I Do Not Own Miraculous or Avatar.
Chapter Thirty: The Drill.
In all honesty, this was the easiest setback to deal with yet in Marinette's opinion. Sometimes having a yo-yo that could cut through steel had its perks.
Here is what happened. Aang returned from his scouting ahead for Appa almost immediately. He came bearing news that the Fire Nation had built a drill they were using to try and break through Ba Sing Se's walls. Immediately, the team and the family made their way to the city. Toph easily bended them to the top of the wall were alarmed earthbending guards took the family into the city and Team Avatar to a man named General Sung.
"It is and honor to welcome you to the outer wall young Avatar, but your help is not needed." Sung said simply. Marinette scoffed.
"Not needed?" She glanced over at the giant drill. It was more armored than many of the tanks in her world. Hurling a bunch or rocks at it's reinforced shell was barely going to dent it. Her synopsis of the situation suggested that it would be much more beneficial to take a small team that could disable it from the inside, and Team Avatar specialized in those kind of missions.
"Not needed. I have the situation under control. I assure you the Fire Nation cannot penetrate this wall. Many have tried to break through it, but none have succeeded." Sung said cockly.
"What about the Dragon of the West?" Toph asked, "He got in." Sung's confident smile faltered.
"Well… technically, yes. But he was quickly expunged. Nevertheless, that is why the city is named Ba Sing Se. It's the impenetrable city. They don't call it Na Sing Se. That means penetrable city."
"Yeah, well, thanks for the tour, but we still got a the drill problem." Toph pointed out.
"Not for long. To stop it, I've sent an elite platoon of earthbenders called the Terra Team."
"That's a very good group name, very catchy." Sokka said in thought. Oh, no. Sokka was going to make a big deal out of this. She honestly referred to their group as Team Avatar, but she knew Sokka would make a big deal out if it anyways.
The kids peered over the wall as Terra Team assaulted the drill unsuccessfully, immediately General Sung began to panic and beg for Avatar Aang's help.
"So how are we going to stop that thing?" Aang asked. Everyone looked over at Sokka.
"Why are you all looking a me?"
"You're the idea guy." Aang explained.
"So I'm the only one who can come up with a plan? That's a lot of pressure!" Sokka objected.
"And also the complaining guy." Katara added.
"That part I don't mind." Sokka admitted.
"Actually, I've had this idea for a while now. I was the idea person on Team Miraculous back in Paris." Marinette said. The team looked at her in expectation.
"Well, what is it Rin?"
"Well, the outer part of the drill is reinforced, so that means chucking rocks onto it won't work. But, that doesn't say anything for how strong it is inside. We could sabotage it from there and make it so the whole thing shuts down." She suggested.
"That's actually really smart." Sokka admitted. They fist bumped, "Idea guys for life." Katara rolled her eyes at their antics.
"Well, first, young lady… you are a trained healer, right?" Sung asked nervously.
"Yes." Katara replied, "Is anyone hurt?" Sung motioned for them to follow. He took them to the outer wall infirmary.
"They can't figure out what is wrong with these soldiers. We wondered if you could take a look." Sung said. They shrugged.
"We will check it out really fast then head down to disable the drill I guess." She approached one of the soldiers and used her healing technique before frowning.
"Your Chi is blocked. Who did this to you?" Katara asked.
"Two girls ambushed us. One of them hit me with a bunch of quick jabs and suddenly I couldn't earthbend. I could barely move… and then she cartwheeled away." The soldier explained. Marinette went pale. Ty Lee.
"Ty Lee. She doesn't look dangerous, but she knows the human body and its weak points. She's taken Katara's bending once and prohibited me from using my own special… ah… talents. You'll recover, but it is really annoying." Marinette explained, "But we need to make an effort to not run into her while exploring the drill."
"No kidding." Katara agreed, "Tell anyone that's been Chi blocked that their bending and ability to move will return to them shortly. We need to get to the surface and try and get inside. You and your men need to create cover for us… but please, avoid crushing us with rocks. Rin, suit up and meet us down there."
