Escape.

2/3

Appa touched down in a clearing, two miles from the village. The sun had set.

Sokka stood, and grabbed his sword.

"You shouldn't take that. It's just going to slow you down."

Sokka frowned at Guang.

"Look, I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it, okay? Remember, I can't shoot fire from my hands."

"Alright, if you must." He seemed to be struck by a sudden thought. "Check your pocket. No, the other one. Third pouch down, left hand side."

Sokka produced from the pouch a small twist of paper. Aang peered at it, feeling somewhat left out.

"What's this?" He opened one end, and peered inside. "Crystals?"

"Now, if you can't get away, or you need backup, find a high point like a rooftop and throw those into a fire. They'll turn it bright green." He thought for a second. "You might want to get to a safe distance first. We'll come and assist you. But only use this if you have absolutely no other choice."

"How do they work?"

"I have no idea."

"You never wondered?"

"No. Get moving, you're wasting moonlight."

Sokka dropped down off Appa's side, into the long grass of the clearing. His eyes flicked up to the sky, and he nodded.

"Good luck," Aang called, as Sokka slipped into the darkness.

–

Mai sighed, and counted the bricks on the wall again. It wasn't exactly something to do, but there wasn't much else. She'd annoyed her jailer enough for today- any more reciting poetry and he might actually follow through on one of his threats.

Yesterday had been kind of fun, when the poncy leader of this operation had stopped by to explain a bit of his grand vision. Mai had been unable to contain her amusement.

A Republic. Honestly, the whole thing sounded like a practical joke political theorists were playing on gullible people.

–

The woods were quiet, and dark. They held no terrors for Sokka, who hurried onwards, his path ever lit by the light of the moon.

He had lived and hunted in the wilds on and off for over three years now, and moving silently had become second nature. That wasn't on his mind.

No, he was bothered by the crystals Mai's father had given him.

They weren't green. Apparently they burned a very bright green. How was this possible? Why did they do that?

He would have to keep a few, and give them to the Machinist. He was better equipped to study them.

He had visited the Northern Air Temple after Katara's wedding- six months ago, now. There, he had been one of the first to hear the Mechanist's exiting and somewhat controversial new theory.

Classical wisdom held that the world was divided into four elements, all in different quantities- air, water, earth, and fire.

Sokka had long held the opinion that 'Classical Wisdom' was just an excuse not to think, and apparently the Machinist shared this view. He had been testing iron, and had come to the conclusion that no matter how you burned, dampened, or dried earth, or any combination thereof, you would never produce iron.

Classical Wisdom had been disproved once again.

Sokka had been a keen assistant, and the two of them had begun to work backwards. Wood had been their first subject. If one exposed wood to fire, you got ash. Ash was not earth- no bender could affect it. Therefore Ash was an element. And wood was Ash + Water + Air, although they hadn't got that quite working yet.

Or perhaps not. There were still more tests to run, after all. But that was the concept, and the Mechanist was always on the lookout for more things to break down.

Sokka had explained his work to Aang one time. Aang had been puzzled, but interested. He and Sokka had discussed the implications of their work on benders. If there were dozens more elements that no one could bend, did that mean there were whole subgroups of undiscovered benders? Was Toph an ur-example?

He would have to send Toph on a holiday to the Northern Air Temple. Perhaps she would learn patience, when confronted with the drudgery and repetition of scientific technique.

Sokka hoped that all this wouldn't get into the public eye, at least not for a while. The secessionists would jump on it and use it to defuse one of the arguments against them, and Sokka really didn't want to be held responsible when that happened. No matter how he explained it, Katara would understand it was his fault. Somehow.

Moonlight glinted off metal up ahead. Sokka ducked behind a tree.

A patrol. He must be getting close.

–

Ping shuffled unwillingly through the undergrowth, grumbling to himself.

It wasn't fair. Why did he have to go and patrol the woods every night? The boss seemed to have got it into his head that Ping was an experienced woodsman, just because Ping had let it slip that he occasionally went on a camping trip.

And why did he have to wear this armour? It was big, heavy, and red. Ping hated red. And this spear? Completely useless. Someone had stored it in the damp, and the handle- never good to begin with- was warping.

This was just great.

–

Sokka grinned to himself as he slipped past the man.

Too easy.

–

Honestly, the vote? In the colonies?

It might have made a bit of sense in the Fire Nation, sure, but in the Fire Nation the majority of the population could at least read.

–

There was a problem. He could see the town now, through the trees. Unfortunately, there were a group of men between him and it. And they didn't look like they were going anywhere.

The moonlight illuminated the scene. There were four of them, and at least one of them looked like he was paying attention. Nuts.

Sokka breathed lightly from his hiding place among the bracken. This was no good, everywhere was too light.

He was going to have to turn back, and try somewhere else.

The moon passed behind a cloud. The shadows vanished, replaced by a cloying darkness.

Now.

He half-stood, slipping behind a tree, and braced himself. After a moment, he began, flitting from tree to tree, making no more noise than a shadow.

He traced a wide circle around the men, taking few chances, but the darkness hung about him, and they had more chance of spotting the beetles in the undergrowth.

–

Okay, she was officially no longer amused by the idea of the vote.

Anything else?

Nope?

Well, that was fun. Time to break out.

–

He had reached the outskirts of town. He looked up into the night, and gave a half-smile and a nod before returning to the task at hand.

Now, where was that barracks?

–

…

How had she planned to escape again?

Oh bugger.

–

The town wasn't deserted.

Sokka had been formulating a rough plan based on the assumption that all or most of the civilians would no longer be around. This was not the case. Every house had at least one light on, and he could see people moving about, and occasionally the murmur of voices from a window. They weren't panicked, as far as he could tell- it was almost like they were... watching, waiting to see which way this all went.

