After breaching the walls of Ba Sing Se, a ragtag group of survivors must join forces with unlikely allies to escape the city of Joo Dees.
…
Time
Space
Reality
It's more than a linear path... it's a prism of unlimited possibilities... where a single choice can divide into infinite realities and create alternate worlds to those you already know... I am Xiànshi, the spirit of reality. I am your guide to these vast new realities. Follow me and consider the question... what if?
Ba Sing Se is considered a city of walls and secrets, as well as an impenetrable bastion. During the final year of the Hundred Year War, Team Avatar arrived in the city from a new attack by the Fire Nation, saving it from imminent danger and holding out hope of finding what they were looking for there... but what they found was nothing like what they expected...
...
Walking through the streets of the Middle Ring, a group of Water Tribe men walked through the quiet streets. It was early in the morning, and it was understandable that no one would get up so early to see a contingent bringing foreign allies.
Alongside them, a group of Earth King soldiers walked with them. Although they had tried to engage them in conversation, the soldiers weren't interested in them and simply continued walking.
One of the Water Tribe warriors approached another who was leading the others.
"Hakoda, this is a little strange," a man said to his leader, although he said it in a low voice.
Hakoda looked at him for a moment and nodded in agreement. "You don't have to tell me, Bato. I don't like all of this at all. I have the feeling something else is going on... whatever it is..."
"Welcome, warriors of the Water Tribe." A familiar voice interrupted Hakoda and Bato's conversation. They both turned to look and saw a boy dressed in the armor of a non-bender soldier of the Earth Kingdom, but his face was unmistakable to the duo, especially Hakoda.
"Sokka? Sokka!" Without thinking twice, Hakoda ran to hug his son. The Water Tribe warriors approached, happy to be greeted by a familiar face. They approached to greet Hakoda's son, who only looked at them indifferently.
"Chief Hakoda, it's good to see you've decided to join Long Feng's army," Sokka said in a monotone that disconcerted Hakoda and caused him to break away from the hug he was holding his son.
"What? Sokka, what are you talking about? We came here to ally, but I didn't expect to find you here. I'm happy to see you here, son," he said with a smile, hoping Sokka would see the joy in him, but Sokka continued to look at him indifferently, causing Hakoda's smile to falter.
"It's good that you decided to cede your fleet to Long Feng's army. Thanks to your help, my Lord will emerge victorious in this war..."
This further disconcerted Hakoda, who soon said cautiously, "Sokka, I will not relinquish my leadership of the fleet. Besides, we are people of the Water Tribe, not the Earth Kingdom. I came to meet with the Earth King..."
"You and yours will serve Long Feng and the Dai Li... in one way or another." Sokka then drew a sword and began attacking his father, to the complete surprise of his father and the other Water Tribe warriors. But they were unable to do anything when the Earth King's soldiers soon joined the confrontation, attacking them from behind.
It was like a fight.
Hakoda was trying to avoid his son's attacks while looking for a way not to hurt him.
"Sokka, stop! It's me! I'm your father!"
"I live to fight for Long Feng and the Dai Li," Sokka replied, ignoring his father's words.
Hakoda drew his weapon and blocked his son's attack. He looked around, trying to find something he couldn't harm his son with. As he did, he noticed the Earth King's soldiers confronting his men, and more arriving too quickly to capture them.
"No!"
Bato, who was standing near him, was fighting an earthbender who quickly knocked him down with a shard of earth and was about to take him with him, when a blast of fire appeared out of nowhere and struck the earthbender.
Hakoda was speechless when a young man dressed in brown robes, with white skin and a scar on the left side of his face that covered much of that side, appeared with a pair of swords and launched blasts of fire from the same swords.
"What... A firebender?!"
Before anything else could happen, a small figure appeared, tackling Sokka and throwing him away. The figure stood up and stepped back as Sokka got up, but an arrow flew past and pierced his clothing, sending him tumbling into a wall.
"Quick! He needs to come with us!" said the person who had tackled her son, while a boy dressed in blue with a wide-brimmed hat and a bow stood next to her and shot arrows to stop the soldiers from advancing while backing up the firebender.
Bato, seeing what was happening, quickly stood up and went on the defensive. "How can this be... how is a firebender here?!"
The firebender deflected his attention from the fight to Bato and frowned. "I may be a firebender, but I'm one of those who still have a mind of my own."
"We have to leave quickly!" A new voice made an appearance, causing Hakoda to turn around and see a young woman from the Earth Kingdom running toward him. "More of them are coming, and if we don't leave, they'll capture us!"
"I'm not going to leave my son and my men!" Hakoda said, returning to the fight.
But the girl stopped him, saying, "Right now, your son isn't your son. He's under mind control, and he doesn't recognize you." She pointed to where Sokka was trying to break free and gave Hakoda a look of fury and rage as he tried to break free. "And we can't reach your men. If you want to save them, then you must come with us..."
"But..."
"Hakoda is right!" "Bato said, approaching, as did the others who were retreating as reinforcements from the Earth King's soldiers arrived, including the Dai Li. "I don't like it as much as you do, but if we want to save them, then we must retreat and come up with a plan."
Hakoda grunted to himself as he watched all his men being taken to who knows where, and then his son, who looked at him as if he were his enemy. He didn't know what was happening, but he would find out and make whoever did this pay.
