Chapter 13: New Kids on the Block

As commanded by Princess, Xisheng was awake at the first sign of light the next morning, having actually slept quite comfortably on a bed that was decent, but still in possession of the solidity he needed to be in a familiar environment. Yet despite his relatively successful period of rest, the young soldier was still awake far earlier than he would have liked, and he was forced to move with urgency once out of bed.

As Azula and Xisheng had both more or less stated the night before, time was of the essence, as they needed to reach their immediate goal before the Avatar did. That said Azula was rushing him without remorse first thing in the morning, though it turned out to just be them. Ty Lee had been sent to do something else of supposedly grave importance, and Mai had more or less told them to fuck off that early in the morning for trying to wake her up.

To be honest Xisheng was surprised that Azula didn't have an issue with that level of defiance, but perhaps she figured that it was pointless to bother with Mai's hatred for any hour before noon. After all, she cooperated when it really mattered, and it wasn't like Azula actually needed her for anything right now. They would simply round her up on the return trip.

In short, Azula and Xisheng were on their way back to the place the Earth Rumble tournament had been held before the sun was even completely past the horizon. Xisheng couldn't help but wonder if the person they were going to talk to would even be there that early, or if he would be at the arena at all, but Azula believed it to be his most likely location, on the basis that he probably had some loose ends to tie up so soon after the tournament.

Moving throughout the city so ridiculously early in the morning was a different experience than doing so during the day. The crowds of people were practically nonexistent, replaced only with soldiers on early morning rounds or store and stall owners that needed some time to set up before the aforementioned crowds made their appearance.

Xisheng worried that the lack of crowds to blend in to would draw attention to him and his head shorter charge, but ironically no one gave them a second glance. Granted, perhaps it was because Azula was moving without her usual regal air (which Xisheng would have thought impossible for her to do intentionally), or maybe everyone was just too tired to bother picking out any one person that was still clothed in green, the quality of that green notwithstanding.

It took the duo the better part of an hour to reach their destination, a trip that was carried almost entirely in silence. Normally Xisheng would have considered such a long silence between himself and the Princess to be troubling, but she wasn't giving off that usual displeased air that was normally present in such situations. It seemed more likely that she was just deep in thought, and he was too tired to initiate a conversation himself.

Either way, entering the Earth Rumble arena this second time was free, unlike the first, since there was no one standing guard. It was only natural, considering that there was no money to be made with no competition occurring.

Yet the seemingly abandoned and eerily quiet tunnels made Xisheng anxious. Truth be told he didn't like being at half strength in such a situation. While Azula was without a doubt the strongest member of their group, Xisheng would readily admit to anyone that he would have felt safer with both Mai and Ty Lee there as well. The truth was he just really didn't like any large amount of earth when potentially surrounded by Earthbenders.

At one time, Xisheng had hated the steel plating of Fire Nation outposts and bases. They had seemed to simply stain the countryside with hideous blots.

And then he had experienced his first ambush while at a temporary camp on the Defensive Line. There was nothing quite like seeing a man burst out of solid ground to launch a spike of earth into a fellow soldier. The brief encounter had lasted no more than a few minutes, but that short battle had been one of the most terrifying that Xisheng had ever experienced.

Enemies continued to erupt from the ground when they were least expected. Some Firebenders found themselves grabbed by the ankles and dragged underground to be killed. The air became a hurricane of earthen spikes and boulders, smashing steel and bone or ripping holes in flesh and blood. Even now, Xisheng sometimes remembered the screams of terror and pain from his fellow ambushed comrades.

Xisheng had never again frowned upon the protective steel of more permanent bases. And while he was not necessarily scared of dirt or anything, being in the very midst of the Earth Kingdom, and in the darkest depth of a mountain at that, Xisheng was more than a little wary. He knew it was paranoia, as no one could possibly know who they were and therefore have a reason to ambush them, but he could not stop imagining the possibility.

If Azula noticed his unease as they progressed, she made no comment on it, having not said a word to him since leaving the inn earlier. While Xisheng had rationalized her silence before, he had to admit that it was a bit disconcerting by now. He felt as though nothing good could ever come from Azula being silent for more than a few minutes, if that.

Perhaps that was unfair of him, but such was the persona the young Princess had erected around herself thus far.

