There's nothing worse in the this world
Than pay-back from a jealous girl
The laws of man, they don't apply
When blood gets in a woman's eye.
—"Ten Cent Pistol", The Black Keys
Zuko and his father make a minimal effort to find Azula.
Ozai orders three of the best trackers in the Capitol to find the missing princess and bring her back to the palace, but the men show back up two weeks later with nothing. No leads, no clues, no spottings.
Zuko scratches the back of his head in boredom as the men report back to his father in the throne room.
"There have been no signs of Princess Azula, Fire Lord. It's like she vanished." All three men fidget from where they're crouched in front of the throne. Zuko suspects that they'll probably be beheaded for their failure.
Ozai is silent for a long time. Finally he waves his hand from behind his veil of flames and the three men stand up, awaiting their fate.
"Your services are appreciated. You're dismissed."
The trackers pauses, all of them clearly shocked, before they turn around and quickly file out of the room. The door bangs shut behind them.
"Will you send out more trackers, father?" Zuko asks. He's not allowed to sit behind the flames as of yet, but he's still off to his father's right hand side on an elevated platform.
Ozai is quiet and for a moment Zuko thinks that he's not going to answer him. "It's such a shame, Prince Zuko, about your sister." Then he stands and makes his way off the throne and out of the throne.
"Such a shame," Zuko repeats to his father's back. He grins to himself.
It's perfect for another week. That's when the first body shows up.
"It—excuse me, he—showed up this morning, Prince Zuko."
There are flies buzzing around everywhere. Zuko and the three guards examining the body have strips of fabric covering their mouths and noses.
"No one saw him being dragged through the gates?" Zuko snarls, glaring at the head guard in charge over the palace gates and subsequent courtyard.
The man rapidly shakes his head. "No, sir. We were in the middle of switching from the night shift to the day shift when it, er, he just sort of…appeared."
"This is unacceptable." Zuko swears under his breath and stands up from his crouch. "Bodies don't just pop up out of nowhere, and they especially don't pop up in the royal palace."
Especially not bodies like this.
They're only able to tell that it's a man because of his beard. His face is swollen and covered with blood and contusions, making him unrecognizable. There are cuts covering his arms, legs, and torso and there is a deep gash across his neck, like someone slit his throat.
Someone wanted this man to die painfully.
"Our most sincerest of apologies, Prince Zuko," the head guard says, face pale and eyes wide. "We alerted you as soon as it—he was discovered."
Zuko heaves a sigh. He'll have to let Ozai know immediately. That was not going to be a pleasant conversation.
One of the other two guards steps around the body and up to Zuko's side. "Sir, we think the cause of death is his throat. Looks like someone slit it, sir."
There's suddenly a muttering of multiple voice, and Zuko turns in dismay to see volunteers and nobles crossing the courtyard not too far from where he and the guards are standing. They're probably here to "tour the gardens", he expects.
"Quick!" he snaps, moving to block the body from the crowd's view. "Take the body to the physician so that he can examine it."
The head guard turns a faint shade of green. He and the other two guards move together and pick up the body, but one of them loses his grip and the dead man falls to the ground. The wound on his neck pulls apart and the dead man's head falls back unnaturally.
The head guard turns around and retches.
"What's going on?"
Zuko freezes, horror and irritation creeping up his spine. The waterbender and the blind earthbender are behind them, each flanked with a personal guard.
He hasn't spoken to the waterbender in weeks, nor has he made another attempt at teaching her how to read and write. She pissed him off so he decided to completely ignore her existence. Admittedly, it was the petty way out. Zuko doesn't care.
"This doesn't concern you, waterbender," he says, voice muffled by the fabric that's still covering his mouth and nose.
Her one visible blue eye narrows, but before she can snap back at him the blind girl smacks her in the arm. "What's that smell, Katara?" She sounds alarmed.
Zuko turns to the head guard, who now looks like he's going to pass out. "Round up the other volunteers and those stupid nobles and escort them to the gardens. That's what they came to see anyway. Hurry." The guard doesn't have to be told twice. He takes off.
"What's that smell?" Toph repeats, milky green eyes tilted toward the ground.
Zuko is in a particularly bad mood this morning. "What, earthbender, haven't you ever seen a dead body before? Oh, wait…"
He's answered with silence. The blind girl has gone as pale as a ghost and she gives him no witty comeback.
The waterbender pats her shoulder reassuringly. "Go back to the others. I'll deal with this."
