Ian followed Mike and Sulley down one of the prison's many long corridors. They'd raided a supply closet and found guard uniforms, including helmets that hid their faces.

They split up, Sulley on his own and Ian with Mike. They began searching the cell blocks. There was only a small flap in each door they could look through. Even if they found the right cell, Ian wasn't sure how they'd open it. They'd need to find the keys somewhere.

The metal flaps screeched as Mike opened them, causing the prisoners to look. This made Ian nervous. He didn't want to attract too much attention. He wouldn't know what to say if a real guard asked them what they were doing.

"Hey!"

Mike and Ian jumped. A guard was standing behind them, arms crossed.

"The sun's coming up. It's time for breakfast."

They stared at him blankly until they remembered they were dressed as guards.

"Oh. Of course," Mike said. "Breakfast."

"Sorry, we're new," Ian said.

They followed the guard down to the cafeteria. Ian recoiled when he saw all the guards in the room. If their cover was blown, they would be outnumbered and unable to run.

Ian reluctantly took his helmet off to eat, since everyone else was doing it and he didn't want to stand out for being different. Mike kept his on. He didn't think anyone would recognize him without Sulley by his side, but he wasn't about to risk it.

"So when do we get keys to the cells?" Ian asked.

"You've gotta be here at least a year," the guard said. "Until then, you just watch the prisoners in the courtyard mostly."

"Oh," Ian said.

"Didn't they go over this in orientation?"

"Uh, yes. I remember now. Sorry."

Mike leaned forward in his seat. "I heard a rumor that Firelord Syndrome sent the Avatar's masters here. Is it true?"

"I haven't seen 'em," the guard said with a shrug. "If they're here, they're probably locked away in the west tower, not with the general population.

Only the warden has the key to those cells."

That wasn't ideal. But maybe Barley would know what to do, if they found him. His game had probably told him a few things about the Boiling Rock.

After breakfast, Mike and Ian made their way toward the west tower. Ian noticed more and more guards the closer they got. The guards looked at them suspiciously as they passed by.

"Be careful of the warden," Mike said quietly when they reached an area with no guards. "I never met him, but I've heard stories about him. He's a ruthless dictator. They call him the Grasshopper."

"Why the Grasshopper?" Ian asked. That didn't sound very intimidating. Weren't they supposed to be good luck?

"Because he pounces on his enemies and quashes all rebellion against him."

Ian swallowed. "Oh."

They went up several flights of stairs and stopped at a large black metal door. It was unguarded, but there was a massive lock. There didn't seem to be a peephole.

Ian knocked on the door. "Barley? Are you in there?"

He waited. Nothing. His heart dropped. If Barley wasn't here, then where was he?

Then he heard a voice. "Ian?"

"Barley!" Ian cried. "Yes! It's me! I'm here! Barley, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Ian. I can't believe you're here."

"Of course I'm here. I couldn't just sit around when I knew you were here." Ian pulled on the door, but of course it didn't open. "How do I get you out?"

"See if you can metalbend the lock."

Ian's stomach twisted into a knot as he remembered his failure during the invasion. What if he couldn't do it? He'd never forgive himself if he failed this time, when Barley was so close.

"You've got this, Ian," Barley said. There was a quiet thump as he placed his hand on the door, as if trying to pat Ian's hand reassuringly.

Ian placed his hand on the door and closed his eyes. Barley started talking to him in a low, encouraging tone. Soothed by Barley's voice, he slipped into a bit of a trance, activating his seismic sense. He could feel a steady vibration pulsing through the metal. Barley's heartbeat.

The feeling simultaneously calmed and energized him. He dug deep inside himself, trying to mine every bit of earthbending potential in his body. Suddenly, he saw it. Sensed it. Tiny particles of dirt throughout the metal. Awe flooded him as he felt them vibrating and shifting, twinkling like stars in the sky. He'd never felt anything like it.

He moved his hand, pushing the particles aside, tearing through the metal. He opened his eyes. There was a giant hole in the door. Barley rushed out, followed by an extremely short woman. Just like the rest of the prisoners, they were both dressed in red Fire Nation outfits.

Barley swept Ian up in a tight hug, lifting him off the ground. "You did it! Ian, that was incredible!"

Hot tears spilled out of Ian's eyes as he hugged Barley back. He squeezed him like he'd never let him go. Part of him had really feared he would never see his brother again.

Barley saw Mike. "Ian! Guard!" He shoved Ian behind him protectively.

"It's okay, he's with us," Ian said quickly.

Mike waved awkwardly. "Mike Wazowski."

"Nice to meet you," Barley said. "Edna, this is my brother Ian. And Mike. Ian and Mike, Edna, airbending master."

