I own Avatar, neither The Last Airbender nor The Legend of Korra. They belong to their respective owners.
Enjoy!
"Ok. You're getting this fast."
Zuko grinned slightly underneath the headgear. He wasn't going to say this to anyone, but this sort of fighting was easy for him. The only difference was that he was expected to put on a show of it eventually.
"You know, I think this guy could pull off the act you do Mako," Bolin said from the sides. "The whole "I'm a quiet and mysterious loner". You both have that kind of vibe going on."
Loner? Zuko technically didn't have any friends in the city, but wasn't that to be expected? He had been frozen for seventy years, and every person he had known was either dead or too old to relate to him anymore.
It was still a strange fact to accept.
"Bolin, could you stop distracting us? We still need to practice ourselves, so why don't you go and get ready?"
"Right. On it bro."
Once Bolin had left to get their equipment ready, Mako focused on getting Zuko in shape. Which wasn't hard, since the new guy was picking up the lessons much faster than anyone else had seen. He was really beginning to see why Butakha had picked him for the new lineup.
Mako had his doubts at first over how Solo-Pro fights could work. Pro-bending had become popular because people got attached to teams and rooted for them. There were many players on the field, which made it more interesting to see who would make it. Reducing the numbers might mean reducing the interest.
But Zuko had a shot at making it work.
Whenever Mako shot a strong blast, Zuko had a good dodge and counterattack ready for him. His footwork was solid and almost like a dancer, which could make him more unpredictable in a fight. And he clearly knew how to firebend really well already.
Given that Mako was on the defensive now, having to block and unable to properly retaliate to Zuko's blasts, he had a feeling that the new guy might be ready.
"I think we're good now Zuko."
The scarred newcomer was a little less certain.
"Are you sure? We've only been practicing for two hours."
Two hours that had Mako sweating into his shirt, while Zuko was only at his neck. It was clear who was struggling the most.
"I'm sure. Tell you what, I'll talk to Butakha and see when he can get you a fight. I'm sure you want to get into a ring."
Zuko did. He had been hearing a lot about how exhilarating being able to fight on that stage was. He wanted to see for himself if it was true.
"So what do I do until then?"
"You can still stick around. But I'm sure no one will mind if you take the rest of the day off."
That sounded like a waste of time to Zuko. He could be getting ready for a fight. But then he remembered something that ought to be ready.
"There is something I need to check. Thanks, Mako."
"Don't mention it. I need to get to my own practice. Especially since Hasook isn't showing up."
Zuko was beginning to wonder if the missing teammate would be a problem for Mako and Bolin. He would offer to help, but using his waterbending in public like that could lead to questions he would rather not hear.
So he instead packed up and left the gym. He had to check on something.
The city was a little different when the sun was golden and shining. Zuko had seen a bit of it when he had first arrived, but he hadn't seen much since he had agreed to be a pro-bender. Most of his day was spent working out and preparing in that gym, so he hadn't seen the city as much since then.
He hadn't seen the movements of people all trying to get to a destination. He hadn't heard the noises and yells of people running a business. And he hadn't realized how crowded it could get.
He wasn't sure how people could stand it. He was barely comfortable in small crowds, this felt a little too smothering. And all he wanted to do was get to a mask stand. To do that, he needed to cross a street to get on the right path. A street that was stoped for people to get on something that Zuko now knew was called a bus.
Zuko wasn't sure if that bus thing was trustworthy. The idea behind the machine was simple enough. Pack a bunch of people into a single cargo hold and move them around to different places.
But what if the thing was too hot? What if you got stuck with a bunch of weirdos? Zuko had been on the buses of Ba Sing Se, and he learned then that he did not like them. If he had to travel, he had feet and a dragon. That was all he needed.
So he waited for the crowd to disperse before he could make his way across the street. He didn't need to cross after having to fight his way through a crowd. That might make him miss anyone who was walking by.
Once all the people had gotten into their metal death machines and made enough room, Zuko felt that he was safe to cross.
*SKKKKIIIIRRTTT!*
"What?"
Zuko turned around just in to see someone riding on a metal machine he wasn't familiar with. Directly at him.
"Hey!"
Zuko yelled just as the person hit the brakes and tried to stop. They managed to, but only after they nearly hit Zuko. The firebender had to take several steps back, inevitably tripping and falling on his back. The rider immediately jumped off of their thing and went to help Zuko.
"Oh my gosh, I am sorry. I didn't see you there."
Zuko recognized that the person probably felt bad, but he didn't feel like his uncle at the moment. Iroh would have forgiven, but Zuko had been having a polarizing week, and he did not need to get almost run over.
