A/N: Thank you all for your patience with this story! It is still coming, albeit a lot slower than maybe you and definitely I would like. I hope you enjoy this chapter and stick around for what's to come. I've definitely got a lot planned. As always, let me know what you think, all your reviews are greatly appreciated. The more complex, the more fun.

Word Count: 3941

26. Misery and Escaping a Volcano (Because They Always Go So Well For Me)

Blood dripped down her father's hand.

Azula looked between Percy and Ozai. She had seen how swift and powerful Percy was before, but it proved to her that he was never really trying when they fought.

The firebender's hand ghosted up to his own shoulder before he purposefully moved it back to his side.

Hide all weakness.

"ATTACK HIM!" He bellowed out to the troops.

The bronze whirlwind spun forward as her father desperately tried to back away. To Azula's eyes, trying to keep up with the waterbender, it was all Ozai could do to avoid the sword that swung perilously above his ducking head. Percy's storm circled the Fire Lord. His gleaming blade sliced and hacked as his opponent spent all his concentration on avoiding the metal that came at his throat. The princess saw Ozai's hair, already slightly dishevelled from whatever had happened underground, fall even further away from his royal pin.

With yet another blast of fire, her father landed right in front of her.

He retreated…?

His clothes stripped to ribbons. The Fire Nation red disguised the blood that flowed freely from every chink in his armour. With every second, more deep red liquid splashed to the ground.

Azula could see past the storm at the war balloons that flanked the retreating invasion force, but occasionally, one would fall from the sky. The aerial warships that had moved into position around the area pushed forward at the lone waterbender. Just one boy in the middle of maelstrom he was in complete control of.

More Fire Nation soldiers surrounded Percy though. They created a cage of firebenders and soldiers, each rank with more than the last. Every bender took up a stance and punched their fists towards him. Azula had no doubt, even with fire being blasted at him from all sides, that he could've easily escaped their cage.

His miniature hurricane exploded into flames.

But it didn't waver.

"You're scared!" His voice yelled from within the firestorm.

Within a few seconds, the fire dissipated to leave just the winds again. Percy was untouched and only looked angrier through the swirling tendrils of air. The creak of the metal above indicated to them all that the ships had moved above him. A near-silent whistle sounded at their newly visible target.

The first deafening explosion sounded from behind them. Hakoda looked over his shoulder right after the Avatar landed with his glider. They were protected from the balloons' bombs by Toph and the other earthbenders, with Aang and Katara helping take some of them down, but none of those could compare with what was happening within the crater of the volcano.

Explosions. Red, loud and large.

Their army had some of the wounded soldiers held between people, with limbs dragging along the ground behind them. The pained groans were almost like white noise while they were being chased back down the mountain path.

No soldier left behind.

Around him stood the rest of the Avatar's group and Bato. They all had turned worriedly towards the noise.

"I've got to go help him." The airbender stated, tapping his staff to the ground to extend its wings.

"Aang." Hakoda started.

"No, it's my responsibility. I need to-"

"Aang." Hakoda interrupted. "You're our only defence from the balloons with Appa. The troops need you."

He turned to Katara and Sokka.

"Kids, give me a lift to the top of the trail. I'll bring Percy back with me."

Toph angled some more earth above them as a smaller explosion rang just over their heads.

"Then you all get down to the shore and to the boats. They haven't managed to get there yet, but we need to get there first. Bato," he turned to his second-in-command, "get my kids out of here."

He spoke to his friend with only whispers, before being helped onto Appa's back. They all took off into the air, while Aang circled around the sky bison before breaking off to engage with the balloons once more. Appa moved up the side of the volcano, over the increasingly more organised troops that rallied towards their escaping forces.

Hakoda was looking for a place for them to set him down as they came over the crest of the volcano when he saw a familiar feathered friend.

"Set me down right there!" He called out over the winds to his two kids.

They nodded and Appa moved smoothly into his descent. He looked at his children with such pride. They'd grown so much, and with little thanks to himself. Hakoda had hated every day he'd spent away from them, but he thought they were understanding more and more why he felt he had to.

As the sky bison landed, he dropped off the side and looked back up to them.

