Chapter Nine Picking the lock wasn't exactly easy, but I did it after a few tries. I checked to make sure the coast was clear and quietly pushed my wheel chair into the dark hallway. I had to find out where they were keeping Skyler before they figured out I was gone, or worse, they hurt Skyler and Appa. At one point I was forced to hide in a closet when a guard walked passed, but that wasn't a big deal. I wished I could call her but that would just be plain stupid. After opening every door I could find, I was feeling pretty discouraged. That's when I heard her.
"I SWEAR, IF YOU DON'T BACK OFF, I'LL MAKE YOU WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN!" she screamed.
"All I asked was your name," another person said. They must've been a guard.
"Tell me where Teo is!" Skyler demanded. "Appa, too."
I heard the guard sigh. "You just don't get it, do you? Stupid airbender."
"Hm."
"I'm afraid I have to punish you, now."
I didn't want to hear any more of this. I opened the door and it slammed hard against the wall. Skyler was strapped to a chair and a guard was standing near her, his arms crossed.
"Teo!" Skyler exclaimed. "You're okay!"
I glared at the guard. "Let her go."
The guard looked surprised to see me. "How did you escape? There was no possible way... And... You're in a wheelchair."
"I used something called spirit. Who are you, anyway?"
"My name is Adler," he replied. "Master Adler, actually."
I raised an eyebrow. "Master? Of what?"
He smirked. "Earthbending."
My eyes widened.
"Don't even go near him," Skyler instructed. "If you got hurt-"
"I'll be fine," I said.
"Trust me, you do NOT want me mad," Adler said.
I thought for a minute. I needed a plan. There was no way I could fight him. Or was there? I concentrated. I kept that one word, spirit, in my mind. It had gotten me this far, anyway. I closed my eyes. I felt Adler staring at me, as if he was wondering what I was doing. Skyler gasped. She knew. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. I made an air ball, threw it at Adler, and he fell backwards, banging his head hard on the wall. He didn't get up, but it couldn't have hurt that much, so maybe it was shock. I didn't care what it was. I didn't waste my chance. I quickly untied Skyler and she jumped up. She ran across the room and picked up her staff on the floor, which Adler must've taken from her. I expected her to do some crazy airbending move, but she just banged him over the head with it.
"Sometimes you just have to keep it simple," Skyler explained.
I smiled and nodded. I looked at Adler. He was staring into space, looking like he couldn't remember what just happened.
"Mommy..." he muttered.
Skyler giggled and I couldn't help but join her.
Then I heard Aang's voice call, "TEO! SKYLER! WHERE ARE YOU?"
"Aang!" I exclaimed. "I almost forgot about him!"
"We'd better get out there. He's probably worried seeing as we were supposed to meet up with him a half an hour ago," Skyler said.
So we left the building and went outside, to find Aang holding a tied up Russell.
"You know this guy?" Aang asked.
Skyler shrugged. "Yeah, but... Well, we're not exactly proud to know him."
Aang nodded. "Ok. I'll go ahead and say he's bad."
He pushed Russell backwards and he slammed into the wall of a building. Russell looked mad, but he didn't move.
"Oh, and I found Appa!" Aang said. Appa walked out from behind the alley.
"So did we," I replied.
"What happened to you?" Aang asked, his head tilted.
Skyler shrugged. "Long story."
"Ok," Aang said. "I'm going to feed Appa. We can leave after that."
When he was out of sight, I turned to Skyler. "Are you going to tell Aang that you're an airbender?"
"I don't know," she answered. "Another time, maybe."
I nodded. That night, we were off again. Maybe, just maybe, our bad luck was over and we'd actually get home.
TO BE CONTINUED...