Authors Note: Just a warning that the next update won't happen for a while since I need to concentrate on other aspects of my life/fanfic lol. So hopefully this will tide you over.
...
Fighting to keep my temper under control, something that was easier said than done given the fact that I had been mere seconds from completing what generations of my family could not do, I regarded the banished prince with an expression that clearly displayed my displeasure at being denied my prize.
"Congratulations Prince Zuko. It appears that the rumors surrounding your ability to get into trouble were greatly exaggerated. Such a pity that you had to interrupt my little conversation with the Avatar, but I suppose I should have known better considering your tendency to involve yourself in matters that don't concern you".
I had to give the disgraced royal some credit, he possessed enough courage to look me in the eye without flinching. But then, the exiled prince was famous for his inability to correctly analyse a situation before getting involved. No wonder Ozai's given me permission to ensure he's no longer a threat to the Fire Nation's plans. Though from what I've read, the Prince was only trying to fulfill the mission given to him by his father, certainly not the act of a traitor. Even his current status is due more to circumstances rather than personal choice.
Can't say the same for his Uncle though. Mother always held enormous respect for the Dragon of the West, but grief and old age clearly have caused him to adopt a more treasonous path. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if he purposefully interfered with his nephew's efforts to capture the Avatar for..the..Fire Nation.
Thinking back to all the reports I had read, not to mention the rumors that I've heard ever since I've entered the Earth Kingdom, I came to the realization that Iroh was indeed a far bigger traitor than Ozai could have ever predicted. This explained so much. I wonder though if Zuko is aware of just how far his uncle's treachery runs.
What was that lesson that mother always talked about? Oh yes.
Words can be much deadlier than any blade.
Allowing my face to adopt a more congenial expression in order to knock him off his guard, not that it would have mattered if I used my abilities to throw him around like a rag doll, I decided to see just how far I could push the banished prince before he allowed him temper to get the better of him.
"You know I'm rather surprised to see you here you Prince Zuko. Would have thought that your uncle would have convinced you to give up your one chance to return home, but I suppose that 3 years of stubbornness is a tough habit to break. Don't you think"?
Ahh, and out comes the fire daggers. And judging by the way his teeth are clinched, I would say that I managed to strike a nerve.
"In fact I'm rather shocked that your attempts to restore your honor always managed to blow up in your face at the last second. I mean I know your not exactly the poster boy for what a member of Sozin's bloodline can accomplish, but your obviously more powerful than the average fire bender if your encounters with Zhao have anything to prove. And with the Dragon of the West at your side, I would have thought that capturing a boy who has yet to master the full extent of his abilities would have been child's play".
Not quite their yet, though I don't think it will take much more to set him off.
"Such a pity that your mother isn't here to see just how much of a disappointment you've become. I mean, she sacficed herself for you, and what have you done to prove that you were worthy of that sacrifice? Nothing".
And 3..2..1.
"GAHHHHH"
...
He couldn't remember the last time he had been this angry.
Azula's lies about being welcomed back home, Zhao's attempt to end his life, and even the constant thwarting of his plans to capture the Avatar paled in comparison to the burning rage that he felt inside him as this...monster, openly mocked two of the most important people in his life.
Kicking a fireball towards his mocking adversary, and allowing his rage to rob him of all rational thought, Zuko launched himself at his smirking target, intent on making him pay for his disrespect.
But to his great dismay, he soon learned that not only was opponent able to dodge his flame dagger with an agility that would have put even the Avatar to shame, but like his sister also enjoyed the art of egging on a opponent by criticizing their techniques.
"Is this really the best you can do Prince Zuko? Stop using the standard attacks, use the unorthodox".
Gritting his teeth as he continued to violently slash at his dodging opponent, Zuko allowed one of his daggers to completely engulf his fist as he desperately tried to land a blow against his smirking adversary.
"Didn't your uncle train you better? Control your opponent's central line".
Shooting a short burst of fire from both his hands, the banished royal stared in shock as his opponent cancelled his attack with a wave of his hand before nimbly jumping to the side.
"Nicely done".
...
Seeing that he was still intent on rushing me, despite the rather clear evidence that such a strategy was useless considering my agility, I decided to end this rather one sided comedy by manipulating the chi that flowed through his body to send him crashing into one of the less run down buildings that populated this deserted hovel.
