A/N:
Storytime! Thanks to everyone that's been PMing me and showing love for this story and my other ones! Love you guys!
Chapter 11:
After spending a few days with Katara and the kids, Ozai finally returned back home and was immediately bombarded with an eagerly waiting fiancée that was always up his ass about where he had been.
"So where were you for the last three days, 6 hours, 34 minutes, 53 seconds?" Ami asked as she folded her arms and looked dead at her fiancée.
Ozai cringed at how she had been keeping time. "I was working on plans in Republic City. We have a deadline."
Ami eyed him funny before relaxing when she couldn't detect him lying. Ozai sighed as he thanked Agni for his skills in deception. Last thing they needed to discuss was why he was at Katara's place the last few days.
"So, when are we getting married, Ozai?" Ami asked as she went to the lounge chair and sat on it, crossing her legs.
"Soon. Let me finish some more of this project we have there and I promise I will make you my queen, Ami. There's nothing I want more than to do that."
The princess couldn't help but gush at this. That was all she wanted to hear. That Ozai wanted to marry her. She was starting to have doubts about him truly wanting to be with her but now, they laid to rest with those few words.
Kissing him sweetly, Ami patted her jaw and told him she had work to do in her lab and that she would see him for dinner. When she returned to her lab, Atsou was waiting for her and looked every bit as eager to speak to her as he was the time before.
"How's the immortal serum coming along?" He asked her as soon as she strolled up to her lab's door.
Scoffing, "Could you try being more discreet?"
"I'll be more discreet when I know you're truly on my side but something tells me you're not."
"As long as you do away with the bitch, I'm loyal."
"You hate my mean one that much?" Atsou leaned off the wall. "Not her fault Ozai and her have a past. What can you really do about such a thing?"
"She killed my brother."
"I gave the order."
"But she executed it." Ami gripped her fists. "As long as she dies, I'm satisfied."
Atsou could only smirk at the human woman. Jealousy was an ugly thing. How his brother chose this woman over Katara was beyond him. An idiot move. Who gave up a goddess for a mortal without any real assets? Ami wasn't the prettiest nor the most powerful. She wasn't the best in personality or merit. Only thing she beat Katara at was prior knowledge to which Katara could catch up to her if formally taught. So why did his brother choose her? Did he honestly love this woman? She was annoying and entitled. She hated a woman that had done her no wrong intentionally or outright. Ami was just jealous that Katara was everything she wasn't.
Into the bitter woman's lab, "The serum will be complete in due time. I just have to extract more of Ozai's blood when he's sleeping."
"Then make it quick." Atsou told the woman.
Ami cut her eyes to him, "This won't kill him, will it?"
"This is the only way I don't have to kill him." Atsou assured her.
Well that was good news to her. She didn't want to lose Ozai ever. Not to Katara and not to Atsou. It was unacceptable but if this saved Ozai from being absorbed by Atsou, then she was all for it. She just hoped Atsou didn't double cross her.
…
"Ryu, Mailan, you two go brush your teeth before bed!" Katara yelled after her two busy body kids that were running around the estate like little wildings.
"Yes, mommy!" They yelled back in unison.
Sighing as she giggled at the two and went back into her chambers, heading to her bedroom where Cho-Seng was on the bed with Hiroshi. Katara smiled at them both and joined in on the baby cooing session the two were having.
"He's so adorable." Katara squealed as she nudged the baby's dumpling cheeks. Handsome just like your father.
Cho-Seng chuckled and nodded in agreement. "It'd be nice to have one of our own, ya know."
Katara's mouth dropped at this comment while her boyfriend continued going on about what it would be like to get married and have a kid together.
"Not happening, pretty boy." Zuko growled as he appeared in their bedroom.
"So…we're just showing up in our ex's bedrooms, are we?" Cho-Seng said in a snarky tone.
Ignoring him, "Katara, I need you to go back to Republic City and oversee everything that is going to meet the deadlines before the first wave of citizens move in. We have many participants looking forward to this city's completion and with us doing one district at a time, many will be restless. I need this done in a few month's time."
Katara nodded and told him to give her a few days to get the kids together and she will be on her way. Zuko hugged and thanked her, glaring at Cho-Seng over her shoulder as the man rolled his eyes.
