Percy was ready to puke in exhaustion.
The captured and conquered city of Omashu was not a small place. Due to where the city was built geologically, most of the infrastructure was constructed vertically with sliding railways that connected the higher parts of the city to the lower. The design and principle of the slide-ways were for the deliverance and transportation of goods up and down the different levels of the city. It, however, was operated by the earth benders, and since the city had been forcefully evacuated in fear of a plague, the slides were empty slides just waiting for an idiot to run up and down them.
Percy had initially found it convenient to use the now unused system as a highway to run along. Its elevated position over the buildings gave him a vantage point to look inside people's windows, checking for any lingering townsman. He had yet to find any person left behind, confirming that everyone had skipped town. Although, more importantly, he had yet to find Tom Tom.
It had been several hours since he first discovered the absence of the toddler. Within the first ten minutes of knowing, he had already sworn a promise to the mother that he would have him back before the sunset. Which led Percy to where he was now, panting and queasy after scouring every inch of the city he could. In the end, the child was not anywhere in the city. Which meant Tom Tom was beyond the walls now, beyond Percy's reach, officially.
He wasn't going to find him before sunset, and he would need more than just himself to face down the resistance. It wasn't like they would just hand over such a prime hostage….
Ding Dong. Ding Dong. Ding Dong.
"What now?" Percy groaned, finding his feet. "This better be important."
The town bell was only under orders to be rung by either the governor himself or if there was an active situation at the bridge into the city. A valid reason for the wall to send for the bell to be rung could range from the resistance coming to knock down the front doors or the arrival of someone important…. Either way, Percy would finally use the slide-ways for their somewhat intended purpose.
It was a shame, though; the top of Omashu was quite beautiful, all things considered. Assuming you ignored the former king and resident old man in a metal cage that hung above everyone from the construction project that was underway. But beautiful all the same as you could watch the sun fade away behind the surrounding mountains.
Percy ducked his head into one of the storerooms of the slide-way. A few stone carts awaited him. Some were full of construction materials for the towering statue of Fire Lord Ozai that was being built at the city's peak. However, he ignored those in favor of an empty one, ready and waiting on the path for him.
He began to push the stone cart towards the edge of the starting track. Beyond it, gravity would take the stone cart all the way to its destination, and by looking at how steep the drop was, Percy had a feeling it was an expressway down to the very bottom.
The stone groaned and grated as it resisted his strength, making him wish he had an earthbender on hand to give him a push-off. Although knowing his luck, the earthbender would try to crush him and then roll his mangled form down the slide as a send-off….
He would much prefer to push it himself, actually.
And so Percy did. Quickly hopping into the stone craft before gravity took it entirely, he began his descent down into the plaza of the town.
The air was quick to stab at him as he accelerated down, and he felt his stomach drop even faster than his ride was as he realized he didn't have a way to slow this thing down. His little ventures running and crawling up and down these highways were a lot safer and more manageable when he had control over his own momentum. It also helped that some had gradual corkscrew descents that were very runner-friendly.
Now, as he was all but plummeting, he could only white knuckle his stone coffin.
Percy passed the highest ring of the city, and the cart slowed slightly for a moment as the path nearly formed a landing. Then, it dropped once more, curving back into a decline. The world threatened to blur as he closed in on the middle rung of the city, where the highest roofs of the lowest level stretched. It was also where the governor lived. However, he still had to descend further to the gates.
And so Percy did, tucking his head into the cart to prevent tears from forming in his eyes from the stabbing winds. He could only let himself ride out the slide-way, powerless to manage his situation as he could not earthbend. The lighting bender plateaued out, not stopping but slowing enough to peak his head up against the wind. However, he wished he hadn't, as he could only watch as he went over the edge and dropped once more.
He was finally entering the lowest ring of the city. Now, he just had to get off safely….
Buildings whipped past him as he watched the ground approach.
His window to not turn into a paste against whatever would stop the cart was closing. Which meant he either was going to have to find a way to slow things down or to find something soft to land on….
He only had two ways he could potentially stop his momentum himself. However, using lightning to detonate his path wouldn't be really helpful. Nor was his tanto going to do a thing. Really, he had no way to stop himself….
