"...- and by year's end, the Earth Kingdom capital will be under our rule. The firelord will finally claim victory in this war."
Zuko had to fight down the urge to scoff. As always, the strategies of Zhao and so many other commanders in the Fire Nation military looked at the war as if it was in black-and-white: a game where all you had to do to win was to destroy your opponents.
To them it didn't matter how much of the world was destroyed in the process, or how many soldiers were sacrificed along the way. "If my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly, then he is a fool." He sneered.
"Zuko!" Tanya rebuked strictly, like a mother scolding an unruly child. "Do not speak about your father like that!"
Zuko huffed, but once again found himself looking away uncomfortable from those intense yellow eyes of hers. Normally he'd be the last person to speak against his father, but right now his nerves were tense enough to play a violin on. After two years of desperate, fruitless searching and empty hope, he'd finally done what many thought was impossible: he'd found The Avatar.
And not only that, but a child Avatar who, as of yet, only seemed to know how to airbend. The shame of not only having allowed a child to escape his grasp, but damage his ship so badly in the process, stung his pride like the bite of a snake-wasp.
And to make matters worse Zhao was now sniffing around. That man's nose for glory was keener than any hunting dogs, and he would be just as tenacious as one if he finally caught the scent. Trying to stay calm and act natural when his nerves were a restless wreck was a difficult task for Zuko, and he hated how uncle made it look so easy.
If Zhao found out that The Avatar was back then there was no doubt that he'd set off in pursuit as well, hoping to claim the prestige of capturing the Fire Nation's greatest enemy for himself.
Zhao would be a tough competitor to beat: not because the man was much of a threat by himself, but because of the resources he had at his disposal: A small fleet of ships, hundreds of soldiers, and her.
Agni please, don't make me have to compete against Tanya. Even after being made tougher than ever by the trials he'd faced throughout his exile, Zuko still felt a shock of fear whenever Tanya was nearby.
Who didn't these days? She was a psychopath! In the Earth Kingdom they whispered that she'd laughed with glee as she'd burned the crew of a ship alive, and from what he knew of Tanya, Zuko wouldn't put it past her.
To think that she'd become Zhao's right-hand woman! If she'd been the one to capture The Avatar back at the South Pole the first thing she'd have done would probably have been to break his arms and legs to prevent him from escaping.
"Two years at sea have done little to temper your tongue." Zhao jeered, coming to sit beside him. "So… how is your search for The Avatar going?"
Zhao was interrupted as Uncle knocked over a stack of polearms, the commotion drawing Zhao and Tanya's searching gazes away for the couple of seconds Zuko needed to breathe deeply and regain his composure.
Zhao snorted condescendingly at Uncle's clumsiness, and shared a brief eye-roll with Tanya before looking back to him. By that point Zuko's expression was as schooled as he could make it.
"We haven't found him yet." He replied evenly, doing his best impersonation of Azula when she was trying to look sincere.
"Hardly surprising." Tanya interjected. "If they aren't dead already they must be what, ninety? A hundred by now? They clearly have no interest in participating in the war, and could blend in anywhere as long as th000ey avoid bending in public. It's not like they're going to have the words I'm The Avatar tattooed on their forehead.
Oh Tanya. If only you knew.
"Unless you've found some evidence that The Avatar's alive." Zhao finished, a predatory smile stretching out across his lips. Damn it, he was starting to catch hold of the truth!
Mustering up memories of every time he'd been disappointed to have found no trace of The Avatar in the past, Zuko allowed the hollow feelings of frustration and bitterness to seep into his voice and body language. "No. Nothing."
A frown crossed Zhao's face, and he stood up to lean closer towards Zuko. "Prince Zuko, The Avatar's the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war. If you have an ounce of loyalty left, you'll tell me what you've found."
"With all due respect commandel rxr:r, I think that's enough." Tanya said neutrality, unexpectedly speaking in his defence. "I know Zuko, and he isn't selfish. If he knew something that would endanger the Fire Nation, he'd tell us."
A worm of guilt began to wiggle in Zuko's gut, but luckily Zhao was too busy turning away to shoot Tanya a sharp look to notice. "People change, Captain."
Sensing an opportunity to leave, Zuko stood up and began marching over to the door. "Come on Uncle, we're going." He called. The sooner they could get away from Zhao's inquisition the better.
Yet just before he could get through the door, the guards standing on either side lowered their polearms to block his exit, and another solder who'd just passed through spoke up. As the words left the soldier's lips Zuko felt his spirits plummet.
"Commander Zhao, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed that Prince Zuko had The Avatar in custody, but let him escape."
Damn it! For once in his life could the spirits just let something go his way?!
"Zuko!..." Tanya began, eyes wide with shock, and oddly enough a hint of betrayal if he wasn't mistaken.
"Now remind me..." Zhao smirked slowly, smugness just oozing in through his tone.
"How exactly was your ship damaged?"
...
Tanya was not angry. She was not! And she'd set on fire anyone who dared to imply it!
Once the cat was out of the bag, Zuko had come clean about what caused the damage to his ship.
The Avatar! Alive! And as a twelve year old boy no less! She could understand him wanting to capture The Avatar himself, but to think he'd put the Fire Nation at risk by keeping it a secret! Didn't he realise that his father would have enough of an excuse to end his exile if he just helped capture The Avatar! It was upsetting to think that he'd lied to her face, endangered his nation, just for his own stubborn pride!
"You're angry." Zhao noted sagely, as if it wasn't obvious from her murderous expression. Once the secret was out, she and Zhao had rushed off to begin getting the fleet ready to mobilise. If they were lucky they could still pick up The Avatar's trail before he vanished deeper into the Earth Kingdom.
With the first set of preparations completed, Zhao was now returning to the officer's quarters to inform Zuko and Iroh of when they'd be released, with Tanya marching at his side like an ever-faithful shadow.
"Really? What gave it away." She replied sarcastically, only to regret it as Zhao sent another sharp look her way.
"I've never seen you speak to me like this before, Captain. You're usually the first to give superiors the respect they're due. What's changed?"
Tanya was silent for a minute, before letting out a frustrated sigh. There was no point in keeping her feelings bottled up. Zhao had proven himself to be a kind mentor and a loyal confidant over the years. He was someone she could trust.
"I'm just ... disappointed. In Zuko, I mean. I 've always known honour was very important to him, but I didn't know it'd make him so blind to his duty to his people."
Zhao scoffed. "Zuko's always been weak. If he hadn't had the strength to defeat a twelve year old child, he should have at least had the courage to admit to his failure."
"He's not weak." Tanya replied, heat seeping into her tone. Whatever he may have done, Zuko was still a friend. His strengths just lay in other areas.
"No?" Zhao seemed amused. "Did I ever tell you that I was there to witness the prince's Angi Kai?"
No. No he hadn't. Tanya fell silent, but Zhao pressed onward. "It was a disgraceful display, Tanya. At the mere sight of his father he fell to his knees, weeping and trembling like a newborn baby. That's why The Firelord banished him. He doesn't have the mettle to be the ruler our nation would need him to be one day."
Wait, was that why Zuko had been banished after his Agni Kai? Had he really acted so poorly that Ozai had decided he needed to make Azula his heir instead, and resolved to banish Zuko until he could safely pass the throne over to his daughter?
That did make an uncomfortable amount of sense. Academically speaking Azula had the qualities of a better ruler, and Ozai always prioritised his duty as The Firelord first and foremost.
...
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