The Azula Chronicles

Cabbage Corp (no. 90)

Just within the border of the United Republic lied the headquarters for one of the fastest growing businesses in the world: Cabbage Corp. The man who founded the company kept himself incredibly private, and most couldn't even tell you his name.

Cabbage Corp had three major headquarters: one in Republic City, one on the border of the United Republic and the Earth Kingdom, and the third laid deep in Earth Kingdom territory. All three works simultaneously with each other, but Cabbage Corp's second location was where other business moguls and persons of importance went to meet with the recluse.

The complex spanned for an entire street's length, and boasted itself as one of the largest manufacturers of steel and machinery in the world.

Huang, one of the largest slave traders in the world, worth billions of yuans, ran the second location of Cabbage Corp. Whether the CEO knew of Huang's illegal activities or not was unknown and beside the point. Now that Huang knew an attack on the compound was eminent, he would need to protect himself.

Huang stood outside of the compound's main gate, pacing the ground as a Republic City police transport approached the entrance. Toph Beifong stepped out of the vehicle and marched to Huang, greeting him with a firm handshake.

"Chief Beifong." Huang said.

"Mr. Huang." Toph replied.

"I wasn't expecting you so soon."

"I have reason to believe that Azula will make an attack on your compound today."

"Azula? I've never met the woman in my life. What could she possibly want from me?" Huang asked coyly, but Toph could almost immediately see through his charade. She had no doubt that Azula knew something about the man standing before her.

"I was hoping you could answer that question for me." Toph replied, marching down the pathway to the main entrance. "You've never met Azula before?"

"The former princess Azula? I think I would remember meeting someone like that." Huang chuckled.

"Who's the second in command here?" Toph asked.

"This isn't the military Miss Beifong." Huang said.

"This compound is too large for just you to oversee. Who do people report to when you're not here?"

"My assistant Osha, but..." Huang trailed off. "She hasn't been around lately."

"What do you mean?"

"She just disappeared." Huang replied. "About a week ago. I had her see a group of healers for her burn, but now I can't find her, and I haven't gotten word from anyone who would know where she is."

"Hmm." Toph groaned. The situation certainly seemed like Azula's doing, but something was still off.

They entered the compound's main building, as Huang opened the door for Toph.

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Azula and her team stood in a small room, surrounding a single table illuminated by only one overhead light. The Cabbage Corp blueprints laid across the table with several marks and and timestamps. They all stood in silence, reviewing the plan in their heads before turning to Azula.

"Are we ready?" She asked.

Everyone nodded, and Azula tapped the blueprints, carefully igniting it and burning into a small pile of ash.

"We only have one shot at this. Let's make it count." Azula said. "Places everyone. Let's get Huang."

They walked outside of a small motel somewhere on the outskirts of the United Republic. Pandu and Kariyou wore Cabbage Corp uniforms, while Azula and Ty Lee wore black jumpsuits. Out back behind the motel was a Cabbage Corp transport vehicle; or rather, a completely different vehicle disguised as a Cabbage Corp transport.

"Good luck you two." Pandu said.

"You too." Ty Lee replied with a nervous smile.

Azula tapped the side of the transport, and Pandu and Kariyou sped off to the east.

"I guess it's time to get going." Ty Lee said.

"We'll only have half an hour before the alarm is set. Let's be quick about it." Azula said before the two began to run in the direction that their partners left.

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"Mr. Huang, forgive me if I don't believe you when you say that there's no reason for Azula to attack the compound." Toph said.

"You think I'm lying?" Huang chuckled.

"Yes." Toph replied bluntly. Huang's smirk faded, and though Toph couldn't see his change in tone, she could hear it.

"What would I have to gain by lying?"

"I don't know, but you should know better than to try to lie to me." Toph said.

"I'm telling the truth, Miss Beifong." Huang replied. "I've never met Azula."

"I believe that." Toph said. "But I have met her, and she doesn't do anything without having a reason to. You did something, Huang, and she won't be as forgiving as I am."

Toph reached into her pocket and pulled out a small plastic bag with a burnt piece of paper inside of it. "What does the name Fu mean to you?" She asked.

