Wards of the Lotus

AU: Trained since their teens, Zuko and Katara have been paired up to infiltrate the Fire Nation from the inside out.

Inspired by this because I'm always late to the party: doodleladi . deviantart art / Day-30 - Assassin - 722823777

There is no Avatar but there are assassins.

Pairings: Zutara, Sukka, misc.

Warnings: Language, mild violence including some bloodbending, and sexually explicit content.

"Bitch," Zuko hissed, thumbing the trail of blood on his cheek, "You fucking cut me!" He licked the blood off his finger and stared her down. His muscles tensed, ready, waiting. His dagger hung loosely in his grip, awaiting its master's command. Who would strike next?

Katara, body posed for either retreat or attack, rolling the small tanto that had sliced across his cheek in her palm, god-damned giggled at him. "Shoulda been faster than that, firebender." The breeze rustled the mass of chocolate waves, the skin tight blue shirt heaved up and down with her breath. Then, like a pumacat, she darted to the right, the left, behind him, in front of him, all the while thrusting the little dagger trying her best to get in between his openings. But he was a quick bastard and she just couldn't quite get any more attacks other than the one. Her frustrated grunts, as well as the way her forehead furrowed, amused him to no end. Her hands volleyed, only to be blocked. Although he had to admit, at least she managed to hold on to the weapon even when he tried to disarm her. Finally, finally she found her opening (did the bastard let her in?) and brought the blade to his throat just below the Adam's apple, only to find his blade neatly tucked her chin as well.

They stood, so close their breaths mixed, she could see the fine details of the scar on his left eye, the cut on his chin from something long ago, and the more recent wound inflicted moments ago. Hardened gazes daring the other to make the next move. And it was Zuko who did. His lips quirked upward into a devilish grin, then angled down and kissed her nose.

"You're getting better," he praised, stepping back and pulling his blade away to inspect for any damage to the steel.

Katara simply huffed, wiping away the blood and sweat on her own weapon, then jabbing at a few other angles, testing and retesting the balance to where her sparring partner just stood. "I still don't see why we need to practice with weapons. I mean we're both benders, for La's sake." She drew the mass of chocolate hair into her hands and made a makeshift bun atop her head.

"Because," Zuko began, dabbing the towel against his brow then along the cut on his cheek, inspecting the traces of red on the cloth. "We won't always be able to bend. You know that. And you've gotten lazy."

Bending was just so natural that to use weapons seemed… primitive, barbaric. She should have remembered though. Their last assignment when shit hit the fan and her hand had gotten crushed underneath their opponent's boot. Unable to move her fingers to manipulate her element, it was Zuko that came to her rescue, much to her chagrin; Katara was far from some damsel in distress. The tight space didn't allow for his bending moves either, but Zuko's blade slid oh so nicely between ribs puncturing lung then heart. The fat bastard they were assigned to "relieve" collapsed on top of her. Okay, now the damsel was distressed hardly able to breath under the weight, seemingly oblivious to the pool of blood she waded in as she stood. Not her greatest moment by any stretch of the imagination.

"By the way, you gonna help me with this?" He motioned to the cut. With an apologetic smile, she agreed. Pulling water from her flask, she gloved her hand focusing the reparative energies into his skin. In moments she was done and thumbed the flesh to make sure of a job well done. Zuko grabbed her palm and kissed her wrist. "Now let's go bathe and then get some food. You gave me a hell of a workout today."

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

The duo had been paired up for the past five years, paired by the White Lotus secret society. They had been mere children at the ages of 13 and 11 respectively- he the banished and branded son of the Fire Lord, her a waterbending orphan from the South Pole- when they had first been brought to the training grounds in the remote Earth Kingdom village where orphaned teens became trained to become assassins. For Zuko, it was thanks to his uncle, the great General Iroh, that brought him here and saved his life. For Katara, it had been a letter from her grandmother to a lost love many moons prior after the last raid by the Fire Nation that could have surely killed her instead claiming her mother. Both had been as defiant as a dog beaten too many times by its master but given the chance to train in their respective bending styles- he fire, her water- they flourished like the weeds they were. It was an unexpected pairing at 17 and 15, normally the pairs would be matched closer in age so that one did not hold the other back, and they were not without their skirmishes given both their histories, nevertheless from their fights with each other and others, the Grand Masters knew the potential the pair would make. And a pairing they made! There was no denying their fierce competitiveness, never-give-up mentality, and ability to ground the other with no words being passed between. There was mutual respect of what the other could do and that was the most important piece to matching partners.

