Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Chapter: At the Boiling Point
It was the afternoon after their arrival at the Boiling Rock. Zuko and Sokka had successfully infiltrated the prison if one could call destroying one's only means of escape a success.
When Sokka had announced that he was going in without a plan, Zuko had been about ready to strangle the other teen. Fortunately, they had managed to sneak into the uniform supply room without being spotted. Zuko, who was no stranger to stealthily entering high-security buildings as the Blue Spirit, had been horrified by Sokka's leap and roll evasion tactics. Still, they had made it and were now dressed as prison guards.
Less fortunately, they had just been pressed into service to help break up a fight in the prison yard. When they entered the yard, they saw a loose ring had formed around two men, one a prisoner the other a guard. The prisoner was a giant. He dwarfed all the guards and inmates encircling him. His face was set in the surly expression of someone sick of their circumstances with no way to change them. This was no new inmate, rather he looked to be someone who had spent decades inside the prison.
The other guards rushed forward to hold the spectators back in case the situation escalated into an all-out brawl. Zuko and Sokka hung back trying to gauge the situation and blend in.
The giant spoke in a deep bitter growl. "I didn't do anything. I'm going back to my cell," he said, turning his back on the guard antagonizing him within the ring.
The guard sneered at the man's back. Raising his arms, he created a long coiling whip of flame. Without any other provocation, the guard lashed out at the hulking prisoner, sending the flaming whip across the backs of his legs. The sudden blow caused the large man to stumble and fall to his knees, grunting in pain. The lash left blistering welts on the man's calves. The guard merely smirked as he said, "Stop right there Chit Sang. Don't turn your back on me when I'm talking to you."
Zuko saw red. Growing up with Azula and his father, he was used to displays of cruelty and dominance. It didn't make it any easier to watch someone being bullied and burned. This guard was obviously a man who enjoyed his power over the inmates and the license it gave him to torture and humiliate them. People like Azula and this guard disgusted and deep down frightened Zuko.
Unthinking, Zuko stepped forward to show this ghoul of a man what fire and power really were, just as he had those Earth Kingdom soldiers terrorizing that poor farming village. He never questioned the instinct to protect the inmate.
Just as suddenly, Sokka grabbed Zuko's arm. Tightening his grip, Sokka forced Zuko to focus on him. The Water Tribe teen's face showed all the strain and revulsion that Zuko felt. Leaning close to Zuko, Sokka hissed, "We can't blow our cover!"
Zuko wanted to pull away from Sokka and stop the unwarranted punishment, but he knew the other boy was right. He could stop this one guard and in doing so get himself and probably Sokka killed for his efforts. What had his Uncle called it? A Pyrrhic victory? Once again, Zuko had failed to think things through.
With a massive effort, Zuko reined in his anger and outrage. Meanwhile, the guard had taken a few sauntering steps towards the kneeling swearing prisoner. Gleefully eyeing the damage to the big man's legs, the guard said, "I've had it with your unruly behavior."
The prisoner, Chit Sang, gritted out, "What did I do?" still refusing to face his tormentor.
The guard's swaggering steps brought him close to Zuko and Sokka. Over his shoulder, he said in an offhand tone laced with contempt, "He wants to know what he did. Isn't that cute?"
Zuko could have reached out and touched the man. He bit down hard on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from spitting out what he thought of this waste of flesh and bone. He was now realizing just how soothing his time with the Avatar's group had been. Anger had been his driving emotion for so much of his life. During the last few weeks at the Western Air Temple, he had been given a reprieve from the all-consuming fiery rage which had marked his character. It was now a shock to his system to feel its return.
As had always been the case, as Zuko's temper rose so did his body temperature. He felt Sokka's hand begin to sweat from the heat where it still gripped his elbow. The sudden shift in air temperature must have caught the guard's attention because he was now looking directly at Zuko, suspicion evident in his expression.
With another squeeze from Sokka, Zuko barely managed to mutter, "Uh, yeah, very cute, sir."
Zuko could feel Sokka wince. As if to make up for Zuko's gaff, Sokka added enthusiastically, "Super cute!"
This seemed to mollify the guard, who was more intent on tormenting the prisoner than instilling discipline in new officers. Turning back towards his victim, the guard stalked closer to the man now struggling to his feet. Continuing as if there had been no interruption, he purred, "You didn't bow down when I walked by Chit Sang." He let his voice linger over the prisoner's name almost lovingly.
