Chapter 79: Naked Escape
"Who is he?"
"Let's not get our hopes up... this might be Zhao's tricks again... maybe he wants to chuck one of us into the magma..."
"Fuck him! Fuck Hahn, that fucking traitor!"
Growls and whispers were abundant as a small group of men and women were barely able to stand and some, who needed support from others, cautiously glanced at the mysterious figure covered by the uniform of a fire nation's soldier. Their bodies, despite being tired, couldn't help but feel tense.
*Snap*
A loud snapping sound caused the group of thirty-something individuals to quieten down as the man under the skull mask with a red helmet covering the rest of his head began, "Has any of you met with the Dai Li?"
*Snap*
Not waiting for the reply and willing to ride the momentum lest he gets interrupted, the figure continued, "Has any of you seen a man with sick desires to control your mind?"
*Snap*
"Has any of you peed into the magma?"
The expression of the group turned for the worse as one of the weary men hissed, "Stop it! Either let us go, or just kill us! The war has ended, yet Zhao keeps us here as if we're his slaves!"
"Comrade," Nik whispered deeply, the final barrel of water he had saved to prove his allegiance now came in handy. Although surprised by the sudden appearance of a barrel, the group simply felt all their fatigue melting as the man who rescued all of them began to bend water and continue, "You and me both hate Zhao."
"W- we're truly being rescued—"
"Wait!" a sharp female voice screeched as the group parted to reveal an old woman. Her wrinkles dropped just as much as her sagging breast and whitened locks. Her glare bore into Nik, "Northerners can be fooled but not me! They said there is a traitor who gave all the benders up to keep power. A boy named Hahn. How can we believe that you're not part of his schemes?"
Nik continued with ease, again beginning with the same word, "Comrade." His voice was deep and attractive, "I'm a southerner. My Chieftain, Sokka, is the Avatar's friend. We are on a quest to save those pushed behind the bars for no reason whatsoever."
"Bah, this old bitch has reasons to be behind prison! The witch bends blood for god's sake! Gave me erections when I didn't want to!"
One of the burlier prisoners whined, making the old woman smirk even when she was being supported by another woman.
"Blood?" Nik frowned.
"Name's Hama," The old woman who seemed to have the most presence, ironically, introduced herself.
"For me, I care not for your name, comrade," Nik shrugged, "But you will follow my directions if you wish to escape. Those who have the strength, drag these guards out," he pointed at the naked guards unconscious on the metal floor. His words instantly made many frown, especially Hama.
"We—"
"If the Fire Nation finds out we have killed their own, they will retaliate. Not towards you, but your families if they even survive until now. And mind you, there will be no prisoners."
"I don't have a family!" Hama scoffed.
"Then do us both a favor. You're reaching the end of your life anyway, take a dip in the magma will you?" Nik remarked calmly, not holding any punches since he knew he wasn't attracted to Hama the least bit.
The burly victim of erections suddenly chuckled, "I'll bite. You're saving us all. Far be it from me screw things up for you."
With one man accepting, others followed soon as they gazed in wonder how all the guards, including the warden, were naked. The bruise to their balls became all the more apparent and this form of injury actually stopped Hama from trying to interrupt Nik constantly. In fact...
"Hmmm, the bruise suggests you did a number on them. A dishonest but effective method to deal with dishonest firebenders. Boy, you never told me your name."
"Comrade, you don't need to know my name."
"I do. You're a waterbending rookie, are you not?" Hama pointed out, "Don't deny. With that much water, I can rain hell on an entire troop of firebenders. Ask the others and they'll agree. I am better. The best, in fact. Be a bit polite and I might teach you."
"Save it. Until we've successfully escaped," Nik didn't decline outright since others' reaction towards Hama certainly made it look like she was strong so he needed some time for his own consideration.
"Your name?" Hama smiled, revealing a set of a few teeth.
"Nik."
He led the group to the railings but the problem was outside. He was quick and efficient and he was sure that less than an hour had passed but there was still no indication of other fire nation guards bursting inside.
He would have felt lucky but the constant misdirection from the fire nation guards had revealed to Nik that they weren't easy to deal with and to maneuver through the last leg of escape, he needed someone who can deal with the guards probably waiting outside. After all, that would be the best spot.
The metal door is the only escape and it restricts the number of individuals who can escape. Probably, the guards will overpower the escapees and send them back from where they came.
"Hmm..." Nik turned around, walking up to the burly man and then patting the face of the middle-aged bald man who was dragged by the prisoner.
"Warden?" Nik called out, "Your prisoners are escaping, is this really the best time to sleep? Hey? Warden!"
