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Y/n's eyes stared intensely at his hand before turning his attention to the ocean. His ikran flew close to the water's surface as he extended his hand out at an angle lower than what his ikran was flying at, splashing water outward due to their speed.
Y/n's face carried a gloomy look as He was…just having difficulty coming to terms with the event that would happen today. While it was not a hundred percent certain that he would die today, it just… seemed to feel that way, there was some kind of feeling deep within his mind that today things would change.
Y/n tried to calm his breathing as he felt his unsteady breathing pattern. The more he thought about the day, the worse his breath became. Eventually, his breathing began to slow down only when he closed his eyes to embrace the darkness.
For that brief moment, he felt at peace, believing he could finally focus on one thought that mattered in the present: saving his girls and friends.
He promised Ronal and Neytiri that their children would return to them, and he intended to keep that promise at all costs.
???: Y/n! Y/n!
Y/n: huh?
Y/n was jolted back to reality by the familiar voice of someone he had been recently at odds with.
Jake: Y/n!
Y/n: Yeah?
Y/n glanced to his left as Jake rode in on a skimwing. They were still a few minutes away from where Jake said the kids were.
Jake: Did you hear anything I said?!
Y/n: No, not really.
Jake: "grons." You better listen up this time, kid, and stay focused this time. You and Neytiri need to separate from our group before we arrive.
Y/n: How come?
Jake: If what the scout who came back said is true, then I want you both to circle around and get behind them, the sea dragon, but make sure you stay high in the cloud, alright?
Y/n was slightly impressed for the first time since he had known Jake; he was finally showing some of that military strategy. However, he only had one question: what the hell was a sea dragon?
Nevertheless, y/n complied with what Jake asked of him since y/n didn't really have a plan of his own at that moment, and it didn't help that he wasn't sure what kind of vehicle a sea dragon was.
Y/n: Alright
Jake: Good. Now, go join Neytiri.
Y/n nodded as he patted his Ikran's neck, which made a happy sound before rising higher into the sky to fly beside Neytiri. She gazed at him before nudging her head for him to follow.
Y/n could see Neytiri's concern for her kids, as evident on her face; it didn't help that the kids' whereabouts were unknown either. He tried to speak to her to help calm her nerves, but she was flying too far ahead of him for him to reach her.
Y/n glanced back as they flew further away from the Na'vi group, seeing as they continued.
Y/n would turn his focus back to what was in front of him, but to his surprise, Neytiri's ikran started to slow down before flying beside each other again.
Neytiri: Y/n…
Y/n kept his eyes focused on what was in front of him, as he didn't want to mess up and get caught, which was causing him to tense. However, he could hear in Neytiri's tone that she wanted to have a much more serious conversation, which kind of scared him.
Y/n:.. Neytiri?
Neytiri: I… need to request something of you during this fight.
Y/n: Anything.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips before she returned to her stoic expression.
Neytiri: Promise me that you will prioritize my children if anything happens in this fight.
Y/n: "slightly chuckle" I never intended anything horrible to happen to them… Don't worry, everyone will make it out of this fight… no matter what.
Neytiri watched him with a comforting look in her eyes, feeling that she could trust his words. However, that slight comment at the end piqued her interest in what he meant by that.
The pair was soaring through the clouds above, making visibility increasingly difficult as the clouds blocked their view. The situation improved only slightly during the brief moments when the clouds parted, allowing for glimpses of visibility of what was in front of them.
However, a pair of mountains emerged through the clouds, towering high enough to pierce them, making it impossible for even the clouds to hide their presence.
Y/n: Neytiri, can I borrow some arrows?
In his rush to leave as quickly as possible, he forgot to grab the arrow for his bow, rendering it useless during the fight unless he could get his hands on more.
Neytiri nodded as she grabbed the bow from her back and reached for an arrow from the built-in quiver. She paused for a moment before taking one and flying close to hand it to him.
Neytiri: I can only spear one for you, so be sure to retrieve it during the fight.
Y/n: Just one is all I need.
Y/n's eyes were drawn to the open water, where a massive mechanical boat rested—presumably the sea dragon that Jake had mentioned before he left. His ikran clung to the mountainside, mirroring Neytiri's position on the opposite mountain. Together, they watched the unfolding events below.
From around one of the mountains in front of the seadragon emerged a large group of Na'vi as they rode out on their skimwing. Y/n's ears twitched slightly as he heard the yelling from the group.
Y/n couldn't help but laugh silently at how stupid they looked when doing so. Don't get him wrong, while he may have started to use Na'vi words and their action slightly don't change the fact that they were… weird when they do a yip kind of noise.
You could never catch him doing such a thing.
The group of sea Na'vi quickly closed the gap between the two before slowing to a stop, making it seem as if both sides were at a standstill while trying to figure out their next move.
While that was happening, y/n focused on Seadragon, narrowing his eyes like a predator eyeing its prey as he tried to plan his next move. One thing that caught his attention was the four giant propellers on top. That was how such a massive machine was moving. If he somehow got into the control room, he could get it to crash into one of the nearby mountains...
