I can't belive the positive response to this fic, and after only one chapter (Well, two...prologues don't count.). It's a lot to live up too. I certinatly try my hardest to keep up to this expectation, but please don't be too mad if any of the following chapters aren't as good.

After that positive outlook, I have decided I am indeed going to go through with this AU fic. Uploads will be as I finish them. Could be a week, could be a month, could be two. It all depends on what's going on with my life that particulair moment in time, and what progress is like on my other fics. but rest assured, I will do my best to get these chapters out as quickly as possible.

So until then, enjoy this second installment, and I hope it lives up to your expectations.

002
AVATAR RISING

"Well well, if it isn't the little traitor and his hostage," Sokka had an air of grim satisfaction around him as Alistair and Katara trudged into sight of the village, the entire clan gazing uncomfortably at the two as they approached the Main Gate, "Signalling your little G.U.N. friends eh? I knew we shouldn't have trusted you,"
"Let it go Sokka," Katara's eyes narrowed to slits, "It wasn't his fault,"

"Oh, so I suppose the flare just magically flew up into the air by itself?" Sokka held his hands high as he wiggled his fingers for emphasis, "Whoo! Spirit magic!"

"It was my fault, I won't deny that," Katara looked back her new friend, her heart nearly breaking as he kept the brim of his hat down over his eyes, his teeth clenched as his fists shook at his sides, "I was angry, I was frustrated…I just took my irritation out on the ship and…"

"The Karlsruhe? Oh Katara," Gran Gran shook her head with disappointment, "You have been warned to stay away from the ships in the bay. Your selfish curiosity may have very well put us all in danger,"

"Don't you dare blame Katara," The old woman took a step back in surprise at the harsh edge of Aang's voice as he looked up suddenly, his eyes glaring darkly at the group before him, Katara staring at him awe, "It wasn't her fault, she had nothing to do with it. She didn't suggest we go anywhere near the ship. If anything she tried to stop me. I got angry. I set off the flare, I won't deny that, but don't blame Katara for my mistake,"

"So the traitor admits!" Sokka pointed accusingly towards the officer, "I knew there was something about him. Everyone stay clear of him," he glared at few of the smaller children as they inched hopefully towards Aang, only to slink back to their mother's under the young man's angry look, "As head of the village…until dad returns, I hereby banish the Nationalist traitor Alistair Aang from this clan…forever!"

"You can't be serious?" Katara gawped at her brother in disbelief, "Sokka you're making a huge mistake!"

"No, I'm not. I'm keeping my promise to dad," Sokka smiled with pride, "I'm making sure that you're kept safe from people like him!"

"But he's English!" She held her arms out wide towards her friends and family in desperation, "Why would he side with G.U.N. after what they did to the British Isles? It doesn't make any sense that he would try and reach them,"

"Have you ever thought he might not be a Brit?" Sokka rose a eyebrow as he folded his arm across his chest, "Maybe he's just a undercover spy. Sent to send us into a false sense of security and…what's so funny G.U.N.-boy?"

"Hm?" Aang looked up from his private chuckling, a pleasant smile crossing his features as he smiled good naturedly towards the sincerely miffed teen, "Sorry, I just find it amazing how self important you think you are,"

Sokka's eyes widened in horror as Katara tried to stifle a giggle, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well…to be honest you're not much of a threat to the world at the moment are you?" Alistair leaned causally against the side of the Avat as he gazed at the village beyond the group, "I mean let's face it, you live in a scrap yard, constructed from bits and pieces you probably found around Sydney. Your army consists of a single Ranger and it's pilot, whose combat experience is probably little more then petty squabbles with you, no offence," Katara shrugged with a half smile upon her lips, "and a guy whose seen to many spy movies and really needs to get out more. To be frank, if I'd really wanted to deal any harm to you, I'd of just done it myself…not that I do of course,"

Sokka only stared at the smug officer, his face a mixture of amazement at his bluntness and disbelief that he had been spoken to in such a manner, his mouth hung open like his jaw had been unhinged.

"Gran Gran, Please," taking advantage of her brother's momentary stupor, Katara attempted to through to her grandmother, "Surely you see they'll kill Alistair if they find him? We have to protect him. Don't you remember the stories you told me?"

"I'm sorry Katara, but Sokka is right," Gran Gran's voice took on the same tone it had just after Alistair's introduction, "You have been told time and again to steer clear of all ships in the bay, including the Karlsruhe. Even if Lt. Aang was at fault and it was an accident, you should of made sure he was never anywhere near it. I know you would never even consider doing something like this before he came. I think it would be best if the Lieutenant leaves,"

"Then I'm going too!"

"Where are you going!?" Sokka shook himself out of his stupor, gazing angrily after his sister as she grabbed the stunned Alistair's hand as she dragged him towards Avat's cab, "Hey, get back here! Katara what are you doing?"

"Getting as far away from you as possible!" she spat in return, "Aang's taking me with him to wherever he's going. I'm sure I'll learn a whole lot more about Rangers there then if I hang around this dump!"

"I am?" The officer's face was a look of bemusement as he struggled to keep up with the fiery girl's quick step, a small smile gracing his features as her words sunk in, "great…I guess,"

"Katara," the sound of her grandmother's sharp voice across the quiet beachhead caused the young woman to come to a halt, "Would you really choose a total stranger over us? Your own flesh and blood?"

"I…" Aang felt Katara's hand tense in his, "I don't know I…this feels so wrong…"

"Katara," she glanced over her shoulder as Alistair slowly slipped his hands out of hers with a reassuring smile, "Don't worry about me. If they want me to go, I'll go. I wasn't supposed to stay here forever remember? And…I don't want to get between you and your family. You should stay here,"

"So…this is goodbye?" Katara felt a lump develop in her throat as the officer walked by her, the cab's outer hatch opening seamlessly from the rest of the vehicle as he approached, "Will I ever see you again?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it,"

Katara glowered darkly at her brother, before turning back to her newest friend as he climbed up into the darkness, "Where will you go from here?"

"I'll finish the mission assigned to me," Aang looked up at Avat's trailer, silhouetted against the mid day sun, "My mission was to deliver this equipment to it's intended destination, so that's what I'm going to do. Who knows, maybe other Black Core officers might be around. Well…it was nice meeting you all. Hope you make good use of the Cryostasis chamber,"

"Get out of here G.U.N. dumb," Sokka chuckled as he elbowed his grandmother at his pun, "Geddit? Because he's a traitor and he's a idiot and…mobile," he caught the aged woman's eyes roll up to the heavens, a dark scowl crossing his features as he looked away angrily, arms crossed, "my comedic talent is wasted on all of you,"

Alistair smiled sadly as he shook his head, before disappearing into the gloom of the cab, the door sliding shut behind him.

"Does he really have to go?" one of the children tugged at her mother's T-shirt, "I want him to stay,"
"It's for the best Kathy," the mother hugged her daughter as tears sprang to the small child's eyes, "He's just…too different,"

With a roar and spray of dirt, the Avat slowly moved away from the village towards the inland, soon nothing but it's tracks in the sand the only indication that the giant machine and it's owner had ever entered Katara's life.

