"That's quite a bit of damage." He sounded so pleased about it, and Zuko's fingers itched to set the man's sideburns on fire.
"Yes, you wouldn't believe what happened," Zuko said nervously. Of course. The nearest port would have Zhao in charge. He wasn't allowed to have any good luck at all. "Uncle, tell Commander Zhao what happened."
"Yes, I will do that," Iroh said quickly. "It was incredible." He elbowed his nephew. "What, did we crash or something?"
"Yes." Zuko wanted to put his head in his hands. "Right into a huge iceberg."
"Really, you must regale me with all the thrilling details." Zhao's oily smile grated on Zuko's already raw nerves as the man leaned over, not to but, but to threaten. "Join my for a drink?"
Zuko narrowed his good eye and turned to go. "Sorry, but we have to go."
"Prince Zuko, show Commander Zhao your respect." Iroh's hand clamped down on his nephew's shoulder. "We would be honored to join you. Do you have any ginseng tea? It's my favorite."
As the other two turned their backs, Zuko's hands curled into claws, and before he forced himself to follow, fire swirled around them and died in the chilly air.
~*~
"This one says 'mild'." Katara tossed him the bag of candy. "I think we should stick to those."
"I can handle a little heat, Katara!" he insisted, throwing them back to her and coming over to dig through the crate himself. "Now, where did the hot ones go?"
"Wow, big tough manly man," she exclaimed. "Just don't come crying to me when it feels like your whole mouth's on fire."
"Don't worry, I won't." he grabbed a packet of hot candies and popped three of them into his mouth at the same time. "Mmmmph," he whimpered as tears sprang to his eyes.
The heavy sound of boots striking metal rang down the corridor. Katara stuffed the bag of mild candy into her shirt and pulled the lid back onto he crate.
"We were just trying to find some extra blankets," she said when the cargo hold door burst open.
"Stand up," the soldier in front ordered. "You're coming with us."
"Did we do something wrong?" She swallowed. Two of the soldiers dragged Sokka to his feet as he tried to speak and gulp down his tears, and two more grabbed her arms, pushing her in front of them. "Where are we going?"
"Silence," the first soldier snapped at her instead of answering. With a jolt, Katara realized she didn't recognize his voice.
~*~
"Sozin's Comet will return in the end of summer, With the drill nearing completion, Ba Sing Se will fall easily, and by year's end, the Earth Kingdom capital will be under our rule." Zhao stood in front of the map and bragged like they were his own plans. "The Firelord will finally claim victory in this war."
Zuko stared sulkily in the opposite direction. His father wasn't stupid enough to think he could rule the whole world once the comet was gone, even if Zhao was. He clenched his teeth and forced himself not to speak, lest what he wanted to say be interpreted as disloyalty. He couldn't afford anyone making that mistake.
Zhao smiled at the boy's silence and sat down in the chair next to him. "So, how is your search for the Avatar going?" Zuko flinched.
Behind them, Zhao's display of pole arms crashed to the floor of his tent, and his uncle backed away with his hands in his sleeves. "My fault entirely."
"We haven't found him yet," Zuko mumbled.
"Did you really expect to? The Avatar died a hundred years ago, along with the rest of the airbenders." Zhao sneered. "Unless you found some evidence that the Avatar is alive."
"No." Zuko looked away. "Nothing."
"Prince Zuko, the Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war." Zhao stood up to loom over the young prince, watching him squirm. "If you have an ounce of loyalty left, you'll tell me what you've found."
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branchandroot
Agni Kai against Zhao, Part 2/4
Date: 2012-05-06 12:25 am (UTC)"Yes, you wouldn't believe what happened," Zuko said nervously. Of course. The nearest port would have Zhao in charge. He wasn't allowed to have any good luck at all. "Uncle, tell Commander Zhao what happened."
"Yes, I will do that," Iroh said quickly. "It was incredible." He elbowed his nephew. "What, did we crash or something?"
"Yes." Zuko wanted to put his head in his hands. "Right into a huge iceberg."
"Really, you must regale me with all the thrilling details." Zhao's oily smile grated on Zuko's already raw nerves as the man leaned over, not to but, but to threaten. "Join my for a drink?"
Zuko narrowed his good eye and turned to go. "Sorry, but we have to go."
"Prince Zuko, show Commander Zhao your respect." Iroh's hand clamped down on his nephew's shoulder. "We would be honored to join you. Do you have any ginseng tea? It's my favorite."
As the other two turned their backs, Zuko's hands curled into claws, and before he forced himself to follow, fire swirled around them and died in the chilly air.
~*~
"This one says 'mild'." Katara tossed him the bag of candy. "I think we should stick to those."
"I can handle a little heat, Katara!" he insisted, throwing them back to her and coming over to dig through the crate himself. "Now, where did the hot ones go?"
"Wow, big tough manly man," she exclaimed. "Just don't come crying to me when it feels like your whole mouth's on fire."
"Don't worry, I won't." he grabbed a packet of hot candies and popped three of them into his mouth at the same time. "Mmmmph," he whimpered as tears sprang to his eyes.
The heavy sound of boots striking metal rang down the corridor. Katara stuffed the bag of mild candy into her shirt and pulled the lid back onto he crate.
"We were just trying to find some extra blankets," she said when the cargo hold door burst open.
"Stand up," the soldier in front ordered. "You're coming with us."
"Did we do something wrong?" She swallowed. Two of the soldiers dragged Sokka to his feet as he tried to speak and gulp down his tears, and two more grabbed her arms, pushing her in front of them. "Where are we going?"
"Silence," the first soldier snapped at her instead of answering. With a jolt, Katara realized she didn't recognize his voice.
~*~
"Sozin's Comet will return in the end of summer, With the drill nearing completion, Ba Sing Se will fall easily, and by year's end, the Earth Kingdom capital will be under our rule." Zhao stood in front of the map and bragged like they were his own plans. "The Firelord will finally claim victory in this war."
Zuko stared sulkily in the opposite direction. His father wasn't stupid enough to think he could rule the whole world once the comet was gone, even if Zhao was. He clenched his teeth and forced himself not to speak, lest what he wanted to say be interpreted as disloyalty. He couldn't afford anyone making that mistake.
Zhao smiled at the boy's silence and sat down in the chair next to him. "So, how is your search for the Avatar going?" Zuko flinched.
Behind them, Zhao's display of pole arms crashed to the floor of his tent, and his uncle backed away with his hands in his sleeves. "My fault entirely."
"We haven't found him yet," Zuko mumbled.
"Did you really expect to? The Avatar died a hundred years ago, along with the rest of the airbenders." Zhao sneered. "Unless you found some evidence that the Avatar is alive."
"No." Zuko looked away. "Nothing."
"Prince Zuko, the Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war." Zhao stood up to loom over the young prince, watching him squirm. "If you have an ounce of loyalty left, you'll tell me what you've found."