Gao Li had only just enough time to jump out of the way of Jheng's lightning. He popped to his feet and started pounding away as many shots as he could at the old bastard. Jheng swatted away the few that came near to hitting him like they were troublesome insects. He prepared another bolt of lightning. Gao Li dove again, but as he stood up Jheng released the bolt. Gao Li froze, feeling lightning singe the tiniest bit of his hair.
His heart was pounding louder in his ears than anything he had heard before, and he almost collapsed out of breath. He snapped his head to Jheng, expecting another lightning bolt, but instead saw the old councilman laughing.
"I thought you were going to piss yourself that time. Oh well, we can't always—"
"Just shut up and fight, you pig."
Jheng stopped laughing, but kept his insidious smile. "With pleasure."
He dropped into a low stance and began to take wide stomps forward, sending out huge blasts of fire. Gao Li attempted to block only one. The force sent him stumbling and he had to drop to the ground to avoid the others. More came, and he dove and rolled away, trying to get out of Jheng's line of sight. He swept his leg low; an arc of fire skimmed the ground and forced Jheng to stop his assault and jump.
Gao Li seized the opportunity. Popping up to his feet, he sucked in, pulling in breath with all of his might. He jumped, fired two bolts before landing and a third greater one with both palms extended.
Jheng swatted the first two away, and dispersed the third with a loud stomp forward and two opposite swings of his arms, forearms angled above his head and below his chest. Gao Li recognized it; it was a basic blocking technique, dispersing a direct fire blast with negative energy. Except it would ordinarily end with the dispersing part.
A halo of orange flame surrounded Jheng's body, held in place by his stance. He opened his fists, rotated his arms around his torso and drew them in so that his hands were cupped at his side, pulling the flames into the space between his hands. He snorted in air through his nose, raised his left hand with shaking tension, with index finger and thumb extended, the rest bent at the second knuckle. He leaned forward, pulling his left hand back as he moved his right fist forward, breathing out through his mouth. His body shook, every muscle tensed. He let out one final breath, stepped forward and struck.
Gao Li felt a wave of force and heat strike his body before he could dodge. He was able to block some of the heat, but the impact sent him rolling along the ground until he skidded to a stop. He felt a sharp pain in his side as he dimly realized that one of his ribs was broken. He tried to prop himself up on his elbow while clutching his side. As the ringing in his ears subsided, he heard a low, unintelligible sound that rose in pitch until it returned to the sound of Jheng's voice.
"… f r o m w a t ching waterbender auxiliaries at Ba Sing Se. It's a handy little technique, but it takes a damned good bit of practice." He stayed at the center of the ring, his eyes trained on Gao Li. "Oh and don't worry about losing just yet: I'll let you catch your breath. See, I don't get the chance to talk to you very often, and if you're suicidal enough to keep fighting I'll oblige you. Just try and remain conscious, the officials will stop me if you pass out."
Gao Li fought his way to his feet before collapsing to a knee again. His face was contorted with pain as he wrapped protective arms in front of his shattered rib. Jheng paused momentarily before continuing.
"You know, I'm actually quite thrilled that you challenged me, Gao Li. I've been wanting to fight you for quite a long while, and not for the reasons you think."
Gao Li wanted to yell a myriad of curses at him, but he could only heave and draw in breath after excruciating breath.
"We're a lot alike, boy. Much more than you'll allow yourself to believe."
Gao Li couldn't suffer this in silence. He let out a hoarse protest.
"I'm nothing like you, fascist."
"Oh, your words are barbs, sir." Jheng cheekily feigned a wound to his chest. "We have at least one thing in common."
"What could we possibly—"
"We both hate being Councilmen."
Gao Li looked up. "You—"
"Oh don't be so surprised. I served in the military for fifteen years, including one of the first sieges on Ba Sing Se. When my invalid father died I was called to serve on the Pailong Council. I wasn't able to join the Dragon of the West's campaign, perhaps for the better." He stopped smiling, his tone changing from nostalgic wistfulness to contemptuous anger. "I hate that council. I hate sitting there every day, every fucking day, listening to old useless men ramble on while I become equally old and useless. I serve out of obligation to family and country, much like yourself I believe."
