Chapter Text
LONG FENG:
It was a grim day for Long Feng. Everywhere he went, it felt like the walls were closing in. The unnatural green fire that lit his office didn’t help either. The flames were mesmerizing and distracting, their crackling truly grating on his nerves.
He was worried. Worried about his future. He had just learned of the arrival of the tall man and the Avatar's group in Ba Sing Se. The problems were piling up, and he didn't know what to do. He had to come up with a plan to ensure he kept his power.
“The Avatar and his friends have been taking down posters, sir,” a Dai Li agent reported, earthbending the door closed behind him. The atmosphere was tense, and even though he was a high-ranking officer, meeting with Long Feng always made him feel like a mere insect in comparison.
"The Avatar is a serious threat to our city. We need to increase our surveillance on him," began Long Feng, then suddenly thought of something else—a plan to blackmail the Avatar and prevent him from reaching the Earth King. “I want you to draft a letter with information about the Earth King’s upcoming celebration and send it to him.”
“But couldn’t that lead to him actually reaching the Earth King...?” the agent asked nervously.
“Not if we arrest them for trespassing the moment they arrive. If they raise a complaint, we’ll use their intrusion against them,” Long Feng explained, licking his lips. Soon, he couldn’t take his withdrawal any longer. But this new strategy calmed him a little.
“I’ll inform the others immediately,” said the agent and hurried out.
As soon as he left, earthbending a wall between them, Long Feng’s condition grew more pronounced. He had kept up a facade to avoid appearing weak, but now it was backfiring. He quickly went to his faucet, turned it on, click, click, click, and filled his cup. As he drank, his body filled with a palpable sense of relief, and he sank into his leather armchair. The fire blazed, but now it felt less foreboding. He was just satisfying his cravings. He was only human. Anyone else would do the same. He had the Earth King under his control, and the Avatar would walk right into his trap. He had achieved much, and he was proud of it.
SOKKA:
Sokka was still paranoid. Sitting on the porch outside the Avatar’s residence, he brooded. He felt uneasy about what had happened in the labyrinth. Everything around him had vanished, and the man in the portrait stared at him with pitch-black eyes, chalk-white skin, a ring of fire around them, and an unnaturally wide, apathetic smile. But worst of all was what the man had said. The way he had gone into detail about the pain and suffering he would cause Sokka as he got closer.
Sokka hadn’t seen him again, but he still felt uncertain about whether it had all been a bluff. Maybe the man was feeding off Sokka’s fear? No, that couldn’t be true. It was too cliché. Sokka knew there were cursed things in the world, things that defied understanding. But the man in the portrait had been the worst of them. He had affected Sokka more deeply than anything he had experienced before.
Sokka gazed at the Upper Ring with wonder. The houses were pristine, and the grass was a dark green. All he could hear was the birds’ beautiful, melodic chirping. He understood that not everything was as it seemed in Ba Sing Se. But just enjoying the view brought him a small sense of comfort. He couldn’t deny that.
Just then, Aang came out on the porch and sat down next to him. Normally, Sokka would have moved away, but this time was different.
"Sokka… Why are you out here all alone?" Aang asked with a hint of concern in his voice.
"I just needed to think about something," Sokka replied, looking back at the view.
“What?” Aang asked, tilting his head to the side.
Sokka sighed. “The thing that happened to me in the labyrinth… It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before... I just can’t forget it,” he said thoughtfully, as if he had already gone over his words in his mind.
“You mean... the portrait?” Aang asked, looking at Sokka with empathy.
“It got me thinking about how dangerous our lives are… We’re just as mortal as anyone else,” Sokka explained. “But what if he wasn’t lying when he said he would reach me? What if it’s already too late?” he continued.
Aang fell silent. Despite his empathy, he lacked the experience to know what to do. All he wanted was for Sokka to be happy again, but he didn’t know how. The best he could do was give him a hug. He moved closer to Sokka and put his arms around him.
Sokka usually avoided physical contact, even in situations like this. He cleared his throat. “I’m going inside...” he announced, standing up and going back into the house.
Aang followed him inside. It hurt him just as much, if not more, to see Sokka like this.
