AN: As of publishing, Halloween is past. The glorious day of hiking and diabeetus is over.

…aaaanywaaaay, I'm gonna be honest, this chapter is almost identical to the original episode. Sorry to disappoint.

Here's the usual reminder: Halo and Avatar aren't mine, and enjoy the chapter.

Hop to It

Earth-4476

Iratus stood at the entrance to the cave where the Banished were establishing their base. Things were going rather smoothly, all things considered. The comms array was up, basic facilities were built, and Eklund's extended interrogation was doing well. Of course, she had kept her word and refused to spill, but he had a good feeling that any information she could offer would soon be irrelevant. The rebels wouldn't dare leave one of their number behind. He had also gotten yet another upgrade to his armor - a small red and black drone attached to his chest, which could double as armor plating.

The construct was shaken from his thoughts by Vallus walking up behind him. "Chieftain, the human infiltration parties have reported. This world is primitive, even by human standards. They have yet to see a single piece of advanced technology, though they have seen and heard of the natives telekinetically manipulating fire, earth, air, and water… the four elements of old human myth."

It was lucky that the Banished didn't discriminate based on species, otherwise they wouldn't have this info.

Iratus turned to face his subordinate. "And what of the demons?"

"The parties report overhearing that the demons have embarked on a journey, Chieftain. They have allied with a twelve-year-old boy and his teenaged friends as they travel to this planet's north pole."

The construct raised a digital eyebrow. "Odd that two soldiers of their caliber would place their loyalty with such fragile beings."

"He is no ordinary boy," Vallus explained. "The locals refer to him as 'the Avatar,' a being who can manipulate all four of the elements, and the only one capable of doing so."

"So they cast their lot with a very powerful child. Are there any who oppose this alliance?" Iratus inquired.

"Indeed," Vallus affirmed. "They call themselves the Fire Nation. For the last hundred years, they have warred with the other elemental nations: the Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom."

"Is there no Air Nation?" Iratus asked, a digital eyebrow raised.

"There used to be," Vallus responded. "They were a peaceful society of monks, but the Fire Nation destroyed them as the opening move in their war. The Avatar is the last member of their kind."

Iratus placed a gauntlet to his 'chin'. "I do not relish the idea of genocide… but if the demons have chosen to ally with him, this Avatar must be terminated." A smirk then graced his hologram. "Perhaps it is time we meet the locals."

The drone unfolded from his chest and extended a pair of wings, before taking off. "Fly, Skyrazor!"

Zhao watched as several archers rapidly shot their arrows at targets. Arrows were split along their shaft and even penetrated through the other side. They'd certainly be valuable in capturing the Avatar.

His counterpart, however, had other ideas. "Absolutely not. The Yuyan Archers stay here. Your request is denied, Commander Zhao."

The commander turned to his counterpart. "Colonel Shinu, please reconsider. Their precision is legendary. The Yuyan can pin a fly to a tree from a hundred yards away without killing it." An archer then shot several arrows at once, with every one hitting the bullseye of a target. "You're wasting their talents using them as mere security guards."

"I can do whatever I want with their talents," Shinu rebuked. "They're my archers, and what I say goes."

"But my search for the Avatar is-"

"Is nothing more than a vanity project!" Shinu interrupted, getting close to Zhao. "We're fighting a real war here, and I need every man I've got, Commander."

"But-"

"That's final! I don't want to hear another word about it!"

Zhao growled in frustration, but his anger was interrupted by the screeching of a messenger hawk. It flapped down onto Shinu's arm, where the colonel pulled a scroll from a harness on its back. He unfurled it, and seemed to freeze when he read the contents.

Zhao noticed this, and peeked over Shinu's shoulder. "News from Fire Lord Ozai?" Shinu handed the scroll to him, and he began to read. The anger from before rapidly dissipated.

"It appears I've been promoted to Admiral," Zhao smirked. "My request is now an order." Shinu reluctantly bowed in affirmation, before walking away.

As the Yuyan Archers resumed their practice, a strange red and gray device whirred in front of the admiral and dropped another scroll in front of him, before departing as quickly as it had arrived. Zhao picked up the scroll, unfurled it, and read.

I believe you have a problem with a pair of nuisances called Spartans? It would appear we have a mutual enemy. I will come to your location in forty-eight hours to present my offer. Do keep this meeting a secret for now, will you?

The strange thing about the note was that there was no signature. In fact, the closest thing to an identifying mark was a blood-red triangle with a three-pointed cross through it.

