Chapter VII
Jack and Korin continued to hide in their hole, occasionally opening it up and bending the water aside to get some fresh air. They took turns sleeping, one staying on guard while the other rested. A couple of times guards almost stumbled across them, but they were never found, and soon daylight was stretching across the city. Believing it was safe Jack opened the little hole and peaked his head out. The current rushed around him, bending it to the side with ease. Looking from side to side he determined it was clear, standing up and making a dry path across. He reached down a hand and helped Korin out, grunting at the stiffness in his limbs.
"Well that was fun." Said Korin, dusting off her cloak. Jack took his off, throwing it in the hole.
"Might as well dump them now, they're of no more use to us." Said Jack. Korin nodded her head, unfastening her cloak and throwing it in the hole. Jack closed it up, allowing the water to return to its regular current as they made their way across. Once they had reached land Jack took a peek around. It would seem somewhat weird if two well-dressed teens came out from underneath a bridge. He thought about that for a second. Alright, perhaps it would not be that weird, he just did not want people thinking what he thought they would think. Motioning to Korin he made his way out and around, avoiding detection. Once back on the main path he let out a sigh.
'What a fun date." He said. Korin smacked him in the back of the head.
"Ya, a lot of fun. I really enjoy running from guards and jumping off walls and hiding in ditches for hours. It's always a great time." She said, making her way over to the bridge. Jack went after her.
"Ohh come on, you have to admit that there were at least parts of that that you enjoyed." He said, prodding her with an elbow. Korin tried to stay straight faced, but a mischievous grin crossed her lips.
"Perhaps a few parts." She said. Jack grinned.
"See, I knew it, you enjoy the thrill of the chase don't you?" He asked. Korin waved him off.
"I might like it more if I was on the chasing end instead of the one being chased." She said. Jack laughed.
"Me too." He said, walking up beside her.
"So, where are we going?" Asked Korin.
"Ohh, right." Said Jack, reaching down into his pocket. Empty. He checked his other pocket, then three more, even looking inside his breast pocket, which he did not realize that he had, but there was nothing. He shifted uneasily.
"Uhhh, I think I forgot the address at our flat." He said, spinning around as he tried to get into one of his back pockets. Korin shrugged it off.
"That's okay, we'll just ask around." Jack whipped towards her.
"We can't just ask around about the avatar!" He said. Korin raised an eyebrow.
"And why not?" She asked. Jack began to sputter, trying to find a coherent reason.
"Because…well…because people might think that we don't belong or something like that." Korin laughed at him.
"You just don't want to ask for help do you?" She said. Jack crossed his arms.
"No, I just don't think it's a good idea." He said with a pout. Korin shook her head.
"What is it with men and asking for directions?"
"What's with women and always needing help?" Responded Jack, taking a step back to keep out of her slapping radius. Korin glared at him, walking away tacitly. To be honest Jack did not mind asking for directions, but in front of Korin he wanted to look in control. Having forgotten the flyer with the address on it made him look like a moron, and while he was thinking about it he realized that he had left his nice shoes back at the flat as well. As soon as they had left the river Korin had changed into some heels that she had stashed in her dress, but Jack was still in his working shoes, which were basically ragged pieces of leather that covered his feet. Jack groaned. He felt like such a moron at the moment.
Looking up his countenance rose, noticing a poster on the wall.
"Hey, Korin, I think I found something." He said, walking over to the giant picture of Appa. Korin came up behind him, trying to look over his broad shoulders.
"What is it?" She asked. Jack looked it over, finding what he wanted.
"There." He said, pointing at the address. Korin looked at it, then up at the sky.
"I don't think that's going to help." She said. Jack raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" He asked. Korin pointed up into the sky as a shadow passed over them. Jack looked up, hearing a low rumbling that was steadily receding. Up in the sky flew Appa, with what appeared to be two passengers. It looked as if they were leaving the city.
"You got to be kidding me, they already found him?" Said Jack. Korin laughed.
"Well, if you had decided to help them earlier you could have probably actually done something to aid them, but you were busy moving fruit." Jack turned his back to her.
"Well, I only saw two people, which means that at least two of them are here, so let's go catch up with them." He said, walking away. Korin lagged behind.
"Uhm, genius, their house is that way." She said, throwing a thumb over her shoulder. Jack froze, palming himself in the face with a loud smack. Grumbling what was probably obscenities Jack made his way back over, his fists clutched at his sides as he stormed passed Korin, who just followed him with an amused smile.
