Miscalculation
Chapter 10: The Time for Action
Jet grunted as he pushed with all his might against Zuko. They were both strong, and both were spurred on by anger, indignation and the primal thrill of a fight. The Freedom Fighter gave one final, violent shove and sent Zuko stumbling backward into a bench seat. The prince recovered swiftly, years of training coming to his aid once again. He took a deep breath and gathered himself, trying to remain calm, cleanse his mind of all but the moves he would make, the thrust and parry of the swords, knocking Jet off his feet and putting a sword to his throat, finally ending this madness. Emotion had no place in a fight. It fed you for a while, gave you the incentive you needed, but would inevitably make you reckless.
With renewed determination and clearness of mind, Zuko went at Jet, using every bit of experience with the swords he had, along with every bit of movement training he had taken since he was a child. Jet, who fought instinctively, and with no formal training, was surprisingly adept and agile. They leaped over tables and seats, used them as shields and generally made a mess of the shop.
Yun couldn't watch; eyes tightly closed he listened to things breaking and bemoaned his bad luck. "It's not fair," he cried. "Can't you do something, Mushi? He's your nephew."
Iroh sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Yun, but this fight has been brewing for awhile. They need to finish it on their own."
Mai was itching to let loose a flurry of blades. She couldn't help the movement of her hands upward, inside her sleeves. It would be simple enough to pin the Freedom Fighter, as long as there was some distance between him and Zuko. Then the authorities would come to take him away and the bastard would be out of their lives for good. Iroh sensed her intentions and grabbed hold of her hand.
"No, Mai, he needs this. He needs to take care of it himself. Try to understand."
She reluctantly settled her hands at her sides and stared at the two fighters with a pinched sort of look on her face. "What? Is it some macho thing? Is he proving his worth as a man?"
"Something like that," Iroh agreed. "If you interfere now, it will only cause trouble."
"And what if he loses?" Mai, ever the pragmatist, asked. "It is possible, you know."
Iroh watched the two young men keenly, analyzing both their styles, the way they held themselves, the way that they swung. "Yes, but I am sure that he won't. Jet, he's desperate and enraged and at the end of his rope. He will make a mistake and Li will take advantage of it. The worst that can happen is a draw."
"If you say so, Mushi." Mai gave her shoulders a shrug and continued to watch. She couldn't begin to understand the mysterious world of men and their strange ways.
The shop's customers made their way out into the street, some of them clinging to the walls, while others boldly walked between the two fighters. There were spectators gathered around the open doorway, watching breathlessly as the battle continued.
At one point, Jet lunged forward viciously, swinging both hook swords so powerfully, their motion became almost a blur. Zuko leapt up onto the nearest table, just avoiding the swords getting entangled around his ankles, and looked down at Jet. The Freedom Fighter swiped at the wood, slicing the table neatly in half.
Iroh's eyes widened as Zuko wobbled for a moment then regained his balance, hovering gracefully atop one table half before jumping easily back down to the stone floor. The two young men continued like that for a few more minutes, Jet the aggressor, Zuko calmly parrying everything the Freedom Fighter threw his way. Eventually they ended up on the street, Zuko finally forcing the issue and pushing Jet through the doorway.
The crowd parted, making way for the two combatants. They were silent for the most part, even as more and more people joined the throng. Mai and Iroh worked their way outside too, Mai scanning the crowd for signs of Smellerbee and Longshot. She wondered if the two seemingly saner Freedom Fighters had any idea what their friend was up to. As far as she could see, they weren't there.
Once again the push and pull began, Jet and Zuko getting up close to each other before breaking apart. Jet wore a maddening smirk on his face, that grass stalk still hanging from his lips. The prince could feel his hard won sense of control leave him. His face mirrored his feelings, breaking into a narrow eyed angry scowl.
"Why don't you just bend?" Jet asked cockily. "Then the fight would be over, wouldn't it? I'll bet those swords are getting heavy. Come on, show everyone who you really are?"
"I'll show you," Zuko snarled, sneaking a quick glance at Mai before propelling himself forward, knocking one sword out of Jet's hand and pinning it to the cobblestones with one of his own.
