Chapter Summary: P’Li is trying to sabotage a treaty with New Ozai by pissing off the city’s leaders. The Avatar, Nomu, and Lin Beifong must work together to break out of prison.
(Azula Narrates)
Air. Water. Earth. Fire.
On the day of Sozin’s Comet, Phoenix King Ozai and Avatar Aang fought in what would be the deciding battle of the Hundred Year War. The victor was Ozai. Coupled with the defeat of exiled prince Zuko, the world’s last remaining resistances against the Fire Nation, vanished. In the years that followed, our Nation transitioned into an Empire that would hold the world under tow. With the next two Avatar reincarnations sought, found, and summarily executed, an Avatar of the Fire Empire was born.
My son.
Kuzo.
Strong, ambitious, full of zeal, and most of all, unpredictable.
What path he will steer the world towards is uncertain, unknown.
What I do know is that he will be what the past Avatars were not.
Do what they could not.
Bring everlasting peace to our world.
Hunted by his own people, he journeys to master all four elements.
He is our last chance.
Our Last Avatar…
Air. Water. Earth. Fire.
On the day of Sozin’s Comet, Phoenix King Ozai and Avatar Aang fought in what would be the deciding battle of the Hundred Year War. The victor was Ozai. Coupled with the defeat of exiled prince Zuko, the world’s last remaining resistances against the Fire Nation, vanished. In the years that followed, our Nation transitioned into an Empire that would hold the world under tow. With the next two Avatar reincarnations sought, found, and summarily executed, an Avatar of the Fire Empire was born.
My son.
Kuzo.
Strong, ambitious, full of zeal, and most of all, unpredictable.
What path he will steer the world towards is uncertain, unknown.
What I do know is that he will be what the past Avatars were not.
Do what they could not.
Bring everlasting peace to our world.
Hunted by his own people, he journeys to master all four elements.
He is our last chance.
Our Last Avatar…
Genre: Alt Future, AU, Drama, Humor, Action, No Romance, No Smut, No Angst, PLOT FOCUSED.
Rated: K+
Links to read are Ao3 or FF.net
or Click Read More below
Chapter 27 – The One Question
(P’Li is currently in the government’s Audience Chamber, trying to sabotage relations so that Baro does not acquire the city’s refineries)
The girl did not kneel or show an ounce of respect or courtesy. P’Li only spoke down to them with one sided dialogue. It was as if she was picking a fight with them, which only known to her, was exactly what she was trying to do. The soldiers in her squadron threw each other worried looks as their superior openly antagonized the council members of New Ozai, and especially their Mayor.
The city chief was an obese man. Wearing vibrant red and green robes to represent the Phoenix and Earth Kingdom factions, he kind of looked like an ugly Christmas tree. Wearing fat gaudy jewelry and excessive amounts of decorations only added to the likeness.
The Mayor sat on a throne that seemed more like a couch, behind a long table in which the other council members lined to the right and left of him. They all wore the best fabrics and accessories, trying to show off their wealth as much as possible.
Even the chamber itself was as wastefully ornated as the population that ruled in it. P’Li’s squadron couldn’t help but narrow their eyes at the foul sight, when they had first entered the room.
After listing a large number of conditions, P’Li ended her “parley” proposal.
“Surrender to us, your factories and workers! If you do not, the Shogun will destroy you and loot all your belongings!!” P’Li declared with over dramatization.
The council members seemed to quiver at the threat and began whispering among themselves.
Come on. I’ve basically come here and pissed all over your carpet. Now, call me an ‘uncouth fool’ or whatever and reject the truce!!
The whispering stopped.
“We… have agreed to the Shogun’s terms.”(Mayor)
The Mayor bowed and the other council members followed after.
P’Li and her soldiers were frozen in place for a good minute.
No way! They didn’t even try to bargain or anything!
Her brain went into complete panic mode as she tried to somehow over turn the situation.
These idiots are really wealthy. If I target their money—
“I-I have changed my mind! We will loot your belongings! Um… In fact! We’ll loot the whole city! You are to hand over all your valuables and ownership of New Ozai and become workers for the Shogun!”(P’Li)
“What?!”
