Chapter 36:
"If we're going to move around this place freely, we can't be seen as we are." Freya said as they began to creep up the side of the prison to find a way in. "Sokka and I are much too obvious in our water tribe blue, and you need something to cover your face with." she said to Zuko "Your scar's too recognisable." he looked unhappy by the thought.
"We need disguises." Sokka thought
"Well inside are prisoners and guards and I don't know about you but I think being a prisoner would make things harder." Freya thought and Sokka nodded.
"We need some guard outfits." he said and she nodded too.
"For that we need the armoury." Zuko said
"You wouldn't happen to know where it is would you?" Freya asked
"Actually I do. My father built the place remember."
"Indeed I do." she mumbled and she shared a glance with Sokka before the two water tribe members began to follow the fire prince.
They found the armoury and all three switched out their clothes for the same armour.
"Gosh, could they make these any more plain?" Freya complained
"That's what you're worried about?" Sokka asked
"Worried? No. Disappointed, maybe." she mumbled as the two boys pulled on their helmets. She sighed and did the same before all three stepped out into the hall.
"I hope these disguises work." Zuko mumbled as Sokka closed the door.
"We just need to lay low and find my Dad as soon as possible." Sokka said
"Yeah so let's not get caught running around searching. We need to be smart and discrete." Freya said.
Guards began to run past at the end of the hall one after the other after the other. They turned to them and the two boys leaned back against the wall looking worried as Freya rose an eyebrow below the mask. One stopped and turned to them.
"Guards! There's a scuffle in the yard, come on." he shouted at the three. The boys shared a look as the guards disappeared.
"The yard will be the best place to look, all the prisoners are out and the guards can look over them without looking suspicious." Freya said to the two and they turned to follow the crowd.
There were a heap of prisoners all crowded together outside. The yard was surrounded by the walls of the prison in which all the cells sat. The prisoners stood around something and all the guards pushed through them until they were at the front of the circle. A single prisoner stood there, facing a guard. Both were walking around one another in a circle, the guard staring at the prisoner. All the prisoners wore the same red tunic, pants and a tie around their waists, some in slightly lighter and faded shades.
"I didn't do anything. I'm going back to my cell." the prisoner said before he turned to walk away from the guard before him, moving across the circle around them.
The guard brought his hands together and fire swirled between them before it formed a whip. He lashed it forwards to hit the ground behind the prisoner, flaring slightly.
"Stop right there Chit Sang." the guard ordered and the prisoner did so, his back to the guard.
Zuko grit his teeth and stepped forwards before he halted. Both Freya and Sokka had a hand on his arms.
"We can't blow our cover." Sokka whispered and Freya nodded through her visor before Zuko stepped back.
"I've had it with your unruly behaviour." the guard said as he walked up behind the prisoner.
"What did I do?" he asked over his shoulder.
"He wants to know what he did." the guard turned to Sokka and Zuko. "Isn't that cute?" he turned back to the prisoner before pausing and turning back to the two boys, raising his visor. Sokka frowned slightly and glanced at Zuko beside him as the guard gave them a disappointed look for their lack of response.
"Uh, yeah, very cute sir." Zuko said quickly.
"Super cute." Sokka agreed. The guard walked away and Sokka sighed.
"You didn't bow down when I walked by Chit Sang." the guard explained as he walked to the prisoner's side, his arms behind his back.
"What? That's not a prison rule." Chit Sang snapped back.
"Do it." the guard demanded, getting up in the prisoner's face, his visor still raised.
"Make me." Chit Sang returned.
There was silence as the two stared at one another before the guard suddenly grinned and backed away. He turned, walking away from Chit Sang casually before he smirked and rose his hand. The fire whip flared and went straight at Chit Sang who spun and grabbed the fire before sending it back. The guard turned, his foot hitting the flame ball and dispersing it.
The guard stood up and shook his head, tutting.
"Tsk, tsk. Firebending is prohibited." he grinned and Chit Sang straightened up. "You're going in the Cooler. You! Help me take him in." he turned to point at Sokka.
