Kimi (ATLA) (Coco; Book 2)

16

Zuko

"Hey, Buddy," Aang says as he walks into my office.

It's been one week since Kimi left to find Long, and I've been driving myself mad trying to find her. Since she's left, there's been 3 attacks here in the Fire Nation. Long was spotted at all of them, and yet no Kimi. I miss her, I need her, and yet I find myself being so angry at her when I know I shouldn't be. Now I know how uncle felt. This is exhausting, and all I want is for her to be ok.

"What?" I ask annoyed.

"Well, you've been in here for awhile. Maybe you should take a break," Aang suggests. 

"Take a break?" I repeat angrily. "Kimi is missing, and I need to find her before that lunatic does something horrible to her and our child!"

"I know, but you haven't slept in two days. Kimi would want you to rest."

"Well, I can't rest. You forget? It's just us now. There's too much to go over," I tell him.

After Kimi left, I sent everyone home. All the maids, the secretaries, the guards, everyone. My closest friends are the only ones I trust to watch over this place. No one is allowed back until we figure out who has been leaking information.

This is all too familiar. I'm afraid Long is not working alone and is planning something drastic. We need to find him before that happens.

"Can't you just let your assistant handle this while you rest?" He asks.

"No. I sent my assistant home."

"What about Kimi's?" He suggests.

"No. She hasn't shown up for work since.."

Layla hasn't shown up for work in a long time. It's been about.. A week.

I quickly rummage through the paperwork that's sprawled out on my desk.

"Um, Zuko?" Aang calls confusingly.

"Shut up."

Here it is. I look at the paper that has Kimi's handwriting on it. Kimi loved Layla, as a person. Kimi loves people. But as an assistant, she found herself to be frustrated with Layla because she was incompetent- My words, not Kimi's.

"Read this!" I tell Aang as I shove the document in his face.

"Zuko, I think you're going crazy," Aang says after reading it. "These are just a bunch of dates written on a piece of paper."

"No, you don't get it. These are the days that Kimi wrote down that Layla called off. Do these dates look familiar?" He asks.

"... Wait. These are the dates of the attacks. Every day that Patyn Long attacked!"

"Let's go!" I tell him as I quickly stand from my chair.

"Where are we going?" He asks.

"To Layla's house."

...

"I don't know about this, Zuko. I'm the Avatar, I shouldn't be breaking into people's houses like this," Aang says nervously.

"Well I'm a police chief, and I say it's fine," Toph tells him.

I decided to take Toph along to Layla's house with us. She's the only one who can pick a lock. So far we've found nothing. This is so frustrating! It just looks like a normal 25 year olds home. Nothing but stupid girly things. Nothing that says "Ozai Lover," or "I'm a dedicated follower to a lunatic!"

"But you're only Police Chief of Republic City, and it isn't finished being built yet," Aang replies to Toph.

"Eh, doesn't matter."