Remnant Reborn Part 2

A Remnant sergeant that seems to be in his early forties has medium-length curly black hair, a light beard, dark orange eyes, and tawny brown skin. A few feet in front of him is a firebender, a spearman, and a sword trooper. Macai sprints ahead and pumps a beam of blazing white flames into two firebenders that are further ahead of the sergeant's squad.

The enlisted officer squints his eyes, "What?! That must be.. Arm yourselves!!" Macai leaps in the air closer to his enemies and pumps a brick of fire into the swordsman. Seconds later the spearman and firebender are also shot down by white flames. The sergeant yells, "Backup! Come quickly and archers I need your support!"

Zack Snyder's Justice League: Superman Rising x Flight | EPIC VERSION (Man of Steel) [Music Starts]

A firebender, dual swordsman, and a swordsman quickly run behind the sergeant. The sergeant calls again, "Archers!" Macai points right. The sergeant turns and sees Azula swoop down and land between the three troopers behind him. A swirl of blue flames quickly emerges and dispatches them. Macai steps forward and punches a white flame into the sergeant's lower right stomach.

The sergeant falls on his behind and looks in terror at Macai. Macai asks, "Who is in charge of this attack?"

A powerful voice bellows behind them and Azula, "I AM." Azula darts her eyes and sees her father Ozai in black battle armor with dark red markings and platinum collar. Azula's legs tremble, "Father!"

Ozai speaks and extends his hand, "Join me daughter and together we can reunite my EMPIRE!"

Azula regains her composure, "YOUR EMPIRE, the one that I was sidelined for? No thanks. I stand for liberty now." Azula enters her battle stance and Macai does the same as he steps left of her.

Ozai scowls at them, "So be it." Macai glances at Azula, worried about her confidence. But Azula is game and focused on her father. Macai then becomes focused as well. Ozai shouts, "Ahhhhahaahah!!" Ozai lightly jumps and punches his right hand down in Macai's direction. A wild, broad, and volatile swirl of red, orange, and yellow fire glides toward Azula's husband.

The flames fry the ground below them, leaving nothing but a lifeless black soil underneath. The flames are so large that they cause the entire area within a twenty-foot radius to feel warmer. Macai begins to sweat as the flames move closer to him all within less than two seconds. The commander is forced to enhance his legs with white flames as he launches his body left of the attack.

The shockwave of fire glides into a building behind him and immediately levels it. Several debris immediately fall from the building; Macai and Azula sprint forward. Ozai turns left and hurls a huge rocket of flames at his daughter. Azula also unable to naturally avoid this attack is forced to amp her jump with a spout of blue flames. Azula glides twelve feet in the air and an explosion erupts just inches under her feet.

Azula kicks a blue rod of fire at Ozai as gravity pulls her down. Ozai engulfs his hand with a two-foot-wide aura of red-orange-yellow flames and punches the attack; using his own fire to cancel out most of the damage from Azula's. Azula flips behind her father while Macai shoots a beam of white flames at Ozai's chest.

Ozai reactively shifts his body slightly right and shoots his own surge of red, orange, and yellow flames into Macai's fire. While Macai's flames are even larger than Azula's when charged up, they are nowhere near as big as Ozai's. Macai's flames are 80 percent toward Ozai's when they make contact, but Ozai briefly concentrates then pushes his arms an inch further.

A spiral of flames knocks Macai's fire back and glides toward him forcing the commander to leap left as an explosion occurs inches right of his position. Azula punches a rapid barrage of four fireballs at her father's back. Ozai rotates his body and raises his arms pulling up a wall of fire that absorbs Azula's shots.

The fire menace extends his hands and launches his fire wall at her. Azula sprints left and the wall burns a hole through a building. Ozai launches a wide horizontal rectangle of fire at the fire princess, and she dives over the shot, gasping as she does. Azula lands near flawlessly and Ozai punches two swift flames at her.

Azula flips forward and Macai shoots a ray of white flames at Ozai's back. Ozai stomps his left leg, and a wall of flames emerge behind him which absorb Macai's fire. Macai's strikes still weaken Ozai's wall, but he immediately disrupts it with his mind causing a barrage of eight red, orange, and yellow fireballs to fly in Macai's direction.

