Fight 61: Infiltration
"No one can make tea like Uncle." Zuko said as he filled cups with tea. "But hopefully I learned a thing or two. Would you like to hear Uncle's favorite tea joke ?" He stood up and brought the tray of cups to everyone in turn... though a girl with mahogany hair did not accept hers and he good-heartedly placed it at her side. As they all agreed, he went ahead. "Well, I can't remember how it starts but the punch line is, 'Leaf me alone, I'm bushed.'" He proudly lifted a finger. They all gave a dead pan look. "Well, it's funnier when Uncle tells it." The humorless prince admitted.
"Right. Maybe that's because he remembers the whole thing." Katara mentioned, making Aang and the others laugh. But there was no mockery. So Zuko smiled softly too. They asked Chenlian if she remembered the whole joke.
"I'm not sure. But I believe someone once said that tea was nothing was nothing more than hot leaf juice... who was it again? Zuko, do you have any idea?" She pretended to be deeply thinking before turning to the prince, grinning.
"W-Well... I'm not sure either..." The other firebender looked away, trying to sound innocent, but unable to hide his embarassed and slightly guilty expression. The others laughed again. There might be a bit of spite, but no truly malicious intent. He was trying hard to make real tea right now, and he was so proud of his uncle.
Sokka was staring at Chenlian. Then, after a time, he took Zuko away from the group (under Chenlian's watchful eyes). He wanted to know where people captured by the Fire Nation would be taken... or more exactly where the troops captured at the Fire Nation Capital after the failure of the invasion could have been sent. But Zuko refused to tell him, since knowing would just make him feel worse. As the prince turned around Sokka grabbed his shoulder.
"It's my dad. He was captured too. I need to know what I put him through." The Water Tribe warrior admitted.
"It's not good Sokka."
"Please."
"My guess is... they were taken to the Boiling Rock. It's the highest security prison in the Fire Nation." Zuko folded and turned back to him. The highest security prison... once Sokka heard that, he was horrified. "It's on an island in the middle of a boiling lake. It's inescapable." The prince added. However, the expression of the invasion force's strategist had already changed. He was intently listening to the information with a serious face, his arms crossed, like he was thinking of something. "...Well, leaving aside one exception..."
"One exception?" Sokka questioned with clear interest.
"Chenlian. They've tried keeping it under wraps, so I don't know the details, but I heard she had been sent there at one point, and managed to escape after a huge rampage, displaying a level of firebending that should not have been human. Of course after that the security had been upped again. Then she had been recaptured and put there again and that was the last I'd heard of her. Next thing I knew, she had joined up with you guys."
"So where is this place?"
"Why do you need to know? What are you planning?"
"Nothing." The warrior's blue eyes shifted left and right, obvious sign he was lying. "Boy, you're so paranoid." He waved his arm dismissively.
"It's in the middle of a volcano between here and the Fire Nation. You guys actually flew right past it on your way here." Zuko warily revealed.
"Thanks Zuko. Just knowing makes me feel better." Sokka yawned and patted Zuko's shoulder as he walked past him to return to the camp.
"Yeah, I'm sure it does." The Fire Nation man followed. "You never asked Chenlian even though she was with you the whole time?"
"If she says no, it's no. You know how hard it is to make her change her mind about something... all the more since my dad entrusted us to her... Besides, it'd be a pain to deal with her needless suspicions."
"She cares a lot about you guys..."
"...I know. But I'd like her to care more about herself. She's already got enough on her plate."
"...Right..." Zuko agreed. Indeed, it would be nice. But he doubted that things were going to be so simple. After all, she was not that docile a girl, and she was always watching him... even now. She was probably already onto them. When he got closer, he noticed her glancing between Sokka and him. When he locked eyes with her, he sighed, knowing there was no escape. But it didn't look like she was going to alert the others of her conjectures.
"So... he asked about the destination of war prisonners, and you went ahead and told him about the Boiling Rock... You're really an idiot, aren't you?" Chenlian glared at Zuko, her arms crossed, oozing displeasure and resentment. Well, he had expected this reaction. They had left camp separately as to not arouse Sokka's suspicion and joined up in a different place.
"He had the right to know."
"Yes, and you had the right, no, the duty to stay silent about it since you knew how troublesome that place is. Now that he knows there's no way he's going to stay put. He'll definitely go, and we can't stop him." There was no need to go. Certainly, Hakoda and the others would have it hard, but it was not like their lives were in danger. Now they should all bid their time, be patient, endure, and for the youth group, to strengthen themselves as much as possible until the right time.
"Chenlian, aren't you being overprotective? That's something he needs to do to recover his confidence and self-esteem. Don't you think you should believe in him and let him go?"