However, to his surprise, one figure was slowly riding out from the group of Na'vi, leaving them behind, and gradually approached the Seadragon. Y/n quickly turned his head towards Neytiri, ready to ask what was happening, but he stopped as he noticed the petrified look on her face mixed with concern.
Y/n: N-Neytiri, what's happening down there?
Her eyes shifted from the figure below to him before she seemingly swallowed some saliva, almost too nervous to speak. Finally, she managed to communicate by grabbing her neckpiece, which appeared to have a small microphone integrated into it, as she spoke up.
Neytiri: Jake, what are you doing?!...Jake?
Y/n's eyes quickly shifted back towards the figure as it was made apparent that it was actually Jake down…was he turning himself in?
Not in his life was y/n going to allow that to happen. As much as he and Jake had problems with each other, it didn't change the fact that his kids still needed him, and no way in hell he was going to let Jake give up on himself, especially not now.
Y/n's grip tightened around the small handles of his ikran, prompting it to let out a rowr as it spread its wings, preparing itself to leap off from the mountain.
Neytiri: Y/n!
He glanced at her while he pulled his bow off his back and placed a Neytiri arrow against the string.
Y/n: We can't let him get taken, Neytiri, the people need him.
She bit her lip, conflicted about her decision, but ultimately nodded in agreement. Y/n returned her gesture with a playful smile before his ikran jumped back from the mountain, and they began their skydiving descent as his ikran pulled her wings to her body to descend even faster.
He looked over his shoulder to see Neytiri watching him, one hand on her ikran and the other gripping her bow. Her ikran mirrored his actions and leaped after him.
Y/n's gaze returned to Jake as he was inching ever nearer to the Seadragon. However, Y/n spotted something unusual beneath the water's surface, something large like a tulkun seemed to be stirring below.
Y/n's smile grew broader, reflecting the determination evident in his eyes.
Jake spotted them descending and froze, disbelief flashing across his face. They weren't sticking to the plan. He let out a frustrated sigh, jaw tight.
However, they were still too far off to be noticed by the people at the Seadrogon.
Y/n Ikran extended her wings, leveraging their descent speed to propel herself towards the nearest smaller boat, as she followed Y/n's thoughts.
Y/n: That's right, Te'ha'li. Let's show them what we're made of!
Y/n was quickly approaching one of the boats, catching the attention of an RDA soldier stationed at a machine gun. The soldier squinted his eyes, attempting to figure out what he was looking at.
Rda soldier: W-What the hell is that?
He lifted his machine gun, targeting y/n as the barrels slowly began to spin. Y/n inhaled deeply and pulled back on the bowstring while straightening his back.
The soldier's finger inched closer to the trigger, ready to fire the weapon at him. He would have taken the first shot if it hadn't been for the creature underneath.
Suddenly, Payakan burst out of the water, which caught all the soldiers' attention for a split second. Y/n released his grip on the bowstring, launching the arrow that quickly covered the short distance before striking the rda soldier in the chest, killing him before he even knew what had happened.
The speed at which the arrow struck him sent him flying backward into the small control room of the boat, which finally redirected attention from Payakan back to Y/n.
Rda captain: Shit we're under attack! Get into position!
Y/n smirked as he transitioned from sitting on his ikran to a crouched stance. His ikran swung by the boat while Y/n leaped off, landing directly in the ship's center.
His eyes quickly darted between the last four people before he took the bow and swung it over the closet person, entrapping them between the bow string and the wood.
Rda soldier3: AGH GET HIM OFF ME!
Another soldier grabbed a rifle and aimed it at Y/n. But before he could pull the trigger, an arrow pierced through the back of his head. His body jerked — and reflexively, his finger tightened on the trigger. The rifle erupted in a barrage of shots, with one round striking a fourth man in the leg.
Rda soldier4: AH! FUCKING HELL
Y/n narrowed his eyes while swinging the bow overhead, with the second person still caught.
Rda soldier3: No, No, please do-!
Their screams rang out but were cut short as their bodies collided, knocking them out.
Y/n turned his head toward the guy with an arrow protruding from his chest, then walked over and extracted the arrow from the corpse. He glanced over towards the captain as he was cowering on the floor.
Y/n barely noticed him as he exited the small control room and moved towards another body, this one with an arrow sticking out of his head. He examined the arrow before removing it, recognizing the distinct design belonging to the only Na'vi in the area wielding a bow.
He felt a fierce rush of wind coming down upon him as he looked up to see Neytiri there with her bow raised out like she was showing off that the kill was hers.
Y/n smirked and tossed the arrow back to her. She caught it and let out a yip as she flew away. His ikran swooped in as she flapped her wings before landing at the very front of the boat.
Y/n looked around his surroundings while mounting his ikran. For a brief moment, he was stunned to realize that Payakan had never returned to the water. Instead, he had landed on the open section of the Seadrong; it appeared like he was attempting to create chaos as he was thrashing around.
Y/n gently tapped on his ikran's side as it rose into the sky to give Y/n a better view of the surroundings.
His eyes darted toward where he last saw Jake, only to be surprised to find that Jake wasn't alone anymore as he was charging toward the Seadragon with the massive group of Na'vi behind him. It looks like the battle of the Seadragon has officially begun.