The 31st leader ducks as he avoids two of the fireballs and raises a thin wall of white fire to block the others. Azula slaps her hands together and shoots a tight beam of light blue fire at Ozai's stomach. Her father spins and rises with a spinning cascade of flames fifteen feet in the air. Ozai looks down at her and Azula looks up in surprise.

Ozai effortlessly extends his arms; shooting a fountain of red, orange, and yellow fire beams down at Azula. The princess gathers herself as she runs left but the beams explode and knock Azula three feet left into the dirt. Azula huffs, "Oooooooaaaaah!!" Azula rolls and passes out.

(music ends)

Macai looks across at Azula in surprise then looks back up at Ozai. Ozai turns around, "You fool! You should have struck me while my back was turned! While you still wouldn't have landed, it would have been a good time to attack. Yet you allow your feelings for a partner to blind you, embarrassing!"

Ozai continues, "And I still prefer not to kill her, but I have no love for you."

Macai yells, "You don't love her either, be honest!"

Ozai: "I love my children, but I love my legacy more!" Macai feels a sting in his chest just hearing that even though he's not even Ozai's child. Ozai: "You should have joined me when you had the chance. But you are inferior to even Azula, not because of power. No, because you were and always will be a pawn. You've never seen the big picture. You've only understood tactics, battles, compliance, short term, just like your father!"

Macai: "Don't talk about MY FATHER!!"

Ozai smirks, "No he is a good man. A great general and aide. But that's the point. You are only meant to rule in a servant's capacity. You never had it in you to be at the very top. I'm not saying you aren't valuable, but you need someone else to steer you. It is a shame that it had to come to this though, I appreciated what you were. Unfortunately now, you have stayed too far. And I will have to end your legacy, the legacy I gave you!"

Macai: "I worked for my own legacy."

Ozai: "Of course not. I mean yes, you worked hard, but I enabled it! I gave you those opportunities. Who do you think petitioned for you to go on the hardest battles available?! Who? I wanted to build a worthy tactical killing machine and one that wasn't even my own blood. One who would never challenge me for the throne. I noticed the blueprint Eyre had and I ran with it."

Macai: "So you want to profit off my father's and my hard work? Just as you did to your daughter."

Ozai: "I even tried to do the same with Zuko, but he was such a failure it still was not enough at the time. But I did teach him how to become a Firelord. I did something right. And I still may have use for him after all of this, ends."

Tears flow from Macai's eyes, "After you kill the people who were loyal to you? Who looked up to you? I practically worshipped you and you only saw me as an ant! As a commodity. I would have gladly given my life for the Firelord that KILLED MY MOTHER just to control me! You are the very reason I turned! And your hatred drove your children off."

Ozai answers, "Then perhaps they were also too weak..."

Macai: "So that's your excuse? Half your country abandons you and now at least eighty percent hates you, another ten percent has moved on, but your excuse is that all those people were too weak? It's TOO LATE for your empire, the nation you look to build would collapse the minute it's established. You'd be a dead man walking, it's better you stop while you still have the chance."

Ozai: "STOP?! You should know better, I fight until the end just like you claim to. If that many citizens wish to stand against me then I'll make sure that I burn and kill as many of them as possible. You think your sense of honor is a strength, but it makes you predictable. It's the whole reason you'd never be able to topple Ba Sing Se from within."

Macai answers, "And you couldn't either. You're so detached from reality that you'd never be capable of any meaningful recon or infiltration. You'd be spotted in seconds."

Ozai: "I didn't have to be. I made others do it for me. Just as you made people work for you in your unit. But I live with no limits, and you operate with the ones I, Zuko, or even your wife gives you. That's why you were always a PAWN, a powerful one no doubt, but a pawn no less."

Macai: "Sometimes it's a skill, knowing my limits. I remember someone I love said she had no limits. And she learned the hard way that she does. Sometimes knowing your role and place is something bigger is the real key to prosperity. Perhaps we'll both die; I mean you really can't expect to survive on a path like this. At least I'll be remembered for sticking to my values."