"Do not worry yourself child," the mechanic clenched her fist as her grandmother's now soft voice came from behind her, the rest of the village now moving back into their daily lives, "You'll feel better once…"

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" the old woman stopped short as she reached out to comfort her granddaughter. Never in her life had she heard such hatred laced through her voice, "He helped us, and we turned to the wolves for one little mistake. Don't you get it? He was on our side. He had his own Ranger for crying out loud! If G.U.N. invaded, he could of helped fend them off. If he dies because we shunned him instead of helping I'll…I'll never forgive you,"

Then she ran. Away from her grandmother, away from the village, away from everything she knew. It was only when she reached the beach at the bottom of the embankment did she finally collapse onto her knees, salty tears dropping silently onto the soft sand as storm clouds began to form out to sea.

Alistair sighed as he lounged in Avat's cockpit chair, his legs hung over the left hand arm rest as he lent his head, albeit slightly awkwardly, against the right hand of the headrest, both hands intertwined at the back of his cranium with his hat tossed casually atop the console in front of him.

"There was something about her," he murmured to no one in particular, gazing up at the many pipes that liked Avat's ceiling thoughtfully, "I can't put my finger on it, but there was just something about her I…liked,"

"WARNING. UNKNOWN CRAFT APPROACHING. UNKNOWN CRAFT APPROACHING,"

Almost immediately the young officer leapt into action as the cool female voice of the computer resonated throughout the cramped cab, grabbing his hat on instinct as he jumped down to the catwalk below before sliding down the ladder to the ground level, the Periscope rising into position at it's place where the Cryostasis Chamber had once sat as he ran up to it.

"Location?"

"TWENTY FIVE KILOMETRES STARBOARD,"

Alistair swung the scope to the right as he put his eyes to the lens. He could just make out the elongated shape of what appeared to be an aircraft carrier, marginally shorter then the ones he'd remembered from a hundred years ago, with a pointed flight deck seamlessly melding into the prow as apposed to the flat, ramped ones he'd seen on ships like the Yorktown.

"Have they seen us?"

"THE MIRAGE SYSTEM IS IN EFFECT,"

That was Avat's way of saying no.

"Any markings?"

"SCANNING…CONFIRMED. MARKINGS IDENTIFIED AS THOSE OF THE GERMAN UNIFIED NATION,"

"Great,"

"WARNING. UNKNOWN AIRCRAFT HAS DEPARTED FROM GERMAN UNIFIED NATION VESSEL,"

Alistair felt his throat run dry as he watched the dark green aircraft fly off towards the shoreline; little more then a vast oblong with a cockpit at it's top, easily able to contain several large Rangers, with VTOL rotors fitted on either side, several tracks of wheels adorning it's bottom for fast landings.

"What's it's destination?"

"THE NEAREST KNOWN HUMAN COLONY ALONG UNKNOWN CRAFT'S TRAJECTORY IS SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA,"

"but that doesn't make sense, unless…" Aang frowned as he looked up from the scope, a thought suddenly passing through his mind, "When was the last time you updated your mapping software?"

"APRIL 29th, 1945. WARNING. MAPPING SOFTWARE IS IN NEED OF UPDATING,"

Aang frowned as he followed the giant plane's path inland, his grey eyes widening as he recognised a small cluster of lights mounted on a small hill that he had left not long ago.

"Oh shit,"

The officer cursed as he snapped the support handles back into place and forced the periscope back to the floor, breaking into a sprint towards the trailer as he fitted his had hurriedly onto op his head, the entry hatch banging open as the lights within illuminated his cargo.

Scrabbling across the machines large legs and lower torso, Aang rose his watch to his lips, speaking the activation code he thought he would never have to use as he looked into the Ranger's eyes ahead of him.

"Avatar, I need you!"

A single circle of blue shrunk in towards the time pieces centre, the eyes of the giant mech glowing a bright yellow to confirm his command.

After one hundred years of slumber, Avatar had awoken.

Her breath came out in short panted breaths as Katara ran full speed back towards her village, the G.U.N. Ranger deployment Plane, nicknamed the Fat Albert by those who fought against it, roaring overhead as she scrabbled against the crumbling sand dunes.

By the time she reached the Main Gate, she barley had time to duck through the rattling walls as the vast aircraft touched down amidst the chaos that her friends and family had delved into.

"Gran Gran!" Her voice was lost to the sound of the Fat Albert's rotors as she struggled against the winds towards her grandmother, "Gran Gran are you alright?"
"Do you see why I told you never to go near that accursed ship?" the aged woman glowered at the stunned girl as she gently herded several of the children towards the rear of the village, "Didn't you think that I foresaw this would happen? See what you've done Katara. See what you and that traitors pilot have done. I only hope Sokka's plan works,"

Katara never had the chance to reply.

With a heaving groan, and a blast of steam, the immense doors of the Fat Albert slowly creaked open, a v-shaped slit of red lighting up within it's dark innards.

Katara found her legs locked as she watched the gaunt crimson Dominance slowly step out onto the stormy beachhead, a pair of emerald Endurances lumbering behind it, their rifles glinting in the pale light.

With a metallic screech the main gate broke apart as the Dominance stepped through it as though it was made of tin foil.

The screams of the villagers slowly silenced as the small clan huddled together against the rear wall, the sounds of the approaching storm filling the silence as the three Rangers came to a halt in the hamlet's centre, the Dominance seemingly glaring down at them through it's V-shaped visor, one hand resting on it's sward almost menacingly.

Several shots suddenly rang through the air from the south west tower, sparks flying from the side of the giant robot's head as the bullets ricocheted off it.

"Sokka…"

Effortlessly, the Dominance's head turned in the direction of the tower, the V visor flashing red as it pulled a pistol from it's holster at the Ranger's side.

"Oh shit!"

Katara screamed as she saw Sokka make a wild dive for the soft sand below as the crimson mech aimed and fired at the crooked watch tower, the shoddy building erupting into a firework of wooden splinters and metal shrapnel, blowing her brother clearing the process.

"You okay?" She couldn't help but smile slightly as her sibling landed with a thud at her feet, rubbing his bottom sorely.

"Yeah," Sokka groaned as he stood up straight, his sad eyes going over the bent rifle in his hand, "Peachy,"

"Let me guess. You saw it in a movie?"

"How did you know?"

"Call it woman's intuition,"

"Where are you hiding him?"

Katara looked up with a scowl as the sound of the Dominance's youthful pilot echoed across the stormy skies. Nothing but silence met the voice's demands, a grunt over the Ranger's speakers showing the pilot's irritation.

With the shriek of positron enriched steel, the Dominance's sword was out, the shining grey blade curving through the sky in a graceful arch, before coming down to earth with a heavy thud, it's tip bare inches from Gran Gran's shivering form.

"He'd be about that age. A pilot with a Ranger of immense power? I know you're hiding him!"

A.V.A.T.A.R.
ARMOURED
VEHICULAR
ALL
TERRAIN
ASSAULT
RANGER
SYSTEM: ACTIVE
"We're not hiding anyone!" Katara pushed her grandmother away from harm, glaring up fiercely along the sword's edge to the giant mech's face, "You have no right to just barge in here and destroy our homes like this!"

"Do you know who I am?" the voice was positively enraged by now, "I am Zechariah Sozin! The eldest son of the Führer of the German Unified Nation! Who are you, a pathetic peasant, barely living on this miserable rock, to question my motives. I know you are hiding the Courier here. And I'm not leaving until you bring him before me! NOW!!!"

