Episode 20: Working Things Out
A/N: Sorry it's late!
Zuko remained in shock before his senses caught up with him. His eyes shut, his arms wrapped around her back to pull her closer and he leaned forward. It was magical, confusing, overwhelming, and-
"Eewwwwww!"
The sound of Sokka's disgust had them pulling apart but Zuko refused to allow her to leave the circle of his arms. If this was dream, he wanted to hang on to it as long as possible.
"Katara, get away from him!" Sokka pushed between them and it took all of Zuko's self control not to tackle his roommate to the ground. Sokka faced his sister. "He has a girlfriend."
"He does?" Katara's hands found her hips and she glared at Zuko.
"I don't!" he insisted, waving his arms frantically.
"What are you talking about?" Sokka demanded, rounding on Zuko. "Just this morning you were telling me about a girl who you were in trouble with."
"Oh, he's in trouble alright," Katara growled, her face a mask of fury.
Zuko panicked. "Shut up, Sokka!" he shouted. "You don't know what you're talking about." He leaned around his roommate so he could catch eyes with Katara. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."
"So...there isn't another girl?" Katara asked.
"Yes!" Sokka said just as Zuko said, "No!" They glared at each other.
"You're killing me, man," Zuko said beneath his breath.
Sokka's eyes slowly widened as understanding dawned on his features.
"Wait." Then he said slowly, "Katara is the girl you've been going on dates with?"
So this is how I die, Zuko thought.
They were all sitting in the boy's living room, Katara and Zuko on the couch with an empty seat between them while Sokka paced the carpet in front of them. Toph had been deposited at home. She hadn't said anything about Zuko and Katara, but she'd worn a gigantic grin the entire car ride back.
Suki had joined them to play referee, but from the way she'd squealed and jumped with joy upon seeing Zuko and Katara holding hands, it was safe to guess that she would not accurately represent the unbiased opinion Sokka had been hoping for.
"The girl you've been going on dates with is Katara?" Sokka asked for the fifteenth time.
"Now, Sokka," Suki started. He rounded on her.
"How long have you known about this?" he demanded.
"Honestly?" she asked. "Since before they knew."
"Hey!" Katara protested, but quieted when Suki shot her a look. "Yeah, maybe..." she grumbled.
Zuko was in a completely different world.
Best night of my life, hands down. He thought. Sure, everything is a mess, that's for certain, but for once it isn't entirely my fault. To Sokka's chagrin, Zuko hadn't been able to rid himself of his massive grin.
Katara had kissed him. Nothing could faze him.
"I need to talk to Zuko," Sokka said, his eyes narrowed on his roommate. "Alone."
Ok, maybe one thing. Zuko gulped.
"Why do you need to talk to him alone?" Katara demanded. "Why would you need to talk to either of us?"
"Katara." Zuko placed a gentle hand over hers. "I think it would be better if Sokka and I talked."
While the intention had been to placate, he was still surprised to see her immediately calm down and nod. Zuko was again hit with a small wave of anxiety that told him he was going to be waking up from this dream any minute. He shook his head, and when he righted himself, Katara and Suki had left the room. Sokka was standing right in front of him.
It was unnerving to have his roommate's wrath against him, especially with Sokka looming over him in the way he was. Zuko was taller than him, but he didn't dare stand up to try and even the playing field. He deserved this treatment. He'd deceived Sokka. If not directly, then through omission. As the silence grew, Zuko couldn't help but shift in his spot on the couch. He tried his best to hold Sokka's eyes but their dark depths were empty without his usual jovial spark.
After a minute that felt like an hour, Zuko sighed. "Look, man-"
"You lied to me." Sokka cut him off.
"I technically didn't lie," he grumbled halfheartedly.
"Don't downplay this, Zuko," Sokka shot back.
Zuko's eyes fell to his hands in shame.
"You know, there are rules against this type of thing," Sokka said. Though it was hard to understand him as he was currently in the process of removing his outer shirt. Uh oh, the stripping had already started. Zuko was in trouble.
"Rules...?" he asked.
"DON'T DATE YOUR BEST FRIEND'S SISTER!" Sokka burst.
"You think I planned for this to happen?" Zuko demanded. "You think I wanted to start liking someone right before graduation?"
"I don't care that you like someone," Sokka shot back, throwing his shirt across the room. It hit the far wall with a smack that had Zuko flinching. "Its good for you, I'm happy," he continued. "But not her."
