(no subject)
Sokka stood on the cliffs of the island he chose to be the rendezvous point for the invasion. In the distance, he could see a small fleet mounting their way to the harbor he’d shown his father before they left the Fire Navy ship they’d captured. At first, all Sokka could see were several Fire Nation warships at the front of the line of the fleet, a sign that he himself found disturbing. For a while, he thought that the Fire Nation had discovered their plans, or even worse, had discovered that the Avatar was still alive. His worries were quelled, though, when he saw several ships that belonged to the Earth Kingdom, and an even bigger relief, that Water Tribe warships and longboats accompanied them.
Katara and Aang were standing with him now, watching the fleet come into the cove that would serve as a harbor for the secret invasion. The sounds of excited men and women along with the oppressive rumble of Fire Navy ships echoed throughout the island, awakening even Toph. Said young girl grumbled in an annoyed sort of way before moving to sit next to the others.
“What’s going on?” she asked groggily.
“The fleet’s here,” Sokka told her happily. “The invasion is going to start.”
“Oh, yeah!” The girl shouted out. “Let’s do some damage!” She pumped her fist in the air and pounded her foot on the floor. The ground beneath her propelled her into the air, causing her to back flip before neatly falling to the floor. Sokka smiled and rubbed her hair for a moment. She grabbed his arm and knocked the hand off her head in frustration. “Stop with the touchy-feely stuff, Snoozles, you’re making me vomit.”
Sokka laughed and started to walk down the natural slope that led into the cove. At least now he would be listened to.
----
“Just SHUT UP!” Sokka screamed impatiently at the Earth Kingdom soldier that was guarding the tent set up by his father, Bato, and a few others to be the tent where all the big wigs talked things out. Aang, Hakoda, Bato, The Mechanist they met in the Air Nomad temple, the former Earth King, Bumi, and several others that were apparently big in the war were in there. Katara was even extended an invitation, but she’d refused to go.
“Watch who you’re-.”
“I don’t care who I’m talking to!” Sokka shot out at the man. “The whole idea of making this place our rendezvous point and most of the planning for this whole invasion was done by me!” At this, the soldier just laughed before looking at Sokka in a condescending manner.
“And who would you be, Water Tribe?” He interrogated.
Sokka glared at him and brought his face close to the other’s in a glare. “I’m Sokka, of the Southern Water Tribe, and companion of the Avatar. I’m pretty sure they want me to be here.”
The man straightened up for a moment in thought before sneering at the young warrior. “Nope. They said they wanted Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, companion of the Avatar. Didn’t say anything about a Sokka.”
“WHAT?!” Sokka shouted out. “You can’t be serious!” He growled a bit as the man gave a sober nod. “Fine, whatever,” he mumbled. “I don’t want to be involved with the stupid war meeting anyway.”
Sokka marched off in a huff, ignoring the obvious snort of laughter that emitted from the guard as he walked away. He weaved his way through the ever-growing maze of tents that were being pitched up across the island, searching for a familiar face, if any. He’d run into a few of the Kyoshi warriors, but none of them were Suki, much to his disappointment. He spoke with a few earlier that morning, and even joined them in their morning practice, but all any of them would say is that she and her group had never returned from Ba Sing Se. They’d appointed a new leader, a young girl named Akiko, to head the Kyoshi Warriors until Suki returned, but Sokka could tell that they knew something was wrong.
The boy returned to the cliff face from where he spotted the advancing fleet and watched as the last of the ships made their way into the large cove. He sighed to himself as he watched. So much for being useful, he thought to himself.
----
It was two days later that the Fire Nation learned of the invasion.
A captured Fire Navy warship was spotted some distance away from the rendezvous before being apprehended by a small fleet of Fire Nation soldiers. Upon capture, the soldiers discovered that every person on the ship was of the Northern Water Tribe. The Water Tribe warriors put up a valiant effort that, in the end, proved useless against the designers of the ship they’d commandeered.
Although Fire Lord Ozai was not present, he’d commanded his children, Zuko and Azula, to preside over the interrogation of one of the prisoners there, a general of the Water Tribe forces, and apparently a skilled water bender.
Zuko had entered the dry and hot room and immediately began to feel the effects the room had on him. He grunted as he wiped some of the sweat from his forehead.
“Hello, brother,” a perversely calm voice behind him called out. He turned around to see his sister, Azula strut up to him with her typical air of confidence. Instead of her usual palace garb, or even the Fire Army uniform she’d put on, Azula was wearing a much-more-than-usual revealing outfit. Every color she had on seemed to darken from the last, if that was possible.
“What’s with your outfit?” he asked the girl as she stopped next to him.
Azula laughed and fingered her garb. “This old thing? I asked Father if I could take a more…proactive role in the interrogation. He naturally agreed.” She gave him her trademark smile as a dark-skinned man was brought in. He appeared to be not quite in his middle ages, but it was apparent with the small patch of graying hair in his wolf tail- A Water Tribe warrior mark, Zuko reminded himself- that he was close. His face was bruised up, and his eye seemed swollen with a bruise.
He noted grimly that he looked slightly like the Water peasants that aided the Avatar, and could have been a relative, had it not been for his knowledge that the two were from the Southern Tribe. He then smacked himself mentally for reminding himself of the Avatar and his questionable life status.
The guards that had ushered in the man subdued the valiantly fighting man, before strapping him into an elaborate body prison designed to hold benders.
“Commander…Arrluk, is it not?” Azula said coldly as they finally put him in restraints. “It’s a surprise, seeing you in my presence. I thought you would have died by now.”
“I’m not easy to kill,” Arrluk grunted out.
“We’ll see about that,” was Azula’s reply. “Now, Arrluk, let’s not disillusion ourselves as to what’s going on here.” She turned away from him and motioned to the guards. One moved near Zuko, bowing as he passed, and stopped at a door nearby.
“BRING IN THE SERUM!” the guard yelled, making Zuko flinch at the decibel. A resounding call was heard, and, a few minutes later, a cart was wheeled out. Situated on the cart was a box, where the occasional growl was heard.
“Good,” Azula said dully as the cart was placed before her. She unlatched the box and fearlessly stuck her hand in. A moment later, she pulled out a small animal, mammalian in appearance, but its tail was rigid and sectioned, like a bug’s.
“Do you know what this is, Commander?” she asked. After a moment of silence, she continued. “This is a scorperine. Very tame, if you know how to handle them. And few do. But if you rile them up, they tend to get a bit….skittish, if you will.” This was when the sister he’d known and feared for nearly a year came to the fore. “Now, Arrluk. You will tell me everything you know and why you found it necessary to commandeer a Fire Navy vessel. If you do not answer me, or I find your questions unsatisfactory, I’ll let this little brute have some fun with you. And while scorperine stings are not fatal…immediately, they are very painful.”