A/N: Well, I was going to wait 'til next week to post. But I couldn't wait, so you get a surprise update. My "buffer zone" of chapters is shot to hell anyway.
Now, y'all need to thank Megii Of Mysteri OusStranger for this chapter. A couple weeks ago, it was short and boring. Now it's a bit longer and (I think) a lot more interesting.
Thanks to all who reviewed, favorited, and subscribed. I love hearing from you all, and your support means the world to me.
Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA. Just Mira.
Chapter Twelve
From the Inside Out
"Erm…aren't you supposed to be, I don't know, finding Appa?" Mira squinted up into the sky, her hand shading her face as she watched Aang touch down in front of them. He'd been gone a grand total of fifteen minutes, during which they'd left behind the stone tent and were now approaching the walls of Ba Sing Se. "You forget something, or what?"
"I was looking for Appa, but something stopped me," Aang said grimly. "Something big." He beckoned them all toward the wall. "Toph, can you help me here?"
The two earthbenders simultaneously began pulling at the air in a rhythmic motion, and the ground shuddered as a round chunk of earth tore itself off the ground and began to slide against the wall. They started ascending into the sky.
"What's so big that Appa has to wait?" Sokka asked, his brow furrowed with concern. They all knew how important finding Appa was to Aang. That something had prompted him to postpone his quest was concerning indeed.
Aang put off answering until they'd neared the top. They slid to a halt by the front walkway and Aang ushered them off the floating chunk of earth and onto the walkway running across the top of the wall. He faced them, opened his mouth to explain, then decided against it. He leaned over the wall, squinted to the right, then pointed. "That," he said simply.
A terrifying sight greeted them. A hulking steel drill flanked by several black metal tanks was driving straight toward the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se. A garish red Fire Nation symbol was painted on the back, leaving no doubt as to its purpose. Mira breathed an expletive as she watched it trundle slowly but surely across the dry, stony ground.
"We made it to Ba Sing Se, and we're still not safe," Ying wailed despairingly. "No one is." Than wrapped his arms around her, and Lila rubbed her arms comfortingly.
"What are you people doing here?" a gruff voice cut in. They turned to find a stocky earthbender guard standing behind them, a scowl on his face. "Civilians aren't allowed on the wall."
"I'm the Avatar," Aang explained hurriedly, and the guard's scowl was replaced with an expression caught between disbelief and wonder. "Take me to whoever's in charge," he ordered with surprising authority. The guard was so taken aback that he immediately did as asked. He walked past them to a covered turret on the Outer Wall. A low, wide table was set in the middle, with several chairs placed around it. An older man with slightly graying hair sat in the middle on the side opposite the group. He looked up as they entered, his gaze focused on the guard in a silent question.
"The Avatar and company here to see you, General Sung," the guard answered hastily.
"Ah," the man sighed in realization. His voice was simpering and smug, giving the otherwise respectable-looking general a haughty air. Mira decided immediately that she didn't like him. "I can guess why you're here. It is an honor to welcome you to the Outer Wall, young Avatar, but your help is not needed."
Mira felt her jaw drop. The person who could bend three elements and was responsible for the balance of the physical world was offering his assistance, and General Sung had the audacity to reject him? She didn't think that she'd actually met someone at that level of either stupidity or arrogance—she couldn't decide which one it was yet. Maybe it was a little of both.
"Not needed? Aang echoed in astonishment.
"Not needed," the general confirmed conceitedly. "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." He rose as he spoke, and led the group back out onto the wall. He stood at the edge, gazing out across the barren horizon.
"And I suppose the Dragon of the West was just a fluke then, yeah?"
"What about the Dragon of the West? He got in."
Mira and Toph spoke simultaneously. Mira reached over and affectionately tapped Toph's shoulder twice, prompting a smile from the younger girl.
General Sung grew flustered at the point Mira and Toph had raised. "Well…uh…technically, yes," he spluttered, his cheeks blushing the faintest shade of pink. "But he was quickly expunged," he added quickly. "Nevertheless, that is why the city is named Ba Sing Se. It's the impenetrable city. They don't call it Na Sing Se." He threw his head back and laughed loudly. He sobered as he took in the blank faces watching him. "That means penetrable city," he explained.
"Yeah, thanks for the information session, but we've still got the drill problem," Toph said sarcastically.
"Not for long," General Sung answered confidently. "To stop it, I've sent an elite platoon of earthbenders called the Terra Team." He gestured to the tiny green specks on the ground that were swarming in formation from the Outer Wall.
"That's a good group name," Sokka mused, rubbing his chin. "Very catchy."
Despite their catchy name, the Terra Team wasn't much use. They managed to take out a handful of tanks before focusing on the drill itself. They attempted to slow it down by pulling up wedges from the ground, but the drill was strong and resilient. The earth simply shattered under the force of the machine. Two other specks emerged from the drill, one dark and one…pink?
"Oh no," Mira groaned. Of course it was them. And her. Why wouldn't it be?
Mai kept the earthbenders preoccupied with barrages of arrows, while Ty Lee flipped over their defenses and quickly rendered the entire team useless.
"What's happening?" Toph whispered, tugging on Mira's cloak.
Mira bent down and summarized what had just taken place. Upon hearing about the Terra Team's humiliating defeat, she snorted. "That's what counts as elite around here?"
But General Sung, who had been watching the details from a telescope, was too bust having a nervous breakdown to reply. "We're doomed!" he shrieked, arms flailing.
Smack. Sokka reached out and slapped the general across the face. "Get a hold of yourself, man!"
"You're right," the general said shakily, rubbing his cheek. "I'm sorry."
