THE SAME DAY, THAT MORNING:
"Wakey wakey, lazy bones." Rila's pointed nails raked lightly across Genpei's cheek. "It'll be time for the big event in a few hours. We got a hawk from Nishi last night."
Genpei stifled a yawn as he opened his eyes and craned his neck around. Faint light was filtering through the trees from the east. Rila was sitting cross-legged, her back against his naked torso, a Dai Li military blanket draped loosely around her waist. Her long left arm was stretched out over the smoldering firepit, fingers flexing around a small, glowing sphere of energy hovering over her palm. A faint smell of sulfur wafted through the air; there was a volcanic hot spring about half a mile up the slope.
Xi's squad of twenty Dai Li- plus a smaller group of the Fire Nation rebels- were camping in the foothills of the giant caldera that encircled the Fire Nation Capital. They'd landed on the west coast of the continent, then quickly moved inland, using Earthbending to conceal their trail. The Dai Li were still wearing the armor and uniforms of Omashu under their shabby grey cloaks, but all the same, Takeo had insisted they keep out of sight. Rightfully so: since their attack on Hira'a, Zuko's Home Guard were stationed in nearly every town they came in sight of, while observation balloons prowled over the rail lines and most of the roads. They'd taken increasingly disused paths- and, as they entered the rainforest, game trails. Zuko had been targeted in this area before, during the Kemurikage crisis, and he would have the roads through the jungle watched as well.
"You could at least ask, before you take my only bedclothes." Genpei grunted, reaching teasingly for the edge of the blanket around Rila's bare hips. They'd been very energetic the night before, even taking advantage of the hot spring, but he could already feel his libido returning now. His voice took on a playful tone. "We're both pretty accustomed to the heat, you hardly need it."
Rila chuckled. The sphere of light in her palm expanded into a fireball, and Genpei drew his hand back hastily. "Don't bother trying to compare how hot your homeland is to mine. This is winter weather, and it still beats the hottest day in Ba Sing Se; you'd never survive here in the summer." She snuffed the fireball out, leaned over and kissed his cheek when he gave her a mock-wounded expression. "After what we'll accomplish today, we'll have plenty of time... if you're still interested. I could use someone to watch my back. Or, as much of me as you like."
"I'll consider it." Genpei smiled briefly, then raised his eyebrows. "Though, you know that I report half of what you say to the Dai Li, right?"
"And you know that I don't give a damn which faction wins what, after this plays out." Rila glanced at him meaningfully. "If it helps sow mistrust between Long Feng and Takeo, the more the merrier. I don't hold allegiance to either of them, and they're going to end up going to war anyway after Zuko's dead. You've seen the tension between your comrades and most of the Fire Nation rebels."
Genpei nodded. It was a testament to both Long Feng and Takeo's patience that their alliance had lasted this long; he and Xi had already broken up several fights. "Still, you should make sure you aren't caught on the wrong side-"
"There isn't a right side, this entire puppet show is just to help those two get back to power. Besides, neither country is ready for war. The Earth Kingdom is no closer to unification, in spite of the new alliance between Kuei and Ariq; some of the western and southern vassals are against war for the sake of preserving their independence. And as long as the Fire Navy and Air Fleet are intact, there's no way for the Earthbenders to strike the Fire Nation itself-"
"But the Fire Nation will be in chaos after Zuko's... death, without a successor." Genpei was choosing his words carefully; he still hadn't told Rila about Azula's involvement, though he was increasingly eager to. "It won't be able to strike the Earth King's forces effectively, either. Unless Takeo can somehow get the entire Fire Nation military behind him from the get-go, it'll be a bloody stalemate."
"Exactly. So, let them destroy each other."
"Long Feng won't let that happen." Genpei shook his head. "He brought order to Ba Sing Se and kept it immune to conflict for years. If war breaks out again, he can do the same for the rest of the Earth Kingdom; the outlying vassals will remember the threat of the Fire Nation, and give up their stubborn independence in exchange for Ba Sing Se's protection. We have the numbers; all we need is unity, and we can withstand anything the Fire Nation throws at us."
But even as he spoke, Genpei had his doubts. Long Feng still had to claw his way back into power before that unity could be achieved. His agents all across the Earth Kingdom- and especially in Ba Sing Se- reported that the former secret police were still remembered with fear and hatred by many of the common people. There would be little chance of rallying or coaxing the masses under the Dai Li's banner, even amid tensions with the Fire Nation.
Meanwhile, Long Feng had been secretly reaching out, to see if the Earth King's outlying vassals were desperate enough to submit to Dai Li control. His spies had left messages in the homes of various nobles, governors and military leaders, asking them to leave their response to be retrieved by messenger hawk. As expected, most didn't reply, but Joo Dee was disguised as a servant in several of the vassals' households, so the reactions were heard firsthand. Kiyoshi Island, which had built close ties with the Fire Nation and the Southern Water Tribe in the last twenty years, rejected the Dai Li's proposals outright. Long Feng hadn't bothered to contact Omashu; Ariq was already too closely allied with the Earth King, thanks to the Fire Nation airships hovering over his city.
Only General Fong, the warlord of the Hu Xin province, had given a positive response so far, and even he was a stretch. Although Fong despised the Fire Nation as much as Ariq, and seemed to like the idea of more centralized government control for the Earth Kingdom, he still demanded the Earth King's approval before he would fully commit himself. The capture of Princess Hou-Ting gave the Dai Li a bargaining chip to help negotiate their return to Ba Sing Se, particularly since Kuei thought Zuko was behind her kidnapping. But they couldn't hold her indefinitely. Once she was returned, what was really going to stop her father from dismissing and arresting Long Feng again? King Kuei might be timid and used to deferring to advisers, but ultimately his decisions were still final. He wouldn't have forgotten Long Feng's previous deal with Azula, no matter how persuasive the Grand Secretariat's arguments were.
Genpei believed the Dai Li needed to strike now, to contact the Earth King himself and make their demands known; but Long Feng continued to delay, trying to drum up more support among the frightened or disgruntled vassals. He wanted a stronger personal power base, before he confronted his former master and made him bend the knee. And his need for personal control, while important for the long-term goal of unity and order, was threatening their short-term goal: to help the Earth Kingdom survive the war he and Takeo had laid out.
