Preparations were completed by the next day. Well, there wasn't much preparation as it was more of planning by constantly refuting each other's words all night. Aang had scouted and confirmed Haru's words about a metallic prison rig built offshore that also acted as a refueling station for the Fire Nation Navy that would make a stop every hour. Clearly, this prison was an important sight of the nation that won the war.
To remove any possibility of betrayal, Sokka kept Haru in the dark until the very end before quickly rushing to the village and contacting him again. Sokka had confirmed that Earth 'Magic' could be useful and the group came up with a simple method to bring rocks to the prison rig.
The dawn closer to the southern region was darker but not colder. It was a warm coastal climate. By a cliff waited the Avatar's Team.
*Swish*
Nik dodged a kick by stepping back, the sole of the muddied sandals right in front of his face as he gasped, "I did not think this is what you meant by working up a sweat."
He quickly caught Suki's raised ankle before kicking at her only leg. His move was read through easily as Suki jumped, using Nik's hold as a foothold to kick with her remaining leg. Letting go of Suki, Nik managed to block the kick at the cost of his sleeve getting dirty.
Landing on her hands and feet, Suki grinned, "What else did you think?"
"Jogging," Nik lied. He was hardwired to think many things, jogging not being one of them, "Besides, Katara said that you'll need one last session after this."
"She doesn't know what she's talking about, I'm fine!" Suki returned the favor by sliding a kick at Nik's legs only for him to step forward this time and hold the blow before it reached its full momentum.
"I only taught you how to dodge," Suki remarked and her legs instantly locked Nik's left foot and pulled him. With the break of the balance, Nik came tumbling down and Suki instantly let go of his foot, almost jumping and pushing Nik down with her fist pressed against his neck.
"Sorry about that," Nik huffed as he spread his arms in defeat. What Suki actually taught was the same as Sokka. To use one's strength to cover up for their disadvantages until such disadvantages can be completely taken care of. Nik lacked in technique but presented raw force and that he used to stop the kick before it turn destructive.
"No worries about it," Suki stood up before offering her hand that Nik gladly took.
"I know what I'm saying," Katara and Aang stood a little further away with Appa still lying on the ground drowsily and Momo sleeping on top of its head. Katara's expression was only annoyed, "When I healed you, just like I healed Sokka's neck last night... I could sense things a little. You still need another session." The waterbender suggested strongly only for Suki to shrug it off.
"This much pain and injuries are in fact, welcomed. Don't sweat it. It's not my first time."
"Hey, I thought you did really well. But if it was me, I would have just evaded and climbed the tree," Aang offered with a bright grin and Suki flicked his forehead, "And then I would have thrown my sword at you."
"Anyway, I would be changing my outfit behind Appa. Big guy, don't you turn around," Suki ruffled Appa's fur before disappearing behind him as the Sky Bison yawned with a low growl escaping his lips.
"Yeah, buddy. I'm sleepy, too," Aang smiled before slumping against Appa's floof while Katara and Nik shrugged. They indeed spent quite a lot of time planning. From what Nik understood, firebenders, as the name suggests, played with fire expertly. They created it out of themselves so naturally, they were dangerous. Although Nik was getting a teeny bit better under Suki's teaching, he planned to employ Sokka's advanced tactic of stab and run.
But this time, he also had the mind of using his other advantages to his gain.
Not everybody can be like him, right?
Being calm under the pressure of being naked with a single slap. Although Nik hadn't exposed his thoughts on the matter, he already was prepared to use it this time around. Against Suki, too, this ability was effective. There were definitely a few restrictions of what Nik couldn't absorb but largely, he could absorb anything that men and women consider their own.
"You're getting more and more skilled at getting your ass kicked," Katara snickered as she looked towards Nik who pursed his lips.
"Is this something you should say? You froze Sokka's neck last night."
"A technical error."
"Sokka had some words stating otherwise," Nik smiled and Katara crossed her arms, "I was just trying to say that you're getting better at fighting when compared to the last week when we found you."
'Almost a week has already gone by, huh,' Nik hummed, "Thank you for noticing my progress," he shrugged in the end, not particularly willing to enter a huge argument since everyone wasn't simply in their best state of tolerance. It sounded easy in the plan but nobody thought that the prison break would be easy. It would be a lie if Nik didn't feel nervous again. But as he has begun to feel, and even advised to Aang embracing new experiences can be helpful, and at times, healing.
Katara continued to glance at Nik while, he too, sat down in the end, waiting for Sokka to show up with Haru.