Mira marveled at the sight of a respected general in his forties apologizing to a scrawny stick of a fifteen-year-old boy. When she'd joined the group, she'd been expecting for the adults they met with to look down or scoff at this ragtag group of teens. The oldest among them was herself, but she was only sixteen! And yet, these adults respected them, and turned to them for advice. Mira wondered if that was just a side effect of traveling with the Avatar, or if they really did exude confidence and authority. It was an intriguing concept.
"Maybe you'd like the Avatar's help now?" Toph suggested cheekily.
General Sung looked at Aang, his expression resembling that of a kicked puppy-cub. "Yes, please," he said timidly.
"I would be honored to assist in any way I can," Aang said smoothly, bowing to the general in a gesture of respect. Mira didn't see how he could be so…calm. And forgiving. If the general had treated her the way he'd treated Aang—well, she wouldn't have turned her back and walked away—but she would have let the general think she might. But Aang wasn't the kind of person to do that. He forgave instantly, without a second thought. And by bowing to the general in front of his men, he'd reinforced the general's authority. That eliminated any possibility of the general looking weak. Sung could save face, and still receive the help he needed. Aang certainly was wise for a twelve-year-old boy.
The five of them (Ying, Than, and Lila had decided to take refuge within the city) stood along the Outer Wall, looking down at the drill. "The question is, how are we gonna stop that thing?" Aang murmured. He tore his gaze from the drill and looked at Sokka expectantly. Katara and Mira followed his lead, and Sokka started squirming uncomfortably.
"Why are you all looking at me?" he demanded.
"You're the idea guy," Aang answered, shrugging.
"So I've never come up with anything useful?" Mira asked, affronted.
"Uh…" Aang started awkwardly.
"You're depending on me to stop that? That's a lot of pressure," Sokka complained.
"And also the complaining guy," Katara added.
"That part I don't mind," Sokka contemplated thoughtfully.
"I can tell you we're not going to stop it up here," Mira pointed out. The others stared at her blankly. "That is, if I'm allowed to contribute an idea," she added dryly.
"Sorry," Aang said sheepishly.
"I think we've got to go down there. Get a better look, see what we're fighting."
"Sounds good to me," Sokka conceded, bobbing his head.
A commotion in the turret to their left drew their attention away from the drill. The Terra Team had returned, and were now laying on thin mattresses in what appeared to be an infirmary. Mira took in Katara's pained expression and saw her fingers twitch toward the cap on her water pouch. "We should probably make sure all those men are okay first," Mira suggested in a very unsubtle way. "Just to get a really good feel for what we're dealing with."
Katara shot her a grateful look before she took off down the wall. Sokka, Aang, Toph, Mira, and the general (who seemed to be taking a backseat in the planning) followed at a more reasonable pace. By the time they caught up with her, she was already checking on one of the men. She ran her water-encased hand up and down the length of his arm, her eyes closed as she concentrated. "What's wrong with him?" the general asked. His concern for his men was evident in his voice and face, and Mira's opinion of him improved slightly. "He doesn't look injured."
"His chi is blocked," Katara answered, withdrawing her hand. "Who did this to you, again?" she asked the soldier, but the look on her face said that she already knew, and wasn't going to like the answer.
"Two girls ambushed us," he groaned, confirming what Mira had already witnessed (albeit at a distance) from the top of the Outer Wall. "One of them hit me with a bunch of quick jabs, and suddenly I couldn't earthbend, and I could barely move…and then she cartwheeled away," he finished, his tone mystified.
"Ty Lee," Mira confirmed somberly.
"She doesn't look dangerous," Katara said thoughtfully, prompting a snort from Sokka. "But she knows the human body and its weak points. It's like she takes you down from the inside."
"Oh!" Sokka exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "Oh oh oh oh!" He flailed his arms in excitement.
"I think you broke him," Mira deadpanned.
"Yes?" Katara asked her brother warily.
"What you just said, that's how we're gonna take down the drill," Sokka said quickly. "The same way Ty Lee took down all these big earthbenders!"
"By hitting its pressure points!" Toph finished as she caught on.
"We'll take it down from the inside," Aang said thoughtfully as he looked out from the turret.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Mira inquired impatiently after a long moment of silence. "Let's go!"
"That…is a lot bigger up close," Mira muttered as she stared up at the monstrous drill. Yes, it had looked intimidating from the top of the wall, but now, standing right next to it…the drill was downright terrifying.
They'd descended to ground level through a set of staircases embedded in the wall. Upon reaching ground level they'd quickly run across the exposed ground until they'd found a trench abandoned by the Terra Team, where they had hidden for a few minutes until they were sure that they hadn't been spotted. Now there was just the issue of getting close to it. But, as it turned out, that wouldn't be a problem.
"Once I whip up some cover, you're not gonna be able to see, so stay close to me," Toph ordered. She didn't wait for a response. Quick as a jack-rabbit, she leaped out from the trench and after a complicated series of movements, stomped on the ground. A huge cloud of dust erupted from the ground, and Mira took that as her cue to follow. She vaulted out of the trench and ran after Toph, in what she hoped was the right way. She didn't want to imagine what would happen if she emerged from the dust cloud right in front of a tank. She kept her ears open, and after a few seconds, she latched onto the sound of panting breaths coming from the front and sides of her. At least she was with the others.
Suddenly, she emerged from the dust cloud and found herself directly under the drill. A quick look around showed that they'd all made it in one piece.
Toph didn't waste any time. She stomped again, and a section of earth crumbled in on itself to form a hole. "Everyone into the hole!"
