Chapter 15: the Final Mission

Jin had formed the most ridiculous plan ever. Maybe Lee just thought it was ridiculous because she wouldn't tell him everything – only what he needed to know.

They had hit a few snags lately. They had a plan to assassinate Admiral Liang during his visit to the city. The plans changed at the last minute when they learned that the Admiral would be staying in the palace instead of a house in the upper ring, he arrived three hours early, and he was accompanied by three times as many men as they had expected. They were forced to abort the mission.

No one was caught or hurt or anything (they were just a little put out), but Jin was concerned about it anyway. She tried to hide it, but Lee could tell that it was really bothering her. It seemed strange to her that the Fire nation's plans would change so suddenly. He told her that these things happened and not to worry. She just bit her lip in response.

Then there was the incident with the supply ship. An outlying village had been recently decimated by the Fire Nation. It was weird that they would attack the town, but they all agreed with Yun when she shrugged and said "maybe they're just doing it for sport these days." Jin gathered supplies that the village desperately needed (which they had stolen from the Fire Nation) and made plans to send them in secret to the little village by ship. It was mostly medical supplies and food.

As soon as the ship pulled out of the port it exploded - a ball of fire suspended on the water. It burned for hours, sending a pillar of smoke into the sky. Six people died.

Jin suspected that the resistance had a spy in their ranks, but that was the only thing she would tell Lee. Given that, he could see her reasoning for keeping most people in the dark. But not him. He was her right hand. He was trustworthy. He was her damned boyfriend.

But Jin was adamant when he asked about her plans, saying "oh, they're not that interesting. Can you help me move this plant? It's getting too much sun."

Her most ridiculous plan ever formed when Longshot brought back news that the fire benders were complaining about the Dai Li. The Dai Li thought they were so great. The arrogant jerks thought that it was their city, when it was obvious that it wasn't. There was a Fire Nation flag flying at the palace for crying out loud. The snobs kept going over the Fire Nation Captains' heads and reported directly to Long Feng. And who did Long Feng think he was anyway? He should know his place: an aid to Quin Wei and lucky to be spared from execution.

Jin quickly found out that the Dai Li thought the same thing. The fire benders thought they were hot shit. The stupid barbarians thought that it was their city, when it was obvious that it wasn't. They had no idea what they were doing and the city would crumble without the Dai Li. The idiots kept acting without approval from Long Feng. Who did they think they were? Long Feng had very careful plans and the fire benders and Quin Wei were screwing them up. They should know their place: tools that had yet to live out their usefulness.

Jin spent a month planting rumors and false accusations amongst both groups. She had her people in the bureaucracy loose paperwork so the Fire Nation got information late. She made sure certain messages were destroyed so the Dai Li were never informed of the Fire Nation's plans and actions. She had delivery boys bring the Dai Li's supplies to the Fire Nation soldiers so it looked as though they were confiscated. She sabotaged the Fire Nation's large weaponry and had the blame placed on Dai Li advisors who had said the machines could be powered by the fire from burning crystals.

Lee had no idea how she was able to do all this. It was like any little piece of information she laid her hands on was immediately turned into a weapon.

The tension slowly built until the groups were openly hostile. The fire benders would spit on the Dai Li's feet in the street. The Dai Li would sneer insults. The fire benders would upturn tables in bars. The Dai Li became even more secretive, even more covetous of their plans and information and their hold on the city.

With just a few more moves Jin could turn them against each other completely. The government would divide then collapse. They would become weak and the resistance would take full advantage.

The next step was to incite open violence.

"I want the Dai Li to throw a rock at the fire benders and the fire benders to shot a fireball back in retaliation. It should just take two shots for it to snowball."

"They're trying pretty hard not to take those first shots."

She smirked. "I can make it happen."

Lee raised his eyebrow.

"I can fake it. I'll use my own earth bender hiding in the shadows. We can do it at night when they won't see our man. Longshot knows all the times when the Dai Li and the fire benders' patrol routes come near each other."

"What earth bender are you going to use? They're all gone."

"Not all of them."

"No, just the good ones."

Her eyes sparkled in a very concerning way. "Have you ever heard of Fire Nation Man?"

"Is that some kind of joke?"

Her smirk grew. "Having someone work for me named Fire Nation Man wouldn't be that weird, now would it?" He grunted and crossed his arms over his chest. "Anyway, he's not really from the Fire Nation, it's just his character. He used to be in the Earth Rumble. You've heard of that, right? He came from Gaoling and he's been teaching a few of the lower ring boys with The Mark. They're getting pretty good. It's kind of fun to watch."