He nodded, accepting the retreat, and so the entire group fled in the direction of the Lower Ring.
Meanwhile, Xiànshí watched them leave from the sky.
...
As is often the case with many great challenges, it all begins with a noble purpose... in the universe they know, upon Team Avatar's arrival in Ba Sing Se City, Long Feng, the leader of the Dai Li, threatened Team Avatar to avoid causing trouble in his city, dismissing their arguments about a chance to end the Hundred Year War... but in this universe, the Grand Secretary made another decision and began a terrible plan to create a new great army based on the Dai Li's mind-control techniques, turning hundreds of refugees into mindless beings who only answer to him...
...
The cold of the room pierced Joo Dee's hands as she watched, terrified, from her chair. She tried to fight the rock fragments holding her down. In front of her, a Dai Li agent stood, his face covered by a hat as the light he used for mind control began to spin.
"You wish to serve Long Feng."
Joo Dee shook his head, unsure.
"You believe the Dai Li should be your leaders."
Why did that sound wrong? It was getting harder and harder to resist, to the point where he couldn't even find reasons to do so anymore.
"You will live to serve Long Feng and the Dai Li."
Nodding to the Dai Li agent, Joo Dee repeated, "I live to serve Long Feng and the Dai Li."
...
Something disturbing... A month later, Long Feng presented himself to Team Avatar and demanded the invasion plans as well as the Avatar's loyalty to his cause. When they refused, Long Feng decided to take both by force...
...
Team Avatar could face many things and had emerged unscathed, but certainly, when they were hoping to reach Ba Sing, they thought they could discuss the invasion plans and discover Appa's whereabouts, but instead, they were now on the run to escape.
However, they were now surrounded, cornered by agents and the controlled citizens of Long Feng.
Aang was nervous about not knowing what they could do to get out of this, but then a large burst of fire blocked the enemy's path, surprising Team Avatar. When they turned to see what had happened, they found none other than Zuko, who had saved them.
"Come with me if you want to live."
Aang opened his eyes in surprise and was about to do so, but then a water attack was launched at Zuko.
He was barely able to dodge it and was thrown backward.
Aang opened his eyes in disbelief and turned his head to see Katara, who didn't regret having done that.
"What? Katara!
However, Sokka shook his head. "We don't have time for this, Aang. I don't know how Zuko got in, but now we have to find a way out of here!"
"Hey, you guys can decide what to do about the little prince later. Right now, more of Long Feng's henchmen are after us."
Toph pointed to a group of Dai Li soldiers running in their direction.
Toph quickly erected a rock wall to block their way.
"That'll slow them down, but we have to do something now!" Toph shouted to the others, waiting for them to decide.
Sokka looked at the wall where their pursuers were on the other side, and in the direction of those nearby, running to capture them. Katara kept them at bay with the water she had with her, while the advancing earthbenders were stopped by Aang, who used airbending or earthbending to stop the rocks they threw.
And then he looked at where Katara had sent Zuko, and that's where he made his final decision.
"We must move!"
Without further ado, the four of them walked away, pursued by the crowd of people and Dai Li agents. Unaware that Zuko had regained consciousness and was watching them leave, he tried to follow them, but then he saw how some Dai Li agents noticed him and rushed to capture him. Faced with this situation, he had to turn back and try to reach the Avatar and his friends another way.
Except that the next time he saw them would be when they were captured.
...
Ironically, Team Avatar's distrust sealed Long Feng's imminent victory. Once they were captured, the Ba Sing Se army prepared to sally forth and launch a counteroffensive that, rather than ending the war, sought to achieve conquest.
Unless, of course, someone was there to stop them...
...
"Ba Sing Se, the capital of the Earth Kingdom, the city of great walls, home of the Earth King, and now a city of mindless zombies!" a girl dressed in a simple Earth Kingdom robe said as a group consisting of herself, Hakoda, Bato, and the three others who rescued them ran through the Lower Ring. "If you survive here, you can survive anywhere, but don't let them catch you..."
Before they turned a corner, Jin stopped and, with one hand, ordered the others to halt. The firebender remained watching the rear while the archer kept watch over the buildings.
"Step one, always look before you advance. You never know what might be on the other side," the girl said in a low voice as a group of guards ran past, followed by a pair of Dai Li agents, running until they crossed near them. The girl signaled them, and taking it as an opportunity, the firebender drew his swords and rushed to confront them. The archer shot arrows at the guards, causing them to crash into a wall. The firebender, along with the other girl, faced off against the Dai Li. "Those guys watch the streets, and you never know when they might appear and take you by surprise."
The firebender combined the use of his swords with his firebending to end the fight quickly and get rid of the two Dai Li agents.
The girl narrating looked at him with a satisfied smile. "If you run into them, don't drag out the fight. They'll keep him busy until they call in more to catch him at the end... Okay, let's continue."
The girl quickly ran, grabbing the firebender's wrist, hoping to have him close if necessary. The other two, along with Hakoda and Bato, decided to follow them.
As they made their way through the streets of the lower ring, the girl saw something resembling a bell on a nearby table. As she passed by, she picked it up and soon saw a large pot. She threw the bell toward it, causing a loud noise that would draw the attention of anyone nearby.
