Chapter 9: Infiltration
BlueTiger321: Hi, everyone, and welcome to the next chapter. So, Azula managed to find T.U.F.F. headquarters and capture our heroes. But, she didn't get all of them. Now let's find out how they'll be able to get out of this mess.
Aerrow and Radarr walked through the streets heading back to T.U.F.F. headquarters. After spending a long time trying to find Piper, it was to no avail as they were unable to locate her. So onward they walked back, feeling the only stroke of luck they encountered was that the rain had finally stopped.
As they walked, the red-haired teen tried to figure out what made his friend so angry at him: Was it something he said or did to her that made her act that way, or was it something completely out of the ordinary? Either way, Aerrow would make sure that he would work on his relationship to Piper to get her back to her usual self, the person he knew and cherished—but it wouldn't work if she never came back.
The two Storm Hawks were within distance of T.U.F.F. headquarters when they stopped and smelled the air, noticing a foul stench that made them want to seal their noses shut.
"Oh, man!" said Aerrow. "Is that the smell of wet dog?"
Radarr shifted his eyes to his left and chirped when he saw that two others were coming. Aerrow turned his head in the direction his co-pilot was looking and smiled when Danny and Dudley came into view. Now, he figured, he wouldn't have to feel down quite as much.
"Hey, guys," said Aerrow. "Glad to see you back here."
The halfa and the dog walked up to the Sky Knight and his co-pilot with haste. They were eager to see if Aerrow was able to do his soul-searching while he was outside and away from the others, just like Danny did.
"Hey, Aerrow. Hey, Radarr," said Danny. "I'm sorry that I worried you and everyone else so much. I just had to get out and cool down for a bit."
Dudley stood next to the boy with a look of pride and said, "Yeah, but no worries. I was with him every step of the way! Danny's got it under control now."
"That's good to hear," said Aerrow.
Danny then looked at the Sky Knight with a questioning look. "So, why did you leave anyway? I mean, I know that you and Piper were arguing, but what's the problem?"
In response, Aerrow scratched the back of his head and looked down at his boots like a shy child. "I have no idea," he said. "I was looking everywhere for Piper to see why she was so upset, but I never managed to find her. I just wish I knew what it was and try to say something that would make it all better."
It was then that Radarr rolled his eyes in annoyance and let out a series of chirps as if to answer his friend's problem.
"Ooh," Dudley said surprisingly. "Now that's gotta be pretty hard."
Aerrow looked at the two confusingly. "What?" he asked.
"The little dude said that you've been ignoring Piper's advances, and that it's because you've been too focused on saving Toon City." Dudley then crossed his arms to show his disappointment. "C'mon. You seriously haven't been picking up on them? Have you even had the same feelings yourself?"
Shifting his eyes back in forth, Aerrow said, "Well, I, uh… haven't really given it that much thought." But in his mind, he knew that he had given it a great deal of thought but never truly had the courage to reveal them to his friend. He let out a sigh as if he was admitting defeat. "But if she never wants to see me again then I would completely understand, because now I know why."
"Wow," said Danny. "I gotta say: my problem seems kind of petty when compared to yours."
Aerrow narrowed his eyes at the halfa. "If that's supposed to make me feel better, it's not working. But I hope I do find Piper and tell her how I really feel."
"What's that?" said another voice.
The red-haired teen smiled when he recognized who it was. He turned his back and saw that it was indeed Piper who had returned. A sense of relief came over him to see his friend and he noticed that she no longer looked angry, which meant that she was ready to return to her senses and stay with everyone on their mission. But Aerrow knew that there was something else important; even the mission would have to wait.
"Hey, Piper," said the Sky Knight. "Listen, I'm sorry about our fighting earlier, and I just want you to know that I understand why you felt so upset and—"
"Hold on," said the girl. "Here come June and Kitty."
Aerrow then heard footsteps in the distance and turned to see that it was June and Kitty returning. Frowning, he thought that what he was going to say to Piper would have to wait, and he knew that it wouldn't be hard for she was able to put up with his ignorance for so long.
Danny looked at June while anxiety took hold of him. This time, for the good of his friendship with the girl and the others, he was going to start things off on the right foot, but he was also going to take it slow. "Hi, June," he said. "How are you feeling?"
"A little better," replied the Te Xuan Ze. "I'm still a little peeved, but I can handle it."
"Good, good," said the ghost boy. He looked down, knowing that it was still going to be some time until they would be on good speaking terms again.
Kitty walked past everyone else to head for the building while still keeping her eyes on them. "Well, as long as it won't interfere with our mission anymore, I'm satisfied," she said. "So now let's get back inside and get it underway."
