Dai Li
Book Three
Volume 8
Ch. 113 Dai Li
Pov.
-Kara-
"Morning" Suki yawns
"Breakfast should be ready" I flick the rest of the cigar aside after finding it was more disappointing than I originally thought
"O-okay"
After she bathes and readies herself we join Rhea in the kitchen
We couldn't speak to each other, not after how I turned her down earlier so Suki and I just had our breakfast before deciding to check out the city
We ran into Toph and Katara who were watching a sign get changed at the nearest bank
"A. & Beifong? What the heck does that even mean?!"
"It's what it says" Katara shrugs
"I don't get it. What would drive my parents to sell their entire fortune?"
"An offer they could not refuse" I smile
"C'mon let's check out that fair." Just as I said so Suki moves my arm aside after seeing Sokka walk out of the bank
I scratch my head after remembering the two had a past
"What's your deal, Sokka?" Toph asks after seeing the dirty look he gave me
"Nothing, c'mon you guys."
"We're going to the fair with, Kara." Toph stops Katara
"What? Why do you want to hang out with him? All of a sudden!?"
"Since you began acting like a jerk!" Toph puts her foot down
"I'm the jerk?! You're kidding, right?"
"You obsess over how much you hate him! For no good reason!"
"I have my reasons!"
"Then what are they?!"
"Easy you two, let's not say anything we're going to regret." Katara tries calming the boy but he kept going
"You act like nothing happened. Your WIFE is DEAD. You're never going to see her again and you haven't shed a single tear!" He cries
"All she did was talk about how madly in love she was but you never cared in the slightest." He sobs
I see… I almost forgot how fragile humans could be. I've only felt this kind of despair in my dreams.
It's been centuries since the last I cared to attach myself to another person
Like…
Mikasa…
I've come to find that in reality there's no point.
Everybody dies.
Except for me, of course
…
"You're right. I don't care. Not in the slightest." I cross my arms
…
They all stop going back and forth with each other after hearing what I had said
Even random passerby's seemed shaken
…
"Bastard!" Sokka shoves Katara and Aang aside before grabbing my wrist
He pulls his arm back but stops after meeting my gaze
…
"What do you know about pain?"
…
"Nothing," I answer for him
"Kara.." Suki reaches for my arm
"Nah, you should go with your boy. I have to go over a few things with Rhea." I back off
"O-okay." She pulls away
I nod at Katara before going my way
I found Rhea picking flowers in the backyard.
I was puffing on a cigar hoping this one would hit harder this time
"Is something wrong?"
"Just um.. got into some petty argument with Sokka." I turn the rest of the cigar to ash after being disappointed with the taste
"It's impossible to find some quality smokes around here, huh?" I sigh
…
"Ba Sing Se does frown upon the use of tobacco"
"Right, how boring." I groan.
…
I wonder if she had anything to do with that strange dream I had earlier
The one with Asura
Or Ursa. I suppose.
Before that, the only good memories we had together were…
None.. actually.
Now it's giving her a nickname the day we met
…
"Rhea. How do we come to be?"
"What?"
"Gods. Do we just pop into existence?"
"Well no.. we are born in the womb of our mother.."
"Like humans? Mortal humans I mean."
"Yes we eat, drink, sleep and lose the ability to excrete at a certain age, as you might have noticed."
…
Weird, from what I recall I only met Ursa once she became the age of three
"Yes, of course. How long have you been living down here?"
"W-well only until recently. A matter arose and I was given no choice."
"I thought you came under your own discretion."
"It's um.. a little more complicated than that."
"Right…"
"Do you have any idea what it's like to live down here?"
"I-I don't.."
"To call it your home."
She shakes her head
"Well it's…lonely." I lay back "I don't recommend it"
I shut my eyes for the rest of the day up until Rhea woke me up after getting word that everyone had been detained
"What business does a general of your status have in Ba Sing Se?" Long Feng, head of the Dai Li, asks
"My business is exactly that. My own."
"Not when the Avatar is crashing our celebrations."
"As you can tell. The Avatar is a mere boy. He simply wishes to speak with the King regarding the war."
"The King has the largest city to run. He doesn't have the time to worry about the happenings of the war."
"What is more important than taking down the fire nation?"
"According to him, his people. Now will you be so kind as to see your way out."
…
Everything this guy spits out of his mouth is complete bullshit
I'm already beginning to despise him
…
"Then I suppose the Man in Charge should get his priorities straight, don't you think?"
"Yes, of course."
…
"Goodbye, General." He nods
I raised arm before his men could grab it and lead me out like a dog
Even so they followed me out
"Oh, and Fang?" I glare at him as the doors closed behind me "you're a terrible liar." I smile just as the doors shut
"Corruption is a motherfucker, right Ju Dee?"
"Uhh…"
"C'mon,." I throw my arm around her neck "Let's get you some dick."
"Wh-wha?"