"Being overprotective is just fine when you're babysitting a bunch of reckless brats who never listen. No matter how you look at it, going alone to that place is far too rash. Besides, I know what it's like to lose people important to you, and there's no way I'm going to take such risks again."
"...That's why you've decided to go as well... to return to that place, to help your friend, as the only person to have ever broken out from that place, in order to allow him to get himself back..."
"Isn't that the only thing left to do now that it's come to this?"
"But shouldn't one of us stay to continue Aang's education? If we're both captured, who will teach Aang firebending?"
"Then you stay, and I'll assign Katara as your watcher. I'm the best suited to help Sokka here. Unless..."
"Unless?"
"Right, if we're going to do it, let's go all out. If we're both captured, no one will be left to teach Aang firebending... but isn't that exactly why we should both go? Don't you know? Some animals push their cubs off a cliff and raise only the ones that climb back up. The higher the stakes, the greater the pressure... and the greater the revival..." An evil smile curved her lips. Even if she could escape alone, it was not like she could fly away carrying everyone, or like she could leave these two as hostages. Aang and the others would not forgive her. Sokka would not let his precious friend go through that, right?
"You may be right... but I don't want you to go back to that place after all..."
"Then you should have kept quiet. It's too late to complain."
"Sokka will complain more than that, he'll want to take care of everything alone... just like I did."
"Certainly. The invasion plan was his idea, and he was the one who took the decisions. But we were all in it together. If anything, we're the ones who didn't perform well enough and wasted time. That's why he doesn't have to go alone, but we can't all go together either. We'll have the others train and give Aang a suitable amount of homework." She smiled sweetly but poisonously. She might be swinging from one extreme to the other, but such was the fate of overly serious people like her. And no matter what, it was all for her friend's sake. Zuko sighed. Once more, he had been reminded how difficult it could be to keep up with the excessively strict Chenlian and her way of quite literally beating people into shape. But if you could overcome it, there was no doubt you would grow to excellence. In any case it seemed that her coming had already been decided.
In the middle of the night, when everyone was supposedly asleep, one person was actually tiptoeing among the sleeping bags. Sokka breathed a sigh of relief when he had safely left the danger zone without being noticed. But just he turned, his eyes widened and he froze in mid-step. He had nearly stepped on a sleeping Momo and caused a huge ruckus. He walked over him and pattered his way towards Appa, his bag flung over his shoulder. He climbed up the bison's leg, making a 'shush' sign at the animal that had woken up. He reached the saddle and pulled himself up but stopped when he saw that someone was already there waiting for him.
"Not up to anything, huh?" Zuko commented. The shock made Sokka yelp and lose his grip causing him to fall down on the hard stone floor with a loud thud and groan. Still, no one woke up.
"Fine, you caught me. I'm gonna rescue my dad." Sokka put back his belongings that had spilled into his bag. "You happy now?"
"I'm never happy." Zuko was leaning over the saddle and looking down at him.
"Look, I have to do this. The invasion plan was my idea. It was my decision to stay when things were going wrong. It's my mistake and it's my job to fix it." The strategist of the invasion force spoke resolutely as the Fire Nation prince jumped down and landed next to him. "I have to regain my honor. You can't stop me Zuko." His cobalt blue eyes bore straight into his amber ones.
"You need to regain your honor? Believe me, I get it. I'm going with you." Zuko offered, but Sokka turned him down, saying he had to do this alone. "How are you going to get there? On Appa? Last time I checked, prisons don't have bison day cares." He argued sarcastically. No retort came. He was right after all. "We'll take my war balloon." He walked away. Sokka jumped off and followed him.
When the boys arrived, Sokka once more jumped and fell backwards in surprise... and fear. Chenlian had finished preparing so the balloon was ready for take off. Not that he knew she was the one who had prepared it. He could only think he had been ambushed once again, but that this time he was going to get killed. Although her mouth was smiling, her eyes were totally dissing him! He was going to get beaten, dragged back, and tied up! No! He still had to go! Even if Chenlian was his opponent, he had to win... or at least convince her to let him go... he wasn't going alone so it should be alright... no, but she didn't trust Zuko... While he was franctically trying to come up with a solution, the female bender walked over to them. Sokka bolted upright and hid behind Zuko to earn some time and leeway from the pressure she was emitting.
"Can someone who falls over so easily really go to that place, I wonder..." She mocked.
"Chenlian..." Zuko spoke her name warningly so she would cut the poor one some slack. After all, they had already decided.
"I know, I know. You're going to the Boiling Rock, right? I'm more knowledgeable about it than you guys. Of course I'm coming too."
"What?! No, you can't!" Sokka quickly came out and started admonishing Chenlian. "What will Aang do if both firebending teachers are captured?!"