Just then, the cat approached the front door and stopped in place, seeing that the door lied splintered on the floor. It made her suspicious so she followed into the building and let out a horrified gasp that caught the attention of those still outside.
"Kitty, what's wrong?" said Dudley.
Without getting an answer, the others all rushed into the building to join Kitty, and there they all let out the same gasp she did. The floor of the building where the entrance to T.U.F.F. headquarters led looked to have been blown open as the metal plates lay in twisted wreckage with a huge scorch mark lining the floorboards. None of them wanted to know what happened inside but they had no choice, so they all walked down in silence.
They entered the main room of T.U.F.F. headquarters and stopped to see that the walls and floors had been dented and blackened by scorch marks while the monitors in the back of the room had been smashed.
"I don't believe it," said Aerrow. "It looks like a hurricane swept through here!"
"Yeah," said Piper. "Hurricane Azula, I'll bet."
"This must've happened while we were out," said Dudley.
June suddenly felt distressed that the other members of their group were in trouble, and so she called out, "Aang? Katara? Anybody?" But no one responded.
"Azula must've captured them all," said Danny. "But what I don't get is how she managed to find this place."
Kitty narrowed her eyes and ran off to a separate room to check on a hunch. It wasn't long until she let out another gasp and returned to the others, saying, "The Titan formula's gone, too!"
Aerrow felt Radarr cling to his legs the instant that Kitty said those words and the Sky Knight knew that Azula having possession over the formula and holding his friends captive was a bad sign.
"If only we had stayed…" said Piper.
"I don't think it would've helped," said Aerrow. "Judging by the amount of carnage here, there seemed to be a huge number of Azula's men. So even if we did stay, we would've been captured along with everyone else."
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" said Danny. "It's time we put aside our disputes and go rescue our friends!"
Everyone agreed with the halfa's logic, so they all rushed out of T.U.F.F. headquarters and back into the streets in an instant. Their will to find their friends gave them a rush of adrenaline that coursed through their veins to give them what they needed most—speed. But June suddenly stopped when a thought came to her.
"Wait!" she said, forcing the others to halt. "We don't know where they are."
The realization hit the others and made them feel disheartened. Kitty perked up her head when she saw in the corner of her eye one of Joker's former goons walking down the street by himself.
"No," the cat said slyly, "but I think we may have found someone who does." Turning to her partner, Kitty gave him a quick nod.
Dudley nodded back and leapt high into the air and shouted, "Hi-Gi-Gi!" His body soon turned into a blur as he came down with his rear extended to the man.
A shout came from the thug when Dudley landed on top of his head to slam him into the sidewalk. Seeing that their target was down, the others all rushed over to the spot. Dudley held one of the henchman's hands back while Aerrow grabbed the other. The man was then forced up to show that his nose was dripping blood and a tooth had been knocked out. He looked at the group with deep hatred for ambushing him so easily and he saw that they all stared at him with the same contempt he felt.
"Where are our friends?" Kitty demanded.
The thug spat on the ground, making the group think that was his response, but then he said, "Kiss my ass! I ain't tellin' you jack!"
June unleashed her anger on the man by grabbing his shirt collar and pulling him in close. "Listen, jerkwad! We're gonna get the information out of you, one way or another!"
"Go ahead!" said the man. "There's no way you're ever gonna break me!"
A while afterwards, the man was yelling at the top of his lungs as he was held upside-down by his leg from the top of a building. The view of looking down at the street gave him vertigo that made him feel like he was going to vomit if he was going to be held like that for much longer. "Help me!" he shouted.
June used her heightened strength to keep a firm grasp on the man's leg, and she twisted her face into a cruel smile as she momentarily let her grip slip. The man shouted once more when he thought it was the end for him, but then June grabbed his leg at the ankle to stop him.
The others all looked down at the man to cast him the same glance they did before. Wanting to know where their friends had been taken made them take such a drastic measure that would ultimately pay off.
"C'mon, please pull me up!" cried the man.
"Not until you tell us what we want to know!" said Kitty. "Now where did Azula take our friends?"
"I don't know!"
Aerrow looked down and slammed his fist against the brick wall, ignoring the pain. "Don't lie to us, you son of a bitch! When we found you, you said"—he then made air quotations with his fingers—"'I ain't tellin' you jack', so that means you do know where they are! Now tell us, or you'll be taking a five storey plunge into the pavement!"
The man whimpered and knew that he could no longer hide the truth. "Okay, okay!" he said. "The boss lady said that if we ever found any troublemakers in the city, we were s'pposed ta take 'em to the abandoned prison on Abbey Road! If she's got your friends, then they're prob'ly there!" Looking down again, the man shouted and felt himself wetting his pants. "That's all I know, I swear! Now please pull me up!"