The two made their way in the direction of Aang's house, arriving at their destination after an hour or so of confused wondering, with more than its fair amount of heated debates, mostly over the issue of asking for directions.
"See, I told you we didn't need to ask for directions." Said Jack, pointing at the house. Korin crossed her arms and snorted.
"Sure, if you want to wonder around for a hour, I guess it's fine." Jack ignored her surly response, instead focusing on the ornate house before him. It was elegant, in the usual flowing fashion of the earthbenders, sharp curves mixed with flowing arches. He noticed, however, that there was a huge side of the house missing on his right. Korin noticed it too.
"You sure this is the right place?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Jack nodded his head.
"Yup, Toph has definitely been here." He said, smiling slightly. Looking at the door he raised his hand to knock, hesitating as he had it lifted.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Asked Korin. Jack shook slightly.
"Nothing, I'm just making sure I'm not going to get a splinter or something." He said. Korin groaned, shoving him to the side.
"Let me do it you big baby." She said, pounding her fist on the smooth green door. Jack's heart crashed in his chest as Korin brought her fist against the door, the loud thumping surely reaching back to the furthest corners of the house. He had so much to explain, so much to confess. Of course it was his idea all along to come here and he knew that when he did arrive he would have to account for all his travels up to this point with Korin keeping a strong watch on the points where their stories intersected. Telling them the truth was the only option he had, maybe being able to gleam over some of the more violent accounts he had managed to procure, but still it would not be comfortable, and he was not sure how they would receive.
After a few moments of silence Korin knocked again, this time with a bit more austerity. Still, no one stirred.
"Perhaps they all left?" Said Jack, somewhat hopefully. Korin grabbed the door handle, trying it.
"Let's take a look." She said, turning it. Of course it was locked.
"Dang it.' She muttered, bending down to look at the lock. Jack tried his best not to laugh.
"Alright, while you pick the lock, I'm just going to go ahead and go through the big, gaping hole in the wall right over here." Said Jack, walking through a bit of rubble ruble. Korin stood up, her cheeks slightly pink.
"I knew that, I was just seeing if you actually wanted to go in or not." She said, trailing behind him. Jack smiled.
"Sure, whatever floats your boat." He said, yanking off a few of the boards that covered the massive opening. Making sure to toss the boards nails down Jack stepped through the gap, coming into the poorly lit house. It was evident that no one was home, as all the lights had been doused and silence dominated. Not even Momo was wondering about. Grunting Jack walked around, Korin making her own way about the place.
"You sure this is their place?" Asked Korin. Jack slid one of the doors open, noticing a mess of items littering the floor. Dirty cloths along with a broken brush and a sleeping mat literally coated in an inch of dirt sat in the room, the mirror covered with enough dust to obscure the whole thing.
"Yup." Said Jack, determining, somewhat easily, that he had just found Toph's room. Closing the door he moved on, discovering that Aang's and Sokka's things were missing while Katara's and Toph's remained. Where the guys had gone Jack had no clue, but he did know the ladies were still around, if one could call Toph a lady. Korin had trailed him the whole time, watching as he roamed about the house.
"So, what now?" She asked once he had returned to the main room, taking a seat on the ground. Jack blew out a breath, debating his options. He could take off now, put the board back in place, they'd never even know that he was there. After leaving he could find a nice roost to trail them at until Azula showed up, but that was a low move and one that he no longer felt comfortable pulling. Instead he decided that the best thing for him to do was to wait, and so he told Korin that.
"That's your big plan, just wait for them?" She said. Jack nodded his head.
"Ya, not like there's much else to do at the moment. Besides, aren't you the one who wanted me to confront them in the first place?" Asked Jack.
"No, that was your idea, remember?' Replied Korin, taking a seat across from him. Jack turned red.
"Ohh, ya, that's right. Anyways it doesn't really matter, it's not like we have to be somewhere." He said. Korin shrugged her shoulders.
"Just wondering, you seem to try and make these things a little more complicated than they really seem but then again how hard can it be to wait for some people to show up at their house?" She said, leaning back and crossing her hands behind her. Jack smiled.
"Exactly. Not much you can mess up about sitting and waiting, as long as the other people pull through on their end all we have to do is kick back and relax." Said Jack, following his advice to a T. He leaned back, kicking his legs up on a nearby cushion, crossing his hands behind his head. Korin rolled her eyes at him.