“That can’t be!”
More indiscernible mutters and protest rose from the leaders. P’Li was wearing a triumphant grin.
Good! Now to put the final touches!
“As proof of your submission to our rule, all of you must kneel before us and kiss our shoes! Mwahahaha!!!”(P’Li)
Even P’Li thought she might have gone too far in her acting. If she pissed them off too much, they might try to kill her and her subordinates. But it was most likely they would fire some insults, call for security, and have the emissaries thrown out.
What happened next, though, was completely outside of P’Li’s expectation.
All the leaders wore mortified expressions as they finished their discussions with each other. Slowly they stood up from their chairs, and walked to P’Li and her subordinates.
What?
The Mayor moved in front of P’Li while the other councilors went to other soldiers.
WHAT?!
The Mayor bowed toward her foot.
NO WAYYYYYYY!!!!!
P’Li heard a small smooch sound as she felt a slight pressure on her toe.
The other leaders followed the Mayor’s suit and performed the same embarrassing act of surrender.
A long painful silence passed for what seemed like an eternity.
“Will that suffice?” the Mayor pathetically asked.
P’Li’s face colored red.
No way…. I actually failed to provoke them….
She looked down at the disgusting Christmas tree below her.
“Grow a spine, YOU IDIOT!! THERE HAS TO BE A LIMIT TO HOW MUCH OF A FIGUREHEAD YOU ARE!!!!”
P’Li had failed her supposedly easy sabotage mission.
***************************
(Happening elsewhere, Lin Beifong is standing before a prison cell containing Kuzo and Nomu.)
The Dai Li Leader tilts her head to the side while looking at the Avatar.
“I thought you’d be taller.”(Lin)
Nomu made a small chuckle.
“So exactly why have you captured us? We were supposed to meet upon our entry into the city, not imprisoned. Explain your deviation from the plans.”(Kuzo)
“I need to put you to good use.”(Lin)
She went over to the storage compartment and retrieved the prisoner’s properties. Lin then opened the cell door and tossed Kuzo’s and Nomu’s belongings at them.
As they began putting on their clothes and fastening their gear, Lin began her explanation.
“There are a lot of imprisoned citizens in this facility. You’re going to help me break them out. It’s easier to sneak you in here than trying to infiltrate from the outside. I, along with some other resistance members, plan on starting a coup de tat soon. We can’t have the government using the captive citizens as hostages when it goes down, so we need to set them all free. Makes sense?”(Lin)
Nomu had a foreboding feeling to that statement. After all, in his experience, Kuzo never did anyone any free favors. Not even a modicum of help for the exchange of nothing.
“Very well, Lin Beifong. We will assist you in your endeavors.”(Kuzo)
“What?!”(Nomu)
“Good. I thought you’d be more adverse to the idea from what I’ve heard about you from the messages. This saves time. Now, move!”(Lin)
As Kuzo and Nomu finished donning all their attire, they moved out of the cell, and down the hall. The trio snuck into the other prison sections undetected.
Despite not knowing each other very well, Kuzo, Nomu, and Lin worked like a fine precision instrument. On occasion, the girl bent glass around the corners to identify target sentries. She wordlessly motioned commands to the other two, and they went into action without pause. Kuzo, trained in stealth and the Art of Qi was able to strike the guards unconscious without sound, and ease them quietly to the floor. Nomu gathered water into his long pieces of cloth. The damp tapestry carried a deceptive amount of weight, which he used to wrap firmly around sentinels like tentacles, and take them out. Lin clung to the ceiling and abducted wardens like a spider capturing prey.
They went through the rooms and guard posts with an efficient pace. Repeating the same methods over and over again, they were the actions of a well-oiled machine. The prisoners were set free one by one, without any fuss or noise. The trio silently led them all out into the free open air and guided them to the Resistance’s safe houses.
The whole prison break was conducted with such covert mastery, that no one would know anything was wrong until the end of the day. Lin was extremely surprised by the results. She had many concerns about how quickly they would be able to pull it off. Time was the largest factor, as they were required to rapidly take out the guard posts almost simultaneously to prevent raising alarms. But her worries were unfounded in the abilities of her two accomplices.
