Give and Take

Zuko lowered his arm as the great gates of the seawall closed behind the warship. Sighing, he turned to Toph, "They're gone."

"Ok!" Toph turned abruptly, marching down the pier. Her casual demeanor caught Zuko by surprise. He stood stunned for a brief second before taking several hurried steps to catch up to her, "You're awfully nonchalant about this."

"What?" Toph turned to face him questioningly, "Am I supposed to be all mopey about it?" She placed her hands on her cheeks, a sarcastic tone entering her voice, "Oh no! My friends have sailed away and they won't be back for a super long time! Maybe never!" She spun on her heel and continued down the pier and onto the shoreline. Smiling, Zuko shook his head and followed her.

At the main plaza gates, only two palanquins remained. Toph set one foot on the step of hers and was halfway inside when she paused, "They will come back, right?"

"They'll come back."

She nodded solemnly, and then her face lit up, "Hey, Zuko! Does this mean I can finally get my field trip? Since it's just us now?"

Zuko balked, "What? No! Besides, I thought you said your field trip was back at Ember Island!"

"That didn't count!" She huffed and climbed the last step, muttering "It wasn't even a good field trip!"

Zuko let out a frustrated groan and climbed into his own palanquin, closing the curtains to keep out the dust.

He took a deep breath to clear his head. There was a lot of risk in this mission. Katara and Sokka knew the risks. If they were going to pay off, he needed to find the traitors who had orchestrated the attack. Even without Aang's help, he could prove to the other nations that he was not his ancestors. He needed to prove he could be trusted. But how could he be trustworthy if he wasn't in control?

He mulled it over in his mind, trying to think of who had the authority to defy him. One of the High Generals, perhaps General Hwan? The man did like his traditions, but then he also didn't seem the type for outright treason. Maybe the fleet's commander had acted of his own volition. Would hatred of the Water Tribe be enough for an entire fleet to disobey orders? Surely, one of the captains, one of the men would have stood against it. Unless of course, the captains and their men hadn't been told they were defying orders. Unless of course, they all agreed.

Fire Lord Zuko is merely a puppet!

The words played again and again in his head. Those people had agreed.

When he had fought for the throne, he had thought he was merely going against his father. Now he saw that he was going against generations of ingrained ideology that would be much harder to tear down.

He suddenly realized his palanquin was slowing. A few moments later, they came to a halt. Zuko could hear raised voices. He opened the curtains, "Rochan, is there a problem?"

Rochan guided his ostrich-horse closer to Zuko's side, "Some civilians blocking the street, My Lord. They're denying us passage."

"Why?"

"It seems they're angry about the fleet, sir. Please don't trouble yourself. It will be safer for you to remain in the palanquin. The Guard will handle this shortly."

Toph's head poked through her curtains, "Zuko? What's happening? Why is everyone yelling?"

Zuko tried to sound reassuring, "I don't know, Toph, but I'm sure everything will be fine."

He searched ahead for the source of the noise; A line of soldiers stood face-to-face with a group of people. The guards were using their spears to form a barrier, preventing the crowd from crossing. The people were keeping their distance, but it was obvious they weren't going to move aside.

Zuko turned to Rochan, "They're protestors?"

Rochan nodded, "Seem to be, sir."

Zuko sighed, "Then I want to know why they're protesting. Lower the palanquin."

The bearers knelt as Zuko descended the steps. Rochan seemed to panic. He dismounted and rushed to catch up, "My Lord, I strongly recommend you stay. It isn't safe."

Zuko stopped, "If it makes you more comfortable, I will stay behind the barricade."

Rochan hesitated, "Yes, My Lord. Forgive me."

Zuko put his hand on the man's shoulder, "Of course. It's your duty."

With Rochan on his heels, Zuko marched toward the protestors. As he did so, the crowd's unruly shouting turned to silence. He stopped just short of the guards. An older man roughly in his fifties stepped forward to face him. His defiant eyes met Zuko's, challenging him. Zuko raised his eyebrows questioningly, "Are you speaking for these people, sir?"

The man nodded, "I am." He made no motion to bow.

Rochan bristled, "That's your Fire Lord you are addressing. Show some respect!"

Zuko raised his hand, "Rochan, stand down."

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Rochan stepped back, "Yes, My Lord."

Zuko addressed the spokesman again, "You're refusing to let us pass. Why?"

"We demand compensation."

"Compensation? For what exactly?"

The man swept his hand toward the run-down houses on the street, "Harbor City is hardly rich. Many of our people are barely scraping by. We live on what little we can earn through our labor. We have children to feed, and debts to pay. You hardly pay us any attention. Until we are useful, we are nothing to you. Why should we sit by when your men steal our food for the Water Tribe and leave us to starve?"

Zuko considered his next statement carefully, "The supplies provided for the Southbound fleet were requisitioned for use by the Navy. That is perfectly legal."

