Shirong held the unconscious girl away from him. She was dripping blood and stunk of human filth. Nothing but a useless piece of flesh now. He curled his lip in distaste and tossed her at the agent behind him, who caught her gingerly.
"Uh, sir, what should we—"
"Dispose of that," Shirong ordered. "I have no use for it."
The man blinked. "S-sir, she's just a child."
Shirong pointed at the wounded agents who were being lifted onto stretchers. Two of them were barely breathing and covered in blood. The other was conscious but sobbing as he was carried out of the prison. A gaping wound had been gouged into his back and stomach from where he had been impaled.
"A child just did that," Shirong said coolly. "Two of those men will be dead within an hour, and that one"—he gestured at the sobbing man—"will be lucky if he walks again." He raised his eyebrow. "Now remind yourself that this child did all of this while locked inside a wooden crate."
The agent's grip tightened on her. His hands trembled.
Shirong laughed softly. "Didn't think so. Make sure you're thorough. We don't want any bodies surfacing."
"Yes, sir."
Shirong exited the cell and wiped his hands clean of the girl's filth. A part of him was disappointed that she had forced him to end things this way. Not that he felt any pity for her. That was an emotion he didn't think he'd ever understand. Child, man, woman—it was all the same to him. But power was something that did interest him. Power and control. Toph Beifong could have given him that. Too bad she'd turned out to be nothing more than the wild animal he'd called her.
He shrugged off the matter much like one shrugs off losing a house plant. It was a pity, but no great loss. He'd got this far without metalbending. If worst came to worst, he was sure he could learn how to manipulate metal on his own. It would just take more time and effort. Either way, a prisoner who could not be contained was not worth keeping.
Shirong clasped his hands behind his back and walked calmly through the Old City prisons. With each day that passed, he found himself almost hoping that Long Feng would not return. It was easier to clean up the unwanted pests in Be Sing Se when there was no quibbling about ethics or what others might think. The Dai Li existed to maintain peace and stability. As the second in command, and now substitute leader, Shirong had proven that he knew how to do that. The Avatar was no longer a threat, the blind girl would soon be taken care of, and it wouldn't be long before he rounded up all the other roach-rats who had slipped through the cracks.
All was going according to plan. There was no one who could stop him and the Dai Li now. Control would be maintained. It would always be maintained.
oOo
"Somehow I don't feel these disguises are going to work."
Zuko's mouth twitched as he turned to face Katara. Both had donned Dai Li outfits to help blend in while they moved about the Old City prisons. It was fine for him since he was broad enough in the chest and could scrape by as an adult with his height; Katara had no such luck. She looked too small, too slender, too much like she was drowning in cloth. He crossed to her and pulled the brim of her hat down so it hid more of her features.
"It doesn't have to be perfect," he murmured. "This is just to avoid drawing too much attention on the off-chance we're spotted."
She nodded and turned to the agents whose clothes they had taken. Both had been gagged and bound. "Is it okay to leave them here?"
"Not much we can do about it. We'll just have to make sure we find the others before these two are found."
"Then we'll have to hurry."
"Yes."
Speed was of the essence. They could not afford to muck up now. They needed to find the others and get out quick. No dawdling, no mistakes. Just smooth efficiency.
Zuko picked up his swords and secured them to his waist, letting the layers of the Dai Li robe cover the hilts and sheath. He met Katara's gaze. "Let's go."
She fell into step with him as they left the alcove and made their way through the underground corridors. Glowing crystals illuminated their path. It would have been pretty if not for the stench of corruption that filled the place. The ruins were just a prison for the Dai Li to contain their secrets now. The agents who walked the shadows, the Joo Dees whose minds had been wiped. This place, just like Lake Laogai, was a manifestation of the rot that had taken hold of Ba Sing Se: a city of perfect order on the outside, but which was nothing more than an infestation of maggots underneath. Something had to be done, but right now he and Katara were just two people. They could not change an entire city. They could only try their best to save their companions.
Zuko quickened his pace. The agents he and Katara had captured had been pumped dry for information about where to find Toph, Iroh and the former Joo Dee. If the men were to be believed, Toph was being contained in a special cell in the eastern section; the other two were being held in the northern section. Neither agent had been assigned guard duty so could not say much more than that. Still, it would do. Zuko was good at putting maps together from basic directions. They'd find the others soon enough.
He pictured the prisons in his mind and worked out a path for them. Right tunnel, down the stairs, head straight, and then another right. Now they were steadily moving east. The tunnels began to open up into large chambers and what might have once been streets. He glanced at the tiered buildings that rimmed the walls, most of which had been modified with metal bars or stone doors. His skin prickled in disgust. Just how many people had been contained in these cells? Every city had its prisons, but this was different. People weren't just locked away here. They were made to disappear.
"This place gives me the creeps," Katara muttered.
Zuko made a noncommittal grunt. He was beginning to feel more and more worried for the others. Eventually, they reached the eastern section and found themselves having to blend in with a group of Dai Li. They'd rounded a corner and smacked right into the middle of the men. Zuko and Katara pressed closer together and kept their faces down. Thank the spirits for the disguises. The agents were too distracted to pay attention to two extra people, though one did mutter about how he hadn't thought they'd had someone that short in their ranks.
