𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗱

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚

MCKENZIE JUMPED from Däve who lowered himself down for her next to Lo'ak who came with a villager. Nav'is surrounded them with curiosity.

Watching in awe as Däve flew off after his rider patted him on his neck.

Lo'ak stood close to McKenzie as the crowd started to move aside for Jake who was rushing forward with Ney'tiri behind him.

Tonowari and his family stood in front of them as Lo'ak stepped forward.

He caught sight of Ao'nung and looked like he was about to charge at him before Jake stepped down and stopped him in his tracks.

"Hey...let's have a look at you. He's fine, he's fine. It's just a few scratches." Jake said to the crowd.

Ney'tiri soon jumped down toward them to also check on Lo'ak.

McKenzie stood on the side as she did so.

"I pray for the strength that I will not pluck the eyeballs out of my youngest son." She hissed as she motioned towards his eyes in a clawing manner.

"No. My son knows better than to take him outside the reef. The blame is his" Tonowari states before making his son kneel before the family.

"...okay. let's go." Jake nodded as he began to pull Lo'ak to leave.

"No. This is not Ao'nung's fault. It was my idea. Ao'nung tried to talk me out of it. Really." Lo'ak states.

He looked at his older sister who had a glare on her face. She wanted the boy to pay for what he did but her brother didn't.

"..Come on, let's go," Jake says as they finally do manage to push through the crowd back toward their Marui.

McKenzie look back at Ao'nung, and see him looking at her also. She felt her anger towards him melt from his eyes softening.

"Dad, you told me to make friends with these kids. That's all I was trying to do-" Lo'ak states before Jake interrupts.

"That's enough. I don't wanna hear it." Jake says to him sternly before Loak glances down then back up at him with a scowl. "You've disappointed me."

"..can I go now?"

"Any more trouble, I'll tie a knot in your tail. You read me?"

"Yes sir. Lima Charlie." Lo'ak says repeating the military term that Jake taught them, meaning 'Loud and Clear'. Jake nodded off in the direction of the Marui pod.

He walked away as Kiri, Neteyam and Tuk followed after him.

Ney'tiri glared a bit at Jake before her eyes landed on her eldest. "Where were you?" She said as soft as possible.

Jake snapped his head at McKenzie. "Yeah, what happened to watching your little brother?"

McKenzie scoffed at him, rolling her eyes to walk away but it triggered his anger more.

Jake grabbed her wrist to stop her from moving. "Don't you dare roll your eyes at me." His grip tightened slightly.

"Let go." McKenzie tried to twist her hand away from his but the grip was stronger. Ney'tiri placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down but he ignored her. 

"You don't get to walk away from me, I am your father!" Jake exclaimed in anger.

Pain rushed through McKenzie's wrist as anger filled her body.

"ACT LIKE IT!" McKenzie burst out. Her eyes glowed with fire, Jake was taken back by her. Loosing his grip on her.

"I don't even want to be here! I BUST my ASS OFF trying to prove myself to YOU!" She harshly snatched her arm away. "I am done."

Jake didn't like to be yelled at, especially by his own kid. His energy matching hers so perfectly that chaos would happen.

"THE ONLY THING YOU'VE
PROVEN IS HOW YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT... YOU DISAPPOINTED ME..YOU DISAPPOINTED THIS FAMILY!"
He practically screamed in her face, teeth baring at her.

Anger had completely blinded the both of them. Ney'tiri eyes widened at his outburst. People started to watch the scene unfold.

Jake glanced around, feeling eyes on him before he let out a loud sigh. "Go back to the Marui, we'll talk later." He had a hand over his eyes, rubbing his forehead to relief some stress

Expecting an answer but it wasn't the one he liked.

"I'm leaving."

"Excuse me?"

McKenzie looked up to her father, red meets yellow.

Jake saw nothing in them, except the fire thats dancing around them. The eyes he had loved since the moment she opened them.

Ney'tiri felt her heart drop, she reached out to her daughter but she backed away when she saw how her eyes were like pool of blood.

"Oh my love." Ney'tiri whispered, putting a hand over her chest as she felt pain.

Jake stared at his daughter, not believing her words.

"Did I stutter, father?"

Not receiving a response, McKenzie ripped off the ear comms and tossed it to the ground at his feet before letting out a loud call.

In a second, Däve lets out a roar, scaring everyone to move away from his rider. Däve coos at Jake and about to go over to him but stopped when McKenzie grabbed onto him.

"Wait— babygirl—" Jake lets out as his daughter climbed onto the creature. McKenzie didn't hesitate to command Däve to fly.

"McKenzie!" Ney'tiri cried out when she took off, Jake caught her before she could fall to the ground.

He stared up to the sky as his daughter drifted away in the distance.

Jake glanced around at the people giving them stares before he slowly lifted his wife up in his arms and started to carry her along the way as she cries in his chest.

The kids wont take it very lightly, especially Neteyam.