::Important to Note:: This story follows canon only up until The Library in Book 2. Appa was not stolen and transported to Ba Sing Se, although as originally intended, the Gaang still headed to the city. From the time they leave The Library is where this story diverges and is no longer canon.

Iridescent Clouds

"Insomnia is a vertiginous lucidity that can convert paradise itself into a place of torture." – Emil Cioran

Red lacquered nails rapped sharply atop the stone chair arm, granite embellished with gold that arched and swept beneath and around it's occupant like the long coils of a dragon whose likeness was carved in the form of a horned skull at the top of the throne's back, twin diamonds as red as blood glimmered from hollowed eye sockets. It fit the sharp, angular visage of the young woman seated upon a plush pillow within it all too well. She was straight backed as any Emperor, regal in the tilt of a finely shaped chin and plump rogue lips. She was a remarkable beauty, whispered about in all the isle of the Fire Nation, indeed even in the Colonies, Princess Azula's deceptive charm was talk of awe and wonder.

Truly she was a fitting bearer of her nation's standard, a being of perfection and grace and charisma. She was equal parts adored and feared, for her skill and the black-hearted ruthlessness tucked beneath such an expertly polished veneer. Indeed, even her dear father saw only as far within the black depths of amber eyes as she permitted, and long since had she come to suspect the wary paranoia with which he regarded her.

Azula was his Heir, the sole Heir to the Fire Lord's throne; and she was cunning, ambitions, manipulative in ways even Ozai had to take a moment to ponder – and question the wisdom of his having taught her so very well.

All this was pondered by the robed man, whose face hid behind the arched brows and pursed lips of a Noh mask, as he bowed to her and presented the tiny little scroll of parchment within an upturned palm. Azula regarded him with those unwavering eyes, a weight and heat upon his person that shook him to his core. For a young woman, she bore more resemblance to the dragons it was said her bloodline hailed from than any bender he'd ever met.

"So, it finally came. Well, I suppose one can't account for due speed when it comes to savage little backwater places like the Earth Kingdom."

Her chuckle was light, whimsical as the bells chimed at high noon when the Priests and Priestesses ventured from their great temples to offer service and prayer. It shook the courier's spine, beaded sweat on his brow as bowed curved more deeply in unvoiced apology for the delay. At length he heard her sigh, heard the sole of a boot tap the floor and felt her lingering above him, fingers plucking the scroll from his hand to read.

The courier chanced a glance up and watched those beautifully curved lips slash in a knife-like smile that set fire in golden eyes and Crown Princess Azula laughed in true humor while blue fire engulfed the parchment.

"Well done. You may go."

A careless flick of the wrist and the servant bowed again, forehead pressing against the smooth marble floor before he stood and stepped as easily back into shadow as if he were part of them.

Azula re-seated herself on the small throne, crossed her legs and sat back to contemplate the vague little update she'd received. It was far from being satisfying, but she could hardly sit down and waste ink and parchment with droning prose that would only be intercepted and destroyed by Earth Kingdom soldiers – no, she could not risk such foolishness, and neither could her correspondent.

"Well, we can only hope your treatment of Ba Sing Se's wounds works out, now can't we, my dear little spy?"

And she chuckled, good humor restored enough that she decided to seek out Ty Lee, perhaps a good physical spar with her oldest friend would work out this agitated energy tugging so incessantly at muscles.

彩雲

Fingers curled into fists beneath the long, bell-like sleeves of the Grand Secretariat's robe, anger trembling through muscle that twitched to strike and lash out and punish those who dared to defy his will. Inside he raged, seethed like rupturing earth over the shift of tectonic plates – outwardly visage was smoothed with the practice of a lifetime preparing for power and politics. Long Feng was a man quick to temper, quick to displease – but who never raged uncontrollably from his ire, and was perhaps, all the more fearsome for it.

Before him, the Dai Li agent dipped his head ever lower, and Long Feng could scent the uncertainty wafting from those hunched shoulders like a predator to spilt blood. The stone beneath rock-gloved fingers trembled when Long Feng took a step forward, arms crossing and gaze redirecting across the room.

"I will find who has dared to defy my will in these walls. This city is mine."

"Of course, sir. The Dai Li are, as we speak investigating the situation with the orphanages."

Long Feng paused at the evenly spoken words, a smile curling up the sleep corners of his mustache like the whiskers of a dragon's maw. Ah, his loyal Dai Li, he saved them, raised them up – they would never serve another master as thoroughly, as gladly as they bowed a knee to him.

"Good. Very good… I want you to watch them, I want to know who is funding these shelters, and who inspired them."

The Dai Li bowed deeper, and Long Feng knew he had at least one answer for him.

"The orphanages are being funded by some of the wealthier families of Ba Sing Se, it would see. Merchants, tailors, booksellers of high standing, some even Professors at the Academy. We can have a list prepared for you by the end of the day."

Long Feng nodded, hands crossing behind him, speaking positive of his improved disposition since those first damning words fell from the agent's lips.

"Very good, now, about who has spurred them into such action?"

The Dai Li was silent a moment, and Long Feng gave him that moment as he stepped up to his bookshelf, eyes scanning titles while thoughts spun and plans re-formed, his to-do list lengthening by this new problem. Oh, how he would make the fools responsible for this weep repentance.

"We, the Dai Li, suspect it is closely connected to the break in last week. Doctor Yìyàng has mentioned several of his dossiers and files are missing."

Lips pursed and ire raged in sickly green eyes, the rage roared by to life, and the Grand Secretariat turned, poised like the viper before a strike.

"Indeed? It would seem this Blue Spirit and his… commissioners intend to be a great deal more trouble. Fine. I want those orphanages watched, I want anyone remotely suspicious, or who could be tied in with a conspiracy against the Government brought to me. I will have my answers, and I will have an end to this farce of opposition."

The Dai Li agent bowed again before he stood and exited the room with a parting of stone wall like water at the dismissing gesture from Long Feng. The man himself turned from his exiting minion, brow trenched in deep furrows and venom twisting lips back in a silent snarl. He would have this foolish little vigilante's head – a little fool he'd only overlooked up until this point because he was no real threat to the established order. Now, this fool would regret daring to overstep his place, of that Long Feng would assure.

With such cheering thoughts, the Grand Secretariat resumed his desk and set about the never-ending paperwork which accompanied his position.

彩雲

It wasn't that Sokka was distrustful in general, it was only that this was important and it was something he needing to check up on himself. It was his idea after all, and it would be more than a little humiliating to have it fall through simply because he couldn't be bothered to follow up on his own plans. No. In the seven- going-on-eight, years he'd been in Ba Sing Se, Sokka learned to be a leader; learned that it was more than giving commands and making decisions, learned to shoulder the responsibility and repercussions that came with it. He was rather proud of how much he'd grown. Which all culminated into his persistence in this little errands; checking the orphanages.

Construction was easy enough with earth benders, it was decorating and acquiring permits (luckily such mundane things went through the lower management offices), and filling them with children. Even now, they were filling up, so perhaps that was also easy. These kids were drawn by food and the promise of shelter, of an actual bed to sleep in rather than moldy hay or whatever stoop would shelter them from the weather. So far everything looked to be going well; no attacks, no abductions from the guarded facilities. It left a flutter like hope in his chest that had the Water Tribesman grinning as he turned down an alley, caught up in his own success and the safety of these children – and consequently not paying attention to what was happening around him as closely as he should have been. It was shameful and Piandao would have him doing demeaning, basic workouts in punishment for his slacking vigilance. They couldn't afford to lose anyone, they couldn't afford Sokka being captured because he was a La damned fool and hadn't bothered to check for a tail, when they all knew how pissed the Dai Li would be.

