Chapter 26: Azula's Deal

Zuko and Iroh lazily carried themselves upstairs, holding onto the support beam as they ascended the wooden steps. Their room was located on the second floor, sandwiched between the first and third, where they had to endure loud noises on both ends.

In the room beneath them, the tenant would often meddle with bamboo flutes that were horrifyingly off-key, and he would play his instruments well into the night. In the room above them, they were forced to listen to constant scratching and thumping noises, as if furniture was constantly being moved – these noises would often begin very early in the morning.

As they came to their door, Iroh took out the small, brass room key and proceeded to slide it delicately into the lock; upon hearing a faint click sound, an indication that the door was now open, Iroh moved to allow Zuko entrance first into the room before following closely behind him. The two of them fully entered the apartment and Iroh finally shut the door; after engaging the internal lock, the gray-haired man then tossed his keys onto the wooden table that sat in the middle of the dinning area.

"Whew, long day today," Iroh exclaimed, stretching his arms high above his head in an effort to relax his muscles.

Zuko said nothing in response, and instead headed over to the bedroom area. Lying down fully on the mat, Zuko's silent demeanor continued as he stared up at the ceiling – he appeared to be in deep thought.

"Zuko? Are you okay?" Iroh asked with obvious worry.

The prince said nothing once again, ignoring the pressing voice of his uncle.

"Would you like some tea?" Iroh wondered.

Before the teen could respond, not that he would've, Iroh continued nonetheless, "You know what, I think you need some good, relaxing tea. It'll help take your mind off of things."

Turning his back to the still mute Zuko, Iroh trotted over to the kitchen and began to start a small fire with the stove; the apartment didn't have much, but at least it was equipped with a functioning stove and oven – the better to make tea with.

Listening to the clinking of clattering dishes and cups, Zuko's eyes scanned the blank white canvas of the ceiling above him; allowing his lids to fully shut, the young firebender tried to calm himself down, to relax if possible. The events that transpired not hours ago, were still fresh in his mind, and he couldn't help but replay the interaction over again, like a mental projection, in his head.

Jet, that's what the guy's name was, seemed to be nothing more than a lunatic, bent on the total destruction on anything that was relatively fire-nation related; despite the fact that Jet was so obviously insane, Zuko couldn't help but accept the fact that his unhinged ranting had actually been quite accurate. He had accused Zuko and his uncle of being fire-nation spy's, but even though that wasn't entirely true, it had been close enough to the truth that it actually scarred Zuko a bit. If Jet was aware of their identity, how many others were suspecting the same thing?

Zuko shifted his position, turning his body to the side, now lying comfortably on his right shoulder while the left one slumped inward, toward his chest and the floor. The fight with Jet was quick, lasting only a few minutes, but it was long enough and intense enough for Zuko to start thinking about things that he had long since forgotten. It was like a jump-start; it made him question certain fundamental elements about his current situation. Is this what he wanted? To live out a peaceful life here, in Ba Sing Se? No. He didn't want to make a life here, didn't want to become used to the hustle and bustle of everyday life, one of the cogs in a machine.

So, what did he want? Was it to be accepted into the Fire Nation again? To finally be acknowledged and loved by his father, who he had so desperately wanted to impress? At first, he thought 'no', but even those words seemed hollow. If he were given a chance, one final chance to be taken back into the Fire Nation's gracious arms, would he take it?

Zuko pondered over each question as though the answer to one of them would bring him the happiness and comfort that he always yearned for, as though answering at least one of them would get him out of this hellish nightmare that he was living.

Suddenly there was a knock on the front door. Zuko rolled over to his back and stared at the wooden entrance across the room.

"I'll get it," Iroh sang in a jovial voice as he wandered over to the door.

Quickly unlocking the bolts that held the door in frame, Iroh then briskfully opened it and peered through the entryway.

"Hello, how may I help-….."

His voice seemed to halt abruptly, as if the sound of a hiccup or a burp threatened to make its way through his mouth; there was a short catch of his own breath at the end of his words as well that somewhat worried Zuko.

