Choose your own Azuladventure

[burnedbrighter]

Who: Azula and you
What: Azula's in a great mood, last call to train with her, get advice or just have some lunch before the next arena.
Where: Around the Capitol and Tribute Tower.
When: After Enjolras Expose
Notes: It's Azula, she's in a good mood. That can't be good.



There were few things in life she liked better then watching those she hated suffer.

And knowing that Enjolras was no longer going to be comfortable in the Capitol while their tributes were fighting and dying in the arena made her so happy she was practically glowing.

And so she went about her business in this joyful and buzzing manner, a nice healthy and balanced breakfast, followed by the training hall.

Lunch in a trendy cafe where she could take meetings, followed by a casual stroll through a botanical garden.

Today would be a good day.

And hopefully the start of many good days to come.

Comments

[hit_girl_mindy]

She would never have said it, it would never come out of her mouth....but Azula was amazing. finally backing all the bullshit she'd spouted, she could now see the expertise and training that had come from all that time cultivating herself. It annoyed her in the thick of this fight to see what was so plainly obvious now: they were, in fact, very similar. With all the repulsive, self serving garbage Azula said aside, she had continued her training, just as Mindy had. What was more, all that training had made it so she was still fit, physically and emotionally.

But she and Mindy shared one other trait too: stubbornness. For every hit Azula dished out, Mindy gave just as much back. This was a contest to push yourself, and Mindy had WANTED that, more than anything. What was more, they were both fast, so the hits that Azula was giving Mindy now found easier to dodge. She's learned much since her fight with D'Amico that day he was defeated: how to compensate for a hit, how to give back what was given and, most importantly, that you didn't stay down, you kept going.

Mindy pushed and strained, rebounded punches with kicks, avoided more blows and spat out blood happily. She wasn't even tired: not yet.

[burnedbrighter]

How long could this match reasonably go on?

How long would their bodies hold out?

A spin, Azula's long black hair slapping Mindy in the face, an unconventional blinding technique followed by a roundhouse kick to the face. Another rare, imprecise but powerful attack.

As well trained and healthy as they were, their muscles wouldn't be able to take much more punishment. Even in the arena fights were not this drawn out and brutal.

But it wasn't a matter of life and death. It was something so much more important to them in this moment. It was a matter of pride.

Azula had been conserving her leg power for dodging and dancing around strikes but now she was using them offensively. Her fists were meant for accuracy, her legs were meant for power and speed. Focusing on Mindy's chest she kicked again and again hard to the same place.

Waiting for that satisfaction, the sound of a cracked rib. Anything more would trigger the guards.

Anything less then a broken bone and Azula suspected Mindy wouldn't give up till they both passed out, and that would not be a satisfactory ending to this day.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Oh Azula. Do you really think Mindy would stop over a broken bone? She'd fought with broken bones. It slowed her down, but she could do it.

However, now was not the time to giving Azula more victories than she deserved. The kicks were only a matter of time, and in the back of her head Mindy knew it. She'd be concentrating on punches but the kicks were her most decisive feature, even Mindy understood that.

When the first kick came it got Mindy in the chest, but she wouldn't be there for another. In fact, when the follow up came, she grabbed the leg and turned it hard the opposite direction. It was quick, and Mindy was going to take advantage of the fact that Azula wouldn't have time to bring her leg back properly. She moved in and hit hard, arm connecting straight for the stomach, pulling her shoulder into the hit.

[burnedbrighter]

No of course she wouldn't quit willingly, but breaking bones in the training center was the limit for what the peacekeepers would tolerate. The battle would be decided for them.

Azula saw the twist coming as her leg was caught. Relaxing her leg she avoided serious injury, though she had to grit her teeth behind her smile to keep from making a sound.

Her leg fell and the hits came, full of power.

But where Mindy threw herself into the punch, Azula decided to take a page out of Shepard's book and threw herself right back slamming their skulls together. The sound of two bones connecting was loud and sharp in the training hall.

Even as her vision blurred from the impact and her temples throbbed she brought up her uninjured leg into Mindy's stomach in retaliation. Between being winded and stunned hopefully that would end it.

This round at least, because there was no doubt there would be more battles down the line, perhaps on days when Mindy was riding high and Azula was miserable.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Deflected. Deflected and goddamn her, she was still going, because she was Azula and she would spite Mindy because of course she needed to have her happy day. Enjor-whatever the fuck was back in the games, and she got to see Mindy miserable and low AND beat her to prove she was better. That was her hope, her desire.

And Mindy, even in a split second, had no wish to see that fulfilled. The head crash hurt, and her body sang with pain, but she knew, even now, that Azula was going to use her legs again. They were her most powerful asset. Mindy knew the knee was coming and did what she knew she could manage: she brought her fist down straight to the kneecap, blood pooling around her eyes.

[burnedbrighter]

A sharp sting, but nothing more. In the battle of knuckles vs. Knees the crack that echoed through the room was not from Azula's kneecap submitting to the force of Mindy's joined hands.

The fists came again, one, two, three, and four into Mindy's unguarded face. Each strike with the speed to guide Mindy's heady in the direction of the impact. So fast she risked whiplash.

