Chapter 30: Midnight Hunting Party, Part 6

Living room

Zuko was just about at his wits' end under withering fire when he spotted someone throw a combination grenade into Sokka's room. Seconds later, the grenade came flying out, hitting the doorpost and turning the men who had been giving him grief for the past couple minutes into a fine pink mist.

Capitalizing on the opening, he burst forth with twin jets of maroon sailing forth from his fists, burning through furniture and flesh just as Kiyi, Aang, Katara and Bulan emerged from the basement into a warzone, the smell of cordite, ash mingling with the metallic tang of spilt blood into an unforgettable smell that assaulted the senses.

At this point, the assault had gone absolutely pear shaped from the point of view of the assailants and they cut their losses, leaving behind some more grenades and CS gas canisters as a parting gift while they beat a hasty retreat as the wailing of sirens grew louder and louder. Forced to duck back into the basement from the thermobaric grenades, Zuko could only utter silent pleas to Agni that his sister and Sokka was safe.

As Sokka continued to find solace in her embrace, Azula kept up her repetitive movements, trying her very best to not remember the time she drew first blood. However, the sounds of metal objects rolling on the floor outside roused her into action by placing Sokka behind her while she conjured up an azure shield of flames that deflected the worst of the blasts from the grenades.

Whilst stray pieces of wood chips and furniture were incinerated by the flames, small pieces of supersonic shrapnel peppered her arms, with a stray fragment slicing a neat line across the side of her right cheek while another cut perilously close to her left eye. In addition, the closet that contained their coats, including the one that Sokka had bought for her not more than forty eight hours ago was torn to shreds in the blast.

Once the incessant ringing in their ears died down, she finally dropped her arms, before collapsing to the ground in exhaustion and fatigue.

"Azula! No no no, this can't be!" Sokka shouted, moving to scoop her up in his arms as he rushed out of the room, only to find himself choking up and eyes watering from the CS gas. Thankfully, Aang had been the first out of the basement and he bent the noxious gases out and away, leaving the cold crisp air of the North Pole to come rushing in. At long last, the wail of sirens ceased, replaced by the sound of steel toed boots and gruff voices. Looking at the masked men with tears in his eyes and snot running down his nose, Sokka pleaded "T-take...her….hospital….please….doctor…" before he too collapsed on the ground.

Meanwhile, the rest of the gang emerged from the basement, only to find themselves staring down a row of Internal Directorate troops. Deciding now was as good a time as any to play the rank game, Bulan flashed her ID and told them to stand down.

"Are-are you sure about this ma'am?"

"That is a direct order, now stand down. Now!"

"Copy that ma'am!"

Noticing the bodies of Sokka and Azula laying on the floor, she called "Get me the paramedics! On the double!"

Hospital

The first thing she noticed was that she was in a forest, surrounded on all sides by tall sequoias that blocked out the sun, casting the trail in front of her in a dim shadow. What is this place, she thought to herself as a stiff breeze wound its way between the trees, causing her to wrap her arms around her shoulders for warmth. Deciding that following the path was the best option, she hastened her steps and followed it until it came to a crossroads.

While contemplating which path to take, she suddenly felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as her instincts told her someone or something was watching her. Not wishing to turn back around, she chose the path on the right and quickly ran down the trail until she came to another set of crossroads. Taking a gamble, she turned left this time, all the while wishing for Sokka to come and rescue her.

"Spirits, where are you Sokka?" she mumbled to herself. Finding herself approaching the edge of a lake, she saw a body resting on the shore that resembled Sokka from afar. "Sokka, i-is that you?" Seeing no response, she came closer and closer to the body, only to find to her horror that the body had no face, but a pair of eyes tattooed on each hand that blinked at her.

At this, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her away from the sight.

However, the path she took was now an impenetrable jungle, and a light mist soon descended, further obscuring her vision. Alone, afraid and lost, she crumbled to tears under a tree and cried out for Sokka. Suddenly, a familiar voice emanating from the sky called out to her.

