Chapter 104: It was a trap, then
Zuko's hands froze on the way to his swords. He eyed the man before him.
Gathering himself he said, "Long Feng, I take it?"
Long Feng's smile widened. "Grand Secretariat to you, ashmaker. But yes, I am Long Feng. Leader of the Dai Li."
"The power behind the throne."
Long Feng tilted his head to the side. "I serve at the Earth King's discretion. His time is far better spent seeing to the cultural needs of this great city, rather than the bureaucracy of it all."
Zuko nodded. He took a half-step away from Appa's chained form. He said, "How'd you know I was here? You find the agent who let me in?"
"Oh, no, you did a good job of securing him, I'm sure. No, in truth, I am surprised it took you so long to find your way down here. Not you specifically, but one of your motley crew. I've had agents keeping a close eye on this creature ever since the Avatar entered Ba Sing Se. I doubled down when he disrupted the King's celebrations."
Zuko nodded. "It was a trap, then."
Long Feng grinned. "Just so. I am curious how you found us though? For security purposes, you understand."
Zuko shook his head, forcing a smirk. "Trade secret, I'm afraid."
"Really? I thought perhaps your uncle told you. He and his little cabal have been stumbling around Ba Sing Se for a while now, and just when I thought I'd routed the last of them."
Zuko's face paled. "You-you know about my uncle?"
"Of course. He's been here for a few months now. Who do you think arranged his entry into the Upper Ring?"
"Why?" Zuko snarled. "Why do all of this?"
"'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.' I believe it was one of your ancestors who coined the phrase, was it not? You Firebenders have always been prone to war and upset. I knew General Iroh was in my city, so I chose to keep an eye on him, despite his efforts to avoid detection. He's good, but I'm better."
"You won't get away with this." Zuko snapped, spitting sparks.
"Stupid boy, I've been 'getting away with this' since the Earth King was in diapers. Since the… 'tragic' passing of his parents, Kuei has been my puppet, just like everyone else in Ba Sing Se.
"Now, I think this conversation has run its course. Agents, arrest him."
The Dai Li agents moved as one, shooting rock cuffs that took him to the ground and held him there. Zuko didn't get the chance to even draw his Dao blades.
Long Feng walked forward, until he was stood over the prone Firebender.
Zuko growled the only threat he could think of. "The Avatar will stop you."
Long Feng laughed. "If the Avatar moves against me, then my men and I will enjoy one of the rarest delicacies on Earth. Sky Bison steak. After that? Well, we'll see how much the Avatar values your life."
It took both Iroh and Toph to restrain Katara when she heard those words.
"Not yet." Iroh breathed. "Allow the Dai Li the illusion of victory. Then, we will free the both of them and make our exit."
Katara went to argue but Toph stopped her. "Sugar Queen, he's right. This place is crawling with Dai Li. I can feel them. They're everywhere. If we rush in, they'll swarm us."
The Waterbender sighed. "Fine. We'll do it your way."
They watched and they waited.
Zuko was thrown into a hole. It was created with Earthbending, and he knew it would be sealed the same way.
Before Long Feng departed, Zuko asked, "So, what's the plan here?"
Long Feng raised an eyebrow. "Ah, yes. This must be the part where I divulge my secrets to you, so that you may use them against me. I'd forgotten that we had stumbled into theatrics."
He chuckled and ordered, "Seal him up."
Zuko's 'cell' was sealed, leaving him in darkness.
Back at the house, Aang walked into the house from the garden and found it empty.
It was surprising enough that it startled him out of the funk he'd been in since the Earth King's party.
He frowned. He called out, "Hello? Katara? Toph? Anyone?"
A bump came from upstairs and Sokka's exasperated tone said, "What is it, Aang? I'm in the middle of something."
Aang walked over to the bottom of the stairs and found Sokka standing at the top.
The boy asked, "Where is everyone?"
Sokka scowled. "What do you mean? We're here. Everyone is here, because the Dai Li holds all of the cards, because they've got Appa, and—"
Aang cut him off. "Sokka, the house is empty. It's just me and you."
Sokka stopped talking. He frowned. "That can't be right."