They walked together like that for a while until they passed another group of Dai Li, who were carrying what Zuko guessed were two bodies on stretchers. Cloth had been draped over the top of both the human-shaped lumps, but red splotches were seeping through the fabric. The men surrounding Zuko and Katara stopped.
"Dead?" one questioned.
Those carrying the stretchers nodded grimly.
"And Hong?"
"He's being worked on now," was the tired response. "It doesn't look good."
The group carrying the bodies continued on their way. Zuko and Katara moved with the others, listening to them grumble about the demon prisoner who had killed two of their own. Some of them couldn't quite disguise their fear whle others sounded relieved to know Shirong had ordered her death. Child or not, she was too dangerous to be kept alive. Zuko's mouth went dry, and he felt Katara tense beside him. They were talking about Toph.
His pulse throbbed in his neck. "Where was the execution happening again?" he asked with forced calm. "I'd like to watch it for myself."
The men shrugged and said she was probably dead by now, but that he could try the cell where she had been contained. Kuo was supposed to be handling the matter. Zuko pushed the men for a few more specifics and then he and Katara broke off from the group and headed for the room, quickening into a run as soon as they were out of sight.
"You don't think Toph is really ..." she said in a worried voice.
Zuko just shook his head, too upset to even put his feelings into words. If those bastards had killed Toph, he knew he wouldn't be able to hold back. Not this time.
"Why are you hesitating?"
The voice was coming from the cell where Toph was meant to be contained. Zuko and Katara moved closer and peered through the open door. Toph lay flat on her back on an altar-like construction of stone, complete with stone restraints to pin her arms and feet in place. Two agents stood over her. One was holding a knife.
"You saw what she did, Kuo," the man on the left continued. "Just stab her and get it over with!"
"I can't. Not like this. Damn it, she's just a child! Maybe if we use a different method—"
"Idiot! Give that to me." He snatched the knife from Kuo. "You don't know how long she'll stay unconscious. Do you want to risk her attacking us as well?"
Kuo fell silent.
"This is why you'll never get a promotion. Now—"
Zuko had heard enough. Apparently, Katara had as well. She lashed out with her bending, knocking the knife out of the agent's hand and sending both men flying into the wall with a powerful surge of water. Zuko followed up with her in a combined attack of their elements to stop the agents from countering. Soon, only Kuo was left conscious.
Zuko picked up the discarded knife and grabbed the dazed man by the front of his robe. "Remove the restraints!"
Kuo tried to struggle free, but Zuko refused to be budged and dug the knife in close to his throat, earning a sharp inhale and a thin line of blood.
"Remove them," Zuko ordered, "or I swear I'll slit your throat right now."
Some of the colour drained from Kuo's face. Perhaps he realised that Zuko meant every word. Anger, hatred, fear—the emotions swelled within Zuko. No thought for mercy. No time for hesitance. These men had hurt Toph. They were going to kill her. They did not deserve his patience or his compassion.
The wound on Kuo's neck continued to drip blood. Katara watched in silence, body poised to attack or defend at a moment's notice. Kuo would get no assistance from her. He exhaled a shaky breath and squeezed his hand into a fist. The restraints crumbled into clouds of dust.
"Toph!" Katara cried, already gathering water to her hands and letting them glow a healing blue. "Please be okay. Please, please be okay."
Zuko bound and gagged the agents using their own robes while Katara checked Toph's condition. Once he was satisfied that the men could not escape, he turned to examine the room. It looked like it had been used for storage. Wooden crates and barrels lined the back wall. A smaller crate lay tipped on its side in the centre of the room with a part of the wood gouged out to create a small gap. The stench of human waste lingered in the air. He could tell that Toph had fought with all she had. Blood splattered the floor in red pools and splotches. Jagged bits of rock stuck out from the ground where most of the blood was concentrated, though some parts of the rock had shattered and scattered. Still, it was the overturned crate that bothered him.
He frowned and walked forward to examine the crate. The smell was worse up close. Bits of cut rope lay on the ground. There was a pool of blood near the rope and a trailing line of drops and splatters, as if someone had got injured and tried to crawl for escape. A small, bloody handprint had been pressed onto the stone floor. His stomach twisted. That was Toph's handprint.
He crouched next to the overturned crate and examined the hole. The edges were rough and slightly turned inwards; broken through from the outside then. The gap itself was small, but it was still big enough for a petite twelve-year-old like Toph to fit through. A closer look inside revealed thin lines scraped into the wood. Scratch marks?
Zuko exhaled and got to his feet. "How is she?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.
Katara shook her head. "Not good. She's lost a lot of blood and she's badly dehydrated. The rope wounds on her wrists and ankles look infected as well."
"No wonder." He gestured at the crate. "I think they were keeping her in this box. Looks like she was bound the whole time. I doubt she got much food or water, if any."
Katara's eyes widened. She muttered a lot of unflattering things about the Dai Li under her breath—words he would have never expected to come out of her mouth. It was a testament of how enraged they were both feeling. The Dai Li had crossed a line. A huge line. Still, the need to get Toph stable was more pressing.
"Can you heal her?" he asked.
"Not in one session. I've healed the worst of her wounds and tried to draw out the infection, but what she really needs is to rehydrate. That will take time."