They did mention that the Spartans were a mutual enemy, though…

Unbeknownst to Zhao, however, a figure in a black bodysuit with a demonic blue mask spied on him from the roof.

The gang had taken refuge in a derelict temple of some sort. Sokka hoarsely coughed as he laid on Appa's side. He had contracted a fever after the typhoon, and the sickness showed no signs of letting up.

"This should bring your fever down," Katara said as she rubbed a wet rag on Sokka's sweaty forehead. Normally, Neil would be doing this as the team medic, but he was faring only slightly better than Sokka.

"Ugh… my brain's acting up again," the cadet slurred from next to the teen. He then gave a wheezing cough.

It seemed that enhanced immune systems only worked on known diseases.

"You know what I love about Appa the most?" Sokka weakly asked. "His sense of humor."

"That's nice. I'll tell him," Katara responded distractedly. Appa groaned in response.

Sokka giggled. "Classic Appa."

Aang walked up to Katara. "How are they doing?"

"Not so good," the girl confessed. "Being out in that storm really did a number on them." Sokka then began to shiver, and Neil…

"Ah… ah… aaaAAACHOO!"

…well, his state was obvious.

It was then that Hieu returned from scavenging. "If there's ginger root out there, it's well-hidden, so the tea's going to need to wait." He then pulled out a scroll. "I did find this, though."

He laid the scroll on the floor, revealing an intricate map of the area. "See that mountain? The map says there's an herbalist institute at the top. There's a good chance a cure for them is there."

"Hieu, they're in no condition to travel," Katara countered. "They just need more rest. I'm sure they'll be better by tomorrow." It was then that she began to cough violently.

Aang recognized the symptoms. "Not you, too."

"Relax, it was just a little cough," Katara tried to reassure. "I'm fi-" More coughing, followed by a weak groan.

"No. That's how they both started yesterday," Hieu countered. "If Neil wasn't hallucinating, he'd agree."

The cadet in question then proved Hieu's point. "Whoa… now I'm seeing whales in the sky." He then immediately drifted off to sleep.

Aang rolled up the scroll and stood up. "A few more hours and you'll be talking nonsense, too. I'm going to find some medicine."

"I'll stay here and keep an eye on them," Hieu responded. "Just hurry, okay kid?"

"Okay," Aang promised. He then walked over to the entrance and snapped his glider open, but a crack of thunder promptly shot that idea down.

"Uh, maybe it's safer if I go on foot," the boy said, folding his glider and leaning it up against a pillar. "You got this, right Hieu?"

"Always," the veteran reassured.

Sokka then burst out in delusional laughter. "You guys are killing me!" The two gave a concerned look to the teen, before the boy set off.

"We haven't been able to pick up the Avatar's trail since the storm," Jee admitted, but pointing to a spot on the map, he added, "but if we continue heading northeast-"

A massive shadow suddenly crossed over the bridge, with a loud groan of metal cutting off Jee's suggestion. Zuko recognized the larger ship immediately. It wasn't a friend. "What do they want?"

"Perhaps a sporting game of pai-sho," Iroh suggested from his spot at the game in question. The retiree rubbed his hands in anticipation.

A few minutes later, gangplanks had been laid between the two vessels, and Fire Nation messengers unfurled some scrolls in front of Zuko. He recognized the drawings on them as the Avatar and his Spartan compatriots. Odd that the two giants had wanted posters for them specifically. Odder still that their Water Tribe compatriots lacked posters.

"The hunt for the Avatar and the Spartans has been given prime importance," the lead messenger dictated. "All information regarding the Avatar and the Spartans must be directly reported to Admiral Zhao. Pending further information, this order may be updated."

As the messengers rolled the posters back up, Iroh had his own comments. Not looking up from his game, he remarked, "Zhao has been promoted? Well, good for him."

Zuko refused to look the messengers in the eyes. "I've got nothing to report to Zhao," he contemptuously replied. Even though it was true for the moment, it didn't stop him from disliking Zhao even more. "Now get off my ship and let us pass."

"Admiral Zhao is not allowing ships in or out of this area," the messenger responded.

"OFF MY SHIP!" Zuko bellowed. The messengers finally got the cue.

As the glorified mailmen left the bridge, Iroh had his own concerns. "Excellent! I take the pot!" He wrapped his arms around the chips, pulling them towards him as his opponents sagged.

