{Sokka}

This was the eighth Dai Li agent they had questioned today. Sokka slid the metal door shut with some frustration.
"Argh, none of these guys will budge!"
The small group had no luck regarding information about Azula. Some of the Dai Li were still noticeably loyal to her. They asked for anything they could use, places where she might hide out, and people who would aid her, information on agents close to her, but they were answered only with stares.

"Well, this is the last one," said Aang, approaching the next cell. "If we don't get information here, we won't have any more leads."
"Then we better make this one count," said Sokka with a nod, grabbing the cell door and sliding it open with a loud creak.
The cell was illuminated by the deep glow of green crystals hanging on each side of the metal wall. The only features were a bed and a chamber pot, and in the far right corner a man who sat quietly in the dark. The group approached the prison-robed man, who raised his head as they drew near.

"The Avatar," he said, as the group stopped in front of him. "To what do I owe the honor?"
The gang all looked at each other, until Sokka stepped forward.
"We are chasing information on agents who would help Azula," said Sokka, getting straight to the point.
"Indeed, I heard she escaped," said the man, looking back down at his feet. "You think I'm aiding Azula from my quaint little cell?" he said coldly, making Sokka shiver a little.
"No, what I mean is that I'm looking for… Others who might help her…"
The man looked back up again, as Sokka stared into his light green eyes.
"And why should I tell you anything?" asked the man, a glimpse of spite in this eyes.
"We can reward you, if you help us," interrupted Aang.
The man turned his glance to Aang.
"And tell me, young Avatar, what reward is fitting of a man who has lost everything? A man who has betrayed his own country?"
Sokka and Aang shot each other a sideward glance. This was the first agent who seemed remorseful of his actions.
Finally, a break!
"We can give you your freedom," said Sokka, offering the terms.
The look in the man's eyes changed at the word.
"Freedom…" he echoed. "You don't know much about me do you? I was the only one you know, the only one to surrender my freedom… Voluntarily."
Sokka and Aang both shifted uncomfortably.
What do you offer to a man who denies he's own freedom?
Aang stepped forward getting on one knee, lowering himself down to the man's eyes.
"You can't let go of that fact that you betrayed your Kingdom, but if you do this, you may be saving many lives, you could be a secret hero of sorts, one that has restored his honor."
The man looked back down at his feet again.
"Secrets… The Dai Li always operated around secrecy. Enough to fool a king into believing he was safe, when the Fire Nation was knocking on his door… Perhaps, it's not so much to ask," he said, as if speaking the last line to himself.
"What do you want to know?"
Sokka smiled down at the young Avatar, realizing that he really had grown into a fine protector of the people. He shook his silly grin from his face.
"Who would help Azula from the Dai Li?" he questioned as Aang rejoined his side.
"That's not a long list, there's only four agents who aren't in here with us," he said.
"Who?" questioned Sokka again.
"There's Shigon, but he isn't helping Azula any time soon."
"Why's that?" asked Aang inquisitorially.
The man glared up, catching them both off guard.
"His dead. Tried to fight his way out of capture at the end of the war. Some fresh faced soldier stabbed him with a spear from behind. A death not fitting of such a skilled agent," he said with remorse.
"Uhh, ok…" said Aang nervously. "Who else?"
"Long Feng escaped when the city was re-taken from the Fire Nation, I think he joined up with the Renegades."
"The Renegades?" mimicked Sokka.
"A group who is dedicated to hunting down Fire Nation criminals after the war. I imagine he was looking for redemption for his crimes against the Earth Kingdom… Good for him."
Sokka thought for a second.
"Well, Long Feng and Azula weren't ever on buddy terms were they? I don't see him aiding her, especially if he hunts war criminals now. Who else?"
"Baku was a younger agent, he went into hiding by himself when the war ended, but he was often rash and foolish, not to mention easily manipulated. I don't see him aiding Azula without someone pulling his reins," he said. Sokka and Aang looked at each other, until Sokka asked the question that was both on their minds.
"So… Who would be pulling his reins?"
The man paused looking off into the distance.
"There was one more… Jian. He was one of Azula's personal guards on The Day of Black Sun. One of the best. But he fell off the grid at the end of the war. Before I surrendered myself, I kept tabs on all our best agents, but Jian just… Vanished. No surprise, he was an excellent spy."
Sokka couldn't help squirming with excitement.
"Do you think he would aid her?" he said.
"I heard an earthbender helped in Azula's escape. I'd stake my life on it being Jian," he said, confidence beaming in his words.
"So how would we find him?" asked Toph, who had been patiently waiting with her arms, folded.
"That's not so easy. Like I said, Jian's the one of the best. However… There is a chance that they may come back here. Jian knew of all the secret entrances into the city that were reserved for only the top ranking members. If they have any reason to come here, Jian will get them inside."
Sokka looked at Toph, who had closed her eyes out of impatience.

