Chapter 53: Of Ash and Snow, Part 4

While the actual assault had not taken longer than perhaps a few minutes, the following SSE felt to Sokka like an eternity out on the crow's nest. In addition, he had to be alert to any potential movement or noise that signalled to those inside that trouble was brewing. All this to say, it was mind numbing for Sokka, who was hoping rather selfishly and morbidly that someone would try something stupid, just so he could have something to do.

Finally, when the call of "Bring the boat around, we're about done here." came through, Sokka happily moved back down from the crow's nest to the cockpit, glad to be finally out of the cold, as the snow and wind had picked up while he was up on the deck. Once buttoned up, he slowly eased the boat to the sidewalks and idled. Once that was done, he quickly made his way to the small dispenser in the back and brewed up a warm cup of instant tea, partially because he was thirsty and partially to regain some form of feeling in his fingers.

Glancing at his sister, who had taken to napping on the canvas seats in lieu of any lack of action, Sokka took a spare blanket and draped it over her, before making his way back to the helm, where he awaited the familiar sounds of footsteps on deck. Unbeknownst to him, the idling engines made it hard to pick out the sounds of an inflatable boat pulling up behind him., nor did the crew exiting the building, mind focused on getting back onto the boat and hopefully, a warm supper.

To further mask their trail, the wind picked up once more, sending the normally gentle flurry blowing every which way.. Under such conditions, it was easy to see how both parties somehow crossed each other's paths without the other realising the other's presence till they were almost on top of each other. At once, a furious melee erupted as green and blue clashed against a backdrop of white, weapons left lying in the snow as there was no time to manipulate safeties. Just as suddenly as the wind came, so it left the same way, leaving Hahn, Kiyi and Azula holding two of them in a chokehold while the other two had Bulan and Zuko in the same predicament.

"Who are you?"

"I could ask the same thing."

"Seems like we're at an impasse."

"Are we?" Azula replied back, fingers pressed against her hostage's temple, ready to set the man's grey matter ablaze.

"I think so, miss Zappy." one of them answered back in a familiar voice, her kunai dangerously close to Zuko's vein. It was at this moment that Sokka chose to step out to see what was the holdup and his boot stepped on a piece of ice, the crunch bringing nine pairs of eyes staring at him.

"What the hell is going on here?" Sokka asked, hand reaching for the sidearm at his hip.

"You have got to be kidding me." the female voice replied.

"W-w-wait a minute, S-Suki?"

"Sokka?"

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"The fuck are you doing here?"

"What do you mean 'the fuck am I doing here', what does it look like?"

"Now now girls, can we all just take a chill pill here and-"

"That's it!" Suki yelled, giving Zuko a swift kick in his back that sent him tumbling ass over forehead while she hurled her kunai at Azula, before pulling out a sidearm from under her , Sokka whipped his out and drew first blood, nailing Suki in the ankle and making her shot go wide, preventing her from shooting Azula or Kiyi.

At the same time, Bulan hurled herself backwards onto her assailant, before breaking loose his hold on her via bites and a quick knife wound to his calf. On the other end, Azula's captive found it less difficult to break out, instead earning a swift dose of electricity that knocked him out while Hahn's prisoner chose to surrender, although his decision may have been encouraged when Kiyi shot his hand that had tried to grab onto her, which inadvertently triggered memories and said hand was little more than bits of finger held together with the thinnest of fiber after she unloaded half the magazine into the hand.

"Aren't you glad you ran into us instead of the Internal Directorate SRTs?" Azula smirked as she patted Suki's cheek, earning a snarl from her.

"First I find out that you're actually alive. Second of all, your dumbass got hitched to miss princess bitch here? Seriously Sokka, if it weren't for these cuffs I'd rip your balls and feed them to the badgermoles."

"I'd very much appreciate it if you could not threaten my fiance with grievous bodily harm, thank you very much. Secondly, call me 'princess bitch' one more time and I will cut your tongue out right this instant."

"Psst, Kat, help me out here." Suki conspiratorially whispered loudly to Katara, who was busy healing up the wounds.

"Don't you even think about it." Azula warned, before turning to Sokka. "Anyways, would you like to explain to me your relationship to her? In detail."

"Well, I, uh, um, we were childhood friends that grew up together?"

"I think you're missing something very very important, Sokka." Suki replied.

"I-well, we were in a long term relationship and I was going to propose to her when I got back from that trip when you kidnapped me?"

"Oh, so it's somehow my fault you didn't think to tell me you had someone waiting for you back home?"

"That's the last thing I'd tell my kidnappers!"

"You could have told me about her after you started working for us, you know."

"I-uh-um, forgot?"

"Ain't that convenient, maybe I should fake my death and run off with some prince innit?"

"You are dating my brother right now is stopping you from running away with Zuzu y'know. Aside from the obvious things."

"You get what I mean."

"Look, I know you're salty, your precious childhood sweetheart and fuckbuddy is now engaged to me. But these are the facts, so keep your hands off him."

"How much sex did she bribe you with?"

"Does it look like I'm the type of person to spread my legs to every Water Tribe stud that crosses my path? I'm a princess, I've got standards."

"But somehow stealing my boyfriend is fine?"

"Zuzu is yours, Sokka is mine. End of. Period. I don't care how well you fucked or he fucked your or any other sob story, Sokka is mine for now and ever. And no, don't even think of asking about sharing." Azula replied, hugging Sokka tightly.

"There's just no convincing you to give him back is there?"

"Nope, over my dead body."

"Could you both not talk as if I'm a piece of meat to be traded?"

"Since when did we give you permission to talk?"

"Uh..um…."

"Exactly. Now go back to the corner and think about what you've done."

"Yes ma'am."

"You have him truly whipped, haven't you?"

Bridge

SS Jianzhu

"How long do you think we'll take before reaching Hanyang?"

"Three weeks, weather permitting. Waters are rough this time of year. On the other hand we need not worry about potential pursuers. Not even the most dedicated cutter would dare venture out, and these folk are masters of these unforgiving waters."

"I see."

"Best be clinging on to something sturdy when the red lights come on, least you don't get bashed about the cabin."

"I will keep that in mind."

"One more thing, if we make it out of this run in one piece I'm retiring immediately."

"I will see to it that you are well compensated for your efforts."

"Go pray to the sea goddesses and Tui and La while you're at it." the captain replies, before going over his charts, a steady hand on the tiller even as powerful waves hurled themselves onto the ship's deck, coating it in a slick sheen of ice that lasted only as long as the bow did not kiss another wave.