They circled around a well then, eyeing each other carefully before Jet hooked his remaining sword into a wooden beam above the well, and swung outward, knocking one of Zuko's swords to the ground. It made a loud clattering sound against the cobblestones. Both of them hobbled now, the prince sprang forward, all his considerable strength behind him and swung his sword.
Jet was forced to lean then, his body parallel with the ground, narrowly missing a deadly blow, losing his grass stalk instead of his head.
They ended up back to back, both trying desperately to swing around and hit their opponent. But the fight was fated to end in a draw. Two Dai Li officers strode imperiously through the gaping citizens, making the people part just as easily as the two young fighters had. Someone had notified the secret police and Mai had a sneaking suspicion that Yun had a little something to do with it.
"Both of you; drop your weapons," one officer ordered. "Step away from each other."
Zuko placed his sword down on the street carefully and stepped forward, his eyes seeking out Mai. Jet did the same, but he couldn't keep his mouth shut.
"He's Fire Nation, him and his uncle and his girlfriend. They've made their way into Ba Sing Se finally. Do something. What is wrong with you people? This whole city is wrong."
One of the guards who had been quietly drinking tea in the shop when the commotion began stepped forward. "This young man started it." He pointed at Jet. "He's obviously got issues."
"Yeah," the crowd murmured, "It was him."
"But I'm not the enemy," Jet insisted. "Please, you need to believe me."
"No, officers, this young man wrecked the tea shop and attacked the best tea maker in the entire city. Something must be done." The guard spoke up again, giving Iroh a broad smile.
The tea maker blushed lightly and Mai rolled her eyes. "Oh, for Agni's sake," she uttered under her breath.
"You'll need to come with us, son. Don't make this difficult." An officer approached Jet much as an animal trainer would a particularly angry new addition to his circus. His gloved hands were outstretched and his face was blank.
Rather than go along easily, Jet reached for his sword and swung it at the officer. He didn't stand a chance. The Dai Li officer grabbed the sword with his hand, threw it to the ground, and then proceeded, with the other officer's help, to pull Jet's hands behind his back. The stones on their gloves became manacles and Jet was sufficiently restrained.
They shoved him into a wagon next, Jet screaming all the way about the Fire Nation. People in the crowd shook their heads disbelievingly and wondered what could make a young man go so wrong.
As Mai observed silently, she spotted Longshot and Smellerbee, both wearing looks of pain and dismay. Jet had been their leader once, their brother and now he was simply an obsessed crazy man bound for prison. The knife thrower's heart twisted with sympathy. She was reminded of Ty Lee and Azula, and the situation that the acrobat now found herself in. Mai wondered briefly if her friend was all right.
"You did well, nephew," Iroh declared as Zuko joined them. "I was sure that you would."
"What am I going to do about my shop?" Yun wondered. "It's been destroyed." The man was almost in tears.
Putting a comforting arm around the man's shoulders, Iroh led him back inside. "I'll help you, Yun. Don't worry. In a few hours everything will be ship shape. I think my nephew and Mai need some time alone, though. He's been through a bit of an ordeal, after all."
The tea maker looked over his shoulder and gave the young couple a wink.
Though he sometimes came across as simply a good natured older man whose only desires were to make and drink tea and play pai sho, Mai knew that there was so much more to Iroh than that. She was convinced that he knew exactly what she and Zuko had been up to the night before and his wink along with purposely giving them time alone was his way of saying, 'I give you my permission.'
As they walked back to their tiny apartment, Zuko exhausted looking, Mai wondered about the life she and Zuko would be leading had he never been banished. Would she have gone to Omashu with her parents, leaving Zuko behind, or would she have found a way to stay in the Fire Nation capitol? How much would they have seen each other and how physically close would they have been? She was positive that they would be together. If three years apart didn't break them, certainly a boring life at home wouldn't have.
"Hey," Zuko prodded. "What are you thinking about?" He scrubbed at his face with the back of his hand and yawned.
"Not sleeping," Mai replied coyly.
