The Concubine's Apprentice (an Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfiction Zuko x OC)

Chapter 42: Of Coolers, Gondolas, and Cells

"Oh good, you guys have met!" Sokka, who was still in his guard uniform, greeted Zuko and Suki, who were both holding mops and cleaning up the hall.

Suki frowned as she gripped the mop hard. "Actually, we met a long time ago."

"We did?"

"Yeah... you kind of burned down my village."

Zuko stopped for a while and grimaced as he remembered burning down a village in Kyoshi Island while hunting the Avatar. "Sorry about that. Uh... nice to see you again."

Sokka huddled them behind the staircase and relayed to them a plan he had been fiddling with for a while. "So, listen, I think I have an escape plan." He crouched down and lowered his voice. "I checked out the coolers again. Their point is to keep firebenders contained, right?"

"Yeah."

"So they're completely insulated and sealed to keep the cold in. Well, to keep the cold in, it also has to keep the heat out, right?"

"Just get to the point, Sokka!"

"It's a perfect boat for getting through the boiling water!"

They looked at one another. They knew Sokka's plans were a bit out of this world, but they were always somehow ingenious, one way or another. "The cooler as a boat? Are you sure?"

"I'm telling you, it'll work! I walked around the perimeter. There's a blind spot between two guard towers. It's the perfect launching point! I already tested it out. We'll roll the cooler into the water and float with the current. It'll take us straight across. If we don't make a sound, no one will notice. And bing bang boom, we're home free!"

Sokka really did thought this through. But it wasn't fool-proof yet. "But how will you get the cooler out?"

"Yeah, how are you gonna get the cooler out?" A gruff voice spoke from above them. Chit Sang, the prisoner who got in trouble with a prison guard earlier, dropped down from the staircase and landed in front of them.

He asked, rather demanded, to be involved in their escape plan, or else he would rat out on them. Left with no other choice, they gained another comrade. Roles were made and positions were secured, they set out to execute the plan.

Zuko and Chit Sang made a scene by fighting in the halls and drawing the attentions of everyone. Once the prince saw a couple of prison guard coming, he firebended a fist full of flames towards Chit Sang's feet. He easily avoided it, as was planned.

"No firebending!" The guards restrained Zuko's arms. "Into the cooler!"

He was thrown into the metal capsule for an hour, giving him plenty of time to unbolt the cooler from the inside, making it possible to be taken out from the outside. He struggled with the dangerously low temperature, but made sure to keep his breath of fire. Once every bolt and nut was secured, he hid them in his clothes and waited patiently till his time was up.

"I can take you back to your cell if you've learned your lesson." It was Sokka, checking on him to confirm the progress of their plan.

Zuko breathed out and smirked. "Yes. I have. Completely." He showed Sokka all the bolts he had taken.

Sokka nodded. "I got Suki and Chit Sang out of their cells a few minutes ago. They'll be waiting for us at the shore."

He heard footsteps coming in from the hallway and he pulled Sokka into the cooler with him. "Someone's coming!" He shut the metal door partially, peeking to see who was passing through.