Road to Ba Sing Se | Zuko

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❃ The Flying Bison ❃

A dark, anonymous figure ran through the abandoned streets of Ba Sing Se. His body was clad in black, unmarked clothing. His origins could not be traced to any tribe or nation. He wore wide trousers that poofed slightly as they met his boots right around the knee area. His top half was covered by a matching shirt that had a hood attached to cover the back of his head. Around his lower arms he wore arm protector gauntlets and dark grey gloves. On his back, he carried a dual broadsword sheath with golden details on the rims. His attire was made specifically to be unrecognisable and anonymous, save for the final feature: his mask.

The mask in question was a depiction of the ancient god for water and weather named 'The Dragon King'. Its dragon depiction (a symbol of the Fire Nation), combined with its blue colours (often worn by the people of the Water Tribes and Southern Earth Kingdom) made his character international and untraceable. Whoever had chosen this mask made sure to let it be known that they held no ties to anyone or anything.

This was 'The Blue Spirit'.

The Blue Spirit raced through the Earth Kingdom city, where the moon had already been up for several hours. Its clear rays reflected off of the pale cobblestones and traditional houses. Most citizens of the big city had already gone off to bed, which left the usually bustling roads completely covered in darkness and silence. The mysterious man knew this. He used the cover of the night sky to make his way through the streets and alleys undetected.

Suddenly, the mysterious figure had company. Just as he turned another corner, his hidden eyes spotted a man in green garbs patrolling the streets. His hat and rock-covered hands clearly indicated his status as a member of the infamous Dai Li. However, the Blue Spirit did not worry about the man's position as a guard much. As a matter of fact, the Dai Li's appearance could even help him with his mission.

"Out of my way, skinny!" He grunted and slammed into the man without halting his hurried pace.

The guard stumbled backward with a loud "Oof!"

With his pride wounded, the guard followed after his assailant -who had conveniently just turned the corner in a well-known dead end. Ha! Nobody could shove a prestigious member of the Dai Li and get away with it! He ran after the stranger and got in his bending stance. There he was!

Right at the end of the alley, the masked stranger stood deadly still. Without any hesitation, the Dai Li guard bent his rock glove to the man to subdue him for interrogation. As the rocks met with the stranger, they tore through his clothes. Yet, instead of releasing blood, straw peaked through the shredded figure! It suddenly became apparent that the 'stranger' was in fact a strawman! The guard's face went white with shock.

"Huh?" He gasped and looked around warily. Where had he gone?

The cold, sharp edge of a blade was suddenly pressed against his neck. The guard swallowed.

"If you don't want to end up like him," Zuko threatened behind his blue spirit mask, "you'll do what I say."

Surprisingly, the 'infamous Dai Li agent' was not a tough nut to crack. Zuko had the location of the Avatar's sky bison revealed to him in a matter of minutes. He had left the guard there, scared out of his mind and crying for his mother.

After that, all the Blue Spirit had to do was go to 'Lake Laogai'. This place was apparently the headquarters for the Dai Li. According to the guard, the regular entrance was somewhere underwater. However, there was a small side entrance right behind a cave that could be opened through the use of a secret lever.

The Blue spirit went to the described spot and quickly found the lever. He pulled it and watched as a narrow path rose up from the depths of the lake. At the end of the path, there was a waterproof lid. He opened it and climbed through, going all the way down the long ladder to the underground base.