I don't own Avatar The Last Airbender

Chapter 23

"Name?"

"M-makusi."

"Age?"

"Twenty two."

"Place of birth?"

"The south pole."

"No, I mean settlement."

"Oh, Wolf's Cove."

"And where do you live now? The name, not actual direction."

"Wolf's Cove."

"Are you married?"

"Yes."

"Number of kids."

"Amm, n-none."

"Prior experience and education?"

"Am… what?"

"Never, I'll just write elementary. Wait, do you know how to read and write?"

"Yes?"

"Elementary it is. Do you have any negative… no, let me rephrase it. Are you planning to cause any harm to the facility of the people inside?"

"No!"

"Very well."

Zuko said as he stamped a piece of paper and give it to the water tribe woman on the opposite side of the desk.

"You are now officially a part of the greenhouse workplace. As such, you are in the right to have any and all the social economic rights as any employee. A file will be sent to you informing of all the things you deserve and expected as part of the greenhouse."

The woman nodded her head, not really understanding some of the things.

"Very well, you may leave. Please call the next in line on way out."

The woman left and Zuko rested his head on the table.

"Argh… this is so boring."

"Have faith, nephew, we have screened over a half of the women. I'm sure that it will be over soon enough."

His uncle said from his right.

"Yeah, no worries."

Jasmine added from his left.

He decided, on Sai's recommendation, to have the two with him when he does the interviews. Something about having a kind old man and a young woman closer to their age making the water tribe women more at ease and cooperative.

"Please, you are just enjoying the warm air. If you had your way, those interviews would never end."

Zuko turned to his female companion.

"Don't be so harsh, my prince. I may hate the whole… white, but I have better things to do then to listen you asking some poor women the same questions over and over like a stuttering play actor."

Jasmine replied.

"I wonder how Mi-Dved is doing, he's the one who has to stand next to the door and actually interact with all the poor women."

In retrospect, maybe it wasn't the best idea to have a former outlaw (there is no way he didn't cross a few laws if he lived in Amora), who is closer to seven then six feet, wearing full fire nation armor and a skull mask, and have two mean looking axes that probably weighted more then many of the women, be the first person they see and need to stay in the same room with.

In his defense, after spending so much time with soldiers and Mi-Dved in particular, he kind of… forgotten how imposing the guy can be.

The next woman entered with unsure steps.

Oh well, here we go again…

Katara waited with the rest of the women, and Sokka. Thankfully, her brother woke up not too long ago and was forced to join the rest of them.

To say that Katara wasn't scared would be a lie, but having her brother, for how little he could actually help, was still reassuring. Besides, she had to stay strong for the rest of the women.

As each women enter, Katara expected to hear cries and screams. She expected the deranged prince to torture them one by one to break their spirits, yet none of that happened.

In fact, the women left more at ease than when they entered. They were allowed to leave the waiting room and go do what they wanted as well, although all of them stayed and told the rest what to expect.

Katara, and her brother as well, had a hard time believing that all the prince did was ask a few questions. Sokka suggested that maybe the prince was gathering info on the tribe for a raid, but when a few brave women comforted him on that the prince told them about many strange things like bonus pay and social safety net and the like.

The strange thing was that it did make sense to her. One who has more kids needs more pay, on the other hand they do still need to work to not lich on others. It was also frustrating that it was the fire nation who introduced this.

Sure, they had their own laws, but those were mostly about the distribution of spoils among the men after a hunt or a raid. The fact that those monsters treated their women better then her people was an insult to injury.

Katara looked once again at the silent guard. The huge brute was easily the size of big Jo-E, but unlike their kind giant this one was bred for violence. Fitting for a lapdog of the fire prince.

If Sokka were to be believed, her brother managed to heroically defeat the giant in single combat before being hit on the head from behind by a cowardly attack of the prince. Knowing her brother, she asked around and the story she heard was very different.

Sokka did charge right at the prince, but he was caught midway by the armored giant. Who in turn threw her brother like a ragdoll to the other side of the room, hitting the head in the process.