"You know, maybe we could spruce the place up a little, it is a bit drab." She said, looking around at the dust that had accumulated and the lack of any color. While their flat back in the poor district had not been nearly as opulent, it was homey, possessing splashes of warm color that made them feel relaxed and happy. Here it was like living in a mausoleum. Everything was cold stone, clear cut, bleak and gloomy. The only accents of color were the occasional green drapes or cushion spread thrown about, otherwise it was like sitting in a coffin. Jack looked around the room, noting the details.
"You do realize that only one of the girls will be able to appreciate the effort right?" He said. Korin raised an eyebrow at him.
"Toph's blind." He said. Korin shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, at least she'll have a clean room, she can appreciate the sentiment of it. Come on then, let's get to work." She said, standing up and walking over to the curtains, pulling them back in order to allow light to flood the room. Jack blocked the rays with his arms, his eyes having been adjusted to the dark.
"Whoa, hold on there woman. I never agreed to this." He said as she walked over to him. She smacked him upside the head.
"Your right, you didn't, but you're going to do it anyways." She said, walking past him and into the kitchen, no doubt looking for cleaning supplies of sorts. Jack stood up, a sly grin on his face.
He followed her into the kitchen, where he was handed a bucket and a mop, it did not leave much to the imagination as to what she wanted him to do. Filling the bucket up with water from outside Jack started moping, using waterbending instead of the mop, as he found it faster and more fun. Come to think of it he could probably clean the whole house using his bending, but looking over at Korin's devoted form scrubbing some odd thing or the other made him take pause; she was just having so much fun. Grimacing Jack was happy that his thoughts stayed inside his head occasionally, as that particular remark would have elicited a beating from Korin. Shaking his head Jack kept at it, making sure to scrub the entire area twice before moving on, as he was rather meticulous when it came down to it. Finally satisfied Jack moved to the next room and repeated the process, moving aside all of the cushions and furniture in order to get a better angle at the floor. Eventually everything in the front two rooms had been scrubbed and cleaned. Korin, who had disappeared in the back of the house quite a while ago, came back out while Jack was placing everything back.
"Well, I have to say, you really know how to clean your stuff." She said, examining his work. "Why is it you didn't keep the flat this clean?" She asked, running her finger along one of the stone shelves. Jack shrugged his shoulders.
"You were there to keep it clean?" He said. Korin threw a green cushion at his face, which Jack just caught.
"Ohh shut up and keep cleaning." She said, walking over to the door.
"Where you going?" Asked Jack. Korin turned back to him.
"I figured I'd pick up a few things at the market. They seem to be low on supplies, particularly meat." She said. Jack nodded his head. He remembered the fights that used to break out at camp over the last piece of meat. It was always between Sokka and Toph, with the victor always being the latter, but they both loved their meat with a voracious appetite. Counting that fact it was no surprise that they were low on meat, in fact, Katara probably had to make daily runs to the market in order to keep them in stock, lest there be a riot on the account of not having meat.
"I'll be back in a bit, you just keep working now." She said, closing the door.
"Alright, be careful." Called out Jack, turning back around to his cleaning. It was not till after she left that Jack realized what she had just pulled. He was now going to have to clean up the whole house all by himself while she was out perusing at the shops. Shaking his head Jack chuckled to himself. When had she become so sneaky?
Continuing on Jack cleaned the back rooms, saving Toph's room for last. Reentering the room he was not certain if he should really clean it or just let it be, as Toph was liable to kick his butt for cleaning up a perfectly good mess, but in the end his instinct won out and he cleaned out the room, spending a good hour or so tiding it up. Satisfied that it was spotless Jack looked for something to rid the odor that had plagued it, but he found out that there were not any scents or candles anywhere in the house. Leaving a note for Korin should she return before he Jack left the house, making his way towards where he believed the market was. Turns out the road just led to some creepy building with a lot of ominous looking men standing outside. Turning back around Jack traced his way back to the house, taking a quick peek to see if any of the girls were back; they were not.
