ATLA: Azlua

Choice

The Boiling Rock

Sokka, Zuko, Hakoda, and Chit Sang watch anxiously as Azula and Ty Lee approach swiftly along the gondola lines.

"Uh, guys, they're catching up!" Sokka exclaims, his voice tight with dread.

"Good. I've been itching for some payback," Suki says, drawing her weapon, eyes sharp.

"As have I," Zuko adds, determination in his voice.

The three of them nod, silently steeling themselves before climbing atop the cart. Moments later, Azula and Ty Lee are upon them, attacking with precise ferocity. Azula unleashes a series of quick blue firebursts. Zuko meets her attacks, dispersing the flames with measured control. Sensing an opening, Azula presses her advantage, but Sokka thrusts his jet-black sword at her, forcing her to dodge and teeter dangerously at the gondola's edge. With fluid grace, she flips back, sending a sweeping arc of flames. Zuko and Sokka narrowly evade.

Nearby, Ty Lee moves with unsettling speed, catching Suki off guard with a swift chi-blocking strike. Suki stumbles, her arm momentarily paralyzed, but counters with a well-placed kick that sends Ty Lee tumbling back.

"Cut the line!" the warden yells from below, his voice trembling with panic.

The gondola shudders violently as the guards begin severing the line.

"Azula, they're cutting the line!" Ty Lee shouts, her usually carefree tone edged with alarm.

Azula's lips curl into a smirk. "Well, Zuzu, it seems our little chat is over," she mocks, leaping onto an approaching gondola with effortless firebending.

Ty Lee winks cheekily before backflipping after her, joining Azula on the second cart. From a distance, Mai watches the scene unfold, her heart clenching. She grips the stiletto hidden in her sleeve, torn. Zuko's life hangs in the balance, but fear of Azula's inevitable wrath roots her in place. The sound of snapping metal jars her from her indecision.

The gondola jerks violently, swinging toward the boiling lake below.

"Guys!? What do we do?!" Sokka shouts, panic creeping into his voice.

"Climb!" Zuko orders, grabbing hold of the metal cable and extending a hand to Suki.

Sokka, reaching for the cable, falters. Before he can regain his balance, a forceful shove propels him upward. He twists in shock to see his father, Hakoda, slipping toward the edge.

"Dad!" Sokka yells, his voice breaking.

Hakoda smiles softly, his eyes filled with warmth. "Take care of your sister," he says calmly, just as he disappears into the churning lake below.

"DAD!" Sokka's scream tears through the air as Hakoda vanishes beneath the surface.

"Don't look, Sokka!" Suki pleads, but it's too late.

The echoes of their screams mix with the bubbling of the lake, a haunting chorus of grief. Zuko, Suki, and Sokka cling to the swaying gondola, emotions roiling as the reality of the situation sinks in.

"Damn it, you're not getting away!" Azula roars, using a pair of cuffs to swing herself closer.

The broken line slams into the crater wall with a bone-rattling crash. Zuko scrambles up, followed by Suki and Sokka, who is barely holding on. Azula, using her momentum, flips onto the line. She lands gracefully and immediately takes her signature stance, generating lightning in the palm of her hand, her eyes locked on Zuko as he reaches the edge. For a brief, unguarded moment, flashes of their childhood together soften her gaze. She falters, redirecting the lightning at Sokka instead.

The bolt crackles through the air, striking Sokka square in the back. His body jolts violently, his hand slipping from Suki's grasp as consciousness fades. The world around him dims to a narrow tunnel of sound and light.

Azula exhales sharply, her expression hardening. She starts to steady herself but loses her footing, slipping. Ty Lee is there in an instant, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back to safety.

"That was close! Should we chase after them?" Ty Lee asks, glancing at Zuko and Suki, who are struggling to pull Sokka's limp body to safety.

Azula shakes her head, a rare flicker of exhaustion crossing her face. "No. That lightning strike drained most of my chi. Besides, the odds are against us now," she replies, her voice flat.

From a distance, Mai watches Zuko escape, relief washing over her. She whispers under her breath, "Please... just stay hidden. Don't come back." Her heart is a storm of conflicting emotions, love for Zuko pulling her one way, fear of Azula's wrath pushing her another.

"Mai, let's go. We're leaving," Azula snaps, flicking her fingers in a dismissive gesture.

Mai forces herself out of her trance. "Right... I'm just tired," she murmurs, her voice as lethargic as ever.

"Same! Mai, are you okay? The warden was your uncle," Ty Lee asks, her voice softening with concern.

Mai shrugs. "Yeah. We weren't close," she replies flatly.

"Good. He was weak. He would've been executed anyway," Azula says coldly, her lack of empathy chilling.

Mai's gaze drifts away. "Yeah... it seems like I'm the only one in my family who isn't a disappointment," she adds, her voice hollow.

Ty Lee reaches over, squeezing Mai's hand gently in silent solidarity. Azula, walking ahead, doesn't even glance back.

"Haha! You're right, Mai! After the war, I'll make sure you're rewarded," Azula declares, her words dripping with false warmth as she pauses to look at them both.

"It goes without saying, but thank you for being useful. I'll always remember your efforts," she continues, her smile cold and calculating.

"Of course, Azula! Next time, we'll capture all of them!" Ty Lee says brightly, her enthusiasm contrasting sharply with Mai's apathy.

"Yeah... go team," Mai mutters weakly, raising her fist half-heartedly.

"So, Azula, where to next?" Ty Lee asks, her voice brimming with excitement.

"Home. Father's moving forward with my plan to burn Ba Sing Se to the ground. It'll be a warning to the other nations," Azula says with a gleeful smirk, her eyes gleaming with dark anticipation.