When the duo stepped into the arena they had visited last night, it was completely devoid of anyone at all. The empty chamber was almost eerie, with the insane amount of space it provided and none of the people it was supposed to house present. The fact that any word spoken by Xisheng or Azula would have echoed throughout the entire arena was an intense juxtaposition to how their voices had been drowned out the night before.

However, due to this all-encompassing quiet, it was not difficult to hear the not so faint footsteps reverberating throughout the cavern in the next few moments. It was difficult to pinpoint their origin all things considered, but a glance around the arena itself at least pointed to the most likely location.

On the far right side of the arena was a set of stairs dug into the wall, leading up to some sort of stone box that overlooked the area itself. It seemed to have a doorway and windows, so the likely conclusion was that it served some purpose, and with that purpose, a population of at least one.

Azula wasted no time in proceeding in that direction, with Xisheng hot on her heels as usual. It was unlikely that anyone was here this early other than the ringmaster himself, and Xisheng was mildly concerned with whether or not this Xin Fu was a sharp man. If he was as well informed as he was supposed to be, it wouldn't have been any stretch of the imagination for him to at least be somewhat knowledgeable on foreign cultures as well.

Of course, if, by some astronomical luck, he managed to identify Azula (even recognizing her as a Fire Nation native would be enough, the regal title notwithstanding), Xisheng was positive that she could take him herself, never mind with him by her side.

Somewhat assuaged with that level of faith in Azula's ability, Xisheng concluded that they would be fine, and moreover, the long haired Xin Fu didn't seem anything other than confused when the two of them stepped into his little observatory box. He just seemed curious as to why anyone was here at all, and he assumed right off the bat that their presence had something to do with his business.

"There are no fights today. Get lost."

Xisheng could almost see the slightest of twitches in Azula's expression, likely because she was entirely unused to being spoken down to. Technically this was the very first time she had ever been in a position where her title was not common knowledge, or in a position where that title didn't mean anything other than painting a target on her back.

But she was an excellent actress if nothing else, and anything that may have given her away was wiped from her performance completely.

"We aren't here for that. In fact, we were going to bring up something from last night's tournament."

Xisheng could see that their target was wary of them, perhaps believing them to be guards or something trying to shut down his operation. He moved slightly towards the one desk in the room, the only furniture that was present besides a few bookcases holding ledgers and scrolls. What may have been in that desk was anyone's guess, but if it ended up being dangerous the tight quarters here would be his down fall.

Still, his attempt at evasion was rather transparent.

"I've got no idea what you're talking about."

It seemed to Xisheng that the Princess had to enact a massive force of will to avoid rolling her eyes, mostly because she could not imagine a more pathetic attempt at lying. Still, she managed.

"Oh? I'm sure there was a tournament last night. One in which the reigning champion was defeated by some unidentified, nameless child, costing you a great deal of gold. Or am I mistaken?"

The mention of specific events didn't necessarily mean anything. Considering that the Blind Bandit's defeat was by far the most noteworthy aspect of Earth Rumble VI, it was entirely possible that rumors of the incident had simply circulated well enough for law enforcement to catch wind of it.

However, considering that barely half a day had passed since the tournament itself, and the fact that most of the people who cared to watch it had been present, it seemed very unlikely that anyone bored enough to put an end to Xin Fu's profitable venture had actually heard of it.

"Alright, so you were here last night. Yeah, the Blind Bandit lost. Yeah, I lost pretty much all of the night's profit. What's your point?"

Xisheng determined at this point that he was getting very good at reading the Princess, even though she was so good at controlling her expression. He could just see it in her eyes when she was judging someone. Something along the lines of 'can't this fool put two and two together' he imagined.

"My friend and I were entirely enraptured by the battle last night. After watching the Boulder decimate all of his competition only to be so easily defeated by the champion, it just didn't seem possible for her to be bested so easily by some random member of the audience. In fact, what struck us the most last night was that the boy who challenged the Blind Bandit didn't use any Earthbending move we had ever seen. There was no projectile, no quake; the Blind Bandit seemed to be ejected from the ring without any impact whatsoever."

Xin Fu was halfway to saying that he had no idea what she was getting at, that the boy who had challenged the champion had obviously used Earthbending or else he wouldn't have won, but now that someone had explicitly brought the fight to his attention he realized that something did seem a little off.