Ozai: "But at least I'd make the traitors suffer for turning their backs on ME! At least I'd make people remember my power! I'd unleash so much wrath that I'd force history to keep me in mind as the most impactful Firelord. Oh yes and it all starts with ending the treacherous 31st commander!!"

Ozai flies toward Macai and pumps two explosive fireballs at him. Macai rolls forward as eruptions shake the ground behind him. Macai raises his hands and shoots a beam of white flames at Ozai's legs. Ozai flies left and rotates his hands as he swirls a massive fire sphere. A second later, Ozai throws his ball down toward Macai but it seems to be ten feet away from its target.

Macai briefly thinks, Well, he missed the mark. But as the ball hits the ground it explodes, and a shockwave of fire expands. Macai looks across at his unconscious wife. The officer launches himself toward her with a gust of white sparks and picks her up. A second later, Macai launches them both in the air as the fire swirls under him. Macai lands shortly after and lays Azula down to rest.

Ozai soars down from above and glides at Macai at 30 miles an hour. The villain punches Macai in his stomach while amping his blow with red, orange, and yellow fire. Macai glides eight feet back and rolls in the sand. The nineteen year old attempts to stand but heavily coughs and falls back down.

Ozai hovers now just five feet over the ground, "Do you now see? It is your compassion that is your undoing. Only with hatred, indifference, and rage can you hope to survive. Leave everything behind and I may give you a new future."

Macai gets up and dusts himself off. He can barely stand but he still enters his battle stance. Macai uses heat to dry up an open gash that resulted from his fall. Macai: "You already know my answer."

Ozai smiles, "Indeed, stubborn to the end. That always makes for the best kills." Ozai flies forward and shoots a beam of sinister flames at Macai. The young man swirls a wall of fire which is pounded by Ozai's fire. Macai pushes up against it and grunts as he looks to hold back his foe's attack. Ozai grins as he keeps pushing forward and slowly glides ahead.

Ozai snarls, "Huhhhhhhh!" Ozai stops his beam and Macai dissolves his shield. Ozai leaps on the ground and punches two fireballs at Macai. Macai crosses his arms and blocks both shots. Ozai spins forward and shoots a stream of flames at Macai. The young officer launches himself in the air over the fire and pushes his own fire brick at his former leader.

Ozai opens his mouth and spews a gust of red-orange-yellow flames through Macai's attack. The officer is forced to wave his hands to cancel out any extra flames that flow his way. Macai spins forward and pops a second rectangle of fire at his enemy. Ozai flips forward and in front of Macai.

As soon as Ozai lands Macai postures for a counterattack but Ozai rapidly extends his left hand and shoots an extensive burst of flames at Macai. The marine crosses his arms to block but is blown back by the shot. Smoke covers his armor and Macai becomes inert. Ozai shouts, "I am still the strongest firebender. Only I am worthy to challenge and kill the Avatar! And as long as I live, I will always have a claim to the throne."

Zuko interrupts him, "But you still have to earn that throne in battle." He crosses his arm and shakes his head in disappointment. Zuko: "Still trying to take over the world I see."

Ozai laughs, "I defeated your sister, she is a superior firebender to you."

Zuko: "That might be true, but she holds back against you. No matter how much she convinces herself, I know she doesn't want to hurt her father."

Ozai states, "That is her greatest weakness. Her fear of me!"

Zuko: "While I'd prefer to not kill you, I'd be more willing to hurt you to the point that you can't hurt anyone else ever again."

Ozai: "And so the boy finally decides to become a man. Unfortunately, it won't be enough. You were never even a top 5 firebender."

Zuko: "I've learned a lot since then dad. I was just a boy and still was a top 15 firebender when I was lost and reckless. But over time I learned being with the Avatar, studying other elements, and learning from the dragons. I know things you don't. But even since then, I've grown and taken the time to hone my skills after my sister embarrassed me yet again. I've obtained spiritual knowledge beyond what I ever could imagine and now I've become far more powerful than I've ever been."

