There was no time to change momentum. No time to do anything but realize the whole situation was a trap, as ice froze around her and she couldn't move.
After a moment, her head was freed. She took an undignified gulp of fresh air.
The waterbender was standing in front of her.
Heat, Azula thought. I need heat. She willed fire to her hands, and the heat melted the ice around her hands a little. Not enough to move them, but given enough time-
“You won't be hurting anyone else,” the waterbender said. “Not today.”
Someone would be here as her backup in just a moment. Which was, of course, unacceptable. She was trying to prove to father that she was strong. Failing at her mission, after a year of failing to capture the airbender- it would show him nothing but what he already suspected. That she was weak. That she couldn't handle the tasks he set her.
She'd lose her bending again. Or something else important, because if there was one thing that Father was good at, it was finding things you didn't even know you cared about and taking them away.
Unacceptable.
She directed as much heat as she could to her hands, but it was no good. The waterbender had noticed her efforts and froze the water again with a casual flick of her hands. “You aren't escaping,” she said. “Not until Haru and his family are safe.”
“My father is outside,” Azula said. “They won't get away.”
“He won't catch them,” the waterbender said. “We knew the house would be watched. But thank you for the warning.” She gave Azula a smile. Or showed her teeth, anyway.
Azula had been beaten. It was not a nice sensation. “What will you do with me, then?”
“You'll be free to go,” the waterbender said. “We aren't monsters. We don't kill people.”
There was a slight emphasis on “we” that Azula felt was unfair. She'd never- she'd only ever killed one person. She wasn't some sort of serial killer. She'd been interrupted several moments too early for that, she noted sourly.
The remaining moments of Azula's temporary captivity passed in sullen silence. Then the waterbender's phone buzzed, and she flipped it open. “Good,” she said. “They're clear. You won't find them again, so don't bother looking.”
She froze the ice around Azula's hands once more, and walked into another room. Azula could hear her footsteps on stairs, and then there was no sound. Had she gone to to roof? The earthbenders might have escaped through the basement, but they wouldn't leave that route open. The waterbender had probably called her airbender friend and escaped on the bison. Which meant Azula's father would know already that Azula had lost. That the airbender and his friends had been here.
It took a few moments to work her way free. Even with her hottest flame, there was a lot of ice that needed melting. She was numb and tired and all she wanted was to curl up with a cup of spiced drinking chocolate and Ty Lee.
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branchandroot
The Price of Failure (2/3)
Date: 2011-03-11 05:51 am (UTC)After a moment, her head was freed. She took an undignified gulp of fresh air.
The waterbender was standing in front of her.
Heat, Azula thought. I need heat. She willed fire to her hands, and the heat melted the ice around her hands a little. Not enough to move them, but given enough time-
“You won't be hurting anyone else,” the waterbender said. “Not today.”
Someone would be here as her backup in just a moment. Which was, of course, unacceptable. She was trying to prove to father that she was strong. Failing at her mission, after a year of failing to capture the airbender- it would show him nothing but what he already suspected. That she was weak. That she couldn't handle the tasks he set her.
She'd lose her bending again. Or something else important, because if there was one thing that Father was good at, it was finding things you didn't even know you cared about and taking them away.
Unacceptable.
She directed as much heat as she could to her hands, but it was no good. The waterbender had noticed her efforts and froze the water again with a casual flick of her hands. “You aren't escaping,” she said. “Not until Haru and his family are safe.”
“My father is outside,” Azula said. “They won't get away.”
“He won't catch them,” the waterbender said. “We knew the house would be watched. But thank you for the warning.” She gave Azula a smile. Or showed her teeth, anyway.
Azula had been beaten. It was not a nice sensation. “What will you do with me, then?”
“You'll be free to go,” the waterbender said. “We aren't monsters. We don't kill people.”
There was a slight emphasis on “we” that Azula felt was unfair. She'd never- she'd only ever killed one person. She wasn't some sort of serial killer. She'd been interrupted several moments too early for that, she noted sourly.
The remaining moments of Azula's temporary captivity passed in sullen silence. Then the waterbender's phone buzzed, and she flipped it open. “Good,” she said. “They're clear. You won't find them again, so don't bother looking.”
She froze the ice around Azula's hands once more, and walked into another room. Azula could hear her footsteps on stairs, and then there was no sound. Had she gone to to roof? The earthbenders might have escaped through the basement, but they wouldn't leave that route open. The waterbender had probably called her airbender friend and escaped on the bison. Which meant Azula's father would know already that Azula had lost. That the airbender and his friends had been here.
It took a few moments to work her way free. Even with her hottest flame, there was a lot of ice that needed melting. She was numb and tired and all she wanted was to curl up with a cup of spiced drinking chocolate and Ty Lee.
But she still had to face her father.