She moved her body so that it fit snugly against Zuko's. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, bringing her even closer, holding her there next to him as if afraid she might vanish.
"I'm not going anywhere, you know," Mai reassured her boyfriend.
Zuko's face grew dark and he replied simply. "Sometimes people you love leave."
Mai frowned and gave Zuko a gentle elbow in the ribs. "Where is this coming from?" The disappearance of his mother, Ursa, had been devastating to Zuko. She was there for the fallout; brooding, silences, fits of temper and finally, tears that he had been told over and over again were shameful. It was a difficult time and it was months before Zuko returned to any semblance of normality. Apparently, that event still reached out through the years and slapped Zuko across the face.
He shrugged and looked off into the distance. "It happens," he finally stated with the same simplicity.
"I know." Her words held a tenderness that was unusual for Mai. "But I have no intention of leaving you, Zuko. I promise."
Smiling, the darkness gone as quickly as it had come, he kissed her temple.
"Besides," Mai continued in a teasing, sultry voice. "I need to give you your reward for being such a brave warrior. Goodness, I might have been killed if you weren't there to save the day." She waved a hand in front of her face and batted her eyelashes.
"Reward; what reward?" Zuko had completely missed the point. He stopped walking for a moment and looked at her curiously.
Mai was completely serious now. "Something I hope we both enjoy; something that I'm a bit scared about. You do want to, don't you? I do, Zuko, very badly." She flushed as she recalled the previous evening. "You were certainly willing last night."
"Oh, I see, oh, wow, Mai, are you sure that you want to give that to me now?" The prince's cheeks were a bright red and his hands were getting sweaty. "I can wait no problem, not that I don't desire you, I do, but if you need to take your time, that's okay."
Chuckling, Mai gave him an affectionate swat. "I advise you to stop talking."
The apartment block came into view, the usual grouping of nosy neighbors gathered around the well.
"Good afternoon," one of them said, friendly enough. "We heard there was a commotion down at your tea shop. What happened?"
"Do they know everything?" Zuko whispered to Mai.
Mai whispered back while looking directly into the speaker's eyes. "I shudder to think." Then aloud she remarked, "Yes, Li here had a traumatic experience. He needs some very special attention and I intend to give it to him." Her lips twitched with repressed laughter.
Some of the neighbors were oblivious to Mai's implications while others appeared to be mortified. They didn't speak anymore, though, and that was what Mai had intended.
The couple mounted the staircase and walked up to the third floor landing. Finding the key in her tunic pocket, Mai opened the door, turned and gave the annoying gossips a lingering stare, then entered the apartment. Zuko followed behind quickly, his cheeks almost on fire now.
"Did you have to say that?" he hissed as soon as the door was closed and locked. "They'll be staring at us forever now."
Mai didn't see the problem. "So?"
"W, well," Zuko stammered. "It's awkward."
"Not for me."
Zuko huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He gazed at Mai and she gazed back. Now that the moment was here, neither knew quite what to say or quite what to do. Minutes passed like that, both of them standing still.
Finally, Mai broke the silence. "Your uncle only gave us a few hours. You wouldn't want him to walk in on us, would you?"
"No! Oh, Agni, no!" He moved forward suddenly and kissed Mai hard.
"That's much better," she purred in response when they finally broke apart.
Mai's eyes roamed the small space, trying to find the best spot. She kicked a few cushions aside and sat down on the floor. Zuko, almost over eager now, dropped down beside her, kissed her hard again and began to tug at her sash.
"Worry about your own clothes," she advised Zuko, slapping his hands away.
With startling speed, Mai pulled off layers of cloth, not fumbling once. She stood in her bindings and watched with amusement as Zuko struggled with his clothing, desperate fingers not cooperating. When he finally stood in his own underwear, they stopped again and drank each other in.
"I, um, I should get a blanket," he muttered and darted into the alcove that served as a bedroom, coming back with the threadbare green comforter. He lay it down on the floor and stared at Mai again. "So, what do we do now?"
Slowly unwinding her bindings, Mai drawled, "I'm almost certain we need to be naked, Zuko."
