While The Parents Are Away

Chapter 10

A day ago...

Bumi felt so useless lying down on the floor of his cell. Not like he didn't feel like that a lot recently. He enjoyed spending some real bonding time with his brother and sister, he really did, but being with them sometimes just felt like a reminder of all the things he wasn't. And it didn't help that now he was waiting for a ten-year-old firebender to save him from these four walls.

The guards took his United Forces jacket. Everyone thought he just wore it to show off. And, admittedly, that was part of the reason for sure. But he really liked being a soldier. Even though there too, he was constantly surrounded my exceptional benders. And no matter how much he tried he couldn't stop himself from wondering sometimes, what he was doing, fighting side by side with such warriors when he often couldn't offer them back-up. All it took was someone making a rude joke, to make him question if the only reason he got to where he is, was because his father is the Avatar.

"Bumi, you have to get away from the door." he suddenly heard Zari's soft voice from the hall, yet he didn't move an inch.

"Please, Bumi, I don't want to burn you." Zari continued, a bit louder. Bumi snapped out of his trance and moved.

"Fire it up, kid." he gave the cue and Zari used his bending to completely melt the metal door.

As soon as Bumi saw the kid he noticed he was completely out of breath, red in the face and sweating like crazy.

"Are you OK, Zari?" he stepped out of the cell and looked around for any potential threats.

"Yeah... Yeah, I just had to take care of a few guys before I could come get you." the kid wiped a good deal of sweat from his forehead, "But I got you this from one of them."

Bumi took the sword Zari was handing him and made a few practice swings.

"This will do nicely. Even though these hands alone are deadly weapons, you know..." Bumi pretended to punch the air a few times, making the most ridiculous face, hoping it would make the boy laugh. Zari did smile slightly, but he seemed way too exhausted for jokes.

"I'm a little worried," Bumi started, "because I heard the guards make their rounds way more often than the last time we were here. It's almost like there's twice as many of them this time."

"You think they figured out that you guys managed to break in last time?"

"I don't think so... But something made them double their security. We should hurry."

Zari then followed Bumi to the opposite side of the prison to free Sokka first. They really tried to me completely quiet the whole time, but they just kept almost running into groups of guards. It was official, this place was backed with bad guys. But why?

"You think the Fire Lord is going to like me?" Zari asked out of the blue.

"Are you kidding, little man? He might pin a medal on you for saving his wife." Bumi had two younger siblings so he already knew how to answer those kinds of questions...

"Really? Because I really want t-"

"And we're here." Bumi stopped by a cell door and peeked inside through the little slit, "Uncle, you have to get away from the door."

When Sokka obeyed, he expected to see the door knocked down by a gush of wind, or a wave of water. He certainly didn't expect to see it melt away leaving only a wall of blue fire. As soon as the flames faded away, Sokka jumped out, swinging a spoon he'd sharpened beforehand.

"Show yourself, Azula!" he yell, quite confused to find Bumi was in the company of a young boy and no one else. He looked around some more, expecting Azula to jump out at him from somewhere.