Rila glanced over at Genpei, reading his expression at a glance. She shook her head. "Wake up, Genpei. Long Feng will sacrifice anything for the sake of his own power base. He sacrificed the chance to invade the Fire Nation during the Day of Black Sun, just to keep the Avatar and his friends away from the Earth King. And when he was arrested only weeks after that, he offered Azula the Dai Li's help in exchange for a chance to get Ba Sing Se back under his thumb- and he ended up handing the last Earth Kingdom stronghold to the Fire Nation." She rolled her eyes. "Takeo's even worse; at least Long Feng knows how to conceal his actions. Men in power are always concerned with keeping it first, maintaining peace and order second. And since both are declared traitors to their nations, they'll have to start civil wars just to get back to the top, no matter how carefully their plans are laid."
Genpei wanted to tell her she was wrong, but her words seemed distressingly prophetic. He'd been recruited by Xi right before the occupation, hadn't worn his uniform more than a few months before his mentor and Long Feng fled into exile. His subsequent years patrolling Ba Sing Se had been full of tension and constant fear, that someone would discover his identity as a sleeper agent in the police force. The longer the Dai Li took to secure their power now, the more his other comrades in the same position risked being found out.
Rila squeezed his large, short-fingered hand. "I'm not trying to insult your integrity, but good people can still fight for the wrong reasons. Long Feng isn't going to bring the Earth Kingdom real order for decades, if he ever does at all. Only the Avatar's come close to creating a new system, with the United Republic; everywhere else, the monarchies are still running things into the ground."
Genpei scoffed. "It's a bit hypocritical of you to defend the Avatar, given that he's best friends with the monarch you're Hell-bent on killing."
Rila's eyes flashed, and the tattoo on her Ajna Chakra flared orange. "I wouldn't talk if I were you, Genpei. I'm not trying to restore one of the most repressive regimes in history, in the blind hope that it brings protection and peace; instead, I'm finishing another regime off. And I do have a plan for what happens when the war begins. To build something, you have to tear down what's already there. The Avatar already did that, with the United Republic; it's a new system of order, with a coalition leading it, instead of a single figure."
"Well, forgive me if I'm more concerned about millions of civilians being crushed or burned to death in endless wars or rebellions." Genpei let go of her hand. "Yes, you have to make sacrifices for a 'new system of order', but I'm at least going to try and reduce the casualties. You don't care who's killed along the way, as long as you get your precious revenge. And your plan doesn't center around anyone but yourself and your feelings for one person, who knocked two of your teeth out as a child!"
Rila looked hurt and angry, but rather than lash out, she shoved the blanket aside and stood up. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. You told me you were an orphan when Xi found you, and even he's using you for his faction's benefit, just like Takeo and Long Feng. You wouldn't understand what it's like to grow up, when the only people you really ever know are your parents. My father gave me a choice, and as I've said, I've made it. It's up to you to make yours." She grabbed her clothes and strode off toward the hot springs.
Genpei slapped a hand to his forehead, laying back against the uneven carpet of vegetation. Why did he have to start an argument with Rila, on what might be his last chance to see her before the alliance expired? The answer came back almost immediately; she was as stubborn in her opinions as he was.
A sudden vibration jolted the ground under him, rolling him onto his side. Throwing the blanket over his groin, Genpei hastily sat up. Xi was standing a few yards away in front of a bamboo grove, his emotionless eyes fixed on the direction Rila had gone.
"I need to know, Genpei. Is she going to cause trouble, when we reach the target?"
"No." Genpei shook his head firmly. If Xi had any doubts, he would eliminate Rila in the coming battle, once her role was completed. It would be easy for him to make it look like an accident. Genpei inhaled slowly through his nose, relaxing his muscles, calmly watching his mentor until the grey eyes finally met his copper ones. "She's got no loyalty to Takeo, only to herself- and her personal vendetta requires the plan to be followed through. She has no principals."
"And you?"
"You know my devotion to our cause. She's just an amusement, nothing more." Xi couldn't detect dishonesty through vibrations, but all the same, Genpei was relieved that his voice sounded steady. Neither of those statements was fully true, anymore.
Xi watched him for a long moment, then nodded. "Good. Get yourself dressed. We'll be needing both of you, soon enough."
After a late breakfast, they waited until mid-day before making their way to the edge of the forest. Genpei was grateful for the delay. It wasn't so much the heat as the humidity of the Fire Nation that got to him, as they picked their way through the misty, insect-infested jungle. Rila didn't look angry anymore, but she carefully avoided his gaze throughout the march.
Practically everyone in the group knew about his relationship with Rila by now, though no one had mentioned it except Xi. Shingen had been assigned to lead the Firebending members of the assault team, and he'd kept throwing Genpei dirty looks during the sea voyage. Genpei ignored him, mostly because he enjoyed watching Shingen become seasick. From what he'd seen, Shingen didn't take after his father much, at least in the brains department. Although he'd shown himself to be a very skilled Firebender, easily besting most of his peers in practice Agni Kais, his temper and obsession with Rila made him rather short-sighted.
When the assault force arrived at the edge of the trees, they had barely reached the base of the caldera's slope. Steam and the stench of sulfuric mud rose from various fumaroles, and not far ahead Genpei spotted a sinister orange glow between the folds of dark, volcanic rock; as they drew closer, he began to notice several more. According to Takeo, in the years since the war, the Fire Nation had used a combination of engineering and bending to re-direct the lava away from the old crater and toward the foothills, giving the city an extra, deadly defense mechanism. He swallowed. If one of those veins erupted at the wrong time...
He was lucky to be so in-tune with the vibrations of the ground. The Fire Lords had guarded their Capital well, but centuries of not being invaded had limited their imagination.
"Are we in position to approach the Caldera Cavern?" Xi inquired, glancing at Shingen. He'd been a staff officer in the Royal Palace's lower levels before joining his father's garrison; he knew the geography of the Fire Lord's private bunker well enough to serve as a guide.
