Chapter Text
Fire poured down on the camp, scaring the group out of their tents, and they scurried out, only to find themselves surrounded. They all huddled together, getting in defensible positions. Schlatt could make out a few of the faces in the circle, making direct eye contact with one of the waterbenders briefly before striking at the avatar’s feet.
“Surrender, avatar! We have you surrounded!” Schlatt shouted over the storm.
“But we have you outmatched!” the avatar yelled back. They fought back, and fire and water and earth were traded, blows were exchanged, and they fought for a few moments, the group remaining huddled, until Schlatt saw an opening, and he took it. He reached forward and grabbed the one person who did not seem to be doing as much as the others, a short, curly haired individual.
The avatar called the person’s name, Travis, and the fighting ceased. A clap of thunder and a bolt of lightning crashed down around them as the avatar examined his options. Schlatt held a flame to Travis, to make the avatar think faster.
“Alright, stop! Take me, just let them go,” the avatar said.
“Noah, no!” one of his cohorts protested.
“Let him go,” Noah insisted, offering his hands out for them to take him instead. Schlatt nodded at one of his men, and they tied Noah’s hands together before Schlatt released Travis. Travis was pulled into the center of the group, and Noah was pulled away from them by a few firebenders.
Schlatt guided Noah to their ship, pushing him onboard as Noah’s friends watched him be taken. A few firebenders led the avatar down to the holding cell, and they pulled away from the shore, sailing off and away from the group and their ship.
Schlatt went up to the command center of his ship, giving the order to set sail for the fire nation.
“Contact the general. Tell him we have the avatar. Oh, and get our guy to stand by on coming back, just in case. With the avatar in our custody, there’s not much reason for him to stay over there, but have him wait until we’re back in the fire nation.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I’m going to go have a word with the avatar.” Schlatt made his way down to the holding cell where they were holding the avatar, taking a seat nearby.
“Here to gloat?” the avatar asked. “Not that you have much to gloat about, I mean it wasn’t like you actually won a fight or anything, I surrendered.”
“Yeah, sure, but an avoided fight is still a won fight.”
“What the hell do you even want with me?”
“You are the avatar. With you out of the way, the Fire Lord can finally move ahead with his plans.”
“What plans, huh?”
“You’d like to know that, wouldn’t you?’” Schlatt asked, sneering at him.
“Fine. Why are you doing this, huh? You’re young, ish, I think, maybe.”
“I’m 22.”
“All the more reason you shouldn’t be doing all this. You’re 22 and in charge of this big ship, and all these people…”
“It’s an impressive thing for some. Looks good on a resume.” Schlatt shrugged.
“Sure, but this many people under your command? What even makes you want to be a commander?”
“Believe it or not, there are some things worth doing that you might not deem important, avatar.”
“Yeah? Like what? You trying to impress someone?”
“Or just get a mission done.”
“What mission? Ruin the lives of as many non-fire nation people as you can?” Noah snarked.
“Wh- no! I’ve got to capture you, dumbass.”
“Why?”
“For the Fire Lord. I’ve got to capture you to regain my honor, to gain the Fire Lord’s approval again.”
“Really? You’re doing this for approval? You have got to be the pettiest motherfucker…”
“Shut the fuck up, get imprisoned, ‘avatar’.” Schlatt sneered, standing up. If this guy wanted to try and get under his skin, fine. Have a fun trip to the fire nation, douchebag. Schlatt left the room, and went back up to the control center. “Any updates I should know about?”
“Your father is on his way, sir,” one of his men informed. Schlatt nodded.
“Good.” Schlatt’s father was a respected general, and had gotten Schlatt his command. “When will he be here?”
“Soon. His fleet is approaching.”
“Perfect.” Not to say that Schlatt was looking forward to seeing his father, but it would be nice to finally prove him wrong about something. They had put Schlatt on tracking detail with someone that he knew; a waterbender that had to go undercover for them a while back. His father believed that he wouldn’t be able to capture the avatar, and yet here he was, with the avatar. This was perfect. Schlatt left the command center to pace the observation deck, watching around as they sailed away.
And then he heard the alarm go off.
Schlatt whipped around, and several jets of water were speeding across the water straight towards his ship. Fuck.
The waterbenders from the avatar’s crew were all skating across the water, shooting water at his ship. There was an explosion below deck, and the boat shook. The avatar flew above deck with a large gust of wind, and nearly blew him off of his own ship. Schlatt fired back, shooting fire at the avatar in jets of flame. Noah evaded and shot wind back at him, and then three waterbenders washed up onto his ship. Fuck.
Other firebenders finally got to the deck, and Schlatt wasn’t quite so outnumbered. About damn time. They fought back against the waterbenders, blasting back every jet of water. Air knocked everyone on Schlatt’s side backwards, knocking some of them off the boat. Schlatt was knocked back against the rails, the breath knocked right out of his lungs. Water froze around him, and he was stuck in his place. Fuck. Fuck! No! Every single fucking time! Just as he’s thought that maybe he’s won, accomplished something, it’s ripped right out from under him. He called his father here far too soon.
He watched as the avatar escaped with his friends, feeling his blood boil as he watched them leave. The ice started to melt around him as his anger burned through him and the ice, and he let out a yell of anger as the avatar got away yet again.
The storm had ended a little bit ago, and Schlatt angrily watched them take some pack animals away from the shore where they washed up, the animal’s movement a bit clumsy as they ran over to the avatar’s ship. The small crew boarded and took off, flying away in their stupid fucking flying ship, disappearing into the clouds.
“Sir! Your father just radioed in.”
“Tell him to cancel his visit,” Schlatt growled.
“No can do, sir. He’s already almost here.”