"I'm not asking for you to like it. I didn't ask for you to help me!" Zuko insisted. "In fact, I tried very hard not to bring it up with you. You're the one who kept trying to give me advice on how to 'woo' your own sister." Unable to stay sitting, Zuko stood up. Now they were both pacing their small living room on parallel paths. Sokka began removing his undershirt.
"Don't remind me," he grumbled. "I can't believe you didn't tell me it was her." He stopped to get in Zuko's face, now shirtless, and pointed right between his eyes. "How long has this been going on?"
"It hasn't!" Zuko shoved the hand away, his anger rising. "I didn't know what was going on. I still don't. We haven't talked about it."
"So she just decided to run up and kiss you tonight...for what?" Sokka demanded.
It did sound a little far fetched. Now that Zuko thought about it, he wasn't quite sure what the catalyst had been either. Why had she kissed him? If only they'd gotten a chance to talk before Sokka threw his little tantrum, they could have tried figuring it out for themselves. How was he supposed to explain now?
"I don't know," Zuko said honestly. "We didn't get a chance to talk about it. But I promise, until an hour ago I thought she wanted nothing to do with me."
Sokka scrutinized him through squinted eyes, then nodded. Both boys relaxed slightly.
"I believe you," Sokka said. "You're not wearing your lying face, at least."
Zuko rolled his eyes then pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Look, man, I didn't tell you because I was worried about how you would react. And honestly, I didn't think it was going anywhere anyways. If I thought she was showing any interest in return, I would have said something, but I wanted to try and figure it out with her before everything was blown out of proportion."
"Why would you think things would be blown out of proportion?" Sokka asked loudly.
Zuko raised his brows at him.
"Right." Sokka cleared his throat. "Continue."
"I wasn't expecting her to do that tonight," Zuko said. "I told you, I thought she was mad at me. She hasn't been responding to my texts and I haven't seen her since your party."
"Obviously she thought something was going on." Sokka shook his head before sitting in the nearby chair. "Tell me everything, start from the beginning."
So Zuko told him about the study sessions, the walks, the hot and cold treatments she'd been giving him. He told him about her helping the Blue Spirit and how he'd thanked her. "And then at the party, when I was sending you guys off for home, I..." He blushed, looking away. "I may have...briefly...kissed her."
A quick silence.
"WHAT?!" Sokka shouted.
"It was barely a peck, a goodbye before I ran off to go help your dad," Zuko explained. "And then she didn't talk to me or respond for near almost a week so I thought I'd ruined everything. I thought she didn't want anything to do with me."
"Until tonight?" Sokka asked.
"Until tonight." Zuko confirmed. It wasn't the right time, but he smiled anyways. A boyish smile stemmed from feelings he hadn't allowed himself to feel in years.
"And what about the Blue Spirit?"
Man, Sokka was really hitting this wet blanket routine on the head.
"What about the Blue Spirit?" Zuko asked.
"Are you planning to continue running on rooftops and risking your life like an idiot?" Sokka clarified.
"I can't," Zuko said, "The entire building saw the Blue Spirit breaking out the Painted Lady last night, there's no way I could show my face at an Agni Kai meeting again."
Sokka faltered. "Does your family know it was you?"
"I'm not sure yet," Zuko said, scratching the back of his neck. "Only one person knew that it was me beneath the mask, and she already risked her neck once for me. I don't know how long she'll keep her mouth shut, she's pretty good friends with Azula."
"Would they come after you?" Sokka asked.
Zuko thought about it, closing his eyes. What would they do? What would his father do when he found out that his son, his heir, had thwarted him in the most pivotal way right before he was set to take over the company? Zuko breathed in deeply. "I don't know."
"Are you willing to risk being in a relationship with her if they do?" Sokka asked.
His eyes shot open. "What?"
"If you're at risk of Phoenix Industries coming after you," Sokka clarified, his voice low, "what do you think would happen to her?"
Zuko's fists clenched. "I won't let anything happen to her," he insisted.
"You can't guarantee that, Zuko," Sokka said. "I will do everything I can to help you, you know that, but you have too many enemies. If people find out that you're the Blue Spirit, she becomes a target."
Katara would hate them talking about her like this, but Sokka was right. "What do you want me to do, then?" Zuko asked, "Tell her, 'my bad, I don't actually like you'? I don't think she's going to go for that."
