Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. It's been a crazy time with the real world Pandemic crisis, resulting job troubles, and the fact that I've been working a lot on my first novel which I hope to finish by the end of year.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please be sure to leave a Review and tell me what you think! I really appreciate your feedback and support.

Chapter 6: Maggot Feast

"Where the hell are we going?" Furon asked with annoyance.

"Keep quiet." Rui whispered back. They had been walking for what felt like hours. Through dark damp corridors and down cramped maintenance shafts. Carefully picking their way through the ruins of the station by light of their small hand flames, all while trying desperately to avoid roving bands of undead creatures. By now they'd made their way across half the station. And they still had a ways to go. Fatigue had begun to set in, but Rui pressed onwards. He couldn't stop. Not when they were so close. He'd found a ledger in the filing room on Project: Silent Wave. Most of it was illegible, but it did provide him with the room where testing had been taking place. That had to be where the answers would be.

"Hold up. There's something ahead." Furon said urgently. They extinguished their flames and hastily hid behind a pile of debris. In that instant, the corridor shook violently. Dark brackish water seeped from the ceiling and shards of metal and broken pipes rained down around them. Cracks snaked their way through the walls and the floor beneath them. It seemed as though the entire place was about to come down.

The duo prepared to make a run for it but just as suddenly it stopped. Everything went silent. Then, hundreds of shrieking cried out from the darkness. The terrible noise tearing violently at their ear drums making them wince in pain. But a single loud roar extinguished them all. And the ground shook once more.

Through the darkness, the two Firebenders could just make out writhing mass eat the far end of the corridor. It slowly advanced on their location with ground shaking steps. Each man felt the tremors reverberate through their bones and in their guts. The thing was twice their size—atleast. Its head, if it could even be called that, scraped the ceiling as it lumbered closer. Snarling and croaking in a monstrous voice.

To their surprise, and relief, the thing turned abruptly at a fork in the corridor and slowly vanished back into the darkness from wence it came. The earthshattering footsteps echoing close behind until they too faded away.

Soon, everything was calm again. Silent, but for the sound of their belabored breathing. Both men remained hidden nonetheless. Paralyzed by what they had just witnessed and unsure of how to proceed.

"I...think it's gone." Furon said at last, letting out a haggard sigh of relief.

Rui nodded, feeling a cold trickle of sweat on his neck. Glancing down at his hand, he saw that it was trembling.

"Just what the hell was that thing?" Furon asked.

Rui didn't respond. The gnawing fear in his mind was quickly replaced by another emotion— excitement. Whatever Project silent Wave was, the rumors clearly hadn't done it justice. That thing, whatever it was, that could well be the future of their armies. And for his part in bringing the Project back to the Fire Nation, he would be a hero. At last!

"Let's move." Rui said and without a moment's hesitation, plunged back into the darkness ahead. Furon scowled but followed along. Not wanting to linger alone in this place.

The pair made their way through the corridor, down another flight of stairs, and two more corridors where, at last, they reached their destination—the testing area.

Rui glanced at a sign that hung above the watertight entrance to the floor and smiled. The characters had largely faded, but he could just make out the words "hazard" and "protective". Furon read them too.

"Are you sure we should be going in there like this?" Furon asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, whatever kind of shit they were up to in this station that caused all of this," He gestured around them, "it can very well be airborne."

"I think if that were the case, we'd already be affected." Rui said nonchalantly.

"Maybe there wasn't enough of it in the air up there. But in here, at the source…"

"It's not airborne." Rui said firmly and began to reach for the door handle, but Furon grabbed his hand.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Call it intuition." Rui looked at Furon's hand. "Do you mind?" The marine shook his head in disapproval, but let go all the same. Rui then pulled on the metal handle and Furon instinctively covered his mouth.

The rusted metal on the handle took a few more pulls before the door at last gave way. Rui stepped back and gestured for Furon to scan the area.

The marine shook his head, "After you."

Rui rolled his eyes and stepped cautiously inside. Ears perked for any sounds of movement. Nothing. He waited a few more seconds, then gradually increased the flame in his hand until the whole space was illuminated.

"All clear." Rui said and Furon followed him inside, shutting the door behind them.