He nodded in understanding. Unfortunately, that did leave them with the problem of what to do now. They still needed to find Iroh and the former Joo Dee. Toph wasn't in any state to be sneaking around with them. It would have been different if she was awake and capable of moving on her own but, as she was now, she would just draw unwanted attention. Plus, he was worried about her condition.
"Maybe we should split up," he suggested. "I can help you get Toph out of here first, and then I'll—"
"There won't be enough time if you're planning to come back for Iroh and that woman."
Zuko lowered his gaze. He knew that was true. By the time they'd got Toph out, the men they'd left bound probably would have been found. Now they had two more men added to the mix as well. That only increased the chances of being discovered.
You could just kill them, a voice that sounded far too much like his sister's whispered in is mind. It would be the efficient thing, and it's not like you weren't prepared to do it before. Besides, look how they treated Toph. They deserve to die, don't they?
He gritted his teeth and forced the thoughts away. "If we take Toph with us to find the others, we'll just be putting her and ourselves in unnecessary danger."
"We're going to be at risk either way," Katara pointed out. "Isn't it better to just stick together? If Toph is like this, who knows how Iroh and that woman have been treated? You might need my help."
"Katara—"
She grabbed his hands. "I don't want us to split up. We've made it this far together." Her eyes met his, firm with resolve. "I'm staying."
"But Toph—"
"Is as stable as she's going to be right now regardless of where we take her."
He sighed and slipped his hands free of her grip. "I don't like this."
"You don't have to," she said in an echo of the words he had once told her. She placed her hand on his cheek, guiding him to meet her gaze. "We're stronger together. We can make this work."
His brow furrowed. He wanted to argue, to point out that it really wasn't a good idea to bring Toph with them to rescue the others, but reminding Katara of all the dangers would only make her more resolved to stick with him. Plus, he just knew they didn't have the time to debate the issue.
"Getting close to Uncle and that woman isn't going to be easy," he warned her. "Our disguises will be useless with Toph. We'll have to take it slow and stick to old fashioned stealth."
"About that. I might have an idea."
When he prompted her to go on, she explained that the Dai Li believed Toph had been executed. Why not use that to their advantage? If anyone saw them carrying Toph, they could say they were getting rid of the body for Kuo. Zuko's frown deepened. He could see how the plan could work, but he could also see how it could go wrong. Badly wrong. The closer they got to the northern section cell, the more suspicious they would become. Still, it was better than nothing.
He scooped Toph into his arms. She stirred from the motion and suddenly cried out in panic, lashing out at him with her fists and legs. Not that it hurt. It was more like she was flailing. A few bits of rock swelled and broke from the ground, but the movements were sloppy and fell apart before they could do any damage. It was heartbreaking to watch. Toph had always been so strong.
"Toph, calm down!" He cradled her to his chest, not caring that she was filthy or punching and kicking at whatever she could reach. "It's us. It's just us, okay? It's Zuko and Katara."
She either didn't hear or was just too panicked to comprehend what he was saying. Katara quickly placed her water-encased hand on her forehead and a pulse of blue light flared. The next moment Toph slumped into his arms and went still.
"Healing sleep?" he said.
Katara nodded and removed her hand. "Her mind and body have been under a lot of stress. It's better if she just rests for now."
Zuko nodded. As callous as it seemed, he knew they couldn't afford to have Toph thrashing about and making noise. He readjusted his hold on her so that she was slumped over his shoulder. Now he could hold her in place with one arm, freeing up the other for fighting. It also helped to project the image of two agents just going to dispose of a dead body.
"What should we do with those two?" Katara gestured at the bound agents. "Leaving them here seems a bit risky."
His jaw tightened. What he wanted to do to those sick bastards was make them pay for all the suffering they had forced Toph to experience. She hadn't even recognised him, not his voice or anything. It was the first time he'd seen her that wild and scared. It made him so angry. So full of hate.
They don't deserve your compassion.
The silken voice was back, whispering for him to just end their lives. Just end it and shove them in a place where they wouldn't be found. Maybe a crate. That would be fitting, wouldn't it? No need to fret. It wasn't like killing these two would make him a terrible person. It was just being pragmatic. Efficient.
Zuko closed his eyes. It's not about compassion.
He knew he could kill them. Taking a life wasn't hard, especially when these people had hurt his friend. But that was also why he was reluctant to embrace the option. There was no point kidding himself: if he killed these men now, it would be in cold blood. It would be because he wanted them to die, not because it was an absolute necessity. Zuko didn't want to walk that path. He knew from experience how easily he could slip over the edge. The darkness that had driven him to burn villages and attack anyone who got in his way while he'd hunted the Avatar still existed within him. He knew it, and he feared he would lose himself to it just like his sister if he gave into his crueller impulses.
"Zuko?" A few creases formed on Katara's brow.
"We can't leave them out in the open," he said, pulling himself together. "Someone will probably check on this place at some point."
In the end, they decided to shove them in two of the bigger crates. Zuko had to admit that a part of him hoped it was a long time before they were found. He wasn't nice enough not to wish them to suffer.
"Ready?" she asked.
He nodded and readjusted his grip on Toph. It was time to find his uncle and the former Joo Dee.
oOo
Iroh was drifting off to sleep when he felt the light nudge to his side. He opened his eyes and met Biyu's gaze. She gestured with her head at the agent moving towards their cell. Shirong had come to visit again. It was about time. They'd been waiting for this opportunity.
