Ch 12 the earth king
"We escaped from the Dai Li, we have Appa back, and the red and blues with us. We can go and see the earth king." Sokka said.
"Hell no. After what we saw, we want no part in this war." Sarge said, slinging his shotgun.
"Sarge is right. This is not our war, but we have no choice, but to help." Wash said.
"Help? Are you crazy?" Tucker asked.
"Tucker, I've done the calculations in my head over and over. The ship doesn't have enough supplies to last a full year of hard combat. And the fire nation will shoot first and ask later. Between letting the fire nation win the war, and siding with the earth kingdom, we'll have to pick the lesser of two evils. But when this war is over, we can kill the Dai Li, hunt them down to the last man." Wash said.
"Fine." Tucker grudgingly said.
"Alright. Field trip!" Caboose said.
"It's not exactly a field trip. Out of the frying pan and into the fire." Wash said.
The large group piled on Appa and headed towards the palace, with some complications.
"How the hell are we going to stay on this thing?!" Tucker asked.
"I don't know! If I look down, my chances of falling increase dramatically!" Simmons responded.
"Don't look down then!" Ursa shouted, holding onto Wash for dear life.
Simmons looks down.
"Oh my god!" Simmons shouts.
Flying over Ba Sing Se, Katara made a note Sarge was quick to retort on.
"Long Feng has probably warned the king and fortified the place."
"Gee, put that in an envelope titled 'shit I already know!'" Sarge retorted.
"No need to be snippy." Katara said.
"I agree with Sarge. We're heading right into a trap." Wash said.
At that warning, the sim troopers loaded their guns for combat.
"No guns. Hand to hand only. Save your bullets for the Dai Li only." Wash said.
"A chance to use my sword." Tucker said, his hand caressing the hilt.
"Incoming!" Sokka shouted, as surface to air rocks were fired at them.
"Wash, use your sniper rifle!" Simmons shouted.
"We have to conserve ammunition!" Wash reminded.
"I hope you brought your wallets! Because the first one who kills a Dai Li gets paid in advance!" Sarge shouted.
"We're facing earth kingdom troops. Not Dai Li." Simmons said.
Upon touchdown, the armored soldiers jumped from Appa and headed towards the mass swarm of earth kingdom guards and tore thru them, using their bare hands and superior strength and skills.
"This is greater than grif-ball!" Sarge said, as he grabbed one of the guards and threw him into a small river.
"More guards!" Wash shouted.
"Men, fix bayonets!" Sarge shouted, unslinging his shotgun and putting the bayonet attachment on the forward end.
Sarge ran forward and bayoneted a soldier to death. Suddenly, a boulder is thrown at him and knocks him on his side, only for said thrower to be impaled by Wash.
"Get to the throne room!" Wash shouted.
Approaching the stairs, Toph and Aang collapsed the stairs, and brought the group up a flat slope, watching as the earth king guards fell down the slope to the ground below.
"Sorry, dirt-bags. We just need to see the king, that's all." Sarge said.
"What do we do when we confront the king?" Tucker asked.
"Don't shoot him on sight, of course." Ursa said.
"Guess I can simply bludgeon him until he agrees to fight the war." Sarge said.
"No bludgeoning as well. We must show ourselves as allies. But considering how we tore thru his guards…" Wash said, looking at his blood-stained bayonet.
"May not go as planned." Sokka said.
Reaching the top, they quickly headed inside the now unguarded palace.
"Search every room!" Wash said, kicking a door open and seeing it empty.
"There's a shiny door at the end of the hall." Caboose said.
"Caboose, you're a genius!" Tucker said.
Wash and the sim troopers ran at full tilt and the combined weight of their armor was enough to break the doors open.
"What's the meaning of this?!" the king asked, seeing everyone come inside.
"We have to talk to you." Aang said.
"They're here to overthrow you." Long Feng said.
"This is a shit-hole city. The only reason we're still here is to see you." Tucker said.
"You invade my palace, attack my guards and break down my doors. And you expect me to trust you?" the king asked.
"He does have a point." Toph said.
"No shit." Sarge said.
"If you are on my side, you'll put those weapons down." The king said.
Team avatar dropped their weapons, and the sim troopers slung their rifles. At that moment, the Dai Li quickly handcuffed them.
"Wash, do something." Ursa said, a frantic look in her eyes.
Wash struggled against the earth handcuffs but was unable to break free.
"Put them and the avatar into lockdown." Long Feng said.
"The avatar?" the king asked.
"What does it matter? They're enemies of the state." Long Feng said.
"But the avatar… lets hear his case." Kuei said.
"There's been a war going on for 100 years. The Dai Li have kept it secret from you in a conspiracy to control the city." Aang said.
"A conspiracy? That's crazy." Keui said.
"Long Feng didn't want us to tell you. He kidnapped our bison to blackmail us. And that's the least of his crimes." Aang said.
