𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐏𝐋𝐔𝐓𝐎 & 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍 ━━━ atla.

iii. i almost throw hands with a middle aged man.

i almost throw hands with a middle aged man.
━ CHAPTER THREE,
mari.

&&&

AS THE SHIP DOCKS IN THE NAVAL YARD, MARI HOLDS BACK A GROAN. Too early . . . Need sleep . . .

Mari drowsily makes her way to Zuko's right side and stands at attention (well, as much attention she can give, seeing as how she's still half asleep). Uncle stands behind them as they wait for the prow to fully open and the spout to come down. Once it does, Zuko and Mari quickly walk in sync and make their way into the yard, Uncle following behind them.

"Uncle, I want the repairs made as quickly as possible," Zuko gruffly speaks, and Mari notes that his fists are clenched at his sides. Hmm, so no over-the-top teasing for today I suppose. Zuko continues, "I don't want to stay too long and risk losing his trail."

"You mean the Avatar?" Uncle asks, and Mari tenses up just as Zuko turns angrily to face his uncle.

"Don't mention his name on these docks," Zuko warns, and for once, Mari finds herself agreeing with him; if word gets out that the Avatar is alive, Zuko's search might come to an end faster than she initially thought, but not because he found Aang, but because someone else did. And, as much as Mari didn't want to go back to the Fire Nation or for Zuko to go back for that matter (due to how shitty a person Ozai is and how Azula will most likely end up tormenting Zuko even more), she knew that if Zuko were to go back he might finally see how toxic his family really is—well, besides her and Uncle.

"Once word gets out that he's alive, every firebender will be out looking for him, and I don't want anyone getting in the way." Uncle just stands there, blankly staring at his nephew, and Mari has to suppress her laughter.

"Getting in the way of what?"

Mari tenses up, every bone in her body telling her to run and get as far away from here as possible. She becomes too honed in on her surroundings; Zuko shuffling closer to her, the sound of the waves crashing along the docks, Zhao standing there with a disgusting smirk on his face that Mari wanted to punch off. Or, kick off. Either or, doesn't matter, as long as I get to seriously injure him and his fragile masculinity and weirdly terrifying superiority complex—how he lasted so long with a complex that made him feel more superior than his superiors I will never know, but hopefully all of that will come and bite him in the ass.

"Prince Zuko," Zhao smirks at Zuko, who moves to stand in front of a nervous Mari. Of course, she doesn't look it, but Zuko knows her better than anyone; her shoulders are tense, fingers tapping against her thighs as she straightens her back and lifts up her chin; all telltale signs of nervousness for Mari. "Captain Zhao," Zuko all but snarls.