Moving on Jack decided to go in the opposite direction, having better luck and finding the crowd which indicated the presence of goods. Shoving his way through the hustle and bustle of people Jack eventually found a shop with scents in them. Trying them out he decided that he would get the most girly scents for Toph's room, just to mess with her. Picking out a few that smelled of flowers and other pretty things, which, to be honest with himself, he actually liked, Jack paid for them and left, thanking the owner. Walking back out into the street Jack held his bag close, used to the way in the poor district where one could be pick-pocketed at any moment. Walking around Jack was not surprised to find that he had to snap a few wondering fingers as they traveled towards his pockets, as picking were no doubt usually easier in the rich district. Making his way back towards the house after dealing with the pick-pocket Jack froze, a haunting smell lingering on the breeze.
Turning around he lifted his nose to the air, sniffing. A familiar smell came to him, something distinct, yet he was not able to place it. It bred both feelings of happiness and anger, both joy and rage. He looked around at the crowd, getting up on his tiptoes, searching for its source. Noticing a girl walking past him Jack began to follower her, taking note of her outfit; green cloth adorned with black strip armor. What appeared to be gold fans sat clasped to the figures hips; no sword apparent. Following the girl at a distance Jack began to get an eerie feeling. Something about the girl's hair and gait just shook him, something familiar. Watching her he lowered his head as her face turned around in the crowd, painted white with bright red lipstick on. The smell started to become stronger, then the girl turned back around, bumping into another girl. Suspecting foul play Jack looked down at their hands, expecting some maneuver of sorts. Watching closely he noticed a bright slip of white exchange between the hands, no doubt a note of high importance to someone. That or it was a shopping list.
Keeping his head down Jack tried to get a glance at the other figure, not able to make her out due to her cloaked regalia and turned face. Faced with a choice Jack decided that it would be easier to follow the first girl rather than trying to get around and tail the second, so he kept walking straight, keeping a close eye on her. As he continued to follow the first girl the smell receded, fading away. Jack titled his head, trying to get a better whiff of the girl, but after almost running into her he decided that it was better to hang back.
Following her, he kept trying to pinpoint what it was about her that seemed so familiar, but he just could not seem to place it. The girl walked through the crowd, graceful and without incident, demonstrating two facts. One, the collision was no accident, and two, she just seemed so dang familiar! Eventually the crowd began to thin and the girl took a turn down a street, which Jack walked past before coming back around to it. Peeking down the street he noticed the girl step down another alley. Picking up his pace he jogged down to it, noticing that the sun was beginning to set. His feet splashed in a puddle, making him grimace at the noise. Freezing for a second he listened to see if the girl had stopped, but the patter of her feet continuing on told him that he was still undiscovered. Coming to the alley, he took a deep breath and peeked around the corner.
The girl had stopped, pausing for some odd reason or another. She looked over her shoulder, just missing him as he pulled back around the corner. When he looked back down she had continued on, making her way down the alley. Jack followed behind her, trying to formulate some excuse or another that he could give if she finally noticed him, but it never came down to it. A house, set a bit away from the others, was the girl's final destination. She went up to it with Jack trialing behind her, sticking to the convenient shrubbery. Why did it seem as if rich people liked to design their houses so that someone could spy on them? Thought Jack as he tried to not make the leaves shake.
Watching closely he tried to place the girl in his mind, but he just could not seem to make her fit with anyone he knew. She walked up to the door, knocking with a gentle fist. After a few seconds a second girl, dressed similar, opened the door, letting her in without looking around. Jack paused for a moment in the bushes.
There were two explanations for this scenario. One, he was so used to intrigue and plots that his mind had finally broke and now he was a paranoid lunatic who saw scheming in every corner, thus making the girl he had been trailing perfectly harmless. The piece of paper was more than likely just a figment of his imagination, placed there to fuel his paranoia, or, as before mentioned, a shopping list. Option number two, the one he was banking on, was that he had stumbled upon some conspiracy in which they were plotting to overthrow someone in power, or assassinate someone, or do something that would destabilize the Earth-Kingdoms government. Crossing his fingers and hoping that the scenario was the latter Jack sneaked up to the side of the house, pressing himself against the stone wall. Making his way towards the back Jack kept his body as close to the wall as possible, only moving away from it to scale the fence. Taking a moment to catch his breath Jack decided to peek in a window, hopefully catching whoever it was he was after in some vile act.
Coming up to a window he had to hurriedly press himself against the wall as the shutters flew open, clanging against the house just inches above his head. He held his breath as the figure stared out the window, wondering if he had been caught. Eventually a voice emanated from inside, drawing the figure away from the window.
