"Okay remember!" Sokka spoke seriously to the rest of the team. "Our goal is to stop that big machine thing. Ideally we are going to go in and find a way to destroy it from the inside. Then get out before any fire nation soldiers even find out that we are there!" he said. "That's the ideal scenario which knowing our luck, probably means it wont happen." he rolled his eyes. "Still. Always keep your mind on the price. It's not to defeat the soldiers but to stop that machine!"
Zuko nodded seriously. "Sokka is right. It is unlikely that we can defeat Azula and her friends at this time. Plus what-ever soldiers they have at their disposal."
Sokka shivered. "No offence Zuko. But your sister is terrifying."
"Tell me about it." Zuko rolled his eyes. "Girls are scary."
Katara lifted an eyebrow.
"Have you met my sister and her friends?" Zuko asked.
"Oh." Katara realized. Sokka though snorted and Zuko glared at him.
"Have you met your own sister?" Zuko asked Sokka directly. "And your girlfriend? And her army of girls who can kill with fans? Also may I introduce you to Toph, have fun fighting her in the arena."
Toph grinned. "The man has a point." she stated.
"But yeah Sokka. If you feel like you can take on Azula by yourself. Please be my guest." Zuko invited in a dry tone.
"Yeah I think I'm going to pass on that one thank you." Sokka swallowed. "Let's just to try stick to plan and hopefully… avoid combat." he sighed deeply.
"Well, in case we do run into Azula. Zuko you got any tips?" Katara asked.
"Yeah. Run." Zuko replied in a deadpan tone.
Sokka looked at Zuko then sighed. "Fair enough."
Using Tophs earth bending they travelled through a small underground tunnel Toph created to get under the giant machine the group had now elected to just call. "The Ginarmous and scary drill." or just. "The Drill." for short.
As soon as they were below the massive moving mountain of metal Zuko cut open a round hole using an intense fire dagger and jumped up before reaching an arm down to pull the rest up one by one.
All except Toph. "Yeah no thank you. I am going to try and slow it down from out here where I can see." she said. "I'll be blind in that hunk of metal!"
"Okay fair enough." Sokka said. "But the moment it gets dangerous you get out of there okay?"
"I'll make a big hole and jump down. Got it." Toph replied as she stamped her foot in the ground to make the first earth pillar to try and slow down the massive machine.
Ones inside the rest of the team looked around at the massive pipes running across the room and small spouts of steam escaping.
"This is kind of similar to the engine of a Fire nation vessel." Zuko commented as he looked around. "But way… way bigger."
"How do we shut it down?" Katara asked.
Zuko shrugged. "I don't know. In a ship you would just douse the goals with water and slam the breaks." he said. "I don't think that is going to work here. Erhm, in a fire nation ship the engines can become overheated. We could try that."
"No." Sokka said. "They probably have accounted for that and will be able to fix that pretty quick. We need this thing totally destroyed." he grabbed his boomerang and slammed of one of the veils.
Zuko blinked as he looked at the spot where steam was now escaping. "Yeah that won't be enough Sokka."
"Of course not and that wasn't the plan." Sokka rolled his eyes. "This things would have engineers right? With plans of the thing they are maintaining? And what do they do when a smaller thing like this break?" he asked.
Zuko gaped.
"They come down to try and fix it!" Katara beamed.
"Quick we need to hide!" Aang exclaimed as all nodded and jumped aside.
They didn't need to wait long before an engineer came down with the plans in his hand.
In an instant before anyone could see Zuko was behind the poor guy, grabbed his arms and held him down. The engineer didn't even get to scream before Katara jumped forward as well and encased him in ice allowing Sokka to simply pluck out the plans from the engineers hand. "Thanks." he simply stated before Zuko grabbed a pipe and knocked the engineer over the head.
"That look like it hurt." Aang hissed.
"He'll be out for about thirteen minutes. Let's move."
The rest nodded and all moved to the next room where Sokka laid out the plans for all of them to have a look.
"Oh… Wow." Zuko breathed as he looked over the drawings seeing multiple steam engines keeping the entire thing running. Meaning if you took out one steam engine the others would pick up the slack as back ups.
"Man it's a shame the fire nation is evil. This is pretty cool." Sokka commented only for Zuko to glare at him. "Sorry." he said sheepishly then turned back. "Six steam engines." he commented. "All of them probably guarded. Taking out one wont be enough and we'll definitely be discovered before we are even done taking one out." he commented.
"What if we blocked the exhaust chimneys?" Zuko asked as he pointed. "It will build up the pressure and eventually they are going to explode. It has happened with the ships."
