The Burning Truth-Peace

Part 55~Qin

Sokka gaped, looking around the room. He glanced over the shelves, banging it and causing it to drop all the contents on it.

The mechanist stopped his drawings, spinning around. "I said don't touch anything!" He rushed over, helping Sokka pick things up. Sokka narrowed his eyes at the hot air balloon as the Mechanist shook his head. "Don't worry, that experiment is old and that egg was just part of last week's lunch."

Sokka sniffed the air before grimacing. "Week old egg smell!"

"Quick, find  that egg!" The mechanist shuffled around the room, sniffing at the air.

"How can something so small that you can't even see it make such a big stink?!" Sokka sniffed the air, coughing a little.

The mechanist sat up, his eyes sparkling. "That's the solution to our problem!"

Sokka blinked, catching on quickly. "Yeah... if we put a whole mess of rotten eggs in the cellar where the gas seeps up..." Sokka trailed off as the Mechanist continued.

"The gas will mix with the smell of rotten eggs!"

"Then if there's a leak..."

"You smell rotten eggs! Then, you just follow your nose to the place where the smell is coming from..."

"And plug up the hole where the gas is escaping!"

They both threw up their hands excitedly. "You're a genius!"

A bell rang.

The mechanist stood up, running out of the door. "Something's wrong. I've got to go!"

~~~

Isu bounced up and down in small excitement, telling Katara and Teo about what should be inside.

Hachi looked at the door, scoffing as he tapped Isu's shoulder. "Come on, let's open this door."

They both stood back, wind travelling around their hands and blasting into the door, slowly opening it.

Isu screamed.

She fell back in horror, the fire nation weapons and tools scattered everywhere, a large balloon in the centre with the fire nation insignia on it. "No! This is horrible!"

Zuko gulped, taking a step closer to Hachi and away from Isu. The mechanist charged through the corridor, biting his tongue as he approached them. "You don't understand!"

Isu spun around, the air whipping around her. "You're making weapons for the fire nation! You're a traitor!"

Sokka stopped, glaring at the man in horror. "You make weapons for the Fire Nation?!"

"Explain all this now!" Teo spun around his expression souring.

The mechanist paused, clearly reluctant to talk. "It was about a year after we moved here. Fire nation soldiers found our settlement. You were too young to remember this, Teo. They were going to destroy everything! Burn it to the ground! I pleaded with them, I begged them to spare us! They asked what I had to offer. I offered... my services. You must understand I did this for you!" As his father came closer, Teo turned away in shame.

Isu tapped her fingers against her upper arms. "I suggest you run unless you want me to tear everything you've done to the ground!"

The mechanist looked around at the group before he stepped back, running back to his workshop. He had messed up.

~~~

Bursting through the door, Zuko looked at the mechanist, seeing him putting two smiling eggs in the air balloon model and watching them float.

Shaking his head, Zuko refocused. "When are they coming?"

The mechanist lifted his head up. "Soon." The candle popped. "Very soon."

"You can't give them more weapons!"

"If I don't give them what they want, they will destroy this place!" The mechanist didn't flinch as the model caught fire, putting it out with a cloth.

Teo pushed himself into the room, looking at his father in betrayal. "How can I be proud of you when your inventions are being used for murder."

"I need some time to think." The mechanist didn't have time as the bell rang. "You need to leave! Go!"

"We're not leaving!" Teo lifted his head up as the mechanist panicked.

"Then hide! Quickly!" Together, Zuko and Teo hid behind some inventions, watching the mechanist pulling open a trapdoor as a war minister was lifted into the room.

Qin scowled, glaring down at the mechanist. "You know better than to keep me waiting. Give me what you owe us so we can be on our way." The mechanist didn't give it to them. "Well? Is there a problem?"

"No, right this way." The machinist gestured to the door, about to leave when Zuko slammed the door shut with an airblast.

"The deal's off," he announced, standing in front of Qin.

"The Avatar... So it is true, you are the avatar!"

Zuko blinked, gulping as he became increasingly aware that the fire nation had learnt who he was.

"Never mind! If I don't get what I came here for, the Fire Nation will burn this place to rubble!"

"Get out of here, Qin! You're leaving empty-handed!" Zuko's hand erupted in fire, pointed at the Fire Nation minister threateningly.

"Then the destruction of this temple will be on your head." Qin returned to the trap door, leaving as Zuko slammed it shut. "And Uncle is going to kill me..."

~~~

Together, the group and Teo stood on the bridge. Isu stared off the side of the bridge, her eyes narrow.

"This is bad," Teo muttered, Sokka agreeing with him.

"Zuko, what are we going to do? How can we possibly keep them all away?" Hachi looked at Zuko in hope as he looked around in panic, his eyes catching something leaning against the cliff.

"I know how we will. We use these!" Zuko picked up the glider, a grin on his face. "We control the sky! Fire can only go so far, as long as we're in the air, we have the advantage."

"I want to help." The mechanist slowly walked out, looking at the others.

"Good, we'll need it."

Isu jumped up, suddenly screaming off the edge. The others covered their ears, staring at her in shock. Sokka rubbed his ear, looking at Isu in annoyance. "What was that fo-" Sokka couldn't finish as Isu covered his mouth.

"Airbenders aren't fighters. They take vows of non-violence. This made them easy targets in the early days. That's why they came up to places like this. They used nature to defend themselves. There." Isu grinned, whipping out her glider. "I know what I have to do, you keep them back for a bit longer and I'll make sure they won't come back." Isu winked, jumping off the side of the bridge and flying away.

Katara rushed forward to stop her but she wasn't fast enough. "We really shouldn't have given her the glider."

"No," Hachi agreed, placing a hand on his hip. "But if she is using her ancient knowledge, I feel bad for those fire nation guys."