High School Sweethearts Chp. 37

Chapter 37

    Aang whirled away from Jet while simultaneously bringing his staff to angle from his body, its tip pointing at the older boy. Jet snarled and charged again, malice evident on his face and body language. The Airbender waited before swinging his staff at an angle, wind following its movement and knocking Jet off his feet. He was up in seconds. They circled each other, trying to find a weak spot in their imaginative armor.

    Katara watched with a kind of fascinated horror. Their skills were almost beautiful, like a kind of dangerous dance. However, she hated the feeling of being so helpless when her boyfriend was risking his life to save hers. If only she had some water, or a kind of liquid to help her cut the ropes that kept her in place. Wait a minute... Her senses started throbbing like they had always done when water was around.

    She looked around, and saw the barrels again. Her sense tingled again. It was hard to read in the dim light, but the word on one of the barrels said 'Oil'. That's a type of liquid. She could use it to help Aang. But how was she going to command it when her hands were tied? Maybe she could still manipulate it since her fingers were free. It was worth a shot.

    Katara started concentrating with all her might and will while the two boys continued their deadly dance.

    ***

    The last of the agents went down with a pained groan when Toph smacked him right in his soft spot where no male should ever have been hit with a rock. She grinned and wiped her hands together as if they had just played a game rather than fight. "Well," she said while making herself see and surveying their handiwork. "That took care of them, didn't it?"

    All over the place agents were on the floor unconscious, others were either trapped by water, earth, or by Mai's knives. Even Toph got to try something she had been practicing. Only one person was awake and mad, both mentally and emotionally. Azula sat on her knees, screaming for the agents to fight and finish off these peasants. Her hands up to her forearms were encased with metal from underground. Toph had called it 'Metalbending'. She had had been practicing for a long time now, so she thought it was perfect to hold the Firebender in place.

    The Duke had stared at her when she had done that. He had complimented how strong she was, and Toph had shrugged, smiling and blushing, which had caused him to turn red. It was obvious they liked each other. If only they knew how deep their crushes would go.

    Now he and his friends stared at her green eyes when she had turned around to look at her friends. She frowned at the strange looked she received and shrugged. "What?"

    The Duke stopped forward with wide eyes. He gestured towards her face. "How can your eyes be green? Can you see us?" he asked in wonder.

    Toph blinked as realization struck. "Oh, these. It's a long story. I'll tell you later. I need to be blind again, so don't be shocked." She made herself blind again, causing everyone besides her other friends to jumped back in surprise and voice their awe. Her feet regained their sight, and she gasped. She could now feel the battle underneath her. It was going strong.

    "Aang and Jet are fighting," she informed everyone grimly. "Aang has the upper hand thanks to his Airbending."

    "Not for long," Smellerbee said gravely. Everyone looked at her as she explained. "Jet's been around these Benders for a long time now, and has fought them during training. He'll find Aang's weak spot before too long."

    Sokka frowned with worry. "Should we go down there and help him? If what you say is true, then Aang doesn't have much time either. Jet will kill him and Katara. We have to help them."

    Suki grabbed his hand. He looked at her. "I know you want to help them. We all do. But maybe we should let them fight on their own."

    Sokka glared at her. "Are you kidding? That's my best friend and little sister down there. Do you seriously want to leave them alone with a maniac?"

    Zuko sighed, wiping blood from an arm wound. "Look, it's upsetting; we understand that. But this is Aang and Katara we're talking about. If anyone can survive this battle, it's them."

    Sokka started hotly, "But-"

    "He's right," Longshot said quietly, startling everyone. No one has ever heard him speak before. "Remember how we had fought him before? He took out everyone there. We have to believe there's hope for him and Katara. This is their fight. Leave them to it."

    Everyone stared; then Sokka took a deep breath. "Okay. So, what do we do? Just wait until they come out?"

    Smellerbee pulled out her phone. "Yes. But that doesn't mean we wait unprepared." She dialed a number, and waited for the police and ambulances to arrive.

    ***

    Aang back flipped away from Jet's hooked sword. It had been strapped to the guy's back much like Aang's staff had been. He had taken it out when the Airbender had landed too many blows. It was all Jet could do to soften his impacts.

    Everything had seemed to be working in Aang's favor for a while; but then Jet had turned the tables when the sword was brought into play. Sometimes he had struck the staff and held it while he cut a few gashes here and there. Blood wept from the wounds, none life threatening but enough to make Aang dizzy with fatigue.

