"You seem on edge."

Sokka made a noncommittal grunt as Mai took a seat next to him on the floor in the small apartment. It had been easy enough to explain to Jet, Smellerbee and Longshot what had happened at Lake Laogai. It had been even easier to get their support. The Freedom Fighters had never liked corruption and inequality, and the Dai Li had been using both to maintain power over the city. That wasn't the problem. No, what troubled Sokka was the information Jet had offered in return.

"Why stop at just getting your friends back? Why not make a real difference? We have a plan…"

Sokka cast a glance at Longshot, who was busy sharpening arrows on the other side of the room. He had not said a word to them so far. Smellerbee and Jet were also out of their hair for now: Smellerbee because she was helping Shizue set up the adjoining room as a make-shift cell for Long Feng, and Jet had left to listen out for any news and meet up with one of the other occupants of the apartment. It seemed the Freedom Fighters had made two new friends during their journey to Ba Sing Se. Sokka wasn't too worried about the girls—cousins who had fled from Omashu—but he couldn't deny that something niggled.

"What do you think of their plan?" he asked.

"The revolution?" Mai gave a one-shouldered shrug. "It's well thought out, I suppose."

He nodded. The plan was rather brilliant. The Lower Ring might be the poorest of the poor and have no political footing, but it had enough people to outnumber the Middle and Upper Rings several times over. People who could bend, people who could fight, people who worked the fields and were the main providers of food for the rest of the city. Listed together like that, Sokka could see that these weren't just refugees and nobodies who had been crammed together behind a wall. These were people with power. All they needed was a leader: someone to bring them together and show them how to rise up. Sokka could even admit that he agreed with the principles behind the revolution. The Lower Ring did deserve better.

So why was he reluctant to give the plan his approval?

"Maybe I'm just overthinking things," he muttered, trying to shrug off the ill-feeling that twisted his gut. "It's not like we have any better options."

Their group had been reduced to three. That was not enough to stop the Dai Li. More importantly, he'd been presented with an idea that was not only in motion but could actually see him rescue not just Toph, Iroh and Joo Dee, but also put a stop to all the brainwashing and corruption. Sokka would be a fool to dismiss such an offer. True, there were things about the plan that troubled him. He especially didn't like the idea that innocent people might get caught up in the fighting, but Jet had promised this wouldn't be like Gaipan. Jet said that he had learnt his lesson.

"We're going to make this work, Sokka. You're worried about your friends, right? With Ruolan's plan, we can get them back. We can stop the Dai Li."

Sokka let out a breath. Well, at least the idea to start a revolution hadn't been Jet's. Maybe it was petty, but he couldn't stomach the idea that he would have to rely on one of Jet's plans to save his friends. Jet had been impossible in the past, all the jibes and the way people had just naturally listened to him. Even if Sokka had ended up outsmarting him in the end, the reminder that he had been made to look incompetent next to Jet was not one he needed right now.

The tip of a finger pressed into Sokka's forehead, right between his brows. He blinked. The pressure only lasted a second before Mai pulled her finger away.

"What the heck?" he exclaimed, rubbing the spot. She had pushed pretty hard. "What was that for?"

"It worked, didn't it?"

"Huh? What worked?"

She got to her feet. "You're no longer frowning."

Sokka's mouth dropped open to give him the unflattering likeness of a fish. "You—that's your way of cheering someone up?"

"Who said I was trying to cheer you up? Your brooding was just so obvious that I could practically hear your inner monologue."

Sokka scrunched his face, trying to work out whether she was being serious or not. It was hard to tell with her sometimes. Mai's lips twitched a little; it seemed she was entertained by his struggle. Not that her amusement lasted for long. She edged closer to the window and peered onto the street, careful to keep out of sight.

"I suppose we're going to be shut up in here for a while," she observed. "Even dressed as Lower Ring refugees, we're too recognisable to the Dai Li."

"Probably."

She gave up on looking out the window and leaned back against the wall, folding her arms across her chest. It occurred to Sokka that, for all her blasé attitude, Mai was a restless person. She had been fidgeting this entire time, whether it was with a knife, her bandages, or just shifting into a different position. Then again, perhaps this was just her way of expressing her unease. Mai didn't like to talk about her feelings. In truth, neither did Sokka. He much preferred to be the optimist and keep people in a good mood. The problem was that he had seen Aang get hit. He had seen Aang flicker out of the Avatar State and fall to the ground, seen him lie there lifeless. Sokka knew that unless Katara had managed to work a miracle, there was a chance that Aang might have died, especially if it was true that Zuko had risked linking to Aang when his own chi had been so depleted.

Don't think about it. You can't jump to conclusions.

Katara was with the boys. She had managed to get away from the Dai Li, and he knew she would never give up. There was still hope.

The door to the side room slid open. Smellerbee came out, but Shizue stayed in the room to act as a guard. The agreement was that someone would always be with Long Feng to make sure he couldn't escape. Sokka wasn't looking forward to when it was his turn. He couldn't stand to look at the man right now. In fact, it was only because of Shizue that Long Feng had even been brought along with them. She seemed to think the bastard could still be of use.

