Disclaimer: I hope you are prepared because this will be wild.

Rider On The Storm

Chapter 3: The Red Spirit


"So, you are telling me that you have no memory of who you are. You just happened to wash onto our boat, and you've been able to water bend the whole time," Iroh said from across the room, his eyes narrowed and his face stone cold. "What an interesting surprise!"

Percy was sitting in Iroh's private quarters in the Hold. His room was smaller than Zuko's, but it was in the far corner of the ship next to the boiler room. Iroh's room was decorated with warm rugs, a small comfy sofa, and a slick polished round table with four cushioned chairs. At the center of the table was a round Pai Sho board that was made with polished ebony. Lieutenant Jee was sitting down to his right, while Zuko glared at him menacingly across from him. Every so often Zuko would blow smoke from his nostrils. Iroh was tinkering with a hot teapot sitting atop his built-in stovetop. The stovetop was built to be controlled by bending. He finished pouring a fresh cup of tea. The walls of Iroh's room were thick. Thus, it was one of the most soundproof rooms onboard.

"The laws concerning water benders is to arrest and imprison them. Having him onboard isn't just illegal, but if what you're saying is true. Percy was water-bending in broad daylight inside the heart of Harbin. Now we need to worry about those damned pirates too!" Lieutenant Jee scowled at Percy who shrank under the seasoned soldier's gaze. Jee's burnside beard was still wet from sipping tea, but the tea did little to calm down his disgust towards him. "Percy will only bring us trouble. The best we can do is drop him off on the coast and be done with him. He can go on his way, and we can continue our mission to find the Avatar. It's the least we can do. He doesn't seem like a bad guy, my prince, but we're only asking for trouble."

"The Avatar has a water bender helping him," Zuko softly said, he remembered that girl well.

"The Fire Lord may find out," Jee expressed pleadingly to Zuko. "We are already at a disadvantage compared to Zhao. We lack intelligence networks, ships, agents, and special forces. Percy is just a sixteen-year-old kid, all he's going to bring is more trouble."

"The Avatar has many friends and allies. What worries me is that everywhere we go we run into more and more enemies. The last thing we need is more enemies." Iroh said this calmly. He took a sip of tea from his porcelain cup making his frown disappear, he then finished saying, "Percy agreed to be a member of our crew. He's as much a soldier and a cog in our quest to find the Avatar as you or I. I might be able to teach him a few tricks on water bending. If he stays with us, this will only increase our chances of capturing the Avatar."

"Commander Zhao is already determined to capture the Avatar. We were arrested during Winter Solstice unless you forgot all about that! Percy can be the counter to the Avatar's water bender. He will stay a member of our crew." Zuko said this chillingly while glaring, before turning his head away from everyone.

"Then it's settled, welcome on board," Iroh proclaimed happily to a very unenthusiastic audience.

XtX XtX XtX XtX XtX XtX XtX XtX

One of the things you never know, until you know, is loss. Not the sort of loss of losing something like a loved one or a friend. He still felt those wounds. No this was a much greater loss, one where he felt split, like everything was torn from heart and soul. He was never grateful for what he had… he had Annabeth, he had someone who cared for him. Lying along his swaying hammock. Percy thought about how great he had it back in his old world. He was a hero of Olympus, now he was a sailor for the Fire Nation. Back home he was nothing more than nobody trying to make it out of high school, but he still knew his importance. He saved the world… a lone tear fell from his right eye as he remembered his mom. What he would give to hug her and have her whisper in his ears, "You are home."

Those words.

He'd give everything to wake up in his room in Manhattan and hear those three words. Percy rolled onto his side in his hammock. He wiped the tear with his hand and tried to think positive thoughts. The problem was he couldn't, he was a son of Poseidon and a water bender. At least he wasn't an air bender, but still, Lieutenant Jee was on his ass. Zuko and Iroh seemed somewhat warm to him being around. However, before he got into his hammock every other member of the crew was giving him looks. Not the sort you'd get when you did something wrong and terrible. These were looks of complete and utter hate and distrust.

Did he belong here?

