A Joke
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Avatar: Awakened Gamer
🕑 Added 2022-04-29 13:56:29 +0000 UTCChapter 116
***
Azula wasn’t a sentimental girl. Most people to her were like tools, and the secret leader of Ba Sing Se wasn’t any different. He let ego and insecurity get in the way, he liked to think that he had everything in control and wanted to prove that to both her and himself.
Prover themselves to others? Only weak people do that. Why would someone with true power need to prove anything to anyone?
As her fingers dug into Long Feng’s neck, she could feel each of his veins a touch away. If she decided to rip his throat out, the most powerful man in Ba Sing Se would be dead. Her hand dug around as Long Feng tried to weakly resist, and even attempted to use earthbending to push her away.
She swiftly used her other hand, and sunk her fingers in his eye socket, pulling out his eye, root, and stem. Leaving only a gaping hole behind.
Long Feng opened and closed his mouth in silent screams, his throat muscles were in Azula’s hand and she had clenched. He slowly and painfully passed out.
"What an arrogant bastard. Seems like the years he spent being on the top in Ba Sing Se unchallenged have made you arrogant," said Azula, cold and calm as ever. "Lang Meng, you're really stupid."
The Dai Li raised some rocks that were about to slam into her body. But none of them dared shoot the rocks, as Azula wasn't the kind of girl to not rip out their leader's veins right out.
"Release Long Feng," one of the Dai Li threatened her.
Azula rose a questioning brow, not at all intimidated by such tactics. "His name is Long Feng? I thought it was Lang Meng."
Her genuine look of confusion stumped the men. That was enough time for some Dai Li to burst out of the walls, and throw heavy rocks… at their comrades' heads! Breaking the skulls of Long Feng's guards, killing them instantly.
Seeing this, Azula smirked and ripped out the veins in Long Feng's throat, and let him bleed onto the ground. She had a fistful of veins, blood, and mush flesh.
'This was easier than I thought it would be.'
Azula shook her head in disappointment. Just like every organization, the Dai Li had their factions, those that reputed Long Feng's rule, and those that supported others but weren't able to do anything.
She just had to convince the Dai Li guarding her from inside the walls of her cell to change sides. It was an easy job.
"I did tell you," she addressed Long Feng's corpse. "I am not stuck here with you, but you're stuck with me."
Azula walked out of her cell like she owned the place. Mai and Ty Lee came out from one of the corners, having been released from the Dai Li she had been able to turn to her side.
The two girls were the backup in case something went wrong.
"Azula!" Ty Lee ran toward her friend and hugged her tightly. "I am so glad you're okay."
"Next time tell us the plan," Mai snorted. "I thought you were caught for real there."
'Why would I tell you anything Mai? Even a blind man can tell where your loyalties lay. If the choice came between me and my brother, I know who you would choose.'
Saying Kuzon had given Azula a new point of view on things would be an understatement. He had made her see that people won't be loyal to her just because of her heritage, or blue fire.
She now knew; Everyone can be bought, though sometimes the price isn't always gold.
"Don't worry," Azula reassured her friends. Planning to deal with Mai later. "I just wanted to have Lang Beng take care of the Generals. Now that there's a hole in power in Ba Sing Se, let's fill it."
As soon as Azula said that, she turned toward the Dai Li that had helped her and shot lightning at them. The electricity scorched their body raw, killing them. Their eyes were wide open in shock.
The gross smell of burning flesh assaulted her nose.
"Why did you do that?!" Asked Ty Lee in shock. Those Dai Li had helped them escape.
"Why did you think those guys helped us? Because I am the Fire Nation Princess? No, that's stupid," Azula started walking toward the stairs, with her friends in tow. "They helped us because I promised them that I would put the Earth King in power. The King of Ba Sing Se is a stupid, but soft man. Someone quite likable by people who knew him, but being liked doesn't make you a good or powerful leader."
"So what now?" Asked Mai. "What should we do next?"
"Kill the King, and act like we have him hostage. Then kill those that seem worried about the King, leaving only the ones who don't care about anything but their own wellbeing." Azula explained casually, as if she was talking about the weather, and not killing thousands of people. "Those wormy cowards will be easy to bring under heel."
Both Mai and Ty Lee followed after their friend, not daring to refute her plans. Azula somehow felt even more dangerous to be around than before.
***
-Sokka-
Lord Beifong was a complicated man. Sokka didn’t have a clear impression of him as he barely appeared in the original show, and here he had barely seen him a couple of times. Even then it was under situations where Sokka had been helping him most of the time, like with Toph.
Sokka could somewhat see a reflection of himself in the man, but at the same time, they were complete opposites.
Sitting at a traditional low table, with his ass on the ground wasn't exactly comfortable. But he put up with it for now.
"So, let me get this straight," Lao Beifong took a sip of tea. "You want to have my daughter teach the Avatar? And take her away to fight against the Fire Nation?"
"Yes," Sokka nodded.
"Are you mad?!" Lao yelled, throwing his cup against the wall, shattering it into a hundred pieces, and not bothering to keep up pretenses. "I owe you a lot for what you have done! But don't take me for a fool, Sokka!"
