-
Italics: (Na'vi language, Metkayina sign language, and Jake's inner thoughts)

A/N: This chapter is 10.2k words long- No matter how hard I tried to make it the last one, I realized I still have to divide it into another one lmao Anyway, read the author's note in the end! It's super important 🤍 It's 2 AM when I post this so I'll be revising this later on.
-

Both Spider and Lo'ak rushed to swim to Neteyam's side. The boy continued to struggle to stay afloat, and the fact that he was losing more blood and strength by the second wasn't helping at all. "Give me a hand!" Lo'ak urged Spider. The two boys noticed Neteyam started to slowly sink while losing his inhibitions.

They both grabbed onto him and brought him back to the surface. It was not a good sign. at all. "Keep him up!" Lo'ak said to Spider as the two boys started to bring Neteyam over to Tsireya's ilu. "I got him! Come on!" Spider replied back. Tsireya had left her ilu and was now helping the two boys carry Neteyam to her awaiting creature. Pressure and fear was rising amongst all of them, so first things first, getting Neteyam out of there was their best bet.

As Lo'ak and Spider assisted Neteyam on getting onto the ilu, the boy himself used all of the strength that he had left to pull himself up. Tsireya had swam over to the other side to help steady Neteyam. "Grab him," Lo'ak said to Spider, who climbed onto the back of the ilu to help Neteyam sit up. Speaking of which, the boy continued to gasp for breath as he shut his eyes closed, trying to lessen the pain he was in.

As Lo'ak and Tsireya helped a very weak Neteyam get onto the creature, Spider was at a loss. One of his best friends was in such a dire situation that he had no idea how to react. "Holy shit..." The human boy muttered, distracted for a few seconds until Lo'ak's goice brought him back to reality. "Hold him up," The young Sully brother said, and Spider did as told, grabbing onto Neteyam's shoulders from behind and pulling him back so that he sat up.

Tsireya's face was riddled with anguish as she felt tears brimming her eyes, her ears tipped back with fear, all the while breathing heavily while helping get a barely conscious Neteyam onto her ilu. As Lo'ak moved to sit in front of Neteyam and Spider sat behind the mortally injured boy, Tsireya helped the best she could by staying in the water to keep him upright, reassuring Neteyam with kind words.

"It's okay, bro. I got you," Lo'ak reassured his brother behind him, already beginning to command the ilu to ride forward. Lo'ak held Neteyam's arm over his shoulder while Tsireya stayed in the water, off the ilu, but hanging onto the side as the creature moved forward. There wasn't enough space for all 4 of them, but she continued to hang on. "Go, go, go!" Spider said, and Lo'ak complied by making the ilu go as quickly and fast as it possibly could.

Tsireya's eyes widened at a realization that just ocurred to her, that Lo'ak, Neteyam, and Spider still had no idea about. "They have Kiri and Tuk!" The princess pointed out, making Lo'ak's heart drop as he looked back at the ship while they continued to ride. They would go back for his sisters later, but Neteyam could not afford to wait to be tended to. "I can't go back," Lo'ak admitted, as much as it pained him at his sisters were still in the ship As the group continued to ride forward through the currents of water, Neteyam kept blinking in and out of consciousness erratically as he held his chest where the bullet shot penetrated and was now bleeding out from uncontrollably.

The sun was slowly beginning to set behind the plant that Pandora orbits, which means that the ecplise would happen soon. You and Jake still had no idea what the situation with Neteyam was. While you were taking care of remaining stragglers and spotting more enemies from the air, Jake could see Lo'ak, Tsireya, Neteyam, and Spider approaching him on an ilu. Jake saw their arrival and leaped off of his Skimwing onto a nearby rock. The ex-marine ran over to where his children were, waiting by the shores of the rocks. By what he could see, Neteyam didn't look so good.

Lo'ak saw his dad running over to them with distress painted all over his face when he was able to see closely enough what was happening. "Dad! Help! It's Neteyam!" Lo'ak called out as he led the ilu closer to the rock that his father was waiting on. Neteyam was breathing erratically with shallow inhales and exhales. "Hurry!" The princess urged. When being in closer proximity, Lo'ak, Tsireya, and Spider all got off the ilu, dismounting Neteyam from its saddle, and then proceeding to bring his body closer to the shore of the rocky surface. "Here, take him" Spider said, helping bring him down.

Jake approached the kids and kneeled down in front of them as the three of them, helping bring his son in closer. "It's Neteyam, he's hurt!" Lo'ak said, making Jake's eyes widen with shock and sudden pain for what his oldest son was enduring. Jake helped Spider get onto the rock as Tsireya and Lo'ak brought Neteyam closer to his father, who reached for them next. "Hurry! Please!" Lo'ak urged as his voice cracked slightly at the situation. It shattered his heart to see his brother like this. Part of Lo'ak knew he wouldn't make it through.

Lo'ak eventually moved to crouch next to his dad and Spider, helping them hold onto Neteyam's shoulders and pulling him back towards the rock surface and away from the choppy shores. Neteyam's eyes rolled to the back of his head as his eyes fluttered open, and then closed again.

The boy began to cough harshly, slowly losing his ability to breathe with each passing second. "Watch his head! Watch his head!" Lo'ak said as all of them helped lift Neteyam up. Tsireya was holding his legs, Lo'ak to his left side, Spider to his right, and Jake supporting his head and his back. "Come on!" Lo'ak continued, resisting the urge not to let all of his emotions spill out in that moment. He had to be strong and not buckle under fear. His brother had to make it through. He had to.