Toph nods and then quickly takes a few steps back before turning around and bolting away, her personal guard right behind her.
Katara struts up, perfectly at ease.
"When was he discovered?" she asks, crouching down to inspect the body.
"This…this morning?" One of the two guards looks at Zuko with confusion. The prince simply rolls his eyes and shrugs his shoulders. He's slowly getting used to this girl and her unpredictability.
The waterbender stands up and taps her chin in thought. "Clearly his throat has been slit but…" She isn't covering her nose but she still inhales deeply. Zuko and the remaining guards openly stare at her.
This girl is insane.
She toes at the side of the body before rolling him over with her foot. "That is the cause of death."
The parts of his clothes that were covering his back have been burned away, and scorch marks cover his bare, blackened skin.
"Someone fried him," Katara says. It's then that she notices the men's shocked expressions. "What?"
"I thought you worked with a bounty hunter," Zuko says. He could kick himself for sounding woozy. The smell of burned flesh coming from the body's exposed back is starting to seep through the fabric over his nose. It's nauseating.
Katara frowns. "Not everyone that we were paid to find were alive, Prince Zuko."
This particular tid-bit of information makes him sick, but Zuko straightens up and manages to keep his cool.
Katara's upper lip curls in disgust and she squats down again. "There's a pin sticking out of his neck."
Zuko hunkers down so that he can see what she's pointing at. That's when he sees it; a pin shaped like a tea cup has been shoved into the back of this man's neck.
That's when it clicks.
"That's the emblem for the Dragonheart Teashop in the upper ring." Zuko remembers the man's beard and finally takes notice that his clothes were expensive silks at one point in time. "This man is Shang Len." He promptly spits on the body. "Wrap this man up in a sheet," he commands. "Take him and throw him into the sea. The fishes can have him."
The waterbender quickly stands up and steps in front of him. "Don't you think you should be more respectful of the dead?" she says, voice snippy. Now this is the version of Katara that he knows well. The annoying one.
"No," Zuko answers, shouldering past her. "That teashop owner openly opposed the Fire Lord's reign and the war. Three years ago he tried to put a hit out on my father." He's walking back through the courtyard but the waterbender is keeping up with him stride for stride.
The long brown hair that she has covering her scars swings a bit with each of her steps. "Then why didn't you just take care of him then, if he was such an enemy?"
"Couldn't prove it. Fire Lord's can't really go around handing out execution orders for no reason. It doesn't look good." He stops suddenly and she rams into his back. "Why do you care?" he demands.
"I—" She ducks her head and Zuko is surprised to see that she looks a little embarrassed. "It feels familiar," she murmurs quietly.
"Go catch up with the rest of the volunteers," he grunts and Katara frowns at him before walking away, her personal guard following her.
At least the conversation with Ozai is going to go much smoother. Ozai has always despised Shang Len.
As he walks into the palace and towards his father's office, Zuko thinks he might have finally found something productive for the waterbender to do.
Ozai's office is stately and free of any and all debris. Ozai sits in his office chair like it is another throne. It doesn't look like a room where the Fire Lord spends most of his time running the country.
The guards close the door behind Zuko.
"What is it?" Ozai doesn't look up from where he is going over paperwork.
"Father, I just wanted to inform you that a body was found at the palace gates this morning. On the inside of the gates, I should say."
The Fire Lord looks up at that. He frowns and stares at his son. He and Zuko mirror each other in practically every physical way. They have the same eyes, the same high cheekbones, the same straight nose and the same glossy, raven colored hair. There is no mistaking their relation.
Sometimes Zuko wishes he looked more like his long gone mother.
"Were you able to identify it?" Ozai sets down his ink brush and leans back, lacing his fingers.
"Yes, father. It was Shang Len."
Ozai's golden eyes gleam. "Was it now?"
Zuko nods.
"What did you do with him?"
"I sent him for a swim."
Ozai doesn't say anything, but by the tilt of his mouth Zuko can tell that he is extremely pleased. His father rolls up the scroll that he was writing on and pushes it to the side. "Very well. You can take your leave now, my son."
Zuko about faints, but manages to walk out of the office with assurance.
His father hasn't referred to him as "my son" since he was eight.
This time he decides to be polite and knock on the waterbender's door before he waltzes in. Compared to his sour mood from earlier this morning he's currently feeling absolutely joyous.
He still doesn't bother to wait for her to give the okay to enter, though.
He's somewhat surprised (but at the same time not so surprised) to find her hovering over her desk and looking over the alphabet and the list of words he'd given her weeks ago.