The groups of escapees scattered into different houses, owned by Resistance members. Merchant shops, Inns, residentials, restaurants, the revolutionists seemed to be hiding in plain sight. Kuzo, Nomu, and Lin, entered a humble antique store. They came face to face with the owner who Lin approached. They grasped each other’s hand and patted each other’s backs with the other.
The man was in his forties, fit and well-muscled. He wore trim green clothes that seemed neither fancy nor informal, but possessed a large amount of feathers. Thick brown hair sprouted in all directions from his head. To all he met, his appearance might be described as eccentric.
Lin turned around and introduced him.
“This is Bumi. Leader of the Resistance.”(Lin)
“The descendant of the former ruler, I presume.”(Kuzo)
“You presume correctly, Avatar. Thank you for all your help. Of course, you as well, Pudgy One.”(Bumi)
“Hey!”(Nomu)
They retreated to the shop’s dining room and continued discussions there.
“I need you to send word to the Shogun ambassador P’Li. Inform her that Lee is at this address and she will come. She is one of my trusted allies”(Kuzo)
“Ah. That really tall girl, right? I saw her before I arrested you guys. Now she looks like an Avatar.”(Lin)
Kuzo grunted while Nomu chuckled again.
“Excuse me, you said that the Shogun’s proxy P’Li was our ally?”(Bumi)
“Yes.”(Kuzo)
“….You are sure?”(Bumi)
“I can attest to that, Bumi. She was wearing one of the earrings that identifies us as the Avatar’s selected advisors.”(Lin)
Bumi’s face formed a troubled expression.
“What’s wrong?”(Lin)
“The one called P’Li has put New Ozai under the Shogun’s complete rule. As a result, our coup de tat will not go as planned, and our city is now owned by a new tyrant.”(Bumi)
Kuzo and Nomu frowned at the news.
“Send for P’Li at once…”(Kuzo)
************************
In the middle of the night, P’Li had snuck out of her room and into Bumi’s antique shop.
“I’M. SO. SORRY!!!” she yelled as she bowed her head.
“What were you thinking, P’Li?! Your mission was simple!! Even a child could have sabotaged the negotiations!!”(Kuzo)
The Avatar groaned loudly.
“This is unacceptable!”(Kuzo)
“Hey… Kuzo. Ease up, alright? I’m sure—“(Nomu)
“No, he’s right. I completely failed, and there’s no excuse…”(P’Li)
P’Li hung her head low in depression.
“Well… the leaders are pushovers… The only reason they were able to rule so long was because of Ozai’s backing. When that disappeared, they used the hostage citizens as a deterrent.”(Bumi)
“Do you think they’ll fold if we act now?”(Lin)
Bumi shook his head.
“No. Now that they’re officially under the Shogun’s rule, they’ll protect their positions with all their worth. They’re probably thinking along the lines as ‘If I do well here, maybe the Shogun will make me one of his high ranking retainers’ or something like that.”(Bumi)
“I’m… really sorry….I’ve ruined everything…” P’Li muttered.
Everyone looked at her with sympathy. All except for one.
Nomu palmed his face while looking at Kuzo, who was still in a foul mood.
“Come on. She’s completely depressed and you know, the only forgiveness she cares about is yours,” he whispered to the Avatar.
Kuzo sighed and proficiently tapped into his calm mental state, which he has done many times before. His emotions neutralized and fell to zero. He breathed in and out.
“We have no choice, but to destroy the factories, resources, and leave the city.”(Kuzo)
“”….What?”” (Lin and Bumi)
“P’Li. To redeem yourself of your past mistakes, you will be the key asset for the demolition.”(Kuzo)
The light returned to P’Li’s eyes and she nodded fiercely. “Understood!”
“*Sigh* So it’s really come down to that after all…” Nomu muttered as he shook his head.