When Zuko left through a portal, Katara sighed and flopped into bed.
"Let us come with you." Cho-Seng said. "I'll watch the baby while you work."
Katara saw this as a good idea and agreed to it.
In the morning, Katara combed Mailan's hair and tied it into pigtails. Then, she brushed Ryu's hair back into a topknot. She smeared her red lip paint on both their faces from kissing them repeatedly before sending them off to school and reminding them that Zuko was picking them up.
"I love you two!" Katara waved at them as they went to get into the carriage taking them to school.
"Love you mama!" Ryu said as he waved back.
"Love you mommy!" Mailan bounced around before Ryu pulled her with him to the carriage.
Cho-Seng came up beside her with the baby and kissed her cheek, "Let's make this a quick trip and you'll be right back home."
Nodding her head, Katara beamed at him and kissed him back.
"Let's get going then."
….
"You're brilliant, dear." Ami kissed Ozai's cheek as she finished examining his blueprint for a smaller, more intricate scale railroad.
Ozai kissed her back and smiled at her until he noticed something had her attention. He followed her gaze and saw Katara and Cho-Seng holding Hiroshi as the waterbender gave out orders.
"She brings my child to a construction site? The damn barbarian." Ami hissed.
Ozai wanted to say something but kept his comment to himself as he knew Katara brought the child out of her own judgment on the matter. Hiroshi was just an infant and knowing Katara, she probably didn't tell anyone that the child was his. So bringing him along must have been out of trusting only herself to look after the baby boy. He appreciated her but that wasn't something he could discuss with Ami. The woman was easily triggered by his ex.
Carrying Hiroshi in a satchel attached to her back as she ordered everyone to stay focused on their tasks and provide water to those in need of a break, Katara saw Ozai and Ami approaching her and Cho-Seng.
"Lady Katara, working hard, I see." Ami said with a smug look on her face.
Deciding to bite, "I'd hope so. We are here to work." Katara tried being pleasant even though she still couldn't stand this bitch.
"Yes, well you just look lovely as ever. Short hair suits you."
Katara bowed her head, "Thank you, your highness."
"Oh, are we using manners now?" Ami smirked.
Ozai nudged her lightly to stop.
Katara had spent two years away from her ex and his new woman for a reason. She had behaved rather immaturely about their union and let herself fall low to the bitch in front of her. Becoming desperate and altogether just not how she would have liked. She didn't want to be easy to anger or violence. That wasn't her.
"If there is nothing else, I have work to do." Katara said as she turned to leave.
But Ami wasn't done.
"My son, I see he's taken to you." Ami said.
Katara turned to look at the woman, "yes, well he just needed some much required love and care."
"I thank you for looking after him." Ozai told Katara.
The waterbender offered him a simple smile and Ami scoffed.
As the snooty princess stormed off, Ozai patted his son's head and beamed at Katara.
"Thank you, truly."
"You needn't thank me for looking after my kids' sibling. He's precious." Katara looked over her shoulder at the baby boy strapped to her back.
Cho-Seng watched how Ozai stared at Katara and narrowed his eyes.
"Let's get going, Katara. We have work to do." Cho-Seng placed his hand on her shoulder.
Ozai eyed the man as Katara nodded and waved goodbye to him.
…
Washing her face in the communal showers, Katara flipped her wet hair back and rinsed her face off. She sang to herself as she lathered herself in soap. It had been a busy day. Katara hadn't worked this hard since being Fire Lady and honestly, she got a thrill from it. This was what she liked doing. Helping her family's dream come true but also helping others. Aside from Ami being bitter and watching her from afar, her days went swell and there wasn't too much trouble around these construction sites.
As the waterbender continued singing to herself, a beautiful voice she had, she was interrupted by a guest. She turns the nozzle on the drain and sweeps her hair back to look at Ami.
"Yes?" Katara said as she went to grab her towel and cover herself up.
Stepping into the communal shower in her towel, Ami removed herself and saw Katara eyeing her. Sighing, "I'm not as pretty as you, Katara."
"Don't know how that matters." Katara scoffed as she dried her hair, ruffling it with a towel.
Ami sighed as the warm water cascaded down on her, "Tell me, Katara, has Ozai ever come to your rescue?"