Her hair is blocking her profile so he can't gage her reaction based on her expression.
"Yes?" she says, voice dry.
Zuko closes the door and leans against before casually examining his fingernails. "I've got a proposition for you," he says in a laid-back manner, not looking up.
She's quiet for some time until he hears a chair scraping against the floor. She's turned to face him. "Does this have something to do with the body that was found this morning?" She cuts straight to the point.
Zuko decides not to play games with her. "Yes."
Her right eye lights up with excitement. She leans forward in her chair and places her hand on her knees. "I knew it." She smirks.
"You seemed…composed this morning. Around the body, I mean. That's a useful quality. You've mentioned multiple times that you've worked for a bounty hunter, and for your sake I hope you weren't making that up—"
"I wasn't!"
"—because it's your head on the line if you are. Anyway, Fire Lord Ozai has sent out the best trackers in the Capitol to find my sister, but she managed to elude them quite well. I need you to find her."
The waterbender's visible eye narrows. "How does finding your kidnapped sister have to do with the body from this morning?"
Zuko outright laughs. He can't help it. "You're a fool if you think Azula let herself be kidnapped. And the two are connected. Trust me."
She crosses her arms across her chest. "I don't."
"So it's settled then?" Zuko reaches for the doorknob. "I figure the Dragonheart Teashop will be a good place to start—"
"What's in it for me?" Katara interrupts, standing up. Her expression has darkened. She places one hand on her popped hip. "You don't get something for nothing, you know."
Zuko knows this all too well. He lets go of the doorknob and sighs. "What do you want?"
"My freedom?" she answers in disbelief, as if he's oblivious and should have known that already.
"No deal," he says coldly. "I'll find someone else."
"Wait!" She extends a desperate hand out toward him and he has to force down a triumphant smile. "Wait." She takes in a deep breath. "Okay, I'll do it. But you have to release Toph!"
"The blind one?"
"You already have plenty of earthbenders. You won't even miss her." Katara's one blue eye is wide and swirling with emotions.
Zuko stares at her unblinkingly for a moment. "I'll think about it." He opens his door and starts to make his exit. "I'll be back later. Be ready."
The sun is setting and casting a red glow over the palace gates. Zuko walks through them with purpose, Katara right on his heels.
"Are we going through the marketplace?" she asks, a tremor in her voice. Zuko supposes he can't really blame her for her nerves. The last time he brought her to the marketplace was not a pleasant experience for her.
"We're going around it."
He hears her exhale in relief.
They move away from the entrance to the marketplace which, despite the late hour, is bustling with activity, and walk into a well lit back alley that leads into a quarter of the upper ring that specifically houses noble homes.
The homes are extravagant, but Zuko barely notices them as he passes by. He almost makes it to the end of the street when he realizes that he can no longer hear Katara's footsteps. He pauses and glances over his shoulder. She's standing at the other end of the street and staring up at a nobleman's house with complete and utter awe.
He marches back up to her and grabs her elbow. "No time to ogle, waterbender."
"They're so gorgeous," she says breathlessly, causing Zuko to roll his eyes.
"It's just a house," he grumbles and gives her arm a firm yank. She begins to follow him again.
"I've never lived in a house before. Not really." Her voice sounds wistful.
"No. Now you just live in the finest palace in the world." Zuko keeps an ear out so that he'll notice if she happens to stop trailing him again.
"It's not the same." A moment later the waterbender is at his side, her footsteps echoing with his.
They zip through a couple more streets—Katara slows down whenever something particularly luxurious catches her eye—until the Dragonheart Teashop comes into view.
"Are you not worried about being recognized?" Katara asks.
Zuko shrugs. He's wearing "regular" clothes, or the most regular looking clothes that were in his closet, and he has his hair up in a normal topknot, no crown in sight. "Maybe."
Katara, for her part, is dressed in black from head to toe. Zuko would expect nothing less from someone who used to snoop around for a living.
The teashop is surrounded by customers, most of them dressed in fine silken robes and flaunting their wealth to anyone who will pay attention long enough. The normal clientele for the Dragonheart.
Zuko walks right up to the door and steps inside, and a bell dings, announcing a new customer. Katara follows suit.
The waterbender stops behind him, right at the entrance, her blue eye darting about the room and taking in every detail. When she seems familiar enough with her surroundings she gives Zuko one sharp nod and they quickly grab an unoccupied table with two chairs. A waitress trots up to them with a menu in hand but when she opens her mouth to greet them Zuko cuts her off.