“WAIT A SECOND! Why are you talking about razing the city?!”(Lin)
“It is unfortunate, but we cannot allow Baro to have New Ozai. From the info we’ve received from P’Li, he has captured the Phoenix army’s chief engineer. He will without a doubt, put the resources here into manufacturing vast amounts of weaponry.”(Kuzo)
“So we go through with the coup de tat! We take the city from the leaders!”(Lin)
“Unnecessary. We will waste time and effort. The leaders will resist, the Shogun will surely dispatch moderate forces here. Enough to take back the city from any meager revolution. The only option we have is to take away the cards Baro can add to his hand.”(Kuzo)
“You’d… forsake this whole city…?!”(Lin)
“And more importantly, your time trying to save this dying settlement can be more effectively used to teach me Earth Bending.”(Kuzo)
Lin could not believe what she had just heard. She tried to respond quickly, but the words stuck in her throat. She twitched with anger and threw her Dai Li hat to the ground hard. Lin’s shoulder length hair shook as she started yelling.
“HOW SELFISH ARE YOU?! I should abandon my home just so I can teach you Earth Bending?! Don’t mess with me! Even if you are the damn Avatar, I’m not just going to sacrifice everything for you. I don’t owe you anything!”(Lin)
“Are you not indebted to me?”(Kuzo)
“What?!”(Lin)
“I helped you free those prisoners. Without Nomu or I, it would have been impossible to do so. I believe our efforts have paid my tuition for your teachings.”(Kuzo)
Oh…So that’s why he did that… Nomu thought to himself.
“But…! That’s…!”(Lin)
“Unless, Lin Beifong has no honor or the decency to pay her debts.”(Kuzo)
“You..!! I. WILL. NOT. ABANDON THIS CITY!! You can insult me however you like!”(Lin)
“Everyone! Calm DOWN!!” Bumi roared.
Lin was still clenching her fist like she wanted to punch Kuzo, but the Resistance Leader held his hand in front of her. He turned to the Avatar and spoke with as much sincerity as possible.
“Still, you are the Avatar, are you not? You are known as our hero and savior. Will you not save this city?” Bumi pleaded.
Oh man… you’re barking up the wrong tree, pal. (Nomu)
Kuzo’ll never go for it.(P’Li)
“No, I will not.”(Kuzo)
See.(Nomu and P’Li)
“But… it is your duty.”(Bumi)
“I have no obligation to save your fragile town. There is no reason or benefit in me doing so.”(Kuzo)
Lin could no longer check her anger.
She rushed Kuzo and grabbed him by his collar.
“THEN WHAT ARE YOU HERE FOR?!?! HOW ARE YOU THE FREAKIN’ AVATAR IF YOU DON’T SAVE OUR HOM????!!!!!! Why… WHY DON’T YOU HELP US?! YOU’VE GOT THE POWER, I SAW IT!!”
Even in the face of Lin’s hostility, Kuzo’s expression was cold as ice.
“Because this one city means nothing to the world. In the macro sense, it is a small drop in the vast ocean. I cannot reveal my location or waste time fighting a losing battle. No, I will not save this city. I am working to save them all.”(Kuzo)
No one said anything. No one moved for who knows how long. Only Lin, still grasping Kuzo, trembled with fury.
“He’s right…”
Lin turned doubtingly to the source of the voice.
It came from Bumi.
“What are you saying—“(Lin)
“The Avatar is right, Lin… You know it too…. In the big picture. In the wide scope of things. One city weighed against all of them?”(Bumi)
“No… This… This is our home!”(Lin)
“It is dirt and rock.”(Bumi)
“…”(Lin)
“Water and fire and metal.”(Bumi)
“…”(Lin)
“It is all expendable. Our people will leave and survive somehow…”(Bumi)
Lin said nothing. As the last of her emotions seemed to fade away, they flared again, more volatile than ever before. She turned to Kuzo with all the hate she could express and slammed him against the wall.
“WHY DID SOMEONE LIKE YOU HAVE TO BE THE AVATAR?”
The voice was not loud, but the tone spoke volumes. The question drifted through everyone’s hearts and whether they admit it or not, they had all wondered the same thing. That one question.
Why did the Avatar reincarnate as him?
…
“I WILL NEVER TEACH YOU EARTH BENDING.”
Lin let the Avatar go and left the room.