Ozai: "Then let's test your new skills. And more importantly, let's test your heart. The only way one can dream to stand against me is to have the resolve of a lion. That's what I wanted to see from you when you were a boy but it wasn't there and that's why I banished you." It's true, Ozai is an entirely different challenge than Azula. While Azula was Zuko's greatest test mentally, psychologically, and strategically Ozai is more a test of grit, determination, and resilience. In terms of raw power, he dwarfs other major players like Macai, Azula, and Alev.

But Zuko has had a similar test before against his rival Zhao. A man that hated him with a passion and one of Ozai's closest friends. Zhao was someone Ozai respected, not due to his skill but due to his ruthlessness and willingness to do whatever it took to win. Zhao had blackmailed and sabotaged the efforts of others to get to the top. Ozai knew this but allowed it believing that is what fostered a strong empire.

Zhao actually had a lot of raw power, more than Zuko at the time. But Zhao lacked control which made him easier to outsmart. Ozai is much more skilled, accurate, and creative than Zhao. Ozai has a higher work rate and better endurance. Still Ozai has one key flaw that Zuko inherited but has learned to better control. That flaw is his impulsiveness, but Ozai seems to make up for it with his raw power.

Zuko knows if has any hope of stopping him, he needs to capitalize on that weakness. Iroh once said a good tiger always beats a lion. Like tigers, leopards and pumas have the skill to counter a lion, but they lack the power, size, and might to stand against them in a fight. To beat Ozai you need strength, grit, an engine, raw power, confidence, and strategy to win a fight against him.

You must be a nearly perfect fighter unless you are striking him while his guard is down. While the other top tier firebenders are inherently dangerous and have key strengths; you can find more ways to compensate for weaknesses against them because you have more time to think before you'll be overwhelmed.

And while Ozai might be the most powerful firebender, he isn't the smartest (which would be Azula then Macai) or the wisest (which at this point would be Iroh then Zuko). On the other hand, Ozai has another thing going for him, he is the most vicious firebender. But what Ozai has in brutality Zuko can counter with love, which can enhance a fighter's abilities in ways unimaginable.

Zuko leaps at his father and punches two torpedoes of rainbow flames at his father. Ozai shifts his body and pumps his own two mounds of red-orange-yellow fire into Zuko's. The flames explode on impact, emitting smoke. Zuko's eyes are filled with determination and Ozai's with evil.

Zuko shouts as he kicks a stone of fire at Ozai's upper left leg, "Huuuhh!" Ozai raises his left leg as he blocks the shot. Ozai spins forward and fires a beam of buzzing flames at his enemy. Zuko does a diagonal spinning flip toward his father and lowers his hands pumping a gust of orange rainbow dotted fire at his father.

Ozai raises his right hand with an uppercut and hurls a swirling flame into Zuko's shot. The flames disperse on impact and smoke flies in front of Zuko. The firelord covers his eyes and gathers himself as he descends. Ozai launches himself in the air with wavy red, orange, and yellow fire flowing from his feet. Ozai slams his body into Zuko's, lifting them both higher.

Soon, the duo are twenty feet in the air as Ozai latches his arms around his son and tightens his grip. Ozai laughs, "Hahahahhaha!!!!" Zuko tries to wiggle free but his father is stronger. Twenty feet turns to thirty and then to forty feet. Zuko moans and heats up his hands around Ozai's arms.

Ozai grunts and tosses Zuko off of him, "Ugh!" Zuko spirals down and concentrates before releasing rainbow flames from his feet. Zuko propels himself at a speed faster than his father but with a bit less control.

Ozai faces his son, "Impressive!" By doing this, Zuko displays rocket propulsion feats above both Macai and Azula.

Zuko comments, "That's the power of wisdom." Ozai flies at Zuko and swipes two large flames at his son. Zuko flies left, dodging the first one and shoots a beam of fire into the second flame. Ozai proceeds to launch a gush of red-orange-yellow fire at his son. Zuko soars upwards and right as a building is split in two under him by Ozai's beams.

Zuko swiftly punches two flames at Ozai and Ozai initially struggles to think of how to block them so he instead horizontally swipes a column of flames through Zuko's shots. The column soars at the young monarch so Zuko accelerates down then rises back up as he looks to hit his dad. Zuko pops two iridescent flames at Ozai's stomach and abdomen. Ozai swirls upward and flips with a whimsical maneuver.