"So, how much time do we have before the guards notice you're gone?" Mike asked.

"They probably won't," Barley said with a shrug. "They only check on us occasionally, since the cell is so impenetrable." He grinned and clapped Ian on the back. "They weren't expecting a master earthbender metalbending genius to come by."

"Let's go find Sulley, quick, and get back to the airship," Mike said.

Mike and Ian gave Barley and Edna their helmets, and they started walking down the hallway. They managed to leave the tower without getting caught. Ian finally let himself relax a little. Maybe they would get away with this.

Then they all jumped as an alarm started blaring. They looked around in a panic. Had someone discovered that Barley and Edna were gone? Ian realized he probably should have fixed the hole in the door before they left.

A guard ran over. "The warden wants everyone in the courtyard NOW!"

They reluctantly followed him to the courtyard, where all the other guards were lined up. A large man stood at the front, his yellow eyes scanning the crowd. The Grasshopper.

"We found an airship inside the prison walls!" he barked. "Intruders! Probably here to break out their friends." He spat on the ground. "In the hundred years this prison has existed, no one has ever escaped! I'll burn his entire place to the ground before I let that record be broken!"

"Would it really matter if one or two prisoners escaped?" one of the guards said.

The Grasshopper stared at him, not even blinking. Tense silence hung in the air.

"I mean…it's a lot of trouble, just for a record," the guard stuttered.

Suddenly, the Grasshopper was standing in front of him. "Of course it matters! Are you stupid?! They hear some prisoners escaped, and they might all try it! Those prisoners outnumber us a hundred to one! If they really wanted to, they could stage a riot and all escape." He grabbed the guard's hair and yanked on it, tearing out a piece. "There goes our control. So it's not about the record. It's about keeping them in line!" He glared at all the guards. "So I need all of you to find those intruders! Scour every inch of the prison, and don't stop until you've found them!" A shadow fell over his face. "Then bring them to the torture chambers."

The guards dispersed. Mike saw Sulley and went over to him.

"We found them," Mike said. "But the warden is probably gonna notice they're gone pretty soon. We need to go!"

"They must have taken or destroyed the airship," Sulley said. "We're stuck here."

"Maybe not," Barley said. "There's an underwater gondola system that runs under the lake to Capital Island. That's how the guards used to get on and off the island before the invention of airships."

"Really?" Sulley said. "And you think it's still there?"

Barley shrugged. "I imagine they didn't completely remove it. That would be a lot of work. It's easier to just leave it."

Ian wasn't sure about this plan. Even if it was there, there was no guarantee it would work after fifty years of disuse. But he didn't have a better idea.

"Besides," Barley added, "I'm sure the latest 'Tales of the Four Nations' would have removed that from the game if it wasn't there anymore."

Mike folded his arms, as if he didn't quite believe him. "So where is this secret system?"

"There should be a door to it in the east tower. I know where it is. But we need to create a diversion," Barley said.

Ian remembered what the warden had said. Those prisoners outnumber us a hundred to one! If they really wanted to, they could stage a riot and all escape. "How about a riot?"

"That's perfect!" Sulley said. "I think the prisoners are in the cafeteria right now. Let's start a fight!"

They went to the cafeteria. Barley and Edna hid in the back of the crowd while Sulley, Ian, and Mike pushed their way to the middle. They wanted the riot to be as close to the center of the room as possible, to draw the guards' attention.

Suddenly, Mike yelped and ducked under a table.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Sulley said.

Mike pointed. "It's Celia!"

Sulley looked. Celia was standing on a balcony, looking down at the prisoners. She was wearing a guard's outfit.

"What is she doing here?" Sulley asked.

"She must have gotten a job here," Mike said. "I can't let her see me!"

It was too late. Celia's shrill voice rang through the room, tinged with shock and fury. "Michael!"

Mike ran away. Sulley panicked. They needed a distraction now, before Celia drew any more attention to them.

Sulley turned and punched a large woman standing nearby. She turned and glared at him. Ian gasped. It was Miss Fritter. She must have been arrested during the fight with Boggs and Waternoose at the tournament. Because of him.

Miss Fritter tore up the ground beneath Sulley's feet, flinging him across the room. He crashed down on a table, smashing it in half. The other prisoners backed away. Miss Fritter charged at Sulley, flinging boulders at him.

"Hey! No bending!" Guards ran in to break it up, then stared at Sulley. "Well, well, well! If it isn't the biggest traitor in Fire Nation history! Your little friend here too?"

"No. Just me," Sulley said.

"The warden's gonna wanna talk to you." The guards dragged Sulley away. Mike watched from the corner, eyes wide. Miss Fritter was walked out by another guard. Ian followed them out of the room. Barley and Edna went after Ian.

