Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“That’s rough buddy.”

Seriously? That’s rough buddy? Zuko is an idiot.

“Sorry…” he mumbles hesitantly. “That must have been really hard for you. Do you want to tell me about her?”

The last part trails off into an almost whisper.

Zuko didn’t want to impose, but it would probably do Sokka some good to get it off his chest. Besides, he was curious to learn more about the people he’s living with now.

Sokka’s head snaps up at the question.

“Really?” he says, desperation dancing in his eyes.

“Yeah, I’d love to hear about it,” Zuko sends him what he hopes is an encouraging smile but is probably more of an uncomfortable and frankly disturbing show of teeth.

He know he doesn’t have the typical look of the perfect, porcelain omegas he grew up around. Half his face is a mottled discolored mess for Agni’s sake. And it wasn’t all the great to start with anyway.

“Well um,” Sokka sighs wistfully, “So, Yue actually presented as an alpha, but she was raised as an omega. She almost died at birth, so her parents were super protective of her. She told me she always knew something felt off about the way she was treated, but she didn’t know how to live any other way. Nothing really changed when they realized she was actually an alpha, it was like her parents had already made up their minds about who she was supposed to be.”

Zuko nods carefully, fingers lightly brushing the metal floor of the war balloon where his butt is firmly planted. He knew that feeling all too well.

“I’m sure that was really hard for her. Everyone thought I was an alpha. My father wouldn’t have accepted anything less,” he tries to hide his grimace, “so I was treated like one. I pushed myself to be the best at everything, even when it went against my instincts, but the entire time it was like some part of me was trapped inside just wailing to be let out. I had to learn how to ignore it or I would have gone insane.”

“Hey! That’s exactly how she described it!” Sokka says bewildered, his eyes pointed to some distant place in the sky. “Must be a royalty thing growing up with gender dysphoria.”

Zuko snorts. He could tell the quip wasn’t meant maliciously and if joking helped Sokka acknowledge his past, he sure wasn’t going to be the one to tell him no.

“Sorry.” Sokka looks back at him with a soft expression. “I don’t mean to make light of it, but it’s kind of nice to be able to talk about her to someone who understands.”

Zuko feels that. He’s never met anyone who could even begin to understand all of the haunting thoughts that still plagued his mind, but talking to Sokka helped ease the burden, if only slightly. He mourns for Sokka's lost love, the tattered pieces of his heart shining through in the way he speaks of her with such reverence.

They sit together in silence for a minute, neither meeting the other’s gaze.

Right. This is probably where Zuko was supposed to continue the conversation. He could totally do that. He’s an expert at talking.

“You must have really loved her to still hold on to all these feelings,” he finally says.

The growing ache in his heart overwhelmed any other coherent thought. Oh, to be loved that wholly. What Zuko wouldn’t give to have a love as magnificent as the tales he read about growing up.

“Of course I’m still holding on to my feelings for her! She was my mate!” Sokka snaps out heatedly, finishing with a sharp growl and an expression like he’d love nothing more than to tear Zuko’s throat out.

Zuko freezes, his ears filling with cotton and his vision going hazy as he inconspicuously shrinks away from the enraged beta and into the furthest corner of the airship.

Fuck. Things had been going so well. He was actually beginning to feel almost, maybe comfortable with Sokka, and then he just had to mess it all up by putting his foot in his big mouth. Stupid, he berates himself. This is why he should never be allowed to speak ever.

Alright. In and out, Zuko. Find your center. You have to fix this.

“I’m sorry Sokka. It was not my intention to belittle your relationship. I need to be more careful of how I speak, please forgive me for my incompetence. I will do better next time,” he forces out in the most monotonous, emotionless way he could manage, head bowed instinctively.

Inside, he was terrified.

“No, no, no,” Sokka says franticly, his hands out in a similar fashion to how one would attempt to placate a wild animal. He seemed almost… panicked?

“I should be the one apologizing, it was wrong of me to speak to you that way. I just get a little protective when it comes to Yue. If I don’t, then who will, ya know?”

Zuko looks up hesitantly and upon seeing the earnest expression on Sokka’s face, exhales, humming in acknowledgment and slowly releasing some of the tension he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. He snugly wraps his arms around the bottoms of his thighs to pull his knees to his chest.

 He is safe here. Sokka is one of the good ones. Breathe in. Breathe out. He brushes his cheek into his knees and watches as the fluffy clouds float by, contemplating what Sokka had said. He had said they were mates, didn’t he?

