"I hate this. I hate every second of this."
"Oi, Suki. You have been complaining about that for the past hour. Either find something new to complain about or shut up," Toji spoke up as he spotted the Misty Palms in the distance, rolling his eyes when he heard her scoff.
"If your ears have not bled from my complaining, then I haven't done enough."
"You know, I've seen her irritated and mad, but I've never seen her this pissed-off. What did you do to her?", Sokka asked and Suki glared at Toji as he looked back with a smirk.
"After I left Gaoling, I made my way to Kyoshi Island. There, I met Suki and her fellow warriors where I then trained them for a year. At the end of said year, she confessed that she liked me."
"And?"
"And then I stole Kyoshi's fans and dipped," Toji finished with a shrug, making Sokka blink before he sat back with a nod.
"I see. That...is one bitch move."
"Oh, it was, but now with him in front of me, I just have to wait for the perfect opportunity."
"Where I get killed and you can steal them back? Sorry to burst your bubble, but the fans and every other artifact that isn't Kuruk's spear is in Wormy's stomach and the only one he listens to is me," As if in agreement, Wormy rumbled and Suki narrowed her eyes before Toji turned back to look forward.
"Besides, there isn't anything in this world that can take me on and think that they would survive to the next day."
"How can you just talk about taking a life like that? Is it not something sacred to you?", Aang finally spoke from where he was seated atop of Appa with a frown and Toji raised an eyebrow as he looked to the teen.
"Ah, right. You Air nomads were said to cherish all life, right? Well, let me ask you this. When you're finally face to face with the Fire Lord one day, what will you do?"
"What does that matter?", Katara asked with a frown, which deepened when Toji just smirked and gestured for her to stay out.
"Katara, was it? Keep out of this. That's a question for the Avatar."
"Do not talk to her like that."
"Answer my question, then. The Fire Lord, a man that has no qualms about taking the lives of innocent men, women and children in order to further his agenda, is now at your mercy. Will you spare him or take his life?"
"I'll spare him."
"Okay, let's take it further then. You spare him and you put him in prison. Funny thing is that he is a master firebender and there are still firebenders loyal to him. Now, he knows he can't beat you so what does he do?"
"He goes after Katara and us while his firebenders keeping you busy," Toph spoke from where she was sitting in front of Toji, who smirked as he looked while keeping his gaze on the grimacing teen.
"That's right. Now, you lost all of your friends and your new 'family' simply because you couldn't take his life. Now, you beat him along with his firebender army again and you have a choice again.
The man that killed your friends and family, the man that took away everything you love, is now on his knees in front of you, begging for mercy. What do you do, Avatar?"
"I...I...", Aang looked hesitant as he went to answer and Toji just smirked as he saw everyone waiting for his answer.
"Want me to tell you what you'll do?"
"Toji...", Toph began, but frowned when Toji just continued without listening.
"You'll hesitate and that hesitation will get someone else killed. That's the curse of people like you, Avatar. You have too much mercy and compassion and you think that makes you strong? No, it just makes you laughably predictable."
"That is not true! Mercy is strength! To just take a life like it's nothing, it...it changes you."
"Changes you? Ha! Kid, it defines you. Every scar, scream and corpse become a part of who you are."
"And I suppose you'll know all about killing, huh?", Katara spoke with a frown and Toji smirked as he twirled Kuruk's spear while nodding.
"I do. I've killed men who begged, men who laughed, men who didn't see me coming and men who waited for me to take their lives and you know what? I'm still here, breathing and smiling because that's what it means to be strong."
"That's what it means to be a monster."
"Funnily enough, the monsters you talk about live longer than the sheep they hunt."
"Quit it with the scary stuff. No one here's scared of that," Toph spoke with a frown as she jabbed an elbow into his side, but Toji just smirked as he saw the Avatar's shaking hands.
"Not trying to scare anyone. I'm just preparing him for when the day comes, and it will come, he'll either put Ozai in the ground or wish he did."
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"Yung."
"Toji, my favourite customer!", Yung the bartender spoke with a grin as Toji walked in, the Gaang narrowing their eyes at the happy tone from the man behind the counter as well as how swiftly everyone left the very second they entered.
