Standing inside a metal box of sorts wouldn't usually make Sokka feel safe- it would make him feel trapped- but his specific context of being in a prison cell with an earthbender made him feel warm inside; the Water Tribesman could rest easy knowing that their captive wouldn't simply bend himself out of the prison cell; he stood next to Azula, who glared at the now former leader of the Dai Li with suspicion.
"Long Feng- I want you to tell me what you know, for your sake and for the sake of this city." she commanded him, the Grand Secretariat shrugging his shoulders turning his bruised face away from the Princesses peering eyes.
"I will not be denigrated by the likes of you." he simply stated, Azula's hands filling with fire involuntarily as her rage begun to boil.
"Likes of me?! More the likes of you, some snide little earthbending man who thinks he's smart enough to fight me- you are my prisoner!" she shouted at him, the earthbender chuckling and raising his hand toward Sokka, who reeled defensively at the man's movement.
"This savage was the one who actually beat me- not you." he told Azula, making Sokka almost shriek in fear.
"No-no-no! It was a team effort!" Sokka tried to deflate his position, knowing too well that he didn't want to try and place himself above the Princesses own hubris.
"Never mind who beat you to a pulp- remember this, I can have you executed on the spot for being an conspirator against the Fire Nation- just like I could the Governor." Azula told Long Feng, standing over the injured but still defiant man.
"But you won't- because I know things." Long Feng tried to smirk, Azula grabbing him by the neck and pulling out a scroll with another hand.
"These names- code-words; I want to know what they mean." she asked him, Long Feng raising an eyebrow.
"So not the secret-base the Dai Li has hidden from even your knowledge?" he questioned her, Azula dismissing his claims with a chuckle.
"Even if I wanted to find your base- I know no Fire Nation army could ever take it down- an underground fortress filled with elite earthbenders- that's a sacrifice I am not stupid enough to make." Azula argued, before inching the scroll closer to his face, "These names- tell me what they mean." she showed the scroll, which jotted down the information she had extracted from the Dai Li safe-house.
"Ah- arrows, flowers, bears? You might find the stories behind these interesting."
"I don't want stories, I want answers." she commanded, shoving the scroll into Sokka's hands before raising a flame in her open hand.
"Well Princess I may as well tell you what you actually might find important first-" Long Feng begun, Azula slightly squinting at Long Feng with suspicion- she couldn't be certain if was to be truthful but she ought to trust him for the moment "The Flowers- better known as the Order of the White Lotus- an international organisation that desires to return the world to balance, which involves overthrowing Fire Nation rule, although until quite recently they have had little proactive action."
Azula tighten her grip on his shoulder, "What action?"
Sokka paled in realisation, "Azula- the ship." Azula looking at Sokka with confusion before Long Feng smirked in acknowledgement.
"Yes snow savage, you are correct- the Order of the White Lotus hired mercenaries- Water Tribe I now assume- to capture you in order to ensure your non-intervention in their plans."
"Oh- I guess they would have something to do with my brother attempting to overthrow my father in that case." Azula guessed, Long Feng shrugging.
"Whether the White Lotus implored your brother to begin his open revolt is in question- all I know is that the organisation is aligned with him." Long Feng told her, "Is that the kind of information you desired?" Azula sighing at him with slight frustration.
"No- no matter how helpful to me it is to know the potential threat against my nation- these White Lotus aren't the current issue- you, your cronies and whoever else is trying to fuck with my people right here in Ba Sing Se that is the issue." Azula sternly told Long Feng, inching her flame filled hand closer to his face.
"The Bears- the loyalists of the Earth King- you might not be surprised to hear that most of the nobility are still functionally loyal despite remaining in the city- the Earth King and his loyal generals fled the city but they have no direct influence at the moment thanks to the tight military control of the city." Long Feng explained, Azula nodding at his explanation before continuing, "The Arrows- a rebel group located in the Lower Ring that is currently planning to orchestrate a coup- tomorrow actually they plan to strike, but my people have done most the job haven't they- the Fire Nation practically doesn't control the city at this point, the garrison being compromised as it is."
"Coup?" Sokka questioned, his face growing into one of fearful shock, "Oh Jet- you fucking idiot." he exclaimed.
"We are under control-" Azula eyed Long Feng before turning to Sokka with a raised eyebrow, "Who is Jet- don't tell me you've met these plotters."
"Yes- they saved me from the Dai Li." he told her, eyeing Long Feng with slight anger, "I'm not going to let them just get massacred by your people." Sokka told Azula, who turned her flame filled hand to Sokka now.
"Sokka- don't throw away all the goodwill you've got just for some dirty angry Earth Kingdom rebels." she told him, genuinely disappointed in his rebellious attitude at this point.
"I don't want to betray you Azula- honestly I don't, not after all we've done to take down this clown;" he told her, glancing back at Long Feng suspiciously, "I want to help keep the peace- if I do nothing, you kill them and countless people die rebelling against Fire Nation rule, if I betray you- you kill me and it's pointless- so I want a middle ground."
"What- there is no middle ground in being a traitor- although that's not the accurate word- you'd be not doing your job, and you'll be fired in that case- in quite a literal sense." Azula berated Sokka, inching closer with her flame filled hand, the blue tinge covering both their faces.
"I want to convene with them- make them change their minds on trying to fight the Fire Nation- show them the inevitable failure they will face." he told Azula honestly, who sighed at him with contempt.