    Now Aang started to worry. They were evenly matched, no one hitting any blows for a few minutes. But the gray eyed boy knew it wouldn't last. He was getting tired, the wounds draining him of energy rapidly, and Jet seemed to enjoy wearing him down. He swung his staff and blasted a weak current of air, which Jet dodged easily before kicking him in the chest, causing Aang to let his staff go, which the Non Bender kicked away.

    Then he tossed the sword aside, knowing he didn't need it now, and picked the kid up by his collar and threw him into the wall, where he collapsed with an agonized groan into the dust. When he tried to sit up, Jet kicked his face. With a pained grunt he fell again, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Jet laughed when Aang tried to get up again with shaking arms, panting heavily. He grabbed Aang's hair and lifted him into a sitting position, and slammed the kid's head repeatedly into the wall until blood flowed, further weakening him. Then Jet held him there, and placed the dagger on his exposed throat, right on the rapid pulse that beat there.

    Jet got close to his face with a triumphant gleam. "You actually thought you had a chance? Ha! You should have known better. I started fighting lessons when I was twelve. I have more experience than you. Face it, Aang; you lost. You never had a chance. The only thing I regret is killing you first. Any last words before you die?"

    It was over. Aang's energy was completely drained, his eyes started to glaze over with pain and fatigue, blood ran down his pounding temple, and his throat felt dry. His heart pounded as if trying to give him strength, but it wasn't working. There was nothing he could do. Jet won.

    Then a female voice shouted, "I've got a few! Get away from my boyfriend!" Jet quickly turned around to retaliate but the words were swept away when a tendril of black water sent him flying away from Aang and into the wall, and the younger boy slumped against the wall. The gray eyed boy looked up at the blurry figure holding the black water. He blinked, trying to clear his vision. That wasn't water. It was too thick. Then... He turned his head to the open barrels. Oil. That's what it was. So the figure must be...

    "Katara," he croaked, trying to sit up. The girl put the oil back and rushed to his side, holding him still. She pushed his sweaty hair from his face.

    "It's okay. I'm fine. We won. Just rest now." She looked around for a water source, and found a puddle a few feet away. There was enough water to heal him. As she worked, Katara explained how she had gotten out of the chair. The oil was a bit harder to control since the substance was thicker than water. But because she had the feeling that Aang would need her, she concentrated on her power. Eventually she had had enough oil to freeze into a crude knife shape, and just when Aang was about to be finished, she had called out and everything went down from there.

    By the time she was done speaking, all of Aang's injuries were mended, and he was looking better. He stared at her in disbelief and awe as she helped him stand since he was still a little unsteady. Then she was in his arms, his tears running down his face as he kissed her again and again, saying words of love and endearment and of how much he missed her. He had been so scared for the both of them. Again Katara had saved his life, and he didn't know how he was going to repay her.

    Katara kissed him back just as hard. She had thought she was going to lose him, the love of her life, the owner of her heart and soul. But Katara wasn't going to lose him, not now, not ever, especially to some knucklehead. They embraced once more, hearts beating happily with their reunion.

    However, Jet's body started getting up, which was unknown to the happy couple. The dark teen was breathing heavily as he reached for his knife, which had fallen out of his hand when Katara had tossed him into the wall. Now he stood, fury coming off him in waves. He stalked towards Aang's unprotected back, to the couple that had threatened all of his hard work. Jet didn't think; didn't pause to consider his motives. All he wanted was to end Aang Montauk while he was in his girlfriend's embrace. Maybe then Katara would understand her choices before he ended her too.

    Katara's eyes were closed when the first sense of danger caused her to open them. Her eyes widened as she took in Jet's lithe form shaking with rage, his face livid with murderous intent. What happened next was a blur. As the dagger was raised, Katara cried out, "Look out!" and pushed Aang away. He stumbled to the ground. Then the knife was in Katara's collarbone. Where her heart was located.

    Katara gasped. At first she didn't feel anything except numbness; then breathing started to become harder to do as the colors became washed out. Searing pain emanated from the wound. Jet jerked the knife out of Katara's flesh, his mind suddenly clear. Oh Spirits; what had he just done?

    Katara's body jerked; then she fell to her knees, watching with a strange, detached fascination as her blood colored the gray stone floor. Her breathing harsh, she collapsed on her back, the blood spreading rapidly like thick water. The pain was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her body felt cold.

    Aang stared at Katara's heaving chest, feeling sick from seeing so much blood. Ignoring the nausea that threatened to overtake him like a disease, he crawled to Katara's fallen form, blood smearing on his person. Hands shaking, he cupped her face as tears flooded and spilled over. She did it again; Katara had saved Aang's life, for the price of taking the knife for him.