"But you're all improving," the retiree quickly added. "I'm certain you will win if we play again."

Ping read the wanted posters out to his fellow watchman, Li. "It says here that the Avatar can create tornadoes and run faster than the wind. Pretty amazing."

"Eh, that's just a bunch of Fire Lord propaganda, there's no way that's true," Li dismissed as he looked away from his spyglass. "I don't believe anything about the Spartan guys, either. I mean, two giants in heavy armor that are stronger and faster than normal, and have protective gold magic to boot? That's just asking for some dimwit to lick Ozai's boots."

Looking back through the spyglass, Li spotted an orange and yellow blur speed across the cliffside. As it passed them, the gust of wind created by it blew their observation post away. The two watchmen blinked at each other, before Li blew his horn, drawing a response from another watchman some distance away.

Back at the abandoned temple, the three sick youngsters and the healthy veteran waited for Aang to return.

Sokka seemed to have momentarily regained some of his mental faculties. "Katara… please… water…" he rasped.

In response, Hieu opened a pouch on his belt and pulled a small canteen from it. The water within sloshed enticingly. "Here, this should help."

He opened the canteen and put it to Sokka's lips. The veteran then gently tipped a small amount of liquid into the teen's throat, quenching his thirst.

Katara creaked open her eyes with a small smile. "Could I have some too, please?"

"Sure," Hieu chuckled as he obliged the request.

Neil then blinked awake. "The whales are singing Amish Paradise now. I don't like being sick."

Aang heaved for breath as he zoomed up a steep staircase. As he finally reached the top, he saw it.

The herbalist institute.

He then sped over to what looked like a greenhouse. Inside was an old lady and her white cat. The old lady was grinding down something in a bowl.

"Hello," Aang breathed. "I'm sorry to barge in like this, but I need some medicine for my friends. They have fevers and they've been coughing-"

"Settle down, young man," the lady interrupted as she finished her grinding. "Your friends are going to be fine. I've been up here for over forty years, you know. Used to be others, but they all left years ago." She patted her cat. "Now it's just me and Miyuki."

Aang had a deadpan expression. "That's nice."

"Wounded Earth Kingdom troops still come by now and again," the lady continued. "Brave boys. And thanks to my remedies, they always leave in better shape than when they arrived."

"That's nice. Are you almost done?" Aang asked impatiently.

"Hold on, I just need to add one last ingredient," the lady reassured. She began to walk by some plants. "Oh, sandalwood? Oh, yes- no, that won't do. Banana leaf? Eh, nope. Ginger root? Uh-uh. Oh, where is that pesky plant?"

Aang palmed his face and groaned in frustration.

On the ship's deck, Zuko practiced his firebending. Several jets shot from his fists and feet as he jabbed, hooked, and kicked in rapid succession.

A concerned Iroh walked onto the deck. "Is everything okay? It's been almost an hour and you haven't given the men an order."

"I don't care what they do," Zuko angrily dismissed.

"Don't give up hope yet," Iroh reassured. "You can still find the Avatar before Zhao."

Zuko quickly turned to Iroh. "How, Uncle?! With Zhao's resources, it's just a matter of time before he catches the Avatar!"

The banished prince sadly looked out to the sea. "My honor, my throne, my country - I'm about to lose them all."

Back at the herbalist institute, the old lady had finally found the plant.

"Oh, here's what I was looking for!" she said with a slight giggle as she picked a flower off a tree. "Plum blossom."

Aang stood up straight as he let go of his head. "Finally. Thanks for all your help!" he said as he went to grab the bowl.

WHAP!

"Hands off!" the woman irritably said as she held her spoon at the ready. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Taking the cure to my friends," Aang apprehensively responded as he rubbed his wrist.

The old lady visibly relaxed at his words. "Oh, haha! This isn't a cure," she explained. "It's Miyuki's dinner. Plum blossom is her favorite."

"What about my friends?" Aang asked.

"Oh, all they need is some frozen wood frogs," the lady answered. "There's plenty of them down in the valley swamp."

Aang raised an eyebrow. "What am I supposed to do with frozen frogs?"

"Why, suck on them, of course!" the lady cheerily said, as if it wasn't absolutely disgusting.

"Suck on them?!" Aang said with wide eyes.

"The frog's skin excretes a substance that'll cure your friends," the old lady elaborated, "but make sure you get plenty. Once those little critters thaw out, they're useless."

"...you're insane, aren't you?"

