Ch 21 the boiling rock
Olivier rested as everyone continued doing the same thing they were doing the past few days. Nothing. Except Aang and Zuko, who were practicing their newfound fire bending. Olivier watched as Zuko and Sokka went away from the group.
Curious, she followed the both of them and heard of a prison called the boiling rock. And it was in a volcano. Such a fitting name.
"Sure thing buddy. No problem." Sokka said, walking away from Zuko. But Zuko already knew what Sokka planned on doing.
"He's going to get himself killed." Olivier said, surprising Zuko.
"Where'd you come from?" Zuko asked.
"Just from over there. If Sokka is planning on a POW rescue, count me in." Olivier said.
"Welcome aboard." Zuko sarcastically said.
After confronting Sokka about his plan (really, the kid was an idiot. Taking a flying bison to a heavily guarded fire nation prison. They'd easily get caught), they left the temple and headed towards the prison.
And talk about an awkward silence. It was broken as Zuko and Sokka talked about previous girlfriends. Olivier got the feeling that Zuko was never happy in the fire nation, and was now glad to be away from them. Considering how oppressive and crazy the government was, she'd leave as well.
As they approached the island, the balloon started to descend, and fast.
"We're going down!" Zuko urgently said, fire bending inside the engine, trying to keep them afloat.
"The air inside is just as hot as the air outside. That's why." Sokka said.
"What do we do?" Zuko asked.
"Crash land I guess." Sokka replied.
"And hope we survive." Olivier put in.
The balloon skilled across the boiling water, hence the name of the prison, and crashed into a rock formation, tossing the passengers out.
"What are we going to do now?" Zuko asked, seeing that they were marooned on the island.
"We'll figure something out. I figured it would be a one-way trip." Sokka said, as he gathered parts of the balloon.
"You knew this would happen and you came anyway?" Zuko asked.
"I never wanted you to come." Sokka retorted.
"That's the kind of planning that will get you killed. How many times have your friends saved your ass in the past, trying to salvage one of your plans gone wrong?" Olivier asked.
"My uncle said I never think things through. But this is crazy!" Zuko said.
"Hey, for the record, I always think things through. But my plans haven't been going as they should, so I'll play it by ear." Sokka retorted, pushing the wreckage in the boiling water.
"What are you doing?" Zuko asked.
"It doesn't work anymore. We don't want anyone to find out." Sokka said.
"There's no turning back from this. I hope you know what you're doing." Zuko said, as they faced the impregnable prison.
Inside the prison, they gathered new uniforms to disguise themselves in. They were called to quell a problem.
"This is some bullshit. I'm going back to my cell." A large prisoner said.
"You broke one of the rules, Chit sang. You didn't bow to me." A guard said.
"That's not a rule." Chit sang replied, and continued to walk away.
The guard produced a fire whip and threw it at Chit sang. He turned around and blocked it with his own fire bending.
"Fire bending is forbidden in this prison. You're going to the cooler." The guard sadistically said.
Olivier was surprised. This man was a fellow fire bender, and yet he was being treated like a POW. She wondered just how cruel the fire nation's inhabitants were. Maybe it would have been better to send in the state alchemists and lay waste to the country, just like Ishval.
Olivier gathered as much intel as possible from the guards. The boiling rock did contain the fire nation's most dangerous prisoners. But there were no war prisoners. Olivier knew the sick and disturbing truth. The fire nation used the POWs as cannon fodder against their enemies.
She met with Zuko and Sokka and Zuko confirmed her suspicions. It seemed like this mission was a bust. And now they were trapped at the prison. Sokka quickly ran down the stairs and into another prison block.
"What's he doing?" Olivier asked.
"Apparently his girlfriend is here." Zuko said.
"Jesus Christ. After we win the war, we can then free the prisoners here. Not now when we need to escape." Olivier said.
"He's an odd one." Zuko said.
"That's putting it lightly. While we were in the desert, he was tripping on acid the whole time. I thought he'd never recover. Apparently, he didn't recover at all." Olivier said.
"And he wanted to come here on his own. On Appa." Zuko said.
"Yep. Me, you, and Toph. We should have left and c ontinued the war on our own." Olivier said.
Olivier walked away and did a perimeter check, looking for a way to get out. She found a blind spot between two guard towers. But they needed something to move across the lake. And it was boiling hot, complicating their problems even more.
The next day, Olivier and Sokka oversaw Zuko and Suki mopping the floors. Pulling them aside, Sokka told them of his plan.
"The cooler can be used as a makeshift boat. We can use that to escape." Sokka said.
"How are you going to get the cooler out?" Suki asked.
"Yeah. How are you going to get the cooler out?" Chit sang asked.