LONG FENG:
But while some feel empathy, others feel an unquenchable thirst. Long Feng felt it again. The craving was coming back. The walls of his office seemed to close in even more. Every time he satisfied it, he felt invincible, but now it was back, and he felt as weak as anyone else. It always came back. He always had to refill. Long Feng turned on the faucet. Click, click, click… He was growing impatient. When the cup was full, he gulped it down in one swift motion. The anxiety vanished. Everything was fine again. For him.
SOKKA:
The sun had already set below the horizon when Sokka went to bed. There was nothing scarier than lying there alone in the dark. He heard every little sound. Everything frightened him. His thoughts kept drifting back to the man. Eventually, he fell asleep, but it was very late by then. A time when almost everyone was asleep, except those who wished to do things unnoticed.
When Sokka woke up the next morning, the sun hadn’t risen yet. But he couldn’t fall back asleep. He got dressed and sat on the porch steps again. He sat there for quite a while. It was entirely silent. The birds chirped as usual, but apart from that, he was left undisturbed. Then, suddenly, a mail runner came dashing up. Seeing Sokka, he ran over and handed him an envelope, panting. Without saying a word, he continued running off into the slightly chilly morning light.
Sokka looked down at the envelope. It was an ordinary envelope, except for a black ink smudge on it. But Sokka didn’t think much of it. He opened the envelope and read the note inside:
"On the 29th, the Earth King will be hosting a celebration in honor of his beloved bear, Bosco. Nobles from across the city are invited, and the Earth King himself will sit at the opposite end of the long table from Bosco."
Sokka smiled. Finally, things seemed to be going their way again. Finally, they might be able to reach the Earth King. At least, he wanted to believe so. He spent the rest of the morning planning his strategy.
As soon as the others were up, Sokka gathered them to discuss his plan in the dining room. "This is fantastic! Here’s what I’m thinking: we show up as early as possible and get ourselves to the front of the line. That way, we can secure seats close to the Earth King," he explained.
"Your strategies are getting worse. Don’t you think the seating is already assigned?" asked Toph, puzzled.
"What do you suggest, then?" Sokka sighed.
"I suggest someone else take over as group strategist," Toph teased, grinning.
“I think you’re a great strategist!” said Aang.
“It’s obvious you don’t know what you’re doing, Sokka. We need to be more cautious. This invitation could just as easily be a trap,” advised Katara.
“Yeah, yeah…” Sokka sighed, slumping his shoulders.
LONG FENG:
In his cold, solitary office, Long Feng watched as the green flames danced before him. Like a troupe of dancers under his command. A Dai Li agent entered.
"Our agents returned with news. They’ve discovered a potential weakness in one of the Avatar’s friends," he reported.
"I’m listening…" Long Feng said, rubbing his hands together.
"Sokka seems to be suffering from psychological issues. He’s anxious about a figure he’s seen," continued the agent.
"Interesting… The question is, how can we turn this to our advantage? Tell me more about the situation," Long Feng replied, standing up.
"He feels weak and is worried about what could go wrong," explained the agent.
"Good… I know now what we’ll do," Long Feng replied, pacing around the room. "From now on, make sure nothing goes his way. I want you to keep monitoring him and bring me details on how things develop," he ordered with a smile.
The Dai Li agent nodded and hurried off.
SOKKA:
The atmosphere back at Team Avatar’s hideout was far from cheerful. Sokka’s inner doubts couldn’t simply vanish because Aang offered a few supportive words.
"Sokka, I think you’re a great strategist..." Aang said, arms on the table, desperate to lift his friend’s spirits.
"Aang, just because you say I’m a good strategist doesn’t make me one," Sokka snapped. He was growing tired of Aang’s constant compliments.
Aang sighed.
"Maybe we could disguise ourselves? Yeah, I’ve got it! We’ll go in disguise!" Sokka shouted, standing up excitedly.
“Sokka, please… What then? As soon as we talk to the Earth King, we’ll have to reveal who we are if we want him to listen to us,” Katara reminded him.
Sokka didn’t care anymore. He was so eager for things to go their way that he wasn’t thinking clearly. “We’re Team Avatar! I think we can handle a few guards!” he responded, placing his hands on his hips.
Aang looked at him sadly. There was nothing he hated more than violence. But he didn’t want to hurt Sokka either. So the best he could do was to try for another hug. Aang stretched his arms out, but Sokka moved away, and Aang ended up hugging empty air.
