All right, chapter three coming up. Thank you for the people who reviewed. You are the best! Please read and review, both with positive comments and constructive criticism. :)

Chapter Three

It was not with pleasure that Zuko invited Wei back, but there was a small inkling of anticipation stirring in him. He had, he believed, found a suitable arrangement that would help him keep an eye on the Dai Li, and give them access to Azula- not easy access, of course. They'd have to work to get at her, but it would at least be possible for them if they were clever. Zuko and Mai themselves would watch the Dai Li, deciding in the end that such a job could only be shared between them at this time.

Aang was busy making sure that balance was fully restored to the wounded nations and Katara was with him, of course, and the two were being generally sickening in their lovey-dovey-ness. Toph was teaching metal bending in Ba Sing Se. As for Suki and Sokka, no one really knew, though it was believed that they were back at Kyoshi Island training another generation of warriors. The only two who had any time to spare chasing after the Dai Li and possibly red herrings was the two of them, and they didn't even have time for it.

For the umpteenth time Zuko wondered if he should just do as his sister had been prepared to do- banish the Dai Li back to the Earth Kingdom. But then, if they were decent folks, the city could be rebuilt that much faster. But if they didn't have a drop of human goodness in them... His thoughts ran round and around in circles until Wei Ling and his cronies were ushered into the throne room, and were bowing before him.

First order of business. To question them with the questions that had disturbed him and Mai earlier. He took a deep breath. "Please, Wei, sit up and face me. I get the feeling we'll be here for a while." He forced himself to keep looking straight at Wei's and not glance up for reassurance where Mai was hiding with Ty Lee in the rafters, ready to spring at the first sign of trouble.

"Why are you still here?"

"Wha- Pardon, your highness?" Wei was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"It's a fairly straight forward question, Wei. After my sister banished you, why didn't you leave for the Earth Kingdom?"

One of the other, seemingly mute Dai Li agents finally opened his mouth. "How did you know th-" he trailed off as Wei shot him an angry look.

"I have my ways," he said, grimacing as he thought of Lo and Li, the old twin advisors to Fire Lord's down the ages. No one knew just how old they were. They had been his source about the matter of the Dai Li agents' banishment. "Just answer the question."

"The Princess did banish us and we were getting ready to leave, but before we boarded the ship you had already beaten your sister. We hoped that the new Fire Lord would be fine with us staying."

"And when were you planning on telling me about your status as exiles? Or was that something you were just going to carry with you to the grave?"

Even Wei couldn't come up with a clever, diplomatic response to Zuko's question on the spot. He opted for honesty, hoping it would work out for him this once. "Well, no, our issue was with Azula, not with you so I didn't think it really mattered."

Zuko's glance flickered to the other agent who had spoken earlier. "Do you," he waited for the agent to realizing that, yes, it was him that was being addressed. "Do you think that makes sense?"

"Uh, I guess not. We should have brought the issue to your attention." He ignored the glare being sent into his back by Wei.

"Yes, you should have." Zuko's eyes flickered back over to Wei and settled there coolly. "You seem to possess good sense, uh, I'm sorry. What was your name?"

"Wu-Ning, your highness."

"Thank you Wu-Ning." Turning back to Wei, Zuko said: "I'd suggest taking a lesson from Wu-Ning here, Wei, but no matter. Remember that you must be open and honest in the future, which brings me to your probationary assignment. As you know, all of the nations suffered a severe blow in this war. Homes were destroyed and families scattered." He rose and stepped down from the throne and kept walking down the passage, gesturing that the Dai Li should follow.

He led them out of the palace into the open air of the courtyard. The courtyard was a bustling and laughing place, something that it hadn't been for over a hundred years. It had become a place for town folk to come and sell their wares at the specialized market. There were guards protecting the palace itself from intruders or assassins, but it was a relatively free place, and it rang with laughter. Zuko walked straight through the crowd easily as they all knelt and bowed to let him pass.

The place that he led them was rampart of the wall outside the palace. They climbed up onto the wall and stared out over the city. Many of the houses were charred and damaged. Families were working on building up those houses into liveable homes once more. The walls surrounding the Fire Nation Capital had holes in them from the Gaang's first and failed invasion. Somehow they'd never been repaired.

"Wu-Ning?" Zuko persistently tried to direct his comments to the younger, obviously underling Dai Li agent instead of the true leader. "All of the Dai Li are earthbenders, correct?"

