xliv. kaboom goes the train
╰ avatar: the way of water

JAKE, the Olo'teykan of the Omatakaya people finally gave his signal for the the group of Na'vi warriors to attack. In front of everyone there was an incoming train run by the humans that had returned to Pandora. Underneath the warriors on their Ikrans, were many warriors riding on Direhorses and on their bare feet with many weapons. Battle cries and yips echoed through the thick air, arrows shooting from every direction.

A warrior in the air shot a grenade, sending the train off the tracks, rolling in the air before it dug into the soil beneath it. Fire started to spread and the loud screeching noises from the wheels countered the yips and battle cries.

Odessa let out a yelp as her banshee turned without her having noticed. It swerved just in time for her to miss the raining bullets from one of human run gunships. She fires an arrow, watching with satisfaction as it lands in the chest of a human, killing them instantly. She doesn't feel any remorse for the life she had just ended or for the ones she's about to end; they are trying to take away her home and everything she has grown to care for. To her, ending the lives of a few to save the many, isn't all that bad.

She glanced towards her brother, who let out a yell of fury as he shot bullet after bullet from his gun. The ship he shot at went spiralling towards the ground, exploding on impact. He smirked, a feeling blooming in his chest as he protected his people. Odessa can't help but feel like he is the right person for the job — he does a great job at leading the people.

"My Dessa!" Neytiri yelled out, her Ikran flying towards Odessa's. The two flew beside each other, bows raised as they aimed at the last visible flying gunship. Both released their grips from the string, an arrow from each bow landing in the chest of the two pilots. The two hollered in celebration. "Yes, my Dessa!"

"Two minutes people." Jakes voice comes thorough Odessa eat piece she wears. She's on the ground now, helping dig through boxes and hand out any and all materials that could be taken back to camp. Anything they could use as an advantage against the sky people.

Neteyam flys with his cousins, Lo'ak and Inkire. They're spotters — staying in the air at a distance to spot any oncoming gunships. They're supposed to be paying attention, to radio back to Jake and his right hand woman - Odessa - when they spot the gunships that they all know will show up.

Neteyam can't help but wonder what I would feel like to be on the ground beside his momma. He doesn't even have to be beside her, but he wants to feel the ground beneath his feet as he hands out weapons that will help protect the people. He watched in amazement as the people on the ground hurriedly go through with his tasks; he's seen it many times before on the many of raids, but he can't help but feel the amazement every time.

"Hey, no, you two." Inkire speaks, snapping both Neteyam and Lo'ak out of their daydreams to be more than what they are now. Lo'ak is the only one would actually dive down and fulfil his want.

"Bros, we've got to get down there." Lo'ak tells sister and cousin, eyeing the ground with pure excitement that he's struggling to contain. He ignores each and every word that Inkire had just spoken.

Neteyam turned his head and stared at him as if he was crazy. Daydreaming was one thing, but actually attempting to go down and disobey their job was a whole different unspeakable thing. "No way! My mum and your dad would skin us,"

"Come on sis, Teyem, don't be babies," Lo'ak retorted, not bothering to stick around to hear the protests coming from either Neteyam or Inkire. His Ikran dove down, landing on the ground and staying put as its rider ran towards where the weapons were.

Inkire was the first to follow after her younger brother, her mind set on making sure he was okay. Because he was her responsibility when they were away from their parents eyes. Her brother, her responsibility. She would be scolded by her father, and possibly her aunt, for letting him go down alone. She knows that she would get into more trouble leaving him alone than going with him. Inkire landed next to her brother's ikran with her cousin trailing behind.

Neteyam let out an irritated groan as he watched Lo'ak and Inkire both run towards where the weapons were being handed out. He jumped off his Ikran, shrugging his own bow — that his mother had helped him make — behind his backs and called out for his two cousins to slow down. "Assholes." Neteyam grumbled afterwards when neither answered, he knew the amount of trouble the three were going to be in from Jake and Odessa would be beyond anything they've ever had to deal with before.

But he would still follow after them, because it's what he would do. It's what his mother had done; chasing after Jake when he was being attacked by a viperwolf so many years ago. It was in his blood, and he wouldn't let it disappear any time soon.

Lo'ak hated being tied down in any way, wanting to what he wanted and to be free. It's why he was always the first one to dive down into the world they weren't welcome in. He would always want too, which is why he ignored his cousin and grabbed ahold of the gun that had been handed to him.