A violent explosion suddenly sent the entire village off their feet, the Dominance digging it's sword into the ground as the tremors threatened to cause it to fall along with them.

With a pathetic moan, one of the Endurances, the cause of the explosion, fell to the ground with a crash, taking most of the eastern all along with it, it's right hand leg now nothing more the a melted heap of slag.

"What the…?"

In a blur of onyx against red, the Dominance was shoved violently forward by it's unseen assailant, the sheer force of the attack sending the Ranger flying over the clan and the south wall onto the sandy hill side beyond, leaving room for the newest visitor to take it's place.

Neither gaunt like the Dominance, nor stocky like the Endurance, this new Ranger was sleek in design and would have been of average build had it not been a sixty foot robotic suit.

Almost completely black from head to toe, dark gold adorned it's lower arms, wide shoulders and lower chest, deep crimson highlighting the vents around it's cheeks and the small Mohawk like lump that sat upon the top of it's "helmet".

Katara gazed up at the machine in awe as it holstered the giant assault rifle to it's back between the two rocket shaped ion thrusters, it's hand moving for the long-sword in the same movement.

With a flash of it's yellow eyes, the giant weapon sliced easily through the second Endurance's head, the surprised pilot with causing his Ranger to stumble back in surprise, the machine falling over it's own feet with a resounding crash.

As the Ranger settled into a more defensive stance, Katara's eyes frowned as she noticed a emblem she hadn't seen before, painted onto one of the machine's shoulders; a single white five point star, with a red cross directly through the centre, a pair of black bladed cruciform swords crossing diagonally from the north east and west points of the symbol.

"Who does he represent?" she wondered, "They're not from the states, and it's certainty not a Soviet mech….unless,"

Without a sound the Ranger's upper chest segmented and smoothly slid down and to the side, revealing the grinning pilot within as he waved to the stunned villagers below.

"Hey Katara! Hey Sokka!" Aang smiled as he stepped out into the cloudy light, "Sorry to break the "Banished for all eternity" thing, but I saw the ship and…well…thought you could use a hand,"

"Thanks Al," Sokka's voice was deadpan as he rubbed a hand over his embarrassed face, "Glad you could make it,"

"You despicable little hero," The Dominance groaned as it slowly rose up onto all fours, it's cannons sliding into place with both cannons sliding into place, "How dare you strike me!"

"That's far enough Lt. McMuffin," Alistair's features hardened as he leant back inside the cockpit, his Ranger quickly sheathing his sword, replacing it with the rifle moments later, "I've got what you want. You leave these people out of this,"
"You're the Courier?" The crimson ranger sat up onto it's knees, it's cannons still pointed at Alistair's chest, "That's the Avatar?"

"No way," Sokka's soft voice sounded deafened in Katara's ears as she stared up at the young man that she had considered to be her friend. He had said he knew nothing of Project A.V.A.T.A.R., and yet…it had been staring her in the face all this time. She had parked her Lumber right beside the Ranger she had been searching for for so long.

With a hiss, Dominance's chest withdrew, allowing Zuko to step out to face his foe, his eyes narrowed at what he perceived to be a cruel joke.

"I've spent years preparing for this day," his voice was nothing more then a low growl, yet it carried across the make shift battle field as though he had been screaming his lungs out, "Training, drilling, making myself strong. You can't be any older then I am!"

"Cryosleep does wonder for the skin," Aang shrugged with a small smile, "But this isn't the time or the place to compare beauty treatments. I won't let you harm these people, they've done nothing wrong. If you want to fight me, then do it somewhere else,"

"I will not go empty handed, neither will I be told what to do by a coward like you,"

Something twitched in the Black Core officer's eye, "Then we have a problem,"

"No, we don't,"

Alistair froze as the cannons shunted downwards in target towards the ground, the villagers cowering as they found themselves staring down the long barrels into eternal darkness.

"If you do not surrender now, I will destroy them all," Zuko smiled as Aang gritted his teeth, "Don't think for a second that I won't,"

"You no good, unfeeling son of a…"

"The more time you waste, the less patience I have, "The scarred Captain scowled, "Surrender…now,"

Alistair's eyes narrowed to slits, before a sigh escape his lips as his shoulder slumped.

"Fine," he rose his hands slowly into the air, as he stepped off the cockpit ledge onto the soft ground below, "You win,"

It would take almost an hour for the Fat Albert to head back to the Bismarck, retrieve several more Endurances, and return to the half destroyed village to make a full capture of Avatar and it's pilot.

All this time, Alistair sat quietly under guard by the pilots of the original Endurances he destroyed, the two hulking great men eyeing their prisoner with contempt, neither blinking as though he would escape the moment they closed their eyes, their pistols aimed for his head in case he tried anything funny.

Despite her Katara's pleas, her friends and family sat huddled under the watchful gaze of Captain Sozin and his Dominance, pure fear the only reason they refused to move to the pilot's aid.

So the poor girl was forced to watch and wait, with only her brother's arm around her shoulders as comfort as the Fat Albert returned with another pair of Endurances, the dark green mechs removing their fallen comrades from the battlefield, before hoisting Alistair's Ranger by it's arms, dragging into the darkness within the cavernous aircraft.

"Take him," Zuko's Ranger's cockpit door slid smoothly back into place as the crimson mech rose to it's feet, taking surprising care to step over the southern wall, keeping the damage to the crumbling village to a minimum, "All Units, prepare to head out, we're returning to G.U.N. territory. I'm going home,"

"Get your hands off me!" Aang threw off the soldiers grips as they pulled him to his feet, "I can walk by myself you know. I just have to say goodbye. Not a crime is it?"

The pilots glanced at each other thickly, their combined gaze going between the pilot and the tan skinned girl that slowly stood up from the crowd, a mixture of sadness and despair forming across her pert features.

"You got one minute," one of them grunted, "and no funny business," he jabbed the officer in the back with his pistol, "'cause we'll be watching,"

"Yeah yeah," Alistair sighed as he stumbled from the rough shove towards his newest friend, trying his best to smile as he stared into Katara's watery eyes.

"Sorry I have to cut this reunion short," he smirked, "But I have to…you know…save people and stuff,"

"Alistair, you don't have to do this," Katara lowered her gaze to his boots, her fists clenched angrily by her sides, "Don't sacrifice yourself for us. You could run right now. We can take on the guards, there's only two now! If you run, maybe you can get Avatar online and…"

"Hey, relax," the young girl blinked as eh felt something heavy dropped on her head, her blue eyes meeting his grey ones once more as he raised her head gently with a single finger under her chin, the top of her view slightly obscured by the brim of his hat he had placed heavily atop her dark hair, "Keep this warm for me okay? I'm gonna need it soon,"

Confusion flicked across her eyes at the sincerity in his voice.

