Archive of Our Own ^beta

Iroh had been held in the cage, not a real cell but something more like what one would use for animal transport, for approximately seven hours by the time someone finally came around.

It wasn't who he had been expecting.

After being taken captive by one of Republic City's Triad groups during his sixteenth birthday celebration, he had not expected a child no more than ten to bring him food. He had been waiting for the thicker set firebender, likely the leader, or the stringy waterbender to come down, not a green-eyed, chubby cheeked kid with gapped teeth.

"Hi!" the kid said, placing the tray on the ground and shoving the small plate and cup through the bars. "My name's Bolin."

"Right," Iroh said, horribly confused on what kind of intimidation tactic this was. "I'm Iroh."

Bolin gasped. "Like the Fire Nation Prince?" he asked. His green eyes were wide with curiosity and innocence that didn’t match Iroh’s current predicament. The kid acted as if he had no clue what kind of danger they both were in.

"Exactly like the Fire Nation Prince," Iroh replied. There was no point in pretending otherwise. The supposed leader had already known who Iroh was when he took him off the street.

Iroh was still kind of mad about that. He thought he was putting up a good fight. He had kept the waterbender back and had even redirected the firebender’s lightning before the earth slipped out from under his feet and a pillar made the world go dark. He was sure there was a growing lump on his head where he was hit.

He hoped whatever this was didn't last long enough to make the news as a report like this, a defeat like this, would completely ruin his bid for joining the United Forces. Unless, he could escape himself.

Iroh's eyes narrowed for a moment before alighting on the boy across from him who had sat down on a small crate. Bolin rested his chin in his hands as he stared at Iroh in wonder.

"Are you really?" Bolin asked in a whispered shout. 

"I am," Iroh replied. He narrowed his eyes at the boy as an idea started forming in his head. Whoever this boy was, he was easily impressionable and oddly trusting. Iroh could work with that. "I think I'm here for a ransom but more than likely, my family is just going to have everyone involved killed. That tends to be the way they play these games."

The boy's eyes bugged out as he stared at Iroh, fear now replacing his curiosity.

"Why?" Bolin asked. His voice was fearful and for a moment Iroh felt bad. This was just a kid, but Iroh wasn’t exactly an adult himself. No, the only adults here were unfortunately criminals.

"Because," Iroh said, pausing as he considered his words only to realize he didn't actually know why his family's first instinct to everything was to run in fighting even if they wouldn’t kill anyone. He finally settled on a simple, "they can".

Bolin's hands twitched at his side as he looked between Iroh and the door before scampering out of the room. 

Iroh cursed, hoping the child wasn't about to tell anyone what Iroh just said. Luck was on his side though as the boy ran back in only a few minutes later. 

His eyes were still worried as he looked up at Iroh. "What would change their mind?" Bolin asked, looking over his shoulder as if afraid the Fire Lord would suddenly appear.

It wasn’t exactly out of the question, and it would be perfect timing, but Iroh’s luck didn’t stretch that far and neither his mother nor his grandfather showed.

"Well," Iroh said slowly. He dropped his voice as he noticed something moving in the doorway. "If you let me go, they'd have no reason to come here."

Bolin nodded quickly and scampered away again. This time he was stopped in the doorway by a hand, once barely bigger than his own.

A slightly older kid stepped into the room and Iroh frowned. 

"Did I get kidnapped by a gang of kids?" Iroh asked, beyond confused as to where all the adults from earlier were.

"Mako," Bolin said, his voice shaking, "we need to let him out before the Fire Lord shows up."

"Fire Lord's not coming," the new boy, Mako, said, staring at Iroh unimpressed. "He's lying."

"You're right," Iroh said, leaning away from the bars as he sized up his newest obstacle. This one wasn't as trusting as the younger boy. His bright hazel-bronze gaze was sharp, maybe even sharper than the adults around here. "My grandfather and his dragon are the closest."

Mako's face didn't crack as he continued to watch Iroh for tells. Iroh didn't have any, because whether this kid believed him or not, his grandfather was the closest and Iroh highly doubted this group of thugs was prepared for a dragon attack.