He had organized a lot of Earthbending fights in his lifetime. He had also been a participant in a fair number of battles himself. And even beyond those two things he just knew how Earthbending worked, and analyzing the fight more closely now that someone had brought it to his attention, Xin Fu could say with certainty that there was something wrong with the way in which the Blind Bandit had been defeated. The manner in which her attack had been negated, the way she had been launched from the ring without the resounding thud of a solid impact, it all just seemed wrong somehow. And due to this love of money, he knew how to do the math.

"That little… she threw the match? To split the money with that kid?"

Azula merely shrugged. "That seems like the logical conclusion."

While she was not mistaken in that, it still didn't add up for Xin Fu. The Blind Bandit's identity was a mystery to most everyone in Gaoling, but not to him. He had certainly not let a twelve year old girl he knew nothing about enter an illegal fighting circuit, for no other reason than because the charges leveled against him would have been much more severe if someone of that age was trounced by grown men.

Yet she had proven herself to be a more than capable fighter, and she had provided more than enough money to cover all of her entrance fees for each of the tournaments she participated in.

Point being, Xin Fu knew that Toph Beifong had money. The Beifongs were one of the wealthiest families in the southern Earth Kingdom, so there was no chance in hell that the Bandit would throw away her title and her pride for the relatively measly amount of gold she would have gotten from this scam.

So what was it then? Charity? The silly puppy love of a child? Ultimately, did it really matter? Xin Fu had been conned out of his money. No one got away with that.

His course set, the admittedly imposing man pounded his fist into his palm. "She'll regret that. No one steals from me!"

Azula smirked, pleased at how easy it was to manipulate the greedy. "You have a plan in mind?"

"Why would I tell you?"

"Well, it is I who brought this to your attention. Moreover, if you plan on making any offensive action towards this girl, you'll need assistance."

"From civilians? Why bother?"

"Mercenaries, actually. I lead a small band. It seems to me that you could use some experienced aid."

Xin Fu didn't consider it for a moment. "In case you haven't noticed, I have plenty of Earthbenders willing to get back at the Blind Bandit and make some coin while doing it. Why spend whatever sum your troop is asking for when I have them?"

Azula had never specifically said that she was supposed to do all the talking, so Xisheng felt alright weighing in here. "You mean the Earthbenders that were all easily defeated by the Boulder, who was then completely obliterated by the very girl you're going after? I think it's obvious that those odds are against you."

Unfortunately, Xin Fu couldn't quite refute that. He had seen enough of the Blind Bandit in action to know that she was far superior to any of the other fighters under his wing. Even with superior numbers he wasn't overly confident in the average rabble he could assail her with. But then again, at least he knew the capabilities of his own flock. He didn't know anything about the skill of this supposed mercenary group.

"Say I accept your offer. How much is your fee? And what exactly am I getting for it?"

For a moment it almost looked like Azula was genuinely enjoying the charade. "Assuming we succeed, a mere fifteen percent of your profit will suffice. As for what you're getting, a master hand-to-hand martial artist, an extraordinary marksman, an elite ex-army commando and an expert Earthbender."

Up front it sounded like a good deal. After all, fifteen percent of the gold he planned on getting back was less than Xin Fu would have had to pay all of his flunkies. But again, the only evidence he had of the ability of these mercenaries was their word.

"Assuming you succeed. And what if you fail?"

"Then you pay us nothing, obviously."

"You expect me to believe that you'll keep your word on that?"

The Crown Princess in disguise folded her hands behind her back. "We're with the guild. If you submit a legitimate contract we'll have no choice but to agree to the terms."

Truth be told Xisheng did not know much about the 'guild' in the Earth Kingdom. The fact of the matter was that the Earth Kingdom was massive, and in comparison the governing forces that policed the land rarely managed to do so very effectively. So bounty hunters and mercenaries were an extremely popular means of hunting down wanted individuals or completing underhanded work.

Still, getting off the ground solo was rather difficult, so the majority of mercenaries had more or less grouped together into a guild of sorts to increase their own availability and workflow. Technically there were dozens of guilds, but since each and every one of them functioned in the same manner they were all collectively referred to as 'the guild.'

