Common Enemy

by testament5524

The murder of a Fire Nation veteran, the botched assassination of the Northern Water Tribe Chief, the kidnapping attempt on the Earth Kingdom Bei Fong Family. The Four Nations faced a common threat of interplanetary crime and must begrudgingly unite to deal with this common enemy. Futuristic police procedural AU. Most OCs from the Dragon of the Deep Forest included.

1. Chapter 1 - Veteran

Chapter 1 – Veteran

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the fingers I'm using.

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(Fire Nation, Thursday, Month 7, Day 11)

Lieutenant Azula Kai sped through the busy airline traffic in her sleek dark red speeder-car. Arm rested on the vehicle door, absentmindedly playing with her hair, she was currently enjoying the air flapping on her face and the privilege awarded by her blaring siren. Vehicles after vehicles hovered aside to let her pass. She could have flown in the empty space between airlines, known as forbidden zones by the laymen terms of the air traffic regulation, or the emergency air as many ambulances and law enforcers used those spaces for emergency use. But, Azula kind of enjoyed flexing some authorities.

Especially if she could do it, well, legally.

Ruby red lips curled up into a smirk as her foot floored the gas pedal while her hand pulled the emergency brake; slamming the wheel to the side, she drifted her speeder-car around the intersection, barely missing a school bus. Speeding away, accompanied by cheering school children, the lieutenant allowed herself a tiny chuckle, completely indifferent if she had just planted some ideas in the young and naïve minds of around twenty elementary grade students of Fire Nation Royal Academy.

Who knows, right? Some of them might grow up into the next generation of law enforcers. Or reckless drivers; whichever the case might be.

The beeping of her GPS system came as she was just about to snort; the image of a kid in Fire Nation Royal Academy red uniform speeding and screaming behind an oversized wheel of a speeder-car tickled her. According to the monitor on her dashboard, a GPS map among a cacophony of numbers, characters, and colors, Dragon Tail Borough was about five hundred meters straight ahead.

And eighty feet down.

Sighing, she rolled her tinted window up and turned off her engine. Freefalling a hundred feet down inside a 200 pounds metal and engines, dodging speeder-cars below with just her steering wheels induced a certain kind of euphoric thrill. After all, despite her stellar career in Fire Nation Police Department, she was still just a fourteen years old girl living out her rebellious phase.

The moment the bottom of her vehicle was ten inches away from the asphalt of the ground level, her emergency anti-gravity system kicked in. Coupled with spring balancing security system, she suffered no more than a pleasant rocking. No urban speeder-cars should have such powerful anti-gravity device but, being the granddaughter of the Fire Lord and the daughter of the Prime Minister of the Nation –and, more importantly, daddy's little girl- her car had been fitted by not only the anti-gravity system usually found in a war tank that weighted several tons, but also retractable mounted blaster turrets on both sides of her car with quite a respectable rotatable mountings, capable of 180 degrees rotation. It even had a rather powerful deflector shield generator, able to produce a protective layer of translucent energy field strong enough to withstand several shots of heavy duty blaster canons.

Then, there were also several features of comfort and style: expensive dark red leather, crimson lacquered wooden panel, the most advanced navigation system, heating and cooling feature, voice and finger prints recognition, mp3 player, etc. And at least two hidden weapon compartments reachable from the driver's seat.

Nothing but the best for the Fire Princess. Prime Minister Ozai had supervised the whole modification himself.

Turning off her engine completely, Azula checked her reflection on the mirror. Hair impeccable as always despite the wind; top-knot and her signature twin bangs veiling the sides of her face still in their appointed places. She reached down the compartment below her seat, listening to the beeping and clicking that ensued as the very surface she touched recognized her prints. She drew a drawer and took from it her weapons. Holstered safely was her main black with sapphire blue outline Spica SF-24, a small easily concealable handgun, often dubbed 'Spy's Firearm' –slang for the SF in Spica SF- due to the small size. She pulled the barrel back a bit; a luminescent red plasma crystal bullet peeked through the opening on the chamber.

Fitting her main firearm on her side, perfectly on her right waist, she checked her backup next. A palm sized Spica SF-C20, a six-shooter double action short-barreled revolver with a swing-out cylinder; a birthday gift from her mother and also fully-loaded. She fitted the sidearm on a small thigh holster half hidden under a heavy silk tasset that was part of her usual robe. She pulled and tucked one end of the tasset on her belt to allow easier movement of her legs and to further hide her backup.

She put on her body armor next: layer of light durable metal plate fixed inside thick synthetic fiber, colored crimson red with golden accent. The color theme of the elite Royal Procession that the Fire Nation Police Department's Major Crime Response Unit borrowed. With the headquarters in a tiny island east of the Capitol, the Major Crime Unit answered directly to the Minister of Public Security.

Tucking her badge –a flame shaped insignia of red with gold outline on a shield-shaped stiff thick leather- on her belt and putting on her communicator earpiece, she opened her door and steeped out onto the asphalt. Uniformed city guards were standing by outside a line of deep red police tape with bright yellow letters. They saluted the girl; Azula gave them a passing glance as she ducked under the tape and entered the crime scene.

A dark alley illuminated only by the twilight sunset; Azula found the soft orange hue falling on the ground strangely mesmerizing. If only the corpse was not there, she might want to immortalize the scene with a snapshot on her cellphone. A muscularly built man in what, in Azula's opinion, used to be impeccable robe of nobility. Zuko, crouching near the sprawling corpse, pulling a small pendant of wolf-hound and, now that Azula noticed it, the same symbol embossed on the handle of a gun near the man's dead hand, further bolstered her conjecture.

"House of Wu", she said as a greeting. Zuko, wearing more or less the same kind of outfit, though his hair he left untied, jerked his head towards her and scowled.

"You're late", he growled.

"Traffic's busy", Azula shrugged nonchalantly as she crouched down on the other side of the corpse. Putting on a pair of rubber gloves, she picked up the gun. "He didn't even get to fire a shot", she concluded, noticing the gun's safety that was still on. She jammed her gloved pinky finger inside the gun's barrel and drew no soot, proving her initial conclusion.

Zuko did not say anything. Azula trailed her attention to the numerous bloody patches camouflaging almost perfectly on the man's crimson robe. Almost. The three bloody and burnt gunshot holes on his chest also caught her attention.

"He was probably killed elsewhere and dumped here", a male voice that was not Zuko's voiced Azula's suspicion for her. Azula turned to the direction of the voice, falling to one knee for balance, and pulling her gun free with one fluid movement. Zuko groaned.

"I've told you to leave. We don't need vigilantes here", the Prince glared at the dark hooded shadow emerging from the dark corner of the alleyway. Azula put her weapon away, looking completely unhappy of failing to faze the newcomer.

The sunlight fell upon his boots, of Fire Nation pointy toe design, dark hard leather with darker colored metal plates on the shins; his trousers legs, dark heavy looking fabric; and waist where a belt with a round buckler of grey two-pronged flame was. His robe (who wears robes in summer!) revealed nothing on his sides but Azula knew he kept his guns there; a handgun strapped on his front waist, easily fitted for a reverse draw like a sword, and at least two backups, a real retractable sword on his right waist, and Agni knows how many knives. He was always packing, be it firearms, blades, or firebending.

"'Vigilante' is such a gray term. I prefer… 'mercenary'", he walked closer and crouched down; the light feel upon his light armor under his slightly parted robe though his hooded head revealed nothing but his sly smirk under his head covering. "After all, I got paid for my job."

"Vampire", Azula muttered under her breath, making sure he heard it.

"Psh! Please… I don't do sparkles", he grinned, lifting his hand wearing a fingerless glove and wiggling his fingers on the sunlight. "Though, I must say, your neck looks particularly ravishing this evening", naturally, Azula pulled off his right gloves, licked her finger, pressed that finger on the man's exposed skin on the back of his finger, and sparked a tiny lightning. "Ow!"

"Did you disturb the body?" Azula asked with a low menacing tone, wiggling a finger at some slight anomaly of the blood smear on the ground.

"Eh… maybe", the hooded figure looked away uncomfortably. Azula raised her fist and he cringed. "Ng… well…"

"This is why I hate vigilantes", Azula barked, slapping his arms. "You may be—"

"For a good reason, I assure you", the figure said firmly, though his 'I know what you don't' smirk sort of irked Azula. "I was nearby when they dumped the body."

"They? Who?" Zuko asked urgently.

"Here", the figure reached to his pocket and handed Zuko a small piece of paper. "I've also taken some pictures of the van. I'll send it to you if you're nice to me", the last part he directed at Azula. Under Azula's withering stare, the hooded teenager grinned and, ignoring the girl's stare, he tapped the back of the metal plates at the back of each gloves; a mucous like substance appeared from the very surface of the gloves, creeping and enveloping his hands, and solidified into a layer of synthetic rubber.

Azula, a fourteen year old, sounded like a mere four year old when she spoke to Zuko with that whiny voice of her that always annoyed her brother. "Zuzu, I want one of those."

Zuko threw his sister a glare for so many a reason. "We don't have the budget."

Azula blew him a tiny raspberry. Zuko stood up with the piece of paper and tapped his earpiece. "Headquarters, Zuko. Get me command."

"Here, look", the not-a-vigilante pulled the dead body and rolled it to the side; Azula felt a tiny jolt on her stomach caused by a non-official law enforcer fumbling through the crime scene the way he did. He took from a pouch on his belt a small object that had the appearance of a glass marble and pressed it; a small beep and the object shone a tiny but bright blue UV light. He let go of the object and the ball of light floated in the air like a tiny star.

"Yes, command. Mai, you— oh… hello, Chit Sang."

"Look, on his back", the hooded figure pointed at the many luminescent bright blue lines riddling the relatively undamaged fabric of the dead man's clothes. "I'm pretty sure he was tortured. And here", he pointed at a blob of blue at the back of man's head. "Looks like he was whacked on the head. Kidnapped, maybe."

"What about the gunshot?" Azula asked; Azula gave credit where credit is due. Also, this saved her from thinking.

"I can't be sure if he was dead or still alive when they dumped him here", the figure said. "I was up there", he pointed at an eight-storeys building of Fire Nation mainland pagoda-like design. "I was checking my phone for messages and—"

Under Azula's narrowed eyes…

"Okay, I was playing Angry Bird!" he redressed huffily. "It's boring being out here on patrol, you know. Anyway, I just saw the van stopping, heard some gunshots, and the van sped off, the vic was there like this. Took some pictures of the van, wrote down the plate number, you know, the usual. By the way, I beat your score."

"Dang it!" Azula cursed under her breath; and here she thought she could rub her victory over the boy for at least until this weekend. Watching him squirm whenever he failed to break her top score carried its own amusement for her.

"—no, no, Chit Sang! Just press the—"

"I've notified the House of Wu when I noticed the symbol", the figure added. "They told me they'd notify the police."

"Zuzu called me here. I was having a nice long bath; naturally, I am unhappy", Azula grumbled. "They hired you?"

"Off the record, of course", the figure grinned again. Then, he looked up, as if scrutinizing. Azula noticed his bright amber eyes under the shadow of his hood; the contrast looked almost creepy. "Did they say anything about hiring a private party?"

"You mean, did a respectable noble house admit anything about illegally hiring vigilantes—"

"Mercenaries!"

"—to potentially obstruct police work, not to mention admit such lack of faith to the quality of our police department?" she let out an exasperated sigh.

"The pay's good", the figure shrugged as if it justified everything. "2000 gold pieces if we solved this ourselves. 1000 if we aided the cops and let you take all the credit."

"The lab should be able to determine the time of death", Azula concluded as she got up and remove her gloves. "Not much we can do here."

The figure tapped the back of his gloves again; the synthetic rubber layer hissed and dissolved into thin air. As he reached for the floating UV light, turned it off, and stashed it back to his utility belt, he too stood up. "What?" he asked at Azula's sudden glare. "What did I do this time?"

"—no, Chit Sang, it's— *sigh* Yes, hi, Ty Lee. I'm doing fine."

"What do you mean 'what did I do this time'?" Azula practically barked at him, causing him to wince. "You're getting more brazen lately. Showing up at a crime scene—"

"Actually, I was here first and—"

"—disturbing the evidence—"

"Well, yeah, but—"

"—making shady illegal deals with relatives of a victim—"

"He wasn't a relative, more like an employ—"

"I can arrest you for this", Azula threatened.

"—no, I don't want to know about that guy who stalking you! Just run the— *sigh* yes, that's horrible, Ty Lee. I'm sorry to hear that and he should return all of your shoes he's stolen."

"Oh?" the figure grinned a mischievous smirk that was so him. Azula quickly interrupted the coming remark.

"If you make a joke about handcuffs, I'm going to smack you so hard— urgh, that didn't come out—", she groaned.

"My, Lieutenant. I never would have thought—"

"Shut up!" Azula snapped and kicked him in the shin.

"Ah, of course", he commented still so nonchalantly. "No metal plate protector yet to be invented to protect oneself from Princess Azula's kick. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to jump up and down holding my hurting shin", when he did that, Azula pushed him to the ground. She added a kick as a bonus. "Police brutality!" he screamed.

"Oh, I'll show you police brutality!" she barked, reaching for her gun. The figure yelped and scampered away to the shadow like a cock-roach.

"Yes, Ty Lee. I'll… call later", Zuko turned off his earpiece and rejoined Azula, fuming. "Okay, who put Chit Sang and Ty Lee on command? There is a reason why we keep those two apart! There's a reason why I assign Chit Sang to the field team! That guy can't press a single keyboard button with his pinky!"

---

It was late after midnight when Azula drove off from the headquarter island into the tiny strait that separated the island it was on with the main island. While other cars' repulsorlift engines could only stay on unsteady surfaces like water for a second or two before they failed, her car, like many government issued vehicles, was fully amphibious.

She passed through the body of water at breakneck speed, mind shifting through the little information they had gathered regarding the case they were working on. A senior employee in the House of Wu's mansion guards had apparently been kidnapped, tortured, and killed before his body was dumped on a roadside. The cover up job was sloppy to say the least; the torture marks were a dead giveaway.

Either the perpetrators were foolish or they had gotten what they wanted and had no need to cover their mess to a great extent. Azula was inclined to believe the latter. The House of Wu was a powerful merchant family with many ties to the underworld; black market, drugs, illegal gambling, human trafficking, triads.

She slowed down a bit as her car hovered onto solid land. Speeding towards the deserted ground level road, she picked up a single flower of gentle purple color that she had found on her dashboard earlier; a nightshade. She steered through the street, the route was all too familiar for her.

Fifteen minutes of drive later, she stopped and parked her car in front of a bustling night market; a tall red gate ushering the way to a series of stone steps that led towards a brightly-lit area filled with lanterns and torches, carts and stalls, still crowded by people at this late hour of night, a stark contrast with the surrounding dark deserted cold-looking streets and buildings.

The lieutenant climbed the steps, earning less than a glance despite the gun on her waist and the badge reflecting the light of the torches and lanterns. The lack of modern technology made the gas tank under the stoves of food hawkers and the occasional cellphones looked slightly out of place. Shooting down the 'two for the price of one' offer from a nearby knock-off purse vendor with a dry stare, Azula walked deeper into the crowd.

While being around people hold a certain charm to her, she was a reclusive by nature. As she had once told Ty Lee, she preferred shooting fake people in the head in one of her video games rather than spending one minute going with the bubbly girl to the mall filled with real people.

At least fake people she could kill without going to jail and with none of the remorse.

She found herself standing in front of what appeared to be a family restaurant. A large stone building with brick colored walls, crimson tiled roofs of Fire Nation design, with red paper lanterns hanging all around, bearing a rectangular signboard of black lacquered rosewood: Shinrin Diner.

She sat down on one of the many outdoor tables; eyes of the many patrons, most of whom were large burly men and tough-looking women, darted towards her for a brief moment. A petite well-dressed girl did look out of place.

A young girl of about six or seven years old approached and offered her a menu; a woman behind her Azula surmised to be the girl's mother. The small girl continued with her greeting and reciting of the menu of the day with a childish stutter. As she was done, giggling proudly, she jumped onto the woman's arms. Smiling brightly, the mother nodded slightly at Azula, which Azula returned with a tiny and brief smile, and she walked back into the restaurant cradling the girl to allow the patron time with the menu.

She flipped open the slightly greasy menu. On the top of the page was the printing of the restaurant's signboard framed with drawings of bamboo grooves on the right and left. She was reading through the snack section when a plate of fried dumplings and two glasses of iced strawberry lemonade were put on her table. The boy sat down in front of him, smirking his usual smirk.

Azula had to admit, he looked rather different in a plain simple short-sleeved summer garb without his hood or any visible weapons on him. Pale-skinned like hers, amber eyes, jet black hair tied into a messy ponytail, clean-shaven. He looked younger than his real age of eighteen but, then again, his personality still bore many traits one would consider childish. But, of course, those said little of his prowess as a warrior. He was no commander of a group of mercenaries just because of he was a charming man.

"So", he started as he propped his elbows on the table and put his head on his netted fingers, staring at Azula like an adoring fan boy, which gave Azula the creeps and a lot of difficulty swallowing her dumpling. "What you've got for me?"

Azula stopped chewing, narrowing her eyes sharply. "Excuse me?" she said with a low dangerous tone, after she swallowed, of course; Azula never neglected table manner. "I believe you're the one who should be providing information, considering that I have the right to arrest you for refusing to comply."