Had to give him some credit though, he is tougher than Ozai believes. Most people his age would have been unable to continue fighting after being tossed through a building, but here he is, flying from the wreckage to try and beat an opponent that is clearly his superior. Well if he's this determined to suffer another defeat, might as well ensure that he learns something from it.
"Come on Prince Zuko. You got to move faster if you want to destroy my focus".
Dodging a rather vicious blast that would have burnt my face off if I had been any slower, and doing my best not to smirk at the frustrated expression that was currently being worn by my temperamental opponent, I decided that I should probably end this little match before Ozai's favored child robbed me of my highly sought prize.
Manipulating my inner chi to add additional strength to my already agile limbs, and choosing to make this defeat as memorable as it would be painful, I grabbed his wrist as he tried to land yet another flame covered punch to my face, and kneed him in the gut. Watching in amusement as the banished prince crumpled to the ground in what I can only assume to be excruciating pain, and wishing to make sure that their was no chance of him interrupting the remaining chapter of his great grandfather's genocide, I quickly rendered him unconscious by jabbing the pressure point that was at the base of his neck.
Sparing a brief moment to direct my chi to cure my limbs of the miniscule levels of weariness that they had endured while dealing with the defeated prince, I launched myself into the air as I raced towards the sounds of crackling flames and buildings being destroyed.
...
This was not going well.
First he had to deal with the scary girl who easily outclassed any firebender he had previously fought with. Then Zuko had to show up, though truth be told he was somewhat relived at his sudden arrival since it was clear that Azula would have to divide her attention between him and his previously most relentless adversary.
And now this.
A guy who could not only bend creepy green fire and control his body with a simple wave of his hand, but also possessed a very clear desire to kill the world's last hope to restore balance.
Luckily for him, Zuko's unexpected intervention had saved his life, for if it hadn't been for that sudden fireball to the back, Aang's new enemy would have skewered him as his body was forced to fly through the air to his expected doom. But thanks to the scarred fire bender, the last Airbender survived that terrifying attempt on his life, thus giving him a chance to escape his deadly situation.
However fate had other plans.
For while the newest addition to this dangerous reunion focused his attention on the unlucky prince, Aang now had to deal with Azula, who while lacking any unnatural abilities, nevertheless possessed enough power and skill to make him fear for his life.
His attempts to flee where always checked.
A long wave of blue flame to keep him from using his glider to fly away.
Dodging swift blasts of blue fire as he leapt between the alley ways of the deserted buildings.
And now, having the roof he was clinging to sliced in half by a series of precise flame strikes, causing him to fall to the ground with a support beam trapping his leg.
Desperately trying to free himself to no avail, Aang could only watch in growing terror as Azula used her bending to surrounding him in a cage of fire.
Pinned down, surrounded by the element that only brought destruction, the last Airbender prepared himself for the worst as saw the female firebender casually walk towards him. Closing his eyes as he waited for the inevitable blow to be struck, Aang had to fight to keep himself calm as his opponent decided to savor her victory by taking the opportunity to comment on his failure.
"I must admit Avatar, after all the trouble you've caused for the Fire Nation, and my fool of a brother, I would have thought that you would have put up more of a fight. No matter. The result would have been the same even if you somehow managed to master the remaining elements. Cause lets face it, your just an immature child who foolishly clings to the pacifist principles of a long vanished people".
Doing his best to fight the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes at the mention of fellow Air Benders, and hearing the familiar sound of flames being summoned, Aang prepared himself for the worst.
"As much as I agree with you your highness, I'm afraid that I can't allow you to be the one to bring an end to Fire Lord Sozin's quest. No, that particular honor will rest with me".
Opening his eyes in panic as he heard the mocking tone of the one person who now ranked at the top of the scariest people he had ever met since Katara freed him from his icy prison, Aang was met with the terrifying sight of not only the grinning visage of his new tormentor, but also the sight of Azula sporting an expression that clearly cemented her position as the 2nd scariest person he had ever met.
Irritation with a noticeable trace of wariness.
