A. N. : It is the start of Suffering : The Sequel. After the Bison Drama, have the long awaited Azula Drama. More action ! More characters ! Jet still has issues ! Zuko will face his destiny ! (Just leave it some time because I can't fit everything in one chapter.)

Zuko walks in the palace.

But it isn't the right one. Green and gold and built like a rock instead of reaching to the sky like a flame. He has Uncle and a refugee by his side, instead of father and whatever servant.

Zuko walks in the Earth Kingdom palace, not as a conqueror, not as royalty, but bowing to everyone like the humble tea maker he's pretending to be.

It hurts. It's like having the past shoved in his face. The happy times, when mother was here, when Azula's games weren't cruel, when father sometimes looked at him without disdain in the eyes. Things he lost forever.

Near him Jet is trying to look at everything at the same time, making comments about the different tapestries and sculptures and – is that gold – and he seems both impressed and disgusted.

Which wouldn't make much sense if he didn't add that he can't believe – they live like that when people in the Lower Ring are starving –

Zuko wonders how things are in the Fire Nation. Wonders if he'll ever get to see it.

They get to the room where they'll meet the King and start preparing everything they need. Zuko doesn't even know why he's here – Uncle is the professional brewer, hell, Jet has started learning too. Zuko can barely serve tea without burning anyone.

And maybe his doubts are obvious, because Uncle smiles and says he is glad to be able to share this day with both his nephew and his apprentice. Said apprentice stills for a moment – looks like he wasn't expecting the sudden love. He'd better get used to it quick, because there's no escaping Uncle.

Time passes. No one comes. Uncle starts drinking his tea – seriously, what's going on, the King should have arrived by now normally. Jet seems to have the same bad feeling about all this because he looks at Zuko with his brows furrowed and a hand on his belt.

Did he really take a weapon when coming to meet the Earth King ?

The door finally opens on Dai Li agents and –

No. No, please no, not –

Azula.

Azula is here, standing in front of him and smiling and – hello brother, long time no see. And Jet doesn't know anything but he still looks at the Dai Li like they personally offended him, and maybe they did, and he spits traitors like the words could kill. Azula looks at him like he's a badly behaved pet. Actually, she probably thinks so too.

The Dai Li don't react, however. And Azula comments smugly that she just loves their killer instinct – just like a firebender's, she says, but what she means is just like me.

Uncle offers to explain the reason for his nickname, and Zuko grabs Jet's arm so he doesn't get burned – he looks ready to skin the Dai Li alive, is probably going to try, but he can't, not right now, not with Azula here.

The Dragon of the West breathes and they all run. Jet screams at him – who the fuck are you – but right now he's kind of busy, so he doesn't answer. Lighting strikes the dead end and Uncle jumps outside.

Jet is too baffled to follow, and his eyes have the crazed light that means he is almost lost inside his nightmares. Zuko has stopped too, and is standing near the edge.

He is tired of running. Running after father's love, running after the Avatar, and now running from Azula – and yet he'll never be safe. Lin will never be safe. So long as Azula is standing, he will have to run.

He turns around to face her.

But she refuses – is he so pitiful that she doesn't even consider him an opponent – and the Dai Li throw their gloves and he gets caught – Jet does too, why didn't that idiot run – and Zuko shouts at his sister to come back and fight him –

She doesn't.