Any second now and the Avatar will unveil his destructive potential.
Dissipating the waterbender's whip, General Fong sunk her a foot into the floor of the Earth Kingdom base's practice arena.
With a groan, she said, "I can't move."
"Don't hurt her," threatened the Avatar. He lunged and bent a gust of wind at Fong.
Hit a nerve, have I?
The general split the gust with a rock wall, simultaneously corkscrewing Katara a few turns deeper into the earth behind him. Her brother yelped from behind them and charged on his ostrich-horse. Fong rewarded the warrior's bravery by tripping the steed's foot, sending him to an awkward date with an earth ring.
Running up before Fong, the Avatar protested, "Stop it! You have to let her go!"
Bruise the nerve.
"You could save her if you were in the Avatar state!"
Grimacing, Avatar Aang complained, "I'm trying... I'm trying!"
Now, stab it.
The general forced the tribal girl to sink chest-deep. Her eyes widened further.
"Aang, I'm sinking," she half screamed.
"I don't see glowing," he taunted, madness in his eyes. He clenched his hand, sending the girl down to her neckline. She let out a weak plea.
'You don't need to do this," begged Aang from his knees.
Rip it out and crush it.
"Apparently, I do," declared Fong icily. Clenching his hand, he dunked the waterbender's head in stone. Falling to the ground, the Avatar stared down at where his friend had sunk, trembled with rage, and delivered an unearthly white glare to the general. Brimming with glee and clenching his fists in victory, Fong exclaimed, "It worked! It wor-her-herked!"
The general's celebration was interrupted by a gale-force gust to the chest. The Avatar, surrounded by an orb of wind, clamped Fong's neck with his fingers and shot into the sky. The general's eyes widened but he considered the situation a necessary risk.
Aang stared into Fong's terrified-yet-fascinated eyes with the rage of a sea of past lives. The Avatar shoved his free hand into the man's face, felt the air flowing through his throat, his lungs, his very blood, and swung his arm back. Fong choked as air rushed out of his mouth like a bellows. Aang would have finished the task; but he was hindered when his spirit separated from his body. His incorporeal form flew up to be seated behind Avatar Roku on his dragon. His body, still clutching the general, gently floated back to the arena.
Eying him with his brow slightly furrowed with concern, Roku stated levelly, "It's time you learned."
Blue-faced, gasping for air, and barely conscious, General Fong held a faint smile of satisfaction.