"Step 2: Since the streets are empty, the noises you make will be louder. It's best to be stealthy wherever you decide to go." She quickly crossed another path while everyone followed her. Before accompanying them, Bato looked back and saw several of their pursuers begin to appear, trying to locate the noise. Determined not to be left behind, he hurried to join the group.
The group was approaching another street when suddenly, the girl stopped, turned, and went down another path, stopping near a couple of buildings. She climbed some stairs. The group accompanied her until they reached a house that looked like it had been covered with boards, making it look abandoned, except for a door, which the girl knocked on a couple of times.
Then they heard something moving from the other side. Then the door opened, and the group took advantage of it to quickly enter, then closed it again and blocked it.
"Step three, always have a hiding place nearby if necessary. Remember where you have it. The Lower Ring is very large and it's easy to get lost..."
"I'd appreciate it if you would keep quiet, child..." The voice of the person who had let them in caught the attention of the girl, as well as Hakoda and Bato. They turned to see an older man dressed as an Earth Kingdom general.
"I'm sorry, General, I just wanted to give the newcomers some guidance on how to survive..."
The man just let out a tired sigh as he walked up to Hakoda and Bato, extending his hand. "I am General How, leader of the Earth King's Council of Five, the highest-ranking generals in His Majesty's service. I'm also the only one who remains clear-headed. I formally welcome you to Ba Sing Se."
Hakoda looked at his hand and then at How's face, then decided to reciprocate with a forearm salute, typical of members of the Water Tribe. "I am Chief Hakoda of Wolf Cove, of the Southern Water Tribe. With me is Bato, my second-in-command... This is surely a welcome, General. What's going on here?"
He said the last thing wanting to know how the situation is regarding... regarding everything, he had expected something different when he and his men had arrived to the city, but today, an ambush where his son whom he hadn't seen in three years was part of it, his supposed allies turned against them and took all his men and, fortunately or by a kick of fate, he and Bato managed to escape thanks to a firebender who brought them to a hideout where they discovered a conspiracy.
How frowned as he answered, saying the following: "In short, the Grand Councilor of the Earth King Kuei, turned against him and created a large army using brainwashing techniques..." Then, with a nod, he indicated to everyone in the room. "Those of us here are the only ones in the entire city who managed to escape that torturous fate."
After that, with another gesture of his hand, he indicated for them to follow him. Hakoda and Bato looked at each other for a moment, then followed How as How led them to a middle-aged man who was drinking tea in a chair.
"The man here is Mr. Pao. From what I understand, he had a tea shop in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se..."
Seeing that he was being introduced, Pao stood up from his chair and said, "Not just any tea shop! The Pao Family Tea House. Not to brag, but my shop has the best tea in town," he said with a look of pride, though it soon faded. "At least, until a couple of weeks ago, when the Dai Li arrived and everything turned upside down."
How patted him a couple of times, seeking to show his support. "That's how it started. Before all this, it was forbidden to talk about the war in the City. The Dai Li would take anyone who even mentioned the subject."
How continued walking while Hakoda and Bato left Pao aside to follow How, who then stopped with two other individuals. "But then, out of nowhere, they started taking anyone for any reason. Within a few days, many refugees and citizens had disappeared, only to return as if nothing had happened, trying to convince others to join them. This is the case with these two boys. Their names are Smallerbee and Longshot. They are part of a children's guerrilla group from the Western Earth Kingdom.
"Not just any group. We're members of the Freedom Fighters," Smallerbee said with a frown, while Longshot nodded at his side. "When the Fire Nation destroyed our home, we came here hoping to start over. But instead, the Dai Li took our friend Jet. Days later, he returned as if nothing had happened and was trying to take us to a place called Lake Laogai."
How nodded at that statement. "That's been the case on several occasions, and that only increased the death toll. When Long Feng and the Dai Li had enough troops on their side, they launched systematic offensives against the other Rings as well as all of the city's government officials, eventually deposing the Earth King from his position as de facto leader..."
"But what about the Avatar? What happened to him? And the children who accompanied him?" Hakoda asked with concern. Although he had an idea of his children's fate after seeing Sokka apparently on the side of the Dai Li, he hoped his children had managed to escape. He hadn't seen Katara during the ambush, so there was a possibility that his daughter had managed to escape and was here or somewhere in Ba Sing Se, but safe.
How saw the man's concern, but had to shake his head. "Honestly, I don't know. Chief Hakoda. The last person to see them was Lee, the firebender who helped them escape the ambush." How looked toward "Lee," who was in a corner sharpening his swords, frowning, not noticing how How, Hakoda, and Bato were now staring at him.
Bato frowned as he looked at the General. "By the way, how did a firebender manage to sneak into Ba Sing Se? I thought it was the Impenetrable City because of its high walls."
"And it is," How said flatly. "That's why we've managed to resist the Fire Nation all this time, but how did the boy get through?" I assume it was by posing as a refugee. We have ferries that transport refugees in Full Moon Bay, although now that I think about it, if they let a couple of firebenders through, then we need to improve our security."
Hakoda frowned at How's last statement. "Wait... are there more firebenders in the city?"