"I know you aren't a fool, Lord Beifong," Sokka addressed the man carefully. If he wanted to win this war, he needed the Beifong Family's resources.
Fighting and killing are only a small part of the war, the ones that are written in books, and legends. Most of the time during a war soldiers didn't fight. It was either marching or resting about doing nothing, that's what soldiers did most during wars. Doing nothing could also be dangerous as it lets the soldier’s mind wander, and even do something reckless.
Digging trenches might have been something valuable during warfare in his previous world, but now it was useless as he could easily have earthbenders do that in seconds. Having soldiers do that by hand would just annoy them, not keep them occupied.
Sokka shook his head, dismissing such thoughts for now. He looked Lao Beifong right in the eye. "You know Toph isn't as weak as she seems, right?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Lao insisted. “Toph is my sweet, harmless girl. If you think you can take her away like that, only over my dead body.”
Sokka took a small sip of the delicious tea laid in front of him, his eyes never leaving that of the man standing opposite of him.
"Oh, I think you do know what I’m talking about. You sent a servant to spy on me, the new guy around here,” said Sokka, making a wild assumption as he hadn’t seen anyone like that. But Lao Beifong would have likely done something like that, no businessman in their right mind would believe that someone was as perfectly nice as they seemed. Also, Sokka was gaining a lot of influence in the slums and that would have been enough to send a spy to observe the suspicious situation. It would be weirder if he hadn’t sent someone to keep an eye on him. “When I caught your eyes, you were suspicious of me. Then your servant probably caught sight of Toph fighting as the Blind Bandit and told you."
Lao Beifong's teeth clenched, as veins popped in his forehead. "It doesn't matter. My daughter won't be going to fight in any war against the Fire Nation."
Sokka smirked, his assumption had been correct. Playing this long game has been useful after all the trouble he went through. Sokka’s eyes were shadowed by his hair, precalculating the blue in them to shine brighter. "I don't think you have a choice in the matter."
"Are you threatening me? In my house?!" Lao Beifong’s anger reached a new peak. He slammed his fist on the table.
But Sokka stood there unbothered by it all. Things were getting heated, he knew that one mistake and he would have to bleed the Beifong House. "No, it's not a threat. Just a promise.”
‘I could tell he wasn’t convinced. Just how deep was this guy in Fire Nation’s pockets?’
It was kind of strange how the Fire Nation never attacked this region and not even once attempted to take over the wealth of the richest family in the Earth Kingdom. Gaolin City had good natural defenses, but that never stopped the Fire Nation. Especially since the coast was quite close and the Fire Nation would be able to supply themselves easily in case of a long-drawn battle.
Why wasn’t the Fire Nation worried that the Beifong family wasn’t going to endorse their enemy? Why hadn’t some greedy General from the Fire nation attacked?
Instead, the Beifong Family had gotten even wealthier during the war. Almost as if… the Fire Nation KNEW that the Beifong Family’s existence was beneficial to them.
“Will you be able to keep your family safe and out of the war after the Fire Nation comes right at your doorstep?"
This time Sokka asked more as a confirmation, but seeing the calm in Lao Beifong’s gaze, he understood knew right then and there; this guy was in cahoots with the Fire Nation.
“Leave me to worry about that,” he said, Lao Beifong became eerily calm, as if that anger before had been all an act. “But you’re not taking Toph anywhere into your foolish war.”
A businessman through and through.
Growing up rich was nice, it gives the illusion that there’s nothing that can’t be solved with money. If this guy wasn’t Toph’s father Sokka would have killed him and had one of my Water Clones transform into him. Sadly she would notice.
‘I helped his daughter and this is how he repays me? Well, it seems like I have no choice.’ Sokka thought he had tried all the methods possible to not have it come to this. “Do you think you’re important to the Fire Lord?”
That question finally got a rise out of Lao Beifong, a true one, not his fake-anger acting from before. He stood there stunned mouth agape. Lao Beifong might be a little out of touch with reality, but that doesn't mean he’s stupid.
Now he knew that Sokka was aware of his dealings with the Fire Nation.
“Sokka, I-” he opened his mouth to say something.
“After dealing with the Fire Nation, I will turn the army around and pay a visit to all those that helped me… and those that didn’t.” Sokka got up and walked off.
Sokka understood that to Lao Beifong this was all business. It would also be business when he gets every single dime from the Beifong Family and burns their estate to the ground after the war is over.
It’s all business, no hard feelings. Traitorous families had to be taught a lesson that they can’t get away with this. The Beifong Family, if it didn’t support him, Sokka would make an example of them.
Sokka walked past the big guard, right out of the Beifong Estate, and sneaked right back in after making a Water Clone pretend to be him.
‘Lao Beifong, you can no longer play both sides. You now have to choose your poison.’
******
A/N: If you look at a Map of the Avatar world, Gaoling City is quite close to the coast. Also after the war, Lao Beifong (Toph’s Father) was the first one to go and manage a factory together with the Fire Nation brigands. With workers that were under terrible conditions. In the comics, this is also where there are some Southern Water tribesmen and women working as the Southern Tribe is too poor.
P.S: The comics are canon and I will take them as such. Just wanted to clarify why Lao Beifong paying off the Fire Nation isn’t such a ludicrous idea. The clues are all there.