"That was so much fun!" It cried, and immediately Jack knew who it belonged to, why she had seemed so familiar. There was only one person in the world who sounded so chipper that it was obnoxious, Ty-Lee. And if Ty-Lee was here then it was not a far guess to assume that the other two were here as well. Keeping his body pressed against the wall Jack inched his way slowly up, listening to the conversation that was developing between Ty-Lee and the other figure, no doubt Mai by the sound of her apathetic voice, and the use of her name.
"You should have been there Mai, it was all spy-like and stuff. I saw her, and then looked away, as if I didn't see her, then we bumped into each other and she slipped the paper in my hand and I grabbed it. I even muttered something to make it seem as if I didn't know her, it was so much fun!" Jack rolled his eyes as Ty-Lee recited her tale of intrigue. A yawn came from right above him.
"Ya, that's great Ty-Lee, now what does the note say?" Asked Mai, wood creaking as she shifted her position. Jack took a quick peek above the window sill, then shrank back down. Mai was sitting with her back to the window, blocking most of the view. Thinking it through quickly Jack decided that he really did not need to see in the room, Ty-Lee's blabbering would cover most of it. The sound of a paper being uncrumpled marked Ty-Lee's opening of the note.
"Uhmm, let's see. All agents are on stand-by, pieces are in place, blah, blah, blah, just boring stuff like that." Said Ty-Lee, no doubt finding the goldmine of detailed tactical information too monotonous for her liking. Jack ground his teeth at the thought of not hearing the whole message.
"Ohh!" Jack perked up at the sound of Ty-Lee discovering something of interest.
"It says here that the avatar is gone! Along with the water-tribe boy, that's a shame, I was hoping to see him. Apparently they left sometime this morning, but didn't we already know that?" She asked. Jack could feel Mai's sigh.
"Yes, we did, if you would pay attention while on duty you would have remembered the avatar leaving right before we showed up. He went to see some old guy or something." He could hear Ty-Lee's disappointment at Mai's scolding.
"Ohh." She said, her tone dampened.
"Is there anything else?" Asked Mai, her usual apathy present with a yawn. Jack could hear the paper being crumpled as Ty-Lee looked it up and down.
"Uhmm, I don't think so. Just the usual boring stuff. Ohh, wait!" She said. Jack strained his ears as he heard Ty-Lee mumbling out the passage to herself.
"What is it?" Asked Mai, still not excited.
"It's Jack! He's here, in the upper ring now!" Jack froze, his heart ice. They knew he was up here? They knew he was in the city?! Even Mai sat up.
"The upper ring? But I thought he was stuck in the poor district?" She asked. Jack tried to listen closely, but his head was spinning at the fact that they knew where he was.
"Ya, that's what the last report said, but now he's up here. In fact it says that he's waiting for the avatar in his own home!" Cried Ty-Lee. Jack's heart leapt into his throat. They knew where he was staying! He had to know everything they knew, but just then Ty-Lee was interrupted.
"Geesh, why don't you two go post all this information on a bulletin board or something." It was Azula's voice, and as usual she was not happy. "Just scream right out the window why don't you?" She continued, walking over to the window. Moving quickly Jack made his way back over the fence, escaping just before Azula looked out. Catching his breath while over the fence Jack waited until she had slunk back into the room. Making his way back over to the bushes he could not shake the feeling that he was being watched, but every time he looked back everything was clear. Shoving his way through the bushes with as little noise he could muster Jack made his way back to the path, jogging down and away from the house. Once he felt that he was safe from Azula's prying eyes Jack found somewhere to think.
Walking through a public garden Jack found a reclusive space underneath a cherry tree which sat behind a pagoda. With a sigh he sat down against the tree, leaning the back of his head against its smooth bark, the smell of cherry blossoms filling the air. He looked up, watching as the soft, fluffy, pink petals rustled gently in the breeze. It was so serene, so peaceful, it just clashed with everything that was going on inside his mind.
They had known. They not only knew that he was in the city but also that he was in the upper ring, at Aang's house no less! He shook his head. It just was not possible. No one had seen them; sure they had been seen by the guards last night during their little escapade, but all they would have heard was that two cloaked figures managed to scale the wall to the upper ring. From that information Azula could have deduced that he had made his way into the upper ring, but that he was at the avatar's house? Where did that come from? Not only that but the information that Ty-Lee had been reading was not from Azula but rather from some informant, someone who had been spying on him the whole time from what it seemed.