"Yes." Shingen replied, not looking at Xi; the Dai Li captain's serene attitude annoyed him nearly as much as Genpei's sleeping with Rila. "Start from here, and we arrive about two yards over the top of the bunker."
"'About?'"
"It doesn't matter, as long as we can sense the tunnels and don't break into them." Shingen replied impatiently.
"Zicheng, you're up in the front. With me." Xi glanced at a tall, slender Dai Li officer with high cheekbones.
Zicheng cracked his knuckles through the stone gauntlets, then raised them in a bending position. He brought his right foot up, then forward and down sharply, imploding a circular, two-meter wide pit into the twisted basalt. Then, instead of the sharp, decisive movements that accompanied most Earthbending, he moved his arms in a more gradual, circular motion, one always above the other, fingers contorting inches from each other. Xi copied him, though more slowly; he had only recently begun learning this exceedingly rare technique.
"This is a waste of time." Shingen growled. "We'll be seen if we're out here much longer-"
"Put a sock in it, Ashmaker." Zicheng replied curtly, without looking up. Shingen started to move toward him, but Genpei stepped between the two quickly. For a moment, he and the Firebender stared each other down, but Shingen finally turned away, smoke rising from his fists.
Suddenly, the temperature of the ground under their feet began to rise, rapidly. Glancing over his shoulder, Genpei saw the basalt in the base of Zicheng's pit begin to glow, fragments pressing and fusing against each other until they liquefied. Molten rock steamed and hissed in front of them.
"Amazing." Rila stared, fascinated. "And I thought Metalbending was a game-changer."
Genpei had to agree with her; this was something much rarer than Metalbending, and even more versatile and dangerous. The lava followed the slow, wheeling gestures of Zicheng's arms, rippling outward and melting the walls of the basin-shaped pit, expanding it further. Then, at a gesture from Xi, a large globule of the glowing liquid arced up and over their heads. Several of the Dai Li flinched as Xi flicked it into a nearby lava vein with a sharp hiss, narrowly missing one of the Firebenders. He repeated the procedure as Zicheng continued expanding the base of the lava-filled pit. Within moments, it was deeper than Genpei was tall.
"Remind me why we need these theatrics now?" Shingen interrupted, in a clipped tone. "You could just use regular Earthbending until we actually reach the perimeter of the Caldera Cavern."
"Because, if magma unexpectedly seeps into the tunnel from the side, in case someone led us off-course, we'll be more prepared to deal with it." Xi replied dryly, his eyes focused on the expanding pit. "Since your father taught you how to draw heat out of molten rock, perhaps you should join Zicheng at the front, in case that happens. It would do us more good than your constant complaints."
Shingen looked incensed, but Rila stepped forward before he could react. "Never mind, Shingen. Takeo taught me the Steambending trick, too." She held her fists over the mass of molten rock, extended her middle and index fingers, and drew them upwards. There was a hissing, crackling sound as trails of white steam followed her arms; beneath them, the glow of the tunnel's walls had already started to fade. The two Lavabenders continued expanding the tunnel until it was about five feet wide, then stopped to let Rila finish solidifying it.
Genpei grinned at her. "Nice touch, Rila." Rila met his gaze briefly then looked away. "My turn."
He made sure his feet and hands were securely encased in their stone gauntlets and boots, then jumped into the tunnel. Pressing his palms against the wall in front of him, he cocked his head sideways, then tapped his foot sharply on the still-hot, newly-formed basalt. His hands strained to feel the vibrations as they rushed through the volcano, then rebounded back to him. "The bunker is right where Shingen said it would be. But it's not just the bunker, it's surrounded by what seems like a maze of tunnels. We won't be able to travel straight to the Caldera Cavern without running into some of them along the way."
"A maze within a maze." Xi nodded. "Encircled by magma, no less. No wonder the Fire Lord felt safe during the Day of Black Sun."
"And since the Black Sun isn't due to return for another two years, you can bet those tunnels will be well-guarded now." Shingen grunted. "The only way to surprise them, is to weave our way through the lava tubes between the tunnels, then either storm the front door of the bunker or pierce through the metal hull." Ducking the next stream of lava, he jumped into the tunnel and joined Rila in bending the steam out of the still-molten rock.
They continued for hours as the afternoon wore on; Genpei directing, Xi and Zicheng Lavabending, and Rila and Shingen removing the heat so the other Dai Li agents could fuse the newly-formed rock to the tunnel walls. The rest waited at the mouth of the growing passage, watching for Home Guard patrols. It was slow, dangerous work, and the light began to fade as the tunnel went deeper into the volcano, forcing several of the rebels to conjure fireballs. If Zuko's troops spotted the entrance to the tunnel, they were finished; it would take them too long to evacuate. The next tap of Genpei's foot told him there was a magma vein directly in front of them; he hastily warned Xi and Zicheng, who began to slope the tunnel downwards and around.
"We should collapse some of those magma tubes behind us on our way out." He remarked, ducking as another globule of molten rock floated past him.
Xi nodded. "Good idea. If that doesn't throw off the guards pursuing us, I've got another one" He glanced at Zicheng. "After we get around this tube, double back and work on a second exit tunnel, branching off this one."
An hour and a half later, the tunnel had crossed around several magma tubes. Everyone, rebels and Dai Li alike, was dripping with sweat. Rila offered Genpei her waterskin as the group sat down for a brief rest. Wary of Shingen and Xi's eyes on him, he declined with a raised hand, then flashed her a wink and a grateful smile when Xi turned away; the corner of her mouth twitched, as if amused. He wasn't sure if he was forgiven, but he was grateful for the peace offering.
By the time they returned to work after about fifteen minutes, Zicheng had joined them again, having finished his backup tunnel. As he put his hands to the wall again, Genpei realized how close they were to the maze surrounding the bunker; he could feel the vibrations of armor-clad feet ahead of him, both above and below, constantly on the move. He passed this on to Xi and Zicheng, who slowed the pace of their Lavabending. Despite the heat, the Dai Li removed their stone footwear to avoid making noise that might alert the enemy; everyone gradually fell completely silent, except for the hiss and crackle of rocks liquefying and solidifying.
