An Innocent Spark [Zukka]

Chapter 19: The Interrogation

Three days had passed since the events on Ember Island. Zuko spent a day recovering from his injuries while his uncle had the guards who had been involved in the prison break arrested. Sokka never left Zuko's side once while he was resting. He blamed himself for putting Zuko in such a dangerous situation.

Zuko tried to get him to realize it was not his fault, but it did not make him feel any better. He was the one who listened to Azula and came up with the plan to follow the escapees to general Lao.

When Zuko was feeling up to it, they both went to the prison to interrogate the guards. To Sokka's dismay, the warden would not allow him to interrogate the prisoners with Zuko.

Since he wasn't allowed to interrogate the guards, he had another idea for how to learn more about what had happened.

The cell door slid closed behind him as he looked upon an all too familiar face.

"I didn't expect to see you back so soon," Azula said with her trademark sarcasm. "I thought you were going to get me freed of these restraints?"

"Why did you tell me about general Lao?" Sokka asked angrily, ignoring her question.

"What do you mean?" Azula asked. "I told you so you could stop him before he could do anything. Which I must say you did a horrible job doing, a handful of prisoners got away a few days ago."

"Lao almost killed Zuko and I," Sokka said coldly. He was surprised to see Azula stop in her tracks, her eyes shot open and she stared at him speechlessly. "What... what happened?"

"Don't play games. You told us about Lao so we would track him down to Ember Island so he could blow up your brother," Sokka said, the anger in his voice growing.

"Sokka..." Azula started to say before she broke down in tears. He had never seen Azula so vulnerable before, she was always so put together and in control before her Agni Kai with her brother.

"I had no idea!" she cried and a part of him felt bad she couldn't even wipe her own tears away, "I swear on Agni I didn't know about any of this! Lao must have wanted me to overhear him so I would tell my brother."

Sokka wasn't sure whether to believe her or not. She had proven to them before she was a perfect liar, and she had nothing but time to hone her craft in prison.

"What are they planning next?" Sokka pressed further. She had to know something, and he was determined to find out what it was.

"I told you, I'm not involved in any of this! I only overheard Lao and thought it would help you," Azula said still crying her eyes out.

He wasn't getting anywhere with this. He turned around and called for the guard to let him out. As he walked out Azula stopped crying for a moment and said, "Sokka, thank you for protecting my brother."

Sokka walked away without a word, wondering whether or not she really was telling the truth after all.

--

Sokka got back right as Zuko got done questioning the last guard. "Any luck?"

"Surprisingly yes," Zuko said as they made their way towards the exit, "in exchange for a transfer to a less hostile prison, one of the guards informed me of an Earth Kingdom bandit camp located outside of Omashu."

The two were interrupted by a prison guard running towards them desperately trying to get their attention. "Fire Lord Zuko! Fire Lord Zuko wait!"

"What is it soldier?" Zuko asked and Sokka could hear the slight irritation in his question.

"We have just received an urgent message from the southern water tribe sir. There has been another attack!"