Sokka was starting to suspect that there was more to this than he had been told.

Seriously. Why did people feel the need to keep him in the dark? Sure, he was a junior member and all, but it was his ass on the line here, and it would be nice to occasionally told why what he did was important to preserve peace.

It was official- being the youngest guy in the club sucked.

Oh shit, patrol.

–

Well, this was embarrassing.

It turned out that she actually had no idea how she was going to escape.

Well.

That sucked.

Perhaps she should start thinking.

A door, somewhere, slammed open, and there was a cacophony of raised voices.

Perhaps she should start thinking really quickly.

–

Oh crap.

Sokka had darted down a side street, only to see at the other end another patrol heading his way. It was only a matter of time before he was seen, and then the fun would really begin.

So, what tools did he have?

Well, he had his gear, which would be no good. He had an alleyway, which was only slightly useful, since it was dark. He had rooftops, but there was no way he could get up there in time without being really noisy. And there was a pile of rubbish.

And an abandoned box. About large enough to accommodate the average man, if he was crouching. It looked like it had been used to package fruit, or something.

Get in the box.

What? No! That's stupid!

Get in the box.

But- but-

Get in the box!

Okay! I'm getting in the box! This is so undignified.

Get in the box. Then you'll understand.

Sokka clambered into the box, flipping it upside down, tucking his knees under his chin, and peering through the slats at one end.

Well, this wasn't quite as bad as it might have been. Certainly no one was paying any attention.

From the alley mouth, he saw the patrol turn, and head back the way they came.

Sokka grinned to himself as he got an idea.

–

"So then I says, Poker? That's my wife!"

"... I think you might have got the punchline a bit mixed up, mate."

"...Punchline? I was just telling you what I said. That was one strange party."

"Whatever."

"-Did you hear something?"

"Mate, if this is a setup to another terrible joke, I cannot be held responsible for the next thirty seconds."

"No, seriously, I think I heard something."

"...Don't see anything."

"...Was that box there before?"

"Yes, that box was there before."

"No, it was there last time."

"Look, we are not being stalked by a bloody box, alright? Now come on, I'm freezing my bollocks off out here."

Inside his fortress, Sokka's face was close to splitting.

This is so cool!

–

Mai wished, briefly, that she had kept her nails long. Then she might have had a weapon.

Actually, that sounded like it had too much potential to be really, really painful. So maybe it was for the best.

But she still had nothing. And the guards were all-too aware of how dangerous she could be, and kept anything she could throw far far away from her.

Her weapons were restricted to a chamber pot, which was degrading beyond all reason, and her razor wit, which was wasted on these clowns.

But she was going to get out. She was going... to get out... was going...

She needed a nap.

–

Sokka jogged along a dark street, running from his knees, which was a lot more uncomfortable than one might expect. But it was worth it, for he was clad in his armour, his protection from prying eyes, his shield, his fortress.

He was a God. He observed without being observed. He was invincible.

How the hell was he going to get into the barracks?

–

Wow.

Just wow.

Sokka knew these guys weren't exactly professionals or anything, but you'd think they'd remember to lock the side door, at least.

Right? Right?

Apparently not.

Sokka, still unwilling to leave his shell, crept through the deserted barracks.

Something very, very weird was going on here.

Nothing assailed him. Nothing at all. He was undiscovered as he made his way through the building, undisturbed as he padded down the stairs, and even as he opened the door to the cells, no one bothered him.

Something was very, very, very wrong.

He was half expecting Mai to not be there, but there she was, on the floor of one of the cells.

Sound asleep.

A few moments with his lock-picks (to his mild concern, his grandfather had been the one to show him how to use them) opened the cell door. He prodded Mai in the ribs with his boot.

"Hey. Wake up. Come on, I don't wanna have to carry you outta here. Wake up."

The third prod was interrupted. Mai had grabbed his ankle.

"Stop that. Now." She looked up, and squinted. "Who the hell... Sokka?"

"Hi. How you doing?"

"...You know, I've been better. But I was having a nice dream." She said this as though she was accusing Sokka of something.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. There were vampires. I was kicking their asses. It was pretty cool." She pulled herself into a sitting position, but seemed in no hurry to leave.

"Huh. Well, I've been sent to get you. Your Dad was concerned."

"My hero," she deadpanned, and got up.

"Yeah, and I suggest we get going, because"

"There's someone behind you."

Sokka turned, and swung at the jailer with the only weapon he had to hand. The box.

It lasted two swings before shattering over the man's head, and he went down, unconscious.

Mai looked around. There didn't seem to be any more.

"Well, that was simple." Then she turned to look at Sokka, who was still holding two pieces of shattered crate.

It looked as though he was about to cry.

Mai blinked. "Is... something wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just- that box was like a box to me."

Mai got the feeling she was missing a few paragraphs.

"Whatever. Now let's go."

"Oh! I have something for you. Here." He handed over a small pouch, full of pointy death.

Sokka observed Mai's face light up for the first time that conversation. Sure, it was a pretty dim light, that even the moth with the lowest self-esteem would hesitate to flit around, but hey, at least she was animated.

"So, can we go now?" he asked, hopefully. This place was starting to worry him.

"Fine."

"Alright then."

The two left the dungeon, and started to climb the stairs.

–

As they made it to the first floor, they were suddenly aware of a clank of armour.

"Alright. That's far enough," a baritone voice rumbled, cracking with age but still commanding. "Drop your weapons, and we can settle this in a civil manner."

Soldiers poured out of every doorway, flooding the corridor.

Mai had only one thing to say.

"Sokka, this is the worst rescue ever."

Sokka's response was to drop his sword.

Writing stuff is hard.