Zuko glanced at his uncle incredulous but he didn’t have time to say anything before the Dai Li entered and ringed the two of them. “Something’s not right.”
Behind the Dai Li, a shorter figure, all in green entered the room and then walked between the agents... and smiled. “It’s tea time.”
Zuko grabbed for his crutch and shot to his foot. “Azula!”
“Have you met the Dai Li? They’re Earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that is so-” she stopped, actually looking at her brother, and stared at the crutch.
Uncle stood and picked up his teacup. “Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname the ‘Dragon of the West’?”
Azula examined her nails. “I’m interested in a lengthy anecdote, Uncle.”
“It’s more of a demonstration really.” Uncle downed the tea, and Zuko met his eyes before springing on his good foot to duck behind him.
Fire poured out of Uncle’s mouth, and the two of them fled.
The chamber wall ripped open when the fire blast hit it. Zuko scrambled through the freshly made exit, free hand raised, and limped, still clumsy and new at it, down the hall beyond. Still breathing fire at the Dai Li, Uncle ran backwards past him, fingertips crackling with lightning. Behind them, two Dai Li agents shot finger shaped-rocks from their hands, driving them deep into the plaster walls, throwing dust everywhere.
Uncle's fingers pointed, and lightning arced straight through an outside wall, smashing it to pieces. With sharp shout, he dove out the hole, and straight into a topiary. “Come on. You’ll be fine.”
The crutch slid in the dust. Zuko fell hard on his hands and knee. Above his head, finger stones kept slamming into the wall, no longer right behind him, but right over head. He could hear them whistling past his ears.
Then they just stopped. He rammed his crutch into the floor and pushed up. “Zuko!” came Uncle’s voice from below. He turned to follow, hearing the Dai Li shift behind him. A stone hand rocketed towards his foot, and he knocked it out of the air. The agent pulled his hand back, and the rocks soared back to his hand.
“You’re so dramatic.” Azula stepped up to stand between the Dai Li. “What, are you going to do, challenge me to an Agni Kai?”
Zuko forgot about following Uncle. “Yes! I challenge you!” Azula smiled cheerily. “No thanks!”
Stuffing the crutch into his side and pinning it in place with his elbow, he raised both hands, a ball of fire blazing between them. A snarl burst out of him as he threw his whole weight behind sending it at Azula, but she just watched, smiling.
A pair of agents flanked her and slipped forward between her and her brother. A massive panel of the stone floor leapt up to take the blow. Before it fell back into place, before he had time to react, they flung their rock gloves. One grabbed his foot and pinned it to the floor, the other the other ripping his crutch out of his grasp and into the remnants of the wall behind him. His arms pinwheeled. He fell backwards, and he could feel the bones in his foot bending and pulling apart, and he hissed at the pain... And then his foot couldn’t bend anymore, even if it broke, and he fell forward instead, knocking the wind out of him. His shoulder throbbed where it had slammed into the floor. When the the last rock hands came to trap his hands, all he could do was close his eyes in resignation before they reached him. Azula didn’t even smirk as she turned away. If anything, she seemed... put out.
The two Dai Li agents filed away behind her, but two more stepped up, with fresh rock gloves. Zuko waited. They stalked closer, and Zuko kept waiting. He pulled air deep into his chest and lay there with his head twisted to the side, breathing, until at last they came close enough.
The air burst out of his throat as fire. The agent in its path hopped back, but it caught on the hem of his robe, flaring brightly as it got real fuel. “Damn!” But then Zuko saw his sandal and stockings burning too. The rock glove came down tight over his mouth. “Did you see that?”
“Of course I saw it.”
“Little shit firebent at me!”
“I saw!”
The first agent hissed as he put his foot down again. “Spirits damn!” but they both grabbed hold of his arms and dragged him down the hall.
Zuko hurt his leg on the run and it won’t heal 3/?
Zuko glanced at his uncle incredulous but he didn’t have time to say anything before the Dai Li entered and ringed the two of them. “Something’s not right.”
Behind the Dai Li, a shorter figure, all in green entered the room and then walked between the agents... and smiled. “It’s tea time.”
Zuko grabbed for his crutch and shot to his foot. “Azula!”
“Have you met the Dai Li? They’re Earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that is so-” she stopped, actually looking at her brother, and stared at the crutch.
Uncle stood and picked up his teacup. “Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname the ‘Dragon of the West’?”
Azula examined her nails. “I’m interested in a lengthy anecdote, Uncle.”
“It’s more of a demonstration really.” Uncle downed the tea, and Zuko met his eyes before springing on his good foot to duck behind him.
Fire poured out of Uncle’s mouth, and the two of them fled.
The chamber wall ripped open when the fire blast hit it. Zuko scrambled through the freshly made exit, free hand raised, and limped, still clumsy and new at it, down the hall beyond. Still breathing fire at the Dai Li, Uncle ran backwards past him, fingertips crackling with lightning. Behind them, two Dai Li agents shot finger shaped-rocks from their hands, driving them deep into the plaster walls, throwing dust everywhere.
Uncle's fingers pointed, and lightning arced straight through an outside wall, smashing it to pieces. With sharp shout, he dove out the hole, and straight into a topiary. “Come on. You’ll be fine.”
The crutch slid in the dust. Zuko fell hard on his hands and knee. Above his head, finger stones kept slamming into the wall, no longer right behind him, but right over head. He could hear them whistling past his ears.
Then they just stopped. He rammed his crutch into the floor and pushed up. “Zuko!” came Uncle’s voice from below. He turned to follow, hearing the Dai Li shift behind him. A stone hand rocketed towards his foot, and he knocked it out of the air. The agent pulled his hand back, and the rocks soared back to his hand.
“You’re so dramatic.” Azula stepped up to stand between the Dai Li. “What, are you going to do, challenge me to an Agni Kai?”
Zuko forgot about following Uncle. “Yes! I challenge you!”
Azula smiled cheerily. “No thanks!”
Stuffing the crutch into his side and pinning it in place with his elbow, he raised both hands, a ball of fire blazing between them. A snarl burst out of him as he threw his whole weight behind sending it at Azula, but she just watched, smiling.
A pair of agents flanked her and slipped forward between her and her brother. A massive panel of the stone floor leapt up to take the blow. Before it fell back into place, before he had time to react, they flung their rock gloves. One grabbed his foot and pinned it to the floor, the other the other ripping his crutch out of his grasp and into the remnants of the wall behind him. His arms pinwheeled. He fell backwards, and he could feel the bones in his foot bending and pulling apart, and he hissed at the pain... And then his foot couldn’t bend anymore, even if it broke, and he fell forward instead, knocking the wind out of him. His shoulder throbbed where it had slammed into the floor. When the the last rock hands came to trap his hands, all he could do was close his eyes in resignation before they reached him. Azula didn’t even smirk as she turned away. If anything, she seemed... put out.
The two Dai Li agents filed away behind her, but two more stepped up, with fresh rock gloves. Zuko waited. They stalked closer, and Zuko kept waiting. He pulled air deep into his chest and lay there with his head twisted to the side, breathing, until at last they came close enough.
The air burst out of his throat as fire. The agent in its path hopped back, but it caught on the hem of his robe, flaring brightly as it got real fuel. “Damn!” But then Zuko saw his sandal and stockings burning too. The rock glove came down tight over his mouth. “Did you see that?”
“Of course I saw it.”
“Little shit firebent at me!”
“I saw!”
The first agent hissed as he put his foot down again. “Spirits damn!” but they both grabbed hold of his arms and dragged him down the hall.