"Yeah, yeah, of course." He shyly stepped out of his underwear and waited for Mai to finish.
There was more staring then, as neither had seen a naked member of the opposite sex before. A baby brother really didn't count and did in no way compare to the site of Zuko's beautiful, fully developed physique.
Mai's long, slender legs nearly undid Zuko and his hands were drawn to the gentle swell of her breasts. Breathing got heavier as hands roamed across expanses of pale skin, exploring secret places, simply enjoying the feel of each other. When both were ready, Zuko asking Mai over and over again if she was all right, if it was all right, he entered her hesitantly, desperate not to hurt her badly. Mai didn't care about the pain. The pleasure and the joy of being with the man she loved were far, far greater.
It wasn't perfect, and it didn't last nearly long enough, but somehow it was just right anyway. They were beginners after all, and the experience could only get better. Agni knew the love and the desire were both there.
"Are you, was it okay?" Zuko nuzzled the lovely white column of Mai's neck, inhaling the special scent that was hers alone. "I'm sorry that….."
"Don't!" Mai put a finger over Zuko's lips, silencing his words and his doubts. "It was everything I wanted it to be." She removed her finger then and kissed him softly.
The Fire Nation prince ran a hand through her silky hair, hair that he loved so much to touch. "Really?"
"Yes," Mai repeated with a roll of her eyes. "Really."
A knock on the door made both of them jump to attention, reaching for clothes and dressing hastily.
"It's Mushi," Iroh called. "The neighbors are looking at me funny. Do either of you know why?"
Mai and Zuko exchanged a glance and then began to laugh.
Temporary Home of Azula, Ayaka and Ty Lee, Ba Sing Se's Upper Ring
Dinner had been delivered as promised, good, hot Earth Kingdom food, in large quantities, enough to feed all three young women for a few meals. Instead of being grateful, Princess Azula sneered at the dishes that she deemed tasteless, not spiced nearly enough and probably made by incompetent peasants.
Ty Lee ate as much as she could stuff in. She continued to imagine herself wandering the dangerous nighttime streets of the Lower Ring, very little money in her pocket and nowhere to stay. Meals might be hard to come by for a few days so eating a lot now seemed wise. Unfortunately, it might appear suspicious as well.
Azula continually glanced at the acrobat, narrowing her eyes every time she reached for another serving. "You're stuffing yourself like a pig chicken, Ty Lee. What is wrong with you?"
"I'm hungry and I'm nervous." Ty Lee dug around her bowl for the last few grains of rice. "And it's delicious."
"Obviously you've been away from the Fire Nation far too long if you can call this swill delicious. And what are you nervous about?" Leaning across the table, Azula put her face up to Ty Lee's.
The grey eyed girl felt her palms get slick with perspiration. She put down the green bowl covered with the Earth Kingdom insignia, and wiped her hands off on her thigh. "Um, well, I'm worried that we'll be found out."
"We have the proper papers, the uniforms; all we need to do is play along with this Joo Dee idiot, bide our time for awhile and gather some intelligence. I want to see just how this city works, who is in control and what goes on. Then we can make our move to see the Earth King. I'm sure he'll be more than pleased to visit with some Earth Kingdom heroes. It will all work out, Ty Lee. I know what I'm doing." Azula stared at Ty Lee as if she were crazy for ever doubting the princess's abilities.
"Yeah, I guess you're right, Azula. You're always right." A little buttering up never hurt especially where Azula was concerned. The princess enjoyed praise, felt she deserved it in copious amounts. She was practically perfect after all.
"Of course I'm right. Now, does Ayaka look worried?"
Both young women turned to observe the eighteen year old who was calmly picking up a piece of beef with her chopsticks. Her face, still plain even covered with makeup, held no expression. She chewed mechanically and did not seem to feel the stares that were directed at her. Her brown eyes were blank as well, eerily so, and Ty Lee felt that shudder Ayaka inspired course through her body yet again. How could her nation create these monsters? How could it take innocent children, the victims of war, and suck all the humanity out of them? How could Fire Lord Ozai have come up with such a heinous plan? He was evil; there was no other explanation. And Azula, she was following happily in his footsteps, always eager to please Daddy, always straining to be the best.