"I want to talk to the owner."
The waitress' customer-friendly smile falters. "I apologize, sir." Her amber eyes scan over him and she flushes. Zuko would bet that he's just been identified. "We haven't, erm, we haven't seen Owner Len in a couple of days."
Zuko looks her right in the eye. "Then can I speak to his second in command?"
The waitress nods rapidly and disappears into the crowd. Seconds later a plump, haggard looking woman makes her way over to them. There are dark circles under her eyes. She must be Shang Len's husband.
"Can I help you?" she asks when she reaches their table. She sounds tired.
"Yes, I was hoping to speak to your husband but he doesn't seem to be here this evening. I own a space for a teashop on Ember Island I wanted to talk with him about the possibility of the Dragonheart opening up a second shop."
The woman nods and begins talking about how she and her currently missing husband had talked about expanding.
Zuko stops listening after that. He tries to catch Katara's gaze but she's keeping an eye on everyone else in the shop but him. This is good. This means she's doing her job.
Zuko nods and "mmhmms" in all the right places until the woman announces that she'll be back in a minute, she just needs to go and get some paperwork for him to fill out.
"Who'd you see?" Zuko questions immediately after the woman walks out of earshot.
Katara shakes her head and glares at him. "You're not going to tell that poor woman that her husband is dead?"
"Nope." He leans back in his chair and levels his stare on her. "Who'd you see?"
"That's cruel," she spits. "I'm going to tell her." She goes to stand.
"You tell her and I swear on Agni himself that I will leave scars on the unblemished side of your pretty little face." His hand curls along the edge of the table. Smoke rises between his fingers. The waterbender looks at him with dislike but says nothing.
"Now," Zuko grits out. "Who did you see?"
"Someone in the corner," she answers sharply.
"Female?"
"Don't know, didn't see their face. They were wearing a hood. I couldn't see their eyes or anything, but I could tell that they were watching us."
"Which means that they probably know that you were watching them."
She pretends that she didn't hear him point this out. "Then they got up and left out the side door."
Zuko frowns down at the table. The hooded person might not be who he thinks it is, but if they are then he knows exactly what they'll do in order to send him a message.
Zuko just has to give them a little time.
When the waitress moves within earshot Zuko catches her attention and orders a pot of jasmine tea.
He'll give the mystery person a quarter of an hour.
It only takes twelve minutes. That's when the screaming starts right outside of the teashop.
Zuko, Katara, and the majority of the other customers get up from their respective tables and make their way outside.
There's a hanging body across the street. A woman.
Zuko frowns and rubs a hand across his chin in thought. A suicide wasn't what he had in mind—
Katara is tugging on his sleeve. "Let's move forward. I need to get a closer look."
Zuko lights a fire in both of his palms. "Move!" He starts shoving random people aside and eventually the crowd parts for him and Katara. When they reach the body on the other side of the street she quickly leans around it before slowly nodding. Zuko is already amazed that she doesn't have to cover her nose. He can barely breathe himself.
"Scorch marks," she confirms. "This woman didn't hang herself."
Zuko's suspicions have been confirmed. "She's fucking with me."
The waterbender looks confused. "Who is?"
"My sister."
Katara's visible blue eye widens in realization and horror. "But why would anyone…why would she do something like this?" Her shoulders are trembling.
Zuko steps away from the body and looks up into the woman's face. She was Fen Chun, Zhao's most well known mistress and one of his biggest (and most annoying) supporters.
"She's trying to one-up me."
A/N:
Hee. Long time no see! First off, a big thank you to everyone who left a review or sent a message! I really appreciate all of the encouragement! I'm lucky to have such awesome readers. I'm happy to say that I'm about 93% sure that I'm over my writer's block, so I'm ready to move forward again with this story. Admittedly, I wasn't expected the story to take this sort of turn (I had originally planned for less dead bodies), but I hope everyone is still on board. I hope you're all ready for the ride that's coming!
Also, big news to those of you who watch The Legend of Korra! It was revealed today that Zuko is still alive! That makes him and Katara the last two remaining members of the original Gaang. I don't know about you guys, but I'm holding out for some super adorable old people Zutara bonding scenes. Those of you who are on tumblr already know this (my URL is likeadove(dot)tumblr(dot)com by the way and I blog about everything and nothing), but I just wanted to share and fangirl with you guys! SO EXCITED. :D
Anyway, that's the end of my long winded author's note. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and please leave me a review and let me know your thoughts!