As Jake, Tsireya, Lo'ak, and Spider all found a spot to set down Neteyam, the said boy's breathing only got more erratic and he could only wheeze when attempting to steady his movements, but none of it was working. Neteyam wanted to accept his fate, but he couldn't, and that scared him. If these were his last moments, he knew the last thing he'd feel would be fear. "Just watch his head," Jake instructed to the kids as they lay down his son.

As Spider helped Jake find a flashlight, since the light around them was becoming limited, Lo'ak continued to comfort his older brother. "It's okay, bro. We got you," Lo'ak said, but the only response he got was Neteyam's shallow breaths mingled with harsh coughs. Jake flipped over Neteyam so that he was on his side while Spider flashed the light on his friends' back, and what they saw made Jake' blood run cold. There was an exit wound, and blood was pouring and spilling out without ceasing. "Oh, no," Jake muttered as Neteyam continued to cough and wheeze. The chances of him surviving weren't great, and Jake knew that.

Even if the chances were low, they could still do everything they could to keep Neteyam alive. "Pressure. Get pressure on it," Jake said, and Lo'ak immediately complied, putting his hands over his dad's. The sensation of the pressure being put on him only made Neteyam groan and gasp, gritting his teeth in agony.

"Dad, I...I can't die," Neteyam choked out, and what he said made Jake's heart shatter. His ears tipped back at his son's words, knowing that Neteyam was accepting his fate by now, but he was terrified to let go. "I'm here," Jake reassured his oldest son, not daring to let his hands leave the wound. At some point, it would be time to accept that their first born would be yours and Jake's first loss. Even now, he couldn't bring himself to accept it.

From above, you could see your family huddled around a figure, the closer you got, it was easier to see that it was Neteyam. You gasped and didn't care if there were more enemies out there to take care of, without a second thought, you guided Aio to quickly dive downwards and land on the rocky surface that Jake and your kids were in, with Tsireya and Spider.

Not even giving a chance for Aio to land, you leaped off, and ran over to kneel next to Lo'ak. "No, no, no, no," You muttered as tears started to brim in your eyes, grabbing your sons hand with both of yours while looking down at him. The way he looked up at you in a way that you knew that he was slowly giving up and letting go made your lips quiver and your breath start to quicken. No. Not your son. It can't be. "Mom, you're here," He choked out, and you nodded as tears slipped from your eyes.

Neteyam turned his head to look at his dad, gasping more frequently with groans as he felt himself shutting down. "I want to go home," He managed to say even through his erratic breathing and shallow voice. Jake nodded, not prepared for what was about to happen, but he did anyway and giving Neteyam the comfort and peace he deserved in his last moments. "I know, I know. We're going home. We will, I promise" Jake whispered as you cupped your sons face and cheek with your free hand.

Knowing he didn't have much time left, reality started to settle in, so Neteyam started to frantically look around and drag his gaze with wide eyes to everyone who was around him with fear and despair. "It's okay, it's okay," Jake whispered, cupping his sons face. He couldn't imagine what he must be feeling in that moment, and knowing that he'd just lose the ability to live at any moment now. It was earth-shattering and gut-wrenching thought.

"Dad, Mom. I lo..." Neteyam started, but his life was ended for him. Soon after beginning to speak, Neteyam's eyes bright and amber eyes, once full of life, dilated. His pupils grew wide and his face shuddered while giving out his last breath . From still having a hand on his chest, Lo'ak and Jake felt his body deflate and stop thrashing to breathe and survive. The moment hadn't quite sunk in when Neteyam stopped talking, but your words got caught in your throat when even beginning to try and speak.

"Neteyam..." You whispered, deep in denial and still expecting a response deep in the back of your mind. Your ears tipped back as you breathed heavily and your hands tightened around his now lifeless and limp ones. Jake sighed and closed his eyes shut as tears threatened to fall, all the while Lo'ak shook his head in disbelief. His brother. His best friend.

You scooted closer to your son, placing your hand against his cheek again, inspecting his face. When the realization dawned on you, a choked sob left your lips. "No, no, no..." You muttered, shaking him slightly for any sort of beacon of hope, but nothing. You needed something, anything to give you hope. You moved your head to lay against his chest, looking for a heartbeat, but what you had was much more disappointing than before. You felt like daggers were piercing you over and over as you quickly came to the harsh reality. Your first born, your oldest son, your baby. The boy who started your family with Jake, was now gone.

"NETEYAM!" You screamed, followed by a blood curling and prolonged gut-wrenching scream. Jake immediately pulled you into his arms as your cheek pressed against his chest. You continued to sob uncontrollably with tears and yells of agony escaping you relentlessly. "My son, no!" You sobbed, pulling away from Jake's hold to cup both of your hands on his youthful cheeks. "Neteyam! No, Great Mother, I beg you...please! Not my son! Great Mother! No!" You cried, begging Eywa to help you, and moving your head down to rest it against Neteyam's Jake moved his hand to rest against the top of his son's head, rubbing his forehead with his thumb with a shuddering breath.

Lo'ak hung his head down and gritted his teeth, holding back the sobs he wanted to so badly release. He looked down at his blood stained hands from holding onto his brother's wound and putting pressure on it. He quite literally had his brother's blood on his hands.

Lo'ak could still hear your screams as you held onto his brother's head, cradling it against yours as Jake wrapped an arm around you and another around his son, holding both of you close. "NO!" You sobbed, rocking back and forth with Neteyam's lifeless body against you. "My son!" You yelled, dreading how awful and devastating it was to not being able to hear his heartbeat anymore, or know he was breathing. All of that vanished and wafted into the air.

"My baby....Neteyam..." You muttered, as quiet sobs escaped your lips, feeling Jake press a kiss against the top of your head. He was trying to be strong for the both of you and the rest of the family. He couldn't afford to grieve with Quaritch still out there, waiting for Jake to turn himself in. Grieving could wait, but putting an end to this could not. He had a job to do.