Nik shouted and slapped the man a bit harsher. He observed early on that the rougher he treated these guards, the greater the favor he earned from those he had pulled out from prison. Especially Hama.
"Not like that, Nik. Cover his nostrils and mouth. Let him suffocate! He will wake up on his own! Or he will die!" She licked her dried lips. Although unable to move, she still had malevolence in her gaze.
'Calm your tits, lady,' Nik rolled his eyes but he did cover the man's nostrils and it did work like a charm as the instincts of the warden's body kicked in and he gasped for air, struggling by slapping his hands and legs.
"There, there," Nik smiled, finally picking up the warden.
He had no plan. Not at all. In fact, Nik was surprised himself that he reached this far. One thing was clear to him. He had placed Firebenders on an unneeded pedestal since he was able to deal with quite a few himself and he fully knew that he wasn't too strong yet. While sly to speak to, the attack pattern of the guards was fairly simple, unlike the more complex flow-like method he was learning from waterbending.
"Let go of me this instance!" The warden hissed but the burly man who was happy and comfortable to talk to suddenly grew aggressive. Shoving Nik away and holding the warden by his throat, he pushed the naked man against the railing and almost tossed him into the magma, "You remember this game, don't you?" The man growled and the warden retorted, "Yoki, you think I wanted to do that? It was Zhao! And why would you plan an escape that time?! You're fucking idiots if you think I'm to blame!
You lost! And I'm just doing my job, Yoki... We fought each other in the Northern Lines. We respected each other, you bastard! This?! Do you think this is what I want? This is what I trained for my life?"
Yoki, the waterbender frowned. Much of his aggression withering but he still clenched the warden's neck coldly.
'Wow... that guy fought in a war and I defeated him? Maybe... I'm not so bad after all,' This was Nik's takeaway.
"Yoki... he is right," A middle-aged woman sighed softly, "He is bound by duty. We should not stoop—"
"Burn him!" Hama scowled.
"Like I will do what you say, Witch," Yoki scoffed, pulling the warden back as he threatened in a low grumble, "Remember, Hara. We are going to leave today, no matter what. Save your men from untimely deaths and our time by being a good hostage. Here you go, Nik," Yoki pushed Hara towards Nik as he grabbed the man's wrist while suddenly bending a small stream of water from his pouch on the waist and letting it cover his left hand which promptly turned into ice. The sharp edges of the ice now pressed against Hara's neck while Nik continued to keep the temperature of the makeshift blade cold enough.
His actions surprised other waterbenders.
"That's... more like it," Hama muttered under her breath, something that Nik caught.
"Even if you escape, then what? Let me save you the trouble. The Phoenix King controls the Northern Water Tribe. He controls everything! Even the waterbenders left in your tribes accepted his rule, damnit! What can a bunch of you do when your combined strength couldn't change the result?" Hara shouted.
"Doesn't mean they have to rot in prison, right? Now, speak only needed or I'll introduce you to the Nut Slashing Messiah."
Nik remarked softly while pressing the tip of the ice against Hara's neck.
The situation was surely scandalous, however.
Nik was clutching the wrist of a naked man behind his back while standing suspiciously close to him. Under the stranger context, or precisely, under the directions of his past profession, slashing is the last thing he would have been forced to do.
"Move," Nik sighed.
"Wait!" Hara exclaimed, "At least, give me my underwear."
"You don't get one!" Hama shrilled.
"Hama... um, let's leave the man with his final dignity..." Yoki spoke up for Hara this time, revealing that truly, there was no ultimate good and bad side. Everyone had their own stories.
"Final Dignity?" Hama glared at Yoki, "Let's wait for a full moon and see if you still want that final dignity."
"Not worth it. Swing the man naked, Nik," Yoki shrunk his neck and Nik shrugged, "Move, this ain't a negotiation, you naked fire nation scum!"
Certainly, Nik was enjoying himself.
Biting his lips, Hara moved slowly. He was pushed quite often but when it came to climbing the ladder, Nik smirked. The metal entrance was already devoured so the opening was wider and more giving. Devouring the ladder, Nik surprised everyone as he glanced back, "Um, help me make stairs. I can't do that alone."
"I'll have to drink a bit of water to parch my thirst but it's doable."
"Yeah, the area is open enough. But we have to move quickly then."
Others agreed soon enough. While they can climb stairs simultaneously supporting others, climbing the ladder would have been much harsher.
The unused barrel was brought out and three men soon bent the water to form stairs made of ice. They had to concentrate and give their all in their current conditions and not wanting to exhaust them further, Nik took Hara up while others slowly followed out while holding their unconscious... naked hostages in front of them.