"That's right!"

She turned back to her cat, before glaring at Aang. "Well, don't stand there all day! Go!" As if to emphasize her point, she flung a green substance at Aang's eyes.

The boy rushed out as the wind was picking up. He had just finished wiping the goo from his face when two arrows caught his shoes, almost causing him to fall on his face. Looking up, Aang saw a hailstorm of arrows flying at him from above. Thinking quickly, he spun up an air bubble and sent them flying in every direction that wasn't his.

He then yanked the arrow from his right shoe and held it in front of him. "Uh, I think you dropped this." He looked at the trees…

…and his eyes widened at the sight of a rather large amount of archers.

Aang managed to yank the other arrow out just in time, as more landed where his foot would have been had it stayed. He tried to hoof it to the institute's entryway, but more archers appeared and shot yet more arrows.

Boy was he glad that, for the most part, guns were nonexistent in his universe.

Running and dodging the volleys that came at him, the boy ran at a cliff and leaped off the edge. He screamed as he fell, the archers following him. He then tumbled through the trees at the bottom, hitting what felt like every branch in existence, before regaining his bearings and sliding down the trunks.

The archers, far more gracefully, shot grappling arrows at the trees and swung through the branches. They took more potshots at the boy as he bounced from tree to tree. He eventually found himself falling out of the forest roof and stumbling into a nearby swamp. Aang surfaced and regained his breath, before feeling something at the bottom of the much. He grabbed at the strange object and pulled it out, revealing it to be…

"A frog!" he exclaimed, before an arrow shot the cryogenic creature from his hand. He gasped and glanced at where the shot came from, before wading his way through the mud and swiping up every frozen amphibian he could get his hands on.

Aang tried to grab one more, but several arrows suddenly pinned his left sleeve to a log. As the archers fired once more, he quickly raised up a wall of ice to protect him. Every arrow hit the exact same spot, splitting along the shaft as they impacted each other.

One.

Two.

Three.

CRASH!

The archers then pinned his other arm, before a net ensnared the boy.

Unbeknownst to either party, a small red and gray winged device hovered in the air above them, recording every delicious moment.

Aang regained consciousness in chains. His arms were bound to pillars on either side of him, and his feet were tied to the floor. He strained in a futile attempt to break free, before a familiar figure entered the room.

"So this is the great Avatar," Zhao smirked, "master of all the elements.

"I don't know how you managed to elude the Fire Nation for a hundred years," he continued as he circled Aang, "but your little game of hide-and-seek is over."

"I've never hidden from you!" Aang said defiantly. "Untie me and I'll fight you right now!"

"Uh… no," Zhao declined, looking back at the boy. "Tell me, how does it feel to be the only airbender left?"

He got up in Aang's face with a sneer. "Do you miss your people?" The boy tried to remain resolute, but faltered after only a moment. "Oh, don't worry. You won't be killed like they were."

Aang's eyes widened as Zhao continued. "See, if you die, you would just be reborn and the Fire Nation will have to begin its search for the Avatar all over again. So I'll keep you alive… but just barely."

As Zhao went to leave the cell, Aang took a deep breath and blew out, sending a powerful gust of air at the admiral. The man tumbled into the door, and shook his head as he got up. "Blow all the wind you want. Your situation is futile. There is no escaping this fortress, and no one is coming to rescue you."

At the admiral's words, Aang's mood downturned.

Sokka had gone into another coughing fit, before asking for more water. Hieu had just come back from refilling his canteen, so he obliged the poor teen's request.

Neil then turned his head to the veteran. "Hieu… you wouldn't happen to have… some antibiotics in your belt… would you?" he rasped.

"I'm sorry, Neil, but I don't," Hieu responded. "I didn't come prepared for traveling across universes."

"It's okay," Neil weakly chuckled. "I honestly just want the whales to go away."

Katara then looked out to the mountains. "Aang… what in the world is taking you so long?"

It was a sentiment that everyone who was at least semi-coherent shared.

A figure in a blue mask gazed out from his chosen cover. The Blue Spirit then edged from behind the bush towards the road. As a cart pulled by a rhino passed, the figure leapt out of the mud and onto the bottom of the cart. There was only one destination in the Spirit's mind.

The fortress.

The cart suddenly came to a stop. A Fire Nation guard gave an all-clear, before another inspected the cart. As the trooper ducked to check the bottom, the Spirit slipped into the bed, hiding behind a pile of crates. The guard then cleared the cart driver to proceed.