"I moved because I thought it was safe. No one else was crossing the street, so why... uh..."
Zuko's train of thought was derailed the moment he saw the person without their helmet. He was also suddenly very much in favor of people from different nations mixing.
The woman was clearly a mix of Fire nation and Earthkingdom, her skin tone and green eyes made that clear. She was also disarmingly beautiful, with full red lips and light eyeshadow that made her face impossible to look away from.
He would have spent more time staring at her if he didn't remember one important fact.
"You almost ran me over."
"I know. I'm sorry really. I swear I didn't see you."
The girl held out her hand, and Zuko quickly took it. When she let go, Zuko worked on dusting himself off. When he was done, the girl noticed where he had come from.
"Are you a pro-bender?"
Zuko raised a brow at the girl.
"I'm sorry, it's just that I noticed you came out of that gym, and I know who works out in there," she said. Her eyes widened when she realized an implication. "Not personally, but I know that pro-benders work out in there. I'm sorry if I came out weird. And I'm sorry for almost hitting you."
Zuko shook his head. "It's fine. It's not the worst hit I've ever taken."
The girl noticed Zuko's scar fully for the first time.
"I bet." The girl's face reddened as she realized how that came out. "I'm so sorry. This is embarrassing. I didn't mean to hit, and I didn't mean to stare."
"It's fine. Really."
"No it's not," the girl said as she internally debated something. She took a good look at Zuko before making a decision. "Let me make this up to you."
"No, that's not necessary."
"Please? I almost hit you, and I was insensitive about your scar. Let me set it right."
Zuko wanted to refuse, but he didn't know how to do it. His mother and uncle had always told him to be polite to women, so he might as well hear her out.
"Well, what did you have in mind?"
"Thank you, let me treat you to Kwong's. I can pay for everything."
"Kwong's?" Zuko questioned. "I'm sorry, I've only been in this city for a week. I'm still learning where things are."
"Oh, that's fine. Just head downtown and ask for the location. It's pretty well-known," the girl assured him. "Just try to dress up nice. They have a dress code."
"Wow. Sounds like a classy place."
The girl looked like she was about to say something else, but she stopped at the last second.
"I suppose it is. You'll see," she said as she sat down on what Zuko assumed to be a tiny personal chariot. He really didn't know what to call it.
"By the way, what's your name?"
"Zuko."
The girl smiled at him. "Asami. I'll see you on Xīngqíwǔ."
She put her helmet back on her head and drove off. Leaving Zuko to contemplate what had just happened. He had almost gotten run over, and now he had a free dinner set out for the end of the week.
Free dinner with a girl.
He was going to dress up for a dinner with a girl.
He was going out with a girl.
Zuko's eyes widened when he fully realized what had just happened.
"I have a date?"
Zuko did not doubt that Iroh would be laughing right now if he could see him. Whether he was laughing because of Zuko accidentally getting a date or out of joy for the same reason would be hard to tell.
But Zuko decided not to think about it too much. He had another goal in mind that did not require dressing up. Well, not in any normal way.
The stand-keeper saw him before he was there. And he was happy to see the scarred boy.
"Oh-ho-ho. I've been waiting to see you kid. It's ready."
Zuko calmly pressed his hands on the table. "Let me see it."
The stand-keeper smiled as he reached beneath the wooden stand and pulled out a rectangular box. He slid that box across the table to Zuko.
"Take a look kid."
Looking once at the stand-keeper and then at the box, Zuko opened it. What he saw inside was not what he had worn seventy years ago. And it was perfect.
Closing the box, Zuko took one last look at the shopkeeper before leaving. "Thank you."
"Thank you, kid. I don't know how you got that gold, and I won't ask. But thank you."
Nodding, Zuko made his way back home. Hidden mask in tow.
Zuko took his time getting back to the house. By the time he had crossed the water, the sky had already turned orange. He was met with the sight of Druk tearing down on a Koala-Sheep. Where he got it, Zuko did not know. He also didn't want to know.
"I'm back Druk."
The dragon lifted its head to face its friend. He licked the blood off of his lips as he eyed the bag in Zuko's grip.
"I just bought this today. Want to give me your opinion?"
Zuko reached inside the bag and pulled out its singular content. One black mask.
Druk bought his face closer, his nose and his whiskers studying the mask. His red eyes then focused on Zuko.
"I bought this in the market. Said it was for a friend," Zuko said as he tried the mask on his own face. It wasn't the same as the mask he wore seventy years ago, but it was one that fit him. And in an era as different as now, perhaps different was what would work best.
Taking it off, Zuko noticed that the sun had now disappeared from the sky. And looking at the city, the bright lights of buildings illuminating it against the shadow of night.