Tsireya has tears streaming down her eyes, closing them shut tightly. She considered Neteyam to be a close friend of hers even if they had only known each other for a few weeks. She enjoyed teaching him and Lo'ak about breathing techniques, the ways of the Metkayina, and growing a bond. As for Spider, he was breathing heavily and he gaped as tears fell down his cheeks with pain. He had known Neteyam since they were kids, and considered him and Lo'ak the brothers he never had. He couldn't believe how any of this had come to such an extent. Someone as pure as Neteyam didn't deserve to have their life stolen like that.

Even if he knew that he had to jump into action soon enough and that this mission was not over, Jake felt like his insides were numb. All of him did. He stared off into space, replaying and reliving his son's death over and over in his head, and couldn't help but start to block everything out. He felt much like when Grace died, but this felt a thousand times worse. He felt like he lost a part of himself that could never be recovered. If he wanted to keep the rest of his children and wife safe, he needed to deal with Quaritch and it had to be now.

All of a sudden, Jake started to hear that dreaded voice through his in-ear pieces. The same ones that were taken from Lo'ak. Quaritch was speaking to Jake now, taunting him to turn himself in. "Can you hear me, Corporal?" Quaritch started as Jake stared off into space, with anger boiling inside of him at the mere sound of the Colonel's voice. "Yeah, I think you can" Quaritch continued, and your husband couldn't help but have his face contort into one of fear, hatred, and silent rage.

What the Colonel said next made Jake's heart drop. "I got your daughters," Quaritch said, prompting Jake to snap his head back to look at the sinking ship that Kiri and Tuk were apparently still being held hostage in. "Same deal as before. You, for them," Quaritch menaced. Jake let out a shaky and shuddering breath as he turned to look at Lo'ak numbly.

"Where are your sisters?" Jake asked with his eyes lidded and bloodshot gaze. Lo'ak looked up at his dad and gulped nervously at what was being asked of him "What?" Lo'ak muttered, giving Jake all the confirmation he needed. "Your sisters! Where are they?!" Jake asked with more urgency and distress. You only continued to sob and wail, all as Tsireya stayed closed to you for comfort. Lo'ak stuttered when trying to answer, and his mind was clouded.

"I don't know," Lo'ak said, but it only brought more fear onto his dad. "Where are they?" He yelled, with a few of his words getting caught up in his throat. Tsireya knew Lo'ak would have a hard time answering, so she took it upon herself to tell Jake where Kiri and Tuk were. "On the ship. They're tied up on the ship" Tsireya said as her voice shaked, more tears streaming down her cheeks and face.

Spider turned to Jake, remembering exactly where it was that he saw Kiri and Tuk last. "They're at the moon pool. O-On the well deck, amidships," The boy continued, but Jake shook his head slightly and closed his eyes, having a hard time processing information right now. "What?" Jake asked, trying to put all of his focus on getting his daughters back and deciding to grieve later. He was a soldier and a father. He needed to put the situation aside for a moment and focus on the situation now.

"Just- Come on, I'll show you," Spider said, standing up, grabbing Jake's forearm, and bringing him to stand up. The human boy began to drag him over to the shore so he could show him the way, but Jake stopped in his tracks when he started hearing the Colonel's voice through the coms again. "Talk to me, Corporal. I need an answer Jake, or there will be consequences," Quaritch said, walking through the deck with his comrades in tow.

"Yeah, I hear you" Jake breathed out, pressing down on the buttons of his coms, but then releasing them and proceeding to walk over to your side. While Spider looked up at the sky, he saw that that sun was hiding more and more behind the planet that Pandora orbits. The ecplise would happen soon, which meant that it would soon turn to complete darkness.

You could barely notice Jake's presencd as he knelt down beside you, placing a hand on your shoulder while you continued to cry. You had your face buried in your palms. Your husband tugged gently on your arms, forcing your hands to fall from your face, but you still had your gaze locked onto the ground. "Come on, we have to go. Let's go," Jake whispered gently to you, but you were blinded by agony and misery that everything he said went in one ear, and out the other. He didn't blame you at all.

"Listen to me, listen to me..." Jake hushed as he brought your gaze upwards to look at him by placing a hand on your jaw, lifting your head. Cried and wails still left your lips, and Jake's heart plummeted with every whimper and cry that you let out. It was painful to no end, but as much as they would like to grieve, their job wasn't over yet until they got their daughters back and they killed Quaritch.

"Y/n, my love, listen to me, please..." Jake begged while cupping your face, forcing you to look him straight in eye. Your gaze and eyes were completely bloodshot and tear-riddended. You hiccuped and sniffled when attempting to let your cried cease as best as you could, while knowing that he had something to say.

"They have our daughters, okay? They have our daughters," Jake repeated, and his words made you slowly stop crying and look at him with nothing but emptiness. He moved his other hand to cup the other side of your face, rubbing away your stray tears with his thumb while you whimpered trying to cold back incoming sobs.

You were breathing heavily, looking at Jake with half lidded eyes that were once so full of light before today, but now, he looked into those beautiful eyes that he fell in love with and all he could see was sorrow and desolation. Jake would always take it upon himself to take your pain and endure all of that pain and burden on his shoulders when it came to you. He wouldn't ever hesitate to help you get back on your feet when all hope seemed to diminish, and now, this was obviously one of those times that he would he willing to shoulder your suffering to help you keep moving forward.

"I need you with me, Y/n," Jake whispered, seeing your eyes dart to lock onto his. No matter how much he was hurting inside, or how it broke him to see you so lost, he looked at you with an expression that masked how he was feeling, so he could get you back on your feet to get through this together, as a family. "And I need you to be strong. Right now. Strong heart," Jake said, redirecting the words you said when you first met in the forest.