…
After putting her out of commission I join everyone back home
"What did he say?" Katara asks
"Don't crash any more parties."
"Then how are we-"
"It's done."
"You spoke with the King?" Aang asks
"I handled it. Just worry about finding your buddy." I wave as I join Suki in the bedroom
Three days later and there were no signs of the flying bison
…
Katara took Suki out for the day so I laid out back, taking in the sun with some shades as Rhea plants flowers in the garden she was obsessed with
"Did you really do it?"
"What?"
"Handle it."
"Well.. sort of."
…
"Their continent is on the brink of tyranny. Don't treat it as if it were a game."
"I'd never."
She rips the shades off my face
"I'm serious, Kara."
I debate whether or not to slap her when I finally sensed their presence
"You should be out there helping them find Apa. Not here doing nothing."
"You don't even know the guy." I sigh
"I know how important he is to the Avatar. Instead of befriending the boy you are hell bent on pushing them away."
"I'll do it tomorrow, first thing."
"What's stopping you now? What are you waiting for?"
…
"This, actually."
Before she could respond a dart digs into her neck
I quickly hit a pressure point on her shoulder, knocking her out.
I carefully set her down as three darts came my way
I swat them aside as rock slams into my nape, putting me to sleep
…
-Following Morning-
"Kara!" Rhea whisper-shouts
"Huh?" I shake my head
"Where are we?" She huffs
"Hmm…" I look around, "perfect" I groan
We were in a cavern somewhere under a large body of water from the smell of it
"Alright." I start climbing up the chains
"What are you doing?" She asks
"Handling it." I give her a little smile before I let go
I clench my fists and my hands pop off the moment I hit the ground
"Agh!" I gasp
"What are you doing?!"
"Hahah" I chuckle as my hands grow back
"Wh-why did you do that?"
"How else are we getting out of here?"
"You heard that?" We hear the guards outside
"Yeah, let's check it out."
I hide behind the door as they step inside
"Do you remember how many they had in here?" One asks
"I-I think there's supposed to be-." I snap his neck before he could finish
"Wh-wha-agk*" I do the same with the other before he'd shout
"Y-you…" Rhea gasps as I take their keys
"What?"
"You killed them…"
"Yeah.. yeah I did." I unlock her chains
"Wh-why?"
"Why? Because they're the bad guys, no?"
…
"C'mon." I grab her wrist and I lead her through the hallways
We keep out of sight up until I had to take out a few guards posted outside the room they held the flying walrus
"Agh*" his eyes roll back
I pull my arm up, ready to finish him off when Rhea lounges at me
"He's done, you don't have to kill him!" She cries
"Wh-what are you-." I stumble back "if he gets up he'll-."
"He's not getting up and you know it."
…
"You don't have to kill him."
…
"Tch, c'mon." I shove her aside before breaking the locks on the door
"Rise and shine, big guy." I open my arms
"Grahhh!" He roars
I quickly turn around and I push Rhea who was behind me aside.
I manage to catch the blade with my palms before he rips it back and swings his blades across my chest
I step in and deck him in the face before stepping off
He was skilled with the blades so the only times I got a shot in was when he had to take a breather or when he charged for a heavy blow
"Grrr!" As he thrusts both blades. I manage to step around and elbow the back of his head
I hold my palm out and I fire a blast that he managed to block with his swords
His blades suddenly burst into flames
"The Bison is mine!"
I was ready to burn him to a crisp when I heard someone kick the door open
"Zuko, what are you doing?!"
"Zuko?" I lower my hand
"Uncle!" He throws his mask aside
"Answer me, Zuko!"
"I'm taking the Avatar's Bison."
"What?! And where are you going to hide it? In our new apartment?"
"First, I need to get it out of here."
"And then what?! You never think these things through!" Iroh shouts. "Just like when you captured the avatar in the North Pole. You had him and then you had nowhere to go!"
"I would've figured somethi-."
"No! If it weren't for the avatar you would've froze to death!"
"I know my own destiny, uncle, I know what I must do."
"Do you? Or do you know what your father wants?!"
"Stop it, uncle."
"I'm begging you, Prince Zuko. It's time for you to look inward and ask yourself, "Who are YOU and what do YOU want."
"I want to go home!"
…
"I want to be acknowledged by my own father. I want to belong."
I cross my arms
"Is it really worth going against what you believe in? Everything I've taught you, does it mean nothing to you?"
…
"No.. uncle…"
"Then please, just let it go."
…
He drops his blades.
Iroh pulls him into his arms "come, let's go home."
…
"Yes, uncle"
Iroh gives me a subtle nod before leaving with the boy
"How touching."
"Shut up!" Rhea sniffs
"C'mon, let's get you out of here big boy." I break the braces on Apas feet
I blast the ceiling open before we burst through the water
"Lake Laogai." Rhea watches in awe as we fly across the massive lake
…
-to be continued