Sorry I didn't post Monday!!! I'm so busy with end of semester coming and very very stressed out.
Havi's pov
After our initial run in with Jet, he led us to a large, empty barn, "This is the place I heard about."
"There's nothing here," I commented.
Katara threatens, "If this is a trap-"
"I told you, I work nearby," Jet cut her off, "Two guys were talking about some giant furry creature they had. I figured it must be Appa."
"He was here!" Toph calls out, holding tuffs of white fur.
We all gather around as Aang dejectedly snatches the hair from her hands, "We missed him."
"They took that big thing yesterday," A sweeping man pipes in, where did he even come from? "Shipped him out to some island. About time. I've been cleaning up fur and various, uh, leavings all day."
"What island? Where's Appa?" Aang gets excited over the new possible information.
"Foreman said some rich royal type on Whaletail island bought him up. Guess for a zoo or such, though could be the meat'd be good." When we got the location Sokka started searching for it on his map.
"We've gotta get to Whaletail island," Aang orders but I'm not so sure. This just doesn't feel right, "where's Whaletail island?"
"Far, very far." Sokka sadly reveals.
He puts the map down and I point to the location, "Here it is. It's near the South Pole."
"Almost all the way back home," Sokka adds.
"Aang, it'll take us weeks just to get to the tip of the Earth Kingdom and then we'll need to find a boat to get to the island," Katara explains.
"I don't care," Aang states, "we have a chance to find Appa, we have to try."
The old man interjects, "must be nice to visit an island. I haven't had a vacation for years."
"Don't you have some more hair to clean up!" Katara snaps.
"Shuffle on. I get ya. No more need for old sweepy."
As he walks away I lean in a little closer to my friends so they could hear me whisper, "Guys, I know this may sound crazy, but I've just got a feeling this guy isn't telling the whole truth."
Sokka locks eyes with me after I voice my thoughts. Pretty sure he was trying to mentally ask me a question but I don't have the time nor effort to answer.
"No, Toph would've detected it like she did to Jet," Aang insists.
"Yeah," Toph agrees, "I didn't feel anything at least."
Katara brushed it off as well, "Right now our first concern has to be finding Appa. We should take whatever lead we can get."
"Alright then.. let's get moving," Sokka lead us outside but not before making sure to grab my hand first. He gave a small squeeze and then we were off.
Katara plans, "we can take the train out of the wall but then we'll have to walk."
"Don't worry, on the way back we'll be flying," Aang says positively. He hasn't looked this happy in a long time. I just hope it isn't in vain.
"We're finally leaving Ba Sing Se. Worst city ever!" Toph says happily as well.
But nothing is so easy.
"Jet!" We turn around and see two freedom fighters calling out for him.
Katara instantly blew up, "I thought you said you didn't have your gang anymore."
"I don't," but that seemed an obvious lie when Smellerbee rams him into a hug.
"We were so worried," She tells him, "How did you get away from the Dai Li?"
"The Dai Li?" I step back in shock.
Jet backs away too, "I don't know what she's talking about."
"He got arrested by the Dai Li a couple weeks ago. We saw them drag him away," Smellerbee explained.
Jet counters, "Why would I be arrested? I've been living peacefully in the city."
"This doesn't make any sense," Toph feels the ground between them, "they're both telling the truth."
"That's impossible," Katara denies.
"No, it's not," Sokka speaks up, "Toph can't tell who's lying because they both think they're telling the truth... Jet's been brainwashed."
Ope- maybe I was right earlier.
"That's crazy!" Jet yells, "It can't be. Stay away from me."
We all close in on him to take him somewhere private, sitting him down in a chair. Katara crosses her arms, "the Dai Li must've sent Jet to mislead us and that janitor was part of their plot too."
"I bet they have Appa here in the city. Maybe he's in the same place they took Jet," Aang states before turning to the brunette, "Where did they take you?"
"No where. I, I don't know what you're talking about." I feel bad. He sounds genuinely confused.
"We need to find a way to jog his real memories," I tell everyone.
Sokka smirks, "Maybe Katara could kiss him. That should bring something back." I laugh but cover it up with a cough.
"Maybe you should kiss him, Sokka," Katara spits back.
"Hey, just an idea," We think for a minute, "oh! Wait, I got it!" Sokka grabs a piece of grass from the floor and shoves it between Jet's lips.
"I don't think it's working," he blows it from his mouth.
Toph suggests, "Try to think of something from your past that triggers your emotions."
"The fire nation," Smellerbee offers, "remember what they did to your family?"
"Close your eyes, picture it," Jet does as Katara says.