Seeing the sheer size of his frame, as well as the two two-handed axes the giant used on each arm with ease. And the reaction her brother had when he saw said giant, it was clear to her whose story was closer to the truth.

When the last woman exited the door, said giant gave her space to walk and called for the next person to enter.

"You to may enter."

He said as he pointed at the two of them.

"Well, it's now or never…"

Her brother said in a small voice.

"We'll pull this through together, like always."

She assured him as they got up and walked to the door.

On the way, they had to pass next to the black and rad armored giant, and for the first time Katara felt how small she was compared to him. His limbering gaze followed soullessly after the two. Her brother, La bless his soul, tried to put a brave face and was a buffer between her and the thing.

She appreciated the effort even if his legs were visibly shaking, their meeting clearly shaking her brother.

At last, they walked through the door to face their demon. Said demon was sitting in his comfortable chair and to his sides were an old man and a young woman in her teens, obviously a scheme to lull their pray to a false sense of security.

"Hello."

The demon said.

"Please take a sit."

He gestured to the two empty sits in front of him.

With little choice, they decided to do as he said… for now.

"From what I know, you have worked here for some time. One of the first actually. You have conviction, I'll give you that. So, tell me, would you still like to work here?"

"What?"

Katara expected a mockery of some sort, maybe anger about her jumping on him, not… this.

"Would you like to work here? From what Jo-E told me, you have done very well here. You're also the one who took initiative and started the whole arraignment, it's not an idle praise."

The prince continued.

"Yet, I'm well aware of your dislike to any and all things fire nation, as well as the bad history our people have. If you decided to quit working, I will understand."

"… That's it? I, a water tribe 'barbarian' girl, attacked your royal self, like my brother, and that's what you have to say?"

Katara said not believing what she was hearing.

"Well, I was pissed, sure. But thinking again, you tried to save someone from unjust punishment without thinking and just jumping head on. Not caring or understanding the dire consequences for the moment. You reminded me of something, and I just couldn't stay mad at you for that, same for your brother."

"The prince replied.

"No back to the question, what is your answer?"

"I…"

"Can we return with an answer later?"

Her brother came to the rescue.

"Sure, I may already have left, but Jo-E can more than replace me. Take your time but know that you can't work here without the permits."

"Okay."

Sokka replied.

"So… can we go now or- "

"In a moment."

The prince held his hand.

"I would like to talk with you two about something private concerning you. Uncle, Jasmine, my we have if you may?"

"Yes, my prince."

"Sure, nephew."

The two replied.

As the two went out, uncle turned his head and said one last thing before he left.

"Don't mind my nephew. He may look scary, but he doesn't bite."

Then, there were only three of them.

"So, daughter of Hakoda, how are you with your water bending?"

That moment, Katara was more scared than any but one point in her life.

Zuko watched at the terror expression of the water tribe siblings grew stronger and stronger.

'You were right, Sai, this is fun.'

"Careful , I think you may have broken the poor kids."

And indeed, the girl and the boy were opening and closing their mouths like fish out of water.

Sai told Zuko about the presence of a water bender when they first reached the facility, it sensed the unique energy water benders emit. It also recognized the girl, Katara, as a water bender at once.

To kill two birds with one stone, Sai even ran facial recognition and after Katara jumped at him, something called DNA scan. The results showed that the two teens were first order relative to Hakoda the chieftain of the south, basically the barbarian equivalent for a prince and a princess.

The sheer possibilities he had in his hands with those two…

Anyway, he had discussed with Sai what to do with them.

The boy was nothing special in his eyes, an idiot who jumps with no plan and has no explicit talent value to him. He did, however, managed to keep the village intact ever since his father left, so maybe Zuko just wasn't seeing something.

The girl, she was something else entirely, Sai recognized immense potential in her. She will grow to be a very strong water bender, one of the strongest Sai have ever met in fact. She was clearly a leading figure in her community as well, given the reports Jo-E gave him.

The problem was that the two of them hated the fire nation and most likely him in particular, he will have to fix it due time.