"Good evening," Iroh greeted. "Or is it morning now? It's so hard to tell underground. I don't suppose you'd care to upgrade us to a place where we can see the sunlight?"
Shirong ignored the jovial comment. Iroh wasn't surprised, though he really did wish they could be in a place where he could feel the sun. His body had still not recovered from having his chi absorbed. At this rate, he was never going to get back to full power.
"Matters have changed," Shirong said coolly. "You are no longer useful to us as bait."
Iroh's expression turned grim. "Then you have come to play executioner?"
"All in good time. Before that, there is something I would like to confirm. Are you indeed General Iroh, the Dragon of the West?"
"We've already been through this," Iroh said with an exaggerated sigh. "My name is Yingjie. I'm not a member of the royal family nor have I ever been a general."
"Somehow I don't believe you." Shirong shook his head. "Well, no matter. I only asked to satisfy my own curiosity. It doesn't really matter in the end. Long Feng might have wanted to keep you alive so he could confirm the truth and gain the glory of having captured and executed the man who broke through the Outer Wall, but such petty triumphs do not interest me."
"Oh?"
Shirong's eyes glittered. "You see, you're just a roach-rat. A pest befouling my city. I don't care who you are; you're an unsightly piece of filth that needs to be removed."
Iroh glanced at Biyu. "You're right. This one has a real winning personality."
"Yes." Her mouth twitched. "Shirong has always been like this. Human lives mean nothing to him. He only views people as tools."
Shiron's gaze fixed on her and what might have been a spark of interest lit up his eyes. "You remember now?"
"I've remembered enough." She got to her feet and crossed to the bars. "What do you want, Shirong? I know you didn't come here just to tell us that we'll be executed sooner than planned."
"No," he admitted. "The truth is that I thought you should know we had to kill your young friend today."
"Young friend?" Iroh narrowed his eyes. "You can't mean—"
"Miss Beifong chose not to cooperate with us. It is a pity."
Something twisted in Iroh's stomach. This bastard talked about pity, but the truth was Shirong didn't feel anything. It was so obvious that it sickened Iroh. Biyu had summed it up well: this man cared nothing about human lives. Iroh suspected that the only reason Shirong had told them about Toph's death was because he knew it would upset them.
"You killed that child?" Iroh asked in a low voice. It was hard to keep the anger out of his tone. His whole body itched to retaliate.
"Not personally, but my agents should have carried out the execution by now."
Iroh let out a breath. Then there was still a chance. Biyu met his gaze and nodded, having come to the same conclusion. No matter how slim the hope, they had to believe that Toph was still alive and fighting. Iroh could not bear the thought of her being executed by these men who barely deserved the label. He could not accept that he and Biyu were too late.
"You had best hope she is not dead," Iroh said in a grim tone. "Once I get out of this cage, I will show you no mercy."
Shirong actually laughed. "Old man, have you not understood your situation? You are all in my power. I could have you killed right now if I wanted."
"Yet you haven't," Biyu pointed out. She raised her eyebrow. "It's not like you to draw things out, Shirong. Why are you wasting time with us when you've said we're no longer of any use?" Her tone grew faintly mocking. "Or is it that you can't bring yourself to kill me just yet?"
Something flickered in his eyes.
"I do remember you," she said. "I remember that you always watched me. At Golden Flower, at headquarters, at the palace. You were always there. Even when I betrayed the Dai Li, you were the one who insisted I could still be useful. You spared my life by having me brainwashed into a Joo Dee."
"I was just being practical," he responded coolly. "You have skills that are not easy to replace."
"Is that really all it was?"
His jaw tightened. Iroh bit back a smile as he watched the exchange. Clever woman. She was getting to Shirong already.
Biyu curled her fingers around the bars. "You can dress up your feelings however you like, but a woman's intuition is never wrong. You wanted me, Shirong. I think you still want me."
He stepped closer. "Ah, Biyu, I'll admit you fascinated me. You never hesitated to do what was necessary, even though I could see it caused you pain. It was beautiful to watch. Your confliction, your resolve." He shook his head. "But you're boring now. You've become like them: too caught up in morals and illogical urges. The Biyu I knew would have never put another's life before her own. All she cared about was surviving."
"You're right," she agreed, and a faint smile curved her lips. "So, how about a bet?"
"A bet?"
"Fight me. If you win, I'll join you and let you do whatever you please with me. You can have my body and my loyalty."
Iroh started in surprise. "Biyu, you can't—"
"But if you lose," she continued in a hard voice, "you must let Yingjie and I go. You must let us walk from this place freely."
There was a tense moment as the two earthbenders stared at each other. Suddenly, Shirong let out a soft laugh. "You do realise you're just handing yourself to me? You're injured and are nowhere near my level of bending skill. You cannot beat me, Biyu."
"Then you have nothing to lose," she said without missing a beat.
Iroh gripped her shoulder. "Biyu, I think you should reconsider. He's right that you're still injured and—"
"Quiet, old man!" Shirong said sharply. He shifted his gaze back to Biyu. "Very well, I'll take you up on your offer. If I win, you'll work for the Dai Li again. If I lose, you and the old man can go free."
"Deal."