"Druk? Do your think you would be alright if I went out for a little exercise?"
The dragon snorted smoke.
Lei-Min knew that working overtime was risky. It meant that she would have to stay at the office until after dark. And because her house wasn't the closest location to her office, that meant she would have to cross a good couple of blocks until she was safe at home.
Unfortunately, she had needed the money. Which gave her little choice when her boss had offered her the extra hours.
Which was why she was walking through the streets of Republic City when the sun was long gone. A little extra money came with the risk of having to walk through familiar streets when the artificial lights were unreliable and there were no other people around to offer a sense of security.
The best she could do was try to get home as quickly as possible. The heels made running impossible, but she could still walk with haste. And she knew of a shortcut through an alley, so she took it to try and cut some time.
That's when she heard the voice.
"What's a nice pretty thing like you doing out this late? And all by yourself?"
Lei-Min tried to convince herself that it was just her imagination. She was scared, it was dark, so it wouldn't be out of place to think that her mind would play a trick on her.
"I'm sorry. Must have not been loud enough. What's a nice thing like you doing out so late?"
This time the man stepped in front of Lei-Min, making it impossible for her to ignore him. And with the bowler hat and expensive suit he was wearing, it was clear who he was.
Triad.
"Please. I'm just walking home. I don't want any trouble," Lei-Min said, clutching her purse closely.
"Funny. I don't want any either. So why don't you make this easier for both of us and just hand the purse over?"
"No. Please," she begged. That seemed to be the wrong response because the man immediately became annoyed with her.
"Hang it over!"
The man quickly reached for her bag and tried to yank it away. But Lei-Min reacted quickly as well, and she was yanking as well to keep her purse.
"Will you just... Ah!"
The man's grip fell loose as Lei-Min saw him suddenly fall back. And when both of them opened their eyes again neither of them expected what they were seeing.
It was a person wearing nothing but black. The clothes were black, the gloves were black, and the mask that obscured their faces was of an onyx color. And ont heir back they wore a scabbard for... a sword.
Lei-Min was confused by the person she saw. By the would-be-thief was only angered.
"Who do you think you are?! Messing with the triad. I'll ake sure you pay for that!"
The triad meember began to create ad throw blasts of fire. Lei-Min, rightfully scared, closed her eyes and tried to cover herself.
But the masked figure only tossed aside the fire blasts. Each time the triad member tried to geta hit on the black figure, they easily and effectively undid the attacks. Not a single blast of fire made it through while they walked closer and closer to the criminal. And once they were close enough, the would-be-thief couldn't make any more blasts. Because the masked figure was gripping and crushing his wrist.
"Ah! Don't think you're going to win! When I-"
The triad member didn't get any further. The maske figure struck a blow to the crimnals throat. One that easily and quickly knocked him out. The triad memeber crumbled to the floor like a heavy sack.
When Lei-Min opened her eyes, she didn't see the masked figure. Alls he saw was an unconscious triad member who had tried to rob her knocked out on the floor.
She began to move quicker home. She didn't care if her feet would hurt afterwards. She just wanted to make it home.
Unbeknownst to the woman, the same black figure kept an eye on her all the way home. He made sure that no other criminal tried to assault her. And once she was home, she was able to report to the police what had just happened.
Once she was safe, he moved on to find new targets. This city had problems that the council either could not or would not address. Maybe it was time for him to take a look.
The Next Morning...
Aang was a man of simple pleasures. He always had been. And his mornings were one such pleasure. A nice cup of tea, a place to view the sunset, and a radio to let him all was good in the world.
That was all he really needed.
"Good morning. We bring this report of sudden vigilante justice delivered last night in this very city. A woman walking home a night was saved from a mugging by a man in a black mask carrying, get this, two broadswords."
Aang was suddenly less thirsty as he rubbed his palm against his face. When he had asked Zuko to find his own destiny in life, this was not what he had in mind.
I said in the last chapter that I grew up loving Batman. The rest of this story will help me prove that. I'll give a more detailed explanation of the mask in later chapters since I want to try and build some mystique around it first. Just know that Zuko won't be called the Blue Spirit here for a reason.
Also, Zuko will kinda be taking Mako's place it comes to the relationship with Asami. Except that he will actually be a good boyfriend. Or at least the best that he can be. He's still Zuko after all. I'm looking forward to writing more interactions between them.
For those wondering what Xīngqíwǔ means, it is the Chinese word for Friday. Since neither show ever went into any detail over how the weeks and days of the week work, I decided to improvise.
This is where I will be stopping for now. Let me know what you think about this in the reviews.
I will see you all next time.
Bye!
