Ch.20 Endgame
"HA! HA! HA! Controlling me? Rest assured, young Avatar, I serve Long Feng willingly!" The impact of what Zhang Chang had just said hit Aang like a punch to the gut. He was barely able to dodge the councilman's first salvo of fireballs as the weight of what he'd just been told sank in. "Who do you think helped bring the rest of the council under the master's control?" Chang taunted as he sent a huge stream of fire Aang's way. Aang ducked for cover as the fireballs continued to fly.
Long Feng held a dagger to Suki's throat as he forced her forward. "Where are you taking me?" she demanded in a pained voice. Her captor did not answer, he merely continued to force her to move. As he approached the town square, he stopped. He knew his enemies could still be there, and he needed to think of a detour. He looked around, trying to find an alley, an out of the way side road, anywhere that would allow him to slip past his enemies unnoticed.
As Katara and Zuko saw to Chan, Toph got a knowing look. She turned, and although she was blind, she looked directly at Long Feng. "Hee hee," he whispered. "The only one who could see us is blind, my dear," he gloated. In his arrogance he forgot one crucial detail. "It's Long Feng," Toph warned. Her earthsight had detected his footsteps. At hearing this, Feng glared at her, a look of anger and frustration evident in his face. Zuko and Katara spun around at Toph's warning.
Zuko charged a fireball. "I wouldn't do that, young Fire Lord," Long Feng warned. He held his blade to Suki's throat. "You might force me to harm my wife," he said. Fear crept across Katara's face. "Suki!" she cried. Feng nodded. "That's right. Back off. Slowly," he ordered. The fire Zuko was beginning to bend disappeared, and he lowered his hands. But he was not ready to surrender yet. "Toph, launch him," he said, only for Toph to shake her head no. "I can't," she replied.
Katara nodded her agreement. "She's right, Zuko, none of us can do anything to Long Feng as long as he's using Suki as a shield," she observed. Suki tried to slip away from Long Feng's grip to no avail. She simply wasn't able in her current physical state. "Someone do something," she pleaded. "Do what darling?" Long Feng sneered."He's gonna kill me," she replied. Long Feng's voice was emotionless as he spoke. "Perhaps. I haven't decided yet. I think it depends on whether your friends cooperate," he said.
Toph exhaled sharply. "He's almost as good as Azula," she said. "I can't tell if he's lying or not." Long Feng pressed his blade a little harder against Suki's throat. "I'll say it one more time, then I might accidentally cut something important," he warned. "Back off, now!" Katara nodded, and all three of them stood down. "Thanks," Feng said as he bent prisons of rock around the three of them. "It'll be fine," Katara reassured Suki. "We will save you," she said.
As Long Feng began making his escape, a boulder came flying out of nowhere. He hadn't thought to restrain Chan, who was feebly attempting to stop him. He threw Suki to the ground at the moment the boulder would have made contact with her head and used his own bending to turn it to sand. He stamped on the ground, causing a pillar of earth to send Chan flying. As if hitting the ground from about thirty feet in his weakened state wasn't enough, he threw a boulder at Chan's back the moment he landed. Chan went immediately limp. "The fool!" Long Feng scoffed.
"Chan," Toph screamed. Long Feng picked Suki off the ground, and swiftly took his leave. As soon as he was out of sight, Toph freed herself and her friends. The three of them rushed to Chan's side. "Sifu Toph," he rasped. "Forgive me, Sifu Toph," he sputtered. Toph grasped his hand. "Chan, there's nothing to forgive." Tears streamed down her face as she held his hand. "Katara, please tell me you can heal him," she begged.
Katara's hands glowed a bright blue as she placed them on Chan's chest. After a few moments, it was clear that her attempt to heal his injuries wasn't working. The clouds in the sky parted, and the sun shined down as Chan drew his last breath. Toph hesitatingly closed his eyes. "Rest easy, Chan," she whispered, her voice so quiet Zuko and Katara almost could not hear it. She rose with a look of anger on her face. She realized there could only be one way Long Feng could have abducted Suki.
"I'm so sorry, Toph," Katara said sympathetically. "Go after him," Toph ordered, her voice suddenly hard as steel. She turned away and started toward the Jasmine Dragon. "Wait, where are you going?" Zuko asked. Toph didn't even look back. "I'm going to check on everyone else," she replied. A moment of realization struck Zuko hard. "Uncle," he said worriedly. As he moved to follow Toph, Katara grabbed his arm. "Zuko, there's no time," she said. They couldn't let Long Feng get away. He had to face justice for his crimes.
"Don't lose him," Toph said. "I'll catch up," she finished as she took off. Katara and Zuko went in pursuit of Long Feng. They had an idea where he might be headed.
