Treachery of the Highest Order
âYOUâRE DANTE BASCO?!â The screech echoes throughout the palace. Servants and guards alike all pause momentarily. It lasts barely a second before they carry on, uncaring and used to it.
In the palace gardens, Sokka is 5 seconds away from screaming endlessly into the cruel, uncaring void of the universe. It is the only way he can think to process the information that has just been accidentally given to him.
Across from him, Zuko looks exactly 1 second away from running away. Zuko, who is a powerful bender, master swordsman, virtual ninja, leader of an entire nation, and. Sokkaâs favourite fictional author. Apparently?
âUh,â Aangâs expression is sheepish. âSorry?â He looks between the two of them, obviously unsure of who he should be offering the apology to.
Toph, from her spot sitting and reclining under a tree near by, snorts. Sheâs grinning and very obviously enjoying Sokkaâs suffering. Beside her, Suki at least has the grace to mostly mask her amusement.
Katara, who has never once spared Sokka feelings on anything, rolls her eyes and says, âItâs been years, Sokka. How are you just figuring this out?â Sheâs being gracious. âFiguring it outâ. As if Sokka wasnât just minding his business, reading the newest novel from his favourite author, when Aangâsweet, naĂŻve, stupid Aangâjust barreled in and said, âHey did you get Zuko to sign that for you yet? I made him sign mine as soon as I got it.â
Sokka had furrowed his brows, confused. âWhy would Zuko sign my book?â heâd asked. Then heâd caught sight of Zukoâs face; pinched and red up to the tips of his ears. Heâd looked like heâd been caught in the act of doing something scandalous.
Then horror had spread throughout Sokkaâs entire being. Pieces clicking together to form a terrible, awful picture. Heâd shot up to his feet, finger pointed and shriek on his tongue.
Sokka wheeled around to face his family. âYou knew?â he whispered, soft and betrayed. Broken. âYou all knew and let me continue to live this lie?â
Toph, indelicate and crass with not a single shred of hesitancy, says, âWe had bets on how long it would take you to puzzle it out. My guess was Twinkle Toes spilling the beans.â Then she turns to Suki, âI win, by the way.â Suki rolls her eyes.
Zuko chokes. âYou made bets?â
Aang looks hurt. âHow come no one told there was a bet?â
Katara places a hand on his arm, comforting and sympathetic. âWellââ she starts.
âItâs âcause you canât keep a secret for shit.â Toph interrupts. Kataraâs eye twitches.
âI can too!â Aang immediately rebuffs. âI never told anyone that Zuko is the Blue Spirit!â It takes him a second for what he just said to catch up to him. Then he looks sheepish and apologetic again.
Sokka wheels back around to face Zuko. âYOUâRE THE BLUE SPIRIT?!â
(Off in the distant, the entirety of the palace pauses once again. They all collectively blink. That they hadnât known).
Suki eyes Zuko for a moment before nodding. âYeah, I can see that.â
Katara just looks stunned. Finally, someone else understands.
Zuko just looks constipated. âYouâre going to kill me,â he says, tone grave and expression solemn, âYouâre going to kill me and the Fire Nation will be left without a sovereign. Everything will plunge into anarchy and civil war and it will be all of your faults. Is that what you want? Is that what you assholes fucking want?â
Sokka sucks in a breath. A light of comprehension shines on him. The world keeps spinning and a wave of calm awareness washes over him.
âOh, of course youâre Dante Basco,â he sighs, steepled fingers coming up to rest on his chin, âYouâre a fucking theatre nerd.â
Zuko, the dramatic fucker, glowers and says, âI can declare you an enemy of state.â
âYouâre the Blue Spirit?â Katara questions. Zuko lets out the longest, deepest sigh that Sokka has ever heard.
Not to long later, after theyâve all sat back down and calmed down a bit, Sokka drops his book again. There is a look of intense self-reflection on his face. âTui and La,â he whispers, âHow did I not figure it out sooner. All your main characters have daddy issues.â
There is a moment of pure, stunned silence following those words. No one moves, hardly even dares to breathe.
Then Suki chokes, hunching in on herself as she wheezes. âOh my spirits, he fucking said it.â
Aang is the only one not laughing too hard so he, by default, is the only one that stops Zuko from successfully drowning Sokka in the turtleduck pond.