"Our guest is all settled in," Smellerbee said with a vicious little smile. "I don't think he's too happy with his new home, but what matters is that he won't be getting out unless we say so."

"Good." Mai stepped away from the wall. "We can't afford to have him escape."

Sokka said nothing. He didn't care anymore about Long Feng. He just wanted his sister and friends back. All of them back. Besides, it wasn't like holding Long Feng hostage had helped them before. The Dai Li had still attacked.

Smellerbee took a seat next to Longshot. "So, Luan—"

A chirpy voice drifted up to them from the stairwell. Mai froze. Even Sokka stiffened and stared at the door to the apartment. He knew that voice.

"Looks like Dandan is back," Smellerbee observed.

"Dandan?"

"She's Ruolan's cousin." Smellerbee shrugged. "Dandan isn't too bad. A bit obsessed with boys and likes to talk about auras a lot, but you get used to her."

Mai sucked in a breath. She tried to adjust the bandages on her face so that more of her features were covered. Sokka grabbed her by the arm, dragging her towards the side room where Long Feng was being contained. She did not protest.

"Don't mention we're here to those girls," Sokka said to Smellerbee and Longshot.

"Wha—"

"Just don't!" he hissed.

He slid open the door and tugged Mai inside with him, hurriedly shutting them off from the main room. Long Feng was on the floor and bound with rope to restrict all movement so as not to allow him to earthbend. Shizue had been holding a knife close to his face, perhaps in the act of interrogating him, but she paused at their entrance. Her brow furrowed.

"What's wrong?" she asked, straightening to her full height.

"We might have just screwed ourselves over by coming here," Sokka admitted. "Those two girls are—"

Mai clamped a hand over his mouth. She held his gaze and placed her finger to her lips, then released him and moved closer to the door. Sokka let out a breath. Very carefully, Mai opened the door a crack. He joined her and stared through the gap into the main room. Longshot was still sharpening his arrows. Smellerbee was next to him and doing a good job of acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. So far so good. The front door was ajar and Sokka could hear the chirpy-voiced girl saying goodbye to someone on the other side. He swallowed.

Please let it just be a coincidence, he chanted in his mind. Please let it not be her.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow," the chirpy voice said.

"Yup, see you tomorrow."

Mai twitched. The other female who had spoken was not familiar to Sokka, but her voice seemed to have struck a chord with Mai. He wanted to ask why—and whether he should be worried—but then the owner of the chirpy voice entered the apartment and all he could do was inhale sharply. The clothes were different, all brown plainness instead of pink flamboyancy, but the girl's long hair was pulled back into a plait and there was no mistaking her pretty features. It was Ty Lee.

"We have to get out of here," Sokka whispered. "If she's here then that Ruolan person claiming to be her cousin has to be Azula."

Mai said nothing. She seemed rooted to the spot, just staring through the gap. Ty Lee was busy greeting Smellerbee and Longshot and telling them all about her night out with Ruolan, some person named Jin, and her friends from the street performance troupe. Longshot said nothing, but Smellerbee offered the odd response here and there. Not that Ty Lee was put off by their lack of interest.

"It's a shame Ruolan left when Jet turned up," Ty Lee said with a pout. "Maybe next time I can—"

Shizue pulled Mai and Sokka away from the door, even as Ty Lee's voice continued to drift through to them. Sokka noticed that Shizue had gagged Long Feng just in case he tried to give away their presence.

"Is that girl dangerous?" Shizue demanded in a whisper.

Sokka glanced at Mai.

"She was my friend before I betrayed Azula," Mai admitted. "I don't know how she would react if she saw me." Her one good eye narrowed, the only one exposed thanks to the bandages covering most of her face. "I'm going out there."

"Wait," Sokka said, grabbing her wrist. "You're still injured and we don't know if—"

Mai shrugged him off. "If Azula really is Ruolan then that means she's planning to use these people to start a revolution for her own reasons. We can't let her get her way. You've seen for yourself how much damage she can cause when left unchecked."

Sokka swallowed. Yes, he had seen it. That was also why he wasn't sure if revealing themselves now was a good idea. Ty Lee they could handle, but Azula was a powerful bender. Worse, she was ruthless. There was no saying how she would react if her cover was exposed. Sokka had been lucky last time to catch her off guard; he didn't think he'd have the same luck this time. Plus, Mai was injured and only had a few weapons at her disposal, not to mention they were all fugitives and worn out from a previous battle. There was a window in the room. They could escape right now and try to meet with Katara. They could figure out a new plan and—

"Move aside," Shizue said calmly.

He blinked. "Uh—"

"The boy is right that you should not push yourself," Shizue said to Mai. "Let me handle this."

Mai opened her mouth to argue, but Shizue didn't wait for a response. She shoved them behind her and thrust the door open, blocking them from view as she walked into the main room. The knife that she had been holding was nowhere to be seen. Sokka knew that meant nothing. A chi blocker's greatest weapon was her bare hands.

Ty Lee tilted her head in confusion. "Who are you?" Her brow creased. "Have we met somewhere be—"

Shizue moved swiftly. Ty Lee just managed to dodge the punch that came for her arm. Her eyes widened and she flipped away to land in a crouch on the stone bench.