But there was no one who could have done that. No one who could have been spying on them the whole time, at least, not without Jack noticing. He had kept track of anyone he had seen more than once, actually keeping a running list, adding tally marks to anyone who kept popping up in his life when they should not be. Even the creepy guy with the eyebrows had been suspect for a while, until he heard he was arrested. It just did not make any sense; whoever it was would have to had followed them over the wall last night and track them through the streets without them even noticing.
Jack sighed, letting out a breath of air. Maybe it was not as complex as he thought. Thinking back on it he guessed it would not have been too hard. In the poor district the massive crowds would have hidden anyone trying to spy on him, and last night during their little fiasco at the walls it would have been easy to sneak over while all the guards were focused on them. Besides, for all he knew it could have been a guard, they were basically invisible, being so common in the districts that if one was spying on him he would have never had noticed.
Shaking his head Jack smacked it against the tree, groaning. With every passing moment he hated Azula more and more.
A cherry fell down in his lap, startling him. Lookin up he noticed that it must have been the only one, as everything else up there were pink blossoms. Smiling he rolled the cherry around in his finger, noting the firm texture of the fruit. It was too early for cherries, and this one was obviously not ripe; it had been disturbed by his careless head banging.
"Sorry." He muttered, leaving the cherry at the base of the tree. Standing up Jack realized for the first time that he had lost his bag of scents. Swearing he turned and looked around himself but they were nowhere.
"Drat." He said, snapping his fingers. Hopefully he had not brought them to the window sill, otherwise it was going to seem pretty strange for Azula when she found a random bag of fruit and flower scents at the base of her open window. The smile on Jack's lips froze as he began to walk away.
"Fruit scents." He mumbled, realization popping into his head. The familiarity, it had not been Ty-Lee, hadn't it? Sure some of her walk and motions rang of familiarity, but that was not what had attracted him to her in the first place, it had disappeared hadn't it? When he was following Ty-Lee, he had thought she smelt familiar, but that was not it, was it?
Realization hit him, everything falling into place. His hands shaking Jack took off at a dead sprint, making his way back towards the house. He pushed and shoved through the crowd in the market, getting more than one disparaging remark, but no one moved to stop him as he made his way as quickly as he could. Halfway there he was tempted to use his Earthbending to get there faster, but he did not want that type of attention, definitely if Azula was nearby.
As he drew closer his hands became clammy; sweat began to drip down his neck, buzzing along with some premonition at the base of his spine. His heart palpitated more from fear than physical exertion, and as the house drew into view he became dizzy, slowing down and staggering as he saw it.
He came up to the door, swallowing hard as he reached for the handle, but it receded from his grasp. The golden handle drew further back, vanishing in a sea of green. Lunging forward at it he managed to grab it, opening the door with an effort, shoving it to. Staggering in he looked around, finding the room quiet and empty, save the crackling of a fire in the hearth. Breathing hard Jack came in, closing the door behind him softly. Sweat dripped down his chin and pattered against the floor. Blinking he adjusted his eyes to the light, or lack of it. A soft clicking sound came from the kitchen, metal against wood.
Moving his legs, Jack forced himself towards the noise, his body feeling like lead. He managed to bring himself to the entry of the kitchen, leaning heavily against the arch. Looking around he saw Korin, calmly cutting up vegetables and throwing them into a boiling pot. She looked up at him, a smile plastered across her face.
"Hey, where've you been?" She asked, sliding the vegetables off the cutting board with one graceful motion. Jack swallowed.
"Out and about. I got done cleaning and figured I could head off to the market, see if there was anything I might need." He said, standing straight. Korin turned her attention back to the meal, slicing and dicing another group of vegetables.
"Ohh, and did you find anything you needed?" She asked. Jack took a step forward, watching her closely.
"Actually I did, it was a rather clarifying trip." He said. Korin continued to chop the vegetables, undisturbed.
"Ohh, and what exactly did it clear up? That rich people are pompous?" She said, a grin on her face.
"No, not that." Said Jack, feigning a half-hearted laugh. "I found somebody." He said. Korin tossed the knife into her other hand, spinning the board around, continuing to cut up her vegetables. When had she become so proficient with a knife? Thought Jack.
"Who did you find?" Asked Korin, blowing a trailing strand of hair away from her face.
"I found Azula." He said, catching her off guard. The sound of her knife ceased for a second; Korin paused, looking straight down.
"You found her? Are you sure? I mean, did you even see her or do you just think you've found her?" She asked, resuming her dicing. Jack stepped past her, washing his hands in the sink.