The masked figure was in.

As the crates were unloaded, the Blue Spirit snuck out of the bed, and scurried into a nearby tower.

"We are the sons and daughters of fire, the superior element!" Admiral Zhao suddenly walked onto a balcony to speak to the troops. "Until today, only one thing stood in our path to victory - the Avatar!"

Unbeknownst to a pair of guards who were viewing the speech, the Blue Spirit scampered behind them. The very thing the admiral was bragging about was hidden inside the central tower.

And the Spirit was after the boy.

"I am here to tell you that he is now my prisoner!" At Zhao's declaration, the assembled soldiers at the foot of the tower let out a collective cheer.

"This is the year Sozin's Comet returns to grant us its power!" Another cheer.

"This is the year the Fire Nation breaks through the walls of Ba Sing Se, and burns the city to the ground!" The cheers once more resounded throughout the complex.

Unknown to any of the Fire Nation soldiers, the Spirit let down a rope from the inner wall and slid down. The figure then dove into the sewers and slipped through a grate.

And unknown to either party, a red and gray object hovered above the prison, taking in every detail.

Aang continued to struggle fruitlessly against his chains. As he took a small break, he felt something squirming under his tattered tunic.

"What? No, don't leave, frogs!" he called out as the half-chilled amphibians wriggled their way out of his shirt. "My friends are sick and they need you! Please go back to being frozen!"

Heedless of his call, the frogs croaked their way out of the cell.

The quartet of Fire Nation guards outside the Avatar's cell weren't particularly remarkable. They were silently standing by the door when they heard the strangest sound. It was like a frog's croak. Indeed, looking down, they saw several half-frozen amphibians pushing themselves along the floor, ribbiting all the way.

CLANG!

The sudden noise drew the guards' collective attention. Looking back up, they spotted what looked like a Fire Nation helmet clattering down the hall. It came to a stop at their feet.

One guard took initiative and went to investigate. He turned the corner in a ready stance. A burst of flame then came from where he went, along with noises indicative of a scuffle, and then the sound of chains rattling.

Two more guards then went to follow. They slowly advanced, before rounding the bend…

…and seeing the first guard hung from the ceiling by his wrists. His helmet was missing as well.

Unknown to the two, the Blue Spirit lurked above them, in the shadows. The figure then pounced on the two redshirts.

As the Spirit wrapped up the ambush, the final guard went to grab an alert horn. Before he could blow the alarm, however, a small knife knocked it out of his hands. He jabbed and sent a stream of flame at the Spirit, only for the figure to empty a bucket of water at the fire. The figure then swiped the bucket at the guard's shins, knocking him flat on his face and out cold.

Aang heard the commotion outside his cell as he continued his futile strain against the chains. He looked up, and saw the door open to a figure in a black bodysuit and a demonic blue mask. He gasped as the figure drew a pair of swords from his back. This was followed by a scream as the figure swung them around and rushed at him…

…only for the chains connecting his arms to the pillars to be severed.

Aang gazed at the Blue Spirit as the figure cut his wrist manacles off with extreme precision, before doing the same with the ones around his ankles. The figure then resheathed one of the swords.

"Who are you?" the boy asked. "What's going on? Are you here to rescue me?"

In response, the figure opened the door and gestured to follow.

"I'll take that as a yes," Aang said as he trailed the Spirit. As he walked through the corridor, he spotted several guards bound and gagged on the floor. He then looked down another hall…

…and spotted the rapidly thawing amphibians his friends needed. "My frogs! Come back! And stop thawing out!" The Spirit then forcefully yanked him away. "Wait! My friends need to suck on those frogs!"

Back at the temple, Hieu continued his administration of the miraculous liquid known as water. By the looks of things, Neil was somewhat recovering from his illness. He still had a high fever and was nauseous, but his hallucinations seemed to have stopped.

The benefits of a Spartan immune system.

As the night grew dark, the cadet had taken to writing in a small journal he discovered among their supplies. If nothing else, it was a good way to pass the time.

Mission Log, Operation: LOST WOLVES

Estimated date: February 11th, 2560

So, yeah. I came up with the name on the spot. Not sure what else would fit, given the fact that this little field deployment wasn't exactly by choice. I mean, yeah, I did kinda follow Hieu into the Academy's secret basement, but that's another story.