"You are not persuading me to give you a chance- you are persuading me not to kill you." she told him, pointing back to Long Feng, "He has information, you have nothing but your tact, and if that doesn't work in my favour, it's of no use to me."
Sokka stood tall toward Azula, holding his shoulders high, and purposefully dropped his boomerang to the side, showing that he was not willing to fight, "I will not fight you Azula- this isn't about me- this is about the potential lives that will be lost if I do nothing to stop them- not you- you can imprison the Freedom Fighters for all I care, but I don't want you to massacre angry civilians because they don't like being oppressed by the Fire Nation's iron fist- I know you wouldn't kill me or them for no reason, so let me do what I do best."
"What is that?" she asked him, Sokka chuckling.
"Talking myself out of dangerous situations." he told her, Azula laughing at him.
"You are right Sokka- you can do something- but I don't want you making any shady deals." she told him, and glanced back to Long Feng, "We best discuss this outside- pick up your weapon, making yourself defenceless isn't tactful it's just plain stupid." Azula berated him, shuffling him out of the prison cell once he picked up his boomerang.
"Enjoy your time here." Sokka called out to Long Feng mockingly, now convinced he wasn't going to have his face burnt off on the spot by Azula.
After closing the cell door, Azula and Sokka walked their way out through the former Earth King's Royal Prison with it's now single prisoner; the Princess turned to him once they they were far away enough from Long Feng's prying ears.
"I propose that I send someone with you- someone I can trust to be wholly truthful." she told Sokka, who cringed at the image of who he knew would be accompanying him.
"Urgh- Captain Grumpypants, who better?" he joked; Sokka felt uneasy at the thought of having to deal with the Captain- their dislike of each other was quite public.
"Yes- the Captain with accompany you to where ever these Freedom Fighters are located- once he returns with confirmation that they will not try to overthrow our rule, I can trust them to continue doing whatever thing they do when not fighting against my people." Azula told him, Sokka raising an eyebrow.
"Why not you just come along yourself?" he asked her, Azula glaring at him.
"Didn't you tell these people that you were under my employ- if they see a Fire Nation looking woman, they will more than likely go for the kill upon realising they are before their greatest enemy; wouldn't that just be the same outcome that you don't want?" she explained, Sokka nodding curtly.
"Yeah- fair enough actually- I guess I'll go as quickly as possible." Sokka decided, looking at Azula with cringed face, "Oh- can you wake up the Captain- I'm sure he'd set me on fire if I wake him from his nap now." he asked Azula, who sighed at him in disappointment.
"Why do you make me do all the work?" Azula questioned him, making Sokka raise his hands open in defence.
"The Captain follows your orders- it's not like I can just tell him to come along- you have to- y'know- command." Sokka told her, Azula smirking deviously.
"Does that mean you're respecting my authority now?" she asked him with a smirk.
"I- uh- when I choose to." Sokka claimed, Azula patting him on the shoulder almost in a paternal manner.
"You keep telling yourself that one." she jested at him before continuing to walk towards the entrance, leaving Sokka with his mouth agape.
"Just because I do what you want doesn't mean I follow orders- it means I agree with what you're doing!" he argued to Azula, who cringed and laughed at his claim.
"You might want to take that one back- unless you agree with the Fire Nation rule over this city." she smirked at him, Sokka face palming in realisation.
"This is what they call a lose-lose situation- isn't it?" he asked her, Azula shrugging her shoulders and smugly smiling at him.
"Well- I like both the outcomes- you're my warrior now savage."
The afternoon sun peered over the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se, it's great inner-wall casting a long shadow across much of the outer districts of the expansive city; two down-dressed individuals made their way through the streets with little hast- they were both not eager to reach their destination. Sokka took the lead, trying to remember the path he had taken with Jet and the Freedom Fighters on the way to the monorail station; his memory of the exact route was hazy after a week, but he knew the general direction in which he had to move to reach their campsite- if they were there anyway. The Captain was rather begrudged at the situation he was in- the Princess had ordered him to dress like an Earth Kingdom commoner- Sokka as well- to avert suspicion as they went through the city- the Dai Li remained a threat even with their leader in prison and from what Azula had made out, the individuals Sokka was leading him to were not the kindest bunch to the Fire Nation. He couldn't be bothered to even try and speak with the Water Tribesman- although his active duty in fighting the Dai Li had earned some respect on his behalf, he wasn't going to act all buddy-buddy with the boy- he was his enemy for all intents and purposes; if it hadn't been for the Princesses personal threats and supposed good-will, he presumed Sokka would have abandoned her at Huangwen to rejoin his people. Sokka felt similarly, although he would still verbally direct him as they made their way through the alleys of the Lower Ring. They arrived at the large thoroughfare that Sokka remembered as where Jet had robbed a convoy that was heading to the Upper Ring; he pointed out to the Captain upon realisation.
"I crossed this road on my way to the monorail- we're getting close, just through this block I think." Sokka told the Captain, who nodded with a slight shrug.
They continued across the road and followed through the alleyways into the somewhat smoggy and more poverty stricken part of the Lower Ring- although they could agree the entire Lower Ring had a stench of smoke and bad cooking, this part of the city was exceptionally bad- Sokka personally couldn't remember the smell, he was rather dazed and hungover when he came through himself. Sokka soon spotted the exact location he could remember- an abandoned building that the Freedom Fighters used as a campsite- Sokka checked for smoke or sounds that would indicate their presence.