"Well, does she look worried? Ty Lee!" The princess snapped her fingers in front of the acrobat's face. "I'm asking you a question."
"No, she doesn't look worried," Ty Lee was quick to agree. In her mind, other thoughts continued to swirl about. 'She doesn't have any expression unless she's killing, and even then it's barely there.'
"Exactly; now finish eating. It's almost bedtime. I want to get started with our research early tomorrow morning." Azula got up from her seat in front of the low table, leaving her dirty dishes there as if she expected a servant to pick them up, and retreated to the huge bathroom.
Desperate not to be alone with the Bringer, Ty Lee leapt up and joined the princess. She sat in front of the huge vanity's mirror already and wiped away at the thick white paste that coated her face. As soon as the scar was revealed, the scar that Mai had gifted her with, Azula's face grew hard. She stared at her reflection, her fingers tracing the length of the pale pink ridge that marred her left cheek. It was the only mark on a physically beautiful face but somehow it was symbolic of the ugliness that roiled beneath.
"What are you staring at," the princess growled. "Get going. Take your makeup off."
Ayaka lumbered in next, sitting between the others. They worked in silence, carefully removing every trace of the Kyoshi Warrior's traditional face paint. They removed the armor and heavy kimonos then and retreated to their individual bedrooms. Ty Lee left her door open. She wanted to hear everything that went on in the house. She couldn't make any mistakes. If she did, they could cost Ty Lee her life, or at the very least, her sanity.
The girl lay stretched out on her bed, completely uncovered, body rigid, ready to move at a moment's notice. Fighting sleep was not a problem since Ty Lee was far too keyed up to even consider closing her eyes. She strained her ears, listening carefully to the sounds of their temporary home. Every house had its own peculiar groans and creaks, those noises that eventually faded into the background, becoming familiar soothing sounds rather than jarring strange ones.
Her window was wide open, and the gentle, barely there breeze rustled the leaves in the small garden at the back of the house. The flimsy green curtains that covered the window hung still for the most part, eventually puffing out a bit when a slightly stronger gust of wind blew.
Soft, regular snoring came from Ayaka's room next door and a fly buzzed somewhere in her own room. It certainly sounded like both Ayaka and Azula were asleep. It was now or never, Ty Lee decided and she got up from her bed.
She could feel her heart rate quicken, feel the vein in her neck pulse with life and her breath come in quick little gulps. As quietly as she could but with all the haste she could muster, Ty Lee pulled on the inner Kyoshi robes, slipped her feet into the soft, worn brown leather boots and pushed her few belongings into a satchel. She stuffed what little money she did have into a tiny inner pocket of the robes, checked to make sure she had all the appropriate papers and then slung the satchel over her shoulder. It banged gently off her hip and she put a hand down to still it as she crept out into the hallway.
She walked on her tiptoes, her natural grace and the strength of her legs making it easy. In order to make it to the front door, she needed to pass both Azula's and Ayaka's rooms as well as the bathroom before making it into the main living area. The Bringer was still snoring, but shifted in her bed, turning so that her closed eyes faced Ty Lee. Sucking in her breath, she continued until she stood in front of Azula's room. The princess's door was closed tight, and there were no sounds coming from within. She hated that she couldn't see Azula lying there, safely tucked in her bed, sound asleep. But she pushed ahead anyway, eager to be out of the house and eager to be free.
As she rounded the corner, Ty Lee almost bumped into the princess. Amber eyes were alight with a cold, triumphant fury. She made an elegant motion with her hands and produced two blue flames, one held in each palm, ready to fling them at Ty Lee, ready to burn a hole right through the girl's chest.
"I knew you were up to something! Did you think you could fool me, Ty Lee? My brain can run circles around yours."
"Um, no, it's not like that, Azula. I just want some fresh air. I couldn't sleep." Her eyes were wide with panic and her hands shook.
