(1) Augmentum | Zuko

Chapter Twenty-Three

Aang whispers something to Appa, who flies off silently, Wartortle, Momo, Vulpix, and Rockruff stand at Aang's feet. He motions with his hand and leads them away.

.........

Momo and Rockruff are peeping over a crate that is set up in the main courtyard, behind them is Aang with Sokka and Katara who each hold Vulpix and Wartortle.

"We don't have much time. What are we gonna do?" Sokka asks them.

"I wish I knew how to make a hurricane" Aang admits. "The Warden would run away and we'd steal his keys!"

"Wouldn't he just take his keys with him?" Sokka asks, poking a great big hole into that story.

"I'm just tossing ideas around"

"I tried talking the earth-benders into fighting back, but it didn't work. If there was just a way to help them help themselves"

"For that, they'd need some kind of earth, or some rock... something they can bend"

"But this entire place is made of metal" Katara argues, Aang then looks at Rockruff and smirks.

"Rockruff can do it" Aang offers. "She can create rocks...she's a, what is it called?" Aang presses his hand to his head as he thinks. "Rock-type" He offers and then smiles, proud of himself.

"Rock?" Rockruff asks him.

"That's great, considering she doesn't listen to us at all" Sokka complains and looks down at Rockruff who wags her tail with a dopey look on her face.

..........

Aang, Katara and Sokka are back on the prisoner deck with Rana's pokemon. Standing, getting read. Aang really hopes that Rockruff is going to listen to them. None of them does as they are told unless they feel like helping. Wartortle, so far, is more likely to help. Vulpix is the least likely.

"It's almost dawn, we're running out of time! Are you sure this is gonna work?" Katara asks Aang who nods.

"We just have to tell her and she should....do it" Aang draws off as he, Katara and Sokka look around, they are now surrounded by six Fire Nation soldiers pointing their spears at them and the prisoners behind them, more Fire Nation soldiers are waiting for them beyond that initial ring too.

"There's the intruders!" One of the Fire Nation men claims, using his spear to point at Katara, Sokka and Aang.

"Stay back, I'm warning you!" Sokka warns drawing his boomerang.

"Katara, stop!" Tyro asks of her from behind her. "You can't win this fight!" The Warden of the prison steps through his men. Rockruff, Wartortle, and Vulpix are looking up at the clouds.

"Listen to him well, child" The Warden states. "You're one mistake away from dying where you stand" Rockruff suddenly charges forward barking away before she looks up. Noivern bursts out of the clouds and flies towards them, Rana turns his slightly closer to the ground.

"Rockruff, rockslide!" She orders. Rockruff nods and then leaps up, letting out a howl which is accompanied by rocks that fall from the sky, landing in a massive pile between the earth-benders and the fire-benders.

"Rana" Aang lets out relieved as she slides from Noivern's back before he lands, letting him fly around above them whilst she takes the ground with the others. The prisoners behind Katara are looking at the pile of earth that has just appeared thanks to Rockruff who now stands atop the pile.

"Here's your chance, earth-benders!" Katara yells and grabs a rock and raises it high. "Take it! Your fate is in your own hands!" Haru begins to move forward, but Tyro stops him. Various prisoners begin to shrink backwards, eschewing open conflict.

"Hahaha! Foolish girl!" The Warden laughs. "You thought a few inspirational words and some rocks would change these people? Look at these blank, hopeless faces. Their spirits were broken a long time ago. Oh? But you still believe in them?" Katara lowers the rock, shock on her face. "How sweet. They're a waste of your energy, little girl. You've failed" The Warden mocks slightly. Katara hangs her head. Rana shakes hers and moves forward.

"No, we can take them," Rana tells them. "A fire-bender, air-bender, and a water-bender....and, yeah, Sokka, I guess" Sokka looks at her with a small glare, Rana looks at Katara. "Come on, that's easy"

"Not without water" Katara argues weakly. Rana looks at her and then down at Wartortle who nods.

"Water gun" Rana commands and Wartortle fires a stream of water towards Katara whose eyes widen before she is quick to drop into a water-bending move to gather the water. "How about now?" Katara smiles at her and nods. The Warden backs up a little when Rana produces a fireball between her hands. Sokka nods in agreement and holds out his boomerang. A trio of rocks begin to lift from the pile, Rockruff barking and chasing them, disappearing behind Katara, Katara turns to follow and finds Haru earth-bending the rocks closer to him. Taking a stand with them. Katara smiles and nods in thanks.

"Haru" His father, Tyro argues. Haru shakes his head.

"This is the right thing..." Haru counters and looks at his father. "We can do this" Tyro searches his son's eyes before he nods and shifts into an earth-bending stance.

"Show no mercy!" The Warden exclaims menacingly to his men.