Abruptly, the chatters around them stopped. The silence gave way to shifting and grinding of chairs; Azula needed not turn around to notice she had numerous guns, blades, and other sorts of dangerous objects pointed at her from all direction.

The boy in front of her sighed and sat up. "Oh, come now, people! You guys are so mistrustful."

A communal murmur and shifting of chairs later, the crowd went back to their late night festivities as if nothing happened. "You're quite popular", the man said, putting his hands down, clasping each other in a businesslike manner. "Ladies first."

"Alright", Azula took a dumpling with her chopstick and rolled it around in a saucer of chili sauce. "Zhang Wu, a senior employee of the House of Wu, VIP protection specialist", she shoved the dumpling to the man's mouth. "You were right; the vic was tortured. The gunshots killed him but he was unconscious at the time of death."

"Seems sloppy", he voiced Azula's earlier concern as he drank half of his glass. "Any connection with Earth Kingdom?"

Azula furrowed her brows briefly. "The shots he suffered on the chest look Earth Kingdom's from the appearance of the wounds", Fire Nation red crystal bullets produced supercharged plasma blast that was more incendiary in nature; the red bolt Fire Nation bullet produces burnt a hole through the flesh of a person's body. The wound would usually look, well, burnt and slightly cauterized from the inside out. Earth Kingdom green crystal packed some concussive punch to it and when it hit a person's flesh, the effect is similar to poking someone with a billiard stick at ballistic speed; the wound would be more jagged and cause more extensive bleeding. A trial on a metal surface would typically cause a burnt mark with slightly molten metal, for Fire Nation rounds, and less severe burn and a degree indentation by Earth Kingdom rounds.

"We're still waiting for the lab report to confirm. What do you know?" Azula asked back. "Because, for now, that's all I have. We'll try contacting a representative from the House of Wu tomorrow."

"Well", he picked up the chopsticks Azula dropped and picked up a dumpling; Azula reached to his free hand on the table and playfully scratching a circle on the back of his hand. "Some of my men in Earth Kingdom told us a rumor about an interplanetary law enforcer team being formed", he dipped the dumpling on the sauce slowly. "Zhang Wu was rumored to be one of the names considered for recruitment. One of the top candidates, too."

"Zhang Wu served in the war for all ten years", Azula stated a fact from the man's profile she had memorized. "Highly decorated, Crimson Flame Medal recipient, was offered a steady job as an instructor in the Army but he refused. Apparently being a nobleman's bodyguard pays more."

"Zhang Wu was related to the clan. Zhang… Wu…?" the man stated plainly as he chewed. "I know him. When I was a kid, he let me shoot from his gun once. My dad was sooo angry", he grinned, then he got solemn. "I still can't believe it was him. I still can't believe I didn't recognize him. We kept in touch, you know."

"His face was pulverized and all bruised and bloody; even his own mother wouldn't recognize him", Azula said. Her tone was surprisingly tender. "Besides, weren't you… what, four or five, at the time? Lu Ten told me the story."

"Four… and three quarter", he said, smiling sadly a little. "Need help?"

"I don't support vigilantism", Azula said bluntly. "The law exists to protect people."

"The law exists to protect rich and powerful people", he argued, mimicking Azula's tone but with a smirk that was a bit condescending. "Consider a big fat politician with backings and gold. This politician… oh, I don't know, kills someone; a classic, timeless, and rather popular sort of crime, in my opinion. You, being an officer of the law, catch him; all done within the proper procedure, of course, with the warrant, and the handcuffs, and the 'you have the right to remain silent' crap. You send him to the court where his money bribes his way to freedom, his connections protects him from the masses, and, even in the unlikely event the law actually works and he does go to prison, he will be provided the best prison cell with luxury that rivals a five stars hotel, good food that costs more than an average government official's annual salary, and conjugal visits every night from STD-free whores."

He shrugged and gulped from his glass. "Of course, vigilantes have codes, the most important of which being 'we are the hunter, not the persecutor'. Catch and release; they catch and release the preps to the police. And then, the process begins; from the 'thou shalt remain silent' all the way to the luxurious prison cells with sushi for dinner and prostitutes after supper. But, at least, with the vigilantes, they got roughed up a bit in the catching process. I admit, we do do what— do… do.. did do— anyway, yes, we do what the vigilantes do, but at least we make a business out of it by charging money from the victim's relatives. If they are willing, of course."

"Vampires", Azula muttered with a smirk.

"I'm eating garlic", he lifted up a half-eaten fried dumpling. "But, still, we never do anything without consent, or rather, instructions from the victims' relatives or employers or other sort of significant others. We also hunt bounties, but that's not against the law as we do not take any black mark", bounties posted illegally by parties outside the law enforcers. "And we don't solve crimes unless instructed to do so, and the most we do is gathering evidence and information and turning them over to the police. You should be grateful to have us; we're like some helpful little minions that you don't even need to pay."

"You guys don't pay income tax. And I don't feel grateful", Azula thought aloud, slipping her fingers into his grasp. "Remember that murder case awhile back?" he groaned while Azula continued. "A Navy cadet killed during a hazing?"

"For the last time, I was visiting my uncle", he said tiredly. "How was I supposed to know that I would be so lucky as to stumble upon some video recording in the academy database?"

"Zuko found you in the surveillance room hacking the computers with your tablet", Azula stated blankly. "He almost hauled you butt to the headquarters if it wasn't for your uncle."

"But, I helped, right?" he grinned as he fed the last dumpling to Azula. "Besides, you let me into the room, you supplied me with the tablet, you asked me to do it, you provided distraction while I was doing it."

"Yes", Azula chewed slowly. "But, I don't appreciate having any of your shenanigans being traced back to me. I do, however, appreciate your tenacity, your iron-like will, your fiery resistance during the following interrogation at the hands of Zuko and your uncle in which you gave me up… I appreciate your admirable display of loyalty, all ten seconds of it."

He cooed. "Well, you know I'd do anything for you."

Azula merely snorted.

"We interrupt our broadcast for flash news. At 1:36 an explosion occurred at Wang King Paint Factory. So far, the police are still investigating whether or not there is any casualty but some eye witnesses testified seeing a known vigilante the Blue Spirit escaping the premises minutes before the explosion."

"Yeah, dude", said one of the eye witnesses; a stereotypical looking slightly inebriated frat boy with a huge grin across the face and a bottle wrapped in a paper bag in one hand. "It was like… whoa! The Blue Spirit, man!"

"This incident has once again proves our point that these vigilantes are a menace", the TV shows a man with thick Fire Nation sideburns and dark brown hair fashioned into a top-knot; a bar of red stripe bore the name of 'Commander Zhao' with the caption above a thin black stripe 'Fire Nation Navy Officer/Anti Vigilante Act supporter'. "They must be stopped!"

"See", Azula said pointedly. "Vigilantes are bad news."

"We're not vigilantes", he exasperated, grasping the delicate fingers in his hand lightly. "Vigilantes are charity workers; we are not charity workers and I would appreciate it if you would stop clumping us together with them. It's bad for business if people start to think we take cases pro bono."

Azula merely smirked as he continued ranting.

"And besides, those vigilantes are mostly well-off. Scientifically proven; if you take a stance that psychology is a science."

"Psychology is not a science", Azula shook her head.

"Science has proven that most vigilantes are bored billionaires with more gold and combat skills than they know what to do with; childhood traumas as the result of a crime are optional", he droned on, draining the rest of his glass. "And, as you are aware, I am not a billionaire—"

"You're a multi-billionaire."

"—I know what to do with my considerable amount of wealth and combat skills—"

"You're wasting them."

"—and my childhood was quite bearable considering."

"You're still weird", Azula pointed out bluntly.

"Thank you", he kissed her hand and smiled. "Time to go?"

Azula grunted painfully. "Mai's staying over. I reeeealy don't feel like basking on the excessive emo-ness when she and Zuko are together. We have a movie night the other day; they made Kung Fu Panda depressing. I had to spend the next day shoe shopping with Ty Lee to wash off the dark aura. It was horrifying."

"Which one?"

"Both. Do you know it takes Ty Lee approximately ten minutes to decide the color of the shoes she wants and an extra ten to decide the model?"

"Isn't that supposed to be the other way around? Model first, color second?" the boy frowned.

"How do you know?" Azula asked suspiciously.

He just shrugged and snickered. "Wanna stay over at my place?"

Which made Azula gasp as she withdrew her hand and cringed in an awkward discomfort. "Why…? What are planning to do to me…?"

"Oh, well, you know", he shrugged. "A little inappropriate groping here, some lecherously natured kissing there; your basic standard procedure molestation."

He suffered a pleasant kick on the shin as he got up and entered the restaurant. He reemerged wearing his robe with his hood down and a backpack over his shoulder. "Ready to go?"

Azula got up and stretched. She took his hand and glomped onto that arm, yawning.

"We're not taking your car, right?" he asked as Azula rested her head on his shoulder on their way to the parking lot.

"And risk my dad tracking me down through the GPS to your house. Yeah, why not?" her head shot up. "This has been a slow week. I can use the entertainment."

"Of me being roasted alive by your dad", he sighed. "You're so mean to me lately. You'll miss me when I die."

Azula just shrugged as she rested her head back to his shoulder. "I'll save some of the charred remains."

---

The black speeder-bike flew through the opened deep red brick gate of the beachside manor and halted smoothly to stop in front of the garage. Azula got down first, stretching her arms over her head, yawning; the boy pressed some beeping button on the touchscreen between the handlebars of his bike. The garage door whirred open and the speeder-bike hovered in automatically.

The walk from the outdoor garage through the vast well-maintained lawn to a double door of red-varnished mahogany with black artistically inlaid lines forming obscured patterns of leaves around it would take less than two minutes but Azula did not care. Sighing tiredly, she latched herself onto the man's arm. They walked through the pebbled lawn that bore granite steps shaped like Fire Nation insignia towards a handsome looking three-storey manor.

A quaint, comfortable looking stone manor of dark red paint with traditional outlook that showed signs of affluence but not to the point of tackiness; edgy rectangular shape, unlike the more modern circular architecture of mainland townhouses, tiled roofs of Fire Nation double-sloped style with a ridge decorated with two dragon decorations, black and white dragons, with the tails pointing upward in the middle of the ridge, coiling with each other and forming a rather obscure Fire Nation insignia. The dragons trailed to the edge of the roof ridge to the either sides of the manor, opened mouths pointing upward as if roaring to the sky, wings folded tightly on their backs. Such roof decorations, especially custom-designed in such away, were allowed only for the highest of nobilities.

They entered through the deceptively automated doors into the entryway; carpeted and, like the rest of the communal areas of the manor, bore furniture of traditional wooden materials. They ascended the stairs to the second floor and walked towards to master bedroom hand-in-hand.

It was like stepping into another world. Black painted room that looked strangely bright under the room's modern lighting of plasma balls fixed inside several traditional indoor wall lanterns. A one foot thick half wall was right in the middle of the room; a potted bush of snow peony was put in front of it. On the left side of the wall was a study and racks filled with books both old and new. Next to it was a training post standing tall surrounded by various martial art weapons on the wall and a 4x4 meters safety mattress fixed to the floor.

On the other side of the half wall was a large flat screen TV mounted on the wall above a wide but short TV cabinet; a comfortable wine-red leather couch set and a coffee table were strategically placed in front of it. Behind the couch on the wall was a large king-sized four-poster bed with crimson curtains and black bed covering and pillow cases. A messy pile of crimson blanket with a black Fire Nation insignia was on the foot of the bed, pouring halfway down to the floor to the side.

A small wooden table was at the foot of the bed, bearing a two-level sword mount and a single straight-bladed jian sword sat on the pedestal; a black sword with a golden dragon engraving attached on it. On the lower pedestal of the two levels mount was a green jade flute with a red tassel.

On the same side, at the corner of the room, was a bath cubicle; around the same size as the training area with clear glass panels, tiled floor of pearly black, and a large red marble bathtub. Next to it was a door leading to a rather lavish looking bathroom with a red marble sink and tiles, and a small shower.

When Azula first entered this room all those years ago, she had immediately surmised rather correctly that this room looked smaller than it should be. She was right. Hidden by a mechanism connected to a fake book on one of the rack, which opened a sliding fake wall, was a room half the size of the bedroom area filled with monitors and connected to the mainframe of the Black Rider Mercenaries he led. It also doubled as his armory containing his numerous custom-made weaponries and armors of old and modern technology for both melee and gunfight.

Tonight though, he settled for piling his robe, backpack, and gun belt on the floor at the foot of his nightstand. He collapsed face first onto the bed, groaning onto the mattress. Azula took off her coat with more grace, draping it tidily on the couch's armrest. She walked to the other side of the bed and took off her weapon belt and backup gun holster and stored them on a nightstand drawer; she kept her small backup gun on the nightstand though, within reach.

Taking off her boots, she sat down on the bed and lied down on her back more gracefully. She took comfort on the softness of the bed and the gentle smell of chrysanthemum from the bed sheets. Tiredly, she turned around to the boy by her side who was now lying on his back upside down from her position.

"Lemonade?" the Princess asked, turning to the host.

"Yes, please", he sighed, tugging his collar loose. "With extra shaved ice. It's so hot tonight."

Azula smiled a little. Leaning for a quick kiss on his forehead, she trotted down to the kitchen on the ground floor. Walking around a large rectangular marble countertop she made her way to a rather luxurious looking side-by-side refrigerator, one of the few things outside the bedrooms that clashed with the manor's traditional atmosphere. She took from it a pitcher of lemonade and a ruby cherry she propped into her mouth. From the cabinet, she produced two large glasses and loaded them with shaved ice from the ice maker. Filling both glasses with the beverage, the Princess made her way back to the room.

As she entered, she caught the sound of water running from the bath cubicle; the tap was filling the tub with hot water. She put one of the glasses down on the nightstand, drained half the content of the other on her way to the cabinet below the TV. Savoring the sweet-tangy taste, she riffled through an interactive holographic menu of the built-in music player device of the cabinet.

The corner of her mouth tickled as she read through the folders titled according to the music genre; she herself preferred country of origin sorting. Azula noticed the 'misc' folder and smiled at this quirk he had. She tapped the holographic folder titled 'Instrumental' and picked a song titled 'Dream Night' by Shu Ling, and set the volume low.

The soft melody of the gentle flute playing seemed to clash with the tangy lemonade aftertaste on the surface of her tongue but she was sure it would bring a good night sleep. It was 2:15 in the morning and she was already counting the hours she would get to spent sleeping, minus the time she planned to spend soaking in warm water. Summer or not, there were certain comforts Princess Azula enjoyed regardless of the near boiling temperature out there.

Azula moved to his wardrobe next, extracting from it a towel and a plain red t-shirt, she was in the middle of taking off her small red two-pronged hair ornament when he exited the bathroom with a damp towel on his neck, wearing a black sleeveless shirt and a pair of baggy shorts. As Azula walked past him, with her towel and change of clothes draping on her shoulder, smirking as she undid her sash, he quipped. "Leave the glass clear, please."

After throwing a harmless plume of blue fire on his face, Azula stepped into the cubicle. She tapped the surface of the glass twice, turning the panels impenetrably foggy, obscuring the view from both sides, eliciting a 'boooo' from the boy. She hung her towel on a nearby hook, made a point of throwing her articles of clothing one by one over the panel, and stepped into the tub, feeling rejuvenated the moment the warmth touched her aching muscles.

She was not kidding when she remarked that her father would not approve of her being here at this hour, let alone planning to stay over the night. Being daddy's little girl had its perks but it did have some rather significant downside. She was fourteen and she had never had a boyfriend. Well, sure, she herself was a formidable and intimidating character that most boys would avoid, especially if Ty Lee was around, and only admire from afar and, if applicable, while wearing thick armor. But, in the odd chance some boys did manage to muster up enough courage to approach her, Prime Minister Ozai would make sure they regretted ever growing a pair.

But, still she liked it here. Being in her apartment she shared with Zuko was not much different from sleeping over at the headquarters. Zuko always brought his works home; their living room, Zuko's part, that is, was littered with paperwork, profiles, memory cards containing information regarding active cases. At night, she could hear the soft muffled sound of Zuko's tablet reciting profiles and information from the living room.

Here, she could lose herself in the comfort this humble manor provided, she could let her mind wander and forget about crimes and criminals she had to deal with came morning. She could relax here. Sighing, she shifted for a more comfortable position in the bathtub, letting her mind wander to the times she had had here. Happy memories…

She first came here when she was ten. Her cousin Lu Ten was on a leave from the war but had to postpone on his promise to help Azula with her firebending because of he had made prior commitment to catch up with a good friend of his who was also on leave. When Azula heard that the friend was the son of General Jiang, the famous boy who was inducted into the ranks of his father's battalion as a strategist at the age eleven, Azula begged Lu Ten to bring her along.

It was in this manor where she met her childhood hero for the first time and was utterly disappointed by the fourteen year old captain. She was expecting stories of war, of valor and courage in the line of fire, and him to be taller; well, he was not and the boys took her to the movie. There was one time when they sparred together in firebending and they taught her and Zuko about firearms, but they did not go any farther than that. They stayed for two more weeks before they departed once more for the war.

Two years after that, the war was declared over. Her Uncle Iroh stayed in the Earth Kingdom, the sixteen year old son of General Jiang went home and resigned from the Army despite his stellar and young career in the military. Lu Ten did not come home at all…

They found solace in each other, bounded by grief; friendship grew, closer than the others but mostly through the phone or emails, and some face-to-face time every now and then, usually when Zuko was too lazy to pick Azula up.