Ironically, the very existence of the guild was contradictory. For example, this theoretical capture of an Earth Kingdom citizen was illegal. And yet, the existence of the guild itself was perfectly legal, as the authorities never bothered to shut down the system that did so much of their work for them. Honestly many mercenaries did honest work and hunted down criminals or fugitives, but there were just as many that took underhanded and illicit contracts like the one Azula and Xin Fu were discussing now.

Still, Xin Fu seemed glad to learn that his mysterious conversational partners were supposedly legitimate mercenaries, because it gave him all sorts of advantages. For one, he could get them on contract through the guild, and then they'd have to abide by the set terms without complaint, which included not paying them anything at all if they failed. Secondly, if they were part of the guild he could actually investigate just how good they were supposed to be.

"Very well. Let's go to the guild now then. I want this done as soon as possible."

"In that case we'll need to go ahead and gather the rest of our members. Just leave the contract for us and we'll take it from there."

"What's the name of your group?"

For a brief moment, Xisheng questioned the kind of interesting names he could have come up with as a kid. After all, most young boys liked to imagine themselves as a member of some legendary company of heroes. Groups like the Rough Rhinos and the Storm Riders had inspired lots of young men to join the army in hopes of one day having cool stories of their own to tell.

To be fair, Xisheng was fairly certain his own division back on the Defensive Line had earned itself quite the reputation with all of the attacks they had fended off. Maybe he'd get back to the Fire Nation one day to find out he had been a part of The Impenetrable Wall or The Invincible Shield or something.

"We have no specific title. We're group number forty one on the roster."

Xin Fu simply folded his arms, nodding his confirmation. "Then get out of here. I'll have the contract written within the hour."

Azula said nothing, and she certainly made no sign of respect to the man as she turned to leave. Xisheng simply followed her out. Once they were far enough away that he was sure Xin Fu wouldn't hear him, Xisheng decided to break the silence. He had a lot of questions for one, but he opened up with a comment anyway.

"Couldn't even think of a name for us? That's bland."

The Crown Princess cocked an eyebrow at him. "You honestly thought I would make some silly gimmick name for this hoax we're pulling? Don't be ridiculous. Besides, considering our cover I couldn't have named us anything appropriate."

Xisheng smirked, wondering if Azula would have actually come up with 'some silly gimmick' name if she had been allowed to use 'dragon' or 'dawn' or something in it.

"Well, that aside, what's this about an 'elite ex-army commando' business? That was high praise."

"Don't let it go to your head, I just needed him to believe we are capable. That said you had best not relay what I said about Mai or Ty lee either."

"Come now Princess, there's nothing wrong with complimenting your friends…"

Azula merely scoffed, and by the time the duo made their exit from the mountain Xisheng moved onto the actual plan of action.

"I assume you've already set everything up for this mercenary cover of ours?"

"So long as Ty Lee has done her job properly, we should already be an 'established' mercenary troop working with the local guild."

"Not that I don't have faith in her, but what if she doesn't succeed?"

Azula didn't even seem to consider the possibility. "She's equipped with a lot of money and she knows how to flirt her way around any simplistic moron. It'll be fine."

Taking her word for it, Xisheng merely nodded. "So, we're going to use this contract as evidence of a hit on the Blind Bandit, and offer her our protection, correct?"

"I'm glad you caught on. By now I've deduced that our target is someone of at least moderate wealth. Even the garb she wore during the tournament was of a high enough quality to be above the common class here in Gaoling. And of course, she's but a child. If I'm right and she comes from money, then it seems extremely unlikely that her parents would be knowingly using her skill to make money in such a fashion."

"Meaning she's probably doing it under their noses."

"Most likely. If her parents don't know she's so competent in combat they'll likely welcome the idea of extra protection. And even if they are aware of her talents, success is still likely. We've acted quickly enough that we'll probably be at least moderately ingrained before the Avatar makes his appearance; and with the threat of hunters looming over their daughter's head, it's unlikely their parents will take him at face value."

Now entering the actual outskirts of Gaoling, Xisheng noted that they were vaguely heading back in the direction of the inn, probably to pick up Mai.

"Her parents might be easy to fool, but what about the girl herself? She's the one who's dangerous, and she's the one we have to try and alienate from the Avatar."