"Tell her..." Sokka thought for a moment, then snapped. "You're gay!"
Zuko blinked at him. "I'm not going to do that."
Sokka thought some more. "How about...we tell her you're the Blue Spirit and so it would put her in danger to date you."
"I feel that that would just be inviting her into the situation we're trying to avoid," Zuko countered.
"Well I don't see you coming up with any bright ideas!" Sokka jumped up. "You're the one who got us into this mess, so you figure out a way to get us out."
"Yeah, sure, you want a unicorn with that?" Zuko drawled.
"Just...just...figure it out!" And he stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him.
Easy for him to say. He wasn't about to attempt to convince the girl he liked to give up on a relationship before it even started.
"Ouch!" Katara rubbed her arm where Suki had just hit her.
"Why didn't you tell me you two were dating?" she demanded.
Katara blushed. "We're not."
"Don't toy with my emotions," Suki warned, leading the way downstairs to the tea shop. They'd had to leave Zuko alone with Sokka. Katara hadn't wanted to, but Zuko had seemed to think it was unavoidable. Stupid Sokka was probably giving him a hard time for nothing. She just hoped her brother wouldn't talk him out of...whatever was happening between them.
Zuko had kissed her last week when she'd left the party with the cactus infused cretins, so she'd assumed he wanted something romantic. Iroh, Suki, and Toph had all somewhat hinted that something more was happening, but they hadn't actually had a chance to talk about it together. She'd been so caught up in the moment, knowing he was the Blue Spirit as well as the son of the CEO and still wanted to see change for the city. The only reason for his loyalty to Phoenix Industries was the love a son for his father. All of her boundaries had faded away and she'd lost all inhibitions.
Thinking back on it now, she was probably being stupid. She should have pulled him aside and talked to him, or waited until their next study session to see if he actually cared about her in that way. All the movies had the dramatic kisses in the rain, running through an airport, riding off into the sunset, and then the credits roll. They never talked about what happened afterwards.
Her thoughts were derailed when they entered the tea shop and Suki announced, "Zuko and Katara kissed!"
Katara's jaw dropped to the floor, her face beet red. "Suki!" Luckily, the shop appeared to be empty. Then Iroh's head popped up from behind the counter with a massive grin. "Congratulations, blossom, I knew the two of you would get there eventually."
Heat grew up her neck and Katara found herself sputtering, "Wha-what? Since when did everyone get so interested in my love life?"
"Since we've had to deal with the two of you making moony eyes at each other every time you're in the same room together." Suki pointed to the back of her throat pretending to be sick.
"Where are my nephews?" Iroh asked, peering around them as if Sokka and Zuko would be coming through the door next.
"Sokka wanted to have a little 'chat' with Zuko once he found out," Suki said with a meaningful look. Iroh laughed from his belly. He waved them closer, still laughing, and slid three tea cups onto the bar before pulling out a bottle from beneath the counter. Katara eyed the tinted bottle warily.
"What is that?" she asked.
The old man grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "A new concoction of my own making," he said, "It's a cinnamon tea concentrate with a splash of sake."
He poured about a mouthful of the rust-colored liquid into each of their glasses. "I call it dragon spit."
Katara's nose scrunched even as Suki raised the cup in a salute.
"There weren't any better names available?" she asked. She twirled her cup, watching the amber liquid swirl and then cascade down the sides. Low alcohol content, but still, it was almost midnight and she had class in the morning. Class with Zuko.
"I'll take yours if you don't want it." Suki set down her emptied glass and started reaching for Katara's. Katara pulled hers back, bristling at the challenge.
"I'll try it," she said, "I was just curious about the name. That's all."
"Cheers then, blossom." Iroh held up his glass to clink with hers before raising the concoction to his lips. Not to be outdone, Katara downed the entire thing in one go. She was first hit with the cinnamon followed quickly by the bite of alcohol. She'd never been one for drinking and found herself coughing on the burn, her eyes watering slightly.
Suki laughed, hitting her once on the back. "Lightweight."
"If you saw what this stuff did to a liver, you wouldn't drink either," Katara choked out, coughing again. Suki and Iroh still laughed at her struggle.
Katara glanced at the ceiling through her tears. "I wonder how long they'll be."
"Knowing Sokka, we might never see Zuko again." Suki chuckled. "You can crash at my house tonight if you'd like."