“Um…” Zuko hesitates. “What did you mean you were mates? Didn’t you only know each other for a few days?” he eventually blurts out, eyes still cast to the side to avoid eye contact.

“Yeah, we didn’t have the chance to officially mate, but, when I locked eyes with her for the first time, I knew that she was mine and that I was hers.” The unapologetic love and adoration in his eyes was blinding.

 “In the Southern Water Tribe we called it a Match. It was practically a legend though. I’d never met anyone else with a Match until Aang showed up and got all oogey with Katara,” he reminisced with a slightly nauseated expression.

That’s fair. From what Zuko had seen of the Avatar and the waterbender, he didn’t blame him for being a little bit grossed out about it. He winces at the thought of having to see Azula with a significant other. Yikes.

His mother had told him stories of soulfires before. Of love so deep it would climb the highest mountain or cross the widest sea. How two people met and would rather die than be separated again. Was there something more to those tales than he realized?

“Apparently it’s hereditary though,” Sokka continues, not missing a beat, “like you’re more likely to have a match if someone else in your family does as well but-EEEEEEEP,“ he shrieked out as the war balloon violently stutters and sways. Zuko latches onto the edge of the war balloon, using it as leverage to hoist himself up, glancing around critically.

“What’s going on?” Sokka eyes met his uneasily, evidently expecting him to have an answer. Seriously Sokka? And Zuko thought he was supposed to be the weak, defenseless one. Gender stereotypes were such-

“Ohhhh,” Zuko says nonchalantly, realizing what had happened. “I think we’re here.”

He leans further over the edge spotting their impending doom in the distance.

-

After stealthily sneaking their way inside, they find the guard barracks with extra uniforms lined up in little cubbies.

Sokka races forward to snatch up one of the jackets, holding it up with a wide grin.

“Aww, Zuko,” he teases, “What are we going to do? I don’t think they make these in child sizes.”

“Hmm. You’re so funny Sokka. Hysterical, really. But, I’m not that small!” The following snarl is involuntary.

Seriously? He grits his teeth. He is a very respectable height for a male omega. It’s not like he chose to stop growing at 13. Well-balanced meals weren’t exactly readily available during his exile at sea.

“Eh, you really kind of are though dude.” Sokka shrugs and begins untying his tunic, letting it fall to the ground. Miles of smooth tan skin fill Zuko’s field of vision and he quickly averts his eyes as Sokka clumsily shimmies on the undershirt to the guard uniform.

Zuko rolls his eyes, huffing noisily at the comment and at Sokka’s lack of modesty. He storms over to one of the cubbies that had the faintest trace of an omega’s scent lingering, hoping the clothes will be more tailored to his body. He jerkily inspects the garments for quality and holds the pants up to his own legs, frowning as they trail past the tips of his toes.

"Please,” Sokkas begins, looking over to Zuko, words briefly muffled as he dons the standard issue shoulder pads, “as if your small size doesn’t make you even cuter and more omega-y. You know if I wasn’t so into alphas I might even consider- ”

“SOKKA!” Zuko shrieks, turning as red as his favorite silk pants from home and covering his burning cheeks with his hands. Agni, he needs a break. Maybe a spa day all by himself in the furthest bathing room of the air temple. That sounds pretty nice.

“You can't just say things like that! Even if you meant it, which I know you don’t, it’s inappropriate.” Maybe Sokka was just like the others after all. Agni, the pain of being ridiculed by his peers never ends. A thousand tiny paper cuts will surely be the death of him.

He’s had to deal with the taunting his entire life, but, with the mutilation of his face, it became inescapable. He thought it was finally over now that he’d joined forces with the Avatar and his friends. Because, they were the good guys after all, weren’t they?

After his presentation at the age of 12, people, mostly alphas, would flirt with him just enough to get him interested, then laugh in his face for thinking they were ever being serious. It was humiliating and degrading. Most days he was convinced he wasn’t even an omega anymore. Like his disfigurement made him some kind of hybrid gender that had no place in the world.

Sokka looks at him funny, opening his mouth to say something, but Zuko cuts him off.

“I’m not in the mood right now Sokka, would you just turn around already so I can change?”

Sokka’s rolls his eyes, irritation overtaking his sharp features.