"I had a nightmare that began like this once," Mira muttered, her heart leaping to her throat. Her feet refused to move as Aang, then Sokka, then Katara leaped in.
"C'mon!" Toph urged.
Mira forced herself to walk until she was standing on the very edge of the hole. She stared down into the thick blackness. She could only just make out Katara standing at the bottom, staring up at her. "I'll be right in front of you," she encouraged. "You can hold onto me."
Mira closed her eyes, took a deep breath, opened them, and stepped forward into empty air. Her feet hit the bottom, and she quickly moved out of the way for Toph to follow. As soon as the earthbender had hopped down to join them, she closed the hole.
Mira's world was plunged into darkness. There was no difference if she closed or opened her eyes, it was that black. Her heart skipped a beat, then picked up in double-time. Her breath hitched, and her hands started shaking.
But then a dry, cool hand slipped into hers, and a thumb started to rub steady circles on the back of her hand. Mira could feel Katara's presence just before her, and she allowed the water tribe girl to tug her into motion.
"It's so dark down here, I can't see a thing!" Sokka complained tactlessly.
"Oh no," Toph quipped in feigned horror. "What a nightmare."
"I'm sorry, Toph," Mira broke in, her voice shaky, "but this really is my worst nightmare. Can we hurry it up?"
"On it!" Toph answered, and she could feel the blind girl pass in the rush. Their pace gradually picked up, and minutes (that felt like hours) later, a hole opened in the ceiling, and they were emerging directly below the drill. Mira couldn't run out fast enough.
"You okay?" Katara asked, ice blue eyes watching Mira in concern.
"Promise me we're not doing that again anytime soon, and I will be," Mira huffed, trying to regain her composure. A handful of deep breaths later, and she straightened up, a determined glint in her eye. "I'm okay now."
"There!" Sokka shouted, pointing to a gap in the underbelly of the drill. Dull metal pipes crisscrossed the underside, leaving various holes and weaker points. Aang leaped up and hooked his knees around a section of smaller pipe. He hung upside down, hands gesturing for the others to grab on. Mira was the first to do so. Aang pulled her up just as she pushed off the ground, and she flew up toward the hole. He let go of her near the top, and Mira's feet landed lightly on the metal walkway. She moved farther into the hall, and moments later, Katara came flying up. Mira reached out and steadied her as she landed in the drill. Katara moved past her, and Mira did the same for Sokka (who didn't seem as opposed to accepting her help as he had before). Sokka turned and peered out of the hole at Toph, who stubbornly remained on the ground. "Toph, come on!" he called.
Toph crossed her arms and shook her head. "No way am I going in that metal monster. I can't bend in there. I'll try to slow it down out here."
"Okay, good luck," Sokka relented, and he pulled his head back to allow Aang inside. Once he was safely in the corridor, they took off down the hall.
Mira trailed a little bit behind the others. She squirmed a bit at the sight of all the metal surrounding her. Steel pipes tangled their way across the walls and disappeared into the ceiling and floor. Dials and controls were slapped everywhere, with seemingly no organization. Red worklights were strung out along the ceiling above them, giving the whole machine a sinister air. Mira half-expected to run into someone with every turn they took.
Sokka slowed to a stop as the hallway let out into a room filled with yet more pipes and valves. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he examined one of them pipes. The three watched him expectantly.
"I need a plan of this machine," Sokka murmured to no one in particular. "Some schematics that show what the inside looks like. Then we can find its weak points."
"Where are we gonna get something like that?" Aang asked. But as soon as the words left his lips, Sokka raised his machete and chopped down on a pipe. Steam came bursting through the split with a deafening hiss.
"The hell are you doing?" Mira cried, grabbing his wrist. "Someone's going to hear that!"
"That's the point," Sokka assured confidently. "I figure a machine this big needs engineers to run it, and when something breaks..." He trailed off, raising his eyebrows to make a point.
"Someone comes to fix it," Katara finished.
"Oh," Mira said quietly. "I suppose that makes sense. Actually, that's not a bad idea," she admitted reluctantly.
"I'm sorry?" Sokka said cockily. "What did you say?" He tilted his head closer toward Mira's.
She tweaked his ear gently. "Don't push it."
Mere moments later, a bulky Fire Nation engineer wearing a filtering mask stepped through the doorway. He'd taken three steps toward the broken pipe when Katara had popped up behind him with a cheeky grin on her face. One sweep of the arm later, and the engineer was pinned in an ice shell of condensed steam. Sokka darted forward and snatched the scroll of plans from his hand. "This'll work, thanks!" he called, and the four ran from the room.
Sokka led them to a different room, where he unrolled the schematics and began studying them intently. Mira planted herself near the doorway and kept an eye out for any more engineers. After a few minutes of silence, Sokka cleared his throat and began. "It looks like the drill is made up of two main structures. There's the inner mechanism, where we are now, and the outer shell." Mira edged toward the center of the room to peer over Sokka's shoulder as her curiosity bested her. The blueprint he was looking at showed a cross-section of the drill. The inner circle was full of pipes and machinery, while the outer circle was nothing more than a hulking shield designed to protect the inner workings. Shaded-in rectangles represented the steel braces that held the two together. "The inner part and the outer part are connected by these braces," Sokka continued, tapping on the diagram as he explained. "If we cut through them, the entire thing will collapse."
"Lead the way," Mira said, pulling back as Sokka pulled out another sheet of paper within the bundle. He squinted at it for a bit before his eyes lit up in recognition. He rolled up the scroll, then raced down the hallway behind them. The remaining three were hot on his heels.