As they rounded another tunnel and Genpei tapped on the fresh ground again- wincing at the burning heat on his bare foot- he became aware of something massive and metallic a few yards ahead, among the rock and magma. Several of the tunnels seemed to be branching back to it, and he couldn't sense anything on the other side of the metal. His mouth went dry. Finally, it was happening.
"The bunker's just ahead." He whispered to Xi and Shingen. "Are we going around for the main entrance, or from the rear?"
"Both have their benefits." Shingen whispered back. Now that they were near their target, his animosity toward the Dai Li seemed to have faded a bit. "Most of the rear wall of the bunker is up against a huge magma vein, so the armor is extra- thick, but on the other hand, they may not expect an attack from such a difficult position." He glanced meaningfully at Rila. "But the noise we'll make coming through that wall will alert everyone inside."
"We'd have to get through guards to attack the front gate, and that will alert everyone inside anyway." Xi replied. "Besides, we're running out of time. We're much closer to the rear of the bunker, and that's where most of the living quarters are; we should strike from there."
"None of us are Metalbenders." Zicheng looked wary. "If that armor can resist the magma always running over it, our bending would never be able to pierce it-"
"You mean, your bending won't be able to pierce it." Rila interrupted. She tapped the tattoo on her forehead, which glowed orange. "I vote for attacking the rear. The rest of you won't have to do any work, which will leave you ready to fight if we need to."
Genpei grinned. Rila's personality matched her power; she was unstoppable. But there were other things he had to consider. "First, we need to determine where everyone is. Give me a minute." He tapped his foot on the ground several times, feeling for the tunnel's walls in the dim light of Shingen's fireball. He could faintly sense people moving around inside the Cavern and near the entrance, but their details- and the passages inside the bunker itself- were blurred and indistinct, thanks to the metal shell. But there were two people he took particular notice of. One was a heavyset old man, sitting in the passage just outside the bunker's door. The other was just behind the rear wall, and though it was hard to distinguish, he noticed it was much smaller than any of the other people inside the Caldera Cavern- a child. And there was only one child that would be here.
"Princess Izumi is right behind the rear wall, probably in her quarters. General Iroh is in the tunnel outside the main gate." He murmured. At the mention of Iroh, Zicheng and the two Dai Li behind him looked uneasy.
"What about Fire Lady Mai?" Rila frowned. "She may not be a bender, but she's certainly dangerous."
Genpei concentrated, tapping his foot a few more times, straining his ear for the returning vibrations. "I can't identify her in the tunnels, but there are about twelve people inside the Cavern, including the Princess. One of them must be Mai."
"I'd rather take my chances with her than the Dragon of the West." Shingen replied dismissively. "We should go for the rear."
Xi nodded, turning to Zicheng. "From here, we'll switch to standard Earthbending until we reach the magma vein; otherwise, it might overflow into the tunnel when we breach it. Once we've got it open, we'll clear the molten rock off a patch of the metal, so that..." He glanced at Rila.
The corner of her mouth curved into a grim smile . "So that I can do what I do best." She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Her Ajna Chakra began to glow again.
Izumi knew something was different when she awoke. After over a week in the Caldera Cavern, she was so familiar with the sounds of the volcano around her, the slightest change in routine could disturb her sleep. This time, her dreams had been interrupted by a strange rattling from all sides, like the sound of a swarm locust-scarabs scraping the bark off a cherry tree. She sat up quickly, throwing the cover off her futon. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, the walls of the Cavern trembled, and dust trickled from the metal braces across the high ceiling.
She frowned. She'd been shut down here with her aunt since her grandparents had been attacked. Mom and Uncle Tom-Tom had been coming and going, snapping at the guards from time to time, but never able to stay for long. Izumi's frustration with her parents was growing. Only the day after she'd come back from her visit with the Dragons at Phleung Woat, Dad had disappeared without a word, again. So much for his promise to tell her more about his plan to capture the outlaw General, Takeo. Mom was busy running the Fire Nation again, but she still wouldn't let Izumi leave the bunker, which meant no Firebending. After learning from probably the best Firebending teachers in the world, she wasn't even allowed to practice? And it was horribly hot down here, even hotter than the Capital's streets during the summer; magma actually ran against the steel-plated hull of the cavern in places, so she had to be careful not to touch the walls.
There were two faint clangs as some object struck the metal hull of the domed room, then rattled down the side. Probably a chunk of still-solid rock carried in the magma, but it sounded like it was... bouncing?
She'd tried to persuade the guards and Kiyi to let her out, before finally giving up and sulking. The guards were usually kind to her, and a little afraid of her temper, but they were more afraid of her parents. Kiyi wanted to get out, too- she said being in the Caldera reminded her of when she'd been kidnapped as a child, and she was worried about Grandfather Ikem. But she also said that if there were enemy Earthbenders near the Capital, it was the safest place for them to be. The underground, steel-plated maze had been built precisely to keep the Royal Family safe from Earthbenders, near the beginning of the war. Izumi knew her great-great- grandfather Sozin had been a monster, but she had to admit that in war, he'd thought of just about everything.
Or had he? The chamber suddenly shook again, harder this time. She got up from her bed hastily, backing toward the opposite wall, her eyes on the ceiling where the dust had come from. Her fingers felt for a small bell-cord hanging near the door, jerking it sharply. There was the cranking sound of a heavy steel bolt being drawn back, and two of the Imperial Firebenders rushed in.
"You called for us, Princess?"
"There's something outside. I woke up and there was something clanging on the hull, something heavy. Didn't you feel the walls shaking?"
One of the guards shook his head, smiling at her in a condescending way. "The walls are always shaking a bit back here, Princess. Magma from the main vein keeps building up along the back of the Caldera Cavern, before it erupts out the vents-"
His voice was cut off by a sharp, metallic thud directly over their heads, accompanied by a tremor that almost knocked them off their feet. Glancing up, Izumi saw a dent the size of her head in the steel plates across the ceiling.
