I do not own PJO or A:TLA

*****QUESTION AT THE END OF CHAPTER**********

Chapter 27

Percy ducked as a fully grown man was launched through the air over his head and slammed into the wall behind them with a sickened thud and sank to the floor, unconscious and probably dead, a trail of foam and spit dribbled out of his mouth onto the ground of the pub.

"Well this place is just the McDonald's playplace of this world, isn't it?" Percy asked dryly.

The rest of the group looked at him as if to say 'now is not the time for your crazy nonsense."

"Real cheerful and... family friendly..."

"There she is." Zuko pointed across the pub to a very pretty goth-style girl with a swirling tattoo on her shoulder. She was immersed in an arm wrestling match against huge, pirate looking dude. He was so ugly that he reminded Percy not-so-fondly of his god-cousin Ares.

The girl slammed the guys arm down and the pub went nuts, people starting throwing money and drinks everywhere, cheering and booing. Zuko stalked up her and started talking quietly and urgently as she laughed and gathered up her winnings.

Percy wasn't really paying attention but she seemed to be taking Zuko's gruff, abrasive manner well, a sly smile on her lips as she called out that she was buying the next round for the whole pub.

Cheers went up and as a scantily dressed waitress walked past with a tray full of foaming cups, Percy impulsively grabbed one and held it between his two hands.

"Uh, put it on her tab." Percy said, point to the girl. The waitress nodded, after looking him up and down and smiling sweetly.

"Hey, what's the legal drinking age here anyways?" Percy asked Toph.

"One sec, Sea Legs." Toph waved him off and took a step closer to June and Zuko who were arguing louder and louder in the middle of the room.

All Percy knew was that Zuko said this girl could and would help them track Aang down, if they promised her enough gold.

The first night back at the Fire Lord's summer house, everyone had woken up to find Aang and Momo missing. Footsteps leading to the water and his staff leaning against a wall. It was all very strange but Percy was tired and nobody was paying him any attention anymore.

He took a sip of the beer and pursed his lips. He didn't like it very much, but it was different to the cheap stuff Smelly Gabe used to drink. This tasted... orangey or something. It burned his lips and his throat.

He took another sip.

Zuko and Katara were sputtering at something June had said and some greasy guy was inspecting the boomerang on Sokka's back. His eyes glinted greedily.

"Looks... Water Tribe." He growled, spit flying off his lips and landing on Sokka's cheek.

Sokka just laughed awkwardly and tried to pull his weapon closer.

Percy put his hand on Zuko's shoulder and pulled him back half a step. "Maybe we should take this outside." He said in a low voice. Everyone in the pub had too-bright eyes and flushed cheeks. They looked just dumb and just mean enough to start a fight over nothing with them.

Zuko glanced around and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the rowdy crowd. "Come outside." He ordered June. "You will be rewarded for this."

They all trouped back outside into the cooling summer air, Percy trying not to spill his drink. It had been half gone in the pub but as they were walking out, the waitress had filled it to the brim again, causing it to spill over onto his hands.

Katara looked disapprovingly at the mug and Sokka a little jealously, but they both knew there were more important things going on than Percy's irresponsible drinking.

He felt worried for Aang, but the whole situation was weird and a little off, but for some reason, it didn't feel evil. Aang wouldn't have just left and he obviously wasn't attacked or captured. To Percy, it felt like there was something else working with them. Aang needed to go, Percy knew. He'd be back to do his job.

Just like all those times back home where battles and quests felt lost, something, or someone, always turned up on time.

"Watch out!" Zuko knocked Percy to the ground as June's huge rat animal thing shot it's tongue out at him. Percy spilled his drink all over the front of his shirt.

"Heeeeey."

"That thing's tongue can paralyze you for hours. We don't have time to be dragging you around." Zuko snapped.

"What is that thing?" Percy yelped. The animal was snuffling around and panting.

"A shirshu." Zuko answered dryly. "It's one of the most reliable, strongest and fastest trackers in the world."

"Down, Nyla!" June demanded. The animal whined and sat down, pawing the ground. It looked like mole or a rat but even bigger than a horse. It was ugly and disgusting. This world just kept throwing weird animals at him for fun.

June threw a huge chunk of meat at Nyla and he began to chew and tear at it loudly, drool flying everywhere.

"So anybody got anything here with the Avatar's scent on it?" June asked.

"Listen," Percy broke in finally. He really didn't want to be using this animal for anything, especially if i could paralyze him. "I believe that Aang is going to be back in time to face the Fire Lord. It feels wrong to be tracking him down like this."

"You're not the hero here." Katara said spitefully. "The world needs Aang. I need Aang."

"I'm not saying you don't." Percy felt hurt and misunderstod. "I'm just saying, I feel like I've seen this before. Aang'll be back." He wasn't sure why he was so confidant about this, but he just knew.

"You don't know that!" Katara swept her arm around at the darkening forest. "He could be anywhere! Captured, trapped, alone... He needs me- I mean us. He needs us."

"Look, Prince Pouty, I don't have time for your drama." June broke in coolly. "Are you gunna need my help or not?"

"Yes. We do." Katara torn her burning eyes away from Percy and produced Aang's staff from Appa's back.

