summary: when the ta'unui clan loses everything at the hands of the sky people, you find yourself without a home, a family, and reason to start again. sent to live among the metkayina, you meet ao'nung. a boy who is too proud for his own good. but maybe, in time, the two of you could learn a thing or two from each other.
warnings/notes - angst, fluff, mentions of death, character is slightly depressed, y/n sometimes given descriptions for things height and hair(for story purposes and to fit the reef na'vi description), enemies to lovers, does not follow the events of the avatar twow after the ta'unui scene, first gif is mine, second gif is not, border creds to shifterium.
I wish Paz hadn’t been written to be a total tweety bird for Q or an unknown who exists as a faceless memory on a photograph. I’d love to know more about her from someone other than Q because that man is a known liar.
Same here. She such a nothing character. Only serves the narrative by popping out Quatritch the terribles baby.
If James Cameron wishes her to be seen as an evil person then don’t do it so half heartedly make Paz a Real ASS. Show her encouraging the slaughter of the Navi. Eating up every word Quatritch said. Make her the biggest bird in history.
And don’t show us this through some half ass dialogue from Quatritch who entire speech in that scene shows him obviously trying to push spider to side with the RDA.
honestly as a viewer isn’t that showing why we should question the validity of what he says?
Also while I Don’t like using the comics as justification. Because most don’t believe it’s true
It seems like Quatritch was a “hit it and quit it type of a person” Spiders birth was said to be fatherless. That Quatritch didn’t bother to show up.
Also people negate the fact that the entire affair in the first place was illegal. The fact that Paz was a marine is still confirmed. Marines are not supposed to fraternize. And could potentially have big punishments.
Is it beyond belief to assume as a viewer that what happened was a one night stand gone awry. Paz got pregnant and Quatritch denied parentage or avoided her ever since??? To cover his own ass
But then…why she named spider after him? Thats when that whole idea of her being a big bird seems to also be true. Because if my “partner” left me to give birth alone WHY ON EARTH would I name my baby I pushed out alone after him?
Unless Quatritch had a good reason not to be there?
Orrr Paz was desperately trying to prove who the baby belonged to. By naming the boy after him. how long can Quatritch really deny he’s his when they share the same name?
But even then why?
She could face so much punishment for sleeping with her commander wouldn’t it have been better to say the baby belonged to one of the scientists. Still can be considered an HR violation but less awful than screwing ur boss…right?
I also can see why making Paz just straight evil can be beneficial. Spider is suppose to be seen as being more than the demon blood in him. He’s the son of this man who did terrible atrocities. And his very own mother also contributed to said atrocities. The blood that made him as tainted as it is did nothing to contribute to spiders overall character. And thats the whole point of his person to some degree…honestly it’s the whole point of most of the characters. Kiri is more than just a copy and paste of grace. Loak is Navi regardless of the half blood his father gave him which contributed to his (freak-ish looks/ ie: hands and eyebrows) to question Paz character would give credibility to the idea that blood to some degree can determine or contribute to the offsprings character which is totally against what spider is and just a wrong message to give for obvious reasons.
Sorry is this answer was too long anon as you can see I have a lot of thoughts regarding Paz.
warning/notes: 5.5k words, mentions of death, lowercase intended, characters speaking na'vi unless stated otherwise, gif is mine, border creds to sifterium.
na'vi words used (with translations) -
ilu - pandoran sea creature
tsurak - pandoran sea creature
marui - a woven canopy made for living in
speargun - crossbow for fishing
utumauti - pandoran fruit
tsahìk - spiritual leader
ta'unui - na'vi clan
toruk makto - toruk rider
tsakarem - tsahìk-in-training
olo'eyktan - clan leader
skxawng - moron
syuratan - bioluminescence
< part four part six >
series masterlist main masterlist
“this one is broken again.”
tsireya’s soft voice spoke loud enough for her brother and close friend to hear. her slender turquoise fingers turned the ilu harness over as she examined it.
ao'nung groaned, "i just fixed that two days ago."
the community space was cluttered with all types of ilu and tsurak riding gear. the trio were tasked with cleaning and checking the gear since it was a rainy day and nobody would be out.
ao'nung walked over and took the broken harness from his sister's hand to get a better look at it.
"don't snatch." tsireya said flatly, rolling her eyes at his roughness. he just ignored her.
"it keeps breaking." ao'nung muttered, "why don't we just throw it out?"
"no! i'll just ask someone else to fix it... since you clearly don't know what you're doing."
rotxo let out a quiet laugh from where he was hanging the clean tsurak tacks on the rack to dry.
"y/n might know how to fix it," he said casually, " i can ask her."
"really?" tsireya's face brightened instantly.
ao'nung scoffed, shaking his head, "the only thing y/n knows how to do is get on someone's last nerve."
"she fixed her arm just fine." rotxo pointed out.
"she got lucky. and it was messy. my mom would've done better."
rotxo shrugged, "still did a pretty good job."
tsireya glanced between the two boys, her head tilting slightly, "you don't actually know her, ao'nung."
"i know enough." he replied flatly.
"do you?" she pressed gently, "because it seems like the only reason you're so bothered by her is because she doesn't act like one of your little followers."
ao'nung rolls his eyes, "she's stubborn. and she always refuses help.. like she's too proud or something.
"or maybe she just doesn't trust easily. you gotta remember, she lost her home and her family. this is not easy for her." rotxo says.
tsireya's lips turned into a frown at rotxo's words, "she lost her family?"
"yeah.. i don't know the details because she doesn't talk about it but she told my grandma that she is the only one left. the family she lives with now are just family friends."
for a moment, ao'nung said nothing. the harness in his hands stilled. his fingers, which had been pulling and inspecting the woven fibers, went slack. what rotxo said didn't fit the image he had built of y/n in his head.
"hey," tsireya said, breaking the silence, "we're hanging out with lo'ak and kiri tomorrow. you should invite y/n."
rotxo hesitated, "i mean, i can ask. not promising she'll say yes."
"no harm in asking." tsireya smiled softly as she stood to her feet to continue the job they had gotten distracted from doing.
ao'nung stayed silent for a moment before shaking his head and continuing the task at hand.
the next morning, you stood in your marui gathering everything you needed to fish.
you did a quick scan of the space, checking for anything you might've forgotten, when you felt a presence behind you. you turned just in time to see rotxo standing at the entrance, careful not to step inside.
"oh, hey." you greeted.
"hey... is this a bad time?"
"no. i was just about to go fishing." you said plainly, "did you need something? or did you want to hang out?"
he shook his head, "no- well, kind of. i was actually hoping to ask you something."
you nodded your head, waiting for him to ask what he supposedly came here for.
"one of our ilu harnesses is broken." he explained, "tsireya tried fixing it and ao'nung.. just made it worse."
that earned a brief, snicker from you.
"i told them you might know how to fix it. you know, since you did such a good job with your arm. but if you're busy, it's totally fine. i can just ask someone else."
as he spoke, your eyes wandered down. it was then that you noticed he was holding a bulky piece of gear.
"is that it?" you asked.
rotxo nodded, to which you stretched your arm out. he quickly handed the harness over. you took it from his hands to inspect it. after about a minute, you responded.
"i can fix it. but it won't be done until tomorrow."
your lips faintly twitched upwards, "you're welcome."
you turned away, placing the harness beside your personal belongings before reaching your speargun and net. you then headed for the exit.
"i'll see you later?" you said casually.
"wait-" roxto blurted, making you stop in your tracks.
when you didn't say anything, rotxo continued.
"there uh, actually was something else." he scratched the back of his neck, "we're all hanging out after eclipse and i wanted to know if you want to come."
your expression changed immediately. pure confusion. confused as to why he was extending this invite to you. you weren't a very social person and you were almost sure that rotxo was aware of that.
rotxo noticed and hurried to backtrack, "you don't have to! i just thought i'd ask since we're friends."
the silence stretched between you as you stared at him.
"i'll think about it." you finally said.
his smile returned, easy and genuine, "great. we're meeting in the forest if you decide to come."
you nodded once, then stepped past him, leaving him in the marui entrance. as you walked away, rotxo exhaled. as scared as he was to ask, he was relieved that you didn't flat out tell him no.
the rest of your day passed in a familiar rhythm.
you swam with your ilu for a while before finally turning to fishing. once you started, you didn't stop until the net was nearly overflowing with fish. after bringing in your catch with the others, you didn't go straight home.
instead, you climbed the mangroves with ease. settling onto the thick roots with your legs dangling below. you ate a utumauti fruit you'd gathered earlier as you watched the sky turn into a range of different colors as the sun went down for the night.
by the time darkness fully settled over the village, you climbed down and made your way back to your marui.
once inside, you set your gear down near the entrance. you rolled your shoulders to ease the ache in your muscles from the day's work. as you straightened, you noticed nari seated near the center of the marui, a leg extended in front of her. she was pressing a cloth against her calf.
your eyes narrowed slightly as you stepped closer, "what happened?"
nari glanced up, "oh, it's nothing. i accidentally cut myself with sea glass. i was about to see the tsahìk."
you crouched down in front of her without another word, gently taking her wrist and pulling the cloth away to see the injury. the cut wasn't deep, but it was enough to sting and the skin around it was already reddening.
"this isn't bad, i can do it instead. so you do not have to walk all the way over there." you said.
"you don't have to, y/n."
"i know. but i can. come." you beckoned her over to your corner. nari hesitated before carefully scooting over to where you kept your things.
she watched as you carefully moved. you retrieved a bowl of water and the bundle of herbs that you had collected. your heads steady as you cleaned the cut before applying the salve with practiced ease.
"you are very good at this." nari said quietly, the ache in her calf slowly fading.
you didn't look up, "i've had a lot of practice."
a comfortable silence fell over the space as you worked. after a moment, nari spoke again, "sometimes i feel.. guilty."
your hands paused briefly. you looked at nari with questioning eyes.
"you help with koa and now you're helping me with this. it feels like you're always doing something for us." nari swallowed, "and i'm the adult. i should be taking care of you."
"you already did." you answered before grabbing a wrap.
"i did?"
you looked at her once again, "you allowed me into your home. and i am grateful for that."
for a moment, nari didn't speak. her eyes softened as she watched you wrap her calf. she gently placed a hand over yours.
when you pulled back after tying the wrap, her gaze drifted past you to the other things you had.
"what's that?"
you turned to see that she was talking about the broken harness that you agreed to fix when rotxo had brought it earlier.
"rotxo asked me to fix it. it keeps breaking."
nari smiled softly, "he's very fond of you."
"he also invited me to hang out with them today, after eclipse." you mentioned, thinking nothing of telling nari.
her brow bone lifted slightly, "that's right now."
you glanced instinctively toward the opening of the marui, the night sky had taken effect by now.
"i told him i'd think about it but i'm not going." you shook your head.
nari shifted where she sat, careful of the fresh wrap on her leg, "i know none of this has been easy for you, but i think you should go. don't think i haven't noticed that you do everything alone. there is nothing wrong with choosing company, even if it's just for a little while."
you stayed quiet.
"and if you are uncomfortable, you can leave. but at that point, you can say you tried."
that made something in your chest unclench, just slightly.
"...i'll go." you said at last, "for a little while."
nari grinned, happy with your decision. as she reached out to give your hand a reassuring squeeze, her gaze briefly dropped, catching something out of place.
"wait." she said gently.
you paused, looking down as nari scooted closer. her fingers brushed near your hip. she lifted the loose end of your songcord where it had begun to slip from its tie on your loincloth.
you hadn't even noticed it was loose. nari retied it for you quickly, tightening the knot just enough to keep it secure.
"thank you." you said as she pulled her hands away.
"you're welcome. now go, before you change your mind."
you exhaled slowly before rising to your feet. you took one last look at nari, then stepped out of the marui and headed toward the forest.
once you left the netted pathways behind, cool soil greeted your toes. you walked for several minutes, ducking and moving different types of foliage out of your way.
your steps grew slower when you began to hear voices and laughter. you assumed it was rotxo and the others. you easily weaved through the fauna until the forest opened into a small clearing.
it was tucked between the tall plants and thick roots that connected to the mangroves that supported the village. because it was night, it was dark but the bioluminescence provided enough light for you to be able to see.
as you stepped closer, rotxo noticed you first.
his face lit up immediately, "you came."
tsireya turned at his words, her expression brightening the moment she saw you. she rose from where she had been sitting and hurried over, her energy warm and open.
"y/n! i'm glad you're here. i've been wanting to talk to you for so long."
you tilt your head slightly, "really?"
she nods, "yeah, but of course my dad had to put you in my grumpy brothers group instead of mine."
a few feet away, ao'nung shot her a sharp glare as he leaned against a tree. tsireya ignored him like she always does.
"come on," she said, gently pulling you further in, "let me introduce you to everyone."
she stepped aside, revealing two unfamiliar faces.
"this is lo'ak and kiri."
they both looked up and greeted you quietly. you were about to return the traditional gesture when you realized something. their anatomy was vastly different from yours. their darker skin tone, the thinner shape of their arms and tails, even the color of their eyes and texture of their hair were unlike yours. all signs pointed to them being from the forest, not the reef.
but before you could say anything, something dropped down from the trees.
a body landed lightly on the ground, laughter following a second later, "see, i told you guys i could climb all the way up there."
kiri laughed, "monkey boy."
"and that's spider." rotxo added casually.
but you were no longer listening. your gaze was now locked onto this spider person as he finally turned your way.
your breath hitched and your body went still, recognition immediately slamming into you. the mask did nothing to hide it. it was the same pink skin that was present when the sky people invaded your village. the same pink skin that watched as your people were bound and forced to their knees. the same pink skin that let your village burn until nothing remained.
the clearing suddenly felt too small, the air too thick. every sound faded into a dull ringing in your ears.
ao'nung's eyes squinted as he noticed the way your jaw tightened and the mix of emotions that flashed through your eyes. he leaned forward in wary alertness.
rotxo noticed a second later, "y/n? you okay?"
but you didn't acknowledge him. your gaze stayed on the small human in front of you.
"you were there." was all you said.
the clearing went quiet. everyone looked at one another in confusion.
"you were there." you repeated, your voice shaking, "you watched them burn down my village."
spider's breath caught when he realized what you were talking about. his expression morphed from confusion into one filled with saddened guilt. he left the ta'unui feeling utterly defeated that day. he knew there was nothing he could do but he still felt like he could've possibly done more.
"shit- i'm sorry. i tried to stop them."
"no you didn't." you snapped as you took a step forward, "you let them burn down my home. you let them kill my grandfather. you let them-"
the anger levels in your body took control of your muscles as you surged forward. hands caught you before you could reach the human. rotxo grabbing one arm and ao'nung grabbing the other.
you thrashed around in their hold as spider looked at you with guilt written all over his face.
kiri stood abruptly, "that wasn't his fault."
you stopped moving as your head snapped toward her. your gaze flickered between her and lo'ak.
that's when it all clicked.
the forest features and the unfamiliar anatomy were the same on the men that shocked you and demanded the location of the man they were looking for.
"toruk makto.." you said coldly, "you're his children. the reason they came. the reason my home is gone."
lo'ak shook his head, "that's not-"
"your father," you interrupted, "your family is the reason i have nothing left."
"y/n that's not fair, it's not their fault." rotxo tried reasoning with you.
but the raw anguish had already consumed you and you were beyond reasoning with. all the emotions you were bottling up had finally come pouring out.
you lunged forward again. ao'nung tightened his grip, pulling you back against his chest.
"y/n stop."
"let go!"
everyone could hear the sheer emotional pain in your voice. you twisted violently, ripping yourself from his gasp. your chest heaved as you stared at them. at spider and the sully children. you could see it, the pure caution in their eyes as they stared back at you. before leaving, you bared your teeth in a loud, feral hiss.
once you were gone, no one spoke for a few minutes.
ao'nung exhaled slowly as his gaze dropped to the ground. and that's when he saw it.
a colorful piece of thread with trinkets tied to it laid in the dirt near where you had stood moments ago. he bent down and picked it up.
it was a songcord. more specifically, it was your songcord.
he stared at it in silence as the weight of what had just happened settled heavily over the group.
it had been a few hours by the time the group finally returned to the village.
rotxo had thought about going after you but ultimately decided against it. he knew you didn't want to be followed and he wanted to give you the space you needed.
ao'nung on the other hand, still had your songcord.
instead of going straight home with tsireya, he muttered something about having something to take care of first. she didn't question him. lo'ak, however, took the opportunity to walk her home. their fingers connected as they interlocked them. the physical touch being nothing new to them.
ao'nung gagged exaggeratedly as the overly sweet pair passed him.
when he finally reached your marui, ao'nung stopped just outside the entrance. he stood there longer than he meant to. his weight shifting, suddenly unsure of himself. he had seen you angry before, mostly at him. tonight had been different. that wasn't just anger. that was grief. raw and unfiltered grief that you hadn't dealt with yet.
you had mentioned losing your grandfather. that was news to ao'nung. you were always vague about your past and according to rotxo, you weren't fond of talking about it. but tonight it seemed like you lost all composure.
ao’nung cleared his throat before stepping inside, just enough to announce his presence.
instead of you, he was met with nari and omatu who were taking out their hammocks, getting ready to rest their eyes for the night. but you were nowhere in sight.
"oh. hi aonung." nari said, surprised, "we weren't expecting you."
"hi.. do you know where y/n is?"
nari shook her head, "no. wasn't she with you and rotxo?"
ao'nung exhaled, "she left early."
"well she hasn't come back yet."
ao'nung nodded once. he didn't know what to say next. he shifted his weight as his fingers tightened around the songcord before he lowered his arm.
"can you tell her i stopped by?" he finally said after a moment.
"i will." nari promised.
ao'nung quickly turned to leave before she could ask why.
as he walked away, the village felt quieter than before. his thoughts kept circling back to the clearing. from the way your voice had cracked to the fury in your eyes.
he glanced down at the songcord again. he shouldn't still have it. he could have left it with nari. and yet, he kept walking away from your marui.
ao’nung slipped out of his marui with practiced ease.
the village was asleep. the deep navy blue sky stretched overhead, and the bioluminescence lit both the sea and forest. a cool, gentle breeze blew through the vacant woven walkways and ao'nung followed it quietly toward the beach. this wasn't his first time sneaking out and it definitely won't be the last.
he was meeting his friends koro, kalen, and ongu further down the beach. they liked going on night swims past the reef when everyone was asleep and no one was around to see them. during the day, ao'nung had to play a role: the perfect son, the future olo'eyktan.
tsireya handled being tsakarem with effortless grace. she was the golden child, always doing exactly what ronal and tonowari expected of her and more. even after lo'ak arrived and disrupted everything, she still tried to please them. ao'nung, on the other hand, cared about his future duties... just not in the same way.
he liked the authority, attention, and respect that came with his name. but right now, he only cared about being young. he wanted all the advantages that came with youth. the freedom and the fun before he had to settle down and get serious about the responsibilities that would soon be his.
so on certain nights, he would meet up with his friends for a late night swim away from the prying eyes of others.
as ao'nung descended toward the shoreline, he slowed.
a lone figure sat atop a large basalt boulder near the water's edge. from where he stood, he could only see their back, knees drawn to their chest. the posture was still and closed off.
but he recognized that low bun instantly.
you.
it had been a few days since what happened in the forest. ao'nung hadn't seen much of you since then, which wasn't surprising. it was obvious that you weren't a fan of crowds or gatherings to begin with. but even rotxo had mentioned that he hadn't spoken to you. since you were out of sight and out of mind, ao'nung had forgotten about you and the songcord altogether.
ao'nung fully stopped now, watching you from a distance. you sat alone on the dark rock, staring out at the tide as it rolled in and out, over and over again.
a part of him wanted to approach you. ask why you were out here so late, when you should be in your marui, asleep.
and for a moment, he considered it.
then he remembered his friends and how they'd leave without him if he wasn't there on time. so instead, he pretended like he hadn't seen you at all.
ao'nung resumed walking toward their usual meeting spot, casting one last glance over his shoulder at the unmoving figure on the rock. then he turned and continued down the beach.
by the time the sun had risen again, ao'nung was back in his family marui fast asleep. it had been another successful night without being detected.
the day unfolded like any other. he went freediving with rotxo and tsireya, the familiar rhythm grounding him. tsireya, as always, left early. her duties as tsakarem never allowed to stay long.
the day continued like normal, ao'nung went freediving with both rotxo and tsireya as usual. since tsireya had duties of tsakarem, she never stayed the entire time. ao'nung was used to it so he barely even noticed.
when evening came and eclipse slowly crept its way in, the two boys guided their ilu's back toward the village so they wouldn't be late for communal dinner.
ao'nung steered his ilu into the shallows with ease, disconnecting their kuru's and slipping off of the animal. he reached over, loosening the harness before detaching it. he ran as a steady hand along the ilu's neck before letting it swim away.
rotxo surfaced beside him moments later, mirroring his movements almost exactly. neither of them spoke as they headed toward the communal racks.
when they arrived, ao'nung effortlessly slung his harness on the carved tree bark without a second thought.
rotxo, however, hesitated.