"Get out of here and get safe."

"We won't leave this island without you dad." Katara called back firmly.

Hakoda just smiled.

"You'll leave as soon as you can."

He patted Appa's flank, who took off back towards the rest of their group. The Water Tribe Chief watched them, hoping they'd heed his request.

As he turned around, a neighing squawk indicated exactly who he was planning on asking for help.

"Now, I know, that for some reason or another, you don't seem to like me." He said.

I'm not going crazy. Percy was talking to this ostrich horse like she could understand him… and it seemed like she was responding.

As if to confirm just that, the ostrich horse snorted in an 'of course I do' type of way.

"But" he continued, hoping she'd listen, "I'm going to see if I can save Percy and get him out of here with the rest of them."

The animal seemed to straighten, serious about his words.

Maybe I'm not going crazy.

Slowly, and with just about as much distain as possible, Siosi lowered herself to him. He patted her neck as he jumped up onto her back. The armour dug uncomfortably into his thighs and groin, but he'd never ridden anything like her before.

"Thank you." He replied to the gesture appreciatively. "Now let's go get him."

Percy just managed to divert the first bomb away from him in time. It embedded itself in a building just to his side as it went off, shrouding the whole area around him in smoke. He pulled his patched-up Camp Half-Blood t-shirt over his mouth to avoid breathing in too much of what surrounded him, but it wasn't the end of the world as the winds pulled apart the smoke quickly.

Unfortunately, with him being thrown off balance, his personal storm had petered out. The storm around the capital remained. The demigod figured it was connected to his emotions, and he was close to as angry as he'd ever been.

He looked up through the hair that fell over his eyes to where Ozai still stood. The man still held his arm in a way that Percy knew meant he couldn't fight all that much, but his face was a perfect, aggravating mask.

The demigod focused a little more to hear a couple more bombs falling his way. His eyes swung into the skies as he elongated another of his ice spears. He threw it upwards, detonating the bombs and puncturing the side of its airship with the fragments of ice that remained. The metal hull screeched but didn't give way as it swung away to prepare for another bombing run, letting two more take its place.

It was then when Percy saw the soldiers surrounding his square begin to regain their footing for yet another attack. He wasn't tired, but he knew his limits. He could only do so much against the overwhelming forces that encircled him more by the second.

What I wouldn't give to have someone covering my back again.

His eyes were drawn past the source of his anger. Those same golden eyes as her father's seemed to have so much more depth than others he'd come across with that colour. Gold had encased the icy blue pain of Castellan. In her father's face, they carried that same evil. But in hers, there was a brutal, deep struggle. The conflict in them wasn't lost on him, but it wasn't enough. She still stood behind him. That very same man that moved to block his eyeline to her.

Whether intentional or not, it sparked in Percy a renewed fury that almost turned his brain white. It wasn't a new sensation to him, but he'd had a much greater control of it since he was a kid. Even still, in that square, facing… it. He was almost lost to the blinding anger again.

I can see why she thinks him a monster. Or, at least, could see herself as one because of him. But he can die, just like every other mortal.

He was going to be overwhelmed, he knew that too. Some part in the back of his mind wondered if this was how Thalia felt on top of Half-Blood Hill. But he could at least push the conflict towards an inevitable end, giving his own end a final purpose. He pulled the last remains of water into an igloo-like structure around him, ice a few feet thick, with a doorway tunnelling his vision to Ozai.

The blood pumping out of the man's shoulder looked to him as though it were the embodiment of the wincing of a scared little girl, trying to do anything to please her father. A burning hand scarring her emotionally battered figure. His bleeding shoulder was so visceral he could almost touch it. An open doorway to the rest of the inside of him. Bombs kept landing above his head but none of it affected him. They were merely cracks in his structure that ceased to be important.

Azula's terrified face overlayed her father's.

Percy extended his hand out to him, feeling the unbridled power coursing through his own veins. Blood on blood. He could do whatever he wanted…

Pull it out, dance it to his whims, suffocate it away from where it was necessary.

His hand clenched.

They remained clenched for mere seconds.