Y/n's ears twitched at the sharp sounds of metal blades cutting through the wind behind him. Without hesitation, Y/n had his ikran dive down as a Seawasp was loud, fast, and closing in on him.
Y/n looked over his shoulder as the Seawasp turret began rotating while he was in its sights. He hurriedly attempted to devise a plan to take it down, but fell short.
*image here*
Until….He had an Idea!
It was a significant risk, but it was also better than doing nothing and getting shot to death. His ikran let out a screech as it followed his thoughts. He looped in a circle and quickly drew back the bowstring with an arrow.
His eyes narrowed as he focused intensely, and his breath slowed down. He waited until he was looking right back at the Seawasp before letting go of it.
The arrow zipped through the air and slammed into the barrel of the Seawasp turret just as it was about to fire. The impact of the arrow jammed the barrel, and a moment later, the built-up pressure from the attempt to fire triggered an explosion that killed the pilot.
Seawasp began to tilt as it fell, striking the side of the Seadrong before gliding into the ocean.
As he watched it disappear beneath the waves, he realized Payakan was no longer on the deck line. But now that he was closer, he noticed three familiar Na'vi handcuffed to the deck railing.
Could that have been why Jake was giving himself up to them? It didn't matter anymore; all that mattered was setting them free.
The deck was filled with soldiers, making matters worse; he lost his only arrow. He needed to act quickly.
Y/n: Te'ha'li, can you take on some of those soldiers?
His ikran let out a fierce screech, like it was saying yes, anything for him.
Y/n: Good girl, now let's go!
His Ikran began to fly lower and nearer to the deck, preparing for a flyby, but before that, one of the Na'vi spotted him.
Tuk: "Gasp!" Lo'ak, look—it's Y/n!
Lo'ak, flanked by Tsireya on his right, glanced up and spotted Y/n approaching.
Tsireya: Y/n!
Lo'ak: Yes, finally! Come on, Y/n, help us get these cuffs off.
Y/n went to stand on his ikran, ready to jump off just like he had before with the smaller boat he had attacked earlier. However, as he jumped and was about to land on the deck this time, something grabbed him by the arms and took him high into the sky.
He looked up to see an Ikran gripping his arms. He attempted to escape, but its hold only tightened further around him.
Random recom: Better stop struggling, you treacherous shit.
Y/n froze for a second as he attempted to understand the comment directed at him.
If he interpreted his comment literally, it implied that they were aware he had been a RDA soldier. But if they knew that, then… No, it can't be. Rick assured him that no one would recognize him among the RDA during the mission.
Y/n heard a screech from behind and turned to find his ikran closely on his tail. A faint smile spread across his face as an idea took shape in his mind. He opened his mouth wide and bit down as hard as he could on the creature, causing the ikran that held him to let out a pained screech and let him go.
He plunged for a mere few seconds before his Ikran swooped in beneath him, catching him mid-fall.
Y/n: Ha, nice catch, Te'ha'li. Now, chase him.
She followed suit, spreading her wings to gain more traction as she pursued the person on the ikran.
The recom looked back, noticing that they were chasing him. He let out a groan and rolled his eyes.
Random recom: You know I got to give you credit, I thought you would have run instead, well I do love a reverse cha-
Before he could complete his sentence, Y/n ikran rushed in, tilting its body slightly as its claws attached to the ikran that the recon was riding.
Random recom: Ah! You fucker!
The Ikrans began battling one another, with the recom caught in between. Y/n drew his trusty knife and lunged to stab the recom, but he dodged just in time, which led to the knife stabbing into the creature underneath.
It let out a painful scream, which his Ikran took the chance to bite down on the side of its neck, amplifying the creature's screams and causing the recome to cry out as he felt the pain the beast was experiencing.
The recom pulled his queue back, disconnecting from the creature to focus on his battle. He wielded his queue like a weapon, spinning it around and striking Y/n's face with it.
Y/n stared at him for a few seconds in disbelief that he really tried to do that. He looked on with a disappointed look, which the recom noticed.
Random recom: D-Don't look at me like that, you ass!
Y/n: Bro…. Swearing doesn't make you cool.
He screamed as he pulled out his knife and swiped at Y/n, who dodged just in time to avoid being slashed across the chest.
Y/n's ears perk up at the sound of propellers starting up. He looks over at the Seadragon, where the four propellers on the Seadragon were activating for some unknown purpose.
Y/n gritted his teeth, realizing he had to get back to the Seadragon and rescue Tuk, Lo'ak, and Tsireya before anything happened to them. Yet, now that he considered it, where were the others?
Random recom: Haha, don't let your mind wander!
Y/n's eyes widened. He had forgotten about the soldier he was fighting. The Recom seized the opening and swung hard, aiming to strike him from above.
Y/n flipped his knife around and countered the strike, which caused him to stagger the blade back open, leaving him open and exposed. Y/n quickly used the opening to slice the Recom's throat.
He dropped his knife, clutching at the wound in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. Each breath came up short, never reaching his lungs, only gasps. Blood poured from his throat, unstoppable. Then, slowly, he slipped from his Ikran's back and fell into the water below.