"Yes, I'm sure. I followed Ty-Lee from the market to the house their staying at; Mai and Azula were both their, in disguise of course." Korin nodded her head.
"Are you positive, are you sure that your mind isn't playing tricks with you? You could just be projecting what it is you want to see on some poor innocent group of girls." Said Korin. Jack shook his head, she was already playing at the mind game.
"Unfortunately not. I'm certain that it was them, they used each other's names." He said.
"You were eavesdropping on them?" Said Korin, cleaning her knife off quickly, returning to her meal.
"Ya, I was sitting underneath the window sill, heard quite a bit." He said. Korin nodded her head.
"Right, then what's the plan, go in solo or wait and tell the others?" She asked, her knife a bit unsteady. Jack went over to the boiling pot, mixing the contents with his bending.
"Let's wait for the others, the more of us there is the better of a chance we have of taking Azula down." Said Jack, looking into the swirling mess of vegetables and meat. He picked up a spoon, using it to lift a bit of the mixture to his mouth. Korin turned and dumped another load of vegetables into the mixture, missing a few this time around.
"You find anything else out? Aside from where their hiding?" She asked, turning back around. Jack stayed to her back.
"Yes, actually. Ty-Lee was kind enough to blabber about some information she had gotten from one of their informants. It seems as if someone's been spying on us this whole time." He said. Korin's knife froze all together.
"Spying on us, are you sure?" She said. Jack could hear her knuckles tighten around her knife. His hand in turn gripped the spoon a bit tighter.
"Yes, I'm sure. They already know we're in the upper ring and that we're staying here. It seems that we aren't safe anywhere." He said.
"But how, I thought you were keeping tabs on people." Jack shrugged his shoulders.
"I was, but it seems they got in close, left little notes behind." The air was still, the crashing of hearts the only sound alongside raspy breath.
"What are you saying? Has one of the guards been following us?" She asked, along with the sound of the knife being set gently down on the counter top. Jack swallowed hard, placing the spoon back down. The two turned, facing one another.
"No, not a guard, someone else, someone closer." He said, staring into her eyes. She looked back at him, her large brown eyes glowing with a ferocity he had never seen before.
"What are you insinuating here, Jack?" She asked.
"Tell me, what scent is your perfume again?" He asked. Korin seemed taken back.
"What?" She responded. Jack repeated himself.
"What scent is your perfume?" Korin blinked.
"Peach." She said. Jack leaned in close, taking a deep breath.
"Yes, yes it is." He said drawing back. Korin continued to stare at him, confused.
"You know, when you go out to make a drop you should really change your perfume, or at least don't wear one at all." He said. The two sat silent for a few moments, the last moments of peace between them. Korin spun, grabbing the knife from the counter and whipping around, bringing the knife to bear at Jack's chest. Flipping around Jack grabbed the spoon and smacked the knife away. Stepping towards him Korin slashed, missing his chest by barely an inch. The two fought each other for a while, spoon and knife. Jack managed to get a few cracks in but his spoon was not doing much good, especially since her knife was chopping it to pieces. Ducking another slash Jack grabbed her by the chest, throwing her out of the kitchen back into the main room. Landing on her feet, Korin stared him down as he came out into the main room. His hands were glowing with accumulating elements, two diamond blades taking shape. One look at those sent Korin into flight. She took off outside, sprinting away with Jack in hot pursuit.
Pumping his arms up and down Jack chased her in the failing light, the streets basically empty. Korin shot mounds of earth back at him, with a skill and tenacity he had never seen. Riding himself of the diamond blades Jack crashed through the mounds, using his shoulder to bend the mounds into oblivion. Taking aim Jack let loose a few boulders at her, only to have her leap into a spinning kick and destroy them. The chase eventually led to a park with a rivulet. Using the water he grabbed Korin, shooting tentacles out at her. She fell with a cry, slamming into the ground. Breaking the tentacles she turned and faced him, apparently giving up flight.
Jack slowed down, taking his time as he approached her, wary of the knife that was still in her hands. Looking around Jack realized that he was going to have to be careful. He could not use his firebending out here unless he was willing to risk being seen, which would have guards down here in an instant. Then again with the amount of noise they were making it was likely that guards were already on their way.
Freezing for a moment Jack realized that that was her plan. She would play the helpless victim and Jack would be the terrorizing bad guy, just like she had done back in the village, only that time Azula was the bad guy and Jack was the dumb-witted soldier. She would play the guards just like she had played him. This thought enraged him. He had been played again.
