THIS CHAPTER WAS EDITED AS OF 1/21/06
Author Notes…
First off: HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Okay guys, this is not the last chapter. You see, I originally planned for "Escape Part One & Part Two" to be in one chapter, but that would make it way too long! I have finished the first draft of Escape Part Two but I still need to edit it, so it'll be up probably tomorrow so its still fresh in your minds! And then after that will be the epilogue to tie up some loose ends after that chapter. I had to do crunch time today, so I didn't have a lot of time to edit—which is why you're bound to see a couple grammatical mistakes. But never fear! At the same time the epilogue comes out I'm going to edit every single chapter! Thanks to all of my FABULOUS reviewers—I can't believe you guys like this story so much! I'm almost at a 100 reviews! 0 . o (I can hardly believe it) also, as a few of you have been wondering if I have a new story coming up, the answer is, yes, I do. More will be said on that in the epilogue A/N. So guys, here's part one of the finale of The Return of Jet!
IMPORTANT: The knife Sokka uses is the one with the four molar teeth on the bottom and has a short slightly curved blade with a leather wrapped handle.
Disclaimer: MWUAHAHAHA! FINALLY, I, 1BZWRITER, HAVE TAKEN OVER NICK AND HAVE NOW BECOME THE OWNER OF AVA—is bonked upside the head by Nick Lawyers with a plank of wood Okay, Okay, scowls and rubs head I DON'T own Avatar: The Last Airbender. YOU HAPPY NOW?
Chapter Ten
Escape Part 1
They were trapped.
"What do we do?" Katara asked frantically, her ocean blue eyes wide as she listened to the clattering armor of the Fire Nation soldiers as they came closer to them. "Stand and fight!" Sokka told her grimly as he gave Katara his knife to defend herself with, gripping his club in his other hand.
Just as Katara grasped the leather handle, twenty Fire Nation soldiers spilled into the small hall, their swords and spears raised high.
Sokka's heart started thumping wildly as the men from the two hallways behind them started attacking Aang, the non-benders trying to throw their spears without hitting their fellow men as the benders lined up and began performing fire bending attacks in unison. Sokka only caught a glimpse of Aang knocking aside the spears and then flinging the powerful fire attacks to the ceiling before a stout, middle aged soldier with a long, wicked looking sword charged at him, his battle cry ringing in Sokka's ears.
Narrowing his eyes, Sokka returned the man's challenge with his own battle cry as the two leapt towards each other. Sokka's club and the man's sword clashed in an 'X' in front of them, Sokka straining against the fire bender as he leered at the Water Tribe boy, his beady eyes glaring into Sokka's blue ones.
With a grunt, the soldier shoved Sokka back with a thrust of his tree-trunk thick arms and the Water Tribe boy-warrior stumbled back a couple steps, giving up much needed ground. His arm swung away from his torso from the force of the blow and Sokka paused for the briefest of seconds before speed attacking the soldier, swinging for his side as hard as he could with his club……
The fire bender blocked it so easily that for a millisecond Sokka realized that the soldier he was battling could probably block swings like that in his sleep.
Disengaging Sokka's club, the soldier pulled back his arm and Sokka barely saw the blur that was his sword as it swung for Sokka's unprotected side.
Grunting with effort Sokka barely managed to twist his club around and blocked the man's sword before it was gone a split second later and swung around for his other side. Bending his knees Sokka blocked it again, the tip of the sword ripping through his shirt; and out of the corner of his eye Sokka saw Katara cornered by a soldier, swinging the unfamiliar knife for all it was worth as Aang knocked fire benders around like they weighed nothing.
Shouting again, the fire bender attacking Sokka drew back his sword and lunged for Sokka's neck, his stroke fast and powerful by using both of his hands.
"Ah!" Sokka yelped, throwing his neck to the side as his weapon came up and caught the fire bender's sword in the crook of his club.
Sokka caught a glimpse of the frustration and hate in the fire bender's eyes before he yanked away his sword and brought it down at Sokka's thigh.
Without having time to think the attack was so fast Sokka simply swatted at the sword while jumping back, knocking the blade to the side enough to only receive a shallow cut and a ripped pant leg. Deciding it was time to land his own hits Sokka brought his club crashing down at the fire bender's arm…..…just as the aforesaid fire bender swiped down at his feet with his long sword.
Giving a another yelp that was muffled under the din of crashing swords and armor, Sokka leaped high into the air, avoiding the flashing blade even as it nipped the toe of his boot. Gripping the handle on his club with two hands, Sokka brought them behind his head and then sent it crashing down at the fire bender's helmet…..