"Does that look like magma to you?" The other guard snapped. "There's someone out there, trying to get in."
"How could they have gone through the main magma vein?"
"It doesn't matter how, they're here!" The second guard conjured a fireball over his fist, turning to Izumi. "Princess Izumi, go join your aunt in the main chamber! We're going to seal this one off."
Izumi took off before he was finished speaking, weaving her way through passages, lit only with lanterns made of luminous crystal. The dim lighting didn't bother her; after a week down here with nothing to do, she knew most of the dead-ends and roundabout tunnels blindfold. But now, every shadow might have an enemy behind it. She could feel her breath coming faster, her heart pounding in her ears. Turning a darkened corner, she almost ran into a figure coming the other way. Instinctively, she jumped back and conjured a firepoint on each hand.
"Whoa, Izumi, it's me!" Aunt Kiyi threw up her hands hastily. "I heard some kind of noise from your end of the bunker- were you trying to practice charged Firebending again?"
"Nope. Something's outside my room, trying to get in." Izumi grabbed her aunt's hand and marched her back towards the throne chamber, where her grandfather Ozai had sheltered during the Day of Black Sun. Two more Imperial Firebenders outside the entrance bowed their heads; one of them rapped a pipe along the wall with his pike, three times. The studded steel door- reinforced with a layer of platinum, something even Metalbenders couldn't use- slid back, and Izumi rushed inside, pulling Kiyi with her. To her surprise, she found her mother and uncle there as well.
"Mom?"
"Do we know who it is yet?" Mai was speaking sharply to an Air Fleet scout. Tomoru and two more of the Imperial Firebenders stood next to her. "We all know who sent them, but we need exact numbers and identities."
"There's been no sign of any enemy activity around the Capital until this morning, and believe me, Fire Lady, we've been waiting for it since Zuko left." The scout wiped sweat from his brow. "We found evidence of a camp in the forest, but we lost their trail near the caldera. One of my fellow scouts reported a small disturbance along the edge of the fumaroles an hour ago, but we thought that was just a minor eruption-"
Tomoru smacked his fist into his palm. "Whoever they are, they've found a way to navigate through the magma. It's not so improbable; after all, Toph Beifong and the Avatar managed to, during the Day of Black Sun."
"Meaning, the Cavern's defenses aren't going to stop them." Mai flicked her wrist, and three red-tinted shuriken glinted between her fingers.
"True, but at least they don't have any Metalbenders, or we'd already be surrounded." Tomoru glanced down the passage that led toward Izumi's room; the walls trembled slightly as the unseen attacker hammered at the Cavern's armor. "We should evacuate, before they cut us off-"
"They already have." Kiyi interrupted. "Izumi said they were trying to get in through her room."
"Because they're here for her." Tomoru nodded. "That's why they're targeting her quarters."
"But how did they know where she was, in the Cavern?"
"One of them must have a seismic sense, just like Toph Beifong's. Which means they also know exactly how many people are inside the bunker."
"But they don't know who's inside the bunker." Kiyi cracked her knuckles. Despite Izumi's growing anxiety, she felt the same thrill as her aunt; finally, something was happening.
"We're not going to fight them head-on if we can avoid it, Kiyi." Mai's tone was grim. "if they're confident enough to attack us here, either they outnumber us significantly or they're fanatical enough that they don't care about their own survival. One misstep from either side might cause a cave-in that could flood the complex with magma and kill us all."
The walls of the bunker trembled again. From the direction Izumi had come from, there was a sudden muffled boom, along with the sound of tearing metal. Then, there were shouts and the whoosh of flames; the attackers, whoever they were, had gotten inside the Cavern. Izumi felt a chill of fear mingling with her excitement.
Mai turned to the Imperial Firebenders and the scout. "Go outside the gate and alert General Iroh, then get to the surface. Have the other Imperial Firebenders occupy the palace and block the tunnels leading to this bunker, then contact General On Ji. Tell her to call in as many of the Home Guard as she can on short notice."
One of the guards looked troubled. "Fire Lady, we should focus on getting you, the Princess, Lady Kiyi and Minister Tomoru to safety first-"
"No." Mai cut him off with a brisk shake of her head. "The rebels might have more waiting at the entrance to the Cavern to grab Izumi as she comes out; it's too easy to attack."
Tomoru nodded. "Cutting off their escape route should be the priority. They may have come here for a kidnapping, but they can't get out that quickly, not in the heart of a volcano. The Home Guard should cover every inch of the caldera's walls; use airships if you have to."
"The caldera's too large to patrol quickly, and most of the airships went with Zuko to Omori."
"Ashura spawn." Tomoru shook his head. "Of course, Takeo would have thought of that. Tell On Ji to do what she can."
"With all due respect, Fire Lady, we should at least take the Princess with us, for her own safety-"
"I have my daughter's safety well in hand, thank you very much." Mai replied coldly. She crouched and put her hands on Izumi's shoulders. "Izumi, you remember when I showed you the inside of the ventilation shaft? Where you can climb out if there's an emergency?"
Izumi nodded. There was a set of ladder rungs and ledges that wound their way up the inside of the shaft, all the way to the surface.
"I need you to climb it now, with Uncle Tom-Tom. Keep him safe for me, will you?"
Uncertain, Izumi nodded. "But... what about you, Mom?" She thought she knew the answer, and she felt another stab of fear when she saw the tight smile on her mother's face.
"I'm... going to try and talk with them, to Takeo's rebels." She pulled Izumi into a tight hug, so close Izumi could feel her heart pounding. Mai was good at hiding her emotions, but right now she was just as scared as Izumi. "Izumi, they're coming for you. They don't want me, so I'll be fine. You have to get to the surface, understand?"
Izumi felt the corners of her eyes getting hot. Mai pulled herself back and looked directly into her daughter's eyes. "I know you can fight, Izumi. But now isn't a time for fighting, it's a time for surviving, at any cost. You and Tom-Tom get to the surface, then make a plan to strike back. Understand?" After a long pause, Izumi nodded, blinking back tears. Mai kissed her forehead. "I love you. Don't forget that, ever." She stood up, rotating the shuriken between her fingers again. "Kiyi, you'll wait around the corner and cover me, if it turns ugly?"