Until Azula turned thirteen, the eligible age for military service and, after a rather heated argument with her family, mainly her father, she joined the Fire Nation Police Department. She asked him to join the police with her but, Lin, the twenty sixth, was a self-proclaimed free spirit and chose to stay in the realm of business and entrepreneurship, raking millions after millions of gold.

She immersed herself in her work and the first month she was recruited into the task force along with Zuko, she ran into him, literally, during a drug bust. Azula was chasing a suspect where she rammed into a hooded figure as she was turning in a corner. Lin, the twenty sixth, was a vigilante. A vigilante! A police wannabe who made a mockery of the law in the name of supporting it. The drug trafficker was arrested but Lin got away.

The very same evening, Azula kicked down the door of this manor and demanded an explanation. Her heated temper was soon overwhelmed by her realization that she was stepping foot into the Dragon Pearl Manor for the very first time without her cousin Lu Ten and since Lu Ten's death. She had just turned thirteen at the time and she blamed raging puberty hormone that caused her to suddenly break down crying.

Movie nights in the living room with Lu Ten, Lin, and Zuko… the time she was initiated into the world of video gaming by the boys and kicked all their butts at the same night, right on the spot in the living room where she had cornered him, holding a gun to his throat… the firebending spars they had with her… the firebending spars she and Zuko watched between the two young soldiers… and the one private moment where the ten year old girl almost walked in on both older boys consoling each other on the news of their comrade's demise in the warfront.

Azula had always thought of her big cousin Lu Ten as indestructible because he was a prodigy and a very capable warrior and scholar. Lu Ten's many talents had been discovered at young age and he had been hailed by even the Sages as Sozin incarnate. Azula had always thought that Lu Ten was invincible, unbeatable, around and always would be… until the time he came home in an urn covered in Iroh's Imperial Banner.

Azula might be cold and calculating but, at that time, she had also been a thirteen year old girl who had been too shaken up to do anything, let alone drive home; Lin had offered his guest room.

Standing now in front of the sink in the bathroom, with damp hair she let down, in nothing but the oversized t-shirt with sleeves that covered up past her elbows, hem that traced down her thighs nearly halfway, and collar so wide she felt the urge to tugged it closer to her neck ever now and then, picking up Lin's toothbrush, Azula remembered when she decided to confront him yet again that night. The moment she had stepped into this room, all the grief she had been suppressing came back twice harder. She looked down the sink, remembering how she had vomited here that night.

She had never been good at dealing with grief.

Lin was holding her hair then and, when she collapsed on the floor, crying uncontrollably, carried her to the bed. She fell asleep without remembering much else. When she woke up the next morning, he was there sleeping on the floor. Azula simply bolted away without a single word and Lin had respected her enough not to call her and called Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee instead to check on her.

She had come back that night; he cooked her dinner and it was terrible. She returned the next night, bringing with her some ingredients. They soon found out that she was just as bad a cook. And just like that an unlikely friendship turned into something akin to a companionship. Dinner on take-outs or eating out, extended into late night snack at Shinrin, grew into sneaking away from work to have lunch somewhere away from the prying eyes of her coworkers. All that was often accompanied by professional exchanging of information or favors.

Azula had to admit, he did have a point with this vigilantism. They could move freely, they were not bound by the nifty binding rules of law; that being said, they had no access to the wealth of legal information and protection the law offers. But, still… Azula had to choose the side of law.

She was a Fire Princess.

Azula wiped her mouth dry and walked back to the bedroom; Lin was there, pacing back and forth a bit with lemonade in one hand and a tablet on the other. He looked up. "Oh, hey, a-are you injured or something? I found some bandages on your clothes."

He pointed at strips of long cloths that were her bindings he had put along with the rest of her clothes neatly on the couch's backrest. Azula was not sure if she should laugh or feel mortified. "No", she said, stifling a smile and feeling slight burn on her cheeks.

"Are you sure?" Azula heard him ask as she made her way to her clothes and retrieved her boy short panties.

"I'm sure", she said as she put her underwear on; she might have flashed something there in the process but, as expected, as she turned around, he was occupying himself with his tablet with his back turned on her. Sucking her lips in to stifle her smile, she asked. "Are you worried about me?"

"Of course, I am", he said without turning back.

"Oh?" impishly, Azula tiptoed toward him. "I'm touched."

She tried to peek over his shoulder but he chuckled and turned around.

"Put it on holographic", Azula ordered.

"Nope", he muttered, smirking a little. "This is 16+ stuff."

She smacked him on the back.

"By the way", he sat down next to her, allowing her to rest her head tiredly on his shoulder. "You've never told me about the van."

"What van?" Azula smirked openly; he pinched her cheek slightly. "The search came up empty", Azula said, peeking on the tablet that bore photographs of a burning speeder-van. "It was a rental. We found the GPS tracker in an empty warehouse but no van."

"My team found a torched van near the East Line Borough that fits the descriptions", he muttered. "They've notified Zuko."

Azula simply grunted, her eyelids felt heavy. She reached to his nightstand drawer and took from them her supply of hair ribbons. She tied her hair into a tight ponytail, still keeping her usual twin bangs, and crawled deeper into the bed. Lin came next, sighing deeply as he embraced her from behind.

"Aren't you hot?" Azula asked; at his chuckle, she smirked and drawled. "Doooon't…"

"We're firebenders", Lin said, burying his face on the back of the girl's head. "We control fire and, conceding to the Law of Yin and Yang, the absence of it."

He breathed twice and Azula felt the skin of his legs on hers and arms around her turning colder; she pressed her back deeper into his chest. "Teach me."

"Someday", he yawned. "Night, Princess."

"Night, dummy", Azula closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

A fourteen year old girl and an eighteen year old boy might seem like a disturbing coupling. However, Fire Nation culture breeds warriors. Fire Nation is a race of warrior where childhood is short. Fire Nation is a small islands planet under constant threat of piracy and interisland civil war in the past. Even now when peace and unity among the people was strong, they have not forgotten their legacy of warfaring race.

Modern educational system, for example, encourages growth and competition, competition in growth even. They have basic literacy covered in the elementary academic level, then there is the secondary level and the noncompulsory but college required one-year tertiary level. In the spirit of fair play, schools provides education in the same pace for every student but, under the guidelines provided by the Department of Education, holds exams every end of summer for whoever wishes to attend.

This means, students with the advantage of extra schooling outside the school would have the opportunity to finish their education early. It would also give a chance to those homeschooled students or poor students who could not afford formal schooling to attend a legal examination and be recognized for their academic prowess since public schools were instructed to accept anyone free of charge; private schools charge people since they provide a more comfortable exam classes with air-conditioned rooms, comfy chairs, and lunch.

College level education is more brutal. Students are given a list of subjects to complete and electives to choose from, each having specific sets of objectives, be it written assignments, lab experiments, or periods of internship. The amount of subjects students take per semester and when they complete them are absolutely undetermined; students have complete freedom. Lectures are still held on scheduled times but they are more complementary than compulsory. Fire Nation colleges and universities aim to produce self-reliant and independent scholars with strength of intellect, initiative, and wisdom; flames that shines on their own. Fire Nation calls it 'effective' and 'independent'; critics preferred the term 'rushed' and 'off-handed'.

In the more social context, sixteen was the coming-of-age -the eligible age for marriage, ownership of properties, being tried as an adult, and voting- but, curiously, thirteen was the minimum age where one was allowed to enter workforce or military service; thirteen was also the age where one was allowed to enter courtships although no specific written rule exists for this one. Still, for all their advancement and wealth in cultural values, sexual intercourse before marriage was highly frowned upon, consensual or not, and a double standard against females existed.

Azula woke up with the sun, tired in body but strangely alert in mind. Sleepily, she got down; her bare feet made no sound on the carpeted floor. She staggered half-asleep around the couch, climbed up, and snuggled into Lin's chest; the latter was sleeping on the couch using Azula's coat as a blanket. She hugged his neck and buried her face on the crook of his neck, sighing deeply. When she felt his arms around her waist and the back of her head, holding her in place so she would not fall over, she whined. "I don't wanna go to school."

He snickered. "What're you? Four?" he asked with a cracked voice.

"I don't wanna go to work", Azula corrected her whining with another whine.

"Call *yawn* Zuko", he said, rubbing her back. "Tell him you've got… I don't know, a cold or something."

"In summer?" Azula purred, already feeling the temptation to reach for her cellphone on the coffee table. "Nah, I want to know where this case leads. We're going to meet with the House of Wu today. Zuko's bad with this kind of thing."

She emerged and looked up to his face; he looked down with eyes half-opened. Azula climbed up, straddling him for balance and lying on top of him with her head on his chest, listening to the rhythm of his steady heartbeat. Lin pushed her hair off her face gently.

"No lunch?" he asked.

"Nope", Azula muttered. Since they would be chasing a lead today, chances are she was going to have to eat lunch between traffics.

"You need a vacation", Lin said. "Wanna spend the weekend on the beach?"

"Hmm… no. Let's go the mall", Azula suggested; Lin gasped.

"Oh, my… mingling with people? Real people?" he asked dramatically. "Princess Azula…"

"Shut up", she giggled, pinching his arm. Raising her head, she pushed herself up a bit; Lin put his hands on the girl's waist, Azula leveled her face on his and kissed the tip of his nose. "I need to pick up a birthday gift for Uncle Iroh."

"You Royal Family people are all born in summer, huh?" he pondered as Azula rested her head on his chest once more. "Do you guys time your date of conception or…" Azula chuckled while he continued. "… I mean, come on! It can't be a coincidence that for the last five hundred –ow!- years, no member of the Roya—"

"I'll tell my dad you said that!" Azula feigned anger as she got down and pulled the boy down to the floor. She ran to the bathroom quickly before he could retaliate.

Getting ready for the day, she got out fifteen minutes later to an empty room. She dressed herself and she was about to put on her boots when Lin entered the room, talking rapidly in a language that Azula faintly recognize.

The guttural, throaty sound Lin made brought the image of… well-dressed Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom people… and three strangers wearing sandy brown turbans, loose-fitting robes, and one of them was very old and hunched, bearing some sort of scepter; and the smell of sunburn, the smell of sun. Sandbenders…

Azula remembered when she was a kid, four or five years old. The Decade War, or the Fire-Earth Conflict as it was officially known, was still at its toddler years. Both Fire Lord Azulon and Earth King Yi Ming, with the guidance from the Monastic Order of the Air Nomads, were looking for a peaceful solution to the war. A peace talk was held during the Summer Solstice, the Day of Life Abundance in Fire Nation culture.

The whole Royal Family attended the ball, including the naïve little Azula who commented openly on the funny and weird language some of the more exotic looking Earth Kingdom delegations were using. The horrified Lu Ten promptly gagged the little girl and secured her to a nearby cookies table before she could worsen the bilateral dispute. That was when her big cousin told her that the Earth Kingdom, being a huge planet with a wealth of cultures, had many indigenous languages although around 95% of the inhabitants did speak the common Four Nations language of Shi Hassa as a lingua franca.

The Fire Nation, like the Water Tribe and Air Nomads, had all but abandoned their indigenous language since time immemorial, so the concept of people speaking in different languages was quite strange for the little princess. Lu Ten told him that Kho-lo, the language of the dessert-dwellers, was quite similar to the Common Tongue in term of syntax and even shared some short monosyllabically words; also curiously their word for 'destiny' is 'density' and, to answer Azula's question, their word for 'density' is 'dnitsey'.

Lin paused, threw Azula a glance, and Lin fired some rapid words to the phone again; the person in the other end said something and Lin grunted. "Clal you ltear, Rha-Mi."

He turned off the cellphone and starter his long screechy, "Aaaahhh…" that, to Azula, was a harbinger of bad news and/or broken or postponed promises.

She narrowed her eyes sharply, scowling. Carrying her weapons, coat, and hair ornament in her hands, she walked past him, dodging his feeble attempt to reach out for her shoulder. She descended the stairs and walked into the kitchen. She sat down at the counter, putting his holstered guns on it and tucking her badge on her sash.

A maid robot -dark red and with the structure that looked like three large cheese wheels on top of each other connected by flexible metal hoses, with arms coming out of the middle part, running on wheels- appeared and asked in an automated voice of a female. "Good morning, Miss Kai", the top 'cheese wheel' had a dark monitor with yellow lines that formed a face; two on the top that looked like eyes, and one below that mimicked a mouth. "Would you like some breakfast? We are having meat buns today."

"Yes, and some coffee", Azula said, stretching. She got up and walked towards the fridge. As she was about to reach for some pudding cups, her cellphone buzzed in her pocket. Groaning, she reached out to it and received Zuko's usual 'worried sick big brother' text messages and voicemails; there were also at least three holographic messages. "Oh, and pack me some lunch", Azula's head popped out behind the fridge door.

"Absolutely, Miss Kai", said the robot from the steamer. "Is there any menu you prefer?"

"No, a couple of the meat buns would do", Azula emerged, balancing about six pudding cups on her arms, carrying a pitcher of lemonade, and her cellphone in the other hand. She put her load on the counter and checked her messages. Lin's voice accompanied his footsteps down the stairs. "I'm stealing some pudding cups!" Azula purposely shouted; he hurried to the smirking Princess, covering the mouthpiece, kissed her on the forehead, muttering a. "You'd get fat", which earned him a kick in the rump as he walked to the sink.

Azula strained her ears as she tried to listen in to his conversation; the sound of the water cascading on his washing hands, added with the foreignness of the desert tongue, was not helping much. He dried his hands sloppily on his pants ("Boys!" Azula thought) and went to the fridge, concluding his phone call as he ducked. The way he had been occupied by his phone, and the utter lack of attention Azula had been receiving this morning gave her a sense of foreboding.

He closed the fridge door, chewing something which Azula guessed from the white cream on his cheek was his favorite vanilla custard pie. Getting up with a napkin, Azula approached him slowly, he was busy again texting while licking his fingers.

"I wonder", Azula begun, dabbing some cream off his face with her finger and licked it before wiping his face clean carefully with the napkin. "Which is more important: me or your job?" with extra accentuated 'b' on her enunciation.

"You, of course, you… uh… you…" he grinned like an idiot, laughing weakly.

"Azula!"

"I know", he made a noise of strangled cat at his gut being pinched hard. "I'm kidding", he grinned, opening his arms to receive the girl. "Here, let me prove it", he opened a random drawer, which happened to house cutleries, put his cellphone in it, and pushed it closed loudly. Hugging each other again, they stayed that way for quite a while.

Bzzt… bzzt…

Azula bit her lower lip to prevent herself from laughing, keeping her head on his chest, gripping the back of his shirt.

Bzzt… bzzt…

Azula felt him shifting uncomfortably. Snickering slightly, she looked up, chaining her arms around his neck; he leaned down and Azula closed her eyes as Lin kissed the bridge of her nose. Lin mouthed 'you' when the girl opened her eyes, and kissed her again on the same spot.

Bzzt… bzzt…

Azula smirked as Lin's face began to twitch. Exasperating, she let go. "Just get it."

"I still care about you more", Lin said, grinning as he extracted his phone; Azula turned around and walked away, making gesture with her hand that resembled a yapping turtle-duck's beak. Chuckling, Lin caught her hand and pulled the whining girl's into his arm back first. Listening to the phone, he buried his face into Azula's hair that was still in ponytail and sniffed gently. "Good", he said to the phone and hissed urgently. "Standby. Call you later."

Lin put his phone in his pocket and began squeezing and kissing the girl in his arms. Azula simply sighed, pulling her head to the side to give him more access. "Don't let that deter you from what I've just said", Lin said, kissing Azula's temple, making her whine. "I love you."

Azula smiled a little. Turning around to face him, she circled her arms around his neck, tiptoed, and pecked him on the lips. "I know", she said tenderly. Then, flatly, she added. "What's the catch?"

"I may need to go to the Earth Kingdom next week", Lin said quietly. Azula grunted and tried to pry away but Lin held her still. "Come on", he smiled kindly, pressing his forehead on hers. "I said, I may need to go. The weekend's still on. And I promise I'll try to get out of this, okay?"

"You know I hate it when people leave me", Azula grumbled; fixing her gaze on the bridge of his nose, she saw his face tighten into a smile.

"I love you", he said, drawing closer and kissing her tenderly on the lips.

Azula drew back, finally looked at Lin in the eye; there was the glint that she still found so mysterious. It brought reassurance, it soothed her, and, at the same time, it gave her the feeling that she was being set up for a prank. She tiptoed again and pecked her on the corner of his mouth, lightly grazing the corner of his lips, before she went back to the breakfast. Azula took the opportunity to wipe her temple where she had been kissed and check the remainder of her messages to avoid any conversation regarding Lin's possible ("Yeah, right", Azula mentally snorted) departure for the Earth Kingdom.

As they drained their cups and gathered their stuff, the maid robot approached, handing her a traditional wooden lunch box wrapped in a red cloth. "Your lunch, Miss Kai."

Azula took it and the robot ushered them out. At the door, the maid robot held the door for them. "Have a wonderful day, Miss Kai, Young Master."

Azula smirked, Lin bristled; she knew Lin disliked being called 'Young Master'. "If you were a real person, I'd banish you", the young master muttered.

Which caused the lines of the robot's eyes to curved upward and mouth downward, and turned pink. "Aw, stop it. You're making me blush."

