Murder, battle and other things I did on my weekend - By Seifer Almasy 19 years and 1/4

[noblerworld]

With Cassie missing, Zuko was setting off to face his sister, the Avatar was setting off to fight the Fire Lord and Seifer, who wasn't going with either of them, felt rather like he'd been invited to the worlds biggest birthday party and then told he couldn't have any cake.

"If Zuko's going to seize the capital," he told Arya in a deliberately casual voice, only hoping that she was as eager to cause some chaos as he was, "he needs to arrive there still fresh."

"But there's bound to be some army units guarding the road in," he smiled. "How about we make sure their attention is elsewhere?"

He glanced at her and then at the other boy who had arrived from the Island, Edward or something, "You both in?"

Comments

[lonewolflives]

"Sounds like a riot," Arya said, putting a grim half-smile on her face. Throwing herself into something like that seemed just the thing, actually; none of this was real, so she might as well get some action and excitement out of it, really.

Maybe it'd help Zuko, if he was able to accomplish something, even just in a kind of dream, and that was good, too. But mostly, she wanted to tear something down.

[giftless]

It was as good of a plan as any, especially given that Edmund didn't think they would last nearly as long against people throwing fire. While it didn't matter if they died here or not, he knew, it seemed wisest to stay alive as long as possible, if only to have more of an effect.

"Excellent distraction," Edmund said agreeably but grim faced. "Let's do it."

[noblerworld.livejournal.com]

"Good," he replied.

"Way I see it, we need to get hold of something that's more important than the road. A general, or a stronghold or something, and then all the little soldiers will come running after us rather than after Zuko," Seifer didn't bothet to hide how much that propsect cheered him.

"So let's get going."

[lonewolflives]

"Find someone important," Arya agreed, checking her gear and stretching, slightly. "We could get into a stronghold, I don't know what we'd do once we were in it."

That had been Theon's trick, and she wasn't minded to take any pages from his book.

[giftless]

"It's a stronghold," Edmund reasoned. Having only his sword already strapped to his belt, he needn't check anything but hesitated only for the sake of making a plan. "You turn the weapons in there against them and they'll never be able to get at us with the doors shut. Or we set it on fire. That would get attention."

[noblerworld.livejournal.com]

"We can worry about the details later," Seifer replied as he started walking, assuming the other two would follow. Now he was close to a battle again, he was practically bursting with anticipation. "We don't even know what's out there, yet."

[lonewolflives]

"All right, but if we get stuck trying to hold a fortress with three people, it's Edmund's fault," Arya said, catching up with Seifer. "So we find out what we're distracting, then we can work out how we do it."

[giftless]

"It's a fortress," Edmund repeated. Holding it with a limited number was sort of the point of a fortress in his mind. Regardless though, Arya did like to be difficult. Maybe Edmund should just have taken it as a good sign if she were back to old tricks.

He fell into pace with the other two, a slight frown of worry appearing. "They can't all do that thing with the fire, right?"

[noblerworld.livejournal.com]

Seifer shrugged.

"We could always ask them," he added with a smirk. "If either of you want someone else to bicker with, anyhow."

He could have added more about that but Arya didn't seem to take that sort of teasing well. He still had the bruises from the last time he'd gone a bit too far on commenting on her mood, after all.

So he left it at that as he led them away from the main path and up a side track to some higher ground. They wanted to be able to get a good view on the road and see what Fire nation forces were around.

It was probably best that they had kept silent for this anyway, he thought, as he crouched down, on a hillside crag, a half hour later and peered at the view of the plain before him. As eager as he was for battle and as much as he wouldn't exactly mind if the Fire Nation found him, it would be better if they still had the element of the surprise.

"See any obvious targets?" he asked in a whisper.

[lonewolflives]

"I don't know about obvious," Arya said, eyes flicking over the landscape spread out before them. "Too obvious and they'd see us coming. It's really a pity none of us could pass for Fire Nation, we could kill some scouts and slip in in their uniforms. As it is, we either need them to chase us, or to make it to a general. And then let them chase us."

[giftless]

"Everyone else took Zuko's lie that we were from the Fire Nation," Edmund pointed out, but not without a telling tightness to his mouth. He hadn't liked going along with that lie at all, even if it probably saved them some time, trouble and explanation. "Maybe, if we're careful, we could disarm and tie up some scouts," he said, making a point of changing Arya's plan slightly, "take their clothes and sneak by. We'd just need to get in. Or maybe we try and upset some of those rhinos. Those would be a good distraction."

[noblerworld.livejournal.com]

Urghh planning, talking, listening to people's opinions, Seifer had almost forgotten how annoying the bits of combat that didn't involve him actually slitting someone's throat open really were.

