Forty miles west of Ba Sing Se lies the mostly unnoticed town of Ha Sai. Before the Hundred Year War, Ha Sai was said to be a potential hub for industry for those looking for safety without the funds to enter the city.

"A trading village by day, the town houses one of the most vile underground synthetics manufacturers this side of the Earth Kingdom." Azula informed Kariyou, who sat silently next to the former princess in a drawn carriage.

"Wei, the man behind the Titan Cartel was an old associate of mine. However, he's begun accepting rather generous contributions from an unknown source. Nothing is known about this person, not even their gender. Their ability to sustain anonymity is absolutely astonishing."

Kariyou stared blankly into Azula's eyes, never flinching from her position. She was a young woman of very few words. Even Azula couldn't remember the last time the girl spoke.

"This mystery person is forming a cabal spanning all the nations. Someone with that kind of power can only be considered a dictator and threat to every day life. Not to mention the fact that they've taken out nearly a dozen of my associates. Wei our first step to finding this person, and I intend to make Wei talk."

There was a pause before Azula laughed and looked to Kariyou. "No, I don't intend to hunt this person down like any other criminal. People that can do the things this person can deserve a chance to reprieve. I'm not a monster."

The cart came to a stop at a small shack on the outskirts of Ha Sai, and moments later a squad of five earthbenders opened the door on Azula's side. She stepped out and raised her arms from her sides, allowing the guards to pat her down. When the guards approached Kariyou, however, a single venomous glance was enough to keep them from frisking her.

Azula and Kariyou were then escorted into the shack and entered an elevator that took them several stories below the ground.

When the elevator doors opened they paced down a long hallway that must have been the size of a hangar. Tables and laboratories were set up along the length of the hall, but all were vacant. On a normal day the hall would be filled with hundreds of workers processing the mind altering substance known as Synthetics. This highly addictive substance was especially popular among the lower class of the Earth Kingdom, but some manufacturers looked to expand the business internationally, Wei included.

At the end of the hallway was a single room with no windows. Inside the room would be lined with filing cabinets and a single desk. When Azula and Kariyou reached the door, Azula nodded as instruction for Kariyou to stay put.

"Thank you gentlemen for escorting me and Kariyou, but we would appreciate the privacy. Now if you don't mind..." Azula said, waving away the five guards, who begrudgingly departed down the hall.

Azula entered the room, and there sat Wei. He was a portly gentlemen much like her uncle, though Iroh may have had a few pounds on Wei. His face was wrinkled with aging, and his hands were rough from the many years of manual labor behind him. He almost looked surprised to see Azula there.

"Blue Flame. I wasn't expecting you." Wei said, standing and shaking Azula's hand before pulling the guest chair out and placing it in the opposite side of the desk.

"I just thought I'd stop in and see how an old friend is doing." Azula said with a genuine smile on her face.

"You do me an honor to hold me in that high of regards."

"Oh, you're nothing but the despicable scoundrel I always knew." Azula teased.

"High regards in the terms of criminals." Wei corrected himself. "How is that hired guard of yours? What's her name, Kariyou?"

"Oh the girl is a riot. You should have seen the way your men trembled in fear from just one look."

"I'd expect nothing less from the limp weeds that work here." Wei laughed and relaxed in his seat. "So is there any reason you stopped by today?"

Azula didn't want to have to discuss business so soon, but time was not her ally. She nodded her head and remained still. "It's come to my attention that you've been accepting some rather...questionable donations as of late."

Wei laughed and crossed his arms. "And is there something wrong with that? Considering the business I'm in."

"There's nothing wrong with accepting money from people you trust." Azula replied with emphasis on the word 'trust'.

This confused Wei, but he did not look shaken. "Are you suggesting that I'm being played?"

"Wei, you've been a small cog longer than you think." Azula said, now intending to incite anger in the man.

"Excuse me, Blue Flame, but I've given everything I own into this business. I'm sorry if I find your statement offensive."

"And I'm sorry if I find your existence offensive." Azula snapped back. "This is a panda dog eat panda dog world we live in. You should know that by now."

Wei shook his head and leaned back in his seat. "So what do you want then? To eradicate the competition? You and I are business partners."

"No, you and I are business acquaintances." Azula chuckled. "You're an old friend, but business is as far as our relationship goes."

Wei looked as infuriated as Azula might have expected. Cutting ties with assets was never easy, but Azula wasn't here to make friends. She pulled a folder from her jacket and placed it on the table.

"This past month you've accepted over 5 million yuons in donations, but 500,000 of it is unlisted."