Which, in turned, caused Lin to slam the door closed, fuming, and Azula to laugh openly. "I shouldn't have let Lu Ten tinker—"

He stopped abruptly; even Azula's smile melted. Clearing his throat uncomfortably, he led the way to the garage. Azula followed silently, looking down at the pebbled ground. Her light summer coat felt heavy draping on her shoulders and the sound of the waves on the beach suddenly became deafeningly loud. Lin pointed his key on the garage; the door whirred open and his bike hovered out. They got on and rode their way to the Shinrin Diner in silence.

The Diner was as crowded as ever; the night market that mostly sold snacks and light meal had been replaced by the usual early morning traditional market that sold fresh vegetable and ingredients. As Azula waited by her car, she noticed the many foreign looking food and people among the midst. Rose Garden Borough was infamous as the place where the immigrants lived. She also suspected that half of them were without proper documentation and worked at nearby sweatshops or either docks or mines, depending on their bending abilities, for low wages and in sometimes inhumane condition.

She no longer felt the guilt.

Lin appeared shortly, still in his short sleeved garb. Azula entered her car and he followed suit. In there, he turned to the pouting cross-armed Princess. "Come on", he sighed, smiling kindly. He leaned closer and tried to kiss her but Azula turned away. He stopped trying and opted to wait instead. When Azula showed no sign of caving in, he reached to her hand and, meeting no resistance, drew it closer to him. "I'll see what I can do, okay?" he promised, grasping and rubbing her fingers gently.

Azula turned to him, still sulking. Exhaling heavily, she grumbled. "Fine. But, if you cancel on the weekend, I'm gonna be stuck with Ty Lee and that would make me—"

"Unhappy", Lin sighed.

"—and that would mean—"

"You'd shoot a lightning bolt between my eyes."

"You have been warned", Azula huffed, not cracking under his warm kiss on her cheek. "And try to stay out of sight on this case. Zuko's been pressured by the top brass because he kept letting you go whenever you showed up and mess thing up."

"Aw, you do care about me", Lin snickered, leaning closer and kissed her on the lips… long and passionate. He pulled away and smiled his usual smile. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay", Azula whispered, letting him lean into her once more and kiss her on the corner of her mouth, grazing her lips a little.

With one last smile, Lin got out, leaving Azula slumping back on her seat, sighing deeply. Licking her lips for his leftover taste, she reached to her cellphone and set the automated voicemail status to 'I'm driving. Stop calling'. She checked her reflection on the mirror, noticing how the bag under her eyes clashed with her pale complexion.

Shrugging nonchalantly, she threw her phone on the passenger's set and started her engine. She drove to the headquarters with little regard for traffic regulations, taking advantage of, again her siren, and, this time, the dead space between traffic altitudes. Fire Nation Air Traffic Regulations listed four separate altitudes for traffic lines.

The ground level line was reserved for public transportation and commercial use and large vehicles, so that covered busses, trailer trucks, and pizza delivery boys. The second and third altitudes of forty and eighty feet were for public use, each going one way. The forth and the highest was originally for ambulances and firefighter speeder-trucks but, after a while, it was considered rather ineffective since most fire and muggings occurred on ground level but, you know, the commercial traffics on the ground level had been rooted too deeply to accept changes so a new rule was established to allow emergency vehicles to run in between the altitudes. For some unfathomable reasons, the forth altitude was never abolished. On the plus side, firefighter trucks and ambulances going to maintenance, and the occasional army transports during the war, never got caught in traffic.

Azula arrived just before the clock struck 8:00. She fixed her gun and badge on her belt –standard procedure; every law enforcer is to carry firearms, if authorized, from portal to portal- and got out, clutching her coat, lunch, and hair ornament. A flash of pink rushed toward her; to her embarrassment, she reacted too slowly to dodge Ty Lee's bone crushing hug which was the bubbly girl's way of saying 'good morning'.

"Quit that!" she snapped, balancing herself. The pink girl giggled and let go.

"Oh", Ty Lee's gray eyes widened at Azula's appearance, scanning her up and down like a medic robot. "No makeup, hair undone, wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Azula!"

"I was working late", Azula stated plainly to counter Ty Lee's accurate accusation as they walked into the old-fort-turned-headquarters.

Still bearing ramparts and a moat, the ancient fort had been fitted with gun turrets, electricity, gas, and modern lightning to accommodate its new function. Inside, modern technology reigned supreme. Janitorial and worker robots of many makes, functions, designs, and sizes wheeled or hovered around, carrying out their programmed duties. Holographic panels dotted the walls here and there with interactive feature to show visitors ways, every now and then alternating with floating words 'Fire Nation Police Department – Protect and Serve' and'Major Crime Response Team'.

Azula had once hacked into the mainframe and added several lines of her own like 'Fire Nation Police Department – We Shoot to Kill' or 'Police Department – Justice at Reasonable Price' even 'Xiang Guo Freshly Squeezed Apple Juice. Like Mom Used to Make' that were programmed to show up every two hours. She had enjoyed a short-lived celebrity status among the folks until the top brass reported the incident to her father. The Prime Minister had taken her car away for a month and she had to rely on Zuko for transport for the entirety of two weeks.

Exiting the elevator that brought them to their office on the third level, the two girls made their way to their headquarters office. A vast two floored room with wooden paneled floor and bricked walls, the most prominent feature of the room was a large tabletop computer with a holographic display showing pictures of a van provided by Lin and a profile page of the victim of the ongoing case, Zhang Wu.

On their right were two lines of eight office desks inhabited by Mai, Ty Lee, Jee, and Chit Sang; a large set of couch and a coffee table was set under the window near the desks. On the other side was a double stairway with floating steps, framing the balcony that housed a double metal door under the signboard 'Main Command Center – Authorized Personnel Only'. Underneath the balcony was a door leading to the auxiliary rooms; bathroom, interrogation rooms, training rooms, third level cafeteria, etc.

On the other side of the room directly in front of the elevator were two glass-walled offices of Zuko's and Azula's, standing on the right and left, like faithful guards, of a short flight of stairs leading to a raised floor housing the un-walled office of Operational Manager of the team, the retired Admiral Jeong Jeong.

Jeong Jeong's office consisted of a humble antique oak desk of red varnish, racks filled with books and folders, and a seemingly out of place tea ceremony set on a low rectangular desk with eight cushions around it that, for some reason, tied the whole space together. Jeong Jeong once removed the 'teatime corner' as Zuko had once dubbed it due to heavy staring and frowning it garnered from anyone who entered his office and, as the result, the team nearly fell apart; the absence made them giddy and short-tempered for some unknown reason.

The whole headquarters office was deserted. Azula heard their footsteps echo eerily over the low whirr from the tabletop computer. As Ty Lee made her way to her desk, Azula walked to her office. Putting her load on her table, she set her glass walls foggy from her desktop computer. She reached to a small dresser behind her desk and extracted fresh change of clothes. She changed, applied her makeup, and did her hair. Getting out, fully dressed, she nearly ran into Zuko who was standing at her door with fist raised as he was about to knock.

"Why didn't you return my call?" Zuko demanded sharply.

"Good morning, Zuzu. It is lovely to see you, too", Azula smirked, pushing past her brother. Hearing Zuko's footsteps approaching, she added with formal tone. "I have a possible lead regarding Zhang Wu."

"What is it?" Azula smirked as she recognized the tone of begrudging interest in Zuko's voice; distracting him was so easy.

"Something about an interplanetary law enforcer team being established and Zhang Wu was strongly considered as a candidate", Azula shrugged as they paced to the main computer. "I don't think we have clearance for that kind of information. We'll need the Admiral."

Zuko frowned at his sister for a second. Having no reply, he turned to the holographic displays and dragged the profile away give more room for the van. "Last night, we got a report about a van—"

"—burnt and abandoned at East Line Borough", Azula finished his sentence lazily while checking her nails. Zuko threw her a sharp look that, while she enjoyed, she decided to ignore. "Where are the others?"

"Mai and Chit Sang are on the scene with the van to determine if it was the van we were looking for", Zuko said gruffly. "Jee is meeting with some informant from the underworld. Earth Kingdom weapons in Fire Nation; it must have involved some smuggling rings."

"So, we're going to meet the Wu's?" Azula asked.

Zuko shrugged. "The Admiral set up the meeting. He called me this morning and said he was going to handle it himself and the three of us are ordered on standby."

"Oh", Azula simply said. Shrugging, she turned and walked to the direction of the couch, already planning to steal some a short nap. She plopped down on the overstuffed, very fluffy cushion of the couch that always gave her the brief feeling of falling and lifted her feet up. Lying down, she took out her phone and began playing Angry Birds; she needed 500 worth of scores to beat Lin's.

The arrival of Jeong Jeong ten minutes later made her miss a shot; although, born lucky, the lousy red bird knocked down a feeble part of the wall that toppled the last pig on top of it to the ground. She led by 200. Smirking, she sent a quick text, 'beat ya!' and her final score to Lin. She leaped up and, following the gesture from the old shaggy-haired admiral, followed Ty Lee to join him and Zuko at the tabletop.

Jeong Jeong pulled from his pocket a cellphone and put it on the tabletop screen; the automated function of the computer read the cellphone and displayed the progress immediately. The hologram shifted between pages of lines of random numbers and letters before settling down to a window.

Password:_

Jeong Jeong tapped the screen, bringing a small square of menu option in front of him. He shifted through the programs and activated a decryption software. He began tapping rapidly on a holographic keyboard; the typical sound effect of a clicking keyboard gave way every now and then to a loud beep and, with every loud beep, the password window gained an asterisk.

It was no foreign scene to Azula but the sight of an old dude, any old dude, using a computer so expertly still plucked the 'yikes!' nerve in her mind. The hologram sprung to life as Jeong Jeong entered the password, and the display was filled now with floating windows bearing text messages, voicemails, photos, and emails. Without another words, the old man nodded his silent orders at them and stalked off to his office.

Azula let go of the breath she did not realize she was holding; she heard Zuko exhaling loudly and Ty Lee openly heaved. Admiral Jeong Jeong was an intense person and had that effect on his surroundings. The trio shifted through the information, each silently realizing that the meeting with the Wu's had been taken care of.

As Azula read through the text messages, finding the most unusual thing being that a fifty something old veteran had been dating ("Eww…" she mentally remarked), the elevator dinged and in walked the rest of the team. Chit Sang greeted with, to those who were not familiar with him, uncharacteristically friendly, "Hey, guys", before heading to his desk; Mai and Jee joined them at the tabletop.

"It's the van", Mai informed, taking the spot right next to Zuko who showed very subtle signs of cheering up. Jee spoke next. "My contacts said there was a shipment of Earth Kingdom grain coming last week. When they checked, several containers were missing. They just assumed that it was the leftover post-war Earth Kingdom animosity, that Earth Kingdom people screwed them up."

"The assassins could have smuggled themselves", Zuko concluded. "Earth Kingdom weapons… makes sense. Who owns the ship?"

"Yu Bai Shipping Company", Jee informed. "Owned by one Zu Bai. No previous criminal records but is considered to be among the least honest entrepreneurs out there."

"Oh, hey, guys!" Chit Sang called from the couch, pointing at a TV mounted on the wall. "Look, it's on!"

Led by Jee, who was the tallest and the nearest to the couch, the whole team strode, or, in Ty Lee's case cartwheeled, to the lounge corner, joining Chit Sang who was turning the volume of the TV up. Jeong Jeong appeared later to see what the hoo-hah was just as the disembodied voice of the announcer was pointing out several prominent names on the setting of live broadcast of the Water Tribe summer Auroral Moon Festival.

"And here we have Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe", the announcer informed as Jeong Jeong decided that chiding the team for not doing their job was pointless at the time; the fact that almost the entire team consisted of teenagers in their rebellious phase influenced that decision heavily. Besides, he was quite curious of how the biggest international event since the Fire-Earth Conflict would go. "… walking with Princess Katara to meet with Chief Arnook and Princess Yue."

They watched the royalties of the two Water Tribes in ceremonial dress bowed to each other, witnessed by delegations of the other three Nations. The camera switched from the zoomed in view of the two Water Tribe Chieftains talking and embracing each other to the Princesses of the Tribes standing behind their respective chief.

Azula found herself intrigued by their sapphire blue eyes that, while not foreign to her since she had seen some Water Tribe people before around Shirin, mesmerized her slightly; the shift from her side caused by Mai and Zuko –or Mai hitting Zuko, from the sound of it- snapped her focus. She turned to them with the intention to shush them.

She missed whatever it was that caused the chaotic screaming on the screen.

When she turned back to the TV, she saw the Chief Arnook being dragged by some Water Tribe warriors, screaming as he tried to break free. Azula, and thankfully the camera, followed his desperately reaching hand to the white-haired Princess Yue lying on the ground bleeding, being tended by a Water Tribe boy in armor around Zuko's age, desperately pressing the wound on her chest to no avail. The announcer's words were lost in the visual chaos unfolding before their widened eyes. But, not even the chaos could fully engulf the boy's screaming the white-haired Princess' name as he tried to keep her dying self from bleeding out.

"…Whoa…" came from Chit Sang.

"Was that… green plasma bolt?" Zuko asked unsurely. "Earth Kingdom bullet?"

"Chit Sang, rewind it", Jeong Jeong ordered. The images on TV going the familiar fast motion backward seemed ironically comical.

"—Princess Katara to meet with Chief Arnook and Princess Yue", the announcer's cheery but professional tone felt weird to the team. The camera zoomed in on the embracing Chiefs, to Princess Katara and Princess Yue, both smiling at their chiefs, and the camera zoomed out again to view the four royalties in one frame. The two chiefs walked towards the crowd; Chief Arnook raised his hands and opened his smiling mouth to address the crowd when, out of nowhere, a flash of green –maybe… it was hard to see with the bright lighting and the blue outfit- hit the man on the left shoulder and Princess Yue, who was standing a step behind him on the left collapsed.

"Freeze on the shot", Jeong Jeong's voice made Azula twitch a little. Chit Sang fumbled with the remote and, after three tries, froze the frame just as the bolt almost bit the Chief on the shoulder. It was indeed green.

"This spells war", Jee concluded glumly.

Zuko spoke next. "Zhang Wu was considered for a recruitment into some interplanetary law enforcer team", Azula turned to her brother and shot him a sharp look; he stole her credit! "He was also killed with Earth Kingdom guns."

Jeong Jeong sighed deeply. "Yes, I am aware of this law enforcer team idea. Minister Anzen…" Fire Nation Minister of Public Security. "…has informed every public security departments and branches of the military. He asked for recommendation for the candidates."

"Zhang Wu?" Mai drawled suspiciously.

"Minister Anzen knew him personally; they served in the Army together", Jeong Jeong informed and stopped there. The team waited for more. "He also planned to recall some retired veterans like Zhang Wu and recruited some distinguished civilians."

Five seconds later, Zuko asked. "And?"

"And what?" Jeong Jeong asked back.

"Well, are we— is any of us being recommended?" Zuko asked uneasily and, Azula noted, a little hopefully.

Jeong Jeong cleared his throat and stood up, straightening his robe. "That hardly matters", he was back to his gruff self. "Now, about Zhang Wu case."

"It's the van", Mai reported.

"Talked to some dockworkers on the shadier side", Jee came next. "The Earth Kingdom might have smuggled some assassins. A name came up: Zu Bai, owner of a shipping company."

"And the phone?" Jeong Jeong asked; they all grew quiet. "And the PHONE?!"

They sprang to life suddenly like rabbit-horses being whipped, running to the tabletop and began shifting through the data again; Chit Sang, who was not participating in the first place, looked and looked like he felt out of place. Fuming, the retired admiral prowled towards his team, looking ready to spit some magma. Azula, like she knew each and every one of his teammates did, felt the room growing warmer.

"Got something", it was Mai who spoke first. "Email, unknown sender. Something about a meeting in 'the designated place'. The timestamp is a day before the vic was found dead."

"This could be it", Jee called next; Azula began to sense a pattern here. "A text message. It says 'Fernwood Park', blocked number. Timestamp a couple of hours after the email", he added, wincing at the email.

"Right", Jeong Jeong muttered. He spoke next with his authoritative tone. "Jee, followed up on your lead. Take Chit Sang. Mai, the van, did they use explosives?"

"Yes, we found some sort of a timer", Mai nodded.

"Go to the lab, identify the chemical compound. See if you can trace it", Jeong Jeong furthered his order. Mai nodded wordlessly and simply turned and walked to the door below the balcony. Turning to the rest of the team, Jeong Jeong pointed at the holographic display of the text message Jee had found. "Zuko, you go to the Fernwood Park. See if you can find where and when Zhang Wu was there. Check if there is any surveillance camera nearby."

Zuko muttered a 'yes' and went to his office to gather his stuff.

"As for you two", Jeong Jeong turned to Azula and Ty Lee who abruptly stopped what they were doing. "You stay and sort these things", he gestured at the hologram. "And be on standby to provide rear support", Azula knew it was directed at her.

"And what will you do, sir?" Azula asked with an emphasis on the last word. She rarely called Jeong Jeong 'sir' and, when she did, it almost always carried contempt.

"I have some phone call to make", the retired admiral said grimly, turning a little to the direction of the TV. He turned to his office just as Zuko, fully equipped, walked past by. "Zuko", Jeong Jeong halted him. "Be careful."

"Yes, Admiral", Zuko bowed formally. Turning to Azula and Ty Lee, he tried to smile. He failed.