"Yes, that'd be a problem. So you make sure we can all escape safely. The completion of Aang's Avatar training, and everything that stems from it, rests on your shoulders." She generously heaped tons of pressure on him, clamping her hands on his shoulders so tightly that a cracking sound was heard and he winced. "Sokka, either you give up on going to the Boiling Rock, or you give up and let me come too. If you insist that I can't come, I'll destroy this balloon and spill the beans to everyone." The girl clearly threatened, trapping him in a no-win situation where he'll necessarily need to give up on something. Her smile widened when the blue-eyed warrior hung his head in defeat. Somehow, she was starting to behave like Azula. That said, if his first plan failed, she intended to say 'what's done is done, so let's think of the next plan', and help of course.
In the morning, The Duke carried an armful of hay that he threw into Appa's mouth. Katara saw Momo sleeping, hugging onto a piece of crumpled paper like a blanket and retrieved the message as Aang and Toph walked to her. The Avatar was still sleepily rubbing his eyes. His bending teachers did not go easy on him, so he was still tired.
"Need meat. Gone fishing. Back in a few days. Sokka and Zuko. Don't worry, I'll properly supervise them. Chenlian." The waterbender read out loud. Aang yawned and returned to his futon, happy to have more rest and that there would be no harsh training for some time. "One more thing, Aang, practice your firebending while we're gone. Do twenty sets of fire fists and ten hot squats every time you hear a badger frog croak. Be sure to practice your breath of fire and review your forms as taught. You'll be tested. Chenlian and Zuko." Katara read the postcriptum. As Aang was about to fall back asleep a badger frog croaked and the monk opened his eyes with irritation and stood up.
"Nobody else has homework." He complained but nonetheless obediently started doing hot squats.
Zuko was silently feeding fire into the fuel tank of the war balloon while Sokka was sitting down. They look at each other, then looked away without a word. Chenlian was sitting on the other side of the tank. The silence was so awkward Sokka could no longer take it. He mentioned the prettiness of the clouds, started whistling, revealed war balloons had actually been designed by a friend of his. Or more exactly, he had invented the balloon... and the military took hold of it.
"If there's one thing my dad's good at, it's war." The Fire Nation prince said.
"Yeah, it seems to run in the family." The blue-eyed boy added nonchalantly.
"Hey, hold on. Not everyone in my family is like that." Zuko was a bit peeved.
"I know, I know, you've changed."
"I meant my uncle. He was more of a father to me. And I really let him down." The scarred young man looked down guiltily.
"I think your uncle would be proud of you. Leaving your home to come help us, that's hard." Sokka tried to console him. But Zuko denied him. It wasn't that hard. "Really? You didn't leave behind anyone you cared about ? Didn't you have a girlfriend? That gloomy girl who sighs a lot..."
"Yeah, Mai. But I broke up with her. Once I realized my feelings for Chenlian, and I realized that I was really just using Mai as a substitute, there was no way I could go on like this."
"That was before or after she... you know..."
"I started becoming aware before, but once she was gone, I was hit full force, like everything was blown away. And when the dust settled, I felt like I could see clearly for the first time... what was truly important, what I had lost, what I had destroyed... that after all, even if she was gone, it could never be anyone but her... I'm sure Mai had already noticed my feelings, but despite that, she still cared for me. I couldn't drag her into it when everyone in the Fire Nation thinks I'm a traitor."
"And of all things, you ended up reuniting with Chenlian when you came... But even if you did..."
"Yeah. Things can never be the same as before. I don't want to ever go back to being the man I was then. And Chenlian changed too. But at least, she's still alive. So even if it's long and hard, I will rebuild the trust and relationship I broke. This time for sure, I won't let go. No matter how many times she shakes me off, I'll grab her hand again."
"My first girlfriend turned into the Moon."
"That's rough buddy."
Chenlian opened her eyes. She had been dozing off, but not sleeping. However, she had judged it best to pretend to be sleeping. It wasn't a conversation in which she had a say, and she'd just make things more awkward. Katara had taught her that just like there was female bonding, there was male bonding. And although she was gradually getting better, she had learned that she wasn't very good at social stuff and things like reading the mood. Maybe she shouldn't have come after all? Maybe she should have obediently stayed at camp and taught Aang? Maybe she was just an insensitive dunce? It was what this atmosphere made her feel, so she tried not to listen too much.
No, but considering their destination, it was better if she was there after all. And she too thought of Mai. She knew how Mai loved Zuko. The kiss those two shared on Ember Island was still vividly ingrained in her memory. She had seen how much they cared for each other. And given how protective, or possessive he had been of her, it was obvious she was precious to him. Once things were over, she had to make sure to patch them up.
