The Fire Within - an atla fanfic (Zuko x OC)

Let Me Go

Sokka and I walked down a secluded hall to discuss our plans. "Their form of punishment here is the coolers. They put them in there for firebending. But the coolers are located right next to the spot where you said the guards couldn't see us." Sokka explained.

I thought for a moment. "You want to get the cooler in the water somehow?"

"Yeah. We could just get someone to unscrew it from the inside and then we could easily roll it to the water. And since the cooler is designed to keep the cold in, it would also keep the heat from the boiling water out."

I shook my head in thought. "The coolers probably are insulators, but they are also probably made out of metal. The metal would help conduct the heat. I don't think it would be very long before we felt the heat in the cooler."

Sokka sighed dejectedly. "You have any other ideas?"

"Your idea still could work, I guess. I could bend the heat out of the cooler as we went. It would be difficult, but I think I could do it at this point."

"I didn't know firebenders could bend heat itself." Sokka commented.

"Well I can. Heat and fire come from the same thing. Thermal energy." I explained.

"Alright, well let's go explain our plan to Suki and Zuko." Sokka concluded.

We walked down a staircase and spotted Zuko and Suki mopping nearby.

"Oh, good. You guys have met." Sokka said after we walked over to them.

"A...actually, we met a long time ago." Suki corrected.

"We did?" Zuko asked.

"Yeah, you kind of burned down my village." Suki said angrily.

Zuko looked up for a moment in thought. "Oh. Sorry about that. Nice to see you again."

I lifted my visor. "Hi Suki, I'm Ashley, it's nice to meet you." I introduced, I almost reached out for a handshake out of habit but quickly reached up to itch my neck instead. Handshakes were the one habit I couldn't break.

"Oh right, the firebender friend." Suki said, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. I didn't blame her.

"Yeah, I am." I said confidently. "Sokka and I made a plan." I added quietly.

We all huddled together in the corner to discuss.

"So listen, we think we have an escape plan. Y'know the coolers right? It's a perfect boat for getting through the boiling water."

Zuko and Suki looked at eachother skeptically. "The cooler as a boat? Are you sure?"

"I'm telling you, it'll work." Sokka persuaded.

"The boiling water might make it hot in there, but I think I can bend the heat away." I explained.

"How could you do that?" Zuko asked.

I breathed in and tried my best to take away the heat from the corner we were in. I dropped my hands and smirked when I felt our now cold area.

"Woah." Zuko said in surprise. "I didn't know that was a thing."

"It's a new trick. Figured I could learn to freeze my father to death eventually." I explained casually.

Suki seemed to appreciate me more after that statement. "I think it's a good plan." She said confidently.