And he thought, that just maybe, he saw a little fear enter the disgusting golden eyes that faced him.

The moment expanded, stretching until they were no longer seconds to him. It left the demigod nothing to do but remember.

It felt like there was poison seeping out of his fingertips. To Percy, sickly greens and purples entrapped the Fire Lord, slowly strangling him. He wanted to watch him drown in his own pain.

His own misery.

The muscles in his fingers released their tension.

He couldn't.

His hands dropped to his sides as yet another barrage fell upon his enclave of ice. Cracks began to grow in it, though he didn't particularly care.

Percy let out a pained scream that echoed around him.

Why can't I do it?

The smiling faces of Sally and Annabeth were all that came to his mind. He'd made it through with them before, doing it their way, understanding who he wanted to be in their image. With their inspiration, he couldn't tarnish that. Not for anything.

I won't go back there. Not into those depths. He deserves to die, but I can't do it like that.

He looked down at his sword, dripping with blood.

I'll just have to do it the old-fashioned way.

"Percy!"

The winds brought a voice to him through the chaos outside of his ice.

All Hakoda could see was some structure that looked like it was taken almost directly from the Southern Water Tribe. He was momentarily curious how Percy knew of such buildings, but the thought passed almost immediately with their need to escape.

"Percy!" He yelled out again.

Sitting atop the ostrich horse, he was surprised he'd gotten as far as he had without much interference, but he had found out why when coming across the square.

Ringing the circle of ice were pretty much all the Fire Nation soldiers that you'd expect to be fighting a whole army. Calling out to the young man had drawn some of their attention, the ones nearer to the Water Tribe chief at least. But the rest seemed bent on ending the threat that was Percy.

Hakoda heard cracking in front, before an explosion of ice billowed out from its epicentre. Shards shot like missiles around the encroaching soldiers. Many hit bodies, but Hakoda didn't really have any time to think about how it had all happened.

Standing in the middle of it all, entirely unharmed, was the waterbender. A squawk was all the warning he was given before his mount leapt forward. Holding his arm down to the side, Percy grasped onto his forearm and pulled himself up behind him.

"You should be getting everyone out of here." He yelled at the chief over the noise of the incoming airships.

Hakoda was almost at a loss for words. That wasn't the typical response to being saved, but the man behind him didn't do anything typically.

"I can't leave you behind too. And you're our best chance when we get out into the water." He called back over the winds that blew past both of them.

He couldn't see behind him, but he assumed Percy had a look of exasperation on his face. It seemed appropriate with everything he knew about the boy.

A faint whistling sound caught his attention, and it seemed the waterbender knew what it was a split second before he did.

"Dive!" He yelled, throwing his weight off to the left while holding his hand out to the right.

Before Hakoda could even begin to react to what he'd said, he was pulled off with Percy. As fast as he'd been thrown, he also felt the coolness of ice appear in a thin sheet next to them.

That was all before the bomb exploded.

Hakoda was lifted clear of the two bodies around him. He thought he was going to black out, but the pain of crunching against the side of a building kept him awake. The ice seemed to have dissipated any flames that would've affected them, but it had done only just enough for the force of the explosion.

His heavy eye lids opened to see Percy and Afosiosi sprawled on the ground, thankfully away from the structure he'd hit. With just a quick look around, Hakoda could tell that he'd been thrown inside a building. The other two lifted themselves up faster than he could, and he was about to tell them to get out of there, when a second whistling sound crashed into his eardrums. The Water Tribe Chief's eyes squeezed shut as he heard it break through the roof.

Percy heard the second explosion rattle around him, but he didn't know where it had landed. It wasn't near him or Siosi, but he couldn't see where Hakoda had gone. Dust and rubble surrounded them as he searched for the man. He knew once it had settled, the airships would return with more, so he looked desperately for Hakoda.

A wind blew through, exposing the destroyed façade of a building. In the sudden quietude of the moment, he heard a groan emanating from inside it.

"Hakoda?!" He yelled.

"Percy." Came the coughed reply.

It seemed that multiple layers of fallen walls and rubble lay in between the two of them.

"Hold on, I'll get you out."

How can I get him out without it collapsing in on itself.