The two of them were still in shock, he will have to snap them out of it.

"Hello? I asked you a question."

Here, that seemed to help them regain their senses.

"Wha- HOW?!"

The girl yelled.

Zuko feigned confusion.

"How that? How did I know you are a water bender, or how did I know Hakoda is your father?"

"B-both! Not that I'm any of those things…"

She tried to play dumb at the end and failed spectacularly at that.

"Well, the first part was relatively easy. I don't know if you heard, but my father entrusted the mission to hunt down the avatar. A mission I take very seriously."

He explained, bullshiting his way all the while.

"I have learned many things to help my search, some of them were how to recognize different benders. Did you know that when looking deep enough into the eyes of a water bender, their eyes start to mimic the sea?"

"I… don't know what you're talking about?"

The girl said in confusion, obviously tries to deny but unsure against the word of an "expert". Her brother was no better as he tried to look into her eyes, he apparently found something because his mouth opened a little.

"I'm sure."

Zuko said evenly.

"And the water in that glass just happened to shake whenever your feelings showed."

He pointed at a glass of water to the side of the table, that now indeed had a small whirlpool inside. With the proof presented to them, the water tribe siblings couldn't play dumb anymore.

"Fine, yes, I'm a water bender. Are you going to take me away like your people did to the rest of our benders?!"

"No, I have no intention to kidnap you. And please be quieter, we don't need the entire greenhouse to hear that you're a water bender."

"And we suppose to believe you?!"

The brother whispered.

"You hold all the cards, what's stopping you from just take my sister and go?"

"My honor."

Zuko said simply and got bewildered looks as a result.

"What?"

Zuko said in confusion.

"Do you seriously believe that we can trust you just because your honor? How stupid do you think we are?!"

The sister said in a quieter voice now.

They were doubting his honor?! Now that pissed him off!

"Relax, your highness."

Right, right, he had to play it cool. But how can he make some sort of agreement if they wouldn't trust him even a little?

"Tell them what I taught you about the worth of words. Bargain with them about some small bone you can give."

"I don't know about you, but as a prince and a leader people expect me to hold my word. Many of my debates I won because I don't break my word. Once I broke it even once, people will start doubt me and many options will be closed to me."

"But you're the prince, aren't you? Can't you just order people to do whatever you want?"

Sokka said skeptically. By the look on Katara she agreed.

"It may work on the lower class, but not on people of power who's support really matters. It's a good way to end up cornered without allies. Besides, if even the desperate can't trust me to hold my end of the deal, how am I to expect the people I need to believe in me?"

The siblings were still doubtful but were starting to see some reason in his words.

"I'll even throw you a little bone, what do you say?"

That seems to snap Katara.

"Oh yeah? Then why don't you tell us what about our dad?"

"Sure, what would you like to know?"

"Is he alive?"

Sokka blurted.

"Yes? He was very much alive last time I've seen him, if a little worst to wear. I mean, he probably did have a concussion after hitting the wall like that, but he should be fine by now."

The siblings released a sigh of relief and looked like some burden was lifted from their shoulders.

"I… I actually thought you will tell us that he died and than laugh and brag about it."

Katara said.

"Hey, I told you that I have no use in lying. Besides, I don't take pleasure from torturing other, now my sister on the other hand… let's just say you two lucked with me."

"So what do you want from my sister?"

Sokka got to the heart of the matter, finally.

"So Katara, how good is your water bending?"

Zuko faced the only girl in the room.

"Am… decent?"

She looked down and played with her fingers.

"Even without her poor acting skills, if she was at least a decent water bender, she would have struck you with it instead of jumping at you."

"Please be honest, it's important."

Zuko said in a tired tone.

"I… fine! I can't really water bend, okay?! I mean, I feel the connection, but I just can't... argh."

Frustration over your low-level bending, why did that sound familiar.

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I wasn't doing so great with my own bending not so long ago. You have potential, take it from me as a bender, you just need someone to guide you."

"Why are you so nice?"

Sokka asked in suspicion.