Y/n narrowed his eyes at his ikran, which continued to hold its bite on the other ikran's neck. He patted its neck a few times while watching it.
Y/n: Hurry up, girl! Stop playing; we need to get to the ship.
Without hesitation, it exerts all its strength to jerk the creature's neck before breaking it. With the Ikran dead, they begin to free-fall, but the Ikran spreads its wings and begins to flap, allowing it to hover while the deceased Ikran descends towards the sea below, following its master.
Y/n rubbed his ikran's neck, which made a purring noise, before turning towards the Seadragon and chasing after the massive vehicle.
The Seadragon drove uncontrollably toward a sharp rock formation jutting from the sea. It collided violently with the underside, momentarily launching into the air before crashing down and skidding to a stop.
Y/n watched in stunned disbelief, hardly believing what he'd just seen. His ikran started to speed up towards the Seadrgon.
He quickly flew near the Seadragon as he approached its rear. Some of the RDA soldiers below noticed him and raised their weapons before firing.
Y/n: Shit! Come, girl, you've got this.
His Ikran darted through the air, dodging a storm of bullets as they tore past. Y/n gritted his teeth together. He was going to need to do a flyby again if he wanted to land on the Seadrag—
Y/n: AHH!
A searing pain exploded in his gut as bullets tore through his abdomen. His scream mixed with his Ikran's as she cried out in agony, the bond between them echoing through every nerve. They crashed hard onto the top of the Seadragon. The metal echoed beneath from the impact.
Y/n was thrown from her back, rolling helplessly across the deck until he slammed into a piece of the outer propeller system. Y/n groaned out in pain as everything appeared to blur in his vision. His Ikran let out a weak, broken cry somewhere behind him while its tail weakly tapped against the metal.
Y/n slowly and painfully rolled onto his back, disoriented for a few seconds before comprehending what had occurred. He instinctively reached for his stomach, where the sharp pain lingered, only to find no bullet hole or wounds.
Expecting to see blood on his hands, he was surprised to find neither blood nor any flesh wounds. Feeling confused, he suddenly heard the cries of his ikran.
He sat up painfully, his hand resting on his stomach, feeling as if he might have broken a rib from the fall on his right abdomen. His eyes look around before landing on….
Y/n: No... no, no. Please, God no!
He tried to stand, his legs shaking beneath him, but he didn't stop. Determination burned in his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to stumble toward his Ikran.
She lay on her side, motionless. Her head didn't rise, but her eyes followed his every step. Y/n dropped to his knees beside her, breath caught in his throat. That's when he saw it.
The blood. Spreading beneath her body.
Y/n: Te'ha'li, come on, you need to show me the wound!
His voice cracked, caught between fear and desperation. He reached out, gently placing a hand on her side, feeling her slow and labored breaths beneath his fingers. His eyes met hers. Still fighting, she slowly moved her lying down wing, covering her side.
Their eyes widened, realizing that the pain he experienced was not his own, but hers, felt through their connection.
Y/n's breaths were short and shallow as he stared, uncertain of his next move.
Y/n: You're going to be okay, Te'ha'li, don't worry, I...I…I'll- FUCK!
Y/n slammed his fist against the metal beneath him, his knuckles sliding in her blood. Tears streamed down as they struck her side, one after another.
Te'ha'li was in much worse shape than he dared believe. He pressed his hands to the largest bullet wound, trying to stop the bleeding, but the blood just kept coming.
She didn't cry out. Didn't flinch. Just stared at him with those wide eyes of hers.
He shut his eyes tight and began to hammer the deck again, over and over, blood smearing up his arms as hers pooled around him. He couldn't save her. Not this time. Not again.
It had only been days since he gave her a name, Te'ha'li, his ikran, his first ever bond, and now it meant nothing. The wound was too much. And once again, he was too weak to protect what he loved.
It was his fault
It was his fault
It was his fault
It was his fault
It was his fault
It was his fault
It was his fault
It was his fault
It was his fault
It was his fault
It was his fault
It was his fault
Suddenly, a warmth feeling was traced up his cheek, causing Y/n's eyes to shoot open. Te'ha'li had lifted her head barely but just enough to press her tongue to his face in a slow, shaky lick.
It was her way of comforting him.
His breath hitched. For a moment, before leaning in and gently resting his forehead against hers, his tears were mixed with her breath pattern.
Y/n: I'm here, Te'ha'li, I'm here. I'm not leaving you.
She let out a low but calm purring noise as she shut her eyes, enjoying Y/n's touch. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes.
.
.
.
.
Y/n's eyes opened as he realized… she… she wasn't breathing anymore. Her purring was gone, the only sound that was heard as the battle was happening. Y/n's eyes began to well up again as he slowly lowered her limp head to the cold metal ground now stained with her crimson blood.
Y/n: I'm… Sorry… Te'ha'li.
His eyes showed no emotion as he stared at the sky, noticing the partial eclipse starting to occur. Suddenly, he clutched his head, feeling the sharp, painful headache strike again, this time, much more painful than before.