"With pleasure." Marinette said, before the general could ask what Katara meant by, 'suit up,' Marinette was out of the infirmary, transformed, and swinging herself off the wall. She noted that Team Avatar made their way down the wall in a more subtle matter. She met them halfway and the earthbenders provided cover by making dust clouds. They got a little ways out before Toph bended them a hole and they all jumped inside. Sokka complained loudly about how dark it was, but Toph didn't see the problem… for obvious reasons. The went a little ways in the darkness until they could hear the drill's machinery above them. They found an opening in the machinery and all but Toph climbed in. Toph decided she would work to slow it down on the outside and buy the team time. As soon as they got inside, Sokka took charge.
"I need a plan of this machine. Some schematics that shows what it's like inside. Then we can find it's weak points." Sokka ordered.
"Where are we going to find something like that?" Aang asked. Before anyone could stop her, Marinette began to attack the pipelines and destroy some of the valves, "What are you doing? Someone's gonna hear us!"
"That's the point. I figure that a machine like this needs engineers. They likely have a blueprint of the place. If something breaks..."
"They come to fix it! That's genius! Two points for plan guys!" Sokka cheered.
"Thanks, I try." Marinette said with a smirk, "You guy's hide. I'll distract the engineer when he gets here." The team nodded. The waited patiently and an engineer came as Rin predicted.
"Hey! Mister! I think I broke something back here!" She called. The engineer looked surprised to actually see her, but didn't react negatively because she was in red.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Rin, a special forces officer from the top floor. Princess Azula sent me down to try and deal with the earthbenders outside, but I got lost. Then, I tripped over some pipes and… well, sorry." She motioned to the damage do to the drill.
"I see. You are fine. I can fix this easily. But how did you get lost? Everyone has a blueprint of the place."
"Er, well, don't tell Azula… but I lost mine in my room somewhere. I thought I had the halls memorized, but I wound up getting lost." she replied, blushing sheepishly and rubbing the back of her head. The engineer chuckled.
"Yeah, it is quite the maze in here. Here, you can use mine. I've got an extra in the workroom. He handed her the blueprints.
"T-thanks… I thought I was dead. Azula is gonna kill me if she finds out about this. Could you keep this between us?" The engineer shrugged.
"I won't say anything if you won't. Now run along. You probably don't want to keep her majesty waiting more than she has to." Marinette nodded, turning quickly and leaving the room. She came outside to see the team's impressed faces.
"That was really good!" Aang said.
"Well, I've had to make up a lot of crazy stories for the sake of my identity as Ladybug. It was nothing compared to some of the excuses I've had to make up. Lets go." They nodded, getting far from the area the engineer was working in before Sokka unrolled the blueprints and began to study it.
"The drill is made up of two main structures, the inner mechanism, where we are now, and the outer shell. The inner part and the outer part are connected by braces. If we cut through them, this entire thing will collapse."
"Cutting through?" Marinette asked, "I can do that easy. Just lead the way, plan guy number one."
"Of course plan guy number two!" Sokka said.
"Will you two cut that out? As much as I admit that both of your plans are really great, there's no need to make a huge deal out of it." Katara grumbled.
"You're just jealous of our superior minds, little sis." Sokka teased.
"I am not."
"That's what a jealous person would say." Marinette quipped. Katara turned to Aang and motioned helplessly at them as if to say, 'do you see what I have to deal with.' The Avatar just laughed and told them to get going. Sokka led them through the drill into the place where the braces were.
"So how exactly are we going to cut these?" Katara asked in concern, "Their kinda huge."
"I'll handle it, but you and Aang should work on an escape route, because once I cut them, this entire place will collapse on itself." Marinette ordered. Aang and Katara obeyed, using waterbending to create a small opening to the inner mechanism."
"Okay, now, once I do this, Azula will know we are here. She's probably going to send Mai and Ty Lee to stop us. We need to be ready."
"We got that, but how are you planning on cutting the braces?" Sokka asked. Marinette smiled slyly.
"Watch, young ones, and learn." She backflipped off of the brace she'd been standing on, throwing her yo-yo and wrapping it around and brace using her momentum. She began moving through the mechanism swiftly, weaving her yo-yo through the braces like a spider making a web. In moments, every brace was attached to her yo-yo. She landed next to Team Avatar, who had watched the process in awe.
"Man! How long is that yo-yo string?" Aang cried.
