As many as you want, but I only promise one (yeah yeah, sure, there'll be more)
~*~
Zuko lost track of the twists and turns they took through the palace and gave up entirely when the agents carrying him sank a shaft into the ground.
As they bent, he sagged in their arms, and one of the agents snorted. “Worr-” His leg shot up in an arch, trailing fire behind it, and he hung in their arms, letting them support him. The flames caught on the talkative Dai Li agent’s sleeve. “Aaargh!” He leapt back, his helmet flying off his head, but before Zuko could break away completely, the other agent had grabbed both arms. Zuko kicked his knee out with a fire blast.
And fell to the ground with a groan. The smell of smoke and burning fabric filled the air, and Zuko twisted against the rock bonds, huffing around his gag in frustration, but no matter how hard he squirmed, he couldn’t move forward at all.
Behind him, one of the agents seized his foot and bent it back against his thigh. Zuko kicked, but the agent was stronger, and held the foot in place as he bent stone around it, pinning it securely. He roared, thrashing ineffectively against the ground, and he could see the other agent coming closer, and he could see where the fire from Zuko’s kick had burned away the man’s robes, but it hadn’t touched the damn skin at all. As the agents slipped their arms through his again and held him up, they shook him hard. “Spirits, kid,” the first agent said, sporting shallow, shiny burns on his bare foot and wrist. “Where’d you think you were going to go, anyway?”
“Just hurry up,” the other one grimaced. Zuko heaved. All of his weight rested on his shoulders and twisted arms. “So we can get rid of him.
The tunnel slammed closed above them, and Zuko convulsed, almost ripping his arms out of their sockets trying to get away.
“You want us to knock you out?” one of them asked, resting his rock gloved hand on Zuko’s head. “Will that be easier, you think?” Zuko stopped struggling. “Good boy.”
The tunnel wound lower and lower through the rock, and when they emerged into the underground chamber, Zuko almost started crying with relief at being able to see again. When one of the agents let go and walked in front of him, he threw himself sideways to escape, but the other one grabbed his other arm. “Just give up, kid, there’s nowhere to go anyway.”
The man carried him forward in his arms like a baby to a new hole bent into the ground.
“You’ve got company.” The tunnel sealed behind him and the rocks flew off his body and back to the Dai Li as he tumbled down the tunnel, bouncing off stones as he went.
Re: Zuko hurt his leg on the run and it won’t heal 4/? I think it's either 5 or 6
~*~
Zuko lost track of the twists and turns they took through the palace and gave up entirely when the agents carrying him sank a shaft into the ground.
As they bent, he sagged in their arms, and one of the agents snorted. “Worr-” His leg shot up in an arch, trailing fire behind it, and he hung in their arms, letting them support him. The flames caught on the talkative Dai Li agent’s sleeve. “Aaargh!” He leapt back, his helmet flying off his head, but before Zuko could break away completely, the other agent had grabbed both arms. Zuko kicked his knee out with a fire blast.
And fell to the ground with a groan. The smell of smoke and burning fabric filled the air, and Zuko twisted against the rock bonds, huffing around his gag in frustration, but no matter how hard he squirmed, he couldn’t move forward at all.
Behind him, one of the agents seized his foot and bent it back against his thigh. Zuko kicked, but the agent was stronger, and held the foot in place as he bent stone around it, pinning it securely. He roared, thrashing ineffectively against the ground, and he could see the other agent coming closer, and he could see where the fire from Zuko’s kick had burned away the man’s robes, but it hadn’t touched the damn skin at all. As the agents slipped their arms through his again and held him up, they shook him hard. “Spirits, kid,” the first agent said, sporting shallow, shiny burns on his bare foot and wrist. “Where’d you think you were going to go, anyway?”
“Just hurry up,” the other one grimaced. Zuko heaved. All of his weight rested on his shoulders and twisted arms. “So we can get rid of him.
The tunnel slammed closed above them, and Zuko convulsed, almost ripping his arms out of their sockets trying to get away.
“You want us to knock you out?” one of them asked, resting his rock gloved hand on Zuko’s head. “Will that be easier, you think?” Zuko stopped struggling. “Good boy.”
The tunnel wound lower and lower through the rock, and when they emerged into the underground chamber, Zuko almost started crying with relief at being able to see again. When one of the agents let go and walked in front of him, he threw himself sideways to escape, but the other one grabbed his other arm. “Just give up, kid, there’s nowhere to go anyway.”
The man carried him forward in his arms like a baby to a new hole bent into the ground.
“You’ve got company.” The tunnel sealed behind him and the rocks flew off his body and back to the Dai Li as he tumbled down the tunnel, bouncing off stones as he went.
But true to the Dai li’s words, he wasn’t alone.