He was only saved by the knives kept hidden on his person, primarily in his boots, by hair-trigger reflexes trained and honed against sword and earth and boomerang and fist and wind and water and ice and fire… Still staggered when earth crumbled away and open like the gaping maw of the Unagi, slammed his shoulder and wasn't quick enough to gain his bearings before rock gloves snatched at ankle and foot and wrist. The dagger fell with a metallic clatter and one Dai Li approached from the front, the other hovering at his back, ready to launch more of the restraining earth should Sokka prove a problem.

The Dai Li before him pressed a finger to his neck, and Sokka had but a moment to marvel at the leaps and bounds they made in technology when he heard the sputter of static.

"Target acquired."

It left ice in his veins, realization a cold sick in his stomach in the face of that empty-eyed stare. Sokka wondered if perhaps Dai Li were not subjected to their own form of brainwashing. It was a revolting notion, but not something he really should be worrying about when they were about to drag him off somewhere to be interrogated. Sokka smiled, baring teeth and covering nerves.

"So, Dai Li guys, heh, what a… surprise to see you here!"

His voice cracked and the agent in front made a gesture of agitation.

"Silence. We know who you are." Lips curled in a nasty expression, empty eyes glimmering with gleeful malice. "Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, thought to have perished 7 years ago with the Avatar's death… but we've been watching."

The sick feeling doubled and Sokka opened his mouth to wheedle out anything else the Dai Li might know – and was cut off by a gasp and the wet, gurgling sound of blood filling throat from behind him. Both he and the forward agent jerked in shock, eyes riveted to the body collapsing in a pool of crimson as the slender edge of a wakizashi slipped from where it was plunged through the left breast. The living agent lunged, hurling rock gloves and shifting to bend more earth behind them; but he wasn't fast enough for the blue-masked figure. The rock gloves were swatted aside by a kick, and the Blue Spirit lunged, graceful as a jaguar diving for prey, wakizashi poised to still the heart and senbon flying from coiled fingers, leaden with poison to slow their mark.

Earth relied so much on sheer power, and these Dai Li could not bend with the speed and meticulous finesse of Toph Bei Fong – the agent was cut down before the stone beneath them could find purchase on the Blue Spirit, breaths gurgling from slashed throat and adrenaline hyped heart pounding poison through veins at twice the speed.

Sokka was impressed, there weren't many non-benders so accustomed to battling a bender, and as his compatriot flicked blood from folded steel and went about gathering up the handful of senbon, he took the time to study. Again. Always was the analytical mind Sokka prided himself on dissecting a situation, or a person. Every skill, every weapon Sokka witnessed the Blue Spirit employ (so far) was noted; strengths, weaknesses, information said or accidentally given away – all of it committed to memory. After all, he never knew in these times, when such an enigmatic ally could become an enemy; and he would not risk the health of his friends, family, or the citizens of Ba Sing Se should the Blue Spirit prove untrustworthy.

"You were careless." The Blue Spirit remarked in a caustic tone.

"Well hello to you too, buddy-old-pal." Sokka snarked with a roll of his eyes and soft huff.

"Let's go before more of them show up." Intoned that low, hazy voice – undaunted by Sokka's singular sarcasm.

The Tribesman didn't even have time to rebuke the statement before a gloved hand latched onto his wrist and drug him down the alley, took a sharp right and began a zig-zag through the labyrinth of buildings. It was almost unnerving, to only hear the tread of one set of footsteps, even at this speed. Sokka marveled at how quietly his companion moved; wondered how that step would hold up to Toph's tremor sense, or how it compared to Aang's "twinkle-toe" steps. Then, they were approaching an unfamiliar building after hopping a fence onto some poor fool's property, the Blue Spirit was quite obviously unbothered by basic moral scruples such as trespassing. Sokka was rather unbothered himself, given the situation, and gladly followed the masked man into the building and out of sight.

They were tucked amid bales of hay and a few ostrich horses, the sleek, high-bred sort only those with money could afford to spend time breeding. They twittered and rustled feathers, but otherwise paid no heed to the intruders, and Sokka was left to wonder just how often his companion used this particular barn when the Blue Spirit patted one of the animals on the nape and rubbed its head to an affectionate titter.

"Why were the Dai Li following you?" The question held no accusation, hinted that the vigilante had his own ideas already.

Sokka shrugged negligently. "We implemented a way to keep the kids safer. I won't say safe, because I don't know if it's possible to be safe in this city entirely."

That painted grin turned to him, and Sokka frowned, irked again by the impassivity of his comrade's face.

"I see. I thought perhaps you had done something… although, I'm amazed you have the contacts here to act so quickly." There was suspicion in his tone, Sokka heard it plain as day, for however quiet and flat the Blue Spirit spoke, a trickle of wariness always managed to show through.

"Yeah well, I'm a man of many talents…" Sokka chuckled, flexed a muscle theatrically and ignored the twitch of irritation from his friend. "Really, that's not something I'm at liberty to tell you." The man's expression turned sheepish, but tone remained firm. This was not something he trusted a vigilante, whose name and face he did not know, with.

The Blue Spirit shrugged, turning back to the ostrich horse. "Then, have you any more big plans besides the orphanages?"

Sokka considered a moment, expression darkening. "Yeah. I need someone with station. Someone who would be in the know… with some power." Blunted nails scratched at stubble. "I just happen to have the perfect candidate in mind too."

"Oh? Who would that be?" But he knew, without having to ask, which twisted soul Sokka wanted.

"The doctor." Venom turned rumbling tones to acid, an almost hiss between clenched teeth – and Zuko was sharply reminded of just how prized children were in the South Pole, whose harsh climate and hard-to-find bounty meant few children. Especially with no Water Benders.

"Fine. I'll meet you at your little… base in two days." Sokka moved to Protest the Blue Spirit, but masked head shook firmly. "No. The Dai Li are on high-alert right now. More so when they find those bodies. Just what do you imagine we would be able to do tonight, or tomorrow?"

"Everything while their numbers are spread through the city looking for us." Sokka stated plainly.

"We don't know how many of them there are, Sokka." He sounded tired, stretched thin with the arguing and Sokka hesitated in his arguing, eying his companion with some concern.

Surely there wasn't something… wrong? As though sensing the weight of scrutiny, those hunched shoulders straightened, tensing in a line of irritation that was somehow familiar to Sokka, but Blue's voice gave nothing away when he spoke again.

"Two days, Sokka, and I'll lead you back in…" He stepped around the tribesman, hesitated at the door. "Bring cheese… don't rats like that?"

Sokka choked on his own tongue, because Tui and La there was nothing funny about that pun but… but how could he not laugh? His companion sounded so serious, and practically skipped out of the barn in some sort of ridiculous pride at the look on Sokka's face.

~ Two Days Later ~

A bare foot slammed earthen ground, armored arms crossed and a scowl twisted pert lips.

"For the last time, Snoozles, I'm going with you. I've got a mask and your little boyfriend can just deal. Do you know how much faster this will be if I go? You two dunderheads won't have to stumble around in this ant colony of Dai Li all night and not find anything."