"What? What do you mean? what are you…"

"Shh," her voice was immediately silenced as he wiped away the tears before they trailed down her cheeks, "Save your strength, find the rest alright? I trust you,"

"Alright, times up love birds," Aang stumbled as he was shoved roughly towards the Fat Albert, one of the pilots leering over her with a perverted grin all over his face, "You sure got a weird taste in men girly. Don't see what you'd want with such a scrawny runt, when you could have a heroic pilot of G.U.N. like me. Mind you," he snickered darkly as he glanced back at Sokka and the mass of women and children behind her, "Considering his competition, I can see why you'd be so desperate,"

"Enough Klaus," his companion sighed as he led his prisoner away, hands behind his head, "Come on, we better get him back to the Gunship, before the Captain gets too angry,"

"Alright, I'm coming," the pilot grunted, "Geez, we've been at sea for over a month…I'm telling you Jee, I need some action before I go crazy…or gay!"

Katara scowled darkly as all she could do was watch as her friend was loaded into the Fat Albert's vast interior, their eyes locked until he was swallowed by the darkness, the immense doors creaking shut mere moments later.

"So what now?" Sokka came to her side as they watched the giant aircraft slowly rise into the air once more, heading out to where the hulking form of the Carrier lay out in the baby beyond.

Katara only watched from beneath the brim of Aang's hat as the Carrier slowly moved off, heading from G.U.N. territory, her eyes shielded as heavy raindrops began to splatter across the sandy ground.

"We get him back,"

"You've been awfully quiet,"

Captain Sozin looking mildly amused at the sight of a man he had been chasing for two years, now sitting crouched on the floor of the Fat Albert, his this knees up to his chin, arms around his legs, one had subconsciously tapping against the surface of his watch as he gazed listlessly at the doors as they slowly opened onto the deck of the Bismarck beyond.

"What's the matter Courier? No witty one-liners? No backchat? Are you just going to sit there and stare out into space for the rest of the voyage? I have to say, I'm disappointed,"

"Maybe I just don't feel like talking,"

"Maybe," Zuko smirked as he pushed himself off from the side of Dominance's leg where he had been leaning, "Or maybe you're just feeling sorry for yourself. Go on, admit it, you don't want to be here do you? You'd much rather be back in that hovel, having won a battle well fought, rather then here on this dirty floor, held at gunpoint. Maybe even that peasant girl would have given you…a reward of some kind?" The Captain smiled slightly as his prisoner bristled slightly, only to frown as continued to refuse to meet his captor's eyes, that finger still tapping mercilessly against the watch's onyx surface.

With a grunt of irritation, Zuko's hand lanced out, grabbing the surprised Aang by his wrist, pulling the watch away from his reach.

"Hey!" Alistair made a grab from his belonging, only to be forced back by Klaus and Jee, "That's mine, give it back?"

"Yours?" Zuko smirked as he tossed the timepiece up into the air several times, "Last I checked, you were a prisoner of war. So as far as I know, what's yours…" he clenched the watch tightly in his gloved fist, "Is mine,"

"Zuko, I saw the fight from the deck," Iroh strode into the Fat Albert's hanger bay, his face clearly showing his anxiety as he came flanked by a pair of green clad marines, "I didn't expect such a small colony to wield such impressive fire power, short as the battle was. How did you do it? What did you…" his voice trailed off as he took in the scene before him, his eyebrows raising towards his thinning hair as Sozin let his prisoner's wrist fall to the ground.

"General Iroh Sozin, meet Flight Lieutenant Alistair Aang, the Courier of the Black Core's Project A.V.A.T.A.R.," the Captain tossed his uncle Alistair's timepiece as he headed out of the Fat Albert's interior onto the rain soaked Launch deck, "Take this to my quarters. I'm sure I can find some use for it. Right now I want to make we get home as soon as possible. Take the Courier down to the Brig, make sure he's…comfortable," Zuko smiled darkly as Iroh nonchalantly dropped the watch into one of the Marine's hands, whispering something in his ear as he did so, "Because when we reach German soil, his stay with us will be anything but,"

"We have to after that ship Sokka," Katara stood defiantly on the beachhead as she gazed out at the diminutive dot that Sozin's Carrier had become, her fur-lined onyx jacket and navy turtle neck protecting her from the chill the storm the day before had left behind, "Alistair saved our tribe; now we have to save him,"

"Uh-huh," Sokka's voice was muffled behind a large crate as he dragged it out of a nearby storehouse down to the beach, before heading back to the wooden structure again.

"Why are you being so cynical?" the tanned girl glared at her brother as he came out of the hut with a large back pack, grabbing his arm as he came by? "Can't you see he's on our side? We're the only ones who know he's alive. If we just abandon him…"

"Katara, while I simply love listening to your We-Owe-Al speeches, the more time we spend here chatting, the further Aang and Captain Scar-face get from us. Now are you coming or not? I didn't dress up like this for nothing you know,"

Frowning in confusion at her brother's words, Katara felt her eyebrows hike up as she took in her brother's new attire.

Gone was the Hawaiian shirt and shorts that had become something of her brother's hallmark. In it's place, standard U.S.A.C. army combat slacks adorned his slim body, the camouflaged jacket hanging open to reveal the tight black T-shirt underneath, a parting gift from a United States Warship that had stopped by in the area after a rather intense battle nearby.

Her curiosity getting better of her, Katara let her eyes wonder along his path between the storehouse and the waterline, her heart lightening at the sight of the black matte speed boat that currently lay on it's side, half filled with supplies, a part of the Union's last supply shipment.

"Sokka, if I call you the world's biggest idiot any time soon, you have my permission to thwack me," Her brother froze with surprise as his sister hugged him tightly round his waist, his eye nearly poked out by the brim of Aang's hat as it slid back from the sudden movement.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a regular genius alright," he smiled smugly as he slowly disconnected her from him, "Come on, lets get going before Gran Gran realises we're gone,"

"And where, pray tell, are you going in such a hurry without telling me? As if I didn't know,"

Katara swallowed thickly as she watched Gran Gran slowly approach over her brother's shoulder, a stern look upon her wrinkled face.

"Grandmother I…"

"Relax," the aged women's face broke into a smile as she pulled a blue bundle up in her arms for emphasis, "You'll need these. You have a long journey ahead of you," She smiled as she pushed the bundle in Sokka's stunned hands, "It's been a long time since I've had hope, but I think you are right Katara, Lieutenant Aang may be what we've been looking for. Project A.V.A.T.A.R. was always said to hold the most powerful Ranger ever created. If that is true, we cannot allow G.U.N. to wield such power, and I believe it is your destiny to help Alistair, and make sure a travesty such as this Great War never happens again. Your fates are intertwined with his. I want you to have something," Reaching into the pocket of her jacket, she pulled out a small object, holding it out for her granddaughter to see; a small necklace, made a circle of shell, a set of three spiral like waves carved into it's surface and held to the neck via a thick strap of leather.

"This used to belong to me," the old woman smiled sadly down at the simple jewellery, "But when your mother married your father, I gave this to her on her wedding day, and she returned it to me on the day she died. I was going to give this you some day, when you'd found that special someone to settle down with, but I think…yes…I want you to have it now,"

"Gran Gran…it's beautiful," delicately taking the item from her relative's aged hands, she carefully strapped the jewellery around her neck, keeping it safe by pulling the turtleneck up around it, "Thank you. I'll take good care of it, I promise. Still…" she sighed as she pushed back Aang's hat as she ran a hand through her hair, her eyes gazing forlornly at the small speed boat before her, "I think Sozin's ship has too much of a head start. I don't think we'd be able to reach it in time before it heads in to G.U.N. waters…hey! What's this?"