Coming up to him Korin held up the knife, ready to fight. Jack came up, raising his hands, ready to fight back.
"Why'd you do it?" Asked Jack, closing in. Korin flipped a stray strand of hair away from her face, laughing callously.
"Why wouldn't I do it? The Earth-Kingdom's fighting a war they can't win, avatar or no avatar. I'm all about survival, and one key factor of survival is being on the winning side." She said, flipping the knife around in her hands. She lunged forward with a stab, following it up with a couple of boulders chucked at him. Jack blocked the stab and dodged the boulders, shooting up pillars of earth at her, clipping her on the side. Korin rolled away, bouncing back up to her feet. Coming back at him Korin erected an earthen wall, jumping feet first into it and firing it at Jack. Bringing and elbow down Jack split the earthen wall in two, just in time to see the knife heading for his chest. He fell backwards, the knife slicing into him. Pain flared through his mind as blood seeped out of his chest. Dazed he staggered back, only to have Korin on top of him, raining blows down. First he caught one on the arm, then the hand, then the torso. Soon he was a mess of slashes and cuts. Shoving Korin back with a stiff palm to the gut Jack bought himself some time, breathing in and out deeply. Korin stalked around him, laughing.
"You're pathetic, you know that? Do you know how easy it was to play you, to manipulate you? I mean, geesh, Azula told me it was going to be easy but this was a cake walk. Bat my eye lashes, play helpless, and you'd come to my rescue, disregarding how totally absurd my circumstances were. I mean, come on, how did you think I ended up running into you in the poor district, among the hundreds of thousands of people down there we run into each other, and you buy it? Man, I've played some saps before but none like you." Jack's heart was pierced with every word. It made perfect sense, everything did, it all fit together now, and in the end he was the idiot; he was the one who had been played perfectly. Everything that he had been doing was pointless, useless, trash. Korin had logged, citied, and reported everything he had ever done or thought of doing, since he was so inclined to talk to her about everything. Half of Jack just wanted to lie down right then and give up; he was tired of fighting a losing battle, tired of waging a war he would not win. However, the other half of him was enraged. He was angry that he had been played again; he was furious that Azula was going to win again, and above all he was absolutely irate that Korin had been playing on his emotions the whole time. Just when he thought that he could trust a woman again.
Korin came up to him as he sat on his knees, his head bowed low. She flipped the knife back and forth between her hands, a condescending smile on her lips.
"You know, after that fight in the camp I thought that you would be a bit harder to take down if it came to it. Azula said she wanted you alive, but you know too much now, and there's nowhere to stow you, so I guess that she won't mind if I cut your throat. I mean, I've already stabbed you in the back." She said, grabbing his hair. She pulled back his head, only to see his furious gaze. His hand flew up into her gut, a sharp stab of pain following his hand. Looking down Korin noticed the blood that was slowly tricking over Jack's hand.
Drawing his hand away Jack stood up, looking Korin in the eyes.
"Got cocky, didn't you?" He said, giving her chest a shove. She fell to the ground, clutching at her stomach as blood mixed with ash poured out. A choking sound came from her throat as she coughed up a mixture of blood and saliva. While Korin had been busy gloating over him Jack had used the time to make diamond knife which he had then put into her at an upward angle, puncturing several vital organs and deflating a lung. Looking down at Korin's shuddering form Jack realized that she was not going to survive this. His rage subsided at the sight of her helpless form on the ground, wrought with pain. She had betrayed him, but he could not help feeling that there was something real in their relationship. Bending down on a knee, he brushed her hair back gently.
"It didn't have to be like this." He said. "We could've been friends, real friends." A tear slid down his face, mingling with the blood from a cut across his cheek. Korin stared back up at him, hostility in her eyes.
"We never could have been friends." She managed, coughing up more blood. She began to shake violently, convulsing. Jack leaned in close to her.
"Was any of it real? Did you feel anything for me?" He asked, his hands shaking slightly. Korin tried to say something, but was disturbed with another fit of gurgling coughs. Eventually she managed three words.
"I…pitied you." She said, shaking violently once more before her whole body went still. Tears fell down Jack's cheeks, landing softly on Korin's cold face. He brought her up to his chest, clutching her tight. He wept softly into her, bereaved of a friend, who in the end, was never a friend.
