Seifer Almasy

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?"

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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."

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"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."

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

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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."

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

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"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.

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"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."

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"Fine." He's getting more and more impatient, wanting to move, to do something. "I challenge you to an Agni Kai. But I want to see her first, make sure she's okay."

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"Oh very well." Azula got up and strode to one of the banners behind the throne, punching a burst of flame at it to burn it away. "There she is."

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Cassie was slumped on the floor, tied at her ankles and her hands behind her back. There were minor burns along one side of her body, as well as various cuts and bruises. She was slowly inching her way up from unconsciousness, her head rolling to the side with a groan.

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"Cassie!" Zuko yells, his eyes widening as he sees the state she's in. If he isn't able to save her, he'll never forgive Azula...or himself.

He turns his furious gaze on his sister. "What did you do to her?"

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"It's hardly my fault she's not fireproof," Azula replied, examining her nails.

"So are the stakes good enough for you, Zuzu?"

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Cassie groaned as she slowly became more aware. First it was the pain in her burned side and then it was the fact she couldn't move. Then, she recognized Zuko's voice calling her name. She frowned as she opened her eyes, "Zuko?"

What was going on?

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He can't help the relieved exhalation as Cassie opens her eyes and speaks. "Don't worry, Cassie, I'll get you out of here," he calls, in a much softer voice than the one he's been directing at his sister.

Then he clenches his fists again and turns back to her. "You and me, Azula. Agni Kai. Right now."

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"Right now?" Azula asked, standing up. "Afraid to go somewhere out in the open and challenge me publicly?"

Azula snapped her fingers at some guards and she ran as they grabbed Cassie. "I accept your challenge! If you can catch me!"

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Cassie screamed as they wrenched her up by her arms, pain radiating from the burns on her arm. And it was the pain that helped her become fully aware of what was going on. She began to struggle against the guards, despite the pain. "Zuko! What's going on?"

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For a split second as Azula takes off, disappears toward the outside, Zuko wants to just grab Cassie and run. He knows he can take the guards holding her without a problem. He also knows he can't just leave it at that, that Azula will only chase them down again and if she catches them, it'll be worse. He has to end this now.

"You're going to be okay, Cassie. I promise," he swears to her, glaring at her guards before he takes off after Azula.

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She was, for once, good to her word and stood waiting for Zuko in an open pavilion, eyes glittering with malice. "Can you really make those cute little promises, Zuzu?"

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Normally, even without her powers, Cassie could have taken the guards holding her. But her injuries were painful and her strength zapped. So her groan was more in frustration then pain as they dragged her out so she could witness the battle. Thankfully, they sat her down on a small wall so she didn't have to try and stand as well as everything else.

She hated to admit it, but she was going to have hope Zuko would rescue her.

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He can feel it, the way the comet's making his bending even more powerful, and before they even start Zuko knows this is going to be one heck of a show. He can't think about that now, though, about how it's going to look. He needs to do some quick thinking, try and figure out how to bring his sister down without killing her. Probably it would have been wise to plan something in this case, but Zuko's never been a planner. He's also never been a murderer.

"Why don't you attack me and find out," he says in reply to Azula, and he knows Cassie's there, watching, but he can't afford to pay attention to her right now, all his focus on his sister.

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All the planning and murdering genes had gone to her and Azula had every intention of claiming her brother's life if he was fool enough to give her the opportunity. She was all too happy to start, drawing an arc of blue fire from fingertip to fingertip and forcing it towards him. Zuko would break.

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Cassie was used to see super powers in action, but there was something about the bending of this world that seemed so much more intense, more personal. As much as she knew her life hung in the balance, she had a feeling that she was about to watch something epic.

Even as she still kept attempting to free her hands behind her back.

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Spinning once first to wind it up, Zuko plants his feet wide and blocks Azula's blue fire with a wave of red, thrusting his arms in front of him and sweeping them aside to make it part like a sea of flame that neutralizes Azula's attack.

He doesn't hesitate, knowing she won't either, and follows it up immediately, bringing his hands together and then sweeping them back out again, two huge, spiraling plumes of flame issuing from them as he makes another circle with his hands and then another, pushing them out and lengthening them until they're like twin horizontal tornadoes.

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