The interior of the prison was as cold and imposing as he remembered it, and Tarrlok couldn't help but feel a slight shiver down his spine as he followed his brother and Korra through the winding passageways and corridors. Even though he had only been captured for a short time, the experience was uncomfortably ingrained into his memory, and a repeat stay was the last thing he wanted in his mind.
Luckily for them, with most of the Warden's men fighting outside, the few guards that remained on the inside were easily dispatched. As they rounded a corner and bumped right into a pair of guards, Korra and Noatak jumped into action, his brother encasing one of them in ice against the wall with a surge of water from his flask while Korra grafted the other one to the steel beams of the wall by using his metal armor against him.
"Do you remember where the control room was?" Noatak asked as they continued running deeper into the complex.
Korra frowned, trying hard to recall the memories from her limited time patrolling the prison halls. "They never let me up there, but I know it overlooks the entire cell block. It should be in the next wing."
"Alright." Noatak nodded firmly, trusting the Avatar's instincts. "Next wing it is."
With that, the trio rounded another corner, where another solitary Fire Nation Guard met them in surprise. This time, it was Tarrlok and Noatak who moved first; the older brother lunging straight at his opponent while Tarrlok dove for the man's feet. Both brothers uncorked a waterskin they were carrying and conjured up a tendril to whip around the guard's legs and arms, encasing them in ice. The man opened his mouth to scream a warning, but Korra jumped in just in time, metalbending the guard's helmet to encase his mouth before had a chance to make even a sound.
Hogtied and helpless, the guard fell to the ground, struggling to get free of his shackles, while the three Water Tribe youths gave a quick satisfied smirk at their handiwork and continued.
It wasn't until they reached the first inner atrium that they met their first large group, at least a dozen strong, and Tarrlok bumped into his brother's back with an 'oof' as Noatak and Korra both skidded to a halt in their tracks, knowing full well that they couldn't stop the group in front of them that easily.
"You could have warned me you know." Tarrlok said, rubbing his aching head.
Noatak however, was not in the mood to indulge his brother. "Now's not the time for jokes Tarrlok." He hissed.
Stung by the rebuke, Tarrlok nodded meekly. "Right... Brother."
Recomposing himself quickly, Tarrlok joined Noatak as both stepped forward, bending out tendrils of water that formed a protective half circle around their group, while Korra assumed a defensive stance with her jian, waiting for the Fire Nation troops to strike first.
But to the teenagers' collective surprise, the Fire Nation guards didn't even raise their weapons or attacked them. Instead, the group parted down the middle, letting an elderly officer through the group. To Tarrlok's untrained eye, the old man looked like he was called straight out from retirement, with his shoddy white hair and goatee, but Noatak formed a different opinion of him. The officer was well built and fit even in his old age, and he was experienced, if the old battle scars covering his arms were of any indication. He also seemed to carry around an air of authority and importance among his men, unlike so many others who simply followed their officers because of the hierarchy in the army.
Regardless of his age, this man had the aura of a master around him, and in a fight, he may be more trouble than he looked.
Noatak had half a mind to blood bend him in his tracks right there, but the old general threw up his arms to show that he meant no harm.
