𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 ꩜ prince zuko

¹⁸

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

        AS SOKKA, YAN, ZUKO, and Suki were sneaking back inside, a piercing alarm blared from the bell tower, echoing through the prison. Yan gasped at the sudden noise, eyes snapping upward as they pressed forward through the shadows. "Chit Sang was caught," she whispered to Sokka. They kept moving, their steps quick and silent; every second counted now. The prison was locked down, guards barked orders as prisoners were herded back into their cells, and the captured escapees were dragged ashore to face a harsh punishment.

        The group stopped at a corner, Sokka peeking out. "The gondola's moving. This is it; if my dad's not there, we risked everything for nothing," he said as he spotted the gondola — the only way on or off the island — gliding toward the landing platform. His heart pounded with hope and dread; maybe his father was among the war prisoners arriving. If not, everything he and his friends had risked would be for nothing. Suki squeezed his hand, grounding him as the gondola doors creaked open. One by one, prisoners shuffled out in chains, heads bowed. Then, just as Sokka's hope began to fade completely, a final prisoner emerged: his father.

        Sokka and Yan hurried onto the landing platform, falling into formation alongside the other guards. The prisoners stood silently in a tense row as the Warden paced before them, inspecting each one with a scrutinizing gaze. "Welcome to the Boiling Rock. I'm sure you've all heard the horrible rumors about our little island. Well, I just wanted to tell you that they don't have to be true as long as you do everything I say." the Warden began, stopping in front of Sokka's father. "Look me in the eye when I'm talking to you."

        Sokka's father kept his eyes fixed on the floor, defiantly muttering "no" when the Warden ordered him to look up. Without hesitation, the Warden slammed his boot into the man's cuffed wrists, pulling him to the ground. "I know exactly who you are, Hakoda of the Water Tribe. So strong-willed, but don't worry, we'll get rid of that in time. Now look me in the eye!" the Warden barked the command again. Slowly, Hakoda lifted his head from his crouched position, defiance burning in his eyes and a fierce glare etched across his face. "See? Isn't that better? You will all do as I say or pay the price. You will all-"

        The Warden's words were abruptly cut off as he stumbled over Hakoda's cuffed hands, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud. Sokka had to bite back a laugh as the fearsome man scrambled to his feet, face flushed with rage. Two guards rushed to his side, helping him up as he barked at them to take the prisoners to their cells. Sokka and Yan hurried inside with the procession; Yan took her post outside Hakoda's cell while Sokka stepped in, finally — after all the risk and waiting — reunited with his father.

        "Wrap it up, Sokka," she whispered, knocking on the cell door. She didn't want a repeat of the close call during his visit to Suki. Sokka gave his father a quick goodbye before slipping out of the cell. As they walked away, he leaned toward Yan and explained that he and his father had come up with a new escape plan that would need a larger distraction.

        "The gondola? How are we even supposed to reach it with guards everywhere?" she whispered, crouched beside the staircase with Sokka as they listened for footsteps above. Moments earlier, they'd watched the guards escort Zuko away, likely for interrogation about Chit Sang's failed escape.

        "We're going to start a prison riot. It'll cause enough chaos for us to grab the Warden and use him as a hostage. That way, we can get to the gondola and cross the lake without worrying about the line being cut." Sokka further explained. Yan considered it for a moment, then nodded slowly, a hint of a smirk on her face as she approved the plan.

        "Hey, you two! The Warden wants to see you both!" a guard's voice shouted as he spotted the earthbender girl and the Water Tribe boy crouched behind the staircase. Sokka and Yan quickly pulled down the eyepieces on their helmets, concealing their identities as they stood. Within moments, two more guards approached and began escorting them toward the prison tower.