The soldier brought his sword up with a flash and blocked Sokka's blow an inch from his nose. Straining against each other Sokka found himself in another 'X' position with the soldier as they glared at each other hatefully.
Sokka heard Katara scream from behind him and his blue eyes widened as the beady eyed man grinned evilly and then dropped one of his hands. He pulled it back, shooting a blast of fire at Sokka's face, which at the moment was only an inch from the fire bender's sword.
Hearing someone scream and realizing it was himself a split second later, Sokka flung his back backwards, the fie reflecting in his eyes for a fraction of a second before gravity kicked in. Sokka crashed to the ground, his back popping in many places as one of his hands saved him from falling as it met the ground under him. His left hand still held up the fire bender's sword.
Sokka paled as the soldier drew his sword up without missing a beat and sent it crashing down at him. Rolling away quickly, Sokka felt the wind from the blade's descent tickle his neck as he avoided getting kicked in the face by another soldier. Once he was clear of his second attacker Sokka sent his club crashing into the first fire bender's leg.
The fire bender screamed and dropped his sword in agony as Sokka heard a muffled pop as his club met behind the man's knee cap.
Stumbling to his feet, Sokka felt the heat and the angry roar of fire rush up behind him and flung his body to the side, avoiding a fire ball blasted at him from the second fire bender. Sokka rushed up to the man whose knee cap he had most likely cracked for the blow to his head that would knock him unconscious.
It never landed.
With a loud, feral snarl, the Fire Nation soldier snapped his head up and sent a large blast of hissing fire at Sokka's chest. Katara's shouts and the roar of air and fire filled Sokka's ears as he crashed to the floor, evading the fire blast by mere inches.
Glancing up, Sokka saw another soldier standing over him, his sword flashing down for a fatal blow. Too winded from the crash to the metal floor to yell in surprise, Sokka rolled to the side and the fire bender's sword tip smashed into the metal floor with a ringing zing.
Sokka had one foot on the ground and was on his other knee when he saw the wounded fire bender he had been fighting blast another torrent of fire at him.
Sokka flung himself down to the ground again to avoid the high blast and found himself scrambling out of the way of spears and the swords of other fire bender's as he tried to regain his feet.
Sokka noticed he was getting too close to the wall for comfort, and not wanting to be cornered against it the Water Tribe boy avoided an arcing spear, crashing his club into the offending fire bender's feet. He knocked him down and delivered a crushing, but not fatal blow to the man's forehead, thus effectively knocking him out and possibly giving him a concussion.
Sokka sprung to his feet, senses alert and breathing hard, sweat pouring down his face from the heat and exertion of the battle. Sokka noticed the lashes of fire from the wounded fire bender coming for his face in time to duck, and then rush forward to attack the still kneeling man.
When Sokka got to the distance of two feet, the man gave another snarl and with his good leg sent a thin line of fire towards the boys feet, over which Sokka leaped in the air to avoid….in time to see another blast of fire coming straight at his face.
Cursing loudly, Sokka bent his back at an odd angle and it popped again as he avoided the fire and landed wrong, stumbling to regain his sense of balance as the attack raged on around him.
Unfortunately this gave the thick-armed fire bender time to get to his feet, grab his sword and swing it at Sokka's side.
The sword and club met with a loud crash, and Sokka, acting purely on instinct, placed his right foot next to the man's left foot and then pivoted, ending up behind the tall monster of a man. Swinging his club back over his head for momentum Sokka hit right between the man's body armor and helmet hard enough to send him stumbling. Taking another step forward, Sokka hit the man's neck again and he crumpled to the floor like a block of ice.
Gasping for air in the smoke-filled room, Sokka heard foot steps and whirled around in time to block a sword blow to his back; straining against his attacker, Sokka briefly caught a glimpse of Aang taking a hit before retaliating with a gust of wind that knocked three fire benders against the wall and two down the right hand hallway.
Sokka quickly returned to the moment at-hand when from either side of the man attacking him came two fire benders, both of their hands sending strips of fire towards each of his sides, preventing him from leaping sideways.
After screaming in terror (which he heartily denied ever doing later) Sokka held up the sword in front of him and ducked under the fire bender's arm, missing the fire blasts so narrowly that Sokka felt the intense heat on his back as his clothes singed. Once he was out of the little circle the fire benders had made around him, Sokka pulled his club after him and slammed the man in front of him with the sphere of the club, causing him to crumble to the ground.