"Azula."

Closing her ears, she muttered to herself "No no no this is all fake, you're not Sokka, you're not real." like a mantra, as if it would somehow lift the fog of deception and trickery.

"Azula." the voice called out again.

"Go away! You're not really Sokka! Sokka please, where are you!"

"Azula!" the voice repeated again, more firmly this time.

"Leave me alone!"

"Azula, listen to me, I'm real."

"No you're not! Go away!"

Each time the voice called out her name, each time she rebuffed its demands. Without warning, a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and started to shake her.

"Let me go, let me go let me go!" she screamed. Then the voice from the sky called out her name in a pleading voice, begging her to listen to him. Out of options, she relented and she found her mystery attacker's grip had vanished, replaced with a calm serenity as the person she was looking for walked in front the aether towards her, a smile on his face.

"You-you're real, you're real." she spoke in hushed tones

"Always am firefly, always am."

With a start, she woke up to Sokka tenderly kissing her forehead while holding her hands in his tenderly, not wishing to bump the IV needle currently inserted into her right hand. Slowly rising from the bed, she took in her surroundings, which were white and sterile, with the scent of antibacterial detergent heavy in the air. Looking down at her hands, she saw a needle sticking out of her right hand with a tube attached to it, where a long piece of clear piping ran to a saline drip hanging beside her on a stand.

"Praise be to Tui and La, you're awake!" Sokka exclaimed with relief. Seeing his overjoyed face brought tears to her eyes and she wrapped her arms around him tightly while she buried her face in his chest.

"Y-you're real. You're real." she whispered to herself over and over again, trembling in his arms as the waterworks were out in full force, soaking the front of his shirt.

"Shhh, it's all gonna be fine. I'm here, I'm real."

"Th-there was this-this forest and-and you weren't there and and-" she sobbed, words choking in her throat before they could be vocalized.

Tilting her head upwards, he nuzzled her with his nose and replied "It's all over now, the nightmare's gone. You're safe now." before placing her head back on his chest and stroking her hair and back.

"Thank you Sokka, for rescuing me again." she spoke into him, the words rumbling across his body.

"You're welcome, princess."

"But I'm not a princess, Sokka." she argued. Taking her right hand gingerly, he replied "You'll always be a princess to me-" placing it on the left side of his chest "-right here."

"Oh Sokka, I-"

"Take it easy now, you got pretty messed up by those flashbangs and the explosions, Your neck was all bruised up and you damn near killed yourself summoning that fire shield."

"I-uh, well, wanted to protect you."

Leaning into his chair, he chuckled before replying "Isn't that my job?"

"I can defend myself, you know, you're the one that needs bailing out." she replied as she untangled herself from Sokka and leaned against a pillow. Turning her head to face him, she asked "Will you stay the night with me, please?" squeezing Sokka's hand while she did so.

Moving her curtain of hair aside, he gave her a kiss on the lips before saying "I'll see if the nurses can set up an extra cot next to your bed." With that, he picked up the crutches laying on the floor and proceeded to get out of the chair. Noticing the crutches, she sat upright with concern on her face.

"Sokka, what happened ?"

"Doc said my inner ear got messed up a bit, so I'm on crutches for the time until they can slot a waterbending healer."

"I'm sorry you got hurt, I really am."

"Nonsense firefly, I'd be dead if it weren't for you. I've still got my hands to hold you, my legs to carry me to you and my eyes to savour your pretty face. You did all you could, and for that I'm the one that should be thankful, firefly."

"So-,"

"Hush now, firefly and get some rest. Tui and La know you deserve it more than most. And that's an order." he ordered, giving her nose a soft pinch while he did so.

"I'll be back before you know it."

Office

Interior Directorate Building

"What a mess." was Hahn's remark as he skimmed through the reports scattered on his desk, before pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing.

"Tell me about it." was Bulan's reply.

"You don't look sorry." he commented, noting her posture and the proud spark in her amber eyes.