“This is important! It’s about ending the war! We can do this if we give it our all,” Sokka continued, clenching his fist in determination.
Katara sighed. "I suppose you’re right… We’ll give it a try, but not before we have a clear plan," she agreed.
Sokka smiled and spent the whole evening refining his plan. Aang mostly kept an eye on him, making sure he stayed in good spirits.
Toph and Katara went to buy noble outfits. When they returned, they had news to share.
“Sokka, I don’t trust you not to mess this up,” Toph teased. “We want you and Aang to sneak in through the back. Everyone knows who the Avatar is. You need to keep a low profile,” she continued. She knew she couldn’t trust Sokka. He didn’t seem quite himself lately.
They split up. Aang and Sokka slipped around to the back, while Katara and Toph entered through the main gate.
Once inside the palace grounds, Aang and Sokka hid in the shadows of the night. The palace was grand and stately, and its bright lights almost made one forget that it was late at night. Guards strolled around the perimeter.
Sokka noticed the servers carrying food through the back.
“Alright, what about this? We snatch the servers’ uniforms and blend in with the others, and we’ll cover your arrow with one of their hats,” he suggested.
“Uh…” Aang replied, somewhat reluctant. “You don’t think the servers will get in trouble if we take their clothes, do you?” he asked.
“Nah… Stay here, and I’ll get us both uniforms,” Sokka instructed. He knew Aang would never agree to his plan of knocking out a server and taking his uniform.
Aang stayed in the shadows while Sokka looked for some isolated servers to overpower. Two of them wandered over to a cart to collect more food. Sokka threw his boomerang in their direction. With a single strategic throw, he knocked out the first server, then the second on the return.
When Sokka returned, Aang stared at the uniforms.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Change!” Sokka commanded, tossing one of the uniforms to Aang.
Toph and Katara had already made their way inside the palace. The doorman wasn’t brave enough to risk upsetting a supposed noble family.
The atmosphere in the palace was somewhat distant, and although the doorman believed their story, it felt like everyone else was still holding them at arm's length.
Aang and Sokka made their way over to Katara and Toph in server uniforms.
“Yeah, it’s, uh… Sokka…” Sokka whispered. “Have you found anything?”
Katara shook her head. “Maybe we should split up?” she suggested.
Sokka squinted at one of the guests. “Wait… I recognize her…” he said. He examined the woman more closely and realized it was Joo Dee. "It's that hostess..."
“She’s here?” Katara asked in surprise.
Joo Dee was talking to some of the guests. They could barely hear her, but the words they could make out indicated she was mostly talking about the beauty of the city.
Suddenly, she turned around and started moving toward Team Avatar.
"Uh, I think it’s time to leave!" Sokka exclaimed.
Joo Dee forced her way through the crowd, her gaze fixed on Team Avatar. Her expression shifted immediately to one of utter despair, and she threw herself to the floor, tears in her eyes.
“NOOOOO!!!!” she screamed, pounding the floor.
The other guests backed away, looking at Joo Dee in confusion. Dai Li agents rushed over and escorted her away. Strangely, she didn’t resist. She simply let herself be carried off.
"Silence! The Earth King will now make his entrance!" a royal guard announced.
The Earth King was carried in on a palanquin, but as his servants noticed the commotion in the dining hall, they turned around, and the palanquin knocked over an artificial plant.
Several Dai Li agents began searching the area for the Avatar, and as soon as they spotted a young boy with a round face, they earthbent stone hands that grabbed hold of Aang’s ankles.
Katara, Sokka, and Toph prepared to defend Aang, but what they didn’t realize was that this was the Dai Li agents’ plan all along. The truth was they didn’t know exactly what the Avatar’s friends looked like, so their plan was simply to attack the Avatar and apprehend anyone who came to his aid.
Sokka threw his boomerang at them, but the Dai Li agents dodged, and he accidentally hit one of the guests instead. This set off the others, who quickly fled the palace, trampling over each other in their haste to get away.
The Dai Li agents seized the chaos, earthbending stone hands that grasped Sokka and Toph’s hands.