"Look, kid," Iroh said, only to be interrupted.

"Mako."

Iroh rolled his eyes. "Mako, my family has a history," Iroh started. "It's a pretty bad one and if we're willing to do those things to our own family when they're bad, what do you think we do to strangers?"

"I think," Mako replied, leaning against the bars, "that your family will go through the appropriate channels because their image in this part of the world is reluctantly respectful at best and that your grandfather isn't going to risk the ire of the city he built. I think the only problem we will have from your family is you."

"Then let me go before I become that problem," Iroh spat back. He leaned in close until the only thing keeping him and Mako separated were the cell bars. Credit where due, Mako didn’t even flinch as they stared each other down.

"I don't have the key," Mako said, breaking their contest. "Neither does Bolin, but Shady does."

Iroh's brows furrowed as the two boys disappeared from sight. He groaned as he realized that particular outlet of escape had closed. 

Ten minutes of brainstorming later and Iroh was still no closer to an answer when someone else finally entered the room.

"Stupid brats," the scrawny waterbender from before muttered as he walked towards Iroh's cage. "Can't handle one pompous little prince of a prisoner for five minutes. Absolutely, ack!"

The waterbender tripped over seemingly nothing and crashed into the bars. Keys jingled at his waist and Iroh realized this was likely the Shady fellow Mako mentioned.

Iroh grabbed the back of his shirt through the bars and slammed his head into them hard enough to knock the man out.

The keys were just out of reach but as Iroh tried to think of a way to get them the ground itself seemed to launch the keys up towards him.

Iroh blinked before unlocking the cage and stepping out. He looked down at Shady before glancing towards the crates by the door.

A gasp that was becoming endearingly familiar gave away who was hiding, and Iroh shook his head fondly. Mako was waiting outside the room looking in the opposite direction.

"You two kids are alright," Iroh said, bowing in gratitude like his grandfather had taught him.

"Yeah, whatever," Mako said, reaching for a button on the wall, "you might want to run."

Iroh nodded, respecting the help offered even as Mako and Bolin saved their own skin from trouble. He took off, the alarm starting to blare right as Iroh ran full speed towards the window at the end of the hall.

Glass rained down around him but a jet of fire slowed Iroh's fall enough for him to land on his feet before he raced down the street. He looked back once to see small silhouettes in the broken window and hoped his next meeting with those two kids would be a better one.

It would really suck if he ever had to arrest them under UF business after they saved him here.

-

"I thought I recognized you two when Avatar Korra first pulled me from the bay," Iroh said, watching Mako across the fire. "Didn't think I'd cross paths with you again."

Avatar Korra had wandered off and Asami and Bolin were fast asleep on the ground a few feet away leaving the two firebenders holding a silent vigil over the flames.

"Don't really run in the same circles," Mako replied, not meeting Iroh's gaze.

"No, but you used to run in circles I was worried about," Iroh said, setting aside the garbage stew he had been eating. It wasn't the worst thing he'd eaten in his life and in fact didn't even make the top five. "I'm glad to see you got out of it."

Mako huffed and leaned back against the wall. His arms crossed over his chest as he finally looked over at Iroh. "Wasn't easy but Bo wanted to be a pro-bender and he just wasn't cut out for those things. I guess I should have realized that the day we let you go."

"Seems like you weren't cut out for it either, since you helped him," Iroh pointed out. "Pro-bender is a much better career than gangster anyway."

Mako shook his head. "If Bolin didn't have his heart set on letting you out, you would have been in there a lot longer. I'm not the hero type but I wasn't going to let you get him in trouble."

Iroh hummed as he looked Mako over head to toe. He wasn't dressed much differently than when he was a kid. His clothes had better mends in them but still suffered a lot of wear on them and the sole of one shoe was nearly completely worn through. 

Iroh had been a bit more concerned with himself to think too hard about why two kids had been with the Triple Threats in the first place. It didn't take him much to realize the answer now.

