Chapter Four
Blind Bounty
Suki
It's high afternoon, hot and humid. Aang's spindly shadow stretches across the unforgiving terrain, twisting as he marches back and forth. He can't resist pacing, it's his way of keeping the wheels in his brain turning. There isn't much room between Appa and Suki, but that doesn't stop him from restlessly pacing. His dark gray eyes pierce the ground, stormy and malovent. Dust rises into the air like an outstretched claw.
"Aang, sit down, meditate or something." Sokka barks, glaring at the back of Aang's arrow.
Aang stops and stares at Sokka like he's a bowl of leechie nuts. Sokka shrinks back against his predator-like gaze.
"Sit? Sit! How can I sit! One of my closest friends is halfway across the globe in the clutches of some blue fire shooting pyromaniac! How can I sit!" With each word, Aang comes closer to Sokka until he has his shirt balled into his fists. "How can I sit with that, huh Sokka? Huh?"
Suki gently pries Aang's clammy hands off of Sokka's shirt.
"Just a little break Aang." She explains, smiling at him as one would to calm a rabid dog. Her cool, blue eyes halt his tirade. He slumps down onto a log, and buries his face in his hands, muttering. Suki hasn't known Aang for long, but knows that acting like this isn't normal for him. If he decides to grow any hair, it'll turn gray with the stress he is forcing on himself.
What would Katara say?
What could she say?
Zuko
No one notices Zuko slink away from the group and began to trek westward. His vivacious saffron eyes hold nothing but purpose, flaming in the late sun. A warm current of air nearly blasts him off his feet. Nothing, not even unpredictable weather, is going to come between Zuko and dinner.
The humidity and hunger is rubbing Zuko the wrong way, putting him in an even crabbier mood. Hungry, tired, and uncomfortable, the prince barges into town like a freight train.
Just as he reaches his destination, the sun begins glowing orange and slipping down to the horizon. Thick, violent looking clouds swirl around like a demonic halo, lightning occasionally flashing outwards. It obscures the light, only allowing a few scarlet shafts to peek out.
He can see why no one bothered to name the place, it's a dump. There's a hobo sleeping in rubble (with tea, he notices), trash blowing everywhere, and only two attractions: a small bar and a crumbling stone wall. The swinging doors of abandoned saloons swing around crazily, creaking and clapping against the walls. Despite the bait of a cold drink, the stone wall seems to be more popular than the bar. Zuko walks inconspicously towards the wall.
Tacked onto the wall are an array of posters, varying from small town robbers to earth kingdom's most wanted. Despite himself, Zuko searches for his own wanted poster.
None.
But...
The sharp intake of breath is unmistakable. Zuko stares at the handmade poster, eyes radiating hatred. The illustrator has drawn the picture of his sister quite accurately. Her normal, white teeth are painted pointy and black, reaching down to her shoulders. The eyes are black and beady, staring outwards like a crow.
Azula.
His sister's accurate appearance, however, is not what makes Zuko start to sweat.
Next to the picture of Azula is a man about 7 feet tall, with a very familiar looking build. It doesn't take Zuko long to figure out: it's Combustian man, but there's a huge difference in him...he's all metal now.
That means he survived...And he also must be with Katara.
Zuko has no time to think this over with the crowd's loud jabbering.
"Lot of money…"
"…Not worth the key to the Beifong's bank."
The name rings a bell.
"B-but, l-look h-how much t-that's worth."
"And? Do you want to have both of your arms broken and be turned into a pile of ash? No money's worth something that dangerous."
"All of you are crazy! There's not one person in the world who would take on Princess Azula. Even if she does have the Avatar's girlfriend."
A thick silence settles over the group.
"I'll do it."
Zuko whirls around to glare at the person dumb enough to take on the mission. His eyebrows twitch when he sees that the voice belongs to a short girl, with the same cloak as him. She has strikingly foggy eyes, and they look especially large on her small face. Her dark, unkempt bangs cover her eyes.
"You? You! Ha! You can't even see what's written on this paper!" someone jests from the crowd.
She snorts. "And? At least I can do what's on the paper. I'll take on this Azula chick no problem."
Wow. Just who does this girl think she's made out of?
Zuko can't help but get involved.
"You've got to be kidding me, do you even know who Azula is?"
"Yes I do. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way to collect that bounty. Goodbye ladies." the girl says.
Zuko's anger begins to boil. His face turns an amazing level of red, and he balls his hands into fists.
She's going to get killed if she tries that! Azula is ruthless, and wouldn't hesitate to hurt the girl. Zuko has to stop her, even if it means-
"You can't even take on me." He challenges. The instant it comes out, he regrets it. He has not ever, and ever will, hit a girl. Azula's a different story, but that doesn't matter at the moment. He won't hurt her, just try to scare her off.
"Is that a challenge?"
"Challenge? There's no challenge here. " He doesn't know, but he thinks that he's doing a pretty good job baiting her into the fight. His only worry now is getting maimed.
"Did you just learn that word today?" The crowd titters at her sarcasm. "Challenge. Challenge."
"Do you want to fight me?" he asks, walking right up to her. Toph smiles once again.
"Yes." She says. She snaps her fingers, and points at the stuttering boy.