"Legal doesn't feed my daughter, son. We hardly have enough to feed ourselves, let alone your Navy! We are tired of empty pockets and begging for scraps. Every time the military needs supplies, it's our food that gets 'requisitioned'. Not yours, not the nobility's, ours. And now, you're sending it all down South? What about us, your own people?"

Zuko was taken aback. He had no idea how to respond. He couldn't explain to this man the reason for sending the fleet, that time had been crucial. But even if he could have explained, the speaker had a point. The fleet's captains had been ordered to stock the ships with supplies from the surrounding city. It was faster than bringing them from elsewhere, but speed wouldn't matter to these people. These people were angry, desperate even. Whatever he said to justify his actions would not sate their resentment.

Slowly, his anger began to simmer. Why should he justify himself? Everything he'd done was already justified by the law. It had been this way for decades, but now they wanted payment!?

They never would've questioned my father.

He grit his teeth and started to respond when Toph appeared beside him, gently pulling on his arm, "Zuko, can we talk?"

Taking a deep breath, Zuko nodded. He turned to the man, "I'll be back."

The man chuckled, "Take your time. We've got all day."

Toph led him to the steps of his palanquin, the larger of the two, and gestured for him to get in. Zuko climbed the steps and pushed back the curtain, seating himself on the far side so Toph could enter.

Toph closed the curtain again behind her and turned to him, her expression a mix of confusion, anger, and sympathy. "Zuko, I don't understand. How did this happen?"

Sighing, Zuko explained, "Fire Nation law states that when a military operation needs to be supplied, the commanding officers can seize resources from surrounding areas. Citizens are required to provide whatever is needed. The fleet had to leave quickly, so I ordered Jee to use the resources from here."

Toph's face hardened, "So the soldiers just marched in and took people's stuff?"

"Essentially, yes."

"And they didn't get paid for it?"

"Well … no. It's the citizens' duty to support the Fire Nation. It's called a requisition."

Toph shook her head, "That just sounds like a fancy word for stealing to me."

Zuko could feel his temper rising again, "Well what was I supposed to do? Soldiers can't live on empty stomachs."

Toph raised her voice to match his, "These people can't, either!"

Growling with frustration, Zuko rose to leave, but Toph grabbed his arm, "Look, Sparky, I know you were just trying to help Katara and Sokka. But this …", she let go of him, "This is wrong."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sat down again, thinking, "Toph, I can't just stop making requisitions when they're needed. That's how the military has been supplied since the beginning of the war. I'm sure my father-"

She interrupted him, her voice a low whisper, "I thought you wanted to be better than Ozai."

There was a long silence.

Toph sighed, "You don't have to stop. Just pay people for it. How do you think the others would feel if they knew they were eating these peoples' food while they starve?"

Zuko mulled that thought over. She was right; He knew how they would have felt. He had never really considered the impact the order would have, never thought about the people whose supplies he was taking.

Katara would've never let this happen.

For some reason, that thought bothered him most of all. Now that it was done, there was only one way to fix his mistake.

"Ok," he conceded, "I'll find the money to compensate them. All of them."

Toph smiled, "Then tell them that."

He nodded. Together, the two of them left the palanquin.

The speaker was waiting at the guard line. Zuko approached him, "I've considered your proposal, sir."

The man crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow, "And?"

"You're right. Just because something has legal precedent, that doesn't make it moral. Having the support of the local citizens' resources is vital to our nation's military success. However, that shouldn't mean the citizens go hungry."

The man stayed silent, but Zuko could see a small glimmer of hope in his eyes. He continued, "Therefore, from now on, anyone whose property or resources are seized shall be paid a fair price, agreed upon by both parties."

The protestors traded shocked murmurs amongst themselves. The speaker's face was frozen in surprise, "Just like that?"

Zuko smiled, "Just like that." He held out his hand to the man, reaching between the shoulders of the two guards in front of him. Almost disbelieving, the man lifted his hand to take Zuko's.

Suddenly, Toph shouted, "Zuko! Watch out!" The earth beneath his feet slid him backward, causing him to stumble just as a hooded figure appeared where he had once been. He caught the unmistakable flash of steel as a knife pierced the air, missing him only by a couple of inches.

Realizing they'd failed, the figure shoved the man into the guards and darted into the crowd. The man tumbled into the barrier, causing a mass of tangled bodies where the soldiers fell.

Rochan raced past, hot on the heels of the would-be assassin, "Guards! On me!"

The protestors were unceremoniously pushed aside as several soldiers tried to follow. The remaining guards formed a close, protective circle around the Zuko and Toph, blocking out the crowd.

"Are you ok?" Toph helped Zuko to his feet.

"I'm fine, thanks." Zuko scanned the scene, his eyes resting on the man who had spoken for the protestors. The guards were regaining their footing and helping the man to his feet. Enraged, he stalked toward them. "Were you behind this?"

The man cowered, "No, My Lord!"