It was night when they came into view of their destination. It was like a volcano had exploded or imploded in the middle of the ocean, leaving only its circular edge and an islet in the middle. Vapor was billowing from the crater. Sokka woke up to Zuko words. There was plenty of steam to keep them covered. As long as they were quiet they should be able to navigate through it without being caught. But from the moment the balloon went into the caldera, it started descending more and more rapidly, and it became impossible to navigate. Sokka explained they couldn't fly because the air outside was just as hot as the air inside. The basket slanted and the prince lost his balance. Even if he asked what they were supposed to do now, it was not like they could do anything.
So Chenlian jumped out and her hands on the stern, ignited jets of fire from her feet, using the momentum to forcefully navigate the aircraft. It was enough to just reach land. She adjusted the angle of the fall and propelled them forward. The basket touched the boiling surface of the lake and some water splashed onto Sokka's hand, making him flail his hand and cover his mouth so he would not scream. The balloon glided on the water and crashed onto land where the basket shattered. Well, yeah. It was not like she had the leeway to control the speed too. The impact sent the boys and their belongings flying, making them crash too further away. Chenlian too had difficulty stopping and was caught in the red cloth of the balloon. A moment later she was on the ground, struggling in the cloth like an animal trapped in a net. They were at the base of the island in the middle of the lake. After the men rescued her, the three looked at the wreckage.
"How are we gonna get off the island if the balloon won't work?" Zuko questioned.
"We'll figure something out. I suspected it might be a one-way ticket." Sokka did not appear particularly surprised or worried.
"You knew this would happen and you wanted to come anyway?"
"My dad might be here. I had to come and see." The Water Tribe warrior justified himself as he gathered the red cloth and heaped it onto the broken basket.
"Uncle always said I never thought things through, but this, ugh, this is just crazy." Zuko grabbed his head before throwing out both arms in frustration.
"Hey! I never wanted you to come along in the first place. And for the record, I always think things through. But my plans haven't exactly worked, so this time I'm playing it by ear. So there." He kicked the wreck into the boiling water where it sank. Zuko asked what he was doing. "It doesn't work anyway. And we don't want anyone to find it."
"That's right. What are you complaining about at this point when you're the one who told him about this place? Didn't you expect something like this when you went and babbled? Why are you blaming him for not thinking things through when YOU lack forethought this much? And you call this crazy, but this isn't much different from a certain person who captured a kid and headed into the blizzard without a plan. You would freeze to death in a blizzard but here you'd just get captured and mistreated. It's just a prison, not an execution ground." Chenlian kept blaming Zuko, although she did not look particularly anxious or anything. More like she didn't understand why he was panicking so much.
"And what are YOU being so calm about when you know the consequences?" The prince shot back, glaring at her.
"Because I had expected it."
"Then why did you come?!"
"To help deal with any happenings and shortcomings." Besides, if it's only looking for a ride back, we can just pirate a ship or balloon used to carry prisoners... or I can just get captured. They'll call someone from the capital, probably Azula, and we'll steal her ride.
"... I hope you know what you're doing. There's no turning back now." Zuko sighed before voicing his worry as the trio turned around. Up the small cliff was a huge and sinister metal building, the Fire Nation's highest security prison.
In any case, there were only prisonners and jailers here, so they needed to disguise as either one, and since they could not move freely as prisonners, Chenlian led them to the uniforms storeroom for prison guards. There were two adjacent rooms, one for men, and one for women. This served not only for new recruits but also in case the jailers' clothes got damaged in a scuffle with prisoners. They soon came out, looking the part. Zuko hoped these disguises were going to work. Sokka thought it would be fine as long as they kept a low profile and found his father as soon as possible. They were not exactly in a position to pretend to be VIP guests.
Suddenly, they heard noise, looked at the intersection, and they saw lots of soldiers running by. The youths pressed their backs against the wall, like they were trying to disappear into it so they wouldn't be discovered but of course, it was useless. Someone stopped and told them to come and help. There was a scuffle in the yard. The trio followed them.
This prison was not divided into male and female wards. But all the cells held only one prisoner each. And all prisoners were wearing the exact same coarse, dirty, distressed clothes consisting of a red tunic, a dark red sash, dark red pants, and light maroon shoes. During the yard outing too, everyone was together. Right now, all the captives were forming a large circle. The jailers shoved the spectators aside and saw a guard and a prisoner facing each other. The prison staff scattered slightly in an attempt to form a barricade in front of the crowd.
"I didn't do anything. I'm going back to my cell." The tall sturdy man in prisoner's clothes turned back and walked away. However, his opponent firebended a whip and lashed it near his legs.
"Stop right there Chit Sang."
Even though the prisoner was clearly avoiding the fight, the guard kept provoking and menacing him. It was an obvious case of bullying. Zuko was about to interfere when Sokka and Chenlian stopped him. They couldn't blow their cover. That sort of conduct was tacitly accepted here, and as proof, none of the other guards were doing anything to stop it either. Actually, that was how all new guards acted... they bullied the prisoners for a few months, enjoying their new power over others, and then got bored of it. And the veterans let the newbies do as they liked since they couldn't be bothered.