"W-what?" Huang asked with a tone of anxiety and shock.

"Fu, the name on this paper, who is it?"

Huang shook in his shoes, enough for Toph to know that there was something going on. She almost wished that she teamed up with Azula, but she knew that only death would come from her. And even if Huang was as bad of a person that Azula thought, he still deserved a fair trial.

Suddenly, an alarm rang throughout the complex. Red lights flashed and every worker began to follow an unspoken procedure of getting to safety.

"What's that?" Toph asked.

"The pressure in the boiler is getting too high. If it doesn't get fixed then the whole compound could be destroyed."

"Do you have people to repair it?"

"Only Osha and I have the code to access the boiler room."

"It's a trap..." Toph said. "Is there any way to lower the pressure without entering the boiler room?"

"No, it's the only way." Huang said.

"I'll lower the pressure myself." Toph instructed. "Go to your office and don't move until I return."

"Whatever you say." Huang said compliantly.

Without any further words, Toph ran to the western side of the compound. She could see through the buildings the moment she stepped out of her vehicle. She narrowed the boiler room down to a couple of larger rooms near the center of the compound. She came to a metal door, and feeling around she felt a keypad to the right.

She grabbed the door, gripping into the metal, and pulled it from its hinges with ease. She threw the door behind her and ran into the room. It was hot and steamy, and the ground burned beneath her feet, but Toph couldn't feel anything wrong, nor could she feel anyone's presence.

She slowly stepped toward each of the boilers and felt them for any sabotage, but there was nothing to indicate that they had been tampered with in any way. In fact, the room felt calm and soothing like a sauna.

Toph's eyes grew wide, as she realized what just happened. She fell right into Azula's game. She ran out of the room and back to the main hall. The compound was empty except for maybe a dozen people, and Toph knew that it may already be too late.

She rushed up the stairs, hurrying to Huang as fast as she could. "Dang it, dang it, dang it!"

Soon, the number of people in the building decreased by one; at least, the number of heartbeats decreased by one. Toph knew now that she was too late. She ran to the room where she felt the body, and just as she thought, a dead Huang laid at her feet.

She growled and slammed her fist against the wall, making a dent in the metal. She rushed back to the main hall, where she felt two very familiar auras.

"Azula!"

The two people stopped in their tracks, and only moments later she was greeted by the voice of a familiar Azula. "Chief Beifong. What a pleasure."

"I told you if I found you here, I'd end you." Toph shouted.

"I think you'll reconsider once you search Huang's office."

"Oh I was there, Azula. I felt his heartbeat stop. You killed him!"

"Yes, I did." Azula replied. "Search his office. You'll find some things that will make your stomach turn."

"Who is it Azula?" Toph asked. "Who's Fu?"

There was a pause, and one of the people started to leave. Toph immediately shot her chains toward the person, but their presence vanished. She then felt the footsteps behind her, and she turned around and shot another chain attack. The presence disappeared again, and Toph leaned to the left, dodging a jab, as she felt the air around her body.

But before she could make any more movements, she felt three jabs across her right arm. Her arm fell limp, and she knew who she was dealing with.

"Ty Lee?" Toph said disappointedly. "I thought you changed."

"I have changed, Toph." Ty Lee replied. "But I can't let Azula take on this threat alone."

"You betrayed me, the Kiyoshi Warriors, Aang."

"I haven't betrayed anyone! Azula's different now. I mean, she's still a murderer, but if you saw what Huang was doing you'd understand."

"We're leaving you now, Chief Beifong." Azula said. "Give Aang my regards when you see him."

"You little rat!" Toph shouted, but as much as she wanted to pursue Azula, she didn't. Instead she just stood still, panting and holding her arm. She heard the sound of a vehicle screeching in the distance. Azula escaped. She won.

Several hours later, the facilities were inspected, but there was no sign of a break in. No broken doors or windows, nothing out of the ordinary. When Toph returned to Huang's office, she found substantial evidence of Huang's underworld slave trade. She was sickened by the reports that her officers gave her. Whatever she felt about Azula, she could admit one thing: Azula had changed; maybe not for the better, but she was certainly different from the young woman who tried to kill Toph and her friends twenty five years ago.