Sokka didn't have the chance to knock him out though because the two fire benders, after realizing they had missed, turned around and faced him, hands glowing an eerie and all-too-familiar red-orange.
"Crap."
Ducking their combined fire attack, Sokka quickly drew out his boomerang and sent it flying towards the group of fire benders starting to close in on him.
He lost track of it when he heard Katara shout again, to the behind and a little to the right of him. Whipping his head around, Sokka saw Katara across the room, pinned up on the wall by a leering soldier holding Sokka's own knife at his sister's throat.
Sokka felt the blood drain from his face as he saw all the fire benders between him and Katara. He could never reach her in time—!
"AANG!" Sokka shouted, in hopes of getting the Avatar's attention as the air bender parried, ducked and then attacked a fire bender.
Sokka's view was blocked by a wall of fire flashing in front of his face….gasping in horror, Sokka leapt back…..
And slammed into the chest armor of a fire bender soldier.
Katara:
The instant the twenty fire bender's entered the small hallway, Katara lost track of Sokka and Aang as they battled against their enemies.
Right off the bat about seventeen of the twenty raced towards Aang as the two raced towards Sokka and the third ran towards her.
Katara felt her face drain of any color, the knife feeling alien in her hand compared to the reassuring presence of water at her finger tips.
Gripping Sokka's knife until her knuckles turned white, Katara crouched and leapt to the side, avoiding the man's fire attack.
Adrenaline coursing through her weakened body, Katara only made jabs with Sokka's knife when she was behind the fire bender. The one time he turned on the balls of his feet, arms raised to rain down fire on her, Katara stopped him by slashing his cheek instantly. Katara watched with wide eyes as the fire bender stared at the blood on his finger tips for a split second before he increased the intensity of his attack on Katara.
Katara's eyes widened in horror and she couldn't stop the shouts of panic as she dodged the man's sword and fire attacks narrowly, singing her clothing and sometimes ripping it on the man's blade.
His sword suddenly came crashing down on her and Katara ducked into the hallway next to her to avoid the blade as it chopped off the end of her braid and her brown hair fell to the ground. Grinning at her, the fire bender stepped into the passage way and Katara realized her horrible mistake. By running into the hallway, she was trapped, having only one way to go and judging by the smell, Katara realized it lead to the prison holds.
So suddenly that it surprised the fire bender Katara leapt up at him, and using the momentum by running and then flying through the air, shoved him backwards as her hands connected to his chest plate. As she landed back out in the hallway, slightly behind and to the side of the stumbling fire bender, Katara ducked in time to avoid a fire bender flying through the air and then crashing into the wall with a loud THUNK!
Distracted by the flying man and the pain in her hands, Katara saw Aang block an attack and then she caught a glimpse of Sokka's blue clothing in between the red and black of the Fire Nation armor; she regretted doing this instantly as the fire bender next to her body slammed her into the wall and ripped Sokka's knife from her hands and pressed the sharp end against her neck so roughly that a thin strip of blood formed and started trickling down her neck.
Whimpering, Katara stayed utterly still as her wide, terrified eyes stared into the angry fire bender's face, his stinky breath invading her nostrils as he panted heavily.
I'm dead meat.
Sokka:
….And slammed into the chest armor of a fire bender soldier.
The skin on his knuckles was immediately stripped off as Sokka turned around to face his opponent.
Big mistake.
Immediately the fire bender slugged Sokka in the cheek, his fist alive with fire and Sokka screamed as he felt the fire burn his face. Still screaming, Sokka dropped his club and stumbled away from the fire bender, pressing his hand to his raw cheek and smothering the fire. Sokka had his eyes closed and was doubled over in pain as the fire bender continued his beating by punching Sokka in the stomach with the pointed toe of his boot.
"Ooof!" The wind rushed out of him as Sokka gasped and fell to his knees, clutching his stomach, eyes burning and feeling like he could never breathe properly again in his life. The fire bender pulled back his hand and lighted his fist to set the Water Tribe boy on fire, a demonic grin on his face.
Gritting his teeth, Sokka pried open his eyes as he gasped for breath and glared at his killer; for a brief moment Sokka was staring death in the face when at the last second a blue blur slammed into the back of the fire bender and his helmet took off flying as the soldier crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
With a grin Sokka caught his boomerang and got to his feet, happy to find he could breathe again even though his cheek still felt like it was on fire.