Sokka wanted to argue with Toph, he really, really did; exposing another of their group to this wild-card just didn't sit right with him. If it was just him, then any betrayal was only likely to affect him… but the more people the Blue Spirit was brought into contact with, the higher the risk of exposure for them all. Still, she spoke sense, and Toph would know if Blue was nervous, lying… she could pick a better read on the man than Sokka could hope to. At length, shoulders slumped and he rubbed at tired eyes.

"Fine, Toph. But make sure you're wearing the mask." He sounded almost as tired as he felt, Toph grunted.

"Snoozles, in case you haven't noticed, I'm the blind bandit. Mask or not, he's probably gonna know who I am, if he knew you were the Avatar's buddy." The earth bender drawled, picking at her nose and reclining against stone walls like it was a hammock.

"Fine, whatever… ugh." Sokka was irked, frustrated to have Toph here, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why beyond the logical reasons. It was just another liability… but somehow that wasn't all… and it felt almost like she was butting in, infringing on his time. The Tribesman shook his head, frowning against the odd train of thought and sipped at the strong, black coffee chosen in place of tea for the long night ahead.

It seemed an age passed before Toph stood from the wall, foot sliding against the floor with a grind of stone trailing behind, and the Blue Spirit's visage slipped into the small space with some caution. Toph smirked, arms crossing and hip jutting to one side.

"Well, at least your boyfriend has some sense, Sokka." She drawled mockingly.

Sokka groaned. "Toph… for the last time." But the sentence wasn't finished, narrowed blue eyes would have said it all – could Toph see.

Instead she picked her ear and stomped a heel before reclining back onto a stone chair. Those milky, sightless eyes were fixed upon the shadow looming across the room, far enough away to attack or flee should the situation turn nasty. He was perhaps more wary of them than they were of him. Toph found this… interesting. She also found the steady, whispering thump of a heartbeat interesting as well – where was the adrenaline? Where was the fear she could sense in the tense vibrations of muscle? Added on top of the fact that this Blue Spirit was already outside the wall before she sensed his steps and the Blind Bandit was ready to start hurling boulders just to see what other curious things she could find.

Instead, she was distracted by the firm tremors of Sokka's standing when he gestured to Blue.

"Ah, this is… Toph… She's a really powerful earth bender and I thought, well, she'd probably be a big help… you know, navigating the tunnels."

Blue remained silent, still wary – eyes hidden by the shadows of a mask scrutinizing the two before him for any sort of trap. Even with Sokka's explanation, a lifetime of bad luck and traps left them more than a little hesitant to believe stumbling explanations. Yet, after one step, and then three forward didn't end with him encased in rock, he relaxed. Somewhat. Toph was grinning next to Sokka, in what could be interpreted as approval.

"Well, why don't we get this joy-ride moving?" Knuckles met palm and the young woman stood up. "I've got a serious itch to pound on some assholes."

Blue almost took several retreating steps when he found himself looking up at Toph. She was huge – and while most of the Earth Kingdom natives were larger than the other peoples, he felt this was rather a little ridiculous. Toph seemed to sense his thoughts because she barked a laugh, punched Sokka in the shoulder and gestured for them to move it.

Three figures slipped from the building, faces covered and bodies clothed in dark hues. Speech was abandoned now, for none could afford the Dai Li's attentions. They wove, like wraiths, through sparsely lit streets, clinging to shadows and alert to voices and tremors. Their journey was swift and focused, and ended in a field of the lower ring. All three were winded from the journey, took a moment to brace themselves and just breathe before the real leg of the journey began.

"So, we're in, we grab this Quack and we leave?" Toph reaffirmed in a low voice, cracking knuckles.

"Yeah. Preferably with as little ruckus attracting their attention to us as possible." Sokka stressed, tapping a foot.

Toph shrugged and Blue offered no comment, merely watching the two antagonize each other with more than a little uncertainty. Maybe he should have just… stayed home tonight. Yeah, being home and pretending to conveniently forget about helping Sokka with his hair-brained, half-planned ideas; but it was too late and now the earth was parting beneath them like a slide, and down, down they flew – deposited within a circular chamber void of light.

Ah, the times fire bending would be useful.

Toph led the way, sighting the tunnel with the occasional fist to stone or foot to floor, falling still in a display Blue found unnerving and amazing. From nearly a mile in every direction she could sense a rough idea of what was there – could pick up heartbeats and more detailed "imagery" from one-hundred feet. It was a terrifying skill, one he was glad not to have turned against him; though he had no illusions she had put it to work taking stock of him. She was far too precocious a person not to have done so.

Then they came to their first obstacle; a locked metal door that proved as much a deterrent for Toph Bei Fong as wood to a fire bender. The Blind Bandit truly was the greatest earth bender he'd ever seen, or even heard legend of.

It left something to be desired in the gravity of the mission, where he'd prepared for even more care to be taken in their snooping this time – all of his preparations (mostly mental to deal with Sokka), seemed incredibly… useless. They flew through the corridors, winding like a maze of ants, round and round at speeds they wouldn't dare had they only eyes to rely upon. It wasn't until they almost ran into a sleeping guard perched upon a wooden chair that fickle flight was subdued, and Toph had to explain to a rather irate Blue Spirit that she couldn't sense vibrations through wood. How it was distorted, muzzy like opening your eyes in cloudy water. Perhaps it was needless to say Toph was not impressed with her own limitations – and Blue was left with little doubt if she could she'd find a way to hone those preternatural senses around that weakness.

He wondered briefly what Azula would think, to come up against such an opponent, wondered if there would be anything left between Toph's iron will and his sister's indomitable need to win.

"Toph, haven't you found anything yet?" Sokka' whispered as they paused at an enclave, taking a moment to breathe and scout ahead.

The young woman was silent a moment, lips pursed and fingers twitching against the wall. "I'm not even sure what exactly I'm looking for."

Sokka gesticulated frustration. "Look for… I don't know, I closed off room. It'll probably only have one entrance. Lots of little rooms around it to hold their… prisoners… probably only going to be a few people in it." He hesitated, unsure how to describe the twisted machines to a person who couldn't see. "And metal. A lot of metal. It's what they build those freaky machines out of."

Toph nodded, stopped foot and struck the wall again, and Blue felt the earth tremble beneath his boots. A moment later and Toph shifted, shoulders jerking back and lips curling up in a smirk.

"I think I found your man, Sokka."

In silence they set off again, all feeling the prickle of impatience to have this done now that they were so close to their target. Still, it felt like a long time before Toph began to slow again, pausing some feet away from and to the side of a large, steel door without any openings. A smell of chemicals and blood lingered in the hall, barely masking a stench of unwashed skin. Sound didn't permeate the door, and seemed to hint at just how thick it was. Toph motioned them to stay as she slunk forward, fingers gliding along the rough stone walls, feet seeming to shift through stone like sand. Palms pressed flat against stone by the door, and Zuko heard the woman breathe in, deep and focused like a meditation, and exhale a controlled, steady stream.

彩雲

Inside the room a man shifted and turned about, alone in his projects despite the urgings of a particularly nervous Dai Li agent. Pish, he couldn't have fools in here stumbling in the way of his glorious work – or worse, deciding to pity his glorious subjects as they moaned and called out from tongue-less mouths. He couldn't have them blabbering and whining about how they wanted to be free now could he? Hehe, they were so much more enjoyable, the little beasts, when they couldn't talk. So much easier to deal with flailing arms than wagging tongues.

