In the lounge, Sokka meets with me to talk about the plan he and his father came up with.
"Don't tell me everything," I warn. "There are guards crawling all over this place."
"Fine, here's the basics," Sokka responds. "This plan needs a big distraction. We all have to be in the yard in one hour."
"But the prisoners are on lockdown," I remind Sokka.
"Already taken care of."
"How?" I ask, but Sokka's cut off by a couple of guards walking by. We're silent as they walk past.
"I can't tell you all the details here," He finally says. "Just get the message to Zuko. I'll tell Suki."
I nod and put my helmet back on. Sokka stays to lie around some more, so we don't look too suspicious leaving together. As I navigate the halls, I think about what Sokka's plan could be. What could be so big that we need to cause a huge distraction? Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of being sneaky?
Before I know it, I'm at Zuko's cell door.
"Zuko," I whisper through the slit of a window. "Are you there?"
His eyes appear in the slit. "I'm here."
"New plan," I quickly tell him. "Sokka and his dad cooked it up. I don't know the details, but we all have to be in the yard in one hour. Something about a big distraction and—"
"Hey, you!" a voice shouts. "What are you doing?"
I quickly turn and see two guards coming down the steps. I think quickly. "I'm just telling this dirty low life what I think of him." I make up.
"Well, you'll have to do that later," the man says. "He's coming with us."
I glance at Zuko's door. "Why?"
"Because we have orders straight from the Warden," the woman counters. "That's why."
I back away from the door and gesture for them to enter. They drag Zuko out and up the stairs. I give him a small, sad smile before he's out of sight. Then, I count to 30 and follow them.
The guards take Zuko to the room he was in when the Warden interrogated him yesterday. They unceremoniously throw him into the chair.
"I didn't do anything wrong," Zuko shouts at the guards. I watch from behind the corner as they bolt the door shut and walk away.
"Come on, Zuko," a new female voice says. "We all know that's a lie."
"Mai," Zuko whispers in disbelief. I scurry to the unguarded door to listen closer.
"How did you know I was here?" is his first question.
"Because I know you so well," Mai drawls.
"But how—"
"The Warden is my uncle, you idiot."
Zuko groans. I hear a paper unfurl.
"The truth is," Mai continues, "I guess I don't know you."
Damn straight! I think. Just who does this girl think she is?
"All I get is a letter?" Mai sneers. "You could've at least looked me in the eyes when you ripped out my heart."
"I didn't mean to—"
"You didn't mean to?" Mai interjects. I hear her shake out the paper. "'Dear Mai,'" she reads. "'I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but I'm leaving—'"
"Stop!" Zuko interrupts. "This isn't about you! This is about the Fire Nation."
"Thanks, Zuko, that makes me feel all better," Mai drawls again. Her voice hasn't changed mood throughout their entire conversation. No wonder Sokka called her a downer. In the distance, I hear the clock toll out the hour; just ten minutes until we have to be in the yard.
"Mai," I hear Zuko the scrape of Zuko's chair. "I never wanted to hurt you, but I have to do this to save my country."
"Save it? You're betraying your country!"
"That's not how I see it," Zuko retorts.
"Me either," I finally barge into his room. "Zuko, we have to go." I hold out my hand while Mai shoots daggers with her eyes. She'd be pretty, if she got some sun in her pale skin. Her hair's all done up in a weird-but-cool bun on top of her head with two long strands hanging down her face.
"Just who are you?" Mai asks me. "I was told I'd have all the time I wanted with Zuko."
"Well, you're time has been cut short," I clip, ignoring her question. "Zuko, come on, ten minutes."
Mai and I both look at Zuko, forcing him to choose. Finally, he takes my hand and leads me out the door, just as the alarms ring signaling that all of the prisoners have been released into the yard.
"Let's go," he says.