"Uncle…who is it?" he finally asked, wondering why the man had stopped speaking so suddenly.

Glancing over at the rigid stillness of his uncle's body, Zuko twitched with confusion at the expression that adorned Iroh's face – was a mixture of disbelief, horror, and everything in between.

"Well, uncle?" came a female voice from beyond the door, "Aren't you going to let me in?"

Zuko's own body seemed to seize up at the tone of the voice. There were a number of things that came to his mind all at once, a multitude of clues that informed him of who stood beyond that door, and his mouth suddenly became dry. He recognized everything about that voice – the lilt, the pitch, the tone, the pacing, even use of the word 'uncle'. There was no denying it – Azula was in Ba Sing Se.

Stunned with surprise and honest-to-god horror, Iroh remained rooted in his spot for what seemed like an eternity; his legs refused to move and his arms felt heavy and slow, but his mind was going into over-drive.

'Azula? What is Azula doing here in Ba Sing Se? How did she find us? What does she want?'

A rush of questions flooded into his mind, but he was snapped out of his mental shock when he heard Azula's voice pierce his mental fort.

"Come now, Uncle, don't be rude," the dark-haired teen said in a mocking tone, "Aren't you going to let me in? It's freezing out here, you know."

She was just as incessant and mischievous as he remembered; he could sense no change in her demeanor, nor any obvious shift of her treatment towards him. For a moment, he considered attacking her, a quick preemptive strike, just to render her defenseless; if she took her time to track them down, then her reason for being here couldn't be good.

His grip on the door knob tightened for a minute as he stared into Azula's eyes, mulling over what his move would be during the next few seconds. He almost did it, almost attacked her outright, but he eventually decided not to. For one, the apartment complex didn't have a whole lot of auditory shielding, so whatever would happen here could carry to every other area of the building – he couldn't have that. The second reason for not attacking her, however, quickly revealed itself in the form of a white-haired boy who stood mere feet behind Azula.

For a moment, Iroh hadn't even noticed the boy, perhaps because he was already so focused on Azula, or perhaps because the child had only recently shown himself. Whatever the reason, Iroh realized that he couldn't risk attacking Azula – not here, not now anyway.

Loosening his grip on the smooth, brass surface of the over-used door knob, Iroh finally backed into the room to allow Azula entrance.

The fire princess smiled and nodded as she took a step into her uncle's living quarters.

"Thank you," she said, mockingly.

Fully entering the apartment, she took her time scanning the area, glancing at the condition of the walls and the furniture.

"Disgusting," she noted with a revolted face.

She turned to the boy sitting on the mat further into the room, "Zuzu, this is no place for a Fire Nation Prince," she stated, staring down at him.

"Ex – fire nation prince," Zuko corrected, making a point not to blink as he glared back at her, "Don't you remember? Father banished me from returning."

Glancing up at nothing in particular, Azula gave a thoughtful look to her brother, "Yes, I remember. Don't you know that I was there?"

"Of course I know that, I also know that you enjoyed it," he replied viciously, "I know that you wanted me gone."

"Oh please, Zuzu, don't be so dramatic," she said with a slight chuckle, "Father banished you for his own reasons. I had nothing to do with it."

"You expect me to believe that?" he questioned, now rising to his feet from the mat, "You expect me to believe a liar?!"

"You don't have to believe me, you just have to listen," she said calmly, no longer smiling.

Leaning back slightly, obviously not concerned with what she had to say to him, Zuko folded his arms in front of him.

"No. Get out," he instructed.

For several moments, the entire room was filled with an air of stifling tension, a silence that weighed throughout the apartment as both siblings glared at each other in expectance of the other. Zuko remained rooted in his spot, arms crossed over his chest as he waited for Azula to finally leave and take her scheming thoughts with her. The black haired princess rocked her head back, a small smirk gracing her face, "I can't leave, Zuzu. You see….i'm in quite a predicament, and I need your help."

"I don't care. Get out," Zuko repeated, this time abandoning his place in front of her and walking towards the door. Grabbing the wooden frame firmly and holding the entrance open, he signaled for Azula to leave the premesis.

