Late Night P2 | Rough Draft | Fin

Forgiveness

"Ah, it's nothing, really. I don't mind helping. He and Da'mik are practically twins at this point."

"I can go ahead and take him now if needed." And he eyes Spider as he curls up into your hold, seemingly shying away from his foster father.
"He has a little brother to come with meet, after all."

"Are you sure?" You suggest, seeing how spider clings to you as if he was your own. The relationship between him and his foster parents was never the best, I'll say.
"- He's welcome as long as you both need."

"Well." Nash hesitates. "We can try again later. Let him have a nap first and-"

Spider pauses the video, a gleam in his eye as he clenches his jaw muscles.
"I never could stand them. They took care of me out of pity and obligation, not because they wanted to."

"Oh, spider. Don't say that." Kiri comforts him. "— You know they loved you."

"You say that like they weren't so quick to try and leave me the first time the RDA called for surrender."
  And he steps back a bit to collect his thoughts, frustrated.
"I never fit in anywhere, it was so.. heartbreaking." He expresses. "Neytiri couldn't stand me hanging around the clan because of Quaritch - she gave Da'mik a pardon for being son of Toruk Makto.
Too Navi culturally for the humans, too human for the Navi."

She brushes a palm down the back of his head, and plays at the end of his braid that sits lower on his back — before placing her fingers on his arm tattoo.
   "And now you have somewhere you belong." She explains, smiling.
"The Metkayina accepted all of us. You should be thankful."

And he reaches a hand over to place on top of hers, to which Lo'ak turns around and places a hand on Spiders chest.
   "Sorry, Bro. Whether you like it not, you're one of us now. No going back."

Spider smiles in return as Lo'ak taps his chest with the tips of his fingers.

——

Your eyes are still locked on Nash's, all the same as Mary stares at you in horror.

Too many seconds have passed as they try to move, avoiding the oncoming arrow you're bound to shoot.

Norm peeks around the corner, and shoots a few warning bullets to show how serious this is.
"What are you doing?" Norm yells to you. "—Take the shot! They're blocking the path!"

You breathe in deeply, and as last possible moment aim the arrow lower so it shoots a few feet before them as a warning.

They take it, and just as you start to take off down the hallway — already halfway down it by the time norm calls out over the comms.
"Shit, I dropped the damn thing."

"What?" You frantically call out. "-Where is it?"

You watch as he panics while looking with a flashlight on the ground. "It's around here somewhere, I'll grab it! You focus on clearing me a path - then go out the door and get Arohk so we can get the hell out."

——

You're out the door and focused on your  Ikran — at least until the full view of things comes in.

A second aircraft is up ahead.

Jake is in the distance, on foot, and heading toward you.

He hasn't noticed.

"GET DOWN!" You wail out. "DOWN!"

Your legs carry you as fast as you can manage, even tossing your bow to rest on your back as you all need all the momentum you can gather.