He chuckled to himself as he relished in this hallowed space, void of human disruption; filled only with the glug and gurgle of bubbling solutions, the hiss and steam of vapors filling the air, the scurrying rustle of the little beasts in their cells, rolling about in mildewed hay. He giggled, shimmied hips and hop-skipped to his table, fingers clicking tongs of well-kept steel together as he bent over the amputee body strapped to his table. What behavior could he expect from beasts mistakenly given power? Although that too was as despicable as the things themselves. Fire indeed. Fire was a tool to hone science, it was master of nothing!

The creature on his table shrieked and jerked, a reflex of muscle more than true understanding of the pain. The man grunted and avoided an unfortunate spurt of blood that stained his sleeve, perhaps he shouldn't think of undeserving nature of Fire Nation mongrels while working. This was such a delicate task, he didn't want to kill his little pet before he was done shrinking the lungs! He giggled again, patted the beast's head and began stitching.

It gurgled and frothed mindlessly, spit hanging from the side of its mouth from the narcotic flowing (a blessing it didn't deserve, really) into its veins.

"There, there my little beast. I need you alive long enough to see if you can still spit your fire with smaller lungs." A grin stretched cracked lips, tongue sliding against the chapped skin while hungry green eyes preyed upon mindless ocher. "After all, you shouldn't need all that oxygen now, eh, with your legs and arms gone… hehehehehe."

He stepped back, humming to himself as he dropped dirtied tools into antiseptic, reached for a larger needle and durable thread, after all, it wouldn't need proper stitches. Yes, it didn't deserve that, he only really needed to stitch it up well enough to -

Earth moved, like living liquid it rose, snaked about ankles and legs and torso - twined about body and over mouth - too quickly for lips to part around a shout of alarm. Arms were immobile, twisted down and to sides by that liquid earth, moving as he'd never seen any but Dai Li command. He was trapped, and eyes bulged from sockets when steel door crumpled and curled from hinges like a wilting flower. All at the command of a young woman, who looked not at him, but through him and that sick fascination, such as he held for all things unexplained, stirred like madness behind bulging eyes.

She was followed by two men, whose faces were covered - and one a very familiar sight. The doctor grinned, despite his position, a greedy curl of lips that spoke of all the sick fantasies to have played out in what he considered his own genius mind. Such beautiful subjects, they would make perfect additions to his collection, and fingers itched to delve inside them, to pull them apart, break them down until he understood every nuance of how they ticked.

Earth squeezed and the world went black.

彩雲

"Disgusting." Sokka gagged, chocolate skin a sickly green and considered Toph lucky in this situation, not to be able to see what was in front of them.

"Yeah." Her voice was a whisper, and Sokka thought perhaps, with her senses enhanced that it wasn't a blessing. Not when the spell of vomit, and urine, and sick, and death hovered like miasma around the room. It was worse than the last time he stepped in here, obviously its previous state was one of recent cleaning. Now… the Tribesman clutched at his stomach to avoid spilling its contents all over the floor.

"Anyway," Sokka started, "we need to get out of here. I don't think there's much help for these people." 'What's left of them' went unsaid, and for that, Toph was thankful as she nodded, shifted hands and earth released its prisoner, but manacles of stone remained about mouth and arms and legs. It was a good thing this psychotic scientist was a shriveled little man, or Sokka would have begrudged his status as pack animal. The two friends turned to leave, but Toph hesitated at her second step, turning head with a frown to their masked companion.

"Hey, you coming?"

Sokka looked when Toph voiced the question, and found Blue staring almost transfixed at the soon-to-be corpse laying on what sufficed as an operation table. The man was froze, shoulders drawn into a taunt line and hand curled into a fist at his side - and perhaps it was merely a trick of the hazy stench of this "lab", but Sokka thought perhaps that fist shimmered with heat. The other hand was outstretched, as if to comfort or grab or end the half-dead boy's suffering - but it dropped again to Blue's side, and rose. He was stuck there, in a sick sort of limbo, torn between leaving with their target and helping these brutalized people with one foot in the grave.

Sokka watched a tremble work its way through the lithe angles of that body, thought he could hear the trembling swallow and staggered breath; and remembered their conversation through a drunken haze. He remembered Blue's conflict and disgust with how these Fire Nation prisoners were treated, remembered the horror he felt himself at such a sight.

Killing your enemy in battle, that was honorable. Both met expecting only one to come out alive. Capturing prisoners who surrendered, holding them until the conflict was won, or resolved in another way… that was doable, that was honorable; this was not. The Dai Li, and this madman on his shoulder and whoever was in charge, were playing with lives like it was all a game.

'What would Aang think of this? Would he still want to save people like this? Would he want to forgive them?'

Sokka didn't try to answer the silent question himself, knew he couldn't… knew Aang would not have been able to do so, and bowed his head before taking the few steps needed to clap a hand to Blue's shoulder. The other man twitched, a flinch that almost rolled into instinctive retaliation but halted with that impassive grin turned upon Sokka once again. A wan smile was offered, though Blue couldn't see it.

"C'mon, we need to get out of here… kill him if you need to… but we can't take them all. I don't know if it wouldn't be more cruel that way…"

His hand fell away and Blue nodded, gesturing he and Toph to go ahead as he turned back to the lab. Sokka nodded, and Toph led the way out, both pointedly not looking back; but at least one thing was clear now, if it hadn't been made so before.

"You realize he's probably Fire Nation?" Toph said before Sokka could acknowledge the thought. His smile was tight and grim.

"Yeah, and I don't know if that's better or worse."

Toph nodded her agreement and didn't bother informing Blue of their realization when he joined them again, silent and drawn into himself like a gloomy shadow.

They were almost to their exit when the explosion shoot the earth at their feet and over their head. Sokka gave the Blue Spirit a look and then they were all hauling ass out of there. Feet stomped the ground, distant shouts and shifting stone created a cacophony of vibrations and Toph was nearly dizzy with the chaos of it as she thrust fists and foot forward and the earth parted above their heads, rose beneath their feet to reveal a lightening expanse of pre-dawn sky. All three were cursing as they tore from the area, legs slamming as fast as they could with the additional burden of the "good doctor".

"Why… did you have… to blow… it… up?!" Sokka hissed breathlessly as they paused in their flight and Toph took that moment to check the area.

"Because… it's a distraction, and there won't be enough left to prove the doctor was taken. He could've just as easily blown himself up."

Sokka paused at that succinct evaluation, and surprisingly good forethought.

"You two ninnies shut your traps and let's go - I don't want to be spotted by some moron or the Dai Li." Toph grouched and shoved both into movement again.

All-in-all, Sokka mused, this break-in was much more anti-climactic than the last.

彩雲

They returned to the safe-house without further incident, depositing their burden in an earthen cage formed quickly by Toph. Sokka collapsed into a chair, breaths heaving as he tossed his ridiculous head-wrappings away and groaning. Blue hovered by the door, watching them, unprepared to leave quite yet.

"What will you do with him?" He asked instead, haltingly taking his own chair.

"Interrogate him. See what he knows, or who he knows." Toph's voice was dark and she gave the stone bars a resounding kick before parting a far wall and vanishing from sight.