Percy wanted to fall asleep, but his worries continued to plague his mind. Their ship was docked at Pohuai Bay, under the watchful eyes of Colonel Shinu. Pohuai Bay was a small city that was home to 50 Fire Nation Cruisers, 20 Warships, 10 Frigates, and 2 state-of-the-art vessels that were under construction on the drydocks for ship repairs. Just a few miles from Zuko's frigate was Pohuai Stronghold, a massive fortress serving as a supply depot for the Fire Nation. It made Percy nervous he was in the middle of Fire Nation military central, especially now the entire crew knew he was a water bender. Would someone tell Colonel Shinu, the man in charge of Pohuai Bay and Pohuai Stronghold he was a water bender?

"Loose lips sink ships," Percy muttered under his breath. He felt like he was about to fall asleep in the arms of Morpheus. Sleep would be nice…

He awoke startled by a whistle and then a light rumbling explosion. Percy rolled out of his hammock and changed into his clothes. While slipping his feet into his leatherbound shoes, he felt a weird sensation. If he couldn't sleep, then he'd venture out. Instead of attaching his twin broadswords to his belt, he decided to leave them behind. He rubbed Riptide, he stored Riptide inside a zipped and secure pocket inside his red vest.

Red lights guided him out of the barracks to the Gallery. He wobbled on unsteady feet and nearly tripped when more rumbling explosions resonated. They were light almost sickening sounds that made the hairs on his arms form goosebumps. There didn't seem to be a single soul awake beside himself as he opened the doors to the deck. Percy walked on the deck hoping to see or hear whatever was making the weird noise. He walked to the bow of the ship. It was lowered to allow anyone to enter or exit the vessel if they desired. Iroh told him to always stay on board while in Pohuai Bay.

Strong winds brushed his thick jet-locked hair back. Salty and fishy smells were heavy in the air. Stars shined above in the heavens, revealing splendid constellations that he hadn't seen before. Milky light shined from the moon above, hiding away most of the stars in the night sky. The lights of Pohuai were faint except for the lighthouse that acted as a beacon. Percy stared at the town expecting the sounds to come alive, but they didn't.

"Am I going crazy or did I drink too much Jasmine tea with Iroh." Both were accurate statements.

Percy looked out at the dark churning waters surrounding their frigate and decided he was insane. Before he took it three steps, he heard more whistles. KA-BOOM! KA-BOOM! KA-BOOM! They sounded like explosions! Not just any explosions, but the sound of artillery firing cannons or shells. Whatever they were, it sounded just like the artillery in the movies. The sounds were coming from a large concrete and metal near the warship docks.

"What are you doing here?"

Percy turned and froze. He saw a dark-clothed figure with an oval-cut balaclava walking up the steps of their bow. Overcast clouds broke, revealing the figure's face in the moonlight. Percy saw a light pink and dark red scar on the left side of the figure's face. It was Zuko, but he dressed like a ninja from the comics. In Zuko's hand was a blue mask. The mask itself looked frightening like some demon mask a kid would wear on Halloween.

"Zuko? What is going on? Why aren't you asleep?" Percy stepped back as Zuko approached him with a sadistic smile.

"I could be saying the same thing about you too." Zuko's eyes were a conflicted mess of fury, sadness, and confusion.

The waves crashing and rolling into the shoreline of Pohuai Bay gave off an odd ambiance. Percy was confused by this strange event. He stood petrified as Zuko stepped foot onto his frigate. Zuko's golden eyes gazed into his just a few feet away. A milky beam of moonlight revealed Percy's uncertainty in his sea-green eyes. Zuko's eyes softened in a strange look of uncertainty.

"I heard strange sounds. They sounded like explosions. I didn't expect to see you here," Percy explained unsure about Zuko's strange appearance.

"You are a strange man, Percy Jackson. Since I've met you, it's like you're stuck in another world. Yet here you are, sneaking around at night just like me… tell me what's your end goal?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

Zuko looked confused, he placed his blue demon mask inside a small black sack slung next to his right hip. He then gave a single nod and softly said, "So long as you keep what you saw tonight a secret."

"Deal."

"Well, what is your secret, Percy Jackson?"