"Okay, there's the biggest camp there," he gestured at where the smoke plumes made it obvious. "So that's our target to disrupt. We head in that direction then if we find an opportunity to do something clever, we can take it. If we don't, then we can always just charge in headfirst and make as big a target of ourselves as we can. See exactly how these guys measure up."

After how badly his last time in charge had gone, and kind of aware that he didn't actually have any real authority, Seifer was making an effort not to throw his weight around too much. Instead he was mostly trying to put off the point where they made an actual plan until it was too late for anyone to argue with him. He was pretty happy with how it was going so far since Edmund and Arya seemed happy to shoot down each other suggestions for him. Maybe this whole leadership thing wasn't as difficult as he'd thought.

[lonewolflives]

"Or we could not get ourselves killed," she said. She was cocky, certainly, and she knew what she could do... which extended to knowing what happened when small groups went up against large ones head-on. Stealth and cleverness, that was the way, that was the only way. "If we don't find an opportunity to do something clever, we look harder, we don't just do something dumb instead. Attack a smaller camp so they call to the big one for reinforcements or something. Upset some rhinos."

Rescuing Cassie

[irisewiththesun.livejournal.com]

Azula has Cassie, and it's all Zuko's fault.

Sure, Cassie's the one who went off on her own, but Zuko should have known better than to just let her. She's a great fighter; he ought to know, seeing as how he's her teacher, but she's no match for Zuko's sister. Not many are. Now he needs to go and get his friend back from her.

He manages to get his hands on an eel hound, and with the rest of the group (aside from Aang, who's off to face Zuko's father) clearing the way, he makes it to the capital city - home - in no time. Then, it's just a matter of getting in.

Stealth and infiltration are two of the things Zuko does best, and he knows all the secret passages and byways of his childhood home. Silently, he makes his way in, pausing at the edge of one of the courtyards to look around. Sozin's Comet is here now, passing over them, and Zuko can feel the added power coursing through him, the comet enhancing his bending an untold amount.

[coldheartedfire.livejournal.com]

Zuko could travel through all the side paths of their palace that he wanted, but it would do him little good. Azula had slipped off to somewhere a little more appropriate for hostage-keeping. Someplace dark and safe. If he was foolish enough to find her and challenge her, Azula could easily navigate out of the bunker and take his life before witnesses, let them see the power of the Fire Nation under the blessings of Sozin's comet.

It would be perfect. And she could wait.

[irisewiththesun.livejournal.com]

It isn't hard to guess where Azula might have gone. After a brief pause, Zuko heads straight there, making his way quickly and silently to Ozai's bunker.

He wants to burst in, wants to take out everything in his path with a sweep of his hand and a blaze of fire, but he doesn't know if his sister's got Cassie with him. So he goes for the quiet approach, not making a sound until he's got Azula in his sights.

"Where is she?" he grinds out, unable to keep his voice from shaking with anger.

[coldheartedfire.livejournal.com]

"Whoever do you mean, Zuzu?" Azula asked. She sat languid in the throne, legs draped over one of its arms. Her body was a picture of relaxation, just the thing that would set him off.

"That little blonde you used to replace Mai?"

[irisewiththesun.livejournal.com]

He immediately wants to lash out, to attack her where she sits, but instead he inhales slowly, blowing it out in a cloud of steam. Zuko knows that's what his sister wants, what she's trying to get him to do, and he refuses to give her the satisfaction.

"No one is replacing Mai," he says, his tone still full of controlled rage. "Where. Is. She?"

[coldheartedfire.livejournal.com]

Shame. It seemed he'd actually acquired a little control over that temper. Azula felt as if she'd lost a very interesting plaything.

"What, you mean Mai? In prison."

[irisewiththesun.livejournal.com]

"I know Mai is in prison!" Zuko snaps, and this time he can't control how his voice raises to a yell. His fists clench, his hands glowing red though he manages to keep in any actual flame. He takes another breath, evening out his tone. "I'm talking about Cassie and you know that. Stop playing games, Azula."

[coldheartedfire.livejournal.com]

Now that was entertainment. Azula sighed and examined her nails, watching him over the shine of her varnish. "Who's that?"

[irisewiththesun.livejournal.com]

She's baiting him on purpose. Zuko knows this, and yet he can't stop the fire daggers from shooting out of his fists. "You know who. The girl you kidnapped from my group. Let her go."

[coldheartedfire.livejournal.com]

"Oh that one?" Azula waved a hand dismissively. "She's...around. Why? Are you going to challenge me for her back?"

[irisewiththesun.livejournal.com]

"If that's what it takes, yes," he spits out, the daggers lengthening, and he's itching to yell get on with it already! but he manages to reign it in.

[coldheartedfire.livejournal.com]

"Oh she's just to the side there," Azula said dismissively. "So is that what you want, brother? Agni Kai?" Her eyes narrowed and she grinned. "Go on. Say it."