"Don't get me wrong, it's much better than being thrown into some dark cell, but what exactly do you want from us?"

"Cutting the chase, huh… fine."

Zuko said.

"I have a few reasons. Firstly, your father will return one day, one way or another, and when that day comes, I want to keep this region stable. You have already seen the greenhouse, I have a few other projects in mind that will benefit both the people here and my own subjects, your good word can do wonders."

"Another reason is a bit more selfish, I'll admit. I want you to be part of my team to hunt the avatar."

He looked at Katara.

"What!"

Came the reasonable answer of the siblings.

"Like Koh I will help you to put the world's last hope in chains!"

The water bender yelled.

"As I said, it's just another reason. And it's for you to decide, I have no use in forced labor that will stab me at the back in any given moment."

Zuko replied.

"I'm still not helping you, you may have helped us with the greenhouse and are much nicer than expected, but your people were the ones who caused us harm in the first place!"

Zuko nodded in acceptance as she continued ranting. He had no real argument to rebuke her after all.

"And don't get me started on all the 'barbarian' thing your people have against the water tribes. How do you seriously expect us to work for you?"

"It's not different from you calling all of us monsters. Not everyone are soldiers, you know."

Zuko retorted, but Katara had none of it.

"Well, you certainly not disapproving the point, having that literal monster of a man outside as some bouncer."

"Wait, you talk about Mi-Dved?"

"If that's what you call him, yes. He personalizes the fire nation war machine rather well."

Zuko couldn't help but snort and laugh a little, much to the annoyance of the siblings.

"Hey, what's so funny?!"

Sokka demanded to know.

"Well, Mi-Dved isn't from the fire nation or the colonies. He's an earth bender from Earth kingdom proper, The Si Wong desert to be precise."

"What?!"

It seemed that the mere notion that a bender who isn't a fire bender will associate, let alone serve the fire nation was inconceivable for the two.

"No way any earth bender will willingly join the fire nation!"

Katara yelled.

"What are you blackmailing him with?!"

It seems like she found a compromise to keep her worldview.

"I did nothing of the sort. I helped him in a tight spot, and he decided to follow me on his own free will."

Zuko said evenly, with great help from Sai.

"You can ask him yourself if you want."

Zuko nodded at the door.

"Bribe her now, before she's too emotional to listen again."

"In any case, should you decide to join me, you will have to get better at water bending. I will have to teach you the ropes at least, from there you will have to figure the rest on your own."

That gave the girl a pause.

"You teach me water bending? Ha! Don't make me laugh, you can't even water bend."

'Are you sure about this, Sai? She does have a point.'

"Trust me I have more experience with water bending then most spirits, let alone any mortal. I may have some problems teaching her with you as a medium, but rest assure that she will learn much more than in the north."

'If you say so…'

"Maybe, but as I said, I studied hard to defeat the Avatar. Besides, let's just say I have some experience with me concerning water benders."

Technically not a lie. He did study hard with Sai and even before for his mission, he never stated that he studied water bending. And he did have experience with him in the form of Sai, he never said that the experience was his.

By the scared and hateful look the siblings gave him, they had a very different idea about where the prince of the fire nation, who is known for his fighting prowess, can get enough experience with water benders to teach one.

"Besides, you will help the search for the avatar, the 'world's last hope '. Who knows, maybe you'll even manage to help him flee and join him in his crusade against my people."

"We'll be here for another day to resupply, think about it. I assure you, you will not have a better chance in finding a teacher."

Zuko gestured at the door, his meaning was clear.

As the two left, he was deep in a conversation with Sai.

'Are you sure it's worth it? I could have simply threatened to cut their food of and she would have agreed.'

"You would have done that and the girl may have refused out of sheer spite. Then you would have been forced to follow your word and I don't think that starving an entire village to death will be alright with you."

"Never mind the troubles it would have caused later on to bring the south to fold. You would have had at least another generation of guerilla war in one of the most disadvantaged places for the fire nation."