Gazing down into the innards of Alistair's parting gift, Katara gazed incredulously at the small, credit card sized object that was lodged in the hat's front: Avat's activation device.

"Isn't that Al's Key fob thing?" Sokka peered over his sister's shoulder intently.

"Find the rest…" Hesitantly, as though afraid of what would happen, he carefully pressed her thump to the switch, a single green light blinking on a moment later.

With an electric rumble that made the three jump, a wave of grey washed across a nearby hillside, the sunlight blocked as a familiar all terrain transport made it's presence known.

"It's the Avat!" Katara felt her heart leap as she ran towards the giant vehicle, "Sokka look, it's the Avat!"

"Great," Sokka groaned as he rubbed a hand over his face, his Grandmother looking on with mild amusement at her granddaughter's enthusiasm, "You just have to bring me out of my comfort zone don't you?"

"When Britain first, at Heaven's command
Arose from out the azure main;
This was the charter of the land,
And guardian angels sung this strain:
Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves!
Britons never never never will be slaves!
Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves!

Britons never never never will be slaves…"

"BE QUIET IN THERE!!!"

Alistair smirked as he lay in the cramped bunk of the Bismarck's Brig, his foot clanging against the metal bulkhead as he tapped in incessantly against it.

"The nations, not so blest as thee…"

"I SAID SHUT UP!!!"

Aang gazed with a small smirk at Klaus' fuming forming behind the bars of his cell, the tapping coming to stop as he swung his legs onto the bare floor, adjusting his tunic as he stood up.

"Are you more of 'Star Spangled Banner' sort of guy?"

"I'm the kinda guy that doesn't like lippy Brits," the hulking pilot poked a finger at the officer through the bars agitatedly, "You shut and you'll shut it now got it?"

"Or what?"

"You don't wanna know,"

"No, you're probably right," Alistair smiled good naturedly as he approached the brig door, "Probably shower me with pansies or something like that,"

"What did you say?"

"Oh nothing," Aang's eyes rolled innocently up to the ceiling as he shoved his hands in his pockets, the nationalist officer staring at his captive in disbelief, "It's just…well…you G.U.N. guys are all the same. All big and macho until someone gives you real work. It's just gotten worse though in recent years hasn't it? I mean, now you've got a Ranger to do all the hard work. Let's face it, you may act tough, but I bet you're really just a big pussycat,"

"Why you little…!" Klaus reached angrily for the keys that dangled from his belt, only for a large crooked smile to cross his thick face, "Oh, I see what you're doing. Very cleaver. Gonna try and goad me into opening the door, then when I'm in here, you run out and leave me trapped. Yeah, well I'm one step ahead of you, you can't fool me. I'm onto your little scheme,"

"Can't blame a prisoner from trying I guess," Alistair smiled calmly as he came up to the Brig door, "Guess I'll just have to go with Plan B,"

"What's Plan…ugh!"

Klaus fell with a grunt as the Black Core officer grabbed him heavily by the belt and yanking him towards the brig door, the G.U.N. soldier's head hitting the bars with a fulfilling crack as he fell away.

"That's Plan B," Alistair smirked as he leant down to retrieve the keys to his cell from the unconscious guard, "Mind if I borrow these? Didn't think so,"

"Go. Fly. Soar,"

Katara scowled at her brother as she continued to flip switches across Avat's piloting console, Sokka sitting in Aang's chair upside down, a bored expression all over his face as his feet swung listlessly in the air.

"One of these things has to be the flight control," Katara frowned as she looked out the foreword veiwport.

Water sprayed up across the window as the machine's autopilot tracked it's owner through the waves, going about as fast as the speedboat they had thought of using in the first place.

In the rear of the ship, Katara had decided to store the Lumber, after much reasoning with her Grandmother that as the only person capable of repairing and piloting the Ranger, there wasn't a lot of use for it back at the village.

No that even the Lumber would be very much help if they never reached Sozin's ship in time.

"Up. Ascend. Elevate,"

"You're not helping," Katara let out a cry of frustration as she sunk to the floor, "Alistair said Avat could fly. He may not have been telling the truth about who he was, but the way he talked about this machine…I just find it hard to believe he'd lie about it,"

"Katara, it's a ten ton Truckmersiboat," Sokka rolled his eyes at his sister knowingly, "I'm still amazed it can do that much. But fly? Come on. Where are the wings? The engines? Fly? I'd be surprised if this thing could even jump…wah!"

Waving his arms around like frantic windmills, Sokka's feet suddenly swayed to far foreword, the rest of his body fallowing the leather clad appendage as it crashed to the ground, hitting several switches along the forward panel as it did so.

"FLIGHT MODE: INITIATED,"

"What the…"

Brining the rear view cameras online, Katara gasped as she watched a pair of fifteen metre long wings slowly unfurled from the main body, the wings vaguely reminding her of the kind she had seen on paper aeroplanes she and Sokka used to make from time to time.

Deep below, the water around Avat began to bubble and churn as a bright blue light roared into life.

With a sudden jolt, Avat slowly rose into the air, bright blue Ion jets across the immense craft's base forcing it up above the surface of the water as vents appeared either side of the rear hatch, propelling the ship towards it's target at a far faster pace.

"Sokka?" Katara leaned against eh console as she turned her gaze from the rapidly approaching vessel to the tangled mess that was her brother.

"Yeah?"
"Your having a really good day in the brain department today,"

"Matter of opinion,"

"Is my watch in here? Nope. How about in here? Nadda. What about…"

"Hey, isn't that the Courier? Someone inform the Captain!"

"No, definitely not!"
Slamming the door shut with a heavy clunk, Aang wasted no time drawing the bolt shut across the door as the soldiers within began pounding heavily on the slab of steel.

"Well, that should hold them for about…" he rammed a combat knife he had taken from Klaus into the lock, jamming it fast, "Well…we'll play it by ear,"

The corridors within the Bismarck seemed endless as Alistair resumed his search for his watch. Every junction, every turning, every level, all he could find was corridors, corridors and more corridors.

"One more," the officer sighed heavily as he carefully pushed open another of the large heavy doors, "One more door…then I try looking for Avatar,"

Inside the quarters were dark, a single pillar of light seeping in from the corridor, allowing a small glimpse into the room beyond from what Alistair could see, whoever owned the room was clearly a man of stature and quite the traveller. Various items from different parts of the world adorned the walls and floors; fans from Japan, a bear skin from Russia and a old ragged flag (Clearly a trophy of some kind) of the United States just to name a few.

And lying on the bed opposite, lay the owner.

Clad in the dark emerald of G.U.N.'s armed forces, the aged man snores floating gently across the room to the amused Black Core officer standing in his doorway.

Turning over in his sleep, bare mumblings escaped the old soldier's lips, murmurings of tea and chocolate causing Alistair to try and smother his mouth before a small laugh escaped him.

It was then that an idea hit him.

This was the General he had been introduced to earlier, one retired General Iroh Sozin. It also happened to be the man he had seen Zuko pass his watch too moments before he left.

Creeping quietly over to the old man's bed side, Alistair gently knelt down onto the cold carpeted floor, praying that the descendent of Sozin wasn't a light sleeper as he whispered in his ear.