He spread his arms out wide, embracing the air as he drew in a deep breath. "This, however, this is my passion. There is nothing that fills me with the same joy as firebending. There is nothing I can think of that could compare to the conflict, the struggle, the crisp air in my lungs, the beating of my heart, the hot chi in my belly- the fire of dragons! They were hunted to extinction but they live on in me, in all of us! Firebending is their apotheosis, their immortal triumph!"
He looked back to Gao Li with mad eyes, "And it's from those apex predators, Gao Li, that we all should learn the Truth: the strong survive. The weak die." He looked at his clutched fists, his eyes darting around like they were things alive. "They have imparted that knowledge unto me. They were magnificent creatures; I wish I could have killed one myself."
He laughed to himself. "Those liar monks who called themselves enlightened were fools. They knew nothing of wisdom, nothing of Truth. If they were truly enlightened they would know that pacifism is the ultimate weakness, that forgiveness is the ultimate failure. They deserved their fate. That is why we wage war, Gao Li, to purify this world of the weak and unfit. I'm not a nationalist: I'm an Enlightened One."
Jheng snapped away from his monologue as he noticed Gao Li. The young councilman held his face pointed down, the hand that wasn't over his side clenched in a tight fist. Jheng watched rhythmic plumes of fire come out of Gao Li's mouth. The boy looked up, his eyes full with hate Jheng had never seen before.
Gao Li removed his other hand from his side. Jheng could barely hear him say: "Jheng."
The old councilman watched in silence.
"SHUT," Gao Li took a leaping step forward with his right foot. "THE FUCK," He dropped into a twist stance and swept his foot high above his head in a great crescent.
He set his foot down and struck. "UP!"
Fire shot out in a brilliant spear, spiraling towards Jheng's heart. The old councilman guarded his body, but his block wasn't enough. He was flung back, struglling to regain his balance. Gao Li gave him no chance to rest, dropping into a low stance, spinning around and leaping into the air as he brought down two long whips of fire. He lashed out at Jheng's feet, wrapping a tendril around the Butcher's ankles and pulling with all his might.
Jheng fell, but as he hit the ground spun his legs to release from the fire whip and rolling backward to a firm stance. Gao Li began firing a hail of smaller fire blasts with mechanical precision, almost every one of which was swatted away by Jheng. The old councilman stood up after the assault with a look somewhere between disappointment and confusion.
"Oh come on Gao Li, that strange new fire lance combined with the fire whips was absolutely brilliant. But you already tried overwhelming me with smaller blasts, and it didn't work the first time! I can't believe you'd throw away such a critical advantage! I thought you were better than that!"
Gao Li held his palms extended outward with his fingers pointing inward. "I am, Jheng. Look around you."
Jheng looked around, his eyes widening as he noticed the dozens of small fireballs suspended in mid-air. He could barely begin a word before Gao Li twisted his feet and clenched his hands into fists. The balls exploded inward in cones of force and heat that sent Jheng sprawling. He groaned, pushing himself to his knees and spitting out blood and a tooth before Gao Li kicked him in the side and pinned him, a blade of fire placed at Jheng's throat.
"It's over Jheng. Yield."
Jheng heaved and stared at Gao Li with fearful eyes, before smiling another bloodied smile.
"I'll give you this, that was quite creative. Well done too, relying on your opponent's assumptions to blindside them. I haven't had a fight this difficult in years. But it's not over yet Gao Li."
He belched a blast of fire into Gao Li's eyes. The young councilman turned his face away, feeling the heat run near the nape of his neck. The old councilman rolled to a kneeling stance and placed his hands on the ground. The audience gasped as he stood up, pulling pillars of molten rock up to his shoulders, and with a nimble sweep of his hands condensing it into a single orb. Gao Li felt dizzy as he mentally added lavabending to one of Jheng's talents.
The Butcher was still smiling as he laughed. "It's far from over."