In silence, the sound of Suki changing her outfit was clear. The clicking of her armor, the belt being tied around her waist, and then the frustrated grunt of struggling to wear her boots. Finally, she walked out from Appa's side.
"Here keep it safe," Suki gave Nik her bag before sitting in front of Katara with her cups of paint.
"You won't freeze it on my face, right?" Suki poked and Katara snorted in dissatisfaction while sitting down.
"Maybe. You'll just have to wait and see," Katara remarked while dipping her index and middle finger into the white paint.
Nik, meanwhile, stored Suki's bag in his personal space. Right now, many had their personal effects kept inside Nik's personal space.
"I'm back," Sokka called out as he returned with Haru who grunted the moment he looked at the rest of them, "I get that you don't trust me. But there's no reason to disturb sweet dreams for that. Anyway, what should I do?"
"Break out boulders from there and place them neatly. We will transport earth to the Prison Rig," Sokka smiled and Haru frowned.
"Just do it," Nik shrugged, "The quicker we leave, the better it is for us."
"And why is she putting paint on her face. If everyone else is covering their faces, I want to do it, too," Haru looked at Suki, mistaking her act of completing her uniform as a sign of caution. Sighing, Sokka explained Suki's origin while persuading Haru to begin breaking off chunks of rocks from the ground.
*Thud*
Aang woke up instantly as he looked at Haru stomping his foot that created circular cracks in front of him and with a punching motion, large portions of rock broke out and floated out before he let them down.
Seeing this, Nik stood up and walked over.
"I'm a little curious. If Earthbenders can move earth, why can't they use the seabed on which the rig is balanced?" Nik tapped the rock as it disappeared and inquired.
"It's the distance. I don't think prisoners are purposely kept full of energy and live on raised platforms above the sea. Not to mention that trying to move rock underwater is many times harder... I tried to use that to my advantage but even I can't easily bend it. Now, where did that rock disappear to?"
Nik smiled, "It's my ability. Break out as many boulders as you can and I will let all of them out inside the Prison Rig... oh, can you shape a rock into a stick?"
"I can," Haru nodded.
What came next was constant trembling that threatened Suki's mask of paint as even Appa and Momo finally couldn't stay sleeping. Haru created and shaped many boulders and as Sokka began to relay the plan, Haru, too, started differentiating the sizes of rock he created.
With the final creation being a heavier 1.5-meter rock stick, the group set out on Appa.
The prison that held the earthbenders was wholly made of metal. It was also a fuel processing rig for the navy vessels, so, the prisoners also happened to be convenient labor. Appa could definitely fly but it couldn't hover in one spot for long. So it was necessary that the group landed in one swift motion before letting Aang take away Appa to the coast and group up with them once they cause a distraction using his glider.
With four light posts erected on the four corners of the prison as the one-faced lamp would rotate to supervise the surrounding sea, it was hard for Appa to go by unnoticed. But the group hadn't planned to let Appa down from the corners. It would have been a tough spot to land right in the middle of the large opening that worked as the spot for prisoner's break time. Aang could confirm the prisoner's state because of this large and open platform itself.
"Shh, slowly and quietly Appa," Aang remarked. There weren't any soldiers manning the spot due to complete lockdown and Appa only hovered for a moment before the group landed—
*Thud*
*Clack*
*Thump*
*Thump*
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*Thud*
Their jumps echoed and Aang's expression changed instantly. With a swift flick of his wrist that whipped the reigns on Appa, the Airbender trio flew away to keep from attracting even more attention while the five individuals held their breaths in the dim surroundings.
"Next time, we don't jump," Sokka whispered.
"You think, genius?" Nik looked at the youth before slowly tiptoeing towards the only door bolted shut from the other side.
The rest followed him quickly and didn't let any wave of light catch their image.
The metal door vanished and their expression eased. Nik hadn't simply absorbed the door but also the locks on the other side of the door so he doesn't cause a ruckus accidentally.
[Authority Rank: 0 (12.8982/100)]
Nik only looked forward to devouring the entire rig after making sure that everyone had gotten out, or those that are left were capable swimmers.
"Come on," Nik took the lead simply because he was standing in the front by the virtue of his ability. He already took out the rock staff he had asked Haru to make. After all, rocks don't easily catch fire, right?
'Wait... can rock and sand even be compared?' He fell into a scientific dilemma but then again, the existence of benders was already unnatural, so, being completely logical and scientific might not pan out well. The group instantly saw the glimmer of light from one of the metal corridors and Suki walked forward.
"Hum~ Hum~ I like pork rabbits, I like boar-q-pines~ Their meat is tender and mine is divine~"
The soft and coarse hums echoed.
