Firelord Zuko x Assassin Reader

Chapter 22: Some Long-Winded Ploy

[The Palace] - Conference Room A

Zuko waited patiently until the room was clear before approaching you, his hand resting on the small of your back before he spoke calmly,

"Drop the knife," he ordered you,
"Him first!" you hissed back, staring your father down angrily,
"I ordered you first," Zuko reminded you, "If you have something to say, you're going to do so civilly. Is that clear?" he asked, stepping in front of your blade with an open palm,
"Fine," you eventually caved, dropping your knife in Zuko's hand,
"Hmm. So you do know how to listen–
"Don't provoke her," Zuko threatened your dad, gently pressing your switchblade into his neck, wiping the smug grin from his face, "Or you'll answer to me. Do we understand each other?"
"O-Of course," Rushang gulped cautiously, regaining his cheerful composure after Zuko backed away, "Y'know, I've only let one other person hold a knife to my neck like that, and you both happen to be standing in this room. To whom do I owe these odds?"
"That would be me," Taro admitted sheepishly, "This is the third time I've only been able to catch her for a split second,"
"Catch?" Rushang questioned, "Hmph. So my suspicion is correct. I see old habits still die hard with you, daughter,"
"I wouldn't call killing targets a habit," you snapped, "Especially when you know my record,"
"Is that what you were?" Rushang taunted Zuko, "And I'm assuming, as you were begging for your life, you promised my daughter what? Fame? Fortune?"–
"I don't beg for my life, but I can make sure you do," Zuko threatened calmly,
"I should hope not," Rushang smirked, "Since we plan to do business together, I feel the less we are at each other's throats the better,"
"Ugh. Why are you even here?" you asked your dad in disgust,
"To open a school. Simple as that," Rushang grinned,
"Yeah? And you're sure it isn't to get someone to sign off on your unorthodox teaching methods?"
"This again?" your father asked,
"Yes. This again," you answered sharply, "Or is this some long-winded ploy to finally find a student who'll let you torture them into madness,"
"You were not tortured dear child," Rushang sighed unamused, "Your training exercises were just that–training,"
"By burying me alive!?"
"I was there the entire time, ready to step in if I thought for a second you couldn't do it!" he shouted back at you, "But you did,"
"You...buried her alive?" Taro questioned in disbelief,
"It was only an exercise," Rushang reminded everyone,
"H-How old were you!?" Taro asked, completely shocked,
"Fifteen," you admitted sourly,
"You see! Fifteen with the ability to break out of a wooden casket with your bare hands," Rushang beamed with joy, "And just think of where you'd be had you not argued the entire ti–

Zuko punched your father out cold. Clean to the floor without a moment of hesitation.
"Firelord Zuko!" Taro gasped as he rushed to your dad's side,
"I'm sorry! I just couldn't stand to hear him talk anymore," Zuko hissed,
"And your first thought was to sucker-punch him!?"
"He'll wake up," Zuko snapped, "It's just–someone needed to do that," he breathed before recollecting his temper and taking your face into his hands, "I'm sorry he did that to you," he whispered,
"Hmph. Thank you,"
"Go pack some things," Zuko ordered softly, "Let's get out of the Palace for tonight. I'll make sure to get your dad to Thomas before we leave. Okay?"
"Okay," you nodded, squeezing Zuko's hand before you left the room,
"Buried her alive. Can you believe him?" Zuko hissed in disgust at your father's limp body,
"Well, I was in the middle of not believing that until you made him eat your fist," Taro scoffed as he scooped your dad over his shoulder and carried him out into the hall,
"Hey, he deserved it," Zuko huffed, following just a few steps behind, "And what if she's right huh? What if this is all a ploy to treat his other students just like that?"
"I believe that's likely, but how in the hell would he get away with it? W-We have laws and regulations,"
"Maybe by using non-benders," Zuko replied flatly, "God, even Master Piandao didn't take it that far,"
"Well, you heard him. Burying her alive wasn't taking it far. It was right where he wanted her,"
"No wonder she sleeps with her switchblade," Zuko sighed in defeat, "She's still reliving that,"
"I hope you're not debating on giving back to her. She's completely traumatized by him," Taro breathed,
"I know. Which is why I'm taking her away for the night," Zuko admitted, "But he doesn't leave," he ordered Taro, "I wasn't exactly finished with our conversation just yet,"
"Hmph. Roger that," Taro nodded, "Thomas, we got a live one for ya," he sighed as he set Rushang down on the operating table,
"Who the hell is this?" Thomas asked,
"Oh, just the father of our newest little guest," Taro grinned,
"This is her dad? The Master Swordsman?" Thomas questioned after he slipped into a pair of gloves, "What did she do to him? Kick him in the head?"
"Wasn't her," Zuko breathed, "It was me,"
"You!? Injured an elderly man?"
"He's not elderly. He's in his fifties at least,"
"That still doesn't explain why he's out cold,"
"I...I-I punched him okay," Zuko scoffed, "If you ask me that's probably not the worst thing that has happened to him,"
"Well, it's certainly going to feel like that when he wakes up," Thomas sighed, "You broke his nose. Two for two in one week. Now, should I even ask why?" he questioned curiously,
"He!....H-He buried her alive when she was fifteen," Zuko answered with hate in his voice, "What!? His own daughter!?"
"The worst part is, he doesn't believe he did anything wrong," Taro added, "He views it as a simple training exercise,"
"A simple training exercise would be calisthenics!" Thomas scoffed, "Not burying a child alive. How did she survive that?"
"She broke out of a wooden casket with her bare hands," Zuko nodded,
"God, no wonder she almost sliced my balls off," Thomas added unenthusiastically, "Well, what's the plan for when he wakes up?"
"Keep him here," Zuko ordered, "We were actually in the middle of a business meeting before it went left,"
"You're not still allowing him to open an academy here, are you?"
"I'm not sure, but my council could essentially overrule my decision if they deem I'm being biased,"
"Which you are–
"I have a reason to be!–
"Yes, a reason you are supposed to be keeping secret," Taro reminded him,
"I should just tell them," Zuko suggested defeatedly, "It's far too complicated to keep her a secret now,"
"As much as I would love for your council to tear you a new one. If you want to keep seeing her, I'd advise against it,"
 "Then what do I do?" Zuko asked as he paced the room, "Because I certainly don't wish to strike a deal with the man who once buried my girlfriend alive!" he hissed angrily, fire flickering from his fingers, "But...a-an academy would do some good here,"
"Well, if you ask me, you don't have to decide right away," Taro nodded with his arms crossed, "So, take tonight and sleep on it,"
"Thanks," Zuko eventually sighed, "I'm...gonna go check on her. Then we're going to hit the road," he said flatly before leaving the room,
"Shouldn't you need to know where he's headed?" Thomas asked Taro curiously,
"I already do," Taro breathed with a slight grin, "Ember Island. He goes there to clear his head a lot,"
"Yet that temper of his always seems to come back," Thomas teased while propping a pillow beneath Rushang's head,
"I-I didn't know he was going to do that," Taro confessed softly, "He was...so calm. T-Then just out of nowhere,"
"Well, he hasn't exactly been predictable lately–
"That's the thing. I-I should've seen it coming,"
"And why's that?" Thomas asked,
"Because...for her, I would've done the same thing,"