"Maybe.. its.. not updated?" Max offers.
"Error? Maybe they're making another clone in the future to build him from?"
Jake is still wordless, and by the way his chest moves — it's no surprise he's barely breathing.
Dissociating is how he processes, and expressing your feelings with any range of emotion is exactly how yours work.
Two opposite sides of this.
Norm manages to turn in his chair, and looks over to Max with a horrified glare in his eyes.
"I-" He chokes up for a moment.
"I don't know."
"I killed him. I may not remember much from blacking out, but I know I choked him out." Jake barely croaks out between tearful words, his teeth gritting together the further along he goes.
Angry beyond belief.
Max takes the liberty of grabbing an extra comms link, and it takes a few seconds for someone to answer him.
"Kids.
Kids." He quickly starts with.
"I need all of you at the base, immediately."
—————————
"That doesn't sound good." Da'mik remarks as he's first to stand and give a small response back to max.
"Come on everyone. Leave the plates, we can clean up later."
"Spiders still out there." Kiri says with worry.
"I'll call for him." Da'mik insists. "- the rest of you go in. Now."
Even Tsireya, who nervously holds lo'ak's hand the entire way out.
She hasn't felt this much tension in the air since they were all scolded by her father for letting Lo'ak bond with Payakan.
Aonung is the last behind - eyeing Da'mik as he's waving them off while trying to get a better signal to reach spider.
Jake is forced to take a seat at some point, with you asking that he do as his blood pressure and heart rate are sky rocketing.
He can only spare you a look as you lean in to listen to his breathing, and as you pull back - he places his palm on your cheek.
Drowning you with the fear and anger that fill his eyes.
The kids make their way in finally, startling you with how the door opens so quickly.
It's a good thing they added the base extension, and opened up the living room area.
No way would all of the kids fit in here together like this.
Lo'ak is the first to notice you and Jake on the floor, sitting together.
"Mom? Dad?" He asks as his brows lift up and press together in concern. "What's going on?"
Tsireya feels the weight of his hand drop from hers as he makes his way quickly to you both; and gets down on one knee as he checks over his father.
"What happened?"
Hes afraid to have even asked.
Jake's expression makes it seem like he hasnt slept in weeks with how heavy his eyelids feel.
Max voices out, pressing on the comms again as he notices the headcount runs a bit... short.
Pun not quite intended.
"Da'mik, Spider, where are you two? You need to get home, now."
It's silence for a bit, until Da'mik finally responds.
"Im trying to find Spider." He admits. "He isn't answering his comms."
But little do they know, he can hear everything.
He's just choosing to isolate at the moment, not wanting to deal with whatever is happening on top of his own pain.
"Da'mik, we need you both home." Max insists.
"Just tell me what's going on, I'll relay it to Spider when I find him."
Kiri can't hear what Da'mik says as she isn't wearing her own comm — and assumes they're together in that moment.
Giving her a false sense of relief.
"Should I tell them?" Norm asks as he stands, and waves with his hand for Kiri and Tuk to come over to him.
It's only after his hands settle along their lower arms that they feel the dread radiating off of their uncle.
Jake bows his head ever so slightly, giving him the go ahead as he knows he would spiral out of control if he tried.
Lo'ak doesn't let up, though. Keeping his hands on top of his fathers as he watches him.
All Jake can do is look between the both of you, scared absolutely shitless in this grave moment of defeat.
You can't even bring yourself to cry, let alone show anything expressively as you're trying to keep it together for the rest of them.
Already falling numb to all of this.
Norm glances up at the ceiling for a moment, trying to stop the tears building at his waterline before he inhales deeply.
Sharing a look with Max before he finally speaks.
"Long story short... We have-" and he already breathes in again, beyond heartbroken at all of this.
"-found some intel."
"With the files? Or something else?" Lia asks.
Norm doesn't even answer past looking in her direction.
Terrified to even tell her this.
"We have reason to believe Quaritch is still alive."
"You're not serious." Lia is first to respond.
"Are you sure it is not some kind of mistake?" Aonung steps forward as he speaks, worried for Tsireya and Lia the most as they're both already trembling.
Tsireya always wore her emotions on her sleeve, and with her face.
Never a good liar, never a good neutral glare to offer in times where she had to be stronger.
"I'm certain, Aonung." Norm responds.
Jake can only manage moving with his sons help, turning just enough and sitting up more so he can speak to the kids.