"I've had it with your unruly behavior." The browbeater continued. The innocent man asked what he did. "He wants to know what he did. Isn't that cute ?" While pointing back at Chit Sang with his thumb, he turned towards Zuko and Sokka who silently stared at him. The guard sensed something suspicious and raised his visor to inspect the boys.
"Very cute indeed, sir." Chenlian stepped in with a conniving smile.
"Super cute." The Fire Nation crown prince added.
"Just adorable." The Water Tribe warrior agreed. The bully smiled, satisfied, and walked back towards his prey.
"You didn't bow down when I walked by, Chit Sang."
"What?! That's not a prison rule!" The outraged detainee exclaimed.
"Do it." The jailer ordered, glaring up.
"Make me." The prisoner challengingly looked down on him. The bully smirked and walked away, returning to his original position, a distance from Chit Sang's back, and suddenly, he firebended another whip. But it wasn't for intimidation purposes this time... it was aimed straight at the man's back. Fortunately, the wary Chit Sang turned around, took control of the flame and returned it straight to its sender who dissipated it.
"Tsk, tsk. Firebending is prohibited." The guard shook his head like he was sorry before smirking again. "You're going in the Cooler. You! Help me take him in." He pointed at Sokka.
"Meet back here in an hour." The blue eyed boy whispered to his allies. Everyone dispersed.
Sokka and the evil guard took Chit Sang through a corridor. Sokka opened the two security doors and water vapour gushed out. The Cooler consisted of several small cylindrical isolation chambers where the temperature was kept below freezing. The chambers were completely insulated to keep the cold air sealed inside. Locked in there, without a wisp of warmth, firebending was impossible, and after a day, the body temperature dropped so much that people took usually a full week to recover their bending. It was indeed the perfect place to cool the head of the troublemakers. The prisoner was shoved in a chamber.
"The Warden will deal with you soon." The bully said. Sokka closed the doors. "Can you believe this guy ?" He complained, pointing his thumb towards the door and crossing his arms.
"Prisoners... Am I right?" The boy shrugged, grinning. He was getting into the act. He was good at such things after all, as when he had played the mean father when Aang had involuntarily enrolled into school.
"Ugh. Tell me about it."
In the lounge, Zuko and Chenlian were grabbing food at the buffet when they were called by a friendly man eating at a table with a male and a female collegue.
"Hey new guys. I know it's the rule to have your helmet on at all times but this is the lounge. Relax."
"But what if there's an incident? If I'm not prepared someone could strike me on the head." The young one argued. He and Chenlian were the only ones wearing their helmet. They even had their visor on. And it was not like they could take them off. They approached the table as the veterans laughed.
"Give it a week, he'll loosen up." The woman commented.
"We're only newbies, so we should follow the rules, at least at the beginning. Besides, won't the warden give us an earful if he finds out? I heard he's quite strict." The girl immediately tried to inquire on the whereabouts of the man she knew to be Mai's uncle, Masato, the head of this Boiling Rock, as she and Zuko sat down with them.
"He's currently away but he'll be back soon. That's exactly why you should take advantage of his absence to relax."
"Can the newbies ask you veterans a few questions about the prison ?" Zuko said.
"No, you can't date the female guards." The lady anticipated.
"Trust me, you don't want to." The sociable one grinned, leaning slightly. His older female collegue threw a cup at his head, causing his friend next to him to laugh at him.
"Oh, but maybe you two are already dating? Did you enter together as a couple? This is not the best place for a date." The laughing guy joked too, pointing at the two newcomers in turn.
"No, that's not it. The Boiling Rock, it holds the Fire Nation's most dangerous criminals, right? So what about war prisoners?" The disguised prince lost no time as he started information gathering for his friend's sake.
The gondola docked and the warden came out with other guards. He was a middle-aged man with brown hair down to his shoulders, sharp brown eyes, and a permanent scowl on his face, and he wore an ornate forehead protector instead of a helmet. The welcoming committee bowed.
Sokka stared at Chit Sang all curled up and shivering in the Cooler, and mentioned it sure looked cold in there. The bully told him that was why it was called the Cooler. He wasn't going to be firebending in there. Then he noticed the people coming over.
"It's the Warden. Look alive." He warned as he straightened up and pulled down his visor. They stood at attention at both sides of the door. A guard opened it and the Warden went inside.
"So, Chit Sang, I hear you used firebending to try to escape. You should know better."
"I wasn't trying to escape." The poor man denied.
"He's lying. I saw him with my own eyes." The browbeating jailer cut in, peering inside, but he was pushed away by the Warden's man.