"I don't belong here, I just woke up in the middle of the sea, in the middle of that storm. I feel like I gotta do something, but here I am." Percy looked up and met his gaze back at Zuko's. He didn't know what to say. What was there to say? After all, he awoke in the deep blue sea, alone, with no sign of Poseidon besides a hello from a dolphin. Stammering a few times, Zuko looked at Percy like he was a fool, he felt like a fool, and all he could stammer out was, "Do you believe in destiny?"

"Destiny? Finding the Avatar is my destiny," Zuko took off his balaclava from his head, leaving it wrapped around his neck like a dark bandana. "For the last two years, I've been pushed away. A disgrace to my father… I want to see my homeland again. If I could set foot in the capital city, walk past the raining petals of cherry blossoms, look my father in the eyes, and for once be accepted. I'd have everything. Right now, I'm losing everything, It's getting heated, a blazing heat that's ripping the world apart. The Avatar was lost for 100 years, word has been out that he's alive, and that destiny is vanishing ever slowly."

"I once followed my destiny. I went through with it until the end because I didn't want anyone else to have the burden of the world on their shoulders. Following my destiny didn't get anywhere…" Percy felt like he unleashed a universe of pressure. Besides Mom, the only mortal he ever opened to was Rachel Elizabeth Dare. However, even when he needed guidance through The Labyrinth, he never told her the hell he lived every day, knowing deep down, that the world would fall when he turned sixteen. "This Avatar can control all four elements and is the bridge between the spirit world and our world. Is that right?"

"My uncle has been yapping too much, hasn't he?" Spat out Zuko angrily.

"The Avatar might be your destiny, but what good is your destiny if it's based on pleasing someone else?"

"Oh, like you have all the answers! You washed up in the middle of a storm and can't even remember where you came from if that even is the truth. You expect me to believe that you had a destiny?"

Percy looked down at his brown leather shoes. He felt all the blood in his body flowing to his face. In a way Zuko was right. He was lying about having amnesia. Not that he was a good liar or had control of the mist. In this world the mist felt irrelevant, his being a son of Poseidon felt irrelevant, and his place in this crew felt irrelevant.

"I'll keep my lips sealed about what I saw."

"Good." Percy turned around, he was ready to go back to bed. He stopped when he heard Zuko softly say in the dark. "Goodnight. We'll need it tomorrow."

The Next Day

Many of Zuko's crew were playing dice in the main room of the gallery. Iroh was placing a wheel Pai Sho tile on the board. Percy was facing across from Iroh, he placed a Knotweed Pai Sho tile next to the piece adjacent to his Boat Tile, which was next to his Rhododendron Tile. Percy grinned a very toothy smile, then looked up to Iroh and said, "Your move, Grandpa!"

"An old man playing a game of Pai Sho is like a veteran on the battlefield," Iroh said before placing a White Lotus tile next to Percy's Knotweed tile. Percy was baffled as he watched the chubby old-man take all his tiles. "Never underestimate your opponent. Your hubris was your downfall, but on the battlefield, it will cost you your life."

Percy grimaced and got up as more members of Zuko's crew took his place. He didn't make it more than three steps before a giant Fire Nation Warship blocked the sunlight trying to enter the main Gallery. Zuko's face grew furious as another Fire Nation Warship sailed next to their frigate on the other side. Percy stood still. He wasn't sure what exactly was going on as their ship came to a complete stop just off the coast of Pohuai Bay. He watched as metal drawbridges were lowered onto their deck on all sides. Storms of Fire Nation soldiers in black and red armor clambered onto the deck on all sides.

"What is the meaning of this stop!" Zuko shouted across the gallery.

"Maybe they want to play a game of Pai Sho," Iroh said with a smile.

The wait wasn't long before a Fire Nation Navy Ensign walked into the Gallery with a scroll. He didn't have a helmet that covered his face and the soldiers next to him were ready to fight. Percy grabbed Riptide, he was ready to fight, but he stayed still behind Zuko. The officer spread his scroll wide open revealing a bald young boy with blue tattoos on his head and head. The Avatar! This was him.

