'What happened? Why do we need to leave?' Akmei asked.

'They're looking for us. They think we're on the surface, but eventually they'll look here. We need to get out!' Lai said breathlessly.

'Why do they think we're on the surface?' Akmei wondered aloud.

'I'll happily discuss this with you when there aren't crazy firebenders looking for us!' Lai started to run back through the tunnel, but Liko quickly overtook her. He stopped in front of her. 'You stay behind me, and keep quite!' he whispered, then began to walk forward slowly. Surprised by the (relative) outburst, Lai followed.

As they got to the surface, Lai began to try to feel for the people on the surface. 'They are spread out searching for us. But if we leave the entrance, they're sure to see us. Not sure we can do anything about that.'

'So what do we do?' Akmei asked.

'A surgical strike.' Liko said. The others looked at him. He continued. 'A big enough first attack may distract them, allowing us to get out.'

'Nice.' Lai smiled. 'I know just what to do.'

Lai got up to just near the entrance, and whispered 'In three, you will need to move. 1, 2, 3.' And at that, she rushed out and slammed her fist into the boulder in front of the entrance. The boulder smashed forward.

As this happened, Akmei leaped out, smashed her fists forward and breathed out. Fire burst out in front of her, in all directions.

Lai hoped that that would be enough to disperse them. However, when the fire cleared, the fire had been blocked by firebenders, and they had managed to avoid the boulder. 'OK, plan B!' Lai shouted. Akmei didn't say anything, but simply released a volley for fire blasts. Lai raised up a wall of earth, and began slamming rocks at the opposition.

However, the firebenders didn't seem keen to oppose them today. They remained behind cover, and moved about too much. They were clearly trying to keep them penned in.

'We need to get out of this!' Akmei shouted, blocking a fire blast.

'I know. On the signal, rush forward and attack.'

'What the flameo's the signal!?'

'You'll see it.' And with that, Lai began tunnelling into the soil.

Lai hated doing this. The rock got everywhere afterwards, and the technique was an overrated one. But for something like this, it was pretty good. She felt the firebenders on the surface, and saw where there were two close together. She rose up, and happy at the look of surprise on her face, grabbed the firebender's ankle, and flipped them over as she stood on the surface. The second firebender hurled a firewhip, which she caught, snuffed out, and responded with a volley of fire blasts, hurling them backwards. Lai then stamped, raising rock above both benders feet and arms, trapping them.

She saw that Liko and Akmei were rushing towards her. The firebenders were drawing fire on them, but they were moving away from Lai. Akmei was been hit by fire from all sides, and barely hold it all off, while two of them were moving in. Liko was moving forward to fight them. 'Need some help?' Lai shouted, as she leaped forward to Akmei with an earth-fire combo form. She landed, and smashed a couple of rocks forward to the firebenders. She used the opportunity to raise a wall to defend them.

'Thanks.' Akmei said. She turned to look at Liko.

Liko was fighting a firebender close. It seemed to be going well. The firebender was good at blocking his electrified glove on his right hand, but this just allowed Liko to hit him with his left hand, meaning Liko could block his chi.

And then two others leaped on Liko. One was electrocuted by Liko's glove, but the other managed to tear it off, and held his hands together. With the others increasing the rate of fire at Lai and Akmei, they shoved Liko into a satomobile, and drove away.

'He got kidnapped? Arrgh, he's the worst bodyguard ever!' Akmei shouted.

'Ok we need to get moving to rescue him.'

'How? We can't out run them!'

'We can with earthbending.' Lai grinned. 'When we break out this wall, I need you to protect me. I won't be able to do anything but move us, so I need yu do everything else. You ok with that.'

Akmei seemed to force herself to have confidence. 'I can do that.'

'Ok – and we go NOW!' Lai moved her feet forward, forcing herself to not concentrate on anything but her feet. She started to force the earth around her to rise and up, and then they raced forward. In the corner of her eye, she saw Akmei slam down, releasing a wave of fire around them, but she was concentrating on her feet. Through the earth, the roll of the satomobile's vibrations was like a beacon, and on the mountainous terrain it was obvious where it had to go. Forcing herself to go faster, they started to gain on the satomobile.

They managed to catch up as the satomobile reached a cliff side road, with them above the satomobile on the sloped mountainside. 'I'm going to jump!' came a cry from Akmei.

'OK then.' Lai braced, and adjusted her bending as Akmei leaped off with jets from her hands. As she did that, a person climbed out of the satomobile onto the roof. Akmei landed there, and they began to fight a very short ranged battle.

'OK, let's go!' Lai slammed herself forward, not to the roof of the satomobile, but the door. As she landed, she metalbent the door around her arms, allowing her to strike a very surprised firebender in the back. She slammed metal around there arms, pinning them to the satomobile insides. She looked smugly to the driver.

'Given you're in a metal box driving along a cliff with a hostile metalbender in the back, it might be best to just stop the vehicle.'

The driver took the hint. He slowed it down, and stopped at the side of the road. Lai leaped out, and saw Akmei was holding the firebender down. 'Shall we get these people sorted?' Akmei asked.

'Sure thing.' Lai tied up the firebenders with metal, while Akmei got Liko out of the boot, and untied him. 'Thanks for the help.' He said, dusting himself off.

'Can you drive Liko?' Lai asked, putting the firebenders in the back.

'Yep.'

'Good. Time to take these people to the police.' Lai sat in the back with the firebenders. Liko drove them to the closest police station, where they left the satomobile, before bending up the hill to Tiku's house. As soon as they got there, they collapsed into their rooms without a word.