Teo sat on a rock and smoked a pipe as Azula, Mai and Ty Lee changed their clothes. He had his back turned to them, but kept his eyes on the chi blocked and chained Kiyoshi Warriors. He'd picked up quite a few bad habits since he left home. Smoking. Opium. Drinking. His eyes slid to the side, catching sight of a lithe form in a green dress.
Azula.
He knew his father hated her. She was powerful. Dangerous. Intoxicating.
And he couldn't say no to her.
But that was fine by him. What else did he have to look forward to? Life as a slave to the Fire Lord? At least with Azula he could get out and do something. He could fly, which is all he ever wanted to do. And he would gladly kill for the privilege.
"Teo, some of my Royal Guards will be here to take the prisoners. But I need you to watch them until they come. It wouldn't do for the Kiyoshi to be seen with some... boy," she smirked.
"I understand, Princess Azula. And what do I do after they take the prisoners?" He looked up at her. Behind her, Mai applies white paint to Ty Lee's face. The circus performer can't stand still long enough.
"Come to the outside wall of Ba Sing Se. Send a signal up and I will come and get you," she smiled, reaching down to run her fingers through his hair.
He nodded and watched them finish with their makeup. He finished smoking his pipe and tucked it back in the pouch that hung off his belt.
"You think you can really keep us chained up like this?" One of the captured women said, glaring at him with contempt.
"Sure. You've already been beaten, and you're chained up. Besides, I've got grenades. And a knife," he pulled out the large knife to show them. He was thankful that current Fire Nation fashion consisted of baggy pants. His braces fit underneath them and just stuck out the bottoms like parts of his tall boots. Unless they looked closely, if he stayed sitting, they didn't notice he was crippled. It gave him an advantage now, since the women were less likely to rush him.
"You're disgusting. Do you really believe that monster bitch cares about you?"
"Of course she does. I don't think you'd understand though," He dug in the pack that he'd set beside his feet and pulled out an apple, using his knife to peel the skin off.
"But your'e Earth Kingdom! How could you betray your people for her?"
"The Earth Kingdom are not my people. I was raised in the Fire Nation. Because my 'people' sold my Father and I into slavery. So they can all burn for all I care," he shrugged. It was true though. The older he got, the less kindly he thought of his father's people.
"Slavery has been outlawed for several generations," the Kiyoshi leader seemed unsure though.
Teo shifted on his rock. He rubbed his right thigh, trying to relieve the twinge in the muscles. What he'd told Azula was true. He was, more often than not, in pain. His legs had healed crookedly and no amount of breaking and setting could fix them. Not to mention his muscles had atrophied quite a bit from sitting for most of his life. So trying to force his useless legs into movement came with a price. Mai had promised to get him some more opium once in Ba Sing Se, so all he had was a flask of spirits, which he'd been rationing.
The leader watched him. Her eyes looked strange beneath the smeared makeup.
"What is it?" he asked, turning his gaze to the young woman.
"If you let us go now, we can offer you asylum on Kiyoshi Island. You could be free and at peace," she said quietly.
Teo threw his head back and laughed. He laughed so hard, he almost fell off the rock. "You're funny. You really are. I don't want anything to do with you or yours. I have a home and a purpose. And that's all I need."
It was well after midnight when Teo lit up the night sky with some black powder and fine copper shavings. The blue burst lasted for only a few minutes and was followed by a pop. It only takes a few minutes for Azula to send up a matching signal. By the time, Teo reaches the gate, he's winded. He can barely move, and had to cut a sturdy branch down to use as a walking stick.
"Sit!" Azula ordered, pushing him into the wooden cart "chair" that she'd borrowed from a local hospital. She shoved a bundle of green and brown cloth in his lap, then pressed a water skin in his hands. "Drink."
He greedily drank the water and sighed, leaning back against the chair a moment. "Thank you."
"Get dressed. You need to blend in. And the best I can get you is a servant's position," she started pulling off his boots.
"Can this wait until we're inside?" he asked, looking around at the empty street that lead out of the city.
"No. You can't be seen looking like yourself. So, strip," she smirked as she let his boots hit the ground.
He sighed and pulled off his red tunic and replaced it with green. And soon enough, he looked like a local. Azula was stuffing his clothes and equipment in a large bag, which she slung over her shoulder. Once she was finished, she started pushing his chair into the city.
"Where are we going?" he asked, looking up at her.
"I've secured an apartment for us to use while in the city," she replied, happily pushing him through the empty streets. No one bothered them.
Not an hour later, she helped settle him on a futon in the small apartment. He closed his eyes once his head hit the pillow.
"You're not too tired, are you?" she asked, starting to pull off her green armor.
"It was a long walk. And I didn't have the high ground to fly," he said, still keeping his eyes closed.
"Teo!" Azula kicked him, causing him to groan and open his eyes.
The Fire Princess stood naked above him.
And it was some time before he was allowed to sleep.