*A couple of minutes later. POV: Neteyam*
Neteyam held his breath as he peeked around the corner, eyes sweeping across the partially open deck that was considered the Seadragon's middle area. His eyes locked onto a wheel-sealed door with a staircase symbol printed on the wall beside it.
His mouth was dry. With everything that was happening, his nerves were at an all-time high; he needed to stay focused. He scanned the area one last time before glancing over his shoulder at Lo'ak.
Lo'ak: Do you see Spider?
Neteyam: No. But the coast is clear. We can head for that door across from us.
Although Neteyam is against the idea of chasing after spider, particularly after what y/n shared with him, he couldn't abandon his younger brother to search for him alone; he needed someone to have his back.
Neteyam raised his hand with three fingers towards Lo'ak as it slowly counted down to two. One. Then he broke from cover, sprinting across the open space toward the door.
He attempted to turn the wheel, but to his surprise, it was challenging to open. Still, he put all his strength into the effort as Lo'ak ran beside him to help. Together, they managed to turn the wheel until it hit a hard stop.
They quickly opened the door and sneaked inside as Neteyam closed it behind them.
The two began taking deep breaths, attempting to replenish the air in their lungs after exerting so much strength to open the door.
Lo'ak: Bro "huff", why did we use the door? When we "huff," could have just climbed the equipment?
Neteyam: Ha, see baby brother, where would you be without me? There are a lot of soldiers out there. What do you think would happen if just one of them sees us?
Loak: Oh…
Neteyam: Besides, we would still end up in the same place. Now come on.
They quickly made their way up the stairs. At the very top was another door, which looked to be easier to open than the last one. But as they approached, they both heard something that confused them.
???: NO PLEASE NO AGH-
???: QUICKLY GET HIM B-
The voices and screams that they heard behind the door fell silent, followed by a final loud thud and, seemingly, a liquid dripping onto the floor sound. The boys exchanged glances, uncertain if they had made the right decision by choosing this path.
Neteyam nervously swallowed as he neared the door, casting a quick look back at his brother before grabbing the rifle that Lo'ak had taken from a deceased soldier and pushing the door open.
The metal door creaked open slowly. Neteyam raised his rifle, aiming at the door, which swung wider and revealed what had occurred inside the room.
There were bodies. At least ten RDA soldiers were scattered across the floor. Two had clean bullet wounds, but one of them was riddled with holes like someone had used him as a human shield.
Neteyam tightened his grip on the rifle, scanning the bodies until he noticed someone standing in the center. His eyes narrowed as he attempted to identify the figure, finally recognizing who stood before them.
Neteyam: Y-Y/n?
Y/n: Hmm?
Y/n, who had been staring at the ground, finally noticed the two boys standing in the doorway. A faint smile emerged on his face, though his eyes remained devoid of brightness.
Lo'ak: woah bro y/n in there?
Lo'ak, standing just behind his brother on the staircase, glanced over Neteyam's shoulder and saw that y/n was indeed in the room.
Lo'ak: No way, bro, the last I saw, you were being dragged away by one of those assholes.
Y/n: Heh, yeah, well, he's pretty dead now, so that's one less avatar person out there… what are you guys doing here?
Neteyam noticed the tension in Y/n's voice; although he attempted to sound casual, it was clear that something had changed since their last encounter.
Taking a step closer to y/n, he hugged his arms around him. This surprised y/n for a moment, but soon a soft smirk formed on his face as he returned the hug. He closed his eyes, relaxing into the embrace of his closest friend.
Y/n: I'm glad you're safe.
Neteyam: Back at you.
The two chuckle slightly, just happy to see each other, and that they are safe.
Lo'ak: We were looking for spider. But what about you?
Y/n separated from Neteyam and turned his focus to his brother. Although his eyes still lacked any brightness, they seemed slightly less intense now.
Y/n: Well, I originally came back to free you lo'ak and the others, but you guys were gone, so I decided to release some… stress and anger onto the rda soldier… uh, bizarre fact they have vents big enough for us to use.
Neteyam: Really?
Y/n pointed upwards with his hand, catching the attention of the two boys to the open vent grate.
Y/n: But come on, we'd better keep going if we want to find spider.
Lo'ak did a slight fist into the air as he kept walking forward to head into the next room, but before y/n could follow him, Neteyam placed his hand on y/n's shoulder.
Neteyam: Hey, you alright? You don't seem so good.
Y/n's pupil appeared to sink, as if he were deep in thought, before glancing back at him.
Y/n: I… lost my ikran.
Neteyam looked at him, confused for a moment before realizing what he meant by "lost," but that comment answered another thing. A large amount of blood covered his hands, and some splattered his body.
While he couldn't fathom what had happened, he could offer comfort during this difficult time.
Neteyam: I'm... sorry for your loss. You both shared a special bond. But don't you think you should take a moment for yourself?
Y/n: No
Y/n didn't hesitate to answer the question, as if he had already been determined to move forward, and he didn't hold it back either.
Y/n: I just need to keep pushing forward, no matter what.
Lo'ak: Hey, are you guys done talking yet? This hallway leads to the back side of this place; they could bring Spider through.
Y/n: Alright, come on, we can talk on our way over.