Shirong called for the guards who had been watching the entrance to the cell. The four men took up position outside the cage while Biyu was released, making sure neither she nor Iroh tried anything. Iroh met her gaze as she walked past him. He raised his eyebrow a fraction in question. Her fighting Shirong one-on-one had not been part of the plan. Still, that she had got Shirong to agree to such a deal was impressive. It seemed her intuition had not been wrong. True, what the agent felt for her was not as pure an emotion as love, but his obsession was no less powerful.
"How shall we determine the winner?" Shirong asked. He sounded amused. Confident.
"We fight until the other person can't fight anymore." She shifted into a bending stance. "That's okay with you, right?"
"If that is what you wish." He mimicked her stance. "I'm sorry that I'll have to hurt you."
"No you're not."
He laughed and nodded to the guards. "Judges, if you will."
One of the men stepped forward. The agent asked them to take an equal amount of steps away from each other and then brought his hand down in a slashing motion. "Begin!"
Biyu fired off two rocks in rapid succession. Shirong crushed both into dust and then turned the stone around her feet into quicksand. She sunk a few inches before she managed to break free of the trap; however, by then he'd followed up with a pillar that shoved her from behind. An awful gasp escaped her lips. Iroh watched in unease as she collapsed to the ground, scraping elbows and knees. That was the same spot Long Feng had hit her back in Lake Laogai. She struggled to push herself upright, hair falling forward to shield her face.
"Had enough already?" Shirong taunted.
Iroh's stomach twisted. Even he could hear her ragged breathing. It wasn't a good sign that she was this tired already.
Biyu screamed in frustration and mounted a counter attack. The ground ruptured around Shirong, closing in on him in a mass of pillars and shards. A cloud of dust formed as attack after attack slammed into him. Or at least what should have been him. As the thick clouds of dust began to clear, Iroh saw that a perfect rock shield had been erected to protect him.
"Biyu, stop!" Iroh warned. "You're just tiring yourself out!"
She met his gaze and flashed him a smile. He didn't understand—even more so when a part of the shield broke away and struck her in the chest. This time her cry of pain was so much worse. She fell back, rolling against the ground a few times before she went still. His breath caught in his throat as he watched. He found himself gripping the bars.
"Get up," he urged.
Biyu did not move.
Shirong laughed and stretched his neck from side to side, even as he calmly closed the distance between them. "I expected a better fight from you. After all that bold talk, is this really all you've got?"
She groaned and shifted weakly on the ground, just managing to roll over onto her back. Shirong smiled and leaned down to grab the front of her robe. He yanked her closer to his level, meeting her gaze. Blood dribbled from her lips.
"It's over for you, Biyu. You cannot fight like this."
"Fool," she said through gritted teeth. "It seems you're the one who's forgotten who I am."
He blinked. The next second she rammed her fist into his throat—no, not her fist. A sharpened point of rock. She must have created it when she'd been knocked to the ground. Shirong made a choked sound and released her, letting her collapse in a heap even as he scrabbled at the jagged piece of rock sticking out of his neck. Blood was spurting everywhere: from the wound, spilling from his mouth. He collapsed to his knees, still making those ghastly choking sounds. It was like he was drowning.
"Shirong!"
The four guards rushed forward.
Biyu hauled herself to one knee and raised a rock wall to obstruct their path. "You heard our deal, right?" she yelled. "I won the fight, so Yingjie and I are to be released."
"Like hell we'll let you go after what you did!"
She flashed her teeth in a bloody smile. "I just made it so Shirong can't fight anymore. That was the only condition."
Four cries of rage were all she got in response. The men broke through her wall in a cloud of dust. Iroh sent a fireball at the closest agent through the gaps in the bars. It was still a weaker attack than usual, but it did the trick; the man was halted in his tracks. Biyu did her best to hold off the others, even as Iroh offered her what support he could. He'd held back before because he'd known it had been useless to fight the guards while he and Biyu had both been trapped in the cage. Now, all that mattered was keeping her safe so she could find the key. Too bad that was easier said than done.
Biyu cried out as she was struck by a pillar. She clutched at her ribs, holding out one hand to erect a shield. Iroh cursed the bars that kept him trapped, cursed the fact that his body was old and he was taking so long to get back to his full strength. At this rate, neither of them was going to get out of this room.
"You two get Shirong out of here!" one of the men ordered two of the agents. "We might still be able to save him."
"I doubt that," Biyu said with grim satisfaction. "Just look at him. He can't even breathe."
"You—"
She shoved him back with a rock to his face, then struggled to her feet, still clutching at her ribs. "One of you has to have the key. Or maybe it's Shirong." She glanced down at the man who was still gasping for air and choking on his own blood. "He would be the type to want to hold the power of our release."
The men growled and tried to restrain her. Biyu blocked the attacks with a wall and unleashed a mass of pillars at the agents to hold them off. Without pausing, she stamped her foot hard into the ground. Shirong's body lurched up into the air, propelled by the rock that ruptured underneath his back. Something small and metallic slipped free of his robe. Her eyes gleamed and she wrenched a piece of rock from the ground and smacked it at the key. Both rock and key soared towards the cage.
"Yingjie!" she yelled.
Iroh got ready. The rock shattered against the bars, but the key landed into his outstretched hand.