"what?" ao'nung asked, glancing over when he noticed his friend's pause.
rotxo pointed to an empty spot along the rack, "the harness. the one that kept breaking, we usually kept it there."
"so?"
rotxo sighed, "i asked y/n if she could fix it since you couldn't. she said she would but that was before what happened. so i don't know if she's still planning on it. and i'm not gonna show up at her marui. i'm pretty sure my face is the last thing she wants to see right now."
ao'nung didn't even think for a moment before responding, "she'll fix it."
rotxo blinked and turned toward him slowly. “are you… making excuses for y/n now?” a grin tugged at his mouth, “you feeling alright?”
ao'nung rolled his eyes, "yeah, whatever skxawng. let's go."
he reached out a ruffled rotxo's hair as he passed. rotxo laughed, shoving him away playfully before following.
as they left the space, ao'nung's gaze unintentionally drifted back to the empty space of the rack.
dinner passed in a blur.
ao’nung sat with his family like he always did, surrounded by voices and laughter. the smell of roasted fish and vegetables filled the air.
tsireya talked animatedly beside him, recounting small details from her day. their parents listening and nodding occasionally.
ao’nung spoke when spoken to but mostly ate his food in silence. his mind was elsewhere at the moment.
ever since rotxo had brought you up in their earlier conversation, his thoughts now contained memories of that night in the forest.
the way the moment had gone from chill to tense instantly. ao’nung had seen anger before. he had been angry before. but that was something else entirely. it was grief and fury in its purest form.
his jaw tightened as he chewed, appetite fading. he forced himself to finish anyway. leaving any food behind would only earn him a look from his mother, and he wasn't in the mood for that.
when dinner finally ended, ao'nung rose with the others and followed the familiar path back to his marui.
at this point, the village had begun to settle. lights around the village started to dim and the lively energy died down as families prepared to rest.
ao'nung pulled his hammock out and got ready to sleep along with the rest of his family. he went through the motions but when it was finally time to fall into a slumber, it never came.
he shifted to his side, then onto his back again. no position felt comfortable and his thoughts also refused to settle. they just kept circling the same moments over and over no matter how hard he tried to push them away.
ao'nung exhaled through his nose and brought an arm up, resting it over his face. he didn't know. he didn't know you lost everything. it was one thing to lose your family but now knowing you lost everything you once had, the way he first treated you sat like an uncomfortable pressure in his chest.
with a frustrated huff, he went to roll onto his side again. it was then that his fingers brushed against the thread tied securely to his hip.
his songcord.
the familiar texture grounded him for a moment. he knew his songcord like the back of is hand. he could blindly recount each piece and what they mean. it was his story, and he was proud of his story.
but as he fiddled with his own songcord, he suddenly remembered that there was another songcord in his possession... one that wasn't his.
ao'nung sat up, looking around the marui to see his family sleeping soundly. he carefully got up and approached the area with his belongings. he quickly moved a few things around before seeing the songcord. it was less decorated than his but you couldn't mistake a songcord for anything else.
ao'nung stared at it in the darkness for a moment before standing to his feet and exiting the marui.
the village was quiet, just like the night before. a light breeze swept through the air, brushing against ao'nung's skin as he moved. the bioluminescence along the reef lit up the world in beautiful vibrant shades. even the syuratan along his own body shimmered faintly, adding to the beauty of the night.
he moved with urgency. or at least, it must have looked that way. in truth, he wasn't certain he was doing the right thing. for starters, he wasn't sure you would even be where he was headed.
bare feet sank into damn grains of sand as he left the woven pathways behind and stepped fully onto the beach. and there you were, exactly where he had seen you the night before.
you sat in the same position, knees drawn to your chest as you stared out at the water.
ao’nung slowed without realizing it. for a moment, he considered turning back and letting you keep your solitude. but after a few more seconds of watching you sit there, unmoving, he shook his head and continued forward.
the soft patter of footsteps against stone made your ears flick. your hand immediately went to your knife as you turned, body coiled and ready to attack the unknown.
but instead of an unknown threat, you were met with ao'nung standing there with his hands up in surrender.
“i come in peace,” he said calmly, as if he’d expected that reaction.
you squinted at him, head tilting slightly as confusion crossed your face.
“can i sit?” he asked.
after a beat, you reluctantly shifted over, offering him space without a word. ao’nung lowered himself onto the rock beside you, careful not to invade your space too much.
"it's late." you muttered, sliding your knife back into its sheath, "you should be asleep."
"yeah, so should you." he replied quietly.
your gaze flickered to him for half a second before returning to the water. silence stretched between you.
"couldn't sleep," you said flatly.
ao'nung took the opportunity to really look at you.
you now sat with your legs crossed, but your posture was different. shoulders slumped and folded inward. exhaustion was etched plainly across your features. your bun was still tied low, but it wasn’t sleek or neat. loose curls had slipped free, framing your face, flyaways lifted gently by the breeze. it looked like you hadn’t bothered fixing it, like you hadn’t had the energy to care.
he wondered how long it had been since you’d slept. and whether it was by choice.
"for how long?" he asked.
you turned sharply, "why are you here?"
ao’nung didn’t answer right away. instead, he extended his hand.
"you dropped this."
your eyes followed the movement, landing on the songcord coiled in his palm.
for a second, you didn't react at all.
then, softly, almost to yourself, you said, “i didn’t even realize it was gone.”
ao’nung watched your fingers slowly close around the songcord as you took it from his hand. you turned it over once, thumb brushing along the woven fibers.
“i meant to give it back sooner,” he said, voice low, "i stopped by your marui but you weren't there. told nari to tell you i stopped by but she probably just forgot."
you hummed under your breath. “i probably wouldn’t have cared even if i did notice it was gone.”
that made him frown softly, “why not?”
your grip tightened slightly.
"because everything on it is from a place that doesn't exist anymore. every bead, every knot. it came from my village. from my family," you voice lowered, "so what does it matter if i lose it too?"
ao’nung stilled.
you exhaled, slow and controlled, “it’s just proof of what i've lost... everything."
“that’s not true,” ao’nung said.
"don't."
“i’m not trying to pity you,” he added quickly. “i'm just saying that losing where you come from doesn’t erase it. and it doesn’t mean you’re the only one who’s lost something.”
your jaw tightened. “you’re defending them.”
“i’m not,” he said. “but i am saying it's not their fault."
"they were the reason it happened. my grandfather died watching our home burn. i sat there and watched him take his last breath, all because we didn't know where toruk makto was. so tell me how i'm supposed to separate that."
"they lost their home too y/n. they had to leave the forest in order to come here. and they lost their brother to the same hands you lost your grandfather. and i... i lost a friend."
that stopped you.
you looked at him like you were seeing him for the first time. not the loud, arrogant son of the olo’eyktan, not the boy who ordered you around just because he could. but someone who understood your loss in a way you hadn’t expected.
"i understand your grief, we all do." he continued, "and i know i don't get to tell you how to feel. but you're angry at the wrong people. we all share the same enemy."
you turned back toward the water, shoulders slumping as the anger bled out of you, leaving only exhaustion behind.
you looked at the songcord in your hands once again, "how'd you know i was here?"
"saw you here last night when i was sneaking out." ao'nung explained.
you shifted on the rock, drawing one knee up again as you stared out at the dark water.
“i sit out here when I can’t sleep,” you said after a moment. “it’s better than laying there and staring at the ceiling all night.”
neither of you spoke after that. the silence wasn’t heavy this time. the tide rolled in and out beneath the rock, steady and patient.
after a while, you glanced at him.
“thank you." you said.
the gratitude was brief, but ao'nung could tell it wasn't just for the songcord.
he blinked before shrugging, like it wasn't a big deal.
"you're welcome." he stifled a yawn immediately after, rubbing a hand over his face.
you huffed softly. “you should go home.”
“probably,” he admitted.
he stood, brushing sand from his hands before pausing. he looked down at you, expression serious in a way you hadn’t seen before.
“at least try to sleep,” he said. “even if it’s just for a little while."
“i'll try." it wasn't a promise but you weren't brushing his words off either.
that seemed to satisfy him enough. ao’nung turned and started back toward the village. you watched his figure slowly retreat until he was out of view.
when you faced forward again, the breath you let out wasn't a heavy one, and you weren’t entirely sure why.
warnings/notes - 3.9k words, injuries mentioned, lowercase intended, characters speaking na'vi unless stated otherwise, gif is not mine, border creds to shifterium.
na'vi words used (with translations) -
tshaìk - spiritual leader
marui - a woven canopy made for living in
paywll - pandoran plant
tsakarem - tsahìk-in-training
koaktutra - pandoran plant
< part six part eight >
series masterlist main masterlist
the pain woke him before anything else.
a sharp, throbbing pull tore through ao’nung’s side as his body shifted against the hard surface beneath him. his eyes snapped open and he sucked in a sudden breath, the movement sending another wave of pain through his ribs.
he shot upright. the motion lasted barely a second before he immediately regretted it.
"ah!"
his hand flew to his side as he doubled forward slightly, teeth clenching while the world spun around him.
the sudden movement and noise beside you stirred you awake.
your eyes blinked open slowly, the bright morning light making you squint as your mind struggled to catch up.
you turned your head just in time to see ao’nung hunched forward slightly, one hand pressed tightly against his side.
"don’t do that." you muttered, your voice still thick with sleep.
ao'nung's gaze immediately snapped to you. the confused expression on his face only deepened.
his breathing remained uneven as fragments of the night rushed back all at once. the swim past the reef and most importantly, the tsyong attack.
his head snapped up as he instinctively scanned the open water around them.
morning light stretched across the sea, the rising sun painting the water in soft shades of gold. gentle waves lapped quietly against the basalt rock beneath them.
ao’nung huffed softly, a faint hint of relief crossing his face before his hand instinctively moved toward his side. his fingers brushed over the bandage wrapped tightly around his torso.
he looked down, seeing a thick bandage that had been secured around his torso, layered carefully over the deep gashes along his side. herbs pressed beneath the wrap in a way that was both precise and practiced.
ao’nung frowned slightly as his fingers brushed against it. slowly, the tension in his shoulders eased before he looked over at you once more.
"…you did all this?"
you nodded once.
his fingers traced the edge of the wrap again, clearly assessing the work. for someone who had grown up with a tsahìk for a mother, ao’nung knew what proper treatment looked like. and this was done really well.
"…thank you."
"you don’t have to thank me."
"i should, though. i could've died."
for a moment, neither of you spoke. the ocean breeze moved gently across the water, carrying the distant sounds of the waking village with it.
you frowned slightly as a familiar pressure began to form behind your eyes. you rubbed your temple once, wincing as the dull ache slowly spread across your forehead.
realizing your hair had been pinned up for too long, your hands moved to the back of your head. your fingers worked at the tie holding your bun in place, loosening it in a practiced motion.
the moment the tie slipped free, your hair fell. long strands spilled down your back and over your shoulders. the loose curls shifting softly in the cool morning breeze as you ran your fingers through your scalp.
you exhaled quietly as the tension eased almost instantly.
beside you, ao’nung had gone completely still. he had seen you countless times before. usually across an argument or through the tension that used to exist the two of you were near each other.
but sitting here now, quiet beneath the morning sun, you looked… different.
your hair fell well past your shoulders, the dark strands appearing almost brown in the bright light. without the tight bun pulling everything back, the loose curls framed your face in a way he had never really got to see before.
for a moment, ao’nung forgot what he had been thinking about.
"…what?" you asked suddenly.
his eyes snapped back up to your face, "what?"
"you’re staring."
"i’m not."
you gave him a strange look but didn’t press the matter. instead, you stretched your arms above your head before letting them fall back to your sides.
“anyway,” you said, glancing back toward the water, “i appreciate you letting me come with you guys last night.”
ao’nung blinked once, still trying to recover his train of thought.
"even if it almost got you killed?”
you snorted softly, "i’ve been through worse."
for a while, the two of you simply sat there, the quiet of the morning settling around you again. in the distance, the sounds of the village beginning its day drifted across the water as people started their day.
the noise caused ao'nung's ears to flicker. he knew he had to get home. but when he tried to push himself to his feet, pain tore through his side.
he sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth.
you turned to him immediately, "don't move so fast. the wounds are still open."
"i’m fine." he insisted, though his hand had already returned to the bandage wrapped around his torso.
you gave him a flat look. without asking, you reached over and gently pulled his hand away so you could inspect the wrap yourself.
your fingers pressed lightly along the edge of the bandage, checking the tightness and making sure the cloth hadn’t loosened while the two of you slept.
ao’nung froze for half a second at the sudden closeness but didn’t stop you.
"i have to get home before my parents realize i'm gone." he said.
"i'm sure they're already awake and wondering where you are."
ao'nung groaned quietly, "i don't know what i'm gonna tell them when they see this."
your hand moved once more along the wrap before pulling back.
"i'm sure you’ll figure something out." you said simply.
carefully this time, ao'nung pushed himself to his feet again. The movement was slower, though the tight pull in his side still made him wince slightly.
you watched him for a moment, making sure the bandage held.
when he finally steadied himself, he glanced down at you.
"…thanks, again."
you waved a hand dismissively as you finally stood from the rock yourself.
"i already told you, you don’t have to thank me.”
“still going to.”
you huffed quietly but didn’t argue.
ao’nung shifted his weight slightly before nodding toward the village.
“i should go.”
you nodded once in agreement, "yeah, me too."
with one last glance in your direction, ao'nung turned and began making his way down from the rock.
you watched him for a second before turning in the opposite direction. the two of you headed back toward the village separately.
by the time ao'nung reached his family's marui, the village was fully awake.
voices carried across the woven walkways as people moved, getting ready to attend their morning duties. children ran along the platforms while hunters prepared their gear for the day.
normally, ao’nung would’ve blended right into the routine. today, however, he moved a little slower.
every step sent a dull pull through the wound along his side, forcing him to keep his posture carefully controlled as he approached the entrance.
the moment he entered, two sets of eyes snapped toward him.
ronal and tsireya sat across from one another, sorting through a bundle of medicinal herbs.
both of them froze when their attention landed on ao’nung. more specifically, on the bandage wrapped tightly around his stomach. it was impossible to miss.
tsireya’s eyes widened, “ao’nung-“
“what happened?” ronal’s voice cut across the room before tsireya could finish.
the teenager stopped where he stood.
“nothing.” he answered rather quickly.
“you leave during the night and return with your stomach wrapped.” ronal’s sharp gaze dragged across him, taking in every detail, “and you say nothing happened?”
ao’nung shifted his weight slightly, already regretting coming home.
“where’s dad?” he asked instead.
tsireya blinked at the sudden change in subject.
“he left to look for you. he thought you woke early.” she answered.
“sit.” ronal commanded before ao’nung could respond to his sister. when he didn’t move fast enough for her liking, her tone sharpened again, “now.”
with a quiet sigh, ao’nung lowered himself onto the woven floor. ronal crouched in front of him, already reaching for the bandage.
“if you will not explain it, then i will see it myself.”
ao’nung tensed as her fingers began loosening the wrap.
layer by layer, the cloth came free. the moment the final strip fell away, both tsireya and ronal went quiet. tsireya’s hand flew to her mouth, a quiet gasp slipping past her lips at the sight.
ronal, however, remained composed but her eyes visibly softened as she realized the severity of the wound on her eldest child.
the reaction from his mother alone made ao’nung look down. it was the first time he had actually seen the wounds… and it was worse than he thought.
deep gashes carved across his side, jagged marks from where the tsyong's claws had torn into him. the skin around them was bruised and darkened, the damage far more severe than he imagined. his stomach tightened slightly at the sight.
ronal said nothing at first. instead, she leaned closer. her fingers hovered over the wound before pressing lightly along its edges.
it was then that she noticed how well he had been treated. the wound itself had been cleaned thoroughly. the crushed herbs had been applied to the leaves correctly and pressed properly onto the cuts to slow bleeding and prevent infection.
her brow bones furrowed slightly, confusion settling deeper across her features.
this was not rushed nor sloppy work. whoever had done this knew exactly what they were doing.
"did you do this?" she asked
it was the only explanation that made sense. over the years, ao'nung had watched her tend to countless people within the clan. he and tsireya had been on the receiving end of her care more times than he could count. it would not have been surprising if he had picked up something along the way.
but ronal's confusion intensified when he answered.
"no."
"if you did not handle this yourself... who did?"
ao'nung simply stared straight ahead.
"... a friend."
the words slipped out before he could think them through. and for a brief second after, he paused.
ronal's eyes narrowed as she studied him in silence, clearly unconvinced. the friends she knew he kept around were loud, reckless, and entirely incapable of something like this.
without another word, she began securing the bandage again. after seeing the condition of it, there was a little to nothing for her to correct.
"you are fortunate." she muttered, "this friend of yours is very skilled."
ao'nung said nothing in response.
"you tell me nothing. but you will need to answer to your father." ronal continued, tying the final knot with precision.
still, ao'nung did not answer. his thoughts elsewhere as he was stuck on he just referred to you as.
a friend.
your steps slowed as you neared your marui.
the space was already alive with movement when you stepped inside.
nari and omatu were finishing up from breakfast, cleaning up as soft conversation passed between them. the morning light filtered through the woven walls, casting bright patterns across the home.
koa sat between them, holding a piece of fruit up to his mouth. finally old enough to eat solid foods, bright juice stained his cheeks and lips as he ate messily, completely unbothered.
all three of them looked up when you entered.
while koa's face lit up at the sight of you, the two adults exchanged a glance, concern flickering across their expressions.
"you are just returning?" nari asked. there was no accusation in her tone, only concern.
whenever you spent your nights on the rock by the water, you always returned before anyone woke. so when the family rose to find you gone, it had not gone unnoticed.
"everything okay?" omatu asked as he glanced over at you.
"i am fine." you said with a small shrug.
nari didn't look entirely convinced. her gaze lingered on you for a moment longer, more observant now.
"...you look well rested."
that alone was unusual. it was no secret that you often looked exhausted, though none of them knew why.
omatu let out a quiet hum, clearly about to add something of his own. but your attention had already begun to drift. their voices fading slightly into the background.
"i was with a friend."
the words came out rather easily. perhaps too easily. and for a brief moment, you stilled.
before the thought could settle any further, something bumped lightly against your leg.
you blinked and looked down to see koa. the small child managed to crawl his way over to you, small hands grabbing at your leg as he looked up, babbling softly.
your expression softened as you bent down and lifted him into your arms, settling him easily against your hip.
koa immediately reached for you, small fingers tangling into your hair as he played with it.
you adjusted your hold on him, but your mind was elsewhere. still lingering on the word you had just used.
a friend.
later that day you, you sat in the marui by your lonesome.
the space was much quieter now, the earlier noise long gone as most had left to carry out their duties.
your hair still hung loose around your shoulders. it had been hours since you took it down and you hadn't bothered to tie it back up.
absentmindedly, your fingers moved to your scalp, scratching lightly. but your fingers movements slowed as your fingers worked more deliberately, feeling along your scalp through the strands.
it had been a while since you had properly washed your hair. it was starting to feel dry and slightly brittle. between everything going on, you hadn't taken the time to care for it the way you usually would.
you exhaled quietly before reaching over to your belongings and grabbed a small collection of herbs you kept stored away. your hands worked without much thought, selecting what you needed before beginning to prepare the mixture.
you ground the flesh from paywll leaves, crushing a few herbs together before adding a small amount of water in a mortar bowl. the mixture slowly came together, grinding until the texture was just right.
the process felt familiar. something you didn't have to think about, much like a routine.
once finished, you gathered everything you needed and slipped through the entrance.
the path to the stream wasn't long. the further you walked, the quieter it became. the sounds of the village faded behind you, replaced by the gentle rustling of leaves and the distant, steady flow of water.
by the time the stream had come into view, the air had cooled.
as you stepped closer, you realized you weren't alone.
kiri was crouched near the waters edge, carefully filling a bag with water. not far from her, spider lingered, crouched low as he skipped rocks across the surface. each one skimmed the water before sinking.
as he went to grab another rock, his gaze shifted. his body tensed up almost immediately.
then, slowly, he pushed himself to his feet, his body tensing as he took you in, already mentally bracing himself for whatever this interaction might bring.