"I appreciate that," Katara said, eyeing her friend. "I think I might drive though."
Suki waved her away before downing her second glass and sliding it to Iroh.
"So tell me," Iroh said, pouring himself a second round and Suki a third. Katara's glass remained empty for which she was grateful. "Was it by your own doing? Or was my nephew the first to initiate the relationship?"
"Katara kissed him," Suki answered, then held out a hand. "I win. Pay up, Uncle."
"You were betting on who would kiss who first?" Katara demanded.
"Yes," Suki said, unapologetic. "And I won."
Iroh's eyes passed to Katara who blushed under the scrutiny. How could he know?
"Actually, he kissed me first," she admitted weakly.
"He WHAT?" Suki demanded. "When?"
Katara winced. "After Sokka's party."
"Sokka's party a week ago?"
Had it only been a week? It felt like a lifetime ago. "It was barely a kiss."
"Where was I when all this was going on?" Suki's fist landed on the table with a thud.
"Passed out in the back of the car hopped up on cactus juice?" Katara supplied with a shrug. It was at that moment that Zuko decided to come in. The tinkling bell of the door drew all of their attention and he froze when he realized there were three sets of eyes on him.
"Er...hey?" He waved.
"Salud, nephew!" Iroh called, downing his third dragon spit drink of the night. Katara reached across to grab the bottle and cork it.
"You're in big trouble, mister," Suki said, pointing at Zuko. She sounded angry and her eyes were narrowed.
"Get in line," he mumbled. Then his eyes caught Katara's. "Can I have a word?"
Finally. Katara slid off the bar stool and walked towards him.
"Stay where we can see you!" Suki called after her. "No funny business."
Katara looked up to see Zuko glaring over her shoulder. When she reached him she grabbed his hand and his eyes dropped to her, immediately softening.
"Come on," she said quietly, leading him out of the shop. They sat at the same bench they'd sat at together a couple of weeks ago when she'd been crying over her father's loan. Back when she'd thought he'd had something to do with it.
It was a little chilly and she shivered when she sat. Noticing, Zuko was quick to remove his own jacket and place it around her before sitting and pulling her into his side. His smell enveloped her helping her to relax, not to mention how warm he was. Katara wondered if he could feel cold as a firebender or if he could somehow heat himself. She bit her lip against her questions. Not only was it the wrong time for those kinds of questions, she wasn't even supposed to know that he was a firebender. If she was going to respect his wishes and keep her identity as the Painted Lady a secret, she couldn't let on what she knew.
They sat in silence for a few moments until Zuko sighed heavily, drawing her gaze.
"Katara..." he started.
Her eyes narrowed at his tone. "What did Sokka say to you?" she demanded.
His eyes told her everything.
"Why?" She asked through her teeth. Her annoyance was accentuated by the prickling she felt growing behind her eyes.
Zuko sighed again. "I'm not...good for you. I'm not safe." There was something off about the way he spoke, but she could tell that he believed what he was saying.
"I can take care of myself," she insisted.
His lips twitched up at the corners. "I told him you'd say that."
"Zuko." She huffed a breath, trying to stay calm. "Whatever Sokka said...he's just an overprotective brother."
"Well that is for dang certain," Zuko said, then caught her eyes. "But that doesn't mean he's wrong."
Katara frowned. "What, exactly, makes you so dangerous?" She already knew: he was the Blue Spirit. He had undoubtedly accumulated a multitude of enemies over the years, but did that mean he could never be with anyone? Wait...did Sokka know that Zuko was the Blue Spirit? Her teeth grit. That HYPOCRITE. He'd been lecturing her about the Blue Spirit's criminal-ness when he'd bee sleeping five feet away from the same guy? Oh, they were going to have words.
"I'm about to graduate anyways..." he trailed off.
So he wasn't going to answer her questions. Well, then... "Do you like me?" she deadpanned.
He jumped as if she'd pinched him. "W-what?" he sputtered.
"You heard me."
"Katara, it's not that simple-" He was looking anywhere but at her.
"Do. You. Like. Me?" She waited.
Zuko's mouth opened and closed a couple of times, seemingly lost for words. "It doesn't matter what I feel," he relented.
