Zuko lay in bed, staring at his scorch marks on the ceiling. Home. He was going home. Not someday, not eventually, today at first light. Granted it would take some time to actually get there, but they were leaving today. Azula's ship was stocked and ready to launch, Dai Li and traitor already aboard under cover of darkness.
He rose and moved to stare out his balcony at the clouds obscuring the moon. Then he took a deep breath, put on his mask, and jumped.
Everything was so much simpler when he wore this mask. There was an objective, obstacles, and rules. Nothing else. This time it was get to the five targets, remain unseen or at least not be seen firebending, and return before dawn. He had rope, a new pair of dao, knives, darts, and himself. More than he needed.
Black melted through black and soon he was at the new Dai Li headquarters. Guards blinked, shifted their gaze, and he was in. People never looked up. He glided through the corridors and down stairways until he found the metal cells. Most were empty, some were not, but he kept moving and knocking out the guards he couldn't get past. A blow to stun and then cloth to choke until they passed out, or just sharp precise strikes if there were more than one.
Finally he found them. Their cells were unmistakably built to hold earthbenders, cold thick metal everywhere with studded surfaces to injure any serious attempt to reach earth, and not exactly pleasant to rest on, either. There were too many guards to reach before they sounded the alarm so he threw his darts. Mai was better but firebending needed accuracy just the same, and the guards dropped as the shirshu venom paralysed them.
The generals were woken by the commotion and stared at his blue mask, a small hope coming alive in their eyes. Rumour had it the Blue Spirit had rescued the Avatar, was he here to save them too? They moaned through their gags and tried to communicate with gestures, but he ignored them.
First things first. The downed guards needed to be out of harms way. He moved them two by two until they were out of sight around the corner. Then he pulled out five earth kingdom daggers and tossed them to the startled prisoners. They cut their gags and thanked him in between rubbing their faces. General How silenced the others and asked what the plan was.
He got no answer. The Blue Spirit left as silently as he came, leaving them with small iron knives that were no use against the thick bars. They whispered as loud as they dared after him, and then talked amongst themselves. They couldn't believe he had just left them there without helping them escape... But they eventually realised he had, just not the way they wished.
The dawn found Zuko on the ship headed for home, guards abuzz with gossip, and five generals now silent forever. And one bemused Azula.
I never knew you had it in you, brother.