Katara quickly realized that she was the only one left standing, so she leaped up onto the long table. Dai Li agents rushed after her, yanking the tablecloth in an attempt to throw her off balance. It worked, and she was sent flying into a dining chair that toppled over onto the green carpet.
Katara swiftly opened the water container she always carried and waterbent a whip of water at the Dai Li agents when they reached her. One of them grabbed a fallen candle, its flame still burning, and threw it onto the carpet. But Katara jumped out of the way just in time as the fire spread rapidly. She used the water from her container to douse the flames. At the same time, a Dai Li agent snuck up on her from behind, capturing her hands in stone restraints.
Soon, she was taken along with the others to Long Feng’s office. The agents earthbended the door open and tossed them inside.
Long Feng stood, gazing at his green fire. Turning, he looked at Team Avatar. “Ah, the Avatar! I am Long Feng. I believe there’s been a misunderstanding. You’ve been looking for the wrong person all along. I am the one truly in charge here in Ba Sing Se,” he explained.
“What? How can you be the one in charge?” Toph asked, annoyed.
“The Earth King performs only ceremonial duties. He’s far too sacred to handle the issues of the common people,” Long Feng continued.
“Well, it’s a good thing we found you then, because we have some important information to pass on! You see, we’ve discovered a—” Sokka started.
“Enough. I’ve already heard plenty. Here in Ba Sing Se, we’re not interested in offering aid in your war. We prefer to provide a sanctuary for our refugees. I’m afraid you’ve come here for nothing,” Long Feng explained.
“But this is about your future! The Fire Nation grows stronger each day! Soon, they’ll push—” Sokka began.
“Silence! We don’t want your help! So stay out of our politics because you know nothing about it. The politics of Ba Sing Se are complex, nothing a bunch of children like you should be concerned with,” Long Feng snapped, visibly rattled. The craving was back, and this time it was uncontrollable. “Y-you must leave now,” he ordered.
Aang stepped forward, looking at Long Feng with concern. “Are you okay?”
“I’m perfectly fine!” he yelled, frustrated. “You and your friends must leave my office immediately. What you did today violates Ba Sing Se’s rules. Your behavior at the party was highly illegal, and if you want to avoid consequences, I suggest you steer clear of Ba Sing Se’s sensitive political sphere from now on,” he continued, taking a deep breath. “Joo Dee will show you the way out.” Long Feng looked around. “Joo Dee!”
He was close to drinking from the faucet right in front of the Avatar and his friends but restrained himself.
Finally, someone earthbended the door open, and Joo Dee entered. But this wasn’t the original Joo Dee. Her hair was styled differently, and her face seemed somehow off. She smiled so widely it looked painful.
“Avatar and friends. Now, let’s go,” she said, curtseying.
Long Feng clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. “Leave my office immediately!” he shouted.
Joo Dee led Team Avatar out, and a Dai Li agent hurried to Long Feng’s side.
LONG FENG:
“WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORIGINAL JOO DEE!?” Long Feng yelled furiously.
The Dai Li agent looked terrified. He had never seen Long Feng in such a bad temper before, and he knew it couldn’t mean anything good. “Uh… she had a breakdown, sir,” he explained, trying to stay calm.
“No… NO!!! You brainwashed her too hard, you fools!” Long Feng shouted, picking up a nightstand and throwing it into the fire. “Don’t you understand what you’ve done!? Now they’ll know something is wrong!” he screamed in anger.
“B-but those were your orders…” the agent pointed out.
“THAT’S ENOUGH!!! I want you executed,” Long Feng concluded.
The Dai Li agent broke down. “N-no! No, no, no! I promise it will never happen again!”
“Dai Li agents, take him away,” Long Feng ordered.
Three Dai Li agents earthbended the door open and dragged him away without a word.
SOKKA:
Team Avatar exited the palace, following Joo Dee. It was pouring rain outside. A guard held the door to a carriage open, signaling that it was time to jump in. They climbed in, and the carriage began to roll away.
Inside, there was absolute silence. No one dared say a word, and the false Joo Dee sat there like a wall between them.
Noticing how uncomfortable everyone looked, Aang broke the silence. “Uh… what are you all planning to do when you get home?” he asked, trying to start a conversation.
“Hey, Aang! Want to hear a joke?” Sokka asked. He couldn’t stand the silence and was grateful that Aang had taken the initiative to talk.