"Strong heart," Jake whispered, keeping your words close to him, even after 15 years. He never, ever forgot them. A few seconds passed and your resolve started to bubble up inside you. With half lidded and bloodshot eyes, along with a tired but venomous look in your face, you breathed in through your nose as Jake rubbed his thumb against your cheekbone.

Without looking away from your husband's gaze, your hand moved down and your fingers curled around your father's bow. You lifted it off the ground as you stood up, with Jake moving to get on his feet as well. You held it by your side, panting softly as Jake moved his hands to grab your arms. "Let's go get our daughters," Jake whispered, and without another word, you turned around and began walking towards Aio. Your face contorted into one of pure rage and anger bubbling inside every fiber of your being. You were breathing heavily, but this time it wasn't because of crying; it was more for revenge.

Jake watched as you walked towards your Ikran in complete and deadly silence, grabbing your braid, and bringing it forward to connect your queue with Aio. The moment the tendrils made contact, your Ikran hissed at the sensation of your frustration and need for vengeance brewing inside. You mounted Aio, holding your bow close, and then finally soared for the skies as your Ikran screeched.

Jake watched you go, and then sighed, turning to look at Lo'ak who was already looking on expectantly for his father, but Jake's words made his guily and shame plummet. "Stay with your brother," Jake said breathlessly, about to turn around to meet with Spider who was waiting still, but Lo'ak immediately stood up. "Dad, I want to go with you," Lo'ak pleaded, but Jake shook his head and looked away.

"You've done enough..." Jake muttered, beginning to walk away to where Spider was waiting. Lo'ak felt like he was punched in the gut at his father's words. Things were being said in the heat of the moment, that he hoped were unintentional words of grief. "No, dad..." Lo'ak's voice broke, watching his dad walk away and go straight into battle.

Meanwhile, Quaritch was looking through the lens attached to his rifle, watching as Jake and Spider left the rock and headed towards the ex-marine's ilu. Lyle and his other comrades were on standby as well with their weapons. Seeing that Jake was complying, Quaritch raised his arm and fist in the air. "Hold your fire!" The Colonel yelled out to his subordinates.

"Let's go," Spider said as he sat in front of Jake while your husband attached his queue to the Skimwing, and not even a few seconds later, the human boy and your mate were headed underwater straight back towards the ship. Quaritch saw this happen and smirked with satisfaction. "He's coming," The Colonel said to his soldiers, knowing that Jake was on his way.

Underwater, Jake had already settled into the saddle but was waiting for Spider to let him know that he was hanging on. "I'm good. Go, go!" Spider confirmed, and with that, Jake commanded his Skimwing to start moving forward through the now dark waters. Ecplise was really making it hard to see, so their only source of light was the fire's flames above the surface in some parts of the sinking ship.

Knowing that Jake was coming, Quaritch rounded up his comrades so they all stood before him. "Let's get this guy. It's what we came here for," Quaritch said, prompting for the remaining Avatar soldiers, as well ws human ones, to nod in agreement. Not only did they have to prepare for Jake, but also, look out for your appearance in battle. The Colonel knew you were a tough opponent, considering you effortlessly killed him in his last life.

When reaching the sinking SeaDragon, Jake moved his Skimwing to come up to the surface. When lifting his head above the water, Jake inhaled at the lack of air but quickly turned to his side and grabbed a spear that was stabbed right through a boat. He removed it, adjusted it in his grasp and then continued on his way to get closer to the ship with Spider behind him.

When Jake left, Lo'ak was left with Tsireya and his brother's body. He looked off into space for a few seconds before coming to a decision. He didn't care if his father didn't want him to be there, but needed to do something or he'd feel guilt gnaw at him for the rest of his life. Lo'ak turned to Tsireya, placing a hand against her cheek. "Stay with him" Lo'ak said before quickly running off into the water. Tsireya's eyes widened and barely had any time to register the boy leaving, so she couldn't even stop him. "Lo'ak, no!" The girl called out.

On the top deck of the SeaDragon, soldiers were beginning to scatter everywhere. "Heads on the swivel, guys," One of the soldiers said to the others while everyone ran to their respective positions. Human soldiers held their rifles and guns aimed, while others positioned themselves in the gunner machines attached to the railing of the ship. It was all eerily quiet for a few moments, no one made a single move or noise, but they knew someone was watching. And they were right. These soldiers were oblivious to the fact that you were preying on them from above, rage coursing through you.

Eventually, Jake and Spider arrived on one of the ramps of the ship that was now somewhat sunk, so they were able to leave the Skimwing and start swimming up to the platform. When reaching the closest shallowest part of the platform, Jake lifted his head partially from above the water, leaving only his eyes and top part of his head to be seen as he scanned the area. He held his spear close, and soon, Spider also lifted his head from the water next to Jake.

Jake lifted his head a bit more from the water so now his entire head was above the surface, but he still layed low. Waiting for a few seconds, the man turned to Spider and nodded with confirmation. "Go," Jake said simply while getting out of the water and start walking up the ramp, and Spider understood instantly. Following directly after Jake, the human boy crawled up the platform of the ship and stayed close to the ex-marine beside him.

When getting closer to a stepping platform that led up to the top deck, Jake stopped, placed his large spear over it, and then helped to pick up Spider so that he could get up to the deck first. As soon as the human boy made his way up, Jake lifted himself shortly after, letting Spider lead the way. Turns out that the ramp platform they crawled up through led them to stand inside one of the damaged turbines of the ship. The two of them started making their way through it, with as much discretion as possible.