Glancing around, Sokka saw Aang finish knocking a fire bender to the ground and then immediately turning to meet another one's fire. The small room Sokka was standing in was littered with Fire Nation soldier's bodies and about eight soldiers remained; Sokka wildly looked around for Katara after launching his boomerang at a charging fire bender. Sokka caught a glimpse of the girl fighting a fire bender and losing, but his attention was yanked away by the familiar sound of a boomerang whizzing through the air.
After catching his boomerang deftly, Sokka looked around on the floor for his club, dodging a blast of fire before finding it behind a soldier's body. Running forward, Sokka put away his boomerang and gripped his club….
And caught the glimpse of brown eyes through a helmet slit as the fire bender next to his club leapt to his feet, surprising Sokka so much that he turned white under his dark skin and gasped before the man swung at him with his sword.
Sokka frantically blocked the man's wild blow to his neck, the fire bender driving his back closer and closer to the wall as Sokka avoided lightening fast swipes at his thighs, torso, neck, head, arms, and feet.
The abrupt ceasing of the sounds of fire, air and metal crashing against metal went unnoticed by Sokka as he saw an opening on the fire bender below his arm pit and jabbed the soldier with his club. Unfortunately, his club wasn't sharp and against the main's chain mail the only effect the club had on the soldier was to cause his sword to swerve and crash into the wall.
Darting around the fire bender and backing away from the wall, he put a good four foot distance between the soldier and himself. Glancing up the fire bender grinned and Sokka watched with growing dread as the man's sword began glowing a dull red.
"Is that it? A glowing sword? Oooh, I'm shaking in my boots!" Sokka suddenly taunted, waving his hands and pretending to shiver. The Fire Nation soldier's brown eyes glittered darkly and so great was his irritation that he didn't see the last of his men fall or feel the Avatar's cold gaze on him.
Shouting in outrage, the soldier rush attacked Sokka as the boy warrior stood there and smirked, arms crossed. Sokka's attitude alerting him at the last second the soldier glanced up and saw the Avatar pull back his hand before the air currant came rushing towards him.
Changing his attack to defense, the soldier evaded the blast and did the last thing Sokka expected him to do. The Fire Nation soldier pulled out a crude, bamboo horn and began blowing it incessantly as he sprinted for the nearest hall way. Sokka's smirk faded as he recognized the tune of the horn; it was calling for the other troops stationed throughout the accursed tower.
"Don't let him escape!" Sokka shouted, flinging out his boomerang. The soldier easily ducked Katara's slash with Sokka's knife and the boy warrior's boomerang, but the ringing of the horn stopped abruptly as Aang knocked the fire bender against the wall with the same move he had been repeating the entire battle.
"Come on!" Aang said in his Avatar voice; Sokka couldn't help but shiver a bit at how strange the air bender sounded—as if his voice and all of his past 1,000 life's voices were speaking at the same time, creating a low, rumbling undertone to the boy's normal voice.
The Avatar raced towards the hall leaping over the fallen Fire Nation soldier's and Sokka did the same, turning to grab Katara's hand before darting after the air bender.
Katara:
I'm dead meat.
The fire bender leered at her before lifting one his hands and grabbing her throat with a strength that seemed akin to iron as Katara struggled for air even as the fire bender's hand warmed up.
Katara's lunges burned and her wild attempts to shove the man away slowed, as she realized with horror she was beginning to lose consciousness.
No, no, Katara screamed in her thoughts as she her vision dimmed and her thoughts began to darken.
Abruptly the pressure and searing hot pain on her neck ceased and Katara fell the ground, dizzy and gasping for breath as she blinked several times to make the floor stop spinning. Remembering the fire bender Katara looked up, certain that she would see a sword or a blast of fire arcing down at her.
But instead all she saw was the scorched metal ceiling peering back down at her. Still dizzy, Katara put one hand against the wall and looked around wildly to see what had happened to her attacker.
She saw his pale, leering face in a body propped up against the far wall. Katara snatched Sokka's knife from the floor as she glanced at Aang out of the corner of her eye, certain that the Avatar had once again saved her from a certain death.
She had time to notice Sokka blocking a Fire bender's attack and the few Fire Nation soldiers left standing before she was attacked again.
Her attacker attempted to plunge his blade through her heart and Katara leapt to the side, wishing fervently she had water at her finger tips.
Bringing Sokka's knife down, tip point out, Katara darted around the man until she reached his side, and as he turned and lifted his arm to hack her into little pieces or set her on fire, Katara jabbed Sokka's knife into the chain mail of the soldier.
Yelling as his flesh pinched between the chain mail, the soldier brought his arm down and swung at Katara, who jumped away again to face his back. She stepped back as the fire bender yanked the Water Tribe weapon out of his armor and flung it at Katara.