"What?" Chit Sang protested, outraged. "That's not a prison rule!"
"Do it," the guard hissed menacingly.
It appeared that Chit Sang still had some vestige of self-respect after his years of incarceration. He spat, "Make me." Zuko marveled at the man's resolve even as he knew the prisoner's defiance had just made the retribution much worse.
Smiling triumphantly, the guard bent a new thicker lash. This time, he aimed for Chit Sang's face. Zuko felt the searing pain of his own burn rush through him again as the flame flashed towards the giant's unflinching countenance. Moving more quickly than Zuko would have expected from such large man, Chit Sang bent the flames in an arch around himself then sent them back at his tormentor.
The guard contemptuously kicked the flames aside. Shaking his head slowly, he mocked, "Tsk, tsk. Firebending is prohibited." His eyes gleamed in anticipation. "You're going in the Cooler. You! Help me take him in."
Startled, Zuko saw that 'you' the guard was indicating was Sokka. He groaned as Sokka stepped past him, whispering, "Meet you on the balcony over the yard as soon as I can. Look for my dad." Zuko had known dressing as guards would have consequences. Now, they were being separated and Sokka was off for an evening with a sadist.
As he glanced around the emptying yard, it struck Zuko that he didn't even know the Water Tribe father's name or what he looked like. Growling to himself in frustration, he followed a group of guards back to what appeared to be a barracks. He wracked his brain for any detail that either Sokka or Katara had mentioned about the man. He could remember nothing other than a pair of fierce anguished eyes lit by a greenish glow. Stop, he told himself. That isn't going to help.
The only productive thought he had was that the man would likely have tan skin and blue eyes. As to age, height, or build, he was lost. He would just have to hope that the siblings favored their father rather than their mother.
Quickening his pace, Zuko began shadowing a loud chattering group of guards. They were, of course, talking about the confrontation in the yard.
"What's his count so far this month? Four? Five? I think he just likes watching them shiver," said mustachioed guard to his nodding companions. "Can't stand the place myself," he added shivering at his recollection.
"How long d'you think Chi-Fu is going to keep Chit Sang in there this time?" another male guard asked.
"Dunno. But, did you see Hua, after he let her out?" asked one of the female guards.
"No. I was on a perimeter rotation that day," replied the first guard. "Why?"
"She had frostbite on both feet and her left pinky. Docs aren't sure she'll keep the toes."
A collective shudder ran through the group.
"Yeah, but the Warden was the one who sent her in. After she bit him for getting too friendly. Chi-Fu usually keeps 'em in there a day or two. Chi-Fu may be vicious, but the Warden's just sick," the mustachioed guard replied. His companions hushed him harshly, glancing around to make sure no one had overheard. Zuko kept his face blank and disinterested, letting his pace slow slightly.
As they rounded the next corner, the noise level suddenly increased. Following the still talking group through the first door on the right, Zuko found himself in a rowdy mess hall. Groups of guards clustered around tables eating, gaming, and gossiping. There were almost more guards in this one room than Zuko had realized were stationed in the entire prison.
As Zuko watched, the crew he was following were called over to a table where a pair of younger male guards were clearly enjoying a few drinks. The newcomers all removed their helmets as they approached the pair. It abruptly struck Zuko as he looked around the room that none of the guards were wearing their helmets. He felt a chill of panic race down his spine. If he, Zuko, removed his helmet we would be almost instantly recognizable.
Plenty of people in the Fire Nation had burns or other facial scars due to accidents or the war. But, most of these were either less severe or had resulted in the loss of an eye or nose. His scar was unique in both its cruel precision and its aesthetic. Add to this his unusual eye color—a true yellow gold, unlike the usual ambers and browns so common in the Fire Nation—there would be no mistaking his identity.
Zuko cursed himself for not having thought of this obstacle while still dressing in the supply room with Sokka. He could have had the other boy bind that half of his face and claim it was a training injury. There was no help for it now. He had to keep the helmet on at all costs.
Now feeling quite desperate, Zuko scanned the room trying to find something to occupy him so he didn't stand around attracting attention with his odd behavior. He let out a sigh of relief when he spotted the food set out on long tables on the far side of the room. Making his way over, he was careful not disturb any other guards along his path.