Guess he was aiming for the bushes.
Percy shifted to a crouch, getting his feet below him, and took stock of what he was approaching.
Besides the ground and a wall at the end of the tracks, there were quite a few loads of timber along with piles of metal. It made sense; it was being used for the construction above. There was also a selection of grown foods. Yet nothing immediately safe to jump onto, and he was running out of time….
As the slide began to level out to the bottom level, he finally saw it.
He couldn't help but thank the spirits for blessing him with a pile of hay. It felt almost comical how convenient it was, but he would take it all the same.
The wall was approaching.
Percy bailed.
A second later, there was a crash as the now empty cart slammed into another cart that had been lying in wait at the bottom. What was left then slammed into the wall, turning stone to rubble.
Percy wobbled out of the hay, brushing off any hay that collected upon him. A cabbage rolled to a stop at his foot. His eyes traced it back to where it had come from. It would seem that the cart he slammed his own into had been filled with cabbages, likely to be taken to the mid-level to the restaurants that littered it.
Oh, well. He had more pressing matters to attend to than worrying about cabbage. It is not like anyone actually cared about cabbage anyway…. With that in mind, Percy allowed his body to adjust to walking again and not plummeting as he began to walk toward the plaza.
He passed the silent and dark houses of the now abandoned city, and a shiver went down his spine. It felt wrong. For the entire time he had been here protecting Mai and her family, any time he had escorted them through the lower ring, it had always been loud and a flutter of people in motion. To see the stillness now… it was unnatural. No vendor shouted about pottery made from Ba Sing Se, nor was there a peep from people whispering behind his back about the nation he represented.
The only people still left in Omashu were him and the rest of the Fire Nation occupation. So, for whatever reason, did they have to ring the bell?
"Look, Michi, there's the boy now!" the governor said, pointing at Percy. "Go bother him while someone gets me a damn bird."
Percy didn't even have a moment to look at the scene before Mai's mother came rushing over, her daughter in tow, "Did you find him? Please tell me you found him."
Percy shook his head, "I'm sorry."
Mai's mother sniffed, her hands coming to her face, hiding tears as she nodded, "Thank you for looking."
"It was the least I could do," Percy whispered, taking the woman into his arms.
Was it very improper of him to do this? Yes. Was it going to get him thrown off the security team? Not impossible. Did the sorrowful mother need the comfort? Very much so, and Percy didn't hesitate to whisper to her that things would be okay. He always hated seeing the woman in his life cry….
Percy glanced at her husband, a man too busy with formality to see his distressed wife. Lord Ukano was a poor husband, a poor father, and a poor governor.
"it's going to be okay, Lady Michi," he tried. "The Earth Kingdom is a stubborn and noble people. They would not do anything to Tom Tom. I know I said he would be back in your arms tonight, but it looks like your husband is planning something else. So, let me just get an idea of what's going on, and then I will hunt down where they fled to myself."
"Thank you, my boy," she whispered into his armor.
He pulled away, meeting her eye, and nodded. "I got this," he told her just as much as reassured himself.
"I know you do. You've always been capable, even when you were younger and being dragged around by little Ty Lee."
Percy smiled, blushing, "Let me talk with your husband, and I'll be right back."
She let him go but quickly latched on to her daughter. Mai embraced her mother, wrapping her arms around the older woman's back. However, the daughter met Percy's gaze and discreetly pulled up one of her sleeves, showcasing one of her many knives.
Percy shook his head.
While her silent offer could've been mistaken as a threat of bodily harm, he knew the girl better. Her silent offer to join him on his mission to track down her little brother was too much. He didn't need to put both children of the family he was protecting in danger in one night.
With that, Percy made his way to the governor, who had just released a messenger hawk into the growing night sky.
"Sir," Percy bowed his head, waiting for an acknowledgment.
"Ahh, Perseus! You've arrived."
"I came as soon as I heard the bell. What has happened, sir?"
"Ah, I have sent a missive to the resistance asking for the child back. I have offered to give them their king back in exchange," he boasted, his hands on his hips while his chest puffed out as if he just delivered the greatest news in the world.