"kiri." he spoke quietly.
something in his tone made her pause. she glanced over her shoulder and the moment she saw you, she straightened immediately.
for a moment, no one moved.
the sound of the stream filled the space between you.
your grip tightened slightly around the bundle in your hands before you stepped forward.
it wasn't aggressive but it was enough for the two teenagers across from you to tense up immediately.
kiri's grip tightened around the water pouch, her eyes tracking your every movement. spider shifted subtly, placing himself in front of her without making it obvious.
but you noticed.
"i'm not here to fight." you said. your voice was even, lacking the sharp edge that they were met with the first time.
neither of them responded.
spider's brows pulled together slightly, clearly not expecting that while kiri's gaze sharpened a bit, studying you more closely. the body language itself said more than words ever could.
the tension didn't ease as you moved past them toward the stream. their bodies turned with you, now facing your back.
you stopped at the edge of the stream and crouched down, setting your things beside you as if this were any other moment. but it wasn't.
the silence stretched long enough to become uncomfortable. your hands hovered over your things for a second before stilling.
a breath left you slowly.
"…i was wrong." the words came out more reluctantly this time.
behind you, kiri and spider exchanged a brief look. confusion flickering between them before their attention returned to you.
"about before," you added, your gaze fixed on the water, "and how i handled it."
spider shifted his weight, glancing once more at kiri before looking back at you.
there was another pause before he spoke, "i'm sorry about what happened. i didn't know they were going to do that and i hate that i couldn't really do anything to help"
your eyes flickered briefly toward the water. you stood, turning to face them again.
for a moment, your gaze lingered somewhere between the two of them before you spoke.
"i shouldn't have blamed you. it wasn't your fault."
the tension in kiri’s shoulders eased just slightly.
you held her gaze this time.
"i was angry." you admitted, "and you were there... so i made you reason for my anger."
kiri finally decided to weigh in, "…you’re not wrong for being angry. but we're not your enemies."
the words settled between you. you held her gaze for a moment longer before giving a small nod.
"…yeah."
and that was enough. it was necessarily an apology but more of an understanding between you.
kiri suddenly adjusted the strap of the filled water pouch over her shoulder before glancing at spider.
"we should go."
he nodded once, giving you one last look before turning with her. they didn't say anything as they walked away and neither did you.
soon, it was just you.
the stream moved steadily before you, water slipping over stone in a soft, endless rhythm.
you exhaled, shoulders loosening before deciding to finally do what you came here for.
the cool water met your feet as you stepped in, the shallow current rising to your knees. slowly, you lowered yourself until you were seated cross legged beneath the surface.
you dipped your hands into the mixture you had prepped earlier before working it through your hair. the strands clumped together as you carefully began applying it to your scalp.
and then, without thinking, you began to hum. it was soft at first but as your fingers continued their work, the hum slowly shifted into a quiet tune.
your voice carried gently over the water, blending into the sounds of the forest.
it felt easy, peaceful.
not too far from the stream, ao'nung and tsireya moved through the forest.
they carried small woven baskets, sent out to collect supplies for their mother. ronal would normally collect them herself, but this time, she had deemed it a fitting punishment for ao'nung since he refused to any of her questions pertaining to his injury.
tsireya, on the other hand, wasn't in any trouble. she had simply been roped into it. but tsakarem, she had to gain more experience with gathering and identifying what was needed.
when they reached a koaktutra plant, tsireya instructed ao'nung to cut a few of the fungal sprouts from the trunk. they were one of the main ingredients ronal used in her healing practices.
ao'nung crouched down to do as told, reaching for his knife. but the moment he shifted, a sharp pain pulled his side. his hissed under his breath.
tsireya glanced over at him, a small smile began to form.
"so," she started casually, "y/n is your friend now?"
ao'nung paused for a second but didn't look up from what he was doing.
"...what?"
"you called her your friend earlier."
ao'nung's hands finally stilled. his lifted his head and looked over at tsireya. she already seemed to know what he was about to ask, so she continued without waiting.
"i remember rotxo saying she was able to heal a gash on her arm. so i figured that's who you were talking about" she gave him a look like the answer was obvious, "and besides, i know all of your friends, none of them would even be smart enough to do something like that."
ao'nung opened his mouth then closed it again. she was spot on and her reasoning made perfect sense.
"she saved my life." he admitted. he pushed himself up from his crouched position, placing what he gathered into the basket.
"i thought you said the only thing she knows how to do is get on someone's last nerve."
the taller boy huffed lightly, looking away.
"i was wrong." he said after a moment, "... i misjudged her."
tsireya blinked before letting out a quiet laugh, "wow. this is the first time you've ever admitted being wrong. i'm impressed, skxawng."
ao'nung shot her a look, but there was no real bite behind it.
before he could respond, something caught tsireya's attention.
she stilled, "wait..."
her feet moved before she could think, following the faint sound that reached her ears. it didn't take long before she found the source.
ao'nung followed behind, not fully understanding until he followed her gaze. and at first, he didn't see it.
then he saw you.
through the trees, you sat in the stream, unaware of anything beyond the water.
for a moment, he didn't move. and just as quickly, everything else seemed to fall away. the sound of the forest dulled and the movement around him silenced. all he could see and hear... was you.
your hair fell down your back in soaked waves, clinging to your skin. droplets slipped from the ends, catching the light before disappearing into the stream below. your hands moved through it with careful precision, fingers working through each section like it was second nature.
water traced along your arms, beading against your skin before slipping down to your fingertips.
above you, sunlight filtered through the trees and casted shifting patterns across you. the way the light touched you made everything feel different.
the tune that fell from your lips was soft, but it lingered.
ao'nung's gaze followed the smallest movements. the subtle tilt of your head, the slow drag of your fingers through your hair. even the way your shoulders relaxed like you were truly at peace it didn't feel like the same person he was used to.
and for second time today, he forgot what he had been doing.
"stop staring." tsireya whispered, nudging him again. "you’re being weird."
ao’nung blinked, his expression tightening slightly as if he’d just been caught doing something he didn’t mean to.
"i’m not." he muttered.
but he didn’t look away. not that very second, anyway. it took him a second longer than it should have before he finally forced his gaze elsewhere.
"let's go."
he turned before tsireya could say anything else, already moving back the way they came.
tsireya followed, though not without one last glance over her shoulder, a knowing smile tugging at her lips.
in the stream, your voice slowly faded as your hands stilled.
your ears flickered at the faint sound of shifting foliage, catching your attention.
your head turned toward the trees. you straightened, water slipping from your arms as your gaze fixed on the spot.
you waited for something to happen but nothing came. there was only an empty space between the trees.
after a second, you exhaled softly, the tension in your shoulders easing just a bit.
maybe it was nothing.
still, your eyes lingered there a moment longer before you finally turned away.
warnings/notes - 12.5k words, black!reader coded, spider finally gets introduced, genuinely can't remember if i made this gif or not, lowercase intended, divider creds to shifterium.
na'vi words used (with translations) -
loreyu - pandoran plant
skxawng - moron
ikran - mountain banshee
< part one part three >
series masterlist main masterlist
the sharp crack of gunfire echoed through the range.
"stop hesitating."
you adjusted your grip slightly, steadying your stance the way you'd been taught.
a slow exhale slipped past your lips before you fired.
the target in the distance flickered as the round connected just off-center.
"again."
you reset your stance and fired a few more shots in quick succession.
"you're overthinking it." the voice behind you spoke, "you think too much before you pull the trigger."
you lower the rifle before turning to face your father.
you huffed quietly, "you say that every time."
"because you do it every time." he replied. then more firmly, "you can't wait on the battlefield. if you hesitate, you're already dead."
you rolled your eyes, having already heard that line leave his mouth a million times before.
"again." he ordered.
around you, the range was alive with movement. rda soldiers of varying ranks practicing their own weapon handling nearby. the constant rhythm of gunfire echoing off the reinforced walls.
majority of the time, you wore noise canceling headphones just to dull the sound.
you raise the rifle once more. this time, you didn't waste another second as you took your aim and fired.
the shot landed closer to the center of the silhouette target.
you turned just as your father gave a small nod of approval.
“there you go.”
you allowed yourself a quiet breath of satisfaction before lowering the weapon.
you weren’t great just yet. but for now, it was enough.
when your practice was over, you handed the rifle back to your father before pulling the headphones from your ears. the sudden absence of muffled sound made the range feel even louder.
"where you headed now?" your father asked as the two of you walked over to the locker holding your belongings.
"to see mom." you answered, grabbing your worn backpack from the metal compartment.
after unzipping it, you pulled your breather pack which consisted of a mask and a rechargeable exo pack. an essential for living on pandora due to the air being toxic to humans.
"i can get you a ride over there," your father said. "come on."
you quickly zipped your bag back up and slung it over your shoulder before following him away from the shooting range. the walk wasn't long. maybe three minutes at most.
the farther you moved from the range, the quieter it became until the sounds of gunfire faded almost completely.
you soon entered a massive garage-like structure filled with rows of RDA vehicles. some were built for cargo transport. others looked heavily armored, fitted for military patrols beyond the walls.
but the vehicle your father approached was one you recognized immediately.
a utility jeep.
its main purpose was transporting equipment, though you've ridden passenger with your father plenty of times whenever he didn’t mind taking a detour if you didn't feel like walking somewhere.
as you got closer, you noticed someone climbing into the driver's side..
"yo, hen!" your dad called out.
the man dressed in green camouflage turned at the sudden call of his name. his confused expression quickly shifted into a grin.
he hopped down from the vehicle and walked over.
"wassup?" he greeted as he gave your father a dap.
"same old." your father gestured toward you. "this is my daughter, y/n."
the man looked over at you.
"nice to meet you, y/n. i'm henry, but everyone calls me hen."
you gave him a small polite smile as you shook his hand.
"nice to meet you too."
"look, i've gotta handle a few things but would you mind giving her a ride to the ops center?" your father asked.
henry immediately shook his head, "nah, man, i'm heading that way anyway."
"appreciate it."
"don’t mention it." henry jerked his head toward the jeep. "c’mon, kid."
you gave your father one last quick hug before climbing into the passenger seat.
once buckled in, you pulled the mask over your face and pressed the activation button near the base of the filter. a soft hiss sounded as the airflow started.
henry glanced over as the engine rumbled to life.
"ready?"
you nodded, "yeah."
the jeep rolled forward, weaving through the sprawling roads of bridgehead.
even after living here for a year, the scale of it all still felt unreal.
not because it was beautiful but because of its sheer size.
the ISV venture star carrying your family had arrived on pandora one year ago in 2169. the journey itself had begun back in 2163, making it strange to wake up and realize six whole years had passed while you slept.
coming out of cryosleep had felt strange too. your body felt extremely weak and heavy. additionally, the urge to vomit had been almost unbearable.
the first meal they gave you after waking consisted of compressed nutrient blocks.
and they tasted exactly how they sounded.
absolutely disgusting.
unfortunately, the meal had been mandatory, packed with everything your body needed after spending years suspended in cryostasis.
the RDA's return mission had begun a year before your departure from earth, meaning they reached pandora in 2168.
so when your ship finally landed in 2169, bridgehead was already alive.
towering steel structures stretched high into the sky, their surfaces covered in glowing holographic advertisements and information displays. construction cranes loomed overhead in nearly every direction, as crews continued building outward into pandora.
and the city was still growing.
every week, new sections were being added within the secured walls. ships arrived constantly from orbit, construction crews worked around the clock, and military patrols moved through the city at all hours.
humanity was planting its roots here.
'BUILDING TOMORROW'
that was the motto.
at least, that was what most of the posters and advertisements scattered throughout the city claimed.
your life settled into routine surprisingly fast.
school lessons were held inside converted lab spaces alongside other students your age. in some ways, it was similar to school back on earth.
except here, the teachers moved from room to room instead of the students.
whenever you weren’t in class, you were usually at the shooting range with your father. he had kept his promise to your mother and waited until you turned sixteen before teaching you how to handle a firearm. the training sessions had started almost immediately after your birthday a few months ago.
other afternoons were spent in the ops complex watching your mother work.
the two worlds couldn’t have been more different from each other. one built around discipline and force and the other centered around research and discovery.
at first, arriving on pandora felt almost disappointing.
after years of hearing stories about endless jungles and glowing forests, you had expected something different.
but most of your life here has been spent inside reinforced walls and sterile corridors.
bridgehead felt more like an extension of earth than another world.
cleaner and more advanced, definitely.
but still very human.
as the jeep passed one of bridgehead’s outer sections, your eyes drifted toward the massive reinforced wall surrounding the city.
beyond it was pandora itself.
the real pandora.
untamed forests stretched far beyond the barriers, disappearing into the distance beneath bright alien skies.
you couldn’t help but wonder what it actually felt like being out there.
the jeep slowed as the ops center came into view.
large white structures stretched across the secured sector, connected by enclosed walkways and reinforced glass corridors. the buildings themselves were sleek and polished, almost futuristic in a way that reminded you more of the laboratories back on earth.
security around the area was noticeably tighter too.
armed guards stood at nearly every entrance while surveillance droves hovered overhead in slow, calculated patterns.
the jeep finally pulled up near the main entrance.
"well," henry said he shifted the vehicle in park, "here we are."
you unbuckled your seatbelt, "thanks for the ride."
"anytime."
you grabbed your bag before climbing out of the jeep. with a final nod, henry pulled off, disappearing back into the steady flow of traffic moving throughout bridgehead.
using the ID badge your mother made for you, you passed through security without any hassle. as soon as you stepped inside, the sounds of the city dulled behind the steel doors.
cool artificial air brushed against your skin as bright white lighting reflected off polished floors and glass walls.
you finally pulled the mask from your face, no longer needing it inside the contained environment.
scientists moved throughout the halls carrying datapads and holographic displays while low, hurried conversations filled the air around you.
everything here felt precise. like every person inside the building was working toward something important.
you adjusted the strap of your backpack before making your way deeper into the complex, already knowing exactly where your mother would be.
you turned down another corridor before finally reaching the section your mother usually worked in.
the automatic doors slid open with a soft hiss.
unlike the bustling hallways outside, this lab was quieter. more focused. the low hum of machinery filled the space alongside the occasional beep of equipment.
several holographic displays floated above nearby workstations, projecting streams of data in glowing blue light.
you spotted your mother near the center of the room almost instantly.
she stood beside a large glass containment chamber filled with glowing plant life. a few other scientists stood nearby as she spoke, gesturing toward a rotating holographic model suspended in the air.
even from across the room, she looked completely in her element.
you leaned lightly against the doorway, waiting for her to notice you.
it didn’t take long.
your mother glanced up briefly before a small smile crossed her face.
"well, look who finally made it."
you pushed yourself off the wall, "you know, dad thinks you practically live here."
"that’s not entirely inaccurate." she laughed.
the other scientists chuckled softly before returning to their work.
as you walked closer, your attention drifted toward the containment chamber beside her.
the plant inside glowed faintly beneath the lab lights, its tendrils pulsing slowly with soft bioluminescent light.
"what is that?" you asked.
"loreyu," your mother answered automatically before catching your expression. "sorry. that’s the na’vi name. we call it a helicoradian. loreyu roughly translates to 'beautiful spiral.'"
your eyes remained fixed on the plant as she explained what it was. honestly, most of the scientific terms she used often sounded like complete gibberish to you, but it was still interesting enough to listen to.
"and it does something pretty cool," she added. "wanna see?"
you looked up at her.
"go put a pair of gloves on first."
on your way over to the nearby box of nitrile gloves, you set your bag down on an empty chair.
once you slipped your hands into the light blue gloves, you returned to the containment chamber.
"what now?"
"stick your hand in and touch it." your mother instructed, "gently."
you hesitated before carefully sliding your hand through the opening in the chamber. slowly, your fingertips brushed against one of the orange spiral-shaped leaves.
you barely got to feel the smooth surface before the plant suddenly coiled inward and retracted into itself.
the sudden movement was so fast it made you flinch backward.
a quiet laugh escaped your mother.
"it responds to stimuli," she explained. "that reaction helps protect it from herbivores in the wild."
you stared at the curled-up plant in fascination. even something as simple as a flower on pandora felt alive in a way earth’s plants never had.
after a few seconds, the helicoradian slowly unfurled again, opening back up beneath the soft glow of the chamber lights.
you watched it carefully.
"…okay," you admitted quietly. "that was actually really cool."
your mother smirked knowingly, "told you."
one of the scientists nearby glanced over from his workstation, calling for your mom.
your mother nodded once, "i'll be right there."
she looked back toward you briefly.
"try not to touch anything expensive while i’m gone."
you glanced around at the equipment surrounding you.
"no promises."
that earned another laugh from her before she walked off toward the other side of the lab, leaving you standing beside the softly glowing alien plant.
you lingered near your mother’s workstation for another few minutes, absentmindedly watching the helicoradian sway from the light breeze in the room.
eventually, curiosity pulled you away.
the sci-ops complex was massive, and despite living in bridgehead for a year, there were still entire sections you had never seen before.
you wandered through the nearby corridors quietly, passing scientists speaking in rushed voices and secured lab doors requiring clearance levels far above your own.
most of the rooms looked similar. laboratories filled with glowing holographic displays, containment chambers, and equipment you could barely begin to understand.
at one point, a pair of researchers passed by you mid-conversation.
"—arrived late last night—"
"they’re already meeting with ardmore."
"do they actually think this operation’s gonna work?"
the voices faded as they disappeared around the corner.
who was meeting with ardmore?
your eyebrows furrowed, hating that you were so nosy while being unable to hear more of the conversation.
nonetheless, you kept moving.
the next morning, you stood in the cramped bathroom of your family's apartment while the low hum of the ventilation system filled the space around you.
after rinsing your mouth and drying your face, you stepped out of the small bathroom and followed the smell of coffee into the kitchen.
"you're gonna be late." your mother spoke as she poured coffee into a to-go cup.
your father was usually already gone at this time, his position requiring him to report to work at around 06:00.
"i still have, like, ten minutes before i have to leave." you responded, opening one of the cabinets and grabbing a granola bar.
"eight." she corrected, "so leave now."
you glanced at the small digital clock mounted on the wall.
she was right.
without arguing, you grabbed your bag along with your fully charged breather pack.
"you'll be home after your classes?" your mother asked.
you shrugged lightly, "depends on what everyone's doing after."
"just don't stay out too late." she took a sip of her coffee before adding, "love you."
"love you too."
the apartment door slid open and the noise of the housing sector immediately flooded in.
the hallways were already crowded with people heading toward their morning shifts and transit stations.
the residential complexes on bridgehead weren't luxurious by any means.
most families lived in compact apartment-style units stacked closely together inside massive dormitory towers built near the administration zone. the layouts were more efficient rather than comfortable.
sometimes, places like this remind you of earth.
the narrow hallways, reinforced walls, small kitchens, windows overlooking endless steel structures instead of nature.
but compared to how overcrowded earth had become, most people considered living here a privilege.
as you moved through the corridor, you finally pulled your mask over your face before stepping outside the residential tower and into the city itself.
bridgehead was already awake.
transport vehicles moved steadily through the streets as construction crews worked in the distance, machinery groaning within the city walls.
by the time you reached the education sector, groups of students your age were already gathering outside the converted classroom spaces.
unlike schools back on earth, there wasn't an actual campus on bridgehead.
most lessons were held inside repurposed labs or conference rooms depending on availability. the classes were smaller too, made up mostly of employees' children and younger recruits preparing for future work within the colony.
as you stepped inside your assigned classroom, the familiar hum of fluorescent lighting filled the room. rows of portable desks had been arranged across what had clearly once been a laboratory space.
a few students were already inside. some looked half asleep while others talked amongst themselves.
and judging by the atmosphere, something had everyone unusually interested this morning.
you had barely stepped fully into the room before you caught pieces of conversation flying between groups.