Neteyam nodded as the boys began walking after loak.
Neteyam: Hey, you sure we should be getting him?
Y/n: It doesn't matter; me and him can fight after everything is over if he still has a problem with me.
Y/n: By the way, have you seen Kiri around?
Neteyam: No, I lost track of everyone when I was leading those asshats away them.
Y/n took a deep breath while fidgeting nervously with his left hand, which Neteyam noticed.
Neteyam: Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine.
Y/n nodded in agreement as they approached lo'ak, who was crouched behind the second-floor barrier outside the door leading to the middleish back area of the Seadragon.
Joining him, the two crouched behind cover as all three peeked out, watching the RDA soldier load supplies and themself onto smaller boats.
Y/n: "Chuckling." Looks like they are retreating.
Lo'ak: Haha, see? There's nothing to worry about, bro. We'll get Spider, then make our getaway.
Neteyam: Hmm, then we should get somewhere higher. We're too open if we plan to just run out from our cover and kick their ass.
Y/n: What about there?
Y/n pointed toward a giant piece of drilling equipment in the center, set at a higher elevation, providing them plenty of space to move without being seen.
Lo'ak: Nice catch.
Y/n: Jump one at a time, we are too open if we get caught.
Neteyam: I'll watch and let you know when to jump over.
Lo'ak nodded as he stepped away from the cover and looked towards his brother, who was peaking up from their spot before giving the thumbs up.
Upon seeing it, he began to run and used the railing to leap higher before landing on the equipment, which produced a slight thud sound. The three went silent for a moment as they held their breath, but thankfully, it appeared no one noticed.
Neteyam glanced at Y/n, who nodded before getting into position. Peaking over one's shoulder, he had his hand ready and was about to tell him to go for it, but suddenly, a few soldiers came out from one of the rooms.
He quickly stopped himself as he stared, waiting for them to leave, which didn't take long as they ran down toward the back with the escape boats.
Giving him the go-ahead, y/n ran across the floor and followed through exactly like lo'ak as he landed with a soft thud. Y/n glanced over at lo'ak before making a sly remark.
Y/n: Dam, man, you need to eat less.
Lo'ak: S-shut up.
Y/n's chuckle as he took on Neteyam's job of watching as he got into position to run. Neteyam's eyes are focused on Y/n, waiting to follow his command as he signals him to go.
Running, he followed the same jumping pattern as them, but when he put his foot down on the rail to leap, his other foot hit the railing, causing him to jump with a little less speed but a lot less in height.
His upper body rested on the equipment while his lower half dangled off. He attempted to pull himself up but began to slide off the metal. With nothing to grab onto, his heartbeat raced as he feared he might fall below. Just before he could completely fall, Y/N grabbed his hand, stopping him from falling any further.
Lo'ak quickly came over and helped pull him up. It took a little while, but eventually, with enough of his body lifted onto the equipment, he was finally able to pull himself up.
Neteyam lay on the floor, panting after their close call, softly laughing.
Y/n: Yeah, laugh it up, bud.
Neteyam: Sorry, sorry, haha. I should have jumped higher to avoid that. Alright, so now what?
Y/n seemed lost in thought for a moment, thinking about something before speaking up to answer his question.
Y/n: Waiting game, since from what it looked like, they have to pass by here if they plan to use the boats.
Lo'ak: Finally, we will get our bro back.
Neteyam and y/n shared glances before y/n rolled his eyes, not caring about Lo'ak's comment about Spider as he crouched down and stared below.
*small time skip*
Lo'ak tapped Neteyam on the shoulder, making him perk up and look over at him, who had a finger raised to his mouth, telling him to be quiet and listen.
???: Check your mask and make sure it's sealed tight!
Spider: It's good dumbass.
Neteyam looked at lo'ak, he had a slight smile, happy about finding his friend.
Neteyam: Ps Y/n.
Y/n had been on the other side when he peeked around the corner, which Neteyam signaled him to approach.
Neteyam: Sounds like he's headed along this path.
Lo'ak: Alright, let's kick some ass!
Neteyam: Shush, bro, you trying to get us caught.
Lo'ak: My bad.
???: Come on, we need to hurry it up, guys.
The three quickly crouched while the group listened and watched a squad of soldiers walk down the path that Neteyam had called out. There in the middle was none other than Spider.
The three exchanged glances and nodded in agreement as they carefully followed the group along the top of the drilling equipment, moving far out of their line of sight until they reached the end of the equipment line.
But it didn't matter since they would have to pass by under them if they wanted to reach the boats. Y/n and Neteyam took out their knives, while it seemed that Lo'ak was planning to use the rifle as a melee weapon.
They positioned themselves in a way that allowed them to jump down and start beating the crap out of them. Eventually, they did just that as Neteyam jumped down first, taking out the leading guy. At the same time, Y/N came down second on spider left, and took on the soldier as he struck him that he spun for a moment before Y/N stopped him and slammed his face repeatedly into the iron railings.
Lo'ak came down last and took on the final guy.
Neteyam hit the soldier with such force that he almost toppled over the railing. He managed to stop himself just in time, but Neteyam then lifted his feet from under him and flipped him over the railing, sending him crashing hard onto the first floor.