Percy paused, chewing on the words he had heard, "The king?"
"Yes! I imagine they took that which was dearest to my wife for that very reason. And we all know how much the women in the family can nag. By Agni, I will not put up with her sobbing for an hour more than I have to."
Percy frowned but quickly hid it. "Sir, are you sure?"
"What other solution was there?"
"You could've sent a capable force to sneak into their camp and take the child back."
"But they could have the plague!"
"But they don't." Percy tried to reason, his frown returning. "That was more than likely a lie to get out of the city. That and create an opening to take your son as a hostage while everyone was busy trying to control the masses."
"By Agni! The child likely has the plague by now, too!" the man continued, wrapped up in his delusions.
Percy clenched his fist, annoyed. "I assure you, sir, he won't."
"We need to send another hawk. Cancel the deal! That child will kill us all!"
"Governor Ukano!" Percy snapped, forcing the man's attention away from his thoughts. "You are getting your son back. Plague or not, he will be in your wife's arms by tomorrow night. Do not cancel the deal. It isn't a great deal, but I will handle it when the time comes. Things will be fine, sir."
"But what about—"
"Sir, I will worry about these things. Tonight, you should comfort your wife. Be kind and help her through her worries and tears, like a good husband."
"Are you sure?" the governor asked, glancing at his wife, who was wrapped around their daughter.
Percy followed his gaze.
Mai looked over and done with the emotions on display, but he could see the truth in her eyes. She cared all the same about her little brother and distraught mother. She wouldn't say it, but he could see it in the way she held her mother firm.
Percy turned back to Mai's father. "Yessir. I am sure."
"Then I leave the city of Omashu in your hands, Perseus. Get back its lost son."
:P LINE BREAK d:
Did Percy ever expect himself to get appointed as acting governor? No, no, he didn't. That wasn't even what he meant when he said he would handle things either….
He didn't know the first thing about running a city and its people—err, what was left of the people. He was trained to bend lightning and to fight, which came second nature to him. He was taught to be polite to arrogant lords, no matter how much he didn't want to be. Mai's father provided him ample refinement. On top of all that, he was an adopted bastard that the world naturally looked down upon. No matter how high he climbed in society, he wasn't someone the people would want to follow.
Not even his fellow guards, the only members of the city under his newfound jurisdiction, cared about who or what he was. Shiny and his lot were fine taking the night off with the governor. After all, there were no people in town to patrol and ensure they weren't acting up.
So, Percy stood alone, looking over a map of the surrounding mountains and valleys. His eyes raked across the markings that indicated where the nearby farmers lived and, from there, where the nearest town was. The resistance was somewhere in between Omashu and there.
While a lone traveler or a small group could've made the distance in less time than it took for the sun to set and rise, a mass exodus would be a slower journey. That and many of those caught up in the escape would probably want to linger close to home, just in case.
If he could grab an ostrich-horse, he could probably catch up to the group before the sun rose. Although, he was feeling pretty tired after physically running up and down the city. If he were to chase them down, he would have to be stealthy to compensate for his exhaustion. Then, if he were to be noticed, there would be no way he could win a fight one on ten or however many there were.
There would also be guards in the same room as Tom Tom that Percy would have to silently take down simultaneously. They wouldn't risk letting the little toddler choke on a rock or something. A dead hostage was useless for ransom, after all.
Or, there was waiting for the morning and actually going through with the hostage exchange at noon like the governor had planned. Assuming the resistance was willing to trade for only the king…. They took a kid so they could likely push for more, relying on a parent's love to propel them into a higher standing for trading….
Either way, it was risky.
Life would be much simpler if the citizens of Omashu hadn't been let out of the city. A missing child in a lockdown meant that he could at least go door to door, house by house, and find Tom Tom, but with them beyond the walls… there was no guarantee they even went to the next town over. The earthbenders could've built a new settlement on the side of a mountain in mere moments.
Governor Ukano didn't leave Percy in a great position here….
The door opened behind Percy, and he already knew who was there without sparing her a glance.