"It goes as long as I will it. It's also unbreakable… and… if I pull hard enough… it can do this… brace yourselves." She leaned back and gave a mighty pull. The entire drill moaned and the sound of the braces snapping one by one echoed the area. She knew she needed to do more and jumped back off the brace, swinging around it to pull harder. The rest of the braces gave away, causing the inner mechanism to start collapsing.
"Come on." She said, "Let's get out of here!" They didn't have to be told twice, scrambling into the escape Aang and Katara had made just as the out mechanism failed. The entire drill shuddered horribly and came to a very abrupt halt. Sokka looked back up at the damage Marinette had just created.
"Man… first the sea serpent… now a drill… remind me not to get on your bad side. Also… are you sure you're the wielder of creation?"
"Pretty sure. You haven't seen my Miraculous Cure and I rarely use my Lucky Charm here. No time to waste though. If that didn't catch Azula's attention, I am not sure what can."
"True." The team took off running through the drill, weaving there way through the halls in search for an escape. They almost made it to the entrance when a very familiar blast of blue flames blocked the exit. Three girls stood behind them.
"Ah, Ladybug and the Avatar." Azula purred.
"What are we not important enough to address?" Sokka objected. She ignored him.
"How did you destroy the braces so quickly?" She demanded.
"A little luck." Marinette sneered. Azula narrowed her eyes. Marinette knew she was going to attack. The rage in the princess' eyes was undeniable. In a flash, Marinette was in front of Team Avatar, spinning her yo-yo like a shield just as Azula launched blue fire at them.
"Go! Go!" She yelled. The team didn't need to be told twice, they turned and ran for the exit. Marinette keep her yo-yo spinning for a good few seconds before letting her guard down and sprinting after them. She tried to ignore the knife and blue flames being shot at her and focus on actually escaping the drill with Team Avatar in tact.
"Lucky Charm!" She yelled, throwing her yo-yo up. A wrench fell into her hands. She spotted the engine area she'd messed up earlier and grinned, darting in. Team Avatar didn't notice but the girl's chased in after her, thinking she was still following the group. She Began using the wrench on as many valves as she could causing steam to fill the entire area. It created the perfect cover. The girls got into the room, only to find they couldn't see a thing.
"Gah! That water peasant must've done this! The are somewhere in here. Find them and block the exit. They Avatar must not escape!" Azula growled. Marinette smiled, pleased they'd been fooled so easily. She swung carefully over Mai, who stood watch outside the engine room and crept away from the area. Then, Marinette sprinted, chuckling at what she imagined their faces would be when they realised they were searching an empty room. She exited the drill to find a frantic Team Avatar who was convinced she'd been captured.
"Hey guys, what's up?" She asked, swinging next to them.
"Gah! Rin! Stop making us think you've died our have been captured! Seriously!" Sokka complained.
"Sorry. I guess I'm just used to my partners that kinda roll with my plans. Cat Noir and I rarely converse over our strategies. I do my thing, and he acts accordingly. That's how we've always worked. I forget not all teams operate like that."
"That's okay, but warn us before you run off again like that. That's the second time this week you've nearly given everyone a heart attack." Katara laughed.
"Got it. Look, I'm about to detransform. I'm not sure how long my steam distraction will hold off. Aang, you and Katara should cover us. Toph, you focus on getting us back up the wall. Sokka, you're with me."
"I've got it! The Plan Guys and Friends!" Sokka suddenly said.
"Uh… what?" Toph asked.
"That's our team name!" Sokka said proudly. The team froze for a second before bursting into laughter.
"Oh! Ha, ha. I'm serious guys… and I've got more where that came from. Like the Boomerang Squad or the Aang gang or the Fearsome Five?"
"How about, Team Avatar… like we've been calling ourselves this entire time?" Marinette asked. Sokka's eyes widened.
"That. Is. Genius!" They laughed all the way back up the wall.
So about last chapter. Someone asked me when exactly Gabriel warned Marinette that Adrien was in danger. He did that in Chapter 24: The Desert by transforming a sand bender into The Protector to help Ladybug out and warn her about what he sensed in Ba Sing Se. Sorry if that confused anyone.
Anyways, they are now all in the city. Gabriel is throwing off the Dai Li and Marinette is starting her search for Cat Noir. Pretty exciting. Remember to review and proved constrictive criticism. Thanks!