The first brace was hard to miss. The group stepped through a doorway at the end of a long hallway, and suddenly they were in the space between the rings. Massive steel supports arced their way through the air, connecting and branching out to support the sheer weight of the protective outer layer. The braces themselves were at least as wide as three people standing shoulder-to-shoulder, and it didn't take an engineer to know that it would take entirely too long to saw through just one brace. They had the entire ring to go through. Mira's spirits sank, and she began to doubt that they could ever destroy a monstrosity of this size.
"Wow, it looks a lot thicker in person than it does in the plans," Sokka marveled, switching his gaze from the plans to the hulking steel beam in front of him. "We're going to have to work pretty hard to cut through that."
Katara made a disbelieving sound and crossed her arms. "What's this we stuff? Aang and I are going to have to do all the work," she pointed out. Mira knew the comment wasn't directed at her, but still felt a little guilty. She couldn't do anything to help. It wasn't like she could go running up to it and start sawing away with her knives. She felt utterly useless.
Sokka was unfazed. "Look, we're the planners," he gestured to Mira and himself, "you two are the 'cut stuff up with waterbending' guys." He chopped at the air to make his point. "Together, we're Team Avatar!"
"And I suppose Toph is just some extra along for the ride?" Mira asked, mouth quirked.
Sokka deflated as he realized that he'd left her out. "Uh, no. She's the one who beats everyone up with earthbending," he said hurriedly, trying to fix his mistake.
"And I'm the one who can kick ass without needing any of that," Mira smirked, leaning in close. Her smirk grew as Sokka grew flustered and leaned away. "You'll be there one day," she said softly, whispering into his ear. "You don't believe it, but you will." She winked at him as she moved away, then added an ear tweak because that was just who she was.
Katara and Aang had already started work on the steel brace. They bent Katara's water back and forth, and a small gash began to appear along the side of the brace. Mira watched the water flash back and forth, hypnotized by the movement. She was in awe of the power water held. It was gentle enough to wash and clean, but powerful enough to cut through entire feet of metal. She was almost envious of Katara's ability to manipulate it. That was power, to control an element crucial to sustaining life. Something that vital, and yet so dangerous. That kind of power could be intoxicating.
Mira inhaled sharply and tore her gaze from the brace. She shook her head to dispel those thoughts and refocused on their surroundings. She might not have been able to help cut the brace, but there was something she could do. They'd had the good fortune to remain unseen so far, but that was not bound to last. She turned around and kept an eye on the door. She'd be the lookout in case a guard or engineer happened to step through the door. The morbid part of her mind that enjoyed playing "what if" debated the possibility that Azula would step through the door. It wasn't that hard of a scenario to imagine, actually. Azula was probably on board, watching as the drill lumbered its way to the last Earth Kingdom stronghold.
A tired, panting gasp brought her back to the present, and she was grateful for the interruption. She didn't want to know where her mind would have taken that scenario. She turned her head to find both Katara and Aang taking a small break from their work. They were around three-quarters through, which startled Mira a bit. She hadn't expected them to work that quickly. But the strain was showing on their faces. There was no way they could cut through all the braces in time. A vision of Azula bursting through the Walls of Ba Sing Se crept into Mira's head, and she violently pushed it aside. There had to be another way.
"C'mon team," Sokka whined. "Don't quit now, we're..." Ah. The dreaded "we".
Katara growled in frustration and glared at Sokka fiercely.
Sokka cringed and quickly corrected himself. "I mean, you're almost there."
Katara was appeased, and both waterbenders resumed their work. Mira gave up on watching the door and kept her unwavering gave on the steel brace. The water sliced back and forth in a clear blur, and slivers of the metal brace kept disappearing. Mira felt herself wind tighter and tighter as the gash neared the back of the brace. Perhaps all her worrying had been for naught. Maybe this would work…
Finally, the water sliced away the last of the steel brace. A deafening screech filled the air as the top section of the brace slid a few inches down the bottom half. But aside from the movement, there was no other change. Mira's insides unwound and she slumped a bit. She'd been wrong, as usual. The spirits have it out for me, she decided. Nothing could go right for her.
Katara and Aang slid to the ground, chests heaving and sweat dripping down their faces. "At this rate, we won't do enough damage before the drill reaches the wall," Katara gasped out, mopping her forehead.
"I don't know how many more of those I have in me," Aang said, eyelids drooping.
A mechanical groan echoed through the drill, and a heaving shudder rocked the thick girder beneath them. Mira dropped to a crouch to keep from losing her balance as her hopes began to rise once more. Could it be? Had they actually stopped the drill?
"Do you hear that?" Sokka cried excitedly. "We took it down! We better get out of here fast," he added, gaze switching to the nearby doorway.
They raced for the door, Mira leading the way, but before anyone could pass through it, a deep, commanding voice echoed through the overhead speaking tubes. Mira screeched to a halt, throwing out her hands and grabbing the doorway to stop herself. The others hit her back at full speed, but she wasn't paying attention. All her focus was on the words coming through the speaking tubes.
"Congratulations, crew. The drill has made contact with the wall of Ba Sing Se. Start the countdown to victory!" he added, a bit unnecessarily. His voice slowly died out, leaving the cavernous room silent.
Mira swore loudly. They had maybe an hour to stop this drill. And there was no way they could slice through every brace in time. "There has to be another way," she said vaguely, her mind racing as she tried to think something. "You can't cut through all the braces in time. It'll take too long. We're putting too much into this…"
"That's it!" Aang exclaimed. "We are putting too much into it!"
"Thank you, for that cheerful summary," Mira said dryly. "Please tell me you have a plan and you're not just trying to be optimistic?"