"How long were you with them for?" Iroh asked, curiosity burning through him. Iroh didn't believe Mako's claim of not being a hero. He wasn't the first, nor would he be the last, elder sibling to go to such lengths for a younger one. Iroh had seen it before and maybe Mako wasn't a traditional hero but he saved at least one person constantly.

"Parents died when I was eight," Mako said, fiddling with a button on his sleeve. "We did okay the first two months and then winter hit and Bo got sick. Zolt had what I needed to make him better."

Iroh nodded. He didn't ask why Mako didn't try a hospital or the police. He had heard plenty of answers from kids the UF had saved over the years to know exactly why. Maybe it would have been easier on them or maybe it would have been a special kind of torment.

"Well, it's still nice to know you're not stuck there anymore. I'll admit you two stuck in my mind a lot after," Iroh said, dismissing the topic before Mako's guard came back up. Truthfully, the two kids had been on his mind every time he walked past the supposed textile factory he'd been held in but Mako didn't need to know that. "As for not being a hero, you'll certainly be one after tomorrow."

Mako scoffed. "If we live," he whispered, before standing up. He stretched before wandering off towards where Avatar Korra had gone.

"We'll live," Iroh said, though no one was listening at that point. Maybe it was sentiment from years ago but he felt more confident knowing Mako and Bolin were with them.

-

Iroh had been held in a makeshift cell of a train car for approximately nine hours by the time a crashing sound broke the silence of the night.

He had been leading a team of soldiers on a recognizance mission to gain insight into the Earth Empire's next move as they crept closer and closer to the State of Yi. The Governor had made the request of the United Forces and President Raiko had finally gotten his hand slapped when he attempted to deny the assistance.

As best as Iroh could figure, they had a badgermole on their team as before they could even get in range of the current camp, they were surrounded. Iroh tried not to think about where his men had ended up, he had heard rumors of the kind of camps Kuvira kept and figured their only saving grace would be that they were non-bender earth kingdom soldiers.

Iroh, however, wasn't so lucky and after a failed request of mercy to his cousin, found himself headed towards the Southern Earth Kingdom. His best guess was they were going to Gaoling where Kuvira had supposedly set up shop after Suyin kicked her out of Zaofu. Regardless, Baatar Jr. was getting his ass kicked when Iroh next saw him.

There were more crashing sounds further down the train and the shattering of glass in the next car over. As the sounds of fighting and property destruction slowly made its way closer. Iroh braced himself. There was a reason Iroh had stayed put for so long and he had no way to warn his rescue team of that detail.

Finally, footsteps approached the door to the train car Iroh was trapped in and the knob made a screeching noise as it was turned.

“Wait!” Iroh called out, staring back at the trap Varrick had rigged to keep him inside. He wasn't quick enough however and the door was thrown open to show Mako standing on the other side.

Iroh didn't have time to wonder why a police detective was sent to rescue him this far from the city, as he quickly dove towards Mako as Varrick’s chain of bombs went off behind him.

The two of them went tumbling from the car and then straight off the walkway between the cars. They hit the dirt next to the tracks and rolled, one over top of the over, until Iroh's back slammed into a tree, halting them and knocking all the air from his lungs.

Mako's hand came to rest on his back as Iroh gagged and tried to breath. Behind them the bombs lining Iroh's makeshift cell had stopped but the destroyed car was dragging the train off the tracks. 

“Whoa,” Mako muttered, causing Iroh to look up. Half the train cars were fully off the tracks now and pulled the rest of the train straight into a mountain side where a new explosion was set off.

“I hope your team got out,” Iroh whispered, finally able to breathe again.

“I am my team,” Mako replied, helping Iroh to his feet. “Chief Beifong sent me by myself. They won't risk any bigger missions. President Raiko didn't exactly agree with this one when your team showed back up with a ransom letter. He just forwarded it to the Fire Nation.”

Iroh's mind worked slowly around that information. His team had been released which was good, Kuvira must have assumed he was the biggest prize and not bothered with the others. He tucked that command flaw away and forced on the bigger one coming from his own side. As his commanding officer it was Raiko who should have paid any ransom and launched any rescue, not his mother's.