How nodded, though noticing the concern in the Water Tribe men, he said, "It's just the boy and an old firebender who, as far as I know, is Lee's uncle, so at most they must be deserters. The old man disappeared, trying to save him." He pointed at Lee with his hand. "He put on an incredible display of fire. As you can imagine, it caused great panic and chaos, but the old man got what he wanted, and no one has heard from him since."
"And you trust that firebender? How do we know he's trustworthy? He could be allied with Long Feng and his Dai Li," Bato said, arms crossed.
How neither confirmed nor denied Bato's assumptions. All he said was, "I hold him in high regard, but after all this chaos, I can't afford to be distrustful. He may be a firebender, but the fear the Fire Nation instills has proven beneficial in some ways." He said the last part dryly, showing how much he disliked that statement. "He's helping us by creating chaos, and we promised to help him find his uncle. We may not like each other's coexistence, but our goals are aligned, and whether we like it or not, neither of us will achieve what we want without the other's help."
Hakoda crossed his arms with a frown. From what he could see on How's face, the general was resigned to that decision, and from what he saw from the other members of the group, they were all on the same page. It seems he'll have to agree to collaborate with "Lee" until he knows what to do.
"How long have you been resisting here?"
"A week since Long Feng officially took over the city, we've been holding out as best we can, but we don't know how long we can hold out. The Dai Li have been searching for us exhaustively..."
"Although we can have hope," said the same girl as before, standing next to How, "when we heard that a group of Water Tribe members were coming to the city, we knew we had to act quickly."
How nodded, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "This is Jin, a refugee herself, and the one who helps us with supplies. Thanks to her, we've been able to survive without having to go out as much."
Jin looked at How with a smile. "I'm just doing what I can, General. I'm not a warrior, but I found a way to be of help, but with you here, I know we might have a chance."
Hakoda looked at the two, curious about what they had to say. "And how could that be?"
Jin then took out a piece of paper he had been carrying and showed it to the three adults. "With this."
What he showed left Hakoda and Bato somewhat intrigued as they looked at a wanted poster for Appa, Aang's flying bison.
...
Jin placed the wanted poster on a table while everyone else in the group stood around it. While everyone was waiting to find out what it was, General How began to speak.
"A few days ago, we obtained valuable information: that your fleet was heading for Ba Sing Se, Chief Hakoda, and that Long Feng had the Avatar's bison imprisoned in Ba Sing Se, along with the Avatar himself..."
Hakoda crossed his arms as he looked at How. "How did you even find out about this in the first place?"
"Thank the Dai Li for giving us all the information," Lee said seriously, his eyes still fixed on Appa's image. "The day all this happened, the Avatar unleashed these all over Ba Sing Se. I don't know what happened next, but he soon appeared here in the Lower Ring, and that's when the chaos began."
Smellerbee and Longshot nodded. "After that, no one knew what was happening. Their families, neighbors, and acquaintances turned against them, and by the time we realized it, the only thing we could do was hide. The Dai Li roam the streets looking for any stragglers not yet under their control. We captured one and got him to talk."
Bato looked at Appa's poster and then looked at Smellerbee, somewhat skeptically. "Couldn't he be deceiving them?"
"We had to use unconventional methods to get him to talk."
The hint quickly caught the interest of the two Water Tribe men, who, upon seeing the faces of the young Freedom Fighters and "Lee," which quickly turned dark, formed some ideas about what they must have done to make the Dai Li agent they had captured and possibly eliminated to prevent him from speaking to his superiors.
Jin noticed the somber atmosphere and decided to return to the main topic. "The important thing here is that after that day, they took the Avatar to Lake Laogai, hoping to convert him to Long Feng's cause."
Hakoda looked at Jin, understanding what he wanted to do, something he decided to help with by asking, "And why wouldn't they be at Lake Laogai anymore?"
How now responded, "According to our source, the Dai Li compound was destroyed by overwhelming power. The Bison escaped, but the Avatar was taken to the Catacombs beneath Ba Sing Se Palace."
"Then we should be able to sneak there, right under their noses, and rescue him," Bato said, analyzing the situation.
"That's easily said," How said, shaking his head. "Whatever happened, going to the Upper Ring is a terrible idea. We'd have to get past the Lower and Middle Rings, which will be guarded by dozens of soldiers under Long Feng's control. It will be impossible to get there on foot."
Hakoda and Bato nodded, now having a better understanding of what they wanted. "From what I see, then we should go after the Bison first. He should be hiding somewhere outside the city, staying close."
Jin nodded in agreement. "Yes, according to our source, Long Feng has been searching for him for weeks, but they haven't been able to find him."
"Once we find him, we must convince him to take us to the Royal Palace. There, he'll lead us to the catacombs, where the Avatar must be hiding. We'll get him out, and then we can retake Ba Sing Se." How made a fist and hit it with the palm of his hand to make his point.
Bato looked at the group and then at Appa's poster, analyzing the plan as a good one, but based on mere assumptions that gave rise to hopes that could turn out to be false. "I don't want to say this... but how do we know Aang isn't under Long Feng's control? This could all be a trap."
"Because whatever happened at Lake Laogai, the Avatar was the one who caused it because he managed to resist the brainwashing, "Lee said in a forceful tone. "This plan is the only one we have, and continuing here is not an option."