Blue stared after her a moment before turning to Sokka, hoping for something a little less… vague, but the tribesman seemed in no hurry to enlighten him. The first spark of annoyance heated his stomach; this involved him too, now that Sokka drug him into it… now that he knew what was being done to his people. Perhaps Sokka didn't know that, but it was beside the point. Blue crossed his arms, reclining in his chair and leveling a scathing glare on the peasant across from him; a glare Sokka felt despite being unable to see Blue's eyes – and ignored.

"I rather hoped you would be more willing to share what exactly you want from this guy. After all, it doesn't seem like you needed my help – but I was involved anyway…" Blue hesitated, because Sokka was watching now, that gaze suddenly sharp and unreadable. "I want to know what's being done to my- to these people, and why they're doing it… though I have an idea."

"So you are Fire Nation then."

It wasn't a question and Sokka was leaning forward now, elbows on the table and keen eyes seeming to pick Blue apart regardless of the mask and bland clothes. The vigilante leaned back and away, chin raising and head tilting in an almost defensive inquiry – more a gesture of shock and slight confusion.

"Why do you think that?" He asked, hesitantly.

Sokka shrugged. "Because of how affected you were by the prisoners. I was upset that someone could do that to people but… it seemed more personal for you." A brow arched and lips quirked almost sarcastically. "That and you blew up the lab."

Blue tensed, almost bristled and Sokka was again struck by the strangest sense of Déjà Vu. He shook the sensation and rested his chin atop knuckles, still studying his reluctant companion.

"When we question this guy… I want to know his name, the names of others, their goal…" Sokka sighed and Blue relaxed marginally. "Other questions really depend on how he answers. If he's just a psycho who was given a vague directive and allowed to play maker on prisoners and civilians."

Blue nodded, before looking about the room and Sokka pointed him to a cabinet, almost amused and a bit shocked with himself for understanding what the other man was looking for.

"I swear, you and your tea." He remarked, chuckling tiredly. Blue paused a moment, confused at Sokka's humor before shrugging the weirdness off and setting about making tea.

Sokka snickered. "I don't think I've ever seen someone as young as you who loves tea so much… well, I'm just assuming you're young actually."

And again the Tribesman was scrutinizing Blue with that penetrative gaze that set nerves on end at the same time it inspired him to double check posture and action; because Agni forbid he look like a fool with the peasant staring. It was a really maddening reaction to those too-blue eyes, but one Blue couldn't quite shake; he ignored it instead.

"I enjoy tea, and it has a nice flavor… usually, better than what you apparently like to imbibe." So perhaps he sounded a bit snippy, if Sokka's placating hands were evidence enough. Blue huffed and poured the water over the leaves.

"You're quite rude, you know?" Blue continued, more to fill the silence and pave the way for his next question.

Sokka blinked, amused. "Rude? Is that why you're always bristling like a boar-q-pine when I say or ask you stuff?" The drawl was casual, the grin a notch below shit-eating. Blue gestured rather rudely. Sokka whistled and chuckled. "Maybe you're just too sensitive."

Even with that mask, Sokka knew when he was being given a baleful look, had experienced enough of those from Katara in his life. He coughed and grabbed a couple of cups for the tea Blue poured.

"Anyway, by your change of subject, I take it you are Fire Nation – and that's not a bad thing, I don't thing, but it does explain a lot." Sokka shrugged, blew on his tea and yet again tried to catch his companion in the act of lifting that mask to drink.

Another failure, but they had time yet.

"So, do you plan to interrogate this man soon?" Blue gestured to the doctor, and Sokka considered him for a long, long moment.

"Yes." Sokka said simply, sipping at his own tea and quietly marveling at how… full the taste was despite the leaves being the same that were always here.

"I wondered, if you would be opposed to sharing the information?" Blue continued, quietly irked by Sokka's monosyllabic answer.

"Sure. I mean, I sort of figured you have a personal stake in this now."

Blue nodded in reply, it was true enough.

"Tomorrow night, meet me back here, and I'll update you." Sokka continued, already beginning to stand, Blue nodded his agreement.

Earth parted like a curtain and Toph slipped into the room, saluted the two men sarcastically and proceeded to bend the cage through the wall she entered from. Blue watched for a heartbeat before shaking his head and making his own exit. Tomorrow night he would have some answers, and maybe he would be able to sleep more, free of phantom screams and mutilated bodies.

彩雲

There was no time for sleep before the work began, they hadn't a moment to waste when Sokka and Toph had focus enough to remain awake (and plenty of that disgusting coffee to energize system). The doctor was drug down to their little base of operations, tucked into the rough equivalent of a cell and left while the White Lotus was rallied. There were only key players remaining in Ba Sing Se – the rest had ventured to other havens, hidden and tucked away and cut off from news; but these members were their best bet for extracting the information they wanted.

Piandao turned down the offer, for he was a warrior but he was not a torturer and his own disposition would not hold up to such cruelties. Still, he remained, while Jeong Jeong slipped into the room, head bowed and eyes glimmering with old demons. The old fire bender was perhaps more hunch-backed than Sokka had ever seen him before, as though carrying a weight he had hoped to never again experience. It was a disheartening realization, to watch these men who should be retired, sipping tea and play Pai Sho and maybe even bouncing a grandchild on their knee, shed humanity to take up arms once again.

The door of this make-shift "interrogation room" closed with a finality that was almost unnerving, leaving those outside wondering in almost morbid fascination. Noises, muffled and mumbled could be heard, and Katara would have long since excused herself, Sokka figured, were it not for the water bender's vested interest in the situation. Hakoda and Pakku waited with them, Toph had long since excused herself for sleep with a "why should I stand here when I can see just as clearly from my room". She had a valid point and Sokka almost envied her comfort as he shifted again in the stiff wooden chair.

After a time, the door opened and Jeong Jeong stepped out, shoulders taunt and eyes brittle. "Perhaps there is a way to have our answers… but I find myself hesitating in the face of such… barbarism. I left it once, I do not know that I can return."

Hakoda rested a hand on the elder man's shoulder, a look of understanding shared between them – but Jeong Jeong remained with the group.

"Well, perhaps you all have moral or intestinal scruples with such a task – I do not. This vermin can hardly be called human, what guilt shall I have for putting an end to his terror?"

Katara smiled ironically at Pakku's acerbic speech, dusting off the front of his furs before striding into the room with all the arrogant grace he'd ever displayed. Sokka couldn't help grinning after the old man.

"Ahh, Grand-Pakku never changes." He sighed. Katara giggled.

"No… no he doesn't." Another giggle, shook her shoulders and the atmosphere seemed lighter, clearer somehow despite the gravity of the situation.

The waited, again, and longer this time - and Sokka had some hope that Pakku would succeed in his mission. If nothing else, Pakku's brand of scathing, esteem butchering sarcasm would be enough torture for anyone. Silence settled with the wait, time seemed to creep by - minutes like hours without conversation to fill the gap, with anticipation hanging over their heads until at last the door opened.

"Disappointingly enough, I may just kill him if I continue." Were the first, hissed words the old water bender offered them.

Sokka flinched, Hakoda pinched the bridge of his nose. "We've been here almost all day… we could try slower methods, but there just isn't time. Did you manage to find out anything?" The Chief sounded as exhausted as Sokka felt, but both were keen on any little detail.

"Oh yes, I found out plenty about what he was doing to his pets as he called them." Pakku shuddered, fists clenched at his sides. "He saw none of them as human, just offers to his great science - hah! He's a lunatic and too deranged to respond with any sense."

