all things between || Avatar Universe

04 - Humans Stick Together

"Dad, you can't let them go."

Sabrina desperately tried to prove that Neteyam and Lo'ak were too immature to sabotage the humans' caravan of supplies. But she wasn't being heard, not really.

"It's not up to me," Norm Spellman responded, gathering more explosives and such in his vest.

He was right, of course, and that was why Sabrina only sighed.

"They are just boys," she mumbled, lowering her shoulders.

Her father ceased assembling and stared at her, positioning one hand on his waist and the other on his daughter's shoulder. She was usually so small, but he felt she was even more undersized when he linked with his avatar.

"I know," was his reply, for he did not know what else to say.

Neteyam and Lo'ak were not his sons, and to be unbiased to his friend, Jake didn't entirely want them in the mission either. But as their father, he knew the pair would follow along either way. So Jake approved their compliance — he could then assign them safer positions for that particular task.

"Miles is somewhere in the forest," stated Norm after some hush. "Find him, for I worry."

Sabrina gulped tensely; she hadn't spoken to the human boy since the night of dancing, which had been four days back.

"Promise me you'll watch out for Neteyam," she said, placing her hand over her father's. Then, noticing her peculiar phrasing, she added, "and Lo'ak."

Norm breathed slowly before replying. "I'll do it. But help Spider, Lil' Brina. You're the only one who can fully understand him, and I believe he knows."

They voiced their goodbyes, and when they were almost gone, her father gave some supplementary recommendation, "but if you don't find him, don't do anything stupid. Ask for help."

She nodded, agreeing and observed as her father left.

Fortunately for her, Sabrina knew precisely where to encounter Spider. She selected one of the exopacks and put it on before going, for if she presumed correctly, he'd be by the pond they had visited once.

Without Neteyam's aid, Sabrina took longer than typical to get to the small lake. Safeguarding herself from the tiny creatures and the weirdly shaped plants was not effortless, but she did not see Spider when she finally got there.

At least, not right away. After orbiting the pond, Sabrina detected a human shape tossing rocks at most surrounding trees.

With nothing on but his oxygen mask and a Na'vi breechcloth, Miles Socorro tossed and turned angrily until he stopped by the familiar pond, trying to cool himself down but failing miserably. There were some days when being human hurt. That was one of those days.

"Hey, Spider," Sabrina called after him, strolling over to the boy. Spider threw the last rock he carried at an impressive distance, but he wasn't delighted with the accomplishment. The boy turned towards the friendly voice. "Are you ok?"

She didn't even know why she asked that. Her friend wasn't feeling well, but staring into his eyes — those eyes that were so brown they appeared bigger as they blended in with his pupils — Sabrina thoroughly forgot how to act.

"Are they gone?" he asked, turning away from her worried face.

Miles cared for Sabrina profoundly, which he did not yet fully understand, but seeing her worry and concern for him made him uneasy. He didn't want to be responsible for her anxieties.

She gulped, "Yes, my dad just left," but added, "The boys probably did too," for she was pretty sure Spider was more interested in his friends than her father, Norm.