"I guess we better go looking for some tunnels."
Toph blew her bangs out of her eyes.
"Yep."

{Azula}

"Remind me what we are doing in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se?" she said, looking around at all the poverty stricken faces.
Jian, Azzazle and Azula all headed into the city overnight. Jian was careful, moving the small team only a few yards at a time, until he had reached a disused tunnel which was yet to be discovered. From there, they snuck into the city via old Ba Sing Se, leaving Jian to watch their exit point.
Azzazle ignored her words, instead looking her up and down.
"Did I ever tell you that you look great in Earth Kingdom clothes?" he said, with a sly smile on his face.
She mustered up her most powerful glare, throwing in directly into his eyes.
"Far more then you should have," she fumed.
Azzazle chuckled.
"Ok, well, I guess it's time to teach you the lesson my master taught me here."
"I'm listening," she said impatiently.
"Well, I wanted to show you this here in Ba Sing Se, because it was the scene of your greatest military triumph. You took down a supposedly impenetrable city in the span of a few days, at fourteen."
Azula flicked her bangs with a sigh.
"Yes, I am pretty amazing, this isn't news to me."
Azzazle raised his eyebrow.
"Right, anyway, it begins, with a walk," he said gesturing her down the street. They began to walk slowly, as Azula looked around at all of the poor citizens.
"All of these people can link their poverty to the war with the Fire Nation," said Azzazle.
"The Fire Nation wasn't oppressing these peasants, the Earth Kingdom is responsible for its own people," she said defensively.
"You're right, but taxes rise when you have to feed soldiers on the front line, who else but the common folk suffer from this? And besides, most of these people are refugees, are you going to deny that the Fire Nation destroyed their homes?"
She shrugged.
"They should have been strong enough to defend them," she stated. At that moment, a short bald man blocked their path.
"Excuse me, miss? Do you have a silver to spare?" he said, asking Azula directly. She looked over to Azzazle who offered her a slight nod. She reached into her coin purse that Azzazle had given her, removing a silver piece.
"Here," she said, flicking it at him. He caught it midair.
"Thank you beautiful young lady! Thank you! Spirits bless your kind heart!" he said, bowing and backing away. She folded her arms and turned to Azzazle.
"Wow, lesson learned," she said plainly.
Azzazle grabbed her arm. "Not quite, we're following him," he said, leading her after the man.
She shook herself free of him and together they briskly tailed him. The man took a turn down a small alley, and Azzazle threw out his hand to stop her from following. They both peered around to see the man was stopped by a another young man.
"You there! Old timer! I saw you get money off that woman! Hand it over. Now."
The man cowered.
"Please, I-"
He was cut off, the young man threw a punch, knocking the older man off his feet. Azula looked at Azzazle.
"Now let me guess," she said. "We rush in, and save the day!" she said trying to bolt around him. He grabbed her again.
"Not yet," he whispered. Azula continued to watch the confrontation as Azzazle began to talk.
"Elevating those in a poor environment above there fellows, often draws the eyes of others who suffer," he said, as they both watched the young man relieve the unconscious man of his silver piece.
"So, Azula, what do you think of that man, the mugger?"
She looked at him perplexed.
"Why his a thief, scum, what do you expect me to say?" she said, making it sound obvious.
"Is he?" asked Azzazle. "Let's follow him from the roofs and see where he goes," he said.
He offered her a hand up, which she slapped away, gaining access to the roof with a quick get up.
He followed soon after, and they jumped their way from roof to roof, watching the man from above as he swiftly made his way through the streets. A block away, the young man stopped, looking behind him to see if he was followed before walking up to an unassuming shack wedged in-between two buildings. Azzazle gestured to Azula to go low, as they both crawled to the edge of the roof. Azula watched, as a small rag bound girl appeared from the shack across the street.
"Miki," said the young man. "Look what I found! A silver piece!"
The little girls eyes lit up as the young man handed it over, stoking her head affectionately before she dived in to hug him.
"You can eat whatever you want with that piece," said the man, as she snuggled into his stomach.
"Thank you big brother," she said, withdrawing from him, tears swelling up in her eyes.
Azula looked beside her into Azzazle's eyes, as he was staring back at her.
"People become strong, truly strong, when they have something worth fighting for. All lives touch other lives, remember that."
She looked back down at the pair, as the young man lead the little girl back inside the shack.
Azula looked back at Azzazle, seeing her chance to take another strike at learning his past.
"And what makes you strong?" she asked.
Azzazle smiled at her slightly. "Me? I didn't know you thought I was that strong. I was about to ask you," he said, rising to his feet.
Azula thought for a second. Her first answer was instinctively to say that she fought for herself and her nation, but the reality sunk in, as she realized who had made her strong.
"Your father?" Azzazle said, as if reading her mind. She looked at him for a second, admiring his ability to read even her cold exterior shell.
She pushed herself off the roof, landing on her feet with grace, Azzazle jumping down after her.
"My father taught me that strength is a virtue above all else. He taught me that weakness is a disease, a disease that would destroy Nations, our Nation. My father envisioned a world where all people everywhere were strong. He was going to free these people like you wouldn't even imagine. They would be forced to become strong, or die. And they may have been better off for it," she said.
Azzazle stared at her as she spoke, hanging on every word she said.
"I never knew my father…" said Azzazle suddenly, before staring into the ground with a look of faraway sorrow.
"Well, you look strong, you must be from good stock," she said, in a poor attempt to cheer him up.
He looked at her, raising his eyebrow. Azula blushed, realizing what she just implied.
"No no, what I meant was that you look physically capable," she said. Upon saying the words, she understood that those weren't much better. A smirk began to creep across Azzazle's face. She sighed with frustration.
"No! What I meant was... Urgh! Forget it!" she said, waving her hand at him before pulling herself from his eyes and storming off down the street.

