"Yeah. I read the reports for that battle." Said I also remember reading that firebenders went inside and burnt it to the ground." Said the staff sergeant of my new squad who I now understood to go by the nickname 'Boss' and nothing else.
Zek interrupted before Danev could speak his part, saying "can't really burn to the ground something that's already underground, right?"
"Not now, Zek." Boss spoke again, not yelling, but definitely lowering the temperature of what seemed to be the entire outdoors that late evening."
"I asked Luke the same thing, but he was there. He remembers what he saw. Right, Luke?"
I spoke up on cue now, saying "I know I didn't see that tunnel collapse. If anything, only part of that room did, and we could dig that out easily. Past that damage though, there should be tunnels that lead straight to Ba Sing Se. That's our entry."
"No. I'm not wasting my squad for some special forces crap. And what the hell makes you think you can come in and use my men for one of your missions."
"I have authorization from Lieutenant General Lu Ten to use whatever resources necessary to find a discrete way into that city to tear those walls to the ground. I need a squad that can be quick and effective to do this in less than an hour. Two tops."
"And that's not going to be us. I won't allow it."
"You don't have to." Danev said again, taking on his role of newfound authority in a manner that suited him from his days in the Hornets. I smiled. He knew command and he knew it well. "I did."
"Then back up a damn second, okay? How do you plan on doing this? Are you expecting us to bring along shovels and pickaxes, go into those tunnels and chip away at the rocks until we find a magic tunnel? That is not a one to two-hour job!"
And of all the people gathered around, the one I least expected to speak, ended up being the one to do so. Gordez spoke up, saying, "if we detach the hook from the extending chain off on of the tanks, we could extend it under ground through the tunnel, attach it to a weak point in the rocks, and tear that wall away." At that, Danev seemed to nod as thought saying "Yeah. That's how."
"We're undermanned!"
"You have 5 tanks and an adept firebender. If anything, we're overmanned for some glorified excavation."
Hmm. Adept Firebender. I like that.
Boss had nothing to say at that until Danev spoke, saying "Look. You don't have to come along, but I'm taking these men. We have a job to do."
"No. My men are going nowhere without me. I'll come along, but if I see you put their lives in jeopardy for something I deem not worth it, it'll be no means be treasonous to kill you and bring my men back. Understood?"
"How will I know what you deem 'worth it?'"
"You'll know. Understood?"
"Understood. I don't plan on killing any of our own guys here."
"You better hope not. Because I have no qualms with killing anyone who puts my men's lives, below their own.
"Then we understand each other. We leave in 10."
Danev walked away only after turning to me and giving him a smug smile which I returned, glad to see him in the shoes he was made for once again, until Zek came up to me saying, he was in Citadel with you?"
"Yeah. That obvious?"
"Not really. I could tell you're friends, plus we've heard all about his squad of other Citadel kids. Most of them cocky except for you slum ones."
"Too bad we're a minority."
"Too bad indeed. Anyway, let me show you to your new tank. You haven't gotten a chance to check that baby out yet."
So he guided me along the camp where tankmen where now loading their pride and joys with equipment and ammunition. I already had my armor on and bags packed, expecting Danev to get his way, so I had no need to make a stop on my way there.
We went up the hill to where the steel landship were parked and before stopping to introduce the tank, he called out "Hey Hizo! You in there?!"
"Nope!" He called from inside the tank.
"Alright! We'll we're waiting for you. We're going off to see some action!"
He now turned to me, grin on his face, motioning to the tank in a showmanship-like manner, saying "This here, is our pride and joy, Shanzi."
"Shani?" I asked.
"Don't you fucking dare!" I heard Hizo call from the inside of, Shanzi, I guess.
"Yep. Named her after Hizo's old girlfriend back in Yu Dao. Big as fuck, made of steel, ice cold, and has had more men inside of her than we can count. Isn't that right, Hizo?"
"Fuck off, Zek."
"Yeah." Zek said, turning back to me. "He knows."
I couldn't stop myself from smiling at that even as Hizo stuck his head out of the tank, looking down on us, saying "Hey dipshits. You coming in? She needs a lot of handwork before she's ready to get going."
"Oh yeah!" Zek yelled. Another reason she's called Shanzi.