"It matters to me," she said just as quietly. When he still didn't say anything she decided to take matters into her own hands. "The way I see it," she said. "You can try to convince me to stay away from you and we still have to see each other during class and for the project, not to mention any time I come over to visit Sokka. We can endure those encounters pretending that we don't have feelings for each other and everything can be extremely awkward." She turned slightly to catch his eyes. "OR, and this would be my preference, we could try actually admitting those feelings and if it turns out I am in danger, we go from there."
The deliberation was clear in his eyes even as he held her gaze, his jaw working with his indecision. He wanted to try, that was obvious in the way his arm had tensed around her shoulders and his pupils had dilated.
"So...Zuko." Her breath caught at the intensity of his attention. "I like you. Do you like me?"
His expression changed to a sort of pained pleading, as if she were torturing him somehow. "Yes."
Her stomach fluttered. "Then do me a favor, and leave the worrying to my brother."
"He's going to kill us, you know," Zuko said. "Slowly and painfully."
Katara grinned. "That sounds like a yes."
He rolled his eyes. "I'm already regretting my decision."
"Don't worry." Katara leaned over to kiss his cheek and he jumped again. She could just catch the glimpse of his blush in the darkness. "I'll protect you."
He smiled and the butterflies were back.
"Did you know Suki and Iroh were placing bets on our relationship?" Katara asked.
Zuko snorted. "That doesn't surprise me at all. Toph was telling me something about having money on us."
"Toph too?" Katara asked. "Were we really that obvious?"
"It wasn't obvious to me," he grumbled.
Katara giggled at his slight pout. "We figured it out eventually."
He shifted her closer and she tucked her head against his shoulder. "They're never going to let us live this down," he said. Katara didn't care. Not when she was next to him, breathing in his scent, absorbing his warmth, feeling his chest rise and fall with easy breaths. She felt safer than she had in months, maybe years. For the first time since her mother had died, she felt a little of the weight on her shoulders shift.
They sat in the quiet of the night for a couple minutes, just staring at the stars. At one point, Zuko's hand lifted so that his fingers could play gently with her hair and Katara thought she might never move again. Until his responsible side kicked in.
"We should probably get to bed soon," he said. "Early class tomorrow and all that."
Neither of them moved.
"Do you need a ride home?" he asked, his breath tickling the hair across her forehead.
"No," she hummed. "Suki is letting me crash at her place so I'm going to get a ride with her. Thank you, though."
"You're welcome."
They still hadn't moved.
"Well, I'll...see you tomorrow."
"Yeah..." she agreed.
He chuckled. "Katara."
"I know, I know," she groaned, slowly lifting her head from his shoulder to look at him. "I just don't want to go."
His smile was tilted as he reached out to brush a lock of hair out of her face. "I know, me either," he said, "but one of us has to be awake tomorrow to take notes." He winked at her. "I'll bring your favorite tea."
"I'd like that." She smiled. "Then maybe we could get lunch?"
"Whatever you want." He nodded. "I have a couple of questions of my own that I'd like to ask anyways."
"Questions?" she prompted.
"Not tonight," he said, standing up. "You'll only be cranky in the morning." He held a hand out. "Come on."
Grumbling halfheartedly, she allowed him to help her up and lead her back to the Jasmine Dragon where Iroh was just finishing up. Suki was passed out against the counter but was easily roused and was even able to walk to the car on her own.
Zuko walked them to their car, kissed Katara's forehead in farewell, and then waited to watch them as they drove away. Katara continued checking her mirror until even the shadowy outline of him faded into the distance.
True to his word, Zuko had tea waiting for her when she arrived to their class the next morning. Class was different now that they'd admitted their feelings for each other. For one, Zuko sat closer to her which wouldn't have made much of a difference except the fact that his arm kept brushing against hers. And second, every time she did glance over at him, he was staring at her with a stupid grin tilting up his lips. Safe to say her face was aflame with a blush the entire hour.
At the end of class he helped her pack before tucking her day's textbooks under one arm and grabbing her hand with the other. Katara was beaming. If her classmates or Pakku reacted to the change in dynamic between them she didn't notice. It was like those romances her dad still watched sometimes: everything else just faded away. It scared her a little bit...but it was also incredibly exhilarating. Her emotions still hadn't settled from the night before. Forget butterflies, schizophrenic dolphins had taken refuge in her stomach for the foreseeable future.
"So..." she trailed off once they were out of the building and strolling in the sunshine. The days were still in the crisp stages before full winter settled. "Lunch?"