"The hunt for the Avatar has been given prime importance! All information regarding the Avatar must be reported directly to Admiral Zhao!" Proclaimed the officer.

"Zhao has been promoted, good for him," Iroh stated nonchalantly as he placed a white lotus tile at the center of the board. Three of Zuko's crew slapped their heads in frustration at the comment.

"I got nothing to report to Zhao. Now get off my ship and let us pass!" Zuko said this chillingly, his golden eyes beaming into the officers.

"So be it, but you won't be leaving Pohuai Bay!" With that said the Fire Nation soldiers and the officer left the ship almost as fast as they appeared. Percy let out a sigh of relief, but he looked at Zuko in worry.

Zuko fled out of the command room in haste. Iroh continued to play Pai Sho and Percy wasn't sure what was going on. He decided to go to the bottom of the ship to practice his water bending. He climbed down the emergency ladder to the boiler room leaving his hands black with coal dust. There were dozens of tanks filled with fresh water by the boiler room. There was a filtration system to suck in seawater and allow the boiler to heat it for the showers, except they rarely worked.

Many chairs and rugs were surrounding the boilers. Half of the room was occupied by tons and tons of charcoal. Percy walked over to one of the water tanks with an empty bucket of water in his hand. He twisted the nozzle of the faucet and filled the bucket of seawater to the top. He wasn't going to waste any of their precious freshwater, especially to practice water bending.

Placing the bucket of water at the center of the boiler room. He tried to focus on the water. He moved his hands up. He pumped some power and energy into the bucket of water. He was a prince of the sea, water would bend to his will!

A tiny strand of water flowed out of the bucket, but it fell quickly back to where it belonged. Percy tried it again. It rose high almost to the ceiling, but it just didn't feel right. Like all the power he felt from that storm had just sapped away… maybe he was too anxious or stressed? After that adventure in Harbin, the crew distrusts him for being a water bender. Maybe everything was starting to get to him. For the next hour again he tried to press his control over the water. Bend it to his will! He could make the water from the bucket rise and fall. It once took the shape of his fist, yet it felt rough.

Sweat dripped from his soaked black locks onto the iron boiler room floor. His head pounded with a mind-bending migraine and still he was no further than when he first began training. The water in the bucket was still there, taunting him as a sign that he was no true water bender. After two hours of training, he got up and then kicked the bucket of water in frustration.

"Training alone I see," Iroh said with a smirk. He climbed down from the last rungs of the ladder and walked over to Percy. "Bending isn't easy. Especially water bending, it's an art form that takes time and practice and more practice to master."

"Yeah, well, it's easier said than done. I'm no closer to bending it to my will than when I first started," Percy said in frustration, he felt pathetic. Just a day ago he formed a wall of ice on instinct, now, he could barely control a bucket of water. "Maybe I should just go back to practicing with the sword."

"Frustration comes from hitting a wall too many times. Practicing with your swords won't make you a stronger bender. My nephew has been practicing his fire bending for the past few hours. Our ship is forbidden to leave Pohuai Bay for the time being. In the meantime, I don't mind giving you a few pointers on water bending," Iroh explained with a grin. Percy smiled, he jumped off the ground and said, "Really? You could teach me how to do that?" Iroh's grin vanished quicker than a bolt of lightning. He composed himself while walking in front of Percy. "I don't mind helping you, but I need to ask a favor."

Percy inclined his head sideways and he scratched his head confused.

"What kind of favor?"

"I need you to keep an eye on Zuko tonight. He hasn't been taking the news of Zhao's promotion well. He's one of the only family I have left, and I know he's up to something," Iroh said sincerely with a pleading look in his amber eyes. "Just promise me you'll keep an eye on him tonight."

"I promise."

"Good," Iroh said joyfully.

Percy was meditating across from Iroh in the boiler room for what felt like half an hour. His eyes were closed as instructed, and he tried to focus on clearing his head of all thoughts. All he could hear were the burning flames of the boiler and… SNORE! SNORE! Percy opened his eyes and saw Iroh snoring across dead asleep.

"Iroh? Iroh! Come on aren't you supposed to help me water bend!" Percy shot up and marched over to Zuko's uncle. He started shaking Iroh's shoulders until the old man' amber eyes opened.