On his 18th birthday, Katara wept with pride when Zuko moved up the ranks, received his mark on the left shoulder branding him as an elite. He'd stayed behind rather than going on his first missions. "She's my partner. I won't go until she can." Two years later, it was her turn and Zuko hugged her so tight, even twirling her in the air a bit, she thought she'd burst. "Ready, waterbender?" he'd asked as he shouldered the pack that held their meager belongings. "You're on, firebender," she beamed, tucking her arm into his elbow.

It was the Grand Masters' hope to never need to use these children; however fate had different plans. Zuko's father, the Mad King, Fire Lord Ozai was taking it upon himself to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Sozin the Great's comet to finish what grandfather had started. Fortunately for all, General Iroh had remained within the Fire Nation Palace and from his prime spot worked his magic to defeat the man he once called brother.

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Sitting in the small eating establishment in the bustling city of Omashu, they were just one of many other patrons enjoying the dishes brought forth. The epitome of daily life despite the wars both at home and abroad. He had the daily newspaper in one hand and a dumpling in the other. His golden eyes skimmed over the words searching for any morsels of information. The White Lotus had their hands in many pots and the media was yet another. It was the easiest way to get out messages to those knowing what to look for.

"How is the weather in Omashu?" Katara inquired over her cup of tea. What she meant was "Who else is in the area?"

"Forecast says partly cloudy, then sunny," Zuko replied, just another lovely couple making small talk during a lovely night out. "Suki and Sokka." Taking a long drink from his cup and popping another dumpling in, he flipped to the next page.

Katara nodded, "Oh that's good. They definitely need some sun for the crops." "When will they be here?" She tried to keep the swell of emotion at the mention of her brother. They'd been taken together for training in their dark arts yet despite his inability to bend, he was one hell of a mastermind. Then there was the young lady trained from birth to do what they did, he had met and fallen in love with during their training years. It was kinda sweet, when Katara thought of it. Looking across the table at her partner mindlessly alternating between tea and dumpling whilst he scoured the text before him, she smiled to herself. Yup, it was kinda sweet. His long black hair was tied low at the nape of his neck, a few stray pieces falling in his eyes. The reds and blacks complementing the pigment of his pale flesh. Although she had to admit, he'd looked better in the greens and browns from the Earth Kingdom. But then again that felt like an eternity ago.

Zuko's voice came through breaking her thoughts. "Ah! Looks like Earthrumble XXI will be taking place next week," he rustled the paper again looking at front and back, "Damn. This is from last week." He looked around and yelled at the owner, waving the paper in his direction, "Hey! Don't you have anything more current?"

The wisp of a man shuffled over to them, grey head bowed, "I'm so sorry, sir. But that is all we have."

Zuko grumbled then tossed the paper on the table. "Fine. Can we get the bill then?"

"Yes sir, right away." The man fumbled in his apron bringing out the notepad that had their order on it. He politely dropped in on the table and backed away humbly. Zuko grabbed it off the table, gave a quick scan and then dropped the coins on the table. Katara was the only one to notice that he tucked the paper into his shirt, as he put out his hand to help his date raise from her seat. She snuggled into his chest, placing a delicate hand on his chest, and he casually slung an arm over her shoulders. They bid the shop owner farewell, until next time. "And make sure your newspapers are more current," Zuko tossed behind him.

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Once they were back in their sparse little one-room apartment- a tenement really- Zuko placed the check to flame to find the hidden words. Flipping open his little book, he matched symbol to symbol to find the true meaning. The shop owner was one of their own and an excellent front to the connections above them.

"Who is it this time?" Katara inquired, a little giddier than she should have, peeling off her outer garments and folding them neatly onto the chair. After the assignment that broke her hand, it had been some time since they'd gone on a mission. And she was itching. Bad.

"Oh, you're gonna love this one." He tried to hide his excitement too as the final letters appeared to him, frantic as he rewrote them in another book.

