~~~Superstes~~~UNDERGOING MAJOR EDITING

Operation: Kids.

Out of the blue, Lo'ak was a puddle of tears and hiccups. He dissolved into sobs, leaning into Kiri's warm embrace. 

"Oh, Lo'ak." Kiri breathed, stroking up and down his arm. Fe'ya crawled over and held his sky-person hand, gripping it tightly between her fingers. Her heart ached for the younger boy. She could feel guilt and shame that was radiating off of him, and she felt deeply for him. 

"What if--what if he dies and I don't get to say I'm sorry? Or that I love him, and I was grateful for him?" Lo'ak cried. 

"He wouldn't want you to say sorry," Fe'ya insisted, "He knows you're grateful and that you love him.  He speaks of you all the time, with pride. And he's not going to die. Neteyam could simply just say "no" to death and that is it. He would not die."  

As he was sniffling and wiping his nose, Lo'ak laughed. 'Yeah, that's true."

Kiri smiled. "Our big brother will be just fine, Lo'ak. Don't worry. When we get him back, you can say all you want to him."  

                                                                                       ~~~

It had only been a couple of hours after Fe'ya and Kiri's conversation with Lo'ak when she heard a strange yip sound that echoed through the vents. Fe'ya shushed the two siblings, holding up her hand. "Do you hear that?" 

She watched Lo'ak's ears swivel in the direction of the sound. His mouth hung slightly open as another yip was followed by the first, almost as if two tropical birds were communicating in the trees. Then, silent as the night, the door creaked open and none other than Jake Sully walked in, carrying a bloody tomahawk.

Fe'ya gasped softly in relief. Lo'ak and Kiri brightened, their ears perking forward.

Jake's expression softened, and he sighed, his muscles relaxing. "Never have I been so happy to see some dang kids." Kiri scrambled up and ran to hug him, throwing her skinny arms around his neck. He kissed her on the crown of her head and gestured for Lo'ak to come forward, giving him an endearing hug too. 

Fe'ya's eyes welled up with tears as she saw Jake holding out his hand to her, before pulling her into the embrace. The four of them hugged, but then Jake pulled away, ushering us out of the room quickly. "Alright, let's go. C'mon."

Lo'ak interrupted, grabbing his father's arm. "Dad, they took Neteyam. I don't know where he is, but he's really hurt." The boy informed, worried.  

Jake growled in frustration and cursed before he continued to lead us away, his eyes focused on something ahead. He pointed to Tonowari standing at the end of a hallway, "Here, go follow him. I'll go find your brother. Go!"

                                                                                            ~~~

Neteyam wasn't sure how long he laid in the cage, unable to speak, unable to move his body or his arm. His injured leg was throbbing and judging by the irritated red rim of the wound, it was infected. It wouldn't be long until his arm fell under the same fate, too. Then he would go septic, and probably die. Not to mention his untreated broken bone had already left him into a state of lethargic shock. 

He licked his dry lips and stared through the metal bars of his prison. He felt almost nothing, but so much at the same time. He thought about his parents, his brother, his sisters, and tried to think of happy memories.