"Meet back here in an hour." Sokka whispered before he turned to follow the guard and Chit Sang who went simply.
"What do we do?" Zuko asked, turning to the girl beside him.
"Gather some intel." Freya replied looking around. The prisoners began to disperse, sitting around the yard, some returning to cells. The guards all moved as well, some heading off back inside, others standing guard in the yard, others moved to posts.
"How do we do that?"
"We ask." Freya shrugged "These guys are always here, they'll notice when someone new shows up, let's act the curious person."
"Well, where should we ask?" Zuko asked
"This place has to have a cafeteria or something for the guards, let's find it. Get some food too, haven't had anything yet." she mumbled and she moved off across the yard and over to a guard. Zuko followed.
"Hey," she rose her visor to the guy and he turned to her as she smiled sweetly. "This is my first day, is there any chance you could direct me to the cafeteria?" she wondered. He grinned at her
"Sure darling," Zuko placed a hand on Freya's shoulder to shove past her but she elbowed him in the chest to stop him as the guy left his post and moved through the building.
"So, first day huh?" he asked, making small talk as Zuko followed his with arms crossed behind Freya.
"Yeah, a little exhilarating being in the Fire Nation's tightest prison." she smiled
"Why chose to come here?"
"I was transferred, offered for the job. Thought it would be interesting to see some of the Fire Nations most dangerous criminals." she responded with a shrug.
"Well, I hope you're not disappointed, the place can be a bit dull." the guard responded
"Well first day and there's already been a scuffle so I beg to differ." the man stopped by an archway with a smile at her.
"Here we are." he pointed in where several people sat at tables with drinks and food, all wearing the guard uniform.
"Thank you, you saved me the time finding it." she smiled and he grinned
"Any time cutie." she walked straight in without another word and Zuko followed.
"What was that?" he demanded
"Getting what I want." she responded "Some guys are so gullible all it takes is a pretty face. He just got played." she moved over to the counter and grabbed a tray.
"Do you do that often?" Zuko questioned
"Not yet. Why does it bother you that people are smitten with me?" she teased and he gave her an annoyed look. "Just think of it this way, you have what other's want." she shrugged as she grabbed some food and moved down the line.
"Do I?"
"Oh don't be ridiculous." she responded with a sigh.
"Hey new guy." the two turned to see three people, a women and two men, sitting at a table and looking at the two. "I know it's the rule to have your helmet on at all times but this is the lounge. Relax." he said to Zuko and Freya smiled.
"But what if there's an incident? If I'm not prepared someone could strike me on the head." Zuko responded, walking forwards and the three started laughing.
"Give it a week, he'll loosen up." the women responded as she had a cup in her hand.
"Can the new guy ask you veterans a few questions about the prison?" Zuko wondered, taking a seat as Freya followed and moved around the table, removing her helmet and brushing her fingers through her hair.
"No, you can't date the female guards." the women smirked
"Trust me, you don't want to." the man whispered before his female companion threw her cup at his head, the other guy laughing. Zuko and Freya shared a look as the girl chuckled.
"No, that's not it. The Boiling Rock, it holds the Fire Nation's most dangerous criminals right?" the three nodded "So what about war prisoners?" he asked them
"War prisoners?"
"Yeah," Freya smiled "You got your traitors and enemies of the Nation, does that include prisoners taken during the war? Or are they not counted as bad enough prisoners?" the three shared a look.
"Yeah there are a few war prisoners, mostly you find those who give the Nation the most issues here." the women said thinking.
"Leaders are generally thrown here away from their troops as well, cut off the snake's head so to speak." one of the men agreed.
"So there are some from the other Nations?" Freya wondered taking a bite of her food.
"All from the Earth Kingdom as far as I'm aware." the women shrugged. Freya put a confused look on her face.
"What about from the water tribes?" she asked. The three shook a look.
"There aren't any water tribe prisoners here." Zuko and Freya shared a look.
"That's interesting."
"I didn't think there were many Water Tribe members bothering, they're all hiding behind their wall." the man said chuckling.