"who is it?"
"apparently he knows jake sully or something."
your brows furrowed slightly as you made your way into the classroom. when you reached your usual spot near the back, you spotted ethan and caleb first.
ethan sat slouched back in his chair, lazily spinning a pen between his fingers while caleb leaned against the desk beside him mid-conversation.
"hey." you greeted, dropping your bag beside your desk before sitting down. since the chair was an office chair instead of the usual 4 legged stack chairs, you spun around to face them.
"did you hear?" caleb asked immediately.
"hear what?"
ethan leaned forward slightly, "the recoms brought in a hostage."
you paused.
"the avatar soldiers?" you questioned.
the recombinant program, officially known as project phoenix, was essentially the RDA's replacement for the original avatar program.
instead of remotely controlling genetically engineered na'vi bodies through link beds, recombinant soldiers were something entirely different.
each recom body was fully autonomous. a living human-na'vi hybrid implanted with the memories, personality, and combat experience of an rda soldier who had already died. most of them had been killed during the battle of the hallelujah mountains years ago.
from a military standpoint, the project was considered revolutionary.
the recom unit had only arrived on pandora a few days ago, and people throughout bridgehead still couldn’t stop talking about them.
surprisingly, you hadn't come across any of them yet.
"so who did they bring in?" you asked when ethan confirmed your suspicions.
caleb shrugged lightly, "no idea. just heard about it this morning."
"i heard it's somebody connected to jake sully." ethan added, "which honestly makes sense. maybe it's a na'vi."
you leaned back slightly in your chair.
jake sully’s name had become impossible to avoid no matter where you lived. on both earth and pandora, he had somehow turned himself a household name.
the news broadcast painted him as a traitor to humanity. a terrorist who sided with aliens over his own species and nearly destroyed mankind's chance at survival beyond earth.
before either of the boys could say anything else, the classroom door suddenly slid open.
"guys!"
you looked over as your friend lila hurried toward your table. unlike most students who dragged themselves into class half asleep, she looked fully aware for once. excited, even.
"what?" caleb asked.
"i know who they brought in."
that immediately caught your attention.
lila glanced around briefly before lowering her voice despite the room already buzzing with conversation.
"it's spider."
you blinked, the name not ringing any bells for you.
but judging by caleb's reaction, that clearly wasn't the case for him.
"holy shit," he breathed, "for real?"
lila nodded quickly, "i saw him this morning."
"does he look the same?"
lila opened her mouth to answer before ethan interrupted.
"sorry to interrupt." he said, looking between them, "but who the fuck is spider?"
lila and caleb shared a quick look but before either of them could begin to explain, the classroom door slid open and your instructor walked in.
conversations immediately died down across the room as everyone hurried toward their seats.
"lila." the instructor sighed, already sounding exhausted, "please have a seat."
lila rolled her eyes dramatically before dropping into the empty chair beside yours.
at the front of the room, the instructor activated the holographic display above the board to begin the morning lesson.
but even as class started, the whispers about the captured hostage never fully disappeared.
by lunchtime, the rumors had somehow spread even further and was practically all anyone was talking about.
the main cafeteria was crowded when your group finally arrived.
unlike the makeshift classrooms scattered throughout bridgehead, the dining hall was one of the few places where nearly everyone crossed paths at some point during the day.
scientists, engineers, pilots, construction workers, administrators, etc. every sector of bridgehead eventually passed through the cafeteria.
the noise inside was overwhelming. conversations layered over one another while trays clattered against tables.
you were used to it by now being that bridgehead itself was rarely ever quiet.
you followed behind caleb, lila, and ethan through the serving line before finally finding an open table near the far side of the room.
"wait, they gave you a cookie?" lila pouted dramatically as she looked at your tray.
"i think it was the last one." you admitted, "but i don't want it. you can have it."
"see? this is why you're my favorite person." she smiled happily as you handed it over.
"enough about cookies." ethan interrupted, setting his tray down across from you, "who is spider?"
lila pointed at caleb with the hand holding her cookie.
"you got his one. he was your brother after all."
both you and ethan immediately turned toward caleb.
your eyes widened slightly, "what?
"brother?" ethan asked.
caleb sighed as he unwrapped his utensils.
"adoptive." he corrected, "his parents died during the war, so my parents took him in back when we still lived with the omatikaya."
you blinked.
right.
unlike you and ethan, caleb and lila had actually grown up on pandora.
before the rda returned in 2168, there had still been human families living among the natives. more specifically, the omatikaya clan. most were people who had sided with the na’vi during the war and were allowed to remain there after the rest of humanity was sent back to earth.
caleb and lila's families had been among the lucky few chosen to stay, along with some of your other classmates.
they had spent most of their childhood split between the remains of hell's gate, the old human settlement and life alongside the omatikaya deep within the forests.
that part still felt strange to think about.
the pictures you've seen and stories you've heard, they both lived it.
living among the natives, learning the language and traditions long before you ever learned half the things they taught inside the bridgehead classrooms.
but eventually, the rda returned to pandora and their families accepted the amnesty offers and returned to working for the company.
"he was supposed to live here with us." caleb continued, "but he ran away and we haven't seen him since."
"until now!" lila exclaimed, "the recoms somehow found him and brought him in."
"they probably want information on jake sully." you said.
"most definitely." ethan agreed, "if spider lives with them, then he probably knows everything."
you stayed quiet for a moment, absentmindedly stirring your drink.
a human raised by the na'vi.
for some reason, the idea fascinated you more than it probably should have.
"what's he like?" you finally asked.
"annoying." caleb answered immediately with a soft snort.
lila rolled her eyes, "ignore him."
"i'm serious. spider never shut up." caleb defended. honestly, it sounded like a pretty normal response from someone talking about their sibling.
"anyways," lila continued, grinning slightly, "he was really funny. and he was always running around the forest with the other na'vi kids. that's how he got the nickname spider."
"whats his real name?" you asked.
"miles socorro." caleb answered.
he leaned back slightly before adding, "gotta give it to him though. one thing spider wasn't... was scared."
that made you pause as you tried picturing it. a human boy growing up surrounded by people twice his size on a planet actively trying to kill him, yet still doing his best to keep up.
it sounded insane. but somehow… a little impressive too.
the next thing out of lila's mouth made your eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.
"we should go see him."
ethan choked on his drink. "you're joking."
"oh, come on,” lila groaned, "you're telling me none of you are even a little curious?"
you hesitated because if you were being honest, you were. but unfortunately, curiosity didn't change reality.
"even if we wanted to see him, it's not like we can just walk in and ask." caleb said.
"and why not?" lila challenged.
"because that's not how it works." ethan deadpanned.
lila looked completely unconvinced. after a moment, her eyes landed on you.
"you have a badge."
you immediately shook your head, "nope. my badge only gets me into the ops center because of my mom. that's it. it can't open any secure doors or containment units."
"really?"
"yes, really."
lila groaned before slumping back in her chair, "well, there goes that idea."
for a moment, nobody spoke. the sounds of the cafeteria filled with silence between your table.
then, almost simultaneously, every set of eyes at the table shifted toward ethan.
the boy looked up from his food, his chewing slowing as he glanced between the three of you.
a look of pure dread crossed his face.
"no."
"ethan-"
"no."
"you don't even know what we were thinking yet." lila argued.
ethan pointed his fork at her, "you want me to steal my dad's badge."
the grin spreading across lila's face told him everything he needed to know.
"you're our only hope." lila said dramatically, "your dad has access to stuff like this!"
she wasn't exactly wrong.
out of all your parents, ethan's father held the highest level of clearance.
while your mother worked in the science division and your father spent most of his days training soldiers, caleb's parents were both miners who spent most of their time outside the city walls gathering resources. and lila's father worked in the neurolab within the sci-ops complex.
ethan's father, however, worked for security operations. the department responsible for overseeing safety and security throughout bridgehead.
more specifically, he worked on the holofloor.
the command center of the ops center. it was where senior personnel monitored everything from security feeds to vehicle traffic and citywide maps. information from across the entire operation flowed through that room.
compared to everyone else's parents, ethan's father had access to far more restricted areas.
which was exactly why all of you were looking at him. and judging by the horrified expression spreading across ethan's face, he knew it too.
"my dad would kill me."
"he won't find out."
"he'll definitely find out."
"only if we get caught."
"that somehow makes me feel worse."
you had to bite back a laugh as ethan dropped his head against the table with a groan.
lila waited patiently as caleb seemed thoroughly entertained watching this entire ordeal.
finally, ethan sat back up and rubbed a hand down his face.
"can you get it or not?" lila pressed.
ethan stared at her for several long seconds. then he sighed.
"fine."
lila immediately sat up straighter.
"wait, seriously?"
"i can borrow it tonight."
"you mean steal it." caleb cut in.
"temporarily borrow it."
"that's stealing."
"do you want me to get the damn badge or not?"
caleb immediately burst out laughing.
"caleb, leave him alone. we've already stressed him out enough." you said, shaking your head.
"i’m just saying," caleb replied through his grin, "when your dad finds out, i want it to be known that i did warn you."
"and when security catches us, i'm blaming all of you and telling them i was a hostage." ethan says.
despite yourself, you felt a smile tug at the corner of your mouth.
the plan was reckless and probably stupid.
but it actually felt possible.
after your classes ended for the day, everyone went their separate ways.
you returned home, completed the small amount of homework that your instructors had assigned, ate dinner with your parents, and did your best to act normal.
which was surprisingly difficult when you were planning to sneak into a secured rda containment sector later that night.
something that was very much illegal and would most certainly result in serious consequences if you got caught.
luckily, neither of your parents seemed to notice anything was off.
by the time late night arrived, both of them had gone to bed. you waited until you heard the sound of your father's familiar snoring from their bedroom to finally start moving.
glancing down at your holo wristband, you watched the time change to 00:00.
midnight.
slowly, you pushed your blanket aside, revealing the all black outfit you had changed into earlier.
was it dramatic? probably. but the last thing you wanted was to be spotted sneaking around bridgehead in the middle of the night because you were
wearing something colorful.
carefully climbing out of the bed, you grabbed your bag and slipped toward the apartment door.
every sound suddenly felt ten times louder.
the creak of the floor beneath your feet, the soft rustle of your clothes, the quiet hiss of the apartment's ventilation system.
you paused for a moment and glanced back toward the hallway leading to your parents' room to listen for any voices or movements.
when you were met with nothing but the steady hum of the apartment and your father's distant snoring, you took one last breath and eased the door open before stepping out into the corridor.
the housing zone was much quieter than it had been during the day. most apartment windows were dark now, their occupants resting before another early shift.
only a handful of people remained out and about. mostly night-shift workers heading to their posts and security personnel making their rounds.
after pulling on your mask, you kept your head down and made your way through the corridors down toward street level.
at this hour, the city felt different.
the endless construction never truly stopped thanks to the robotic swarm assemblers, but the usual crowds were gone. floodlights illuminated sections of unfinished structures in the distance while cargo vehicles occasionally rumbled along the roads.
eventually, the towering shape of the ops center came into view. even from a distance, security was impossible to miss.
the main entrance was brightly lit. armed guards stood at every access point while surveillance droves drifted overhead, as usual.
there was absolutely no chance you were getting in through the front. which is why your group had agreed to meet at the back of the building.
you followed a maintenance path that curved around the side of the complex before finally reaching the rear service area.
the contrast was immediate. there were still cameras as the security measures but no personnel.
large cargo containers sat stacked against the outer wall while maintenance equipment occupied sections of the loading zone.
and standing in the shadow of one of those containers were three familiar figures.
lila spotted you first. the moment she saw you, she waved enthusiastically.
"you actually came."
you playfully rolled your eyes, "obviously."
a grin spread across her face, "i was worried you'd back out."
for someone about to break several rda regulations, lila seemed entirely too excited.
your attention shifted toward ethan.
unlike the others, he looked genuinely stressed.
"you got it?"
without a word, ethan reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a laminated security badge attached to a black lanyard. his father's photograph stared back at you while the silver rda insignia caught the overhead lights.
"i still think this is a terrible idea." ethan muttered.
"you already stole it," you pointed out as you stepped closer. "might as well see it through."
"your dad's actually going to kill you." caleb added.
"thank you so much for your support." the sarcasm dripping from ethan's voice was impossible to miss.
nonetheless, caleb gave him a cheerful nod.
"you're welcome."
for a brief moment, all four of you simply stared at the badge. this was the point where the plan stopped being hypothetical and there was no backing out now.
lila was the first to break the silence.
"so," a grin spread across her face, "who's ready to commit a felony?”
"lila."
"what? i was joking."
ethan sucked his teeth and immediately turned toward the building, "bro, move before i change my mind."
despite his complaints, he was already walking, the rest of you quickly following behind.
the rear service entrance sat beneath a small overhang attached to the building's outer wall. unlike the brightly lit front entrance, this one looked almost forgotten.
almost.
a security camera was mounted directly above the door.
the four of you immediately stopped.
"..now what?" caleb asked.
"just keep your heads down and stay behind me." ethan instructed.
he stepped forward and approached the scanner mounted beside the door. then ethan pressed the badge against the reader.
a soft chime sounded and the blue screen flashed green.
all four of you froze as the lock disengaged and the door slid open.
"omg." lila whispered. "it actually worked."
"move!"
nobody needed to be told twice. you hurried inside before anyone could spot you. the door closed behind you with a quiet hiss.
immediately, the atmosphere changed. the sounds of the city vanished.
bright white lights illuminated a narrow maintenance corridor stretching in both directions. the polished floors reflected the overhead lighting, making the space feel even more sterile.
the building felt almost deserted.
"okay," caleb whispered, "now where exactly are we going?"
silence fell over the group as everyone slowly turned to look at lila.
then ethan groaned, "you people don't actually know where they're keeping him, do you?"
lila gave him an innocent smile, "...not exactly."
"fantastic."
for all the planning you'd done, somehow nobody had thought to figure out where spider actually was.
"well, how did you see him this morning?" you ask.
lila immediately perked up, "okay, so i came here to bring my dad the lunch he forgot at home. he took me into the neurolab for a few minutes and while we were there, i saw them bringing spider through a hallway on the right.”
everyone listened as she pointed down the corridor, "i didn't see where they took him after that, but i'm guessing he's somewhere on this floor.”
you glanced down the hallway before shrugging, "won't hurt to try."
"that's the spirit." lila said.
"if we get arrested, i will kill all of you with my bare hands." ethan muttered.
nevertheless, the four of you started down the corridor.
a few turns later, the maintenance corridor opened into a much larger section of the facility. several employees were still scattered throughout the floor, illuminated by holographic screens as they worked the night shift.
the sight immediately made all four of you duck behind a nearby corner.
"okay," ethan whispered. "new plan."
"we never had a plan to begin with." caleb whispered back.
"and that's the problem."
lila carefully peeked around the corner., "there's not that many people... and they look busy. maybe if we move fast, they won't notice us."
as lila, ethan, and caleb quietly debated the merits of sprinting through a restricted facility, your attention drifted farther down the hallway.
several signs were mounted above branching corridors, identifying different sections of the complex.
your eyes narrowed when one of them immediately stood out.
"guys."
the others stopped talking and followed your gaze.
at the far end of the hallway, a sign hung above a set of reinforced doors.
CONTAINMENT WING
a grin instantly spread across lila's face as she grabbed you by the shoulders, "you're a genius."
you looked back toward the hallway.
the stretch of floor between your group and the containment entrance was mostly empty. the nearest employees were focused on their workstations, their backs turned toward you. as long as nobody decides to look up at the wrong moment, you might actually be able to make it across unnoticed.
beside the reinforced doors sat a small security checkpoint, another badge reader.
ethan let out a long, suffering sigh, "let's hope this thing works again."
the four of you exchanged one last look before crouching lower and slipping out from behind the corner.
your heart pounded with every step.
it felt like at any moment, someone was going to look up. any second now, a voice would call out and ask what four teenagers were doing wandering around a restricted section of the ops center in the middle of the night.
fortunately, it never came.
the employees scattered throughout the floor remained focused on their work, their attention locked on holographic displays and data streams.
once you reached the containment entrance, ethan wasted no time. he quickly pressed the badge against the scanner. like before, the pad flashed green before the reinforced doors slid open.
"go. go. go."
lila slipped through first. you followed immediately after with caleb right behind you.
ethan lingered for half a second, glancing over his shoulder one final time to make sure nobody noticed. then he hurried inside. the door hissed shut behind him, sealing off the sounds of the facility behind.
immediately, the containment wing felt quieter. and, to your surprise, much smaller than you expected.
a narrow corridor stretched ahead with several secured rooms lining either side. observation windows were built into some of the doors while others remained completely sealed.
most importantly, every room appeared empty.
the lights were dimmed and the majority of the containment units sat dark and unused. it was almost unsettling.
"doesn't even look like anyone's here." ethan said as the four of you slowly made your way farther down the corridor.
room one, empty.
room two, empty.
lila sighed in defeat, "damn. maybe he's not-"
"holy shit."
everyone immediately turned.
caleb stood frozen in front of a door labeled 3, his eyes wide as he stared through the observation window.
without hesitation, the rest of you rushed over.
the moment you looked inside, you understood why he stopped.
a boy sat alone inside the containment room. his back turned toward the door, making it impossible to see his face.
he sat on the edge of a metal table bolted to the floor, elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the floor.
for a moment, nobody spoke.
from where you stood, you could already tell he looked nothing like anyone in bridghead.
long sun-bleached locs fell down his back, some reaching past his shoulders while others were noticeably shorter and uneven.
his skin was tanned from years spent outdoors, a stark contrast to the paler complexions of most people who spent their lives inside the city walls. scars marked his arms and shoulders, remnants of a life lived far from concrete buildings.
what caught your attention the most were the streaks of what appeared to be blue paint brushed across his skin and arms. the markings looked deliberate, but you weren't sure.
then there was his clothing.
or lack thereof.
at first, you thought he wasn't wearing anything at all. it took a second to notice the simple brown loincloth tied around his waist. even the way he dressed resembled the na'vi more than any human you'd ever met.
this was spider.
the boy everyone had been talking about.
the boy who had somehow spent his entire life outside the walls of human civilization.
after hearing his name all day, after listening to stories from caleb and lila, seeing him in person felt strangely surreal.
"open it." lila said, breaking the silence and pulling you from your thoughts.
ethan stepped forward, gripping the badge tightly in his hand. before he could scan it, caleb grabbed his arm.
"wait."
ethan's eyebrows furrowed, "what?"
caleb then pointed toward the far wall inside the containment room.
your eyes followed before landing on a large mirror stretched across one side of the room. immediately, all of you understood.
it wasn't just a mirror.
it was two-way glass.
which meant there was an observation room on the other side. and for all you knew, someone could be sitting in there watching spider right now.
"go check if someone's in there." caleb said.
ethan's face immediately paled, "why me?"
"because you're the one with the badge." caleb replied, as if the answer were obvious.
you looked over at ethan to gauge his reaction. you were starting to get the feeling ethan regretted agreeing to this entire plan.
"i'll come with you." lila offered. before ethan could argue, she grabbed his wrist and began dragging him down the hallway.
"wait-lila-"
"come on."
their footsteps gradually faded as they disappeared around the corner.
that left you and caleb alone outside room three.
for a few moments, neither of you spoke.
spider remained seated on the table, completely unaware that four teenagers had just broken into a secured containment wing to stare at him through a window.
"are you nervous?" you asked quietly.
caleb kept his eyes on the room and for a moment, he didn't answer. but eventually, he shook his head.
"nah." a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, "spider's family."
there was no hesitation in the way he said it. no uncertainty, just a simple fact.
a few minutes later, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed down the corridor. you looked up just as ethan and lila reappeared around the corner.
"the coast is clear." ethan reported quietly, "we're good."
the tension in the group eased slightly.
lila, on the other hand, looked like she was going to implode with excitement.
"okay, open it!"
ethan looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here.
"this is such a bad idea."
"yet here you are." caleb pointed out.