"No one has ever, ever escaped from here. I'd sooner jump in the boiling lake myself than let that record fall. Don't forget it." The official spoke slowly, giving weight to his words. "Now go back to your shivering." He left and the door closed.
Sokka was leaning against the guardrail of a walkway overlooking another part of the yard from high up. His friends joined him and reported to him. After asking around the lounge, they had heard that there were no Water Tribe prisoners. They were sure of it, Hakoda was not here. Sokka banged his fists against the wall and screamed in frustration. Zuko apologized.
"So we came all this way for nothing. I failed... again." The invasion force' strategist leant against the wall.
"Err, what would Uncle say...?" Zuko muttered, wondering how to cheer him up. He looked to the sky for inspiration and saw the clouds. "Sometimes clouds have two sides, a dark and light... and a silver lining in between." He started well. "It's like a silver sandwich. So... when life seems hard... take a bite out of the silver sandwich." He finished with nonsense, not like Sokka was really paying him any attention... especially since his attention had already been caught by something that made him smile and rush back to the railing, saying they might not have failed after all. "That's the spirit. I can't believe that worked. I didn't even know what I was saying." The prince folded his arms.
"No, what you said made no sense at all. But look, it's Suki!" He pointed at the girl sitting alone on a rock. A bell rang and the prisoners were made to return to their cells. The firebenders watched the obviously lovestruck boy lower his visor and run away.
While Suki was lying on her bed, the door to her cell opened. She sat up and warily asked the guard who entered if she did something wrong.
"You mean you don't recognize me?"
"You people all look the same to me."
"Oh. Then maybe you'll recognize this." The smug young man leant in, pursed his lips and made smooching sounds. Suki grabbed his chin and pushed him to the door. As Sokka's back slammed against it, his helmet fell off his head. He looked surprised at the sudden violence. The girl was still in a fighting stance, until she recognized him and relief washed over her face. She ran to him and embraced him, tearing up. Sokka smiled and hugged her back. He asked about the other Kyoshi Warriors but they weren't here. She had been locked here as the leader, and didn't know where the others were taken. "Well, you won't be here for long, I'm busting you out." He cupped her left cheek with his hand.
"I'm so glad to see you Sokka. I knew you'd come." She held onto his hand that was touching her face. They embraced again and kissed amorously.
Zuko was standing watch outside alone. Suki was there, so Chenlian thought there might be other allies among the prisonners and had decided to take a look. The prince saw a guard coming and knocked on the door of Suki's cell to warn them. The couple broke apart.
"'Scuse me, I need to get into that cell." The female guard spoke.
"No, you can't go in there. The lights are out... the prisoner could sneak up on you." The sentry gave nonsensical excuses.
"Step aside, fool." She tried to push Zuko aside but he grabbed her arm and threw her against the wall. "Hey! Hey! What are you doing ?!" She maneuvered and reversed the situation. While the prince struggled, Sokka put on his helmet, lowered his visor, opened the door and left without a noise. However, the female guard spotted him through a gap and called for his help. "Guard, help! I think he's an imposter! Argh! Arrest him!" She ordered, struggling too. "Get him off me and arrest him!" She insisted as he was hesitating. Then Sokka took his decision. He walked to them, grabbed Zuko's arm and threw him against the floor.
"You're under arrest!" He declared before helping him to his feet and whispering "Don't worry, I'll figure it out."
Zuko was made to change into a prisoner's outfit and found himself locked in an interrogation cell. He was leaning dismissively against the back wall, his arms folded, when the warden entered.
"Well, well, well. I never thought I'd find you in here, Prince Zuko."
"How did you know who I am?"
"How could I not? You broke my niece's heart."
"You're Mai's uncle?" The prince realized. "I never meant to hurt her." He said with a guilt-stricken expression.
"Quiet! You're my special prisoner now. And you best behave. If these criminals found out who you are, the traitor prince who let his nation down. Why, they'd tear you to shreds."
"So what's in it for you? Why don't you just tell my father and collect the reward?"
"Oh in due time believe me, I intend to collect." The warden spoke sinisterly and left.
Some time later, Sokka and Chenlian were descending a flight of stairs when they spotted Zuko and Suki mopping the floor together under said stairs. Having toured the cells, the mahogany-haired girl had confirmed that only the Kyoshi Warrior was worth saving and joined up with her friend who told her what had happened. Sokka said he was glad the two had met.
"A... actually, we met a long time ago." Suki corrected him.
"We did?"
"Yeah, you kind of burned down my village." She said angrily, glaring at her fellow prisoner.
