Blazing Crystal

Dark Craters: Part 2

As the man lay on the ground, stunned from the pain of Zuko's attack, Zuko approached him with his fist pointed ready to fire. "Enough! Who sent you? What do you want with her?!"

The Assassin sneered as he stared into Zuko's infuriated gaze. "A message from the Fire Lord." He spoke through grit teeth. "Give yourself up or you'll never see your waterbender again."

Zuko narrowed his eyes. His father really was the one behind these attacks, and he would pay. "Shame that message won't matter anymore. You lose," Zuko hissed. "I have you cornered now."

"Really," a voice spoke with thrill. "Because I think we have you cornered."

Zuko looked back at Colonel Mongke with question, and then his eyes widened when he saw someone was restrained by him with fire held near her face. Crystal struggled in the man's hold as his arm was wrapped around her body locking her arms to her side, and a flame danced inches from her skin.

"Let go!" She tried to kick back at the man, but he didn't budge from her attack.

Zuko growled, turning to the one that restrained her. "Unhand her!"

Crystal met Zuko's gaze, and her terror was shown to him. However, her terror was not for her own wellbeing but his.

"Zuko! Look out!"

Her shout made him realize he'd let his guard down, and he turned just as the Assassin shot a blast of fire from his forehead at him. As he threw his hands forward to block the fire, the push from the flames sent him flying back and hitting the earth hard. As he slid back, he stopped after a few feet and lay on the ground in pain. His whole body vibrated, and his arms were sore from blocking the hot blast that had come his way.

"STOP!" Crystal begged. "Don't hurt him! Please!"

Zuko's eyes, which were unfocused, slowly came back and as his vision was restored he was horrified to see the Assassin stood above him ready to fire again. The man smirked and then inhaled. As he prepared to fire down at Zuko, Crystal shouted again, "Please! I'll go with you! Just don't hurt him!"

Crystal's statement made Zuko's eyes widen. He grit his teeth then and used his upper body to lift his legs up. Shooting fire from his feet, his flames hit the man in the stomach shooting him back. As the Assassin stumbled backward, Zuko jumped back up to his feet and shot more fire at him. The Assassin stumbled back again, trying to block the flames. He'd been burned by Zuko's previous attack in the abdomen, and didn't want to feel the intense pain again.

"Hey!" Toph shouted from where she was still fighting the battle mace guy. "I don't know about you Sparky, but I've had it with these guys!" She smashed her foot down suddenly and the battle mace guy sunk below the earth getting trapped like the last guy she attacked.

Zuko grit his teeth. "I agree." He turned to the man who still restrained Crystal. Crystal was relieved to find Zuko was still unharmed, and also that Toph was okay too. "Let her go!"

Colonel Mongke made his flame grow, and Crystal's eyes widened when she realized how close the heat was to her. "Surrender, or she gets burned!"

Zuko and Toph both stepped closer, but they knew any sudden movement would do more harm than good. Colonel Mongke saw their hesitation and grinned. His hold on his captive tightened, causing Crystal to cringe in pain. "I'm afraid the girl is coming with us." He whistled, and only a moment later a giant shadow emerged from the smoke. His rhino charged towards Zuko and Toph, and Toph shot her foot down sending the two of them shooting through the air. As they jumped out of the rhinos range, the Assassin shot a blast at them in the air. Zuko used his fire to block the attack, but the force sent him flying back into Toph. The two crashed back against the earth a few meters away.