Once in line, Zuko felt how truly hungry he was. He began eagerly piling food onto his plate. Just as he was adding a fourth pork bun to his heap, he heard a chuckle come from right behind him. Glancing back, he found a trio of two men and one woman watching him, snickering.
Catching his eye, the male guard closest to Zuko called, "Hey new guy. Worried that they aren't going to feed you again? Or are you hoping to eat yourself into a growth spurt?" The other man guffawed.
The female guard beckoned him over while saying, "I know it's the rule to have your helmet on at all times but this is the lounge. Relax."
Pushing down another rush of panic, Zuko blurted, "But what if there's an incident?" He took a breath trying to sound more reasonable. "If I'm not prepared someone could strike me on the head." He took a couple steps forward not wanting to seem too reluctant or intimidated.
As he approached, the woman patted the open spot next to her. "Give it a week, you'll loosen up," she responded. Zuko, as if to contradict her assessment, stiffened his shoulders as he sat himself as far from the trio as he could without it being noticeable. One of the men snorted as he sat and passed him a drink of something that made his eyes water just from the smell.
While on board his own ship during his years hunting the Avatar, Zuko had infrequently joined his uncle and two or three of his officers in a drink of rice wine. He had never been able to unbend enough to join the crew when they went ashore to visit the dockside taverns and inns. Subsequently, Zuko had never been exposed to what his nation lovingly called fire whiskey.
With the eyes of his three tablemates on him, Zuko nodded his thanks and reached forward to take the drink. Deciding there was no help for it, he took a large gulp. His mouth was instantly ablaze. He managed to swallow it without choking or coughing. A moment later he had to suppress a massive flaming belch.
Watching his struggle, his three companions broke down laughing. The woman smacked him on the back hard, saying, "Yao, I think that was his first time!"
Zuko flushed as he began shoveling food into his mouth to clear away the taste of the alcohol. Wiping away some tears, the man who had given Zuko the drink, Yao, advised, "You may want to sip it from now on, newbie."
After making a sizeable dent in his food, Zuko picked up the cup again to put a stop to their humor. He growled a low, "Thanks for the warning," before sipping the drink circumspectly. When not drunk in a large mouthful, the fire whiskey had a pleasant warmth to it.
Apparently, his pleasure at the change showed on his face as the third guard commented to Zuko, "That's it kid, nice and easy."
Taking another long sip, Zuko began to feel more confident. Turning to his new acquaintances, he spoke up asking, "Can the new guy ask you veterans a few questions about the prison?"
The female guard was the quickest to respond with, "No, you can't date the female guards."
Zuko snorted along with Yao. The third guard leaned across the table to him, saying in a stage whisper, "Trust me, you don't want to." An empty cup smacked the man squarely in the face. Yao laughed harder, Zuko joining in with a low chuckle. Zuko was amazed at how much funnier everything was suddenly.
Mastering himself, Zuko retrieved the cup from where it had fallen on the table and placed it back in front of the disgruntled woman. "No," he said as Yao instinctively followed his lead and refilled all the cups on the table. "That's not it. The Boiling Rock, it holds the Fire Nation's most dangerous criminals right?" He nodded his thanks and took another swig as did the others.
If he could just keep them drinking, maybe he could ask them his more difficult questions without it seeming suspicious. The danger, of course, was that he, Zuko had no practical experience with these things and might find himself in worse condition than these three guards.
"Scared, new guy?" Yao asked him with a wicked smile. "Don't worry, as long as you stay away from the animals in block eight you'll be fine. "
"What's so special about block eight?"
"That's where the Warden sticks the real psychopaths. The ones it's not safe to let around the other prisoners."
"Or guards for that matter," offered the other man who had recovered from the cup to the face by emptying his own drink again.
"Things've been pretty quiet over in that block for a while. No new playmates for about six months to stir 'em all up."
No new inmates in block eight, for six months? Then Sokka's father definitely couldn't be one of them. The invasion had been only a month or so ago. "Got it, stay away from block eight. So what about war prisoners? Do we have any of those?" he asked taking the smallest possible sip of his drink.