“Seriously? Of course, your royal prissiness, I wouldn’t want to offend your delicate sensibilities," his says, voice saturated with sarcasm.

Sokka spins around, crossing his arms and tapping his foot.

 “Hurry up, princess.”

Zuko winces at the biting words, his weariness from the day mounting. Sokka is still a kid after all, he just doesn’t understand.

He slips into his own stolen uniform with practiced efficiency. It was perfectly reasonable in Zuko’s mind that someone who wasn’t his mate shouldn’t be looking at him in any state of undress. He angrily buttons up his jacket. That didn’t make him some stuck-up brat. He shoved his feet into too big boots. He just has specific feelings about modesty and wants them to be respected. He finished by yanking the helmet over his unruly wind-blown hair. He exhales, trying to regain his composure before facing Sokka.

“Come ooooon,” Sokka drags out, throwing his head back. The frustration comes back full force.

“Okay, you can turn around now.” Zuko says snappishly.

Sokka made an exaggerated motion of slowly turning around and uncovering his eyes.

“Whew!” Sokka exclaims, bitterness oozing from his every word, “thank Tui and La you’re fully covered now. My depraved, peasant eyes are unworthy to catch even a glimpse of you in such a vulnerable state. I’m surprised I’m allowed to look at you. Like ever.” The tactless words settle like stones in Zuko’s stomach.

“Just shut up, Sokka,” Zuko bites out trying not to let any of the hurt seep through the cracks of his crumbling emotional state. He didn’t even bother to correct him. Sokka could think what he wants about him, it’s not like it matters anyway. They just need to find Sokka’s dad and get out of here.

“What do we do now?”

Chapter Text

Zuko and Sokka make their way out of the room, feigning confidence that neither of them actually have, only to see guards rushing down the corridor. The pounding of footsteps and booming voices deliver a painful barrage of sound to even his poor ears.

“Hey, you two! Let’s go! There’s a situation out in the yard.” An intimidating, high ranking officer shouts at them, pausing only long enough to do so. He was not built for prison. Not anymore. Since he had switched sides, he had stopped suppressing his omega as much. And wow was his omega sensitive. It feels like anything could set him off or overstimulate his brain. From smells, certain textures, other people’s feelings even. Sounds were the worst of it though.

They both absorb into the bunch, Zuko keeping his eyes firmly planted on the back of Sokka’s head as they charge onward. He tries to remain calm, nimbly evading the brushes of the significantly alpha stampede. The smells and sounds are already overwhelming, but Zuko swears if one of them touched him, he was going to lose it.

They finally reach the yard, most of the group shoving past prisoners who have formed a crowd around whatever the skirmish is. He weaves in between the spaces left by those ahead of him, making his way to the front.

He comes to a halt beside Sokka. In the middle of the ring is what appeared to be a guard provoking a prisoner.

“I didn’t do anything; I’m heading back to my cell.” The large, brutish looking omega, he is awed to realize, declares. Wow. Did being in prison force the man to become so tough or does he just come by it naturally? He would appreciate just a sliver of that energy.

The prisoner turns to walk away from the situation, but the guard calls out to him and proceeds to release a wave of fire at the omega’s back.

His heart stops.

“I won’t fight you!”

“You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher.”

He can’t watch this happen again. He won’t. No one, not even the nastiest criminal, deserves to be attacked when they’re not fighting back. He lunges forward to intervene-

A hand latches tightly onto his bicep, “We can’t blow our cover.”

Sokka remains unmoved.

Zuko whines quietly as he turns back to the action, unable to take his eyes off of it.

“I’ve had it with your unruly behavior.” The guard grins.

He trembles.

“What did I do?”

He doesn’t even know what he did wrong? He begins to hyperventilate.

“Cool it, Zuko,” Sokka whispers at him, squeezing his arm tightly before releasing it.

The guard turns to them, “He wants to know what he did wrong. Isn’t that cute?”

He remains frozen.

The guard lifts his faceplate scrutinizing them.

Shit.

“Very cute. Sir,” He whispers, head bowed in submission.

The alpha flashes him a saccharine smile. “Aww, alpha got the omega’s tongue? You will speak up when addressing your superior, omega.”

“Omega. Speak up or don’t bother speaking at all. Your mouth has better use elsewhere anyway.”

He feels the guttural cry building in his throat. Not safe. Never safe. He needs to find somewhere to hide.