Both Aerrow and Kitty felt the information was trustworthy, so they both nodded to June who took it as a sign to pull up the man. The girl grunted when she pulled the man back onto the roof and set him down safely. After already been broken and not wanting to get involved with the group anymore, the man shouted in fear and ran for the building's exit as fast as he could.
"Now we know where our friends are," said Danny, "so let's go save them so we can take back our city!"
The others all agreed with the ghost boy and ran for the exit just like the thug did before them with their destination in mind. As they left, Piper said, "I just hope we're not too late."
Katara felt herself coming to, and she could feel her head throbbing with pain. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was her fighting against Azula and taking a blast of fire to the chest that sent her into a wall. Her vision was blurry when she opened her eyes until she steadied herself and felt the world returning to normal. Rubbing a hand to the side of her hand to alleviate the pain, she sat up to survey her surroundings.
"What… where am I?" she said.
All of a sudden, Katara could feel something heavy and metallic against her neck. She looked down and saw that she had been mysteriously placed with a collar. Pulling with all her might against it, she tried to get it off but then felt a slight electric shock upon doing so. Katara yelped in pain and took her hands off the collar, which immediately ended the shock. She then looked around to see that she and almost all of her friends were all inside a dreary-looking room with grey walls and a filthy floor. A set of bars were blocked to the side and she knew that she and everyone else was in a jail cell.
Aang and Junko also seemed to be wearing the same collars around her neck like her, and they looked absolutely depressed by them. Turning her eyes to the front, she saw that Toph, unlike the others, was placed inside a wooden cell that was the size of a crate—knowing it was to prevent her ability to Metalbend—and she also had the same collar around her neck. On the far end of the room was a lone stool that had a plastic cup on top and Katara saw that was where the Chief was held captive.
"What happened?" said the Waterbender.
Sokka looked at his sister, noticing that she was finally awake. "Oh, hey, Katara," he said. "If it's not that obvious, we're prisoners by Azula."
"I think she could've figured that out on her own," said Junko.
"And she took everything into consideration," said the Chief. "I've never been able to match wits with the plastic cup!" A smile then came upon his face when he spotted a few purple spots on the plastic. "But on the bright side, there's grape soda in here." The Chief proceeded to lick up the spots of soda to make himself feel slightly better.
Katara looked around the room again and stopped when she noticed someone who wasn't part of her group. It was a portly, yellow-skinned man with messy brown hair dressed in a ragged purple business suit. His face was covered with a shaggy beard that made him look like he had been locked in the cell for weeks, and he looked down at the floor in shame for having to witness so many other innocents become a prisoner like him. Katara suddenly recognized the man.
"Mayor Quimby?" said the girl. "What are you doing here?"
"We were all wondering that, too," said Finn, "but we decided to let him keep his dignity."
The former mayor looked up in shame at the people he let down. The question, he thought, deserved to be answered. "I've, er-ah, been in here ever since Azula took over," he said. "She came barging into my office one day with an offer in exchange for control over the city. But I refused when I found out what she intended to do, so then she took over by force. I don't even deserve to be the mayor anymore after failing everyone I've sworn to protect."
"What she intends to do?" asked Toph. "What's that?"
"Oh, I believe I can tell you myself," said a familiar voice.
Everyone looked out at the entrance of the jail cell and saw that a door at the end of the hallway was opened to reveal Azula walking in an arrogant stride. She approached the group and stopped before them, being careful not to get too close to them.
Aang, feeling enraged, stood up and held out his hands in an attempt to blast the wicked girl with as much power from his Airbending as he could summon. But the instant he tried, the collar around his neck sent an electrical shock throughout his body. The Avatar screamed loudly and fell to the floor before the collar finally stopped sending the currents through him, leaving the others inside the cell gasping with fright.
"I hope you enjoy the little accessories I've placed on some of you," Azula said smugly. "They're specifically designed to prevent you from using your Bending or your mammoth strength. The shocks will get even more powerful if you keep trying to Bend or if you attempt to remove them. As well, your weapons have been confiscated, so don't even try anything funny, although it would be entertaining to watch."
Sokka looked up with so much hate for Azula that it replaced all sense of reason from him. "You heartless bitch! I swear, when I get out of here, I'll make you beg for the sweet embrace of death!"
"Now don't make promises you can't keep, especially for what I've got in store," said Azula.
"And what, pray tell, is that?" said the Chief.
Breathing in through her nose, Azula prepared for her ultimate plan. "Well, since it's hopeless for you all anyway, I might as well tell you. I'll bet that you've seen the effects of the Titan formula, right? Well, imagine with the supply I have what it could do to countless others."
"But how would you get that many of those monsters?" said Aang. "Unless…" Letting out a surprised gasp, the boy understood how the wicked girl's plan would be made possible. "The dam!"