He quickly turned to see if he could help Y/n, but to his horror, y/n was still smashing the guy's head against the railing. His face appeared caved in from the force being applied to his body.
Neteyam: Y-Y/n?
It was as if he didn't hear him. As he continued, his face showed just how angry he was. However, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of bullets being fired as he looked over at Lo'ak.
He walked over towards him, looking at the body on the floor before grabbing his arm in a way like he was telling him to let's leave.
He then turned his focus back onto y/n as a thud rang out from him dropping the body onto the floor, the metal railing was now covered in red blood.
Y/n glanced at him for a second before turning to Spider, who looked disgusted, but at the same time, the look of someone who now had a reason to stop y/n at all costs, especially now that he had seen this side of him.
Y/n wiped the sweat from his face, only to smear the blood on his hands.
Y/n: What? Don't think I came here to save you.
Spider: Nah, I wouldn't think so, asshole, or more like monster.
Lo'ak finally looked over at y/n mess, and to their surprise, instead of being scared, he looked on in amazement.
Lo'ak: Dude, that's badass. Come on, y/n, you need to show me your moves sometime.
Y/n: Hah….sure….sometime.
Neteyam: C-come on, guys, we need to leave now.
The group quickly hopped down to the first floor as lo'ak turned to Spider just to make a side comment about having him around again.
But it didn't last long; footsteps approached rapidly, and suddenly, two recom emerged beside a smaller boat suspended in the air. Noticing the group, they swiftly raised their rifles and began firing at their position.
They quickly ran for cover, doing their best to dodge the oncoming bullets. The only cover around them was a slight indent with electronic control panels.
Neteyam tried to look around the corner to get sight on their attacker, but they just kept spraying their bullet down with no end in sight. But that was when he got an idea.
Neteyam: Give me that!
Neteyam grabbed the rifle from lo'ak and pulled back the side part of the weapon to free the chamber.
Neteyam: I'll give you guys a cover, so hurry!
Spider and Lo'ak looked at each other before getting ready to run. Behind them, Neteyam swung the rifle around the corner and opened fire, spraying a burst of cover shots, which gave the two boys the go-ahead as they ran into the middle area that connected to the sea, as they dived into the water below.
Neteyam: Come on, Y/n, you as well!
Y/n: No! We go at the same time.
Neteyam wanted to argue back, but his voice fell silent, knowing there was no way to dissuade him. There weren't many bullets left in the rifle as he continued firing it.
Neteyam: F-Fine, alright!
Neteyam fired off the final shots from the rifle until it clicked empty. Leaving his cover, he tossed the rifle, hoping to create a distraction as he instinctively leaped over the railing to dive into the water below.
Because he leaped over the railing, he ended up slightly higher, which left him exposed. Suddenly, he heard a gun click, and the sounds of bullets being fired filled the air.
While in the air, he tried to turn his body to get a look at the bullet spread, seeing if he could dodge the bullets. But out of nowhere, a strong force pushed down on his side, making him head towards the water even faster.
At that moment, it was almost like a slow-motion movie when he finally saw what triggered the sudden forces—it was y/n, who was trailing him by a few seconds. His hand was stretched out towards him, showing that he was the one who shoved him toward the water.
And for a split second before his body was submerged in the water, Y/n's eyes were finally shining behind them for the first time since they met back up.
No darkness behind them, just…him.
His body hit the water as he started sinking with the sounds of bullets hitting the metal around them, as y/n had a soft smile displayed on his face, looking content in the moment happening before finally Neteyam's body completely fell through.
The cold sensation of the water quickly surrounded him, and it took him a few seconds before he opened his eyes and started to move his hands to swim.
He quickly turned to look at y/n as he finally fell into the water behind him. The two boys exchanged glances before y/n nodded to follow lo'ak and Spider.
They swam after them as they went underneath the Seadragon and watched both spider and lo'ak heading towards the surface, which they followed.
Neteyam popped his head out of the water just in time to hear both lo'ak and spider celebrating how crazy that was. Y/n's head popped out beside them as he gasped for air and looked around until his eyes landed on him.
Y/n: N-Neteyam, are you alright? Are you hurt?
Y/n's voice trembled as if he couldn't believe the sight before him, which appeared to be... well, him, and not just that he still seemed to have light in his eyes, making him look normal again.
Neteyam: Yeah, I'm fine, I…uh, I think.
Y/n suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder and stared deeply into his eyes before speaking up, as Lo'ak and Spider watched, confused by Y/n's intense interest in Neteyam.
Y/n: There is no. I think it's yes or no.
Neteyam: Hah… uh—yeah. I'm fine.
Y/n released a sigh from his lips, happy to hear those words.
Spider: Damn, relax, would you? What are you, gay or something?
The group didn't respond to his question as before; they couldn't do so even as Tsireya suddenly surfaced from the water while riding an Ilu. Her eyes looked at each of them, and she even smiled when they landed on y/n, happy he was safe.
However, she couldn't check in with him, at least not yet, until they reached somewhere safe and informed him about their sisters.
Tsireya: Quickly get on!