“ God, fine. Fine. Leave me, while I figure out what I’m gonna say.” The man left, and Schlatt sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose and leaning against the railing of the ship. His father would be here soon, and Schlatt once again had nothing to show for it.
_____
Noah grinned as the commander left. He knew he’d gotten under his skin. God, that guy was easy. Commander Schlatt walked away in a huff, leaving Noah in his cell. Whatever. Just as well. Noah looked around after the door slammed close, and saw the window to the outside. Huh. Sure would be a shame if he were to waterbend, and break himself free.
He moved slowly, swaying back and forth to get the feel of the water outside of the boat. It was always harder when he couldn’t directly see the water than it was when he could. At least in big amounts, anyway.
He could feel the water swaying with him, and so he moved his arms to begin to push and pull the water, feeling it begin to subtly push up against the boat. He only needed to get some in through the window, just enough to break down the door and get out. He pushed and pulled the water, feeling what Cooper taught him, and then finally he got some up to the window. He used its force to break the glass, and water streamed in through the window, and he bent it over to him, solidifying it into an icy key.
He picked the lock and ran out into the hall, racing right by a firebender in his haste to get out, just blasting him with air once he was past him. Noah wound up in the engine room, and decided to slow Schlatt down a bit, to give him and his friends some time to escape. He caused a teeny tiny big explosion totally by accident, and then booked it out of the room before he could be cornered in the room.
He ran up to the deck, hiding behind something as people ran to the engine room to see what he’d done, and then slipping outside easily with a gust of wind to propel himself. He saw the commander of this ship, Schlatt, and blew him back with a gust of wind, knocking him back against the railing.
As if on cue, Travis, Cooper, and Carson jumped onboard, watery tendrils rising up around them as they prepared to fight and defend, to get him back from the fire nation. Firebenders rushed up from below deck, and they fought with them, splashing them everytime they dared to try and burn them. How dare they.
Travis, the ice king, spread water around all of the firebenders and froze them in place, effectively ending the fight. Noah smiled at his pacifictic friend. Travis hated hurting people, and it wasn’t like Noah really wanted to kill anyone either, so Travis’ method worked pretty well here.
They jumped off the boat and skated away, Noah sparing one last glance at that petty motherfucker of a commander, approval-seeking little bitch, as he fired himself out of his icy prison, letting out a yell of rage as Noah and his friends got away. They reached the shore, and there were a few nearby animals that could assist with reaching the boat faster than they could on foot, or even by water-skating. They ran up to the animals, trying to get them to let them on. One of them bucked and nearly hit Travis, but then mysteriously calmed down, almost crumbling in resolve, acting like it hurt for a second. Carson took this moment to hop onto its back, and the animal cooperated. The other animals that it was with looked at the animal and simply knelt down after Carson looked at them, allowing Noah and Cooper and Travis to hop on.
They ran along the shoreline back to where they had their boat, letting the animals run off after they made it back. They quickly boarded the ship and took off, looking at the fire navy ship as they flew towards the sky and above the blanket of clouds, disappearing. Noah let out a sigh. That was… just a bit closer than he’d’ve liked. They had fought Schlatt and his little crew- sorry, command , but Noah had never actually had to get on the ship before…
Noah went down to his room and collapsed in his bed. Boy, what a day. What a night, rather. It wasn’t even morning yet. Fuck, he was tired. He laid down and tried to get what sleep he could, fairly sure that the rest of his friends were gonna do the same.
_____
Schlatt sat in the conference room as his father lectured him, threatening to take him off of this task force if he fucks up one more time.
They had the avatar. It wasn’t like they didn’t, the rest of the crew could confirm that they did have him in custody, he just had assistance from his friends. Saying that it was all just Schlatt’s fault that they lost him was not giving credit where credit was due. The fault was not his alone, that wasn't really fair to say. He would inevitably take the fall for it, yes, since he was the commander, but he didn’t have to like it.
Schlatt’s father had left his ship in a huff, Schlatt and his men feeling shamed for their disgraceful loss in their scuffle with the avatar. They all ate quietly as they waited for intel from their informant to come in about the new location of the avatar.
Schlatt eventually turned in for the night, feeling bummed enough to not want to participate in whatever the fuck the crew was going to be doing for the night. They were probably going to have a music night, to lift people’s spirits, but Schlatt’s heart wasn’t in it. He gave to order to tell him if there was any word, and they just sailed in the general direction that they saw the Avatar take off in. Schlatt headed up to his quarters and laid in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He never could sleep well on ships. Curse him for getting into the fire navy , why couldn’t he be assigned to the army? But no, this was right where his father wanted him, a pawn in his hand. And by extent the Fire Lord’s hand. His father was a rather powerful man, a general. Of course he’d get into the navy. He and his disgrace of a command.
It felt like hours until there was the telltale cawing of a bird at his window. Schlatt pushed himself up and over to the window to let the messenger hawk in. It landed, and allowed Schlatt to take the message tucked into a compartment on his back. Schlatt looked it over, and gave the bird a treat before sending it back.
“Helmsman! Set a course for the Northern Snow Plains! The avatar is going north.” Schlatt shouted to the deck.
“Aye Aye, sir!” The helmsman replied, and Schlatt felt the ship begin to turn.
North, huh? Schlatt bet that they were going to go practice with snow. Water was a powerful element, the benders who wielded it falling into a few different subtypes. They could either heat up water or freeze it. Freezing was a good bit more common, but Schlatt knew that the avatar had found a swamp bender, the ones who didn’t work well with snow. They could instead heat up water better, create steam and fog covers better. Much to Schlatt’s disadvantage.
But if they were heading north that probably meant that either Noah needed to get better at snow or they were planning something else. They sure wouldn’t find any fire bending teachers up there, that was for sure.
Schlatt could feel the ship sailing, and he stared out at the water as they went north. He sighed. Northern Snow Plains here they come…