“The cutest, sir,” Sokka interjects loudly, leaning forward.

The guard gives him one last glance before turning back to the prisoner.

A whimper escapes from his pressed lips, and Sokka lets out a breath in relief.

“You didn’t bow down when I walked by Chit Sang.”

“What? That’s not a prison rule!”

“Do it, omega!”

“Make me!” The prisoner snarls, defiance like a consuming fire in his eyes.

The guard smirks before seemingly walking off, only to turn back at the last minute and lash out at the unaware prisoner with a fire whip. Zuko audibly gasps, vision going hazy. The prisoner has no choice but to deflect, bending it back to the guard.

The guard tsks smugly, “Firebending is prohibited, you’re going in the cooler.”

Agni, he had forgotten how fucked up this place was. He had willingly trapped himself here. He has never claimed to make good choices.

The guard points at Sokka, “You! Help me take him in.”

Sokka rushes forward, turning around to mouth for Zuko to meet him back there in an hour. The crowd dissipates and he makes his way back inside unsteadily, looking for somewhere quiet to catch his breath. He stops in a hallway, leaning his forehead against the wall, crossing his arms tightly over his stomach. Panting breaths escape his mouth without his permission and he clenches his eyes shut.

Come on Zuko, pull it together. The sooner you find Sokka’s dad the sooner you can get the hell out of this nightmare.

He makes his way towards what he remembers to be a lounge. He had been there once before, when his dad took him on a tour of the facilities, solely to scare him into submission. Good times.

Upon entering the lounge, he finds that it’s not too crowded, with a few groups sitting at tables together, eating and laughing. He immediately bolts over to the food table, filling his plate with his favorite comfort foods. Boy, did he miss fire nation food.

“Hey newbie, you know you can take that helmet off in here,” a guard from a nearby table called out to him.

“You afraid one of the guards will jump you or something if they see what’s hiding under that helmet, omega?” Ha, little does he know that they definitely would. But not for the reason he’s implying. “Don’t worry, they only do that with the prisoners.” The guard chuckles, like he wasn’t just talking about assaulting someone.

He bites the inside of his cheek, willing himself not to freak out. This is for Sokka and his dad. It’s not about his feelings.

He forces a laugh “But what if a prisoner sneaks up behind me and strikes me on the head?” He finds a seat at the end of the table, as far away from the others as possible.

“Silly, omega. We’ll have you loosened up in no time.” The adjacent female guard leers over at him. She reminds him of Azula. Always trying to manipulate him and speaking as though he has the intellectual capacity of a toddler. Which to be fair he kind of does, but that’s beside the point!

“My names Jina and that’s Marik.” She nods to the first guard that addresses him.

“Is it alright if I ask you experienced veterans a couple of questions?” Hopefully stroking their massive egos will make them more willing to spill.

“No, sweetheart, you aren’t allowed to have a fellow guard as a heat partner.” The male guard tells him pointedly.

“Not that you’d want any of these dirty alphas tainting a cute little thing like you anyway.” The alpha woman winks at him.

He feels the bile rising in his throat. Absolutely the fuck not.

“No, um, that’s not it. This prison holds the fire nation’s most dangerous criminals right?”

“Mhmm.”

“Well, what about war prisoners?”

“Ooooh, you looking for someone dangerous?” Jina grins widely at him, puffing up her chest. Ew no.

“Ummm…” Alright quick, think Zuko. “Yeah, I uh always wanted to meet someone from one of the water tribes.” He tries not to grimace.

“You like it really wild then huh? Nah, sweetie there’s no water tribe savages here, but I’m sure we can find you someone just as undomesticated.”

Okay, so that’s really unfortunate, but he can’t dwell on it right now. They’re really starting to freak him out, and he needs to get the fuck out of here.

“No, that’s okay, I have, er, really specific tastes,” His stomach turns, “I think I’m going to go take a look around for myself. Thank you, Alphas.” That hurt.

“Sure thing hon, be sure to let me know if there’s anything I can help you with.”

He’s good.

He gives a strangled reply and bolts for the exit.

-

“How goes it fellow guard?” Zuko states awkwardly as he shuffles over to where Sokka had been waiting for him.

“Zuko? So? What did you find out?”

He feels a pit form in his stomach at the sight of Sokka’s hopeful expression.

“There’s no one from the water tribe here Sokka. I’m so sorry, but we came all this way for nothing.”

