Disclaimer - I don't own Batman and Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is for Write to Wrank 2021 and the purple belt round. The goal was to write a one-shot 1,150 to 1,200 mixing action with history - I chose the 1940's along with show, don't tell.
Forged in Fire: Jaybird
Salty sea air blew across the vow of the ship kissing the skin of the passengers.
"Get down from there!" a rather large and boisterous sailor called out, his eyes upon the young man balanced precariously on the railing of the ocean liner. "Mr. Wayne won't appreciate one of his wars going overboard on our watch!"
The young man balanced on the railing turned on the railing, so he faced the man. His mouth pushed into a thin line while he glared at the man who dared intrude upon his current pastime. He said nothing and dismounted the railing while somersaulting. When he landed on his feet, the sailor turned and walked away. Another young man from nearby spoke up. "You'd think you've never been on an ocean liner before, Dick"
"I have," Dick laughed. His mouth twisted into a wide grin. "How else do you think the circus did tours of Europe?" Dick tilted his head slightly while he continued to smile. "You haven't been on an ocean liner before, have you, Jay?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Jason muttered. One hand reached up to tug the newsie cap down in an attempt to hide his eyes. "And we're not sailing to Europe. I don't understand why Mr. Wayne insisted we travel to an Asian country when..." Dick interrupted in the language of the country they sailed towards. "Show off."
"I know that!" Dick grinned ear from ear. "And..."
A loud metallic thud echoed through the air as the ocean liner shifted. Jason lurched forward and crashed hard into the ground while Dick remained on his two feet. Jason let out a sigh, fetching the newsie cap which became dislodged from his head, and ignored the scrapes on the palms of his hands. "What was that?"
"I believe our ocean liner crashed with something." Dick continued grinning and took off, somersaulting over some nearby crates.
Jason's eyes blinked. "Hey! Wait for me!" He took off after his foster sibling while both his hands and jaw clenched. He skidded to a stop. Jason's eyes blinked and his mouth dropped. "Wait a second." Men dressed in what felt like archaic armor swarmed from one iron ship to another. Jason glanced around yet didn't see Dick anywhere in sight. Under his breath, Jason muttered. "Pirates? And they have..."
From one ship to another a young woman walked as if she were out for a simple stroll, but she grinned from ear to ear like Dick often did, yet one side twisted up even further than the other. Jason's fists clenched while he carefully took in the elaborate oriental garb along with how her hair was pulled up into a top knot. The tips of her shows curled up ornately, yet Jason felt a shiver run down his spine.
"You are sailing through Hinokoku waters and this must pay a toll for doing so," the young woman sneered.
Jason's nails bit into the palm of his hands while the corner of his mouth almost bled. Heat rose in his face and ears as one of the soldiers approached him.
"So, hand it over. The precious stuff on you," the young woman sneered.
The soldier held a bag out to Jason and Jason in turn swung his fist at the soldier's face. One of the soldiers grabbed his wrist, but in his head, Jason heard Bruce Wayne—no, Batman's voice. "You're too quick to anger. One of these days it's going to land you in trouble."
"You're just mad that I'm not like him," Jason remembered retorting, referring to Dick who'd moved from being Robin to his new persona of Nightwing. His eyes widened seeing the soldiers glare at him and then he saw black.
When his vision cleared, Jason lay on his side feeling the bite of rope in his wrists. He lay on a woven mat while looking up at a young woman—the young woman before—as she sat upon a throne. "So. You're finally awake."
"What do you want?"
"Well, you're certainly a spitfire, thinking you can take on a Hinokoku soldier, particularly ones trained to protect the royal family." She held her hand out palm side up. A flame flickered to life. "Not that I need protection. What is your name?"
"I'm not telling you," Jason said firmly.
"Well. It doesn't matter which ward you are, so long as we can use you to get money from this Bruce Wayne person. They said he's a major businessman in America, no?" Her hand remained out and the flame refused to die. Her eyes narrowed and she leaned into her other hand. "Of course, I'm thinking I might keep you."
"What?" Jason felt spittle come out of his mouth.
"I'm Azula, princess of Hinokoku, heir to Fire Lord Ozai, or at least I believe that is how it would translate into your language." She grinned at him. "I always get what I want."
Jason sucked in his breath as chills wracked his entire body.
A thudding sound came from outside and Jason turned his head towards the door. The door slammed open and he said, "About..."
He didn't say the word 'time' and simply stared at the person in front of him.
The person wasn't Nightwing or Dick Grayson for that matter, but a young man dressed in what looked like black ninja garb. The young man also wore a wooden blue mask and wielded Dao. A couple of soldiers followed after the young man. The young man leaped into the air and kicked the two soldiers and sent them flying towards Azula who let out a snarl in reply.
Jason opened his mouth as the young man grabbed onto the front of his shirt. The young man pulled him up from the ground and Jason ran. He almost glanced back but instead shook his head. He let out a deep sigh and turned towards his new companion. "Hey. Look..."
The young man shook his head, pointing at the wooden stairs. Jason followed.
They arrived on the deck of a ship that wasn't the iron ship that the princess used to attack the ocean liner, but instead a wooden ship with red sails which arched out and smelled like oiled wood. Jason opened his mouth only to duck as a soldier swung a sword his way. "A little help here?"
Jason held up his hands which were tied behind his back. The young man moved with nimbleness and cut the ropes with his sword. Jason turned so he might thank him when one of the soldiers brought a piece of wood to the back of the young man's head. He stumbled forward, slumping into unconsciousness in Jason's arms when a shadow dropped from the mas above, knocking the soldiers out. The shadow scooped Jason up by the waist as well as the young man in the blue mask before diving off the ship into a boat.
The air rushed out of Jason's lungs when they landed. The person—Batman spoke. "They'll find themselves busy making sure that junk ship doesn't sink, so start rowing."
Jason looked at the young man. "Nightwing change his costume?"
"That's not Nightwing," Batman said. "But he's safe."