"Hey!" Ty Lee stammered.

Shizue charged again. Smellerbee and Longshot were startled into action. The bow and arrow were got ready while Smellerbee scrambled to her feet and demanded to know what was going on. Why was Shizue attacking Dandan? What had happened?

"Someone better give me some answers now!" Smellerbee said, unsheathing her dagger. "Or I'll—"

Sokka dashed out and grabbed her wrist. "Don't. Dandan isn't who you think she is."

Smellerbee let out a breath. The sound of the front door opening distracted everyone. Well, almost everyone. Shizue took advantage of Ty Lee's lapse of attention to get in a few jabs to her arm. There was a cry and Ty Lee backed up towards the window, her left arm rendered useless.

"You're ..." Ty Lee paled. "You're a chi blocker?"

That was when Jet entered the apartment, followed by a shorter girl in a green dress. Sokka's heart lurched. He almost didn't recognise Azula in her refugee attire. The lack of armour and the fact she had her hair plaited instead of pulled into a topknot with the royal headpiece made her look less imposing. Still, the way her eyes swiftly took in the scene and sharpened in a calculating manner was all too familiar.

"What's going on?" Jet demanded. He unsheathed his hooked blades and took a step towards Shizue. "You—"

Sokka pulled himself together. "Jet, listen to me! These girls are—"

"Yes?" Azula cut in smoothly. "We're what?"

Sokka found he couldn't finish the sentence. Azula had made sure that he'd seen the way she'd given a pointed glance at Shizue before raising her eyebrow at him. The threat was unmistakable: if he blew her and Ty Lee's cover, she would not hesitate to bring him and Shizue down with her. Damn it. He'd hoped that Azula would not recognise her, but he guessed that was too much to ask. At least Mai had stayed out of sight.

Azula raised her hands in an appeasing gesture, though it also put her in a position to make a quick attack. "Let's not be too hasty here. You're shocked to see us, I'm sure, but that's no reason for us to fight." Her lips curved into a smile. "Jet has told me all about your problem. I can help, you know."

He couldn't stop the snort that escaped his lips. "You want to help?"

"Why not?" Her gaze flickered to Shizue, who still stood poised to attack. "You've also surprised me today. I have no desire to fight you."

Jet blinked and glanced between the two. "Wait, you all know each other?"

"Yes," Azula answered calmly, "though I'm afraid our past encounters have not been very pleasant."

"That's an understatement," Sokka muttered.

Still, he was doing some quick thinking. It seemed that Shizue's presence had given Azula pause enough to make her curious and cooperative. Either that or she just really didn't want to have her cover blown. In truth, it surprised him that she had even offered a truce. Surprised and unsettled. He'd thought she'd attack them straight off—at the very least try to escape with Ty Lee before the Freedom Fighters could turn on her—but she seemed different to how he'd last seen her. More in control. It was not a comforting sight. This girl had practically burned half of Mai's face off; she had tried to mortally wound her brother, torture Aang, and she had almost killed Changpu. He knew he could not lower his guard around her.

"Well?" Azula said. "Will you accept my truce so we can speak to each other like civilised people?" Her eyes gleamed. "Right now our goals are the same. Isn't it worth at least listening to what I have to say?"

Sokka swallowed and shifted on his feet. His pulse was throbbing uncomfortably in his neck. A part of him wanted to scream no, to shout that she and Ty Lee were the enemy and needed to be stopped, but the words got clogged in his throat. It was Azula's smile that kept him in check. Too confident. Too amused. She was outnumbered, yet she still made him feel like a plaything who had stumbled into her web.

This is my domain, her smile told him. Do you really think a non-bender like you can stop me?

He clenched his hands into fists. Ty Lee glanced between them with wide eyes. Shizue had her gaze trained on the two girls, ready to attack at a moment's notice. The tension was thick and choking. One wrong move and someone was going to get hurt. Maybe many of them. It was something Sokka instinctively knew.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Smellerbee demanded.

Jet lowered his hook swords. "I'd like to know that as well." He frowned at Sokka. "You're acting like Ruolan and Dandan are your enemies."

That's because they are! he wanted to scream.

A hand touched his shoulder. He flinched and saw that Mai had moved to stand behind him. Ty Lee frowned when she spotted the heavily-bandaged girl, but it was the way Azula's eyes lit up that unnerved him. Had Mai been recognised? Were the bandages, ragged brown clothes, and short hair enough?

"You must be Luan," Azula observed. "I heard there was a third person. That means the head of the Dai Li is in that room."

Mai nodded.

"I see." Azula casually put herself in the best position to guard or attack. "Well then, now that we've all assembled, why don't you tell me your answer? Will you accept my truce?"

Mai leaned in close to him; he could feel her breath tickling his skin. "Accept," she whispered in his ear.

Sokka closed his eyes. He wasn't sure why Mai wanted him to accept, but he knew why he could not bring himself to expose Azula. This was the only way to avoid any casualties.

"Alright," he said in resignation. "We'll listen to what you have to say."

Azula lowered her hands. "I'm glad to hear it." She turned to Jet and touched his arm in an oddly intimate gesture. "I'm sorry, but can you give us a moment?"

