Kahn hadn't expected that after their first failed attempt to uncover clues about Ursa's disappearance, the next operation would come so soon.
"Mother's room has clearly been cleaned up," Azula said confidently. "If Father didn't throw her things away, then he must have stored them somewhere."
Given Ozai's meticulous and controlling nature, it made sense — he would definitely keep certain personal items or documents.
"Isn't this too soon?" Kahn frowned. "If we act again now, we might attract Ozai's attention. We've been moving too frequently."
Azula, however, looked completely unbothered. "Don't worry. This will just be a normal exploration. I'll invite Mai and Ty Lee to come along."
Kahn frowned deeper. "There's no need to involve them. It's too dangerous."
Azula laughed. "Ha! What are you thinking? Relax — it really is just a normal exploration."
Mai and Ty Lee had grown up with her, and unlike Zuko, they weren't the obedient, rule-following type.
In fact, the three of them had been sneaking around the palace since childhood — even breaking into the council chambers once.
Honestly, they probably knew more about the Fire Nation palace than Zuko himself.
"You guys are insane," Kahn muttered, half impressed, half exasperated. "Seriously, who does that?"
So the plan was simple: during this so-called "exploration," he and Azula would casually look for any hidden or suspicious locations connected to Ursa.
Still, something occurred to him. "What about Zuko? Shouldn't we call him?"
After their last talk, Kahn had been thinking of ways to bring Zuko into the fold.
This seemed like a perfect opportunity. After all, they shared the same goal — finding Ursa.
Azula's response, however, was a scoff. "Call him? If you can manage that, go ahead. But he's such a good boy — he never does dangerous things with us."
Her tone was dripping with mockery. Zuko's habit of tattling on them in the past had long been one of their biggest points of friction.
Of course, things had gotten better recently.
Zuko hadn't reported her sneaking out to find Kahn anymore. Their relationship had thawed, even if it wasn't exactly warm.
Kahn sighed and decided to be direct. "Then tell me — should we tell Zuko about the plan?"
Azula's reaction was immediate — and explosive. "What!? Are you crazy!?"
Her golden eyes flashed as she fired off her words like fireballs.
"Have you lost your mind? Do you want our plan to fail? Or are you saying you're bored and trying to ruin everything on purpose? Are you dissatisfied with me?"
"Whoa, stop!"
Kahn threw up his hands, taken aback by the barrage. "Is it really that serious? Is Zuko that much of an annoyance to you?"
Azula smirked coldly. "What do you think? His skills aren't good, his brain isn't good, and his acting isn't good. It'd be a miracle if he didn't drag us down. Though…"
She paused, eyes narrowing with amusement. "If he's willing to follow my every command, I might consider it."
Kahn was speechless. Honestly, this was so Azula. And as much as he wanted to argue, she wasn't entirely wrong — Zuko really did have a "small" gap in talent compared to her.
Still, Kahn had already made up his mind. He wasn't giving up.
"In pure ability, sure, he can't match you," Kahn said, thinking quickly.
"But he's not useless either — and you know that. Having him with us would actually make things easier. At least we wouldn't have to waste time avoiding him or hiding what we're doing."
He paused, then added, "Besides, he wants to find your mother too."
Azula folded her arms and listened as Kahn told her about his conversation with Zuko.
When he finished, she smirked faintly. "So after all that, you're just worried about his safety? You're planning to babysit him?"
"It's called helping a friend," Kahn shot back. "If you were in danger, I'd do the same."
Azula blinked, caught off guard for a moment. Her tone softened slightly, though her words stayed sharp.
"Say what you want, I still don't trust him."
Kahn sighed. He hadn't expected Azula's resistance to be this strong.
Clearly, convincing her wasn't going to happen overnight. Maybe Iroh could help smooth things over later.
"Fine," he said finally. "But aren't you being a little too harsh? People change. Zuko hasn't tattled on you in ages. Besides — he's your brother."
Azula froze. The word brother seemed to strike a nerve.
Kahn continued gently, "And don't forget — your mother always wanted you two to get along."
For a moment, Azula's usual smirk faltered.
Memories of Ursa flickered in her mind — her soft voice, her gentle smile, her constant wish for peace between her children.
After a long pause, Azula exhaled. "...Fine. If you really want him to join, it's not impossible."
Kahn blinked. "Wait, really?"
Azula smiled faintly, a sly glint returning to her eyes. "Yes — as long as he meets my requirements."
"Done!" Kahn grinned, pounding his chest. "Just tell me what they are, and I'll go talk to him!"
Later that night, Kahn sat across from a stunned Zuko.
"You and Azula have been secretly looking for clues about Mother's disappearance!?" Zuko's eyes were wide with disbelief.
"I know it's a lot to take in," Kahn admitted, his voice steady. "There are… reasons it had to stay secret."
Zuko frowned deeply, still trying to process. "I'm shocked, yes — but what surprises me most is that Azula… actually cares that much about Mother."
"Yeah, she does," Kahn said quietly. "But don't ever say that to her face."
Zuko gave a small, knowing smile. "I know better."
Kahn leaned forward. "So — will you join us? It means defying your father's orders. If you'd rather not, then pretend we never had this conversation."
Zuko hesitated, his mind torn between duty and longing — the lessons from his mother battling the fear instilled by his father.
Finally, he clenched his fists and said firmly:
"...I'll join."
Kahn grinned, clapping him on the shoulder. "Excellent."
Then, with a mischievous glint that reminded Zuko way too much of Azula, Kahn added, "But before you officially join us… there are a few requirements you'll have to pass."
Zuko blinked. "Requirements?"
That grin only widened.
And suddenly, Zuko had a very bad feeling about this.
...
Author's Note:
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