"Where are they?" Jake asked, following after Spider since not only did he know where his daughters were, but he probably knew the ship a lot more since he spent a lot of time here as a captive. "The middle deck, where they lost their subs. There's like a pool in the center. They're at the fort railing. I saw them earlier," Spider replied, earning a nod from Jake as the two crossed the turbine tunnel and began to check what direction they could go to next.

When jumping off, Jake noticed that Spider did the same, ready to follow after the ex-marine, but Jake was quick to stop Spider. The man knew that things would turn south soon, and he needed Spider to stay safe for now. He had already done more than enough for bringing Jake here in the first place, and that was big. "No, no. Stay here," Jake said quietly, and Spider looked at the man in front of him with confusion. The human boy complied either way and stayed behind while Jake made his way around the ship's turbines with large flames of fire still brewing in every corner he turned.

While walking stealthily, Jake came upon a rather big piece of metal that he could hid behind as he thought of what to do next. Jake placed his hand on top of it and lifted his head slightly above the piece of metal to see what was waiting for him on the other side of it. All of a sudden, your husband started hearing Quaritch's voice again through the coms. "Talk to me, Corporal.  The ship is going down and your girls with it," Quaritch started, trying to incite fear in Jake, making Kiri and Tuk's head turn to look at the Colonel with frightened expressions, with wrists still tied to the ship.

Quaritch paused for a few moments before continuing to speak, wanting both the girls and Jake to hear his next words. "Your boy didn't have to die," The Colonel said coldly, making Tuk and Kiri widen their eyes in dread and shock. The realization the one of their brothers was dead dawned on the girls and they had no idea which. "You brought that on yourself," Quaritch continued all the while Jake was continuing to make his way through the ship.

After crawling stealthily through every corner he could find, completely going unnoticed, the man made his way towards a small opening which made him realize that he was on the roof of the ship, and just below him, was the deck of the moon pool where his girls were tied in. Jake leaned down slightly and just as he expected, Quaritch was there with many other soldiers around him on standby with guns and weaponry, both humans and Avatars alike.

"You thought you could keep your family safe and protect them, but you can't," Quaritch continued, not knowing that Jake was right around the corner. As Kiri and Tuk continued to hear the Colonel speak, now knowing that one of their brothers was dead, it only made their hearts sink. Kiri was breathing heavily as tears began to build up in her eyes, while Tuk had a sad look on her face that was mingled with anger and determination, not doubting her dad for even one second. She knew he was coming at any moment now, and this man would eventually get what he deserved.

"Only one way to keep em' safe" Quaritch said, unbeknownst to the fact that Jake was already making his way closer and closer. Your husband had already made his way down and was crawling through a small opening that lead directly to the moon pool, and he was forced to listen to everything Quaritch was saying to try and get him to give up. Jake breathed heavily, looking through an opening to seeing the soldiers that were waiting for him the moment he stepped out. He had to be smart about this. "Now, let's get this over with before you lose another kid," The Colonel threatened.

Jake turned his head to the side and quickly noticed that there were missiles still stocked right beside him, which have yet to be be launched. He suddenly came up with an idea that would give him the opening and distraction he was looking for. Jake searched in his military vest for a few seconds before pulling out a small hand grenade from one of the pockets. Getting ready to run, Jake pulled the pin, quickly placed the bomb inside the missile compartment and ran the other way.

Upon reaching the place that Spider was still waiting in, Jake slid down the ramp and yelled out to the boy as warning. "Get down!" Jake yelled, and Spider did not hesitate in following after the man and hiding behind a turbine nearby. From the order, it was clear an explosion was about to happen, so he stayed out of the line of fire as best as he could.

Not even a few seconds later, the grenade went off, ricocheting with the missiles which caused them to explode too. The impact was so great that it made many soldiers fall back because of the impact, and many were caught up in it. Quaritch was also close to the explosion, which made him, Kiri, Tuk and other soldiers stumble and fall down a bit. Because of the destruction, many pieces and fragments of the ship that caught on fire were now falling from the air and landed directly on soldiers who were trying to get away in the emergency rafts.

Kiri and Tuk had a feeling that the explosion was their dad's doing, but still, the impact frightened them to unmeasurable levels. Not only that, but that impact might've caused the sinking process to accelerate. Even so, when all soldiers started to scatter in panic, Jake took this as his opportunity to run straight into action. He couldn't waste this chance. The top of the SeaDragon was in flames at this point, making many soldiers resort to leaving, but many stayed and continued Quaritch's orders.

Avatar soldiers and humans in robotic suits stayed alert as they yelled out orders to each other, running around the top decks, salvaging the bodies that were caught in the explosion. One man in a robotic suit was beginning to draf away one of his comrades away from the fire, and that man was screaming in agony because his entire leg had caught on fire and he was trying to put it out. One of Quaritch's Avatar soldiers was dragging back a body from a man that was already dead, but still salvaged it.

The smoke and fumes from the flames gave Jake the perfect opportunity to come in unnoticed. The ex-marine came from the shadows, with his spear raised high, and leaped straight towards the nearest soldier, stabbing the man directly through his chest with a war cry. Upon noticing his presence, many other man started to approach Jake but he was quicker. Your husband saw one of Quaritch's Avatar soldiers approach him, so Jake immediately imapled the man straight through his chest and left the spear there as the man choked and breathed for air. As a second weapon, Jake whipped out his rifle and started shooting at every other soldier that was attacking him. He recieved gunfire, but Jake was quick enough to get some cover.