His eyes narrowed. "Ruolan—"

"We've all done things we regret" she said softly, almost as if she was trying to remind him of something. "I never asked you to tell me your story. Don't make me tell you mine." Her hand slid down to intertwine their fingers. "This is our new beginning, Jet. Let's keep it that way. Let's not taint what we have in Ba Sing Se with the bad things of the past."

Sokka raised his eyebrow. Well, well. Now that was a development he had not been expecting. He found it hard to believe that Azula was being genuine, but he had to give her credit; she knew how to make it look believable. Even he would have been fooled had he not known that she was, deep down, just a calculating monster. Nothing was off the table when it came to Azula. Not even manipulating Jet through his heart, it seemed.

There was a long pause as Jet stared into her eyes. "Smellerbee, Longshot." He turned away from her and sheathed his swords. "Let's go."

Smellerbee made a frustrated sound. "But—"

"Ruolan and Dandan want some privacy. I'm sure they'll tell us anything we need to know." Jet glanced back at Azula. "Right?"

"Of course." She smiled at Smellerbee and Longshot. "We're all friends, aren't we?"

Longshot's expression remained impassive, but Smellerbee looked as if she'd just bit into a lemon. Interesting. Still, they did not put up any resistance and followed Jet out of the apartment. Sokka let out a breath once the door had closed behind them. He half expected Azula to try attack now that the odds were more in her favour, but she just waited until she was sure the Freedom Fighters were out of earshot.

"Is Mother here?" Azula demanded, fixing her gaze on Shizue. There was no attempt at charm now. She was all business.

Shizue's brow creased. "Mother?"

"My mother, the woman you used to serve. Ring any bells?"

"A-ha!" Ty Lee pointed her finger at Shizue. "That's why you seemed so familiar! I knew I recognised your face from somewhere." She tilted her head. "But, wow, I had no idea you were a chi blocker."

Shizue blinked and, for the first time, lowered her guard. "You know me?"

Silence greeted her words. The stunned expression on Azula and Ty Lee's faces would have been amusing had Sokka not realised that it was likely for this purpose—to learn more about her mother—that had made Azula far more cooperative than usual. He cleared his throat.

"Uh, Shizue's memory isn't the best right now," he explained. "She was brainwashed by the Dai Li into becoming a Joo Dee. The mind control was broken when we were fighting Long Feng, but I don't think everything has gone back to normal." He glanced at the older woman. "Right?"

Shizue nodded. "There are many things that don't add up in my mind." Her tone darkened. "That man has a lot to answer for. I will make him tell me everything."

Sokka had no doubt "that man" was referring to Long Feng. He also couldn't deny that he felt just a teeny bit unnerved. One thing was for sure, Shizue was no pacifist.

"Then I guess you can't answer my questions until you get your memories back," Azula said, staring intently at her.

Shizue did not refute this claim. Azula tsked and threw a glance at the room where Long Feng was still being contained. Sokka couldn't help but twitch. Mai had moved to stand close to the door so as to keep an eye on Long Feng. That placed her right in Azula's line of sight. It made him uneasy, made him feel a rush of protectiveness. He had to repress the urge to stand in front of Mai like a shield. She would not take kindly to such behaviour, and he still wasn't sure if Azula had figured out her identity. It was better to act like nothing was wrong; better to just be calm and not draw further attention. But that didn't make staying silent any easier. Even now, Azula was observing Mai from head to foot, taking in every detail. Her eyes narrowed a fraction on the bandages.

"So, you go by Ruolan and Dandan here?" Sokka asked quickly. He wanted to distract her from trying to engage Mai in conversation.

Azula shifted her gaze back to him. "Yes. To Jet and the others we are just normal refugees. I would like to keep it that way."

"Because you want to use them to take over the city, right?"

Her lips quirked at his dry tone. "Ask yourself this: how am I, someone who is currently without the support of an army, supposed to take over the city once I help the people of the Lower Ring gain power? They'd turn on me the moment they found out my intentions."

"I'm sure you have a plan for that," Sokka muttered. "You always do."

"It's true I like to be prepared, but in this case you're mistaken." She shook her head. "Maybe at first my plan was to infiltrate Ba Sing Se to pursue the Avatar, but things have changed now. After living here as a refugee, after spending time with Jet and the others and experiencing for myself what it means to be under an oppressive regime, I've found myself caring less about revenge or conquering cities for my father." A shrug. "I just want to help these people. Is that so hard to believe?"

Mai made a sound that might have been a snort. She covered it with a cough, but it still made Azula send her a sharp look.

"I think Luan shares my doubts," Sokka observed. "You'll have to excuse us if we don't seem sold by your words. I mean, you are the girl who tried to kill me and my friends every time you came across us, never mind what you did to your own friend when she went against your orders." His voice hardened. "I don't know what game you're trying to pull, but—"

"This isn't a game." Azula lowered her gaze to her hands. "I know I've acted like a monster. My brother, Mai. I lost them both because I reacted poorly to being crossed."

Sokka raised his eyebrow. "That's a euphemistic way to put it."