"You, hold this. Don't drop it or I'll have your head." She orders.
Zuko is amused at the power she has over the boy. He looks like he's about to pee his pants as he takes the cloak, and lays it over his arm. He shrugs, and chucks his cloak at the same boy. She positions her arms near her torso, hands pointed like pinchers.
Zuko has seen that kind of style! Suddenly everything connects. Beifong, earthbending, little girl?
She's the blind bandit, champion of Earth Rumble Six, and more recently, bounty hunter.
"Let's just get this over with." He sighs melodramatically. He pulls out his two double broadswords, and does a few tricks to warm his hands up. Finally, he points the other end at Toph.
"So you're the Blind Bandit."
Unfazed, she says nothing, and waits for him to make the first move.
His heart begins beating quickly, thumping loudly. He's going to fight an earthbending master, and no one is here to see it. If he wants to win, he can't show how nervous he is. Zuko knows he's in for a real fight when a small smile spreads across her face. A surprising thought suddenly comes across his mind.
Maybe, just maybe, she can help us.
Before his foot can even rest on the ground, a line of uneven rock speeds towards him. Zuko reacts in a split second, and jumps to the right. He sees the confused look on the bandit's face, and knows how he is going to win.
Stay out of her vision, and stay in the air as long as possible. Be unpredictable.
Her eyes widen in surprise as Zuko lands gracefully a few feet from the line of rock. Annoyance and awe is written all over her face. The instant he lands, he rushes towards the girl.
In a quick defense, she flicks three fingers out, and a crooked wall of rock juts out of the ground, and strikes the man in the ribs.
Zuko winces as unforgiving rock punches him in the ribs. He somehow manages to find a foothold, and gets even closer to his target.
Break her roots, and this fight is over.
Just as Zuko thinks he's in the clear, he is really hit in the side, and tossed across the ground like a rock. His leg takes most of the hit, but he manages to jump up and limp backwards.
I'm toast.
The girl punches her fists twice.
"Yeeeouwch!" Zuko rubs his sore bottom, and glares at her. Now angered, Zuko runs towards her with the speed of a dragon.
He uses his previous strategy, and uses any technique he can to avoid being seen. When he's right in front of her, he makes a swipe near her face. The bladewould miss her face by a few centimeters.
"Yah!" Zuko drops right in front of her. She jerks her head back to avoid the blade, and has to roll backwards to avoid it again. With each quick attack, he realizes she is being pushed further and further back to a wall.
Zuko lunges to plant the blade right above her right shoulder. She stumbles backwards, and slams against the wall.
The blade whistles through the air.
Zuko's sword does hit rock, but it's not what he expects. The bandit is completely covered in the hard surface, including her hand. He struggles to loosen her grip on his sword, but looses. In a silent but quick struggle, she wrenches the broadsword from her opponet's hand, and hurtles it high above his head.
Zuko jumps to try and get it, but the sword flies just over his fingertips. The crowd parts as the sword lodges deep into the ground.
With a heavy stomp to the ground, she punches Zuko's gut with her fortified fist, and follows through with the punch, until the two land where they started the battle. Black dots swarm over his vision, until it is compeltely dark. Zuko falls asleep to the sound of the crowd cheering. He gives out a cough.
"Blind Bandit!"
"blind bandit..."
Present
"So you got beaten by a kid?" Sokka asks, highly amused. Zuko glares at him.
"She's an earthbending prodigy, and I can't hit a girl."
"Then what about Azul-"
"Azula's a different story!" Zuko shouts, interrupting Suki's innocent question. He looks years older by the way the light is hitting his face.
The group is seated around a warm, roaring fire. Glowing embers fly high into the sky, disappearing in the minefield of dazzling blue stars. A white, speckled haze dances across the sky; the Milky Way.
"Okay Zuko, you fake-fought the Blind Bandit, lost, and now want to bring her into the group? What is she going to do, fight all our enemies for us?" Aang demands. Zuko's eyesbrows shoot up. He's really taking Katara's kidnapping hard.
"I know it sounds crazy-"
"It is crazy." Aang intterupts.
"But I think she can help us."
That shuts them up. Aang is the first to recover.
"How?"
"Toph is the Earth Kingdom's best bounty hunter, and her fighting style is one I've never seen before."
"Woah woah, so Toph is the Earth Rumble Six champion, and bounty hunter? Wow." Sokka looks impressed, Suki as well. Aang looks a little skeptical though.
"Is she better than June?" Suki interrogates.
"Uh, sure." How is Zuko suppose to know? He just has a gut feeling about her, and he doesn't get those often. The group looks like they're warming up to the idea.
"Alright, where is she?"Sokka asks.
"At town."
The group freezes again, and glares at Zuko.
"WHAT?"
"You left the mercenary there?"
"She's probably out of town by now!"
"Well she said she wanted to meet the Avatar! So I came back here to tell you guys."
"Was the story really necessary then?" Sokka mutters. Suki glares at him.
"I think it was." Aang says. "I definitely wouldn't have gone if I didn't know that."
Aang stands up with renewed hope, and a smile brighter than the sun. "Let's go."
Thank you to Seamew for your critique and amazing advice. I'll try not to make the same mistakes, and I'm really glad you're enjoying this! Merci to all my other readers too. :)