"No." he said, sounding a little bit stronger. "You need to help my kids. I need to know-"

A fit of coughing interrupted his words.

Percy heard the thumping of the airships overhead. A quick glance told him that while two were circling back to focus on them, the rest had broken off to follow the troops down to the beach. He didn't think they'd have the time, nor the firepower, to fend of the attacks all the way out into the bay.

"I need to know they made it out of this alive. I want them to live to experience a world better than this."

Percy stood, unwilling to just leave him.

"Please!"

The demigod let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'll get them out Hakoda. I'll get them all out." He promised. "Just stay alive for them, will you?"

"Yeah, I'll do that." The older man replied, though Percy could tell he didn't entirely believe that he could.

Aang landed next to their troops once again. Their ground forces were almost completely overwhelmed already, but he'd seen the bigger balloons coming over the rim of the volcano.

I need to do more.

He once again hated himself for the fact that the Avatar State seemed to be lost to him. It had saved him and so many more before, he felt so useless without it to fall back on.

All these brave people need me.

"Aang." Katara spoke up from next to him, having landed Appa at the same time. "Just focus."

She looked into his eyes, and he could tell she knew exactly where his mind had gone. His face straightened up again, before looking to the skies. He nodded back to his friend.

"Alright, we need to keep helping everyone get to the shore."

The army had managed to push their way to the edge of the harbour city. Most of the water had receded by this point, but a thin layer still drew itself back towards the ocean.

Katara ran up to the front and began pulling water to herself, helping Sokka protect the tanks that were punching a hole in their recuperating defences.

However, the aerial problem still remained. They couldn't fight off all the Fire Nation's warships. Aang popped his wings open on his not-so-new glider and was about to jump into the air, before Toph yelled.

"Percy!"

The Avatar turned to the trail leading up the volcano to see, off in the very distance, an ostrich horse riding its way down towards them.

"Hakoda got him out." Aang said to himself, relieved.

Upon looking closer, the airbender could only see a lone figure atop the armoured animal. The height and build both gave away who was riding it. It seemed that Katara had figured out exactly that as well.

"Where's our dad?!" She asked worriedly, as soon as the waterbender found his way to them.

Percy's head dropped, though he quickly began speaking.

"He got trapped under a building of rubble. He was still alive when he told me to leave, but I couldn't get him out quick enough."

Almost immediately, Katara's teary eyes looked determinedly up the volcano.

"I'm going to get him."

"No, Katara. We need your help getting out of here." Percy said, solemnly. "And if he hasn't already been captured, going back up there would end with everyone getting captured, or worse."

Behind them, the tanks kept pushing through the destroyed buildings and walls of harbour city. Catapults began to rain on them once more with the rejuvenated defences along the mountain trail and the surrounding city defences returning to their posts. Percy seamlessly raised the layer of groundwater behind him to halt most of the projectiles heading their way. All the heavier weaponry along the slipway were unusable, but the longer they waited, the more of a chance the Fire Nation had to galvanise their forces.

"He's right." Aang said. "We need to get to the ships."

Katara looked like she wanted to fight him on it, but quickly resigned to it. Sokka had already hardened his expression and turned to the rest of their troops.

"Alright." Percy said. "We push to the water."

As he spoke, the first of the airships trundled over their army's position. The Avatar looked up worriedly, before flicking his staff open and flying off into the air. He heard Katara on Appa following him.

Anything will help.

Percy looked past their tanks to the shore to see the swampbenders doing an admirable, but nearly futile, job of defending the ships. He figured they didn't have much more than a few minutes before the subs, the army and himself would be overwhelmed.

He went to extend more spire-like constructions of ice at the hulls before he saw more bombs falling from the sky. Instead, his hand shot out and pulled ice into a shell over the more vulnerable soldiers.

Just… need to get to the sea.

He didn't realise how much effort he'd been expending throughout the battle, but it had slowly drained him.

They were partially down the slipway when he next needed to deflect some more explosions. Toph, in front of him, pulled some of the broken earth up into a similar shell-like formation that gave the rest of the troops another reprieve from the bombardment.