"unfortunately."
with a long sigh, ethan stepped forward and pressed the badge against the scanner beside the door.
after a second, the reader flashed green and a sharp click echoed from the lock.
inside the room, spider's head immediately lifted. as the door slid open, spider immediately pushed himself off the table and turned around.
for a moment, you simply stared.
seeing him face-to-face felt different than watching him through the observation window.
taller, for starters.
he had to be around six feet tall, easily towering over most people your age. even caleb, who wasn't exactly short, had to look slightly up at him.
his face was lean, sun-bronzed from years spent outdoors beneath pandora's sunlight. the blue paint you'd noticed earlier continued across parts of his face, painted in clean streaks across his cheekbones.
he looked nothing like the people of bridgehead. nothing like the soldiers, scientists, engineers, or worked you passed every day.
there was something untamed about him. not in a threatening way. just... different.
it caught you off guard. somehow, this wasn't what you'd expected at all.
spider's eyes widened in disbelief before a grin spread across his face.
"no way."
before anyone could react, he crossed the room in a few quick strides, "what are you guys doing here?"
caleb grinned, "could ask you the same thing."
lila immediately stepped forward and pulled him into a quick hug.
"i've missed you, skxawng."
spider laughed as he returned it, "missed you too, lila."
for a moment, the containment room felt less like a prison cell and more like a reunion. spider then pulled back and looked between them.
"how'd you know i was here?" he asked, curious.
"i was here this morning and i saw you," lila answered, "so we decided to sneak in after hours to come see you."
the word 'we' made spider's gaze drift past them. his eyes landed on you and ethan, who were still lingering near the doorway. an obvious look of confusion crossed his face.
"oh, right." lila laughed, "spider, this is ethan."
ethan lifted a hand in greeting, "hey."
spider gave him a small nod before his attention shifted to you.
"and this is y/n."
for some reason, being singled out made you suddenly aware of the fact that you'd broken into a secured containment wing to meet a complete stranger.
you offered an awkward smile and a small wave, "hi."
spider tilted his head slightly, "hey."
his expression wasn't unfriendly. if anything, he just looked curious. which was fair since you were probably just as curious about him as he was about you.
then almost immediately, his attention shifted back to caleb and lila. and honestly, you couldn't blame him. it had been nearly two years since the last time he saw them.
“how’re your parents?” spider asked, looking at caleb.
caleb smiled and shrugged, “they’re good. pops getting up there, though. bro's got gray hairs already."
spider laughed, "damn."
"they miss you though." caleb's smile softened.
"really?"
"yeah... they still talk about you sometimes."
the grin on spider's face faded into something harder to read. for just a moment, he looked caught between a smile and something much sadder. you couldn't quite tell if it was guilt, sorrow, or something else entirely.
whatever it was, it was obvious that despite everything that had happened, he still cared deeply about the family that had raised him.
“but enough about us." lila said, cutting through the brief silence, "tell us what’s been going on with you. last time we saw you, kiri and lo'ak were breaking you out of hell's gate."
spider let out a short laugh, "bro... that was crazy."
"what happened?" caleb asked.
"kind of a long story."
"we have time." lila replied.
"no we don't." ethan deadpanned from beside the door.
lila waved him off without even looking at him.
"ignore him. continue."
with an exaggerated sigh, spider leaned back against the table and began recounting everything that had happened after his escape from bridgehead, which used to be called hell's gate nearly two years ago.
you listened quietly as names you didn't recognize were tossed around as if everyone else already knew them.
spider spoke about them like they were family. and, in any way that mattered, they probably were.
according to him, the three siblings had snuck into one of the facilities in hell's gate to break him out before the RDA returned to pandora. their plan had fallen apart almost immediately after they were caught by caleb's father, nash, who separated all four of them by trapping them in different rooms.
somehow, spider managed to escape first. using a fire extinguisher to smash through a window, he freed the others before the four of them fled into the forest with rda security close behind.
from there, the story only became more unbelievable.
there were countless close calls, aerial chases, the death of an ikran, and a desperate escape that ended with their shuttle crashing into the ocean before another human pilot arrived to rescue them.
by the time he finished, caleb and lila looked completely invested, interrupting every few moments with questions or laughing at details they seemed to appreciate.
you, on the other hand, were still trying to process the fact that someone could tell a story like that so casually.
somewhere in the middle of spider's story, ethan leaned over just enough for only you to hear.
"i'll be right back."
you turned toward him, lowering your own voice.
"where are you going?"
"just need to take care of something."
"do you want me to come with you?
ethan shook his head, "no. stay here."
"ethan, you shouldn't go alone." you said, your eyebrows knitting together in concern.
"i'll be fine." he offered a reassuring smile, "just trust me."
you hesitated for a second before giving a small nod.
without another word, ethan quietly slipped out of the containment room, the door shutting behind him.
spider never even paused his story.
the conversation carried on as he, caleb, and lila slipped effortlessly back into the rhythm they'd once shared, finishing each other's sentences and laughing over memories you couldn't quite follow.
every now and then, you glanced toward the doorway. you trusted ethan. if he said he needed to take care of something, there was probably a reason.
still, the thought of him wandering around the ops center alone made you uneasy. you were all trespassing inside one of the most secure buildings in bridgehead, after all.
you pushed the thought aside and turned your attention back to spider just as another laugh echoed through the room.
eventually, caleb glanced at the time displayed on his wristband and his smile faded.
"...we should probably get outta here."
lila sighs dramatically, "already?"
"we're lucky we made it this far." caleb replied, "let's not push our luck."
"yeah. you're right." she huffs.
as everyone began gathering themselves, lila glanced toward the doorway where you stood by your lonesome.
"...wait." her brows furrowed, "where's ethan?"
the room fell quiet as three pairs of eyes landed on you.
before you could answer, the door slid open.
"somebody call my name?"
ethan stepped back into the room, looking far more pleased with himself than when he left.
"where'd you go?" caleb asked.
instead of answering, ethan held up a freshly laminated access badge alongside his dad's.
"no way." you breathed, "you copied them?"
"if you idiots ever decide to come back, i'm not stealing my dad's badge every single time."
caleb smirked as he immediately began teasing his friend, "aw, you already planning more visits?"
"shut up."
lila excitedly snatched the copy badge from his hand, "you're literally a genius!"
"i know."
he reached into his pocket and handed the rest out before adding almost as an afterthought, "oh, and i may or may not have set a timer to automatically wipe the security footage from tonight."
you blinked.
"...you did what?"
he shrugged, "i'd rather not leave evidence of us here."
"you really thought of everything."
"it's actually concerning that the rest of you didn't," ethan replied, giving the group an unimpressed look. "now let's go before my dad wakes up and realizes his badge is missing."
nobody argued.
the goodbyes to spider were quick. promises to visit again were exchanged before ethan ushered back into the hallway, the copied badges tucked safely into your pockets.
as the containment door slid shut behind you, you glanced back one last time.
the four of you then retraced your steps through the quiet corridors of the ops center, slipping out the same way you came in.
only once you were back outside did you finally let yourself breathe.
somehow, against all odds, the plan had actually worked.
the next few days passed without much excitement.
life in bridgehead settled back into its familiar rhythm.
school, shooting practice with your father, and afternoons spent with your mother as she worked.
life as usual.
if it weren't for the copied rda badge tucked away in your drawer, you almost convinced yourself the night you snuck into the ops center had never happened.
almost.
you caught yourself thinking about spider more than you'd expected.
not obsessively.
just... every now and then. you found yourself wondering what he did all day inside that containment room. whether anyone ever bothered talking to him or if he was always as bored as he looked when you first saw him a few nights ago.
the thoughts came and went just as quickly, disappearing beneath the routine of everyday life.
a few nights later, an unexpectedly long nap had completely ruined your evening schedule and you didn't finish your homework until nearly 23:30.
with a relieved sigh, you tucked your notebooks back into your backpack changing into an oversized t-shirt and a pair of sleep shorts.
the apartment was quiet as you made your way down the hallway toward the bathroom.
the steady hum of the ventilation system echoed softly through the walls. a sound you'd grown so accustomed to over the past year that it had just become white noise at this point.
your father had already gone to bed in order to be well rested for his early shift, while your mother lingered in the kitchen with a cream colored mug of tea warming her hands before she planned on going to sleep herself.
stepping into the bathroom, your eyes immediately met the mirror.
"...oh hell no."
your usually thick, kinky curls had warped into absolute chaos. you had forgotten to wrap your hair before your nap.
while you knew you would regret deciding to deal with the problem in the morning, you still reached for your toothbrush instead of your hair products.
a few minutes later, just as you finished rinsing your mouth, three quick knocks echoed through the apartment.
your brows knitted together.
who could possibly be knocking this late?
you stepped into the hallway just as your mother looked up from the kitchen, her mug still in hand. judging by the puzzled look on her face, she was wondering the exact same thing.
"i'll get it." you said.
she gave a small nod, though her eyes remained on you as you crossed the apartment.
unlocking the door, you pulled it open.
"...lila?"
your friend stood in the hallway, slightly out of breath as if she'd hurried all the way over.
"hey."
"it's just lila!" you called over your shoulder to your mom, who was still watching from the kitchen.
"what are you doing here?"
lila glanced over her shoulder before leaning in and lowering her voice, "i need a favor."
you narrowed your eyes at the words.
"i don't like the way that sounds."
"it's not that bad..." she paused, "sorta kinda."
you folded your arms across your chest, "lila."
she let out a dramatic sigh, "okay okay... caleb bailed."
that only caused more confusion.
"bailed on what?"
"we were supposed to go see spider tonight."
"so what happened?"
"he got in trouble with his dad so he's basically on lockdown and can't come." she explained.
that tracked. if there was one thing nash mccosker was known for, it was running a tight ship. maybe not quite as strict as ethan's father, but close enough. so caleb getting grounded wasn't exactly a rare occurrence.
"so i'm guessing you need someone to go with you?" you said.
"exactly!" lila clasped her hands together, "please come with me."
you hesitated, glancing toward the kitchen where your mother was finishing her tea.
"did you ask ethan?"
"ethan would shut the door in my face." lila gave you a flat look.
you couldn't help but snort at that, "no he wouldn't. you know that boy can't say no to you."
"yeah but i want you to come with me." lila gave you the most exaggerated puppy-dog eyes you'd ever seen, "...please?"
you sighed, already knowing you lost.
"you're lucky i love you."
her face immediately lit up, "yes!"
you shook your head, laughing quietly, "just give me a few minutes."
"i'll be right here."
closing the door, you headed back to your room. your hair situation would definitely have to wait until morning now.
you changed out of your pajamas and into darker clothes before opening your drawer to retrieve the copied badge. after slipping it into your pocket, you quietly cracked open your bedroom door and poked your head out.
your mother had disappeared into her shared bedroom with your dad, the lights inside already dim.
perfect.
you grabbed your breathing mask along with the exo pack, eased the apartment door shut behind you, and stepped into the hallway.
lila was still waiting, leaning casually against the wall.
the moment she saw you, she pushed herself upright.
"okay," you said. "let's go."
a grin spread across her face, "i love you so much."
"yeah, yeah."
you rolled your eyes, though there wasn't much conviction behind it.
together, the two of you disappeared down the corridor.
the trip felt much less intimidating this time around. sneaking into one of the rda's most secure facilities probably shouldn't have been getting easier.
yet somehow... it was.
the front entrance remained just as heavily guarded as before, but the rear service entrance was nearly deserted, just as it had been a few nights earlier.
lila pulled one of the copied access badges from her pocket.
"moment of truth."
she pressed it against the scanner.
a familiar chime echoed before the reader flashed green.
a grin spread across lila's face, "gotta love ethan."
the building was just as quiet as you remembered. night shift employees remained glued to their screens, far too absorbed in their work to pay attention to two teenage girls passing through the halls.
with only the two of you, navigating the facility was even easier than before.
a few familiar turns later, you found yourselves inside the containment wing. just to be safe, lila ducked into the observation room beyond the two-way mirror to make sure it was empty.
a moment later, she peeked back into the hallway.
"clear."
you nodded before stepping up to the scanner yourself. and just as the other times, a green light flashed before the door opened.
as the door began to slide open, your eyes landed on spider.
this time, he wasn't sitting with his back to you. instead, he was stretched across the metal table with one arm tucked behind his head, lazily tossing a small rubber ball toward the ceiling.
you watched for a moment before realizing he wasn't doing it because he enjoyed it. he was doing it because there was nothing else to do.
the door hadn't even finished opening before spider caught the ball midair, sat upright, and looked toward the entrance.
the moment he recognized the two of you, his face lit up.
"finally," he said, hopping off the table. "i was dying of boredom."
his grin faltered when he realized it was only the two of you.
he looked past lila toward the hallway, "where's caleb? and your other friend?"
"caleb's grounded." lila replied as she wandered farther into the room, "and i didn't even bother asking ethan."
spider stared at her for a second before bursting into laughter.
"no way he's still getting grounded for dumb shit."
"sure is."
you couldn't help but smile. judging by spider's reaction, this clearly wasn't anything new. caleb must've been getting himself in trouble long before bridgehead was born into existence.
"i guess some things never changed." he shook his head, still grinning.
lila then gestured toward you, "so i brought his replacement."
spider's eyes shifted to you. standing this close, you were reminded just how tall he actually was. you shifted slightly, feeling a little nervous under his gaze.
"so..." a teasing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, "you volunteered?"
you immediately shook your head, "not exactly. i was guilt tripped."
lila gasped dramatically, "i did not guilt trip you!"
"you absolutely did."
"all i said was please."
"you also hit me with the puppy-dog eyes."
"but it worked."
"barely."
she shrugged innocently, "i mean... you're here, aren't you?"
you rolled your eyes, unable to hide your smile.
the awkwardness that had lingered throughout your first visit seemed to disappear almost instantly.
lila claimed the chair tucked against the wall while you climbed onto the edge of the metal table spider had been lying on only moments before.
spider leaned casually against the opposite wall, absentmindedly tossing the small rubber ball from one hand to the other as the conversation drifted naturally from one topic to the next. most of it revolved around stories from before the rda returned.
spider and lila laughed as they reminisced about growing up alongside the na'vi clan, the omatikaya. they recalled different childhood adventures deep in pandora's forest before their lives eventually split in different directions.
spider had followed the clan to high camp while lila had returned to human civilization with her family.
you mostly just listened.
every now and then, your attention drifts around the room before settling back on spider. the rubber ball continued its lazy path between his hands.
his hands looked mostly clean, though faint traces of dirt still lingered beneath his fingernails. it made you wonder if they even let him shower while he was being held here. the thought sat uneasily in the back of your mind.
and while the stories themselves were entertaining, they weren't your memories. your childhood had been filled with a much larger version of bridgehead.
crowded apartment blocks, gray skies and smog.
not the endless forests and growing wildlife that they knew.
eventually, spider seemed to notice how quiet you had been.
"you're quiet."
the comment pulled you from your thoughts.
"hm?"
"you haven't said much."
"i don't really have much to add," you gestured vaguely between them, "you guys actually lived this life. i'm from earth which is... very different."
spider nodded, his expression softening with understanding.
for a moment, the room fell silent before he tossed the rubber ball toward you.
you caught it instinctively. it was nothing special, just a worn red rubber ball with a small black rda logo printed on one side.
spider folded his arms and tilted his head, "what's earth like?"
you looked down at the ball, rolling it slowly between your palms before meeting his eyes again.
"...nothing like here."
not wanting the conversation to drift into thoughts of earth, you held up the small red rubber ball instead.
"where'd you even get this?"
"one of the guards gave it to me."
you raised an eyebrow, "seriously?"
"guess they thought i would be less bored."
he reached over and took the ball back, absentmindedly tossing it into the air before catching it again.
"still bored," he admitted with a small shrug, "but it's better than staring at the walls all day."
lila's smile softened into a frown, "you must be so bored in here."
spider let out a quiet breath through his nose, "you have no idea."
his gaze drifted around the small containment room before settling back on the ball in his hand.
"you guys gotta get me outta here."
"we would if we could." lila sighed, "but we're already breaking about a hundred rules just by being here right now."
you nodded in agreement, "and even if we somehow got you out of this building…getting you out of bridgehead is a whole different story. that's nearly impossible."
spider understood, you could see it in the small nod he gave. but it didn't make him any less disappointed. no one wanted to spend every hour of every day trapped inside a room barely large enough to pace across. especially when the closest thing to a bed was the metal table he'd been sleeping on.
"...yeah." he said quietly.
the room settled into comfortable silence for a moment. after a moment, lila glanced down at the time displayed on her holo wristband.
"we should probably go."
you then looked down at your own wristband.
"yeah."
neither of you wanted to push your luck.
spider pushed himself away from the wall as the two of you headed toward the door.
"thanks for coming."
"of course." lila replied with a smile.
she stepped forward first, wrapping him in a quick hug. spider returned it with no hesitation.
when she stepped aside, his attention shifted to you. the two of you were still little more than acquaintances. so instead of a hug, spider simply held out a closed fist.
a small smile tugged at your lips as you bumped your fist lightly against his.
"later." he said.
"bye, spider."
the containment door slid shut between you with a quiet hiss.
for a moment, you watched him through the observation window. he was already absentmindedly tossing the ball into the air again. you then turned away before it got weird.
the walk back through the sci-ops complex was just as uneventful as the walk in. before leaving, however, you and lila made one final stop.
the security office sat empty at this hour.
lila moved straight to one of the control panels while you took your position beside the doorway, keeping an eye on the hallway outside.
"you know how to erase the footage?" you asked quietly.
lila nodded without looking up, "yeah. i asked ethan how he did it and he explained everything to me."
as she worked, she talked you through each step, explaining what every command did in case either of you ever needed to delete security footage yourself.
a minute later, the final confirmation disappeared from the screen. every trace of the two of you entering and exiting the facility would be gone in 10 minutes.
by the time you slipped back out into the cool night air, it was as if you'd never been there at all.
nearly a week passed before you found yourself back inside the sci-ops complex.
the afternoon sun hung high over bridgehead as you approached the ops center after another shooting lesson with your father. your shoulder still ached faintly from the recoil, but according to him, you were improving.
you scanned your badge at the entrance, stepped inside, and immediately removed your breather mask as the filtered air washed over you.
it didn't take long to reach your mother's lab.
the room buzzed with quiet activity. scientists in white lab coats moved between workstations while holographic displays hovered overhead, streams of glowing data constantly updating.
everything operated with the same calm precision you'd come to expect.
"hey, sweetheart."
you looked up to find your mother smiling at you from across the room.
she was standing beside another researcher reviewing statistics on their datapad. after finishing her thought, she excused herself and walked over.
"perfect timing."
"for?"
"i was just about to grab lunch." she smiled, "wanna join me?"
you didn't even hesitate, "i'm starving."
"i figured." she laughed before nodding toward the hallway, "i just have to pick up something from the neurolab first."
you nodded, already preparing to wait at her workstation until she got back.
your mother had barely taken a few steps before she paused and looked over her shoulder.
"you've never actually seen the neurolab before, have you?"
you shook your head, "i've heard about it from lila, but that's about it."
"then come on." she motioned for you to follow, "i'll give you the grand tour."
you quickly caught up beside her as she led you deeper into the sci-ops complex, passing laboratories you'd already seen dozens of times while you've been living here.
the farther you walked, the quieter the hallways became. unlike the other research divisions, security became noticeably tighter. reinforced doors replaced standard ones, and each required multiple levels of clearance before sliding open.
you noticed the security during the day was much tighter than it was at night.
"so... what exactly do they do down here?" you asked.
"mostly neurological research." your mother replied.
you hummed, "sounds complicated."
"it is. but it's so fascinating."
the final set of reinforced doors slid open with a quiet hiss.
you stopped in the doorway. the room beyond was unlike anything you'd ever seen.
the laboratory stretched across multiple levels, its dim lighting casting the entire space in cool shades of blue and green. scientists in white coats moved between sleek workstations while technicians monitored streams of neural data flowing across holographic screens.
dominating the center of the room was an enormous translucent hologram of a brain floating several feet above a circular platform. thousands of glowing neural pathways pulsed through the projection, shifting constantly as fresh streams of data poured into the display.
"...woah."
your mother smiled at your reaction.