He listened as her footfall came closer, but he still did not turn to greet her. Instead, he kept his eyes on the map, praying that an answer to all of his problems would appear. He was getting desperate but not so desperate to willingly hand over a king, a formidable earthbender, who hung imprisoned above the city hundreds of meters removed from the nearest pebble.
She approached closer. Her hand ghosted his hair before she pulled away. "You still have hay in your hair."
"What?" he mumbled, glancing back.
Mai stood there, draped in her usual red robes, but in her outstretched hand was a piece of hay. The very same hay he had jumped into earlier. Had it been in his hair all day, and no one spoke up?
"You had hay in your hair earlier," she drawled, sounding like she was bored of the conversation already.
"I didn't even realize."
"Obviously," she monotoned, flicking the single grain effortlessly out an open window. "Probably felt at home with that mess of hair you have. You should've worn a helmet today. You'd have less hay hair."
Percy reached up to his hair self-consciously, "It's not that bad, is it?"
"A bird's nest."
"I'd argue windswept."
She reached up and tousled his hair, rearranging it, "There is a reason I won't speak to my father about letting you not wear a helmet." She pulled her hand away, a broken piece of hay between her fingers. "Then everyone would see you have hay for brains."
"There are worse things to have for a brain," he smiled.
"If you say so." She flicked that piece of hay into the open air as well. An indifferent mask sat upon her face as she glanced around the governor's meeting room. Her eyes lingered on the empty spots about the room, including the table's head.
Usually, the room would be filled in a time like now. The governor would be perched at the head of the table, staring over the map as his advisors and followers would fill in the gaps around the rest of the table. However, it was just Percy.
"Before you ask," Percy started, "I don't know where the resistance could be. There are too many possibilities for me alone to check."
Mai nodded, her hand trailing the edge of the table as she walked around it, approaching her father's usual spot, "None of father's men are here helping?"
"They took me telling your father that I would handle things as permission to take the night off. Didn't matter how much I tried to tell them otherwise. They respect Shiny more than me."
"Shiny?" she looked up at him.
"Your father's officer, the one with the full armor and get up. The one that entered when you took me to your father at the news of the outbreak. His armor is without a scratch and clean. Hence, Shiny."
She nodded, her eyes drifting back to the map, "None of them listen to you?"
"I'm not part of the city garrison or the army. To them, I'm just you and your mother's guard."
Mai glanced up, meeting his eye, "Well, you are."
"And you have more knives in your robe than the Fire Lord's kitchen."
"They have me beat, actually. I lost one the other day, so they have one over me."
Percy let loose a small laugh. "We'll have to correct that soon, eh?"
"Tomorrow, maybe." She shrugged. "I want to be there for the negotiations."
"And if they try to use it as a trap?"
"You're you. I am me."
"So true." Percy smiled, and Mai gave a slight uptick of her own lips.
It was the closest thing he would get to a genuine smile from her, but he treasured the uncommon moment all the same.
He coughed into his hand, refocusing, "So, noon tomorrow, your father told them to meet at the top of the town, beneath the construction and where the old king is suspended. We'll be on wooden platforms, so they won't be able to bend the ground below us. Not to say they won't be armed, though."
"And the city's garrison? They are to allow the resistance into the city through the front door?"
Percy shrugged, "If that's how they come in, then yes. However, since they are earthbenders and have avoided the searches for them since your father took control of the city, I imagine they'll be around without us even knowing."
"You think they would strike tonight?"
Percy shook his head, "No. They hold power over your father. They'll milk that for what it's worth before they use any other advantage they have."
Mai nodded, processing her words as she sauntered close to Percy, "What makes you so sure?"
He turned to face her, his hip resting against the table, "It's what I would do."
"Ahh, yes. Perseus, the security guard with all the experience," she deadpanned, rolling her eyes.
"Well, it is what Princess Azula would do."
That cooled Mai down.
Her eyes averted away, and he felt his heart sting momentarily.
The Princess of the Fire Nation was a touchy subject. It was an inescapable gap between Percy and Mai, where Azula sat in their lives, or rather, where she forced herself in. After all, the bender of blue flames was very controlling to everyone, especially those she called closest. With her will to control came Percy's clashing against it, wanting everyone to go with their own flow without feeling pressured.