"Aonung. Go tell your father." Is what he manages out, trying so hard to keep himself calm or else risk symptoms he knows he doesn't have energy to fix right now.
It was different seeing things from this side, usually Jake was the one to calm you down.
Especially during your human days.
You watch as Aonungs hands slip off the girls shoulders, and Tsireya elects to stay here as she and Lia fall into side hugs with one another.
Da'mik, though —- he's able to keep himself level and calm, despite panicking about the news on top of being unable to find Spider.
He has to eventually give up, and make his way back to base to alert the others.
He's heavily breathing by the time he gets his mask off, and stares down his uncles and father as he has to catch his breath before saying anything.
"Da'mik? Where's spider?" Kiri is first to greet him.
"I couldn't find him so I came back here for help." He admits, sorrowly. "—I'm sorry."
"Couldn't find him?" She repeats with a saddened tone.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean just that. I looked everywhere I could think of — we need a search party."
She spares everyone around her a small and frightened glance before immediately pushing past him and running out the door.
"Wait, Kiri!" Norm calls out, desperately.
The door slams behind her.
Lo'ak looks over, and doesn't even hesitate when it comes to going after her.
"I'll bring them home." He says, rather confident about this.
Too confident, even.
"Wait." Jake tries to stand, using your help to get back on his feet.
Already watching as Lia and Tsireya take after them.
The last thing he needed was the kids taking off, let alone dividing themselves when they needed to stick together.
"Jake, you really shouldn't-" Norm tries to warn him, but it's no use.
He turns to you, and kisses your forehead sweetly before he grabs for a few weapons around him.
Worried of what might have come to be with Spider.
He gives you one last look before he signals for Norm to help.
"Stay here with the kids, in case Spider and Da'mik come here. Call for me, okay?"
You slowly nod in his direction, knowing that despite his current health — it wouldn't hold him back worth a damn thing.
—————-
"Let's move out, kids. We don't have much time to get you to High Camp." Jake orders, already working on packing the ikrans full of things on their saddle bags.
"Coming, dad." Tuk's little voice calls out as she rushes over to him, and leans against his leg as he pats her head
"Wait —" Jake's heart drops the moment he realizes he's a head count too short. "—where is Kiri?"
Oh, shit.
If only they knew how quickly she managed her way over to Spiders bedroom.
This was the first offering from the RDA for the surrender of their old employees after they arrived.
A sense of grace and mercy given to take them back, and learn all they know to advantage their future wars against the Na'vi.
"I'm not leaving you, spider. I don't care what the mccoskers say. You're not surrendering with them.
They won't, either. We move to high camp tomorrow and you're coming with us.
You were born here. You are one of us."
If only Kiri had known that, while the mccoskers did skip this offer — they were still working with the RDA up until the second one had been given.
"Max insists that I leave with them. I have no choice, Kiri." Spider remarks with a heavy weight on his heart.
They both stand in his doorway, and to her dismay his foster parents show up right then and there.
They don't waste a single moment in getting rid of her, either.
Already having one of the Na'vi take Kiri out as Jake had sent out a message regarding her whereabouts.
It's Niikeym who comes for her, and of course he doesn't hesitate to yell at her for her decisions.
"No, Niikeym.
I'm going after him.
This isn't right. I don't care if the other pandoran born children are okay with leaving, he isn't.
Instead of staying here and fighting for their home, they're abandoning us and him like cowards."
Before he can even reach out to grasp her arm, she's run off and taken away on her Ikran.
But not to fear, as niikeyms right behind her anyway —- this time with another in tow.
They've moved Spider to the outside of hells gate... everyone squished into smaller buildings as they await pickup by the RDA.
It's rough for her to find a way around the crowds; but his hair stands out.
It always has, and always will.
Unfortunately- before she can make her way fully over, another pair of blue hands grasp her wrist and yank on her.
"Lo'ak, let me go!" She screams in protest as she tries to break free. "Why the hell are you even here? and why did you bring Tuk of all things?"
"Kiri, Kiri. Listen to me. Niikeym told me everything.
Spider is our brother, I'm not leaving him. He's coming home with us."
And her sense of fight or flight drops, almost shocked at his own response.
As Niikeym lands to join them both — she's more than grateful to have someone on her side.
He takes some heavy convincing, but they know he won't turn back on it once his heart is in it.
Spider was his brother, too.
"Look." Lo'ak points out. "- spider and his fosters are just over there. We can grab him before it's too late."