"that's the neurosect scanner." she explained, "it maps neural activity in real time. thoughts, memories, emotional responses… the system collects the data and converts it into something we can visualize."
you barely heard the rest. your attention had already wandered.
several towering blue figures stood gathered around the central platform. for a split second, your brain struggled to process what you were seeing.
na'vi.
...not quite.
your breath caught.
their skin was unmistakably blue, complete with striped markings and long tails, yet the way they stood, the way they talked, even the casual confidence in their posture felt undeniably human.
recoms.
human memories implanted inside genetically engineered avatar bodies. hearing about them was one thing but actually seeing them in person was another thing entirely.
there were several of them, each standing nearly ten feet tall in military gear. even surrounded by scientists and equipment, they dominated the room simply by existing.
for a moment, you couldn't decide where to look.
the floating brain.
the recoms.
the unfamiliar machinery surrounding the platform.
everything was competing for your attention.
your mother led you up the short set of steps toward the platform. but before you could get a closer look at the recom soldiers, a scream ripped through the open space.
your head snapped toward its source.
on the other side of the glass sat the actual neurosect scanner.
your stomach dropped when you saw the subject strapped beneath it.
spider.
he was restrained in a reclining medical chair positioned beneath the enormous machine. thick metal braces locked his neck, chest, arms, and legs against the seat while a circular ring of machinery surrounded his head. a small neural face mask rested against his temples and cheekbones, feeding directly into the scanner overhead.
he couldn't move even if he wanted to.
the once easygoing boy you'd shared jokes with only days ago looked completely trapped.
standing directly in front of him was a woman in a sec-ops camouflage uniform.
you recognized her immediately. it was the commander of bridgehead, general frances ardmore. the woman every department ultimately answered to.
she stood with her hands strictly at her sides, her voice firm and calm as the boy in front of her screamed.
"where is jake sully?"
"i don't know!" spider snapped back.
"we know that you know."
your eyebrows drew together.
"...mom?" your voice came out quieter than you intended, "what are they doing to him?"
"it's okay." she replied, "the scanner isn't dangerous."
your mother kept her eyes on the procedure.
"it's alright," she answered gently. "the scanner isn't dangerous."
you looked back through the glass. it didn't look alright.
spider's breathing had already become uneven. his fingers strained so hard against the restraints that the muscles in his forearms visibly tightened beneath sun-darkened skin.
"just form a picture in your mind," ardmore continued. "is it one of the floating mountains?"
"let me outta here!" the crack in his voice was undeniable.
one of the scientists stepped closer to the glowing holographic brain hovering over the platform.
you immediately recognized him as lila's dad.
"he's fighting us," he said as streams of data raced across the displays. "give us a minute."
the machinery answered with a deep mechanical hum as it grew louder. the circular housing above spider's head began rotating faster, emitting a high-pitched whine that crawled beneath your skin.
"i don't know!" spider shouted again.
"just form a thought," ardmore said, her expression never changing, "and we will see it."
spider screamed once more. every muscle in his body seized at once. his back arched violently against the restraints, the metal frame shuddering beneath the force.
you physically flinched. the sound bounced off the laboratory walls, lingering long after it should have faded.
around you, scientists barely reacted. some continued watching data streams while others quietly discussed readings with one another. the detached professionalism made your stomach twist.
"it's not going to stop until you give us something. which clans are harboring him?"
spider's breathing came in desperate gasps, "you're gonna have to kill me!"
your hands curled into fists without you realizing it.
a week ago, you'd watched this same boy burst into laughter because caleb was grounded.
now he was crying in pain and everyone was just acting like this is normal.
then one of the recom soldiers moved. without saying a word, he abandoned the elevated platform and walked straight to the control console.
with one firm press of his hand, the machine shut down. almost instantly, the piercing whine vanished and the rotating ring slowed.
the brilliant holographic brain dimmed as streams of data faded until it was gone and the space was now empty.
the silence that followed somehow felt even louder.
spider sagged forward immediately. only the restraints kept him from collapsing completely.
his chest heaved with rapid, uneven breaths as his entire body trembled. his eyes were barely open and unfocused, like he wasn't even fully aware of where he was anymore.
a thin line of blood slipped from one nostril, tracing slowly over his lips before falling onto his chest.
he looked so broken which made your heart clench.
the recom soldier began speaking quietly with general ardmore, but their conversation dissolved into meaningless background noise.
you couldn't stop staring at spider.
your mother stood beside you, watching the same scene. her face remained composed. the expression of someone who had become accustomed to things like this but you caught the smallest hesitation in her eyes.
she quietly cleared her throat before turning away to retrieve the files she'd originally come for.
you remained where you were, unable to tear your eyes away from the boy in the chair.
for the first time since meeting him, the containment room didn't feel like the cruelest place in the building.
this did.
the rest of the day passed in a blur.
you still went to lunch with your mom. she talked about work, and you nodded when you were supposed to. you even laughed once at something she said.
but afterward, you couldn't remember a single detail of the conversation because every time your mind wandered, it drifted back to the neurolab.
to spider.
to the sound of his screams echoing through the room.
even dinner with your parents that evening felt unusually quiet.
the three of you sat around the small kitchen table as you always did, plates of pasta covered in a red sauce with a slice of bread on the side.
normally, your dad filled the silence with stories from his own work. complaints about the newest recruits or funny moments with his coworkers.
tonight, however, you barely heard any of it.
instead, you absentmindedly pushed the pasta around your plate, watching it more than eating it.
"...kid."
you looked up, "hm?"
your father lowered his fork as he sat up, "you've been pushing that food around your plate for about five minutes."
you glanced down at your plate before giving an embarrassed smile.
"..sorry."
he exchanged a brief glance with your mother before turning back at you.
"you alright?"
"yeah."
"you sure?"
you forced a smile, "just tired."
your mother studied you for a moment before speaking, "long day?"
you nodded, "yeah. practice wore me out."
it was a believable excuse. but your father still looked unconvinced.
"you've barely touched your food."
you hesitated before answering, "mom and i ate lunch kind of late."
it wasn't a lie and your mother could easily back you up. still, it hadn't been a large enough meal to explain why you weren't hungry now. all three of you knew that.
neither of your parents said anything. instead, the conversation faded into another stretch of silence.
feeling their eyes on you, you forced yourself to take another bite. the scoop of pasta tasted like nothing. honestly, your appetite had disappeared hours ago in that lab.
instead, images kept forcing their way into your mind. spider straining against the restraints, the metal cage surrounding his head, and the blood running from his nose.
you swallowed hard before quietly setting your fork down, "can i be excused?"
your parents exchanged another glance. this time, your mother nodded first.
"of course."
you offered them both a small smile.
"night."
"goodnight, sweetheart," your mom replied.
your dad gave you a gentle nod.
"get some rest."
you pushed your chair back and carried your plate to the sink before making your way down the narrow hallway.
the moment your bedroom door clicked shut ,you leaned back against the door for a long moment and closed your eyes.
warnings/notes - 8k words, angst, kissing, love confession, lowercase intended, characters are speaking na'vi unless stated otherwise, not my gif, divider creds to shifterium.
na'vi words used (with translations) -
marui - woven canopy made for living in
ilu - pandoran sea creature
tsakarem - tsahìk in training
naer - alcoholic beverage
metkayina - na'vi clan
ikran - pandoran mountain banshee
hufwe - wind
< part nine
series masterlist main masterlist
the funeral was hard.
your once smiling friend, was finally laid to rest with the ancestors.
you stayed close to tsireya during the ceremony. your hand reaching out to lay a reassuring hand on your younger cousin’s slightly trembling body. aonung and rotxo were there as well, wearing expressions of sorrow themselves.
you didn’t try to fight the tears in your eyes as you watched the sully family bring their relative to his new home within eywa.
the funeral was hard, and it didn’t get any easier afterwards.
it was no shock or surprise that the sully’s stayed more reserved and to themselves after what happened. it was expected. and you gave them space. you gave him space.
at first, you thought that was what lo’ak needed. time to feel and process everything. you had let him know that you were there for him but you knew your words probably felt empty to him. he just lost his brother, how could you possibly understand?
and things must have been a bit awkward as well now that a human, spider, was also living among you now. after neteyam and lo'ak saved him from the other sky people, the sullys took him in. your people had just gotten used to the sullys and now they had a pink skinned human walking around now. you figured the adjusting period must be hard, especially for a human.
when the appropriate time came, you invited him and tuk to go beach combing. while tuk accepted, lo'ak declined the offer.
maybe you had asked too soon? you thought maybe it just wasn't the right time and you didn't want to rush his grievance so you didn't take any offense.
while you were out with aolani and tuk, you had found a pretty shell that you thought lo'ak might appreciate. you told tuk to give it to him when she got home. which she did.
you were hoping that lo'ak would reach out maybe. but as the days passed, you and lo'ak still hadn't spoken. before you knew it, months were passing and your relationship with lo'ak was reduced to what it was before his family arrived in awa'atlu, nonexistent.
it hurt even though you tried your best to not feel a way about it. he lost something so dear to him and was trying to navigate with this sudden change. but your feelings still mattered.
on a much brighter note, you had rehashed your relationship with your family. after the fight that occurred between the metkayina and the sky people you had returned taari's marui with a body littered with bruises and a tear stained face. what you didn't expect was to see your family along with taari's sitting in the marui, silently waiting for your return.
all eyes were on you when you stumbled in. your mother, kusati, was the first to stand and approach you. at that point, you hadn't spoken to your parents in months so no one in the room was sure how this reunion was going to go. however, all the tension seemed to dissipate as you flew into your mother's arms, emotionally breaking down.
you had spent those past few hours comforting everyone else. you held tsireya for hours, comforted lo'ak when the sun rose, and you looked after tuk as you all made your way back to the village with a no longer breathing neteyam. after comforting 3 people it was finally your turn to be consoled.
the rest of the reunion went surprisingly smooth. your father apologized for everything he had said to you while your mother apologized for not standing up for you in that moment. and aolani voiced how much she missed spending time with her favorite sister. granted, you are her only sister but it was still sweet to hear. the 4 of you reconciled and it was nice, the nicest thing that occurred in the past day considering what you had been through.
that night, you thanked taari's parents for being so good to you before going back home with your parents. and with a little bit of effort from everyone, your home life felt better than before. your parents obviously didn't change too drastically, but in the necessary ways that mattered.
you father aweng, was still prideful but he looked at you differently now. no longer as a rebellious daughter defying his authority, but someone he nearly lost. the arguments didn't disappear overnight but they stopped happening as often as before.
the first week of you being back home, aolani was practically glued to your side. she insisted that you weren't allowed to leave her sight again.
"if you would've stopped jumping on the rocks like i told you to, this would not have happened." you scolded the now nearly ten year old walking beside you.
aolani groaned, "i did stop! i fell after i stopped."
you rolled your eyes before entering your family's marui. as expected, your parents were there. now with the addition of neytu.
"neytu!" aolani squealed in excitement. neytu turned to the voice and a smile stretched across his face.
"lani!" he said with the same amount of excitement. she ran over to him to hug him. the older boy lifted her in the way to which she laughed loudly at. aolani thought he'd stop lifting her being that she was almost double digits but she couldn't have been more wrong.
"what happened to your lip?" neytu asked when he put her down.
you decided to answer for her, "she was jumping on some rocks and fell."
kusati lifted her head at the mention of an injury, "aolani, come."
aolani obliged, making her way over to her mother, ready to get treated for her busted lip.
neytu then turned his attention to you. a smile on his face, "hey."
before you could respond, your father inserted himself in the conversation, "he's been waiting for you."
before lo'ak's arrival, you and neytu had only been friendly with one another in passing. but now that your friendship/relationship or whatever you had with lo'ak was over, that gave neytu an opportunity. you found yourself spending more time with him.
neytu's kind, patient, and easy to hang out with. he didn't ask too many questions. he never brought up the battle or the past. he always held your stuff for you. he was a gentleman, through and through.
and aweng adored him.
you saw it clearly. the way his face lights up when neytu stopped by with a basket of fish or offered help in any way he could. sometimes, your father would invite him over without telling you.
neytu was the kind of boy your father had always wanted for you. and maybe, in another life, you could've wanted him to. but in this lifetime, you had lo'ak and nobody could mean as much to you as lo'ak does.. or did. neytu was nice but your heart had long drifted elsewhere.
"sorry, i was supposed to be back earlier-" you began to apologize but neytu shook his head, dismissing your words.
"no need to apologize. besides, i like hanging out here. much quieter than my marui." neytu chuckled.
neytu was a part of a very large family. one of the oldest out of around 9 children. quiet was one thing that his marui was not.
"how's your baby sister?" kusati asked. aolani sat cross legged in front of her, her lip poked out as she tended to it.
"she's healthy. growing very fast. we can barely keep her inside."
"oh i'm sure."
you walked to your side of the marui and untied the small pouch from your loincloth. you placed it down with the rest of your belongings. you would sort through your findings at a later time.
"hey.." you heard from beside you. you stood up to your full height to see neytu, "you up for an ilu ride? since nalu has healed?"
nalu, your ilu had been injured during the battle at three brothers' rocks. a human trap had pierced one of her fins and lifted her to the surface. she was there for a while before aweng found her. he brought her back to the village where they managed to remove the dangerous contraption from her fin.
since she was injured, you had refrained from riding her for a while. wanting her to heal properly and in peace. you still went to feed her everyday but whenever you went somewhere with your family or friends, you rode on the back of someone else's ilu.
"yeah, sure."
"alright come on."
the two of you began to leave the marui but not before saying goodbye to your parents first.
"y/n! remember we are to go fishing today." your father called after you.
"do not worry, i will have her back before then." neytu spoke back before the two of you exited the marui.
a week later, you were with tsireya in your aunt and uncle's marui. the two of you were seated on the ground surrounded by mortar bowls. being the tsakarem, tsireya was frequently tasked with refilling her mother's collection of medicines and healing salves.
the two of you were currently grinding the ingredients into a paste when tsireya realized she needed something.
"hey, can you bring the bowl of water over here?" your cousin asked you. you nodded before setting the pestle down and getting the water. when you picked up the bowl, you noticed an armband on the floor. at first, you were going to ignore it but the color and design caught your eye.
you picked it up along with the water and walked back over to tsireya, placing the bowl in a spot where both of you would be able to reach it easily. you sat back down and began inspecting the armband in your hands. it was a deep brown with a few colored beads and stones embedded in it. it also had a few blue feathers of different shades attached to it.
a beautiful accessory but definitely not tsireya's. you thought it could've been ao'nung's but it was near her things. a sudden realization crossed your mind as you looked at it.
"is this..?" you asked softly.
tsireya looked up from the bowl as she looked at you to see what you were talking about. when her eyes landed on what you were holding, it gave you the answer. her eyes softened and filled with a brief sadness.
she nodded softly, "the sully's told me i could have it. i don't.. i haven't worn it yet. i don't know if i can."
you didn't respond. you already felt bad enough for asking but there wasn't really much to say. you looked at the armband one last time before gently placing it back in the place you found it.
you picked up your mortar bowl once again, continuing what you were doing prior.
tsireya glanced over, new thoughts consuming her mind. everyone close to neteyam was still grieving him but she was aware that you were also grieving the relationship you had with lo'ak.
"do you still think about him?" she found herself asking. she didn't specify but you already knew who was talking about. especially after you had just brought up his older brother.
"uh.. no." you answered.
and that was a complete lie. lo'ak crossed your mind almost everyday. sometimes more than once. when you saw him in public or at dinner. when you found a shell he might like. when you braided shells into your hair and caught yourself wondering if he’d think they look pretty on you. it actually irritated you how much you thought about the boy.
"you're lying." tsireya deadpanned.
"i'm not." is all you said in response, your eyes fixed on the bowl.
"okay. i will not pry. are you coming to the bonfire tomorrow?"
"probably not. i have plans with neytu."
tsireya hesitated. she wanted to ask. she was curious about this newfound relationship with neytu but you were already lying about lo'ak so she doubted she'd get the truth about neytu either. so she didn't say anything.
the two of you continued working in silence but the presence of the sully brothers lingered in the room.
the next evening, neytu came to your marui just as the sun began to set and eclipse begun. he walked in with that easy, familiar smile on his face. the kind that always made your father light up with approval.
"you look pretty." neytu complimented, taking in your hairstyle.
for your outing with neytu, you decided to try something different with your hair. you switched out the current shells for new ones and put it in a cute style.
"thank you. are you ready?" you asked as you stepped outside the marui.
neytu's unsure expression caused you to stop and look at him in confusion.
"actually.. you wanna checkout the bonfire instead? we won't stay long but keao kept bugging me about going."
you hesitated. you hadn't planned on going to the bonfire. it wasn't like you hadn't been to gatherings since the funeral, you had. but this one felt different and mainly because it is different. the bonfire was always held for teens only. and there was a chance that he was going to be there. neytu was looking at you expectantly and you really wanted to say no.
but instead, you smiled politely. "sure."
“great,” he said, offering you his hand to guide you down the path. “let’s go.”
when you arrived at the bonfire on the beach, the party was already very lively. as you approached, the orange glow from the fire in the sand was a nice warm contrast to the soft wind that blew through the beach. music was being played and there was food being served along with refreshments.
you planned on staying close to neytu, at least for a little while. he greeted his friends and they welcomed you with traditional gestures. you returned the greetings before your eyes began scanning the area.
lo'ak stood on the other side of the fire, he was with kiri and spider. the two were having a conversation while he was just looking around, not really interested in the discussion being held beside him.
that's when he finally saw you. he saw you.. with neytu. he watched as neytu wrapped his arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer. lo'ak's expression didn't change at first. just a slight clench of his jaw.
"lo'ak." spider said, or rather repeated because lo'ak didn't seem to hear him the first two times he said it.
"hm?" lo'ak hummed.
"i said, do you wanna get something to drink?" she asked. lo'ak nodded and finally pulled his eyes away from you and neytu.
at the drink table, kiri picked up a cup and sniffed it. her nose wrinkled. "gross. that's naer."
lo'ak shrugged and took the alcoholic beverage from her hand and took a sip with no hesitation. he was actually used to drinking naer. due to his rebellious nature, he had snuck around and drank a lot of naer back home at high camp.
kiri blinked, "seriously?"
"i'm used to it." he muttered.
kiri picked up a different cup that was painted a different color. the scent of yovo fruit softened her expression as she sipped. she handed a cup of the same color spider. one thing spider managed to do was hold his breath whenever he took off his mask to eat or drink something. the three of them began walking back to their spots by the fire.
meanwhile, you had finally spotted taari and ko'wae across the fire. you smiled, slipping away from neytu with a quick promise to return. your eyes were locked on your friends, excited to surprise them since they thought you weren't coming.
since you were so focused on your friends, you didn't realize what was right in front of you. until it was too late.
next thing you know, your body slammed into someone, a cold, sticky liquid spilling across your front. you gasped, stepping back in shock. the top now soaking with the strong scent of naer.
"shit- my bad." the voice apologized. the foreign word caused you to look up. your breath hitched at the sight of lo'ak. this was the closest you've been to him since the fight at three brothers' rocks. and the first time you've made eye contact with him in months.
he looked good. tired, maybe, but slightly older. his body was leaner and you could've sworn he had gotten taller. but the look in his eyes was different. it didn't feel familiar.
"i-it's fine." you stuttered out, "i just have to go back home and change."
kiri glanced at lo'ak before her eyes fell on you, "lo'ak can walk you home."
"what?" the both of you said in unison.
kiri looked at lo'ak, "you spilled it."
lo'ak hesitated, ready to protest, but sighed instead. "come on."
and without another word, he walked off. you wanted to argue this arrangement but the boy was already walking in the direction of your marui so you just followed.
the walk to your marui was awkwardly silent. away from the party, it was pretty quiet. lo'ak walked ahead of you as you walked behind him but still kept a safe distance. you hadn't thought about how your reunion with lo'ak would go but this definitely wasn't it.
when you finally reached your home, you walked inside. thankfully, it was empty. you quickly looked through your tops, finding a fresh one, a new top you made a few days ago.
you turned to lo'ak and gave him a look. he wasn't following though as he didn't turn around.
you rolled your eyes, "turn around."