"That's right!" said Azula. "As we speak, my men are pouring every last drop of the formula into Toon City's waters, and every person in the city will arrive in front of the dam in the morning. They'll all think it will be a peaceful march, and by the time they find out, it'll be too late. When I blow up the dam, the water will flow directly into their bodies and change them all into fearsome beings that will be worthy of living in my city!"
Everyone was left speechless by Azula's words. Not only was her plan evil, but it was also maniacal. The thought of every innocent person being changed into monsters then filled their minds and it was so revolting that they wish they never had imagined it.
"Oh no!" said Keswick. "The formula is only supposed to be temporary, but that much exposure to it could make the transformation p-p-p-permanent!"
"Azula, you're insane!" Aang shouted. "Unleashing that much water will kill millions of innocent lives!"
"A necessary sacrifice," said the wicked girl. "It will just prove that those who do survive are fit to be part of my order."
Stork sat up and gave Azula a judgmental glare. "So let me get this straight: you're willing to commit mass genocide all for the sake of your own beliefs? It sounds right up your alley, but wouldn't you want everyone to stay the way they are so they'll worship you?"
A devilish laugh came out of Azula upon being asked the absurd question. "I couldn't care less about the wretches of this city!" she replied. "They're all weak and pathetic! If I didn't know any better, I'd swear they all crawled out of the most putrid cesspool anywhere! But when I make them swallow the Titan formula from the dam's water, they'll all be the subjects I want, in a city where I have ultimate power and only the strongest survive!"
The speech the group heard made them feel even more contempt for Azula, more than any of them ever dreamt possible.
"And what do you plan to do to us?" said Junko.
"At first I was going to have you all ingest the formula," replied Azula, "but then I thought a more suitable punishment was to leave you all the way you are and release you to the citizens. You'll be powerless against them, the same people you fought so hard to protect. And I will be there to watch as you all breathe your last before my subjects grind you into dust." She then turned on her heel and headed in the direction of the exit. "Now then, if you'll excuse me, I have a city full of mindless sheep to change."
Azula headed for the exit but stopped before the doorway to shift her eyes over to the cell where everyone was placed. "Oh, and don't think I haven't noticed that not all of you are here right now. My men are busy combing the streets for the ones who got away. When they are found, you can be sure that they will meet a most excruciating demise." She then walked out to leave the group and attend to her own matters.
Everyone was left alone with their hopes finally shattered. There was nothing any of them could do as long as they were at the mercy of Azula, and hearing about her plan was what made them give up on trying to ever save their city from doom. They were so depressed that not even the possibility of Aerrow and the others coming to their rescue would lift their spirits. They all felt like letting the darkness of the room swallow them up and end their existence.
While the group mulled over their defeat, someone looked out of the window of the adjacent door. It was Zuko and he stared at the group in worry after hearing everything Azula told them. His eyes then shifted around while he thought of what to do next, knowing that it would now be time to execute the final stages of his work.
It was during the same time when Aerrow and the others came close to the prison after following the directions of the man they interrogated, being careful along the way by avoiding Azula's men. They stopped in front of the street sign and looked up to see that they were in fact along Abbey Road. After travelling a few more feet, they stopped in place and gazed upon the building that stood in the distance.
The prison consisted of four giant brick walls that were intersected by guard towers at each corner, and the towers all had giant searchlights at their tops that swept back and forth as a means of finding anyone attempting to break in or out. The group looked around and found the entrance in the middle of the nearest wall where it was monitored by two TYGER operatives.
"Okay, team," whispered Aerrow. "We've found the prison, so now it's just a matter of getting in there."
"How?" said Piper. "Security looks really tight."
Danny then came up with a solution. "I know!" he said. "I could go ghost and make you all go intangible so we can phase through the walls, just like we did at the warehouse."
"Don't count on it," said Kitty. "Azula has her whole goon squad looking for us and they would already know of your abilities, so they've probably put up a ghost shield around the prison."
"Then how are we supposed to get in there?" said June.
Dudley suddenly sniffed the air and looked down the street behind the others. His eyes turned as big as saucers when he saw who was approaching. "Guys, we've gotta hide!" he said.
The others all went into a panic and went straight into the alley adjacent to them, figuring it would be dark enough to conceal their presence, as long as they kept silent.
A few seconds went by and nothing happened. So, feeling curious, Aerrow slightly stuck out his head to see from who they were hiding. The figures stepped closer and the Sky Knight saw that it was six TYGER operatives walking down the street. Aerrow then noticed that each of the men was roughly the same size as he and his friends, so he was struck with an idea.