"General? General Sozin?"

"Wuh?" Iroh's eyes remained firmly closed, one had swatted at Aang, "Go 'way…sleeping,"
"This won't take a moment General. I just need to ask you something. Where's the watch?"

"Watch?"

"The watch of the Courier,"
"Ughhhh…gave it…to someone,"

"A soldier?"

An affirmative grunt as the large man slumped onto one side.

"What did you tell him to do?"

"Take the watch to Zuko's quarters," a harsh giggle caused Aang's eyebrows to hike up in bemusement, "he thinks he can push me around because I'm his uncle…I need sleep,"
"Where are Zuko's quarters?"

"Two floors up…third door on the right from the maintenance shaft," Aang ducked as a arm fell out of the bed, indicating towards the doorway, "Can't miss it,"
"Thank you General," the officer smiled as he slowly backed out of the room, "You've been very helpful,"

Iroh merely grunted as he curled up on top of his sheets, once more shrouded in darkness as Alistair closed the door, completely unaware of the secrets he had just released.

A sigh of relief escaped Aang's mouth as he finally found the Captain's quarters, his watch sitting neatly on the deck backed up against the rear wall.

Stepping into the darkened room, it didn't take long for the officer to see the stark contrast to that of the General's before.

Weapons of various eras adorned the walls, from samurai swords hung on either side of the door to a AK-47 mounted over his bedside (Probably loaded in case of mid-night assassination attempts), it was like stepping into some bizarre armoury of history. The only thing that looked vaguely out of place was the G.U.N. flag that hung behind the Captain's desk, the blood red of the fabric standing out harshly against the amount of steel and wood of butts, barrels and blades.

Alistair couldn't help but whistle as he strapped his watch back onto his wrist, "This guy's a nut,"

"Coming form you, I'll take that as a compliment,"

The stolen pistol was out in an in instant as the darkened room was suddenly lit via the naked bar lighting that adorned the ceiling, only to find himself face to face with the barrel of a Uzi submachine gun, it's owner smiling smugly from his position behind the door.

"Looks like I underestimated you," Zuko leant against the door as he slammed it shut, "I had a feeling you'd escape though. Took you longer then I expected though,"

"So sorry to disappoint you," Aang's eyes narrowed as he tossed the pistol to the Captain's feet, "Quiet the collection you have here,"

"Weaponry is something of a hobby of mine," Sozin's eyes never left Alistair's, his gun never wavering as he made sure his prey never left his sight, "It started with a old Walther P38 my father gave me for my tenth birthday," he patted the ancient side arm at his side, shining as though it had been freshly manufactured only that morning, "a relic from the days when our Great Nation was on the rise, and it just grew from there,"

"Your dad must a lot of therapy if he gives his children weapons at such a young age,"

"My father is the Führer, a great man," Zuko's eyes narrowed to slits, "You on the other hand are a coward, hiding in suspended animation for one hundred years. You have no right to slander him,"

"Maybe," Aang smiled, "But he isn't very good at raising children if you're any indication,"
"What do you.."

The Captain gave a cry of surprise as a well aimed round house kick knocked the Uzi from his hands, the older man stumbling from the blow as the Black Core Officer took a defensive stance, kicking both weapons on the ground away as he did so.

"You're quick to anger, doesn't take a genius to see that," he darted in as Zuko tried to recover, snapping the old pistol at his side and tossing it haphazardly onto the bed, "I'm no expert at reading people, but even I know that if you get angry, you miss things, like a kick to the hand for example
"You haven't see me angry yet you cowardly bastard!"
With a shriek of steel the Captain grabbed one of the samurai sword from it's stand at the door, bellowing angry as he came towards the stunned officer, narrowing missing his target as the blade embedded itself in the desk behind him.

"Stand still!" Another swing, another miss, sparks flying as the sword impacted against the metal wall as Alistair dodged once more.

"Like I'm going to do whatever you tell me!" The second Samurai sword was pulled from it's stand as the two officer's clashed, the sounds of steel against steel resonating throughout the room.

"You're not very good at this are you?" Zuko scowled down at Alistair as the two locked blades against each other, "All Courier and no skill,"

"Sword fighting wasn't really in the training manual at the Academy," Alistair smirked slightly as felt the blade slowly begin to give way, "But then again, someone once told me that no matter the situation, you can always rely on one thing to help you to do the best you can,"
"You're just spouting nonsense," there was a distinct click as Aang dropped onto one knee, the Captain now looming over him ominously, "And just what is this wonderful thing that will save you from a trip back to the Brig?"

Alistair didn't reply. With all his might, the officer pushed hard against his enemy's blade, the Captain caught off guard by the shove, stumbling backwards up and over his own desk by his own momentum.

Satisfied by the semi conscious groan that came from beneath the large leather bound chair, Alistair planted the sword firmly within the oak of the desk, retrieving Klaus' pistol before heading for the door, pausing only to give Zuko his answer.

"The need to survive,"

"There it is!"
Katara felt adrenaline surge as the form of Sozin's ship below as Avat flew above the clouds, Sokka joining her a the cockpit window as he looked at the dark hull.

"Great, we found the ship," he leaned against the console with a pessimistic sigh, "Now what? We're one confused vehicle and a badly armoured Lumber versus a Carrier full of Rangers, and I'm not liking these odds very much,"

"We have to do something," Katara frowned as she gazed down at the ship, "I saw a lot of weaponry stored in the Launch Bay, as well as a way to equip all of it. See if you can access it and find something the Lumber can use,"

"What?" Sokka squeaked as he sister jumped down onto the catwalk and ran towards the upper entry hatch to the Launch Bay, "H-How am I supposed to do that?"

"Just ask the Avat!" She gave him a agitated look as she threw the door open, "Just ask it to scan the Ranger in the Launch Bay and take it from there,"

"But I…" Sokka felt his hand fall limply to his side as the young girl disappeared into the darkened recess beyond, the elder sibling slumping into the cockpit chair as he looked apprehensively at the controls before him.

"Erm…computer? I need you to scan the Ranger in the Launch Bay…I need to know what kind of weapons it could use, and what we have on board…is that okay?"

"AVATAR! I NEED YOU!"

With a metallic crunch, the foreword deck exploded in a shower of shrapnel, the onyx and gold form of Alistair's Ranger erupting forth as it's current pilot leapt from the Bismarck's Island's balcony into it's waiting hand.

"The Courier has escaped!" Alistair silently cursed as he scrambled into the open cockpit, the door sliding shut behind him as Zuko's voice echoed across the Launch Deck, "I repeat, the Courier has escaped! Double pay for the man that captures him alive!"

"I think it's time we got our here don't you?" Aang smiled to himself as he flicked switches pushed buttons across the consoles, "What do you say Avatar? I know I'm not officially your pilot, but I think we both need to work together until we can sort this mess out. Are you ready?"

A.V.A.T.A.R.
ARMOURED
VEHICULAR
ALL
TERRAIN
ASSAULT
RANGER
SYSTEM: ACTIVE

"I thought you might say that," The officer settled back in the cockpit chair as the four video screens around him came alive, giving him a one hundred eighty degree view of the world outside, just in time to see the Dominance and two Endurances slowly arrive from the loading elevator.