The testing area was a large space, almost as large as the conning tower. The floors was made of smooth ceramic tiles— still relatively clean compared to the dirty outside. Throughout the room were spaced rows upon rows of tables. Some of them held beakers and tubes—now empty and broken. Others, held racks of various medical instruments: scalpels, saws, clamps, syringes. In between the tables stood shelves with opaque glass containers and stacks of files and ledgers. At the end of the testing area, a dozen square metal doors protruded from the wall in a grid like pattern. Rui quickly surmised, that they were cooling racks for corpses—like those in a mortuary. Furon figured that out as well and a look of unease crossed his face. Right beside the cooling racks, etched with the worn-out character for "fire" was a chute with a sliding door above which, likely leading to the incinerator.

Then, the pair spotted a heavy grated door on the opposite side. Through its slits, they could just about make out a freight elevator stuck between floors.

Furon narrowed his eyes and moved to inspect it. Readying himself for an attack, he cautiously peered through the grating. His small flame illuminating the inside. Empty. He crouched down and glanced down the elevator shaft. Nothing but darkness. No sounds either. He tugged on the grated door and it didn't budge.

"It's clear." Furon said, still on guard.

Rui turned his attention back to the tables and began to search them one by one. He leafed through scattered papers, emptied out drawers, flipped through journals and ledgers. No luck. Silenly cursing, he moved on to the shelves and continued his search.

Furon watched him with growing impatience. What was the point of all this? Nothing they found here or anywhere on the station was gonna change the fact that they were stranded with no supplies and no hope of rescue. Hundreds, maybe thousands of those undead creatures were lurking around just waiting to take them down. Along with that thing, whatever it was. Furon shuddered at the thought of facing something that massive out in the open.

The fact was, sooner or later, the undead would get them. He'd been in enough battles to know that much. It was only a matter of time.

The marine turned his gaze to one of the tables full of surgical equipment. Beneath all the muck, he could make out distinct blotches of dark red— dried blood. When Furon looked closer he spotted the scratches deep in the wood of the table. He could tell from their shape they were made by human fingernails.

What in the name of Sozin were they doing here? Furon thought aghast. Though he had spent his time in the Navy as a lowly grunt, Furon had still heard stories of Fire Nation experiments. The covert ones, carried out in remote outposts. Far from prying eyes. They had originally been started by Fire Lord Azulon. Ostensibly, the subjects were captured prisoners of war from the other nations, but there were rumors that Fire Nation criminals, homeless, and other undesirables were also used—what better way to dispose of the dregs of society? Furon grimaced.

Under War Minister Qin, the experiments had gotten even more horrific. As had the body count. Furon himself had witness boatloads of people being sent off to "work camps", never to be seen again. He'd never asked what happened to them. It was never good for a solider to ask questions. Especially ones that he didn't want to know the answers to.

Still, even after all these years, Furon could still see the frightened faces staring at him through the bars of their cages. Their eyes pleading for help. There were women in the cages. Children too. Did they wind up here, he wondered, in this place? He looked back at the bloodstained surgical table and clenched his fists till the knuckles turned white.

Across the room, Rui triumphantly picked up a crumpled folder. At last, he had found it! He smiled to himself. Among the piles and piles of meaningless documents, he had managed to uncover the papers of the Project's lead researcher. He glanced down at the folder, the heading read: Doctor Kiyoko, Chief Biochemist, Army Fire Nation Project-1163—Silent Wave.

He flipped open the cover and read through its contents. His eyes darting eagerly from page to page. Lips curling into a twisted smile. Yes! He thought, it's here, it's all here. The chemical composition. The preparation. Dosage. Everything! Rui turned the last page and his smile evaporated. The procedure itself was missing.

"Damn it!" He swore and nearly flung the file across the room in a fit of rage.

"What is it?" Furon asked walking over.

Rui ignored him and began to dig furiously through the piles of papers.

"Where is it?" He muttered furiously to himself. "Where's the rest? Where? Where damnit?"

"Hey," Furon interrupted, "why are we even wasting time on this? The project files can be in any one of the million rooms in this rotten station. Are you really gonna look through them all? Like this? Especially with those things out there looking for us?"

Rui looked up at him irritably, "It's our best chance to find out what we're facing here."

"What we're facing here." Furon parroted. "Let's drop the bullshit, shall we? You know exactly what we're dealing with here. Don't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I said, drop the bullshit." Furon repeated, a dangerous edge to his voice.