“Then how are you here?” Iroh asked, watching Mako warily. Something told him their welcome back wouldn’t be very warm. “Not that I'm ungrateful, you apparently have a knack for saving me from prison cells but if Rakio didn't approve it who did?”

“Maybe you should try not getting kidnapped,” Mako said, looking around them impatiently. “I'm not on the clock. Raiko doesn't know I'm here and if anyone asks I wasn't. Like I said, Beifong sent me but not as an order. Come on, we need to go.”

Iroh looked over Mako as the two of them started back towards home. Iroh assumed Mako had transportation if he was here and considering it had caught up to a train, it was hopefully fast.

“I still don't get it,” Iroh replied. “Why did Beifong ask you and why did you agree?”

He had worked with Mako before and while the two of them worked well together, Iroh wouldn’t consider them as anything more than acquaintances outside of work.

Mako came to an abrupt stop and dropped his head to his chest. 

“You know, as I was working my way down those train cars, I was hoping maybe I'd get to the end and find Bolin near your cell,” Mako said, softly. “That he'd be beside himself that you were locked up. That he'd be worried that Lord Zuko and his dragon were going to fall out of the sky to save you. Beifong didn't ask me. I volunteered to do it before Raiko even forwarded the ransom. If I didn't think Bolin might be nearby somewhere, I wouldn't have come.”

Iroh nodded. “That sounds more like you, a hero to one on purpose and many by accident.”

Mako scoffed. “If you say so.”

-

Iroh wasn't quite sure how he felt attending a wedding for someone who once helped hold him prisoner. He personally hadn't wanted to come but when Zhu Li announced her bid for presidency, he wasn't left with much choice. If she won, it would be best to stay on her good side.

It didn't change the fact that Iroh hated events like this where everything was pomp and circumstances. He had initially been hiding in a corner away from the crowd with his sister but she had disappeared out to the gardens an hour ago and Iroh shortly after ended up cornered by the Northern Water Tribe Chiefs.

Desna and Eska reminded Iroh of his Grandmother and Great Aunt and not necessarily in the most flattering way. Iroh loved his family but even his favorite members could get on his last nerve easily. Eska in particular was one snide comment away from triggering a response only Aunt Azula could get from him.

Then her hand latched onto his arm and Iroh's irritation turned from passive to volatile. Eska tried to tug him with her, where he wasn't sure, but he didn't trust it. 

Static built across his arm but before he could lose control of it, another hand grabbed his other arm. Iroh jerked away from both grips. 

Turning around he glared first at Eska and then at the other person who grabbed him. He had assumed it was Desna but instead Mako stood across from him shooting his own nasty look at Eska.

“Eska, go bother someone else,” Mako snapped. Both him and Eska were completely ignoring Iroh now. Desna sighed heavily before turning to leave.

“Eska, we are leaving now. This party is boring and your courting attempts are as abysmal as ever.”

Iroh flinched at the word courting and his anger turned to horror at the idea.

Eska’s glare slid from Mako to Desna before snapping back to the detective. “This isn't over,” she bit out before turning to follow her brother.

Mako rolled his eyes. “Yeah it is.”

“My hero,” Iroh joked, nodding his thanks at Mako.

“So you keep saying,” Mako replied. His gaze was still tracking Eska and didn't break away to look at Iroh until she was gone.

“Well, what else am I supposed to call the handsome man who keeps saving me?” Iroh asked. He tilted his head at Mako curiously.

The back of Mako's neck flushed. “I don't know but I call the naughty prince I keep saving annoying,” Mako replied, leaning back against the pillar behind him.

“Oh, you haven't seen me naughty yet,” Iroh replied. His heart skipped a beat as soon as he said it. That was absolutely the worst response he could have given.

Mako flushed even darker and looked down as if to hide his reaction. When he looked back up, his face was blank.

“Who said you were the prince I was talking about?” Mako replied, pushing past Iroh.

Iroh watched him go, frowning slightly as Mako made his way towards Wu.

-

Iroh had been held in a cooler cell for approximately three days before he lost count. That was when he'd finally lost his connection with the rise and fall of the sun and had to rely on other time keeping methods like the guard shift and the one meal a day slipped into the cell just as cold as the rest of his surroundings.