"They live there- or at least they did a week ago- I'm sure we'll be able to find them soon enough." Sokka explained to the Captain with a hopeful face, who sighed audibly in frustration.
"Great- more walking." he complained, crossing his arms before taking a look at the building, "You're right- unless they're out at the moment- rebels have a keen aptitude for running around and causing trouble." he thought aloud, Sokka chuckling.
"The Dai Li's done their job for them at this point, truly." he admitted, before walking up to the ladder and grabbed it, before he suddenly heard a whirring noise, instinctively moving his head to the side to dodge it- an arrow struck the old brick wall of the building, letting out a bit of dust that made Sokka cough before he turned to see the attacker; Longshot stood with his bow drawn and ready to shoot both Sokka and the Captain- he had his orders, as Sokka expected.
Turning his head the other way Sokka saw the man he needed to- Jet stood before him with his hook swords withdrawn, "I hope you've got that reason- because you're going to need it."
Sokka cringed in a slight of fear, his eyes catching the Captain prepare to take a stance, which Sokka stopped with a hand to the shoulder.
"No stop- we're not here to fight- I want to talk." Sokka told Jet, although directing the statement of explicit non-violence to the Captain and anyone else that was listening.
Jet inched closer, his smirk growing, "Well come on then- tell me what you want to say." holding his hook swords out wide, making Sokka step back before responding.
"I know what you're going to do tomorrow- I'm here to tell you that's a really bad idea." Sokka explained, Jet raising an eyebrow.
"Are you judging my strategic ability?" Jet questioned him, stepping closer to Sokka with his teeth grit, Sokka raising his hands defensively with a serious face.
"No Jet- the entire Fire Nation military is drawing down on this city- even if you could defeat the garrison of the city with the help of like-minded people, you would be destroyed in the same manner as the Air Nomads- or my people- you'd doom the entire city to mass murder" Sokka explained, the Captain raising a finger to try and counter-argue Sokka's claims- being stopped in his tracks by Sokka's hand- he didn't want the Captain making any remarks that might make him Jet's next target.
"What else can we do- join the Fire Nation? Like you, a traitor to your own people?" Jet questioned Sokka, whose stoic face broke into one of frustrated anger.
"This isn't about me you idiot! This is about the fate of this city- do you want the blood of innocents on your hands?" Sokka questioned Jet, who growled at Sokka with fury.
"Innocents would only be falling to the ash-maker scum! They are the enemy, why can't you see that?!" Jet shouted at Sokka, who was stopped by the Captain, looking dead in the eyes of Jet.
"Kid- listen to me, what you're trying to do won't just kill innocents, it will draw the war on even further- what do you think the Fire Lord will do if he finds out that the city of Ba Sing Se broke from his rule? He would personally come and burn it to the ground, that's what." he told the Freedom Fighter, inching closer to him, "Do you know what a ton of firebenders together at once can do to a city like this?"
Jet contorted his face into one of almost sadness, before responding with a dark and angry tone, "Yes- yes I do- we all do."
Sokka stepped forward to face Jet again, "You have to understand- you cannot win- any action you make right now against the Fire Nation would only make things worse for the people here."
Jet gritted his teeth and frowned, but responded to Sokka with a grumble, "I understand- but I cannot do nothing- we cannot do nothing."
Sokka sighed and tried to reaffirm Jet, "You are right Jet- this city is a whole pile of crap and it needs to be fixed, but it can't be done now, not in these dire circumstances." before glancing to the Captain momentarily, before looking back at Jet stoically.
"The Dai Li were going to use you and your people to destabilise the city, your attack was never going to work, and even if it did, the Dai Li would kill you and your friends and establish whatever distorted idea of government they believe in." Sokka explained to Jet, whose eyes opened in realisation.
"That's why they- oh spirits- they've already attacked us." Jet told them, rubbing the bridge of his nose in understanding the complexity of their situation.
"They want you dead Jet- they know what you might actually do if you had the slimmest chance of winning power." Sokka told him, Jet nodding in understanding.
Smellerbee stood forward from the alleyway beside Jet, having listened to the conversation, "Jet- if he's telling the truth- we're not safe here- we all need to leave- right now if we can."
Jet looked back at Smellerbee in a slight of regret, "But- those people- we told them to riot- to fight back, if we abandon them what would that make us?"
Sokka stood forward, and cleared his throat before asking them, "I have an idea- it might help you ease your minds."
Jet raised an eyebrow in suspicion, "What? To turn ourselves in- no we're not stupid."
Sokka chuckled at his thought, "Ah- no, that's not what I was going to say;" before continuing, "I can talk to the Princess and persuade her to order the garrison to treat the rioters fairly, ward them off and not make violent responses- how about that?" he proposed, Jet raising his head in thought of it momentarily before nodding at him.
"Uh- I would agree to that- at least for the people's sake." he affirmed to Sokka, who smiled in realisation that he might have made a deal.
"So what do you want in return?" Smellerbee asked Sokka directly, his face changing to one of disappointment and regret.
"I don't have the right to command you to not fight- you can do so if you want, but I implore you to change your minds- leave the city if you must- I don't want your blood or the blood of innocent Earth Kingdom people on my hands." he explained to her, Smellerbee turning away momentarily, before glancing back at Jet.
"We should tell him." she told Jet, who looked at her with slight shock.