Yelping, Katara ducked and heard the rush of air above her head as the knife flew over her spinning crazily. When the knife missed its intended mark and instead met the metal wall with a clang Katara's attacker make a noise of frustration before firing fire balls in a rapid succession at Katara.
Too terrified and short of breath to scream Katara dive bombed the floor and rolled out of the way of the fires, slinging her body to the side more then once as the fire bender tried to outsmart her in his aiming.
Katara's face was slick with sweat as she felt the intense heat of the fire blasts and the acid smell of smoke as she ducked. Jumping to her feet with speed she didn't know she possessed Katara evaded a shot towards the floor where she had previously kneeling.
Finally finding her voice, Katara opened her mouth to call for Aang as the fire bender rush attacked her, long sword swinging and her weaponless. Suddenly Katara felt a rough wind knock her clear across the room, and the breath from Katara's body left in a whoosh as her bruised cheek slammed into the armor of an unconscious fire bender.
Eyes watering from the smoke and the pain in her body Katara slowly rose to her feet as she watched Aang finish fighting the fire bender who had been attacking her.
I hate being helpless! Katara suddenly thought as her eyes widened in dread as her brother blocked a furious barrage of attacks, some of them landing half-way home and cutting Sokka's flesh.
Suddenly the soldier had Sokka cornered against the wall and Katara watched as her brother crashed his club into the fire bender and gave himself time to rush away. Realizing that the roar of air and fire wasn't in her ears any more Katara glanced at Aang and saw him walking away from a fallen body towards the last soldier. Sokka glanced away from the man's flaming sword and saw the Avatar walking towards him. Sokka eyes gleamed and he quickly turned back to the grinning soldier.
"Is that it? A glowing sword? Oooh, I'm shaking in my boots!" Sokka taunted, waving his hands and pretending to shiver. Katara fought back a wry smile at Sokka's childish taunt, but it served its purpose as the fire bender, shouting in outrage, rush attacked Sokka as the boy warrior stood there and smirked, his arms crossed as he cocked his head.
Katara fully expected Aang to strike as the soldier was in mid-attack towards Sokka, but the soldier glanced to the side in the last few seconds and saw the Avatar striding towards him, hand out stretched. Changing his attack to defense, the soldier evaded the blast and did the last thing Katara expected him to do.
The Fire Nation soldier pulled out a crude, bamboo horn and began blowing it incessantly as he sprinted for the nearest hall way. The hairs on the back of Katara's neck stood up as she heard the horn.
"Don't let him escape!" Sokka shouted, flinging out his boomerang.
Katara came back to life and saw her knife a few feet away and then snatched it up, bolting towards the fire bender. The soldier easily ducked Katara's clumsy slash with Sokka's knife and the boy warrior's soaring boomerang, but the ringing of the horn stopped abruptly as Aang knocked the fire bender against the wall in the same move he had been repeating the entire battle.
"Come on!" Aang said in his booming Avatar voice. His voice sent shiver's up and down Katara's spine as she jogged towards him and Sokka.
Aang, without showing the slightest bit of fatigue, raced towards the hall leaping over the fallen Fire Nation soldier's and Sokka did the same, turning to grab Katara's hand before darting after the air bender. Her lunges burned as her legs wobbled, but Sokka's firm grip on her wrist kept her up to pace.
Effects of the horn started to take place though as Katara heard the clatter of boots again.
No, she though in despair. Please…no more.
Jet:
He tasted iron in his mouth.
Groaning, Jet found himself on his side, his face smashed half-way into the metal floor. Slowly, Jet opened his eyes, and his vision swam, and the vision in one eye everything was rimmed in red. Suddenly aware of the warm, sticky fluid running over his left eye, Jet lifted one of his hands and wiped the blood away from a gash on his forehead. Coughing, Jet got to his knees before the room started spinning and he was overcome with nausea.
Ducking his head, barely aware of his trembling body, Jet threw up his lunch. Gasping for breath four minutes later, Jet kept his eyes closed as his stomach churned uneasily and his back felt like a thousand white-hot needles were stabbing him.
Groaning again, Jet tried to swallow through his damaged throat—
The Avatar.
Jet looked up as his vision cleared and he heard the ringing tones of horns. Slowly turning his head to look at the room, Jet saw his Twin Tiger Swords lying a couple yards away, and the prison door wide open.