Sokka’s face falls immediately. “No…” He spins around to kick at the wall, muttering in frustration.

Zuko looked away from the display as the guilt overwhelms him. Sokka wouldn’t get to save his dad after all. He had told him that his dad would be here and gotten his hopes up for nothing. He should have just kept his dumb mouth shut. As per usual. Maybe being good just wasn’t in the cards for him. He goes to apologize again, only to be interrupted by Sokka exclaiming,

“Maybe it wasn’t for nothing! Look, Zuko, it’s Suki!”

Sokka bounces on his heels pointing into the yard below.

Sure enough, he followed Sokka’s finger to see the kyoshi warrior whose village he had burned down. Fantastic.

He has a bad feeling about this.

Chapter Text

Zuko stands watch outside Suki’s cell as Sokka goes in. Sokka deserved a moment alone with the alpha girl, and it was really the least he could do for her, considering their history.

The muffled sounds of crying and the rustling of clothes feel like a knife twisting his guts around. His heart pangs with longing. There’s no one who cared about him that much.

An image of Uncle pouring him a hand-crafted cup of tea springs to mind. That’s not true. Uncle did care about him that much, probably even more, and Zuko had ruthlessly betrayed him. It’s clearer now more than ever that he will never be able to find and sustain romantic love. There’s just something broken in him that makes him utterly unlovable.

Nobody had ever chosen to love him without some sort of obligation to do so. He could count the people who had loved him on one hand: Uncle, Mom, and maybe Mai. All past tense. All corrupted by Zuko’s own hands.

Not even Mai had loved him romantically. They’d been betrothed since his presentation, but neither had ever seen the other as anything more than a best friend. His closest confidant. His partner in crime. The only one his age who ever bothered to look past his awkwardness to get to know the real him. His heart seizes at the thought of his most recent betrayal, less than a week past. The letter he left Mai. That destructive but inevitable letter. Loving him should come with a caution sign, ‘enter at own risk, will self-destruct and burn those around him.’ He couldn’t escape the darkness inside; he could only learn to live with its steadfast companionship.

Spotting a guard at the far end of the hallway, he gives a swift tap on the door behind him. It was too late though.

“Hey you! I need to get in that cell,” a female guard calls out to him.

Zuko’s mind had been made up the second he saw the guard coming down the corridor. Nothing is going to happen to Sokka on his watch. He’d take the fall for the both of them. Sokka deserved the chance to escape with Suki, even if that didn’t include him.

“But… the light is off! What if the prisoner tries to sneak up on you?” He attempts to get the guard to leave. Fat chance. He’s not great under pressure, okay? Especially when it comes to stringing together words. His brain and his mouth tended to get jumbled if he hadn’t planned out exactly what to say in advance. And even then, it was a 50/50 shot whether he’d actually be able to get it out coherently.

“Step aside, Omega.” The guard goes to push him out of the way, but he’d been biding his time waiting for her to get closer. As soon as she steps within arm’s reach, he puts her in a headlock, trying with all his might to drag her away from the door. The pair brawl for a minute before the guard calls out,

“Hey guard, help, I think he’s an imposter!”

Zuko feels himself be wrenched away from the woman and thrown to the ground, arms pinned behind his back. Bolts of pain stab through his head as his face meets cold concrete. He attempts to regulate his breathing and relax his muscles. Struggling was no use at this point and would only serve to send him off the deep end in panic. At least Sokka hadn’t been caught. That was all that mattered.

Sokka’s soft scent surrounds him as he is lifted to his feet. He inhales deeply and his heart somewhat settles in his chest.

“Don’t worry, I’ll figure something out,” Sokka whispers in his ear as he is carted away.

-

Zuko is dragged into a small interrogation room, and two guards posted outside the door stoicly follow them in.

One they’ve cleared the doorway, he’s forced down onto his knees by the female guard. A cry pries itself from behind his clenched teeth as the impact reverberates an intense ache up through his legs. Before he can even regain his breath, his helmet is yanked unceremoniously off his head by one of the new guards, rattling his brain around inside his head with the jerky movement. A quiet growl starts up in the back of his throat.

