Chapter 11: Agni Kai
The tension in the room was palpable, thick enough to cut with a blade. Zhao's voice thundered across the hall, his fury barely contained. "You had the Avatar captured, and yet you let him go!?" His words were sharp, accusatory, and dripping with disdain.
Zuko, however, remained eerily calm. He sat at the table, methodically clearing his plate, his movements deliberate and unhurried. It was a habit he had developed over the past few days—his appetite had grown insatiable, as if his body were constantly seeking energy. He was eating more than he ever had before, far more than the original Zuko ever would. After finishing his meal, he reached for a goblet filled with a sweet, fruity drink and downed it in one swift motion.
*BRRRRRGRRGHRRR!*
A loud, unexpected burp erupted from him, startling everyone in the room, including himself. For a brief moment, Zuko's face flushed with embarrassment, but the feeling was quickly replaced by a cold, calculating glare. His eyes locked onto Lieutenant Tau, who stood awkwardly nearby.
"The lieutenant followed my orders!" Zhao interjected, stepping forward as he noticed Zuko's glare. His tone was defensive, but there was a hint of authority in his voice, as if reminding Zuko of his place.
Zuko turned his attention back to Zhao, his expression calm but his eyes burning with intensity. "Indeed, I had the Avatar captured, and he did escape," Zuko stated, his voice steady but rising with each word. "But that does not excuse you to use such language toward a royal, let alone the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation!"
His voice crescendoed, his face twisting into a mask of anger. The room seemed to grow hotter, the air thick with tension.
Zhao sneered, his confidence unshaken. "You may be royalty, but you were exiled from the Fire Nation! You are not the Crown Prince, and you have no authority in the Fire Nation navy! If it weren't for the respect I have for your uncle, I would have sent you packing the moment you landed!"
Zuko's fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. He had anticipated this confrontation, planned for it even. He had told his crew to spread the story of the Avatar's escape, knowing it would throw Zhao off his scent. As a modern man who had once watched these events unfold as a child, he knew Zhao's arrogance would blind him to the truth. Zuko was playing his part perfectly, weaving a facade to ensure no one would suspect his true intentions until he reached the safety of the Fire Nation borders.
"Capturing the Avatar will restore my honor as the Crown Prince and heir to the Fire Nation throne!" Zuko roared, his voice echoing through the room. "Capturing the Avatar is my destiny, and I will find him and capture him. Next time, he will not escape from my grasp!"
Zuko almost believed his own words. He was drawing on the real Zuko's emotions, his desperation, his need for redemption. It felt real, even to him. But beneath the surface, he was calculating, manipulating the situation to his advantage.
Zhao's laughter cut through the tension like a knife. "Capturing the Avatar should not be left to the hands of a mama's boy who couldn't take on a slug!" His words were meant to sting, to provoke.
And they did. A surge of pride and anger overwhelmed Zuko, and before he could think, the words spilled out of his mouth. "Agni Kai!" he roared, his voice shaking with fury. "I challenge you to a fire duel!"
The room fell silent. Zhao's smirk widened, his eyes gleaming with amusement. He looked at Zuko as if he were a child throwing a tantrum.
"Zuko, I recommend you take back your challenge," Iroh interjected, his tone calm but firm. He had been silent until now, observing the exchange with a wary eye.
"I refuse," Zuko shot back, his voice cold and resolute. "I will not lose to scum like him!"
"Do I need to remind you what happened the last time you fought a master?" Iroh insisted, his voice tinged with concern.
"General Iroh, even you are aware of the rules," Zhao said, his tone dripping with mockery. "Once an Agni Kai is issued, only the challenged can accept or refuse."
Lieutenant Tau, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. "That is correct," he said, his voice trembling slightly.
*BLLMMLMGHGHML!!!*
Without warning, a massive ball of fire erupted from Zuko's hand, shooting across the room and enveloping Tau. The lieutenant screamed in agony, his body writhing as the flames consumed him. Zhao and Iroh immediately sprang into action, bending the flames away from Tau, but the damage had been done. Tau lay on the ground, his uniform charred, his skin burned almost as badly as the scar on Zuko's face.
"I already warned you," Zuko said, his voice low and menacing. "That was your last warning. Next time... I will kill you."
Zhao glared at Zuko, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and disbelief. He stood up slowly, his expression hardening as he stepped closer to the young prince. The air between them crackled with heat, the room feeling like a furnace ready to explode.
"I accept your challenge," Zhao declared, his voice steady but laced with venom. "Tomorrow at noon, when the sun is at its highest. I will show you the true might of a firebending master."
"Tomorrow at high noon, then," Zuko replied, his voice equally cold. He turned and walked away, leaving the suffocating tension of the room behind.
As he made his way back to his quarters on the ship, Zuko's mind raced. He had played his part perfectly, but the stakes were higher than ever. He knew Zhao would not hold back in the Agni Kai, and he needed to be ready.
"What the heck was that out there!?" Iroh's voice boomed from behind, breaking Zuko's train of thought.
Zuko turned to face his uncle, feigning ignorance with a blank smile. "What are you talking about?"
"Attacking a member of the Fire Nation Army for such a trivial reason!" Iroh exclaimed, his voice filled with frustration. "Those are the actions of Ozai and Azula!"
Zuko's smile vanished, replaced by a cold, emotionless expression. "So what if it is?" he asked bluntly. "That is my father and sister. In case you haven't noticed, Uncle, our family has been responsible for the greatest era of bloodshed and massacre in history. Even you have shed innocent lives for the sake of it."
Iroh's eyes widened in shock, but Zuko continued, his voice rising with each word. "In your siege of Ba Sing Se, how many children lost their fathers? How many families perished because of the senile ambitions of that fool Sozin? I know you believe the Fire Nation's stance is wrong, but do not look at me with your own expectations! My destiny is to capture the Avatar and return as the hero and Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. I will do whatever it takes to fulfill my destiny!"
With that, Zuko turned and walked away, leaving Iroh standing in stunned silence. This was not the Zuko he knew. The boy he had raised, the boy he had tried to guide with wisdom and patience, was gone. In his place was someone colder, harder, and more ruthless.
As Zuko disappeared into the night, Iroh couldn't shake the feeling that something had fundamentally changed. Meeting the Avatar had altered Zuko's mentality in ways even he couldn't fully comprehend. The boy he once knew was slipping away, replaced by someone who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
And Zuko, for his part, knew exactly what he was doing. He was playing a dangerous game, but he was determined to see it through to the end. No matter the cost.