"Toph has been teaching me that you shouldn't give one hundred percent of your energy into any one strike," Aang explained. He took a few steps away from Mira and faced Sokka. "Sokka, take a fighting stance. You've gotta be quick and accurate," he said, hooking one foot around Sokka's and pulling gently. Sokka wobbled a bit as he tried to compensate. "Hit a series of points, and break your opponent's stance," Aang continued as he mimed hitting Sokka. "When he's reeling back, you deliver the final blow." He tapped lightly on Sokka's head, and the older boy collapsed onto the girder. "His own weight becomes his downfall. Literally," he added, grinning at the sight of Sokka on the ground.
Mira was on the verge of asking how that applied to the drill when Katara answered the question for her. "So we just need to weaken the braces, instead of cutting all the way through."
"Then I'll go to the top of this thing, and deliver the final blow," Aang said.
"And boom, it all comes crashing down!" Sokka finished rather dramatically.
A troubled look passed over Aang's face, prompting Mira to ask if he was alright. He turned to her, but his attention was elsewhere. "It's just…everyone inside that wall, the whole world, is counting on us," he said quietly, and for a second, he looked years older. Mira was reminded once again of how much responsibility was on his shoulders. She put a hand on his shoulder and tried to think of something to say, when Sokka cut in.
"The whole world, minus the Fire Nation that is," he joked.
Mira bit her lip to keep from retorting. Sokka could be remarkably close-minded, she knew. It was incredibly tempting to yell at him, to remind him that she'd lived in the Fire Nation before. To remind him that he couldn't judge an entire nation without ever having stepped foot on its soil. But she didn't want him scrutinizing her, wondering why she was defending a country they were fighting against. So she kept it to herself.
She'd be the first to admit that the Fire Nation was home to some rather unsavory characters, but the country also contained good people. Her mouth twitched slightly as she thought of Sanji and the gypsies. Alright, so maybe they weren't the best examples. But Sanji had taken Mira in and taught her everything she knew. Nobody forced her take in the lost, angry teenager. She'd simply done it out of kindness (and perhaps she did have an ulterior motive, but then, most people Mira knew did). She'd seen Mira's talent for picking locks and pockets, and she'd offered a guiding hand. Mira's eyes unfocused as she cast her mind back to those days so long ago, when she'd been so young and angry. When she'd been sloppy and hadn't cared much if she was caught. Well, Sanji wasn't having any of that in her caravan.
Mira learned how to walk silently and allow the shadows to cloak her. Sanji taught her to brush against someone with just the lightest touch and relieve them of their coin purse, leaving the mark none the wiser. Within months, she was one of the best thieves in the Fire Nation. The only price of her education was contributing to the performances that gypsies were renowned for. Mira could barely carry a tune and wasn't much better with a musical instrument, but her delicate agility and lithe body made her a natural dancer. She'd grumbled a bit at having to learn, but once she'd realized that men were less likely to suspect a pretty dancer of relieving them of their wealth (and after more than a few raps to the head from Sanji), she'd relented. It was a small price to pay for food, shelter, and education.
But the time eventually came when Mira had learned everything she could from Sanji. The gypsy offered Mira a permanent place in the caravan (a great honor for an outsider), but something else had called Mira away. The gypsies did keep most of their profits, but they weren't as heartless as some were led to believe. Mira had witnessed several acts of kindness by those around her. A coin here, a bit of food there. And as she'd watched, Mira had experienced an epiphany of sorts. She now had an arsenal of tricks up her sleeve, and spirits knew she didn't need that much (read: any) money for herself. Who better to give it to then the poor victims of war? So she'd turned down Sanji's offer and walked away.
But Sanji's last gift remained. There was tied around Mira's left ankle a single bloodred ribbon. The mark of a gypsy girl. Save for removing it to bathe, Mira hadn't taken it off in years. For Sanji had taken an insolent, reckless teenager who was angry at the world and had managed to straighten her out. Granted, it was through extremely unorthodox methods, but Mira had come out alright. Sanji's first rule, never steal from those who can't afford it, had put Mira on the path she was currently on. Yes, Mira liked to think that she would have ended up in the same place, but there was a morbid whisper in the back of her mind that wondered if that was true. What would she have become if Sanji hadn't shown her the innate goodness that could exist in people, no matter their nation?
Mira's thoughts turned back to their original direction, before she'd gotten distracted by memories. Even if Sanji wasn't a great example of kindness and virtue, Mira had come across several Fire Nation villages no different than Earth Kingdom ones. They were ruled by corrupt soldiers and officials who simply looked on as people starved…and yet, despite their poverty, these people were free with their kindness and in giving what they could. After passing through these villages, after helping those people, Mira could not make generalizations about one Nation. Fire was not all cruel, nor Earth all good. People were people, and that was that. She knew Sokka wouldn't understand, though, so she did what she was good at: keeping quiet.
They reached the next brace a few minutes later, and the two waterbender immediately set to slicing halfway through the brace. Sokka kept a lookout while Mira fidgeted restlessly. She felt spectacularly useless. Surely there was something she could do that would help more than she was right now…
"Right then, I'm off," she announced suddenly, turning to leave.
"W—what?" Sokka spluttered. "Where? Why?"
"S'not like I'm doing any good here," Mira explained. "What am I s'posed to do? Cheer you on? Way I see it, I can go around some of the control rooms, wreak a little havoc, draw attention away from the braces. And I'd be doing more damage."
"But what if they catch you?" Katara asked.