"Do you really want me to leave, Zuzu?" she sung, her voice softly carrying through the damp air.

"Yes," he stated, not wishing to repeat himself once more.

"Even if I can offer you a chance to return back to the Fire Nation? Back home, a chance at redemption?" she asked.

At first, the Fire Nation prince said nothing and simply stared quietly at her; however, even from this distance, Azula could tell that his hands were trembling slightly. She had gotten him curious – now, all she needed to do was drag him in further.

Not allowing him to respond, she continued to speak as she slowly approached him, "Haven't you wanted a chance like this? Ever since your banishment, you've been searching needlessly for your ticket back into father's good graces – The Avatar. You've been looking for him haven't you?"

Zuko flinched, but didn't dare release his grip on the door, as if it was a tether of some kind that kept him rooted in reality. His eyes narrowed as she neared him, but he didn't make a move to stop her.

"I have a proposition for you, dear brother," she said, her words like venom, "I'm on a mission to apprehend the avatar, and I have reason to believe that he is somewhere in Ba Sing Se. Due to…certain unfortunate events, I have been forced to seek additional assistance to complete my task."

For a few seconds, Zuko was silent, taking in Azula's speech; he definitely didn't take her words at face value – after all, she's not above lying to get her way. Although, given the fact that she is even in Ba Sing Se, means that there must be some truth to her story; however, truth is often times used to conceal deception.

"Zuko," Iroh said from the other side of the door way, "You've come so far from being the person you once were; you are now so close to a better life….don't throw it away for her."

There was worry in his voice, Zuko could hear it; hidden in the rough and guttural inflections of his tone was a hint of concern and unease.

"Don't worry, Uncle," Azula said, turning to the old man, "I'm also willing to extend this offer to you; it's been quite a while since you've been home."

"The Fire Nation is no longer the home that I loved," he spat back, the creases in his forehead wrinkling with annoyance.

With the confident and overly cocky smile still on her face, Azula merely let out a chuckle that rocked her head back, but she didn't respond to her uncle's remark.

"Well, Zuzu?" she asked, her attention now back on her brother.

Zuko still stood next to the open door, but the hand that once gripped the frame now hung lifelessly at his side; he stared at the floor in serious thought, studying the uneven wooden ground as if the answer might come to him from between one of the boards.

There was silence in the air as the former prince waged an internal battle, one that shook him to the core; the offer that Azula had presented was one that he had been hoping for all this time – a chance to return to his kingdom, his home.

After a few minutes of excruciating stillness, the dark-haired teen shifted uncomfortably in his spot.

"If I agree to your terms," he began, still glaring intensely at the floor, "How can I be sure that you won't betray me once we're done and leave me here to rot?"

Flicking her hair to the side and away from her face, Azula shot Zuko her same confident smile, "You can't be sure if I'm lying or not. But one thing is for sure: this is your one and ONLY chance you'll have if you ever want to return to the Fire Nation."

He gritted his teeth as his eyes sped up from the ground and looked into her golden irises; Azula was awfully calculating and manipulative, especially when she wanted something, and this interaction seemed to solidify her cunning nature. Zuko was stuck – she had trapped him both ways. If he agreed to her proposition, she would hold all the power and could change her mind if she wanted to; however, on the other hand, if he refused her offer, he could potentially been throwing away his best bet for returning to the Fire Nation, and regaining the respect of his father.

"Fine. I'm in," he said.

"Zuko!" Iroh gasped in protest, "Please, think about this! We've built up a life here in Ba Sing Se, do you really want to throw it all away?"

"No, YOU'VE built a life here, uncle!" Zuko screamed back, slightly startling the older gentleman, "I never wanted this life. I don't want to stay here the rest of my life serving tea, that's not what I want to do. My place isn't here, it's in the Fire Nation."

Azula grinned widely as the bickering between uncle and nephew unfolded; such chaos brought her joy, although she couldn't help but be inwardly intrigued by their conversation.