Katara hesitated. "Do you think, if I tried to heal his mind it would help?"

Four pairs of incredulous eyes turned to her, and the young woman glared right back. "There's a chance, if he's… broken in that way, then even trying to repair it tell me something."

She may have continued, but Pakku was shaking his head. "No. I do not think he is broken… just twisted. He is broken in a way that can't be reversed, I do not think he was ever… right to begin with."

Katara grimaced, cheeks blanching slightly - because she knew, in all these years she'd further honed her healing, she'd learned about those who were born with pieces missing. Not all of them were insane, or evil - or twisted, but even her water bending couldn't heal what was never there.

"It could also be that he was subject to training specialized against certain degrees or types of interrogation." Jeong Jeong put in, his dragon-whisker mustache twitching.

"That's going to make this more difficult… I'd hoped it would be easier." Sokka sighed out, half irritated but mostly too exhausted to think straight.

"What about your… friend?" Katara ventured, hesitant and distrusting but willing, under the circumstances to utilize any resource.

Sokka jerked, eyes popping wide and lips parting. Of course. It was simple. Hadn't Blue expressed an interest in the doctor? Sokka would almost bet that was in hopes of laying some violence on the man, but if Blue could control himself… not kill the quack the moment he saw him, well.

"You're a genius, sis!" The man bounced from his chair, buoyed by hope, before his sobered. "But, we'll have to move this guy. I still don't trust this Blue Spirit enough to bring him down here… he's too… sneaky. I don't think even Toph could get a good read on him."

Katara shared his frown before nodding, and decided, discussed when and where and how. Easy enough since Sokka expected Blue to meet him at the safe house that night.

彩雲

The day passed in a haze, the questions swirling and exhaustion left a fog over Zuko's thoughts nothing seemed to lift. Smiles were distant as tea was served, words spoken smoothly - but absently in a way that hinted at distraction. It left the patrons of the Jasmine Dragon in a tizzy of gossip about what could be distracting their Li so much. Of course, the prime suggestions were a girl - and of course Uncle encouraged these thoughts, because why should it not be?

Zuko hardly noticed any of it, as he counted the hours down until he could have his own answers.

So imagine his surprise when, clad in mask and almost black green, he stepped into his meeting place with Sokka to find not only Toph present, but also another man. A frisson of anxiety shot up his spine, and fingers twitched to go for blades or poisoned senbon - truly only stayed by Sokka's wide-eyed, placating gesture. The Tribesman was standing, approaching at a slow pace, much as one would a wild animal - recognizing all too well the hostile slant slim shoulders had taken, how Blue shifted back a half-step, ready to lunge forward at whatever threat came.

"Hey, hey it's okay, buddy." Sokka stammered out, half panicked and Toph snickered.

It was perhaps the young woman's expression more than Sokka's stumbling reassurances that calmed Blue's hair-trigger reaction to suspicious situations. Sokka visibly deflated, shoulders sagging and breath puffing out in a sigh of relief. The third man had yet to move, but now that Blue really looked at him, he was struck by an uncanny familiarity with that face. Blue, blue eyes set into a wide brow, chocolaty skin and rich brown hair; there was age there, the mouth set in a grim line, the jaw a bit more square, the bear struck through with the first signs of grey, and scars crossing muscled biceps that spoke of many battles.

Sokka's father. It struck with some wonder, and Blue questioned why it hadn't really occurred to him that of course the Tribesman's father would be involved in this somehow. Chief Hakoda, leader of the Southern Water Tribe fleet - the longest surviving naval force to face off (not head-on of course) against the Fire Nation Navy.

Toph must have picked up on his recognition, because attention suddenly focused on Blue in a way that prickled skin, and it was several breaths before he was sure her spike in curiosity waned. Or perhaps, just distracted by Sokka's returned speech.

"Sorry to spring someone else on you… but we had some unexpected problems while interrogating the doctor."

Blue's head turned sharply to the other man. "Problems?"

Sokka nodded, scratching at his own growing goatee with irritation. "Yeah. The guy wasn't as easy to crack as we thought he'd be… and prying out the information hasn't worked with the methods we've tried so far."

Behind the mask of Blue, Zuko rolled his eyes. The tone that whispered out in a husk, however, showed none of the derision the ex-Prince felt. "Of course it wouldn't."

Sokka, Hakoda and Toph all stared - but it was Hakoda who broke the lingering silence.

"Of course? You speak as though it were obvious…"

Blue gestured with one hand flippantly. "He is a researcher, developer - scientist - a driving force for a covert organization. A group no one knows anything about except maybe those people involved in it." He counted off on fingers now, with the ease only one who grew up in the cut-throat politics of court life. "It's a political group, likely the leaders are heads of state in Ba Sing Se, or leader. It's undoubtedly old, the power games probably run as far back as the Dai Li themselves… and what they're doing… it's not low-grade crazy. I doubt anyone weak survives long, I doubt we'll find any loose-ends because they wouldn't leave them alive."

In the face of their almost shocked silence, Blue shifted weight from foot to foot, frowning. How was it not all obvious? Suddenly, he wasn't so sure of this, regardless of the fact none of these people were familiar with the inner workings of governments such as the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. He supposed it was perhaps a cultural…miscommunication… prayed that is all it was as he mentally shrugged off the bafflement and posed another question.

"So… what does that have to do with this other person?"

Sokka shook himself visibly, but the irritation at his own oversight lingered like a shadow in his eyes.

"He's here because we brought the doctor back here… I was thinking maybe you could deal with the questioning, since our methods were useless."

Him? Have a chance to repay all the pain he bestowed, ever-so-kindly on his people? Zuko would be absolutely elated – already that black monster was roaring vengeful hunger in his soul, and fingers itched to begin.

"Of course." The hiss was, perhaps not quite as apathetic as Blue hoped, when Sokka flinched back from the venom of it and Toph cocked a brow.

"One thing… we need all of our questions answered, we can't have you killing him… and he tends to say some… really disturbing stuff." Sokka said, firm and unyielding.

Blue shrugged, as though that much was even more obvious; besides, the longer the good doctor lived, the more pain he would endure.

"I'll need to know these questions in advance." Now, he just wanted out of this room and in whatever hole they had the doctor; he'd make him sing his secrets.

Sokka handed over a roll of parchment with no small amount of hesitation and a firm look that warned again for restraint. A glance to Toph and Blue knew who would be keeping an "eye" on things while he was out of sight of the others. He nodded silently, understanding and agreement, a silent oath that he would not lose control, no matter the filth that came from the doctor's mouth, and deftly stepped around the Tribesmen, behind Toph who stomped a foot and opened a section of wall.

It close behind him with a grinding thud, and Sokka exchanged a look with Hakoda.

"Your… friend is…" He trailed off, seeming unable to form any solid opinion when Toph laughed, arms crossing and picking at her nose.

"Interesting? Weird? Way too calm?"

Hakoda nodded a bit to her listing of attributes, aside from how the vigilante recoiled at the sight of him like a poised viper, he hadn't seemed overly perturbed or shocked by anything except their apparent ignorance to secret-society workings.

"How do you suppose he knew so much about methods of dealing with… questionable organizations?"

Toph shrugged, flicked a booger and took another seat, trying to focus on the vibrations from the other room.

"Who knows, probably because he runs around in a mask – subterfuge wouldn't exactly be a shocking skill."

Sokka and Hakoda both had to concede the point and then settle in for what looked to be a long wait.