Mike screamed as someone grabbed his shoulder. He spun around to find himself face-to-face with Celia.

"Michael Wazowski!" Celia screamed.

"Sch-schmoopsie-poo!" Mike stammered. "I've been meaning to write to you. It's been a long few weeks like you wouldn't believe."

"Where have you been?!" Celia demanded.

"Well, you see, Sulley wanted to start a rebellion—you know how he gets. And I couldn't let him do it alone. Even though I really should have because he's a fucking idiot sometimes. So we've been on the run, Celia. We're fugitives now. Oh, it's been a nightmare! And I miss you!"

Celia stared at him. He couldn't tell if she was still upset, or if she was on his side, or if she thought he was crazy.

"And now Sulley's in trouble again, so I've really gotta go," Mike said. He dashed out of the room, shouting over his shoulder, "I'm sorry, schmoopsie-poo! I love you!"

"Michael, wait–!" She sighed. "Men."

~~~~

Ian explained to Barley that Miss Fritter was here. They walked until they found her cell.

"Miss Fritter," Ian said as he peered through the peephole.

"Beanstalk!" she said. "Good to see you again. Although I wish it was under better circumstances."

"We have a plan to get out of here," Ian said, metalbending the lock on her cell. "I want you to come with us."

She punched the door down. "Let's go!"

Barley led them to a secret tunnel below the prison. "The gondolas should be down there. You two wait here. Ian and I will go get the others."

"Are you sure?" Miss Fritter asked. "They'll be looking for you. Maybe I should go instead."

Barley shook his head. He was the one Ian, Mike, and Sulley had come to save, so it was his fault Mike and Sulley were in danger. He didn't want anyone else getting involved. "I'm the one who knows where this tunnel is, so Ian'll need me to show him the way back."

The brothers ran off. Ian didn't know where to look. Mike probably wasn't in the cafeteria anymore. Even if he hadn't been caught and captured, he'd probably gone after Sulley.

"Where do you think they are?" Ian asked.

"Probably the torture chambers," Barley said with a grimace. Ian sensed that he knew exactly what went down in there, but he didn't want to say it in front of his little brother. He was too scared to ask for more details.

"Do we have a plan here?" he asked as they walked briskly down the hallway, trying to hurry without looking suspicious.

"Nope!"

"Great," Ian sighed.

~~~~

The guards dragged Sulley into one of the torture chambers and forced him into a chair. They tied him down with ropes covered in sharp spikes. Sulley couldn't help wincing, even though he didn't want to give them the satisfaction.

The guards finished tying him up. "The warden will come in here soon. But first, there's someone else who wants to see you."

Sulley frowned. "Who?"

Randall walked in. "Hello, Sullivan."

"Randall," Sulley growled. Of course he was here. "What are you doing here?"

"As the Firelord's new right-hand man, I thought I should introduce myself to the prisoners and let them know the new chain of command. Imagine my delight when the guards told me you were here, so I could finally rub it in your face that I'm better than you!"

Sulley rolled his eyes. "That's all you ever cared about. It's pathetic, Randall. Why did you have to be the best? Why couldn't you be satisfied with what you had?"

"Why couldn't you be satisfied? Why did you have to throw away your perfect life by being a filthy traitor?" Randall snapped. He lit a flame on his palm. "Now. I've been waiting for this for a long time!"

He brought the flame toward Sulley's face, slowly, savoring every moment. Sulley stared, unable to move from fear.

Randall sneered. "My only regret is that that cret-in Wazowski isn't here to see this!"

The door banged open. Ian, Barley, and Mike stood in the doorway.

"Don't be so sure, Randall!" Mike said.

"Mike!" Sulley cried.

Mike whipped a fire tentacle at Randall. It wrapped around Randall's wrist, burning his flesh. Randall screamed in pain and jerked away.

Ian pulled up the metal floor into large spikes, trapping Randall behind them.

"By the way, it's cretin," Mike said. "If you're going to insult me, do it properly!"

He burned through the ropes holding Sulley to the chair. Sulley hugged him.

"We found the gondola! Come on!" Barley said.

They ran out of the room. A minute later, the Grasshopper entered.

"Boggs! Where is the prisoner?!"

"He broke out! The Avatar's earthbending master was with him! They're heading for the gondolas!"

The Grasshopper bolted out of the room. Randall struggled but couldn't escape the spikes.

"You could have freed me first," he muttered angrily.

Mike and Sulley followed Ian and Barley through a row of cell blocks. They could hear another alarm blaring.

Then the Grasshopper's voice came from behind them. "STOP THEM!"