Wu-Ning, humble and uncertain, looked to his leader for approval, but found no hints in Wei's face. "Yes, Fire Lord, it's a prerequisite."

"Good. Then the Dai Li's assignment is this: You shall use your earthbending to rebuild the city, and if that's done properly, you'll be giving a greater, more honourable assignment. Then you shall go back to the Earth Kingdom, and you will help rebuild the villages, towns, and cities there." Zuko clapped his hands once, then turned and strode back down the stairs and into the teeming courtyard of the palace where he would have been lost if not for all the people suddenly stopping to bow for him. Then he disappeared into the palace and life went about as usual once more.

It was clear that he needed nothing more to do with the Dai Li, so they exchanged puzzled glances and then left, grumbling under their breaths.

"He wants us to rebuild?" the other Dai Li that had accompanied Wei spoke. "We're well trained, highly classed warriors and he wants us for a building project? Why are we letting him treat us like common carpenters?"

"Patience, Hui," Wei said, holding a hand up to stop the torrent of complaints that were just beginning to spew from out of Hui's thin mouth. "Our time for greatness is not yet, but it will come."

"Not soon enough," Hui muttered, but allowed himself to be mollified.

As for Zuko, he'd just ducked inside, hid behind a pillar, and taken out his top knot and crown. He handed them to Mai who appeared from seemingly nowhere. In return she gave him a cloak with a large hood that hung down over his face far enough to hide the blatant scar on his eyes. The two of them shared no words and then he slipped back outside and into the crowd. It was relatively easy to spot the Dai Li agents, though getting close enough to overhear their conversation proved a greater challenge.

When he had neared close enough all he'd been able to hear was: "not soon enough," from the other Dai Li agent. It was almost a relief to hear him since Zuko had begun to wonder if he talked or thought at all.

For the next few minutes he heard nothing, but then Wu-Ning spoke. "Of all the differences between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, I think the climate is the best. It's so much hotter here."

"You like that? I think it's the worst difference." Hui's voice had a natural whine to it. Zuko wondered if that was just his voice or if it had developed over time.

"I wouldn't mind returning to the Earth Kingdom," Wu-Ning said somewhat shyly.

Hui snorted and nudged Wei. "And what would happen? Chances are the old Earth King with his Bosco would arrest us on the spot and throw us in with crazy Long Feng. There's a best difference for you, if you're looking. No Long Feng; that old man let his ambition get in the way of everything."

Wei pushed the now too close Hui away from him, and then took a sudden turn into the alley. Zuko, who had been skulking carefully, came to a stop and then backed up and turned the opposite corner. It seemed obvious that Wei had caught on to someone following while his cronies bickered. Maybe this was enough for one day and he'd send Mai or Suki out later to find out where the Dai Li were staying.

By the time Zuko had returned back to the Fire Lord's Palace, the sun was beginning to set. For some reason he'd been able to just go home. He'd mingled with the city folk for a while, relishing in the anonymity of just being a stranger in a hood. Until he'd bought a fire-cake and a large fruit tart and the vender had seen his scar. The vender had promptly dropped onto his knees. A frustrated Zuko had tried to get her (for the vender was a middle aged woman) to stand up. By that time a crowd had gathered and there was no quick escape.

So it was that when he arrived, he held the fruit tart out before him like a peace offering, or maybe a shield. The only ones in the foyer were the guards, and through that there was an empty throne room. Zuko crossed the throne room and pushed some of the curtained walls aside and then stepped into a long and richly decorated hallway that was covered in full length paintings of all the Fire Lords.

Down the hall way the palace branched out and opened into a huge network of rooms, stairs, and passages. Stairs ran down into the kitchens and servants' quarters. A door led out into the gardens out back of the palace. It was in these gardens that the turtle-duck pond was. It was here that Mai was sitting with Ty Lee and one of the other Kyoshi warriors- Shan, he thought her name was.

He smiled at the sight, and then came forward and humbly offered up the fruit tart on a bended knee. By the way Mai had taken the fruit tart carefully and studied it before saying, "couldn't you have done any better?" he knew he'd done pretty well. He'd wait to tell her of what he heard from the Dai Li and of the growing pit of apprehension in his gut. For that matter, maybe he wouldn't tell her about that for awhile yet. Let things run their course and see what direction they would take first.