Yet, Mai was faithful to those she cared about and stuck by Azula's side. Even when Zuko and Percy ranted about Azula being a bully, Mai was the first to hit them over the head and tell them to be quiet. She still would silence him to this day when he would bemoan about the girl a year his junior.
"She is the princess and our friend," Mai would reiterate. "Silence would save us all time."
Percy never understood why she defended her so much. Her claims of "noble family affairs" went over his head. However, he still remembered the first time he was introduced to the Mai and how she was goaded into placing an apple on her head for Azula's entertainment.
Percy would never forget that day, not because it was the first time he met Ty Lee's friends, who would soon become his own, but because of Azula's idiocy and how willingly she endangered her friends.
It took everything in his power that day not to push Azula into the fountain and watch her flail in shock and for her to be the one with fear in her eyes. It would've probably been the first time someone outside her now late mother would've done something about the girl's behavior.
Yet, despite all of Azula's shortcomings as a person, Percy knew she was cunning like no other. She was ruthless for all the wrong reasons. She was the perfect person to understand how to fight against underhand techniques because she had already thought of them herself.
So that was how Percy knew what the resistance members of Omashu would do. They would act like Azula. They already had by stealing a child….
Now, it was only a matter of how much lower they would let themselves go to take back their city.
What would be their first strike after they had their king? Could he even stop the trade from happening and still manage to get Tom Tom home? Mai's mother was counting on him.
Percy sighed, his head dropping as his chin rested over his chest.
Tomorrow would be a long day….
"You should get some rest," Mai spoke, her hand finding purchase on his shoulder. "Take a long bath, and save your energy for tomorrow."
"Yeah," he mumbled.
"Want me to help you out of your armor?" she asked, already undoing a strap.
He placed his hand over hers, stopping her from finishing her work.
She looked up, meeting his softening gaze.
"Thank you," he whispered, pulling away his hand from hers as he set about going for a different buckle and strap.
She didn't say a word, nor did he, as they finished loosening his armor. It was now only a matter of pulling it off, which he would wait to do in privacy before getting into the water.
However, Mai had other plans. She took his head, dragging him towards where the bath awaited. Entering the room, she dismissed the attendant waiting inside.
Percy quietly watched, too tired to protest, as Mai began to fill the tub. She turned back to him, her hands meeting over her navel, causing her robe sleeves to drape down.
He waited for her to say something, to do something, but they just held each other's gaze.
Unsure how to continue, Percy blushed, turning away first. He quickly busied himself with taking his blade off his back, and when Mai came to help, he panicked.
"I got this from here," he quickly said. "You can go to your bed now. I'll come get you before I do anything in the morning."
She had frozen herself, an uncharacteristic hesitance in her posture. Then it passed, and Percy saw the façade come back in full.
She nodded, not saying a word, and left him.
:P LINE BREAK d:
Morning came, and with the growing light came horrors beyond anything Percy could have ever dreamed.
The ringing of the city bell had him out of bed, tanto in hand, checking the house to ensure no one else had disappeared in the night. When his head count came true to its total, he turned to the governor, who looked just as confused as Percy felt.
Percy quickly dashed back to his room and donned his armor, struggling with one or two straps along the way but managing all the same.
Only then, after he had taken count and dawned his outfit, did the rest of the family's security arrive. Percy, not wanting to waste time, handed the family off to the guards as he raced down the streets and steps to where the worst and best thing that could have happened happened.
"Little brother!" Ty Lee shouted, somersaulting into him, her body latching around him like a sloth-cat wrapped their arms around a tree. He easily caught the smaller girl, one arm wrapping around her in a pseudo hug.
However, what really caught his eye was the companion to his sister….
Her armor was spotless, shining in the morning rays. Her hair was flawlessly addressed, not a misplaced fray, unlike his unruly mop. Her golden eyes met his glare, and he felt an unnerving chill enter his bones.
"Oh look, I was right. The bastard was the first to greet us. A shame," Princess Azula deadpanned, picking at her flawless nails from atop a royal palanquin.
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-Manke