The miners worked in synchrony, digging deeper into the veins of Spirit Energy embedded in the rock walls. Saito and Kiro, side by side, maneuvered their drills and equipment, following Maya's strict directions. But beneath the mechanical hum of the tools, there was an unsettling energy in the air—a silent warning that only a few seemed to notice.

"Metal to the pedal, fellas! This is it!" Maya's voice echoed through the tunnel, full of enthusiasm. "How much Spirit Energy have you mined under my leadership?"

"So much!" the miners responded in unison, pushing aside any lingering discomfort.

Maya smirked, clearly enjoying the moment. "And how perfect is my mining record?"

"So perfect!" came the chorus.

"We're a mere 30 units of Spirit Energy away from my promotion to supervisor!" Maya continued, savoring each word. "Are you happy for me?"

"So happy!" the crew responded.

Saito grinned, leaning over to Kiro. "Maya… I mean Captain, you are looking especially shiny this morning. New hairstyle?"

Maya didn't look amused. "Saito, I'm sorry that I somehow gave you the impression that we're friends."

Saito chuckled. "Apology accepted."

"Light up that wall! Let's go! Ten seconds!" Maya barked.

Saito took a deep breath. "Happy to take the lead today, Captain. Feeling like I have enough power in me to drill down and touch the Spirit World myself."

Maya snorted. "You don't have the touch or the power. Ready positions, Gopher Bears! Let's go!"

As the team got to work, Saito leaned in closer to Kiro. "She's in a good mood today."

"Mmhmm," Kiro replied, smirking. "You ready?"

"Always ready," Saito answered with a nod. "Let's punch in."

The miners drilled down hard, but in the process, one worker accidentally struck an unstable Spirit Vine embedded in the rock. Instantly, the vine began to spark, releasing a low, ominous hum that sent chills down Saito's spine.

"It's unstable! We gotta go, we gotta move!" one of the miners shouted as the energy around the vine flared dangerously.

The tunnel started to shake, dust and debris falling from the ceiling. Maya's voice cut through the growing chaos, her tone now serious. "Evacuate! Everyone out! Evacuate immediately!"

Saito's mind raced. He glanced over at Kiro, who had already begun retreating with the others. "You with me, Kiro?"

Kiro gave a quick nod. "On your six! Keep going!"

Suddenly, Saito noticed one of their teammates, Jax, pinned under a heavy piece of rock. Without a second thought, he called out, "Jax is stuck! Maya, we've got a trapped miner! I'm falling back to assist."

"Negative!" Maya's voice came over the intercom, tense and sharp. "Do not break protocol. Evacuate!"

Ignoring her command, Saito rushed to Jax's side, and Kiro quickly followed suit. "We're gonna need more lift," Kiro muttered, assessing the rubble pinning Jax down.

Jax, his eyes wide with fear, looked at them both. "It's closing! Just grab your pack and go."

Saito shook his head, grinning as if they weren't on the verge of disaster. "Yeah. Good idea."

Jax's expression turned to shock. "What? No, I didn't mean it!"

Saito and Kiro gritted their teeth, heaving the rubble away from Jax as quickly as they could. With a final pull, they freed him, dragging him to his feet just as the rumbling intensified.

"Maya, what's happening?" Saito called out, half-joking despite the tension. "Nothing much. Just normal protocol-following stuff. It's all good." [deep rumbling]

"Oh, that's not good." [rumbling swells]

"Could you please exit the tunnel of death?" Maya's voice crackled back, exasperated.

Saito looked around, feeling the tremors grow stronger. "Maya, it's about to get messy out here!"

Another blast sounded from behind, sending rocks crashing down, sealing off sections of the tunnel. Saito shouted, "Go, go, go!"

"Run! Run!" Maya's voice urged the team as the mine began to cave in. "Hurry! We're not gonna make it!"

Saito and Kiro led the way, with Jax close behind. They dodged falling rocks, stumbling but pushing themselves forward as the tunnel walls collapsed around them. Every step felt like it could be their last.

Finally, with one last burst of energy, they cleared the unstable section, stumbling into a stable part of the mine just as the last of the rubble sealed off the tunnel behind them. The miners panted, relief washing over them as they realized they had narrowly escaped.

Maya's voice crackled over the intercom, sounding softer now. "Is everyone out?"

Saito, breathing heavily, replied, "Yeah, we're all out."

He looked over at Kiro, who gave him a small nod of approval, and then at Jax, who was still catching his breath but managed a grateful smile.

Saito allowed himself a small sigh of relief, but a nagging feeling lingered in his mind. The mine's instability was a stark reminder of how fragile their world had become—and how desperately he wanted to find a way out of this life.