"Hey! Why aren't you meditating?"

"I've been meditating for half an hour, but you fell asleep."

"Oh, that's not good," Iroh said while shaking his head.

He got up and filled Percy's empty bucket with seawater. He then placed the bucket of water at the center of the boiler room and held out his palm. A bright orange flame appeared and hovered over his open palm. Percy stared at the flame mesmerized by it as Iroh puffed out his chest causing the flame to grow taller.

"Bending is an interesting thing. It's the transfer of energy from exerting physical energy and converting it into spiritual energy. This is done by using the chakras throughout your body and being in tune with both your physical and spiritual energy." Iroh saw that Percy looked back at him lost as if he was speaking another language. "To put it simply the way you bend each of the four elements is done differently. How you have gone about trying to bend water may work when you are in danger or by accident. A true water bender doesn't try to control water."

"What do you mean?"

Iroh's flame withered in the air and vanished. He smiled a happy smile and stretched his arms.

"The Water Tribes have always been progressive when it comes to change. They can adapt to many things, and they stress having a strong community based on love. Water is always changing. The closer we sail north the more storms we will pass through. We will encounter blizzards icebergs and water changing from rain to snow. A master water bender never tries to control water, they only try to tap into the flow." Iroh started moving his arms loosely like he was grooving on the beach. He then started repeating the move and Percy copied him. "Do you feel the energy moving from your fingers through your arms?"

Percy continued moving his arms and he felt his blood flowing and becoming one with the water inside the bucket. "I think so. It's weird but I feel like the flow of the water in that bucket. It's like I'm one with it."

"Continue, and don't stop."

With every stroke of his arm, the water in the bucket started to rise and twist in the air. He felt his heart pushing and pulling, the water in the air formed what looked like a long slithering snake. Percy continued twisting his arms in a steadier groove. The water snake started slithering and twisting in the air in synchronicity to his movements. Iroh was left baffled his eyes grew wider than a saucer. The water snake was soon dancing around them until a loud KA-BOOM took Percy out of his focus.

The water snake collapsed onto the metal boiler room floor. Iroh frowned as more explosions of artillery sounded from the shores of Pohuai Bay. Percy looked up and felt slightly sapped of his energy. He did it! He could water bend!

That Night

Percy stood out in dark black clothes watching for any movement on the deck. He was a man of his word. After all the help Iroh threw his way today, he would do anything to help out Zuko. He was still a novice bender, but he could tap into the water more easily now. He wasn't sure what was going to happen tonight. Would he need to use his water bending?

"Doubt it," Percy muttered to himself behind four large red barrels filled with petroleum.

Two black hands covered Percy's mouth before he could say another word or move from his position. He tried to scream but his voice was blocked as the hands tightened over his mouth. His arms were rendered immobile by his assailant's elbows.

"What are you doing here again?"

Percy recognized the voice, and he felt the hands over his mouth move so he could talk, "Zuko? Thank the gods it's you."

Zuko released Percy who stumbled onto his butt on the deck. He looked up and saw confused golden eyes behind a blue demon mask. Mission accomplished for sure, but what exactly was going on?

"Zuko your uncle asked me to keep an eye on you tonight. Why are you dressed like a ninja? What is going on?"

"Zhao has captured the Avatar, my destiny hinges on us finding the Avatar before Zhao takes him to the Firelord," Zuko said, he then threw a red demon mask at Percy's feet. The mask made a clank sound as it met with the metal deck. "Put that on. I need you to sneak into the Artillery testing headquarters down the road. The quartermaster has all the latest intelligence reports going from this entire region to the Fire Nation Capital."

"You want me to break into some sort of Fire Nation facility." Percy wasn't sure what Zuko's game plan was, but he did promise to keep a close eye on Zuko. "Why me and exactly what is it that you need?"

"I need the latest intelligence report on the Avatar's whereabouts. Where he is being held and if he is in Pohuai Fortress. Time is running out and I was about to secure the document myself, but if you want to help me out. Break into the Artillery testing facility and cause a scene so I can secure the documents myself. If you want to stay a part of my crew, then you will help me out!"

