Avatar: The Parallels

Chapter 40: Prison Break

Ryuu's POV:

"Well I can't really remember how it starts, but the punchline is 'leaf me alone, I'm bushed!'" As Zuko finished the joke, everyone went silent and stared at him. I could have sworn I heard crickets chirping in the background, but I didn't even know if the Avatarverse had crickets. "It's funnier when uncle tells is."

"Right." Katara muttered disbelievingly, rolling her eyes. She then gave a sly smile. "Maybe that's because he remembers the whole thing." Everyone immediately started laughing at this statement, and Zuko smiled slightly before he continued to pass the tea around to everyone. Zuko stopped by Shyanne, Kandace, and I, giving each of us a cup of tea.

I sipped a little. "It's not as good as Iroh's, but it's definitely improved." I commented after swallowed. Zuko nodded in thanks, then continued serving the others..

"It's nice to get a chance to relax a little. It hardly ever happens." Toph added cheerily as she also accepted some tea from Zuko.

"No kidding!" Kandace chimed in. "It seems that every time we get settled in to a place, The Fire Nation shows up and serves our butts to us on a silver platter."

"Hey, don't jinx it." Shyanne answered, nudging Kandace. I rolled my eyes. As I did so, I noticed Sokka and Zuko walking slowly away from where everyone else was sitting around the fire, talking to one another. This must be the episode The Boiling Rock. I wonder if my dad will be there? I got up and speed-walked after them.

"It's not good, Sokka." Zuko stated forlornly, shaking his head at Sokka.

Sokka opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he noticed me listening. "I noticed you leaving the fire. What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing." Sokka responded, looking away as if he didn't want me to know. I frowned.

"Ryuu is trustworthy, Sokka." Zuko motioned for me to join them, so I did. "Sokka asked me about where prisoners might have been taken after the invasion plan failed."

Of course I had already known this, but I acted interested. "Prisoners? Like... My father?" I questioned, hoping that he might be there as well. But if they singled Hakoda out as the leader, he probably won't be there... Right?

Sokka looked at me sympathetically. "My dad was captured too."

Zuko sighed begrudgingly, as if he didn't want to go on. However, he did anyway. "My guess is... They were taking to the Boiling Rock."

"What's that?" Sokka questioned earnestly.

I frowned. "An island in the middle of a dormant volcano. The magma tunnels underneath it superheat the water, so the lake surrounding the prison is boiling hot." At least, that's how I suspected it worked. No other explanations seemed to make any sense.

"It's inescapable." Zuko added sternly, as if sensing Sokka's eagerness to go. I nodded, as Zuko continued, "No one's ever escaped alive."

"So where is this place?" Sokka asked, a hard-core expression on his face.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You're kidding right? You're planning to break your father out after everything we told you?"

"No, that's not it. I'm not planning anything!" Sokka retorted defensively. He waved his hand as if indicating for us to forget it, then mocked an aloof expression. "You guys are so paranoid."

"It's in the middle of a volcano between here and the Fire Nation." Zuko answered flatly, intensely scowling at Sokka. "You guys actually flew right past it on your way here."