They have to wait for the right moment - stick to the shadows and make it quick.
The mccoskers stepped aside to fill out some paperwork before boarding, and it was now or never.
"SPIDER!" Lo'ak shouts with his entire chest.
And though it takes him a moment, he turns and faces them with a new found love in his heart.
"You guys came for me."
"Of course we did." Kiri remarks. "-we aren't leaving you to them. You're our family, spider."
They manage to sneak away with him; but the mccoskers raise alarm as they call for help finding him.
Which brings the kids to now, all standing before you and Jake as they circle Spider protectively.
Max, Norm, and Neytiri are also here.
Perhaps a bit unfortunate, though.
They shouldn't have to deal with it.
"You need to stay behind and surrender with your foster parents. It's the safest option for you, spider." Neytiri insists... this surprisingly being her nicest way of saying she didn't want him here.
"No." He pushes past the other kids despite the height difference.
Daring to glare at the adults while he cries his own heart out in pain.
And Jake takes it all too personal as he sees himself in the kid in that moment.
"-I know you're just lookin' to get rid of me.
I get that I'm not blue, or tall, or as strong as you are, but I belong here.
This is my planet, too. I was born and raised here.
I have a right as much as you do to want to defend this planet. I won't be running scared. I won't be retreating to a planet I've never known to satisfy these losers."
You're the one who raises your hand, silently insisting that Neytiri not take his words too personal.
The McCoskers would need a huge sense of talking to, and it would be a shit ton of convincing to even try to get them to stay.
But, for him, for your kids — you'd talk to them.
And here they all seem to be yet again, chasing after one another all this time later.
Kiri has found Spider, and she doesn't intend on letting him go.
Despite how intent he is on keeping forward, devastated by what Max had to say.
He knows it's over.
And at least it spares him making decisions regarding how and when to tell them.
The only issue was finding a way off the island, and a new place to stay now that he could no longer be here. Punishing himself before the Sully's had a chance to do it for him.
"Spider." Kiri calls out in desperation, worried for her best friend as he continues walking without looking back.
"Spider, where are you going?
We have to get back, it-"
Her legs gift her the faster speed and longer steps in the end, and as she finally reaches him to touch his shoulder — he shows a terrible reaction as he begs for her to leave him be and go back to you and Jake.
Their back and forth lasts what feels like forever.....
Until he can't take it anymore and yells so loudly for her to stop that she freezes in her own stance.
She's never heard him so sharp before - demanding it and forcing her to take a few steps back with how broken and strained he sounds.
"I can't stay here." He painfully expresses as he waves his arms around emotionally.
"Why? Why won't you tell me anything?" She pleads.
"Because the second you know, it changes everything about us. And because of how selfish and idiotic as I am, I don't want to lose you forever."
Even at the end of his own decisions, he'd still find a way to communicate with her. No matter what it took.
"You won't lose me. We're family.
Just tell me what's going on. Are you afraid Quaritch is coming for you? Spider, you're safe with us, you-"
It's no use.
No matter how many times he practiced this over in his head.
It all comes off like a bandaid and slips from his mouth before his brain can even process what has happened.
"I saw him dying in the water when I went to find your father... and I saved Quaritch that night."
And despite his words — she still moves in closer, and he cuts her off as she tries to comfort him. Something he truly knows he doesn't deserve.
It takes her a moment to process, putting two and two together as she unfortunately has to relive that night down to a few traumatic moments.
Particularly the one where he took too long to get back to them after originally searching for her father.
....Which must have been it, because he wasn't given any other chance.
"What were you thinking?"
And their hearts both break after she speaks.
Her face shifting as her mood changes, deepening with pain and anger and confusion.
"Do .... Do you realize what you've done?"
And her voice raises, one of sorrow and empathy to a building anger and pain.
He refuses to answer, mostly letting her get her thoughts out as it's too late to take back what he's done.
"—How could you?"
"Because no matter what you think you know —- you'll never understand what it's truly like to be in my place, Kiri. Never."
Kiris face drops so suddenly as she steps back, her hand over her heart as she can hardly bare what he says to her.
"-You may be an orphan, Kiri.
But you still have a father and a mother who love you.
Who adore your biological mother, who grew up teaching you about her and making sure you didn't feel disconnected from her and know of all the good she has done..."
Tears swell at the edge of his eyes.
Even as his voice grows louder and he expresses the pure, raw anger he's so desperately held in all these years.