Katara turned to eye the woman funny. What kind of question was that? 'Had Ozai ever come to her rescue?' Obviously, that wasn't a subtle question or an appropriate one to ask the ex of your fiancee.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be harsh." Ami continued washing herself up. "I ask because if I'm to marry him, I want to know if he'll come save me if ever I'm in danger."
"Don't count on it." Katara hissed. "Ozai, never even thought about defending me, much less, saving me."
Ami turns to look at Katara, "Then why don't you hate him?"
Katara didn't know why. Maybe it was because he gave her a family and he was the man she loved, not needing him to save her as she could save herself. Maybe she wished one day he would save her. Maybe she was incapable of hating him when she probably should. The waterbender didn't know. She just knew that Ozai never saved her and it made her incredibly lamenting at the thought. Why didn't he save her? Why was she not worth being rescued?
Shrugging her shoulders as she looked down at the towel in her hands before wrapping it around her waist, "Ozai gave me all I never thought I would have, sometimes, I feel like he doesn't have to save me for me to feel appreciative of him. Plus, I can save myself."
"Well, that's sweet, Katara but maybe this go around, you'll resent him a little more."
The waterbender was immediately grabbed from behind and noticed it was Cho-Seng holding her tight. Before she could feel betrayed, Cho-Seng smirked and began to morph from out of his true form.
"Calm yourself, mean one." Atsou told the lovely waterbender struggling in his arms.
Katara couldn't help but feel panic. All this time without Atsou bothering them and her leading a normal life for once in over twenty years. Now, he was back to take it all from her. She was paralyzed with fear.
"That's right, mean one." Atsou patted the side of her head as she stood completely still and hyperventilated. "Calm down."
Katara felt some be injected into her neck and she collapsed to the shower floor as her eyes remained on Ami. Ami stepped towards her and crouched down with a smirk on her face.
"I've waited a long time for this, Katara. You're finally getting what you deserve."
Tearing the sleeve of her dress and dirtying up her face, Ami hurried to her tent to Ozai. As soon as he saw her, he stood to his feet, putting down the scroll he was reading from.
"Ami? What happened?" He asked as she rushed into his arms, clinging to him tight.
Putting on the hysterical act, "Ozai! Katara, she attacked me!"
"Attacked you?" Ozai was confused. Katara had kept to herself for the most part, only working on the tasks she had around the site and taking care of the baby. Why would she suddenly attack Ami? Ami had to have done something. He knew Katara enough to know she didn't attack without probable cause.
Ami pulled away and showed him her self-inflicted wounds, watching his eyes narrow. "I saw her with Atsou and when I tried to eavesdrop, she caught me before Atsou took her with him."
"What?! She's with Atsou?!"
Ami nodded. "She's been working with Atsou this whole time!" She exclaimed. "Even Cho-Seng was attacked!"
Ozai pushed past Ami and went to Katara's tent to find she was actually gone along with Cho-Seng. But Horisho was still sound asleep in his crib which made him a bit suspicious. Katara wasn't the type of woman to leave a baby to fend for itself. Something wasn't right here. Maybe Ami didn't understand exactly what she was seeing. Maybe there was more to it and Atsou took Katara against her will.
Ami entered the tent with him, "See, they're gone."
"Something isn't right. Katara wouldn't leave the baby."
"Maybe she did it for his own good." Ami suggested.
No, she wouldn't do that either. Not when she knew Ami was a piss poor mother. Something was wrong with this picture.
…..
Zuko was playing a game of cards with his sister, mother, and uncle in the gardens when his father showed up, opening a black portal right by their patio table. Nonchalantly, Zuko addressed him as he set his card down for the table to make their next move.
"How can I help you, father?" Zuko sounded bored as he was actually very bored with the increasing amount of free time he had lately.
Slamming his hand down on the table in the middle of their card game, "Katara still works with Atsou!"
Furrowing his brows, Zuko looked at his father like he was crazy. "Katara hates that bastard. She wouldn't."
Ursa snorted, "Katara risked punishment just to spite the man. He might look like you but she knows the difference and hates his guts."
"I've seen her outright try to fight him. He put her down quickly but it never stopped her." Azula chimed in. "Katara would kill you herself than work for Atsou to get the same job done."