Kiyi nodded grimly. There was a particularly lound whoosh of flames in the passage, then silence, then the sounds of something hitting a metal surface. The rebels must have beaten the two Imperial Firebenders; now they were trying to break through the door that the guards had welded shut behind them. Once they broke through that, only two guards were left between them and the throne room.
Kiyi squeezed Izumi's shoulders briefly. "It's gonna be okay, Izumi. I've got your mom's back. Go."
Izumi wanted to protest; her frustrations with her mother's absence and her aunt's constantly beating her at Agni Kai seemed so petty and unimportant now. Biting her lip, she forced herself to turn away, hurrying through the steel door her uncle was holding open for her. As soon as she was through, he slammed it shut behind them and spun the wheel, drawing double bolts across it. They were in a dark room lit with a single crystal lantern, filled with massive pipes and bellows. At the back, built into the wall, was the base of the ventilation shaft. Izumi could feel her uncle's hand shaking as he pried the door open and ushered her into it. Immediately, she was surrounded by the cold breeze of fast-flowing air, making her shiver.
She finally found her voice. "Are you scared, Uncle Tom-Tom?"
"Oh, you have no idea." Tomoru let out a shaky, mirthless laugh. "I... I wish I was half as brave as your Aunt Kiyi. We were both kidnapped by the Kemurikage when we were five years old, and she didn't even flinch; she threatened our captors." He took a deep breath. "And here I am, a grown man, and I'm still shaking like a leaf."
"I'm scared, too." Izumi paused, then felt for his hand in the dark and squeezed it. "Dad says that fear can help you stay alive."
"Well, then right now we must be the best survivors in the Fire Nation." Tomoru squeezed her hand back, then felt for the ladder rungs. "Can you give me a little light?"
Izumi conjured a small firepoint. They found the wall with the rungs and began to climb, but when she reached the horizontal shaft that ran across the ceiling of the main chamber, Izumi paused. Then, she pulled herself onto the ledge and crawled into it, approaching a grate where the air entered the room.
Behind her, Tomoru cursed to himself and crawled after her. "Izumi, we need to get to the surface! Your mom's talking to them to buy us time-"
"You can go to the surface if you want to, Uncle." Izumi replied as she drew nearer to the grate. She could see light from the room below. "I can take care of myself."
"Honestly..." Tomoru sighed in exasperation, but he wasn't in much of a position to argue. If they actually ran into an enemy, he would be nearly useless, while Izumi was trained in three different forms of combat. Besides, he hated the idea of leaving his sister behind as much as Izumi did.
Careful to move without making noise, she reached the grate and peered through the metal mesh. The sounds of battle were getting nearer, but Mai was sitting on the throne, as if nothing was wrong. The last four guards stood on either side of her, facing the passage that led to the living quarters. Kiyi was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly, there was a faint, double pop outside the door Izumi and Kiyi had come through. A second later, there was an explosion that blew the steel-and-platinum door off its' hinges. Smoke billowed into the room; when it began to clear, a group of about twenty people entered. A few wore Fire Army uniforms (except that the parts of their armor that should have been red were black) but most wore khaki-and-green outfits, with studded gauntlets and broad, dome-shaped hats with dark green brims. They were barefoot, and gloves made of earth and rock covered their hands. Izumi was shocked; Takeo's rebels had Earthbenders helping them?
If Mai was surprised by this, she covered it well. "Shingen." She spoke to the Firebenders' leader, a tall colonel with amber eyes. "You served Zuko loyally for over a decade. Seems a pity to throw it all away now."
Shingen shrugged, an ugly smile on his face. "You and Zuko brought my defection on yourselves, when you declared my father a traitor-"
"Oh, don't give me that excuse." Mai scoffed. "My father helped lead a conspiracy against Zuko in the second year of his reign, before Zuko and I reconciled. And I still denounced Ukano and helped imprison him. Because I knew what loyalty to the Fire Nation meant, not the rubbish Takeo feeds his troops before a battle. So don't give me a pathetic sob story about your loyalty to your father- who, by the way, would throw you to the wolves if it put him on the throne."
The smirk vanished from Shingen's face and his eyes narrowed. One of the Earthbenders- a stern-faced bald man with grey eyes- stepped forward. "We don't have any quarrel with you, Lady Mai. Nor with your family. All we want is the girl, and I assure you, we have no intention of harming her."
Izumi sat up sharply, and Tomoru grabbed her to stop her from banging her head on the ceiling of the shaft. She struggled to reach the latch that would open the grate, but he had her wrists in an iron grip. "Izumi, I know what you're thinking. Not in a thousand years. No."
"-would I believe you?" Mai was saying. The Imperial Firebenders on either side of her had taken fighting stances. "You're from Omashu, which my father governed during its' wartime occupation. No Earth Kingdom city has more reason to hate both my family and Zuko's. Add that to at least a hundred reasons I wouldn't let you within a mile of my child- who the Hell do you think I am?" Her voice had barely risen, but Izumi had always been able to sense her mother's mood. Mai wasn't scared anymore, she was furious. "You knew I would spit on that offer, so why did you bother to make it?"
"To save you some pain, unless there's no other choice." A tall Firebender with dark hair answered. She had a strange tattoo on her forehead, like a red eye with six claws curving up around it. Her voice was calm, but her eyes had a hard, cold look in them.
A huge Earthbender with a shaggy, brown beard stepped past her hastily, raising his hand; the stone gauntlet broke off his wrist, re-forming into a ball in mid-air. "We don't aim to cause pain here, Fire Lady. We've just got a job to do-"
"So do I." Mai's voice was flat. "And it involves making your job difficult." She swung her leg up, flicking her foot sideways. A cluster of steel-headed darts fired from the launcher strapped to her calf, shattering the stone ball; one of them zipped past and impaled Shingen through the palm. He let out a roar of pain as the rest of the rebels fired on the throne, but Mai had already leaped off, rolled across the floor and taken cover behind a heavy table, forcing the Earthbenders to duck as she hurled a hail of shuriken at them. As her guards returned fire, a charged burst of flame shot from the door across the room, knocking three of the Firebenders flat. Izumi couldn't see who had launched it, but it had to be Kiyi. She felt a sudden surge of glee; her Mom and her aunt were wiping the floor with these thugs!
