Percy and the Princess

A Rocky Start

Sokka hated being right. Well, scratch that. He actually loved being right, but right now he hated being right.

"I told you guys we would be walking into a trap, but did any of you believe me? Noooo," he whined.

"Let her go." Aang commanded trying to put as much weight behind his words as possible. While outwardly he was calm, on the inside he was freaking out. Please don't let Katara get hurt please pretty please He pleaded to any spirits that might be listening.

"Yeah, let my sister go, you jerk! And don't wear blue. That's our colour." Sokka took a step forward trying to appear menacing. The two year old he was holding made it difficult.

"Wait a second, you guys are holding my friends baby brother hostage and you think I'm the jerk in this situation?" Percy asked incredulously. "Give back the kidnapped toddler then you can try and take the moral high ground."

"Hey! This kidnapping thing was totally by accident." Sokka defended.

"Oh yeah, you just happened across the most important baby in the city and just happened to keep him until someone offered you ransom." Percy voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Shut up! You're Fire Nation. You guys are the jerks"

"That's racist." Percy yelled.

"No, it's not."

"Yes it is."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"Both of you shut up!" Katara and Azula demanded in unison before glaring at each other. Sokka and Percy took the more mature route and stuck their tongues out at each other.

"Look we don't need to fight, we can still settle this peacefully." Aang said trying to be the voice of reason. "Why don't you let go of Katara and Sokka will give you the baby. Then they let Bumi go and we can all go home happy." Aang said with a massive smile.

"No. You will return Tom-Tom and Percy won't kill the girl. That is the deal." Azula said, her voice cold and confident.

Sokka, Aang and Katara all started trading uneasy glances. This was not how it was supposed to happen. Sokka's brain was working overtime trying to think of a new plan. Come on brain, don't fail me now.

"Can we have some time to talk this over?" The tribesmen asked trying to stall for time.

"Of course, it's a difficult choice after all. Percy, give them until Tom-Tom cries. After that, start cutting off her fingers." Azula smiled sweetly, "There you go, plenty of time and the motivation to make the right choice."

Sokka gulped. "We kind of need Katara's input, so.." He trailed of gesturing at his sister prone form.

"I'm sure you'll manage without her, cutie." The girl in the pink said with a flirtatious wink.

Aang and Sokka traded weary glances before walking a few yards away so the could whisper to each other without fear of being overheard.

"What do we do? We can't just leave Bumi and we can't let them hurt Katara either." Aang said almost in full blown panic mode.

"We might have to leave Bumi, Aang. I think they got us beat."

"Come on Sokka, you're the Idea Guy, think of something!"

Sokka brightened at this comment. His mind already turning over the situation again and again looking for new options.

"We could try stalling to see if Katara can get a chance to use her water bending on the creep. Once he's gone we can go back to the original trade." Sokka looked a little dubious about his plan but Aang was almost ecstatic with the new hope of getting both his friends back. That is until Percy crushed that new hope.