They began walking back to their entry point into the city, Azula biting her lip into how pointless it was to come all this way for something that Azzazle could have simply told her.
I won't give him the satisfaction.
Azzazle suddenly stopped as they turned a street to see a restaurant in sight.
"I am starving," he said, gripping his stomach through his shirt.
"You can eat later, the sooner we're out of this city, the better," said Azula looking around at several faces who had taken interest in the pair.
At that moment, a man with a floppy Mohawk walked up to Azula, Kali sticks in hand.
For a moment, Azula and Azzazle simply stared at the man, as he stared back, his tiny green beaded eyes narrowing in on Azula's waist.
"…Can I help you?" she said, her patience wearing thin.
"Saw you give a man some coin. Reckon I could get some of that coin too. Reckon you carry more coin then you let on missy," he said, advancing on her. She realized that he had been staring at her coin purse. Azula looked around, as several armed men began moving in. She looked over to Azzazle.
"Are we… Are we being mugged?" she asked with surprise, as if the man wasn't listening to her speak.
"It would appear so," said Azzazle, who edged his way over to her as they went back to back.
Azula's insides lit up, she hadn't been in a proper fight since the Asylum.
"I've never been mugged before!" she said, clapping her hands together, unable to contain her excitement.
"Just… Go easy will you?" asked Azzazle from behind her. The Mohawk man suddenly chimed in.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt the little girl bad, you on the other hand…"
"I wasn't talking to you big man," jabbed Azzazle, as a smile crossed Azula's face.
The man charged forward, and Azula and Azzazle split as he took a horizontal swing at them. Azula ducked as another man with a sword rushed at her wailing. She grabbed his sword arm sliding under him and flipping the man onto his back. Another man with Sais had charged at her from behind. She threw up her leg, kicking one of the Sais free from his hand, sending it soaring into the air. He stabbed at her again, but she had sidestepped it like it was nothing, elbowing him in the face as she maneuvered down the side of his striking arm. He recoiled, clutching his nose, as Azula caught the falling sai in her hand. She turned, throwing it at the Mohawk man who was charging at her. He raised is kali sticks, blocking it as it plunged into one, splitting it down the middle. Azula took advantage of the man's shock, as he stared at his broken kali stick. She charged kicking the other one out of his hand as he swung the other one at her. She ducked, running up and jumping onto his knee that he had extended to give himself a solid stance. She jumped up horizontally, extending her legs and kicking the man in the face with her two feet. He recoiled backwards, as Azula landed next to his disarmed kali stick. The man shook his head briskly, and with a mighty roar, charged at her again. She slid her foot under the stick, flicking it up into her hands, a smile on her face. She waited, until he was a meter away, then she dived at him, rolling under his swing and appearing behind him. She exited her dive on her knees, as she spun around, hitting his foot with his own kali stick. His left leg veered to the side, locking up behind his right, sending him flying into a bunch of unused crates. And as fast as it had begun, the fight was over. Azzazle looked up from his two defeated thugs, as Azula got up and walked over to him, kali stick still in hand. The sword wielding thug slowly got up, but Azula had knocked him on the head as she casually walked by, causing him to collapse unconscious on the ground.
Azzazle smilied at her.
"You're a bit of a show off aren't you?" he said, removing a silver coin from his shirt and flicking it at the unconscious Mohawk thug. She smirked at him.
"Only two huh? Disappointing," she said, gesturing him to follow her with a wink.
He joined her side, shaking his head with a slight smile.