"Oh. Sorry about that. Nice to see you again." After the greeting, the four checked their surroundings and quickly but stealthily hid out of view. They crouched down and Sokka told them his escape plan. He was thinking of using the perfectly insulated cooler as a boat to get across the boiling lake. The others were unsure about it but he was confident. He had found a blind spot in the perimeter between two guard towers, the perfect launching spot. They would roll the cooler into the water and just float with the current that was going to take them straight across. As long as they didn't make a sound, no one would notice. Suki asked how they were going to get the cooler out .
"Yeah, how are you going to get the cooler out?" A male voice startled them. It was Chit Sang who had been leaning against the railing of the stairs above them and eavesdropping. He sailed his body under the bar and landed in a crouch next to them. Sokka panicked and Zuko played dumb but nothing worked. Chit Sang even blackmailed them, either they let him in on their escape plan, or he was going to reveal everything to the warden. So they gave in. Now that it was settled, they needed someone to unbolt the cooler from the inside. Sokka handed a wrench to Zuko who put it in his pocket. "Oh, I can get you inside." Chit Sang smirked. They quickly discussed the plan and immediately put it into action.
Chit Sang came out of the hiding place but kept loitering around. As Zuko walked backwards while mopping, he bumped into him. The two started a fight that brought them into the middle of the room, thus making sure to garner everyone's attention. At first it was just some (good) shoving... that then escalated. Sokka and Chenlian came in and called for backup. Zuko firebended at Chit Sang who avoided. And of course, guards arrived, arrested the one who had firebended, and took him to the cooler. Everyone returned to their occupations.
"I can take you back to your cell if you've learned your lesson." Sokka opened the doors to the freezing chamber and folded his arms. The hundled prisoner lifted his head and let out a breath of fire. He was not even shivering.
"Yes, I have. Completely." Zuko smirked, showing all the bolts and nuts he had removed. Sokka smiled and raised his visor, saying Chenlian had got Suki and Chit Sang out of their cells a few minutes ago. They should be waiting for them at the shore. But then the prince heard someone coming and quickly pulled his comrade inside, closing the inner door behind him. They heard the gossiping guards passing by. They were talking about new arrivals coming at dawn, some robbers, couple of traitors, as well as some war prisoners, maybe even a pirate. Anxiety carving his features, Sokka turned to his friend. "War prisoners. It could be your father." Zuko said concernedly.
"I know." The Water Tribe member looked away and closed his eyes.
"Well, what should we do ? Are we going ahead with the plan or are we waiting another night ?"
"I don't know. Is it right for me to risk Suki's freedom... all of our freedom on the slim chance that my dad is gonna show up ?"
"It's your call Sokka." Zuko replied. It was Sokka who had decided to come, and he had even resolved to do it alone originally. His family or his friends... certainly a lot rested on his shoulders, but it was necessary for him to accept the uncertainty and overcome his fear of decision-making. Sokka tightly shut his eyes for a time... and chose.
This night, Suki, Chenlian and Chit Sang were anxiously waiting for their missing allies and rescue 'boat' to arrive. They heard a noise and looked up to see Zuko and Sokka using all of their body weight to stop the cooler from hurtling down the slope... which would have certainly damaged it and caused a racket, thus attracting unwanted attention. The three of them rushed up to assist.
"Took you guys long enough. This here's my girl and my best buddy. They're coming too." Chit Sang introduced the man and woman near the shore. It didn't sound like he was giving them any choice. First he had forced himself on them and now he was forcing his friends onto them without a single warning. Of course Sokka was not pleased about this, nor were the others. Actually, Chenlian had thought about him rot in prison, but couldn't very well do that knowing Sokka had given his word. However, she had regretted that decision, her soft-heartedness, when he threatened her to make her free his friend and girlfriend too. So she opted to leave the decision-making to Sokka. But as expected, there was no time to argue and Chit Sang could well alert the guards if he was refused. There was really no other option but to go along with his demands.
They put the cooler in position and Sokka recovered his Water Tribe clothing he had hidden under a rock. While the three additions climbed into the makeshift boat first, Chenlian, Suki and Zuko waited for Sokka on ground.
"Are you sure you want to go? You're the one who said you wanted to redeem yourself, redeem your honor. Rescuing your dad is your chance." The prince questioned.
"Your dad?" Suki who had not heard about it, came closer, clearly worried about her boyfriend's feelings. "But I thought he wasn't here."
"We heard war prisoners are scheduled to arrive at dawn." Zuko explained.
"If I had just cut my losses at the invasion, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess. Maybe sometimes it's just better to call it quits before you fail." Sokka looked at them in desperation as he strapped his sword and bag across his shoulder.
"No, it's not. Look Sokka, you're going to fail a lot before things work out." The Fire Lord's son asserted... not like it made his friend feel any better. Of course, everyone wanted to quickly – if not immediately – succeed.
"Even though you'll probably fail over and over and over again..."
"Seriously, not helping." The Water Tribe boy walked away but Zuko grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.