"You stop us on the road just as an assassin tries to murder me? It's incredibly convenient, don't you think?"

"My Lord, I swear, we had nothing to do with this!"

"Zuko, stop." Toph's voice rang clear, "He's telling the truth."

Zuko paused, scrutinizing the man's body language. He was shaking like an elk-deer in front of a moose-lion.

I thought you wanted to be better than Ozai.

Like a storm blowing through, Zuko's suspicion and anger evaporated. If he was going to rule, fear was not the way he wanted to gain respect.

He inclined his head to the speaker, "I'm sorry." He extended his hand once again, "I will honor our agreement." The man hesitated, but took it, "Thank you, My Lord." Zuko smiled and turned to the guards, "See this man home." The guards saluted and led the man away.

Rochan stepped through the protective circle, "My Lord, we lost the assassin in the crowd. But I managed to snatch this from his belt." He handed Zuko a small gold pendant tied to a red cord.

Zuko's eyes narrowed. Carved on the pendant's face was a small bowl surrounded by flame.

Rochan went to the ostrich-horses. He mounted his own and led a second to Zuko, "My Lord, we need to leave. Now."

Zuko lifted Toph into the saddle and mounted up behind her. Together, the three of them rode hard for the edge of the city, leaving the servants and guards behind.

*/*/*

Iroh raced through the halls of the palace. When he reached the throne room, he threw open the curtain to see Zuko and Toph waiting for him. Relief filled him instantly. Without any hesitation, he wrapped his arms around his nephew.

"Oof, Uncle! Mind the ribs!" Zuko placed his hands pointedly on Iroh's shoulders, pushing him gently back. Iroh loosened his grip slightly, reminding himself not to crush the poor boy. When the moment had passed, he held Zuko at arm's length as if to examine him, "You're not hurt?"

"No, Uncle. I'm fine."

Iroh sighed, "Oh thank Agni!"

Zuko chuckled, "Actually, you should thank Toph. She got me out of the way just in time."

Toph blushed slightly, "Eh, it was nothing."

Iroh swept her up in a big hug, "Thank you anyway, my friend."

Zuko cleared his throat, "I'm sorry, Uncle, but there's something else."

He tossed Iroh a small pendant, about the size of a coin, with a red cord attached. Iroh wiped his thumb over the embossed face, "A crucible."

Zuko nodded, "This was on the assassin's belt. Rochan managed to snatch it, but unfortunately, the bastard got away."

Toph spoke up, "The group we saw in the square yesterday was called Crucible. We think they might be connected."

Iroh clasped his hand firmly around the charm, tucking it up his sleeve, "I agree. I will have the White Lotus look into this group."

"Thank you, Uncle."

"In the meantime, we need to find you a new guard. Damian will be ready to start his shifts again tomorrow, and he needs a partner. And I suggest we double the guard, just in case."

Zuko rolled his eyes, "Really, Uncle? I don't need men trailing after me like turtle-ducklings."

"Zuko, you were nearly killed!"

"General Iroh," Toph chimed in, "Zuko can handle himself. Between him and the guards you assigned, he'll be safe."

Iroh sighed, "You are right, Toph." He turned to Zuko, "I'm sorry, Nephew. I just worry about you. Maybe I got a little carried away."

Zuko smiled and hugged him, "I understand, Uncle. I'm glad you worry." He chuckled, "Just try not to smother me, ok."

Iroh held Zuko tightly against his shoulder, peace returning to his soul.

*/*/*

The man threw himself against the wall of the alley, frantically searching for the niche in the wall. He could hear the shouts of the City Guard behind him, combing the area. Finding his mark, he opened the hidden door and dove inside, the door closing again just in time.

He leaned against the wall and slid to the floor, breathing heavily, his heart beating fast. How did it go wrong!?

He had been following the traitor's procession all day, monitoring their every move. It had been a lucky chance that the people of the city had chosen that moment to act. If that old fool hadn't drawn Zuko out, he never would have had a shot.

The man fingered the tip of his knife, sharp as a razor's edge. He'd had a shot, at least until that damn earthbender intervened. How had that stupid little girl even anticipated him? He'd been told she was blind, for Agni's sake! He had disobeyed a direct order for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to kill the false Fire Lord, and a little blind girl had ruined everything.

Forcefully, the man sheathed his dagger, feeling for the tie that always hung from the sheath. To his horror, he felt only the snapped ends of the cord.

Damn.

How could he face his master now? Had he succeeded, he may have been awarded handsomely. Instead, he had disobeyed orders, failed in his mission, and perhaps even provided the traitor with a direct lead to their movement. He would be punished severely for this, tortured even. No. He could not face his master's wrath.

His hand shaking, the man redrew his knife. He placed the razor-sharp edge against his throat. There was only one thing he could do.

Agni, forgive me.

Swiftly, the man cut his own throat, his hot blood steaming in the damp air.