"Should I?" she replied defiantly, puffing her chest ever so slightly.

"You tell me. First you go out to receive a bunch of wanted criminals, one of which is the Spirits-damned former Crown fucking Princess of the Fire Nation and a bloody PIFWC at that. Then, you run an off-the-books operation using IDSF assets and lastly, that body we found in the basement that just so happens to have a slug that matches your pistol. So please, do fucking enlighten me on how the hell am I s'posed to explain this to the council."

"How about telling them we have a major domestic terror threat in the Agni Kai for starters, and that certain individuals from the FNIA are here to assist and advise?"

"Does the ambassador know about this?" Just then, the phone rang, its shrill tone halting all conversation. Sighing, he picked up the phone and answered in a tired voice "Who's on the line Zara?"

"It's the Fire Nation ambassador, sir."

"..."

"Sir?"

"Tell him I'll call back in a bit."

"But he-"

"Just do it, I'm in a staff meeting right now."

"O-okay sir. But he's not gonna like it."

"Fuck what that old geezer thinks. If he cares that much, tell him to call the Foreign Directorate then."

Putting the phone back down, he saw that Bulan had made her way to his side of the desk, where she proceeded to place herself in his lap.

"Bulan what the hell are you playing at?"

"Judging by the number of times you used the word 'fuck', I assume it's been a while." she commented, before her wandering hands slipped in his coat as her mouth worked his neck. Feeling her way down, her hands found his cock getting hard as she kept up her ministrations.

"Is that for me?" she purred, unwrapping his pants to free his erection.

"We-we can't keep doing this." he panted.

"Who says we can't? Screw what the others think, it's just you and me right now." she replied while grinding against him, moaning in his ear.

"Oh Spirits, you're going to be the death of me, I swear."

"That may be true, but let's enjoy the ride right now. After all, it won't do to meet neither the ambassador nor the council with a clouded mind, would it?"

"You got me there. Also, are you not wearing anything underneath?" he asked, not feeling any fabric between her tits.

"They can't see jack when I'm wearing my coat."

"Mmm, you're bold." he whispered as he unbuttoned her coat to reveal a pair of firm breasts staring back at him, their nipples red and erect begging to be nibbled on.

"Someone's gotta be in this line of work. Now are you gonna stare at my chest all day, or you gonna put that mouth of yours to work?" she taunted.

"I might need a little more, how can I put it, persuasion to start.", before moving to cup one in each hand and kneading them. Taking off her skirt to reveal a smooth pussy wet with arousal, she proceeded to do the same with his pants before teasing him with her folds.

"How's this for some persuasion, hmm?"

"Is the door locked?"

"Mmm hmm."

"Spirits let's go, it's really been a hot minute." he smirked, before claiming her with a forceful thrust that knocked the breath out of her while he buried his face in her chest, biting and sucking on a nipple like a hungry newborn breastfeeding.

"Tui and La, you feel so good. Hnghh, so-so tight and wet." he murmured, as she bounced on his cock, the sounds of wet flesh slapping echoing throughout the office.

"Only for you, only for you-ah ah I'm gonna-!" she cried, before burying her face in his neck as a wave of pleasure overtook her, making her dig her nails into his back. "Mmm that's right, come all over that hard cock, you fiery slut you." he moaned, rubbing her clit with his thumb to give her a second release.

"Uhngh-th-that's right, oh yes, talk dirty to me, you-you savage!" was her reply as she came closer and closer to that peak with every thrust from Hahn, who only sped up his movements with every moan. As he felt her walls start to squeeze his cock, he knew he was near his own peak.

"I'm close." he groaned into her ear, giving it a bite as he did so. At this, her legs tighten around his lower torso while her mouth captured his in a hot passionate kiss. Seconds later, both of them shouted into each other, one's release triggering another's. Spent, she crumbled into his embrace as the last of the aftershocks travelled through her body.

"That-that was nice." he whispered, caressing her silky white hair.