"Zuko –" Iroh tried once again in a feeble attempt to convince his nephew of the horrible mistake he would be making, but he was quickly cut off.

"That's enough, uncle!" the boy yelled, silencing the old man, "I have to do this!"

The argument was short but intense, and by the end of it, both sides of the altercation avoided the other's glance, as if by embarrassment.

"Are you done?" Azula asked, leaning against the wooden banister that bordered the frame of the door's entrance.

Zuko didn't reply, but nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"Good," she curtly continued, walking further into the apartment, "Then as long as you have agreed on my proposition, I hope you understand my need for shelter for the night."

"You're not going to be staying here," Iroh grunted in irritation.

"No?" she questioned, feigning a hurt expression, "Are you really going to kick me out into the cold, dear brother?" she then turned her attention to Zuko, who seemed uncomfortable under her gaze.

"Are you going to leave me out in the cold? Especially considering the fact that I am the key to bringing you back to the Fire Nation?"

Although she maintained the fake, pleading face, the way she spoke denoted a dangerous sense of warning – Azula was his only chance to returning home, and she knew it.

Taking in a breath and breathing out uneasily, Zuko sighed.

"Ok, you can stay here – but only for the night," he said.

He turned to Iroh, expecting his uncle to raise his voice in defiance, but instead the old man remained silent. It was obvious that he didn't agree with Zuko's judgment, but he decided to remain quiet while he watched the situation unfold.

"Don't you have a Fire Nation camp nearby or something? Also, where are your guards? I doubt you came here alone," the dark-haired boy said.

Azula lost her 'begging face' and now became serious for the first time since she first entered the room.

"I'm afraid not. This mission is much too important for me to entrust it to any random guard."

A concerned look crossed Zuko's face, "Wait, you don't have any guards? How are we supposed to capture the avatar?"

"Don't worry. I have a secret weapon," she snickered, more to herself than anything.

"'A secret weapon'? What is it?" Zuko asked.

Azula grinned again, expecting her brother to ask; she pointed over to the boy beside her.

The boy with the white hair.

End of Chapter 26

Author's Note: Hey, guys, It's me again. How are you all doing? – ha ha, I don't care. Anyway, as some of you guys might know, I haven't updated the story in quite some time, so it makes sense that there are some reviews that I couldn't exactly read during that time. I would first like to say thank you to those who genuinely enjoy the story so far – you guys are probably the main reason why I'm still continuing the story. Although I'm aware that most of you may like the story, I know that there are some who dislike how I've written Accelerator.

The main critique that I've seen regarding Accelerator's personality is the recognition that he isn't a character who lusts for power, so-to-speak – instead, he prefers to live a peaceful life, but the only way he believes he can secure this life is by proving that he is beyond reproach in terms of power so that no one would ever dream of challenging him.

While this is most definitely true, and a fairly good summary of his personality in terms of motivation, it is also the case that he is not above simply wanting to prove that he is more powerful than everybody else, for no reason other than just a display of power. His behavior is also not entirely explained by him just wanting to 'live peacefully'; Accelerator is arguably the most ruthless, arrogant, and blood-thirsty character throughout the entire anime (At least at the beginning). So, while Accelerator is most definitely my personal favorite character in the anime, I cannot ignore the massive contradiction between his goals and the actions he takes to reach them.

With this being said, I will acknowledge that, as a writer, I have taken certain liberties in regards to certain changes within his character; however, I believe these changes to be mostly minor and inconsequential. Furthermore, throughout the story I have attempted to gradually change Accelerator's cynical view of the world; the point of this fanfiction is not to keep the characters as they were, but to change them according to the circumstances they undergo, while also maintaining the main aspect of their personality.

If any of guys disagree with me, even if you enjoy the story so far, please let me know your view of my reasoning in the comments; do you think my assessment of Accelerator's character is correct, or do you have an even better one? I would actually love to read your opinions, and maybe I'll try to reply to you in the comments if I find it interesting.

Anyway, I hope you all are doing ok, and I'll talk to you guys in the next chapter. Later!