On what I yhought was the third day, I heard footsteps ringing out, coming closer, tapping against the cold metal floor.
"Who is it?" I called out weakly. "What do you want?"
A cold voice chuckled. "I want answers. Are you really sent from Princess Azula?" the footsteps stopped right next to my cell.
I hesitated.
"Tell the truth. Lying won't get you anywhere. Princess Azula will definately tell us once we reach the Fire Nation."
"Show yourself first," I demanded, but I sort of failed because my voice faltered at the end.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. Now answer me or the results won't be good."
"Can you at least tell me your name?" I asked. I needed to waterbend, but I had no water. I should've kept the cup with me, but I couldn't show them that I had two bending elements, or I'd never get out of this cell.
The person sighed, frustrated. "My name is Zhao."
My breath caught in my throat. Admiral Zhao? I coughed again and covered my mouth.
"Okay, have we left the Earth Kingdom yet?" I choked out.
"Yes. We left yesterday." Zhao stopped. "Hey, I'm the one asking questions around here. Now, tell me; what ties do you have with the Avatar?"
"Avatar?" I asked, biting my lip. "I don't know the Avatar."
"Yes you do!" he shouted. "You were looking for him in Ba Sing Se!"
"I didn't finish!" I yelled back, grabbing the bars of the cell. "I was looking for him, as well as a whole bunch of others! It's not a crime to look for someone. He has a good price on his head, doesn't he?" I rubbed my face, calming myself. "My point is, just because Im looking for him, doesn't mean I know him."
"How should I know you're not lying?" Zhao questioned.
"I don't know. You'll just have to believe in me, I guess."
"Hm." I imagined him rubbing his chin. It was funny, really, because I had never seen him before yet it was so easy to imagine him. "Do you know who Prince Zuko is?"
"Who doesn't?" I shrugged. "He was banished by his father until he caught the Avatar and restored his honor."
"how do you know?"
"Are you always this annoying?" I mumbled.
"What was that?" his voice rose, and I could sense his anger.
"Every parent tells their child the story," I said, rolling my eyes. "Hey, can I see your face now?"
He ignored the last part of my question and continued his questioning, "What were you doing in the Earth Kingdom?"
Now this question really got to me. This was the time where I started firebending to keep myself under control, but I couldn't here, which made me angrier. "How hard is it to get the fact that 'I was looking for the Avatar' through your thick skull?" I bellowed. "Do you have some sort of hearing problem, or is that how you function? Are you that stupid?"
"Enough!" Admiral Zhao yelled, smashing a metal stick against the bars. "Enough! How dare you talk to me that way!"
"Oh I dare all right!" I yelled, shaking the metal bars of the cell. Suddenly, I saw the barrel behind him start to shake and I realized it was filled with water.
Stay under control, don't explode, I warned the barrel and I took deep breaths to calm myself, sitting back down in my corner. The rattling stopped, and Zhao looked over his shoulder and then back at me, narrowing his eyes.
"That's it. You're staying in here forever," he hissed, slamming the end of his stick one last time on the bars. I flinched, glad that he couldn't see me.
♋♋♋
"I see his ship," Zuko announced, lowering his telescope. "I have to go."
"How will you get there?" Uncle Iroh asked, sitting cross legged against the wall of the ship.
Zuko sighed and ran a hand through his hair, squeezing his eyes shut, exasperated.
"I have a boat."
"Your boat isn't that fast."
"I can swim."
"Not that fast."
"Uncle, I can do this! Just stop asking so many questions," Zuko cried out, exasperated. Zuko turned back to Zhao's ship, and realized they were too close; they could be spotted easily. He spun around to face his crew. "Hold back! Drop the anchor!" The firebenders ran to the anchor, turning the wheel, letting it lower into the sea.
Zuko ran to the edge of the ship and cut off the life boat chains, letting it drop with a splash. He pulled on his knapsack over his shoulder and checked the two swords at his sides one more time before bidding goodbye to his uncle and jumping over the edge of the ship and into the lifeboat.
His paddles were his hands. No, he didn't paddle the water with his hands, He stood up and blew fire through his fists behind him to move ten times faster than he would be able to go with paddling. He had one foot propped up on the seat of the boat and he was leaning his weight on that foot, bending forward, his arms stretched out behind him, fire bursting out through his fists. His uncle watched him go through the telescope and shook his head.
"Dear, dear Zuko," he sighed, "When will you learn?"
As Zuko was within ten foot reach of Zhao's ship, he pulled his knapsack off his back and opened it, taking out his mask.
"Don't fail me now," he said quietly, slipping it on, and without a second glance back he dove into the water. He was going to get in through through the coal room; the door was close to the bottom of the ship.
