Chapter 112: Sokka's Escape Attempt #42

Sokka's previous escape attempts had all failed. Sokka was choosing not to let them demoralise him, even as he considered where they had all gone wrong.

Some of the more interesting ones were as followed:

Escape Attempt #1 had simply involved banging on the wall of the cell yelling for the Dai Li to let them out. Not his most well thought out plan, but worth a shot nonetheless.

Escape Attempt #12 had involved scratching at the walls with his fingernails. That one had definitely not been his brightest idea, especially as it resulted in three broken nails and a surprising amount of blood. In hindsight, it was easy to see why this plan had failed entirely.

Escape Attempt #23 had been where he'd grabbed a loose rock from the back of his cell and tried to smash it against weak-looking points in the wall. The rock in his hand crumbled to dust long before the wall ever would. As he thought about it, he really hadn't needed to scream at the top of his lungs as he did it. Especially when he considered how freaked out Aang had looked when he'd finished.

Escape Attempt #37 had occurred after Aang told him a story about a Airbending Monk he'd heard about who could unlock doors by whistling. Sokka, struggling to think of ideas at this point, figured it was worth a shot. This resulted in the two boys whistling off-key at a rock wall. Eventually Sokka realised that the boy was just looking for an excuse to start whistling again.

So, here he was, on his 42nd escape attempt in less than twelve hours (he thought, he'd honestly lost track of time during attempt #23 when he devolved into cathartic screaming). He figured that, eventually, the Dai Li were going to have to feed them. That's when plan #42 would commence.

The 'Sick Prisoner' routine, a classic for a reason. So obvious a ruse that the Dai Li would have to believe that it was real.

He'd already talked Aang through the details of it; Aang would be playing the titular role, with Sokka lying in wait for the incoming agents. With Aang's bending out of action, and him having no hand-to-hand combat experience, it made more sense for Sokka to attach. Besides, he was bigger and stronger.

It took a while for an agent to make an appearance. Sokka assumed it was a while, anyway; this far underground there really was no way of telling.

Eventually though, there was a rumbling as the 'door' was opened.

He hurriedly gestured for Aang to lay down and act sick, and the boy was quick to get into character; personally, Sokka thought that the groaning and pleas to Death were a little over the top, but to each their own and Sokka wasn't one to quash the boy's theatrical interests.

He darted to the side of the door and called out, "Quick! Aang's really sick! I think he needs a healer!"

He crouched low, ready to rush forward and attack whoever entered.

A Dai Li agent stepped inside their cell, with two covered dishes in hand, and Sokka dived forward with a bloodcurdling scream his ancestors would be proud of.

"AHHHHH!"

As he was flying through the air towards the visibly startled agent, a mid-sized rock collided with his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending falling to the ground in an ungraceful heap.

"Oof!"

The agent dropped the dishes to the ground and assumed a defensive stance. His partner, stood just beyond the cell door, was in a similar stance.

"Try that again and you will be punished. Severely." The agent growled, before striding out of the cell. The door was sealed behind him.

"Well," Aang commented from where he was still laid down. "Back to the drawing board, I guess."

Sokka just groaned.