Mira gave her a scathing look, but Katara was preoccupied with cutting through the brace and missed it. "They won't catch me," she said confidently. "And even if they did, you're gonna destroy the drill. I'll get out." When no one answered her, she added, "And I'm not asking for your permission. See ya on the other side." She tossed off a small salute and turned on her heel to dash down the hallway they'd entered through not five minutes ago.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she jogged through the twisting hallways. Working in a team had its benefits, she would admit that, but there was something about relying on your own wits and skills that energized the mind and body. She needed to get out on her own more.
She skidded to an abrupt halt as she raced past a doorway to her left. She poked her head inside to see a room filled with a vast assortment of knobs, levers and pipelines. She grinned to herself.
This was going to be fun.
She pulled a thick knife from one of the loops near the back of her belt and twirled it in her hand. Where to start? Her gaze landed on a control panel tucked up against the left wall. It was covered in colored knobs and small levers that no doubt controlled various minor functions of the drill. She ran her fingers across the control panel as she thought. What would be the best way to cause chaos? Sabotage one system across several areas of the drill? Or lightly damage several different systems?
"Ah, screw it," she muttered, and she attacked the control board. One knob was snapped clean off and tossed across the room, while a second was twisted to its limit. Switches were flipped up and down randomly, and levers were pulled without regard. Mira found herself grinning as she worked. There was something delicious about destruction. It took so long to build something up, to create. But in mere seconds, with a flick of a switch, it could all come crashing down.
It only took one girl with a dagger.
Mira stopped and surveyed the room. The dials lining the walls twitched spastically underneath their slowly cracking glass. Lights began to flash, and the room took on a reddish glow.
Mira didn't wait around to see who'd come to fix it. She wandered down hallway after hallway in search for a second room. When she finally found it, she didn't hesitate.
Thirty minutes passed in a similar fashion. Mira allowed herself to slip away into a haze of demolition. She lost count of the rooms she vandalized. She'd pass through like a tornado, spending little time and leaving debris in her wake. Vaguely, she wondered when the others would finish with the braces. Aang still needed to deliver the final blow, but when that would be, Mira had no way of knowing. She just hoped she wouldn't be trapped when it did.
She stopped in the threshold of a control room that was larger than the others. There were several control boards lining one wall, while thick pipes snaked across the opposite one. Dials covered the wall across Mira, stacked all the way to the ceiling.
"Paydirt," she muttered, lips twitching in a sadistic little smirk. Oh, yes. She could wreak some havoc here. She stepped up to the control boards, cracking her knuckles as she scanned the surface.
"Gee, this looks important," she muttered as she yanked the handle off a menacing red lever. She tossed the stick of metal to the side and continued her work. Once the boards were a complete mess, she turned to the pipes behind her. If she left now, engineers would be able to fix most of the switches and knobs.
And she couldn't have that, now could she?
She stepped up to one of the thickest pipes and pulled out her heaviest dagger. She had no idea if it'd work, but she had to try. So she twirled the dagger around in her hand a few times before slamming the point down on the pipe's surface.
Boiling hot steam exploded from the pipe and enveloped part of Mira's hand, scalding her skin. She yelped out a string of her strongest curse words and recoiled. Half her left hand was a bright, throbbing red. She cradled it against her chest and whirled around to leave and avoid the hot steam.
But Mira had made a crucial mistake in entering the main control room. She'd boxed herself in. There was only one entrance, and Mai was currently standing in the doorway, shurikens in both hands.
"Dammit," Mira groaned. She looked up to the ceiling and grimaced as she addressed the invisible sky. "You just can't let me win, can you?"
"What do you think?" Mai deadpanned, stepping forward.
Mira shot her a glare. "Wasn't talking to you."
If Mai was confused, she gave no indication. Her face was as blank as it ever was as she advanced on Mira.
"Aw, c'mon," Mira whined, retreating. "My hand's burned. I'm not gonna fight back or anything." She quietly slipped a throwing knife from her belt and concealed her right hand behind her back. It was a longshot, but Mira was running out of options.
"I was just making room for her to come in," Mai rasped, and Mira squinted through the growing haze of the steam. She could barely make out a flash of pink before three sharp jabs to her right forearm sent her knife clattering to the floor. She swore again as her arm dangled uselessly by her side.
She saw Ty Lee dart around to her other side and twisted to face her. "Don't you dare," she growled. "My hand really is burned." She shoved her blistered fingers into Ty Lee's face.
The acrobat blinked twice and tilted her head. She peered at Mira's hand and seemed to decide that yes, the searing pink covering half Mira's hand was, in fact, a steam burn. She nodded and stepped back. "She isn't lying, Mai," she confirmed. "C'mon, let's go show Azula!" She skipped out of the room while Mai grabbed Mira's numbed arm and dragged her along.
Alright, so now Mira was completely out of ideas.
"Now, is this really necessary?" Mira complained, struggling vainly against the two guards trying to cuff her hands together. "I'm wobbly on one side and burned on the other. I don't think I'm much of a threat."
"I may be young, but I'm not a fool." A razor-sharp, high-pitched voice drifted from over the shoulder of her guards.
Mira stiffened at the sound, and the soldiers took the opportunity to snap the cuffs shut with an audible click. She winced and looked down at her hands. Numb, burned, and cuffed.
Well, she'd escaped worse.
Though not in the presence of a sadistic fourteen-year-old. This would be a first.
"I may be young," Azula repeated as the guards backed away, "But let it be said that I don't underestimate my enemies. You've defeated the best knife-thrower in the Fire Nation before. Twice, in fact."
"Thanks for bringing that up," Mai muttered, glaring at Mira.
