high and scared. “Nice to see you again.”
Zuko propped himself up against the wall and let his head sink to his knees. “Hey.” The word wasn’t really more than an indistinct grunt, and he didn’t know if anyone could hear it though his knees anyway. He didn’t care.
He had screwed up. He should have gone with his sister. If he hadn’t lost his temp-
It wasn’t like Aang, the Avatar’s, friends wanted him around anyway. It would have been better if he’d just gone with Azula.
“Hey, Zuko.” Sokka pulled himself up to his feet and shook himself off. “Did you see Katara? Aang and toph went to rescue her-”
Of course they went to rescue her. “She’s fine.” He closed his eyes. “Shut up.”
“What happened?” Sokka demanded, standing over him. “Where is she? Is she...”
“She got out, alright?” And they just left him there.
Sokka beamed.
“Are your friends going to get us out of here?” the Earth King asked, eying Zuko uncertainly. Zuko didn’t look up. He didn’t answer, because he had no idea what was going to come out if he opened his mouth.
“Of course they will!” Sokka assured him rapidly, cutting through the silence. “If we don’t break ourselves out first. So, Zuko, do you happen to have any wire on you?”
Iroh dies in s2: Crossroads of Destiny, Pt 4/5
Zuko shook his head and spat out another mouthful of bile. “No.”
He tugged against the bonds on his wrists and ankles. The fabric slid under them and snagged. His skin tore, and the blood made his movements easier, and just as ineffective as ever. His eyes darted up to the the shiny burn on the agent’s hand, and he almost vibrated with impotent fury. It was such a minor burn, like the man could have gotten by touching a pot that hadn’t been off the fire for long enough. It probably wouldn’t even scar. His fire hadn’t even made it all the way through the man’s robes. It was pathetic.
The burn probably hurt, though. He just had to keep reminding himself of that.
The other agent grabbed Zuko’s arms and drew him up to his feet. As the Dai Li agents dragged him down the corridor, his bound feet banged over the iron floor, echoing dully. He had to fight not to grit his teeth against the pain as his head bounced around on his neck. The pouch with Uncle’s ashes thumped against his hip, and he tried to reach out to it automatically, through the cloud threatening to engulf his mind. But his hands were cuffed, and he just felt stupid.
The Dai Li agent who he had burned pulled a ring of keys out of his robe and unlocked a heavy, metal cell door. The boy inside scrambled to his feet and tried to rush the door as the Dai Li threw Zuko inside. They crashed into each other Sokka grunted as he hit the ground, Zuko on top of his chest. The key turned in the lock again and the rocks around Zuko’s wrists and ankles flew off and out the door grille, back to the agents.
Zuko rolled off him and glanced around in the gloom, trying to take stock of where he was, but it hurt just to turn his head, and his brain wouldn’t work...
“Oh, hello.” The Earth King waved to him almost fanatically from a corner of the cell, his voice high and scared. “Nice to see you again.”
Zuko propped himself up against the wall and let his head sink to his knees. “Hey.” The word wasn’t really more than an indistinct grunt, and he didn’t know if anyone could hear it though his knees anyway. He didn’t care.
He had screwed up. He should have gone with his sister. If he hadn’t lost his temp-
It wasn’t like Aang, the Avatar’s, friends wanted him around anyway. It would have been better if he’d just gone with Azula.
“Hey, Zuko.” Sokka pulled himself up to his feet and shook himself off. “Did you see Katara? Aang and toph went to rescue her-”
Of course they went to rescue her. “She’s fine.” He closed his eyes. “Shut up.”
“What happened?” Sokka demanded, standing over him. “Where is she? Is she...”
“She got out, alright?” And they just left him there.
Sokka beamed.
“Are your friends going to get us out of here?” the Earth King asked, eying Zuko uncertainly. Zuko didn’t look up. He didn’t answer, because he had no idea what was going to come out if he opened his mouth.
“Of course they will!” Sokka assured him rapidly, cutting through the silence. “If we don’t break ourselves out first. So, Zuko, do you happen to have any wire on you?”
Zuko didn’t bother to answer.
~*~