"Yes, because bringing along a satchel full of your pathetic belongings is so necessary when getting fresh air. " Azula paused then, letting her words take full effect. "Get back in your room, now, until I decide what to do with you."
Ty Lee didn't move. She couldn't. Self preservation seemed to have left her. She stood as if weighted down, her mouth agape now, but not a sound escaping. Azula gave her a little push and waved the fire in front of Ty Lee's eyes. The girl blinked then, but remained motionless.
"Ayaka, get out here!" The princess shouted. She tapped one foot impatiently as she waited for the Bringer to get out of bed and join the little gathering.
It didn't take long for Ayaka to arrive. She wore simple sleep pants and a tunic and her retractable blade was holstered to her wrist. Silent as well, Ayaka waited for further instructions.
"Take Ty Lee back to her room and tie her up; she's a prisoner now, not a partner in our endeavors. I want you to keep watch as well. I'll need time to think about how to handle the little runaway." Azula let the fire in her palms fade away and then made a dismissive sort of gesture with her hands, sending the two on their way. "You've made a grave mistake, Ty Lee, and you will pay."
As soon as she felt the Bringer's fingers touch her elbow, Ty Lee unfroze and instinct kicked in. She wasn't simply a chi blocker, she was probably the most skilled one in the entire world, and that combined with her ease of movement is what saved her. One quick jab to the middle of Ayaka's back and the Bringer dropped like a useless sac of sand. Ty Lee needed to disable Azula quickly, before the princess had time to produce a flame and set her alight. She made a graceful flip, landing a few feet from the shocked and devastated looking princess before taking two quick steps forward, mentally picking her spots and finally moving her hand out, hitting Azula in the back and in the shoulder.
The princess lay on the floor, unable to move and unable to speak. Ty Lee didn't want to hear her voice ever again, didn't want to hear her parting threats or insults or taunts. Azula followed the acrobat with her eyes, though, eyes that were filled with frightening anger and what Ty Lee almost believed was pain, the pain of betrayal, the pain of loss and the beginnings of something else, something Ty Lee had never seen before.
"I'm sorry it had to be this way," she whispered. Skirting around the two bodies, Ty Lee ran to the front door and stepped out into the muggy night air. Making sure to close it behind her, she glanced around the dimly lit darkness and began to run. She needed to find Mai and Zuko. They were her salvation now.
Ba Sing Se's Lower Ring
It was warm in the cramped apartment and neither Mai nor Zuko could sleep. The excitement, stress and wonder of the day still filled both their minds. Turning over on to her side once more, Mai heaved an annoyed sigh and then decided to get up. The city was silent, the air still, only the hum of night insects disturbing the peace. She padded over to the door, glanced at Zuko, who was gazing at her appreciatively, and pulled it open.
Zuko got up, careful not to disturb Iroh and joined her outside. "Let's climb up onto the roof," he suggested mischievously. "We'll have a nice view."
"Nice view of what, the garbage bins?" But she took his hand anyway and followed along behind as he made his way up to the roof top.
The green tiles were jagged and rough, some of them broken. They both shifted around, trying to find a comfortable spot. Once they were settled, Zuko put an arm around Mai and she laid her head on his shoulder. They both gazed out at the sleeping lower ring. It looked prettier from higher up; the lanterns glowed warmly and the never ending sea of green tiles looked almost like a carpet of thick grass.
A bit of a breeze began to blow, moving Mai's loose black hair about her face. Zuko brushed it away and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "I like it up here. Everything looks different."
"Yeah," Mai acknowledged, snuggling closer to Zuko despite the warmth of the night. "It's kind of nice."
It felt good to have some space around them. The confines of the apartment were stifling; especially to two nobles used to having more room then they knew what to do with. And despite the hardships of life on the run, the outdoors afforded lots of room, if nothing else.
"We, we could come up here again," Zuko suggested hesitantly. "It could be like our special spot."
Mai couldn't help but chuckle at the blatantly romantic notion. It was sweet, though, and it appealed to some part of her. "Yeah, we could, and I'd like that." She sighed, contentedly this time, and closed her eyes, letting the feel and smell of Zuko surround her.