"There a reason why they all ran?"
"Toji. The guy would kill anyone if they so much as breathe wrong so they just leave until he does," Yung said with a shrug, Sokka just turning to Toji who smirked as he picked up one of the cocktails and began drinking it.
"You realize the fear your name causes in the people around you, right?"
"I do."
"And that...that doesn't bother you?"
"Not really. The less people bother me with stupid shit, the more time I'll have for myself."
Oi, you, bartender. What's that he's drinking?"
"Make her one, Yung."
"Ah, new girl?"
"What does he mean by 'new girl'?", Toph asked with a frown as she turned her head to Toji, who shrugged as Yung smirked and finished mixing the drinks before sliding the coconut shell to her.
"I meant a new friend. After all, the only one he hangs out with is June an-"
"Wait, the bounty hunter June? Hair over one eye and rides this dog-badger thing with the long tongue?"
"A shirshu and yeah, that's the same one. Wait, are you guys the stupid teenagers that made her lose a shit ton of money? Hahahahaha! Oh, you guys have no idea who you pissed off"
"What do you mean?", Katara asked, the group waiting until Toji's laughter died down before he shook his head.
"Just that she is now waiting for the opportunity to meet you just so she can kill you."
"W-Wait, kill us? As in actually kill us?", Sokka asked, now a bit nervous as Toji nodded.
"Yep, someone from the Fire Nation promised her a shit ton of money to get you guys and it must have been a fortune given that she doesn't usually do jobs on just a promise. Therefore, she's going to come after you and she's going to skin you alive until she gets her fortune."
"Well, what about you?", Katara asked with a frown, making Toji raise an eyebrow in question as he finished his drink before gesturing for her to continue.
"You said that she's coming after us because of a fortune. Are you going to do the same?"
"Like I told Mr. All-lives-are-Sacred over there, as long as the bounty keeps climbing, the chances of me hunting him down grows higher and higher."
"Great, so we can't count on you to stop June from hunting us?", Sokka asked with a nervous smile and Toji scoffed as he shook his head.
"Nah, June's the one that got me into the mercenary business and the one who helped me find this place. As far as I'm concerned, the second she asks me to help hunt you down is the second you're dead. Well, all except for the blind one here since she is still paying my salary."
"Yeah, that's right! Which means that I get to order you to protect us."
"No, you don't. My contract involves you and only you."
"And my friends are my friends, which means I would be saddened if they were to die."
"Are you just trying to guilt-trip me into protecting them?"
"Is it working?"
"Not in the slightest," Toji answered with a smile, chuckling as Toph grumbled before nodding.
"Fine, double the paycheck."
"I'll tell her you guys are with me."
"Wait, that's it? That's...all?", Katara asked with a blink of her eyes and Toji nodded as he stood up, Toph finishing her drink before she did as well.
"You forget that I'm a mercenary that has killed hundreds of people across the world simply because I got paid to. Everyone in the Underworld fears the name Toji Fushiguro so if I decide that a target is off-limits, they're off-limits. Actually, Yung..."
"Already busy with the letters," Yung spoke up from behind the counter, to which Toji nodded before looking to Toph who stood beside him.
"You ready to see your parents?"
"Not really, but if I run, you're just going to use them as leverage, aren't you?"
"Oh, you know me so well. Anyway, we'll see ya in Ba Sing Se in a couple of days," Toji spoke as he left the bar, Toph following after him with a whistle before he stopped at the entrance.
"Anyone tries to target the Avatar, his bison or his friends for a quick coin and I will make it my life mission to hunt you down and torture you for the rest of my miserable life. Is that clear?"
"Yes!", The bounty hunters, mercenaries and assassins shouted in unison, Toph raising an eyebrow as she and Toji continued walking to the entrance where Iron was waiting.
"Look at you, Mr. Popular."
"Don't call me that. Now, hop on. It's time your old man and I had a chat again."
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"Toji's back!"
"Toji's returned!"
"Oh shit!"