"Someone will need to be put inside. Imprisoned. But it's freezing cold in there." Olivier said.
Zuko and Chit sang faked an argument and Zuko fire bended, which put him in the cooler. So far, it was going according to plan.
That night, Olivier helped Zuko, Sokka, and Suki move the cooler down a slope to Chit sang and his friends.
"Fine. Everyone in the cooler." Sokka said.
Olivier watched as Zuko and Sokka argued about what to do next. And they were wasting time as it is.
"Just make up your mind, goddamn it!" Olivier shouted.
After a few seconds of silence, Sokka chose to stay behind.
"I hope we didn't make a huge mistake. We're all dead if that's true." Sokka said.
Next morning, they watched as a gondola moved in. They watched as prisoners came out.
"That can't be it." Sokka said, disheartened.
"Get out of the gondola." A guard shouted.
Sokka looked up again, and saw his father walking out.
"Dad."
Sokka and Olivier, still in disguise as prison guards over watched as the warden addressed the prisoners. Olivier wondered of the warden was a man or a women. Did the fire nation have the medical technology and skill to perform sex change operations? Or was it the result of some freak birth or genetics?
Olivier put those thoughts away as she and the other guards were shuffled away. She later met with Sokka and talked.
"I found my dad. We have one more chance to escape." Sokka said.
"How? There are more guards then before." Olivier said.
"We're starting a prison riot. While everyone is distracted, we'll escape on the gondola." Sokka said.
"And if the warden cuts the wires?" Olivier asked.
"We'll take the warden hostage. That should give us all the leverage necessary." Sokka said.
"Okay. I'm for it. God help us if it fails." Olivier said.
"Trust me. It won't." Sokka said.
Olivier raised an eyebrow.
In an armory, Olivier sharpened her sword when other guards pulled her out. She was lined up with Sokka and other guards. The warden and chit sang were In front of them.
Chit sang pointed to the bully guard and watched as he was being dragged away. Olivier looked to her side, and Sokka looked close to falling on the ground emotionally exhausted.
"What's the next move?" Olivier asked.
"I'll let the prisoners out. Then the riot will begin." Sokka responded.
Olivier waited for the riot. Soon, the prisoners were let out into the courtyard. But there was no riot. They just stood around doing nothing.
"This is a problem." Olivier muttered.
She watched as Chit sang grabbed a prisoner and lifted him over his head, telling the others to start rioting. And they rioted. Everyone fighting everyone. With their teeth, fingers, fists, fire bending, and bare hands.
"Where's Zuko?" Olivier asked, as she noticed that Zuko wasn't with them.
"I'm here." Zuko said, running to the group. "What now?"
"I'm not sure." Sokka said.
"I'll take care of it." Olivier said. She ran thru the rioting prisoners and up the main tower. When she arrived to capture the warden, Suki had already beaten her and had the warden captured.
"Nice work. Now we need to get out of here." Olivier said.
They moved towards the gondola, with Olivier holding a sword to the warden's neck.
"Back off! We got the warden." Zuko warned.
They entered a gondola and started to move away. Zuko broke the lever and jumped to the gondola, being caught by Sokka.
"What's that for?" Sokka asked.
"I'm making it so they can't stop us." Zuko said.
Azula and Ty Lee appeared, and moved towards the escaping gondola.
"This is a rematch I've been waiting for." Suki said.
Suki, Sokka, Zuko, and Olivier got to the top of the gondola, and waited for the inevitable fight. Sokka, Zuko, and Olivier fought Azula, while Suki and Ty Lee faced each other.
Azula fought hard against Zuko and Sokka, but the tide was turned when Olivier appeared out of nowhere and swung her Kilji at the fire princess. Azula screamed in pain as her back was sliced open, and blood began to pool on the roof of the gondola. Azula looked at Olivier and moved forward to attack her, only for the gondola to stop moving.
"They're going to cut the line!" Ty Lee warned. Another gondola came for Azula and Ty Lee, and both of them escaped.
"I hope this thing can float." Hakoda said.
"I doubt it." Olivier said, putting her sword away.
The gondola began to move, much to their surprise. Looking behind them, they saw Mai free them, who began to fight the multiple fire nation guards.
"Damn it." Zuko said, guilty for leaving his ex behind. She was now at the 'mercy' of the fire nation princess.
"I'm sorry, Zuko." Sokka said.
"She'll be fine." Zuko said.
Olivier noticed that Zuko wasn't so confident about that. And he had good reason to be worried.
Arriving at the air temple with a fire nation zeppelin, Olivier headed to her room and dropped her weapons on the ground. Tired and exhausted, she collapsed on the bed and fell asleep.