"You have to try every time. You can't quit because you're afraid you might fail." The young prince insisted. That was what he had learned from experience, and from Chenlian. She used to be the one who had always reached out to him, encouraged him, and helped him get back up, given him the strength to believe, to move forward... Now, because of him, she was the one whose strength was failing and who was giving up. Even now he was still desperately trying to piece back together her heart that he had broken, regain her trust, her love, and give her the will to start over again with him. No matter how many times she rejected him, he would try again. He was not only telling that to Sokka, but also to himself... and to her.
Chenlian was quietly watching them. She recalled having once... no, many times said similar things to Zuko... a long time ago. She used to believe so strongly that continued efforts led to success... until she experienced a good reality check, and was reminded that there were things that could never be obtained or recovered no matter how strongly you believed or how much efforts you put into it. And sometimes, because of your naïve, overreaching hope, you made a mistake in judgement that cost you everything. So, what will Sokka do?
"Hey, if you two are done cuddling, can we get a move on?" Chit Sang called them, ready to depart.
"...No, I'm staying." Sokka decided after a pause. After all, he could no lie to his heart. He dropped his bag and turned to address his friends and girlfriend. "You guys go. You've been here long enough." He placed a hand on Suki's shoulder, but she turned him down.
"I'm not leaving without you, Sokka." She grabbed his hand reassuringly. Zuko also chose to stay. Chenlian sighed. There was no way she could leave them behind. Chit Sang though decided to go with his own friend and girlfriend. The four watched the cooler float away.
"We gave up our only chance of escaping. I hope we haven't just made a huge mistake." Sokka spoke dreadfully.
"Chance is something you create, or something you grab. Given the warden's personality, news of Zuko's capture should have reached the capital so our ride will probably arrive tomorrow as well. Given our members, if it's just causing riots and hijacking said ride when everyone's distracted there shouldn't be much problem. Still, better not let our guard down." The female firebender smirked, having just given her friend a huge metaphorical push forward. But he would have eventually arrived at the same conclusion on his own anyway. Now he had more time to iron out details to some extent.
It was nearly dawn yet the cooler was still sloooowwwly sailing across the boiling water. The alarm still had not sounded so the steam seemed to be hiding it affectively. It also helped that the prison personel mostly patrolled out of habit and did not truly pay attention, especially since they could only think of the gondola to cross the lake. It should not be possible for a firebender to maintain a good enough physical condition all the time necessary to unbolt a cooler. However, the escape was not as smooth as imagined. The three inside were sweating heavily. After all, although it was insulated, the cooling system was not integrated in the chamber, and the heat entered from the open door space above, so the protection was only relative. About half-way through, Chit Sang complained about the slowness of the current and tore off a small, rectangular section of the cooler to use as a paddle. In his impatience he was too careless, and the scalding water splashed him. He let go of his paddle and held his arm as his hand reddened. He tried to endure the pain but it was too much, and he let out a booming scream.
Alerted, a guard noticed the cooler in the water. Soldiers sounded the bell. The warden ordered the guards to immediately secure the perimeter and lock down the prisoners. The men hurried to obey, sometimes cracking their fire whips.
"The plan failed! They're caught!" Sokka exclaimed as he and his companions pressed themselves against the wall to avoid being spotted. They were on a narrow walkway protruding from the outer wall. A fall and they would crash on the shore.
"Get the fugitives and throw them in the Cooler!" The warden barked again as he approached something like a giant crossbow. It was on a base that could be turned in a full circle. The shooting angle could also be adjusted. A guard argued that they were in the cooler. "One that's bolted down and not floating in the water!" The prison commander bellowed at him. "This is a lockdown! We have new prisoners arriving! Everything must be completely secure!"
The soldier adjusted the angle and a large harpoon bolted towards the cooler and pierced it violently. The makeshift escape boat was reeled in.
Sokka and the others had moved to a walkway on the inner side and were peering out from a corner at the tower on top of which was the gondola station. They were just in time to see the gondola arriving and docking. Sokka was afraid as they would have risked everything for nothing if his father was not here. But his companions did not hold it against him at all. They understood his feelings. To them, it was something they HAD to confirm as he was important to them. Suki held his hand comfortingly. The new prisoners came out one by one in a line, but none of them was Hakoda, much to Sokka's dismay.
"Hey you, get off the gondola." A guard motioned to the person inside. The Water Tribe boy and his comrades looked up when they heard that. The man came out and Sokka's eyes widened.
"Dad." He whispered, relieved and full of hope.
Author's note: misaligned views lead to misfires. Because they're so young, it's normal to miss the target. But they still try to properly watch, listen, learn, and move forward in their own awkward way, growing little by little. So it shouldn't be TOO long before they all find each other again, right?
Still, more misfires in next chapter 'Prisonbreak'...