A female Avatar yelled out as she attempted to shoot Jake, but your timing couldn't have been better. You flew over the deck Jake was in and leaped off of Aio, used the railing to give you impulse to do a somersault and to land on one knee, aimed your arrow and shot at the Avatar woman that was shooting at your husband, with the arrow landing on her waist. The woman cried out in pain as she fell down and more soldiers started to come at you.

You stabbed and slit the throat of a soldier coming your way, and you used the sharp end of your bow to do it, killing him instantly. Moving onto the next, you saw another man in your way so you immediately imapled him with one of your arrows, lifted him off the ground to use the man's body as a human shield, right as the Avatar woman you shot began to stand up again. Before the female Avatar could shoot, in a blink of an eye, you aimed your bow and shot an arrow directly between her eyes.

In her last moments, the woman shot a few bullets, but not many that could reach you until she finally died and her body fell to the floor. You walked over to the woman's body, pulled out your arrow and looked down at her with a sneer. You were nothing but clouded with rage right now, not thinking about anything else before heading straight for your daughters.

Kiri and Tuk looked at each other, knowing that there was quite the commotion outside the moon pool. They watched as Quaritch pressed on his coms and communicated with those who were still alive. "Who's down? Zdinarsik, do you copy?" The Colonel asked hurriedly, but he recieved no response on the other end. "Prague, do you read?" He asked again, but still, there was nothing but silence on his end.

Jake noticed your arrival, and before getting to you, he searched the area and realized that they had taken them all out. "Clear," Jake said as he moved to stand by your side, still holding onto his rifle if anyone were to appear. You and Jake looked at each other with a wordless nod, going your separate ways. While Jake took one side of the deck's ridge, you took the other and continued to shoot at anything and anyone.

The moment Jake appeared in the line of sight of the soldiers below the ridge he was standing on, they all turned their guns upwards, sending a barrage of bullets his way. "Look up!" One soldier yelled out, all shooting at once but Jake was stealthy enough to move through the platform unscathed. When running through the ridge, Jake encountered a man with a gun raised at him, so he grabbed the soldier and threw him over the edge with no hesitation.

As for your side, you were getting closer to the moon pool but still had a lot of bullets to dodge. You ran across the ledge and ducked as Quaritch spotted you and began to send bullets upon bullets your way. Many soldiers began to shoot the same direction, knowing that you were there, but you still avoided all of them. As they continued to shoot, you slid down on your side on a vacant submarine that wasn't used.

Because you had left their sight, all soldiers stopped shooting and began to follow after you. "After her! Forward!" One of the me yelled out as they all started to go in the direction you went to. Meanwhile, you had found another opening in the during that time and were taking care of other enemies. You shot a man that was in your way directly in his chest with a cry, and then quickly moving onto the next.

As they all started to look for you, you had already made your way around the ridge and did a sneak attack, by leaping in from around the corner with a war cry and directly shooting a man with your arrow from behind. After that, you quickly were met with Lyle right in front of you, so before he could react, you hit Quaritch's second in command square in the face with the edge of your bow, making him miss the shots he tried to make. You hit him again, making sure he stayed down. Feeling someone creeping up behind your back, you turned around and shot another arrow, killing the soldier that was coming uo behind you.

You quickly took cover after that, hiding behind an empty Crab Suit, seeing in the corner of your eye that there was another soldier coming. You were about to wait until he got closer, but Jake beat you to it and he shot the man from behind. Watching as Jake left to go further inside the ship, you walked over the human's lifeless body, and mercilessly pulled out your arrow with a sneer. You and Jake continued to take out soldiers everywhere, sometimes together, and the individually.

Upon seeing another group of soldiers on standby, you raised your arrow and shot a human right through his body. As if on cue, Jake came in and took care of the other human that was left throwing him onto the Avatar soldier that had appeared on the scene. Jake was about to shoot, but then realized he was out of ammo, so he panicked, put his gun away, and found a place to hide while more bullets were shot at him. Knowing that there was someone coming to where he was, he turned around and threw his rifle directly at a human soldier's face, knocking him out.

Jake saw as more humans on robotic suits began to move towards him, all the while you were still running away from Quaritch's relentless attacks. Kiri and Tuk could see you through the shadows, hoping you'd be okay. But, they sighed in relief when Quaritch stopped shooting and they realized that he had run out of ammo, giving you a chance to escape and regroup with Jake. While Colonel tried to find another Cartridge, Jake was still taking care of human soldiers in robotic suits.

He had been fighting one, slicing the man's neck with his hatchet, and then kicking him so the soldier fell down the opened hatch that lead to the inside of the ship. Jake turned around and proceeded to take care of whoever came at him next, fighting anyone necessary in order to get to his daughters. He also needed to know if you were okay. He hadn't seen you ever since you split to different ways a few minutes ago.

Realizing he had no more ammo, Quaritch scowled, pulling out his razor-sharp knife from his holster around his waist. He kept a close lookout, realizing that more and more of his soldiers were being taken out, and it would soon be narrowed down to him, you, and Jake.

After killing yet again another one of the enemy soldiers, you walked over to the body and began to pull out the arrow, but this one was really nudged it, so you used all of your strength to try and remove it. Unbeknownst to you, Lyle had gotten back his consciousness and began to reload bullets onto his rifle.

The sound of the gun cocking made your ears tipped back and twitched while you gasped, then turning to see that the man you had knocked unconscious was getting back up. You scowled while notching another arrow and immediately aiming it at him. Before shooting, Jake suddenly appeared on the scene and began fighting Lyle with his hatchet.

As you kept your arrow aimed forward, your heart wrenched with anxiety at seeing your husband take on this Avatar soldier by himself. "Ma Jake!" You yelled out, watching as Lyle punched Jake in the face with his gun but your mate returned it back to the Avatar soldier with a punch squade in his face. The impact of the punch sent Jake's hatchet flying somewhere else, leaving him defenseless. As the two men continued to fight, you felt footsteps behind you, so you turned to see a human approach.

