Chapter 14: The Coast
With an unspoken agreement to never speak of the tunneling incident again, Team Avatar pressed forwards towards the port. The tunnel, had, at least, given them the chance to refresh themselves, so the road forward was much easier on them all. Two days of driving was enough to get them to Tunuk Bay. Ada pulled to the side of the road just before they crossed the towns borders.
"We need to move forward carefully from here. Even if the bulk of the Energybender's forces are behind us, we have to assume word has spread about our group. They'll be looking for a vehicle and group matching our description."
With that said, she grabbed her ponytail, pulled out her sword, and hacked off most of her hair without a second thought. She tossed the shed strands of hair out the window and fixed her new hairdo. It was a crude, unprofessional cut, but it changed her appearance enough to serve as a disguise. Canto had never liked short hair, but Ada would not be seeing him any time soon anyway.
"Hanjo, could you dig around in the back and find me a black plastic case."
Hanjo found the case and handed it to her. She snapped open the case of makeup and gestured for Sen and Hanjo to come forward. Despite some mild protest from Sen, Ada started applying a layer of makeup to his face.
"Me and Suda are going to focus on transportation," She said as she worked. "We'll head for the underground elements, pretend to be poachers. That way we can arrange transportation for Gun, passing him off as an illegally captured animal. You two are going to go into town and get Sen some new glasses."
Sen had lost his pair while they'd been plummeting out of the mountainside, and he missed being able to see. He'd only been wearing the glasses for a few days, but being able to see the whole world clearly was important to him.
"I don't feel like my job is very important," Hanjo said.
"You're still getting a disguise, so just think of it as undercover work."
The enemy knew what they looked like now, so it was paramount for them to change their appearance when in a populated area like Tunuk Bay. Ada finished up with Sen, changing the lines of his face and eyebrows, making him look like a completely different person, then did the same to Hanjo, before finally turning to Suda. Surprisingly, Suda had no objections to putting on makeup.
"My one condition is that you give me a really cool scar," Suda said. He'd always wanted a facial scar, but was not fond of the pain that getting a scar entailed. This was his chance to have the gain without the pain.
Sen and Hanjo got to their mission while Ada was still preparing the makeup for Suda. The duo located a reputable looking drugstore and headed inside, aiming for the eyecare section. Tunuk Bay was not as big of a city as Shen's Post, so their selection was much more limited, but after much experimentation they found a pair of glasses that fixed Sen's nearsightedness. Sen looked around, happy to be seeing the world clearly again. Hanjo made sure to pick up an extra pair in case they had another incident. He tried them on out of curiosity.
"Huh, so this is how you see the world," He said. "No wonder you didn't do anything back at Beaker Hall. You couldn't see anything!"
Sen laughed sarcastically and slapped Hanjo in the ear. Hanjo removed the glasses and tucked them into the pocket of his shirt. He used a nearby mirror to check out the makeup Ada had given him. He was not satisfied.
"I don't like looking like someone other than me," Hanjo grumbled. He didn't recognize himself in the mirror. Something about that deeply upset him.
"Well, you already look like me," Sen joked. The two of them were uncannily similar in appearance. The only thing that really made them look different were Sen's glasses.
Hanjo led the way as they checked out and paid for the glasses. Hanjo indulged himself in a bag of peanuts and shared some with Sen as they walked back to the vehicle.
"What do you think it's going to be like in the Fire Nation," Hanjo mused as they walked. It was going to be strange, being outside of the earth nation. He'd never really thought of it as "home", not after all the abuse he'd gone through in the orphanage, but it was the only place he'd ever lived.
"Probably a lot like the good old UEK," Sen sighed. "Lot's of running around scared, mostly, but with more volcanoes."
"Come on Sen, lighten up. You know, I bet Howler has put so many of his forces spying on the United Earth Kingdom provinces, he has almost nothing in the Fire Nation. It'll probably be a lot safer there!"
"I'll believe it when I see it," Sen moped. Hanjo consoled him by offering him another peanut.
They passed the other team on their way back to the vehicle, and gave a polite nod to the complete strangers. Ada's haircut and the completed makeup job made them look like completely different people. Complete with some of the ill-fitting, rugged outfits that Ada had prepared for just such an occasion, the two looked like a regular pair of lowlifes. The disguised duo worked out their plan on the way to the seedier parts of town.
"You'll take charge during our tracking and negotiation," Ada said. "You're much better with the criminal element."
"Gee, thanks."
"That was meant to be a compliment," Ada said. "You managed to come to lead a group of bandits despite your age and your more intact morals. That shows intelligence and charisma."
That actually was a compliment. But it just dug up a lot of bad memories for Suda.
"Yeah, and look how well I led them. They sold me out, and the rest of you guys too."
"At the end of the day, bandits are selfish," Ada said. "They'll do whatever it takes to make a quick payday or keep themselves alive. The fact that they had to turn on you shows that you're a good person."
Ada and Suda's arguments had ended after the destruction of Shen's Post had made them re-evaluate their priorities, and they were both better off for it. Now that they were done letting one incident decide the tone of their relationship, they found they got along pretty well.
"Thanks, that means a lot," Suda said. "But I still wish I weren't being chased by the Energybender."
"So do I, Suda. So do I."
As they entered into the more ramshackle parts of town, Suda took charge of the situation, fitting right in to the criminal element. He nodded to all the friendly people, avoided eye contact with all the scary people, and generally managed to avoid troubling people who shouldn't be troubled. They found their way to the docks and looked for a ship that looked fit to transport a very lively and very large animal. They found some likely targets and put in the proper inquiries. They started with the first ship crew that was not holding swords.