"Good idea but it would require all the engines to explode at the same time. Ones one explode they'll figured it out and just clean the other chimneys." Sokka said. "I think our best option is these. Those support pillars are keeping the entire thing standing. We cut those and the entire thing collapse."
"That's going to take time." Zuko whispered back but had already formed a fire dagger in his hand. "I'm not sure we have that sort of time."
"Depends on how we do it." Sokka smirked. "Remember we got a fire bender and a water bender! Zuko. Can you heat up the beams until they are soft? And Katara, you can make that jet of water of yours cut!"
"Sokka you're a genius!" Katara gasped.
"Well I do have my moments." Sokka grinned obviously satiesfied as he rolled up the plans. "Aang you need to help with both. First heat up and then help Katara with the cut while Zuko keeps the beams warm."
"Got it!" Aang nodded and they all started to run to where they could get to the outer structure.
They had to run and climb a bit but was finally above the engine rooms where the massive pillars of pure steel shot up and Zuko and Aang jumped to the nearest one grabbing it from each their side and then the metal started to heat up.
Katara exhaled as she pulled out the water and then slashed it through the softened metal. Aang letting go to help her with the process and Zuko kept his hands on the steel beam as he breathed deeply and rhythmically.
It took them three minutes and they cut through… But the pillar basically stayed in place.
"It.. It's to heavy." Zuko gasped. "It wont move."
"Oh no." Sokka gasped. "This should collapse!"
"No wait. This will work!" Aang gasped. "It's like what Toph said. Weaken the opponent at many places and then."
Zukos eyes widened. "A big impact will make the entire thing fall apart!"
"And when the first one falls the entire thing will collapse like a chain reaction." Katara finished.
"LET'S GO TEAM! To the next pillar!" Sokka shouted. "You guys can do it!"
Zuko glared shortly at Sokka but they continued to the next pillar as asked and soon that one was cut through as well and then as they worked on the third one the entire thing started to rumble making the people stumble.
"What was that?" Aang asked.
"We must have hit the wall." Zuko gasped. "They started drilling." he said as the entire thing was now rumbling and vibrating.
"This is good!" Sokka gasped. "With all of these vibrating and the pillars cut it will collapse we just need to keep going! Keep going guys!"
The other three didn't even take the time to reply but hurried up, time was running out!
Azulas eyes were narrowed as she looked at the engines room. They had started the drill of the wall. She was not happy though. Something felt off.
This foolish war minister was already congratulating himself on his own win, but the machine felt different. And that Ba Sing Say had stopped their defence felt highly suspect as well. Those earth benders they had send had been pathetic. Surely this couldn't be the extent of Ba Sing Se's defence. If that had been it. Even her own lazy uncle should have been able to breach that wall in less than a day. It wouldn't have taken him six hundred days if this was it.
Just then a soldier came running. "SIR!" he shouted. "An engineer was found knocked out and his machine plans stolen! And one of our supporting pillars were cut clean through it's sabotage!"
Azula stood up… She knew. So this was their plan and she sighed. "Come on then. Let's go girls." she gestured for Mai and Ty-Lee.
"Finally." Mai groaned. "Something to do around here."
"Come on! Go team!" Sokka shouted. "Seven support pillars down! That's almost all of them! Number eight! Go team Avatar!"
Zuko groaned as he started to get seriously annoyed with Sokkas constant cheering from the sidelines. He almost considered just pushing the boy off the beam they were standing on… Almost.
Just then a jet of blue flames was fired right at them and barely Aang managed to dodge as he screamed, all of them turning to see a trio of girls standing above them.
Zukos eyes widened as he gasped. "Azula."
Azula glared down at him. "So the rumours are true." she commented. "You really have fallen low now. I actually thought that maybe part of your honour was still salvageable. Clearly I was wrong. Well… I suppose you might as well embrace your role as traitor Zuzu."
Zuko hissed as he squinted his eyes. "The real traitor is the one who hurt fire nation people. And that isn't me." he said.
Azula rolled her eyes. "Teaming up with the Avatar Zuzu? I don't know why I am even surprised. Who else would want such a pathetic traitor. I suppose I can't blame you when no one else would even have you. Even uncle left you behind I see."
Zuko swallowed as his body was shaking.
Azula nodded her head. "Take them girls." and then the three girls jumped forward.
"Okay guys! Time to go!" Sokka screamed and they all jumped down to make a mad run for it with through the narrow hallways until they reached a fork.
"Guys! You go that way! I know what I need to do!" Aang shouted gesturing to the left and he himself ran to the right.