"That's our ticket into the prison," he said going back into the alley. "When those guys get closer, we ambush them and take their uniforms."
A smile came to everyone's faces as they all thought that it was the perfect plan to get into the prison: to impersonate the identities of TYGER operatives. With their goal set, they got into position right at the edge of the shadows.
The TYGER operatives walked right into the alley's entrance, paying no attention to it, when they all felt hands grab onto their uniforms and pull them into the darkness. Sounds of punches being landed and cries of agony filled the alley as the surprise attack forced Azula's men into submission until it ended and the sounds of shuffling were made.
A moment later, Aerrow, Piper, Danny, June, Dudley and Kitty all stepped out of the alley donning the uniforms of TYGER operatives. They all felt lucky that masks were placed over the bottom half of their faces and red berets covered their hair so no one else would recognize them when they got too close.
Aerrow, who wore a plate of armour over his uniform, tapped himself on the back and whispered, "You okay in there, Radarr?"
A chirp was heard from within the armour, letting the red-haired teen know that his co-pilot was safely inside and ready to come out at any moment.
"Okay," said Kitty, "now let's get in there."
The group then walked in single file towards the prison. Upon reaching the entrance, the men on duty immediately let them go inside without hesitation, completely accepting their ruse. Inside the group walked where they saw the walls contained a large chain-link fence topped with barbed wire and inside of that was the central building where they all figured the prisoners were kept.
When they got to the building, they walked inside and saw that it was like any other prison: floors all containing their own cells that were empty with TYGER operatives patrolling the area. Each of them was baffled by the emptiness of the cells, but then they knew that it was only for the people who dared to defy Azula and the only ones who ever did that were their friends.
"Where do you think they are?" whispered June.
"I don't know," Aerrow whispered back. "We may have to go searching around each floor to find them."
The T.U.F.F. agents headed down the first hallway they saw on their right. Onward they walked, hoping to find their friends as soon and possible and escape the prison in one piece, for every minute they stayed was another minute they had to risk their safety. They finally reached the room at the end and stopped in place and were left aghast.
The room didn't contain their friends like they hoped; instead it held numerous TYGER operatives who were enjoying themselves with karaoke. It left the T.U.F.F. agents feel weird for having stumbled upon it.
"Is this really happening?" said Piper.
"I think it is," said Kitty.
"Well, I don't think they've noticed us," said Aerrow, "so let's sneak out of here befo—"
The Sky Knight was cut off when another TYGER operative stepped in front of him and the others and they all could make out that he was smiling underneath his mask.
"Hey there! Glad you could make it!" said the man. "You guys look like you could blow off some steam."
Danny, shifting his eyes around nervously, said, "Oh, um, no thanks. We actually need to get back to work and…"
"Oh, c'mon! I bet one song wouldn't hurt ya, so get up there and relax!" The TYGER operative proceeded to force everyone onto the karaoke stage.
Aerrow and the others were left speechless at what they were supposed to do. All around they could feel the eyes of the TYGER operatives staring at them and expecting them to do something, knowing that the slightest mistake would blow their cover. All of a sudden, a song began to play.
"Today"
As Made Famous by The Smashing Pumpkins
"What do we do?" whispered Dudley.
"I think we'll just have to play along for now," Aerrow whispered back. "Try to look entertaining."
Feeling trapped with no other options, the others nodded in agreement and decided to sing along to the song. It was then that Aerrow and Danny figured out what the song was, and it would be the opportune time to express to those close to them how they really felt. The group then sang into the microphone for the crowd.
Aerrow: Today is the greatest
Day I've ever known
Danny: Can't live for tomorrow
Tomorrow's much too long
Dudley: I'll burn my eyes out
Kitty: Before I get out
Aerrow turned his head over to look at Piper and invited her over to where he was standing. Their eyes were locked in and they each could feel like they were getting the one thing they were missing the whole time, and so they sang out the next verse.
Piper: I wanted more
Than life could ever grant me
Aerrow: Bored by the chore
Of saving face
The TYGER operatives cheered them on, thinking the performance was great, so the group continued singing.
Danny: Today is the greatest
Day I've never known
June: Can't wait for tomorrow
I might not have that long
Kitty: I'll tear my heart out
Dudley: Before I get out
Danny saw what Aerrow had done and decided to follow his example by inviting June over to him. Blue and brown mixed together as their eyes fixated on each other, and in that brief moment they felt like it was their relationship existed.
The others, seeing this, decided that Danny and June should get to sing the next verse.
June: Pink ribbon scars
That never forget
Danny: I tried so hard
To cleanse these regrets
My angel wings
Were bruised and restrained
Dudley: My belly stings
The halfa and the Te Xuan Ze rolled their eyes at the dog for interrupting them, and the crowd cheered them on to continue with the song.