"It's like you're the boogeyman," Toph murmured as she and Toji climbed off of Iron, who immediately trotted off happily to his home while the two stared at the Beifong guards standing nervously.
"Oi, you guys can relax. I'm not here for violence. Well, I am, but only of Lao initiates it," That didn't their hearts at ease, but Toji didn't seem to care as he followed Toph up the stairs to the main entrance.
"Toph!", Poppy looked ecstatic as she rushed forward, a smile on Toph's face as she hugged her mother while Toji kept his gaze on the frowning Lao.
"Toji."
"Lao, wanna tell me why you sent Xin Fu and Yu after Toph?"
"They were the best hunters that were available at the time."
"Even when you knew that Xin Fu and Yu would try to extort you as much as they can because they know you would do anything to get her back?"
"Even if it means that. After all, you were the one who abandoned your post as her personal guard to go gallivanting around the world for six years, bringing your own personal problems to us. Do you have any idea of the bounty the Fire Nation had put on your head?"
"I do," Toji nodded, crossing his arms while gesturing for Toph to keep out when he saw her frowning.
"Then you should know that your presence here endangers my daughter. Quite frankly, ever since I took you under my roof, there has been trouble bothering us at every turn."
"Oh, don't twist it like that. You didn't mind the trouble when it was making you hundreds of thousands. Now that I am not working for you, you don't like the snakes that are sniffing around and looking for their piece, do you?"
"I did not mind the higher income, yes, but I also did not mind when my daughter decided that she wanted to follow your barbaric ways instead of being the noble lady that she wanted to be."
"That you wanted her to be. Don't try and make it seem like she wanted any of that. She's a fighter, but you're the one who wants her to play doll in a silk dress pretending she's not one of the sharpest and most capable earthbenders alive."
'Why am I feeling like this?', Toji didn't know why he was so adamant in defending Toph to the piece of shit in front of him, but he didn't mind it to be honest as he had never liked the fool in front of him.
"Please, the reunion doesn't have to be like this. Let us just be grateful that she's home," Poppy spoke and Toji watched as Lao looked conflicted before he turned his gaze back to Toph who looked back with a frown.
"Toph, you have anything to say here?", He asked, watching as she turned her head to Lao who looked at her with a conflicted frown before she spoke.
"I am sad that you don't want to accept me for what and who I am. I understand that I'm still that little girl in your head, but that doesn't mean that I can't protect myself, Dad.
Let go of the little girl that called you Papa, who followed you around as she learned of the world around her. Let go of the little girl who cried in your arms when she fell and who loved feeling your presence around her.
She is still me and I am still her, but that little girl has grown up. Now she is a young man, embarking into the world outside and wants to grow not only as a woman, but also as a person.
So, please, just this once, Papa. Let me go," Toph whispered as she came to a stop in front of Lao, reaching up and hugging the man as Toji watched the man stare at his daughter before he smirked when the man sighed and patted her back.
"If trouble comes, you come back home. I don't care if the Avatar or the Fire nation are your friends or your mortal enemies. You come back home and you let me protect you. Am I clear?"
"Crystal," Toph whispered, Toji chuckling as Poppy joined in on the hug before he smirked when the man looked at him with a frown.
"I am now giving you ten times your salary. No matter who attacks her, whether it is the Avatar, the Earth King or the Fire Lord himself, tear them apart and bring their heads to me. Let me show the world that the Beifong family still has our Monster to protect us."
"Oh, with pleasure."
"You don't have to worry about that anyway, Dad. I kissed him," Toph said bluntly and the entire house was silent before Lao turned a glare to Toji who sighed.
"You what?"
A/N: And we end it off here~! Yeah, I changed a lot at the end of the chapter so hopefully, this is better. It is a lot shorter, but I decided to settle with this.
Will there be anymore changes? Who knows?
Like always, you can go to my Pat-reon-.-com-/-KingCrimsonNova to read ahead on this as well as many other stories & even some that haven't been released out to this site yet. If you want to, you are free to, but if you don't want, all's good as I will still be uploading here. This is just me trying to get some extra cash.
Anyway, as always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one…
Ba-Bye~!