"Pfft," Sokka snorted before his expression froze. He was clearly a sucker for puns and given the tense situation, this one swept him away.
"Who's the—"
The guard revealed himself hastily only for Suki to quickly perform a 1-2 jab that struck the unprepared guard in his face before she leaned down to pluck her war fan out of her belt and smashed its butt against the guard's neck, leaving him breathless. The lamp almost fell only for Nik to make it disappear with a nimble catch and what Suki performed then sent shivers down their spines. Without waiting for the guard to recover, she twirled and appeared behind him, locking the man in a chokehold until he passed out with gasping sounds.
"Why?" Suki glared at Sokka the moment she gently set the fire soldier guard down. He was a middle-aged man, Nik observed while ashamed, Sokka hung his head low.
"Sorry, it just caught me off guard."
While Sokka apologized, Nik crouched down in front of the man and used his left palm to store the uniform in the safe space, fully believing that it will be useful later and then looking at the white underpants, Nik used his right arm to slightly graze the fabric to devour it.
*Eek*
Katara gasped and stares instantly fell on her while Suki hurriedly looked away.
"Man, you southerners are too quick to moan," Haru snorted and the sibling's expression fell further while only caring of the man's life, Nik even stripped him off of his dignity, "Not so divine to be honest."
"Enough playing around," Suki finally snapped, "This is dangerous. Focus, okay?"
"No, no, Suki has a point. But so does Nik. I mean, to call such a thing divine, this guard must have a lot of confidence," Sokka leaned down, observing the entity in its natural pubic habitat.
Unable to control himself, Sokka added, "So, the real song must be— I like pork rabbits, I like boar-q-pines. Their meat is tender, so is mine."
"Amazing," Nik smiled as he stood up. Sokka's words only elicited groans from the fairer gender in the group while Haru frowned in contemplation. It was really a good comeback, but he felt that he wasn't close enough to act so chummily with them.
"In the blood," Sokka replied before sighing, "What about the body?"
"Here," Nik took out a small bundle of rope the group had prepared for this very event.
"I'm not touching him," Suki stepped back.
"Neither me," Katara added with a look of disgust.
"Was stripping him naked really necessary? He doesn't have a shred of respect now," Haru frowned.
'Dignity of a stranger... or 0.0003 AP?' Nik wondered.
"It was necessary," he spoke firmly and took the ropes before helping Sokka in tying the man and gagging him with dirty clothing.
Something the underwear itself could have been used for in the first place if not for Nik's hastiness.
The group then continued. This time, they were more prepared and cautious. The tied unconscious guard was carefully placed in the corner of the open platform behind one of the tables and he was no longer easy to be found. The prison had multiple levels and many rooms. It was hard to ascertain which portion really contained the prisoners.
"Here's an idea. Next time we could infiltrate the prison and then let others in," Katara remarked and Sokka refuted instantly, "Too many risks. In fact, you cannot even be sure that by infiltration you would gain more knowledge than you had while being on the outside."
"Shush," Nik raised his hand. Everyone came to a stop as they hid behind the staircase. Two guards walked by the opposing path.
"We'll have a few prisoners shipped the day after tomorrow. It's just going to make our job harder."
"Cause it was so hard already? Drop the snark, newbie. You don't want to piss the warden with unnecessary whining."
"Let's bag both of them," Haru whispered.
"No," Sokka shook his head, "We find one, and this time, we don't choke the life out of him." Saying so, he glanced at Suki. At the time, she had the higher ground because of his mistake but now he could share blames with others.
Not minding the indirect call-out, Suki continued to remain silent. Unnecessarily conversing tends to lower one's concentration so she ignored Sokka for the moment.
The group began moving again with a clear purpose. To capture a single guard and have him navigate them through the prison to find the prisoners.
"Aang will probably return in a few minutes at best. We have to be quicker," Katara whispered.
Frowning, Sokka couldn't help but glance at Nik.
---
A few hours ago.
"What happens if I return and by that time you haven't gotten to the prisoner's quarters?" Aang inquired curiously.
Except for Haru, everyone sat around the campfire and gazed at each other. They had to think of this possibility, too. Unlike Nik, others were practically aware of what firebenders represented and their strength. Of course, not every guard would be a firebender but if cornered, even Aang with all his prowess in martial arts and airbending would feel extremely pressured.
"By the time you return, if we're not able to locate the prisoners... then we will retreat and cause a bit of mess in the outskirts of the prison to divert attention. The kind of mess that would make no sense to them if they don't know anything about us in the first place."
With a grin, Sokka added, "We'll take away their eyes."