Brushing out her long tresses, she poked him with her hairbrush, encouraging him to tell. "Yeah? Well who is it?"

Grinning up at her from his spot on the floor, he leaned back. "Admiral Zhao." His eyes met hers and he loved the way she beamed. The Admiral was right up her alley. Narcissistic asshole who had a thing for young Water Tribe girls. Oh yeah, she remembered him quite well. It had been some such function in the early days and he was handsy, whispering all the dirty things he wanted to do her, and it pissed her off. She'd wanted to so bad, but he wasn't to be relieved. Yet.

Zuko licked his lips, extinguishing the fire, and pulling off one boot then the other, finally his shirt, inquired what she had planned. She drew her element from the cool night air to her finger tips, little razors for the enemy, "Oh, I've got an idea."

He chuckled, "Of course you do." Pulling her down next to him onto the futon, she curled into his warmth and she dreamt pleasant dreams.

oooOOOoooOOOooo

Now Zuko was not one for planning things out, that's why it helped having Katara. Granted at times they both managed to improvise in the heat of the moment. Knowing where the Admiral was to be helped at least a little. He just prayed their plans didn't go askew otherwise it may be more than the head on Zhao's shoulders that Zuko will have to lob off.

"How do I look?" she called out. From his perch in the window he finally turned to see her step out from behind the screen, posing one way, then the other. He blew out a low whistle. She looked fucking delicious. The pale blue gauzy fabric over breasts and hips, leaving not much to imagination. Her hair plaited in her traditional styles, upselling her Water Tribe heritage yet downplaying her age. She was appealing to their mark's desires.

Seeing her partner's wide eyes, she crossed her arms in front of her chest inadvertently plumping rather detracting the sinful globes, "I take it this should work."

He puffed out a bit of smoke from his nostrils like a bull-moose at rutting season. "If he fucking so much as..."

Katara laughed that throaty dismissive laugh interrupting Zuko's train of thought, "As if he could. Ya ready, firebender?"

"Yeah, got the stuff." Playing the manservant, the pack held both their weapons and a change of clothes for Katara. She wrapped in a thick outer dress and they headed out.

They arrived at the building, the music already billowing out. There were several elite Fire Nation military, greying men who were old enough to be fathers or grandfathers to the girls brought in from around the world for their pleasure. Katara played off sweet innocence as she was lead inside, the coat removed. On the pillows the men sat, the hookahs packed with varying substances that they would pass between themselves and whichever delight that sat on their laps, and she had to bite back the words she wanted to spit. The girls were then made to dance and dance they did. She was sex on the dancefloor, body thrumming to the beats of the sungi horn and primal drums. The men, raucous and demanding, shouted their approvals, motioning to the girl that caught their eye.

There he was. Pipe in one hand, a green-eyed girl in the other. Katara approached him and began making her advances. His glassy eyes quickly met her beautiful blue ones and he was entranced, shoving away the one on his lap to make room for this little delight. He'd always been partial to blue. As a naval officer, they reminded him of the ocean or maybe that was the other way around. He couldn't think. "I didn't think they'd have any of your kind here," he slicked, "I'm pleased." A lone finger traced up her leg, her belly, her breasts, to cup her chin. She feigned virginity and blushed prettily for him as he whispered all the dirty things he wanted her to do to him. When she whispered in his ear that he should take her somewhere more private, he readily agreed. The bulge in his pants painfully obvious.

Grabbing his hand and taking him down a hallway, this way that way, his drug-addled mind losing direction as he watched the bounce of her ass through the sheer fabric. She'd look behind her shoulder demurely and bite her bottom lip. Finally, she pushed him against the wall. "That's what I'm talking about," he growled lecherously, tearing at the bindings of his pants ready to tear this wench up.

And that was when her expression changed, and she smiled in a fuck you kind of way. Zhao felt a seeping coldness surround him; he couldn't move. The bitch had him pinned to the wall and not in the way he hoped. What the hell was happening? Then a second body came up behind her. Dressed in all black, the fabric hiding all but the eyes- the golden orbs of his homeland-, his height a head above hers.

"So, this is Zhao?" the male husked.