"Stop him before he can escape!" one of the Dai Li agents shouted.
Iroh quickly moved to unlock the door as two of the agents charged at him. He thrust the door open with a blast of fire, catching the men in the face. They screamed and fell back, holding their arms up to shield their eyes from the flames. Iroh might be weaker right now, but that didn't make him a fool. Like Biyu, his true strength lay in his ability to outsmart his opponents. Still, the fact they were outnumbered, were surrounded by stone, and that she was heavily injured was a problem. There was little at hand to give him and Biyu an advantage.
Gritting his teeth, he shifted into a bending stance and created sweeping streams of fire that knocked the men off their feet and shoved them back against the walls. He tried to get closer to Biyu, but was immediately obstructed by a mass of rock. One of the agents had recovered faster than expected.
"Just go!" she yelled at him even as she threw a rock at the agent. She coughed and clutched at her ribs. "I'll hold them off!"
"You're far too injured."
"That's why it has to be me." She dug her heels into the ground and slammed all four men into the walls with targeted slabs of rock. Another cough, though this time flecks of red escaped her lips. "You know I'll just slow you down. Use this advantage and escape!"
Iroh watched as the men broke through her rock cages. There was no way she would last against them. He shot off a few fire blasts to give her some breathing space, but the agents just blocked the flames with earth shields. Biyu threw him an impatient glance.
"Damn it, Yingjie, just go! There are people waiting for you! Your nephew, your companions! Don't risk your life to protect a worthless woman like me!"
Iroh evaded a rock projectile and made it to her side. He took up an offensive stance next to her. "But you are not worthless, Biyu. No matter your past, no matter what you have done to survive, it is the choices you make now that define who you are. I would be honoured to fight alongside such a woman."
Something that might have been a sob escaped her lips. "You're a fool!"
"Perhaps." He pressed his back against hers. "But no less of a fool than the woman who sacrifices her life when there is no need." He struck out at the agents with hot blasts of fire. "Be strong, Biyu. We will make it through yet."
She made a frustrated sound and joined him in fighting off the agents. Weak and injured as they both were, their knack for coming up with strategies and formations on the fly had the two gaining an unexpected advantage. Soon they had two of the men incapacitated. That would have given them the opening they needed except that four more Dai Li spilled in from the entrance, no doubt attracted by the sounds. Iroh backed up with Biyu as the men surrounded them.
"Stand down!" the agent who had been doing most of the talking ordered.
"This doesn't look good," Iroh muttered.
Biyu coughed up blood and half-slumped against him. She would not last much longer. To Iroh's dismay, two more agents appeared at the entrance. One of them appeared to be carrying something. A person?
"You two!" the same agent called, spotting the newcomers. "Come and help us!"
The shorter agent stepped forward. "I can sense water," he said in a surprisingly feminine voice.
Iroh's brow creased. Why did that voice sound so familiar? He got his answer when the agent raised his—no, her —face and smiled. It was Katara. She spread her hands in a powerful gesture. The left-most wall shook and trembled, the wall from where he had kept hearing water drip. Bits of rock began to crumble away.
"Stop the imposter!"
Three of the men turned to battle Katara. The person at her side placed the body he had been carrying on the ground and quickly shifted into a stance, rising up to create a wall of flames that broke all of the rock pillars to dust. Flames that were bright and beautiful. Flames that were born from the desire to protect, not just from anger and hate. Something got choked in Iroh's throat. He'd never seen his nephew bend like that. The flames of life were powerful indeed.
Biyu coughed up more blood. "Is that Lee and Katara?"
"It would seem so," Iroh murmured.
If his suspicions were correct, that small person clad in green behind Zuko had to be Toph. They had been busy indeed. Still, now was not the time to get distracted. The three agents who had not been drawn into battle with Zuko still needed to be dealt with, and fast. Iroh dodged a pillar and created a quick shield to protect himself and Biyu. Zuko noticed the agent bearing down on them and shot off a much more powerful blast to knock him back.
"Katara, hurry!" Zuko urged.
Her arms trembled with tension. "Almost there," she gritted out.
Suddenly, the wall burst forth in a gush of water, sending bits of rock everywhere. Katara moved her arms in a graceful gesture, seizing hold of the massive rush and sweeping it around to crash against the Dai Li agents. None of them stood a chance. They cried out as they were submerged and pummelled by the powerful wave, getting sucked in as Katara moved her arms in a rapid circular motion to create a spiralling whirlpool. Her stance became sharper and her fingers curled into claws. In an instant the water turned to ice, trapping all of the men, including Shirong, inside.
Katara exhaled and lowered her arms. "Is everyone okay?" she asked.
Zuko stared at her in a mixture of astonishment and admiration. "You weren't kidding when you said you sensed water."
Which was an understatement. She had just performed a very impressive display of bending for such a young waterbender. As Iroh had guessed, Katara was extremely powerful when she had access to a large mass of her element. Even now, water was trickling in from the wall she had broken through, gathering in a spreading pool on the floor.
Her cheeks coloured at the unspoken praise. "We should hurry. This ice won't hold up forever, and we still have to get out of the prisons."
"You're right," Iroh agreed.
Zuko stooped to pick up Toph. Biyu suddenly collapsed to her knees in a coughing fit, both arms wrapped around her ribs. She coughed and gasped, hacking up globs of blood.
