InsaneJournal

Father, this is not necessary.
Who: Azula, Ty Lee, with NPC!Ozai
What: Ozai is not happy, and Azula's weakness is revealed!
When: March 5th
Where: Family office
Status: Complete
Rating: R for gunshots


A guard was waiting for Ty Lee when she got to Azula’s office. He was in uniform, and she didn’t immediately recognize him. She smiled as much as she could, always happy to meet a new person. Maybe a conversation would help her forget her nervousness.

She wouldn’t have that luck. He stopped her, with a hand on her shoulder. “Master Ozai wants to meet with your master immediately in his office.”

The bottom dropped out of Ty Lee’s stomach, but she just nodded and turned around. “We’ll be there soon.” It would be foolish to even hesitate when given a summons like that. Especially at the moment.

Thankfully, it wasn’t far to Iroh’s office. She hoped Azula wasn’t in there, yet.

Azula was striding towards the office, checking her phone lazily as she went, looking through emails in case there was something that she'd missed.

Ty Lee had to rush to catch up to Azula, and though it hurt, she was nearly running. “Azula, wait. We’ve been summoned to Ozai’s office.” She was too breathless for the fear and worry she was feeling to be expressed.

“Have we?” Azula turned to look at Ty Lee. “I suppose I’ve no time to change?” She lifted her hands to fix her hair, and did what she could for her clothing. Except for the rip for Ty Lee’s ankle, she was impeccable. “Lead on, no use keeping Father waiting.”

Ty Lee nodded and led the way, trying to look cheerful. This wasn’t good. This was the oppsite of good. Good was on another planet compared to this.

She hoped Ozai wouldn’t make her do anything against Azula’s orders. She’d heard about his love of power games, and didn’t want to be involved in that at all.

Nodding, Azula walked towards her father’s office, and knocked on the door. She wanted to go in first, and she wanted at least part of her body shielding Ty Lee. The bodyguard was hers.

Which wasn’t the point of a bodyguard, but Ty Lee didn’t argue.

Ozai’s office was laid out so that anyone stepping in would be facing his impressive collection of ornamental weaponry. There was one knife missing from his display, which had been there before Iroh’s arrival. It was conspicuous in its absence.

Ozai himself was behind his desk, to the side, where he would be able to see anyone coming in before they saw him. “Ah, Azula. So good to see you.” His tone wasn’t even pretending to be casual or happy.

“Father.” She bowed easily, but did not sit. She knew she’d have to be told. She kept her face even, and her eyes were devoid of emotion. “You wished to see me?”

“Yes.” Ozai didn’t invite her to sit. Instead, he stood, and made his way around the desk. “I just received a report from one of the managers of a warehouse. He said you’d gone mad, and murdered all the personnel there. He feared that you would kill him.” Ozai’s voice was calm, but he had a cruel smile on his face. “The cleaning crew informed me that there was no sign of the men there, and their cars were still present. Explain.”

Azula didn’t bat an eye. Arrogance was a family trait. “They were clearly terrified of a teenage girl, father, and ran with their tails between their legs.” She lifted her head, refusing to look away. “You know I would never kill unless strictly necessary. It’s a waste of resources.”

“So it is your word against the word of a man found poisoned in his office.” Ozai’s voice was calm, he didn’t care about the man in the office. “He was most certainly killed.”

She kept her composure, though she couldn’t quite keep the disdain out of her voice. “Poisoned, you say? I was wondering what he shoved down his throat when I tried to question him about what was in that warehouse. One has to admire his loyalty.”

“Indeed.” Ozai said, his voice grave. “Well, daughter, if everything is as you describe, the men should come back for their cars soon. We don’t pay them enough to have disposable vehicles.” Ozai’s eyes went to Ty Lee, and he smiled. “Come here.”

Ty Lee took a deep breath and stood, walking stiffly toward Ozai. He grabbed her ponytail and dragged her to the corner of the office, where another door was somewhat concealed by a bookcase.

Azula grew alarmed. Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't take a step. Showing any concern would just make matters worse, she knew. She kept her voice regulated and even. "Father, this is not necessary."

“Are you lying to me about what happened?” Ozai asked bluntly, standing in the doorway of the other room. Ty Lee was composed, even though she was frightened. If she cried out it would probably get worse. That Ozai was sadistic and cruel wasn’t even a rumor, it was established fact.

Azula always lies, that was also a fact. But sometimes the truth was necessary, and Azula thought that her father must know more than he let on. "We came to inspect, as there were reports of...laziness. They attempted to impede inspection, then they attacked us. I retaliated."

