"Ah, what a beautiful evening." Azula sighed as the moon barely rose above the sun over the expansive city of Ba Sing Se.
The lower ring was an uncomfortable sight for any person unfamiliar with the area. The stench of excrement and garbage filled the air, and the barely paved streets crumbled underneath Azula's feet. Not to mention the criminal activity of the lower ring ran rampant.
Azula and Kariyou abandoned their carriage before entering the city through a southern gate. What Ba Sing Se lacked in regard for the lives of their citizens it made up for its sheer size. Azula hadn't been in the city in over two years, but as far as she could tell, nothing had changed.
They sat outside of a small clearing next to a fountain that barely produced water. Each held a cup of tea, though Azula took more frequent sips than her counterpart.
"The first hurdle is locating the drop-off point." She said before lightly sipping on her brew. "It's a big city, so it might take some time. Fortunately for us there isn't a city on Earth where I don't know a guy."
Kariyou nodded and sipped her tea silently, her armor clanking softly with each movement she made.
"You remember Pandu, yes?" Azula asked. "If there are any runners in the middle ring working with the ghost then he'll know about it."
Kariyou sat still and stared on to the pathetic fountain.
"Besides, we need a driver. And I'd trust Pandu with my life. Try not to get jealous." Azula teased.
Kariyou looked to Azula with a skeptical smirk and rolled her eyes.
Like clockwork, a young man in his mid to late twenties carrying a duffle bag entered the clearing. He entered an adjacent alleyway, and less than a minute later exited the same way he came.
"That's our man." Azula stood and approached the man suavely. She placed her hand on his shoulder and spin him around. "Pandu. Still delivering for small fish I see?"
Pandu got into a defensive stance before processing who was talking to him. He laughed and lowered his guard. He took Azula in an embrace and the two laughed like old pen pals.
"It's good to see you again." Azula said.
"You too, Azula." Pandu replied. He was one of the few associates that Azula allowed to call her by her birth name. "You should have called ahead. I would have prepared a dinner."
"Oh I wish I could, but unfortunately I'm here for business matters."
"Never a vacation with you, huh?"
"Come, sit with me." Azula said, wrapping her arm around his shoulder and escorting him to where Kariyou sat.
Kariyou stood and left to the tea shop outside the clearing where they had gotten their drinks.
"Still dragging that poor girl around with you?" Pandu joked.
"She's the best hired hand I've ever had."
"I'm almost jealous. Don't tell me you've already forgotten about the bank job."
"Ah yes, I remember it fondly. But sadly, I need to ask you something of great urgency."
"Anything." Pandu replied.
"You remember my friend Wei, don't you?"
Pandu scoffed and shook his head. "If you mean that sorry excuse of a synthetics dealer, then yes. There are at least five manufacturers producing higher quality substances than he was in Ba Sing Se alone."
"Well he's been in works with someone who is taking out several of my business associates. Someone who's managed to remain completely anonymous, even to their partners."
Pandu waved his hand, stopping Azula short. "Okay, look, I know what you're going to ask."
"Then enlighten me."
"I don't know anything about this person. You know I don't do business with anyone unwilling to show their face."
"I believe you."
"Then what do you need?"
"The last donation drop-off point was in Ba Sing Se's middle ring, fifth district. I need to know the runners in that area."
Pandu paused, his face becoming more concerned. "You know I can't oust any other runners. There's a certain level of respect that we expect from one another."
"Which is why I'm going to offer you a deal." Azula grinned.
"And what kind of deal are we talking about here?"
"I want you to join me, full time. No more living in the lower ring. No more dealing with the scum of Ba Sing Se. I'm giving you the opportunity to help me take down some of the most abhorrent criminals in the world."
"So what are you now? Some sort of vigilante?"
"If that's the word you'd like to use for it."
"I don't get it. I haven't heard from you in over a year, and now you're offering me a job? To do what, catch bad guys? Unless you've forgotten, we are the bad guys."
"There are worse out there, and I draw the line when innocent people are killed."
"I'm not going to bring up your past. But what changed?"
Azula stared at Pandu, neglecting to answer his question, as he expected she would. Kariyou returned with a cup of mint green tea, and Pandu shrugged his shoulders and sipped from his drink.