She spread her hands. "Fine. I was cruel. I wanted to punish them, and I did punish them. You don't have to believe me when I say I regret my choices. I'll even admit I would not have hesitated to hurt you today had you exposed us." She met his gaze. "But that's the thing: I may not be a nice person, but I am serious when I say I don't want to fight you. We both want to bring down the Dai Li. Instead of wasting energy fighting each other, why not work together? It's the logical choice." Her gaze flickered to Shizue. "Besides, I want to learn what happened to Mother. If I can help get your memories back, Shizue, I will."

His brow creased. She sounded sincere, but he remembered what had happened the last time Aang had trusted this girl's word.

"Didn't Zuzu ever tell you? I always lie."

Sokka glanced at Mai. She did not say a word, but he could tell she was watching Azula intently. Meanwhile, Ty Lee had recovered the full use of her arm and was now perched on the ground. If he had hoped to glean a hint of the real truth from her, he was disappointed. Ty Lee always looked good-humoured, but that also made her unreadable. There was no way to tell what she was really thinking.

"What Ruolan says makes sense," Shizue said, perhaps sensing his unease. "The plan she has come up with is the best chance you have for saving your friends. Remember, you are not up against a few enemies. You are up against an entire regime." She shook her head, and when she spoke again her tone was blunt. "This isn't something you can overcome on your own. The Avatar was the most powerful of you all and he has fallen to the Dai Li. Consider that before you make a decision based on emotions."

Sokka's stomach twisted. He knew what Shizue said was true—that relying on luck just wasn't going to cut it anymore—but the thought of working with Azula still made him sick. He'd given Azula a chance to talk; he'd heard her out just like she asked, but that didn't mean he wanted to ally himself with her. She was a vicious, calculating monster. She had done so many horrible things. Unforgivable things. He couldn't imagine how Mai must be feeling. Then again, it was Mai who had told him to listen to what Azula had to say.

How can you stand this? he wanted to yell at Mai. How can you be so calm while the girl who burned your face smiles and claims she wants to work together?

Mai met his gaze as if bidden by his thoughts. The bandages covered most of her face except for her mouth and right eye, making it hard to read her expression. Still, he realised that her silence spoke enough. It was true that Mai was reserved, but she always made herself heard when it mattered. Now that he thought about it, she had been the one who had not wanted to run. She had claimed that Azula was too dangerous to leave unchecked.

But we cannot stop her now. Not like this.

The thought seemed to pass between them. Sure, they could try to do some damage. Shizue might even chi block Azula and nullify the threat, but that still took time. Azula did not need much. A few seconds was all it had taken to strike Iroh with lightning; a few seconds would do so much more to one of them now that there was no healer in the group. Wasn't that why he had been so hesitant to expose Azula and Ty Lee in the first place?

Sokka let out a breath. "Fine," he gritted out. "We'll go along with you for now, but don't think this means I trust you." He pointed at her. "I'll be watching you and Happy Jabby Fingers over there to make sure you don't try to pull anything."

Azula smiled. "That's fine. I'm not asking for your trust. I'm just asking for your cooperation."

His lips thinned. He really, really didn't like this, but he couldn't see a better option.

Ty Lee flipped to her feet. "Then I guess this makes us partners." She was suddenly in front of Mai and grinning. "Let's work well together."

Mai paused before giving a slight nod. Sokka repressed a frown and glanced at Shizue, perhaps hoping for some reassurance that he had made the right decision. She just raised her eyebrow.

Don't look to me, her gaze seemed to say. If you're going to doubt yourself already, you might as well give up.

Right. Shizue wasn't the cuddly, comforting type. He needed Iroh for that.

Shizue dismissed him and headed towards the side room. "I have some unfinished business with Long Feng," she said bluntly. "I'll leave you all to sort out the rest of the details."

The door was shut behind her. Now he was left with Mai and the two girls. Azula seemed to feel they had discussed enough, because she said she would let Jet know about the truce. She was sure she knew where he and the Freedom Fighters would be waiting.

"Just remember," Azula said, throwing him and Mai one of her sharp looks, "our names are Ruolan and Dandan. Don't mess up."

"We won't."

Azula nodded and left the room. He let out a breath. A part of him was still trying to come to terms with the fact that he'd just agreed to work with the girl whose sadistic actions had almost driven him to take her life. It was surreal. Surreal and alarming. He found himself turning to Ty Lee. "Can she really be trusted?" he asked.

There was no need to say who, though Ty Lee still blinked in wide-eyed astonishment as if she couldn't understand why he was asking her such a question. "You heard her for yourself. She doesn't want to fight you."

"Maybe not now," Sokka allowed, "but that's only because it would be inconvenient to her."

Ty Lee winked. "Then don't make it convenient."

Without waiting for a response, she flittered off to the kitchen area to make some tea for everyone. Sokka's frown deepened. He wasn't sure if Ty Lee had tried to give him a warning or if she was just teasing him for being paranoid. Either way, he couldn't help but worry. This alliance was akin to wrapping himself up in a spider-wasp's web. The test was to see if he could avoid the sting.

"Be careful of what you say to Ty Lee," Mai murmured, soft enough so only he could hear. "She appears harmless, but she'll report everything back to Azula."

He swallowed. It seemed the battle of wits had already started. "Noted."