June took the staff and held it out to Nyla. He sniffed it for a few second and then sniffed the air, his huge body slowly turning in circles around them all. Music and the sound of glass breaking was still coming from the pub but the animal completely ignored it.

Percy felt for Riptide in his pocket and wondered if it would work on this monster, it made him feel so helpless that he's beautiful sword didn't work here.

Nyla stopped sniffing and laid on the ground with his paws over his nose.

"Well what does that mean?" Zuko asked.

"It means your friend is gone."

"We know he's gone. That's why we're trying to find him." Toph snipped.

"No, I mean he's gone gone." She turned and looked at everyone, her expression unreadable. "He doesn't exist."

There was a few seconds of stunned silence and Percy's felt cold rush all over him. Maybe he and his gut feeling had been overconfident before.

"What do you mean Aang doesn't exist?" Sokka gasped. "Do you mean he's, you know..." HE glanced around suspiciously. "Dead?"

"Nope." June shrugged nonchalantly. "If he was dead we'd be able to find his body." She swung herself up on Nyla's back and gathered the reins. "Well, this sure is a head-scratcher... See ya!"

"Helpful." Toph spat ruefully. "Real helpful."

"Wait!" Zuko held up his hand. June hesitated and looked at him. Zuko scrambled up Appa's back and started digging around his pack. "I have another idea. The only other person that can help us face the Fire Lord." He held up a sandal triumphantly. "I have a smell sample."

Sokka covered his nose and gagged. "You kept your uncles smelly shoe?!"

"I think it's sweet." Toph defended Zuko loyally.

Percy kind of agreed with Toph. If Annabeth had left behind a shoe when she had been taken by the Manticore, you can bet your bottom dollar that he would have carried that around until he found her.

But at the same time, that shoe really did smelled.

"Alright," June pulled the reins as Nyla sniffed the sandal and then the air and pointed like a hunting dog when it picked up a scent. "Let's do this."

Nyla took off running at breakneck speed away from them.

"Hey! Wait up!" Zuko yelled. "C'mon!"

They all scrambled up on Appa who flew as fast as he could to catch up.

Percy hung an arm and head off the side of the saddle and let the cooling night air clear his head. Or maybe his head was already too clear. He felt sleepy and like there was a cloud in his head instead of a brain.

Lifting his arm up, he felt the air rush over and move all his hair. Goosebumps popped up and made him shiver even though he wasn't cold. Being in the sky wasn't too bad, he decided. It was so similar to the water when you were flying so safely like this.

"I'd have thought you'd be a little more concerned." Katara spoke behind him suddenly, accusation sharp in her voice.

He jumped a little but didn't turn around. He was back to feeling like Aang was okay. Right when June had said he was gone, he felt confused, but he trusted this gut feeling.

Like when Annabeth was missing and people told him she was dead. He knew she wasn't and he knew she needed him to come.

Or maybe it was more like the time when Nico ran away from camp when he found out Bianca had died. Percy knew the kid was alive, but that it was useless to go look for him.

"He's alive." He told Katara without turning around. "I think we're just supposed to do our best and put out what fires we can and Aang'll come back to defeat the Fire Lord. Don't you believe it's his destiny?"

"How do you know he's alive? And what would you know about his destiny? Things and people change all the time and plans like that tend to not work out that well for our little group."

Percy finally rolled over to face her. He looked up into her face. This was the first time she looked really worried and upset even though she was obviously trying to rein it in. The wind blew her hair all over her face but she didn't move her hands to move it. Her shoulders shook a little and Percy realized she was probably crying.

"I know that someones destiny is not always what they expect. I also know that you can change the outcome, even at the last minute." He ran his fingers through his hair. He wanted to be as honest as he could. "But Aang choose his destiny. He will fight the Fire Lord. You can do that with your destiny too, choose what will or will not be your path. I did."

She squatted down on the heels of her feet and folded her arms across her stomach in a protective way. Like his words were hurting her. "You sound so sure." Her voice was small.

"I am sure." He reached out and touched her shoulder awkwardly.

She sobbed once quietly and then took a few deep breaths as she slowly pulled herself back together. It was a tremendous effort on her part, Percy could see. Her emotional strength surpassed even her bending abilities.

"Okay..." She whispered. "Let's go choose our destiny."

Behind her, Zuko, who had been pretending to sleep the whole conversation, visibly winced and squeezed his eyes shut even tighter. He rolled over and curled into a small ball. His emotional pain radiated off of him.

Something big was about to happen to him, Percy decided. But his insight ended there. Zuko was going to have to walk through this alone unless he choose to let somebody in.

Thanks for reading guys!

I'M SO SORRY FOR BEING AWAY SO LONG. I've never had so much anxiety in my whole life this month... But I wrote my last two exams yesterday and I have a couple days off so hopefully get ahead or something.

So, my question is this.

I have this really long, half finished crossover story about Percy Jackson and How I Met Your Mother (ikr. Unlikely). I have it saved on my laptop somewhere and just remembered it now.

Would any of you read that if I started posting chapters for it? Have any of you even SEEN HIMYM?

Or would you like me to completely finish this story first?

Thanks for the input :)