Ozai tells them about Katara's disappearance and how Ami witnessed it. "I have to find her and all of you are more familiar with my twin brother than I am. Give me some leads."
Zuko stood up and looked to his uncle to take everyone away so he could speak privately with his father. When they were all gone, Zuko narrowed his eyes at his father and smirked.
"I know the boy is yours. Katara refuses to tell everyone but I can smell you on him." Zuko tilts his head. "You're trying to save your nanny, is it?"
Glaring at Zuko, "I'm trying to save the only person that's ever truly gave a fuck about me! I love Ami and I know she loves me but she's no Katara. I can live without Ami and her shit mothering skills, but Katara, a world without her is unbearable."
Scoffing at the bullshit, "Go fuck yourself, Ozai." Zuko growled. "You said all while choosing Ami over her. Now, you suddenly want to save her for the first time, what am I to think of you?"
"Zuko." Ozai bit out. "I don't care what you think, I need to find her. Where is Atsou?!"
Zuko sighed and scratched his head as he shook it, "I don't know. No one does."
"What the hell do you mean, you don't know?! Weren't you there?!" Ozai grabbed Zuko by his collar.
"Atsou doesn't disclose the location and the only person that knows the exact location is his personal siren, Lora. Other than her, no one else knows the location." Zuko explained how Atsou trusted no one but his siren, Lora.
Ozai growled, "How do I find Lora?"
"She's always by his side. Apparently, Sirens and Phoenixes go hand and hand."
Ozai scoffs and shoves Zuko to go look for Katara on his own. The boy was completely useless.
…
Atsou wasn't one to enjoy torturing people. It just wasn't his taste but Katara needed to be punished. He needed to make a point to her that he was merciful but also not to be fucked with and she had fucked with him enough. Even as Cho-Seng, she didn't appreciate his mercy. Sure, she didn't know it was him but she hadn't realized how her life had been so easy going with him remaining low and out of her hair. Of course, he should be a little more gentle with her as she had finally made love to him. Maybe she would enjoy him in his true form and not as some man he killed in order to take his place.
Gazing down at where Katara was strapped to a table and being shocked repeated by two lightning-benders, Atsou smirked at her, staring at him with her teeth clenched.
"You seemed 'shocked' to see I was Cho-Seng." Atsou said as he signaled for the lightning-benders to stop.
Katara had trimmers shooting through her body as she glared at him, "You sick bastard!"
"Oh, don't say that, mean one. We had a beautiful romance. I put up with your two shitty exes and loved you even though you made it pretty clear after two years you weren't in love with me." Atsou caressed her face and absorbed the lightning traveling through her body causing her trimmers to still. "Now, you know who I really am and you hate me all over again. What's it going to take, Katara?"
The waterbender shut her eyes as she felt disgust after finding out she had been sleeping with Atsou this whole time. It made her skin crawl from the mere realization. She would never be able to wash away the sick feeling of knowing he touched her in that way.
"Look at me, mean one, we have some serious matters to discuss."
"Like?" She kept her eyes shut.
"Like how you're going to give me the child I talked about having with you."
Katara's eyes snapped open.
"And don't worry about that reproductive block you have. I've long had Lora get rid of it. Only problem is you haven't gotten pregnant yet."
"You son of a bit-"
Atsou placed his hand over her mouth, "Shh, don't be mean. I have to explain why I need a kid with you. Aren't you curious?"
Katara shook her head.
"Listen up, mean one. Eating Ozai is no longer an option. His will is too strong and he will likely take over to pilot my body. I can't have that, so, a simple solution is to devour my immortal offspring. My nephew was an option but Ami didn't exactly produce a worthy candidate and your children have their father's will. So, I figured since all your children are like us, inhumans, you'd give me exactly what I want."
The waterbender was disturbed and immediately tried to jerk out of the bondage she was in. no way in hell she'd let Atsou impregnate her and eat her child. This bastard was really sick. Sicker than they came.
"After the real Cho-Seng broke up with you over you being so in love with Ozai, I killed and became him with every intention to make this a possibility." Atsou rubbed her face.
Narrowing her eyes at him, "All this for immortality, Atsou?! Are you so desperate?!"