'Fine, but do we really have to go so far as to teach her water bending? It sounds counterproductive to me.'

"Once she takes the bait we will have enough time to turn her around, you'd be surprised how easily manipulated young girls that age are. Why you could write an entire song of ice and fire about it, just be sure to finish what you started."

'Ok… I'll take your word for it…'

Zuko was a bit confused at the last sentence, but he was already familiar with Sai's sometimes strange advice. It did get to the point when needed, so Zuko figured it was allowed a few riddles here and there.

"Besides, only having a water bender capable of healing in the ship is worth their weight in gold. And that's without all the other perks like mist manipulation, speed boost and psado-submarine."

'Ok, I get it! She's important, fine! But are you sure that she will even meet me?'

"That's when good PR comes in play. Her nature wouldn't allow her to be proven wrong, she can't help but comfort Mi-Dved to prove that she was right. From there, she will continue to get to the button of this 'conspiracy' out of sheer spite. Don't worry, she will come again."

"Sis, I really don't think it's a good idea."

Katara continued walking.

"No really, it's a horrible idea, please stop it."

"Come on Sokka, you can't actually believe Zuko really have an earth bender working for him."

Katara finally said.

"It's obvious that this Mi-Dved is being blackmailed to serve as Zuko's lapdog, if he's an earth bender to begin with. If we can inspire him to rise up, maybe he will even make Zuko to never come back here again."

"Katara, I really don't think this guy is being forced to do anything, have you seen the size of his fists? You can put plates on them!"

"Hush Sokka, you're just afraid to talk to him after he threw you to the wall."

"N-no, I'm not!"

Her brother tried, and failed, to sound brave.

"But what if you're wrong? I really can't protect you in this one."

Katara waved him off.

"Everything will be fine. We prove Zuko is a liar, break Mi-Dved's chains, he takes care of Zuko, and no one will know I'm a water bender."

Sokka looked at her weirdly.

"Katara, it's not like you to be so reckless, it's my job. Zuko really got to you, didn't he?"

"Excuse me?! Do you have any idea how I feel right now?"

Katara turned to face Sokka.

"Ahm, well-"

"I discovered that I was helping the fire nation all this time. Then, to add insult to injury, my greatest secret is known to one of the worst people possible! And I can't do anything about it besides being completely at the mercy of that monster!"

Sokka looked behind her and his face turned white.

"Eh, sis…"

"Don't 'sis' me-"

"Is there a problem here?"

A deep voice interrupted Katara.

As she turned around, she was face to chest plate with the very man she wanted to talk to.

"Mi-Dved… hey…"

Katara said in a small voice, quite intimidated by the size difference. She suddenly had second thoughts about her plan.

"Hello, are there any problems here?"

He said again.

"No, we just wanted to talk to you!"

Katara said.

"Excuse me?! I never- "

"Do you have a few minutes? Maybe somewhere quiet?"

Katara interrupted her brother.

"Sure, I have some time."

The giant then led them to a private room where they could talk.

As the three of them sat there, Katara got her first good look at Mi-Dved's face. It was sun kissed and gruff. He wasn't handsome, but he also wasn't ugly either. His eyes had the look of someone who didn't have an easy life.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

He asked.

Okay Katara, you have only one chance, take it easy.

"Sorry if it's a bit personal, but are you an earth bender by any chance?"

She expected him to hide it, or at least be uncomfortable with being an earth bender on a fire nation ship, but he openly admitted it.

"Yes, a sand bender at the start."

"Really? Aren't you feeling oppressed being around so many fire soldiers?"

Katara asked with a surprised tone.

"Also, what's 'sand'?"

The big guy snorted at that, saying something about a DeJa'Vu.

"Just imagine hot snow."

Mi-Dved said.

"And why should I feel oppressed?"

"What do you mean? You're with the same people who are waging war on your homeland and your people, there is no way you feel normal with them."

Katara asked in confusion.

"What do you mean? I have no homeland nor people."

"Don't be stupid, of course I mean the earth kingdom. You know, the nation that is being assaulted by the fire nation as we speak. What about your duty to the earth king?"

