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So... are you ready? Buckle your seatbelts, guys. Chapter 37. And thanks again, everybody. It's greatly appreciated.
Chapter Thirty-Seven:
Endgame
"So, Avatar…" Long Feng purred in the darkened Throne Room. "You finally made it. I'm glad my trust was not misplaced."
"What are you doing here, Long Feng?" Aang challenged. "Where is the Earth Regent?"
"Ah, yes, the Earth Regent." Long Feng smiled and steepled his fingers. "Suffice it to say, she has become more… receptive to my opinions."
An image of Jet went through Aang's mind: comrade-in-arms one moment, implacable enemy the next—all at Long Feng's word.
Long Feng stood. "Dai Li—take them."
The guards came away from the walls, most still in the livery of the King's Guards, but a few wearing the dark green gown-like uniform of the Dai Li.
"We gotta get out of here," Aang said. Then they heard a hollow boom behind them, from the great doors closing.
"I… don't think that's an option anymore…" said Sokka.
Aang looked around, frantically trying to think of options, when he saw Miyong and his family, frightened, shrinking back, cowering. He thought of Miyong, the newest Airbender… he thought of all the others he had tried to find, and couldn't—because of Long Feng.
He straightened. "No. No more are going to die, because of him."
Aang turned to face his tormentor.
"Why?" Aang cried. "Why, Long Feng? Why did you do this? You had another chance. You could have lived your life in peace! Why did you make all those people disappear, just because they might have been Airbenders?"
"It's very simple, Avatar," Long Feng said, grinding out the title. "By imprisoning me, you sought to deny me my future. When I was free, I sought to deny you yours."
"You sought to deny me my future." Aang was furious. "Those people had to die because of that. Do you realize what you've done?"
"Yes, Avatar," Long Feng replied calmly. "And believe it or not, some people think the world is better off without you."
Aang glared at Long Feng. "You have no idea what you've done at all." His eyes and tattoos started to glow. He took in Long Feng and the Dai Li. In the multi-layered voice of the Avatar, he said, "You don't know what you've done—OR what you're up against."
The Dai Li stopped. Some looked at the others nervously.
"Don't pay any attention to that," Long Feng said dismissively. "If he was a fully-realized Avatar, he'd be doing far more than talk. Attack!"
Aang's eyes returned to normal. He turned to the Gaang. "Okay, here's the plan. I'll stay here and protect Miyong and his family. The rest of you, get to Long Feng and take him down."
"No." Katara glared like a tigress. "I won't let you get separated from me again, Aang! We go together, or not at all!"
A rock hand flew at Katara. Sokka swatted it down with his club. "Uh, guys…" He looked at the advancing Dai Li. "I really think we ought to do something quick…"
"Don't worry about Longbritches, Twinkletoes," Toph drawled. "I'll get 'im."
"Then I'm going too," said Sokka. "You're not going out there alone."
For a moment, Toph softened… then she put a hand on Sokka's chest. "Sorry, Sokka. Where I'm going, you can't follow." She smiled slightly. "Really, you can't. Trust me." Sokka didn't like it, but he nodded. He clasped Toph's shoulder, then let go.
Aang thought quickly, then nodded too. "All right. But I'm coming as soon as I can." Then he felt something beneath his feet, way, way down, and inspiration struck. "Hey—before you go, I want some bendables for Katara. Do you feel it?"
"Bendables? What do you—?" Then Toph's face went blank as she felt with her feet. "Oh, yeah…" Her face broke out in her wry troublemaking grin. "Sweet. Now?"
Aang grinned. "Now."
They stomped, and rent the floor in two. The whole Throne Room shook. Miyong and his family fell to their hands and knees, and even the Dai Li had trouble staying on their feet. Then up out of the chasm came a geyser of foul-smelling sewage.
"Ugh!" Katara made a face. "Sewer water!"
"Hey." Toph shrugged. "Throw it at the Dai Li. They won't mind."
And then the tigress look was back on Katara's face, along with a very fierce smile. "Yeah… they won't mind at all."
She drew water from the geyser, channelled it behind her, and hurled it into the nearest Dai Li. "Eeeeeyah!" It blew him back into a wall. One down.