Zuko briefly loses sight of his father and frantically looks side to side to spot him. Ozai glides a few feet behind Zuko and smiles as he shoots a payload of flames at his son's back. Zuko hastily launches himself a few feet up as he hears a booming crack a few inches below him. Ozai does the same launching himself higher and across his son to prevent him from having a positional advantage over him.

Zuko and Ozai both shout and punch a barrage of flames at each other. Four flames from each of them make contact and turn to smoke. All this happens while they remain soaring some fifty feet in the air. Zuko jumps forward and kicks a wave of fire at Ozai. The New Remnant leader, Ozai performs an enhanced fire jump over the strike and glides down toward Zuko.

As Ozai descends, he strikes Zuko's left cheek with a fiery punch. He hits Zuko so hard that Zuko spits a gust of fire out of his mouth. Unlike Macai, Kanna Foloki, Ty Lee, Azula, and even Rosh; Zuko never focused as much on scrapping in close range. Instead, his main talent was fighting in mid-range where he could utilize his firebending skills. While Zuko's nonbending striking skills haven't changed much, his ability to firebend at mid-range has arguably surpassed Macai and even Azula's.

When Ozai clashed with Macai, was certain to keep Macai at midrange and not allow him to get close where he is more dangerous. When he faced Azula, he made sure he took her down quickly instead of giving her time to analyze his fight patterns. While Ozai may seem like a mindless brute, he also is incredibly good at discovering the weakness of his opponents and exploiting them.

What he lacks in traditional planning he makes up for with his consistent manipulation of others which works on an unmatched scale. Ozai yanks Zuko forward and pounds his gut with a meaty uppercut. Ozai follows up with a swift right hook and Zuko gasps. Ozai elbows Zuko in his nose, causing blood run down it.

Ozai yanks Zuko forward and knees him in his stomach, "Ughghg!" Ozai pulls his son's head up and thrusts his forehead into Zuko's already bloody nose. Zuko falls and shouts, "Uh-aahhhhh! FATHER, STOP!!" Ozai yanks Zuko by his throat using his left arm and tightens his grip. Ozai pins down Zuko's right arm while doing it to reduce the chances of being countered.

Zuko tries to raise his left hand but his breathing becomes heavier. Soon the firelord is immobilized. Ozai has the option to immediately drop him and let the young man fall to his death. But instead he decides to hover down just twenty feet over the surface where Zuko is more likely to survive such a fall but will still be hurting, getting his message across.

Ozai drops Zuko and he lands into a trash can. Ozai hears another voice from below, "Stop this brother!"

Ozai looks down and sees Iroh. Iroh rushes to Zuko and checks his pulse. Iroh realizes that Zuko is still alive but cries at the sight of his battered body. Iroh even breaks down at that moment. Ozai hovers down several feet behind him, "And that proves it all, you don't have the strength to beat me. You are too compassionate, I could have killed you right then while your back was turned. Why have you come here?"

Iroh sobs and answers, "I sensed Zuko was in danger. But be glad he is still alive, because if you killed him you would face my full might. With nothing held back."

Ozai answers, "You've never been stronger than me. We both know that. And tell Zuko, that if he stands in my way again, I'll hunt you down and I'll kill you. The only reason I let him live is because he is my son. He's still young and he has time to change his mind."

Ozai continues, "But you, you are dead weight. It's a wonder I won't kill you now, but I still have use for you. I want you to tell that boy Aang that I have what he wants. I have his wife! Tell me that he is to come alone to the outskirts of Earth Kingdom, at the city Yenchi! If he doesn't within one week, SHE DIES! If he brings anyone else, SHE DIES! Then I will give him an opportunity to save her so long as he meets my conditions." Ozai soars several feet up in the air and departs.

Iroh gasps as he cares for his wounded nephew. Azula slowly walks behind Iroh and also helps Zuko. Macai gathers himself and rises back to his feet. He immediately calls for help and gets medical specialists to assist his brother-in-law. Smoke flows from the city and word rapidly spreads that Ozai has returned. Now, Ozai has proven that he indeed is the most dangerous firebender alive.