Pakku was not a man who was easily surprised, having seen a lot of combat even when he was a young man, even when he had reached his old age. He had heard stories about the Emerald Dragon just like pretty much everybody else in all four nations, some of those stories seemed possible but a lot of them also seemed unlikely to be true. According to some, he was a demon in human form, an angry spirit trapped in a human's body, a weapon that was born and raised for war and those were only a few of the things he had heard about him.
According to the letters he had received from Iroh, the boy was incredibly strong and dangerous but apparently content with living a peaceful life without fighting anyone, Pakku didn't really believe that last part since he had lost a great many students to the boy in question. Pakku had sent the other two waterbenders away for two reasons, firstly so they could go and help the others, secondly because he didn't want to risk them in a fight against the Emerald Dragon, should the boy turn on them like Pakku expected he would, leaving Pakku on his own as he followed the Emerald Dragon throughout the city, aiding and watching him as he fought the Fire Nation soldiers. And, to be brutally honest, Pakku was impressed.
Pakku watched as half of the baton in his hand shot towards a soldier while still being connected to the other half by a wire of some sort, the half that had shot away had hit one soldier in the face, knocking him out before it dropped down and wrapped around another soldier's leg. Harry pulled it and the soldier fell back, the back of his neck hitting the edge of an ice walkway as the rest of him fell into the water.
Harry's weapon returned to normal and Harry divided it into two before he rushed forwards and engaged in combat with a group of Fire Nation soldiers that had arrived, meanwhile Pakku fought off another group of soldiers. By the time Pakku was done, he found Harry dealing with one last soldier, rendering him unconscious by stomping his head face-first onto the ice.
Harry paused, looking at the unconscious and dead soldiers around him before staring at the weapons in his hand. He sighed before placing them back in his holster.
"Not the time to be nice." Pakku heard the Emerald Dragon say to himself, Pakku blinked and stared at the soldiers around him. This was the boy's idea of nice? Before Paku could say anything he saw the boy step forward and take a fighting stance before he threw a punch with his right hand, turning the back of his hand to the left, a spiralling blast of green fire erupted from his fist and charged towards an approaching trio of soldiers. Pakku wasn't sure but he was positive that he had seen the flames transform into a dragon's head.
Pakku didn't get too long to think about it as he saw another trio of Fire Nation soldiers approaching, Paku raised his hands and caused a wall of water to rise up and block their attack, Harry quickly reacted and knocked two of the soldiers back with a wave of emerald green fire before he created an air shield to block the attack from the third just before Pakku took him out with a spear-shaped water attack that slammed him into the ice building behind him.
"Not bad, old man," Harry commented as his fists lit up with green fire.
"This doesn't make us friends, Dragon," Pakku grunted.
"Wouldn't dream of it." Harry gave him a mocking smile before the two of them continued moving forwards.
"I will confess, I am quite disappointed by how easy that was." Uncle Iroh commented after he and Zuko had gotten free of his chains and taken out the men guarding himself and his nephew.
"Be appreciative it was that easy, it means we can save our energy on more important matters," Zuko rubbed his wrists as he thought about his mission. "I'll capture the Avatar, and I'll do it tonight."
"And how do you plan to do that?" Uncle Iroh asked, raising a single eyebrow.
"The Water Tribe will be distracted fighting the Fire Nation, the Fire Nation will be distracted fighting the Water Tribe, Ryu will be busy getting killed by Harry and Harry will be busy killing Ryu," Zuko explained as he began searching the unconscious guards for keys. "It's my best opportunity to capture him."
"I'm not entirely sure that it's a wise idea, Prince Zuko," Uncle Iroh sighed. "There is plenty that can go wrong, it's quite possible that a random waterbender takes you out before you get to the Avatar, not to mention that it's entirely possible that Harry will be with the Avatar."
"I know, but I have to try," Zuko growled as he began searching for a key from a different guard. "I'm not leaving here until I try." His words earned a long sigh from Uncle Iroh who stared at his stubborn nephew, knowing that nothing he could say would persuade him away from the path he had chosen, not now anyway.