Zuko nodded. "There's a noodle place Sokka and I often go to that I've been craving. Care to try it?"
Blushing, Katara bit her lip.
"What?" he asked. "You don't like udon?"
"I do," she insisted, still blushing. "I just..."
"What?"
She muttered under her breath, purposefully slurring her words together in embarassment.
"Katara."
With a huff she said, "I'm not very good at using chopsticks, okay?"
Zuko's lips twitched before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. She'd seen him use this tactic previously, he was trying to hide his emotions. In this case, he was trying not to laugh at her.
"It's not like I haven't tried," she immediately began defending herself. "They just don't do what I want them to do and, I mean really, there are so many other more efficient ways to get food from the plate to your mouth!"
"Katara," he stopped her rambling, pulling on the hand he was holding. "I don't care that you don't know how to use chopsticks."
She grumbled that she knew how to use chopsticks, they were just dumb, to which Zuko laughed.
"If you'll allow me," he continued, "I'd love to teach you the technique that I use. I'm sure you'll pick it up quickly, being a doctor and all."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "You promise not to laugh at me?"
"Not a chance." His grin was wolfish. "The opportunities are so rare."
Using her empty hand, she flicked his arm but he only laughed at her. His eyes were sparkling, the gold of his irises light and bubbly like champagne. She decided quickly that this was her favorite version of him that she'd yet experienced.
They'd arrived at her next classroom and she was just debating whether or not to push up on her toes to kiss him when his phone went off.
Zuko frowned. It was a text from Azula. [Zuzu. Meeting. One hour.]
"What is it?" Katara asked.
His gaze rose to her face as he debated. Her eyes were so open and relaxed. Could he really leave her after all they'd gone through to get here?
His phone buzzed a second time. [Dad already sent the car. Don't be a dumb dumb.] He sighed. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to take a rain check on chopsticks training."
Her eyebrows pulled together. "Okay...but what about your questions?"
"We'll have time later, I promise." He leaned down to give her a swift kiss on the cheek. "Meet me at the tea shop tomorrow at 5?"
"Yeah, okay." She didn't look happy but then again, neither was he. Their first chance to be alone and actually talk about their relationship and his father had to call a meeting. He'd promised the Painted Lady he would gather information for her, and if he was going to have any hope of regaining control of the company after he graduated, he needed to know what they were planning now. After the last meeting he'd attended, his stomach was in knots at the prospect of what had been happening in his absence. Especially since the Blue Spirit had broken out the Painted Lady. He was honestly surprised a meeting hadn't been called sooner.
It was a quick walk to his apartment where he changed into appropriate attire for the industry. It was a different kind of armor than his Blue Spirit body suit. The red silk smoothed over the cracks in his experience. The flash of golden embroidery distracted/drew eyes from his doubt. The sharp tailoring weaponized his words so that when he spoke, people would listen.
A car was waiting for him when he got down to the street, the same driver he'd used last week greeting him with a tip of his hat.
By the time Zuko arrived, the room was full of the same administrators who had joined them previously with a few added members of the cabinet. Ozai and Azula were at the far end of the table, the flames of the décor flashing behind them.
"Welcome, Zuko," Ozai said. "We waited for you."
To rush would infer that he cared about their time. Zuko strode slowly for the empty seat to his father's right and sat down. Azula's lips twitched and she inclined her head in approval from Ozai's left.
"First order of business is the eastern district." Ozai read off the agenda. "Shinu, your report."
"Sir." About half way down the table, an elderly man with a black stripe running the center of his beard stood up. "The Ba Sing Se sector is still under industry control though our worker numbers are dwindling. However, villager rebellions have prevented us from achieving total absorption in the East."
"What is your recommendation?"
"Our hunters are spread too thin at the moment to both guard and corral, but once the waiting period is over-"
Zuko fought to contain his confusion. Waiting period?
"-our forces will double with the Sun Warrior assistance allowing for increased raids of the refuges. Once the villagers are rallied, we should be able to begin the reformation process in that sector."
Zhao stood from his position at Azula's left. "All due respect, sir, my Agni Kai can handle the villagers without the mainland's help."
"Your men will continue to remain under the order of my daughter and her friends until the deadline has passed." (Sharp. Precise. No words wasted.)