"Alright Courier," Zuko's angry face appeared on the small communication screen as Alistair calming grasped the control sticks on each armrest, "You've got my attention. Let's see how good you really are!"

"I guess we shall," as though powered by thought, Avatar's sword was drawn from it's back as Dominance pulled it's blade from it's sheath, the Endurances casting each other wary glances, both remembering the fates of the last two Rangers that had stood at Zuko's side in the previous fight with the Avatar.

With a roar of ion jets and nuclear propulsion the two Rangers clashed, and for the third time in two days, Alistair and Zuko took up the fight.

"Alright the scans complete…I think,"

"You think?"

"Just…hold your horses okay? This isn't as easy as it looks,"

Sokka ran a hand through his hair as his eyes darted across the holographic screen before him, "Okay…it says here…that the only weapons that meet the Lumber's specs are…energy pistols,"

"Energy pistols? That's it? What are they?"

"I don't know!" the man glared at his sister staring impatiently at him via a small corner of the screen, "Al didn't have that kind of access. He was only supposed to get this rig from A to B remember?"

"Fine fine. Just give them to me and open the hatch. I think there's a fight going on down there,"

Katara squeezed the control sticks of the Lumber frustratingly as she watched a pair of skeletal arms drop down from the roof, a pair of pistols clad in holsters grasped within their emaciated fingers.

"You're armed and ready," Sokka's worried voice came over her speakers as the arms attached the holsters to either leg with a magnetic thump, "Opening the hatch. Be careful Katara. I hope you know what you're doing,"

Katara nodded as she terminated the channel, her oceanic eyes gazing up as the ceiling parted, a step usually to release Avatar before turning towards the main hatch as it yawned open, forming a ramp, had they not been flying a few hundred feet in the air.

Moving the mech towards the open space, Katara swallowed as Sokka brought Avat into a shallow dive, the ocean a crystal blue as Sozin's ship grew ever closer.

"It makes two of us,"

Sparks continued to fly as the two Rangers' swords clashed again and a again, the entire ship rocking under the blows as the two behemoths continued their onslaught.

"You can't win Courier," Zuko's voice spat through his speakers as Alistair managed to push him far across the deck, "It's only a matter of time before I win. I've been training for years in Ranger, even before my hunt for you began. You're just a pathetic coward, spending a hundred years on Cryosleep while the world around you changed. You can't win,"

"I think I speak for everyone when I say you're in desperate need of a girl my friend," Aang smirked, "What's the matter, the scar too much of a turn off?"

"How dare you!" The officer could just picture Zuko's nostrils flaring in anger, "You stand there, outnumbered and outmatched, and yet you still feel the need to spout nonsense to the very end. Do you want to die? If that it? Already so tired of this New World you've found yourself in? My only need is the Avatar. I could run your cockpit through and still return to Berlin triumphant!"

"Not today you won't!"

Alistair blinked in surprise as Katara's voice suddenly joined the argument, the giant form of the Avat swooping from over head as the Lumber jumped forth front the Launch bay, the huge vehicle barely missing Bismarck's communication antennae.

With a sickening crunch, the first Endurance fell as the Lumbers giant foot became implanted in it's head, the sheer force of gravity against it as it crashed to the deck.

A energised bang echoed across the boundless ocean as the second Ranger's head exploded in a blast of burning white, the energy pistol in the Lumber's hand still smoking as the enemy pilot had barely a few moments before the mech fell away into the ocean beyond.

"Katara," Alistair felt a smile cross his lips as his friend's short mech pulled it's foot out of the Endurance's head, "You found it! I knew you could do it! I knew I could trust…"

BOOM!

The spent casing seemed to echo in Alistair's ears as it fell to the deck, the world going strangely silent as the immense shell impacted against Avatar's body.

He was flying, falling, the artillery's momentum pushing him off the edge of the deck as his sword fell form his hand, out into the boundless ocean below.

The Ranger hit the sea with a colossal splash, a wall of water rocking the Bismarck as the mech began to sink into the murky depths.

As the world around him began to darken, Alistair sighed as he thought he heard Katara's voice calling out to him.

Zuko's breathing was heavy as he watched the form of the Avatar slowly sink beneath the waves, a small grim smile crossing his lips as his shoulders slumped.

Avatar was supposed to be the most durable Ranger of all time, a few hours at the bottom of the Indian Ocean wouldn't do it any harm.

That Lumber pilot on the other hand.

"You picked the wrong time to choose sides peasant,"

Katara didn't reply. All she could do was stare as the trail of bubbles over the ship's side slowly came to a halt. Swallowed up by the waves.

"ALISTAIR! NO!"

"Alistair!

ALISTAIR!

ALISTAIR!!!"

Far below in the Indian depths, within the depths of Avatar's power core, something heard her pleas.

Within the cockpit, trails of silver surged through the control sticks and up into the unconscious body of the Ranger's pilot, his slumped form slowly sitting back calmly in his seat as the same glow began to seep through every joint and seam.

Across Avatar's body, that same silvery light escaped the mech's innards through every nook and cranny it could find, a full stream billowing forth from specially created vents on either side of it's ion thrusters, encasing the machine and slowing it's decent as it's eyes glowed with that same bright aura.

Within the cockpit, Alistair's body now sat straight and rigid in his chair, his mind only partly away of what his body was doing. Silver lines criss-crossed across his form; up his arms, across his chest, down his back, around his head.

As Avatar began to rapidly rise towards the Bismarck above, the Black Core officer opened his eyes, allowing the now blinding silver light to engulf the darkness of the cockpit, and join him with his machine in a way never seen before, be it past or present.

The whole ship rocked once more as a silver light exploded from the ocean beside the Bismarck, narrowly missing Avat as everyone shielded their eyes and braced themselves from falling overboard.

With the rising rush of wind, the light segmented and flew apart, burning silver feathers flying forth in all directions as a pair of wide wings made of light settled behind Avatar, allowing it to however above the carrier's prow.

As all stared upon the sight before them, it was safe to say none of them had ever seen a vision quite like it.

Katara could only find one word for the machine before her: Angelic.

As though calling it back to him, Avatar's sword quickly flew back to it's master's hand, that same silver glow emanating from the weapon as he sheathed it in it's rightful place at his back, the large rifle taking it's place in his hands as he aimed it at Bismarck's launch deck.

"EVERYONE SCATTER!!!"

Zuko's panicked cry barely registered on the young girl as the Dominance and various crewmembers ran in all direction to avoid Avatar's incoming attack.

A pure beam of white erupted from the rifles end as it sweeped across the Launch deck, the Endurance exploding in a array of yellows and reds, the Dominance falling flat on it's angular face as it's right leg melted from the intense heat.

Mere inches from the Lumber's cockpit, the beam suddenly ended, Katara having never moved from her position at the aft of the ship. She could only continue to stare as Avatar slowly descended to the smouldering deck, it's feet barely touching the melted metal and concrete as it's wings folded neatly behind it.

She should have been blinded, but she didn't care. She didn't even notice as the Ranger of light gently picked up her Ranger as though it were as light as a delicate flower, it's shining eyes turning towards Avat as it came to a position hovering a few feet away from the Bismarck's now scorched island.

With a twist of it's wings, the Ranger rose once more into the air, it's companion safe within it's arms as it headed for it's mobile home.