But the Imperial Firebenders were relying too much on power over movement, and now the Earthbenders took advantage of that. As three of them drew the guards' fire, the others detached their earthen gloves from their forearms. Still in the shape of hands, the gloves shot forward and grabbed three guards by their collars, ankles and wrists, dragging them down and trapping them against the floor. Kiyi rushed into Izumi's line of vision, delivering a spinning kick that blasted two of the Earthbenders off their feet, but Shingen and the woman both launched fire bursts at her, forcing her back. The last Imperial Firebender managed to deflect and shatter several of the earthen gloves, but the Earthbenders simply re-formed the fragments and kept attacking, looking for an opening. Finally, a charged burst from one of the Firebenders caught the guard in her knee, bringing her down. From across the room, Mai launched another hail of missiles, but she couldn't get any closer. Against Fire and Nonbenders, she could protect herself just fine at close-quarters, but against Earth or Waterbenders she had to keep her distance in case they tried to immobilize her.
Kiyi, meanwhile, had been backed into a corner by Shingen and the tall woman, making it hard for her to maneuver. She deflected a burst from Shingen and counterattacked, scorching his side, but this left her open to a fire-arc from the woman's elbow. The force of the attack slammed her against the wall and she slumped to the floor, dazed.
Tomoru started to pull Izumi away, back toward the escape shaft. "We need to go, Izumi."
"No." Izumi locked her hands onto the edge of the grate. "No, you're not taking me away-"
"We have no choice!" He hissed. "They're overwhelmed; the best way to help them is to get reinforcements-"
"I don't want to hurt her, but I will if I need to." The woman's voice below caused both Tomoru and Izumi to freeze. "Would you rather we torture her, until you tell us where the girl is?"
Tomoru clamped his hand over Izumi's mouth as she opened it to scream. There was a long pause, then Mai's voice answered, tight as a bowstring. "...Kiyi knew the risks. She could have told me no, and I would have let her go to the surface. And she stayed. You already know my answer."
"Then you bring this on her." Shingen snarled, his teeth gritted in pain. There was a fluttering noise as a flame flickered to life-
"Take your hands off her." A gravely voice rang out, one Izumi knew well. Ripping herself free of her uncle's grip, she pressed her face to the grate.
The rebels and the Earthbenders- several of them showing injuries, two of them dead with shuriken in their throats- were standing in the center of the room, near the destroyed throne. One of the Firebenders was holding Kiyi upright by the collar, the woman holding a flame near her face. Mai was no longer crouching behind the table, but standing upright, another shuriken ready to throw in her left hand. But the attackers weren't looking at her, they were turned towards the doorway that lead to the Caldera Cavern's main entrance.
Iroh stood in the doorway, his arms raised in a fighting stance. His black, gold and maroon robe and trousers didn't hide the size of his belly, and he was at least six inches shorter than any of the attackers. His snowy hair wasn't in its' usual topknot, but framed his face and mingled with the beard that hung almost to his waist. But his lined jaw was clenched, and there was a terrible look in his golden eyes.
"I don't know who you are, and I don't care." Iroh's tone was flat, but like her mother, Izumi could feel the fury radiating off him with every word. "You come to harm my blood, my family, stealing in and out like thieves. You aren't welcome here. This is your only warning."
And suddenly Izumi wasn't seeing her grand-uncle, the wise, gentle old man whose beautiful tea-shop was a second home to her. She saw the Dragon of the West, the former Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, the General who had broken through Ba Sing Se's Outer Wall twice. The Firebenders in the group had the same reaction; nearly all of them took a step back, except Shingen and the tattooed woman.
The bald Earthbender looked surprised, but he recovered quickly. "One old man isn't going to stop us, no matter how many courtesy titles he has. You should've stayed in Ba Sing Se and lived out your days making tea, General Iroh; you're past your prime."
"Would you care to test that theory?" Iroh made a tiny, beckoning gesture with his right fingertips. "Perhaps you'd like a demonstration of how I got those titles." He put his hands together, palms and fingers flat, and inhaled deeply through his nose. Two of the Earthbenders chuckled, but the bearded one wasn't smiling; he brought his elbows back and his fists to either side of his belt.
At that moment, Kiyi brought her knee up and struck her captor in the groin. As he doubled over in pain, she wrenched herself free of his grip. Most of the Earthbenders turned to face her, launching a barrage of small stone projectiles, but she leaped sideways, slid along the floor and rolled behind the table next to Mai, evading the attack. As they continued firing on her, Shingen roared, "IGNORE HER, YOU IDIOTS! KEEP YOUR EYES ON IROH-"
But he was interrupted by a terrific blast that shook the entire chamber. Two brilliant streaks of white fire rocketed into the Earthbenders on Shingen's left, hurling them past Mai and against the metal braces crisscrossing the far wall. Izumi stared from their scorched, broken bodies to the smoke rising from Iroh's fists. His eyes narrowed. "What comes next, you have only yourselves to answer for."
Two of the Firebenders turned and darted toward the passage they had come through, but a hail of steel darts and shuriken pinned them to the walls. Mai hurled two more, then ducked as Shingen returned fire. The rest of the Earthbenders, led by the bearded one, formed double ranks, facing Iroh. As the first rank lifted their earthen-clad fists and thrust them forward in a knife position, Iroh took a deep breath. A barrage of needle-like stone splinters whipped toward him, but at the last second he opened his mouth and let loose a torrent of bright orange fire, incinerating them inches from his face. Iroh rotated his hands in a circular motion, conjuring a small sphere of light between his fingers, then hurled it. It expanded into a huge disc of flames, zipping across the room in a circular arc like a boomerang, forcing all the attackers to duck or be roasted. One straightened up after it passed, only to be caught by one of Kiyi's fireballs from behind.