Y/n: There's not enough room for all of us.
Tsireya: It's alright, she can take it, or one of you can hang onto her tail. Y/n, come on with me here.
Y/n: N-No.
Tsireya: You sure?
Y/n: Yeah, don't worry, I'll handle the tail end.
Tsireya: Okay then, lo'ak, get on with me.
Lo'ak: A-alright! Bro, you take the fin; I'll hold onto you while we head out.
Neteyam: Take us to one of the flat rocks protruding out of the water; we'd better find Father
Tsireya nodded as everyone got into their position. They held onto different parts of her Ilu body and started swimming away from the Seadragon. Still, as they did, Tsireya and lo'ak talked about something which Y/n in the back couldn't hear.
*slight time skip*
The group came upon a flat rock surface as Lo'ak noticed Jake nearby and called out to him, prompting Jake to approach the group quickly.
Jake quickly got onto the rock and helped the kid get onto it.
As soon as Neteyam and Lo'ak climbed onto the rock, Jake pulled them in for a deep hug and kissed their foreheads.
Jake: Thank goodness you kids are safe… You had better never do that again. Do I make myself clear?!
Neteyam & Lo'ak: Yes sir!
Jake pulled the kids in for a warm embrace, but Neteyam noticed Y/n passing by during this. He moved towards a quieter area while staring at the Seadragon with crossed arms. Tsireya quickly walked over after him.
Noticing the girl approaching him, Y/n turned to face the female Na'vi as they embraced each other.
Y/n: Ah Tsireya! You're not hurt, are you?
Tsireya: I'm fine, how about you? You're not hurt, are you?
Y/n: Eh, I took a beating from crashing into the top of the massive machine, but… I'll live
Tsireya: Thank the Great Mother.
Tsireya inhaled deeply, savoring the embrace. Y/n smiled as he planted a kiss on her head, making her blush and look away. Her tail smacking against the floor showed her embarrassment at doing such an act in public.
Y/n couldn't help but laugh at the situation.
Neteyam finally broke away from his father's hug, and he approached the two, which Y/n noticed and pulled away from Tsireya.
Y/n: I need a moment with Neteyam.
Tsireya glanced at the boy approaching, then offered a gentle smile and a nod before quietly stepping away, giving them space to talk.
Y/n and Neteyam walked towards each other and hugged. Suddenly, Y/n pulled away, raising his hand to cover his mouth as he broke into a fit of coughs while clutching his waist.
Neteyam: Woah, Y/n, you alright?
Y/n: "Coughing, Coughing" Y-Yeah! "Inhale" "Coughing" It's just "Coughing" you hit" Inhale" My broken rib.
Neteyam: Oh! I'm really sorry about that, y/n. I didn't mean to!
Y/n: It's"Coughing" fine. You didn't mean "Inhale" to.
Finally, after a couple of minutes of y/n coughing, noh stopped. He took a deep breath, straightened himself up, and grabbed his loincloth wrap, lifting it slightly higher than usual.
Neteyam: You sure?
Y/n: Oh yeah, don't sweat it. It's just my cough from yesterday; it looks like it returned.
Y/n looked towards the sky at the nearly complete eclipse, with the sunlight almost entirely diminished.
Y/n: Didn't you say my birthday is on the eclipse?
Neteyam: Yeah, but it's the 34th eclipse, and that is your birthday.
Y/n: Hah, it feels like so much time has passed since then.
Neteyam: Yeah, it sure has… thanks for having my back.
Y/n: Of course I would.
The two exchanged smiles as they heard a roar from an ikran. This caused them to look towards the sky, and they noticed Neytiri as she landed close to the group.
*Pov: Y/n*
Neteyam walked away to rejoin Lo'ak, who stood close to Jake, seemingly telling their father something. However, y/n didn't focus on that, as his attention was once again drawn to the Seadragon, watching smoke rise from the burning Seawasp.
Y/n sighed as he opened the pouch at his side, took out the notebook, and flipped through the pages until he found the one he was looking for.
____________________________________________________________________________
People sheets
Their image:
Name: Neteyam
Age: 19
Status:
____________________________________________________________________________
His eyes lingered on the blank status before he felt a sharp pain coming from his waist under the loincloth.
Taking a breath, he used his free hand to tug at the loincloth wrapped around his waist, pulling it slightly aside to reveal a bullet wound he had sustained when he pushed Neteyam away from the oncoming fire.
The blood that was leaking out had already dampened his loincloth wrap. He tried to place his hand on the hole, but he winced in pain as blood oozed out and covered a part of his fingers.
He sighed while tightening the loincloth wrap around the wound, trying to slow down since there were more important things to do, such as finding Kiri.
Plus, he was pretty sure that that type of wound won't kill you, at least not an hour later, so he should be fine for now.
He directed his attention back to the notebook, pulling out a pen to write as blood from his fingers stained the page.
____________________________________________________________________________
People sheets
Their image:
Name: Neteyam
Age: 19
Status: Alive
____________________________________________________________________________
Now, then, there was only one question: where was Kiri?
Word count: 8495
Man, this took a bit to write. I thought this would have been finished on Monday.