"oh." was all he said as he turned around. after removing your top, you then used a damp cloth to get rid of the sticky naer on you. you grabbed the new one and carefully put it on. after making sure it was on securely and correctly, you were ready.
you then cleared your throat and lo'ak turned back around. his eyes fell to the new top that you were wearing.
"what?" you asked, noticing that lo'ak was staring at you.
"you.. you look cute."
a smile almost touched your lips until the words echoed through your head and you remembered your current predicament. you thought the next time you heard those words from lo'ak, you would melt into a pathetic pile onto the ground. but now? it actually angered you.
"that's it? that's all you have to say after all this time?" you scoffed.
lo'ak's eyebrows furrowed, "i can't compliment you? or is it 'cause of fish lips 2.0?"
you scoffed in amusement, "oh so you're jealous? that's funny because last i remembered, you were the one who stopped speaking to me."
"y/n-"
"no." you cut him off, "i'm talking. i understand what happened, i was there. i gave you space. i wanted you to be with your family while you grieved. and i am not saying i was expecting you to get over it because that is impossible and not what i wanted. but i waited because i wanted to be there for you when you needed me. but instead, you just pushed me away. that hurts. so you don't get to be jealous about how i started living my life after you walked out of it."
the marui suddenly went silent. the two of you just staring at one another. eventually you scoffed, beginning to walk out of the marui. as you passed lo'ak, you shoulder bumped him.
the taller male stood there for a moment before finally walking out after you.
you walked back to the bonfire alone, but not truly alone. lo'ak followed, just several paces behind. far enough to avoid anyone seeing you both show up at the same time.
when you got back, taari was the first to spot you, "y/n!"
her and ko'wae rushed over to you, wrapping their arms around you.
"i thought you weren't coming." ko'wae said once they pulled away.
"i wasn't but it's a long story, i'll explain later."
taari's eyes viewed your top, "this is cute. why haven't i seen it before?"
"because i just made it a few days ago."
a familiar rhythm began to play. a traditional song that everyone knew. excited, your friends pulled you towards where everyone was already dancing.
at first, you weren't really in the mood to dance but thinking about lo'ak was the last thing you felt like doing and having a good time with your friends didn't sound too bad.
so you let yourself feel the music. your body moved to the rhythm with your best friends doing the same dance beside you.
lo'ak watched as your hips swayed naturally with each step. a new cup of naer in his hand as he joined the onlookers that weren't doing the dance. he had never seen you truly dance and once he laid eyes on you, they didn't waver.
to him, it was easy to not miss you when you weren't near him. but now, all could he do was feel how badly he missed you. and he had no idea it was this bad.
the rest of the party was enjoyable for you. you hung out with your friends for a little before finding neytu again. you managed to ignore lo'ak for the rest of the night, much to his dismay.
the morning sun crept over the reef, awarding the metkayina village with another sunny day.
the sully family were up, everyone getting ready to start their day. lo'ak sat by his lonesome outside of the marui on the edge of the netted walkway, his feet dangling off.
he stared at nothing in particular as his head was pounding slightly. maybe it was from the chaotic amount of thoughts in his head the amount, or maybe he just drank too much naer at the bonfire.
he barely slept. he spent the entire night tossing and turning in his hammock. every time he closed his eyes, he saw her. laughing. dancing. that top. the way it moved with her body. the way her lips curled up in a smile that wasn't in response to something he said.
he hadn't planned to shut you out the way that he did. after neteyam died, he just didn't have the energy to do anything. he mopped around all day and all night long.
after the battle, payakan was no longer an outcast and was accepted by the village and the other tulkun. but even with payakan near, lo'ak stayed confined to the marui and missed plenty of meals.
he couldn't even find it in himself to be happy that spider was finally around again. his human friend that he thought was probably being tortured or possibly even dead was alive and now was finally around him again. but it didn't fill the emptiness that occupied his mind and heart.
he remembers when you first showed up to his marui, asking if he and tuk wanted to go beachcombing. when he said no, you told him that it was okay and that you were there for him, whenever he was ready.
and at first, he was holding onto that. he wanted to get used to this new normal. a normal that didn't involve neteyam. but it didn't happen. the grief itself consumed him, and he didn't want to suffocate you with it.
days passed. then weeks. and before he knew it, a few months had flown by and he still didn't feel any better. at some point, he convinced himself that he was doing you a favor anyway. he was the reason you were constantly getting in trouble, and he was the reason that you were at odds with your parents.
so maybe it was better this way. in his head, this logic made sense. he told himself that you would be better off without him, being that all he did was bring trouble to your life anyway.
but he didn't think it would hurt this bad. that it'd make his chest tighten up this way. and last night when you walked away from him after ripping him a new one, it hit him harder than anything else had in months.
he deserved it, he knew that.
but that didn't make it hurt any less. it didn't stop him from missing you. he knows that he should've stopped you from walking away and apologize for everything but the muscles in his body just didn't allow him to.
lo'aks body bounced slightly as someone walked out of the marui and onto the net. he didn't even have to guess who it was.
"i'm not in the mood, kiri." he muttered.
"too bad." she said, taking a seat beside him. she nudged his leg with her own.
the two sat in silence for a moment before kiri spoke.
"you're thinking about y/n, aren't you?"
lo'ak sighed, eyes squinted from the bright sun beaming down his face. he looked down before setting his gaze back on the water.
"she waited for me.. and i fucked it up."
kiri listened, arranging her thoughts in her head before speaking, "do you think she's over you?"
"of course she is. you saw her with neytu last night." lo'ak scoffed, eyes rolling at the mere thought of you and neytu.
"you should still try and talk to her. sitting here upset isn't going to solve anything. your choices had consequences so now all you can do is at least try and fix what you broke."
his slightly older sister's words made a lot of sense. maybe he should try speaking to you again and at least try to make things right between the two of you.
"tie the end like this." otani, ko'wae's younger cousin, showed aolani how to tie the end of her bracelet.
to get your mind off of the interaction you had with lo'ak last night, you decided to hang out with your friends and you brought aolani with you.
you were in ko'wae's family marui with him, taari, aolani, his younger cousin otani, and his mother who sat on the other side of the marui doing her own thing.
the five of you were making bracelets for one another, per aolani's idea.
"like this?" aolani tied her bracelet, mirroring the twelve year old's actions.
"yeah, and now it won't unravel." otani spoke as he tied his own.
"okay aolani, whose is yours for?" you asked once she was finished.
aolani looked up, "i made this one for taari!"
taari smiled brightly as aolani handed her the bracelet, "thanks aolani. it's so pretty."
the rest of you exchanged bracelets. you made yours for otani, otani made his for ko'wae, ko'wae made his for aolani, and taari made hers for you.
you slipped on the bracelet that taari handed you. on the other side of the marui, ko'wae's mother stood to her feet.
"i'm going to the seawall terrace, do any of you kids want to come with?" she asked as she walked over to the group.
aolani beamed, looking at you, "can i?"
you nodded, "yeah, you can go."
aolani and otani stood to their feet to go with ko'wae's mom. the rest of you opted out and decided to stay in the marui. once the trio left, you began cleaning up the materials that you all used to make the bracelets.
"okay are you ever gonna tell us what happened last night?" taari suddenly blurted out.
you paused, confusion taking over your face. what was she talking about?
"what?"
taari rolled her eyes, "last night at the bonfire. i saw you leave with lo'ak.. and you came back with him. i didn't say anything because i thought you would bring it up on your own but clearly you aren't going to." taari spoke.
the thought of other people seeing you leave and return with lo'ak didn't even cross your mind. even though you weren't walking beside one another, it wasn't hard to see that you were in fact together. you prayed that neytu didn't see the two of you together.
"he just spilled naer on my top so he walked me back home so i could change. that's it." you said, keeping your face straight as you stood up to put away the supplies.
"you didn't speak?" ko'wae asked.
"uh.. a little."
"mhm.. and what's a little?" taari eyed your movements. trying to see if your body language was saying anything that your mouth wasn't.
"he told me i looked cute and then he started acting jealous of neytu so i told him off. i told him that he has no right to act jealous after he pushed me away the way he did. then i left and walked back to the bonfire. nothing really happened and i haven't even seen him since."
taari and ko'wae looked at one another. a look of concern on their faces. they witnessed first hand how upset you were when lo'ak first started ghosting you. you tried to act like you were okay and that it was fine, but the sadness was evident.
"and how do you feel now?" ko'wae found him self asking.
you shrugged, "i don't know."
"i don't think that's nothing, y/n." taari voices.
you sat down again, slower this time. "what do you want me to say? that i'm still hurt? that i think i still miss him?"
"i mean.. yeah? that would help. you told him off and that's cool but do you feel any better?"
you didn't respond, the words making you think. you had no time to process your feelings because you refuse to think about it. when you woke up after the bonfire, you immediately made yourself busy, knowing that if you slowed down even just a little, the taller boy would creep back into your mind like he has been doing for the past few months.
ko'wae continued, "i'm just saying. i saw lo'ak last night and he looked terrible."
taari scoffed, "good. he should be miserable. he left y/n high and dry for months. i understand he went through something but she was hurt by that. he had months to reach out and didn't but the moment he sees y/n with neytu is when he has a reaction and we're supposed to feel bad? he deserves to feel bad."
"yeah but.. people shut down when they're sad." ko'wae countered her argument.
"so what? look y/n." taari puts her attention back on you, "i'm not saying that you should never speak to him again. but i'm saying that you shouldn't forget what he did."
"but.. if he did try to talk to you, would you hear him out?" ko'wae asked.
you didn't answer right away. instead, you looked down at your wrist where taari's bracelet sat.
"...maybe. but he has to come to me. i'm not chasing him."
the next day you were sitting in your own marui by your lonesome when you suddenly heard a voice call your name from the entry way. looking up, you were met with neytu. in his hands was a small basket.
"hi neytu." you spoke softly. he smiled as he made his way towards you. he took a seat across from you and placed the basket down.
you peered inside the basket, "what's in there?"
"gifts." he answered.
"gifts for who?"
"you."
"for me?" you asked, looking at the basket and back at neytu. now, he looked a little nervous as he avoided eye contact with you.
"yeah.. uh, y/n, i like you a lot.."
oh no.
no no no.
this isn't happening.
neytu went on to give an entire speech about how much he liked you and loves spending time with you. this was a courtship proposal. he said something about how he spoke to your parents about it and they approved but you couldn't really hear him. it was like your ears drowned him out once you realized what this was.
once he was finished, you felt horrible. for starters, you were barely listening. and two, you weren't really sure if you even felt the same way. you liked spending time with neytu but did you want him to be your lifelong mate? you weren't sure.
you were almost sure your father encouraged this behavior and your mom just cosigned it. your dad probably hyped neytu's head up and told him that it’s a great idea.
"uhm.. this was very nice neytu and i appreciate but-"
neytu cut you off, "i know this was very sudden but i did not want to wait any longer. you do not have to accept right now, i can wait until you think it through."
you smiled softly, appreciating his kindness.
"thanks, neytu. i appreciate that. i just wanna process this first."
"yeah, no problem. take all the time you need.. i'll see you later."
the two of you said your goodbyes and neytu was on his way. you let out a breath that you didn't even know that you were holding. after a few minutes of processing what just happened, you decided to look in the basket.
pulling it in front of you, you looked inside seeing handmade jewelry, a few fruits, a pretty flower, and a new saddle for nalu. as you picked up the saddle, a new presence was felt.
you didn't look up, assuming it was either neytu returning or one of your family members. you were proven wrong when the voice cleared their throat. upon looking up, your lips parted in surprise.
it was lo'ak sully — for the first time since the night of the bonfire.
the saddle fell from your hands and you found yourself standing. your eyes were lo'ak but his were on the basket.
"what's that?" he nodded his head towards the basket on the ground.
"neytu.. he asked to court me." you almost cringed saying the words. lo'ak's eyes quickly met yours, a flicker of hurt in them.
"did you say yes?"
"why are you here, lo'ak?" you avoided the question. you weren't about to feed into his jealousy when there was a much needed conversation between the two of you that needed to be had.
lo'ak sighed, "i wanna talk to you. and before you say that i had months to do that, i know. i know i messed up. but i wanna explain myself. and i'm expecting you to forgive me or anything.. but just hear me out."
you stayed quiet, gesturing for him to continue.
"i'm sorry. and i'm not just saying it. i'm really sorry. i didn't mean to shut you out. i just.. i didn't know how to exist without neteyam. i still don't." lo'ak started.
your expression softened. a slight frown reaching your lips when he mentioned neteyam. you could tell this wasn't easy for him and that it was genuine.
"i didn't mean to disappear like that. it just happened. after a while, i figured i was doing you a favor. i've done nothing but make your life hard since we met. you got into that huge fight with your dad because of me. i'm the reason my brother died.. and i don't want to be the reason something happens to you. and i don't expect you to forgive me right now but i just needed to let you know that."
you stood in silence, staring at him while trying to make sense of everything he just said.
your voice was quiet when you finally spoke, "your first mistake was assuming that you were doing me a favor. i don't care who i was at odds with. you became important to me.. and i thought i was important to you too. if anything, it did the opposite of a favor because i've spent the last few months trying to forget you but i can't."
it was now lo'aks turn to be speechless. the tension in the air was extremely thick as your words looped in his mind. he had nothing to say because you were right. he thought disappearing was the right thing to do instead of just communicating with you. time and time again you had his back when nobody else on the island did. and he still convinced himself that he wasn't worthy of the loyalty you showed.
he looked at you. he wanted to say something. anything. but there wasn't anything his words could do. so instead his hands went to his songcord. he untied it from his loincloth and held it out in front of you.
"what? why are you giving me your songcord?" you asked as you gently took it from him.
"look at the second to most recent thing on it." he says. you followed the instructions and began to analyze the beads and other things tied onto his songcord. you actually knew what a few things symbolized since lo'ak had explained his songcord to you during one of your many hangouts.
the most recent item was a brown shell. you frowned. brown represented mourning and grief. it was for neteyam. right above it though was a small, light pink cowrie shell. a puzzled look overtook your face. pink symbolizes love. and not just any type of love, but romantic love. but why did he want to show you this?
before you could open your mouth to ask what this meant, lo’ak answered the question that was currently running through your mind.
“it symbolizes me meeting you.”
the words caused you to look up, shocked at his words. you were half expecting him to laugh and tell you that he was just joking. except, he didn’t. this moment was genuine and he was being vulnerable in front of you right now.
“you.. you really feel that way?” your voice was low, really trying to stop yourself from feeling overly emotional. your eyes dropped back to the shell, thumb brushing over it.
lo’ak nodded, “yeah.. but again, i'm not expecting you to forgive me right now but i just wanted to show you-"
“just be quiet.”
you cut him off before he could finish. the words left your mouth without thought. your body began moving before your mind could catch up.
one step. then another. and suddenly you were right in front of him. then your hands were on his face, pulling him toward you, pressing your lips to his.
lo’ak responded just as fast. his arms wrapping around your waist and pulling you closer to him. it was messy and sudden. everything you’d been trying not to feel spilling out of you all at once.
when you pulled away, your breath hitched. you were still close. his hands loosened on your waist and he allowed you to take a small step back.
“sorry..” you found yourself apologizing.
“why are you apologizing?”
“… i dont know. you came here to apologize and i just.. i don’t know.” your thoughts were running a mile a minute.
lo’ak chuckled softly, “yeah but this was a better outcome than i was expecting.”
you responded with a small, breathy laugh. your heart was still pounding in your chest though.
“i just.. i need to think.” you placed lo’aks songcord back in his hand.
lo’ak’s smile faded a little, but he nodded. his free hand found your chin and lifted your head so the two of you were making eye contact.
“you waited for me and now i’m waiting for you. no matter how long it takes, i’ll be here. i promise.” he leaned down, placing a quick peck to your lips before letting you go.
he smiled one last time before making his exit. now alone in your marui, you let out the biggest sigh. two heavy conversations back to back had you feeling mentally exhausted.
the marui felt heavier now, like his presence had left something behind. the tension lingered on, and you were now more confused than ever.
the next morning didn't have you feeling any better, because you knew you had to deal with the mess that occurred yesterday. you were still in your hammock, struggling to find the desire to get up.
your father and and aolani had already left, something about him taking her somewhere. you weren't sure, you weren't really listening when it was being explained to you.
"y/n? what's this?" your mom spoke. you lifted your head up to look at her. she was standing on your side of the marui with all your personal belongings, in her hand was the basket that neytu had brought when he made his courtship proposal.
your eyes widened, "n-nothing! just something neytu brought over yesterday. it's nothing."
you finally got out of your hammock and took the basket from her hands and put it in a corner, hidden from view. you didn't even wanna think about the basket, let alone look at it.
kusati stared at you, putting together the pieces in her mind.
"oh. neytu asked to court you. didn't he?" she asked.
you groaned, "yeah."
"he spoke to your father and i about it a few weeks ago. your father approved before he could even tell us what he was getting you as a gift." kusati snickered.
"what did you say?"
"i told him that if he wanted to ask, he has my blessing. though, i already know your answer."
you looked at your mother curiously, "what is my answer?"
kusati looked at you for a moment before motioning for you to sit. the two of you sat on the woven ground across from one another.
"neytu is a nice boy. he's respectful, comes from a nice and loving family, and he treats you well. but last night, you barely slept."
that was true. you tried sleeping off the stress, but it only led to tossing and turning in your hammock. eventually, you got up and took a walk but even that didn't calm your nerves.
kusati did not wait for a response before she continued, "courtship and mating is very serious. but that is not why you were restless. you only started talking to neytu more because of lo'ak. you tried to use neytu as a replacement for lo'ak.. but it did not work. your heart still belongs to him."
you stared at your mother, momentarily stunned by how effortlessly she’d peeled back every layer of how your situation and how you were feeling.
"how do you always know these things?" you muttered.
"because i went through the same thing."
you blinked slowly, unsure of what she meant, "what?"
a soft, chuckle left her mouth before she began to explain, "when i was around your age, there was a boy. he was sweet, charming. everyone liked him. especially my parents. they wanted me to pick him as my mate. but i had eyes for someone else. stubborn, short tempered. remind you of anyone?"
you laughed softly, already knowing who she was referring to. it was aweng, your very hot headed father.
"your father wasn't an easy choice. my parents didn't approve. said i was making a mistake. they thought he was too proud. and maybe he was. but i didn't care because when i was with him, i knew what love felt like." she smiled softly, as if she was reminiscing, "it wasn't an easy choice. but it was the right one for me."
you sat with her words, letting them soak in. the parallels of your situation and hers were uncanny.
kusati reached out, brushing a loose curl from your face, her thumb lingering on your cheek in a quiet, comforting way only a mother could provide.
"if your heart is telling you that lo'ak is the one, don't be afraid to listen to it. even if it makes no sense to anyone else. neytu will be okay. and so will your father. but just know, i'm always here to support you."
for the first time since this whole mess started, you felt a lot less lost. your heart had known all along. and it was just waiting for you to catch up.
the conversation with neytu wasn't easy. you brought the basket and explained to him that while you appreciated everything, it just wasn't right. neytu was understanding about it. he even admitted that he could tell that your heart wasn't fully in it but he wanted his feelings to be known.
the conversation was simple and mature. and by the end of it, you felt so much better. like a weight had been lifted off of your shoulders.
on your way to the sully family marui, you were really hoping that lo'ak stayed true to his word that he was waiting for you. when you arrived, only kiri was there. she told you that lo'ak was with the ikrans, feeding them for the night.
and so your legs carried you to where lo'ak took you that one night when you gave you a ride on hufwe. and sure enough, lo'ak was there, feeding the ikrans that belonged to his family.
lo'ak had his back to you so you lingered for a second, just watching him. hufwe noticed you and made a noise, causing lo'ak to turn around.
"hey." you finally said.
he turned, eyes catching yours with a flicker of disbelief. it was as if he wasn't expecting this at all.
"hey."
you took a few steps forward, until you stood in the same spot where he once helped you mount hufwe. the memory made your chest ache in the best way.
"i talked to neytu." you tell him.
lo'ak gave a slow nod, "yeah?"
"i turned him down."
he didn’t respond right away. just stared out at the horizon, letting the silence settle before he finally answered, "why?"
you looked at him. and this time, there was no confusion in your chest. no weight. no ache.