Rui's eyes narrowed, his body instinctively posturing for an attack.

"What are you really after?" Furon asked.

"Information." Rui answered tersely. "Extremely valuable information."

"On what?"

"A Fire Nation Project, codenamed Silent Wave."

"What exactly is it. A biochemical weapon?"

Rui smirked, "Something like that. It was one of War Minister Qin's more extreme ideas made towards the end of the War when we were running increasingly low on manpower. Silent Wave was supposed to provide a solution."

"Solution?" Furon looked at him with disgust. "You call this fucking nightmare, a solution?"

"Quite effective in warfare though, wouldn't you agree?"

"This isn't warfare."

"No?" Rui scoffed. "Don't be so self-righteous, Sergeant Furon. You know full well what war is really like. All those notions of honor and glory don't matter for shit on the battlefield. It's about destruction. Destruction and death. Surely, the War taught you that much?"

"The War is over now." Furon said coldly.

"The War is never over. Peace is just a temporary repreive. Sooner or later, the Nations will be at eachother's throats. The way they always have been. The Fire Nation will need something to tip the scales in our favor. Silent Wave can be just that."

"You're out of your fucking mind. This shit can't be contained." He gestured around them. "Look at what's happening here."

Rui could see the mindless rage in the Marine's eyes. The stubbornness of the common foot soldier. Well, there was a remedy for that too.

"My higher ups would reward us greatly if we bring this back to them." Rui said casually. "Forget rank and money, Sergeant. If we bring this back to the Fire Nation we'll be hailed as heroes. People will remember our names for generations. You'll never want for anything ever again. Now, help me find the rest of the files. They're bound to be around here somewhere."

"No."

Rui sighed, so it would have to be the hard way.

"It's not your call to refuse." Rui said.

"The hell it isn't."

"As a Fire Nation Intelligence Agent, I outrank you." Rui stated. "My request is in fact an order."

"I don't give a tiger seal's ass what your rank is." Furon said, his fists clenching. "I only take orders from the Captain and he isn't here."

"Then you knowingly commit an act of insubordination. You know what the punishment for that is?"

Furon smirked, "Look around you, Intelligence Agent. Nobody's here to witness it. And nobody's gonna back you up." The smirk faded from his face as his eyes narrowed and he assumed a fighting stance. Rui quickly followed suit.

"You sure about this?" He asked.

"There's no way I'm letting you unleash this nightmare out into the world." Furon said. "Fire Nation or not, it belongs at the bottom of the ocean."

The two began to draw closer. Eyeing one another carefully, looking for any signs of weakness. Any opening to strike. Rui saw it.

You dumb grunt. He thought. For a moment, they were motionless. Then, the room erupted in flames.

"Let's take a break here." Daris muttered, out of breath. He and Hakumi were in the crew quarters now, near the center of the station. Faint glimmers of light from outside made their way down here, casting just barely enough light for them to see. Even so, Hakumi noticed that Dari's face and neck were drenched in sweat. His skin looked sunken and grey. Eyes bloodshot and quivering.

"Are you alright?" She asked, reaching out to touch his forehead. To her surprise, it was ice cold.

Daris swatted her hand away, "I'm fine." He bit out. "Just…need a moment to catch my breath is all." Hakumi took out her water flask.

"Please, let me take a look at your wound. I can do a quick healing session. It would only take a mi—"

"I said, I'm fine!" The sudden ferocity caused Hakumi to stumble backwards.

Daris turned around, cradling his wounded arm. It was burning up. "Let's rest here a moment." He managed, through the searing pain.

Hakumi watched him with concern, but didn't say anything. Fearing his anger. She picked a dry spot on the floor and sat down. Immediately she realized just how tiredshe was. Everything she'd been through had clearly taken its toll on her body. Now, taking a break for the first time, she felt the full weight of her exhaustion. The adrenaline in her veins was beginning to wear off and sleepiness crept in to take its place. Her arms and legs were desponded. Eyelids heavy. She wanted to sleep, but she fought off the urge. Despite the momentary calm, danger still lurked in the darkness. Those things were out there and nd they would not rest. Not until they had hunted them down. And devoured them.