Mai turned away, but he found himself grabbing her wrist. "Hey, are you sure you're okay with this?" he asked. "Working with them, I mean. Just say the word and we can leave. I'm sure we can figure something out."

"I think we both know that isn't an option."

He lowered his gaze. True enough. Maybe he was even just looking for an excuse to escape. So many people had already got hurt. He was beginning to doubt his abilities. He was beginning to doubt he could be a leader or make a difference. Put simply, he worried that he might not be a match for Azula.

A finger pressed against his forehead, directly between his brows. This time his lips twitched into a smile. "Internal monologue too loud again?"

"Louder than Iroh's snores," Mai deadpanned.

He laughed softly. "I'll work on that."

She nodded and moved away to give him some space. By the time Azula and the others returned, he couldn't say that he was feeling confident that everything would work out the way he wanted; however, his determination had been sparked. If he couldn't beat Azula now, he would just have to become stronger, be even smarter. He'd have to beat her at her own game, because Shizue was right about one thing: Aang would not swoop in to save the day this time. People were relying on him—Sokka the non-bender—and he refused to lose anyone else.

This time, he had to win.

oOo

A lamp flickered near the window. Drunken voices drifted up from the street, getting rowdier by the second. That was fine. Azula wanted the sound to cover her conversation. With so many people crammed into one tiny apartment, there wasn't much chance to get any privacy. It was frustrating, but she knew it also worked in her favour. Their new guests were just as restricted. In any case, she had offered to visit Jin with Ty Lee to see if they could borrow some bedding. It was the only way to get a moment alone.

"Are you sure about this?" Ty Lee asked. "Things could get complicated with them around and—"

"Don't worry," Azula said, waving a dismissive hand. "I have it all under control. I'll admit I wasn't expecting those three to turn up on our doorstep, but we can use this to our advantage. We've already passed the first stage. They've agreed not to expose us."

"I don't know, Azu—"

Amber eyes narrowed.

"—Ruolan. I know you're set on this plan, but if any of them catch wind of what we're doing, they're going to—"

"Dandan, this isn't like you," Azula said in an unnervingly sweet voice. "You've never been one to worry about the what ifs. Are you doubting my abilities now?"

Ty Lee shook her head. "Of course not."

"Then what's the problem? We've just been handed the perfect tool to use. If everything goes well, we can cut out an entire week of preparation with this."

"I know, but—"

Azula's brow furrowed. "You aren't having second thoughts because you actually see the Freedom Fighters as friends, are you?" She said the word as if it was something dirty and unwanted.

Ty Lee lowered her gaze. "It's not about me," she admitted softly. "Don't you think maybe you're getting in too deep this time? The way you are with Jet—"

Azula let out a snort. "Is that what this is about? That peasant?" She rolled her eyes. "You know it's all just an act."

Ty Lee gave her a shrewd look. "Is it?"

"It's ridiculous you even have to ask me that."

Obviously, Azula didn't care about some random peasant. Even if he did make her stomach flutter when he smiled. Even if her heart rate did quicken sometimes when they touched. Just a little. It wasn't like she cared. She just ... her body just had unfortunate reactions sometimes. It was nothing to worry about. What mattered was that he was infatuated with her and that made him easy to manipulate. Once he stopped being useful, she'd discard him along with the other two Freedom Fighters.

"If that's all you're concerned about, you don't need to worry," Azula said. "I know what I'm doing."

Ty Lee didn't seem convinced, but she didn't push the matter either. Instead, she asked what Azula intended to do about Shizue when the time came. Azula admitted that she had no ill intentions there; she was genuinely interested in getting Shizue's memory back.

"I imagine she'll have some very interesting things to say, especially about my mother's whereabouts. There are many things I would like to ask that woman."

Ty Lee nodded and let the issue drop.

A smile flittered across Azula's mouth. "You know," she said after a pause, "I'm a little surprised. I thought you would ask me about Luan."

"Luan?" Ty Lee blinked with wide-eyed innocence. "Why?"

"We were both assuming that Luan would end up being my brother, right? It's obvious that isn't the case: the build and height are all wrong. Still, don't you think Luan seems familiar?"

Ty Lee shrugged. "I didn't notice. The bandages cover too much."

"About that, don't you find it strange? Jin mentioned Luan had a big scar just like my brother. That means there was no need for bandages then. So, why is Luan all covered in bandages now? I can understand if it was to avoid being recognised while getting to the apartment, but why keep the bandages on?"

"Maybe he got injured fighting the Dai Li. Maybe the boy who Jin met is different to this person." Ty Lee shrugged again. "Does it matter?"

Azula's smile widened a fraction. "Perhaps you're right."

It really didn't matter, at least if Luan was indeed male. But if Luan was female, well, that would change everything. Azula decided to keep her suspicions to herself for now. She had not told Ty Lee exactly what had happened to Mai. Ty Lee was too soft-hearted to understand. Still, Azula would watch Luan very closely. Male or female, it was a fact that Luan had become a person of interest.

The two girls continued down the hallway and knocked at Jin's door. The girl's younger brother opened it, a gap-toothed kid with messy hair to rival his sister's and ears that stuck out slightly. He blushed when he saw Ty Lee. In the background, they could hear Jin's father snoring. Drunk again, no doubt.

