"C'mon Katara, we need to go! Now!"

Katara was about to turn away from the shelf she was clearing, when she heard a small sound.

"Katara, hurry!"

But there was the noise again. It sounded like a small voice, but Katara couldn't be certain. She hadn't heard any voice but her brother's for the past four days. She gestured sharply for him to hush, but of course, he didn't.

"Leave it to a girl to mess up a mission! We need to get out!"

Katara desperately wanted to tell him off for his sexism, but instead she grabbed him and clamped one hand firmly over his mouth.

And there it was again! The small voice was definitely saying, "help!"

So Katara dragged her brother out of the kitchen and down the hallway, listening all the while. When she heard the voice again, she approached the third door on the right and tried the handle.

"Locked. Spirits damn and blast. Sokka, pass me my ax."

Instead, Sokka licked her hand, causing her to let go in surprise.

"Do you know how many germs you just ingested?" she asked, appalled, "I haven't had a chance to wash my hands since we started this mission!"

Sokka spit several times on the floor before glaring up at her, "Katara, what in the spirit's names are you doing?"

And then the voice came again, louder this time, "Please get me out!"

"There's someone here?! Why didn't you tell me there was someone here?!"

"Just give me the damn ax already!"

Finally, Sokka obliged.

"Stand back from the door!" Katara yelled to the person inside. After waiting a few seconds for them to follow her instruction, she hacked the door down with a few swings of the ax.

Sokka stepped into the room first, on high alert. Katara followed, anxious, but outwardly reasonably calm.

But there was no one there.

"In the wardrobe! Please let me out!"

Katara tried the handle of the huge wooden piece of furniture, but it too, was locked.

"Is there a key somewhere?" she asked the person inside.

"Oh, um, yeah. I think it's on the nightstand?" the voice sounded unsure.

"Nope!" called Sokka from his position between the bed and the window.

"In the drawer then?" now the voice sounded desperate.

Sokka rifled through several novels, a box of tissues, some pills. He came up empty handed and shrugged helplessly at his sister.

"Ok, I'll tell you what," Katara started, "if you stand by the righthand door, I can cut open the left one. Sound ok?"

"My right or your right?"

"Mine."

"Go ahead," the voice sounded terrified, and awfully young, Katara now noticed. She started cutting.

After a few swings, the left door was demolished. A little boy crawled out, younger than Katara by at least a few years. He had tears in his eyes.

"What's your name? Mine's Katara, and this is my brother Sokka."

"I'm Aang," the little boy sniffled.

"Well Aang, Katara, it's definitely time to leave now! The neighbours are on their way, and I don't know about you, but I'd really rather not deal with anymore today!" Sokka was on the verge of panic. Katara glanced out the window and saw that he was right.

"Spirits damn and blast," she muttered, then she grabbed Aang's hand and dashed back into the hallway, Sokka following close behind.