Hakumi shuddered at the thought of those undead jaws. She wrapped her arms around herself to calm down. At that moment, her hand brushed against her waist pouch and the journal within. Hakumi lifted it out and stared at the cover—Project Silent Wave. She hesitated a moment, then opened it up and began to read through. The journal belonged to one Doctor Kiyoko. Below her name was her position—Chief Biochemist. Hakumi read on. The writing was neat and professional. Mostly it described technical details that made little sense to her, then talk of staff and equipment. It went on like that for a few more pages. But then the tone began to shift. The writing grew more frantic. Uneven scribbles, half-finished thoughts and contradictions. The more she read, the more she could feel the Doctor's fear. Hakumi could almost hear the Doctor's voice in her head, as if she was speaking directly to her.

At that moment, compelled to turn her head. Nervously she peered into the shadows. Though she couldn't see anything, Hakumi could feel that something was there. Watching her. The hairs on the back of her neck began to rise and a cold shiver ran down the lenght of her spine. What was this? Who was there?

Then, a voice from the darkness whispered her name immediately leapt to her feet, heart in her throat.

"W-w-who's there?" She whimpered out.

"What do you mean?" Daris walked up to her and stared down the empty corridor. "Who are you talking to?"

Hakumi turned to him in shock, "D-didn't you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"A voice. Just now."

"There's no one there." Daris said with growing annoyance. "Come on. We need to keep moving." He peered down the corridor and began to make his way into the darkness. Hakumi hesitated a moment, but quickly followed suit. Glancing behind her as she walked.

The darkness corridor gradually gave way to a massive sprawling chamber. Like everything else in this station, it was a mess. Lanterns and light panels hung in tatters from the ceiling, their once bright red color covered in dust and muck. Tables and benches lay scatter throughout the space, mixed in with broken bowls and cups and plates. The air here was even more putrid than in the corridors. Heavy with the stench of mold.

Daris led the way down the corridor. A few more turns and the pair found themselves at the entrance to a large cavernous chamber.

"Is this the mess hall?" Hakumi wondered aloud. Despite the foul air, she felt her stomach rumble at the thought of food. It had been hours since her last meal. "I don't suppose there's any food here?" She asked with a nervous chuckle.

"Doubt it." Daris said, his eyes watching her intently. Something about his stare made Hakumi uncomfortable. She had noticed him stealing glances at her for a while now, only, they weren't looks of concern. It was almost like he was sizing her up. As if he was wanted to—she pushed such thoughts away.

That was just nerves talking, she told herself. After all, Daris had saved her life. More than once. She couldn't think such horrible things. He was the only one looking out for her in this terrible place. She had to trust him. But as they walked on, Hakumi caught sight of his bloodshot eyes staring at her once more, his gaze trailing down her neck, she couldn't help but back away.

Seeing her fear, Daris forced himself to look away. It's not much further now, he told himself. He just needed to be careful not to frighten her. He had to make sure she didn't suspect anything. Until it was time.

The wound in Daris's arm pulsated with every heartbeat. It's venom slowly warping the rest of his flesh and gnawing at his mind. Piece by piece, the darkness took over. His heart rate began to slow down. The normal rhythm replaces by something else. Something mechanical. He could hear its faint humming boring into his ears. Into his mind. Guiding him. Joining him, with the others of his hind.

It wouldn't be long now. It was nearly time. He just had to be patient. But he was starving!

Daris glanced behind at Hakumi once more. Eyeing her the way a predator eyes its prey. It would be so easy, he thought. His gaze fixating on her skin. So soft and tender. He could practically taste the succulent flesh underneath. His primal instincts were overwhelming his restraints.

Just one little taste, he told himself, his tongue licking his parched lips. Just a small bite. I can have that, surely? Haven't I earned atleast that?!

"C-captain?" Hakumi asked nervously and Daris quickly regained control.

"What? What is it?"

"Where exactly are we going?"

"It's a safe place." Daris said and added, "There should be food there too."

Hakumi felt her hunger pangs increase at the thought of food, but then she wondered, "What about the others?"

"We'll find them later." Daris urged. "Let's go."

Past the messhall, were the kitchens and storage rooms. The smell of mold and decay grew thicker the further they went. It was damp here too. Water had flooded some of the rooms, worsening the already claustrophobic environment. As they walked, the thick metal walls of the storage echoed every sound. Drowning them in a cacophony of metallic clangs and groans. The shifting of the station added to the noise and the growing sense of unease that Hakumi felt. All the noises swirling around her were making her dizzy. Some of them even sounded like they were living voices. And then a loud humming began to drown out all the rest. Metallic and cold, it pierced her eardrums with its sound. Hakumi stopped dead in her tracks.