I am sick. Not of the adventure (it's honestly kinda fun knocking out Fire Nation nitwits), but literally sick. I don't recall my medical training telling me about any sicknesses that make me see flying whales that sing "Weird Al" Yankovic, but that might not be part of field medic training. Katara and Sokka have it worse right now. They don't have any sort of enhanced immune system like I do, or any immune system comparable to 26th-century humans. Of the two, I think Sokka's got it worse. He thinks Aang is a figment of our imagination and that Appa - a flying bison, mind you - is a comedian.

On the note of aerial cattle, there's a lot of strange things about this universe. First off, superpowers are an actual thing. A portion of the people in this universe can 'bend' four 'elements', so to speak - water, earth, fire, and air. Katara's a waterbender, and a rather talented one at that. Aang's the Avatar, the only person in this universe who can manipulate all four elements. He's also apparently reincarnated from past Avatars, and can somehow meet up with them when he needs advice.

Also, the vast majority of animals in this universe are hybrids of animals from our universe. There's hog-monkeys, rhino-triceratops things, and a whole bunch of others that I'm probably missing. There's also a couple of monsters, like the unagi and the canyon-crawlers. The unagi honestly kinda reminds me of the Loch Ness Monster stories I discovered in a library once, and the canyon-crawlers are basically giant four-legged spiders with really strong jaws. The crawlers at least are vulnerable to good old 7.62.

Anyway, Hieu's been a really good doctor while Aang's out looking for a cure. That does remind me, though. Where is the kid?

Aang and the Blue Spirit silently snuck through the sewers, careful not to alert the guards above. It was difficult, given the pool of water at ankle-level. This honestly reminded the boy of something Neil told him about. A "movie", that's what he called it, called Mission: Impossible. It was apparently one of the cadet's favorite stories.

The Spirit's head peeked out of the grate above their heads, looking around, before gesturing to get out of the sewer. The two climbed out of the grate, and Aang continued to follow his mysterious savior.

"I want a full transcription of my speech sent to the Fire Lord," Zhao directed the scribe as they walked towards the Avatar's cell, "along with glowing testimonials from all of the ranking officers present, and-"

The admiral stopped, hearing noises from an adjacent hall. Turning, he spotted several guards hanging from the ceiling, bound and gagged.

He slammed the door to the cell open. Inside, there were several broken chains and an empty spot where the Avatar should have been…

…and a small frog at his feet.

Zhao grit his teeth in rage as he ran back down the corridor.

The scribe scrambled to follow. "Sir, shall I hold off sending that speech to the Fire Lord?"

As Aang and the Spirit began to climb a rope that had been attached to the inner wall, klaxons sounded throughout the complex. Their escape hadn't gone unnoticed.

"THERE! ON THE WALL!" a guard called out. Another then severed the rope, causing Aang and the Spirit to drop. Thinking quickly, the boy created a cushion of air beneath them, breaking their fall. The Spirit then drew the swords, and gestured to a nearby watchtower.

"The Avatar has escaped!" Admiral Zhao declared as he rushed onto a balcony. "Close all the gates immediately!"

"Stay close to me!" Aang directed as he rushed toward the rapidly-closing gate. Guards lined up to block their escape, but a quick gust of wind dealt with that problem.

The boy stopped as he realized that the Spirit was no longer following him. Turning, he saw the figure engaged in combat with several guards. A spear then very much almost impaled the boy. Catching the pointy stick, he kicked another gust at its owner, blowing the guard away. He then spun it around, broke the point off, and rushed back to the Spirit.

The figure was busy parrying the numerous spears when Aang came to help. The boy rushed around, quickly dispatching all the guards that encircled the Spirit. He then used his airbending to fling the figure on top of the inner wall. The Spirit landed with a smooth roll, but as he got up, several guards surrounded him. Aang then landed on the figure's shoulders, before spinning the broken spear above his head and flying them over the next gap.

The boy struggled to maintain his altitude as the Spirit deflected the spears the guards were throwing at them. The two barely made it to the middle wall, crashing on its battlements. Looking up, the Spirit spotted guards coming out of trapdoors. The soldiers quickly surrounded them. Aang rushed to retrieve the broken spear, but a guard kicked it away before he could grab it. The guard then swiped his sword at the boy, but before he could deal any blows, the Spirit grabbed him and threw him over the edge, saving the boy. A few bursts of air dealt with the others in short order.

Beneath them, guards rushed up the middle wall with bamboo ladders. The two knocked down whoever dared try and reach the top. Aang then grabbed two ladders and slung them over his shoulders.