"Why didn't I know about any of this?"

She shrugged. He growled.

"So how are you going to fake the fireball then?"

Her smile bordered on gleeful. "I need a fire bender."

Lee stood in the basement room of the Lower Ring safe house. He was in the center of a horseshoe on unimpressed resistance members who really wanted him to get on with this demonstration so they could go back to their business.

He suddenly felt nervous.

"Ok," he said, "these two chemicals are completely innate by themselves." He held up two plain envelopes, and dumped out the contents of one. A small pile of fine, white powder settled onto the stone floor. Smellerbee yawned.

"But when you mix them together…" he dumped the brown crystals from the second envelope on top of the pile and hurried backwards a few steps. "3… 2… 1…" He made a large arm movement and the mixture on the floor exploded. Several people jumped and he allowed himself a half smile. "Fake fire bending."

Jin was ecstatic. The rest of the group looked mildly impressed.

"What are the chemicals?" Genki asked.

Sand from the bank of that man made river in the Upper Ring. Brown sugar that he "borrowed" from the tea shop.

"A magician never reveals his secrets."

They met at the Firelight Fountain just before midnight. The square hadn't been lit since the occupation began. There was really no point as no one was supposed to be out in the dark to see it. It was really a shame that the Fire Nation could disrupt even the smallest joys.

Daiki, the overly enthusiastic new kid, did a poor job sneaking into the area. He wondered into the square, looked around, and whispered "Hello?" Lee had to tackle him and pull him into the shadows before the idiot got them killed.

Daiki was undeterred by his mistake and grinned up at him, all teeth under an explosion of spiky dark hair. He looked way too young.

"Hey Lee! Am I late?"

"Shut up!" he hissed.

There was a muffled giggle next to him and Daiki turned towards the sound and grinned.

"Hey Miss. Jin! Didn't see you there."

"I'm serious, kid. You really have to be quiet."

"Oh! Sorry!"

Lee rubbed his forehead and Jin nearly fell over with silent giggles. She had been grinning all day and it was getting annoying.

She was so self assured about this mission. She was so confident. Failure was not even a consideration in her mind. She had worked towards this for so long, and she truly believed that it would be the beginning of the end. She had every faith in Lee. She had every faith in the plan. She had every faith that the spirits would look on them and smile. The mission would succeed. Jin needed redemption after the last few fiascos they had suffered under her leadership.

"Yeah, go ahead and laugh" he whispered. "I know our safety is just hilarious."

"Oh come on. This is a great day in Earth Kingdom history. Your name's going to be in a history book."

"Ugg. I hope not."

"No, that'd be cool!" Daiki whispered. No one saw Lee roll his eyes in the dark. At least the kid was trying to be quiet now. Not succeeding, but trying.

Jin smiled. "I don't need to worry. I know you'll be safe."

"I always am." He smiled back at her. Much to his chagrin, her good humor was starting to rub off on him. He was actually feeling pretty good about this job – not that he was going to admit it. The kid couldn't screw things up too much.

"We got everything?"

Daiki nodded.

"Alright. Let's get moving." He pulled Jin in for a kiss, and then led the kid away.

Pong was waiting for Jin in the narrow entrance hall of the safe house. He looked even more anxious than usual. She hadn't thought that was possible.

He bowed quickly, then began to shift through several papers in his hands. "I came across this invoice today – I work in accounts, if you don't remember – not that you would remember. Anyway, it's an invoice. It gives authorization to transfer a great deal of money from the Dai Li intelligence division to the party named here." He showed her the paper and pointed at the name.

Jin frowned. "Are you sure about this?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. Absolutely. I'm not supposed to take documents from work, but …" He trailed off. Looking concerned.

"You did well, Pong. Thank you."

He bowed again.

"Is he here?"

"Um…yes…they're upstairs, I think." The anxious look on his face told her that he knew exactly where they were.

"Thank you."

She paused before the closed door on the second floor. From within she could hear the sounds of a beating – groans of pain, the thump of fists against flesh, labored breathing. She steeled herself and entered the room.

Hiro was tied to a chair, his face bloody and swollen. Genki pulled away from him when she entered, his knuckles dripping with blood that was both Hiro's and his own. Longshot and Smellerbee stood silently in the corner. They had their arms crossed tightly across their chests and wore identical frowns.

