I'll Be Your Family

Blind Bandit pt. 1

Sneaking into the Earth Rumble was easier than he thought it would be. The entrance was packed, and there were only two Earthbenders collecting tickets, so Zuko just hid in the crowd.

The arena was underground, with the stands carved into the rock surrounding a circular ring in the center. A podium stood at the edge of the ring, looking over the arena. The first couple of rows were empty, save for a few people that looked suspiciously like Earth Kingdom soldiers. 

Guess the front rows are dangerous. It's probably not the best idea for me to go there, considering I only see Earthbenders taking those seats. Uncle would tell me to avoid the front rows and just hide in the crowd, He thought to himself. 

Then again, the front is the best place to see all the action, and I have my swords if I need to deflect anything. Plus Uncle isn't here right now, He countered his previous argument. 

Weighing his options, he decided to sit in the very front row, with his swords ready in case he needed to dodge. 

What Uncle doesn't know won't hurt him. 

Zuko waited in the stands, perfectly content with his very bad life choices, as the announcer rose to the stage to announce the match.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN. I AM YOUR HOST XIN FU, AND ITS TIME FOR THE EARTH RUMBLE GRUDGE MATCH. TONIGHT, WE HAVE A FORMER CHAMPION, SEEKING TO RECLAIM HIS THRONE BEFORE EARTH RUMBLE VI NEXT MONTH. GIVE IT UP FOR THE ONE, THE ONLY, BOULDER!" 

Walking on one side of the stage was a large, buff man, wearing green pants with his black hair tied back. Everything about him screamed Earth Kingdom. Zuko couldn't tell if he was a master, but he figured he was at least better than the soldiers he and Uncle fought.

"AND IN THE OTHER CORNER, WE HAVE THE RECENTLY CROWNED CHAMP. SHE WAS ABLE TO STEAL THE BELT FROM BOULDER IN EARTH RUMBLE V, BUT WILL SHE BE ABLE TO KEEP IT? SAY HELLO TO YOUR RETURNING CHAMP, THE BLIND BANDIT!"

Entering from the corner opposite was a little girl in clothes of green and beige. She had short black hair that was held up with a green headband and two white puffins placed above her ears. 

She walked into the ring with confidence he had only seen from Azula, and instinctively Zuko reached for the swords on his back. She stopped walking and looked over to where he was sitting, her glossy gray eyes turned to him, before she started smiling excitedly and continued to walk onto the stage. 

Zuko was sweating in his seat as he let go of his swords, realizing that he may have made a mistake.

At least now I know why she's called the "Blind" Bandit. I thought it was just for the show. Doesn't matter though, she's most likely a master. I'm sure her bending makes up for it somehow, that or she has ridiculous hearing.

It was a little weird for Zuko to watch as she took her final step on stage. He thought he would never meet anyone with more natural talent than Azula, but something inside told him he was going to be proven wrong.

She can't be older than twelve, if she is a master then she beat Azula by at least a year. That's impressive, even for an Earthbender. 

Zuko gritted his teeth at the thought of finding potentially another prodigy that he may have to fight one day. 

As one of the organizers came up to him to ask if he wanted to place his bets, he decided to bet his two swords on the girl. He spent all his cash on the food and the inn, so this was a good opportunity to earn some of it back. The swords were good quality so they were worth a decent sum. 

He asked the collector what he could win, and was shocked to find that the Blind Bandit was the underdog. He asked the collector why the odds were in Boulder's favor if he wasn't the champ.

"Most people think he went too easy on her. The first time they fought he didn't take it seriously because he didn't want to beat up a blind girl. Now that they've fought most people think he's going to go all out to get his belt back. If I were you I would reconsider your bet. Boulder was the champion for a long time before he let the Blind Bandit take his spot, she doesn't stand a chance now that he's taking it seriously." He said in one of the most condescending tones Zuko has ever heard. 

"Yeah, I think I'll keep my bet where it is. Just make sure to give me my winnings quickly when they're done." Zuko replied, watching as the very pissed-off collector left with his swords in hand, muttering something about 'ungrateful idiots'. 

Yeah, there's no chance Boulder's winning. The Earth Kingdom peasants must be eating dirt if they think a blind girl won an Earthbending Tournament by accident. If being blind was a hindrance to her she wouldn't have gotten to the mountain, much less the belt. 

With his mind comforted by the money he was about to make for doing nothing, Zuko settled down to watch the one-sided beating that was about to occur.