Two Dai Li threw a current of earth at Aang, which he batted aside before it could rise up and strike. Aang punched fire at them to break them up. Sokka threw his boomerang, and missed… one of the Dai Li smirked.
So did Sokka.
The boomerang returned and hit the Dai Li in the back of the head. He toppled. Two down.
"Toph, you'd better—" Sokka turned. "Where is she?"
Katara spared a look. "I don't know."
"She went underground!" said Miyong. "A hole opened up, and she just hopped in!" His eyes widened, and he pointed. "There! There she is!"
Toph popped up behind two Dai Li. She spread her arms, then brought them together. Two slabs of earth arose and squished the Dai Li into an Earthbender sandwich. Toph send a current of earth at more Dai Li attacking the Gaang, then hopped into another hole.
Sokka stood there, amazed. "Man. She's good."
"Sokka! Behind you!"
Sokka ducked and whirled, and a boulder flew by at head level. He lashed out with his war club and caught a Dai Li in the stomach. The agent doubled over. A hammer fist to the back of the neck drove him down. Five.
Sokka turned. "Thanks, Katara."
Aang leaped up and spun, sending a torrent of fire around the Gaang and driving back the Dai Li. Katara reached out with a massive water tentacle, gathered three Dai Li together, and bashed them into a pillar. Eight.
Three more of them sent three blasts of earth at the Gaang, but the earth was knocked knocked down from the side by boulders—Toph's doing. She walked boldly into the open. "Come on, Longjohns, I thought you were good! C'mon! Hit me with your best shot!"
That did rankle Long Feng, and he sent a storm of rock darts at her in reply—only to watch Toph duck down again and see the darts fly into his own men. He bared his teeth.
More boulders flew in on the Gaang's position. Sokka ducked and dodged, but then he had an idea. He sheathed his boomerang.
Another boulder sailed in waist-high. Sokka took his war club in both hands, swung at the boulder, and batted it back where it came from. He felt the shock up to his shoulders.
The Dai Li that had sent the rock stood there dumb-founded—and watched the rock fly right back into his face. He fell over backward.
Sokka pumped his fist. "Hoooo, yeah, I rocked an Earthbender!" More rocks flew at him in vengeance. "Whoa-ho!" Sokka ducked.
Katara lashed out with water again and took down another Dai Li, but she missed a boulder coming in. It hit. "Hauuuuggh!" She was down.
Aang felt it. His eyes flashed. He sent a rock column under the agent and drove him into the ceiling. Hard.
Aang flew to Katara She had gotten to her hands and knees, coughing. "I'm ok—" She coughed. "—I'm okay, Aang. I'm okay." She wrapped some water around herself and began to heal.
Sokka threw his boomerang in a defensive arc. "Aang, get up here!"
"I'm on it!" Aang gave Katara's arm a squeeze, then stood. His eyes glowed. "It's my turn."
Up he went again into the air, spinning, showering fire, and this time he drew in earth and hurled it back. Again the Dai Li were driven back. Now Aang stopped spinning; he channelled the water himself and flailed out at his enemies. One by one they went down, blown into the walls, entombed in rock, frozen by water, burned by fire.
Long Feng's jaw went slack—then fury ran over his features. He pointed at Aang. "Take him down! Take him down! Take down the Avatar!"
The Dai Li obeyed. They gathered earth and rock and hurled it up at one point in the middle—Aang. Rocks flew in from around the room.
Aang saw. Eyes glowing, he clenched his teeth in fury—and in one mighty roundhouse kick he blew it all back. The Dai Li barely fended it off—some of them. The rest crumpled under their own assault.
Now Katara was back on her feet. She gathered in two tentacles of water and went after the Dai Li, lashing with one, defending with the other on the return stroke. They either broke her attack with stone, dodged, or were caught and hurled out of the way.
Sokka started to throw his boomerang at a promising target… but something made him pause. He took in the situation. For the moment, Katara was dealing with Dai Li in the rear of the throne room. Toph was busy playing her deadly hide-and-seek in the front. Aang was firing in all directions as needed. but more to the front of the room. There were Dai Li on the sides of the room, but they had thinned out somewhat, especially to one side.
If we can guard our backs, he thought, we won't have to aim in all directions. Then we can concentrate our fire!
"Katara! Knock out the guys on your left! Aang! Do the same on your right! Everybody! Follow me!"
