REVENGE II

in the land of the blind one-eye is king

Disclaimer: Same thing as I've been saying all the time.

Well, sorry for the delay but I've been living up to my nickname so...

Anyhow, here it is, and enjoy, its one of the last.

Please review!

Chapter ten: Making a difference

Sokka and Toph listened to the words Hurio said very carefully. His words were unbelievable at first, but somehow not all that surprising. When that dreaded name was said in that room a shock flushed away all of their hope of escaping Ba sing se, they knew the boss wouldn't stop, they knew it was only a mather of time. They realised they'd have to fight, an entire army of mafia, cutting off the head was the only way to kill the snake. If she died, they wouldn't be hunted anymore. Azula had to die. As they remained silent. Hurio spoke again.

"Did you hear me? Did you hear me say that the worst enemy of the entire free world, former fire nation princess is your opponent?"

"Yeah... We heard you." Said Toph in a soft voice.

"Look, I know you've got a history with her, and that you probably have a lot of unfinished business with her but..."

"You are sure that its her?" Asked Sokka

"Yeah, quite."

"Then we've got to take her down."

"Sokka we cant fight the entire mafia." Toph reasoned.

"We can't run either."

Hurio intervened "Two things, first could you finally FREAKING cut me loose here!" Sokka pulled out a knife he brought up along with the still untouched sandwiches, with it he cut him loose. "Thanks." Said Hurio quickly before walking around the room and rubbing his wrists which were slightly irritated from the rope.

"You were going to say something?" Asked Toph.

"Yeah sure. Second of all, you're fucked." Said Hurio bluntly and left for the door. Sokka and Toph stood there with open mouths, shocked as Hurio slammed the door shut behind him.

Sokka got over his moment of weakness and ran after Hurio, he found him in the hallway, walking at a determined pace. Just as he was about to go down the stairs he was grabbed by the shoulders and thrown on his back. Sokka lowered his body and placed a knee on his stomach, disabling him to get up.

"What the hell?" He asked Hurio.

"What do you want, eh?" He replied.

"You can't just leave us hanging!"

"I can and I am." His voice was calm and emotionless.

Sokka lost his temper and raised his right fist only to sent it down to Hurio's cheek with full force. As Hurio's face turned because of the blow, blood splattered on the floor. He coughed blood as Sokka raised his hand again. As he was about to hit him again Toph held his arm back. She had left her room shortly after Sokka and got to the duo just in time to avoid a second hit. Hurio was coughing and wheezing. In a quick decision toph pulled him up by his torso and Sokka grabbed his legs. They carried him to his room. Rather clumsily Toph opened the door with the key whilst still holding Hurio. They laid him down on his bed and placed themselves at his side on a chair. Toph sat on Sokka as he sat on the chair. She tried to calm him down for he was still trembling over the shock of what he had done. Not to long later Hurio got over his part of the shock and sat there staring at Toph and Sokka with a hand against his wounded cheek. Soon after, Sokka stared back, and Toph, well you know there's no need for her to look at someone while talking.

Hurio spoke first "What the fuck do you expect from me?!"

"I guess we expected some help..." Toph told him with a mixture of selfasuredness and bluntness.

"And what can I do to help you? You can't get out, you can't beat them and I'm just an old lone wolf."

"There must be something..."

"There's nothing! I've fought them, year after year I've wasted, thinking I could make a difference. Thinking it meant something. But nowadays I can't even in my wildest dreams hope for a new Ba sing se. I've failed, myself, Fang and this entire city! All the endless nights, all the busts, all the nightmares I had of seeing the victims, their flesh rotting and those last scared looks branded on their dead faces, it has all been for nothing... nothing at all... I've lost everything."

Toph and Sokka didn't know what to say, the vulnerability and truth that lay in Hurio's words deserved a pure answer. As Toph thought about what she would say it remained silent in the room and neither Sokka nor Toph moved, as if they were afraid to. Hurio sighed and crawled out of the bed. Slowly he moved towards the door, as he opened it he was stopped by Tophs voice.

"So make a diference." She said. "Save us, save two lives, won't that be worth it?"

"..."

"If you get one last shot to take down this group that ruined your life, wouldn't you take it? Don't you want revenge, revenge for yourself, revenge for your city ... revenge for Fang?"

"Revenge... it's a terrible blinding thing lady. It makes you loose sight of the right thing."

"Nonetheless, you know what's the right thing to do here, don't you?"

He turned around. "... Listen, even if I wanted to... I couldn't..."

"All we ask is that you try."

"Alright, I'll try."

Sokka got up and smiled as he said "Let's all think of a plan over breakfast."

After breakfast they sat in a corner of the bar.

"So all we need are disguises and a fake warrant." Sokka concluded.

"Yes, I'll get them today when I clean up my locker. This has to go down today."