Even with the water level continuing to rise, their slog to the ships was steady. But for Percy, with every step, he felt the energy flow through his system. His shielding of the army from the airships became stronger and more solid, leaving Toph to focus more on the barrage from their catapults.

The demigod was thankful that, when they eventually made it, most of them were trained soldiers. It was a hasty but organised disembarking of the submarines from the shore. He leapt onto the boat atop Siosi and pushed off himself as the last of underwater vessels made their way out of the Fire Nation harbour. Using his own godly propulsion, the airships soon started to trail behind.

Percy felt the bow of his Water Tribe vessel rise into the air as the waterbenders all helped their own subs towards the four stationary vessels the other side of the Azulon statue. The wall of fire and chain link fence hung limply at either side of the entry to the bay. Not only were there significant cracks in the stone but the foundations of the defences had taken its share of the beating from the son of Poseidon's wave.

Above him flew Aang, Katara and Appa, ahead of the chasing Fire Nation. They descended quickly, landing on his ship's deck. They all stayed relatively quiet. With the demigod helping pull the subs at a faster speed than what the waterbenders could, they passed the gates while remaining ahead of the pursuing airships. Percy felt the subs rise to near the surface, evading the broken chains and pushing towards their respective ships.

The army's progress only marginally hindered by their return to the Water Tribe vessels, they soon were making their way past more volcanic islands. Wordlessly, the sails were lifted, and a cover of mist rose around them.

The sombre silence remained as Percy moved into the room they used for strategic meetings. He looked solemnly at his Earth Kingdom satchel that lay in the corner of the room. It had fallen on the floor and the contents threatened to spill out. He didn't have the energy to hide it.

Bato, the rest of his young friends and some of the oldest members of their invading force trickled into the silent room. Hakoda's presence left a hollow gouge in the room that the demigod stood straighter to fill. It seemed his two kids were seconds away from breaking down, understandably.

He moved to the table, opening his mouth to say something. But it all just hit him. The anger that had fuelled him was replaced by sadness and disappointment.

They lost.

A/N: So there we have it. We've completed the invasion arc. I hope you all liked reading it. As always, let me know what you all thought! I will say here, I'm always open for PMs to talk about this story. It's always fun to talk to people who are just as into these fandoms as I am. Now for some review replies:

Junky: This is not for you, as I already respect and heard out your opinion, but for anyone thinking similarly. The line about them was not a direct comparison. More an understanding and Percy relating to the effect his negligent parental figure had to how it has affected Azula. I do also think people tend to be very lenient on Poseidon, when the whole original series' "thesis" (if you were to call it that) was that all the gods were bad parents.

HaywireEagle: Ahhhh dumb and dumber reference. Excellently used

jugalnaik10: That's awesome! I do hope you got better from your fever though. That being said "I would like to RAAAAGE!"

Xedornox: I'm glad you do! I do think its interesting. I definitely have plans on how it could potentially come up in the future, but for now, you're right. It can be waived away by him boasting of his abilities but also, any talking of that moment would be squashed. Only the Fire Nation army, Ozai and Azula would've really heard him in that moment, and I doubt Ozai would want it to be brought up a lot. But its definitely food for thought.

Sons of death: That is a fascinating question. One that I have the answer to but I hope you enjoy it!

DragonHighElder: It's great you're liking it so much! It means a lot! Your version of events is pretty accurate, I can't lie haha. But yeah, "gloves-off" Percy, if you will, is so fun to write and try to make epic. I'm glad some of that is coming through in my writing.

WildMan98: Life definitely does get hectic. Keeping up with writing this story is tough. Especially during this time of year. I'm glad you found time to though and are still enjoying it! Yeah, the dialogue is tough. I might go back and change it if I get a better idea, but I'm not sure. Maybe it'll grow on me, but for now, I do like it enough to keep it. I hope you keep loving it!

Jctherebel/HellRaiderS/fallyear1/Death Fury/Vosck: I'm glad you're all enjoying it! I hope that continues and it's just as enjoyable!