"Very well," Uncle Iroh said eventually just as Zuko finally found the key he was looking for and stood up. "But I want to ask you for one thing first."
"What is it?" Zuko asked, staring at his uncle.
"If things go wrong and you can't find me, then I want you to go to Harry," Uncle Iroh said, sounding as serious as Zuko had ever heard him. "Despite what's happening, he will protect you."
"Nothing will go wrong, I..."
"Promise me, Prince Zuko," Uncle Iroh said, cutting him off. "Promise me." He stopped speaking, and Zuko stared at him for several long moments before he eventually nodded.
"I promise, Uncle," Zuko said in a soft voice. "If anything I can't handle happens then I'll find Harry."
"That's all I ask."
"Where are my gauntlets?" Harry asked Pakku after using waterbending to raise some water in the air, Harry caught the water and shot it towards the head of a nearby Fire Nation soldier, the water turned to ice, incasing the soldier's head inside. The soldier stumbled forward into a fellow soldier, opening them up for an airblast from Harry just as Pakku blasted four more soldiers off their feet with his skilled use of waterbending.
"How would I know?" Pakku asked before shielding an attack whilst Harry performed a series of kicks, sending a water wave and two fire waves at a group of soldiers.
"I love those gauntlets," Harry commented before dodging another fire blast.
"My heart bleeds for you," Pakku deadpanned as he sent several ice shards at his opponents.
"You should probably get a healer to take a look at that," Harry suggested jokingly before raising his hands in the air, a spinning disk of fire appeared above each hand. Harry let out a small grunt before tossing the disks, Pakku stared with amazement as the two disks flew through the air before actually curving and taking out two Fire Nation soldiers from the sides.
"I'll say this, you're an amazing fighter," Pakku complimented Harry whilst taking out the last remaining soldier by having him sent into the air by a high powered water blast.
"Thanks," Harry nodded appreciatively. "You're pretty good too." He added just before that last soldier had landed harshly behind Harry. "I think we might be getting a break soon."
"What makes you say that?" Pakku asked.
"That," Harry pointed up to the darkening sky and the very visible moon.
"Everyone knows waterbenders are stronger at night," Pakku agreed, realising what the Emerald Dragon was saying. "The Fire Nation will retreat, for now, that's good, we have time to rest and recover."
"Maybe," Harry said thoughtfully as he continued to stare at the moon.
"Maybe?" Pakku repeated. "What do you mean?"
"I mean it makes sense to retreat now, protect your soldiers and all that, but what if the enemy doesn't care for their soldiers?" Harry asked. "The Fire Lord doesn't care for his soldiers, it's entirely possible that the current leader would send them regardless, hoping to wear us out."
"He'd do that?" Pakku frowned.
"It's possible," Harry sighed. "As I said, if he cares about the troops then he'll retreat, but given the vast number of people they have it's entirely possible that he'll keep throwing more and more at us until we're too tired to fight."
"Damn." Pakku cursed.
"Pretty much." Harry agreed.
"Sir," One Fire Nation soldier quickly rushed forwards and stopped a short distance behind Ryu before he paused and stood still. "We have received word that the Emerald Dragon has been spotted in the Water Tribe village."
"Really?" Ryu asked in an intrigued voice as he turned around to face the soldier that had delivered the report.
"Yes, Sir." The soldier quickly nodded his head. "It has been reported by many of our soldiers that he has been attacking and killing our troops, efficiently and without mercy."
"He has fallen so far," Ryu spat in a disgusted voice. "Such greatness and what becomes of it? Defending water savages in a village made of ice and water, it's horribly disgusting, I mean...what do they even do with their waste and excrement? They don't have a sewer system to the best of my knowledge."
"Yes, Sir." The soldier dumbly nodded, not really knowing what else to say in response to that.
"Oh I could only imagine what would happen to him if the great Fire Lord Ozai and Princess Azula hear about this," Ryu chuckled to himself briefly before seemingly managing to get lost in thought at the idea of informing the two members of Fire Nation royalty about Harry's crimes. "Anyway," Ryu cleared his throat several moments later. "is there anything else that you'd like to report to me, Soldier?" He asked.