He was coming around the corner right in front of Kiri and Tuk, so with extreme precision, you let your arrow go and it hit the human right in his chest. Quaritch just so happened to be hiding right beside the soldier that snuck up on you, so when he fell dead, the Colonel turned his head to see the black and white tipped arrows right in front of him, on the fallen soldier. Quaritch's face paled and his eyes widened at the sight of your weapon.

"It's mom!" Tuk said excitedly, recognizing your arrows from a mile away, with Kiri sharing a small smile of relief with her sister. Your little girl had all of her faith in you and Jake, and Kiri did as well. The two girls did not have a single doubt in their minds that Quaritch would be facing the wrath of their parents in no time. They'd be taking down a ship full of soldiers just for Kiri and Tuk, and they'd do it a million times over if they had to.

Jake continued to fight Lyle, and at some point, he had snatched the Avatar's weapon from his hands and knocked Lyle in the head with the butt of the weapon. With Lyle disoriented, Jake took this as his chance to wrap the strap of the gun around Lyle's arms and neck, and then throwing him off the edge. Lyle didn't hit the water at first, and because of the height, the second in command landed harshly on the ship's base with a loud thud and then rolled off into the water, unconscious.

Kiri had noticed the way Quaritch's face had complete changed at the sight of your arrow. Her face contorted into a bound expression, full of resolve. "That's right. They're coming for you!" Kiri menaced, and Quaritch turned around to face the two girls with a hiss, trying to intimidate them. But, he must not have known who these girls were. Tuk returned Quaritch's hiss with one of her own. The 8-year-old Sully, bared her baby teeth and fangs as her ears tipped back and her eyes narrowed. Tuk's nose scrunched up as she hissed, showing that she was not afraid of Quaritch.

Seeing that there was a group of soldiers coming together through the ledge, like in safe in numbers, you were running on the ridge on top of them and attacked them by surprise. You yelled and leaped from above, landing on one of the men, knocking his head into the ground hard enough to kill him, and the swung your bow around another human soldier that was approaching you from that same group.

After that, you turned around to another human, pulled out your dagger and stabbed the man in his abdomen. You lifted the screaming man from the ground, used our bow to crack his neck, and then discarded him somewhere, knocking his body into another soldiers'. To make sure they were dead, you grabbed your dagger and stabbed both men. Unknowingly, Spider had come down an emergency ladder, landing right behind a wall that hid him away from the action, but he could clearly see how ruthlessly you were killing these men.

Once you finished off the man in your grasp, you turned around and narrowed your eyes with venom in your gaze to see another soldier creeping up behind you. You grabbed him and forced his body onto the ground, screaming into his face with rage and anger. You seethed and sneered in the soldier's face before stabbing your dagger deeply onto his chest and abdomen. When he was dead, you hissed and screamed in his lifeless face, breathing heavily.

Spider watched from behind the wall with a horrified expression. He knew you were ruthless, but nothing like this. It made sense, and you were grieiving, completely blinded by the anger you were feeling. Especially at these people for contributing to the death of your son. Still, It scared Spider to see you like that. He would never, ever, want to be on the recieving end of your wrath and rage.

Crouching away from the man you just killed, you screamed and yelled as your tail swished furiously to match your emotions. Your ears were tipped all the way back while you held your dagger in one hand and used your other hand to stay on the ground, on one knee. Spider peeked from the corner, and then hid again, breathing heavily. He didn't want to be found when you were like this and would kill anything or anyone that breathed.

You were so worked up that it was hard not to feel like you had electricity or anything of the sort running through your veins. You were so caught up in the moment of wanting to grieve for your son, that the need for vengeance was inevitable to appear. Your breath slowly started to even once reality set in once again and you walked over to grab your bow. When you turned to look at it, your eyes softened when your eyes landed on the outer rim.

There was a piece of it dangling, rendering it useless. This was your father's bow, and it has lasted you this long. It was made from the wood of Hometree, which was now in ruins. Your heart sunk as you breathed out and you let your bow land to your side, still in your grip. It probably broke the moment you used it to crack that man's neck.

Once again, you were blind to what you were doing just then, and now, this was the outcome of it. You didn't have time to think about the bow, but rather getting to your daughters. The worries for its repair can come later, and hopefully after this if they all make it out alive. Spider watched as you went from rage to noticeable sadness upon your features, and his face quickly morphed into one of sympathy. Sure, you looked scary and were driven by revenge, but it was completely justifiable and he understood in all possible ways.

Seeing that there were no more enemies to take care of in his vicinity, Jake took this chance and opportunity to race straight towards his daughters. He grabbed his hatchet, and when he got there, he only saw Tuk attached to the railing. He could've sworn that Kiri was here, too. The moment Tuk saw her dad approaching, her eyes widened and started scooting closer on her knees. "Dad, dad!" Tuk whispered, watching as her father approached.

"Shh..." Jake hushed his daughter and approached her with his knife, not wasting another second to set her free. When Tuk was free and she was able to stand up, Jake grabbed ahold of her shoulders gently. "Where's your sister? Where is she? Where is she?" Jake asked frantically, to her visibly tired daughter.

"That way, that way," Tuk panted tiredly, pointing over to where she saw her sister being taken away by Quaritch. Jake nodded and stood up. "Alright. Stay behind me," He said, and Tuk nodded, staying close enough behind her dad. Jake walked forward a bit more, and what he saw next made his blood boil.