Toph meanwhile, had set a speed record in getting back to the Jasmine Dragon. She was right in her thinking. The rest of their friends had been imprisoned in rock as well. There was no doubt Long Feng had been there. She focused, and released all of them in one motion. "Thanks, Toph," Sokka said as he streched his limbs. It was then that he looked at Toph's face, at the cross between anger and sadness that was etched all over her face. "Toph, what happened?" Iroh asked. He could tell something had happened. "Long Feng didn't get away did he?" Ty Lee asked. Her normally chipper tone was replaced by malice and anger.
"Not yet," Toph replied. Sokka was right there with her. "We've gotta stop him," he said. "He's got Suki." Toph didn't mince words. Her anger was overriding her sadness at this point and time. "Yes, I am well aware of that, Snoozles," she snapped. The entire group cringed at her tone. "Well instead of talking about it, let's get him," Mai said. She retrieved a few throwing knives from the wreckage. Toph nodded. "Follow me and hurry, Katara and Zuko could use our help," she said.
The battle had continued to rage. Aang had earthbent an armor of stone to shield him from Zhang Chang's fire blasts. "Do you want to know the best part?" he asked mockingly. Aang responded by shooting a blast of air at him, which he nimbly dodged. "After I help the master destroy the Avatar line, we will be invincible. Then the Fire Nation will bow to our might. And after that the Water Tribes will submit to our power." He was on a power trip as he continued boasting.
"No one will dare challenge us," he boasted. He had been charging a large fireball as he spoke, and with no further delay he released it. It hit it's mark, destroying Aang's armor and knocking him almost senseless. He began to glow, but he suppressed it. Zhang Chang was a more powerful opponent than he appeared to be. It was possible that he could have been at least as powerful as Ozai was, if not more.
"That's right," Chang gloated as he gripped Aang by the neck. "Bow to our power." Aang sensed another presence in the room. "What exactly do you mean by our?" Long Feng questioned. Aang struggled in his grip as he sensed a third presence. Suki! "Let her go!" he raged. Long Feng snickered. "I don't think so," he replied. "In fact, I think I'll kill her in front of you," he threatened. He raised his blade, but he had made a dangerous miscalculation in threatening Suki.
Aang went into the Avatar State out of sheer anger. Zhang Chang stared in disbelief as Aang pried his hand from his throat. He then sent the former councilman flying through a wall. Zhang Chang was clearly down for the count, but Aang bent a rock prison around him just to be sure. He then turned his complete attention to Long Feng, who had released Suki in order to adequately defend himself. Or so he thought. He began throwing boulders at Aang in rapid succession, but to his dismay, Aang effortlessly dodged them and even let a few hit him. In the Avatar State they bounced off of him as though they were pebbles.
Aang finally stopped toying with him, and burrowed underground. Long Feng was not practiced in Toph's earthsight technique, and began frantically circling around. He had no idea where the Avatar would surface, and Aang used this fact to his advantage. All of a sudden, Long Feng found himself unable to move, restrained in the very same style of prison he had been fond of using on others. The rest of Aang's companions burst into the room at that very moment.
Toph, in particular, was running on nothing but rage. She took in the sight of the immobilized Long Feng, and crossed the room. She picked up the dagger which lay on the ground in front of him, and took pleasure in the rise in his heartbeat. "How does it feel?" she growled. Getting no response, she stalked toward him, the dagger raised threateningly. "How does it feel, knowing you're about to die?" Katara, Sokka and the others had no idea what to make of this.
"Toph, don't!" The cry came from Aang. She gripped the dagger's handle so hard her knuckles were turning white. "Why not?" she asked through gritted teeth. Aang took a deep breath. He struggled to think of an answer. "He killed Chan," she said, despair taking over. "He nearly killed the rest of us," she continued. Aang finally placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Not even Katara was willing to go near her in this state of mind.
"I know he's done terrible things," Aang replied. "And I promise he will answer for them, but Toph, if you kill him, you let him take control of you," he reasoned. Toph struggled with her emotions. Finally, the blade hit the ground with a clang. "I'm so sorry, Aang," she she finally said after moments of silence. She then began weeping, not just for Chan, but for every misfortune that had happened recently because of his scheming.
Aang knew what needed to be done. "Long Feng, you have proven yourself to be too dangerous. I will therefore strip you of your bending," he said. He began to glow as he made contact with Long Feng's forehead. This time, it wasn't a light show. When all was said and done, Long Feng was powerless. "What have you done to me?" Feng demanded. The Avatar didn't think twice. "I took your bending away. You can't use it to harm anyone else ever again."
He did the same thing to Zhang Chang, who was still out. The deed done, he turned to Zuko. "Can you see to it that these two are sent to the Boiling Rock?" he asked. Zuko nodded. "It would be my pleasure," he replied. Aang noticed Suki's pained expression. "Let me help you," he said softly. Suki did not protest as he placed his hands on her and started glowing. After a brief moment, the glowing ceased. Suki picked herself up, finally able to move freely again.
The group turned as consciousness returned to Zhang Chang. He tried to bend, only to have nothing happen. "What did you?" he asked. "He took away your bending," Katara explained. Toph left him with a final cutting remark. "Enjoy Boiling Rock," she said.