Gone. He escaped! Jet clutched his fists as he gritted his teeth together. All his hard plans! Gone, wasted! Down the drain! That da—
Suddenly Jet burst into a fit of coughing, and when he opened his eyes he was staring at the floor where flecks of blood were sprayed.
Slowly as his stomach was still churning, Jet lifted his hand and felt the blood running from his mouth. I hope that's not from inside of me, Jet thought soberly as he wiped the blood away from his mouth. Jet tried to wrinkle his nose at the vomit by his legs but a sharp, throbbing pain shot through his nose instead and he gasped. The words he uttered would have made a pirate cringe.
So he thought I was out of the picture…Jet slowly got to his feet, ignoring his violently trembling limbs as his body started going into shock.
Revenge! I will make him pay for this….he thought he escape me?
Breathing heavily, Jet stood up for a couple seconds before carefully walking over to his Twin Tiger Swords. Suddenly Jet paused and his brow furrowed. Why was he still alive? He thought for sure that the Avatar was going to kill him……
No matter, Jet said to himself as he gripped his swords. He still needs to pay; Katara and Sokka too.
Jet fought down his nausea and how light headed he was feeling and power walked out of the prison cell, deciding not run so he could save energy.
By the time he had walked down the long hall of prisoners, Jet had calmed down enough to think straight. As he kept brushing away the blood running from his open head wound and lip, the throbbing pain in his neck and back rose in intensity until Jet gasped and leaned against the prison cell door at the end of the hallway, trembling like a leaf as the ground spun crazily. Closing his eyes tight, Jet noticed the horns were nearer along with the sound of running feet.
I can't fight like this, Jet realized bitterly, beep I can barely walk! I need to stop the bleeding…Jet sheathed his left hand sword and pressed his hand against his head wound as he painfully jogged up the hall way. He couldn't even fight that so-called warrior Sokka; how could he expect to fight the Avatar?
Jet swallowed his pride and decided that he should attempt his own escape as the Avatar and his companions attempted to flee the tower. If his prey escaped Lazar would turn on him, and agreement or no agreement, imprison him and execute him personally.
Gritting his teeth again, Jet reached the cross roads and his eyes opened as wide as they could go when he saw the Fire Nation men sprawled across the ground, pale and unmoving.
He had been here.
And the sound of shouting Fire Nation soldiers with their weapons was coming from the two passage ways behind him. Jet turned and forced his body to run around the soldiers and up the only other hallway, racing along even though he heard foot steps ahead of him—that were going away from him?
Jet frowned in confusion until a sudden thought hit him like a ton of rocks; even though Jet's hand had turned red from his own blood and he was light headed and wounded, an expression came over his face that would have made even Lord Ozai cringe.
Sokka:
Sokka's heart sank as he heard the uneven running footsteps running after them and the distant shouts of the men ahead of them and behind them.
Crud, Sokka thought bitterly. "Run faster!" He gasped, his legs pulling and stretching so much that his hamstrings felt like jelly. Katara's breathing was irregular and she was beginning to slow down.
"Katara! Come on we have to hurry!" Sokka exclaimed, tugging Katara's hand firmly.
"I'm—trying—" She said in-between great gasps of air.
Sokka's lips thinned as he heard the footsteps come closer, seemingly around the very bend behind them. She can't last much longer, Sokka realized as he glanced at Katara's pale face. And I don't think I can last much longer too. Sokka gave a little grunt as the cuts on his body started to sting with a vengeance.
Aang was running ahead of him, his head swiveling in every direction for the turn to go down to the hallway that had the weapon room they had come in. By the speed the air bender was going at, many people would have thought he had plenty of energy but Sokka saw how jerkily he moved and it made him uneasy. If Aang's Avatar Spirit suddenly receded, the boy would probably pass out and then Sokka would have a big problem on his hands…..
"There!" Sokka hissed, as a hall way opened up on his left. The Avatar changed directions and ran down the path, Sokka and the quickly-tiring Katara at his heels.
"Come on, just a few more feet Katara," Sokka told the young water girl in an attempt to encourage her to greater speed. Aang threw the door open and caught it before it had a chance to slam into the wall. Disappearing into the dark weapons room, Sokka lost sight of Aang as he slid to a stop, breathing so hard he thought his heart would burst.
"Get in," He ordered as he shoved Katara a couple feet towards the door. The girl obeyed, clutching her heart as she gasped for breath. Upon hearing the shouts of: "Where'd he go?" and "Check all of the rooms and hallways! He couldn't have gotten far!" Sokka stiffened in terror momentarily before gently closing the metal door. They had to get out the weapons room before they were caught!