Aerrow and Danny: Today is
Piper and June: Today is
Dudley and Kitty: Today is
All: The greatest day
The lyrics were so enchanting that the TYGER operatives kept their cheering like it would add to the ambiance.
"It's working," whispered Aerrow. "Just keep it up for a little longer."
Aerrow: I want to turn you on
Danny: I want to turn you on
Dudley: I want to turn you on
I want to turn you
The song was nearing its end, so the T.U.F.F. agents knew that it would be their only chance to get out as soon as possible.
All: Today is the greatest
Today is the greatest day
Today is the greatest day
That I have ever really known
The crowd stood up cheering and clapping their hands for the performance from the people they never suspected were intruders. After taking a bow, the group left the stage and headed back down the hallway, but Danny paused when he overheard two of the guards chatting with each other.
"Too bad we've gotta go back to guarding the prisoners," said one of them.
"I don't see what the big deal is," said the other. "They're the only prisoners here and they're locked up good and tight in Block C."
"It's Azula's orders, and we sure don't wanna piss her off."
Smiling underneath his mask, the ghost boy returned to the others and whispered what he overheard. With the new information, the group hastened their stride down the hallway to search for their friends.
Meanwhile, the T.U.F.F. agents who had been captured remained in their appropriate cells to wait until their fate had arrived. They felt so depressed that none of them were even willing to speak, both for not having the desire and for fear of being punished by any of Azula's guards. However, Stork felt antsy and started pacing back and forth in the cell like he was waiting for something to happen.
The Merb could no longer take the torture and approached the bars. "Excuse me, jailer?" he called out.
The TYGER operative who was left in charge to watch over the prisoners walked up to Stork with an irritated look on his face. "What?" he said.
Stork looked hopeful like he was trying to reason with the guard for what he was about to say next. "I need to use the restroom."
"Knock yourself out." The man then pointed within the cell to the steel toilet bowl where inmates would go to the bathroom.
Stork looked at it and was taken aback by it, thinking that he would have to use it in front of his friends. "That's the toilet?" he said disbelievingly.
"Well, it ain't a wishing well," said the man.
(A/N: This scene is a reference to one of my favourite scenes from The Big Bang Theory. I love that show! XD)
Sokka smirked at his friend and said, "If you're shy, Stork, we can all look away while you take a whiz."
Feeling insulted, Stork narrowed his eyes and stayed silent at the boy, not wanting to dignify his smart-aleck remark.
Just then, the door to the block opened, causing the guard to turn around to see whoever was approaching. In walked Aerrow and the others still disguised. Seeing their friends were safe made them feel relaxed, but they knew that their ruse would have to continue for a while longer until they could be trusted to stay with them.
"Hey, what're you doing here?" said the guard.
Aerrow got up to address the man, coughing once to make sure that his voice sounded deep enough to make him seem older. "We're here to guard the prisoners. You're shift's over."
The guard raised an eyebrow at the answer. "That's odd. My shift's not over for another two hours."
Dudley then got up in the man's face to make himself look intimidating. "Hey, man!" he said. "We got direct orders from Azula herself to watch the prisoners, so are you gonna look like an idiot and defy what she said?"
"No, no, of course not," the man replied. "I would never do anything like tha—" He then stopped as something did not add up about the whole situation. "Hey, wait a minute. Why would Azula send six guards to watch over these prisoners?"
Everyone but Kitty paused while they tried to come up with a plausible response. The cat-woman saw that it was going in a dangerous direction, so she approached the guard while remaining calm.
"You know what?" said Kitty. "There's a very good explanation for that, and it's bec—" All of a sudden, she pointed behind the guard with eyes wide open. "What the hell is that?" she screamed.
The guard turned swiftly around to see what was behind him and then Kitty took the time to wrap her hands around the man's mouth and force him into a submission hold. Muffled cries came out as he tried to struggle free under the cat's strong grip until he was laid down to the floor when he finally slipped into unconsciousness.
In the cell, the others were stunned to see that a TYGER operative took out one of their own, until they saw them roll down their masks to see that they were none other than their friends come to rescue them. Relief swept over the T.U.F.F. agents for finding each other, now feeling like there was a chance to stop Azula and save Toon City.
"Did you miss us?" said Aerrow with Radarr's head sticking out from within his armour.
"All right!" said Aang. "I knew that you'd come for us!"
Kitty knelt down and took off the keys from the unconscious guard and went to unlock the cell to let everyone out. Aerrow then drew his blades and ignited them as he stood in front of Toph's wooden cell and slashed at several places. No longer being able to stand up under its own weight, the wood crumbled to pieces and allowed the blind girl to stand up and walk free. Dudley, meanwhile, walked over to the Chief and removed the plastic cup over him, allowing him to jump up and rest on the dog's head.