"Yeah but that's only the Northern Tribe." Freya reminded him.
"I didn't think the South was vast enough?" the women said looking at her and Freya shrugged nodding at the truth behind that.
"Good point." she said before tucking into her food.
"So Sokka's father isn't here." Zuko said quietly as the two moved through the prison after finishing their meal.
"It seems not." Freya frowned "He's going to be so disappointed."
"Well I guess it makes getting out easier." Zuko said
"I'd agree if we could use the gondola to get out, but I bet all the guards are checked, they'll know we aren't guards." Freya mumbled.
"Let's think about that after we tell Sokka." Zuko decided as they moved out to the yard.
"Yeah if we can find him." Freya grumbled. All the guards had their helmets on and visors down. "Everyone looks the same here."
"He's likely to be away from everyone else." Zuko believed.
"I think that's him." Freya said, pointing subtly up at a guy on a balcony above.
"What makes you say that?" Zuko asked
"Water Tribe members are a lot more tanned than you Fire Nation members." Freya smirked before she went to find a way up by a set of stairs.
Sokka was leaning on the railing as the two approached and Zuko stood rigidly.
"Hey there, fellow guard. How goes it?" he asked awkwardly, rubbing his helmet and Freya rose an eyebrow before raising her visor.
"Zuko?" Sokka asked, raising his visor.
"Hey." Freya said frowning slightly.
"Shh. Listen, Freya and I asked around the lounge. There are no Water Tribe prisoners. I'm afraid your Father's not here." Zuko admitted sadly as he rose his visor, exposing his scar.
"What? Are you sure? Did you double check?" Sokka asked shocked.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Zuko admitted and he and Freya shared a look.
"No. No!" Sokka moved off to bash the wall with his fists in frustration.
"I'm really sorry Sokka." Zuko admitted
"So we came all this way for nothing. I failed. Again." Sokka blamed, turning and slinking against the wall.
"No, we had to come and check." Freya said to him. "Best to start at the top and make our way down the other prisons than waste our time with little things." she believed.
"But now we're here for no reason!" Sokka believed
"Not for no reason, we came, we checked, he's not here, so we find out some information as to where he could be." Freya said
"And how do we do that?" Sokka demanded "There could be heaps of prisons in the Fire Nation."
"Sokka, Zuko knows where they all are. It's not that difficult of a feat." Freya assured "Just be happy he's not here, it'll probably be a lot easier to break him out of another prison than this one after all." she shrugged.
Sokka shook his head, still disappointed and the two fire benders shared a look.
"Err, what would Uncle say?" Zuko wondered, his fingers to his chin in thought.
"Probably something about light and darkness and how we have to try to succeed." Freya shrugged.
Zuko turned to her and then looked up at the sky.
"Sometimes clouds have two sides, a dark and light. And a silver lining in between. It's like a silver sandwich." Zuko said, walking to the railing and looking up at them. "So... when life seems hard... take a bite out of the silver sandwich." Freya rose an eyebrow at him completely lost as to how those words were supposed to be helpful.
Sokka however looked at him confused before something caught his attention and he ran to the railing with a grin.
"Maybe we haven't failed after all." he said suddenly, excited and Freya looked at him shocked.
"That's the spirit. I can't believe that worked. I didn't even know what I was saying." Zuko admitted, crossing his arms.
"No, what you said made no sense at all." Sokka admitted
"What you said was terrible." Freya admitted and Zuko looked at her annoyed before she grinned.
"But look, it's Suki!" Sokka pointed down into the yard where there was a girl sitting on a rock, wearing the same red as everyone else, half of her short hair tied backwards and she looked rather down and sad.
"Suki!" Freya grinned before she looked annoyed. "Right, Azula kidnapped her and impersonated her back in Ba Sing Se." Freya said hitting her forehead.
"Prisoners! Back in your cells!" the girl got up and walked across the yard with the other prisoners. Sokka was leaning over the railing grinning with excitement before he suddenly ran off away from the two in a dash. Zuko looked confused.
"What's his deal?" Zuko asked
"He's smitten." Freya smiled.