The scarred Prince simply walked to the direction where Jee had gone off to and, with one last nod, Jeong Jeong stalked off to the door below the balcony. Azula's curious nature took this as the sign that he was making a very important and private phone call. Her suspicion took aim at the news about the formation of the interplanetary law enforcer team.

Not even her father the Prime Minister had said anything about it in their weekly family dinner every weekend; but, then again, her overprotective father might have just been too cautious (she would avoid the term 'paranoid') regarding her and Zuko's safety. For their joining the police force and living far from home –the Prime Minister's description of 'far' being, of course, 'outside' their lavish and securely guarded royal estate-, Zuko and Azula must even hide their royal status.

The siblings lived in a rather small but cozy apartment complex that had half its inhabitants moving out a week before they moved in, only to be replaced almost immediately by men and women in their prime adulthood; the oldest of which was a fifty five year old man with muscle tone that rivaled a stereotypical earthbending master. Azula and Zuko knew their father and his lack of subtlety played a hand in this and suspected that those fellow new tenants were Royal Processions. Elite and experienced Royal Processions.

But, they left the two incognito royals alone so the aforementioned two incognito royals ignored their whole existence. Their parents had not said anything so they reciprocated and feigned ignorance too.

"Oh, look!" Ty Lee exclaimed suddenly bouncing up and down, pointing at a picture on the hologram display. "What a cute puppy!"

She shrunk under the amber glare of the Princess. "Find anything useful?" Azula asked with poisonously friendly smile and silky smooth tone.

"Um… no…?" the pink girl gulped. "Your aura is going all… um… what color is burning… magma?" quickly she went back to the folders.

It took them three hours to look through everything but they found nothing else of importance. With nothing else to do, Azula found herself lying back on the couch, watching a TV program about scorpion-beekeeping. Ty Lee was on the floor doing a handstand on her fingers while listening to music. Mai joined them five minutes later bringing with her a folder she put on the coffee table as she slumped on the couch and sighed deeply.

"Hey!" Ty Lee exclaimed suddenly in all perkiness of hers. Azula curled her feet up as Ty Lee made a dash to the couch where she was lying. "It's just us girls here. Like old times!"

Mai showed only the slightest change in her facial muscle while Azula snorted a little as she shifted position and used Ty Lee's lap as a pillow. "Come on", Ty Lee exclaimed again. "Let's do something!"

"No", came flatly from the other two.

---

Jee was ushered into the warehouse office on the second floor by a well-dressed man whose neat resplendent red garb looked strange in the surrounding setting that screamed the word decrepitude; walls of rotted wooden planks, floorboard that creaked under his weight, threatening to plunge him onto the water where the warehouse was standing, stains of grease and large splinters of wood produced by the moving of many crates of metal and wooden materials.

The door was a thin weathered wood that, according to the flaked off paint, used to be bright brown. A patch of sunlight fell upon the door through one of the many holes on the tall riddled weathered roof. The first thing that came to Jee's mind was that this place certainly was not as legal as it appeared and the many blue-eyed and green-eyed men and women he had passed through on the first floor hauling fish on large nets and cargos of many sizes must be illegal immigrants; the second thing was that this place would not pass a health and safety inspection.

His escort knocked on the door; Jee noticed how rhythmic it was. Knock-knock… Knock. Knock. The door creaked open; Jee did not like the way it moved on its hinges. The inside of the office was quite like the surrounding. The carpet on the floor did, however, look new but Zu Bai, the obese sweaty double-chinned middle-aged man with black hair in top-knot, was certainly not an interior decorator.

With great difficulty, Zu Bai pushed himself up his chair behind his desk. He walked past through piles of papers and folders that littered on his desk, floor, and file cabinets around the room and offered Jee a handshake. The grease Jee was covertly wiping on his pants, he was sure, came from the bowl of fireflakes on the table. Zu Bai gestured to the beat up looking couch on the corner of the room. They moved there and Jee sat first; it gave him the experience of the couch sinking deep under him as Zu Bai sat down.

"So, Sergeant Jee", the host spoke with a rough throaty voice that made Jee's brow twitch. "I heard you're here about our missing cargo."

"Yes", Jee rubbed his nose a little; the smell of fish a floor down was caught in the room's air conditioner. "Earth Kingdom grain?"

Zu Bai clicked his tongue and waved his massive hand impatiently at Jee's suspicious tone. "The war's over, you know", he said sourly. "We do trade with the Earth Kingdom legally now. Besides, I run a shipping company. I just provide ships and crates. What people put in it is recorded in our file, of course", he got up with a heave and walked to his desk; he returned later with a folder. "I have the manifesto", he handed it to Jee. "Grain from Earth Kingdom; four missing crates."

"Did you do any follow up?" Jee asked, scrutinizing the numbers of the file.

"Of course", Zu Bai took a large handkerchief and wiped his sweaty face and neck. "They did not respond. I just assumed that it was the post-war hate."

"What about the owner of the cargo?" Jee looked up from the file. "Did they file a complaint?"

"No, not at all", Zu Bai pointed at the file in Jee's hand. "Fire Koi Confectionary, their contacts are in there. When I notified them via email, they didn't even reply it. They paid in full."

"Can I have access to those emails?" Jee asked.

"It's all in there. I printed some copies", Zu Bai nodded at the folder again. "Is there anything else, Sergeant?"

"Can I see the ship that carries the cargo?" Jee requested.

Zu Bai shook his head. "No, sorry. We sent it to the Earth Kingdom for another trip last week. It's not due back in six days."

"Surveillance on the cargo bay?" Jee drawled.

"We don't have any", Zu Bai laughed dryly. "Some patrons are not very fond of… uh, having their cargo seen. The war might be over but not many nobles would like it if the public knew that they have preference for, say, Earth Kingdom antiques or exotic Water Tribe cuisine. We did install some cameras but they are only for show."

"I see", Jee got up with the folder. "Thank you for your cooperation, sir", he extended a hand.

"Of course, of course", for the first time, Zu Bai cracked a wide smile. He took Jee's hand and shook it. "Always glad to help the police."

Damn right, Jee mentally thought as he found himself back under the sunny sky outside the warehouse. He turned back to see two of the well-dressed guards keeping an eye on him as he walked. He felt uneasy but tried to ignore it as he walked towards the SUV where Chit Sang was waiting.

"How'd it go?" the large thin-mustached man asked as Jee climbed onto the passenger's seat.

"You know where Fire Koi Confectionary is?" Jee asked back.

"Yeah, somewhere on Summer's Street. I bought a box of chocolate for my girl there", Chit Sang started the engine and the vehicle smoothly elevated a few inches in the air. "Why?"

"Well", Jee turned to him and smirked. "I'm in the mood for some bonbons."

---

Zuko walked through the park, turning right and left for any anomalies or surveillance cameras. He found none but he felt like he was being watched. True enough, as he paced deeper through the stone walkway, he noticed from the corner of his eyes a group of girls tailing him while whispering to each other. Could be trouble, he told himself as he tugged the lapels of his thin summer coat to better hide his gun and badge.

He covertly tapped his earpiece, masking it as a gesture of pushing his hair back. "I got someone on my tail", he muttered discreetly to the communicator.

Lin's voice was the unusual cool and collected as he responded. "On my way."

Zuko hastened his pace a little, trying not to look back. He covertly snaked his right hand into his coat, to his gun on his left shoulder holster. Lin's unexpected voice in his earpiece nearly made him jump. "Zuko, no guns."

"Why?" Zuko mumbled back without opening parting his clenched teeth.

"Civilians", Lin warned. Zuko's eyes darted from right to left. True enough, many Fire Nation denizens were around on the grass enjoying the sunny summer day; the voice of the children running around merrily chasing each other was prominent in his ear.

"Don't look around", Lin said again through the communicator. "I've got visual on you. I'll guide your steps. We'll herd them to me; we'll flank them and take them together."

"Good", Zuko muttered. He put his complete trust on Lin's instructions of 'turn left', 'go right', 'straight from here', 'the magazine stand, look through some magazines or something to look less conspicuous … and see if they have the new Ninja X comic', 'I can see that. Put that finger away', 'take a drink from the fountain before you go but don't turn to them', 'yes, steady, Zuko. You see those portable toilets ahead of you?'

Zuko looked ahead at the line of four bright red portable toilets and scratched his nose once.

"Good", Lin said. "Walk past it. We'll align them with the toilets. That way, they'll only have one way to run. Don't stop until I say so and slow down a bit, will you?"

Zuko clenched his jaw. He covertly gathered his chi to his palms and fingertips, ready to deliver a firebending assault. Lin's drawling anticipatively 'keep going, keep going… a bit mooooore…' made him want to pee. He considered the older boy a very close friend, the closest thing he had to a brother since Lu Ten passed away but, dear Agni, sometimes Zuko wanted nothing more but to strangle the guy with a barbed wire.

"Okay, Zuko", Lin said finally. "On the count of three, you turn around. Do not attack; we'll interrogate them first."

Zuko regulated his breathing. His eyes darted to the ground, trying to check the shadow; the afternoon sun was shining to his direction, casting his shadow away to his back.

"One."

Zuko looked around. The part of the public park was relatively empty save for a street performer playing a tsungi horn.

"Two…"

Surely, it was okay to use firearm. Zuko did not particularly like using lethal force and a firebender could control the intensity of his flame better than a gunman the deadliness of his bullet.

"Three!"

No guns!

Zuko turned around abruptly. Standard protocol required him to shout out. "Police!" before he did anything. The pigtailed girl, however, was faster. "Hi!"

Zuko did not know if he should gasp, squeak, or stammer; his body decided to do all of them at the same time. The girl, and three others behind her, giggled. With slightly blushing cheeks, she said. "Hi, I'm Mei."

Zuko mentally slapped his forehead; the, 'ppfft!' from his earpiece was of no help whatsoever.

"I'm making a video out of this."

"What?!" Zuko hissed angrily.

"Oh, well, you see", Mei, the pigtailed girl, smiled. "Um, me and my friends are looking for some ice cream. It's so hot today", she traced her fingers on her neck almost temptingly; the other girl's stifled their giggle. "Do you know where we can get some?"

"There's an ice cream cart on the east side", ever the helpful one, Lin offered.

"There's… an ice cream cart", Zuko said with clenched jaws and a pleasant snarl. "East side."

"Smooth, lover boy", Lin chuckled as Mei asked chirpily. "Oh, the east side?"

"Shut up!" Zuko hissed to the earpiece again.

"Um, sorry?" Mei blinked in surprise.

"N-no, not you", Zuko blurted out to the girl.

"Thank you. I do admire your manner, Zuzu."

"Not you!" he hissed. "And don't call me that!"

"Um, okay", Mei laughed nervously. She turned to the other girls and, after a brief moment of being egged on with gestures and thumbs up, she turned to Zuko and was back to her cheerful self. "Hey, wanna go get some ice cream with us?"

"Oh-uh, Zuko, my grandpa's calling. I'm gonna tell him we're still looking, okay?"

"Yes."

"Oh, good", Mei moved in quickly, linked her arm on Zuko's, and started dragging him away with the other girls. "Cause, you know, we were thinking that—"

Zuko wasn't listening anymore. He was too busy kicking himself mentally.

Sitting on a tree branch, hidden inside the foliage, Lin was grinning ear to ear as he pointed his cellphone camera at the mortified Prince being hauled away by some girls. Taking the ice cream stick clenched between his teeth, he turned off his earpiece and snickered. "Azula's gonna love this."

---

Azula closed her cellphone app as she consolidated another 100 points to her game. She yawned once and picked herself up the couch. Stretching, she paced to her office, rubbing her tired eyes. She came back to the couch with her lunch. Ty Lee, who was slouching, giggling as she typed away on her cellphone, looked up and went for her lunch too. Mai had gone back to the lab earlier. The Admiral had not gone back since he left to make his phone calls.

Azula was untying the knot of the wrapping cloth when Ty Lee arrived with a box of colorful donuts. "Hey, Azula?"

"Hmm?" Azula took off the lid of her lunchbox and picked up a bun.

"What do you think about that law enforcer team?" Ty Lee slouched on the couch with a heavily and colorfully sprinkled donut.

Azula shrugged. She bit her meat bun delicately. "It's none of our concern", the Princess said. "And the plan is now pretty much moot anyway."

Ty Lee's puffy cheeks stopped moving. Azula sighed and sat up. "Fact is, a Fire Nation war veteran is killed by who appeared to be a group of Earth Kingdom assassins", she flicked the wrist of her bun holding hand. "And then we have a botched assassination attempt on a Water Tribe chief that cost the life of their Princess", she lifted her other hand. "Also with a major Earth Kingdom element."

Mai arrived and joined them with her own boxed lunch.

"The war's only been over for two years. Animosity still exists", Azula droned on. Mai snapped her disposable chopsticks rather loudly, drawing Azula's attention.

"I got this", she sighed as she positioned her chopsticks. Azula turned to Ty Lee and she could almost see a question mark hanging above the bubbly girl's head. "Think of it like this, Ty Lee: would you date an Earth Kingdom guy?"

"Well, yeah", Ty Lee giggled. "But, my parents might not be too happy though."

"Right", Mai nodded, pausing a little to eye sharply at Azula who had crawled to her side of the couch with a bun bitten in her mouth and picked a piece of tomato from her salad side dish; for a Princess, Azula could appear crass and strange sometimes due to her social ineptitude. That was why Azula had never been sent on an undercover mission. "Now that we have these incidents –a Fire Nation highly decorated veteran and a Water Tribe Princess dead-, will your parents be more or less likely to let you date an Earth Kingdom."

"Less likely? Oh…" Ty Lee nodded slowly, finally comprehending the argument.

"Fire Nation and Water Tribe will never want to work alongside Earth Kingdom", Azula nicked another piece of delectable from Mai's lunchbox. "And if Fire Nation and Water Tribe do form their own law enforcer team?" the Princess smirked for some reason.

"…"

"Ty Lee", Mai sighed, putting her chopsticks and lunchbox down. "How would you feel if Azula and I do this?" they leaned towards each other and started whispering loud enough to be heard but not comprehended, and broke off only to laugh and throw Ty Lee a sly look.

"Hey! Oh…" Ty Lee's shoulders slumped. "I see what you mean."

"Exactly", Mai slapped Azula's hand lightly but the Princess still made away with her sausage.

"What?" Azula scowled. "I bring dessert."

"Fair enough", Mai shrugged and went back to her meal.

"Wow…" Ty Lee was still processing the information. "Those people are the worst. They kill a war hero and a Water Tribe Princess just for this."

"Actually, they tried to kill the Chief", Azula pointed out, waving her meat bun. "They nixed the Princess by mistake."

"All those killings just to stop this police team from happening", Ty Lee muttered sadly. "That's just wrong."

"Well, it's—", Mai stopped short; Azula halted her meat bun midair. They turned and looked at each other, understanding dawning on their faces. Quickly, they raced to the tabletop computer. Mai threw her lunchbox sloppily to the table coffee table while Azula, being seated in the middle, had to leap over it.

"What? What? What did I say?" Ty Lee exclaimed as her two friends typed away rapidly on the tabletop computers; colorful holographic display flicked into life.

"I got the Water Tribe", Mai shouted to the other side of the table where Azula, again with a bun bitten in her mouth, was summoning several data folders from the mainframe; Mai allowed herself to roll her eyes at Azula's unladylike conduct.

"What's wrong?" Ty Lee paced to them, frowning, with a hardening donut in her hand.

"You, Ty Lee, are a genius", Mai muttered.

"Whoa!" Azula stopped working suddenly, taking her bun off her mouth. "That's a bit insulting to us real genius."

"Hey!" Ty Lee huffed, putting her hands on her hips; she obviously forgot she was holding a donut. "Eww!"

"I take that back", Mai sighed.

"Thank you", Azula bit her bun back and went back to work. Ty Lee glared for a moment before she stalked off to the bathroom to get her pants cleaned.

Several minutes of work later, Azula let out a series of urgent sounding 'mmpph! MPPPHHH!' (Mai! MAI!).

"Are you sure you're a Princess?" Mai narrowed her eyes at her.

Azula returned the look. "Look", with her free hand, she enlarged the holographic display of a picture of a platoon of soldiers, posing in front of a Fire Nation tundra tanks. "58th heavy weapons infantry platoon under General Shu. We have Minister Anzen and Zhang Wu", Azula tapped several holographic keyboard keys; circles appeared around two of the forty five faces. "During the war, the 58th platoon was a part of an ambush; they were ambushing an Earth Kingdom Army convoy of ammo and fuel. Some idiot shot the fuel trucks and they exploded. The 58th, along with three other platoons, were nearly annihilated. There were only five survivors from the 58th", all faces but the previous two and three others were crossed. "Minister Anzen is, as we all know, well and alive. Zhang Wu was killed yesterday", a cross appeared on Zhang Wu's face. "Private Zhu Ming died several weeks after the ambush as the result of the injuries sustained from the explosion", a cross appeared on the face of a soldier grinning widely sitting on the tank's tread. "Corporal Zi was admitted to Fire Nation Military Mental Facility for PTSD after the war", a circle appeared on a glum looking bearded soldier crouching on the front line. "And the last is Private Zu Bai… hey, isn't that the guy Jee mentioned?"

"Yeah", Mai brought up her findings now; profile pages of Chief Arnook and Princess Yue. "Look", she brought up another two windows; one was a video recording of Arnook speaking in what appeared to be a formal conference attended by international audiences, judging from the clothing and some obvious looking Air Monks among the crowd, and the second one was a newspaper page with Arnook's face and titled 'Water Tribe Chief Calls for Unity Against Common Threat'. "It says Arnook spoke up against international crime", Mai tapped several other keys and all their windows disappeared, leaving the video recording that was enlarged to take up the entire space; she turned up the volume.