"Not that it's any of my business, but you wouldn't happen to know anything about Yakone's trial, would you?"
Azula smirked and nodded her head. "I may have played a small part in his demise."
"What did you get from him?"
Azula pulled out the picture she had once show Yakone and placed it on the table. Pandu chuckled and placed his cup down. "Still trying to make amends, huh? What'd he tell you?"
"He's in the Northern Air Temple, for now."
"You won't have much time before he leaves."
"I believe this ghost will try to find him."
"What proof do you have that they will?" Pandu asked.
"I don't have any." Azula said bluntly.
"So you're chasing this ghost out of instinct alone? That always makes for sloppy craftsmanship."
"I thought you'd have more faith in me." Azula teased.
"Look, Azula. You know I'd do anything for you."
"Then what's the problem?"
"Neither you, nor I, nor anyone knows what we're getting into when it comes to this ghost. They have people watching at all times, they have timers, they have watches, they have benders, they have safes. Going after this person isn't just suicide. You'd have to be nuts. These kinds of things used to be civilized: you hit a guy, he'd hit back, and that'd be it. But with this ghost, they don't stop there. They'll go after your family, your loved ones, your businesses, everything until you're nothing."
"This person has already gone after my business, and in this world that means war. I need people I can trust, Pandu." Azula said.
Pandu exhaled a disgruntled yet contemplative sigh before drinking the rest of his tea.
"So you need a driver?" He asked.
Azula smiled, as if she already knew she had gotten what she wanted. "Only the best."
"Flattery will get you nowhere with me." Pandu chuckled. He looked to Kariyou, who had been keeping her eye on him since returning. "What about you, Kariyou? What do you get out of this?"
Kariyou remained silent, staring Pandu with the same expressionless face as she had always had.
Pandu nodded his head. "I can respect that." He said before looking back to Azula. "If we're going after the ghost we'll need more people."
"And we'll need to remove more people from the equation." Azula said in agreement.
"For an operation like this you'd need ten...eleven people."
"Or just a few that are trustworthy." Kariyou said, taking the words from Azula's mouth.
Pandu looked to Kariyou and smirked before looking back to Azula. "I'm guessing you have a plan?"
Azula nodded.
"You've been garnering allies." Pandu concluded with a chuckle.
"And taking out some enemies in the process."
"I'm honored you thought of me, Azula, but you don't even know who you're searching for."
"Which is why I need your help, Pandu."
Pandu groaned and scratched his head. This was no simple mission that Azula was proposing. In the world of criminals, there were more risks to your actions than the every day person. If you crossed the law, you paid to the police. But if you crossed another criminal, then it becomes a no holds barred act of war. It was a double edged sword, and almost always a no win situation.
Finally, though, Pandu nodded his head and extended his hand. "Alright, Azula. I'm in."
Azula smiled and stood. She took his hand and pulled him up, hugging him and patting his back. "It's great to have you aboard, Pandu."
"You're gonna get me killed one day." Pandu chuckled.
"One day, I'm sure." Azula chuckled back.
"Looks like we're a team then. What do you say? Team Azula?"
Kariyou rolled her eyes and stood, abruptly leaving their presence.
"Aw, come on Kariyou. I thought it was pretty good!"
"It does sound a bit familiar." Azula said.
"I may have been reading up on some of the old stories. Did you really infiltrate the Earth King's ranks with just two other people?"
"Stick around, and you'll see what kind of damage I can make." Azula said.
"How about the Criminal Crew?" Pandu shouted to Kariyou, who waved him down and ushered Azula to follow.
"I think we should call ourselves the Blue Devils." Azula said with a particularly smug tone in her voice.
"Leave it to you to come up with the good names." Pandu said, shaking his head. "So where do we go from here?"
"We'll need to find the runner who made the last payment." Azula said, taking Pandu's arm and allowing the young man to escort her in Kariyou's direction.
"Won't be easy. There'll be a lot of eyes on you now after what you pulled with Yakone."
"You let me worry about myself." Azula grinned. "In the meantime, I'd love to have some of your home cooking!"