"Wait what- we can barely trust him." he responded, Sokka unsure of what they were actually talking about.
"What's going on? What won't you tell me?" Sokka questioned them, feeling uneasy in the presence of potential information he might not want to hear- the restraint in Smellerbee's voice told it all to him.
She looked Sokka in the eyes, "We met somebody whose is a friend of yours- I think you'd want to meet him."
"What?!" Sokka's face turning to one of shock, the Captain's face as well appearing with the same expression.
"Another Water Tribesman in Ba Sing Se?" the Captain remarked in bewilderment, Smellerbee nodding, before turning to Sokka who was speechless.
"Sokka- we can take you to him." she explained to him, Sokka nodding in realisation- he might finally find someone- another survivor of the wreck- he wasn't surprised at the potential outcome of someone else making it back to the mainland, but he was bewildered that this survivor had come to Ba Sing Se.
"Who are they?" he asked her, Smellerbee responding with slight hesitation.
"He said his name was Bato- although I don't know if that was his actual name." she explained, Sokka grabbing her by the shoulders in ecstatic happiness.
"Bato! He's here?!" he exclaimed, his shift change in mood making Smellerbee and Jet somewhat uneasy.
"Yes- we met him in the Lower Ring earlier today," she told Sokka, backing off him slightly, "He's staying in an inn a block or two away- we can take you to him now."
Sokka nodded in affirmation, waving the Captain as to get him to follow, Jet raising his brow at the Captain in realisation he had no idea who he was.
Jet intervened as the Captain begun to walk toward Sokka, holding his arm out and looking at him suspiciously, "Who are you exactly?" he asked the Captain, who cringed in realisation he had no cover in front of these people- they would assume he was the Princesses lackey- which despite being an accurate judgement, was not one he would want anti-Fire Nation rebels finding out.
"Uh- you can just call me 'Lee'." he bluffed, choosing the most common name he could think of, "I'm just here to help Sokka." he lied again, knowing that revealing his actual purpose would likely aggravate them further.
Jet eyed him momentarily, scanning down his form, noting that he had no weapons of any kind, before dropping his arm and patting him on the shoulder, "Move along then- I'm keeping an eye on you." he told the Captain bluntly, who simply nodded and followed along with Sokka and Smellerbee.
The Freedom Fighters led Sokka and the Captain along the streets of the Lower Ring, meandering past slums, shops and tenements to the run-down inn that Sokka presumed Bato was staying at- it was a large building, covered with paper lampshades and somewhat better painting that the rest of the buildings he had seen. Walking up to the entrance Smellerbee and Jet led them through into the bar section of the establishment before going off to find Bato, leaving Sokka and the Captain sitting down to wait around.
Sokka sitting on a stool, turned to the Captain, who felt at ease in a somewhat homely bar, "So- I assume you're okay with what I told them?" he asked, the Captain shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm not the one you're going to have to persuade, I'm simply observing and inputting on my own accord- you've got a few good points, but I don't think this will change much." he explained, Sokka raising a brow.
"So you think the Fire Nation rule isn't going to work out?" he asked, the Captain sighing in frustration.
"You ask too many questions kid- the whole things a mess- too many people, not enough men, no colonists, not yet at least." he told the Water Tribesman, who nodded in understanding- the Captain pragmatically viewed the situation- the city might be useful in holding down the Earth Kingdom, but it was a drain of resources that could ultimately backfire- as they had already seen today.
"Do you think the men who went at us were brainwashed?" Sokka asked, the Captain raising his eyebrow at his statement.
"What- are you accusing my people of being mindless drones?" he gaped, Sokka chuckling but shaking his head in disapproval.
"No- no- I know you all are willingly here to beat down the Earth Kingdom- I mean would those men just go off the orders of their Governor to just up and arrest the followers of the Crown Princess herself." he asked, thinking out the logic of the situation as he spoke.
"Well- he wouldn't be expected to make such accusations without backing- they'd respect the man's word enough- they probably had a few men brainwashed to order the rest of the garrison around- most recruits have it drilled to follow their superiors orders." he explained.
"So what happened then- I'm not really part of the whole dealing with a brainwashing conspiracy thing." he asked, the Captain frowning.
"There's a lot of loyal men out there who were willing to restrain their brothers- the other guards did their jobs well- if we were unlucky the entire city would have started following the Dai Li's orders by proxy- I think we sorted that out." he told Sokka, who nodded in understanding.
"Yeah, that makes sense- despite what you might think about my loyalties, Dai Li rule wouldn't help anyone here- instead of the Princess protecting their tenuous peace, she'd be returning to invade the city." Sokka acknowledged, before glancing away from the Captain to see Smellerbee and Jet had returned from the depths of the inn with a companion- his distinct blue attire made him immediately acknowledged but his warm smile was reminded Sokka of his people that he missed so dearly- not just his father, but his sister and grandmother- the entire tribe he hadn't seen in nearly a year.
"Bato!" he almost shouted, happiness and relief overcoming the Water Tribe warrior, the other tribesman responding with a grin and caring eyes.
"Sokka! You're really here!" Bato grinned, pacing up to Sokka and both of them hugging each other.
"Oh man- I thought you were a goner- you weren't on the deck, I guess you were with the demolitions crew." Sokka thought aloud, Bato sighing and nodding at Sokka's ideas.