"It is high time the Four Nations be united. We share the same cause: the betterment of our future and the preserving of our present. Crimes are going rampant across the space. Cooperation between Nations is lacking and criminals take advantage of it. Pirates raid the Water Tribe and hyperspace away to the outskirts of Earth Kingdom, hiding along the coast; raiders stole into Fire Nation ruins, hauling national artifacts, and found refuge in nearby Air Nomad's mountains. They are untouchable in a foreign planet where their crime and punishment do not reach them—"

"Jee said Zu Bai might not be involved", Mai stopped the replay. "He and Chit Sang are investigating a confectionary store that owns the cargo."

"If the assassins are taking down potential candidates for the team and Minister Anzen recruited his army buddies, they might come for Zu Bai", Azula typed Zu Bai's name on the search engine. "Yikes! Zu Bai got big…" she grimaced at the current picture of the former soldier. "Huh… his record in the Army seems a bit ordinary; no particularly big achievement. I don't think Anzen would even consider him", she clicked her tongue furiously. "If only we can get the names of those considered for recruitment."

"We can try Jeong Jeong", Mai shrugged. "Still, this is pretty flimsy."

"Yeah", Azula muttered, nibbling her bun. "Unless Zuko and Jee got anything to support this."

"Speak of the devil", Mai nudged her chin at the elevator behind Azula. Jee and Chit Sang walked in. Jee had a folder tucked on his belt and a box in his hands while Chit Sang had some fancy looking paper bags that somehow reminded Azula and Mai of Ty Lee. The aforementioned Ty Lee appearing at that moment and screaming "Fire Koi!" before sprinting to Chit Sang like a child to Santa Claus, made the two girls groan.

"Wow!" Ty Lee received the bags Chit Sang gave her. "I've never been to Fire Koi in ages! We used to go there all the time. Remember?" she turned the last part to the stone-faced Azula and Mai.

"You went there", Azula corrected bluntly and Mai added just as dryly. "We were simply there."

"The costumes?" Jee grimaced at the two girls by the tabletop as he put his load near the computer. Azula and Mai simply shivered as a reply.

"What? I thought they were cute", Chit Sang said from his desk where he stored a wrapped up box of chocolate that might get him laid later.

"Me too", Ty Lee supported the argument.

"Hey", Zuko greeted tiredly as he walked out the elevator, lifting up his tablet. "I got some recording."

Azula halted her bun again when her cellphone beeped. She fished it out of her pocket and checked whatever it was that carved a very Azula-ish smirk on her face. "Zuzu", she called with that silky tone of hers. "Is that a hickey I see on your neck?"

---

When Jeong Jeong entered the command room, he was expecting a riot. A fight; an argument at least. He had stopped making conjectures and putting hope on his team members to coexist peacefully long ago. He always carried a small tablet with him that tracked down each and every one of his team member via a tiny GPS tracker in their badges and he had a tiny beeping feature to warn him if they were all present in an enclosed space at the same time continuum.

The last time his team was together in the middle of gathering clues and chasing leads, he had to call the security to restrain Zuko, he almost Agni Kai-ed Azula, he had to buy Ty Lee some ice cream to stop her from crying, and Jee nearly resigned in a fit of anger. Mai and Chit Sang, he trusted to behave; Mai because nothing got to her and Chit Sang because… nothing got to him but in a different way. Mai did not let things affect her personally while Chit Sang just plain did not care.

When he witnessed something akin to a civilized conversation, he covertly pinched himself.

"So, let's recap", Azula cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Zhang Wu went to Fernwood Park after receiving an email from an unknown sender; at least unknown to us", Azula pointed at the holographic display of a video surveillance. "Then, this happened."

She pressed play and the video showed the park at night –it was black and white but they knew it was night because the park's neon lights were on- and Zhang Wu's back was pacing down the walkway, looking left and right covertly. Suddenly, he stopped and turned back; his hand dived into his robe for his gun. He brought the hand out slowly, unarmed. His mouth moved as if he was speaking and his facial expression was neutral. Suddenly, a masked man ran up to him from behind and whacked him behind the head with a baton. Several more burly men appeared from outside the camera frame and they hauled the unconscious man away.

"Time stamp is five days ago", Azula continued as the footage stopped. "We found Zhang Wu dead last evening. Autopsy showed that he was already dead when they dumped and shot him with Earth Kingdom guns on the street", she brought forth the crime scene photos and the pictures of the van Lin had taken. "And we found the stolen van used by the killers disposed and blown up the same night", photos of a blackened and burnt van taken by Mai and Chit Sang showed up. "Test on the chemical compound in the explosive used showed little since they used common household chemicals readily available in any retail stores; the fact that they used explosives instead of simple incendiary substances showed that these killers might be militarily trained and well-prepared."

They murmured their agreement.

"And about Zu Bai", Azula yielded the floor to Jee.

"He runs a shipping company", Jee brought up the current profile of Zu Bai. "It's legit, technically speaking. But, I suspect he employs illegal immigrants and is involved with some smuggling rings. While I was in his warehouse, there was always a guard with me", he brought up two more pictures; Fire Koi confectionary store and an enlarged picture of Zu Bai's warehouse that showed several stacked crates. "According to Zu Bai, there are four missing crates, each was 1 meter high, 2 meters long."

"Enough for a person to lie down inside comfortably", Zuko added.

"Hence supporting the 'Earth Kingdom assassins' theory", Jee nodded. "We traced the owner of the crates to Fire Koi Confectionary, a store that sells pastries and candies", Jee pointed at the picture of a bright red candy store with two giant fire koi curving on each other side by side, forming a heart. "The owner, one Narau Nhai, tricky name, was not on site", Jee nudged his chin at the Fire Koi hologram. "In fact, none of the workers remember ever seeing him. Ever", he resumed darkly. "He signs their paychecks but never shows his face. We suspect it was an alias."

"Or it could be a fake identity", Mai spoke up.

"Agree", Jee nodded. "What intrigues me is that Zu Bai doesn't seem like the type who let anyone do his business for him. His office is filled with papers. He's like that crazy conspiracy theorist neighbors who doesn't use banks because the government 'borrows' our money to build some secret gigantic starship that transgressed every law of Hongmen Convention of civilized warfare, or even cellphones because the government 'tracks' people through electronic devices that emits radio frequency. I just don't see him striking a deal with an invisible man. Interestingly, he does use emails."

"And about the interplanetary law enforcer theory", Azula brought up the next argument. "Zhang Wu was tortured, that much we know. What bother me is that the killers didn't put too much effort in hiding the torture marks. He suffered several cuts and bruises", she brought up several autopsy photos showing said cuts and bruises. "Consistent with systematic cutting and bludgeoning. They obviously undressed him before torturing him, which explains the lack of damage on the clothing, but why put them back on when they dumped him; at least why that neatly?"

"To throw us off?" Ty Lee shrugged.

Azula shrugged back. Crossing her arms, she continued. "Anyways, we know that Zhang Wu is considered to be recruited for this interplanetary law enforcer team. The well-planned and systematic kidnapping, torturing, and killing of his suggest a deep motif for his demise. And, as we are all aware, earlier today, there was an assassination attempt on Chief Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe. The fact that he was shot by what appeared to be an Earth Kingdom plasma bolt and that he is the major contributor to this interplanetary law enforcer team notion –wow, that's a mouthful- is a bit too coincidental."

"At this point, we can't prove or disprove the connection", Zuko pondered aloud. "Not without checking on the other candidates."

"But, that is a classified information and we don't have the clearance", Azula voiced her opinion. "I've tried."

"Or we can try checking with the House of Wu again to see if Zhang Wu had an enemy or something."

"But, the Admiral took care of the House of Wu and brought us nothing but Zhang Wu's cellphone. I don't feel like going up to him and say he did a lousy job though I'd pay to watch you do it."

"I still say we should check the candidates", Zuko said firmly, ignoring Azula's remark. "If it does pan out, more people could be in danger."

Finally, the old Admiral made himself known. "I'll handle that."

Most of them gasped, Ty Lee yelped, Azula bristled, Mai was unaffected. "According to the House of Wu, Zhang Wu requested a sick leave several days before he received the email. He could have had prior contact with whoever it was via other means", the Admiral walked to them. "I trust them and when they told me they have nothing else that could be useful, I trust them."

"Your trust is misplaced", Azula could not help herself.

"There is a chance of that", Jeong Jeong inclined his head. "I'll handle them as well. Zuko?"

"Yes, sir", Zuko replied.

"Organize a stakeout on Zu Bai", Jeong Jeong ordered. "Jee."

Jee nodded.

"Fire Koi", Jeong Jeong stroked his goatee. "I don't like this. You are right; Zu Bai is not in the clear. If anything, we should find enough dirt on him to bring him in for interrogation."

"What about the rest of us?" Azula asked curtly.

"Mai, double-check the van; there might be a clue we missed", Jeong Jeong directed. "Azula, try tracking the email and text sender—"

"It's a dead address and a burn phone. We've been over this; they're dead ends", Azula interjected curtly. "And before you asked, we have double-checked Zhang Wu's phone and email; they're clean. Are you trying to keep me off the action?"

The corner of Jeong Jeong's scarred eye twitched while the others looked at him wearily from the corner of their eyes; Chit Sang shrunk a bit under the intense atmosphere. "Triple-check", the Admiral said. "And try to find out more about this Narau Hai—"

"Nhai", Jee muttered.

"Nai—"

"Nhai", Jee said again. "It's a bit nasal. You have to— sorry, sir", he gulped under the old man's glare.

"Find out more about this character", the Admiral ignored him. "Find out why no one has ever seen him in person. And, while you're at it, find out more about Fire Koi."

"Aww…" Ty Lee started.

"It is unfortunate, yes", Jeong Jeong kept his face straight at Ty Lee's pout. "But, for all we know, Fire Koi could be a front for some criminal activities."

Azula's jaw hardened. Jeong Jeong was a tough opponent. Of the team, Azula was the best hacker and computer expert; Jee worked wonder on the field paired with Chit Sang with their combined streetwise, Mai was their lab expert with advanced degrees in Biochemistry and Forensic Science, Zuko was not a team player and often worked alone, and Ty Lee, as Azula had once put it, was akin to a team mascot.

Azula did not appreciate being caged in the office; she had an inkling suspicion that her father had given Jeong Jeong some very specific directives. However, Jeong Jeong was also right; if Narau Nhai was hidden somewhere in the system, finding him would answer many questions and Azula was the best chance they had.

She did not have to like it though.

Half an hour passed and the headquarters was now empty; only Azula and Ty Lee. The Princess was watching her program running lines of numbers and characters all too fast for human eyes to keep track of; hackers and programmers like her still somehow managed though, but only Agni knows how. Ty Lee mumbled something about training and stalked off, leaving her alone. Not a minute passed, a pair of arms embraced the Princess from behind. Azula could feel the gun poking her on her back.

Lin had once told her a story of how a sergeant in his father's battalion taught him to keep his sidearm that way; on the front waist, near his belly, with the gun barrel pointing diagonally down or horizontal. It allowed the gun to be drawn like a knife or dagger, and, should the need for a quick draw arise, he could fire from the hip. An ideal holstering position for a close-quarter quick draw.

"I brought you something", Lin sang, placing on the tabletop a small box wrapped neatly with a plain glossy red paper.

"Where's the catch?" Azula asked dryly, ignoring her curiosity.

"What catch?" Lin laughed. "Can't I give you anything…" he gently turned the girl to face him. "…without hoping for something in return? Because, you know, I can do that. I do do that. Do… do… did… do… urgh!"

"Uh-huh?" Azula still looked skeptical as she linked her arms around his neck.

"But, since you insist", Lin grinned guiltily. "I'm going to the Earth Kingdom in four days."

"I see", Azula simply said coldly. She turned back to the computer, tapped several keys to send her program on automatic mode, and simply walked away to the couch.

"Azula, come on", Lin sighed, following her to the couch with the gift.

"I don't want it", Azula said quietly, refusing to look at him. "You know I hate it when people leave."

"I know", Lin sat by her side and pecked her temple; she hit him for it before wiping the spot with her sleeve. "You know that I really have to go, right? That I wouldn't go if I could stay?"

"That's the thing", Azula growled. "I know. I understand. I don't have to like it though."

Lin simply smiled as he pulled her into his arms.

"Why are you really here?" Azula asked after a while.

"Off the record", he let the girl slid down to his lap and rested her head there. "My grandfather called me to keep you here. He has an inkling suspicion that you would sneak out and cause some trouble out there."

Azula snorted bitterly.

"Your dad must love you very much", Lin commented with an obviously intentional jovial tone; Azula let this slide on the ground that she liked having her head stroked the way it was now.

"He let Zuko go", Azula replied sharply but Lin, knowing her the way he did, sensed a tinge of envy and even bitterness in her tone. "Dooooon't…" Azula drawled pointedly, sensing a 'Zuko's a boy and older and technically an adult' lecture coming. "I'm better than him in anything. He should be the one confined in the headquarters doing rear support."

"Maybe that's exactly why you're here and he's out there", Lin shrugged, playing with one of Azula's bangs. "Any properly trained law enforcer can do stakeout or investigation or arresting people. It takes a special kind of genius, people like you, to do this computer thingy."

Azula looked up with a flat expression. "Only you can compliment me by arguing with me and winning."

"Well, I'm a special kind of genius too", he said none too humbly.

Azula simply smirked, got up, and kissed him on the lips; Lin grunted but did not resist much. He hated being kissed by Azula when she was wearing her lipstick and she knew it. Giggling mischievously, the Princess wiped her lips clean with a handkerchief she produced from her sleeve pocket and began kissing him again.

"Yeah –mmmphh- Azul –mmphh-, wow –mmpph-hhh- you—", he pushed her away reluctantly by the shoulders; she was smirking wide and that was never entirely good. "You're running a silent search on the computer on things you shouldn't, aren't you?"

"Well", Azula draped herself on Lin, pushing him down to the couch. "I'm running a search for a list of death in the past few months."

"Uh-huh?" Lin smirked back as Azula put her chin on his chest.

"How do you know what I was doing?" Azula asked.

"I know you", Lin said, tapping her forehead lightly. "Why?"

"I'm curious", Azula sat up. She stretched and got up from the couch. "About Zhang Wu."

"Let's see", Lin too got up and let himself be dragged to the tabletop by the girl. "Unnatural deaths—"

"They're not exactly neat. Yes", Azula, being framed between the table top and Lin by the latter's arms, shrugged.

"Military training?"

"And experience with law enforcing", Azula added. "And martial art training."

"And age group below fifty", Lin read the last parameter. "You didn't put gender specification?"

Azula narrowed her eyes as she turned to him and glared sharply.

"What?" Lin asked innocently. "It's only logical. Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe are not as open-minded as us Fire Nation. If this is to be a group of interplanetary demography, we might want to keep baby steps on feminism."

"I'm not putting it in", Azula said stubbornly as she turned back to the computer.

"Fine. It's your search", Lin shrugged. Snickering at the lack of response, he hugged her by the waist again and buried her face on the back of her head.

"Stop it. You know I like it when you do that", Azula smirked; a brief burst of breath on the back of her head in her hair she registered as his chuckle. "I'm working."

"You kissed me on the couch", said the head that was now on her shoulder, kissing her jaw. "What if my grandfather saw us?"

"He doesn't know yet?" Azula snorted. "That's odd. I thought you two were close."

"He knew that we've been friends for years", Lin swayed a little with Azula held snuggly in his arms. "I think he's under the impression that we have something of a pseudo-sibling bond going on."

"Eww", Azula smirked. When they heard the shuffling of footsteps coming from the door below the balcony, they separated from each other. Azula had just finished tapping her hair back to place and Lin straightening his garb when the Admiral showed up through the door. "I've widened the search for the name Narau Nhai", petty was the way she perfectly pronounced the last name. "I've put in every imaginable parameter; the search is slow and still ongoing, and I am very pessimistic about it", Azula droned on. "The email and texts are still dead. Fire Koi is as clean as they come. How's your end?" very casually delivered her question was.

Jeong Jeong was actually quite fond of this girl. He came from a long line of firebenders and he respected anyone who stayed true to the art in this era of guns and machines where killing a master firebender was as easy as pulling a trigger or flooring a gas pedal. None had realized it because he was subtle but he did show favoritism towards Azula.

When the team was initially formed, Jeong Jeong, in the spirit of getting better feel of his team members' individual skills and characters, and giving them the benefit of the doubt, had Azula conducted onsite investigation and witness questioning several times; so far, Azula had desecrated a Fire Temple, offended a peaceful anti-violence rally, and insulted three different noble houses. And not to mention the paperwork, the bad publicity, and the lawsuits Jeong Jeong had to power through. Through it all, Azula had received nothing worse than a stern scolding while Jeong Jeong stuck his neck out to shield her from the repercussion of her action on multiple occasions; one nearly landed him in prison and at least four ended up in Agni Kai.

To him, Azula was a very capable, exceptionally gifted, and freakishly intelligent young woman -emphasis on the word young- who, under the right guidance, would be an invaluable asset to the police department and a formidable champion of justice. It would be tragic if someone with her potential got buried by the intricate societal rules she had not truly grasp yet because, despite her sharp intellect, Jeong Jeong knew that Azula had the social skills and tact of a blunt axe to the side of the head.