"Hey, Wan," Ty Lee greeted brightly. "Can you get Jin?"

Wan's face went an even brighter pink. He stammered something unintelligible and rushed off to get his sister. Soon, Jin was at the door, brow furrowed a little in confusion. "What's up?" she asked.

Ty Lee explained the situation. Jin was more than happy to give them some bedding and even offered to help carry the things to their apartment. Azula suspected she just wanted to sneak a peek at their guests. Jin was a nosy, albeit harmless, person.

"We'll be fine," Azula responded. "But thank you for the bedding."

"Sure, no problem."

Jin told them to ask if they needed help with anything else; she was always willing to help out friends. Ty Lee smiled and thanked her, and then they made their way back to the apartment. Everyone inside was getting settled in and trying to find a space for themselves to sleep. Long Feng and Shizue were still shut up in the side room. Azula handed over the bedding to Sokka and was about to prepare for bed herself when Jet pulled her aside.

"Can we talk for a moment?" he asked.

She nodded and followed him out of the apartment. The hallway was empty of people, but the drunken voices still drifted up from the street below. No doubt the city guard would be along soon to deal with them. She leaned against the wall and folded her arms across her chest. "What is it?" she asked, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice.

Jet's brow furrowed. "What's going on, Ruolan?" He stepped closer. "I know we agreed not to ask each other about our pasts, but it's obvious you're hiding something. Don't you think I deserve an explanation?"

She raised her eyebrow. "I thought you were the one who was all about fresh starts."

"I am, but—"

"You also have your own secrets, do you not?"

"Yes, but that's the thing. I made an enemy of Sokka in the past. To be honest, I never thought he would come to me for help." Jet stepped even closer, crowding in on her space. "But the way he reacted to you and Dandan, that was something else." He placed his hands against the wall, enclosing her within his arms. "What are you hiding? Just who are you, really?"

She raised her chin, ignoring the fluttery stirs in her stomach. His proximity always made her body betray her. "What do you want me to say? You were the one who chose to invite me and Dandan, two girls you don't even know, to join you in Ba Sing Se. You even guessed that my past was less than spotless." She shook her head. "I have to admit I'm disappointed. I thought this kind of thing didn't matter to you. I thought you were willing to let me forget my past so we could have a new beginning together."

"I did. I do."

"Then why the interrogation?" She stepped closer, holding his gaze. "Can't you just trust me? Or is it that you trust Sokka more?"

"Of course not!" Jet gripped her shoulders. "I trust you, Ruolan. I do. I just—"

"You said you would have my back, but I guess that was all just empty words so you could get me to follow you, right?" She made a show of trying to shrug him off. "I knew Dandan is the only person I can rely on."

"That's not true." He tightened his grip. "I care about you, Ruolan. That's why I want to understand."

"Really?"

"Yes." His hands moved to cradle her face. "I've never met a girl like you before. You're smart, strong, confident. I wanted you at my side from the moment I met you."

Her pulse quickened, though she did a good job of acting like she was unmoved. "Am I supposed to be flattered?"

"If that's what it takes." His voice was soft and far too intimate. "I just want you to let me in. I won't judge you; I just want to know you." He brushed his thumb against her cheek, almost touching her lips. "You and I, we're so similar. It bothers me that you don't trust me enough. It bothers me that Sokka knows more about you than I do."

Azula found she could not move. Her heart pounded in her chest and she could hear the thudding of her blood in her ears.

Don't you think maybe you're getting in too deep this time?

She laughed all of a sudden and placed her hand against his chest, pushing him back to widen the space between them. "There's really not much to say. The Avatar and his friends didn't approve of my goals or my methods." She shrugged. "We fought."

"That's it?"

"That's it. Not very mysterious, is it? The truth is I just wasn't a nice person." Her lips quirked into a smile. "Does that bother you?"

Jet shook his head. "I would be a hypocrite if it did." His own mouth twitched upwards. "I told you that we're similar."

Azula was annoyed to feel the fluttery things stir again in her stomach. This peasant was far too good with words. He even slipped under her guard sometimes, making her feel less like a monster, making her feel that he could actually accept even the darkest parts of her. Still, it wasn't like she was about to lose her head. Ty Lee had been wrong in assuming there was any danger of that. Azula had only one goal, and Jet was just a stepping stone to reach that point. He would never mean anything more to her.

"Well," she said, moving away from the wall, "then you understand why things are a little tense now. I got Sokka, Luan and Shizue to agree to a truce, but they don't trust me or Dandan." She glanced at Jet over her shoulder. "I hope you'll have my back."

"Don't worry. I won't let them do anything to harm you."

She smiled. You blind idiot. You don't even see that your real enemy is right in front of you.

"Thank you," she said, softening her smile. "I'm glad to know I can depend on you."