"Take this!" he directed, handing a ladder to the Spirit, before jumping onto another and using it like a giant stilt. "Jump on my back!" Following the boy's lead, the Spirit leapt onto Aang's back, and the two rode the ladder across the gap. "Hand me the next one!" The figure passed the last ladder to Aang, who lowered it to the ground.

As the two continued their escape, a guard slung fire at the last ladder. It quickly ascended, forcing the two to leap off. They both tried to grasp the edge of the outer wall…

…only to come crashing to the ground. Guards quickly encircled the two and sent jets of flame at them, forcing Aang to create a ball of air around them to deflect it.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" a firm voice ordered, causing the guards to cease their firebending. Zhao walked forward. "The Avatar must be captured alive!"

The Spirit suddenly put the swords to Aang's neck, sharp side inwards. The boy leaned back, desperately trying not to get his jugular sliced.

It was a Mexican standoff. Zhao needed Aang alive. The Spirit was threatening to kill Aang. If Zhao made the wrong move, Aang would die. If Aang died, neither party would have the Avatar, and the hunt would start all over again.

Zhao narrowed his eyes. "Open the gate."

"Admiral, what are you doing?" his lieutenant protested.

"Let them out," he reiterated. "Now!" The gate creaked open, allowing the Spirit and the Avatar to pass through.

"How could you let them go?" the lieutenant questioned in confusion.

"A situation like this requires… precision," Zhao replied, a smirk appearing at the last word. The admiral ascended the wall, and watched as the Spirit refused to let the Avatar from his grasp, no matter how far they got from the outer wall. Beside him, a Yuyan Archer drew back his bowstring.

"Do you have a clear shot?" Zhao asked. The archer nodded in response. "Knock out the thief. I'll deliver him to the Fire Lord along with the Avatar."

WHOOSH!

The arrow collided with the Spirit's mask, knocking the figure out instantly. Aang turned to his savior/captor, and caught a glimpse of what was under the mask.

A burn scar, over the left eye.

The boy quickly bent a cloud of dust into the air.

"QUICK! RECOVER THE AVATAR!" Zhao demanded. Guards rushed out of the gate to perform the task.

Aang tenderly removed the Spirit's mask, revealing the identity beneath.

Zuko.

He scrambled back in fear, before starting to run off. Before he left, however, he turned back to the unconscious prince. He couldn't just leave him there.

But the guards were getting closer.

He made his choice.

As the dust cleared, there was no sign of the Avatar. Zhao's eyebrows twitched in suppressed rage.

Ribbit!

A frog had appeared at the admiral's feet, before leaping off the battlements to freedom.

Unbeknownst to him, however, a red and gray object whirred away from the scene, having completed its mission.

When Zuko came to, it was morning. He groggily glanced around, spotting the Avatar nearby. The boy had his arms around his knees.

"You know what the worst part about being born over a hundred years ago is?" the boy said. "I miss all the friends I used to hang out with. Before the war started, I used to always visit my friend, Kuzon." A smile came to the Avatar's face at the memory. "The two of us, we'd get in and out of so much trouble together. He was one of the best friends I ever had." He turned to Zuko. "And he was from the Fire Nation, just like you. If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends, too?"

After a moment's hesitation, Zuko quickly got up and sent a jet of fire at the Avatar, who dodged by leaping up into the tree. Looking up, he saw the boy leaping through the branches, off to who knows where.

His expression then softened. The boy had given him a lot to think about.

Could they have been friends?

"Where have you been, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked. A tsungi horn encircled his torso. "You missed music night! Lieutenant Jee sang a stirring love song."

"I'm going to bed," the prince dismissed. It had been a long night. "No disturbances."

Iroh glanced curiously down the corridor. Where had his nephew been? Dismissing the thought, he blew into the horn, playing a soft tune.

After a long night, Aang finally returned to the temple. Hieu turned to the boy. "Where have you-"

"Not right now," Aang groggily interrupted. He then pulled several frogs from his tunic and stuck them in Sokka and Katara's mouths, and handed one to Neil, who was oddly not complaining about singing whales. "Suck on these. It'll make you feel better." He then collapsed onto Appa's tail from exhaustion.

Neil glared at the frog like it was some kind of alien artifact. "Uhhh… okay…" He slowly stuck the frozen amphibian in his mouth. It didn't stay there, though, as he quickly spit it out in disgust. "Eugh! The herbalist couldn't come up with some kind of pill or something?!"