There it was again. A deadline. Something that, once it had elapsed, would grant them access to the mainland resources. Zuko knew very little about the Sun Warrior branch. The facility had been independently run and isolated from island control since his grandfather's (reign). Although, the Sea Ravens had been transferring the waterbending scroll and they often did work for the Sun Warrior Industry...Had Ozai somehow figured out how to merge with the company's western counterpart? With that kind of power and wealth he could level the Village and buy out South Bend without batting an eye.
Zhao gritted his teeth. "Sir, I must protest-"
"I am getting tired of your assurances, Administrator. You guaranteed that your men had it handled." Ozai's voice was clipped. "And yet, wasn't it the very same Agni Kai hunter you assigned to her capture who broke her out?"
Zuko had to turn away to hide his smirk. Of all the outcomes his actions as the Blue Spirit could have triggered, Zhao's humiliation was his favorite.
"Are you any closer to uncovering his identity?" Ozai asked.
Zhao squirmed in his seat. Zuko sympathized with the feeling.
"We've interviewed all hunters he'd recently had contact with," Zhao said, "but none of them are able to give us anything besides an estimated height and weight."
"See to it that your focus remains on the task you've been assigned and leave the matters of assurances to those who have proven to follow through on their promises."
A vein pulsed in Zhao's forehead but he remained silent. Zuko had never heard his father speak that harshly to anyone other than himself. It was surprisingly satisfying, but Katara's voice in his head immediately made him feel guilty for that response. It felt dangerous thinking about her in this place, almost as if just thinking about her might alert Ozai (or worse, Azula) to her existence.
He refocused as his father brought them to the next item for discussion: The eviction of the southern sector. Files of the occupants were scattered in front of them. Many were overlaid with red "confirmed" stamps that signified the families had left their living quarters. The way the administrator talked about it, Zuko got the sense that the buildings were also being prepared in some way, but he couldn't figure out what they would need to prepare if they were just going to break it to rubble. Last meeting, it had been a plan of action. Now it seemed that Hakoda was one of a handful who remained. How had his father displaced so many in such a short time? How had he justified such an action? Surely, if they were about to absorb the mainland sector they didn't need a third island warehouse, did they?
"This Baker," Ozai's eyes narrowed on Hakoda's file and Zuko tensed. "Why do I recognize him?"
"Hakoda from Polar Icing Bakery?" The administrator overseeing the payments spoke up from the far end of the table. "His loan was taken out by his wife, a former employee of the Industry. Looks like her name was..." He searched his own file until he found it- "Kya, personal assistant to Director Azulon."
Zuko's breath caught. Sokka had never told him. Hakoda didn't speak of it. Zuko refused to ask, not when they'd been so courteous in granting him his own privacy.
The file that had been lying open on the table burst into flames. Zuko covered his face with his arms and the closest administrators jumped back away from the blast.
Everyone waited. Zuko could feel his heart beating harshly against his chest. Ozai's eyes were practically glowing, his face the very definition of fury.
His voice was quiet, but sharp as steel when he spoke. "Leave me."
The congregation didn't need telling twice. A tornado of papers was passed through the air as everyone bustled to gather their things. The fact that the CEO was a firebender was not a secret, but Zuko would be surprised if many of the administrators had believed the memos, let alone seen the elemental manipulation in action.
As he stood to make his own way out, Ozai said, "No. My children will stay."
Zuko slowly lowered himself back into his seat, ignoring the black scorch march and scattered ashes that had been Hakoda's file sweeping across the table. Azula scrutinized each administrator, glaring at them as if they should have disappeared as quickly as the file that had been destroyed.
The main door shut with a slam and Zuko held his breath.
"Incompetent fools, the lot of them," Azula snapped. "It's terrible when you can't trust the people who are closest to you." She sighed as though the world were a helpless child just waiting for her to take away it's misery by ruling it. "Don't worry, Father, I'll deal with this baker personally."
"Silence." He hissed.
Azula bristled but stayed quiet, settling back in her chair with a frown.
"I want the two of you focused on this eviction project. We no longer have time to do it the diplomatic way." Ozai's eyes were glazed and far away, Zuko got the sense he was remembering something. "It is a task I can only entrust to the two of you. I trust you will do what is necessary."
Azula was satisfied, her smirk returning.
Zuko swallowed. "What about the spirits?"
"This close to the deadline, it's not worth the risk," Ozai said, then turned to Azula. "Put out a new order: The Blue Spirit and Painted Lady are no longer requested alive."