Catalyst

Chapter 3: Death's Disguise

The first sound he heard from a human in spirits knew how long was the sound of retching. The earthen door had opened without a problem, as had the metal door, but the final earth door to his cell had kept all the smells in. They were released in one moment, hitting whoever happened to be nearby when the final door opened.

Zuko didn't care about who that was because he was instantly blinded by the incoming light. He hoarsely yelled and hid his face as best he could from it. The pain had been so intense that he felt like, for the briefest moment, both his eyes were on fire. Even with his eyes shut, it was too painful to face the light.

After the gagging subsided, a female voice from the outside that seemed impossibly loud said, "Yep. I was right."

The muffled voice of a male answered as if he were covering his face to stop the smell, "I don't know, I think your powers of perception are waaay off. Whatever lived in there is dead and has been for a while."

The female replied, "No, I feel the heartbeat. It's weak but he's alive."

"HE? You're saying someone is in there? Alive?"

"Yes!" shot back the annoyed female.

"Well, I'm not going down there."

A new male voice piped up, "We have to help him, guys."

Wait. He knew that voice.

"No, we don't. We walked past like fifty Joo Dees back there and I didn't hear a peep from you. Besides, we still need to find our way out of here, and we can't do that when we're stopping everywhere trying to help people."

"The Joo Dees were already brainwashed, but maybe this guy isn't. He must be someone semi-important to the Dai Li if they've kept him here and not...you know...."

A second female voice spoke up, "You know he's right, Sok—"

"I know he's right! I just don't want to go down there."

"Too much of a sissypants?" chimed in the first voice.

"No, I just—"

Zuko groaned but it came out as a wheezing sigh. He knew these voices but he couldn't place them. His head felt so fuzzy.

The male groaned in defeat but Zuko heard his voice soften. "Okay, fine. But I'm going to need about twenty baths after this." He heard him enter the cell, gagging and coughing until he was at his side. He felt a foot prod his leg and he recoiled as much as he could, tightening into a ball facing away from the figure next to him.

"Heeey, man. How's it going? I'm just going to pick you up—ugh!" He gagged again as he reached underneath Zuko's legs and back to pick him up. "Are you—? You are. Okay, hold on one moment, and we'll get those chains off you. And, uh, get you a blanket as well. TOPH!" he yelled, making Zuko wince.

"WHAT?"

"Come in here! I need your specialty."

"What, no! I'm not going in there!"

"He's in chains. I need them off him."

"So bring him out here and I'll take them off."

"What happened to me being a 'sissypants' for not wanting to go in?"

"I don't want to smell like a sewer for the next month."

"Y'know," he said under his breath. He replied louder for her to hear, "At least get me a blanket or something."

"You got it, Sewer Man."

The voice left Zuko's side for a moment and came back with a light blanket that was used to cover most of his bare torso. "You gotta turn over and face me if I'm going to be able to pick you up," he explained.