How nodded in agreement. "The boy's right, it may not be the best, but we're not in a position to be demanding. We'll leave at dawn..."
"I don't want to bring up the obvious, but how do we get out of the city in the first place?" said Pao, who was pouring herself another cup of tea in the distance.
"We've already covered that."
...
Ba Sing Se Royal Palace
"Still no progress?"
Frowning slightly, the Grand Secretariat leaned back a little, its greenish fire crackling happily in the background. This was unusual. While it was true that the reconditioning process could extend from hours to days or even weeks, depending on the complexity of the programming required, thousands of subjects, over decades of work, had allowed the Dai Li to develop hypnotism into a science. They had successfully reconditioned thousands who were now serving to the best of their ability, their army was successfully preparing, but somehow one child was still not under their control.
Was it because he was the Avatar? Long Feng had to admit, if only to himself, that, considering the abilities of that legendary being, it was difficult to know if their current methods would ever be effective.
"Efforts have continued according to the usual procedure for high-priority matters," the agent who had come to give him the report noted. "Twenty hours a day."
Long Feng nodded once. That was as it should be. "But they have not succeeded in making the Avatar submit."
"What would you have us do instead, sir?" the agent asked with the icy calm one would expect from him. "Our reprogramming efforts have proved fruitless so far, and it is possible that some of them even caused the disaster at Lake Laogai."
True, what happened at Lake Laogai caused him to lose many valuable assets as well as Dai Li agents. The place served as his main center of operations. After that, he had to move everything to the palace to oversee it himself. But at least it helped him avoid having to move the still-unreconditioned prisoners he had in custody and risk the rebels freeing them, as was the case with General How.
Speaking of them, he has to deal with them once and for all. How's the rebel issue going? Do you have any leads on them yet?
The Dai Li agent stood still as silence filled the place. Only the green flames could be heard, and the only thing that could be perceived was the tension of news that Long Feng wouldn't like at all.
"They were seen during the arrival of the Water Tribe Fleet," the agent commented cautiously. "They got involved while we were detaining the newcomers, escaped, and took their leader with them."
Lon Feng twisted his mouth in disgust. With this, the rebels had taken two potentially valuable assets, first General How, and now a potential naval commander for his forces once he had refitted him.
"The rebels are becoming a hindrance; we need to get rid of them once and for all."
The agent nodded. "What do we do about the Avatar? Do you think we should continue at this level? Over time, it might be enough to wear down the Avatar's mind. However, Agent Huan requests permission to begin implementing more intensive procedures."
The Grand Secretariat considered this for a moment. He was not an impatient man, but still. Instilling the proper values and training him to a certain level of earthbending mastery would likely take weeks, even in the best-case scenario. But reviewing previous plans, the eclipse would arrive in a few months, and the sooner I can have the Avatar working for the best, the better to run the smallest possible risk.
"We can't repeat what happened here at the Palace. I suggest practicing new methods before applying them to the Avatar."
The agent nodded again and then added, "We have a new group of subjects who recently arrived in the City, the men of the Water Tribe, as well as a more 'special' case of subjects than we could experiment on."
Long Feng smiled with satisfaction. "Then go ahead. It doesn't matter how you do it, but I want the Avatar under my control."
...
Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se
A pair of Dai Li Agents walked in front of a group of Earth Kingdom soldiers who had been controlled. They patrolled the streets in search of rebel stragglers who were hidden within these walls. Since the rebels attacked one of their convoys and freed General How from the Council of Five, they had intensified the search for those not yet under their control.
After the arrival of the Water Tribe men, the search had doubled.
Walking and then turning down another street, the Dai Li didn't notice how a figure emerged from the shadows of an alleyway and then walked forward, revealing himself as "Lee," or better known as Zuko, the banished prince of the Fire Nation.
Zuko, who was making sure it was safe for the group to leave, looked both ways, waiting for any sign that someone might be coming, but when he didn't notice anyone, he turned back to the alley and spoke.
"It's safe."
With that, General How left, followed by Hakoda, who remained just as cautious, followed by Pao, Jin, Smellerbee, Bato, and Longshot.
With a gesture of his hand, Zuko indicated that they should follow him cautiously. He had studied the path as best he could during his days before all this had started, trying to find an escape from the life he had been living with his uncle since arriving in this city.
His uncle.
Thinking about him brought him mixed feelings. Remembering how he had sacrificed himself to save him, and he had done nothing to come for him, he groaned to himself, remembering that moment. He had wanted to look for him and do something, but in the confusion, he soon lost sight of him, and pushing his way through the crowd to find him wouldn't be of any help when they began attacking those closest to him. The resulting chaos prevented him from moving forward. He had to do things he hadn't thought he would do until that day. The Dai Li's control over the city had gone too far, and he had no desire to become a mindless servant, and he wouldn't let his uncle face that fate either. So, if he has to ally himself with potential enemies to survive, fine, he will. If he has to risk his life trying to get out of the city, then he will. Even if he has to put aside the fact that his chance to redeem himself in the eyes of his father and his Nation and finally return home may be within reach, then he will do just that... at least until all this is over.
The hand on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts. When he turned his head, he saw Jin's smiling face.
"Don't worry, Lee. I know your uncle must be somewhere outside the walls."