Only as he had run a few meters did he realize. "Zuko!" he shouted. "I told you to go with the others."
"I'm aware. But you can't handle Azula on your own." Zuko replied. "I'll try to hold her off while you do what you need to do!"
Aang gasped.
"You better hurry though." Zuko stated. "I can give you a little time. That's all I can do."
Aang nodded seriously. "Thanks Zuko." he said just in time for a blue jet of flames to erupt forcing the both of them to dodge.
As the next blue flame came Zuko turned on his heels and slashed through the flames dispersing them allowing Aang to run forward.
"You really think you can take me on Zuzu?" Azula laughed as she kept running straight forward. She hadn't even lost speed.
"I learned a few new things recently." Zuko replied. "Mainly how to think in alternatives!" he shouted as he made a flame dagger appear in his hand and then slashed through a pipe right next to him making a huge burst of steam escape right out towards Azula who screamed as she had to stop and hold up her arms protecting herself from the scalding steam while Zuko turned around and followed Aang to where there was a ladder going up on top.
Outside Zuko gasped. The machine they were standing on truly was making its way into the big wall itself and Aang was on top desperately trying to cut a hole using water bending.
Zuko hissed as he laid his hands on the steel trying to heat it up as best he could to help. How-ever barely did he get to help out before Azula came up. Now dripping in water from the hot steam and she hissed.
"You think you are so smart. Don't you Zuzu?" Azula asked annoyed.
"I don't know. Why don't you test me?" Zuko asked as he took a stands.
Azula frowned as she stood. "You know." she then said. "Maybe you can still safe your honour." she said. "Think of it. The Avatar is right behind you and he suspect nothing. With the two of us working together he has no chance and father will have to take you back. Capture the Avatar and your banishment ends. That was what he said and a fire lord must stand by his words. I will be your witness." she said. "Think of how easy it is right now. You can come home. All you need to do is turn around... And take him."
Zuko looked at Azula. Then he smirked and then he laughed.
Azula frowned annoyed.
"Had you asked me a month ago I would have taken you up on that promise in a second." Zuko laughed amused. "This though is not a month ago. It's now." he said as he took a stands. "I know what my duty is! To take back the fire nation and restore its honour! I will not be taking any orders from you or Ozai."
Azula shrugged. "Well, have it your way then." she said and jumped forward with a fist full of flames.
Zuko dodged and Azula hissed as she came back. Sending fire attack after fire attack. Zuko dodging each one in almost a graceful dance.
As Azula kept attacking Zuko kept dodging and Azula got even more annoyed. "Why aren't you attacking?" she asked. "You already know your own fire bending is weak is that it?" she asked. "You still can't use fire bending without it blowing up in your own face!" she smirked.
At that Zuko crouched and made a round kick sweeping Azula off her legs and she screamed.
"I'm not using fire bending because I don't need to right now." Zuko replied and Azulas eyes widened as she attacked again and Zuko dodged.
"Fight you coward!" Azula demanded.
"You know what I think?" Zuko asked. "All this talk of no one wanting me. I think that is projection."
"What?" Azula asked in a gasp.
"You kept saying mother left me because I'm pathetic. But she left you too. Remember?" Zuko asked. "And uncle. He never left me, he left you."
"Shut up!" Azula roared as she grew more and more angry.
"Where's father?" Zuko asked. "Standing at your side in this glorious moment?" he rolled his eyes. "No. You're just a lackey he send to do his bidding. He cares as much about you as he cares about me. Which means… He doesn't care about you. No one cares about you."
And Azula screamed in a furry of flames as she jumped and suddenly grabbed Zukos throat throwing him down on his back and she hissed in a flurry as she was now on top of Zuko holding his throat.
"You think you can beat me Zuzu?" Azula asked. "With dodging and words! You already know. You can't beat me!"
Zuko smirked from the ground. "I wasn't trying to beat you. I just needed to distract you."
Azulas eyes widened and then she looked up to see Aang who had created a huge keel of stone and now jumped down from high. Screaming as he pushed down and the keel went right inside while a huge gust of wind knocked Azula off Zuko and he took the moment to get up and run, jumping down on the ground below which opened up for him to an underground tunnel where he was greeted by Toph.
Up above Aang flew upwards and looked down as the entire machinery fell apart right in front of his eyes.
The pressure build up created by Katara and Toph, the broken steel beams and the final blow. All working together and it just fell apart.
Azula fell down the machine and into a huge pile of mud now covering her and she sat up and screamed. "I'll get you for this Zuzu! I'll kill you!"