Jet nodded, though it was obvious he was pleased she was willing to trust him more openly. It almost made her want to laugh. This boy allowed himself to be manipulated so easily by his emotions. Still, that was why he was useful. With him under her control, she had managed to snag Sokka and the others into her grasp as well. Everything was coming together nicely. There was no way she was going to back down just because Jet threw off her equanimity a little. This time, she was going to make sure she succeeded.

oOo

There was a leak somewhere. The steady drip, drip was loud and echoed around the chamber. Iroh stood up and peered through the metal bars to his cage, trying to get a better look at where he was being contained. All he could see was rock, a half-crumbled pillar, and some glowing crystals jutting out from the wall for light. It reminded him of the cavern where he and the others had been taken to hide from the Dai Li. Perhaps this was also a part of the Old City.

He frowned and glanced over his shoulder at the woman slumped on the metal floor. Both of them had been locked up inside this cage, though she had yet to wake. Sighing, he sat down and rested his hands on his knees. He was trying his best to stay calm, though even he had to admit that his chest felt tight with anxiety. Much had gone wrong this night. His only consolation was that he and Joo Dee had managed to provide time for the others to escape. Well, almost everyone. They had not been able to get Toph away from the Dai Li. Even now, he was not sure what had happened to her. He hoped the reason she was not sharing their cell was because the Dai Li had realised metal would not contain her. The last thing they needed was another brainwashed person on their hands.

A soft groan sounded. He turned to see Joo Dee sit up and glance around at her surroundings in a dazed way. She cursed under her breath.

"Yes," Iroh said, sympathising with her sentiment. "I'm afraid we're going to be stuck here for a while."

"Toph?"

Iroh spread his hands in a helpless gesture.

Her brow creased and she averted her face. "I'm sorry. This is my fault for leading you all into a trap."

"You didn't know this would happen. We all know you were only trying to help. Besides, I would not have been able to stop my nephew from trying to rescue Shizue."

She let out a breath. "Yes. At least that Joo Dee was able to escape."

Iroh placed his hand over hers. "We will get out of here. Trust me, you will not have to stay in the hands of the Dai Li."

Her lips curved into a reluctant smile. "That is kind of you, Yingjie, but you are also trapped in this cell with me."

"For now." His eyes twinkled with a hint of their old cunning. "Just like in a Pai Sho game, one should not give up until one has exhausted all options. The odds can always be turned."

They both paused at the sound of approaching footsteps. Iroh removed his hand from hers and got to his feet. A man emerged from the shadows dressed in Dai Li robes. When the man raised his head, Iroh found himself meeting a pair of cold green eyes.

"Shirong," he greeted. "I don't suppose you brought refreshments? My throat is rather parched, as I'm sure is this fine young woman's."

Shirong ignored Iroh. "You could have avoided this, you know," he said to Joo Dee. "You used to be one of our best. Long Feng would have allowed you to keep your mind had you not insisted on betraying us."

"What are you talking about?" She clenched her hands into fists. "You were the ones who brainwashed me into working for you!"

His mouth twitched. "You really don't remember anything, do you? Though I suppose I was very thorough."

Her eyes narrowed. Iroh could feel her frustration reverberating from her in waves.

Shirong moved closer to the cage. "I'm afraid this will be the end for you. Your treachery has gone too far this time. Not even hypnosis will help." He considered her through his cold, gem-like eyes. "Still, it almost seems like a waste. Perhaps I'll allow you to have this one gift."

"A gift?"

"Biyu."

Her brow creased.

"Your name," he said simply. "You wanted to know it, right?"

He turned to leave, but Joo Dee—no, Biyu—was already on her feet and gripping the bars.

"Wait!" she called. "What are you planning to do with us?"

Shirong paused. "As of now, we are waiting to see if Long Feng will return or if your comrades will attempt a rescue. Eventually, though, you will be executed along with the old man."

"And Toph?" Iroh asked, unable to keep silent any longer. "What of her?"

"The blind girl still has some use." Shirong's eyes glittered. "I'm very curious about her ability to bend metal."

Iroh's stomach twisted. He glanced at Biyu once Shirong had left. Her grim expression was no doubt a mirror of his own.

"Our need to escape just got a lot more urgent," Iroh said. "Aside from the looming execution, there's no saying what they'll do to Toph if she is left in their hands."

"What do you propose we do?" Biyu tugged at one of the bars. "We're trapped in this cage."

"That is our biggest problem. Unless you figure out how to metalbend, I'm afraid we won't be breaking out any time soon either."

"Then what?"

"We think up a new strategy." He settled down on the ground and patted the spot next to him. "I have faith that we can outsmart these Dai Li yet." His tone sobered. "At the very least, we won't know until we try."

She nodded and sat next to him. "Then let's think of a plan."

There wasn't any time to lose. Iroh knew that Toph would be putting up a good fight wherever she was being contained, but she was still just a child. Worse, the Dai Li had proven themselves to be unscrupulous. If they dared to torture her for information, there would be hell to pay. All of these children had done so much for his nephew. Iroh would not be able to live with himself if he let even a single one of them get hurt.

Take care of my nephew, Katara.

Much as he fretted for Zuko's wellbeing, he couldn't afford to get distracted, not even for the Avatar or his own family. It was Toph who needed help right now. Iroh had to trust in Katara's abilities. He had to believe that everything would work out, because all of them had come too far to let things end this way. No matter what, they had to stop the Dai Li.