Katara couldn't believe that someone could be this dumb, maybe he really was all muscle and no brain.

"Why should I care about the earth kingdom? Or some fat man who never once even lifted his finger for me and mine?"

"But you're an earth bender!"

Katara said, not believing what she was hearing.

"So?"

"So you're suppose to be on the earth kingdom's side and fight against the fire nation!"

"Why?"

"Because it's how things are suppose to be! Water benders are with the water tribes, earth benders are with the earth kingdom and fire benders are with the fire nation!"

Katara didn't understand how it could be any other way, it was against everything she was taught and believed in. She grew only more frustrated as Mi-Dved shook his head from side to side.

"I don't know what they were telling you, but the world is way bigger than that. Do you think that there aren't men and women who are more loyal to the coin?"

"Then that's what you are?"

Katara said disappointingly.

"A mercenary who cares more about his pockets then his nation?"

"Ha! There is hardly a nation for me to care for. Besides, while the pay is good it's hardly why I follow Zuko. Do you know how we met?"

"At a backdoor room inside of a shady bar?"

Sokka talked for the first time in the meeting.

"That would have been my first guess too, but no."

Mi-Dved nodded at his fellow male.

"Believe it or not, I was captured and enslaved by pirates after the boat my sister and I were on sank in a storm. Zuko came after a few weeks or so, defeated the pirates and released me in the process."

Sokka and her listened closely.

"But that wasn't why I decided to follow him. When we met, he offered me a deal. I will be one of his henchmen, and he in return will help me look after my lost sister."

"And you excepted."

Her brother said.

"Yes. I expected him to milk in dry as long as possible, but no, the first thing he did was plan how to find my sister. I wouldn't bore you with the details, but after fighting our way through a spirit possessed swamp, escaping what must be the biggest eel in the world and unavailing an island wide conspiracy, we finally found my sister."

"And then he threatened to harm her if you don't continue to follow him, right?"

Katara said with a little hope in her voice to prove that she was right about the prince. A hope that was quickly dashed.

"Nope, he allowed us to leave in peace. That's when I Decided that he's a leader worth following."

She and her brother stayed silent, not fully comprehending a situation where not only the fire nation weren't the bad guys, but actually the good guys. For the people of the water tribe in was a paradox in the last century.

Mi-Dved sighed and broke them from their silence.

"Look, I may be a brut, but I'm not stupid. I know what you're trying to do. So hear me out, as one motherless child to another, the world is much bigger and much more confusing then you know. Friends today are enemies tomorrow and the opposite. In truth, you have very few people who you can unconditionally depend on, do whatever you can for them and for you. Something, it means to do things that you would have never thought to do."

The big man then got up and went to the door.

"Wait!"

Sokka called and Mi-Dved halted.

"How do you know about our mother?"

"You have the same look Zuko ,my sister and I have whenever we look at the mirror."

He left the water siblings to their thoughts.

"Well look at that, now this is something you don't see every day~"

Bumi, king of Omashu, the most powerful earth bender alive and full-time old coot (the last one was his favorite achievement), looked at all the airships that were above his beloved city.

When he first had been told about machines that make people fly, he had a laughing fit. He also sent said man to a vacation because he thought the poor fellow was starting to get infected with his own craziness.

When other reports came about supply lines being destroyed from the air, he was understandably less amused. Who would have thought that he would live to see the end of the air nomads and their replacement. He ideally wondered when all benders would be replaced by soulless machines, and all humans afterwards.

"Well the least they could do was giving us a little shade if they already coming from above, how inconsiderate. What says you, Flopsie?"

The named gorilla goat let out a noise that the deranged king took as agreement.

"You're highness, it would have been better if they didn't come in at all."

His head of the guards commented.

"Yeah, your probably right."

Bumi concurred.

Hey, he may be crazy, but at least he knows when someone is right.

The guards and their king looked up to see an "eye" descending towards them. The fire nation was on time as usual, he swore he had hourglasses less precise.