He knows his status both as an omega and a traitor put him in a very dangerous position. Under no circumstances could he provoke anyone in the prison. He would just have to endure.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the disgraced prince. Warden’ll be glad to see you…” The guard says with a gleeful expression, grabbing hold of Zuko’s chin and turning his head side to side. Zuko bares his teeth at the unwelcome touch, the words of the guard not registering in his mind. He just wants the rough hands off, off, off. The guard squeezes tighter in retaliation before finally releasing him with a smirk. He walks over to a bin in the corner of the room and grabs something out of it.

“Here ya go, sweetheart.” The guard tosses a bundle of linen at his face. “Got ya a pretty new outfit. You.” He looks over at Sokka. “I think our new guest needs a hand getting dressed.”

Sokka, who’d previously been standing off to the side, comes around to face Zuko, expression unreadable. Sokka quickly pulls the uniform shirt and padding up and over Zuko’s head, the female guard behind him releasing his wrists just long enough to pull the garments free. He tries to be grateful as Sokka does his best to both hide him from the other guards’ views and to fill Zuko’s entire field of vision so he didn’t have to see the eyes tracking his every move. Despite the gesture, he still grows dizzy with panic at the violation of his privacy.

Sokka assists the female guard with pulling the new tunic over his head, pressing himself even closer. The material feels rough against Zuko’s skin, and he squirms to try to get it to lay properly on him. The hands on his wrists tighten in return. Sokka leans forward, his mouth just under Zuko’s ear, “I’m sorry,” he thinks he hears faintly whispered. Hands tug at the waistband of his pants, and he forces his eyes shut as he imagines the turtleduck pond back at the palace. Glassy, smooth water, the little animals paddling along in it one after the other in a neat little line, gentle ripples following in their wake. Pure serenity.

He didn’t breathe the entirety of the time the hands were on him, and he can feel the pain of the minor asphyxiation in his chest and head as he grows weaker and weaker from the stress. His body goes limp once he’s finally fully dressed again.

He feels himself being shoved into a hard chair and his arms shackled to the armrests. His head stays bowed as he hears the door open and slam shut.

How long he was left in that room, in that chair, terror growing like a parasite with each passing minute, forcing his body to finally shut down, he will never know. It felt like hours but could very well have been a mere few minutes. Eventually he hears the door creak open once again and a low voice rumbles out,

“Prince Zuko. I was delighted to hear of your arrival. In light of recent events, this is the last place I’d expect to find you but… your loss, my gain I suppose. You’ve made quite the mess haven’t you?”

Zuko remains still, even as the door closes with a loud clang. This was his greatest fear about coming here. Having to face the warden. Mai’s uncle. He’d only met him a few times, memories filtered through childhood perception, but those few times were enough to know he was the type of alpha who made the Firelord seem kindhearted.

“Look at me,” the voice commands.

He can’t move.

“Omega. I said, ‘look at me’!” His head snaps to the side, unbraced for the force of the slap, neck aching with the unnatural motion. His body would have surely followed had he not been chained in place.

Fingers clutch harshly at his chin, forcing his head up at a sharp angle, nails piercing his skin.

“I’m sorry, father, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!” six-year-old Zuko pleads, after tripping during a new bending sequence that he’d been told to present to Father. Tears had welled up in his eyes immediately, whether from the humiliation or fear, he couldn’t tell. Father dug his fingers into the thin skin of his jaw, jerking his head up from it’s reverent bow to meet his eyes.

Zuko stares blankly into the warden’s eyes, his mind numb to the present pain.

“Oh, little Zuko, has no idea what kind of trouble he’s gotten himself into this time, does he? That scar’s going to look like a scratch by the time I’m done with you,” the alpha growls.

A powerful fist rams into his gut, several ribs audibly crack. Blood tickles his chin, dripping from the gouge he'd bit into his lip.

“Not only have you betrayed this nation, but, foolishly, you’ve betrayed my niece, you filthy. little. whore.” Each word is accentuated with a punch to his face. “You left so you could bend over for whatever depraved alpha came your way with no consequences…”

The words feel distant, like they’re being spoken into a blanket. Zuko, overwhelmed by the pain, feels his mind finally crumble, coherent thought falling like grains of sand, and only memories of the past remaining to keep him company.

“I don’t know how you got here, but I’d sooner jump in the boiling lake myself than let you leave here unless it’s in a body bag.”

The warden aims a powerful kick to the side of the chair, sending it and Zuko flying to the ground. His ankle catches on the ground, twisting at an unnatural angle. White hot pain is the last thing he remembers as his vision fades out, a smile gracing his lips as the darkness consumes him at last.