"We got loads of those. Some have been here for more than fifty years," Yao said expansively. "These days, though, we generally get the leaders of whatever group's been captured."
Was Sokka's father a leader? Zuko wasn't sure. Given how tiny and pitiful the village had been at the South Pole, he thought it unlikely. He felt his spirits sink. What if he had brought them all this way for nothing?
Two hours and three bottles of fire whiskey later, only three cups of which had been drunk by him, Zuko thought he might be losing track of his aim. He had continued his questions about prisoners, prison life, and routines, interrupted by the frequent ribbing of his new drinking mates. About twenty minutes ago, the conversation had veered off inexplicably into a discussion of dating. Yao was now detailing for Zuko the best ways to get a woman to kiss him. The female guard, whose name turned out to be Sying, was practically giggling while shaking her head 'no' at each suggestion.
Zuko was just about to ask what she would suggest when a hand suddenly clamped down on his shoulder. "There you are, buddy! I've been looking for you all over," came a slightly exasperated familiar voice from above. Looking up a bit unsteadily, Zuko saw Sokka standing over him.
"Hey! You're not on cooler watch anymore! Sit down and have a drink with us," Zuko indicated the gap between Sying and himself.
Raising his eyebrows at Zuko's uncharacteristic enthusiasm, Sokka sat down. Warily, he eyed the inebriated trio of guards around them. Zuko pushed his half full fourth cup of fire whiskey in front of Sokka. Lifting it to his nose, Sokka's eyes widened as he understood the source of Zuko's sudden sociability.
"Who's your friend, Lee?" Sying asked coquettishly as she looked over Sokka. Zuko had fallen back on his old pseudonym not having much imagination for names.
"This is my friend… Mushi," Zuko said receiving a glare from Sokka. "He and I started here together."
"Uh, yeah, hi, everyone," Sokka said trying to sound natural.
"Welcome, Mushi," Yao said topping off the cup. "Let's see if you can handle your liquor better than your buddy there. I thought he was going to breathe fire after that first mouthful."
"Yeah, I hope it isn't your first time too," Sying commented, her tone suggestive.
"Oh trust me, this stuff can't be as bad as the cactus juice I had once," Sokka said confidently, taking a sip.
"Oooo, cactus juice. You are wild!" Sying laughed leaning into Sokka.
Was it just Zuko's imagination or was this guard hitting on Sokka? The Water Tribe teen had been there for less than five minutes and Sying could not take her eyes off him. The two were now exchanging lame jokes. Looking at his friend, Zuko could not understand the appeal.
Sokka is a savant at picking up girls...I don't understand it either but he has a gift.
The words echoed through his now fuzzy mind. At the moment, Zuko couldn't quite place them. He looked over at Yao and the other guard whose name he had forgotten, to find that the two had fallen asleep sitting at the table. "And they said I can't hold my liquor," Zuko slurred inarticulately.
As if Zuko's comment had roused him, Sokka turned to Zuko with a slight crease between his brows. "It's been nice talking to you Sying, but I think my friend… Lee, here needs a walk."
Sying said her goodbyes, obviously disappointed that Sokka was not sticking around longer.
Walking along the hallway he had entered by, Zuko was having to periodically steady himself on Sokka or the wall. As they emerged onto a balcony overlooking the yard, Zuko sucked in a breath of hot fresh night air. He had never appreciated how much better outdoor air tasted than that inside metal rooms. Now if the world would hold still for a moment, Zuko could Sokka his secret to talking to girls.
Sokka had been trying not snigger at Zuko's discomposed state. He finally asked, "First time drinking?"
"No!" Zuko said defensively, forgetting his question. "I've just never had fire whiskey before. I needed them to keep drinking so they'd answer all my questions. I was trying to blend in!"
"Sure, sure. So did you get anything useful?" Sokka asked hopefully.
"I think so," Zuko said, shaking his head trying to clear away the fog in his mind. He couldn't focus. What was I going to ask Sokka again?
His mind changing tacks, Zuko thought back to his time aboard ship and his uncle's unsolicited advice about drinking. Uncle Iroh had said that firebenders were the best drinkers because they could evaporate the alcohol in their blood stream by controlling their inner fire. Zuko thought it was definitely worth a try.
Sokka stepped back from the prince as a wave of extreme heat burst off of him. "Woah, are you okay?"