True, that's another reason why he had agreed to the plan, even though it wasn't the best. According to the Dai Li agent from whom they got their information, an old firebender was also captured the day the Avatar and her friends were captured, but for some mysterious reason, he had disappeared.
If he hadn't been seen in any of the rings and hadn't been captured again, then that means Iroh must have managed to get out of the City. He's possibly waiting for him outside, probably with a cup of tea in his hand. Zuko believes this; after all, that old man loves tea. But he also does not doubt that Iroh would have managed to escape. If anyone could have done it, it would have been Uncle Iroh.
Zuko sighed and nodded, thanking Jin for his willingness in all of this. Although when it was revealed that he was a firebender, he did notice a change in his treatment of him. He's glad to know that the girl can get over what happened.
As he returned to the present, he noticed they had reached the place that could help them get out of here: the Ba Sing Se Monorail.
"The monorail is a vast public transportation network that spans the entire city. After the Dai Li took over the city, they used it to transport valuable prisoners, like the Dai Li and Long Feng themselves."
Hakoda frowned, remembering that the Dai Li had put him and his men there as a faster way to get to the palace, all apparently with the nefarious intention of including them in their twisted goals.
The team moved until they entered the monorail station and found it completely abandoned; the only thing visible was the unused monorail. The silence that prevailed was both unsettling and hostile.
"We can use it as our way out of the city," How said, leading the group to the monorail.
Inspecting it, Bato realized something. "How do we move this thing?" "It doesn't have an engine or anything to make it move."
"This transport is powered by two earthbenders at the end of the vehicle, who push it along the tracks... I can push it enough to get us moving," How said, confident in his strength.
However, Hakoda shook his head. "Excuse me, General, I don't doubt it's the one I'm trying to do strong enough to move it alone, but if so, you'd have to be outside moving it while it's vulnerable to surprise attacks, and if they get rid of you, none of us can move it, and it'll all be for nothing.
How to analyze what Hakoda said, but he shook his head. "It's all we have, unless we get some kind of giant spring to propel the cars."
Hakoda sighed, shaking his head at the thought of nothing. He looked around the station, searching for an idea that might help them. When he looked at the station columns, he looked at the cars with a raised eyebrow, and that's when something occurred to him.
"Those columns, how much weight can they support?" he asked someone in the group, waiting for an answer.
How frowned at the question. "Together, they support the weight of the station roof, so I'd say they could support anything lighter than that."
Hakoda smiled at that insight and then said, "We may not have a spring, but the columns can give us the boost we need. If we use bands connecting the columns from one end, they would be able to propel the cars enough to get out of here."
Bato's eyes widened at what Hakoda was planning. "Of course, if someone pushed the cars in the direction we placed the bands, then that would generate the momentum that would launch the cars with great force, without the need for an earthbender to constantly push."
How frowned at the suggestion. "And where would we get those bands to achieve this?"
Bato started to think when he came up with an idea. "We can use silk. Surely with enough, we could make many bands that would help us propel the cars better?"
"But where would we find enough silk?" Zuko asked, arms crossed.
"There are silk workshops near here," Jin said suddenly. "I know where they are, and they should have what we need."
How looked at everyone in the group, then sighed and nodded. "Okay, it's decided. Lee, Smellerbee, and Jin, you'll go for the silk. Bring all the silk you need. No matter how many twists and turns you take, we'll need a lot." The trio nodded at the orders, then How looked at the rest. "The rest of us will stay and keep watch."
Longshot nodded as he took his bow and pulled an arrow from his quiver.
...
Several hours later...
"This is the last one," Jin said as he handed over the last of the silk they had collected from the workshop.
Hakoda nodded as he went to tie the last end of the bands. After the children went to collect the needed silk, the adults quickly got to work creating enough bands to help them pull the wagons. Right now, Hakoda, Bato, and Zuko, who had joined them, were finishing up the work. Jin watched from a distance. How was up front, watching for anything, while Pao had decided to get into one of the wagons. Smellerbee and Longshot were guarding the entrance.
Smellerbee was looking down, searching for anything that might come, when he suddenly let out a sigh and said, "What do you think, Longshot? Do you think it'll work?"
The aforementioned man, who had an arrow to shoot, turned his attention to his companion. He gave her a look that quickly told Smellerbee what he had in mind, to which she nodded in agreement.
But then the sound of something emerged from the entrance they were guarding. The two Freedom Fighters became alert for whatever was about to emerge. Smellerbee readied her sword and pointed it forward, ready to confront whatever was there. Could it be Dai Li? Controlled soldiers? Armed civilians?
Luckily, it wasn't either of those cases. Rather, it was a small flying lemur running up the station stairs. When it noticed Smellerbee and Longshot, it stopped to study them and see if they were a threat to it.
Smellerbee lowered her weapon and knelt to examine the flying lemur. "Hey, you look familiar..." She reached out to pet it and calm it down. The flying lemur growled at her, causing Smellerbee to pause for a moment. "Calm down, you don't have to worry, I'm not with them..."
She tried to reach out again, and the lemur seemed to trust her this time, allowing herself to be petted, causing Smellerbee to smile. Longshot quickly looked at her. "Just look, how do you think it got here?"