"It was. We should do it more often."

"You know how it be, duty calls." he replied forlornly while slowly pulling out of her, making her gasp as she felt the warmth leave her body.

"We should get cleaned up."

"Yeah, we probably should." she commented at the mess that was more reminiscent of two horny teenagers than their station implied.

"Aren't you glad I insisted on having them install a shower in your office for those long nights ?"

"Don't tempt me with shower sex, please."

"It'd be fun."
"Please, I've got a cranky ambassador to placate and a council meeting to attend in 20 minutes."

"Fine, you killjoy." she grumbled.

oo0oo

It wouldn't kill you to ease up once in a while, she thought to herself as they scrubbed each other down under the steady stream of hot water. Rebelliously, she rubbed her curvy bottom against his pelvic region, feeling him harden between her cheeks.

"Spirits, you're insatiable, you know that?" he remarked, before placing his hands on her swaying hips and pounding her mercilessly from behind. A hand then moved to rub her clit furiously, while his mouth bit, nibbled and licked her sensitive spots on her neck, hurtling her into a wet and wild climax that made her knees turn to jelly. Pinning her to the glass wall, he moved his hand to her breasts, groping and pinching her still sensitive nipples, drawing out high pitched yelps and screams while he supported her on his thighs, crossing her legs and spreading them with his not only for additional support but also to give him further access to her swollen sex.

Feeling him take her all the way to the hilt in this position made her roll her eyes back as another wave of ecstasy crashed into her like an iceberg plunging from a glacier. It was too much and they yelled out each other's name when they hit their peak, before collapsing to the floor in a heap.

Reaching for the tap, he turned off the shower and used it as leverage to pull them up. "Tui and La, I can't feel my legs." she uttered, panting to catch her breath as her dusky skin tone was flushed, and not just from the hot water.

"That sounds like a 'you' problem." he grinned cheekily, before giving her butt a playful slap.

"You just gonna leave your fiancée hanging here? How ungentlemanly of you." she chided as she dropped to the floor in an ungainly heap while he dried himself. Wrapping her in a towel, he dried her too, before tying her hair in a simple ponytail.

"Mmm, that's a large hickey on my neck." she commented, before loosening her hair and draping it over her shoulder to cover up said love bite.

"Says the one who laced my back with scratches."

"It's covered by your shirt, what do you have to worry about?"

"You got me there. Anyways, I gotta go, love you honey." he replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek before grabbing his notes and heading out.

"Love you too." she cooed.

Holding room

Lower ground floor

Interior Directorate Building

"Look on the bright side, at least we're not in some underwater black site in the High Polar region. Or fed to polar bear dogs." Aang ventured.

"Doesn't change the fact we're still in a cell of sorts. Besides, we are kind of underwater if I'm not mistaken." Zuko replied grumpily.

"Must you always be such a downer, hotman?"

"I told you not to call me that!" he shouted as his temper suddenly flared up.

"Zuzu calm down, please. It's only been a few hours." Kiyi pleaded.

"Yeah, that's right, it's only been a few hours, Zuzu." Katara mocked

"Why are you in this cell with us?"

"Let's just say I don't take too kindly to being pigeonholed regarding my waterbending skills."

"Funny how most of the benders excluding 'Lala are locked up while the non-bender is out and about." Kiyi remarked.

"Life works in mysterious ways." Aang remarked in a sagely tone.

Just then, Bulan entered the room, her hair still slightly damp.

"What took you so long? Did you take a bath or something?"

"I uh, well, had to uh, attend to my fiancé, so yeah. Sorry it took so long."

"Something tells me you did more than that." Kiyi teased.

"I, well, that's classified information!" she squeaked, feeling the tips of her ears grow hot. "Now can we go?!"

"Me and Kiyi are going to get our answers one way or another, so don't think you're getting away that easily."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try us." the girls replied in unison.