"Yes- I was down below deck; I was able to get off the boat and tag along with the escaping crew." he explained to Sokka, the Captain's eyes growing wider in realisation.
"Wait- what?!" he exclaimed upon figuring the whole situation out- Bato had used the lift raft- a vessel which he had personally commanded- to get back to the shoreline- he must of broken off before they reached port in Huangwen but it didn't change his frustration.
Bato raised an eyebrow at the Captain, who looked in shock upon realising that Bato had assumed his identity immediately- he obviously didn't recognise him, but the reaction he had given was enough to blow his cover; his eyes narrowed at the Captain as he gulped audibly in realisation.
"Now- who are you exactly?" he asked the Captain, who remembered his fake name but actually told the man something a bit more truthful.
"I'm uh- Lee, I am here to watch over Sokka." he told Bato, not exactly lying about his duty, but keeping his story away from the matters of the rebellion and the Princess.
"Okay- well if you wouldn't mind I'd like to talk with Sokka, alone preferably." he asked the Captain, who glanced at Sokka momentarily before nodding in defeat.
"Of course," he bluffed, turning away to walk out of the inn, "I'll be waiting out here, Sokka." realising in afterthought he was being exceptionally courteous to Sokka- but he thought he shouldn't cause a scene- the boy deserved to at least talk to his own people without the Princesses eyes and ears towering over him.
Sokka turned back to Bato, realising that he at least assumed the Captain's complicity with the Princess and sighed in knowing that he would have a lot of explaining to do- the Freedom Fighters wouldn't have relented in demeaning him in front of Bato once they realised they had a 'friend' in common.
"So I heard from Smellerbee over there all about you and the Princess." he told Sokka, his eyes inquisitive of Sokka's own unusual situation, "How did that happen?"
Sokka's eyes opened, "Wait- so you're not angry?" he asked Bato, who chuckled at him.
"I have no idea what happened to you after we got aboard that ship, let alone what happened with you and the Princess- I've got an open mind to what you have to say, no matter how absurd the situation might seem." Bato affirmed to Sokka, who smiled knowing that he was being fair about the situation with him and Azula, unlike most other people that had learnt of it- even the Captain was pretty judgy about it- despite being from the other side.
"I fought Azula on the ship and I distracted some of the firebenders so Dad and the others could make an easier escape to the ships- my bad luck was that I didn't get aboard before you blew a hole in it." Sokka explained, Bato's eyes opening and cringing with an audible hiss in realisation.
"My bad- uh- yes, as you were saying." he interrupted.
"Then well I tried to signal the ships but the thing I used didn't exactly do the job, so I used an empty crate to float on the water- that's how I got to shore; I met Azula- uh- the Princess, and we survived together in the forest- fought some Earth Kingdom deserters, and eventually made our way to Huangwen after all that happened." he explained to Bato, whose eyes opened in knowledge of their common location.
"If I had only waited a few more days-" he exclaimed in realisation, "I was right there, in Huangwen, trying to find information, but a friendly Earth Kingdom loyalist got me passage to Ba Sing Se where I knew our employers had allies- I left there when I could have just found you." Bato explained, his eyes looking sad and in regret.
"It's not your fault Bato- if I was in your situation I would have made the same choice- going to this city would be the best way to find any kind of passage back to the warriors- or home I guess." Sokka counselled his friend, holding him by the shoulder.
"So- I did find some friends of our employer- they have been willing to help me out in the city- they've given me some contacts- I think I might be able to find a way to get a ship homebound; Sokka you've got to come with me- we have to rejoin our people." Bato explained him, Sokka's smile lowering into a more solemn and regret filled face.
"I-I uh- I can't." he mumbled, Bato's eyebrow rising in confusion.
"What? You can't- will the Princess hunt you down- has she made you a slave?" he asked, Sokka sighing and looking back at Bato solemnly.
"I can't just leave her- Azula's- she's- uh- I don't know how to explain it." Sokka fumbled, placing his hands over his cheeks as he fell onto the stool, Bato holding his shoulder with a concerned face.
"What Sokka- why do you need to stay with a woman who seems like she's practically forced you to follow her- like you're her property?" Bato asked him, Sokka thinking momentarily, considering his thoughts before shaking his head.
"No- even if she doesn't want to admit it- she respects me, and she respects my opinion; I want to help the world Bato- I think if I can help her, of all people, maybe that will have more effect than just fighting a few Fire Nation ships." he explained to Bato, who raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Wait- so you like her?" Bato questioned him suspiciously, Sokka's eyes opening wide and his cheeks flushing red in embarrassment.
Sokka almost squealed at him, "Uh what?! Oh spirits no- you're just as bad as those Earth Kingdom villagers." he reminisced at the last time someone described Sokka and Azula as a 'thing'.
Bato chuckled at Sokka, patting his shoulders in conciliation, "Ah don't feel too bad- your taste is a bit weird- but isn't this Princess supposed to be pretty- I mean that's what you'd expect right?" Bato jested at Sokka, who face palmed in retaliation.
"Urgh- she's nice looking okay- yeah I admit it, but she's scary as all hell- lemme tell you that." Sokka admitted to Bato, making him almost break down laughing, Sokka looking at Bato with a still red face, somewhat unhappy, "You're not going to let this go?"