"Well, if you put it like that… just point the way," Percy replied before getting up.

Percy was climbing over red-tiled rooftops on the quiet port town of Pohuai Bay. The great lighthouse beamed its shining light into the sea, but the dozens of watch towers around the artillery testing facility were on high alert. Their bright orange beams were scanning the streets around the facility. Four patrols of Fire Nation soldiers were making their rounds down the main road. Leaving the only route to the facility through the rooftops and the town itself.

Zuko was leading the way to the facility. Percy saw Zuko jumping over rooftops to the facility. Percy tried following Zuko's moves. Except he did it terribly, upon jumping onto a much lower rooftop that was connected to the lighthouse. Percy crashed and rolled across the red-tiled rooftop before coming to a stop close to the edge of the roof. Zuko pulled Percy's shoulders and brought him back onto his feet. "Careful buddy or you'll get us both caught."

"I'm trying," Percy said only to watch Zuko run and climb a ladder leading up the stone-pillared lighthouse. Percy followed the Prince up to the top of the unmanned tower. He found the lack of manpower inside the lighthouse strange. Where was everyone? Before he could comment he watched in amazement as Zuko leaped out of an open lighthouse window next to the bright beaming lighthouse light. He ran to the open window and saw the disgraced Prince fall inside the artillery facility. Zuko landed on a large pile of hay next to the stables.

"You got to be kidding me!" Percy exclaimed at the Seventy-foot drop. He scanned the pile of hay and saw the Fire Nation Prince brushing strands of hay off his dark outfit. "This better be worth it!"

He then leaped out of the lighthouse window and felt the wind whooshing his ears like a loud whistle. Not even a second later he crashed into the pile of hay. The air in his lungs got sucked out by the hard landing, but Percy quickly got out of the pile of hay and followed Zuko along the walls of the artillery facility. Their cover was protected by the dark shadows, and his ADHD instincts were right. Not even a few seconds later a patrol of five Fire Nation soldiers were observing the pile of hay.

"You're quicker on your feet than you look, Percy," Zuko whispered over his shoulder. Percy stared back at the prince with his Red demon mask on.

"Where is the quarter master's office?"

Zuko pointed to a tall wooden building next to the concrete artillery facility. He then brought Percy across the street next to the tall wooden building. Zuko raised his palm and then whispered, "I need you to cause a distraction inside of the artillery facility. Then escape, I'll meet up with you by the morning."

"Zuko, this sounds incredibly dangerous. I promised your Uncle I'd have your back not abandon you," Percy replied to the prince.

"I must do this alone. You are my ace card against the Avatar and Zhao. If I lose you, then I lose getting the Avatar," Zuko whispered back before nudging Percy over toward the entrance to the artillery facility.

Percy saw that the Quarter Master's office was surrounded by five watch towers. It was the most well-guarded part of Pohuai Bay's navy base. There were two tanks on standby around the facility along with two dozen idle guards drinking booze around the tanks.

Percy hugged the walls that hid him in the shadows. He silently walked around the concrete walls before hearing loud explosions on the other side of the walls. He needed to get inside, but how? A carriage being pulled by three ostrich horses came through the outer walls of the facility. It was carrying supplies into the concrete bunker-like structure. The gate of the facility opened and a group of fifteen Fire Nation soldiers came out to inspect the carriage. Percy saw an old rusty storm drain scaling the concrete wall.

"I guess that is the way," Percy muttered to himself.

He ran to the storm drain and used his black glove-covered hands to scale the concrete bunker walls. The structure itself reminded him of the concrete pillboxes the Nazis used during D-Day. Except the Fire Nations concrete bunker was at least fifty times larger and more menacing than anything the Nazis made. His gloves became encrusted with flakes of dark orange and red rust. As Percy heaved his body higher and higher more flakes of rust rained onto his body. By the time he got to the top of the concrete structure, he saw ten large archaic howitzers being worked on by numerous scientists in red robes and almost a hundred strong engineers welding together large metal casings.