"Should have given them clothes when we had the chance..." A female prisoner grumbled.
"Halt!"
A roar rocked Nik's senses. Squinting his eyes to readjust to the brightness, Nik stayed silent while holding the ice nails against Hara. There was a clear difference in how easy it was to maintain the form while Nik also began to feel quite a bit painful. Now he was experiencing his fingers growing colder and colder, something he should have expected but didn't due to lack of awareness and experience.
Surrounding the entrance in a wide circle were the guards. A few of them looked ready to attack from distance— benders, Nik concluded. The others wielded swords and a few of them farther behind had arrows, too.
"Stop!" Hara shouted, "Don't attack!"
"Don't attack, it's the warden."
"Hold your fires," the leader of the troop instantly called out while his expression worsened as more and more prisoners came out while holding their comrades buck naked.
"Bastard! Who stripped them? Be honorable this once and step out!"
'Well... I'm the first to come out so...' Nik still kept silent while shoving Hara to the front.
"Just let us go or else!" Yoki threatened while the last of the benders suddenly pulled and brought out the water that made the stairs and instantly formed sharp ice spikes that levitated around them. Nik finally turned the ice over his hand warmer and warmer, unable to keep at it for any longer. This again caught the eye of the experienced waterbenders and did conform to Hama's conclusion of Nik being a rookie.
The sudden infusion of water into the situation made everyone on the opposing side tense.
"Warden..." the leader in the front finally spoke up with a stern expression, causing Hara to chuckle.
"I'm hostage now, Rahat," Hara replied, "Do what you see fit."
His words were cold and clear. Even if naked, his face didn't betray any embarrassment but only a dignified look.
The leader looked towards the other guards held by the escapees and bit his lips. Slowly, he raised his hand and his actions caused the ice spikes to stop swaying as the waterbenders took the mark, too.
The surroundings turned tense until Rahat sighed deeply, "Let our brothers go. You can leave after that—"
Nik didn't wait any longer and knocked out the unsuspecting Hara again.
"What are you doing?" Rahat scowled.
"Preparing the trade," Nik replied as Hara slumped on the ground. He very much wanted to devour the prison underneath him but he was also afraid that the sudden action may just cause the surrounding ground to collapse and given how tired the waterbenders really are, they may just plunge to their deaths, too.
"Is there any settlement nearby?" Yoki whispered.
"A village where these guards live... but aren't really welcomed."
"That's perfect," Hama smirked coldly.
"We will drop them by the entrance of the village," Yoki shouted, causing the surrounding guards to flinch.
"Impossible," Rahat scoffed.
"Fine, final fight for us then!" Hama suddenly cackled. As if rejuvenated by the idea of bloodshed, she stopped leaning against her helper with a ruthless air condensing around her as Nik suddenly understood something.
'She is... using vapors?' He felt dazed for a moment.
The sudden savageness that all the benders revealed at Yoki's call shocked their opponents for a moment.
Rahat's expression became somber and he felt more and more troubled.
"We won't harm the villagers," Nik spoke up, "And if we truly wanted to hurt, we would have never let the guards live."
Although he hasn't killed, he's been killed so he didn't feel it below himself to make such suggestions and it proved effective as Rahat silently gave way. But it was clear that they were going to be followed which made the journey to the village the longest Nik had walked since time seemed to pass extremely slowly.
---
Sun walked, nay, he skipped. It was a refreshing feeling to not be scowled at. Although the conversation with Katara and Suki ended with a sad note, it didn't manage to lower Sun's relief.
But seeing Katara cry for her losses in war really made Sun feel complicated.
He was well aware of the reasons why he was scorned— because his Lava Bending reminded them of firebending. When he was within the colony, the Lavabending, because of his criminal actions, brought him negativity for different reasons but getting out of the colony and into other settlements made him realize how simple his problems were previously.
He was hated for things he hadn't committed and wasn't in the first place. Yet, he could not lash out at the villagers physically. Not all of them scorned... well, very little would be the number as the majority seemed hellbent even after Wu's insistence which was rare that further indicated the losses of war weren't simple in the least bit.
"But... nobody has been nice to me after Meng... and had cried on that same conversation..." Sun bit his lips, jogging a bit faster.
He continued until he reached the entrance of the prison. He felt bad to have kept this information hidden from Katara and Suki but it was his job to keep the prison a secret and safe given that he was the only lava bender.
"Huh... where is everyone?" Sun fell stunned as he stood in front of the entrance.
***
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