"...All I've gotten were foster parents who couldn't stand me and left me behind — a whole clan mixed with humans, avatars, and Navi who side eyed me my entire existence because of Quaritch and his actions.
I'm lucky our Olo'eyktan ever let me stay here as it is. You know how much Neytiri has despised me since my birth. She only sees him, a demon, and has only ever treated me as such..."
His head drops ever so slightly as his arms hang by his sides loosely.
"....You don't know what they put me through when they kidnapped me... what it did to me. Quaritch saved me from it, and I owed him the same act of mercy when nobody else would offer it to me except for him."
"Then tell me what they did. Help me understand, Spider."
She pleads helplessly, giving her life long best friend a chance that he shouldn't even be considered for.
"Because all I see right now is someone who saved my brother's killer and gave him a second try at tormenting my family."
Silence fills the air as he refuses to break eye contact with her, knowing that, with his intentions of leaving before he could be outcast - this is the last time they'd see one another.
Now that he's told her, there isn't an ounce of hope that he could still stay in contact with her.
He'd seek refuge with any clan willing to help him, even if it meant going from island to island or getting scraps to survive.
"It's no use." He softly speaks as his fists ball up. "All anyone will ever see of me is who he is. I've made my bed and now I have to lay in it."
"Spider." She steps forward and reaches for his arm, but he moves just as quickly out of her grasp.
Avoiding her in a way he never did before.
"If I go somewhere they can find me — maybe it will help keep them off you.
If they kill me, then I'm making up for the sins everyone believes I was held to at birth, anyway."
Neither of them know it, but Lo'ak is shortly behind as he finally catches up — still blissfully unaware of what's happened.
"Spider." She barely croaks out between tears. "Do you not get that you're part of this family now? You wear the same tattoo as Da'mik, you've been accepted into the Metkayina clan. You have a home and people who love you, people who give you safety and love in ways the others never did."
Which all came after his decision to save Quaritch.
"It was too late by then, Kiri.
I can't undo what I've done in the past."
He emphasizes with a heavier voice.
"But I can try my best to make up for it."
Lo'ak only catches this last bit, not close enough to hear but able to watch from a distance as he leans into the tree beside him. He's frightened for his friend, knowing finding out his father is alive probably has him terrified.
He only pauses when he sees how Spider reaches a hand out to his sister who sobs and holds herself, and he doesn't understand for why or what.
Seeing the way Spider lowers his mask and holds his breath — just long enough to lean in and kiss her forehead, before he sets it back on and heads out into the distance.
For some reason, he hesitates to move.
Afraid to go after him, almost.
"Kiri!" Lo'ak screams as he finally gains the strength back in his legs, and runs toward her. "What's going on? What happened?"
She's visibly shaking as he places his hands on her shoulders, trying to get her to stand.
"Kiri?"
"You have to stop him." She cries out. "Please, please, he's going to get himself killed- you have to stop him."
"What's going on?" He asks again, louder this time.
"Just go. Please."
The way her eyes meet his breaks his heart, as he hasn't seen that despair in her eyes since niikeyms funeral.
He's not going to get the answer he wants, not here and not now.
So he takes off after him, and radios for you.
"Mom. Mom, are you there? Mom?"
"I'm here, kid." You finally answer him.
"—What's going on?"
"Kiri won't tell me what's going on." He repeats in his answer. "—but Spider has run away. I see him in the distance. I'm going after him."
"What?" Your heart drops to your lower gut. You can't imagine what's happened, but for him to up and leave like this.. it can't be good.
"Lo'ak — call for your father and tell him where you are, he's after you with Norm."
"On it."
And sure, Lo'ak does. His father tracking his location on their watches with every second passing by.
He's ordered not to let Spider out of his sight, for if he gets too far out he will lose him.
They'll send for Tonowaris men to search for him - but there's a chance it could be too late before he manages to escape.
None of them aside from Lo'ak are aware Kiri is here just yet.
"Spider!" Lo'ak calls out drastically as finally closes in and reaches for his wrist.
"Spider, what the hell are you thinking?"
Spider tries to pull away, but with the height and weight difference from human to Na'vi — it's no use.
"Spider, bro. Talk to me, what the hell was that back there? Why is Kiri crying?"
Spiders face falls with defeat, frustration, and regret.
"Let me go." He wails out like some dying, tortured animal. "Please, just let me go."
"I'm not doing any damn thing until you tell me what the fuck happened, Spider."