"Do you hear that?" She asked Daris, but he ignored her. "Captain? Captain?"

"It's just over here." Daris gestured towards a large watertight door. Walking to it he twisted the lever and the door creaked open. Then he stepped through it and disappeared inside.

Hakumi hesitated a moment, the humming still buzzing in her ears. Her mind was screaming danger! Begging her to turn the other way. But she forced herself forward, not wanting to be alone in this place. Once she stepped through, Daris slammed the door shut behind her.

Hakumi turned around in surprise, "C-Captain? What's going on?"

Daris's eyes were bloodshot and deranged. His skin deathly pale. The bandages on his arm torn off and the wound underneath was dark and pulsating.

She began to back away slowly into the room. Her head turning this way and that. Desperately trying to look for a way out. There was nothing but darkness. Emptiness.

Then, she heard a guttural voice behind her groan. Then another. And another. Suddenly the entire room erupted in shrieking. From the faint light of Daris's flame, she could make out dozens of creatures advancing on her from all sides. Their undead faces were twisted with ravenous huunger. Rotting teeth chomping in anticipation.

Hakumi dashed towards the door, but Daris pulled her back and threw her to the floor.

"What're you doing?" She gasped, tears welling up in her eyes. "Why? Why?!"

But Daris said nothing. His eyes were dead now. Jaw hanging slack. The flame in his hand sputtered out, consuming them both in darkness.

Sokka walked down the dark empty hallway on the lower level of the station. Toph, still exhausted from her ordeal, was perched on his back, arms clasped around his neck. The warmth of her touch was comforting in the the cold damp of the station, but at the same time it made him uneasy. After what had happened between them. What he'd said.

Ugh, what a mess, He thought. Toph had been silent the whole way down here. Sokka wondered if she was still upset. As if reading his mind, Toph shifted on his back and nestled closer. Causing him to lose focus for a moment. In that split instant he stepped on a pile of seaweed and nearly fell forward, face first.

"Watch it!" Toph cried out as he only just managed to regain his footing

Only trace amounts of light from outside found their way down here. Breaking up the darkness to a small degree. Even with the sharpened eyes of an arctic hunter, Sokka could barely see a thing. The dark metal walls and floors seemed to merge together at times. Made even worse by the seaweed and damp.

As he waded through a small puddle, the leg of his pants caught on a piece of debris and Sokka nearly fell forward face first.

"Watch it!" Toph cried out as he managed to just barely regain his footing.

"Sorry."

"Let me down." She ordered. "I'd rather stumble around on my own two feet than be carried around like some pet lemur."

Sokka smirked, "Good thing Momo isn't around to hear you talk like that."

To which Toph muttered, "I'd rather Appa was here so we could get out of this dump."

Sokka stooped down and Toph climbed off his back. She tried to walk ahead, but her legs began to wobble and Sokka took her hand.

"Are you sure, that's a good idea?"

"Yeah, why?"

"It's just that—" He sighed and let go. "Never mind."

Toph scoffed, "I'm fine. I've been through worse." She slammed her foot on the floor and watched as the vibrations spread out all around her, revealing the path ahead. "It's this way." She pointed and walked into the corridor with Sokka following close behind.

For a while, they walked in silence, broken only occasionally by the dripping of water, or the creaks and heaves of the station. Through it all, Toph could sense Sokka's fidgeting. She saw his glances her way. Sometimes brief, other times long and contemplative. And she could hear that his heart rate was frantic and uneven. Bah-dum, bah-dum, bah-dum.

Stupid, Toph cursed, so stupid! Why did I have to kiss him? Why? She knew it had been neither the time nor the place, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want to hide how she felt anymore. Not after all that had happened. Not when any moment here could be their last. Despite her nonplussed façade, Toph knew the odds were stacked against them. There was no clear way out.

So why not? Toph thought. Was it so bad that she was honest with him? Toph watched him through her earthbending. Did he feel the same way she did or if he had he just been caught up in the moment? After everything he'd been through, was he even capable of loving someone again? She knew that Yue, the real Yue was still in his heart. Perhaps she would always be there, along with the guilt. That was something he would never let go of. He couldn't.

