Chapter 2: Firefly
Just when he thought that peace was afoot, another person comes out of nowhere and tries to kill him. Before Zuko could gather his thoughts as to who would try such a thing, he heard a loud clang behind him; the sound of two sheets of metal being dropped on the floor. There he was, standing before him, The Blue Spirit. They were only a few meters apart, but the distance seemed so far. There was nothing between them except for the lantern and the growing tension. The Blue Spirit had thrown a pair of Dao on the ground in front of Zuko. He was challenging him.
"So… My executioner refuses to kill an unarmed man. It seems you aren't as cowardly as I thought."
"Fight…"
For some reason, the voice sounded familiar to Zuko. But before he could even utter another word, the masked man had already closed the distance and was about to deliver a fatal blow. Zuko managed to duck under it at the last minute. The masked man was attacking relentlessly, swinging each Dao with skill and precision, but Zuko was effortlessly dodging the attacks. Weaving, bobbing, ducking, evading, and using all the techniques he had learned from Aang. But the Blue Spirit would not let up, so Zuko used this opportunity to analyze his opponent.
His stance is fluid. His base is solid. Definitely not a bender, otherwise he would've used it by now. His skill with the Dao is actually exceptional. I can't just treat this one like the others who tried to assassinate me. This guy's serious. It feels like… it feels like I'm fighting myself!
The Blue Spirit thrust the right Dao forward, spun, and cleaved horizontally with the left. Zuko managed to evade both attacks by stepping out of the way of the first one and ducking under the second, but he did not anticipate the next attack. The masked man threw his right knee upward. It landed squarely on Zuko's jaw, knocking him back a few paces. The Blue Spirit charged in with a thrust that Zuko barely evaded. He backed away, noticing the wound that he had inflicted on the Fire Lord.
"Bend…"
"No… I refuse to use my bending on a non-bender!"
"Then pick up the Dao… and FIGHT!"
Zuko, who had already sustained a cut on his neck from the Spirit's last attack, was struggling to keep his rage in check. He didn't like being taunted, and he wouldn't mind showing this masked man a thing or two about fighting, but he knew that if one of them were to die on this night, it would cause a commotion in the morning. Zuko would either have to strip him of his weapons or strip him of his arms; and at around this time the latter was starting to sound more and more attractive. He picked up the Dao, and slid into stance.
"Good…"
Without warning or waiting, the Blue Spirit charged in once again. But this time, Zuko was ready for it. Their blades met; The Spirit taking the offensive while Zuko remained on the defensive. Neither one would let up, their steels clashed with vigor; Zuko was moving fluidly, avoiding and blocking each attack, while the Blue Spirit was maneuvering fiercely and with clear, murderous intent. Finally, the Blue Spirit connected with a spinning elbow that struck Zuko on the temple, causing him to stagger. The Blue Spirit once again charged in with a thrust, followed by a horizontal slash, not expecting Zuko to dodge and weave under it only to land a fatal blow of his own. Zuko seized the opening with a horizontal slash. The Blue Spirit backed away at the last second. He could feel the blade graze the middle of his mask, leaving a horizontal mark just above the nose, from ear to ear. For the first time in this clash, the Blue Spirit had felt… fear. And Zuko… he sensed this. He shot a smirk at the Blue Spirit.
"What's the matter? You didn't actually think you had a chance against me, did you?"
"Heh…"
The Blue Spirit crouched down. Zuko knew that something was coming.
His stance changed… What's he planning…?
A quick flash blinded Zuko momentarily. It seemed to come from nowhere. When Zuko managed to compose himself, there was nothing but complete darkness.
What is this… have I gone blind..?No… the lantern... He refracted the light coming from the Lantern with his Dao to disorient me. Then, he blew out the flame. He's still here… somewhere.
Zuko slid into his defensive stance, but it was no use. Everything was pitch black; The Blue Spirit had the advantage. He could hear footsteps coming from almost everywhere around him. His heart was pounding. He didn't know where the masked man would strike, until finally, the footsteps stopped.
Silence.
"AHHHH!"
The Spirit's blade made a slick noise as it tore through the flesh and skin of Zuko. But the attack didn't stop there. The Blue Spirit ran back and forth, coming at Zuko from all directions. Zuko would scream in pain after each blow was delivered, but it was no use; no one could hear him.
Covered in blood and wounds, the enraged Fire Lord begun swinging his swords wildly, hoping to catch, by some dumb luck, his executioner, screaming in pain as he did this.
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Temper, temper…"
Zuko fell to the ground, weakened by the amount of blood that he had lost. He crawled around the pavement, hoping to find the lantern which was put out. He reached out his open hand to find, not a lantern, but something just as useful. He felt inside the object, and just as he suspected, it was full of liquid. Zuko grabbed what seemed to be a bucket, and spilled its contents all over the floor. He then picked up his Dao, stood up, and slid into his defensive stance.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Come at me!"
Few people have enough courage, or foolishness, to taunt Death as it looks them in the eye. Zuko, was one of these few people. He stood there, unmoving, listening intently to his surroundings. Until… the stillness of the dark was broken.
A splash… on my left!
Their steels met once more, this time though, the one who wins this clash will undoubtedly be the victor of the battle. Enraged by the fact that Zuko had detected him, The Blue Spirit once again retreated and returned to the darkness.
Once again, silence. There was no taunting, no footsteps, and no tranquil puddles being disturbed, just… silence. Zuko had switched from his usual defensive stance with the Dao into an unorthodox offensive stance; unorthodox, because he had laid the Dao down beside him. He just stood still there, waiting for his predator to charge in. Sure enough, The Blue Spirit took the bait. Lunging forward, thrusting his right Dao. Zuko had anticipated this and managed to grab the Dao beside him, slide down to the floor, and kick upwards, increasing the force by propelling his entire body upwards into a hand stand. His foot struck the wrist of The Blue Spirit, disarming him of his right Dao. Upon landing on his feet, Zuko blocked the oncoming slash of the Spirit's left Dao with his blade, and spun around his attacker. Standing directly behind the masked man, he swung his right Dao horizontally, loosened his grip to allow it to change orientation, and stopped it just as it was about to touch the Spirit's throat. One quick exhale and light once again flooded the area.
"Drop your weapon."
"How did you…?"
"You lost this battle the moment you stepped on that puddle of water. When I blocked your attack, I planted three straws of hay on each of your sleeves and ignited them. That way, even in the dark I can see where your Dao are coming from. After that, finding you was as easy as finding a firefly in the dark."
"Heh… Very good. What are you waiting for? End me."
"…No. Who are you?"
Zuko reached out his hand to unmask his attacker.
"All things in time…"
Upon uttering those words, The Blue Spirit released a smoke grenade that distracted Zuko and bought him enough time to escape.
"*cough* Tsk. He got away…"
As the smoke cleared, Zuko noticed that his attacker had left a note. He picked it up, read, it, and stashed it away in his pocket.
"Sigh… Mai will kill me when I get home looking like this…"
Disclaimer: I Do not Own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor do I own any of the characters.
Okay, just a quick clarification, Dao are the name for the swords used by Zuko when he is in Blue Spirit mode. Now that that's out of they way, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter; it certainly isn't the last fight scene in the story. -IIVII