彩雲

"Weeelll, looks like they've sent another one. Eh he he he… and we even have a performer! How delightful, it's so very boring in here. Hehe."

The hissing, throaty words reached Zuko's ears in the dank room before the wall was even sealed. The little man seated across the room from him, bound to a stone chair with stone bindings, was hunched over, worn from his less-than-hospitable captivity – but otherwise unperturbed. The sight of him churned bile in his stomach, but the words were easy enough to ignore.

He was a withered thing, this doctor, all wrinkles and awkward angles and too-many-angles – like one of those bugs that looked like twigs so common in the Earth Kingdom. His eyes were large, bulbous even, set a bit too far apart above the large, hooked nose. He wore no facial hair, and what remained of his own was braided back tightly – though frazzled from his confinement. He grinned too quickly; a mean sort of grin the bared teeth like a taunting baboon rather than a prisoner. Indeed he was as mad as his experiments, Zuko suspected – but not lacking reason or awareness… just conscience.

And a well-hidden temper, if that flash of impatience with Zuko's silence was anything to go by.

"Well? Aren't you gonna talk, boy? Run off at the mouth like those other bastards about how immoral I am? Hehe, about what a monster I am for furthering science! But then, what would ignorant snow-grubbing peasants know, eh? Little savages playing on their rocks of ice wouldn't have any respect for advancing knowledge. No. None. He he."

The little man twisted in his bands, spindly fingers rubbing together and splaying and shifting much like the legs of a spider plucking its web to check for victims. Zuko waited another beat, watched the impatience spike again and recede, fickle and short lived as a child's firework.

"The silent treatment? You'll be easier than the others then. Hehe, too soft to get your hands dirty."

Zuko moved, watched the rabid light of those eyes park high in victory – and fizzle when he only took another step forward and into the little circle of candlelight. It cast him in sharp relief, a wraith hovering in the dark, humid room and the first signs of wariness crept as stillness through the doctor's body.

In a theatric move, Zuko pulled Li to the fore – smiling, jesting Li with all the manners of the well-bred and rarely a frown to offer, genial Li who people loved – and executed a swooping, elegant bow that swung out one arm with a flourish and tucked the other at his waist. Like a performer ending an act.

"While I'm sure you're very aware of whom I am, good doctor." Zuko purred, in smooth, dulcet tones, a Cheshire Grin pulling lips into a grin worthy of the mask it was hid behind. "Allow me to correct your idea that I am rude by introducing myself. I'm the Blue Spirit."

The grin bore teeth now, not that the doctor could see, but the man was staring, as though surprised. Zuko righted himself, basked in the dark satisfaction of shutting that fool up - even if only temporarily. The silence stretched and the doctor seemed to recover himself, with more suspicion than he displayed on first sight of the Blue Spirit. Zuko thought perhaps the dramatics were too much, until those eyes sparked again and another grin curled withered lips. A moment later and the bastard was cackling.

"The Blue Spirit? My, how special I feel, visited by such a controversial figure. Hehe. Such a sweet pet you'd make – they say you're a Spirit, but you look little more than human to me. Hehehe."

"Then you won't even introduce yourself?" Zuko ignored the rambling and muttering of the doctor, and progressed another step with the tilt of a head.

"Oh, I'm Yìyàng; but I thought you would know that much since you came after me." Tongue licked lips, eyes glimmering with manic emotion. "Unless of course you found my book, hehe, was that you? Sneaky, sneaky little Spirit… thievery isn't very nice." The grin broadened and eyes glazed in remembrance. "Not that I mind, I'm sure you enjoyed my work, eh? I especially enjoyed doing it. Hehe, such a shame they all died so fast… but the ones who lived weren't as interesting – there's nothing more boring than fulfilling a theory."

Yìyàng broke off into cackling and Zuko felt the sick churn of nausea in his gut, disgust that warred with black hatred – but he remained unmoved. Eventually, the chattering came to an end, and those bulging, too-wide eyes fixed on him again.

"My, my we are a patient fellow… I thought the old savage earlier was going to fill me full of his ridiculous icicles hehehe."

"I've met worse than you…" Head tilted at the flat observation, arms crossing and shoulders rolling backward in a slouch – Zuko was the picture of unimpressed boredom. "Although, you are rather sick, it's almost pathetic listening to you work so hard for a reaction."

Those eyes flashed sudden loathing and Zuko grinned beneath his mask, slinking forward another stalking step, the light seeming to dim the nearer he drew to his prey. "Tell me, are you disappointed? Is this why you cut out their tongues? Cut them open? Because they find you so thoroughly lackluster?" The purr was hungry now, and like a beast readying to feast on a good meal, Zuko hovered just before Yìyàng. The doctor stared, wide-eyed and slack jawed – at the glimmer of burning gold buried within the black sockets of the Blue Spirit mask.

Yìyàng arched back with a shriek, wrinkled face twisting up in disgust and loathing.

"FIRE NATION!" He wailed with a jerk and a thrash, madness swirling in those eyes – and a bone deep hatred.

It answered one question, and Zuko chuckled as he lifted the mask, pulled it away from his face – the grin spreading across fine features twisting into a cruel parallel of his father's own grin. Yìyàng gasped for breath, trembling with a rage and fear and disbelief as he recognized the visage revealed to him – he practically frothed at the mouth. Zuko stepped forward again, knees bumping the filthy man, face inches from Yìyàng's own; until all the doctor could see was golden eyes and disfiguring scar.

"Now," Zuko whispered, a husk like coals sparked in the back of his throat. "why don't you tell me all about what the Dai Li want with my people's fire?" Head canted, tone ending upward on a sweet note that set a shudder through the doctor's figure. "Come now, what do you have to lose? You'll never walk out of this room." Glee danced in auric eyes, malicious and vengeful. "I get to play with you when you answer all these neat little questions." The coo was pleased and Yìyàng snatched for his own demented humor, and found it failing in the face of this monster smiling down at him.

彩雲

"What's going on in there, Toph?" Hakoda asked, chin resting atop his knuckles and eyes keen on the young woman who tensed suddenly.

Sokka turned to his friend, frowning up from the Pai Sho board spread between himself and his father. "Toph?"

"He's scared." Was her simple answer, thin brows furrowing in concentration – as though struggling not to miss a thing.

"Blue?" Sokka queried, focused on his game again.

"No, Snoozles. The doctor. He's pissed and scared – defecate yourself kind of scared." She was considering, her tone ringing with interest and the earth bender crept closer to the door. "I wish I could hear what they're saying… you're friend doesn't seem any different than when he entered."

Hakoda frowned, on edge by that – because surely the other should be angry; and if Toph couldn't detect any… what did that mean? Was he not really Fire Nation? Or was his surprising insight into T&I born from personal experience?

彩雲

"Aren't you going to talk? I feel rather offended, like I'm not worth your words – even your jokes have stopped!" Zuko circled around behind the doctor, a sigh in his voice and hands folding behind his backs.

Yìyàng trembled in his chair, cackling quietly to himself and refusing the ex-Prince both answer and entertainment. How dare the filthy little worm speak to him? How dare he not grovel at Yìyàng's feet? How the doctor wanted so bad to carve out his tongue and scoop out his eyeballs and pick him apart piece by little piece – inspiration struck like lightening and the scientist grinned.