Tarelectro: That he did. Just laid on a plater for him

Trol la la lol: That's awesome! Having people react like that to my writing is just one of the best things! It's interesting that you bring up his inhuman-ness. I have a bunch of ideas rattling around for this story, though it'll definitely be brought up. Everything that does though, will be for story or character reasons, otherwise (to me) there is very little point. I have some ideas for potential one-shots but they'd have to be meaningful. Those Mycenaean stories sound great though, what are they?

Deeznuggets2121: Yeah, that was exactly my thoughts too. I was dreading writing it as I don't like when Percy gets very boastful, it feels so out of character for me. But, my work around is always adding reasons he would say things like that (distractions for his friends + getting under Ozai's skin). I'm curious if you were right on what was going to happen, I'm open to PMs if you don't want to spoil others.

Guest: I completely understand that reaction. I absolutely agree that having Percy captured again would be frustrating and redundant. Having Ozai run would feel good and reaffirm Percy's words and be logical, but there are a number of reasons why I didn't go that route. I can definitely go into further detail and there are many, but the main one is a character reason for pretty much all the main characters in this story. Instead, I hope you like the way I've written it. To me, Percy's words are still absolutely affirmed in more than just his eyes.

PenandPaperless: Well... he got close. I understand why you might've wanted him dead (I do too), but there is a limit to Percy, and the most interesting parts of writing this is where I can find his limits. I hope you enjoy what I do with the story, including whatever pairing it might end up as.

Shahryar: Percy as the god-killer Kratos seems like an incredibly apt comparison.

CRUDEN: I can only imagine what was going through their minds haha

ScarletEmperor: This is in response to all three of your comments, they're awesome and thank you!
Your vote for the pairing is heard (but respectfully disregarded due to my already set in motion plan). But in all seriousness, I do hope you enjoy what I do with that aspect of the story. His relationship with Ty Lee is absolutely not going to be ignored, and all the relationships will have their natural progressions and destinations with their impact on the story. You're absolutely right, in the same way that Zuko not only had to emotionally open up to Iroh, but the whole Gaang and Mai as well for his character arc to feel as impactful as it was. I know this review comes in chapter 8 so you would've seen a lot of that beginning to flourish in the story. As with everything, I'm sticking to my vision until I am completely convinced there is a better way to tell the story.
I completely agree. Not only does the badassery often get dull or repetitive, it misses so much of what made Percy my favourite character for the best part of 2 decades. I'm glad it's coming across for you too! That's awesome and it seems you have a similar understanding! Your compliments are very generous and mean a lot! I've definitely gone very deep into the character and story of both source materials (potentially too much) and I try to make every single thing of the story relate back to one or preferably both aspects of it. It's awesome to see more people finding it on AO3.
Luckily for you, you didn't have to wait too long for another chapter, but I hope you enjoy it! Your descriptions are exceptional of the current state of affairs in the story though. Hahaha that might've been too soon, however that recognition from Azula is also warming for me too! You're absolutely true on the Ty Lee aspect of this story. And you've picked up on a fun arc of the story very quickly, although I won't take kudos for that just yet. That's awesome you've read that much from the writing, and the POV part is absolutely important. I do hope you continue to enjoy and your confidence is appreciated! But we've only just seen the beginning of the fires that need dousing (damn this was long, but your comments deserved such a reply :))

ultoriousflama: Ahhhh yeah, chapter 7 does indeed. As do a few others.

Bob: This has to be one of the more niche and nit-picky reviews I've gotten. I completely understand what you're saying, but when it comes to those aspects of the story, it's not all that important. As you said, it would edit minor details. Honestly, I don't think many either. His understanding of history really isn't that important to his character. Not only is it a side-story, but the timing is also just weird. If that were to happen in the summer, it would've happened less than a month after the ending of HoO, which is very soon after. But also, even considering that, I don't think Percy ever shows a complete imprint on thousands of years of history after. It's just not in his character at all. I could also say, considering your statement, that Trials of Apollo is drastically changed due to Percy's absence, as is Magnus Chase, due to both of their absences. But it's completely unimportant to the story I'm telling and this is fanfiction. If that bothers you, I don't know what to tell you, but I hope you enjoy the story nonetheless.

Loving all the comments. Thank you and see you next time

-PS