"Yes," His red eyes glowed. "I'm very desperate and immortality is merely a means to my endgame."
"What endgame?"
"A world as I see fit." Atsou smirked at her.
Ami entered the room with her lab coat and pulled her gloves over her hands, "Is the test subject ready?"
"Ready?!" Katara looked from her to Atsou. "Ready for what?"
Atsou smirked as Ami took out the syringe and flicked the needle, giving her the signal.
Katara stared wide-eyed at Ami as she was injected with a red serum. Her heart started to race in her chest as her body felt it was on fire. She convulsed in the restraints and Atsou raised a brow at Ami.
"What's it doing?"
Ami smirked at Atsou, "Ozai's blood is poison to her. Direct contact is likely to cause her great discomfort since their elementals are polar opposites."
"Will it kill her?"
"Sort of but it just means it's working." Ami giggled to herself.
…
Ozai had looked everywhere for Katara. Everywhere. But she was nowhere to be found. He suspended all matters related to his court affairs in order to find the waterbender. It angered Ami but Ozai had failed Katara plenty, he didn't want to fail her again. She was still a good friend despite all that he lacked. She was hard on him and made him hate a lot of his decisions and actions but she knew he was better than what he allowed himself to be. He had to find her. Whatever it took.
But days turned into weeks. Weeks into months. Ozai couldn't rest and his nation started to wonder if he was capable of leading when there was the constant distraction of his ex-wife. Ozai forced himself to return to his duties as Phoenix King so as to not punish his people for the disappearance of Katara.
One day while raining, Ozai was in his office looking at some documents that failed to keep his attention, proposals for job positions in Republic City. He felt he couldn't be bothered with the project as Zuko had pretty much everything covered and understood the blueprints enough to have them explained to engineers and craftsmen. He'd send these proposals to his son to look over. But as he sulked and did his work, between the crackle of lightning and booming of thunder, he heard screaming. It cause to pause for a moment to see if it were just his imagination but as he continued to hear the screaming, Ozai stood from desk and walked towards his office balcony, where the sound came from.
Outside, Ozai spotted a woman running in the rain as men in black chased after. He narrowed his eyes to get a better look at things, zooming vision on the woman as her physique was familiar to him. As soon as he identified the woman as Katara, Ozai rushed to the scene to intervene.
Screaming for help as she panted, Katara held her side and nearly tripped over herself. She was caught by the wrist by one of her attackers' whip and stabbed through the hand with a throwing knife. Her voice cried out as she fell to the ground nursing her hand to her chest. Something told her not to run through the Earth Kingdom trying to get away from Atsou. Now the stealth forces of the new Earth Kingdom government were on her ass. It was a dumb call but she was desperate to get away from Atsou. He was doing awful things to her and she couldn't allow him to succeed in his plans for her.
As the attackers came upon her, Katara was about to be stabbed through the chest by a spear when the man suddenly was enveloped in white flames and burned to a crisp. She saw the men run in the opposite direction of her and sighed in relief as she turned to see Ozai standing over in the rain.
"Ozai, thank la!" She rasped in relief before passing out.
Waking back up, Katara sat up on an uncomfortable cot in what looked to be a cell. She saw Ozai standing on the other side of the bars, staring with an unreadable expression on his face.
"Ami says you're working with Atsou." Ozai said with his stoic demeanor.
Wincing as she climbed out of bed, Katara furrowed her brows at him and limped towards the bar, clutching them in her grasp. "It is Ami, not me, that works with Atsou."
"Impossible."
"Ozai, I'm telling you. She set me up!"
"Katara, I don't trust you." Ozai narrowed his eyes. "How do I know you're not just working with him? Let me see your thoughts."
"No! You can't!"
"Then you are working with him." He scowled.
"It's not that. I promise, just trust me!"
"I don't." Ozai said before turning to leave. "You can't leave as the brace around your neck prevents bending and your supernatural abilities. You're not different than a human nonbender now."
He took off, leaving her to her cell and the dungeon air.
"Ozai, don't leave me down here! Please!" Katara yelled after him. "OZAI!"
…..
A/N:
Ozai has Katara prisoner and Katara doesn't want him in her head, wonder why.