"You wanna know what we want? Hehe… we wanna know what makes you dogs work. Hehe… wanna know where that fire comes from. Filthy monsters that you are, you don't deserve the power to cause so much destruction. No, no, fire is a tool… and you'll all be tools." He bowed forward, shoulders shaking. "So I looked for the fire… it was so much fun! Did you know, they thought it would be in the stomach? Hehe, like it's said those dragons held their fire?" The doctor tittered when Zuko's steps halted. "Listening? Let me tell you about the first one I carved open… some young woman they drug in, hehe, she was a right mess already. The little whore had been torn open front and back, but she wanted more, you know how those Fire Nation women are. Hehe, maybe that's why your filthy soldiers took such pleasure raping our women."

Zuko stared, at the back of that head, anger simmering in some deep recess of psyche, locked away as tightly as everything else. It would take more than words and slander against honor to stir, and perhaps the old man realized that – because he snarled and looked away from that impassive expression.

"I cut her open, I didn't bother putting her under; beasts like that don't need such luxuries. Hehe. She was pregnant, did you know? Some squealing little beast ready to pop out of her and pollute the world… but we kept it. Hehe, it made such a pretty decoration, stuffed in a jar of colored preservative." HE sighed out gustily, and Zuko's fingers twitched.

"But we didn't find any fire in her belly. Just that little spawn." A negligent shrug. "What did I care? I had plenty more…"

"What did you plan to do when you found the fire?" Zuko asked flatly, cutting of the perverse ramblings.

Yìyàng glowered and huffed out annoyance. "If you don't want a story don't ask for one…" A nasty little grin. "Or maybe my story was too much, hmm? Maybe the Little Prince couldn't handle hearing about what we do to beasts like you here? HEHEHEHE."

"I have no time to listen to your insanity… and this is obviously going nowhere." Zuko commented offhand, tabbing chin and gesturing negligently.

Yìyàng laughed, threw his head back and bellowed his amusement.

Zuko grinned, bearing teeth like fangs, and fingers tensed and curled like claws.

Laughter cut off and heart seized in a skipped beat a moment before howling shrieks of pain ripped from the doctor's throat.

彩雲

Toph jerked away from the wall, staggering back at the same moment Hakoda leapt forward to catch her and Sokka overturned the Pai Sho board with his flinch. All of them stared at the wall with blanched skin and wide eyes. The screams reverberating from the room cut off just as suddenly as they began and all fell to silence.

"M-maybe you should go in?" Sokka started, though he stepped further away from those tortured sounds.

Toph shook her head. "No point… right before creepy started to scream, I felt Blue's pulse spike… but I didn't see him… touch the guy."

"Didn't see him?" Hakoda hedged, eyes wary.

Toph shrugged. "It's all… distorted now. There's too much movement, or it's the screams or… I don't know… but the image is too hazy for me to make out details."

Sokka felt an icy dread in his stomach – but what could they do? They wanted answers, and Toph refused to open the wall until Blue finished. She seemed certain he wouldn't kill the quack but the other two weren't so sure. Still, they waited, and time slipped by in a tense silence – no longer casual and broken by Pai Sho and light conversation and tea. The screams would start again, occasionally – rise and die in a horrified crescendo and Toph remained vigilant – focused on what was happening inside. Hakoda and Sokka didn't ask – they weren't entirely sure they wanted to know. Torture wasn't a practice in the South Pole, it was a waste of time and energy… and there was no purpose to such cruelty when it took so much energy to just survive.

It felt as though half the night slipped away before Toph stood and parted the wall with a stomp and gesture. Blue looked no different than when he entered as he stepped from the darkness within – the candle was snuffed and the silence spoke of death. Sokka could smell iron on the air and shuddered at the image that awaited them. It wasn't until Blue moved into the warm light of the fire place that Sokka noted the drips of crimson falling from fingertips and swayed where he sat. Blue, unruffled took a seat and set the stained parchment atop the table.

"I have your answers." The tone was flat, unfazed by whatever horrors he just committed – and Hakoda was measuring the masked figure with due wariness.

"May I have some tea?" Blue broke the silence again, and Sokka noticed the fatigue in that tone which strained too much for the steady rhythm he'd grown accustomed to. It was only his familiarity with Blue, the Tribesman realized, that keyed him into that – and he questioned the ridiculous display of self-control.

Toph poured the tea, Sokka shifted in his seat and Hakoda leaned forward on his elbows.

"What did you find out?" Hakoda asked.

The teacup clinked softly against the table. "That he can't speak the name of the Dai Li's leader. He's been mind-bent, only not to the same extent as the Ju Dee's."

A nod around the table, it wasn't that much of a surprise all things considered.

"I also found out why they targeted fire benders specifically… they want to, find a way to artificially imbue people with bending, fire bending."

Silence; shocked, appalled, disbelieving.

"But.." Sokka began, and stopped when Blue shook his head.

"It's a farce of a quest, but the implications are… frightening. If they find a way to grant and steal away bending… they want to transfer fire bending from one person to another. Into their agents." He spat the word with venom and Hakoda arched a brow.

"The Dai Li?"

"No. Sleeper agents, he called them. Adults, children, men, women, teenagers… people raised and brainwashed and brainwashed like machines to look and be and behave a certain way, to do things without realizing they do – or asking why they do. Until they're triggered by some sort of key-word… and then they remember who and why. They're the perfect spies, because their reasons are true – in so far as they are aware until the trigger word is spoken."

Disgust again, and Blue nodded, fighting at the exhaustion which pulled at muscles and mind – ever stronger, but he must push through it. He knew these were the consequences, and he would take them and best them. After all, he couldn't afford unconsciousness here, and risk being unmasked by one of these people.

"I feel like that's not all." Toph stated bluntly, flicking dirt she'd picked from between her toes.

Blue shook his head. "No. It's not. These agents… they're everywhere. The Fire Nation, Omashu, Ba Sing Se, Kiyoshi… it's like whoever is organizing all of this is laying a foundation."

"To take over the world, or blackmail the rest of it…" Sokka muttered in a growl. Blue nodded.

"The only other thing, was that he kept repeating a name. Tuōmǎsī. Only the name, not who they are or what they do… just their name, and 'Mother'."

Sokka groaned and scrubbed at his eyes. "Great, another psycho to hunt down."

Zuko nodded with some reluctance, poured himself a cup of tea and nearly downed it in one gulp. It wasn't as good as his own or Uncle's, but it would do.

"If that's all?" He started, standing and Sokka nodded tiredly.

Blue was almost out of the building when a hand grabbed his arm and it was with some surprise that he faced Sokka, looking thoughtful.

"Meet me here again in a few days?"

Blue blinked, almost declined but thought better of running into the Tribesman drunk in an alley again.

"Of course." And with a dip of the head and a twist that freed his arm, studiously ignoring the tingle left behind from the pressure of Sokka's touch, Zuko set out for home.

Notes:: It should probably be noted that I absolutely adore Azula…

Yìyàng – Chinese for unusual, weird, aberrant, creepy etc. Inspired (personality) by Orochimaru from Naruto and Prof. Hojo from Final Fantasy VII.

Tuōmǎsī – Mother Death

Yeh I decided to give them some coms, although they have some pretty harsh limitations. Obviously they are proto-types, but they make life much easier.

I found a theme song haha Cœur de Pirate - C'était Salement Romantique

Sorry for the prolonged… wait… but it's updated now and I plan to try and have another chapter out without making you all wait another… 3… 4 months?