The Tribesman crept over to the window that looked out over the front and peered through it; two Dai Li agents were plainly visible by the main gate into the estate. Sokka was willing to bet that there were others that he couldn't see.
"What do you see?" Aang whispered.
"Dai Li is still there. Everything looks the same as it has all week."
"Maybe they went to the market?" Aang suggested.
Sokka shook his head. "They've only been letting us out solo, remember? Why change that now?"
Aang frowned. "You're right. You don't think the Dai Li… did something to them, do you?"
Sokka shook his head again, a little more slowly this time as he was thinking. "No. I don't think so, at least. There's no signs of a struggle, and one of us would have heard something. Besides, why would they have left us? Especially you. You're the Avatar."
Aang nodded, agreeing. "I guess you're right. So where are they?"
"I have no idea, but I hope they're okay."
Zuko was in his cell long enough to realise that he wasn't getting out on his own. There was air-hole in the 'door', but he struggled to fit a couple of fingers through the gap.
He'd just given up trying to escape when the air-hole widened until it became a door once more. He went for his swords, only stopping when he saw his Uncle, Toph and Katara flanking him.
"Uncle?" He asked. "What are you doing here?"
Iroh waved off the question. "Later. For now, we must get you and the Bison out of this Spirits-forsaken place."
"Yeah, move it, Sparky." Toph chimed in, a large grin on her face.
He could tell that she was plotting out all the ways to give him shit for getting captured by the Dai Li. Damn, he thought, and he had nothing to use against her.
Zuko stepped out of his cell, glad to see the back of it, even if he'd only been there for ten minutes tops.
"Are you okay?" Katara asked, putting her hand on his bicep and squeezing slightly.
Zuko nodded, smiling slightly. "I'm fine. They caught me off-guard, that's all."
"Yeah, they got you good, Sparky." Toph said, still smirking.
"You saw?" Zuko asked.
Katara nodded. She narrowed her eyes at Iroh. "Your uncle thought it was best to let things play out a little."
Zuko nodded as well. "Yeah, that was probably right. Who knows what would have happened if you'd interfered. Where's Aang? And Sokka?"
She replied, "Still back at the house. They probably don't even know we've gone."
Zuko turned to Iroh. "Uncle, they knew you were here. They know who we are."
Iroh nodded solemnly. "So it would seem, Nephew. It appears there is no longer any need for subterfuge."
If asked later, Katara wouldn't have been able to tell you what changed about Iroh, but something definitely did. The kindly-looking old man was replaced by a man worthy of the title of 'Dragon of the West'. Now she could see him as the Fire Nation General that was feared and hated across the Earth Kingdom.
Katara said, "Let's get Appa and go."
They got out with no further problems. It made Zuko uneasy. Long Feng had been prepared for someone breaking into Lake Laogai and rescuing Appa, surely he should have had some plan in place in case others came? He couldn't help but feel like they were still caught in a trap.
Once Appa had been freed from his subterranean prison, he'd flown them all back to the Upper Ring, and Katara had directed him down into the large garden that sat at the rear of the Avatar's assigned house.
Aang immediately bolted out of the house and he only had eyes for his large, furry friends.
"APPA!"
The Airbender launched himself towards the bison, landing on his head and hugging tightly.
Appa lowed, a sound full of relief and sadness and joy and pain and so many other incomprehensible emotions that it made Zuko's heart ache.
He stood off to the side with Iroh, Katara, and Toph. They watched the heartfelt reunion.
Sokka exited the house, munching on an apple. He paused mid-chew when he saw the tableau before him.
Eventually he finished chewing and said, "So, I'm guessing something happened?"
One of Long Feng's elite agents asked, "Sir, why did you allow them to leave with the beast?"
Long Feng smiled. "The Avatar will no doubt see this as a victory. It is not. I have merely set the stage for his downfall. Is the asset ready yet?"
The agent shook his head. "Not yet, Sir. We are close though; he proved more resistant than most. Why him, Sir?"
Long Feng shook his head. "I see… potential in him. Besides, I'm sure the Avatar and his friends will enjoy seeing a familiar face once more."