Longshot looked at her, lowering his bow. However, he didn't notice when a hand made of rock fragments suddenly reached out and destroyed his bow. Another hand grabbed him by his tunic and carried him flying toward the entrance.
Smellerbee opened her eyes in surprise and alarm. "Longshot!"
He tried to go down to rescue him, but before disappearing, Longshot gave him one last look that told him not to do it, Smellerbee, as much as he didn't want to, did what he said, for that reason and because soon another hand of a swarm of earth appeared, trying to grab her as well, so she jumped back to avoid it. The lemur squealed at the threat and ran into the station. Smellerbee quickly followed, shouting, "They're here! The Dai Li are here!"
The others, hearing her, were soon alarmed by what she said. Someone then emerged, leaping into the station and creating a crater in the ground. How quickly he rushed to face whatever had arrived, only to find himself staring at a familiar face, wearing the same uniform as him.
-General Sung
The aforementioned man got up from where he was and prepared to fight. How, knowing what he had to do, did he get ready to fight?
Zuko, along with Hakoda, ran to the entrance while Bato stayed behind to guard the monorail cars.
Upon arriving, the two saw Smellerbee running toward them and then behind them, while the lemur passed between them, heading for the safest place, in this case, the wagons.
Soon, the Dai Li appeared, accompanied by a group of soldiers behind them, who quickly advanced at full speed, carrying weapons like swords and spears. They were not masters, except for one shorter one, who was determined to keep his distance.
Immediately, Zuko drew his swords at the same time that Hakoda drew his weapon and prepared to confront them. The trio advanced to confront the group, and the fight began.
Hakoda faced two at the same time, while Smellerbee faced one as best he could, and Zuko faced one using his firebending. While he blocked the attack of one, the other came at him from behind, right in a blind spot. He was only able to stop it narrowly, pushing his attacker away with his weapon and stopping the surprise attacker.
The attack made him visible to his attacker, and it was at that moment that Hakoda was surprised to see the face of his comrade Gilak, who no longer proudly wore his Water Tribe warrior attire or carried the weapons of his people. When he saw his gaze, he didn't see the familiar look of his comrade; it was a blank, emotionless look.
He quickly pulled him away and saw the other soldiers, and that's when he realized: these weren't Earth Kingdom soldiers, these were his men, men of the Water Tribe.
Gripping his weapon furiously, determined to stop this, Hakoda launched a swift counterattack, knocking Gilak down and rushing to help his comrades.
"We can't waste any more time, we must go!"
Zuko and Smellerbee nodded as they ran toward the train cars. The last soldier, seeing them fleeing, acted and threw knives to stop them. Zuko acted quickly, stopping them just as one passed near his face. He created a large wall of fire to impede the advance of their pursuers. Without wasting time, the three ran toward the train cars where they also saw How throw General Sung from the building, who turned around to see what was happening.
"They're almost there. We have to go now."
How nodded as he pointed at the train cars. "Get in there, I'll start pushing!"
Everyone else nodded as they entered the cars, and How began pushing them. However, he didn't notice when a new presence leaped gracefully, landing before running at full speed. However, Bato could see it.
"General How, watch out!"
How turned to see someone approaching. He quickly threw a rock fragment from the ground and threw it at his attacker, but the attacker dodged it masterfully by performing a flip. He resumed his attack and ran again. General How launched more attacks, but whoever it was dodged them. He soon jumped, ready to reach them. When Bato appeared, he grabbed the attacker in midair and knocked him off course. They both fell to the ground. The impact hit the attacker, leaving him stunned. Bato quickly took out a blue band and tied his hands, then used another to tie his feet.
"That will do for now, General How. Hurry," Bato nodded as he forcefully pushed the cars. In doing so, he pushed through the rails, straining them to the point that Hakoda's plan began to take shape.
"Just a little more..." How said with difficulty as he tried to keep the cars from losing control and sending them flying, while simultaneously pushing them further. "You must... You must get on! When I let go, they'll shoot out..."
Bato nodded when he suddenly heard the shouts of soldiers arriving at the station. It seemed the wall of fire could no longer repel them. Bato looked at the cars as well as the soldiers. If they stayed to face them, then they wouldn't get out of here, and their chance to recapture Ba Sing Se would be lost. He knew what he had to do.
"General How, leave! I'll keep you busy to ensure your escape..."
"What?! No way!"
Bato shook his head. "It's the only way!"
Without further ado, Bato moved forward to ensure success from the mission. General How looked and groaned to himself, not believing this was happening, but knowing that Bato's sacrifice would help achieve his goals, he made a promise not to stop until he fulfilled and honored the Water Tribe man's sacrifice. He quickly jumped onto the train cars, letting go of them at the same time, causing them to fly out of the station.
Hakoda looked at what had happened and closed his eyes as his head hit the wall of the train car. How took the opportunity to enter the car where Hakoda, Jin, and Zuko were, hanging his head in shame before the Chief. "I'm so sorry, it's my fault."
...
Pao watched from the back car as they left the station and allowed herself a sigh of relief that the danger had passed. She decided to join the others. She turned to leave the car when the sounds of footsteps were heard from the roof, causing Pao to stop in fear of whatever it was. Then, someone came down through one of the windows and attacked Pao.
Smellerbee, who was in the middle car, was walking to the front car when she heard Pao's screams, stopping before she could move to the next car. "Pao?..."