I had to chuckle at that as Hizo shook his head, retreating back into the tank, muttering "Asshole."
"Alright, Luke." Zek said, enthusiastically as always. "Put your load in Shanzi's rear, climb into her, and get comfortable. Remember to strap yourself in tight. She likes it rough.
"I will shoot you!" Hizo called in one last effort before settling in. As instructed, I loaded my bag into the tank, before turning to Zek and asking, "Where's your gear?"
"Oh. I don't need much. Just some light armor and a lucky knife. Only 2 hours at most. I'll be fine."
"Fair enough" I said, before climbing up the tank to get into the gunner's seat, opening the hatch until I saw Hizo sitting there, look at me, and say "Fuck you looking at? You're the co-pilot. Remember?"
"Oh. Right. My bad." Stupid Boss. "Sorry."
"Yeah yeah, whatever. Just don't make that same mistake while I'm having me-time."
I looked over to Zek, seeking elaboration, but was shot down the moment he developed a grim look on his face while shaking his head in a way that said, "Don't ask."
So I didn't. I did as I was told. I entered Shanzi through the rear, got into position, strapped myself in as per instructions, having slightly difficulty with my still suspended arm, and readied myself for the ride ahead.
And soon enough, the tanks began moving into position, making final checks, as I readjusted myself to this view from the tank I had never before experienced a real drive from. It was odd. I felt totally devoid of power. I was no driver. And I was no gunner. What the hell was I expected to do here?
Before I could ponder that question any longer, the tank shot into motion, and we were off to the world outside this camp. A world I hadn't seen in far too long. I was finally back out there, and despite the safety that came with the little risk of the task ahead of us, I found myself praying that, soon enough, I'd get my chance to fight. Get my chance at revenge. I still remembered Gan and Gi Gu, as much as I tried to not see their faces every waking moment of every day, but their memory gave me strength. The more I thought about them, the more I thought about what I'd do the people who killed them. And in these days, that was all I needed.
And so soon enough, there we were, the memories of that listening post flooding back, now reduced to ashes as the memories came flooding back.
Where once an intricate camp had been set up, the remains of an Earth Kingdom camp remained, laden with broken woodwork, scattered weapons, and scattered corpses. Except, the weapons and corpses weren't there. I can understand if the weapons were looted, but where were the bodies. Something wasn't-
"Ambush!" I heard from above me. And everything moved in a flash. Boss's tank shot into action, rolling ahead of ours, taking a hit directly into the side in place of us, nearly flipping the tank over, immobilizing it. From behind us, another Earth bender shot out of the ground, firing a rock at our tank, hitting us square in the side as arrows began making their barrage as well, and the rest of Squad Iron Fire shot into action.
I was trying to get a view at the battle ahead of us when I heard a grunt above me as Hizo took an arrow in the shoulder and fell off of his seat onto the ground of the tank as Zek turned around asking "Hizo?! You good?" before taking an arrow of his own into the right side of his torso, fortunately missing his heart and going in very shallow, but all the same immobilizing him.
I looked in front of me, seeing that same archer who had gotten a lucky hit on the two of them just as he fired at me, and I ducked into cover, letting the arrow hit my seat behind me before coming up and shooting my own shot, hitting the archer square in the chest, knocking him over, dead.
"Nice." I heard Zek say weakly to my side. I turned to him to see the approving look in his eyes turn to fear as he looked in front of us. I saw it too, and Earth bender climbing Boss's tank. I remembered what had happened the last time I saw the maneuver executed. So when Zek yelled "Hizo! Take him out!" not remembering Hizo was incapacitated, I didn't waste a second.
The turret of Boss's tank was swiveling into position to target the bender scaling their vehicle, but they wouldn't be quick enough. I climbed into the gunner's chair, opening the hatch above me at the same moment the Earth bender pried open the hatch to Unit 147, ready to drop the explosives, and I took my shot. It hit the bender square in the back as he fell over backwards, dead, hitting the ground right on top of his explosives which promptly blew up, blowing his bodies into hundreds if not thousands of pieces. And as soon as it had begun, it was over, hearing my own heartbeat, looking at the expression on Boss's face as he rose out of the gunner's hatch, looking down at the mangled corpse that in an alternate world would've been his killer and that of his crew, then looked at me.
"What did you say your name was?"