"What I want to know is this: who are you?"
Mira refused to answer, opting instead to stand silently as her hood shielded her upper face.
"Where did you come from?"
Silence.
"Who are you?" Azula tried again, standing with clenched fists. "I demand that you answer me!"
"You're cute, sweetheart," Mira snorted. "But you can drop the tough girl act. Spirits know you don't scare me."
Azula's eyebrows raised slightly. "And that's your mistake. Because you should be afraid of me. You should be terrified!" she shouted, stepping down from her throne. "Because I can find everyone you care about, and I will waste them."
"Go ahead," Mira challenged defiantly. "Everyone I've ever loved or cared for is long dead and gone." She was bluffing, of course. There was Sanji and the gypsies, Temal, Ryo, Colie, Guang. Not to mention Aang, Katara, Toph, and Sokka. The list of those she cared for was growing longer by the day.
Azula caught on instantly and smirked. "And the Avatar? You travel with him; surely you care for him."
Mira's eyebrow lifted, even though she knew Azula couldn't see her expression. "You wanna go against the kid who holds the power of a god in his hand? Good luck with that, honey."
"You think I won't win?" Azula laughed. "Please. I could defeat the Avatar with one hand tied behind my back."
"Oh, so you know about the braces they've cut through and their plan to destroy your drill? Congratulations, I thought you were slower on the uptake than that. Guess I was wrong."
Azula's scowl of fury was almost humorous. "Ah, I see that's a no, then. Better get on that."
"War Minister, an engineer was ambushed! His schematics were stolen!" A tinny voice echoed through the speaking tube and filled the silent room. The older man standing off to the side stepped forward and cocked his head as he listened to the message. His eyes widened as he took in the words, but he had to time to issue any orders. A second voice picked up before the first one had died out. "Minister, a brace on the starboard side has been cut clean through! It's sabotage, sir!"
"Really? You're just getting that now? It's been like, forty-five minutes." Mira looked back to Azula. "You might want to work on your efficiency, Princess. Or, rather, don't. You're making it too easy."
"Secure her!" Azula barked to the War Minister, pointing to Mira. "With me, girls," she ordered to Mai and Ty Lee, and they obediently followed her from the room.
The War Minister grabbed at Mira's cuffs, and she swore at him as he jostled her burned hand. He glared at her as he tied her to a pipe running along the ground under an observation window. "Aw, don't give me that look," she retorted. "What, did I hurt your feelings?"
He looked affronted as he backed away and returned to his duties. "That's right, you better run," Mira muttered under her breath, glaring after his retreating form.
She smirked as she kneeled on the ground, cuffs attached to the pipe. It seemed that Azula, for all her arrogance and determination, had, in fact, underestimated Mira.
For instance, they hadn't taken her lockpicks.
Mira shifted her weight forward until her hip was right next to her restrained hands. She quietly unclipped one of the buttoned pouches and slipped out her leather-wrapped picks. After carefully selecting two tools to work with and giving a cursory glance around the room to ensure that she wasn't being watched, she angled herself toward the corner and began the painstaking task of freeing herself. She thanked her lucky stars that her hands had been secured in front of her, and not behind. She'd have been able to unlock them eventually, of course, but it was much more difficult that way.
She worked gingerly, careful to keep her left hand as still as possible. But she was at an awkward angle, and the cuffs dug unforgivingly against her skin. She bit her lip as the metal cut into her skin, and broke the early blisters forming on her hand. She kept her breathing even to the best of her ability (to avoid raising suspicion from anyone nearby) and adjusted the picks. Sweat rolled down her face and her heart thumped in her chest erratically. If she was caught before she got out of the cuffs, she was as good as dead.
The smallest of clicks emitted from the restraints, and Mira swallowed a whoop of glee. She slowly unhitched the metal and slid them over her raw wrists and hands. She'd dug against the restraints in order to get the best angle at the keyhole, and the evidence was currently oozing down her arms. Mira shoved the pain to the back of her mind with a promise of a long session with Katara's waterpouch later.
She turned her head slightly to watch the room. She needed to find the best opportunity to escape, but she was in the main deck. Her opportunities would be few and far between, but they were present nevertheless.
Unless Mai happened to appear in the doorway. Then she was royally screwed.
Mira nearly screamed in frustration. There was no way in hell she was getting out now. Why wasn't Mai with Azula? Why did she have to return now?
She remained frozen with her back turned to Mai's seat as the knife-thrower sat down. She needed to be silent and invisible, or she'd never get out. Her best bet now was Aang shutting down the drill. Azula was no doubt doing her best to stop him, and that was what terrified Mira. Azula might actually do it. And if she did, there was no hope for the rest of them.
No. She couldn't think like that. Aang was good. In more ways than one. He would defeat Azula, every single time.
Mira wouldn't let herself contemplate the alternative.
And so she sat on the cold metal floor, preparing herself for anything. When the drill broke down, she'd have a small opportunity. Everyone else would be paying attention to whatever damage had been done, while Mira would be solely focused on escape. It was thin, but it was enough.
A long eternal series of minutes later, Mira found her opportunity. A yawning groan shuddered through the drill, and Mai sat up from her slump. Mira tensed, waiting for just the right moment…
A series of explosions rocked the drill, and while everyone froze to listen, Mira was up and off the floor in nanoseconds. Her thickest throwing dart was in her hand, and she trapped Mai's sleeves in the other. She stabbed down, and the dart pinned the cloth to the chair, effectively trapping the girl. She leaned down until her mouth was right next to Mai's ear, and she whispered, "When she asks what happened? Make sure you tell her—she underestimated me."