"No! Please no!"
Smellerbee opened her eyes in alarm, running to the car where Pao was being attacked. "Pao!"
As he opened the car door to enter, he saw that on the other side of the car, Pao was being thrown out by a strange figure. Given the speed they were going, he did not doubt that Pao might not survive the fall, and as much as he wanted to go after him, he knew there was nothing they could do now, especially since they now had a stowaway to take care of.
Studying him, Smellerbee got an idea of who it was.
Smellerbee frowned. "I think that's enough, Jet."
The figure moved, now looking at Smellerbee as he drew his hook swords. Jet advanced toward his former friend, allowing her to see what he was wearing now. He had left his Freedom Fighter attire behind and was now dressed as a non-bender guard from Ba Sing Se.
"By the authority of Long Feng, all rebels must be detained," Jet said in a monotonous, emotionless voice.
Smellerbee said nothing, just preparing for the fight he knew was coming. He drew his sword while Jet swung his own, using his usual technique. They quickly ran at each other in an attempt to subdue the other.
Jet leaped at the last second, thrusting their swords in a downward attack. Smellerbee halted his advance by using his sword to block Jet's. As he fell, Jet separated and slashed to remove the Freedom Fighter's sword. Smellerbee blocked his attack and quickly slashed at Jet with his sword. Jet took a step back. He then parried Smellerbee's sword with his hook swords, then swung them in a direction that caused Smellerbee's body to spin backward. Jet quickly kicked him in the back and to the end of the wagon.
Smellerbee groaned in pain from Jet's attack. She tried to get up quickly, only to see Jet running toward her. She jumped again, this time trying to impale her with his swords. With the wall of the train in front of her, Smellerbee moved forward, managing to avoid Jet's attack. As she got back to her feet, Jet began attacking her from a distance, causing Smellerbee to retreat further and further toward the exit where Jet had taken Pao.
When she ran out of space, Smellerbee realized that Jet only needed one last blow to get her out of the train. She opened her eyes worriedly as Jet moved forward, determined to throw her out.
"Hey!"
The new voice that emerged caught the attention of Smellerbee and Jet, who quickly turned to see that it was "Lee." Upon hearing Pao's screams after the fight that had broken out, he ran as fast as he could, unsheathed the dao swords strapped to his waist, and with them quickly ran toward Jet, who, upon seeing the new opponent, rushed to face him.
Swords clashed, and a new duel began. "Lee" was fierce in his advance. He had experience fighting with Jet before and clearly remembered that Jet was skilled with hook swords. However, although he may be very competent with the sword, he trained from a young age with the best sword master he could find.
Jet tried a familiar move he had tried before with "Lee" he used his two swords to try to knock him to the ground, "Lee" quickly stopped his advance with a sword, seeing that his trick didn't work Jet tried to use the sword he still had in his hand, but "Lee" was faster and rushed to make a circular slash that Jet barely dodged by ducking enough, but that was the moment that "Lee" used to kick him and make him retreat.
Smellerbee, seeing an opportunity, ducked, making Jet, who was trying to recover, think Smellerbee was trying to make him fall, but it was too late. Falling backward, he went straight for the exit of the moving car, only saving himself by using his sword to stay on board. But then Smellerbee rushed forward and threw something that hit Jet in the face, causing him to miss seeing his former comrade grab his sword and pull it out of the car, sending Jet flying, unable to do anything to avoid it.
"I'm sorry, Jet, but I know you'd understand..." Smellerbee said as he watched his former leader and comrade fall through the monorail tracks, then turned around and returned to the mission.
As he walked back, he noticed "Lee" still there. He sheathed his swords. Soon, Hakoda and Jin entered the car, watching everything with concern.
"What happened?" Hakoda asked after seeing what were signs of a fight, especially when he noticed a gun on the floor and the open car door.
Smellerbee was about to answer when "Lee" got in first.
"Your friend who was captured snuck in, clearly to prevent us from reaching our destination."
Smellerbee nodded. "He also managed to get Pao out of the car. I don't know where he is, but we won't be able to go back for him," he said with a touch of sadness, a feeling Hakoda and Jin soon shared, aware they had lost another member.
"Lee" tried to remain indifferent, but he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Pao. Despite everything, he had given his uncle and him a job that his uncle enjoyed very much, and while he didn't like serving tea, he was a decent guy when he could.
Hakoda looked at the scene again and deduced that both "Lee" and Smellerbee got rid of him despite him being an acquaintance of the Freedom Fighter.
"I'm so sorry. I know he was your friend..." he said with a compassionate tone, understanding what the girl must be feeling.
However, Smellerbee looked at them for a moment before letting out a sigh. "I should feel sad for him, but deep down, I don't feel that way at all. He deserved it for not listening to me from the beginning..."
...
Hello all readers, how are you? Sorry for the delay, but here's the new chapter! Based on an idea I already had in mind, but it was brought back thanks to one of you. I hope you're enjoying the story.
In the meantime, there are still many unknowns: Where is Iroh? Will they be able to find Appa? Will Aang be able to continue resisting? What happened to Katara and Toph? We'll see that in the next chapter, where all those questions will be answered.
Without further ado, that's all for now. See you in the next chapter.
Thank you.