Iroh took advantage of his enemies' distraction and advanced, launching steady bursts of flame from the heel of each hand, shattering any defense they tried to put up. The Earthbenders' leader began to retreat toward the door, yelling at their comrades to follow; the bearded one quickly obeyed, followed by the others. Only Shingen was left facing Iroh, conjuring a wall of fire to deflect his barrage- no, Shingen and the tattooed woman.
And then the woman tilted her head back, and Izumi saw the mark on her forehead begin to glow faintly. She didn't know what it meant, but a stab of fear swept through her again. She felt her mouth move, but it seemed that someone else was screaming a warning at Iroh, to run, run, run-
There were two sharp pops, like logs on a fire, and then there was a roar louder than Ran and Shaw combined. There was a blinding flash of light, something hit her with the force of a war-hammer, everything was shaking, shaking-
Then her head slammed against the metal wall of the shaft, and everything went dark.
Genpei waited until the ringing in his ears had subsided to a faint buzz, then straightened up. He'd managed to get behind the edge of the door-frame when Rila fired, which had shielded him from the shock-wave of her attack. Thank the Spirits, the throne room hadn't been near a magma tube. He had nothing else to be thankful for, though, he thought bitterly; they had failed. The Home Guard would reach the Cavern at any moment, and they had nothing to show for their mission except multiple dead and injured. He glanced at the three Dai Li behind him, then realized Xi wasn't among them; they were looking expectantly at him. He coughed, clearing dust from his throat, then gestured to the passage that led back to Princess Izumi's quarters. "Get back to the tunnel and evacuate. I'll be right behind you, I'm going to look for survivors." His voice seemed to come from far away- the explosion must have deafened him somewhat- but they got the message.
He poked his head cautiously around the door-frame. Several pieces of broken furniture were blazing, the walls were blackened by the explosion, and part of the steel plating from the ceiling had given in where Rila's Combustion bolt had struck, raining volcanic rock around the exit. A handful of Dai Li and rebels were starting to stagger upright, clutching their ears or other injuries, but at least five of them lay dead, along with three of the Imperial Firebenders. Iroh was lying among the debris near the door, blood oozing from his temple, his eyes closed. Rila stood over him, a strange expression on her face; her armor was covered in dust and ash, but she seemed unhurt.
Genpei came over and put his hand on her shoulder. "Is he alive?" His voice was coming back, faintly.
"Barely." Rila's jaw was clenched, but she squeezed his hand back. "I didn't want it to be like this, Genpei."
"I know." He put his arm around her, ignoring Shingen, who was struggling to pull himself upright one-handed. "You only acted out of desperation-"
"I mean, avenging my father. No one else was supposed to get hurt along the way, it was just supposed to be me and Zuko."
"I know. But casualties always happen. You tried to tell me that, so many times." His own drive was much less personal than Rila's, but it would cost far more lives, if it came to war. Was it really worth it? He started to tug her gently toward the door. "We need to go-"
"Genpei!" A voice interrupted him. Squinting through the smoke, he caught sight of Zicheng, staggering over the wreckage of a table. A small body was slung over his shoulders, wearing a red and gold robe and a topknot in its' hair. His pulse quickened. Had they succeeded, after all?
"You got Izumi?" Rila looked astonished. "How?"
"I heard a child's scream just over our heads, right before you used your Combustion bolt. She was in the ventilation shaft; the explosion must have knocked her out, but she's breathing just fine-"
"Good, let's get out of here." Shingen interrupted gruffly, gesturing toward the doorway Iroh was laying across. "The Home Guard will be here any moment, and we don't have any room to maneuver."
"Give her to me, Zicheng; we need you to Lavabend." Genpei scanned the room as he took the girl. Shingen was right: with at least five of the group dead, several injured and the rest outside the city, they couldn't afford to be cornered, even with Izumi as a hostage. Glancing around a final time for survivors, he started toward the door-
"Stop!" Mai's voice was no longer cool and collected, but shrill and commanding. Peering through the smoke, Genpei spotted her standing on the far side of the room. Xi was right in front of her, Kiyi and the last Imperial Firebender next to her. All four were bruised and battered, their clothes blackened with soot. Kiyi's nose was bleeding and her left arm hung limply at her side, while Mai had a cut over her left eye.
Mai had her right arm looped around Xi's forearms, holding them behind his back. The left held a three-pronged dagger against his throat. Genpei froze.
"Lay her on the ground, and I'll have the guards stand down." Mai's eyes were shining, but she didn't blink. "The Earthbenders will be free to go, along with this one." She indicated Xi with a jerk of her chin. "Better yet, turn on the Firebenders who came with you, and we'll grant you asylum for your conspiracy against the Fire Lord and the Earth King. One-time offer."
"What was that about loyalty?" Shingen sneered at her, but his eyes flickered warily to the Dai Li around him; of all the Omori rebels, he had done the most to antagonize them, and everyone knew it.
"Obviously, circumstances have... changed." Mai replied. Her voice shook for a moment, but her hand was steady as a rock. Her eyes fell on Genpei, and she dug the knife-tip into Xi's neck, causing a small trickle of blood. "You need your captive alive; I don't. You have ten seconds, or he dies. I'm waiting for an answer. Ten... Nine..."
Genpei knew she meant it. As he had learned in his years patrolling the slums of Ba Sing Se, there were few things more dangerous than a desperate parent. He glanced quickly at Rila, then at Xi, unsure of what to do...
And then Xi thrust his head up, pressing his throat harder against the edge of the blade, and barked a single sentence: "Stay the course, Genpei!"
The instinct of obeying the man who had trained him for more than half his life, kicked in. Genpei tightened his grip around the girl's body and rushed through the door. He heard a choked gasp as Xi's windpipe was slashed, Mai screaming her daughter's name, the whoosh as Kiyi launched another burst of flame after them, the shouts of more Imperial Firebenders approaching. But he didn't look back. His feet pounded down the passages toward the escape tunnel, Shingen and the others ahead of him, Rila gripping his free hand.
Stay the course, Genpei.
Xi was right. He and Rila had both given too much, to turn back now.