"Yes, Sir." The soldier confirmed with a small nod. "It's our troops."
"What about them?" Ryu asked in an irritated voice.
"They are getting...worried, Sir." The soldier started to explain in a nervous and quiet voice. "Because it's not just a few savages that we are dealing with, is it? I mean, yeah, some of them are just throwing around water but there's also a few waterbending masters in there, not to mention the fact that the Avatar himself is there as well, helping them out."
"The Avatar has been feared in the past, rightfully so, but my reports clearly say that the current one is nothing but a child," Ryu said in a dismissive voice. "also that he hasn't shown evidence of mastering any of the elements beyond air, it is entirely possible that he came to the Northern Water Tribe in the hopes of learning waterbending."
"That's fair enough, sir, but...he is still the Avatar," The soldier pointed out, shifting on his feet. "And it's not just him. The other men are really worried about the possibility of encountering the Emerald Dragon on the battlefield, and I..."
"Oh sweet...are you kidding me?" Ryu demanded in a disbelieving voice with a face that matched his tone. "He is just one guy, one single guy."
"A single guy who is known for killing people," The soldier reminded him. "I mean, that's literally what he's known for."
"No, he's not." Ryu sniffed.
"Um...yeah, he is," The soldier said in a confused voice as he stared at Ryu. "that's literally what he's known for. The guy literally got his nickname from being able to create the emerald-green fire that takes the shape of a dragon and because he's a dangerous animal that likes to burn things."
"Either way, he's one guy!" Ryu snapped, stressing his words. "Just someone...just...it will only take one person to slice his throat or stab him with a knife in any of his vulnerable areas! Why is that so hard to understand? Drown him! Burn him! Stab him! Bludgeon him to death with a rusted musical instrument for all I care, he's human! Not a demon, not a spirit! Not any of that other bullcrap! You kill him the same way you kill anybody else."
"But sir, we've obviously tried and..."
"I'm wasting my time on you when I could be preparing to fight." Ryu sighed. "I don't know why, my father told me to never get into arguments with stupid people." He finished, glaring at the soldier who took an apologetic expression before looking down at the floor. "Do we have a location on him?" He asked impatiently.
"No, Sir," The soldier quickly shook his head. "The reports that we have received all confirm that he's moving around the city, we don't really believe there to be a pattern. Just that he attacks any soldiers that he happens to come across."
"Hmm," Ryu hummed thoughtfully as he thought about his next move.
"What's he doing here?!" Several voices demanded when Pakku brought Harry to the area where the chief and the majority of the Water Tribe people were gathered around a table that had a trio of maps and books on it.
"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass," Harry announced proudly. "and I have been out of bubblegum for years, so ass-kicking it is."
"What the hell is bubblegum?" Harry heard a few people whisper to themselves.
"What are you doing?!" Kia demanded to know. "Bringing him here!"
"Quiet girl!" Pakku barked at her, causing her to back up. "Time of war or not, you will be showing me the proper respect."
"Do I get respect?" Harry asked lightly as he began looking through the maps that they had.
"You shouldn't even be here!" One Water Tribe man shouted.
"Harry!" Another voice called out just as Sokka and Princess Yue arrived.
"Ponytail," Harry treated without looking away from the maps. "are you and the princess okay?" He asked.
"We're fine," Sokka said, pausing to take a few deep breaths. "I got to bash some Fire Nation men on the head." He added in a proud voice.
"Cool," Harry replied before looking up at Pakku. "find out who has my gauntlets, and let it be known that if I don't get them back then somebody is going to get lobbed at an ice hut." He warned.
"What then?" Sokka asked. "What happens after you get your gauntlets?"
"We continue discussing a plan while we have time, after that...I'm going to do my best to keep the blood out of your sparkly clean water.." Harry looked around and gave the people around him a fake smile before he paused and stared at Pakku. "Out of curiosity, there's something I've always wanted to know, all of your buildings and environment are made of ice and water so where do you guys go when you need the toilet?"