"It's great to see you all here," said the Chief, "and we've also got Mayor Quimby with us."
"Really? Why?" asked Danny.
"It's a long story," said Katara. "But right now we've got to get out of here and save the city. Azula plans to unleash the Titan formula on every citizen by mixing it with the water in the dam and then flooding them in the march!"
"Oh no!" Piper said in a panicked voice. "It was bad enough that her goons took that stuff, but she intends to infect every innocent person with it?"
"I'm afraid so," replied Keswick. "Our only chance now is to go back to T.U.F.F. headquarters and retrieve the cure. I was almost finished with it when Azula invaded."
"Will it work?" said June.
"It has to, or else we're all doomed," said Sokka.
"Then let's not waste any more time," said Aerrow.
The group slowly crept their way through the hallway to make as little noise as possible, but not before Stork emerged from the cell after a flushing noise filled the block. It became clear to them all that their mission was more important than ever and there was so little time left to do it. Kitty looked through the window of the door to see if any guards were coming but saw that every way she looked was deserted.
"It's clear," said the cat.
The door opened and the group stepped out to make their way for the exit. Being careful in the prison was of the utmost importance for them as one small error would have grave consequences; even Danny's ghost powers would be a hindrance to them all. They crossed the hallway and made it to the stairs leading to the ground floor and there was the exit in front of them. So easy it was for all of them to avoid any TYGER operatives in their haste to escape. But just when they were almost within reach of the door, they all stopped when a blast of blue flame came from above that scorched the floor in front of them.
Only one person was capable of an attack like that and they all saw her looking down at them with a malicious smile. Azula walked over to the banister and leapt over it in a single bound where she landed effortlessly on the ground floor right where she fired her attack, forcing the T.U.F.F. agents to take a step back.
"Did you really think I would let you go so easily?" said Azula. "I have eyes are all over this place, so I was able to see which way you were going. I merely allowed you to get this far."
"Big deal!" said Finn. "There's just one of you against all of us. You don't stand a chance!"
Azula snapped her fingers and it instantly alerted all the TYGER operatives around the prison to her location. All the men came in branding their usual melee weapons and immediately surrounded the group.
Finn let out a nervous chuckle as he saw that Azula had just made him eat his own words. "I stand corrected," he said.
"I'm tired of letting you stick around and try to ruin my plans," said Azula. "Now, I shall deal with you once and for all."
The T.U.F.F. agents all got ready into battle stances, even though some of them would be hindered by the collars still around their necks. The fighting was about to begin when all of a sudden, a call was heard from the back. "Stop!" it said.
Looking at the far end of the room, everyone saw that it was Zuko who called out to them. The teen held a large bag in his left hand while his right was concealed behind his back. He slowly walked up to the crowd with a determined look plastered over his face as he was now going to face his destiny.
"Ah, Zuko," Azula said calmly. "So glad you could join us. I assume that you're going to help me get rid of these meddling pests, right?"
Zuko stood before his friends who looked at him in anger and he thought they still hated him for joining Azula, but he knew that it was all about to change. "Wrong," he replied. "I'm here to help my friends, as I've been doing all along!" He then brought out his right hand to reveal that it held a remote and pushed the single button on it.
Immediately, those wearing the collars all saw them open up and slide down their necks where they ended up on the floor, which allowed them to use their abilities again without fear of getting electrocuted. Zuko then threw the bag in front of the T.U.F.F. agents where it opened up and out spilled all their weapons. The young Firebender watched as all his friends picked up their favoured weapons and to see that Azula was looking absolutely furious.
"Zuko, what is the meaning of this?" his sister shouted. It then became clear to her about how there was a potential mole among her ranks, and Zuko's acts had confirmed it. "Oh, I see it now. You just pretended to be on my side just so you could get information from me!"
"That's right," said Zuko. "I despised every cruel act you've ever committed and serving as one of your lackeys, but it was all for the good of restoring Toon City to its former glory. I will never become someone as ruthless as you!"
"Just Like You"
As Made Famous by Three Days Grace
It was then that Zuko broke out into a song and displayed his true feelings to his sister.
I could be mean
I could be angry
You know I could be just like you
Azula was so full of rage that she did not want to hear any of her brother's ranting, so she held out her hands and ordered her men to attack. Danny went first and transformed into Danny Phantom and fired an ecto-blast that knocked away a TYGER operative who was about to swing a baton into Zuko.
I could be fake
I could be stupid
You know I could be just like you
More TYGER operatives converged on Zuko and so he spun around on one foot and unleashed a large wave of fire from his other foot. The men all fell to the ground screaming when the flames made their armour hot and seared their skin.