Hospital

After much haranguing and some choice words, a cot was placed near Azula's bed on her left side, along with a pillow and a thin blanket that was more akin to a towel if anything. Thank the spirits for heating, he said to himself upon receiving the aforementioned items. Placing the pillow behind his back for support, he began to circle things of note on the magazine and crossed referenced it with files provided by Bulan.

Meanwhile, Azula was fast asleep and snoring lightly, hands crossed over her chest, her face a picture of peaceful serenity for someone who'd been through the ringer for the past twenty four years of her life. Hearing her snore, he was briefly tempted to record her doing so but thought better of it and decided instead to draw the curtains over the window of their room, giving her some privacy while she recuperated.

Brushing aside a stray strand of hair that fell across her face, he whispered "You look so much better with your hair down, firefly." while running his fingers gently across the small nicks and cuts that dotted her face, before moving back to his cot and continuing his reading. As the sun dipped below the horizon, so too did his concentration and he too fell into a deep sleep. However, while Azula's slumber was peaceful, his was anything but.

In his dream, he saw himself reliving the moment when the man burst into the room and pounced on a weakened and dazed Azula, who scrabbled, clawed and kicked for dear life, her lips forming words but strangled gibberish spilt forth. Slowly, her face gained a bluish tint as he could only watch, paralyzed.

Soon enough the light left her golden eyes, leaving it its wake a reddish orange dye reminiscent of fall while her body went limp. Enraged, he flipped the man and smashed him into the wall, before stabbing him repeatedly with his knife as the man merely grinned as if content.

When the man had resembled a sieve, he dropped the knife and shook her limp body hard by the shoulders, begging and crying for her to wake up.

Suddenly, he felt himself sucked back in time to the start of the scenario again. This time, he took action immediately and attacked him before he could even get close. Repeating the same move, he yanked the knife away from the man's belt and turned it against its owner. Finished, he turned to look at Azula, who recoiled in horror and gasped "Y-you're a killer, Sokka. I-I can't be with killers.", putting a hand to her mouth.

"No you don't understand, I-I d-did this to protect you!" he shouted, not realising he still clutched the bloodstained knife in his hand as he approached her.

"No, get away from me!" she shouted.

"Please, listen to me! Azula! He was going to kill you! Please, listen to me!" he pleaded earnestly, but to no avail.

Again, he felt the same strong yank that landed him in the same position as before, as if to trap him in a catch-22. Not kill the man, and watch the love of his life die in front of his eyes. Kill him, and watch his beloved Azula turn around and reject him, calling him a killer. Round and round the cycle repeated, driving him to the brink of insanity. He begged the cycle to cease, but whatever was running the cycle refused to budge. At last, he broke and curled up in a corner, babbling gibberish and nonsense as tears intermixed with snot.

Out of the blue, a voice called to him. A voice that was utterly familiar to him.

"No, you're not real. You're not real!" he screamed back, unsure if his mind had well and truly shattered into a million pieces.

"Wake up, Sokka!" it started to chant.

"No! Go away!" he shouted hoarsely.

"Wake up, Sokka!"

"Wake up, Sokka! Sokka, listen to me!"

"Sokka!"

With a jolt, his eyes opened to find twin golden sunrises staring at him with concern and love.

"Y-you-"

"Shhh, it's okay Sokka, it's just a nightmare, everything's gonna be fine." she soothed, squeezing his hand while she adjusted the bed height and the saline bag. When she deemed it level enough, she scooted over to make space for Sokka, who climbed onto the bed with her. Resting his face in her chest, he began to babble "But but you were making all these horrible noises a-and I couldn't save you a-and I was sucked back and I killed him and you told me to stay away and it just repeated and repeated and I-I was s-so so lost and-" as his emotions overwhelmed him and he began to cry.

"There there Sokka, it's okay, I'm here, I'm real and I still love you." she repeated, trying her best to reassure Sokka with her words and kisses.

"Y-y-you do?"

"Mmm hmm." she nodded.

"You don't hate me f-for what I did?" he asked timidly.