Sometimes, even Jeong Jeong found himself seeing her as nothing but an impertinent brat.

"I have checked several names on the database", he brought up his tablet. "The result is—"

"Zheng Lu", Azula asked, bringing up the current result of her still incomplete search. "Retired Army sniper? Killed in a speeder-car accident?"

"…Yes", Jeong Jeong said through his clenched jaw.

"Mazu", Azula brought up another profile. "Firebending master? Supposedly killed in an unsanctioned Agni Kai?"

"No, he's not on th—"

"Yuzang? Security guard for the House of Zhu? Killed in a home invasion?"

"Yes, actually—"

"Mimi Liang? From the House of Liang? Found dead in her room without any signs of violence? Still an ongoing case?"

"She's a woman. What makes you think—"

"Chauvinist", Azula muttered with little effort to lower her voice. "Li Mang. A master spearman—"

"Enough!" Jeong Jeong snapped. "I have told you that I would be the one—"

"Did I neglect my job?" Azula interjected, trying to keep her face straight despite a smirk of the triumphant kind trying to sneak into being. "I have time to kill. So, why not? 'Curiosity is the main weapon in your arsenal'", she turned her expression and tone sad; she surprised herself at how effortless it was. "You taught us this. Remember?"

Jeong Jeong, wise as he was, decided not to respond according to the tug of guilt in the pit of his gut; he would rather not appear weak in front of his grandson. Lin, Jeong Jeong noticed, was chewing his lips; he was trying to hold back laughter and it gave Jeong Jeong the conviction to withhold the benefit of the doubt on Azula this time and opted to think that she was playing him. Azula was not beyond this, he knew.

"I have several more names", Jeong Jeong said. He put his tablet on one of the slots on the tabletop. The whole device consisted of a flat surface of screen capable of projecting interactive and non-interactive holographic projection framed by dark metal rim about one and a half foot wide bearing slots where people could insert their tablets or cellphones and several set buttons and keyboards for manual operation by four different users, two on each sides. The contraption read the content of Jeong Jeong's tablet and brought forth around twenty pictures of men of different nationalities, according to the color of the backdrop of their portrait. Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, and Water Tribe; no Air Nomads but it was not surprising.

Most of the faces were crossed; included in them were Zhang Wu, the victim of their case, Zheng Lu, Yuzhang, Li Mang, and three other from Azula's search result. Some of the portraits with Earth Kingdom green background were also crossed. Interestingly, no Water Tribe pictures were crossed and, Azula noticed with a slight miff, there were no women among them.

"We have alerted the rest", Jeong Jeong replied their unasked questions. "They have been taken into protective custody. And, yes, I noticed", Jeong Jeong said before Azula could open her mouth halfway. "It is not strange. If the assassins are really Earth Kingdom, they will be powerless in Water Tribe soil. Both Northern and Southern Water Tribe Planets are ice planets and they won't have bendable there."

"Guns?" Lin frowned.

"Water Tribe borders are closely guarded", Jeong Jeong said. "It is near impossible to smuggle anything into either Water Tribes."

"Huh…" Lin's insightful amber eyes darted up, pondering this new information. "Good to know. Excuse me, I have to make some phone calls."

"You have been particularly rebellious as of late", Jeong Jeong commented dryly as Lin was out of earshot.

"I'm just bored", Azula replied defiantly. "What now? I still think this Narau Nhai…" again with the annoyingly impeccable pronunciation of the name. "…is a waste of time. Even if by some odd chance we get a hit—"

Beep Beep…

"Huh? We got a hit. How odd", Azula typed into the tabletop. What appeared was a family tree of the Fire Nation kind; Azula surmised it was a scan of a piece of carpet on which tiny masculine two-pronged flames and feminine one-pronged flames were embroidered above the names they represented. Narau Nhai's name was highlighted and the year of birth and death of the two-pronged flame suggested that he had been alive during the reign of Fire Lord Hirue, millennia ago when people still rode komodo-rhino-drawn carts and hunted things with flaming spears. Several other names were also highlighted far below Narau Nhai's name.

Familiar names: Zu Bai, Zi, several Li's who could be anyone, Li Mang the deceased master spearman, Zhang Wu, and, curiously, Chit Sang.

Jeong Jeong, once he overcame his intrigue, inhaled sharply to quell his irk. Turning to Azula, he commented. "Every imaginable parameter, you say?"

"'Leave nothing to chance'", Azula quoted him again. "So Chit Sang is related to the family. What's the big deal? Look, at least we've also learnt that Zu Bai and his army buddy Zi are first cousins and Zhang Wu was apparently their uncle-in-law."

"Zu Bai's name came up a lot", Jeong Jeong commented, studying the family tree. "They must know each other", the Admiral traced the line connecting the three names. "Zhang Wu was married to Zu Bai's aunt."

"Got it", Azula typed several keys with lightning speed dexterity. "Marah, no last name, an army nurse stationed at the Fire Nation Colonial Force – Earth Kingdom Colonies. Must be how they met."

"See if you can find pictures or anything, anything visual", Jeong Jeong ordered. "If we can prove Zu Bai's involvement with Zhang Wu, we can get him for falsifying statement; he had claimed to have no knowledge of Zhang Wu."

"As we have covered before, Zu Bai has the mentality of a conspiracy theorist", Azula said flatly. "No bank account, no electronic trace, cash only business. I think it'd be easier to just drag him in. After all…" Azula waved a hand at the family tree. "…we already have enough to bring him in for obstructing an active investigation."

Jeong Jeong seemed to ponder upon this.

"Mai and the lab?" he asked.

"She found nothing new", Azula inclined her head a little; Jeong Jeong was reminded to a hyena-wolf before it lunged on a prey.

"Fine", he said suddenly. "I'll call Zuko. You—", he added quickly as Azula was about to dart away to her office. "—stay here. Keep working on this end."

"My brother is alone against what could be a traitor collaborating with a group of Earth Kingdom assassins", Azula growled dangerously. "Do you expect me to sit back and relax while he's out there apprehending dangerous criminals alone?"

"No, I expect you to trust me on this", Jeong Jeong, of course, knew that Azula was just saying it; she was not averse to dunking her brother in a pond filled with man-eating piranha-eels and she would do it with no remorse. "I need you here."

"Who's going to support Zuko?" Azula demanded heatedly, grasping her hands into tight fists.

"I'm on it", Lin appeared as if on cue. "I've sent some of my people to Zuko."

Jeong Jeong and Azula turned to him and had a similar look on their faces; the kind of look police officers give to anyone who confessed they just peed on a police car.

"What?" Lin went on the defensive. "I instructed them to stay out of sight. You'd rather leave Zuko to fend for himself?"

They had comeback for this, of course.

"I'll go, too", Lin added before bowing to the Admiral and walked to the elevator.

---

Jee drank his coffee from his styrofoam cup simply to wash down the aftertaste of chocolate in his mouth. Chit Sang, sitting on the passenger seat, still ate his fill and more.

"This place makes good chocolate", Chit Sang commented with mouth full of chocolate cheesecake. "I really hope nothing happens here."

Jee did not say anything but he found himself silently agreeing with Chit Sang. He cared little for chocolate but even Jee found Fire Koi's chocolate-based products to be quite palatable. Jee's concentration on Chit Sang's noisy chewing was disrupted by a group of suspiciously dressed men entering the shop. Big burly ivory-skinned men, with top-knots that were a little lopsided. Also, Jee seemed to recognize one of the faces.

"Have I ever told you that I was in the Navy?" Jee asked without taking his eyes off the group of men.

"Yeah, you even went to the war", Chit Sang stopped his munching. "Why?"

"I was wounded once", Jee said, eyes never leaving the front glass window through which they saw the group of four men talking to another person wearing an outfit of a chef. "An ambush by Earth Kingdom Army. I was in a tank, it got hit by an anti-armor canon, and I was blown away over a cliff to the ocean. I was found by a group of pirates who fished me up, tended my wound, and sold me to slavery."

"That's rough", Chit Sang commented, following the direction of Jee's stare.

"Anyway, they're Earth Kingdom for sure", Jee sounded as if he was trying to convince himself. "The way they try to blend in does seem suspicious. Bust them?"

Chit Sang merely shrugged. They checked their guns on their belts and pulled their summer coats tighter to hide their weapons. They got out and Jee led the way into the store. The pair of plain-clothed policemen walked up to the counter now led by Chit Sang. Jee noticed the door with the small thin strip of paper bearing 'Authorized Personnel Only' on the corner right beside where the four men and the chef were sitting. They are professional, he thought, already preparing himself mentally for the fight that he knew would break out.

"Hey, look", Jee said, pointing at the row of large cakes behind the glass on the counter. "Puppy shaped cakes. Ty Lee would love that, don't you agree? Isn't her birthday coming next week?"

"Yeah, good idea", Chit Sang nodded. "Excuse me, miss. How much is that puppy cake?"

"Oh", the cashier glanced briefly at the cake. "Excellent choice, sir", the young freckled girl wearing a ridiculous koi head hat smiled professionally. "It is a popular choice. For a girlfriend?"

"My daughter", Chit Sang grinned. "Turning fourteen next week."

"Oh, wonderful!"

"Does it come in pink?"

"Hmm, our pink strawberry cream stock is currently empty. But, if you leave me your contact detail, we can give you a call when one is available. And, for only ten silver pieces, we can have it delivered to your home if you live within ten kilometers radius from here; we charged extra five copper pieces for every additional kilometer."

Chit Sang noticed the employee of the month portrait on the wall behind the counter bearing the cashier's face and thought it was appropriate.

"Good idea", Chit Sang made a move to his belt. "There is something else I need from you", he put his badge subtly on the counter. "That man over there, sitting with four other men in black. Who is he?"

"Oh", the girl looked more perplexed than afraid. "Chef Li? Is he in some kind of trouble?"

Jee never truly took his eyes off the men in the corner. As luck would have it, one of the men who had their backs turned on the pair policemen turned around; green orbs met amber.

The greens on both sides of the diagonal scar remembered the last time they saw those ambers; they were standing outside a cage that held those ambers.

It was a snap chaotic consequence. Jee's yelling, "Police!" drowned whatever it was the green-eyed man's rough voice was yelling. They soon found themselves running across the kitchen, making people scream. One of the five men threw a large bowl of chocolate frosting; Jee and Chit Sang dodged successfully but a lady baker behind them suffered a gooey but delicious splat on her face. The thrower stayed behind while the three other men in black and the chef bolted away through the exit. The man kept throwing more stuff; from harmless dough and sticks of butter, he graduated to sharp and not harmless knives and cleavers.

Roaring, Chit Sang charged like a mad bullizard and tackled the men down by the midsection; Jee ran ahead after the rest of the group. On the alleyway outside the door, Jee found them running away into a parked van. Shouting a mighty battle cry, the former Navy lieutenant jumped and spin-kicked a fire arc that hit one of the black-clothed man on the back. He fell and the other three halted and turned around to Jee who wasted no time to send barrage of firebending that took down one more of them.

When the remaining two, the chef and the scarred green-eyed man, switched to offensive, lunging towards Jee with knives ready in their hands, Jee pulled his gun and began firing away bolts of red plasma. The scarred owner of the green eyes was hit on the shoulder and stomach, just like Jee had been years ago after he had busted through the cage that held him like an animal.

The satisfaction the poetic justice brought to Jee was cut short by the chef who stomped mightily on the ground, causing a mini tremor that had been the subject of many soldiers', including Jee's, nightmare. Jee's widened eyes was followed by his gaping mouth when a pillar of earth shot out from the ground and flew to his direction.

---

To Azula, Jeong Jeong was… well, an old man. Azula dealt with old men nearly all her life. Her grandfather Azulon was ancient, her uncle Iroh was old enough to be her grandpa Iroh, and her father was a mid-forty man who no longer had the thirty something look. Jeong Jeong was a few years younger than her Uncle Iroh, Azula knew; she had checked Jeong Jeong's personal file once.

To Azula, Jeong Jeong possessed the calm head of a sage who had lived a thousand lifetimes and, strangely, the temper of a giant dragon with a bad case of toothache. The Admiral was cool, calm, and collected most of the time; cold sometimes; and, though Azula had never said it out loud before, nurturing. In the old man, Azula found a grandfather figure and a mentor.

Jeong Jeong demanded the respect that he had earned and Azula, though she would never admit it, did respect the Admiral.

Still, she disliked being called to the Admiral's office for a cup of tea. Sitting a neat seiza on one of the cushions, Azula waited patiently as the old man poured her a cup of steaming hot brown liquid with perfect and highly refined and disciplined movement that even she, in this state of silent agitation, found admirable. Azula gives credit where credit is due.

She waited a little bit more for the old man to fill his own cup. Jeong Jeong put down the simple clay teapot on a small stool he put on the floor by his side. He then gestured to the cups and reached for his own first. Azula politely took a sip after Jeong Jeong and she reaffirmed her eternal enmity towards tea.

Jeong Jeong exhaled slowly as he swallowed his first sip, went to have a second, and put his cup down gently. Azula put her cup down too and found the Admiral's piercing amber studying her face. She had not time to feel crept out as Jeong Jeong broke the eye contact after exactly five seconds.

Taking the cup, Jeong Jeong commented with his usual flat tone. "You are not wearing your lipstick. It's unusual."

"Oh?" Azula arched a brow, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. "I didn't know you noticed this kind of thing."

"I am the operational manager of this team, it's my job to notice anything unusual", Jeong Jeong took another long sip of his cup which Azula suspected was his way of giving Azula some time to think. "So", the Admiral said as Azula came up empty. "What are your thoughts of this case?"

"I think you're keeping me off the field for a reason. Have you been talking to my father? A direct order from the Prime Minister, perhaps?" Azula said with that sweet but condescending lilt that only she could use.

"I have been given an order to keep you and Prince Zuko safe, yes", Jeong Jeong said matter-of-factly, mentally lamenting the fact that the girl he was having tea with was such a brat. "But, never think for one second that I put his order above your and Zuko's wellbeing and growth as law enforcers."

"My, Admiral", Azula faked a gasp. "That's almost treason you are speaking of."

Jeong Jeong smirked and stared into the girl's amber sharply, and, for some unfathomable reason, proudly. "Not when it concerns family."

Azula looked down to her cup, feeling a tiny tug of guilt.

"I don't like it here", Azula said quietly; avoidance… the closest Princess Azula could get to apologies. "It almost feels like I'm being called to the principal's office or something. For screwing up."

"You did not screw up", Jeong Jeong said with a fierceness in his tone, the kind he had when he was defending someone; the closest he could imitate a fatherly tone. "As the matter of fact, I think your work result has been exemplary during this case. You found out about Zhang Wu and his connection with the interplanetary law enforcer team, you discovered Narau Nai…" Azula ignored the mispronunciation. "… when the odd was against us—"

The main phone connected to the tabletop computer rang; according to the caller id on the giant holographic display, it was Jee.

"Keep going", Azula smirked, back to her usual self.

"Get the phone", Jeong Jeong ordered flatly, sipping his cup.

Azula got up and, reluctantly, she stopped and, sincerely, she bowed before she strode to the tabletop computer. She pressed the accept call button and a miniature hologram Jee appeared on the display; he looked a bit messy with gooey stuff dripping off his short hair and a terrible bruise on one side of the face.

"Lieutenant", Jee greeted, holding his phone on front of him; Azula could see her own miniature holographic self standing on the device. "We arrested several Earth Kingdom people; five, males. Four of them are here illegally, one of them is registered as a Fire Nation and works as a chef here at Fire Koi."

"Spies?" Azula asked.

"No, Lieutenant", Jee scratched his head. "Smugglers."

"Including the chef?" Azula frowned.

"Apparently", Jee nodded. "It's an international smuggling ring. They have people from everywhere and the resources to forge documents."

"Do they have any connection to Zu Bai?" Azula asked urgently. "Is Zu Bai in on it?"

"I don't think so", Jee sighed; Chit Sang appeared and tried to look over his shoulder. Jee turned around and shooed him away. "This seems like a separate thing. They must have used Zu Bai's shipment to smuggle themselves in here but, get this", Jee sounded grim as he continued. "They don't have any firearms with them. I don't think they are responsible for Zhang Wu at all."

Azula sighed as she came to a realization. "Zu Bai played us."

---

Zuko winced as the boulder fell so close to his skulking place. He stood up over the top of his car to fire several quick shots from his gun at the warehouse through the rain of green and red plasma bolts, fire blast, hurling ice spikes, and flying boulders. Lin and a woman of mid twenty were reloading their weapons.

Lin had just popped his last magazine in place to his handgun when Zuko ducked back to cover while the woman on the other side of the car emerged and sprayed plasma shots from her submachine gun.

"Where's your reinforcement?" Lin asked. Zuko was too high on adrenaline rush to notice how strangely calm he sounded.

"Still on their way, apparently", the Prince skulked lower as he pulled the front door of his battered and shot up car open and tried to reach for the radio; several wild shots of plasma penetrated through the other side of the car, showering Zuko with tiny pieces of shattered glass and instilled in him a will to life as he flinched back and fell down back first to the pavement. Lin, who was the closest to Zuko, quickly pulled him back into cover; a large boulder fell on the spot where Zuko's head had been lying a second ago.

"You police are so useless!" Lin cursed. "No wonder a lot of people want to be criminals!"