"True enough. Unfortunately that is something we can't account for until we're in the thick of it. If we're lucky, she's skilled, but not overly intuitive. If we're unlucky, she's as clever as someone of her combat aptitude implies. We can only change our approach as we learn more."

Xisheng had to admit that Azula was so quick with the plans that it kind of scared him. She had figured all of this out sometime between now and the end of Earth Rumble VI last night? Xisheng himself had a decent aptitude for strategic warfare and combat tactics, but this subterfuge business wasn't quite up his alley.

When they made it into view of the inn they had stayed at the night before, there was no need to go inside at all. Mai seemingly just materialized at their side once they were near. It wasn't right to say they were surprised though, as her silent arrival was perfectly fitting for her. She still looked tired and irritated, but she was fully prepared for whatever the day might bring, which included life or death combat.

All things considered there was no exchange of good mornings, since they all knew Mai didn't care for it. They simply proceeded towards their next destination, most likely to round up their last member. Naturally Azula didn't bother explaining anything to Mai, since it would just require her to explain everything a second time when they got Ty Lee around again.

Xisheng didn't know when or where Azula had learned the location of the local mercenary branch, but either way she led everyone right to the large cube building that was mostly unassuming and the same color and material as the rest of Gaoling. Perhaps the architects figured that it was better to remain as subtle as possible, since it invited less scrutiny.

Ty Lee was standing outside the building, obviously waiting for her companions to come find her. While not as quiet as Mai, she came to join them in the same manner when she laid eyes on them.

Naturally, the first thing Azula did was question whether or not the girl had found success. "So? Any difficultly?"

Her childhood friend folded her arms and frowned. "No, but I hope you really appreciate it. That guy at the front desk was a total sleaze. He came this close to touching me somewhere he shouldn't and I wasn't even allowed to paralyze him! Also, he was like, forty!"

If Azula felt bad for any of that it certainly didn't show on her face, and definitely not in her words. "I'm sure you escaped the situation relatively unscathed. Did you see the announcer from the tournament last night make an entrance yet?"

"About twenty minutes ago. He already left though."

"Guess he wasn't joking about wanting to get things underway as soon as possible. Well then, come with me, we have to actually get our hands on the contract now that it's been written."

She was speaking specifically to Ty Lee, so Xisheng figured he should ask, and for Mai while he was at it. "Do you require our presence as well?"

The Princess merely waved her hand in dismissal. "That won't be necessary. We should only be a few minutes."

He said nothing to that, instead turning to watch the city itself as his charge and his friend entered the building. You never knew when the enemy would become aware, so he was determined to at least keep an eye on anyone that decided to enter the guild.

Mai clearly did not care to do the same, choosing to lean on the building itself and close her eyes for a few moments of rest. Xisheng could not imagine that she was feeling very energetic all things considered, so he didn't bother saying anything to her. He for one knew that he didn't like being bothered with conversation in the early hours of the morning.

Nothing of note happened for the few minutes the two of them stood out there alone, and soon enough Azula was back with a scroll in her hands. Xisheng could only assume that this was the contract in question, though Mai, having been relatively left out of the loop, questioned the situation.

"So? What's the deal?"

The Crown Princess unrolled the parchment she was holding so she could share the details in full. "On a technicality, our forty-first mercenary company of the local Gaoling branch has been hired to capture a certain Toph Beifong for fifteen percent commission on an undisclosed amount of profit. Ironically this Toph person is apparently a nonexistent individual, but Xin Fu privately identified her as the Blind Bandit, so this is indeed the girl we're looking for."

Mai cocked an eyebrow. "Beifong as in the richest noble family of the southern Earth Kingdom?"

"The same."

"Uh-huh. So what's the actual plan?"

Azula rolled the scroll back into shape so she could keep it pristine. "Well, thanks to a hefty portion of the funds I brought from Omashu, as well as Ty Lee's influential charisma, we're technically already well-established as a reliable and experienced mercenary group that's been working in the Gaoling branch for months. All we have to do now is approach the Beifong family of this irrefutable evidence of danger to their mysterious daughter, and offer our protection. We become the girl's personal guards and we're without a doubt ahead of the Avatar."

