While The Parents Are Away

Chapter 8

Su started crying as soon as she was captured. That was the plan. Lin tried to reason with her, but Su didn't want to answer her. Also according to the plan. And it worked.

Azula said the whole mission will have to depend on Su, because she was the little sister. Azula knew a bit about that. Everyone underestimated the little sister. No one payed attention. No one suspected something so cute could hold the key to their downfall.

Su waited until she was alone before she spit out a large metal earring she'd been holding in her mouth since the Red Lotus took her. It was their way out of those cells. The walls were all entirely made of platinum, it was an unbendable metal box, but one little bendable piece could make all the difference in this place.

The first phase went perfectly. No one even thought about checking Su's mouth as they were transporting her. No one cared why she wasn't speaking the whole way. Now it was onto phase two. Getting the earring to Lin, so she'd get them out of there.

Su placed the piece of metal on the floor and stood up to do the pose Lin taught her a few days ago. The earring successfully molded into a little metal ball. But what now?

The girl walked to the one wall that wasn't completely metal, but instead made of bars, and looked around. She felt a bit of panic wash over her when she realized she couldn't see Lin anywhere. There were a lot of people in there, but none that she knew.

"Suyin?" at last she heard from behind her, "Suyin, where are you?"

Su turned around and ran to lean against the wall opposite the bars. Now she could hear the voice clearly.

"Lin?" she tried not to sound too upset, but her shaky voice gave her away.

"It's OK, kid, it's me." Lin's voice also sounded a bit different, "I was beginning to think they caught you with... You know..."

"I can't pass it to you, Lin. You're on the opposite si-"

"I know that. You're gonna have to use it. You can, I know you can."

Su sighed. She couldn't even throw a stupid spoon across the room. And now everyone depended on her breaking those bars with her little metal ball. She took the stance again, breathed in and then slowly out. She moved her hands and the ball clashed against the bars. That was way too loud!

Su took the ball into her hands and moved to sit at the opposite side of her cell. She expected guards to come running immediately to take her away. She sat and waited, but none came.

"So? Su? Did you do it?" she could hear Lin. Su finally found the courage to look at the bars again. They looked like nothing happened. Not a damn scratch.

"No. I'm not strong enough." she whispered to her sister.

"You have to try again."

"No! They'll hear me." Su was shaking her head, but no one could see it.

"Only thing they'll hear will be the door closing after us as we leave this dump. Come on!"

Su didn't like it, but she somehow found the strength to try again. This time she made sure she sent the ball flying as fast as she could. Another loud noise later, the lock still looked the same. It was only when she came a lot closer that she could see the tiniest scratch. That was never going to be enough...

"Lin, I really can't." she whispered to her sister, now beginning to panic again.

"Su, you can take a break, but you have to try again."

"I'm just not strong as you and Mom... I can't hit it hard enough." tears began collecting in Su's eyes.

"That's nonsense. You know Mom would smack you if she heard you say that." Lin realized immediately she may have been a bit harsh, "Imagine you're our mom when she was caught in that metal box. When she first invented metalbending."