"Well, let's meet the next firecracker who thinks that he can take this old man!"

The eye continued to descend and his dear Flopsie was starting to eye it like a new toy.

Ha! Eye! Damn, he was a genius.

Anyway, there were three men. Two bodyguard on each side and a man that had to be the commander of the hour. And damn, he looked strange.

The man, well if someone in his late teens could be called a man, had a big head. No, literally his forehead was twice as tall as a regular one. There must be some brain under his black hair.

He was also extremely pale. Bumi have seen some pale people, but damn the guy was pale. With the blood rad irises, Bumi figured the kid must be an albino.

"Hello gentlemen."

The kid said in an elegant tone.

"I presume you are the king of this fine city, Bumi?"

"Sure am! That's why I wear this fancy crown!"

Bumi said as he pointed at said thing.

"Can't say the same thing to you."

He said as he cleaned his ear with his finger.

"You kinda have me in a disadvantage here."

"Quite, I apologize for that. I'm commander Thrawn, the leader of those fine airships."

The now named commander introduced himself.

"Thrawn, Thrawn… When have I heard it before… Ah!"

Bumi suddenly remembered after hitting his head enough times.

"You're that little firecracker who gives Fong such a hard time! Does he have a bone to pick with you or what."

"He is a capable commander, even if he has the notion to expose his flanks for a more aggressive assault."

"Now then!"

Bumi clapped his hands.

"What do we own the pleasure of your company?"

"Why your delivery system is fascinating, truly a work of art. Unfortunately, I'm here for work. You are to surrender the city and your crown, unconditionally."

"Sorry, my legs are just telling me it's not the right time, you know?"

And they did, Bumi learned to trust his gut feelings and listen to the earth, it told him that he needed to keep the city standing to wait for something. What it was, he had no idea, only that he would know when time came and that he needed to keep the city free.

"I see…"

Thrawn said.

"In that case, you do understand thar things are going to get… violent."

"HA! As if nobody tried that before!"

Bumi laughed.

"Listen up kid, see those walls there? Only Ba Sing Se can brag about bigger ones. It will take much more than the airships you have to take them down. Now beat it before I beat you, you're trapped here with your men outside the walls."

The two bodyguards were preparing for battle, but Thrawn stopped them with a sign of his hand.

"I'm afraid you are the one mistaken, king of Omashu. My men aren't trapped outside your walls, they are in a safe place while I can target earth kingdom civilians without risking fire nation casualties."

The young commander said as the green wearing people around him grew more and more concerned.

"And to show that my intentions are genuine…"

Thrawn made some kind of sign with his hand and the airships started to rain fire upon the innocents.

"And please don't try anything, I gave explicit orders for the bombardment to continue indefinitely should I be unable to return to my post."

Thrawn added as he saw that some of the earth guards, and even Bumi, started to walk towards him.

"Now your surrender please."

Bumi looked at the carnage his city suffers. Mad as he is, the screaming got even to him. it wasn't long before he finally made his choice.

"Fine! I surrender, take this stupid thing!"

Bumi threw his crown at Thrawn's feet as the commander made another sign, after which the airships stopped their bombardment almost at once.

"Now please drink this."

The conqueror pulled a little bottle out of his pocket.

"It's a potion for Komodo rhino breeders. The liquid in this quantity is enough to make one such beast sleep for a day, enough to move even the wildest of such beasts around. It should be just enough to get you acquainted with your new room; I assure you that you will have plenty of view."

Bumi grumbled but had no choice but to do as he was told. Once he drank the entire bottle, he suddenly felt dizzy and black consumed his vision.

When he woke up from his slumber, he suddenly felt very off. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was completely covered in metal (bar his face), he didn't feel the earth at all. Only when he looked out of the window did he see why.

The window showed him his beloved city, only he was a thousand feet or so above the pick of the highest point.

With no connection to the earth, his earth bending was nullified. He was in no control over the situation, he didn't think that they will actually put him in a prison he can't escape at any given moment.

"Damn…"

AN

And this is the end of chapter 24

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