"Stop him!" Avatar's head turned back to the ship as the Dominance struggled to try and aim it's giant cannons to wards it's burning silver enemy, "I don't care how you do it! Blow him out of the sky if you have too! Just shoot that monster down!"

With a crack and a heave, a new pair of doors almost cracked off their hinges as a single immense 9 × 46 cm cannon rose from the carrier's innards, it's bright steel armour contrasting sharply with it's devastated surroundings.

With a resonating boom that rattled Katara's vertebrae, the huge shell rocketed towards the Avatar and his companions, the single shot heading straight and true towards the trio in the sky.

A blinding blue beam of light lanced out from between the Ranger's eyes as the mortar neared it's target, the ballistic missile slowing down to a halt bare metres from it's target as though afraid of the stare the mech now gave it.

Then it turned round.

The blue glow faded.

The shell continued on at it's past speed as though nothing had changed.

Except it's direction.

The giant cannon exploded in a fireball of ambers and oranges as the shell literally flew strait back down the barrel from whence it came, what crew had been left on the deck being able to do little as they were showered in a hail of burning shrapnel.

As Zuko managed to stumble out of the remains of his mech, all he could do was gape as the Avatar landed gracefully on the edge of the Avat's open Launch Bay, the glow finally subsiding as the wings swept themselves away in a flurry of feathers of light.

All he could do was watch as his prize got away from him, it's yellow eyes burning into his amber ones until the Ranger, it's pilot and his companions were nothing more then specks in the sky.

"What happened out here?" Zuko didn't look down from his position on the ground beside the Dominance as his Uncle picked his way through the mess that was the Launch deck of his beloved ship, "Looks like half the war was fought…and in record time I might add. What caused so much damage Zuko?"

"The Avatar," Sozin's voice as dark and growling as he stood to his full height, his eyes finally casting across the length of the Bismarck's charred level, "The Avatar…somehow…did all this," he finally turned to Iroh, no smile coming to his face at the stunned look that adorned the old man's face, "Inform the Helmsmen to make best speed to the base at New Gibraltar," He sighed as he headed towards the Island, rubbing a hand over his scarred face as he thought of bed, and how he longed for rest.

"I don't know how we're going to explain this to Colonel Zhao,"

"DID YOU SEE THAT!? OH TELL ME YOU SAW THAT!!!"
Sokka was practically dancing from foot to foot as Avatar slowly lowered back into it's standby position on the floor, it's tired pilot crawling slowly from the cockpit as the immense doors slammed shut.

"Oh, you were all like WHOOSH! And then you were all like ZAP! ZAP! And then there were all like AGH! AGH! And…wow," The young man grinned up at Alistair with amazement as Katara eased herself to the floor behind him, "I was totally wrong about you Al, Totally wrong,"

"Not totally," Katara's voice silenced Aang's before he had a chance to speak. She stepped foreword towards the Ranger and it's pilot carefully, her eyes clearly showing hurt as she folded her arms across her chest, "When you first told me you knew nothing about Project A.V.A.T.A.R., I thanked you for being honest with me. But you weren't were you? You had Avatar all along. I think you owe us the truth Alistair. We came for you…I think you owe us that much,"

The officer gazed down at his new friends as they stared up at him expectantly, before letting his shoulders slump in defeat.

"Honesty," he sniggered quietly as he slid to the ground, "Not a good policy in my business. But you did save my life…and as far as I know, there may not be anyone left to give me a court-martial. Alright, I'll tell you what I know. It isn't much mind,"

He slumped to the floor as the two siblings followed suit, the young pilot closing his eyes as he leaned up against Avatar's side.

"When we met, I told you I was an officer of the Black Core. What I didn't tell you was that the Black Core was Project A.V.A.T.A.R.…or rather it's military wing. The Black Core isn't…wasn't…just a squadron of the RAF. It was the best of the best from all of the United States and United Kingdom's Armed Forces. We had seven bases across the world, some up in the mountains, others down in the deepest trenches of the oceans. I think main headquarters was under Washington DC, but I never went there. The plan was that should Germany and her allies decide to wage war, the Black Core would use the technology, mostly Rangers and the like, to insure any conflict didn't last too long. I didn't lie when I said I was the youngest of the Black Core. I only joined a year before I got this assignment. It was weird, it was like they'd picked me out to do it or something. My orders were simple: From Everest Base I was to report to a Professor Richard Roku at Atlantic Base, before transferring the Avat and it's cargo to Professor Nami Kyoshi at Pacific Base without alerting any G.U.N. forces. I was given Spartan details as to Avatar's nature, and permission to use the Ranger in cases of extreme situations, that's why I was given this," he tapped his watch slightly with one finger, "It's a device that allows me to summon Avatar to me wherever I am in the world," he opened his eyes to stare at Katara, "You asked me what powered Avatar, I told you I didn't know. That's the truth. I have no idea what makes this mech tick. All I do know is that it isn't nuclear, or solar energy, and the only ions are used in the propulsion thrusters,"
"Can't really imagine solar or ion power doing what you just did," Sokka nodded with acceptance and amazement, "And I think nuclear would probably explode with all that energy flying around…"

"What I still don't understand is how such a powerful Ranger…all this technology even…was available in the 1940s," Katara frowned as she stared at her hands, "Avatar is far more advanced then any Ranger I've ever seen. Even Avat would put other vehicles to shame. I mean it flies for crying out loud! And it's not even aerodynamic! And these bases you keep telling us about? You have ones at the bottom of the sea…?"

"There was one snippet of information that many Black Core officers were privy too, myself included," Alistair leaned foreword as his voice lowered, as though he half expected his superiors to be listening in on their conversation, "All technology of the Black Core…came from the stars,"

"From the stars?" Sokka's jaw hit the floor, "As in alien technology? Extraterrestrial?"

"That's what I was told. That and nothing more. I don't know where it came from, I don't know how it got here," Aang smiled mysteriously, "But that's not going to stop me from finding out,"

A similar gesture crossed Katara's lips as she leaned forward eagerly.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Fulfil the mission given to me. My orders were take Avatar to Pacific Base, that's what I'm going to do. With any luck, maybe they'll be something there I can use," with a slight groan, the officer pulled himself to his feet, "That just leaves the question: What about you two? I can drop you both back home if you like…" he held his hand out to Katara to help her up, "Or…you could come with me…if you want,"

"Well…I have always wanted to know more about Project A.V.A.T.A.R.," Katara smiled gently as she placed her tanned hand in Alistair's pale one, "And who knows, I may even learn a few more things about Rangers that no one else could ever teach me. Sokka, what about you? You up for it? I'm sure there might be a few new ways to knock some G.U.N. soldiers heads together,"

"I'd like that," the elder brother sighed dreamily as he got up from the floor, "I'd really like that,"

"Then we're good to go," Aang smiled gratefully as Katara shook his hand, almost as if they had just signed an agreement, "We're all in this together,"

"Thank you," Alistair's smile widened to grin as the three almost ran towards the cockpit, "We have a heading then: Pacific Base, in the Mariana Trench.

And after that? Who knows?"

I hope you enjoyed reading this, and I hope that you will continue to read future chapters as they come.

Thanks for reading.

Dearing