"Biyu!" Iroh exclaimed.
"What's wrong?" Katara cried, rushing to her side. "Where are you injured? What happened?"
Biyu hunched into herself and spat out more blood. Katara paled and asked Iroh to help get Biyu down on her back. Without pausing, Katara summoned more water to her hands and examined her for injuries. Zuko came to stand near them, now cradling Toph in his arms.
"Well?" Iroh prompted.
Katara pulled her hands away. She did not meet his gaze. "It's not good."
"But you can heal her, can't you?"
She still did not meet his gaze.
"Yingjie," Biyu said in a strained voice. "No, it is General Iroh, is it not?"
He grasped her hand. "Yingjie is fine."
Biyu smiled. "Then, Yingjie, thank you for protecting me." Another cough. More blood dribbled down her chin.
"Biyu, what—"
"You have to leave now. This girl is too nice to say it, but she knows I'm dying."
Iroh tightened his grip on her hand. "That can't be." He glanced at Katara. "Surely there is something you can do."
Katara made a helpless gesture. "Maybe if I had the Spirit Oasis water, but I used that on Aang. Her internal injuries are too extensive. I don't know if I can fix all of it in time, not on my own."
"What if I helped?" Zuko asked.
"No." Biyu coughed up more blood and met his gaze. "You already weakened yourself for me once. Don't waste your energy on me again. I'm not—"
"Don't say you're not worth it," Iroh cut in. "Every life is precious, Biyu. Yours is no different."
Tears spilled down her cheeks. "I'm just a selfish nobody from the Lower Ring who took advantage of others to survive. I'm not worth anything."
"Fu must not have thought so." Iroh placed his other hand over hers. "He must have seen your strength; that in your heart was a noble desire to fight for justice."
She shook her head. "If it wasn't for me, Fu would still be alive. All of them would still be alive." Fresh tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. "That's why I won't let you make the same mistake. You all have a chance to make a difference. Please, just go. Go and escape from this place."
"Biyu—"
She reached into her robe and offered the broken white lotus tile to him. "Go, Yingjie. You are the Grand Lotus. You can do what I could not." More coughing. More blood. "I failed everyone. Please make the flower whole again."
Iroh closed her fingers around the tile and gently pushed it back towards her. "I won't."
"But—"
"I won't because we will restore the Order together."
Her bottom lip trembled. "I'm dying, Yingjie. You can't save me."
Zuko gently placed Toph down and knelt next to Biyu. "I think we can if Katara and I work together."
"But your chi—"
His mouth curved into a sad sort of smile. "You know, I used to think the same as you: that other people's lives were worth more than my own; that it was okay if I sacrificed myself, because I was just a failure who only caused problems for people anyway."
Her eyes widened at his admission.
"But my uncle is right. Every life is worth something. You aren't an exception to that rule. I don't know your past, but just as a friend told me when I was ready to give up, I don't believe it is your destiny to die here." He held her gaze. "So don't tell us not to try. We're going to heal you."
"Lee." Her eyes misted over and she glanced around at all of them. "I don't understand. Why are you all willing to put yourselves at a disadvantage for me? You know it's not logical."
"The thing about being human is that it's not always logical," Iroh said with a faint smile. "We do things because our heart tells us it is right, because we want to believe in hope."
She shook her head. "You shouldn't be taking this risk. The Dai Li are too dangerous. You will need all the power you have just to escape from here."
Zuko met her eyes. "You begged me to heal you once. You wanted to be free of the Dai Li and to remember who you were more than anything. Don't give up now just because the truth wasn't what you were hoping. This is your chance to be free, to start a new life."
"But—"
He made a frustrated sound. "Ah, enough! Talking about this is just wasting time."
Katara bit back a smile. "He's right, you know. If Lee is willing to try, then I think it's worth a shot."
"Besides," Iroh added, "I will allow my nephew to draw upon my chi to make up for the loss."
Zuko's eyes widened. "Uncle, you can't! That really would be too dangerous!"
Iroh gripped his shoulder. "Biyu is right that we cannot afford to have you weakened right now. Your bending is strong—far stronger than mine as it stands in our current positions." A hint of pride entered his eyes. "You have grown so much, my nephew. Let me do this for you so that we may all escape safely."
Zuko looked torn. Iroh understood that the chi absorption abilities frightened him, but unless Katara had access to a large body of water, it was Zuko who was their strongest fighter. They needed him at full power.
Iroh squeezed his shoulder, assuring him that it would be okay. "I trust you," he murmured. "Trust in yourself."
Zuko let out a breath and turned to Katara. "Let's do it."
She nodded and together they worked on Biyu's injuries. Iroh felt the moment when his energy was linked with his nephew's, as if a door had opened inside him and united their chi in threads of warmth and light. He closed his eyes and allowed the drain to happen. Sure, this was not the most strategic option; everyone knew it would have been better to just leave Biyu behind. But after hearing about her past, of all her struggles and unhappiness, he wanted her to live. He wanted her to experience freedom. He got the feeling Zuko felt the same.
