It isn't just China's force field that stops the metal in the end. (Though if she could have seen the way the woman handled it rather than simply felt the force, Toph would have likely been pretty impressed.) As the metal drops and China lowers her arms, she'll find Toph's hand raised too, fingers extended. After a moment the metal trembles, wiggles, skitters along the ground . . . and goes flying back to its mistress.

"Sorry." To her credit, the apology does sound genuine, though wry. "Actually, it shouldn't have happened that way. . . . That was pretty good, though -- whatever you did."