Sokka turned to the boy, his frog hanging from his mouth. "Aang, how was your trip? Did you make any new friends?"

"No," the boy gloomily responded. "I don't think I did."

He then fell asleep.

Zuko laid on his bed, contemplating his nighttime adventure. He glanced at the Fire Nation flag hanging from the wall, before rolling away from it and going to sleep.

"Mmm, this is tasty," Sokka said, still deliriously sucking on the frog. It then fully defrosted and began writhing in his mouth. His mental faculties returning, he spat out the frog in disgust, with Katara doing the same.

"Took you guys long enough," Neil quipped from his seat on a nearby rock. He was doing maintenance on the Bandit. "I'd brag about whatever replaced my liver doing its job, but the frog aftertaste isn't leaving my mouth anytime soon." He then smacked his lips in disgust.

The two Water Tribe youths ignored the cadet as they desperately tried to get the frog taste off of their tongues by any means necessary.

Zhao waited outside the compound for his mysterious benefactors. The Avatar's escape had soured his mood, so he hoped that whoever sent the letter would help to uplift that.

Looking into the distance, he spotted something coming. It looked like a large red and gray skiff, but it was missing any sort of animal to pull it. Onboard were several people of various sizes in colorful armor.

As the skiff neared, the admiral got a better look at it and its crew. The 'people' were not just large, but they weren't human at all. One species had digitigrade legs. Another was squat and wore masks and triangle-shaped backpacks. There were bird-like creatures without many feathers. The largest species of all had sharp teeth and looked kind of like a hairless goat-gorilla without horns or hoofs There was only one of this last creature, for whatever reason.

The skiff pulled to a stop fifty feet away from Zhao, with the open side facing the admiral. The creatures all piled out and neatly organized themselves into two rows, revealing a figure and the gorilla-creature, the latter in what looked like cobbled-together armor.

Over seven feet tall, the figure wore pitch-black armor, with crimson highlights painted on its chest. On its right wrist was a bracer of some kind, and on its back was what looked like a pair of metal wings. The figure's arms, legs, and head were wreathed in a skeletal red aura, with the head showing what looked almost like a fiery red face.

Zhao's guards briefly raised their spears, but the admiral raised a hand to keep them from doing anything rash. "I presume you are the one who sent the letter?"

The figure chuckled. "You would presume correctly. I am Iratus, chieftain in the Banished, and this is my associate, Vallus."

The admiral straightened. "I am Zhao, admiral in the Fire Nation Navy. You wouldn't mind telling me who these 'Banished' are, exactly, would you?"

A smirk appeared on Iratus' 'face'. "We Banished are mercenaries, united under Warmaster Atriox. I lead the chapter sent to explore this world."

"And these… creatures?"

"Before you are honorable Sangheili…" The species with digitigrade legs straightened.

"Cowardly Unggoy…" The stout creatures jumped at the mention, a puff of green gas escaping their backpacks.

"Ruthless Kig-Yar…" The birds were quietly squabbling amongst themselves over a coin of some sort.

"Vallus the Jiralhanae, my personal favorite species…" Vallus pulled a mean-looking hammer from his hip and bared his teeth in a malicious smile.

"And me." Iratus reached to his helmet, grabbing the sides and pulling it off…

…revealing that the armor was very much empty.

Zhao recoiled in shock. "How…?"

Iratus chuckled as he reattached the helmet. "Ah, the wonders of being an artificial intelligence."

The admiral recomposed himself. "Well, I suppose we should, uh… head inside to discuss things."

"Indeed we should."

Next chapter: Overreliance

Coming 11/20/2023

AN: First contact has happened.

Before you ask, I did base Skyrazor off of Laserbeak from Transformers, in particular the Prime iteration. So imagine Skyrazor looking like a downsized, red and black Prime Laserbeak that attaches to Iratus' chest.

Also, like I said in the opening AN, this chapter doesn't have much divergence from the original episode. The only real differences are the Banished letter, Skyrazor, and the ending meeting.

Speaking of the ending meeting, let me know what you think of it so far. I'm honestly not too proud of it right now, but that might change in the future once the next chapter's published.

You might have noticed that I gave Neil a journal to log his life in. What's your opinion on it? Let me know in the reviews.

Anyway, that's all I have for now. Follow, fave, and review. The last one is the most important for me getting better.

This is Believer218, signing off.