Power flowed between the four: fire, water, the pure energy that existed within every living creature. Iroh opened his eyes and saw that Zuko and Biyu were glowing in faint shimmers of gold, just as had happened on the drill when Zuko had linked with him to heal Changpu. It seemed to be an effect of the absorption ability. No doubt Iroh was glowing as well. Still, the pull on his energy was not as harsh this time. He could sense his nephew's control over the flow. Zuko was taking just enough to boost the healing and no more. Eventually, he broke the connection completely.
"That's all I can do for now," Zuko said, catching Biyu's eye. "I'm sorry it's not more."
Katara's brow furrowed. She had not pulled her hands away yet. "There's blood in her chest. I can sense it."
Zuko paled. "Can you remove it?"
"I ... I've never tried to manipulate blood."
"If you can sense it, that means you can control it," Iroh said. "Blood is mostly water. It wouldn't be farfetched to think that you can manipulate it as a waterbender."
Katara bit her lip. "I'll try."
She moved her fingers in a graceful, upward gesture as if plucking something from the air. Biyu coughed and the trapped blood was slowly drawn from her chest and out through her mouth in a thin trickle. Katara's hand shook a little as she relaxed her fingers.
"I think that's all of it," she said, not meeting anyone's gaze.
Iroh gripped her shoulder. He could perceive that she had been unsettled. "You did well, Katara."
She moistened her lips and averted her face. "A-anyway, I think that should be enough. You feel better right ... Biyu, was it?"
"Yes," Biyu admitted. "I can breathe easier now and the pain has lessened."
"Then let's go." Katara stood and refilled her water flask with the excess water on the floor. "The ice is already starting to melt. We need to get out of here."
Iroh helped Biyu to her feet while Zuko once more slung Toph over his shoulder. They exited the cell together, but as soon as they were out of sight from the Dai Li trapped inside the frozen prison, Biyu held out her hand to them.
"Wait," she said. "It'll be easier if we go this way." She pointed at the ceiling.
"Up?" Iroh questioned.
She wrenched a hole in the stone with her bending. "Up," she said, allowing her lips to curve into a smile. "We can avoid the Dai Li better like this."
"Are you sure you can handle it?" Katara asked in a worried voice. "You're still not fully healed, you know."
"I'll be fine. It's just a matter of creating shortcuts rather than creating a whole new tunnel system. Trust me, we'll get to the surface much quicker this way."
Zuko and Katara exchanged a glance. "Up it is then," they said in unison.
Biyu created a stone lift and raised them all into the hole she had created. Zuko lit flames for light while she sealed the hole behind them. Then she began to gouge out a new tunnel. As she had explained, they soon linked up with one of the original corridors. Biyu tore another hole through the ceiling and then they were moving up again. Two Dai Li did spot them the next time they merged with the original infrastructure, but Zuko and Katara fended the men off with a combined attack. Biyu wasted no time in getting them out of there before any more agents could turn up.
Iroh thought that would be the end of their bad luck. They even found themselves standing in a courtyard with the full moon shining down on them. The problem? There was also a bear wearing a yellow jacket and nightcap.
Zuko yelped and took a step back. He had been the closest to the bear and had clearly got a fright. Even Iroh had to admit it had been a shock. Biyu's reaction was less comical. She groaned and pressed her hand to her forehead.
"I miscalculated," she muttered. "This isn't good."
Iroh began to ask her for clarification, but then a man wearing some kind of elaborate pyjamas, and flanked by two flustered looking guards, entered the courtyard. The small glasses perched on his nose flashed in the moonlight.
"Bosco!" the man cried in relief. "There you are! I was—"
The man broke off as he saw the group standing behind the bear. The pause as he and his companions took in their appearance was almost comical. Almost. Iroh understood what Biyu had meant now. He was pretty sure they had just run into the Earth King. This really wasn't good.
Lots of things be happening in this chapter. Two things I want to address in particular.
First, the part where Zuko is tempted to give into his darker impulses. I know some people over on FFN were a little surprised to see him tempted like that (and I agree he has a heart of gold); however, this is an important scene for me because I wanted to emphasise that this was a choice he consciously made. Zuko is someone who is capable of doing less than heroic things when he is driven or upset enough (canon demonstrates this effectively with the choices he makes throughout the show). Yes, his nature is disposed to be compassionate and protect/defend the weak, but he is not perfect. You better believe that he wanted to punish those agents after seeing what they did to Toph.
That said, the fact is that he doesn't. To me, that is what makes Zuko a "good" person. He's not immune to darker impulses or wanting to get payback. He's not immune to the fact that he was raised in an environment where ruthlessness and pragmatism were admired over compassion. Yet, like Katara when faced with Yon Rha, he doesn't choose to follow that path. Zuko has very consciously decided that he doesn't want to become like his father or sister. That makes all the difference (at least in my opinion).
The second thing I want to address is Katara and bloodbending. In this chapter we see her sense the blood trapped in Biyu's chest. Just want to make it clear that she doesn't bloodbend in the way Hama does (puppet-like) here. She literally just guides the trapped blood out in the same way she got the water out of Aang's lungs in the Kyoshi Island episode. No limb control or whatever occurs. She does, however, sense through this act that she could control more …
Also, random fact: Biyu actually died in my original plan for this chapter, but with the way the characters—particularly Zuko—have developed while writing the story, I felt it made more sense for them to fight to help her live. Plus, it opened the path for Katara's bloodbending arc, which I have been wanting to start for a while. Make of that what you will.