"Why?" Asked Toph.

"As soon as the word spreads that I'm not a Dy lee agent anymore, this plan is over."

"Cut of the head of the snake..." Started Toph

"...And the body dies." finished Sokka.

"Sure, simple enough, just walking in there and taking down the strongest firebender out there and then somehow escaping." Sighed Hurio.

"Hey, simple plans are always the best." Concluded Sokka.

"We'll meet up at 3 o'clock." Hurio said getting up.

"Right, good luck." Toph said and walked out with Sokka.

Hurio remained standing there, except for one guest he and Tori were the only one's who remained inside. Hurio walked up to Tori who was standing behind the bar. Tori poured him a drink. Hurio took the drink in his hand and poured it in the sink. Tori looked up to face Hurio, as surprised as ever.

"I'm quiting with alcohol buddy." The retired agent said.

"How come?" Asked the bartender.

"I guess life's to short to waste on such things."

"Wait you're actually saying, that you, Hurio Tamal, find life to short?"

"Yeah man, goodbye my friend." Hurio spoke turning around and walking towards the exit.

"Goodbye? We'll meet again! We're still going to play pei sho on sunday right?"

Hurio didn't stop walking but responded "I hope so, but you never know just how short life is."

"Uhu, by the way Hurio?"

Hurio stopped near the door and turned his head. "Yeah?"

"Just now, I poured you tea."

Hurio walked out with a smile on his face.

Twenty minutes later he arrived at his old agency. He entered under the fake story that he was cleaning up his locker and office. When nobody was looking he left his office and went to the file archive and picked up an old warrant, it was no longer valid but it was about the same house as the one they were about to enter. Maybe he could change the dates, but perhaps he shouldn't mess with it, it only had to appear to be a valid warrant. Somebody entered the room and he quickly ducked behind a the desk in the room. He didn't see who it was because he ducked behind the desk. It was Avalin, the fifty year old woman who worked with all the files a good colleague, she saw him duck.

"Come out of there Hurio." She laughed.

"Ehe, hi Avalin." He greeted getting up.

"Hurio, what were you doing here?"

"Uhm, I came to say... goodbye."

"Really now." She smiled not believing him one bit. "You can't lie to me Hurio, I've known you to long."

"Fine, but do you believe me that I have a good reason?" He pleaded.

"Yes, that I believe. I also believe you won't tell me."

"Try to understand."

"Oh, I do." She let him pass to get to the door which he did. On his way over he stopped by her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Goodbye Avalin."

"Bye Hurio." She smiled "You big old charmer."

After stuffing the piece of paper in the rest of his stuff in the carton box he went over to his locker, neer the showers. He slipped into the changing room quickly and took two uniforms of dy lee agents who were showering. And quickly covered them under his stuff. Nervous as hell he made his way back to the entrance. Ready to get out, yet he was stopped one last time. A man with a bandage around his left hand entered the room and called his name.

"Hurio!" He yelled. Making Hurio freeze in his footsteps.

Hurio turned around and faced him. "Hi Lorenzo." faking a grin. "I thought you'd be in the hospital."

"Nah, I was lucky I guess. But Thygh, man if I catch that bitch..." Hurio felt the anger rise inside of him. His blood boiled. Yet the man continued. "... I'm going to tell you a secret, I just might not try to capture her."

"Oh no?"

"No, I'll kill her, nice and slowly." Their eyes locked and didn't break the connection.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, I've got to tell someone, I'm exploding with these desires to cut her throat, and you're the only non agent now. It would be my word against yours."

"You know Lorenzo, I never liked you from the moment I met you."

"Oh yeah?"

"But I never resorted to violence, because I'm a better man then you."

"You mean you're a pussy?"

"But now, you see a man is someone with principals, and I see that you have none, which makes you less than a man. Which makes this alright."

Hurio lunged his head forwards and his forehead smacked on Lorenzo's nose. He heard it crack. The man fell down and fell on his back. Hurio knew he was in a lot of trouble, there was only one other person in the room but a witness was a witness. As Lorenzo's chest was going up and down he quickly faded into unconsciousness.

"Oh dear." Said Avalin smiling to Hurio.

"Uh, Avalin, this isn't really what it... I mean I didn't... Ok, fine you got me!" Hurio spoke loud and panicky.

"I never liked Lorenzo either." She smiled. "But when he brings in this form, well lets just say, I hope it won't get lost." She winked at Hurio.

"Thanks Avalin." He kissed her on the cheek.

"For what?" She smiled back pretending to not know.

Hurio quickly ran out of his old work place.

He met up with Toph and Sokka at the rendezvous-point. The final showdown was about to begin.

A/N: Maybe not my most interesting chapter but believe me, I've got a bloody finale in mind! Don't you worry. Oh and the next chapter will focus more on the dynamic duo then on Hurio.