"Forgive me Lord Ketsueki, but I'm afraid that you are mistaken. My father, Firelord Ozai, instructed me to ensure that the Avatar will never again pose a threat to the Fire Nation. And since I fully intend to carry out these instructions to the letter, then I'm afraid you will just have to be a captive audience to this execution".
...
I had to admit, if I wasn't already aware of the fact that Ozai only tasked her with hunting down her fugitive family members, not to mention the fact that I have been trained by the most skilled interrogator the world has ever seen in the art of telling truth from deception, I would have believed her. But unlike her amusingly naïve brother, I was in a position to not only call her bluff without suffering the consequences, but to do something that many people in both countries no doubt wished to do.
And that was remind Ozai's favored child that their were some things that were beyond her ability to control.
"I'm afraid your information is a little out of date your highness. See, the only reason I'm currently wasting my time in this wretched country is because your father agreed to my request to do what both your brother, and the late Admiral Zhao could not. And since you failed to finish him during your little detour in New Ozai, not to mention the lack of success in capturing the fugtive members of your family, the task of ending the Avatar's life falls to me".
Ahhh, and theirs the look that every spoiled child gets when their denied something they want. Still, should probably move this along before she decides to do something stupid like trying to use force to deny me of my prize.
Smirking as I ignored the glaring fire bender in favor of the delightfully trapped Air Bender, and uncaring of the fact that the grey eyed boy was staring at me with a pleading expression as I raised my sword to deliver the final blow, I allowed a sense of pride to fill my being as I moved to complete the mission that has consumed my family's being for the past 1000 years.
But it appears that fate has once again seen fit to rob me of my prize.
Only this time instead of a fire ball to the back, which I suppose wouldn't be too much of a surprise considering the vindictive nature of Oazi's favorite child, I felt a tendril of water wrap around my body. And before I could react, I was sent crashing into the equally surprised Fire Bender before my newest assailant sent me crashing into the nearest wall.
And as I struggled to regain my senses, something that was a bit difficult to manage considering the annoying throbbing sensation in my head, I witnessed the princess chasing not only my escaped prize, but also the blue clad girl who could only be the Avatar's water bending teacher.
Harnessing my chi to heal the worst of my injuries, and guessing that it was only a matter of time before the rest of the monk's allies showed up, I decided to do something that I had never thought necessary until this moment.
I was going to team up with the sadistic fire brat in order to improve my chances of killing not only the Avatar, but also his friends.
...
And I think I'll leave it here for now.
Really happy that this story is so well received (and its not even at the 5 chapter mark yet lol). Been meaning to do a story like this for quite some time. Not my usual theme of having a guy with attitude join the good guys of the series, but rather having a villain that in my mind is the best type out their. (Competent, violent, sadistic sense of humor, Badass)
The fight scene with Zuko (or at least some of the dialogue), I confess that it is HEAVILY influenced by the 2003 Clone Wars series. Specifally the scene where Dooku is training Grievous.
A lot of my OC's abilities are influenced by Dark Side/General Force powers. But as I stated before, the ability to bend chi, both in ones self and others, is pretty much the same thing as using the force.
Although I confess that Kuro's fighting style is basically the sith art of dun moch. I.e. Using taunts and other methods to cause an opponent to break focus.
His relationship with Azula will be interesting, since he is someone who is not intimated by her, nor does she have authority over him. Why he follows Ozai will be explained in further chapters, as to why Azula knows full well who he is, while Zuko is only aware of rumors. Again, this will be explained in other chapters.
And...thanks to another fanfic story called the masks we wear..It occurred to me that Zuko's transformation during the series is because he's unaware of his Uncle attempts to send him down a path that eventually causes him to join Aang. So what would happen if someone else, who see's potential in Zuko's skills, manages to make him aware of Iroh's treachery. Cause as the series shows, both Iroh AND Azula have a strong hold over Zuko. So what would happen if something was to threaten Iroh's position in Zuko's life. Unsure of the final end for this route (could have Zuko stay loyal to his father rather than join the Gaang, or have more emotional soul searching before he follows cannon route) but will be interesting to write.
Anywho...thanks for reading
I LIVE FOR REVIEWS (no flames) Since it does my ego good to see that people like this story lol. Any questions...feel free to ask.
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