Neteyam huffed as he regained his breath, standing beside his two cousins. He could see his mother in the distance, and he was praying to eywa that she wouldn't see him or his cousins. "You, Lo'ak, are reckless and dragged me and Inkire into this!" Of course Neteyam was mad at his younger cousin, he would end up in so much freaking trouble because of him.

"Oh you are just mad that I got here first and got the gun." Lo'ak shrugged his shoulders, a smirk plastered on his face as he playfully pointed the gun at his older sister. Inkire was quick to place her hand on the gun, using it to push its barrel towards the ground.

Neteyam knew how to use a gun. He had asked his mother one day when he saw his uncles lying around in view. To him, it was just metal that was used to kill before he had been born. "You do not know how to use it."

As a way to prove his older cousin wrong, Lo'ak loaded up the gun and got it ready to shoot, his finger on the trigger. The weight was nothing in his hands as he tilted his head with a satisfied look. "Yeah? My dad taught me."

Neteyam did not have a father. None of the Everett children did. They were all miracle babies. "Put that down before you accidentally shoot one of us." Neteyam scowled, eyeing Lo'ak who was quick to role his eyes but lower the gun. 

Worried yells filled the the three's ears, making them gaze around the area in panic. They all saw many of the warriors retreating from where they had been, running from something hidden behind the three. Neteyam was the first to spot the oncoming gunships, his heart beating so quick he feared it would jump out of his chest. He pushed his cousins forward, "Run, go."

He waited a second, glancing over his shoulder to where his momma was swinging her bow over her shoulder. He watched her turn, her eyes widening and body shaking when she spotted him standing there. "Momma!"

Odessa didn't wasted a minute in rushing towards her son. Her body ached in fear for what would happen. She didn't care right now that he was on the ground where he wasn't supposed to be, his and his cousins safety was what she cared about. "Neteyam! Go!"

Neteyam listened, running towards where Inkire and Lo'ak were. He could catch up to them, he knew it. They were only a little ways ahead when he finally reached them. The three hopped over broken machinery from the train, landing on the torn up dirt underneath them. Unfortunately that wasn't far enough away as an explosion went off.

Odessa was thrown in the opposite direction of her son. Aches filled her body as she pushed herself upwards, smoke and fire clouding her vision. She cried out, a hand against her abdomen where she felt something sticky and warm. Blood. She didn't care about herself, pushing her pain away as she worked her legs as quick as she could. "Neteyam! Lo'ak! Inkire!"

"Aunt Dessa!" Inkire yelled out from where she was beside her brother. The two couldn't spot Neteyam, and both were surrounded by fire and smoke that made their throats itchy. "Here!" The two siblings waved their arms, hoping that it would move the smoke around just enough that their aunt could see them.

Odessa saw them. Her eyes softening in relief when they weren't injured badly, besides the few scrapes and forming bruises. Nothing serious that needed imitate attention, although she would make sure they were looked over by their grandmother the second they were home. She wrapped her arms around the two when she was within arms reached, pulling them towards her despite her growing pain. "Thank you eywa, thank you." Odessa thanked the all mother for protecting her niece and nephew. "Neteyam isn't with you?" She asked when she pulled away.

"We thought he was with you." Inkire answered, taking a step away from her aunt and attempting to look around for her cousin. Lo'ak winced, the feeling in his shoulders growing heavier each second. "Auntie..."

Odessa didn't let her gaze harden, not when she needed the two to get out of the zone as quick as they could. "Call your Ikrans and go home, now." The two listed and mounted their Ikrans the second they landed beside them.

"Neteyam!"  Odessa calls out, hand press against her abdomen as she walks forward. She follows bloodied trails, landing on a dead body before she finds her son sprawled across the ground. He's unconscious, bleeding slightly from a wound across his back. "Oh, my sweet boy." She wrapped her arms around him, swinging his body over her shoulder and calling out for her Ikran. Not only did hers follow, but so did Neteyams. She placed her son in front of her, attaching her queue to her Ikran and flying off.

"Momma?" Neteyam whispered, shifting and looking up towards his mothers face.

"Oh, my sweet Teyem." Odessa placed a kiss to her sons forehead. "It's okay, we're going home."

🌍🌍.
╰ authors note!

— - this took me some time to write, because many scenes in this movie are based around the sully children. or in this books case, the everett children as well. neteyam and kiri are going to be two of the main characters i'm going to dive into writing along with odessa! is there anything you'd like to see as i do so?