Avatar: And When the Gauntlet's Down: Chapter 11
Title: And When the Gauntlet's Down
Rating: K+
Characters: Zuko, Aang, Iroh
Summary: Zuko reveals the information gained from Azula's rebel. Iroh's words cut deep, and the stage is set for a terrible event nobody saw coming.
A/N: This is another chapter from me "Zuko as a crazy assed Fire Lord" soap opera AU, more information which can be found out in this entry here.
This chapter is the fifth of what turned out to be five chapters of flashbacks, about a year or so into Zuko's reign as Fire Lord, before Iroh's death. He'd be about 18 here, and just starting to really lose it.
Chapter 11 - The Demon's in the Design
For the first time in weeks - months, probably - he’d slept the whole night through. Like a baby, actually, and it was remarkable how something a simple as a full night’s sleep could clear his mind.
Uncle sat on his right, and the Avatar on his left, and stretching down the long table sat the men he’d come to both rely upon and fear: his advisors, the men he had hand-picked himself to help lead their rebuilding country.
For once, he was pleased to be standing in front of them. Though he’d never openly wavered under their watch - it would have been suicide - he’d grown to fear these meetings, where all he received was bad news and where more burdens were always added to the weight already on his shoulders.
“We’ll need to fortify the ports,” he said calmly, spreading out a map against the table and reaching for the flame shaped markers that denoted the military and its movements. “Azula is planning on attacking there, on cutting off supply lines and starving out the countryside.”
“The harvest was terrible this year,” one of his advisors mused. “I don’t know that we would have enough stored to keep everyone fed. It certainly fits with Azula’s agenda.”
“Hold on a second, Zuko,” Aang suddenly interjected, holding up a hand to catch his attention. “Yesterday Azula was working her way closer to the palace. Why would she suddenly shift her focus south? It’s…”
It was out of character, even Zuko had to agree. His sister was not the type to abandon a plan, but to expand upon it - she’d originally been sent to capture him and Uncle and had easily expanded that order to include the Avatar. She’d decided to take the throne, and when she found that Ty Lee and Mai were not enough to accomplish that, she had merely added rebels and increased the pressure upon Zuko’s fragile government. Her latest plans had clearly had something to do with the heart of the Fire Nation, the capital itself, and it seemed weird at first that she’d suddenly look south.
But he’d seen the look in that rebel’s eyes, and the way he’d sobbed as he’d given up his information and the way he’d called for Azula. He’d clearly been important to her, and he did not doubt the information he’d been given as the man had melted under his flames.
“She’ll be in the south,” he said shortly, looking away before he could see the way Aang’s eyebrows raised and the look he gave his uncle.
“Lord Zuko,” Iroh began, ever polite and proper as always - Zuko had told him several time that he was exempt from addressing Zuko in such a formal way but Iroh had always persisted and Zuko had always secretly appreciated it - “I have to ask where you came across this information. It doesn’t match up at all against what’s been told to us by your own scouts.”
“That’s because it was told to me by one of Azula’s own rebels.” It came out as a low hiss, and he pretended not to see the slight twitch of Iroh’s eyebrows before he looked across the table at Aang again.
Understanding dawned.
“Lord Zuko,” Iroh started again, slowly and as respectfully as he could be, “Are you honestly telling me - ?”
“He was apprehended yesterday afternoon, setting sulfur bombs down at the market. The information was given late last night.”
“And how willingly was this information given up, exactly?” There was a far more sarcastic tone in Aang’s voice than had been in Iroh’s, but Zuko had learned long ago that the boy was merely his cross to bear. He understood how things like this worked far better than some young monk ever could, Avatar or no.
“It was given very willingly,” Zuko assured Aang, the slightest smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. The man had screamed it out as if it were some kind of saving grace even if it had merely signaled the end of the interrogation - and with it, his doom. “And it was given to me personally.”
Again, Iroh and Aang exchanged glances, and Zuko felt a shot of irritation go through him. It always bothered him how the pair had been able to have entire conversations through the mere twitch of an eyebrow or the puffing of a cheek; it made him feel like he was being left out of the loop, something he intensely disliked.
“If you don’t believe me,” Zuko said in daring, dangerous tone, “Then I can take you down to the dungeons myself and introduce you to him.”
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary, Lord Zuko,” Aang snapped right back, putting that tiny emphasis on the word Lord that he knew Zuko hated. Zuko was too busy breathing a sigh of relief that Aang hadn’t called his bluff - he honestly wasn’t sure what had happened to the prisoner once he’d left the room. It hadn’t occurred to the Fire Lord to give any further directions regarding the man’s fate once he’d gotten what he wanted.
“With all due respect, Avatar Aang,” one of the advisors piped up, one of his older advisors from one of the more prominent noble families. “What Lord Zuko has done is so important. Think of the lives we’ll be able to save with this information, both in the ports and in the countryside where food and supplies would be needed!”
“Think of the life that Lord Zuko had to ruin in order to do so.” Aang muttered.
He couldn’t help rolling his eyes when Zuko responded smartly, “The well-being of many should always outweigh the life of one.”
For a moment he stood at the head of the table, glowering at the Avatar and avoiding eye contact with his uncle, and then with a sigh he waved his hand. “General Xie, please get me the latest infantry reports so we can decide who to send south. Everybody else is dismissed.”
For a moment everybody in the room sat still, weighed into motionlessness by the heavy atmosphere, and then slowly the advisors started to stand and work their way out of the room. Aang and his uncle lingered, as he had expected.
His uncle had a ponderous look on his face, and for a moment Zuko merely looked at him before asking, almost defensively, “What is it?”
“I was just thinking,” Iroh said sadly, finally pulling himself to his feet and brushing at his robes, “That the dungeons have been empty since Lord Ozai was defeated.”
Zuko couldn’t help the inadvertent whine at the mention of his father, escaping through clenched teeth, but as Iroh turned and made his way from the room Zuko lacked the words to call him back. He still felt he’d made the right decision, and he wanted more than anything for his uncle to understand and support him in that. His reign was useless without Iroh behind him, even if he did not rule the way Iroh would have himself.
He stared at the empty doorway where Iroh had once been, and then turned to look at the Avatar, who was looking at him somewhat disdainfully. Acting as the Avatar must have been swelling his ego, because his attitude towards Zuko had changed dramatically in the last few months.
“Can I have a word with you?” Zuko asked him quietly. He wanted to speak to Aang privately about the situation in the Earth Kingdom - Iroh had said something offhandedly while they’d been eating lunch and he, as the Avatar, was sure to have some insight.
“I’m sorry, Lord Zuko.” Aang’s eyes were distant as he also turned away from the Fire Lord. “I have to help Katara get ready. She’s leaving for the north tonight.”
Without another word, he started towards the door, and for a moment Zuko was too caught up in the terrible lack of respect Aang had just shown him.
Then the very important little detail that Aang had so casually thrown out wormed its way into the center of his brain, and Zuko couldn’t help the terrible bellow that rose up in response. “What do you mean, Katara’s leaving for the north?!”