After a pause, Zuko replied sounding more himself. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just trying to sober up a bit. You know, Sokka, when you sent me off to look for your father this afternoon, you didn't even tell me his name or what he looks like."
Sokka smacked his forehead with his palm. "That's right you weren't with all of us after Ba Sing Se. Sometimes I forget that you just joined the group."
Zuko felt both guilty and pleased by this comment.
"My Dad's name is Hakoda and he's a head taller than me. Blue eyes, tan, brown hair, and seriously intense cheekbones." Sokka continued, "He has a goatee and generally wears his hair in half ponytail with two locks hanging free on the front right side with beads in them."
Zuko had been right about the tan skin and blue eyes at least. He wondered what qualified as 'seriously intense cheekbones'. Feeling better armed to identify the man, Zuko shared what he had learned while drinking.
"So they're not actually sure if any of the prisoners are Water Tribe?" Sokka clarified when Zuko had finished.
"No," Zuko replied, still trying to rid himself of the alcohol in his system. "None of them have ever seen anyone from a Water Tribe. So they don't know what to look for. That's probably why you and Katara were able to move around in the Fire Nation leading up to the invasion without being caught." Zuko had been quite surprised when he first learned of the gAang's adventures within his nation.
"We had disguises," Sokka argued indignantly. "We all wore red and even put our hair up in stupid little top knots."
"You wore red?" Zuko was picturing Katara in particular in the color. Sokka was wearing the color presently so Zuko could see how the color set off the color of the other boy's skin and eyes. He flushed to think of the waterbender in the sometimes revealing clothes that women of the Fire Nation wore to endure the heat.
Catching himself slipping into an untimely daydream, Zuko said briskly, "I think we're going to have to actually check out the individual prisoners ourselves. We can pretend to be doing a headcount or something. Just remember to stay away from block eight. There's no way your Dad's in there and we don't want any trouble."
"And stay away from the Warden," Sokka warned. He shook his head as he recalled his brief interaction with the man. "He's a real piece of work."
...
For the next two days, Zuko and Sokka scoured the prison looking for Hakoda without any success. Late in the afternoon on the second day, they met again on the balcony. Zuko could see defeat and frustration weighing heavily on Sokka's shoulders as they reported their lack of findings to each other.
As they stood there in silence, a different group of prisoners was released into the yard. These prisoners were unfamiliar to both boys. Something about the group made Zuko's skin crawl. A voice boomed out from one of the tougher looking guards, "Look alive, guards. Block eight inmates in the yard." As one, Zuko and Sokka turned to look more directly at the group they had been warned away from. Some optimistic part of them hoped that the guards from the first night had been wrong and Hakoda was among this lot.
Scanning them quickly, Zuko saw no tall tan men with exotic blue eyes. His shoulders slumped as his last hope left him. Steeling himself for his friend's disappointment, Zuko said aloud what they both already knew, "There are no Water Tribe prisoners. I'm afraid your Father's not here."
Sokka replied desperately, "How can you be sure? We could've missed him while he was on a chore detail or in the yard."
Putting a hand on Sokka's shoulder to steady him, Zuko looked him straight in the eyes and said levelly, "I'm sure."
Tearing himself out of Zuko's grasp, Sokka struck a hand against the railing, cursing, "No!" As reality overwhelmed his denial, he held his head in frustration and despair and paced back towards the wall. "No!" he repeated, now banging his fist against the wall.
Feeling responsible for getting his friend's hopes up, Zuko apologized, "I'm really sorry, Sokka." He could only imagine what the other boy was going through.
"So we came all this way for nothing," Sokka spat. "I failed." As if the weight of these words were too much for him to bear, Sokka leaned against the wall. "Again," he finished bitterly. He let his head fall not wanting to face Zuko while all his inadequacies rushed through him. He had let himself, his father, his sister, and his nation down.
Tuning out Zuko's unintelligible nonsense about clouds and eating silver sandwiches, Sokka let his eyes range once more over the smattering of prisoners moving about the yard. He felt as low as, if not lower than he had on the day of the invasion. Catching sight of something familiar, Sokka's focus sharpened on one female prisoner sitting on a rock who was being given a wide berth by her fellows in the yard. Was it her hair? Something about her eyes? Suki!