You thought you were standing beside me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
Toph faced a TYGER operative armed with a riot shield who pushed out on her in an attempt to catch her off guard. But the blind girl instantly felt the small specks of earth contained within the shield and ripped it out of the man's hands where she kicked into it and dented it. After he was left unarmed, the man then felt a tap on his shoulder, forcing him to turn around and feel a punch right in his jaw that came from Junko, instantly knocking him out.
You thought you were there to guide me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
You thought you were there to guide me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
Azula understood the meaning behind the song and felt insulted by the words, especially since they were coming from her own brother.
More TYGER operatives jumped down from the upper floors, but they were then shot down by the laser blasts coming from Dudley and Kitty and from the crossbow bolts coming from Finn before they could land.
The song continued with Zuko facing off against Azula.
I could be cold
I could be ruthless
You know I could be just like you
The two siblings then face off in the traditional Firebending challenge known as Agni Kai. They let loose numerous blasts of fire that intercepted each other, proving that they were both highly skilled.
I could be weak
I could be senseless
You know I could be just like you
Some of Azula's men tried to attack Zuko while he was distracted, but they were caught off guard when a huge gush of water pushed them into a nearby wall where they slammed into it and were immediately frozen on contact when the water changed into ice. Zuko saw from the corner of his eye that it was Katara who came to his aid, which put a smile on his face.
You thought you were standing beside me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
In the midst of the battle, Danny and June were once again performing their usual tag team-style of fighting with the halfa flying through the air with the Te Xuan Ze holding on to his hands. A group of TYGER operatives was below them, so Danny let go of June and let her loose on them. The girl then used her superior strength and speed by punching and kicking with swiftness to bring the guards down within seconds.
You thought you were there to guide me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
You thought you were there to guide me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
Aerrow protected the ones who couldn't defend themselves, who were Stork, Keswick and Mayor Quimby. A guard came up to him with a large baton, forcing the Sky Knight to block with his blades. Aerrow could feel the man's weight pressing down on him, which made him sweat and clench his teeth as he tried to push back. Suddenly, Radarr stuck his head out from under the armour and emitted a loud chirp while bearing his fangs. This surprised the guard and caused him to stumble back, allowing Aerrow to kick him in the face and make him run right into Piper, who twirled her staff above her head and used it to trip the man and cause him to fall on his back.
On my own, 'cause I can't take living with you
I'm alone, so I won't turn out like you
Want me to
Zuko and Azula continued their duel with vigour. One by one they each threw fire blasts at each other that always collided. Zuko knew that he and his sister were evenly matched, so he would have to think of a way to make the battle work in his favour—and that's when he eyeballed one of the collars sitting a few feet away.
He jumped away from an attack while he continued his song.
You thought you were standing beside me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
Another shot came from Azula, so Zuko rolled out of the way and picked up the collar while keeping it out of his sister's sight. He then saw the opportunity to use it when Azula charged at him while she emitted a cry of anger, which he knew was when she was the most vulnerable. Zuko then flung the collar at his sister and watched it spiral through the air. It continued on its course and snapped right onto Azula's neck.
Azula stopped and saw that she had been tricked. She tried to rip off the collar but instead received an electrical shock. A gasp of fright came from her mouth when Zuko fired a line of flame at her, knocking her into a wall where she fell on her side.
You thought you were there to guide me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
You thought you were there to guide me
You were only in my way
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you
Aang finished off the battle by shooting out the elements of air, water and fire into the remaining guards. All of Azula's men were now on the floor suffering multiple injuries.
Seeing that it was their chance to escape, the group rushed out the exit to head back to their headquarters, but not before Zuko remained and stared at his sister just as he finished his song.
I could be mean
I could be angry
You know I could be just like you
The T.U.F.F. agents were gone along with their new members. Azula sat up and surveyed the disaster that lay before her. In such a short time she had witnessed her brother betray her after doing everything she asked of him—and it took its toll on her mind and body.
Azula stood on her feet just when the collar was deactivated and slipped off her neck when a TYGER operative used the same remote Zuko had used.
"Shall we go after them, Master?" said the man.
"Don't bother," replied Azula. "There's nothing more they can do anyway. We'll proceed with my operation, and then I will have my revenge!"
BlueTiger321: Woohoo! The gang's back together!
Zuko: It feels great to be back with my friends.
Aang: But it still doesn't explain what he did.
Junko: Maybe we'll find out in the next chapter.
Finn: Hey! Spoiler alert!
Junko: Oh, sorry.
BlueTiger321: Anyway, folks, be sure to stay tuned when we'll get an explanation from Zuko and some more surprises between other characters. So, until next time…
Zuko: Read and review!