Mai kept her arms folded. "I guess bribery works all the same no matter where you are… Still, the plan might work out in theory, but there's all sorts of things that could come up or go wrong. What then?"

Unfortunately, the knife thrower didn't get an answer that she found personally assuring, though the tone was tinged with Azula's usual amusement.

"Come now Mai, all plans only work in theory. There has never been a successful plan of action that did not require some degree of adaptability to the unknown."

Needless to say this true yet irritating answer simply earned a sigh from Mai, and Azula dropped the topic in order to begin leading the group to their final destination. While they had been in Gaoling for less than twenty four hours, it seemed that Azula already knew where everything was. Though, to be fair, perhaps she had simply asked a lot more varied questions the day before during their search for information. It seemed very like her to gather a wider array of intelligence on everything even remotely relevant. Including the location of the very large Beifong estate apparently.

Said estate was completely walled off from the rest of the city, though it was mostly isolated from it in the first place being on the outskirts of Gaoling. It made it rather easy to spot at least, since it was roughly out in a wider area all by its lonesome, with tall walls and a large gate sectioning it off.

Said gate had a green emblem with a flying boar above it, and Xisheng for one couldn't imagine how an airborne pig could be seen as noble in any way or form. Strangely there were no guards outside the gate itself, and Azula took the opportunity to relay the last bit of information to her allies before they got started.

"Alright everyone, obviously this is a mission of subterfuge. The most important thing is selling who we are. Between you and myself Mai, there's no concealing our rather distinctive features in close and personal quarters, so the two of us fled from the Colonies a few years ago after the rebel movement was crushed. Ty Lee, you and the Lieutenant are from Omashu, no need to risk being Gaoling natives. We formed this mercenary troop a year ago, looking for work. If anyone asks we know very little about each other's lives before all of this, so we don't have to risk answering false personal questions. Also, I would hope this would be obvious Lieutenant, but no Firebending, no matter what. As far as our initial impression goes, let me do all the talking. Are we clear?"

Everyone nodded, since it was clear enough how things were going to proceed from here. Azula was the best orator anyway, so whenever verbal deception needed to be employed she was probably the best choice.

With all of that out of the way, Xisheng watched as Azula led them to the large stone doors of the Beifong residence, and he wondered if the relatively matching outfits of the girls would actually support their cover story now. In that light, maybe he should have been in uniform too, but apparently even Azula couldn't predict absolutely every outcome.

Either way, knocking on the large doors produced a much smaller sound than anyone was expecting in comparison. There was nearly a full minute before the gates actually creaked open by the slightest of inches, where a guard looked out to see who was daring to bother the residents of the estate.

Really, he didn't even open it enough for any of the Fire Nation infiltrators to see more than his face, but apparently he was being wary.

"This is private property. State your intentions."

Azula merely held out the scroll she had appropriated. "I believe your master will find this of critical importance."

The guard in the beige alternative to a typical Earth Kingdom uniform simply made to shut the door. "Mr. Beifong has no interest in whatever you're selling."

Deciding that the best way to proceed was to simply cut to the chase, Azula did just that. "This concerns the safety of his daughter."

Needless to say the door ceased its movement immediately, and the guard thrust it open as quickly as he could to level his grizzled old gaze on the quartet of young people before him. As an ex-soldier himself, he could feel on an almost instinctual level that they were more dangerous than they looked.

More than that though, the mention of his employer's daughter was most urgent. All of the guards here were sworn to secrecy, and no one in Gaoling should have known about her existence.

He warily took the rolled up parchment Azula was offering, opening it for his own viewing convenience. For obvious reasons his expression was all shock in mere moments, and he quickly turned it back on the strangers at the Beifong's door.

"Get in here. Now!"

No one in the current group liked being told what to do so brusquely, but for now they had to act subordinate, so they did what they were told, only to find that six guards were moving in to surround them once the gates were closed and they were locked within the estate grounds. Of course, such a thing was to be expected, since their own presence here was suspect.

The guard that had answered the door quickly ordered everyone to watch them while he sprinted for the mansion that rested across the estate gardens, and Azula did her best to refrain from smirking in success and celebration.

Everything had been set in motion, and the first stage of her trap for the Avatar was in place. All she had to do was weave an even more complex net.