"Sokka, you saved my life. How can I hate you?" she answered as if it was the most logical thing in the world.

"But I-" Sokka tried to get the words out, but was silenced by her tongue requesting entrance to his mouth. Soon, the makeout session turned hot and heavy as both sides refused to be the first ones to break contact, eager to stay joined in each other. When they had to break for air, they both panted and took in deep lungfuls of oxygen. Recovering her breath first, Azula cupped his cheek and planted a trail of kisses from his ear down to his collarbone.

Moving lower, she unbuttoned his shirt and continued her journey lower and lower, delivering her present of kisses. Reaching the hem of his pants, she started to undo it when a pair of hands stopped her.

"'Zu what are you doing?"

"Comforting you in my own way." she replied. In the dim light, her eyes took on an almost ethereal look. Moving his hands away, she pulled away his pants and underwear, exposing his long girthy cock to the inquisitive eyes of Azula, whose pupils dilated at the size.

"Spirits, its-its big." was all she could say.

"I er well, I-I guess?" he sheepishly answered. Spirits, this is awkward as all hell, he thought.

As they exchanged gazes, Azula cautiously picked it up in her hands and started to stroke it, making Sokka moan.

"What-what exactly are you planning, firefly? This-this is-" he started, but was silenced when Azula fixed him with a glare and a finger pressed on her lips while she continued to stroke.

Feeling a little more emboldened, she gave his head a small lick, sending shivers running down Sokka's spine as she backed off to process the taste. Not giving him a chance to protest, she slowly took him in her mouth until she felt the tip start to press against the back of her throat.

At the sight of Azula swallowing his cock, Sokka could only lean back and moan in ecstasy as her mouth was warm and wet. Placing his hands in her hair, he gently pulled her up and away from his cock, where she took a breather to process what she'd just done.

"That-that was-"

"Incredible? I sure hope so." she blushed, before repeating her actions again. This time, instead of lifting her up and away, he stopped at the tip, before guiding her back down his shaft. At first she gagged and almost threw up, but suppressed her nerves and started to get into a rhythm, bobbing her head up and down at a steady pace while Sokka massaged her scalp.

Unorthodox as it seemed, hearing her boyfriend mumble in bliss encouraged her to keep going, even when she felt his hips start to buck slightly. Sensing he was getting close with his hip movements, she pulled off him with a wet slop and proceeded to stroke him while licking the slit on his head.

At this, Sokka mumbled and groaned out "Oh Spirits Azula, I-I-I can't hold it much longer!" Seeing his face tighten and eyes closed, she ramped up the pacing, before one last stroke sent him careening over the edge and he exploded into her hand while calling out her name like a prayer. When he finally came back down from his high, he ruffled Azula's hair and remarked "Spirits you're a natural at this. That felt so good."

"Consider this a thank you gift for saving my life Sokka, and being my pillar to lean on. Now stay here, I'll go get some washcloths."

Returning shortly with some cloths dampened with hot water, she moved to clean him up while asking "A-are you disappointed that I, well, didn't um, swallow?"

"It's not for everyone and besides, it was your first time."

"I-I guess?"

"There, nothing to be ashamed of, firefly. You did really well for a first timer."

"Oh stop it, Sokka!" she replied, moving a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. As her cloth wiped the area near his penis, it began to twitch and harden.

"Seems like little Sokka wants an encore." she remarked.

"Y-you don't have to, if you don't feel like it." he stammered.

"Hmm, maybe next time then." Finished with her cleanup, she made her way to the bathroom and washed her hands before gargling. Once done, she climbed back onto the bed and curled up in Sokka's arms. There, they lay in silence enjoying each other's touch, happy to be alive. Seeing her eyelids start to droop, he tilted her chin up and pressed a light kiss to her nose before wishing her "Sweet dreams, firefly"

"You too, snow muncher." she muttered into his chest as soon, both of them dozed off, their dreams filled with nothing but each other.