[Maya] What the hell, Saito? I told you to evacuate.

[Saito] I did, eventually, and I couldn't leave a man to die on his own.

[Maya] If I get fired because of you…

[Saito] Oh, please. They're not gonna fire you. What's the worst that could happen…?

[Gongmen] Miner Maya, you're fired.

[Both Saito and Maya] WHAT?!

[Maya] Why? I followed protocol to the letter.

[Saito] That is true. I was the one who broke the rules.

[Maya] No one asked you! Gongmen, please, I've worked too hard for this.

[Gongmen] You are no-bender nobodies with limited options. Report to waste management immediately.

[Maya] Waste management?

[Saito] Maya…

[Maya] Next time, why don't you stop and think before you ruin someone's life?

[Saito] I'm sorry!

[indistinct chatter]

[Saito] Hey, Gongmen! [Kiro] Don't do it.

[Saito] I may not have an element to bend, but I can bend my fingers.

Guess which one? I'll give you a "limited option."

[blows a raspberry] [growls]

[Kiro] Excuse me, sir. Allow me. [Proceeds to knock out Saito.] I apologize on his behalf for the disregard…

[Gongmen responded with a strong punch] [slow groan] Why…?!

Following the confrontation, Saito and Kiro threat their own wounds at their living quarters…

[Kiro] Man… that really hurt.

[Saito] What a jerk. I mean what to expect from someone like Gongmen.

[Kiro] You know you were out of line, talking back to a superior like that.

[Saito] Gongmen was out of line. He deserves it. [sighs] I'm also responsible for making Maya loose her position, she worked really hard on this, and I caused her demotion.

[Kiro] You were trying to do the right thing on rescuing Jax. Nonetheless, Gongmen had every right to hit me. I interfered.

[Saito] I appreciate you having my back. I'm glad you were there with me… to get punched in the face.

[Both chuckling] [Kiro] Yeah it was hilarious not gotta lie.

[Saito] Well, maybe we can fix this. There has to be some way to get Maya's job back.

[Kiro] And how exactly are we supposed to do that? She's furious with you, and Gongmen… well, let's just say he's not going to listen to "no-bender nobodies" like us.

[Saito] Then we prove we're more than nobodies. I mean, come on, don't you ever feel like we're meant for something more than just digging in the dirt for Spirit Energy?

[Kiro] [sighs] Here we go again…

[Saito] I'm serious, Kiro! We're stuck here because people like Gongmen keep telling us our place. But maybe we can find a way to show them they're wrong. Maybe we can earn a little respect around here.

[Kiro] Respect doesn't pay the rent, Saito. And it definitely doesn't undo what happened to Maya.

[Saito] Still… maybe if we keep our heads down, put in extra hours, we can make up for what happened. Show Maya we're not just troublemakers.

[Kiro] [smirks] Extra hours? Never thought I'd hear you say that.

[Saito] [grins] Yeah, well, desperate times, right?

[Kiro] Just don't drag me into any more trouble. We're lucky we didn't get thrown out of the mines altogether.

[Saito] [patting Kiro on the shoulder] Hey, what are best friends for if not getting into a little trouble together? Besides, this could be our chance to prove we're more than just miners.

[Kiro] [sighs, reluctantly nods] Fine. But if you pull any more stunts, I'm out. Got it?

[Saito] [chuckling] Got it. Just trust me, Kiro. I've got a good feeling about this.

[electronic voice] Attention, all sectors.

Stand by for a live transmission from Avatar Xiao Jun.

[Kiro] He's back? He's back already?

[Saito] I guess we can do this another day, let's see the news.

[Xiao Jun] Is it on? Okay, thank you. Hello, my friends. Hello, Republic City! Hello to our saviors, the industrious miners who toil selflessly to maintain our Spirit Energy reserves. I celebrate you.

[crowd cheering]

[Kiro] Humility and presence! That's leadership!

Ah! Nobody does it better!

[Xiao Jun] Once again, I have narrowly returned with my fleet after another treacherous expedition across the desolate, dangerous Spirit World. I departed with hopes of finding the location of the Tree of Life, the key to bringing balance to both our worlds. I regret to inform you that we've returned empty-handed.

[disappointed groans]

[Xiao Jun] This is a setback, but not a failure. Rest assured, I will find the Tree of Life, so that humanity and spirits can be at harmony again. But that's in the future. Right now, I believe think we all deserve a little fun! Tomorrow, there will be no work. All shifts off because tomorrow is the Republic City 5000!

[raucous cheers] Whoo! Whoo-hoo!

[Xiao Jun] My favorite event. A high-octane race all across Republic City, where benders of all nations use their elements to race. Let's all see which competitor can prove they are truly capable of so much more.