His eyes almost immediately pop open as sweat beads form on his face, "no! It's too painful."
Katara stares off to try and think of a way around the pain, "Maybe this'll help." She bends water over his ears which soothed his mind while he relived those moments of his life. Something about it made him remember and talk in seconds.
"They took me to a headquarters under the water, like a lake."
"Wait, remember what Joo Dee said?" Sokka asks, "She said she went on vacation to lake Laogai."
Jet stands, "That's it! Lake Laogai."
• • •
On our way to the mysterious lake, I found myself being pulled on by another person. "Toph? What's wro-"
"Shh," She stops us so we end up walking a little behind the crowd. With crossed arms, I'm asked, "How did you know that old guy wasn't telling the truth?"
"Uh, what do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb cause I know you aren't," she pushes on, "How did you find out?"
"Lucky guess," I shrug while trying to keep a calm demeanor, "Nothing that crazy."
"Well your heart is beating like crazy. Wanna try again or are you gonna continue to hide stuff from me?"
"Toph, it's nothing, really," I look over my shoulder for an excuse and let out a breath I was holding, "Oh boy, it seems we're falling behind, let's go!" Grabbing her arm, I chase after the others and avoid the short girl at all costs.
We soon made our way down to a tiny beach outlining the lake, "so, where's this secret headquarters?"
Jet scratches his neck, "Under the water I think."
Toph points, "There's a tunnel right there, near the shore," she stomps and earthbends a trail from under the tide. We follow to the secret door which opens up to a long latter. It almost looked like a sewage entrance.
One by one we get down and begin walking the hallways of this dim tunnel system. Jet speaks, "it's all starting to come back to me."
We walk by a cracked door and I look in. "I'm Joo Dee, welcome to Ba Sing Se," A man says to a large group of women who repeat the words back to him. "We're so lucky to have our walls to create order."
Sokka pulls me along because I fell behind. "I think there might be a cell big enough to hold Appa up ahead," Jet leads us to a door, "I think it's through here."
We walk inside and see nothing but an empty, large room, no, cave practically. The door slams behind us as Long Feng appears, "You have made yourselves enemies of the state. Take them into custody."
Suddenly, Dai Li agents drop from the ceiling and surround our group. They swiftly begin to throw fists of rock at us. Toph steps forward and breaks them apart with her earthbending before they could do any harm.
Her, Jet, and Aang take the brute of the fighting until two agents focused in on Sokka and I. They send two rock fists, one for each of us, which we hit away but they then grab us with two more when we got distracted. Before we could be fully pulled into their grasp, Toph created a wall between us and pushed Sokka and I away.
"Long Feng is escaping!" Aang yells. He and Jet quickly team up and run after him.
The rest of us have to continue fighting the Dai li agents but with Toph it wasn't so hard. She took charge and easily knocked them out one by one.
Bad bitch moves right there.
Why aren't we better friends?
After getting my own hands a little dirty, we take them all down and run after the two boys who left not long ago.
We enter another large room where Aang is kneeling over Jet's body. Katara looks shocked and quickly gets out water to heal his injuries, "This isn't good."
"You guys go and find Appa, well take care of Jet," Smellerbee tells us.
Katara refuses, "we're not gonna leave you."
"There's no time. Just go," I'm shocked even more when Longshot, who I've never seen utter even a laugh, speaks, "we'll take care of him. He's our leader."
"Don't worry, Katara. I'll be fine," Jet forced out.
Sadly, we walk away as Toph whispers to Sokka and I, "he's lying."
The group, dejected but still hopeful, heads into the next large cell. This one had six chains for legs but no bison. Aang says shocked, "Appa's gone! Long Feng beat us here."
"If we keep moving, maybe we can catch up with them," Sokka motivates us. With the speed of light in our toes, we book it out of the lake. As we make it to the surface, instantly, Dai Li agents chase after us, "you think we can outrun them?"
"I don't think it's gonna matter," Aang replies.
In front of us, a line of agents bend a wall of rock to stop our path. Same thing happens behind us, blocking us in. "This can't be good," I groan, almost ready to accept defeat but Momo suddenly starts chittering with a certain gusto that wasn't present before.
"What is it, momo?" Aang asked concerned. The lemur flies up and away as a certain bison crashes through the rock walls, "Appa!"
With the giant animal going on a rampage, the Dai Li agents run away except Long Feng who is faced with a growling bison, "I can handle you by myself." Before he could get a hit in, Appa grabs his leg and flings him into the lake.
We all cheer and run up to our newly found friend, "yeah! Appa!"