...
Standing outside the door to Suki's cell late that night, Zuko thought Sokka was taking an excessive amount of time in there. There had been a muffled thud not long after he first entered then a squeal. After that, there had been only a rare murmur that drifted through the heavy cell door.
As happy as Zuko was that Sokka had found his girlfriend—Sokka having briefly and jubilantly explaining the girl's identity as they made their way into block eight—he thought they shouldn't linger in this area long. A patrolling guard could walk by and ask awkward questions about why he was standing around a restricted area in the middle of the night any moment. They should be focusing on a way to get themselves and the girl out.
Getting a prisoner out was going to be hard enough but one from block eight... it would take a miracle. Zuko wondered distractedly what the girl had done to get herself placed among the dangerous and volatile inmates. He sighed and shifted his weight on his feet.
The sound of multiple pairs of feet mounting the steps snapped Zuko to attention. He rapped on the door as loudly as he dared to tell Sokka that he had better get out of there. Still, there was no response from within. Cursing silently Zuko stood to attention as a group of three guards walked down the hall towards him, Chit Sang's tormentor chief among them.
Reaching Zuko, the three looked at him questioningly as he stood, barring their entrance to the cell. "'Scuse us, we need to get into that cell," growled a nasty looking female guard. Her eyes were cold as she glared at Zuko.
"No, you can't go in there," he said desperately, not moving from his position. "The prisoner's been sick all over the place. Could be a trick to get us to go in and check on her. We'd better wait for orders."
"Step aside, fool," Chi-Fu, the cruel guard, snarled at Zuko. He grabbed Zuko's arm and threw him roughly against the door. Zuko used the door for leverage and managed to heave the man backwards over the railing behind them. It was with a sense of justice having been served that Zuko heard the crunch of the man meeting the floor one story below accompanied by his cries of pain. The man would live but with any luck, he would keep him from tormenting prisoners for some time.
Without pausing, Zuko kicked the other male guard in the gut and grabbed the female guard by the arms twisting them behind her.
"What do you think you are doing?" she hissed at him furiously.
The guard recovered quickly and soon Zuko was doing his best to fight them both off simultaneously while still blocking the door. Just as he managed to throw the larger of his opponents to the ground the door opened to admit Sokka back into the hall. He sidled down the hall away from the commotion to avoid being observed.
Getting up from where she had been thrown, the female guard noticed Sokka halfway down the hall. "Help!" she yelled to him. "I think he's an imposter!" Zuko flung the male guard on top of her. "Argh! Arrest him!"
…
Zuko still couldn't believe that Sokka had helped the guards arrest him. An untrusting cowardly part of his mind whispered that Sokka had always meant to betray him given an opportunity. He fought against those thoughts. No, Sokka was just trying to make the best of a bad situation. The Water Tribe boy would think of a way to get them all out of this mess. Zuko had to have faith, a real challenge for the prince.
Just then the door opened, light flooded in blinding Zuko who had been standing in the dark for hours. When his eyes adjusted he made out the form or a short broad man with long hair and a toad like face. The man strode forward alone, secure in the strength of the shackles around Zuko's limbs. The man had an almost hungry look in his eyes as he swept them up and down Zuko's taught form.
"Well, well, well," the man drawled as he began circling Zuko who was chained hand and foot in the middle of the room. "I never thought I'd find you in here, Prince Zuko."
Zuko's remaining hope that his captors did not yet know his identity fell away. This man, likely the Warden based on Sokka's description, knew exactly who he was and exactly how much Zuko's life was worth now that he had been caught. In this man, he saw the cruelty and malice of Chi-Fu magnified by power and a truer appetite for inflicting pain.
"How did you know who I am?" Zuko asked, playing for time. He knew it was hopeless, but the longer he could keep this man occupied, the more time Sokka had to come up with some sort of insane rescue. And the more time it would take for this man to send word to his father.
"How could I not?" the man said tauntingly. "You do look so much like your father. Apart from that striking scar, of course."
Zuko tried to look stony, to not let any of his rage and revulsion at the man's words show on his face.
Something must have shown on his face because the Warden continued, "Don't worry my Prince. You're my special prisoner now." The man ran a stubby-fingered hand lightly across Zuko's strained shoulders. Zuko instinctively flinched away from the touch.