"Yeah. Not nearly as impressive as I imagined," she quipped, fingers dancing in the hall light keeping the bound man in check. A tendril of water flicked the man's erection, unable to move let alone cup himself to relieve the pain inflicted.

"What is happening?!" Zhao gnashed out, feeling his anger starting to bloom. How dare they interrupt his interlude with the water wench!

The girl smiled sweetly at him, "It would seem that you've pissed some people off, Admiral."

"The fuck are you talking about? I paid the madam. A lot of money to be here, in fact. Probably more than those other assholes out there. I should be able to fuck any of the girls here."

This time Katara growled, "Those girls, are so doped up they don't know which way is up."

"Tsk, tsk," the male chided, "That's not very honorable of you, Admiral. I mean what would your commanding officer, or even the Fire Lord, think of you being in a place like this? Doesn't really reflect well on the greatness of your Nation, does it?"

Zhao snorted, "So fucking what. You think I'm the only one! Those whores are for our pleasure. Doesn't matter where they come from."

But she digressed. The girls weren't the real reason he was being relieved. He'd been plotting some horrible things against the Northern Water Tribes on top of several recently won battles that raised him questionably to the rank he was today.

"How did you know about that?" he said between clinched teeth.

Katara waved away her response and instead tapped her chin and contemplated the man bound before him. "We have a proposal for you." His eyes narrowed to slits. She smiled and brought forth a pill. "Swallow this and go peacefully or…"

"Or what? You gonna kill me? Slash me up? Like that won't cause an uproar. They'll link it back to you, whore, and then where will you be? I guarantee those prison guards will do far more damage to your pretty ass then I'd ever do." Zuko punched the smirk off his face, once, twice, then a third to make sure he got the point. Zhao spat out the blood and grinned, adjusting his jaw back into place as best he could while his hands were bound. "Hit a soft spot, did I?"

The dagger was brought to his face and along his neck. "I should… just go ahead…"

"Zu-" she caught herself before speaking his name. Instead, she stepped back, placed her hand on Zuko's arm to relax. "I just don't think he's gonna play nice with us." She sighed heavily and brought her hands up in front of their mark. She closed her eyes and reached out within his body, feeling the steady pulse of fluids within. They sped up and the fear grew in his eyes. "One last chance," the man said, holding the pill before Zhao's face. "Otherwise my friend here, well… she's got talents like you've never seen, buddy."

With horror, Zhao felt the tightening in his chest, like he was being ripped apart from the inside out. He gasped trying to catch breath that wouldn't come, then it stopped. He slumped to the floor.

Katara released the breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Gods, I still hate doing that. Why can't they just be easy and take the pill? Damn firebenders are such stubborn asses." She flicked her eyes to Zuko who was already rearranging the body just so. "Don't ask me. I just know that I'm glad I'm on your good side."

He stood to full height and cupped her cheek. "You okay? He didn't… I mean…"

Katara put her hand over his, "Nah, just some groping. No big deal." She gently kicked Zhao's half naked body and scrunched her face. "Well, dear Admiral. It was fun. Better let 'em know he's dead." She lifted onto her toes and kissed Zuko's cheek. "Meet me in the alley a block over? I can't wait to put on some real clothes. Unless that is, you still like this?"

"Finish the job, then we'll talk," he purred, kissing her then darting out the way they came.

As soon as he was gone, she, shifted her clothes just so, instantly whipped up some tears, and then let out a deafening scream. Within moments, a crowd surrounded. She blubbered how they were doing "things" and then he gripped his chest and dropped to the floor. She didn't know what happened. Oh! Spirits what should she do? She hoped that it wasn't something she did. In the commotion, she made her escape and met another firebender in an alley who lifted her up against a wall and thrust up into her. There was nothing like a job well done and this was their reward.

I know, I know. There's quite a few stories out there about our lovelies being vigilantes or assassins, so I finally broke down to make one of my own. I wanted something raw and dirty and hope I met the mark. And I'm trash for whore!Katara.

This may just be a one shot, or I may do more. We'll see where the wind takes me.

And yes, I know I still need to get the next chapter of The Courtesan out. It's about halfway done then my brain scrapped the idea and started fresh. Yay for a long ass hiatus and getting my writing legs (fingers?) back.