“Sure!” Aang replied, smiling at him.
“Alright, Aang… Uh…” Sokka noticed everyone’s eyes on him.
Aang gave him an encouraging look.
“Aang, you’re like water. You just go with the flow!” Sokka made wave motions with his arms. But judging by their expressions, he quickly realized the joke hadn’t landed.
Aang forced a laugh, but it only made the atmosphere in the carriage feel even tenser.
DAI LI AGENTS:
Two Dai Li agents happened to be passing Team Avatar’s ostrich-horse. They turned off onto a dimly lit street.
“I’m telling you, am I the only one who just wants to go home? It’s the middle of the night. They can’t keep us away from our families like this,” one said.
“Quiet! Don’t let them hear you…” the other snapped, continuing down the street.
“But haven’t you heard of the tall man? I’m so tired of putting myself in danger as if I don’t matter,” replied the first, looking down at the ground.
“If you don’t shut up right now, we’ll both be in trouble. You know we can’t trust anyone. The reward for snitching is way too high,” the other reminded him.
The first agent sighed, looking around nervously.
“Am I the only one who feels like we’re being watched?” he asked.
“Probably just another agent,” the second replied, growing tired of his colleague’s constant complaints.
Suddenly, they felt a chilling coldness in the air.
“I-I don’t like this! What’s going on!?” the first agent yelled.
The second agent placed his hand over his colleague’s mouth and looked around. At the far end of the street stood a tall figure.
The first agent began to sob. The second took a deep breath, preparing to earthbend a stone hand toward the figure.
But the figure only came closer, and as he did, the two agents earthbent stone hands at him, only for the man to crush them effortlessly with his bare hand.
The tall man approached, reaching out a hand. His expression was vacant and forlorn.
“NO!!!” the first agent screamed.
He pushed his partner toward the figure and ran off.
The second agent was just about to turn when the tall man touched him on the forehead. His pupils disappeared, and he collapsed. His thoughts, his identity, everything he was… vanished before everything turned black.
SOKKA:
Team Avatar arrived at their hideout, shutting the door behind them. The false Joo Dee still stood outside in the pouring rain, smiling. Her presence was truly beginning to disturb them. Sokka went over to the window and looked out.
“W-what’s wrong with this city!? Something is seriously off here… We should just leave,” Sokka suggested.
“I’m sorry, Sokka, but we have to stay if we want to find Appa,” Katara reminded him.
“You don’t understand! You weren’t there for what I went through! I thought it was over!” Sokka shouted.
Aang pulled him into a hug. This time, Sokka didn’t resist. He was so shaken that, even though he’d never admit it, a hug was exactly what he needed.
“Sokka, we could play cards if you want,” Aang offered, smiling.
“Yeah, yeah…” Sokka sighed, sitting down at the table. He glanced out the window, and to his great relief, the false Joo Dee was finally gone. But outside, the rain continued to pour.
When they went to bed, Sokka crawled under the blanket and closed his eyes. Something felt different tonight, but he told himself it was just his imagination.
He was wrong. In his dream, there he was—the man. The man from the portrait. Sokka couldn’t hold back any longer and immediately burst into tears. Standing within a three-meter ring of fire, the man’s wide smile shone in the darkness.
“Sokka… You didn’t think I’d break my promise, did you?” he said.
Sokka didn’t want to look.
“I’m coming closer and closer… Soon I’ll be there in person, and then you know what I’ll do…” the man continued. “Or…” Somehow, his smile widened even more. “Maybe I’m already there…”
“No!” Sokka screamed.
The man just laughed. “Doesn’t something about Aang feel off? Like he’s too good to be true?”
“Shut up!”
“But think about it. Everything makes sense when you put the pieces together, doesn’t it? He’s the one who brought you to me. Do you really think the real Avatar would want to be friends with you? You’re just a weak coward who can’t defend his village. Aang was the one who led you to me. And soon, I’ll infect everyone you love…”
“NO!!!!!!”
Sokka woke up, his scream having roused the entire house. Aang rushed over to him, looking at him with that same empathetic gaze that always made him feel safe.
“Sokka, what happened?” he asked, pulling Sokka into a big hug. But Sokka couldn’t stop crying.