Coming around to face Zuko again, the Warden smirked at him knowingly and said, "And you best behave. If these criminals found out who you are, the traitor prince who let his nation down." He paused, tisking and shaking his head. "Why, they'd tear you to shreds." The Warden's voice hardened on his last words.
Zuko felt a deep sense of foreboding. He tried not to let any of his trepidation seep into his tone as he asked, "So what's in it for you? Why don't you just tell my father and collect the reward?"
The man backhanded him across the face, hard. The next moment, the Warden stood perfectly still as if nothing had happened. A slow broad smile crept over the man's face as he saw the raised mark of his hand on Zuko's good cheek. The Warden leaned forward so Zuko could practically taste the words coming from his mouth. "Oh in due time, believe me, I intend to collect." And with that, the Warden began to hurt him in earnest.
…
Many hours later, Zuko found himself being shaken awake roughly and led stumbling to a new cell. The guards had him strip off what remained of his stolen guard uniform and threw prisoner's garb at him. It took far too much effort for Zuko not to cry out as he changed out of and into his clothing. After he was dressed as one of the prisoners, the guards departed locking the heavy metal door behind them.
Every part of Zuko hurt. Every part but his face. After the initial blow, the Warden had concentrated his expertise on other areas of Zuko's body. The man was a master, he inflicted the maximum amount of pain without any permanent damage or marks.
Sinking to his knees, Zuko prayed for the Spirits to send him dreamless sleep. Instead, he heard the squeal of door opening once again, he looked up to see Sokka creep into his cell. The boy had not abandoned the prince to his fate.
"Zuko? Zuko, buddy, are you okay?" Sokka asked approaching him warily.
"I'm great," Zuko tried out a bit of Sokka's patented sarcasm.
Sokka wasn't really listening. He eyed Zuko's hunched form, detecting the minute trembling of the prince's abused muscles. "The Warden did quite a number on you," Sokka observed unhelpfully. "Did he break anything?"
"I don't think so," Zuko said, gritting his teeth. "It just feels like he did."
"I'll get you out of here as soon as possible. Katara will be able to heal anything he did as soon as we get back," Sokka reassured Zuko.
"I'm not so sure about that," Zuko groaned.
"Sure, she can. She's a great healer," Sokka said encouragingly.
Zuko had no doubts that Katara was capable of healing all his injuries in a trice. But would she be willing to heal him? He doubted it and was in no condition to dance around Katara's and his issues with her brother. "If you haven't noticed, Sokka, your sister isn't exactly my biggest fan."
"Katara? No. She can't stand you," Sokka agreed confidently, helping Zuko ease back into a sitting position. "But she can't resist helping someone, anyone, in trouble. Trust me. She'd probably heal the Firelord if he was dumped bleeding and injured in front of her." At Zuko's skeptical look, Sokka qualified, "Of course, she'd give him a piece of her mind while she did it. Then probably tie him up so she could keep lecturing him until he begged for mercy and surrendered."
Zuko let out a pained chuckle. He could just picture the scene.
Suddenly, Zuko stopped laughing as a sobering thought struck him. Had that all her offer been? Her instinctive drive to heal anyone in pain? Zuko couldn't be sure. At the time, it had felt like so much more. It had to be more. As his body throbbed, Zuko decided to examine the thought more thoroughly when he was not in so much physical pain.
Not noticing Zuko's preoccupation, Sokka had continued talking. "They still have you listed under Lee. They've assigned you to block eight, so you and Suki are in the same chores section. Should make coordinating our escape plans that much easier."
"Got any ideas?" Zuko asked weakly.
"Yeah but I need a bit more time to work out all the details. Give me tonight and I'll tell you both about it tomorrow." Sokka had gotten Zuko onto the palate. "You get some rest now and we'll talk soon." With that Sokka left Zuko alone in the dark of his cell. The Spirits must not have heard Zuko's prayer for he dreamed of his father and the Agni Kai again that night; his whole world burning.
A/N:
Thanks to all of you who have reviewed my story thus far. I was quite nervous to post anything. Your encouragement means a lot.
I included the drinking only because I never believed the guards would not have found Zuko's questions suspicious, particularly while wearing the helmet.
Next, we will be back with Katara and her adventures on Oolong Island.