His ship had been ambushed out on the open waters between the United Republic and the Fire Nation. Iroh hadn't been able to discover by whom before he'd been pulled overboard.

This time there was no Avatar Korra to pull him from the water. The faces that finally did weren't nearly as friendly as Mako, Bolin and Asami.

Sozin's Chosen was a terrorist organization that had sprouted up almost overnight when Iroh was ten. They had made several grabs for the Royal Family including three assassination attempts and two foiled kidnappings.

Iroh supposed even a broken clock was right twice a day because after nearly twenty years they'd finally managed it. He just wished he knew what they wanted.

It was easier waiting if he knew there was a ransom, an end goal, a negotiation anywhere but for all he knew this was their plan. To just keep him here until he died from the cold for daring to change his family's legacy. 

A scream startled Iroh from his depressed musings. 

“The floor! It's melting!” 

“What? It's metal? How's it - ahh!”

“I'm out, you losers don't pay me enough for this.”

“Going somewhere?” That voice was familiar. Oddly enough so we're the sounds of someone being electrocuted with Asami’s shock glove.

Iroh smiled and rested his forehead against the metal door in relief. He didn't even care as he fell forward when the door finally opened. Strong arms caught him before he could faceplant into the floor.

“Whoa, I've got you General. You'll be okay.”

Looking up at Mako, haloed by the first sunlight he'd seen in days, Iroh believed it.

“My hero,” Iroh joked, calling back to their last meeting. It fell flat this time as his voice was rough from disuse. He squeezed Mako's left arm in thanks as the man helped him to his feet.

Mako scrambled to catch him as he listed sideways.

“Someone has to be,” Mako whispered, picking Iroh up when it became clear he didn't have the strength to stand on his own. 

Already annoyed that he couldn't walk under his own power, Iroh tried to fight the sleep that Mako's even steps lulled him towards, but it was a lost cause. His reply came out slurred and unnoticed.

“But it’s always you.”

-

“It's a thank you present,” Iroh said, holding out four tickets to the pro-bending final that would start in the next hour. “You take it as a show of my gratitude for your efforts in saving me.”

Korra coughed into her hand to disguise a laugh as Mako pushed the tickets away.

“Your mom already paid us,” Mako explained. “Not that she needed to. We agreed as soon as she asked. It's kind of what the Avatar and team do.”

Iroh sighed heavily and turned to Asami. “Take him or don't take him with you but will one of you please take the tickets? I'm not exactly a fan so either you use them or not one does.”

“Alright,” Bolin replied, snatching the tickets without a second thought despite Mako's reproachful look. “Korra, Asami, double date? I'll call Opal since Mako's boring.”

“Works for me,” Korra said, nodding at Iroh before she and Bolin took off towards the arena.

“Thanks, General. You really didn't have to,” Asami said, before following her rambunctious friends.

Iroh turned back to Mako, frowning. “I don't think you realized just how much you've done for me. I really do owe you a lot. You in particular.”

“You don't owe me anything,” Mako muttered, looking out towards the bay behind the arena. “I would have done it anyway.”

“Would you?” Iroh asked, remembering two years ago when that wasn't true.

“Yes,” Mako replied, finally looking over at Iroh.

Iroh watched Mako for a moment. The other man's eyebrows were furrowed as he looked down at Iroh. His eyes caught the light of the slowly sinking sun, setting them ablaze with fire and an emotion that burned through Iroh's chest before settling in his stomach.

“Let me buy you dinner,” Iroh offered.

“I said you don't owe me anything,” Mako fired back. 

Iroh hummed. “I know. I want to do it anyway,” he admitted. He held out his hand in offering. There was a good restaurant around the corner that would be deserted due to the game.

Mako leaned back and Iroh worried for a moment that he would say no again.

“Just try not to get kidnapped going to the bathroom,” Mako finally said. The smile pulling at his lips soothed the bite to the statement.

“Uh, sure?” Iroh agreed. He felt like there was a story there but there would hopefully be plenty of time to ask later.