Deadlock

Azuki: AzulaxSuki

The princess had no need to visit the Boiling Rock. It was a mere fancy that brought her to the prison the first time. Well, a fancy and the reports that Suki of the Kyoshi Warriors was being interrogated there. She'd heard that the girl was unbreakable: nearly two weeks of constant torture and disgusting conditions had not shattered her spirit.

But Azula was beginning to feel personally threatened by the girl. She knew when she defeated her and the other warriors that their uniforms would be indispensable for the infiltration of Ba Sing Se, and she had also assumed that their leader would be full of valuable information about the Avatar and his whereabouts. But so far, the soldiers at the Boiling Rock were coming up short on acquiring it.

This was because Suki was furious. She had never been prepared to see the day that the Kyoshi Warriors would fall at the hands of three girls. And only one of them was a bender. One! Her pride stung more every time she thought about that terrible day. When she was transferred to the Boiling Rock she mentally promised herself that she would not be defeated again. Not by anyone.

It became clear to both of them that they were at an impasse. Azula, the unstoppable force, hit Suki, the immovable object, much harder than she anticipated.

But she had a plan. First, Azula tried the basic but useful tactic of destroying someone's hope. She also had some of the guards tie the girl to a chair, just in case she decided violence was the answer.

"If I recall, there was a Water Tribe boy that asked me about your location," she drawled, stepping into Suki's cell. "I think I told him you were dead. Oh yes. I remember now. That's why he started crying. It's a shame he died so disgracefully, crying like a baby."

A much weaker girl would have believed the princess, but Suki simply nodded. Her neck was rather bruised and the movement hurt, but she pushed it to the back of her mind.

"I bet it wasn't for me. Sokka always cried around ugly girls. He said it was a waste of a perfectly good female body," Suki said with a very solemn face.

Azula's eye twitched, but she regained her composure. The slight movement was not lost on Suki. Apparently, Princess Azula was quite touchy about her appearance.

Stepping lithely to the prisoner, Azula sighed deeply and sat in her lap. Her arms lazily hung about Suki's shoulders. This was another one of her favorite forms of torture. Gentle physical contact that might, or might not, lead to something more. Male prisoners tended to break when she used this trick, but she was interested to try it on a female.

"Does it bother you to smell like a dog?" said Azula. She touched a small gash on Suki's chin.

Suki shook her head, still very serious, "Does it bother you to look like one?"

The Firebender ignored this, but was quite miffed inwardly. With the facade of camaraderie she said, "I've always felt that you and I were kindred spirits, but all you do is insult me." Her face loomed closer to Suki's. The princess started to grin, "I thought we could be friends once everything was said and done. Or at least, you could serve under my rule."

Suki, mustering up the sultriest voice she could, said, "Only if I get to be your concubine."

Azula leapt up from her lap immediately. She was taken aback by the prisoner's ability to make her red in the face. Sneering, she realized that the Kyoshi Warrior was playing her own mind games. And she was winning.

"Little whore," said Azula with a nasty snicker. "I see the way you want to play. I'd always heard about the all female Kyoshi Warriors, but I never thought the rumors were true."

Suki's heart twisted. Once again, Azula had managed to enrage her. She had no retort, so she kept her mouth shut.

Her captor returned to her place on her lap, this time in a straddle. She laced her fingers together on the back of Suki's neck, sending chills down her body. With a scoff, she pressed their lips together with such violent force that Suki's mouth was numb. She leaned back with a look of arrogant satisfaction.

Wide-eyed, Suki loosened her whole body under the princess.

"What's wrong, peasant? I bet you liked that more than you're willing to admit," said Azula. "I'm sure you've never been kissed by royalty before."

Suki looked with shock toward the light under the door of her cell. She said, "No. It's just- it's just that I'm a little surprised. Most of the guards are better kissers than you."

Like a livid mask, Azula's face warped into its natural, threatening state. Suki almost laughed.

Without another word, the princess conjured up a bolt of blue lightening that ripped through Suki's body like daggers. The chair contained her spasm, but the whole prison could hear her screams.

Leaving the cell, Azula hissed at the guards, "Don't touch her until I return. We have unfinished business."

Suki, slumped in the chair, let the pain wash over her. Her eyes closed with a fleeting sense of victory.

xxxxx

A/N: Woohoo! Suki (mentally) kicked her ass! Sorry for being super cliché about the prisoner/torturer relationship, but I couldn't resist some catty insults. Plus, who doesn't love blushing!Azula. Hehe. Thanks for reviewing.