"Hey, fellas," Suda began. Ada was surprised he was being so casual about it. "You on payroll already, or looking for work?"
"We're negotiating several offers," One of the sleazy crewmen said. "You're welcome to put your name in the ring."
"First, I have to ask. How do you feel about live cargo?"
"What is it and where's it headed?"
"A badgermole to the Fire Nation," Suda replied.
"Forget it, Badgermoles are way too big and ornery."
"No, this one's young, and very tame," Suda explained. "It was lucky we found it at all. Dead mother, natural causes of course, young enough that a friend of ours could bond with it, make it feel like family. A certain entrepreneur in the Fire Nation is paying big money for such a rare specimen."
The cutthroat crew looked at each other and nodded.
"We want to see the mole first," their leader said. "And we get fifty percent up front if we decide to take it on board."
"I'll give you seventy-five for good faith," Suda said. They had plenty of money, so this was a concession they could afford to make. "And to help with some other cargo. We've got a satomobile and two more passengers. That work for you?"
The negotiator nodded. Now it was time to talk price. Suda and the pirate negotiator sat around a crate and haggled the price of the journey up and down for the better part of an hour. Ada was surprised at how effectively Suda could operate. He spoke scumbag like a second language, never skipping a beat or falling for an underhanded negotiation trick.
The crew they were talking with seemed to be one of the more upright operations on this dock by a small margin. Neighboring ships and their crews seemed even more downtrodden and criminal. Cutthroats and lowlifes of all kinds were staring them down. Ada hoped they didn't intend to cause any trouble. Violence would only cause more delays.
Suda and the smuggler finished their negotiations and shook hands. Suda wasn't exactly getting a good price, but he'd been willing to part with the money. Bolin had given them more UEK currency than they had a use for and it would all be useless in the Fire Nation anyway. Better to throw it around now and buy themselves some better treatment. The smugglers seemed very pleased with themselves for getting such a good deal, so they'd be less likely to cross them or demand even more money later.
"Bring the badgermole up the coast in three hours, near the lighthouse. We'll look it over. Have your money ready."
"Can do," Suda said. "Will we be leaving immediately?"
"Not until tomorrow morning," The negotiator said. "Our boys need time to rest and resupply."
Suda looked to Ada. She nodded. They could probably afford one night. Probably.
"You have any other questions?"
"Not one," Suda said. "We'll see you in three hours."
The negotiator nodded and returned to his men. Suda lead Ada away from the docks and towards some disreputable eatery. Ada wanted to go right back to the Avatarmobile, but Suda shot that idea down.
"We just put down a lot of money. Someone is going to be following us," He said grimly. "We don't go anywhere that would attract attention."
Ada nodded and followed him into the bar. She drew some strange looks. Despite her makeup work, she was still very young-looking, a very suspicious trait in an outlaw. She drew unnecessary attention, but she was sure it wouldn't cause trouble in the long run. Suda was there to help her cover, and she could act the part well enough if she had to. Not to mention the fact that she still had both her swords on hand.
Sure enough, shortly after they entered the bar, a quartet of hooded figures entered behind them, scanning the establishment. Their outfits were mangy and unkempt, not like the hooded uniforms worn by Energybender troops, so they were obviously a different breed of slime. Ada kept them in the corner of her eye as they sat down and tried and failed to look like they weren't watching her.
Suda had ordered food shortly after they entered, and it arrived at that moment. Ada was initially loathe to try the meal, but it surprised her with its quality. Even criminals wanted a good meal now and then, she supposed.
"Don't stare at the hooded guys so much," Suda advised. Ada was surprised at his perception. "If they know you're onto them they'll never make a move. Better to confront them here and get them off our case."
Ada listened to his advice and took her eyes off the hooded ones. She ate her meal in peace, playing along with Suda's conversations, and waiting patiently for the mysterious pursuers to make their move. As soon as she was done eating, she heard the rustle of fabric behind her. The hair on her neck stood on end.
She felt the rush of air before she felt the blow. She slammed her head down on the table, letting the fist fly over her head. Suda grabbed the offending arm by the wrist and by the shoulder, pulling on it with all his might, launching the attacker over Ada's head, over the table, and through the air. Even given Suda's massive size, it was a surprising feat of strength.
Ada flipped over, kicking two of the other hooded figures away, giving her room to get out of her seat. Once she was on her feet, Ada wasted no time in striking at the knees of her opponents with a flurry of quick kicks. As the thieves recoiled in pain, she drew her blades and used them to electrocute two of the three attackers. With the two of them disabled, Ada took a more basic approach to the third thief, slamming the pommel of her blade across his jaw. He collapsed in a heap.
The entire restaurant was watching them now. Suda nodded, satisfied. That display would be more than enough to keep anyone else from trying to rob them. It just needed a little bit of extra intimidation to make it all work. Suda grabbed the would-be thief that he had thrown through the air and pulled him close.
"Don't do that again," Suda whispered threateningly. The thief nodded rapidly and beat a hasty retreat as soon as Suda released his collar. Suda wiped a layer of grime off his hands and turned back to Ada.
"Shouldn't be any more trouble today," Suda said with a smile. "Let's head back."
The duo headed back to the campsite. When they reunited with Sen and Hanjo, they told Sen about the crew they had found. Sen went to make Gun look presentable. He even tried to teach Gun some basic commands like "sit", but the badgermole had absolutely no patience for that. After a few frustrated attempts, Sen gave up and guided Gun to his audience with the pirates. The crew approved, and the plan was set. Tomorrow morning, spirits willing, they would be on course to safety in the Fire Nation.