She was very careful to not look at Ty Lee, but she wished she'd changed her top. It was obvious to anyone who looked that she'd bandaged the other girl.

Azula knew she wasn't in control of the situation and it upset her greatly.

Ozai shoved Ty Lee to the floor. She landed on her hands, and stayed put. “There. That wasn’t so difficult, was it?” He stepped over Ty Lee and went back to his desk. ”And the manager?”

Azula breathed a little easier, her eyes darting down towards Ty Lee. She didn't want to think about what Ozai could do to her lovebody guard. "The fool took a capsule before I could stop him."

Ozai nodded, and opened one of his desk drawers. “What did he say about the contents of the warehouse?”

“Nothing.” Azula moved her hands in front of her body, resting them in a relaxed, yet respectful position. “He let me look at the files. It’s concerning, father. That was not one of our weapons warehouses, yet they were moving them. I think right under our noses.”

“That is concerning.” Ozai said with a nod. “I will look into it. But first there is the matter of your wasteful actions earlier in the day.”

Ty Lee gasped when he lifted a gun. “You will stay where you are..” Ozai said to her with a malicious grin. Then his attention turned back to Azula. “Those men answered to me, Azula, and their punishment was for me to decide.”

"They attacked me," Azula hissed. Some hair came loose from her bun. Her nose steamed. "I defended myself." And her.

She wasn't fast enough to melt a bullet, and she felt helpless. Scared even, for Ty Lee.

“You took out eight trained guards with just Ty Lee.” Ozai noted, with amusement. “Maybe you need to learn a little more caution.” He turned toward Azula and shot. Ty Lee screamed and raced for her boss, disregarding the attention it would draw from Ozai.

"Then your guards were-" Pain exploded in Azula's abdomen. The bullet tore through her on her right side. The world was spinning around her before she realized she was tumbling to the ground.

The only thought that came to mind as she lay bleeding, was relief that it had been her, and not Ty Lee.

“Clean that up.” Ozai said to Ty Lee, on his way out the door. Ty Lee tugged Azula’s shirt up, to examine the wound.

It wasn’t going to kill her, but Azula would feel that every time she moved. Ty Lee pulled her own shirt off and pressed it against the wound. “He shot you. I can’t believe he did that.” She was numb with shock and fear, her hands a little clumsier than normal.

Azula looked into Ty Lee's face, and she laughed. It was short, gasping and full of pain, but it was a laugh. "I thought...I thought he was going to shoot you..."

She hadn't felt something that hurt this bad since the last time she'd been shot. She supposed that her father hadn't known about that. Or maybe he had, and he didn't care. But she could believe he'd do that.

She grasped at Ty Lee's arm with one bloody hand. "Or worse."

Ty Lee didn’t kiss Azula, even though she wanted to. There might be cameras in the room. “Shhhh, it’s okay, boss. I’ll get a janitor in here once we leave, and we can go home.” She wanted to be alone with Azula now, she’d had enough work for the day.

“Good...” Azula’s eyes fluttered closed and she gasped again, laughing. It hurt so much, but she just wanted to laugh. “Did it go through?” Somehow, she thought that Ozai would order the medics to not treat her. It’s what she would have done, in his place.

Ty Lee looked at the wound again. "Yes. I think I can carry you, we should leave before he comes back and blames us for something else.” She moved to Azula’s uninjured side, and picked her up. “Keep pressure on your wound, we’ll stop by your office and I’ll tend to it there.” She gave Azula what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

Azula pressed her hand into her wound, keeping her eyes closed. Her face was as impassive as she could get it, though a smile danced at her lips. She had to fight back another laugh. “Mmm. My hero.”

Ty Lee was worried that Azula was laughing so much, but it was better than crying, maybe? She barked an order at the first janitor they passed, and ignored anyone watching them as she made her way down the hallway. The rumors would be spread within the hour. She wondered why Ozai had done this. It wasn’t just to punish Azula, it was to send a message. But what message, and to whom?

“No painkillers,” Azula whispered into Ty Lee’s ear. “I don’t like losing my senses.” She didn’t say much else after that, not until they were home. She just had to make sure that Ty Lee understood that.

Ty Lee did understand, and would abide by Azula’s wishes. She drove like a maniac, but got them safely to Azula’s condo, and inside. She spread her boss out on the kitchen table, and went to her room to get her medical kit. “Try to stay still, I won’t be gone long.”

Azula felt blackness claim her. It was, in a way, the most obvious sign of trust she could give Ty Lee, to let herself pass out in her presence. She was smiling, and drifting on some distant sea.