"Sokka." She said, breaking the silence. "About what happened before," She sighed, "I don't want you to think to read too much into it...I just..." She sighed again, the right words escaping her.

"What do you mean?" Sokka asked.

"I mean, I know that you're not ready…to be with someone else. With me. Maybe you never will be. I just wanted to tell you how I feel. I don't want—" Sokka grabbed hold of her hand, stopping her.

"I do care about you, Toph." He said softly. At that Toph's heart skipped a beat.

"You do?"

"I do." Sokka squeezed her hand. "But she's here. Yue. I know it."

Toph tried to interrupt, but he went on, "You don't believe me, I know. I don't even want to believe it myself. But I'm telling you she's here. I've seen her."

"So, what if she is?" Toph demanded, anger overpowering her. "What does it matter?"

"Toph—"

"Why is it so hard for you to move past her? She's dead, Sokka. She's dead and it's not your fault. It's not your burden to bear. " Sokka could see tears begin to well up in her eyes and he looked away.

"Why, Sokka?" Toph demanded. "Why can't you just let go?"

You failed me, Sokka! You failed me!

"Because I failed her, Toph." He muttered. "I promised to keep her safe and I failed. Nothing I do now or in the future will change my failure."

Toph walked over and embraced him from behind, her thin arms wrapping around his waist. "It's not your fault, Sokka." She softly whispered into his back.

"Toph…" He turned around to embrace her, but at that moment the station trembled violently.

Toph heard the sounds of the machine below grow louder. The dull static hum grew into a deafening roar. And then, above the sound, she heard the familiar screeching from the other end of the corridor.

"We gotta go." She shouted. "Now!" Together they ran down the hallway and into a narrow passage. The screeching grew louder as more voices joined in.

"How many are there?" Sokka asked, between breaths.

"Too many to fight."

They turned at the end of the passage, then turned again into a large lobby with several stairwells.

"Which way?" Sokka asked. Toph slammed her foot and tracked the vibrations.

"This way." She pointed and they ran down the stairs.

The sounds of the creatures began to die down behind them. Growing fainter and fainter until even Toph could no longer hear them. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, the pair paused to catch their breath.

"I think…" She panted. "I think we lost them. For now."

"Oh." Sokka took a deep breath. "Good."

Once she regained her breath, Toph focused her hearing. The machine was close now. Even with all the interference from the water and the shifting of the station, she could make it out clearly now.

"The machine is directly ahead." She said, pointing into the darkness. "At the end of this hallway. Let's go."

"Wait." A sudden idea filled Sokka's thoughts. "What if this is exactly what she wants?"

Toph looked at him with confusion.

"I mean we don't even know what this thing is. How it works. Or how to stop it. What if she's just luring us here?"

"Oh, I know how to stop it." Toph balled up her fist and slammed it into her palm. "The old-fashioned way."

"What if that doesn't work? What if it only makes things worse?"

"We won't know until we try. In any case, I'm through running and hiding. I'll take my chances fighting."

"Toph—" He began, but the blind earthbender ignored him and pressed ahead. Reluctantly, Sokka followed her. Sword in hand.

The sounds of the machine grew louder the closer they got. They began to feel the vibrations of its engine on their skin and in their bones. The ceaseless humming seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. A palpable field of energy filled the air, adding to the growing sense of danger in their minds. Soon. they reached the entrance and Toph turned the handle. Pulling open the watertight door she walked inside. Sokka followed close behind.

Inside it was pitch black. None of the light from the surface seemed to reach down here.

"Toph?" Sokka whispered nervously into the darkness.

"I'm here." She said, grabbing his hand.

"I can't see anything." He said uneasily.

"Oh, you poor thing."

Sokka scratched his head, "Sorry."

He could feel Toph shake her head.

"Over here." She led him towards a large metal rack. "I think there's some lanterns on this shelf here." She guided his hand. "Here."

Sokka felt around in the darkness, until he felt the handle of a lantern and grabbed it. Opening it up, he felt that it still had a candle inside. Sokka pulled out a fire striker from his pouch and a piece of flint. He struck them together until he was able to make sparks and ignite the candle. With that, the darkness peeled back and the chamber filled with warm glowing light. Sokka breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Toph sneered, "Aw, you feel better now, precious?"