Bato smiled back at him with a slight smirk, "Of course- when you actually make a move- that is." Sokka looked at Bato with dread, knowing that he would have to argue his way out of an awkward conversation- the Princesses looks, no matter how enthralling they might seem, were not the topic of the conversation- he just wanted to tell his friend why he would even momentarily consider not going right home at the given chance- he had a chance to make the world a better place, by helping someone he thought he could believe in.
Sitting outside of the Lower Ring inn, the Captain remained cautious in waiting for Sokka to return outside and he was sure that Sokka would have some explaining to do- he was the Princesses eyes and ears, but she would need to know the contextual information of this meeting- and he would be certain to persuade Sokka to tell him. The whole excursion was taking time of the Captain's preferred rest period of the late afternoon- the walking had tired him further and at the moment he was certainly looking forward to having dinner with his men and relaxing after his more than strenuous day- he had done more fighting in the past day than he had done in the past year; even on the ship his fighting was constricted to singling out the leader of the enemy force, as the Princess had directed him- which unfortunately for the Captain happened to be Sokka's father. He and the young Water Tribesman were still in dispute over that fight, and the Captain ought there be a fair rematch to settle it- although he doubted the Princess would allow him to do it- non-benders can't exactly do Agni Kai's- and it wasn't like Sokka had actually demeaned the Captain in any sense that wouldn't be expected. Soon enough he was joined by someone from inside the inn, but it wasn't who he was expecting- it was Jet, the leader of the supposed Freedom Fighters, who sat next to him on the bench, looking at him with some intrigue.
"So Lee- what do you exactly have to do with Sokka?" Jet asked him, the Captain shrugging his shoulders and thought up a reasonable response.
"I'd rather not get into that- I have duties that I have to fulfill; talking to you about my day job won't help that." he explained, Jet turning to face him, his eyes narrow and accusing.
"Are you one of them- an ash-maker?!" Jet demanded of him, the Captain looking at him stoically.
"I protect people- I think that's more than you can say." he told Jet, whose eyes filled with frustration at the Captain upon realising the truth of his statement, despite the general view he had of the Fire Nation.
"You- you might be right, but that doesn't change the world where we live- your people are evil." Jet bluntly told him, the Captain chuckled at him.
"No- good and evil have nothing to do with the war- it's about strength, and it just happens to be that the Fire Nation is strong." the Captain told him, Jet's eyes growing cold.
"How can you- I- we are strong." he grumbled, unable to think of a real answer to the Captain's explanation.
"I won't dismiss your people- we are all one nation now really- the Earth Kingdom is dead, whether you like it or not." the Captain explained, Jet's eyes growing more concerned and suspicious, looking back to the door of the inn before looking into the Captain's eyes.
"So what about Sokka then- huh- is he just as fooled as you are?" he asked, the Captain chuckling.
"Oh he's just as bad as you- desiring 'justice' or whatever you want to call it; he just happens to be pragmatic enough to realise the Fire Nation can be reasoned with like any other people." he told Jet, who looked away in thought.
"My people weren't given a choice- my village wasn't given any options, it was just burnt to the ground." Jet told the Captain, his voice cold, and the Captain actually glanced at him with a sense of pity.
"That's war kid- it doesn't matter who started it at this point because both sides are out for blood- what do you think the Earth Kingdom would be doing in our position?" he reasoned, Jet looking at him in confusion.
"They wouldn't massacre people for no reason." Jet told him, the Captain almost laughing at him.
"Remember who controlled the high command of the Earth Kingdom before this city fell? I think those people would have no qualms killing innocent folk in my nation if it suited a war narrative." the Captain told him, Jet gulping in realisation of his actual words- the Dai Li were the real power in the Earth Kingdom- he knew well enough that if it suited them they wouldn't be the merciful type to the Fire Nation even if they were the weak and defeated ones.
At that moment Sokka walked out of the door, soon followed by Smellerbee, who both probably had overheard the argument between the two of them; Sokka chuckled at them both, finding it funny that he wasn't the one locked in argument for a change.
"Oh so I see you two are getting along;" he jested at them, both the Captain and Jet looking at Sokka with offence, before he continued, "well thanks for getting me to Bato- what the chance that you ran into him in this massive place." he remarked with a smile, Jet looking at Sokka with a tense suspicion.
"Your friend here doesn't seem to be what he looks like- I'm not surprised, but I'd expect that you'd come to see us of all people with a goon from the Princess." Jet explained to Sokka, the Captain looking at Jet in offence.
"A goon- I am an elite guard trained to protect members of the Royal Family from drivel like you." he argued to Jet, Sokka intervening before the argument could intensify.
"Okay guys- no need to start a fight, really!" he tried to get them to calm down, Jet gritting his teeth and frowning.
"Yes there is- this ash-maker thinks he can talk me down after all his people have done." he told Sokka, the Captain scoffing at Jet's claims.
"I've done nothing of the sort you talk about- I beat up this guy once but that's about it." he told Jet, pointing out Sokka, who himself looked at the Captain with confusion.
"Wait-a-minute! I beat you- uh- or technically my dad did- but that's beside the point! I don't want you guys to make a scene!" Sokka told the Captain, grabbing Jet by the shoulder, "Please- the Dai Li will notice a fight between a disguised firebender and a crazy hook-swordsman." he told Jet, who grumbled in frustration before backing down.
Smellerbee edged in closer and nodded at Sokka, "He's right Jet- stop being an idiot- we know what's going to happen if you get out of control." she told her leader, who sighed and nodded in understanding of his behaviour.