"because he's not you."
lo'aks breath got caught in his throat at your words. he thought his ears were tricking him at first. he took a step closer, his amber eyes searching yours.
"you sure? because if you're not, i'll wait. i'll wait however long it takes."
"lo'ak, you hurt me." you said honestly, "but i never stopped loving you. even when i tried."
lo'ak looked at you like the wind had been knocked out of him. you love him? the sides of his mouth twitched and so did his hands. he wanted to reach out for you but wanted you to finish speaking first.
you smiled, "you don't have to wait anymore. it's you."
that was all it took.
lo'ak pulled you into him, arms wrapping around your waist as you buried your face into his neck. his skin was warm, the scent of sea salt still clinging to him. it was a kind of peace you hadn’t felt in months.
when he pulled back, he cupped your face, thumbs brushing against your cheek, "i missed you."
you leaned into his touch. “i missed you too.”
the taller boy didn't even hesitate. he leaned in, slow and sure, and kissed you like he meant it. his lips found yours with a tenderness that surprised you. his hands stayed on your cheeks, deepening the kiss slowly.
the two of you reluctantly pulled away from the kiss. it was as though the entire world melted away and only you remained. you smiled, tears stinging your eyes but this time, it wasn't rooted in hurt.
"soo.. you love me?" lo'ak teased.
you playfully rolled your eyes, "and now i hate you."
lo'ak laughed again before pulling you back in for another kiss. you weren’t sure how long the two of you stood there, wrapped up in each other beneath the dark night sky. but for the first time in months, you felt steady. full. whole.
things wouldn’t always be easy. you knew that. grief still lingered, the world was still changing but in that moment, with lo’ak’s arms around you, it didn’t matter.
the two of you had each other.
and that was enough.
i'm so sorry this took so long. there's literally just so much going on in my life and writers block had me in a tight headlock.
personally, i really enjoyed writing this series and i hope you all enjoyed reading it. thanks for all the support and i have more works coming soon <3
warnings/notes - 4k words, violence, character death, crying, grief, lowercase intended, characters speaking na’vi unless stated otherwise, gif is mine, divider creds to shifterium.
na'vi words used (with translations) -
marui - woven canopy made for living in
tulkun - pandoran sean creature
olo'eyktan - clan leader
ilu - pandoran sea creature
skxawng - moron
ikran - pandoran mountain banshee
tsurak - pandoran sea creature
< part eight part ten >
series masterlist main masterlist
for a reef clan, not much happened on rainy days. everyone mostly stayed in their own marui's on gloomy days such as this one. but with taari's parents home, you thought it would be a good idea to hang out in the forest with lo'ak.
now, the two of you sat beneath the tall trees. their wide leaves shielding you from most of the rainfall. a few stray droplets managed to slip through, cool and refreshing against your skin. but otherwise, you stayed dry.
lo'ak was seated on the ground, legs stretched out in front of him, while you straddled his lap. beside you sat a small pile of seashells that you collected together. the taller boy was letting you add a few seashells to his braids.
"can we add this one?" lo'aks voice broke the comfortable silence. he held up a bright yellow cowrie shell. you nodded your head, taking the shell from his fingers.
over the course of a few months, lo'ak had managed to memorize the names and meanings behind all of the shapes and colors of the shells that resided on the island. it impressed you how quickly he embraced your culture, how eager he was to understand. you threaded the yellow shell into his dark braids with practiced ease.
"so, you're happy?" you asked softly, adding the shell to one of his braids. yellow shells were a symbol of happiness. lo'ak hadn't picked it up by accident.
lo'ak tilted his head, watching you with a familiar gaze. your light blue eyes were focused on his hair, lips slightly parted in concentration. the damp air had left your skin glowing, and your long curls were pulled back, cascading down your back like waves.
"with you?" lo'ak’s voice dropped, "yeah."
you tried to fight the grin threatening to break free, but the light purple tint creeping across your cheeks betrayed you. lo'ak's smirk deepened, his eyes beaming with satisfaction.
"all done." you pulled your hands away from his hair, carefully brushing the strands forward to admire your work.
when he didn't respond, you glanced down, only to find his amber eyes locked on your lips. the weight of his gaze was enough to send a shiver through you. his chest rose and fell beneath you, his hands resting lightly on your thighs. and you could tell that lo'ak didn’t seem to care about his hair anymore.
for a moment, his eyes flickered up to meet yours. then they dropped back to your mouth.
"you’re staring," you spoke in a teasing tone.
"am i?" his lips quirked into a grin, though his voice was lower now.
you rolled your eyes, but the blush on your cheeks only deepened. "you are."
"can’t help it," lo'ak said softly, his fingers tracing absent patterns along your leg.
before you could respond, lo’aks hand moved from your thigh to tuck a loose curl behind your ear. his touch lingered, his fingers brushing along the side of your face. you leaned into it without thinking, the warmth of his palm grounding you.
you found yourself mirroring his actions from a few moments ago. your gaze flickered to his lips, then back to his eyes. lo’ak caught the movement and this time, he didn’t hesitate.
lo’aks hand slid to the back of your neck, his fingers curling into your hair. he pulled you down, closing the space between you. his lips met yours softly at first. but the second your arms wrapped around his shoulders, lo’ak kissed you deeper.
since that first kiss a few days ago, everything between you and lo’ak had changed. and it wasn't a dramatic shift but more of an unspoken one. the tension between the two of you had been reaching a boiling point anyway.
touches were now lingering a little longer. glances held a little more weight. and kisses.. well, those quickly became your favorite pastime.
it was like neither of you could get enough. constantly sneaking away to make out in either the forest or in taari's marui when nobody was home. and it felt easy. you weren't worried about what it meant. you were simply enjoying each other's company, but now with a new romantic element.
the boy underneath you tightened his arms around your waist. it was like once you started, neither of you wanted to stop.
suddenly though, a blare from a conch shell was blown through the air. your ears perked up at the sound, causing you to pull away and sit up straight.
"did you hear that?"
"hm?" lo'ak hummed, not really paying attention. his own lips were chasing your own.
"lo'ak. i'm serious. listen." you said and right as you finished your sentence, another blare was heard. this time, lo'ak was alert and aware. his brows furrowed as he looked at you.
"come on." lo'ak spoke. you quickly lifted yourself off of his lap and onto your feet. lo'ak grabbed your hand once he stood up and led you back to the village.
upon reaching the village, you saw the clan gathering to meet. you both approached curiously. when you got closer, lo'ak pushed through the crowd.
"this war has come to us. we knew about this hunting of our tulkun people. but it was over the horizon, far away. now it is here." tonowari exclaimed.
you looked around, confused on what was going on. but from what the olo'eyktan said, it must have something to do with the sky people.
"you gotta understand how the sky people think. they don't care about the great balance." jake spoke, trying to be the voice of reason in all of this commotion. the crowd seemed to react negatively to that.
"we don't answer to sky people!" someone shouted out. you continued to hold onto lo'aks hand as chaos erupted around you. the screaming and battle cries carried on for a moment and before you knew it, jake was standing in front of everyone, holding up some odd human technology.
"you tell the tulkun that if they're hit by one of these, they're marked for death. and call for me, i'll silence it. saving their lives, that's all that matters. right? saving your family."
it was silent as everyone looked at one another. you watched as ronal and tonowari silently spoke to one another. you had grown to realize that was something that they did a lot.
"tell the tulkun." tonowari spoke out.
"go.. go!"
you then felt lo'ak drop your hand out of his grasp as he walked away. the action left you confused. before you could call after him, you saw neteyam following in pursuit. without a second thought, you followed too.
you decided to stay at a distance, careful not to be noticed as they entered one of the communal areas where the gear for the ilu's were stored.
“no way you’re rolling out of here, baby brother.” neteyam called, his voice half-scolding, half-amused.
the younger boy shakes his head, "i have to warn payakan about the pingers."
you found yourself frowning. he was just going to leave? without saying anything? he knows that you would go with him. the thought stung but before you could overthink it, neyetam spoke again.
"no. you've got to keep your skxawng ass here." it was clear that neteyam was taking this situation very lightly. but lo'ak wasn't laughing.
"he's outcast. there's nobody to warn him but me."
“nobody but you?” you finally revealed yourself, stepping out from the shadows.
lo’ak turned quickly, his face softening at the sight of you. “y/n—”
you were quick to cut him off, “you were just going to leave without even talking to me? you know i would come with you."
"i'm not bringing you out there," lo'ak said, "the sky people are out there and it's dangerous."
"i'm not a child lo'ak. and you could’ve at least said something. not just…” you trailed off, the hurt in your voice unmistakable. “not just leave me.”
lo'ak held your gaze, guilt flashing through his eyes. you were right, and he knew that. but he had a habit of acting on impulse. sure, it did get him in trouble almost every single time but it was just how his brain is wired.
neteyam placed himself back in the conversation as he playfully threw a hand on lo'aks head, "bro, why do you always have to make things so hard?"
you watched as lo'ak threw his brother's hand off of him. he was upset, you could tell. and neteyam taking it as a joke didn't make it any better.
"no. you mean, why can't i be the perfect son like you? the perfect little soldier. well, i'm not you! okay? i'm not you. he's my brother. i'm going."
"oh, he's your brother? no, i'm your brother." neteyam shot back, his voice now laced with frustration.
before you could say anything else, the sound of someone shouting lo’aks name echoed through the air. tsireya, along with ao'nung and roxto, jumped off their ilu's and onto the platform, urgency clear on their faces. lo'ak took that opportunity to jump into the water.
"come on. he's going to payakan." neteyam said with urgency.
the rest of you didn't waste another second. calling out to nalu as you sprinted towards the water. you caught a glimpse of her sleek body just beneath the surface, waiting for you. without a moment’s hesitation, you dove into the cold water, the chill barely registering.
when you finally caught up with lo'ak at three brothers' rocks, he was with payakan. when you caught a glance at him, there was a tracker lodged in his body. the same tracker that jake sully had warned meant being 'marked for death'.
you all quickly swam over, climbing onto payakan to help pull it out. your hands gripped the beeping device as you tried your hardest to pull it out. neteyam had uttered something to lo'ak about calling their dad but you hadn't been listening, your attention fully focused on payakan.
tsireya’s sudden gasp made you turn. "it's getting closer," she warned. your eyes followed her gaze, and your heart sank.
the ship was massive. the hum of its engines echoed across the water as it headed straight toward you all.
"three, two- pull!" neteyam shouted.
with every ounce of strength, you pulled, your nails scratching against the wet metal. kiri and tuk were making sure payakan was okay while this whole ordeal was happening. you could hear the bellowing of distress but you couldn't stop until it was out.
you could see the ship drawing closer. but still, you yanked at the tracker, teeth gritted and chest burning with fear.
neteyam finally got an idea. he threw a rope to ao'nung, telling him to tie it around the pinger while he tied the other end to his ilu. after doing so, the rest of you continued to pull and the pinger finally came out, sending all of you crashing into the water.
"go that way! i'll draw them off." neteyam said as he held the pinger in his hand. the rest of you followed his words and got onto your ilu's and swam away.
you soon found yourselves sitting, waiting. waiting for whatever was about to happen next. you could see smaller boats traveling through the water above you. your heart was beating against your chest, you had never been in a situation like this before and it scared you. but you cared about your friends and this was important.
you don't regret helping payakan but you were scared of being in the same vicinity as the sky people. the same sky people that have carelessly taken the lives of so many of your people. and now that neteyam was alone with the pinger, you were scared of what could happen to him. as you attempted to calm yourself down, you saw lo'ak motion to all of you to get moving.
turning your head to the side, you could see some form of human machinery moving towards you, many of them too. how many types of contraptions did these people have? they kept surprising you.
without a second thought, you began swimming away from them. nalu moved through the water with ease, dodging and swerving past anything that may have been in your way. the chase began to get harder when they were coming from every direction. you had all separated into different groups at this point but that didn't make it any easier. you were constantly looking back to see how close they were to you.
then, out of nowhere, one of the machines shot an air bag towards nalu. she let out a cry of pain, one of those you felt. her body flipped, causing you to tumble off as the bag pulled her to the surface.
now that you were defenseless with no way to get away, you were stuck. and the weird contraption was moving towards you at a fast pace. as you were bracing yourself for what was about to happen, you heard the familiar chirp of an ilu. you turned your head to see lo'ak swimming towards you with his arm out.
you extended your arm out as he got closer. he then grabbed your arm, pulling you onto the creature and away from the sky people who were mere seconds away from capturing you.
you settled behind him as your hands held onto his shoulders for stability. once you were far away enough, the two of you dismounted the creature and moved through the foliage.
ahead of you was a large plant with an opening. you swam towards it, hoping to be able to hide in there. when you and lo'ak reached it, tuk and tsireya were already there, trying to catch their breaths.
"tuk!" lo'ak exclaimed upon seeing his baby sister.
tsireya looked down, seeing the light of the ships coming closer.
"it is coming." she warned.
"we gotta go!" lo'ak said. you nodded your head at his words. the four of you then took a breath before diving back into the water. you weren't able to make it far before a net came hurtling towards you. lo'ak managed to get out of it but you, tsireya, and tuk were stuck in the net.
an ikran then dived into the water and grabbed the net, hauling you out of the ocean. your eyes squinted from the sun now beaming in your eyes.
"move your hand! move your hand!" lo'ak said with urgency. he took his knife out as he began to cut the net. you watched as the ikran brought you to the ship. the fear in your chest began to bubble up again.
when you reached the ship and were dropped onto the deck, you pulled your knife out, ready to fight. a hiss left your mouth as you bared your teeth to the avatar soldier in front of you. the man didn't seem fazed as he grabbed your arms and twisted it. you let out a pained sound as the knife fell out of your hand and fell to the ground with a clank.
"cuff 'em to the rail. all of em." one of them said. the soldier grabbed you, aggressively pushing you to the rail and using this orange thing to cuff your arm to the railing.
your breathing was ragged as you pulled against the restraints, attempting to break free. your panicked eyes flickered between tsireya, tuk, and lo'ak, all of you seemingly distressed from your current situation.
"be brave." lo'ak finally spoke. but this time, his words failed to reassure you.
barely any time had passed before you saw a bunch of tsurak's in the distance. as they drew closer, you recognized the villagers riding on them.
"dad!" tuk exclaimed, her small voice filled with relief.
the sight of them actually filled your body with hope. your eyes scanned the warriors, quickly finding your father among them. you almost smiled at the fact that he was there, willing to do anything to save you.
the chaos that followed was a blur. it started with payakan emerging from the water. his massive form landing onto the ship. this led to a full out battle to ensue.
humans and na'vi were being taken out left and right. and all you could do was watch since you were still tied to the railing on the ship.
eventually though, neteyam appeared, freeing you, lo'ak, tsireya, and tuk. you were relieved, but there was no time to dwell on it. the danger was far from over.
once your wrists were no longer bound to the metal railing, you stood on your feet and ran over to the ledge to jump after tsireya and tuk. when your feet grazed the edge, you turned back to make sure the two brothers were right behind you. but you were met with lo'ak grabbing a weapon from the presumably deceased soldier on the ground.
"they've got spider. we've gotta get him. come on." lo'ak says to neteyam.
when neteyam reluctantly agreed, you stepped forward, "let me come."
this was yet another instance where your mouth moved before your brain could comprehend it. you knew the sky people were extremely dangerous. and you didn't even know this spider person, so why were volunteering to go with them? you couldn't answer that.
"no. go with tuk and tsireya." neteyam spoke, pointing his finger towards where the girls jumped off.
you were about to refuse when lo'ak made his way over to you, his hand rested on your elbow as he looked at you.
"we'll be fine. but you need to get out of here." he says, his voice a little softer than before. your blue eyes met his amber ones for a moment. you really wanted to help him but you could see that his eyes were practically begging you to leave. after a few long seconds, you nodded your head. you told them both to be careful before jumping off of the ship.
but it wasn't long before you were back on the human contraption. as you were swimming away, one of the soldiers had taken kiri and tuk demanded that you all go back to save her. however, your time back on the ship was very short lived. you had found kiri but before you knew it, one of the avatars grabbed tuk while you and tsireya were pushed back into the water.
thinking quickly, tsireya called out for an ilu. the ilu you recognized as hers made its way over. she mounted onto it and you got on behind her. the two of you swam through the wreckage, most likely looking around for help or anyone who needed it.
eventually when you approached a part of the water craft, you spotted lo'ak and a random human boy. he had to be the spider person that they had gone to save.
"get on!" tsireya spoke, motioning for them to get on.
"come on bro." lo'ak said as he and spider swam towards you. you then noticed neteyam who was behind them and looked like he was having trouble staying afloat.
"you skxawng, i'm shot."
the words immediately caused your heart to drop. it felt like everything that happened next was happening in slow motion. the four of you managed to get him on the ilu and towards safety.
he was now laid out on a rock surrounded by his family with the addition of you, tsireya, and spider. lo'ak was putting pressure on his wound as neteyam squirmed around uncomfortably. the rest of you just stared, not being able to help or do much at all.
"dad, i..." the sentence started but never finished. the movement in his body seized and the muscles in his body suddenly relaxed. the silence was deafening as everyone stared at neteyam. seemingly waiting for something. maybe for him to move, or speak again and finish his sentence. but nothing ever came.
after a few seconds passed, you all realized what just happened. jake closed his eyes and dropped his hand from neteyam's face. neytiri then released a cry so raw that you had never heard anything like it before.
everyone else's reactions were blurred by tears filling up your eyes. you brought a shaky hand up to your mouth as the sobs broke through.
he was just breathing. just speaking. he was supposed to make it. this didn't feel real. it couldn't be.
within your grief, your mind landed on tsireya. you were aware that her relationship with neteyam was much deeper than yours. so when you finally looked over at her, it was no surprise to see her with her ears laid flat against her head as she cried. her hands gripping onto neteyam, like she was refusing to let him go.
you reached out, placing a trembling hand on her back. the younger girl seemed to crumble under your touch so you got closer to her and pulled her into a hug. tsireya collapsed into your arms before you could even process it.
you held her, even as your own tears slipped silently down your cheeks. tsireya's body shook from the force of the now audible sobs that left her throat.
when jake was alerted that his daughters were still on the ship, he gathered his family for one final mission. lo'ak had instructed you and tsireya to stay on the rock with neteyam but the two of you weren't going anywhere.
when you were finally left alone, the only sound outside of your cries and sniffles were the sound of the waves crashing against the rock. eclipse ended so darkness had now taken over the planet. something that was usually so beautiful to you just felt isolating and empty as your friend laid lifeless mere inches away from you.
and while you were grieving a friend, tsireya was grieving something different. her feelings were different. feelings that she desperately tried to hide for months.
tsireya sniffled once more before opening her mouth to speak, "i d-didn't even get to tell him.."
the sound of her brokenness caused you to frown deeper. your grip tightened around her, feeling her pain becoming your own.
now while she hadn’t told you much, you could see it. you saw the way she looked at him when she thought no one else was looking, the way she smiled in his presence. it had been quiet, unspoken, and slowly becoming obvious. but now it had been ripped away from the poor girl, leaving her distraught and heartbroken.
you blinked back fresh tears, stroking your cousin's hair as you let her crumble against you. you didn’t need to speak. there was nothing that would make this moment easier so you just stayed with her, anchoring her in this moment.
it felt like an eternity before the sun came up and the forest family came back, fortunately with kiri and tuk with them. you were relieved that they were safe but your heart broke once more when their eyes landed on the body of their now deceased brother.
when your eyes landed on lo'ak, the boy looked so broken and you wanted to comfort him. as if tsireya could read your mind, she pulled away from your embrace.
"go." she spoke.
you looked at her, "you sure?"
she looked at you with a soft melancholic smile before nodding her head. you gave her one last hug before standing to your feet. tsireya now sat by her lonesome, pulling her knees up to her chest as she stared out at the ocean.
when you approached lo'ak, you threw your arms around him. the taller boy quickly wrapped his arms around your waist in response. you closed your eyes, letting out a sigh. the hug was silent but that's what it needed to be.
when the two of you pulled away, you rested your foreheads against each other. and this moment was also filled with silence. there was nothing that had to be said. but lo'ak could feel that you had his back and that's all he needed at this moment.
can you tell i just gave up at some point and just started writing anything😭. so that’s kinda why it ended so abruptly.