Sokka cracked a smile. "Much better, thanks." He lifted the lantern and began to scan their surroundings. The chamber was filled with hundreds upon hundreds of pipes being fed in from the ceiling and the adjacent rooms. Intertwining and fusing with them were thousands of wires—like arteries in living flesh. The whole mass pulsated with a strange energy that made Sokka uneasy. He followed the pipes until they converged in the center of the room right above a massive metal machine. At first glance, Sokka thought it was a steam engine, but quickly dismissed that notion. There was no turbine, no outlet, nowhere for the energy within it to go. So what was it for?

Sokka brought the lantern closer to the machine. Inspecting the dials and levers. Lookin for some clue as to the mechanism behind it. He followed the cluster of wires that snake its way around the machine and into a pair of metal cylinders. Below that were dozens of large cannisters connected by hoses and nozzles to—the light fell onto Yue's face and Sokka reeled backwards, dropping the lantern, though the light didn't go out. The lantern fell to the floor, but the light didn't go out and this time the specter didn't fade. She loomed over him. Her face more terrifying than in his worst nightmares.

"Sokka!" Yue screeched. Toph heard the voice too.

"Who's there?" Toph shouted.

"He's mine!" Yue screeched, advancing on them. The rotting flesh of her face twisted with rage. "He's mine. And I won't let you have him. Never. Never!"

At that moment the room began to shake wildly. Cracks snaked up the ceiling above and brought it crashing down on top of them. Toph managed to bend the bulk of it aside, but a few stray pieces of metal cut down her legs. A stray fragment struck Sokka just beneath the chin, drawing blood, and causing him to stagger back. When he recovered, Yue was gone and the shaking ceased.

Sokka looked around, expecting to see her at every corner. But there was nothing there. Warily, he turned back to Toph and saw the cuts on her legs. He ran over to her. "Are you ok?" He asked, tearing the sleeve off his shirt and trying to stop the bleeding.

"I'm fine!" Toph pushed his hands away. "We got bigger problems."

Through the lingering calm, she heard the echo of footsteps and the familiar cries in the distance. Ten creatures atleast. Now twenty. Now thirty. Their screeches broke through the din of the engine's humming and Sokka unsheathed his sword.

"How many?" He asked.

"Almost forty now. More on the way."

A menacing croak eminated from the ceiling above them. The skeletal head of one of the undead peered over the edge. Its skin was dark and peeling. Eyes black holes of pure emptiness. Its salivating jaws cracked open and it lunged at them. Toph saw it jump and with a swift motion she bended a block of metal at it, knocking it back in mid air and shattering its bones to pieces. More footsteps and more cries echoed from above. And dozens of shadows peered over the edge. The creatures jumped down one by one. Toph bended more metal at them, but there were simply too many and they broke through her barrage. Jumping straight through the breach.

Some landed intact on the ground. Others broke limbs and fell to pieces. But they barely seemed to notice or care. They pressed onwards towards their prey. Limping and dragging their broken bodies. Driven solely by ravenous hunger. Snarling and screeching, their jaws chomping in anticipation at the meal to come.

and one by one they leapt through the broken ceiling, landing hard on the ground below.

"Alright." Toph hawked and spat. "Play time is over."

Jumping up high in the air, she slammed both her feet into the metal of the floor, creating a shockwave that sent half the creatures flying backwards in pieces and the rest to fall over in disarray. Toph twisted around and pulled her elbows in to her sides. Then, thrusting upward, she sent hundreds of shards of the broken metal ceiling flying at the remaining corpses, rending their rotting flesh and reducing then all to a dark oozing heap.

The swarm was gone. Only five remained. One of the creatures charged furiously at Sokka, but easily side stepped and cleaved its head off with a single stroke. The other four began to circle around them. Looking for an opening.

Toph waited until they got close enough and then bent the floor paneling out from under them and into the air, before sending it hurtling back down on them like a hammer. In that instant, one of the creatures mimicked her motions and the panel suddenly changed its course and flew right back at her.

Sokka managed to push Toph out of the way just in time and the panel collided loudly into the wall behind them. Obliterating it.

In shock, Toph looked at the creatures more carefully through her bending and in that instance she understood. Their clothing, their hairstyle—they're earthbenders.

"You've got to be kidding me." She muttered.

More creatures jumped down from the ceiling to join their comrades. And they began to close in for the kill.