Sokka shuffled the Captain away from Jet and turned back to the Freedom Fighters with a sincere and calmer face, "Thanks guys- I mean really- you didn't kill me." Smellerbee chuckled at him while Jet drew a small smirk.
"You're right- I did promise you, but I guess what you said was good enough- the Dai Li is as bad as the ash-makers- we're not going to win against a massive Fire Nation counter-attack- but I wonder how does that stop 'her royal highness' imprisoning us though?" Jet questioned him, Sokka sighing.
"I hope once I explain to her what you've agreed to that she will see no reason to hunt you down and throw you in jail." Sokka confirmed to Jet, who nodded.
"If you're not going off with Bato- then what are you doing?" Smellerbee asked Sokka, having overheard some of their conversation.
"Uh- well I'll help Azula- I will try and make sure she's not as bad as her dad, really to be honest." he told them, Jet's eyes opening in shock.
"You won't just go home after all you've gone through? I thought that was why you came here in the first place- to find a way home." he questioned, Sokka sighing.
"She was going to pay me back with a way home- that's the idea and still the plan I think- but I'm willing to follow her around the Earth Kingdom for a bit- she'll probably have more stuff to do knowing how 'rebellious' the Earth Kingdom tends to be." Sokka told them, Smellerbee smirking at his explanation.
"We really are, aren't we?" she jested with a tinge of pride.
"Yes- I'll be using the power of compromise and diplomacy- perhaps that'll inspire her to not do- y'know, Fire Nation-y things." he told them, Jet and Smellerbee nodding at his affirmation; Jet momentarily shuffled through his pockets before looking at Sokka with a thought in mind.
"Well if you're heading around- can I ask you a favour?" Jet asked, Sokka shrugging his shoulders.
"You're not going to doom the city anymore, so I guess it's only fair I repay you somehow." Sokka agreed.
Jet smiled at him and begun, "We have a friend, his name is Sneers- he lives in the Fire Nation colony of Yu Dao- he moved there to live with his uncle after our gang split up-
I'd been meaning to send him this message from the Fighters so we could check up on him, but it'd help if you could go and meet him if you're in the area- he could be of some help to you, he'd ought to help a friend of the Freedom Fighters." Jet explained to him, holding out a small message folded, that he pulled from pocket.
"I mean sure Jet- I'll try and make sure this message gets to him." he confirmed to Jet, shaking his had in finishing their deal, "We can make our way back from here- perhaps I'll see you both again."
"Given the situation, we wouldn't prefer it." Jet joked at him, before giving him a curt wave, the two Freedom Fighters walking back down the street away from the inn, leaving the Captain and Sokka alone again.
"You going to give your friend a farewell?" he asked Sokka, who looked at him momentarily before sighing.
"I've already told Bato what I plan to do, and he told me he'll tell my Dad where I am once he returns to my people- I think it's best if I don't involve him any further in this 'thing', whatever you want to call it." Sokka explained, fumbling at the end, making the Captain chuckle lightly.
"Uh- it's calling hunting down rebels and stopping conspiracies- even if you agree with them." the Captain told Sokka, reminding him of his place- he might agree with the Freedom Fighters goals, but the Captain was relieved to know he understood the situation in regards to what a potential rebellion would lead to.
Sokka and the Captain remained silent after those few words, walking through the maze like streets of the Lower Ring towards the monorail once more- they were both glad that the potential rebellion had at least been quelled with some pragmatic judgement on Sokka's behalf. They could agree on one thing in particular after all they'd been through- this city was not the place for them to be, and leaving it would be the preferable option- that is, as soon as Azula would allow it.
On the towering staircase of the Governor's Palace, Crown Princess Azula sat calmly, almost meditative in her mood- she was waiting, biding her time for news from either her men or Sokka and the Captain- the whole palace was compromised by the attempted revolt, and she had ordered the Governor and his closest guards be imprisoned until further notice- she was unsure how long the brainwashing by the Dai Li maintained effect, so she decided to be safe and leave the men locked away, for the safety of the garrison itself. She held the horn a garrison member- or was he Dai Li- had used to signal the brainwashing; it seemed that Long Feng must have had these men picked out one by one to do their duties- from what she could see that was to simply cause a chain reaction of brainwashed soldiers at any given time. Since the Dai Li agents had fled the palace, Azula had ordered the garrison to block off any entrances the Dai Li could use to get back in and to hold the security of the premises on high-alert. She was unsure if the Dai Li would try to retrieve Long Feng if he had been compromised- which she believed they would rightly assume; he was willing to tell her enough, but perhaps only because the information had their interests aligned. If the agents were to be so bold, she was certain to be prepared to fight them off at a moments notice- she had a number of her own personal guards in the former Royal Prison of the Earth Kingdom, ensuring that the Grand Secretariat was remaining in his metal plate prison cell- it would be a challenge for any earthbender to break him out, but with enough brute force the cell would surely break. Soon enough she spotted two figures walking from the entrance of the palace itself- after a few minutes the Captain and Sokka were close enough that she could call to them.
"You two! Did you complete the task I asked of you?" she questioned them, Sokka racing up to her first.
"Of course- the Freedom Fighters won't bother you anymore- not that I think you'll be planning to be anywhere near them soon enough." Sokka explained, hinting on his presumptions of her planning to leave the city soon enough.
