Red Lotus fanfic, for haimako

"It's nice to see you again, Ghazan." Zaheer removed the White Lotus helmet and grasped the taller man's arm.

"Thanks for busting me out," Ghazan said. "Where'd you pick up the new skills?"

"I have Harmonic Convergence to thank for that. I was given a gift. I believe it's a sign that our path is a righteous one," Zaheer replied. "I'll brief you on the boat ride to the Fire Nation."

Ghazan rolled his eyes. "Never thought I'd miss that old pretentiousness, but I did," he said, clapping Zaheer on the shoulder as he swung over the side of the boat. "What do we do with the ship? The guards managed to send up a flare before I took them out."

"We'll have to sink it."

Ghazan's eyes narrowed, his lips curling upwards in a smile. "Finally." The lava shuriken spun between his fingers, and Zaheer watched as his old friend destroyed the hull of the wooden ship, the water rushing in as the guards began to stir.

o0o

"So did you say we're going to the Fire Nation?" Ghazan asked, propping himself up on his elbows. "Shouldn't we stop by the colonies first? I could go for a shirt, you know.. the tattoos are pretty memorable."

"We have a ways to go before we'll be anywhere near a village where it's safe to stop," Zaheer replied. "A lot has changed in these past thirteen years. Some of the Earth Kingdom states are flourishing, while others are still floundering in illiteracy, and the queen is little better than a tyrant." He glanced at Ghazan. "It's going to be difficult to get back in touch with other members of the Red Lotus."

"Yeah, that's not obvious at all," Ghazan said easily. "But really, Fire Nation? We're not going to bust out your girlfriend first?"

Zaheer smiled. "P'li won't have to wait long once we've picked up Ming Hua."

"Thirteen years and still going strong, huh?"

"When it's there, it's there." He frowned. "How long has it been?"

Ghazan looked thoughtful, stretching his arms behind his head. "Since she joined our team? Well, if we don't count our imprisonment, nine years. If we do, it's a total of twenty-two years."

"A quarter of our life together," Zaheer smiled, "and most of it was spent apart."

"Twenty-two years, five months, and seventeen days," Ghazan said to himself slowly, counting on his fingers. "Of course, the months and days are subject to change, since I don't know how long it'll take us to rescue her..."

Zaheer stared. "You kept track of the months and days?"

"You're not the only romantic on this ship, man."

Zaheer laughed, turning back to the prow of the motorboat. "Remember when we first found her? That woman was crazy."

"She still is." Ghazan smiled to himself. "Remember how she joined us? Sweet sixteen and already with a record for the books..."

o0o

Ghazan began the trek back to the campsite, arms sore from the buckets of water yoked over his shoulders. "Zaheer? Got the water," he yelled. "Next time you're taking care of this crap, my hands have seen way better days..."

"Stop complaining like a pampered aristocrat," Zaheer called from their camp. "Just wrap the handles already."

"I'm using a yoke," he retorted. "Got tired of slicing my palms open every time."

"That wouldn't have happened if you had wrapped the damn handles to begin with."

"Wrapping the handles is for pussies." He had reached their campsite at last, unceremoniously depositing the buckets on the ground. Some of the water sloshed out onto Zaheer's feet. "What's the plan for tomorrow?"

"There are White Lotus members being quartered in the town just west of where we are," Zaheer said, expression darkening. "The avatar is probably on the way to the Western Provinces."

"I mean... economic upheaval and all," Ghazan said, shrugging. "Bringing... stability, or something."

"Or something," Zaheer agreed. "If Avatar Aang needs a full entourage just for a visit to the poorest provinces of the Earth Kingdom, there's something seriously wrong with the White Lotus organization."

Ghazan sat down heavily with a sigh. "Look, I get that it's frustrating, but I'm more interested in getting to a safe town and starting a proper life. A year of wandering around is more than enough for me. I'd like to live in one place without constantly being driven out as a street urchin for once, you know. We can't keep out of prison forever at this rate."

"Ghazan, I've been thinking." Zaheer looked at the crackling flames, bright against the dimming backdrop of dusk. "There's an organization I've wanted to join for a while now."

"How long is 'a while'?"

"The past couple of years or so," Zaheer said slowly. "Not long after we left the refugee camp together, I met a member of an underground society-"

"Was this after you orchestrated the murder of that warlord in Yai, or before that?" Ghazan poked the coals of the fire with a stick.

"After," Zaheer said. "Their network is larger than you'd imagine, Ghazan. They're recruiting, and they need people with my skill sets."

"So pretentious dickbags with a penchant for scheming and weaponless murder are in high demand there, huh?" He punched Zaheer's shoulder affectionately.

"Everything I've done outside the law had very justifiable reasons and you know it," he said, smiling. "But the Red Lotus is organized and could use both of our talents."

"Is that a branch of the White Lotus?" Ghazan said, idly bending the coals of the dying fire into lava. "I'm not getting involved in that crap-"

"No, it's made up of dissenters from the White Lotus," Zaheer said. "The founder, Xai Bau, was tired of the organization becoming a glorified army of personal bodyguards for the avatar. It's give us the stability that you want, Ghazan. We'd probably still have to travel a fair amount, and I'll understand if you don't want to join with me, but thanks to them and a few of the jobs I've taken on for them we've been able to survive. Just think about it-"

"Hey," Ghazan said said gently, clapping him on the shoulder, "I've got your back, bro. If you really think this is something that'd be good for us, I trust your judgement." He bended a slope of earth into a back rest. "There's something I wanted to ask you, though."

"Yeah?"

"When I was further west, I saw this girl...I've seen her in that area for the past few weeks, actually."

Zaheer groaned. "Oh no.. did you give away my location?"

"No," Ghazan snapped, cheeks reddening, "but if the Red Lotus is recruiting young up-and-coming idealogues with special talents, we need to get her on the team."

"Is she trustworthy?" Zaheer said skeptically. "Why are you so interested in her? On a scale of one to ten, how hot is she?"

"Oh, she's a wild card," Ghazan said, smiling at the memory. "She doesn't have arms, but she can waterbend in ways I never knew to be possible. She took out three troops from that tyrant of a governor's militia in under five minutes-"

"How many did you take out?"

"Four, but that was only to help her out," Ghazan said dismissively. "You're missing the point. I think we can trust her."

Zaheer sighed. "You don't even know her. I bet you don't even know her name. Again, on a scale of one to ten, how-"

"Ming Hua," Ghazan said, smiling. "And before you ask again, she's a solid 8."

"Where is she now?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure she was captured," Ghazan said, his smile fading a bit. "Loitering and manslaughter or something. Haven't seen her for the past couple of days. But breaking her out shouldn't be too hard. I've talked to her, bro. She's like us. She's had a rough time, and she's just trying to survive."

"Fine. We're going to go save your girlfriend." Zaheer said, unrolling a pallet. "Get some sleep, we'll bust her out and tell the Red Lotus we're joining them tomorrow."

"She's not my girlfriend," Ghazan said, cooling the lava and extinguishing the fire. "Yet."

A/N: My little sisters have been begging for this crap for so long now. I'm thinking this is gonna be a three-parter. In the flashback, Zaheer is about 18 and Ghazan is 16, since they joined the Red Lotus as teenagers. Basically, this is how the band got together. Reviews make my day. Cookies to anyone who caught the easter eggs. ;)