Zuko was about to bark an equally insulting comeback but Lin stood up and fired at the warehouse that was now swarmed with numerous people defending the premises. Some of them were wearing rags and had the outer appearance of regular dockworkers; only half of them were armed while the rest were utilizing their bending of fire, water, and earth to keep the three intruders at bay. At least twenty well-dressed men were also on their ranks and they were all packing heat.

"Bara!" Lin ducked just as a green bolt flew past him. "Call Taka in!"

"No!" Zuko shouted over the commotion. "What if the uniform comes?!"

What little luck he was born with was on Zuko's side; they could hear sirens roaring from afar and they were coming closer. In matter of seconds, several speeder-cars and-vans emerged from the corner of the road, speeding towards them. Still skulking with Lin and Bara, Zuko pulled up his badge and flashed it up as safely as he could. The incoming police vehicles flew pass their position and formed a protective line of plasma and firebending resistant wall; earthbending did a number on them already.

"Captain Kai, sir!" an armored police officer bearing a submachine gun came skidding to their cover. "Sergeant Lee. We received your call for assistance, sir!"

"Nice timing", Lin quipped. Even after knowing him for years, Zuko still had problem detecting sarcasm in his tone.

"Who are you?" Sergeant Lee frowned apprehensively; Zuko noticed the officer's finger curling subtly around his gun trigger. The protocol for this kind of situation was for fellow law enforcers to show their badge or id as identification and Lin and Bara, of course, had none to show.

"Watch your tongue, knave!" Bara, the mid twenty woman, snapped. "Is this how you treat undercover Royal Procession agents?!"

"O-oh, sorry, ma'am", Sergeant Lee gulped as he saluted a little, making Fire Nation hand gesture without bowing.

"The owner of this warehouse is suspected for terrorism", Lin said in an authoritative tone. "We happen to run into the good lieutenant here."

Bzzt bzzt…

"Oh, come on!" Lin screamed but he reached for his cellphone in his pocket anyway. "This is not a good time."

"Is Zuko with you?" Azula asked from the other end. "We have satellite view of your position; that guy with a piece of glass sticking out on his shoulder looks like Zuko from up here."

"Zuko, you have a piece of glass sticking out your shoulder", Lin announced as he put the phone on speaker. "Is there any way around this warehouse? We can't get through the front."

"Yes, the east and west sides are empty. And you better hurry", Azula said; Lin could hear her typing over the line. "I see some people running out. I think one of them is Zu Bai. Whoa, he's huge. Even from this far away."

"Hear that?" Lin, hanging up, said to Zuko who was already ordering the policemen around to encircle the warehouse from both sides and ordering Sergeant Lee to take charge and secure the warehouse with his men.

"Come on!" Lin called and led Zuko and Bara to his motorcycle parked behind a security guard's hut. He jumped on and, before he could even reach for the ignition, he felt a bump on his back followed by a second and milder one. Turning around to Bara and Zuko sitting behind him, neither looked any more comfortable than he was, he hissed sharply. "No words to anyone."

Bara and Zuko murmured their agreement.

Lin started the vehicle and sped away around the warehouse, dodging shots of plasma and elements; Zuko, sitting at the tail, enjoyed quite a thrilling ride as the law physics dragged himself back, wanting to slam him to the ground. They flew to the right side of the warehouse, took a wide left, and, noticed a group of armed well-dressed men and a fat man running on foot.

Lin accelerated through them, cutting their route, dodging shots of guns and firebending and earthbending; Zuko leaped off the moment they flew pass them and sent a barrage of fire blast before his feet touched the ground. The Prince's unexpected attack caused the opponents to go on a brief defensive and let up on their attack, allowing Bara to leap down also and joined Zuko in the assault while Lin skidded to stop a few meters ahead.

Lin got down and ran towards the fight; switching his gun to his left hand, his now free right hand reached to his right waist and pulled out a tube-like device, colored dark like the rest of his outfit and equipment. He flicked his wrist and a 70-centimeter of straight slender jian blade slid down from the device. He raised his gun and fired two shots that incapacitated a firebender who was about to blast Zuko in the back.

Zuko turned around briefly before he had to leap away lest a boulder crushed him. He shot many quick bolts from his gun that the earthbender defended against by raising an earth wall; when the earth wall came flying his way, he dashed ahead and leaped over it, sending a fire kick on his way down. The earthbender instinctively raised his arms to shield himself and Zuko shot him on the gut with his gun.

A roar from his side snapped his attention and a firebender was going through some intricate hand movements to mold his element. Zuko aimed his gun and fired but he was out of ammo; he had not time to channel his firebending.

Suddenly, the firebender jerked and his molded flame dropped to the floor and splashed like a ball of water before disappearing. As he fell down to his knee, Zuko saw Bara standing behind the fallen opponent with her gun raised, grinning. A fire blast drew her back to another fight though.

A boulder flew to the spot between them and, soon after, a well-dressed baddie Zuko guessed was the owner of the boulder. Lin leaped into the picture next, light and graceful like a saber-tooth-tiger-wolf –or a piece of floating tissue, as Zuko had once commented-.

The mercenary grinned briefly at Zuko and it gave Zuko the chill. The older boy had that look in his eyes when he was fighting, the look that gave Zuko the mental image of the gleam of a blade. Lin twirled midair and sent a fire arc with a kick on his way down, hitting one of the last two opponents who were attacking Bara. Twirling his blade and slashing the air once, he splashed a long but thin splatter of blood on the pavement.

As Bara took down the last of their opponents, they looked around for Zu Bai; the double-chinned morbidly obese man had used the ensuing fight to get away, running at a rather respectable speed to the pier ahead. The three of them were about to give chase when a single Earth Kingdom green plasma bolt sailed through the air from the direction of the warehouse; several other well-dressed warehouse guards appeared and began shooting at them.

"Go", Bara shouted as they ducked for cover behind nearby crates. "I'll cover you two and hold them here."

Without giving the two boys a chance to argue, or show chivalry, Bara jumped over the crate and began running towards the incoming enemies and firing back with her submachine gun, dispersing the group and pushing them on the defensive. Lin and Zuko used the opportunity to run ahead after Zu Bai. The shipping company owner had gained quite a distance and the two younger boys, though they were more physically fit, had the escapee giving them the run for their money. Literally.

When Zuko was finally able to ram into Zu Bai, the latter had brought them through several turns and they found themselves in the middle of gigantic shipping containers away from the riot in the warehouse; they could not even hear the sound of the gunfight and clashes of the elements anymore. Also, on the more personal note, Zuko's knees were burning and he had stitches on his side and Lin was starting to see black spots as he gasped for air.

Zu Bai's massive fist crashing Zuko's jaw and sending him to the ground was quite an insult to their pride. Ignoring his protesting limbic and respiratory system, Lin dashed forward for his signature quick sword slash; Zu Bai stood his ground and caught him by his sword-wielding wrist and his neck. Almost effortlessly, the obese man picked up the black clad teenager and slammed him back first onto the nearby steel container. Lin had his wind knocked off and his weapons, sword and handgun, slipped out of his grasp.

He delivered a desperate flaming kick that hit Zu Bai on the chest and burnt the fabric of his clothes. Zu Bai dropped him and took a few steps back, patting his burnt clothes. Lin fell to his knees and coughed breathlessly. His instinct told him to stand up and just beat the burning crap out of Zu Bai but his body somehow moved to the nearby weapon; his sword. Zu Bai's foot kicking the sword away put an end to that endeavor.

Lin had barely moved a muscle when he found himself being lifted up by the back of his clothes and he sailed through the air as Zu Bai hurled him onto another container on the other side of the seven or eight meters gap like a bouncer would a drunkard. The collision produced a rather spectacular hollow metallic thunk.

Groaning, Lin rolled to his back despite his aching existence, just in time to see Zuko's flaming fist got caught by Zu Bai who delivered a plain punch to his gut; Zuko doubled over and received the same treatment as he was being hurled to the same container and crash-landed near Lin.

"Are you kidding me?!" Lin hissed to the grunting and badly bruised Zuko. "We got owned by a fat guy!"

"You –urgh…- need to get reacquainted with my uncle", Zuko dragged himself up to his feet; Lin, adhering to his sneakier fighting style, got up to one knee.

I think this is the point where readers would be kindly reminded that Zu Bai used to be a soldier and fought in the war before.

"Yeah, but look", Lin struggled to regulate his breath. "He looked like the guy who just ate your uncle."

"Yeah, it's pretty embarrassing. Don't tell Azula", Zuko said as they both lunged at Zu Bai together.

Zu Bai lunged ahead towards the two boys and sent them crashing down with a double lariat.

"Urgh… do you think Azula is watching us getting beaten up?" Lin groaned on the ground next to Zuko. Zu Bai made a run for it.

"With a war going on out there?" Zuko clambered up to his feet, aching like he never had before. "I doubt it."

---

"Ugh!" Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee grunted as Zu Bai ran over Zuko and Lin with the double lariat; the bird's eye view from the far away satellite might be small, distant, and lacking in detail but the effect was felt.

"They're gonna eat meat through the straw for a week", Mai muttered.

"I'm gonna go get some bags of frozen peas", Ty Lee stalked off, shivering from watching the violence.

---

Zuko staggered up and began his chase. When he realized that Lin had sat up but not made any further move, he shouted at him. "Come on! We've got to catch him!"

"No, man! I don't wanna do this anymore", Lin whined like a kid. "Can I just shoot him?"

"You have a gun?" Zuko barked.

"Of course, I do", Lin pulled from his ankle holster a tiny revolver. "I always have a backup."

"Well, shoot him!"

"Fine!"

Lin raised his arm and fired a shot quickly without even looking at Zu Bai or taking his frown off Zuko. "There, happy!"

"Holy fu— did you kill him?" Zuko screamed as Zu Bai fell face first to the pavement.

"No, I did not!" Lin barked back as he clambered up to his feet. "I shot him in the leg!"

"You shot him in the spine!" Zuko screamed back.

"Oh… crapster in heaven, I killed him", Lin quickly raced after Zuko to the fallen criminal.

Zuko was the first to arrive and, kneeling down, he checked on Zu Bai; the large man groaned weakly at Zuko's touch.

"Oh, thank spirits, he's alive", Zuko sighed.

"Phew, that was close", Lin laughed weakly; Zuko's glare shut him up.

"Give me that!" Zuko snatched the tiny gun. "And get out of here."

"Okay", Lin pulled up his hood, but not before dropping a single nightshade flower on the ground. "See you at the usual place."

While the mercenary raced back to his bike, Zuko rolled Zu Bai to his back.

"Who are you working for?!" he demanded, pulling the large man up by the collar. "Tell me!"

Zu Bai gasped and coughed; or at least Zuko thought he was coughing. Zu Bai was laughing.

"You're too late…" he heaved before passing out.

---

"Ty Lee", Azula growled. "Would you stop pacing?"

"But… but…" the pink girl whimpered, not stopping at all.

On the long couch in the headquarter were Jeong Jeong framed on the right and left by Mai, who was slouching lazily, twirling a knife, and Azula, who was also slouching, cross-legged, playing with her phone. On the small couches were Chit Sang and Jee; Jee was pressing a bag of frozen pea on the side of his face.

"Earthbenders running rampant on our soil", Jeong Jeong muttered, drawing everyone's attention; he might have lost his temper a lot but he had never sounded so bitter before. "Our national security is supposed to be the most impregnable!"

"Nothing's impregnable", Azula pointed out. "Impregnable only means that you haven't hit hard enough."

Jeong Jeong turned to her and frowned. "That… is a very Earth Kingdom way of thinking."

Azula turned to Admiral and returned his frown with a scowl.

To safe the headquarters from the incoming Agni Kai, the elevator door slid open. Zuko and Lin walked in, both looked like they had just been jumped by a group of earth rumbler. Squealing happily, Ty Lee ran up to them and scooped the two taller boys into one of her tight hugs, making the boys groaned in pain.

"I'm so glad you guys are okay!" she hugged tighter.

"Ty Lee, let go please", Azula said; Mai added. "Lin is turning purple."

A few minutes later, the welcoming was relocated to the cafeteria. Being served dinner by the office maid robots, Jeong Jeong looked as sour as he could be, despite the cheery recounting of the action the boys had had and the celebration of their victory of busting not only one, but two cases, and his favorite jasmine tea steaming up his nose.

"Grandpa?" Lin, seated at his right on the round dining table, picked up a piece of spicy tofu with his chopsticks and put it in the old man's rice bowl. "Is something—"

"I don't like this!" the Admiral banged the table with his fist, startling and petrifying everyone; the ensuing silence was broken only by the squishy sound of Chit Sang's meat slipping from his chopsticks and the table jumping a bit from Zuko and Jee, sitting on Chit Sang's right and left, kicking him under the table.

"We got Zu Bai", Azula, sitting at Lin's side, leaned forward a bit and turned to Jeong Jeong. "And we uncovered a smuggling ring. We cracked the case and then some."

"We win with extra", Mai translated. "I see no reason for foul temper."

"Bah! We still don't know about Narau Hai…" everyone but Lin shifted uncomfortably, including Mai. "… and Fire Koi's relation to Zu Bai! We still don't know who Zu Bai's collaborators are, or who sent Zhang Wu the message to meet in the park! And we found out about Zhang Wu and the other candidates being hunted down thanks to information provided by a vigilante!" Jeong Jeong spat.

"Mercenary!"

"So, what were we supposed to do?" Mai sighed, ignoring the fuming Lin who was patted on the back by a smirking Azula. "Calling the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribe to check if their candidates are being hunted down, too?"

"What a phone call that would be", Azula remarked with dripping sarcasm. "'Why hello, Earth Kingdom savages. What a lovely morning. Say, did your people get whacked in the head by some masked men and were found dead on the street a couple of days after like ours? By the way, I wish you eternal damnation for killing my cousin. Have a nice day'."

"The war might be over", Jee added glumly. "But the hate's still there."

"Do you know that there was a bombing in the colonies last week?" Mai asked the table. "I got the news from a relative living in Gaipan. Earth Kingdom fanatics."

"Which is why I hate this", Jeong Jeong groused. "Zu Bai… he's winning! They're winning! And we don't know who they are!"

"Did he say why he was doing this?" Lin asked Zuko directly.

"No", Zuko said. "He refused to say anything."

"Find anything in his place?" Lin asked again. "What about the earthbenders and waterbenders among his people? Some of them nearly crushed us with giant chunk of rocks."

"They're migrant workers. Zu Bai told them we came to deport them back", Zuko replied bitterly. "They had no choice. They did earthbend and waterbend, though. Bending other elements on Fire Nation soil is a serious offence under Fire Nation Domestic Law."

"I can provide shelter and work, and arrange for their documents if the judge decides to release them", Lin shrugged. "But, not with criminal record. Can you guys do something?"

"It will be difficult", Azula pondered aloud. "They did also assault the police and help Zu Bai."

"Maybe they were forced to do it?" Ty Lee chimed in; under the collective staring she received, she asked very innocently. "What?"

"Can you sell it?" Lin grinned at Jeong Jeong.

"Not without checking them thoroughly, one by one", Jee was the one who answered. "We can't risk anything. Some of them might actually be working for Zu Bai."

"Even if they got through the filter, I have some trusted subordinates among the foreigners in the community", Lin shrugged lightly.

"This isn't over, isn't it?" Mai sighed tiredly; Zuko smiled and put his arm around her waist.

"No", Jeong Jeong said grimly. "Not as long as people like Zu Bai and his ilk stand in the face of peace and unity."

---

Azula sat on the passenger seat of her car, hugging her legs under her coat she used as a blanket. It was night and she and Zuko had just dropped Mai off at her family mansion. Zuko usually picked up Mai with his assigned sedan, Azula drove her own, Chit Sang and Jee, who shared a rented house, carpooled with Ty Lee on the office SUV.

Azula did not like people driving her car, especially when she was in it, but Zuko's car had been pretty much obliterated by the combined forces of bullets and three different Elements in the shootout at Zu Bai's warehouse. At Azula's adamancy that she should be the one driving since it was her car, Zuko had said something rather rude about Azula's driving skills, comparing her with a sugar high toddler who had just swallowed a gallon of jet fuel and had just farted in zero gravity, and insisted he would be the one driving.

They spent the drive to their apartment in silence; Azula because she had never enjoyed a conversation with her brother, and, though she had had enough sulking about Zuko driving her car, she was still bitter about being compared with a sugar high toddler who had just swallowed a gallon of jet fuel who had just farted in zero gravity. Zuko did not talk on account of his bruised jaw.

Azula turned to him and scowled a bit; Zuko might or might not notice, Azula could not be sure. Fire Nation cars had the driver's seat on the right side, so Azula had the view of her brother's scarred portion of face. Sighing annoyingly at the lack of response, she broke contact and, just to occupy herself, she pulled out the gift Lin had given her from her coat pocket and unwrapped it. It was a wooden box; she opened it and found lodged in some slots on the crimson padded interior a pair of silver bracelets with a square slot on top; around eight pearl-colored crystals cube was lodged on top of it.

Azula took on of the bracelet, put it on her left wrist, and lodged in a crystal on the slot. She tapped the crystal slot twice and a layer of mucous-like substance oozed out from the rim of the bracelet and covered her entire hand and solidified into a layer of synthetic rubber glove. She scoffed as she took a small piece of paper tugged inside the box.

Tell me if you're out of crystals. My lab people can make more.

Love,

Lin

Azula turned off her bracelet; the glove turned into a puff of light smoke. She took it off and put it back on the box. Smiling, she muttered. "Dummy."