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Make a Man Out of You Chapter 19 (Desna x Reader)

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Make a Man Out of You

Chapter 19: The Heat of Battle

You stood at Valrick's workshop at the fire palace, staring at a familiar water bender. It was the tomboyish Eska, the Eska that went with you on the trip. No, that wasn't right. You saw her just yesterday and she looked very different. The sounds in the background slowly faded. The clings and clangs of engineers working on Valrick's blueprints became silent in your mind. The voice of someone talking also dissolved and you could hardly hear them say how the new materials should arrive safely this time because they were being escorted by both fire and water benders, the water benders being a pro and a royal. Your whole surroundings became nothing as you focused on the water bender standing before you.

All the oddest moments of the trip flashed before your eyes and everything that had seemed unusual stood out even more. Then there was a flash of light, as the reality in front of you was torn apart and a man came from the clandestine portal.

"We're under attack!" Valrick shouted. "Run!" He bolted away from Zhu Li, knowing full well he was the primary target.

The large man that came from the portal glared with snake-like pale green eyes and tried to run after Valrick. He was delayed by a strike of coolant to the face, followed by more of the goop wrapping around his hands and legs. That didn't stop him though, even if it looked like the water bender was putting a great effort into it.

"Coolant formula number nine won't solidify," Zhu Li warned. The water bender must have been trying to turn it into ice, working with the only liquid that was readily available at the moment.

A flood of Fire Nation soldiers rushed in, making their way through the cluttered space as quick as they could. Another portal was ripped open and two more enemies appeared, a man who shot lightning and a woman who controlled air.

Valrick slipped and fell and the big muscular man who came from the first portal was resisting the constant hits of coolant that assaulted him. The goop couldn't be made into much else than a soft dodge ball without the shard edge and weight of ice.

The air bender released a series of small tornadoes at the fire soldier who attacked with their native element. The debris took flight and caught aflame with burning materials and red hot metal raining down. There were too many things that were conductive and if the enemy who wielded lightning attacked or the Fire Nation soldiers retaliated, the whole chamber would be filled with sparks. You realized that the fire soldiers were trying to minimize the damage to Valrick's prototypes and research, which made them hold back.

The muscular man revealed his element to be earth as he boosted himself with a platform that rose from the floor and escaped the hassle of dealing with the coolant goop. Valrick kept running in place in a puddle of slippery oil, unable to get away. The marble tiles of the floor broke as the man summoned raw materials from the layer below. He fashioned a mallet of stone and held it high over Valrick.

The earth bender was assaulted by the coolant goop again. The water bender was only supposed to be assisting Valrick rather than playing bodyguard, judging by the lack of bending material. The fire soldiers were busy in the cluttered and crowded space, trying to detain the enemy air and fire benders while trying to protect the half finished mechanical components and parts that littered the room. The enemies were doing a good job of keeping the fire soldiers away from Valrick.

The water bender tried to disarm the earth bender, but couldn't pull the hammer out of his grasp without icing the coolant. A loud bang echoed and the earth bender screamed. Blood poured from his shoulder but the cause was too fast for you to identify. He dropped his stone mallet, but fortunately, Valrick was able to roll out of the way. The enemy demonstrated his ability to metal bend when he pulled out a small piece of metal that had been logged in his shoulder. It was amazing how something so small could cause such damage when it moved so fast.

"Forget the prototypes, just get everyone out of here!" You knew that voice. You watched as Iroh rushed into the room, shooting fireballs left and right without a care for collateral damage. The soldiers began advancing now that they didn't have machines or a castle to protect and easily overpowered the enemy air and fire benders.

Seeing that his allies were captured and he couldn't hope to win this battle, the earth bender hastily put a desperate move into action. The soldiers rushed towards Valrick, but the enemy was moving away from him. With another platform boost he jumped and landed right next to you. You tried to get away, but he quickly grabbed you. He held you so tight you couldn't breathe and it felt like he would literally rip your head off. You mentally berated yourself for not getting away, but the fire bending all around, even if most of it came from ally troops, paralyzed you with anxiety.

The battle slowed as the chaotic fight became a hostage situation. "Let her go and surrender!" Iroh commanded with a flame at the ready in case the enemy made any sudden attacks. The water bender who had traveled with you was at his side in a split second, glaring like death itself.

"How about I trade you the girl for Valrick?" The enemy offered. It didn't make sense to do it, he couldn't expect them to actually consider the offer.

"Let her go," Iroh ordered, growling out every word in frustrated anger. But he knew that he would be ignored if he didn't at least try to negotiate. "I'll trade her for you, if you kill her, I'll turn you to ashes on the spot."

"Killing me won't bring her back," the enemy chuckled. He only had full strength in one arm, but you knew that would be more than enough to snap your neck. "Before our almost member Kalok messed up and got arrested, he informed the Black Lotus that the Northern Water Tribe prince was rather fond of your little diplomat. If you let her die, I wouldn't put it past Desna to go to war. Either way, it's a step forward in our cause."

Iroh looked conflicted, like Zuko and Izumi, he was dedicated to protecting his people, and part of that was also protecting the world they lived in. Iroh fell silent, realizing that no matter what he did, there would be a loss. It was a matter of deciding which was the lesser of two evils. Zhu Li held a metal pipe in her trembling hands with a handle and a little switch attached to it. She was aiming it at your captor, but seemed afraid to hurt you if she used it. You guessed that was the weapon that launched the little piece of metal that saved Valrick's life before.

The water bender next to the fire prince looked back and forth between you and Valrick. "You're going to do it, aren't you?" Valrick quietly spoke, then grinned in grin understanding. "I'd have to kick you if you didn't, a real man would give up the world for his girl."

Iroh became more tense, as did Zhu Li. You couldn't allow this, as a diplomat, you were supposed to be a bringer of peace, not a tool to cause war. "Desna..." You chocked out with difficulty, "understand..." Iroh got the message, you were telling him not to risk Valrick, he was too vital.

The enemy saw the look of defeat in the fire prince eyes' as he searched for the resolve to convince himself that sacrificing an innocent from his own land was necessary for the greater good and that Desna would understand. "Don't try to stop me..." Iroh voiced quietly and slowly raised his hand, flame at the ready. The enemy took a step back, but as he expected, the coolant liquid responded to the call of the water bender. Iroh shot the flame, but the goop blocked it, then the enemy howled in pain and dropped you.

You scrambled out of the way in panicked confusion. Iroh had moved too slowly, he knew his flame would be stopped, as did the enemy. But the earth bender was burnt anyway despite seemingly being protected from Iroh's fire. How was that possible? Then you realized it, that tingling sensation at your finger tips and the warmth in your palms. They had created a distraction and the fire that freed you was your own. You had somehow used it without thinking when you came face to face with an alternative that was more frightening than fire itself.

To be Continued
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