Percy ducked and rolled out of the way of a bright white beam of light that was scanning the walls. He ran across the concrete walls until he came to a concrete fire escape door at the top of the roof. He quickly went inside and found the stairwell to be desolate. Everyone seemed to be out at the testing fields. The stairwell was lit by a bright red light. When his feet met with solid ground at the bottom floor he heard another loud KABOOM!

Percy got out of the fire escape and saw most of the engineers and scientists mesmerized by the howitzers firing in perfect synchronicity. A marvelous cacophony of high whistling dread followed. The shells exited the chambers of the howitzers right as the shells themselves met their targets. Three abandoned Fire Nation frigates roughly four hundred meters from the shoreline exploded one after another. Percy ducked underneath a large oak table right as two scientists came around.

"This new weapon might be the key to finally finishing the war," said one of the scientists with a slightly hoarse voice. "Only problem we have is mass production of both the shells and the artillery."

"The Fire Nation Capital already has these weapons deployed on four of their twelve Empire-Class War Ships. However, the cost of the shells and increasing their production is more important than producing more howitzers. We can thank the War Minister Qin for helping with the design, but all the thanks should go to General Fushimi's constant work on the project," said the other scientist who had a more nasally voice. "Give it six months and this project will be battlefield-ready."

Both scientists slowly left the table and Percy quickly got out and back into the shadows. He looked around the facility and tried to think of a way to create a distraction. Down at the center of the howitzer platforms in the shadows were fifty howitzer shells. If he caused them to go off… no, that wouldn't do. He needed to create a distraction, not blow himself up in the process.

Percy continued venturing around the brightly lit center of the concrete fortress. Time was running out and he needed to do something before Zuko did something stupid. He was about to give up when he saw a lantern on the other side of the shoe-shaped facility. The lantern was resting over stacked wooden boxes and a lot of hay underneath. Percy slowly made his way into the shadows before seeing a lone crossbow on a metal counter. He picked up the crossbow and a quiver with only ten bolts.

Cranking back the crossbow's bow. He fitted a single bolt onto the crossbow's loading platform. Remembering Annabeth showing him how to fire a crossbow a year earlier. Percy quickly aimed at the lantern. He took a deep breath and upon releasing it in his chest, he fired. The bolt flew and missed the lantern by just a hair. It bounced off the concrete walls.

"Damnit," Percy muttered. He heard a roaring sea of footsteps making their way to his position. Clanking back the crossbow, Percy then fitted another bolt and aimed. "Apollo and Artemis please bless this shot."

The bolt soared in the air and slashed into the lantern causing it to fall and tumble into the wooden stacks of boxes. Percy placed the crossbow where he found it and ran to the shoreline area of the concrete bunker. He turned his head and saw dark black smoke rising and light orange flames appearing out of the corner of his eyes. He then heard shouting and screaming.

"Fire!"

"Sound the Alarms!"

"Protect the howitzers and the shells!"

Percy jumped down onto the center platform. Almost every man in the facility was rushing towards the open flames that were growing bigger by the second. Loud bells sounded around the concrete bunker and all the watch towers were pointing his way. Percy jumped into the dark black ocean and swam quickly out into the sea.

As he swam closer and closer to the ships Fire Nation ships along the shoreline. Hopefully, he caused enough of a distraction for Zuko to accomplish his goals. By the time he got to shore, he was wet and cold. He took off his red demon mask and made his way to Zuko's frigate. He needed to rest.

TuTxTuTxTuTxTuTxTuT

Percy was awakened by Iroh playing the Tsungi horn. He got out of his hammock and made his way to Iroh. He was dressed in the same clothes Zuko gave him just over a week ago. Their ship had set sail in the middle of the night. However, a small cruiser was being pulled into the back hold of Zuko's frigate. As soon as Zuko walked onto the deck. Iroh stopped playing the Tsungi horn. The red jeweled monkey next to him.

"Prince Zuko, where were you? You missed music night, lieutenant Jee sang a stirring love song," Iroh said with his fingers and thumb rubbing together.

"I'm going to bed, no disturbances," Zuko answered while walking past Percy.

Iroh continued playing the Tsungi horn without a care in the world. Percy stared at the closed door confused by what had happened.