Katara glanced at him angrily. "Sokka, what are you—"
Sokka threw his boomerang at a Dai Li point-blank in the face; it knocked him down. Then Sokka drew his sword and charged. "Aaaaaa-aaaaaaaaaah!"
Katara went wide-eyed. "Sokka!" She wheeled to her left and flung her water-whips at the Dai Li.
Elemental battles the Dai Li expected, but a frontal assault from a guy with a sword backed up by a water-wielding witch was something else. They scattered. Miyong and his family followed in Sokka's wake. Aang pot-shotted the fleeing Dai Li and joined the rest of the Gaang.
Toph popped up again near Long Feng and sneered. "Whatsamatter, Longtooth? Your Dai Li getting Dai Low?"
In anger, Long Feng lashed out at Toph with a tentacle of earth—which she caught and held. "That's better." A fierce joy shone from her face. She threw it back and joined in battle against Long Feng, one on one.
"Now!" Sokka pointed with his sword. "Clear out the back of the room! Herd 'em toward the front!"
Katara drew in more water and created a four-armed octopus with massive tentacles, then she smashed into the Dai Li. Back on the floor and no longer in the Avatar State, Aang matched her. She would lash out in water, he would echo in fire right behind. He felt her moves through his feet and set his own to match. Fire and Water gathered the Dai Li back toward the throne.
Long Feng was a match for Toph—sometimes. He clove an Earth wave in two and slapped at Toph with one of his own. Toph deflected it and replied with an Earth current. She dodged only when she had to, now.
The remaining Dai Li were down to a quarter of their number, and they were being driven back. Katara blasted with water, cut with it, froze agents in place. Aang hurled columns of fire and earth, blew his enemies down with torrents of wind, dragged them where he willed with water and bashed them into the walls. They advanced, step, by step, by step. Soon half the room was behind them. Sokka gathered up his boomerang, sheathed his sword, and looked for targets.
Back in front, Toph sent up a flurry of dust. Long Feng tore it down and brought down huge hammers of rock, trying to squash Toph. Rock splinters flew everywhere. Toph flicked them aside and threw a massive javelin of earth. Long Feng dove aside, rolled, and roundhouse-kicked boulders at ankle level. Toph hopped over that and brought out rock hammers of her own.
Now a quarter of the Throne Room lay between Katara and Aang and the Dai Li. Two dozen of them were left, but for most of them, their will was in shreds. They blocked attacks or dodged but rarely replied with strikes of their own.
Aang stopped bending, and lowered his arms to waist level. "Surrender!"
"Surrender. To you? Never!" Long Feng launched another Earth wave at Toph.
"All right… fine." Aang channelled fire directly at Long Feng in furious red and yellow. He barely saw it in time and dodged.
Katara ran forward and thundered her water at Long Feng, ice cold blue and deadly. He rolled out of the way, escaping by a hair.
Toph planted her feet, centered, then clapped her hands together. A clamshell of dark earth rose around Long Feng and caught him, engulfing him up to the neck. The two halves sealed with a mighty crack.
"Now," Aang said firmly. "Surrender. Or else."
"Or what?" said Long Feng. "Uhhhnnn!" He threw his head back, and the clamshell split open. He tried to jump free of it, but Toph sent a quick current of earth to grab his foot. She then clapped her hands and slammed the clamshell shut again, this time with a helmet of rock to hold Long Feng's head in place.
The Dai Li looked at each other, then at their enemies. One by one, they knelt and went prostrate.
Aang exhaled, then looked at Katara. She looked back with a tired smile on her dirt-streaked face. He went over and hugged her.
Back in the middle of the room, Miyong was all but bouncing, an out of control grin on his face.
"That was totally wicked!"
— — —
They found the Earth Regent in her chambers, sitting in a chair and blankly staring at the wall. When they brought her out of that state, she was pale with rage. At her request, they brought her to see Long Feng in the Throne Room.
She glared at him, sarcophagus of earth and all. "Long Feng, I promised you that should you ever set your interests above those of the Earth Kingdom, I would send you to the coldest possible place. I now make good on that promise."
His response was characteristically snide.
He sneered. "I have to go to the bathroom."
A/N: Just in case: The Incredibles is the property of Disney/Pixar.