    After sadness came a blinding anger along with anguish so all-encompassing it burned like a fire deep into his soul. He swallowed and slowly stood up, his back to Jet, who still clutched the bloody knife. When Aang spoke, his voice was calm, but had a power that pulsed within. "You stabbed her." That single sentence struck fear into Jet's soul.

    He tried to clear up his mistake, even though he knew the damage had been done already. "I didn't- I-I-mean that she-she jumped in the way. She pushed you. It was her fault." He might as well have dug his own grave. He was going six feet under, probably deeper. .

    Aang was quiet for a moment; then slowly turned around to face the one that had practically destroyed his life, and Jet gasped when he saw two colors swirling in the Airbender's eyes. Gray his original, and blue just like... Katara's. That was when Jet knew: Aang and Katara were soul mates. He had heard stories about soul mates, but actually seeing it for real made him fascinated despite his fear.

    "Look at what you’ve done," Aang stated with that same eerie voice, advancing slowly towards the terrified teen. "You have killed because of greed. You have tormented innocents for your sick game. Now you have destroyed the only thing that gave my life meaning." As he talked, the winds started, becoming stronger with every word he spoke, whipping their hair about. “I ruined my love!”

    Then, impossibly, when Aang stopped walking, the oil started forming around Aang, combined with the wind, and a whirlpool was created. It split in front of Jet before enclosing him in the tide too. He stared at the Airbender in shock. He raised the knife, the hand shaking, and shouted, "Back off! Stop this thing, or I will kill you!"

    Aang gave a humorless laugh. "That doesn't scare me, Jet. You had your chance, and you lost it. It's time for you to understand pain." He raised his hand, and Jet struck out, on instinct, slashing his palm. However, Aang didn't flinch or show any kind of distress from the wound that dripped scarlet. He wasn't himself. His love was hurt, and he planned on releasing his emotions.

    Aang motioned with his hands, and the sludge followed, spinning faster and faster until it was a blur. His eyes faintly glowed, and despite himself, Jet was mesmerized; the kid was showing so much power and emotion Jet thought he would faint from the awesomeness of it. Then the next thing he knew, he was in the air, the giant tentacle having been formed. It pushed him far before letting go. There was a sickening crack as Jet's side hit one of metal supports on the wall. Then he fell on some tarps, and was still.

    The sludge stopped, Aang's eyes went back to normal, and with a groan, he staggered back to where he had originally stood, and fell in the pool of blood, Katara's rattled breathing echoing in his ears. He felt hot and cold at the same time and the blood stuck to his body, but he didn’t seem to notice it as he regained himself. His whole body shaking from the ordeal, Aang raised his head, hair matted with sticky blood to see Katara's pale face. Her blue eyes were closed, shadows formed under them. Her body had racking spasms as if she was going into shock. And with a start, Aang realized that was exactly what was happening.

    He crawled closer and grasped her hand with his own shaking one. It was cold like ice and just as lifeless. However, her spasms seem to calm a little at his touch, and she managed to weakly open her eyes. "Aang?" she barely whispered. She sounded so weak it broke his already shattered heart.

    "Shhh..." he said shakily. He wasn't going to lose her now. She was his life, his reason for being born. There was not one piece of treasure more valuable than her. "Don't talk. It's okay now; Jet lost. He can't hurt us anymore. Just hang on tight, Water Lily." Footsteps echoed down the stairs to where they way. Hope started to blossom in Aang when he heard someone mention 'medical supplies'. He smiled weakly at her. "See? Help is coming. You have to hold on."

    Katara started shaking again, and she whispered, "I'm tired. So tired. And c-cold. Wh-why is it s-so c-cold?"

    He reached his free hand to her cheek, leaving a trail of blood on her pale skin. "Don't worry. Once the doctors come, they'll have you warmed up in no time. Okay. All you have to do is stay with me. Once you're in the hospital, you can sleep. Nothing will ever hurt you again."

    She looked at him with bleary eyes. She started gasping for every breath. Her eyes fluttered. "I... don't think I... can wait t-that... that long. Must sleep now."

    Tears fell as Aang's chest filled with rocks. He was worried she was going to die. But he refused to let that happen. Katara was his savior, so he will be hers. He clasped her hand harder. "Don't think about it. You have to stay awake. Think about me, think about Sokka, Suki, Toph, Mai, Zuko, and all the others. They're our family. We need you, Katara. You brought us together, and you keep us that way. Stay with us." He kissed her hand.

    Katara stared at him as people ran into the room. But they were too late; nothing can save her now. However, before darkness could envelop her in its embrace, she murmured with halting breath, "I love you. Rem-member that. Tell... the... others..." And darkness took her, Aang's pleas and the sound of running feet following her deep into the blackness.