"You are so mean… And I'm totally ok with that."

{Zuko}

Zuko had been digging around on information on who in the Order of The White Lotus would aid Azula, but to no avail. He sighed as he sat behind his wall of flame in his throne room after a short break in the daily delegations.
"Continue, General Swatch," he said gesturing his hand to the old general who had been speaking before the break.
"All in all Firelord, the Central Earth Kingdom will need double what you have sent to them in order to repair trade routes and towns."
Zuko shook his head. The price for rebuilding after a 100 year war was sending his once wealthy nation on the brink of recession.
"No, I want those resources diverted back to the Fire Nation, those Asylum upgrades will need to be done swiftly, and we have many displaced workers now that we are not funding the Fire Nation war machine, those families' will need our support."
The high generals all shot each other worrying glances.
"But my lord, the Earth Kingdom people are already threating to back King Kuei in his plot against Fire Nation colonies, you need to send them these resources or our people will be in danger!"
Zuko closed his eyes, his frustration was well justified. Even with the war over, things were still chaotic and ever since Azula's escape and Katara's presence, he had found himself unable to focus in his sessions.
"Firelord?" Swatch questioned. Zuko snapped back to reality.
"No, send the supplies, but the money must go to the Asylum, we can't put the suffering of our own people on hold anymore. Where is Suki? Send her and the other Warriors to smooth things over with them!"
The general paused for a moment.
"Firelord, I don't think that will work… And besides, the reports say that Suki has headed back to Kyoshi."
Just my luck.
"You have your orders! Now carry them out!" he said, his anger finally reaching tipping point. He stood up, walking briskly out of the room as he did so. He just needed to get away, get away from the people, get away from the heat. He exited the room, to see Katara standing there cross armed, her usually soft, comforting blue eyes had been transformed into a nasty glare.
I'm gonna get in now…
"Those people need your help? And you're just going to turn your back on them?" she snapped.
"I want to help them, but my people should come first. You didn't see the Asylum, it's inhumane," he retaliated.
"Those people are homeless because of what the Fire Nation did!" she protested back, her face beginning to heat up with the argument.
"The Fire Nation's people shouldn't suffer because of what the army under my father has done to them thousands of miles away!"
They had zeroed in on each other, exchanging intense glares. Katara looked away in anger.
"I'm not sure how much longer I can stay here with you. You vowed to help those people."
"Well there's the door, you go help them yourself!" he said, thrusting his finger way down the hallway. At that moment, they realized that they weren't having the conversation alone.
"Katara is right Zuko, I understand your frustration, but I've come to help you through these difficult times."
Zuko's heart leapt at the voice, as he turned to face him.

"Uncle!"