Hiro lifted his head slowly as if he was too tired or in too much pain to move his neck. He attempted a smirk, which was more of a painful twist of his mouth and a narrowing of the eye that wasn't swelling shut. It was more the intension behind the look than the actual outcome. Jin did not allow herself to react. She stared at the piece of filth that had betrayed her with a stony countenance.

"Was wondering when you'd show up." His words slurred and delivered unevenly.

Jin was not in the mood to banter with him. She didn't want to hear whatever catty comments he had saved for her. She didn't want to waste her time with him. She didn't want to look at him for any longer than was absolutely necessary.

"Why did you sell us out to the Dai Li?"

He spit out a bark of laughter. "Because you're useless." Her eyebrow twitched and he snickered again. "You'll never defeat the Fire Nation. You'll never retake the city."

"So you switched to the winning side."

"I went to the side that was going to help Ba Sing Se."

"How is the Fire Nation helping Ba Sing Se?"

"Not the Fire Nation scum. The Dai Li." Something twinkled in his eye and his words began to grow stronger with renewed vigor. "They get things done. Not like you. You have weapons. You have information. You have people and power and you have the Fire Nation scared. And what do you do? Nothing. You've done nothing! No plans to rid our streets of those parasites – those animals. No rebellion. No open stand at all. You're just a coward."

Genki punched him, snapping his head to the side and sending blood and spit flying across the room. It took a moment for the beaten man to recover and adopt eye contact again.

"And what have the Dai Li done to earn your respect?"

He smiled, revealing that a few teeth had been knocked out. Blood oozed from the fissures around his incisors, staining them a revolting red color. "Wouldn't you like me to tell you?"

Jin rolled her eyes, and Genki landed another blow.

"If the Dai Li were really planning to over throw the Fire Nation, I assure you, we would know. It seems to me that they are sitting in a very comfortable position at the moment and would have no reason to change anything." The smallest hint of a grin crossed her face. "They used you. They lied to you and then used you and now they're throwing you away."

Smellerbee snorted. It was a sign of how deep this betrayal was that she stayed on Jin's side. Smellerbee had been the most outspoken person to suggest open rebellion.

He spit out a mouthful of blood, not quite reaching her shoes.

"Tell me everything you told them."

"Nothing you have to worry about, sweetheart."

Genki began to pound him repeatedly, grabbing the front of his shirt in one white fist. Some bone or cartilage broke with a snap and a cry and a burst of blood.

After a moment Jin asked again, her eyes and voice unfeeling. "What did you tell them?"

He fought for breath, his face bloodied and battered beyond recognition.

Jin sneered. "Giving in already? Pathetic." He was gasping. "Quit being a little bitch. What did you tell them?"

"I told… I told them about your… attack on Admiral Liang…" The blood was running down his face onto his shirt and pants. "I told them… about the intercepted messages… contact with the Water Tribe… I told them… that your flower shop was the headquarters… about that old man who makes tea… about your plans for tonight."

It was like she had been doused in cold water. It must have shown on her face because he found enough strength for that grizzly smile again.

"All those weeks of planning… So much work… And now they know… They're probably already there… waiting."

She spun to face Longshot and Smellerbee. Smellerbee's arms had slipped to her sides, her shoulders had slumped, her protuberant eyes were wide. Longshot was clenching and unclenching his fists, his dread written plainly across his face.

"Go. Now. Bring them back."

Hiro laughed again and Genki hit him so hard that a swollen patch just under his eye burst open.

"What else?"

He grinned up at her. He knew that he wasn't going to leave the room alive. He was almost dead as it was. But he could see the rage in her eyes and he reveled in it. "I took care… of you, sweetheart… I told them… Lee's running this show… we all know it... They'll get him tonight… They'll catch him... Maybe they'll torture him… before he dies screaming."

Jin drew her swords and crossed them in front of his neck.

The coward.

He put Lee in danger. He sent Lee into a trap.

The traitor.

He sent Lee to die.

Miserable.

She was too angry to think of the consequences.

Heartless.

She was too furious to realize the extent of the sin she was about to commit.

Evil.

To realize how the blood would never wash off her hands.

"You're a monster."

"I'm a patriot."

With one swift motion, she partially severed his head from his body. She would never admit, even in the silence of the darkest night, that she found the ripping feeling and the sklurching sound satisfying. Even Genki had the decency to look disgusted.

She glared down at the body, its head lulled back at a hideous angle, its blood still draining from the gash so deep she could see the spine that her swords were unable to shatter. The body's clothes grew soaked and stained in a red so dark that she felt herself becoming lost, sinking into it.

She growled out an order.

"Get this mess cleaned up."