"Well yes savage- you are correct; we will be leaving the city as soon as the detached forces from the surrounding territories sure up the cities garrison and defence against the likes of the Dai Li." she confirmed to Sokka, before raising an eyebrow at him, "So- was there anything else productive from your conversation?"
"Uh- well I did try to offer them something, I hope you're willing to give this little compromise." he told her, Azula shrugging at him, her eyes glaring in slight frustration.
"Well we're not meant to compromise with the enemies of the Fire Nation- but I guess I should hear you out- the 'ideas guy'." she mocked him, Sokka laughing it off before returning to a more serious tone.
"I offerred the Freedom Fighters that you would order the garrison to not violently treat any upcoming protest against Fire Nation rule- you can contain it, but don't beat them down with flames because they don't like you ruling their city." he told Azula, who glared at him with a slight of offence.
"Why would they want to revolt? They know exactly what happens to those who go against us!" she angrily responded, looking at Sokka who simply smiled.
"How about a little compassion? It doesn't hurt to be nice." he asked Azula, who simply crossed her arms in defiance.
"May I reiterate to you- I am not nice." she told him bluntly, Sokka chuckling at her and looking at her with a slightly cringed face.
"Actually- it's not really even being nice- it's just trying not to kill your subjects- if you were going to be nice, you'd listen to their grievances." he explained to Azula, who laughed at him.
"Don't even act like I'm going to take that bit of advice!" she jested at him, Sokka's face turning a bit more stoic.
"Please can you not burn the frustrated poor people- they don't deserve it." he tried to reason with Azula.
"They deserve mercy as much as they deserve to be heard- if they want to fight us, they will fight us." she told Sokka, who face palmed in frustration.
"Come on- please try and be reasonable- if the soldiers don't kill them, it won't spill over into a full revolt!" he shouted at Azula, who smirked at him.
"Oh there he is- angry ice savage- I haven't seen you in a while." she mocked him with a smile and wave, Sokka almost screaming in frustration, grasping his face with a hand.
"P-please just don't- okay- I can't just have these people die on my watch." he mumbled, his tone lower now, Azula looking at him with confusion.
"Who said this was your responsibility?" Azula asked Sokka, who looked at Azula with a sore face.
"This is what I do- I help people, or at least I try to." Sokka told her, Azula chuckling at him.
"Well you've helped me- as much as I'd like to say I did this all on my own- you did help." she told him, scratching her chin in thought.
"Perhaps I can give some leniency- but don't think this will stop me from using my full force against any fools dumb enough to try and fight." Azula pointed at Sokka, who sighed in relief.
The Captain stood forward, having been waiting for their argument to end, "I did as you requested Princess- Sokka didn't misbehave or collaborate with the enemy- although we did have a bit of a detour." he told her, Azula raising an eyebrow at Sokka.
"What detour?" she asked them both, Sokka's eyes opening- he had avoided telling her about what he had been doing beside persuading the Freedom Fighters to not try and fight the Fire Nation.
"They led me to someone I know- one of my people." Sokka admitted, the Captain nodding in affirmation- Azula noted that the Captain had observed keenly and would not hesitate to point out Sokka lying.
"So was this person involved in the shipwreck?" she asked him, the Captain stepping forward.
"According to his own words he was part of the group that set up explosives to break the hull." he told Azula, her eyes turning to Sokka.
"So I assume that you had to explain our arrangement?" she asked Sokka, who nodded at her, his eyes drawn down in thought.
"He told me something important though- the people we were working for- they have people in this city- and I think I've connected the dots now." Sokka affirmed to Azula, who smirked in understanding.
"The Order of the White Lotus- so you're certain they were behind the whole thing?" she questioned, Sokka nodding stoically.
"Bato didn't name them- it's unlikely they would have given away their identities to an outsider- but I believe how he described their motives to be very similar to Long Feng's information on them." Sokka affirmed, Azula nodding with a genuine smile.
"This is good- the evidence is before us, and now we have a clear relationship between the Order, my brother and your people's sinking of my ship." she explained, looking out to the evening sky with a smirk, "My father will be please with this- I think this is the kind of information he will find useful in his fight against them." Sokka's face turned solemn at her words.
"Did I make a mistake- should have I come with you?" Sokka openly questioned Azula, who turned to him with a scowled face of frustration.
"Your decision has ultimately saved this city from a Dai Li coup, and more than that my life- I am thankful of your service Sokka- don't doubt your decisions, if you do that would make you weak-willed, an attribute I am not willing to accept from any follower of me." Azula told Sokka, who raised an eyebrow at her comments- they weren't words of derision, but of encouragement, something he hadn't expected to come from the Princess Azula he knew.
"Uh- okay- thanks I guess." he awkwardly accepted her statements, before looking out to the evening orange haze himself, "This has a been a weird two weeks- really." he commented.
Azula chuckled in agreement. "Yes- you are certainly right about that. I never thought in my life I'd be able to consider a Water Tribesman someone worthy of any respect, but you do make a compelling case."
Sokka and Azula both turned at the sound of pattering footsteps- someone was running toward them; at that moment, a guard rushed out of the palace, his sprint almost as if he was running for his life, "Princess- there is a message from the capitalǃ" he told her, his voice panting and almost fearful.
Azula turned to the exhausted man and raised an eyebrow, immediately feeling suspicious of the guards tone, "Well what is it?" the man gulped in fear before responding.
"T-the Fire Lord is dead."