She backed up, not bothering to look at Mai's face. Mira pulled a rod from her belt and swung viciously at the observation window. Spider-thin cracks spread across the glass, growing larger and larger with each hit.
A small tap sent her twirling around, a throwing knife magically appearing in her left hand. She bit her lip hard to keep from whimpering at the pain of holding it. "Don't you dare," she threatened quietly, and the War Minister (who'd been in the process of sneaking up on Mira) froze, looking dumbstruck. Obviously he hadn't expected to get caught.
She turned again, and stepped back once. She kicked directly at the window, making sure to put all her body weight behind her foot. She hit the crack, and the glass finally shattered out.
She turned again, keeping the War Minister and Mai in her periphery. She scanned the ground, and caught a flash of orange and yellow.
"HEY!" she yelled, waving her rod in the air. The orange and yellow blob looked up, and Mira noticed two blue splotches and a hint of green next to him. "Wonderboy!" she called. "Catch me!"
Spirits, she hoped he'd heard her. She turned and took a few steps toward the center of the main deck. She tucked her rod and knife away, bounced on the balls of her feet a few times, then took off running. She dived through the hole in the window and began plummeting to the ground.
Well, if Aang had missed her meaning the first time, there was no mistaking what she needed now.
Moments later, a gentle cushion of air cradled her and slowed her fall. The wind guided her right side up and gently drew her down to the ground. She descended slowly until the tips of her toes touched the dirt and the breeze released her.
Mira let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "That was terrifying," she said, eyes wide.
"You really like jumping from high places, don't you?" Sokka asked, arms crossed.
"Not particularly," Mira shot back. "Were you ignoring me, just then?"
"You're all torn up!" Katara interrupted, hands immediately going to her waterpouch.
"Well, yeah, I was captured. S'not like they offered me tea and cookies," Mira quipped. "Now d'you mind if we hurry this along? Azula's still out here somewhere, and I'm not anxious for a reunion."
Eyes widened all around, and quick nods were exchanged. Mira only allowed herself to relax once they exited the stairwell within the Outer Wall and stood at the top.
General Sung nearly fell over himself in his haste to thank Aang, and Mira rolled her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to snub the arrogant general, but Aang was too kind to even consider it. He started to accept Sung's thanks gracefully when Mira pulled gently at Katara's sleeve. "I think I'll take that healing session now," she said tiredly, and Katara led her to the infirmary they'd visited earlier that day.
Mira sat down on one of the cots and allowed Katara to take her hands gingerly. "What happened?" she asked as she encased her hand in water.
"Burned myself vandalizing a pipe. Then I got cuffed, and cut myself trying to get out. You know. The usual stuff."
"Why is it, whenever there's a fight, you're always getting hurt?" Katara asked, brow wrinkled as she worked.
"I believe your brother asked me the same thing in a similar situation. I'll tell you what I told him: it's not like I plan it this way."
"But you are reckless," Katara said softly.
"I get the job done, don't I?" Mira replied gruffly, not liking where this was going.
"You're gonna get hurt one day," Katara warned, storing the water back in her pouch. Mira brought her hands up to eye level and inspected them. "And I won't be there to help you out."
"Gee, thanks for the uplifting words of comfort," Mira said dryly. "Gotta say, doc, you might want to work on that bedside manner."
She left before Katara could say anything.
Mira stood with the others on the Outer Wall, and her shoulders uncoiled for the first time that day. She let her eyes flutter shut and breathed in the scents of the Outer crops. Freshly tilled soil, fresh flowers, and the faint odor of fertilizer greeted her. She opened her eyes and watched the sun set over the horizon. They would have to stay on the Outer Wall for the night. The trains stopped running at sundown, and it looked like they'd just missed the last one. General Sung had offered the Outer barracks for the night, and Aang had accepted. Mira gazed at the formidable Inner Wall and tried to sort out her mixed feelings regarding her return to Ba Sing Se. There were some very good memories here, and Mira's lips twitched as she remembered them. But, as usual, the bad came along with them, and the half-smile fell from her face. She wasn't yet sure if she was insane for coming back here.
Sokka broke the comfortable silence and dragged Mira from her reflections. "I just want to say, good effort out there today, Team Avatar."
"Enough with the Team Avatar stuff," Katara said irritably. "No matter how many times you say it, it's not gonna catch on."
"How about…" Sokka whipped out his boomerang, "the 'Boomerang Squad!' See, it's good 'cause it's got 'Aang' in it." He laid a hand on Aang's head. "Boomer-Aang."
Aang shrugged. "I kinda like that one."
Mira rolled her eyes. "You would."
"Let's talk about this later," Katara said, clearly done with the topic, but trying to appease Sokka anyway. She began to walk toward the Outer barracks, and the others trailed behind her. Sokka stayed where he was, determined to make his point.
"The 'Aang Gang'?"
"Sokka…" Katara warned.
"The 'Fearsome Fivesome'?"
"You're crazy," Toph laughed.
"Why? We're fearsome!" Sokka defended, racing after them.
"Please, stop, before you hurt yourself," Mira drawled. "Those handful of brain cells you've got left can only take so much strain."
"…What are you saying?"
"Ladies and gentlemen, my point exactly."
A/N: Next up, Ba Sing Se. And believe me, those chapters are not going to look similar to the show. Cos Ba Sing Se just pisses me off. So many plot holes. So many logic issues. Hopefully I fix all of 'em for ya.
But seriously. Can't wait. Lots of AU goodies.
Please review and let me know what you think. I know y'all are out there! So please, leave a review on your way out.