[hit_girl_mindy]

FUCK! That was a mistake, leaving herself open like that! Now Mindy gave her a chance to capitalize on her punishment and that she did, delivering one painful punch after the other. Her head was a throbbing factory of hurt now, and she could feel the blood running down more than she wanted. Despite this, her mind thought fast, her head would still stay clear. If she had to suffer this, USE IT. So she leaned slightly into the hits, looking wobbly, unfocused, and then planted her leg against Azula's to knock her over.

When she wavered, Mindy found that burst of strength and came back swinging into the stomach again mercilessly.

[burnedbrighter]

Azula felt the gradual change in pressure against her fists. Even now the girl was coming for her? Was it instinct or choice?

Her father had not appeared to be much from afar, but clearly there was more to him if he had created this creature.

Feeling the leg come to hers for a trip Azula planted her hands on Mindy's shoulders and pushed hard flipping over Mindy's head so the fist would find air instead of stomach.

The ground rushed up to find Azula's shoes and she used the precious seconds she would have before her opponent could turn around to kick backwards, leaning forward to add precision to the strike.

She could have, should have aimed for the small of Mindy's back, but that would risk paralysis and as much as Azula would enjoy sending the young mentor in for surgery, it would reflect poorly upon Azula among her superiors.

So just a foot higher and her strike would be thrust between Mindy's shoulder blades.

[hit_girl_mindy]

That was all her body was willing to let her have. As she soared through the air, the kick in the shoulder was a final blow that caused Mindy to hit the ground hard. She groaned, taking a moment to pick up herself, barely, on trembling knees.

This was a blow to her, compounded with what happened to Guy. She made Azula bleed and had damn well shown her what she could do, but in turn she'd seen exactly what Azula was capable of, and today that was enough to beat her. She spit some of the blood out her mouth, breathing hard. Her body was begging her to stop, and today, in her lowest moment, she'd at least give it that much dignity. No way would she be found unconscious like some piece of trash on the ground: she worked and pushed herself too hard for that.

"Fine," she said quietly, wiping her face. "Not gonna push it today. Good for you. Bask in your good mood or whatever."

[burnedbrighter]

"Oh don't stop for my sake." Azula smirked as she rose from her kicking stance and turned to face the fallen girl. "Were you really not pushing yourself? That would be impressive if that really wasn't you giving me your best. It would also be an insult." She added as her satisfaction at seeing Mindy struggling to accept the truth helped to sooth the stinging in her own muscles and joints. Her face was sore but nothing a trip to the spa couldn't cure. By the end of the day you'd never know Azula had been in a fight at all.

Now for the important part.

"I can see it in your eyes, you're still struggling to admit that I'm not simply an ego without the force to back it up. The determination and dedication to perfection that has brought you where you are is also what brought me here over you in this moment."

"I want you to admit it now, that in a fair fight with no tricks and no handicaps that you came at me honestly with all you had and lost."

At least the only audience they had right now were peacekeepers, some training room staff and whatever cameras were lurking about.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"God, you talk a lot." It was a lame thing to say, but for someone who'd gotten a face pounding that would have put a day at the butcher's to shame, she had every reason to want to silence the ringing in her head. And now, with this shit still coming over her, the bitch wanted her to embarrass herself further?

That was so very Azula.

But Mindy? She was a girl who believed in owning her shit and eating it when it came to her. She and Azula's been deadlocked in this verbal battle, and hell, Mindy'd even had a few victories over the girl, what with her eye before and the motorcycle race the last time. Even at her lowest, and shittiest mood, she was not a girl who'd lie about her loss.

"All right. You won. I lost. I came at you with what I know, and made enough mistakes that I lost the fight. You're stronger than your bullshit at the Arena led me to believe. For someone who's a mentor, you didn't allow yoursef to seed. I can respect that."

[burnedbrighter]

The satisfaction was practically oozing from Azula's face as she loomed over Mindy to soak it all in.

"And don't you forget it." That part at least she meant honestly, Mindy's pride had blinded her to things in the short time Azula had known her, perhaps this would be enough of a kick in the rear to make her reevaluate some things. Either way it hardly mattered to Azula.

She knew she was right, and she had been all along.

"Well I don't know about you, but I feel invigorated." She purred contentedly, "And I still have enough time to get cleaned up and relax a bit before my lunch appointment." Turning gracefully she flicked her hand in a elegant and yet somehow bitchy departing wave.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Already doing me best to," Mindy replied, rolling her eyes. Of course she was going to have a blow to her pride, having someone she really disliked having one-upped her. There was one thing she did agree on though, that she would never have said to Azula?

She DID feel invigorated. There was pain, sure, but adrenaline was beating over her, and had carried her through this whole thing. Without having the Arena to work out her ferocity, all she had was training, so this...felt really good. The blood was pumping (and leaking) but honestly, she needed this.

What was more, she'd seen enough of how Azula fought now. It was a decent style, and it relied on speed, something she knew she could match in time. It sucked hard to lose, and her pride had taken enough hits lately, but she didn't feel dejected about the fight.

"No," she said pointedly to the Peacekeepers approaching her. "I can move myself. She didn't break anything. I'll keep my bruises. No big deal."