"How did you get my finances report?" Wei shook his head in disbelief.

"I need the name, Wei." She said in a shifting tone of antagonism.

"I can't give away the identities of my contributors. You know that."

"Because you don't know who it is." Azula concluded. The room went silent.

"This isn't someone you want to pursue." Wei said cautiously.

"You must really underestimate me, Wei. And after we've known each other for so many years."

"Don't play that game with me, Blue Flame." Wei shouted. "I'm serious."

"So am I." She replied. "I want the name. That is, if you even know."

Wei paused and shook his head. "I don't."

Azula grinned and nodded her head. "I thought as much."

"This person is not the kind of person that likes others poking into their affairs. Look, we go back ten years, so I'll look past this intrusion of privacy only once." Wei said. "Now if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you left."

Azula shook her head and smiled sensibly. "That's not happening."

"What are you going to do if you find this person? Kill them? Make some sort of example out of them?"

"I find that kind of outlook to be so uninspired. That's why you sell synthetics."

"You come to my establishment and insult me and my business and still expect me to talk?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I expect."

"I've been loyal to you for years."

"Then what about this donation here?" Azula asked as she pointed to a name on the report. "250,000 yuons from the Fire Nation's fourth most profitable steel manufacturer. And after I told you to avoid selling synthetics to the Fire Nation."

"Accepting donations doesn't mean I'm looking to expand. Besides, I've been accepting donations from the Fire Nation for years."

"You can't pull that one on me, Wei. Not this time. You and I both know your ambitions far outweigh your discretion." Azula pointed at another value on the paper before them. "Last month you withdrew over six million yuons, where did the money go?"

Wei choked on his words before calming himself. "Fine, I'll admit. I've been building a second location on the boarder of the United Republic."

"You're trying to push your way into The Dinh's territory." Azula concluded. The Dinh was a very small group of highly organized criminals that specialized in kidnappings and snuggling. Many, if not most, synthetics manufacturers utilized the Dinh in some fashion.

"You're in way over your head, Wei."

"You're not allies with the Dinh. Why do you care?"

"This mystery person is using the Dinh to kidnap and kill associates of mine, and that makes you an accomplice by association. So let's try this dance again, shall we? I want a name."

"I don't have a name."

"Then how does the money come to you?"

"They contact me. They tell me where to go. It's different every time. The last time the drop-off point was in Ba Sing Se's middle ring, fifth district. That's all I know."

Azula grinned and stood, pushing the chair aside and taking the folder and its contents. "You know, I've always had a distaste for the synthetics industry. Preying off the lesser fortunate is a bad personality trait."

"You're no holier than I am. Where have you been anyway? The Blue Flame disappeared half a year ago. No one has heard anything from you."

"Which is the way I prefer to keep things."

"I read about Yakone. About how he was taken into custody. Councilman Sokka convicted him to life in prison. I hear he's being exiled to the Southern Water Tribe. You wouldn't have anything to do with this, would you?"

Azula smiled, keeping her eyes glued on the man before him. "I'll see you again, Wei."

"That's it? I'm free to go?"

"Yes, that's it. Unfortunately for you, this is the end of the road."

Azula extended her right hand, and without any motions shot a stream of lightning to the heavy set man in front of her. The lightning bounced around his body as his screams filled the room. Through the shocks illuminating his body, even his bones became visible to her.

Wei's body fell with a loud thud. Smoke rose from the burnt remains of the man, and the stench soon became unbearable. Azula exited the room and took Kariyou by the arm. The two walked down the long hall and met with a pair of earthbending guards at the elevator. They were none the wiser to Azula's actions.

"You gentlemen really must try the chicken and vegetable dumplings from that little shop just a few miles outside of town. You will never want for any other dumplings ever again."

When they finally left the shack, Azula and Kariyou returned to their drawn carriage. Azula instructed her driver forward, and the carriage left. Ha Sai was soon becoming a distant memory from her mind.

"Wei knew nothing about this...ghost. Figures."

Kariyou was silent.

"Loose ends lead to breaks in security. I couldn't let him live. It's a shame too. He was always a shrewd businessman."

Silence.

"This may go deeper than I expected. We'll have to be prepared."

Silence.

"The Northern Air Temple will have to wait. As much as I'd like to hurry there, my full attention must be focused on the ghost."

Kariyou looked to Azula and nodded. "Where to?"

Azula smiled and leaned back, crossing her legs and wrapping her arms around the back of her head. "To Ba Sing Se."