Ian glanced back and saw the Grasshopper chasing them, an army of guards behind him. They were outnumbered.

Suddenly, the doors to all the cells slid open. A swarm of prisoners rushed out, blocking the Grasshopper's path.

"What?" the Grasshopper exclaimed. "Out of the way, you idiots!"

Mike saw Celia up ahead, standing by the lever that controlled the cell doors. She winked as he rushed by. "Go, googly-bear!"

"Thanks, schmoopsie-poo!" Mike said. That's my Celia! he thought proudly.

They approached the tunnel where Edna and Miss Fritter were waiting.

"The warden knows we escaped!" Barley yelled. "Run for the gondola!"

They raced down the tunnel. Ian blocked the tunnel with rocks.

They emerged outside of the prison, near the edge of the lake. A gondola sat behind a large boulder. Ian could see the cable descending down into the water.

Edna and Miss Fritter opened one of the gondolas and ran in. The others followed. Mike slammed the door shut and locked it, making it airtight. He pulled the rusty lever that would set the gondola in motion.

"It's not working!"

"It must be broken," Ian said.

The Grasshopper and his guards ran out of the tunnel. They ran toward the gondola and began beating on the door. Ian and Mike screamed.

Edna and Miss Fritter opened the door and leapt out of the gondola. Edna attacked the Grasshopper, while Miss Fritter took on the guards. They barely managed to keep the enemies away from the gondola, but they were getting overwhelmed.

"Go! Leave us!" Miss Fritter shouted.

"No!" Barley said.

"Don't worry about us! Just go!" Edna commanded.

Mike didn't need to be told again. He shut and locked the door again. "How do we get this thing to move?"

Then something slammed into the gondola. The boulder. The gondola shot down the cable and plunged into the water.

They'd done it. They were free. Barley hugged Ian. Both of them were shaking.

Then the gondola slowed and stopped. Ian looked around, dread and horror making his stomach turn. They were underwater.

"What now?" Mike asked.

Ian looked at the metal gondola and the steel cable. Could he metalbend it?

It took him a few minutes to find the cable with his seismic sense. The water muddied everything. His panic didn't help. If he couldn't do it, they would be stranded here. He didn't want to die in a tiny, cramped metal box.

Slowly, painfully slowly, the gondola started moving. The water resistance made it feel like he was trying to pull them through molasses. Several times, he thought he might have to give up. But with some deep breaths and encouragement from Barley, he always managed to get back into it.

Finally, they surfaced on the shore of Capital Island. Ian immediately collapsed on the sand from exhaustion. Mike joined him, lying on his back with his arms splayed out. "We did it!"

Ian looked down at the water and thought about Miss Fritter and Edna. What was going to happen to them now that they'd helped Barley escape? He shouldn't have left them behind.

Barley put his arm around Ian. "We'll save them when we get Jack-Jack and defeat the Firelord."

Ian nodded. It didn't really make him feel better, though, because they would still have to endure a lot of pain and torture until they were rescued.

They returned to the cave. Violet and Luca were lying on the ground, staring up at the ceiling. Violet looked dazed. Luca's eyes were red and puffy from crying, and his face was mottled red and white. Buzz and Woody were trying to talk to them but weren't getting anywhere.

"Are you guys okay?" Barley asked.

They sat up when they heard his voice.

"Barley!" Violet cried. She ran over and hugged Barley.

"Did you find out what was going on with the villagers?" Mike asked.

Violet and Luca looked at each other.

"Yeah," Luca said quietly.

"There was this old woman," Violet said. "And Alberto. He was…bloodbending. They both were."

Barley gasped. "Bloodbending?!"

"You've heard of it?" Luca asked.

"It's an old waterbending technique. But it's insanely rare. It hasn't been seen for centuries, just like metalbending. And it's not really forbidden, but…frowned upon, for obvious reasons."

"Why? What is it?" Sulley asked.

Mike shook his head at his friend's cluelessness. "What do you think it is, Sulley?" He'd never heard of it before, but he had a pretty good idea of what it was.

"It's when a waterbender controls another person's blood, and uses it to move their body," Barley explained.

"Alberto was doing this?" Buzz said.

Luca nodded. "He did come around, though, and help us defeat her. And he could have bloodbended me, but he didn't." This gave him hope that his old friend was back. If they could only find him and convince him to come back…

"So what's our plan now?" Woody asked after a moment's silence. "The invasion failed spectacularly. How are we going to get Jack-Jack now?"

No one had any ideas. Luca didn't even care about that right now. All he could think about was Alberto, running around somewhere in the woods.

Buzz looked around. "So where's my airship?"

Mike gulped. Sulley looked away guiltily. "Yeah, about that…"