"All lies. I never even seen one. They're extinct." Long Feng said.
"Your claim is difficult to believe, even from the avatar." Kuei said.
"What about the Joo Dee? We saw dozens of woman being brainwashed to be the same mindless drone. You can't hide that." Wash said.
"And here's the proof." Aang said, opening Appa's mouth and airbended Long Feng's cloak, showing the bite mark.
"There's that, but I still don't believe in the conspiracy of the Dai Li." Kuei said.
"We can show you." Ursa firmly said.
Wash barely noticed Long Feng leave the room.
"We may have a problem." Wash said.
"What kind of problem?" Sarge asked.
…
"Long Feng destroyed the entrance." Katara said.
"This is a waste of time. I'm heading back to the palace." Kuei said.
"Wait! If you come with us to the outer wall, we can show you the war is real." Aang said.
"No earth king has been to the outer wall." Kuei said.
They headed to the outer wall, and saw the drill still embedded inside the wall.
"What's that?" Kuei asked.
"A drill. Made by the fire nation to carve its way to Ba Sing Se." Katara said.
"Oh no." the king muttered.
"Don't worry, your majesty. This is simply a construction project." Long Feng said, appearing on the wall.
The troopers immediately pointed their guns at Long Feng.
"Should we kill him?" Sarge asked.
"I'd love to." Wash growled.
"Why does your construction project have a fire nation emblem on it?" Katara pointed out.
Long Feng had a subtle 'oh shit' look on his face that everyone saw.
"It's imported. You can't trust domestic machinery you know." Long Feng said.
Kuei narrowed his eyes.
"Dai Li. Arrest Long Feng. I want him tried for treason and crimes against the state." Kuei said.
The two agents gave each other a suspicious look and arrested Long Feng.
"Sarge, did your men get all the supplies out of the city?" Wash asked.
"Yes. Why?" Sarge asked.
"I get the feeling we'll be leaving the city sooner than we think." Wash said.
"Again, with the cryptic talk." Ursa said.
That night, they spoke with the earth king.
"I can't believe we're at war with the fire nation." Kuei said.
"It's true. And we're running out of time." Wash said.
"By the end of the summer, Sozin's comet will return, and give the fire nation immense power. They'll be unstoppable." Aang said.
"But there is hope. Before the comet comes, we have a window of opportunity. A solar eclipse is coming. The sun will be blocked off, and the fire benders will be powerless." Sokka said.
"What are you suggesting, Sokka?" Kuei asked.
"He wants you to send troops to attack the fire nation. Good plan, but a solar eclipse last at best, 12 minutes. That can go by quick in a firefight." Wash said.
"It's the only option on the table. It's the last window before the world goes to hell." Sokka said.
"That would require moving thousands of troops from Ba Sing Se, leaving us vulnerable." Kuei said.
"That drill in the wall shows you're already vulnerable. Next time, the fire nation will succeed. You pull the troops out so they can fight another day. And that next day, is the solar eclipse." Sarge said.
General How came in with a small case and opened it.
"My men searched Long Feng's quarters and found all of these. Letters for the avatar and his friends." General How said.
"Long Feng confiscated our mail? That's sad." Toph said.
"It's a good method of controlling the city. If you know every single person in the city, that's a shit load of power in your hands." Wash said.
The kids discussed the notes and letters they found. After going thru hell, they finally had the rest they deserved.
"So what do we do now?" Aang asked.
"I guess we should split up." Katara said.
"We just got our family back together. Now you want us to split up?" Aang asked.
"Aang, you need to meet this guru and master the avatar state. And we all have other things to do." Katara said.
"Don't worry, Aang. It's only temporary." Ursa said.
"Katara, Sokka. Didn't the general say your father is in the bay?" Wash asked.
"Yes. Why?" Sokka asked.
"Listen. When the Dai Li took Long Feng away, I saw them look at each other for a brief second. If the Dai Li are planning something, I want us all to be as far away as possible. We regroup at the bay and leave this city. Sarge, you and everyone else stay in the city. I'm leaving with Ursa to the bay." Wash said.
"What do you want us to do?" Tucker asked.
"Protect team avatar at any costs. I get the feeling someone, or something, will be gunning for all of us." Wash said.
Wash and Ursa left the palace and passed the Kyoshi warriors as they headed to the palace. Both Wash and the lead girl briefly glanced at each other and walked as if it was nothing.
Wash watched as a large blue fireball slammed into the building he was hiding in that tossed him back. Standing up he walked thru the fire, the suit protecting him. He saw Azula approaching Ursa, ready to kill.
Wash ran full tilt and knocked the fire nation princess on her ass. A brief fight, and then a scream was heard. Wash turned and saw Ursa laying on the ground, unconscious.
Wash clenched his hand and walked with Ursa as they left the city and headed towards the bay.