There he was. Quaritch came around the corner holding Kiri with a knife to her throat. Jake sneered as his ears tipped back, hissing subtly under his breath. Quaritch had a smug look on his face that only angered Jake more. Tuk's eyes widened at the state her sister was in. "Kiri!" She exclaimed, tempted to rush in and save her, but Jake put a hand in front of her to prevent Tuk from coming forward.

"Running out of time here, Corporal. You already lost one kid today. You really want to lose another?" Quaritch taunted, making Jake sneer and come forward with his knife, but it only made the Colonel press the dagger against Kiri's neck with more force. The girl hissed and groaned with pain, feeling blood trickle down her neck. "Do not test me!" Quaritch seethed, making Jake step back with a hiss, still holding onto his knife, finding a chance to kill him.

"Just kill him, dad!" Kiri yelled out, groaning slightly at Quaritch pressing the dagger more onto her neck. She didn't care if she died, all as long as the person responsible for her brother's death was killed and taken out. Lo'ak or Neteyam, they both deserved justice. Neither girls knew which one of their brothers were the ones killed, but they needed to be avenged.

"Kiri!" Tuk called out with worry, darting her eyes between her dad and her sister. Jake's hand that held his dagger shaked with anxiety, and he didn't know what to do to get out of this situation. "Weapons down," Quaritch ordered calmly, and a bit too calmly at that. "No! Don't do it!" Kiri urged, not wanting him to follow the Colonel's orders, but he had no choice.

"Down!" Quaritch yelled, and Jake had no reason but leave his pride behind and follow the man's orders. Jake reluctantly put his knife and hatchet on the ground, but that wasn't enough for the Colonel. "Kick them away," Quaritch said, and Jake paused, which did not make the Colonel happy. "Do it!" The man yelled, making Jake do as told. While this happened, Spider was coming around and hid behind a pillar, watching this happen. He saw Kiri being held with a knife to her throat, and his eyes widened. He had to get to her.

"No..." Kiri muttered, closing her eyes and feeling defeat start to settle in. Quaritch used his free hand to grab something behind him, pulling out the same cuffs that were attached to Kiri and Tuk, and then throwing them in front of Jake. "Cuff yourself," Quaritch ordered, but before Jake could do anything, Spider came from around the corner. He needed to convince the Colonel to let Kiri go. If something happened to her and he could've somehow stopped it, he would never forgive himself.

"No! No! Don't hurt her, okay? Don't!" Spider said, running towards Quaritch, but the Colonel would not let him come closer. "Stay there! Don't move. Not a step" The man bellowed, making the boy stop in his tracks. Meanwhile, you had arrived towards the place everyone was, stalking in a crouched position, and having Spider as your target. Sort of like a trump card to get your daughters back.

"Handcuffs on! Now!" Quaritch demanded, and Jake grabbed them with a defeated expression, not believing this is how things were going. "Oh, you son of a bitch!" Jake said, putting the cuffs around one of his wrists. Spider was continuing to beg and plead for Quaritch to let Kiri go, completely unaware of the fact that you were sneaking up on him.

Soon enough, you ran in unnoticed and grabbed onto Spider from the back of his head, putting your dagger against his throat and most vital veins. You had an unbothered and empty expression on your face, drained and devoid of anything at the moment. Quaritch turned around to look at you with Kiri still in his grasp, pretending not to be intimidated by you, but if anything, he felt fear down to every fiber of his being just seeing how nonchalant you were being in a situation like this.

"Release, or I'll cut," You hissed, staring at Quaritch with indifference. Spider looked with fear from the man who's supposed to be his dad and then back at you. Quaritch tried to seem like he didn't care, but he wasn't fooling anybody. "What, you think I care about some kid? He's not mine," Quaritch said, but you could see clear as day that his body language said otherwise. "We're not even the same species," The man continued, somehow forgetting that he was human once too.

"J-Just please! Please don't hurt her, don't hurt her. Just please, let her go," Spider pleaded, and he could slowly see the Colonel's resolve starting to fade. "Please, listen to me. Let her go, don't hurt her. Leave her out of this" Spider continued, noticing how Quaritch's face scrunched up in annoyance on what to do.

"Don't!" Tuk exclaimed behind her father, not wanting to see either Kiri or Spider be killed. "Mom, don't kill him!" Kiri intervened, but it only made Quaritch press the knife more onto her neck. Kiri held back a wince, but it was hard to not notice more blood trickling down.

"A son for a son" You seethed venomously, hearing Spider continue to plead for Kiri's life while Quaritch grinded his teeth, feelinf his resolve diminish with every passing second. He had come to care for Spider, and he couldn't pretend he didn't appreciate him as his son. Giving him a silent ultimatum, you moved your dagger from Spider's neck and sliced his chest, making him cry out in absolute pain. "I cut..." You whispered, threatening to do it again.

"Do not test me," You repeated Quaritch's same words from before, throwing them right back at him. "Please just let her go, okay?" Spider begged, seeing Quaritch slowly starting to break. As a last resort, you raised your dagger up and prepared to bring down with a yell, and that was what broke the Colonel.

"No!" Quaritch yelled out, removing the knife from Kiri's neck, holding onto her braid, and holding the knife up in the air just like you were doing for Spider. There was eerie silence for a few seconds as you glared at Quaritch. Eventually, the Colonel let go of Kiri and let her drop to the floor. The girl quickly went to stand beside her father, while you still held Spider in your grasp, glaring at Quaritch. "Kiri, Kiri..." Tuk said, whispering to her sister for safety.

Quaritch looked at you expectantly, waiting for you to drop Spider. Before doing so, you looked over to see if your daughter was close enough to Jake and Tuk, and that's when you let Spider go right behind you. "Spider!" Kiri said while her and Tuk ran straight towards him, helping up the human boy. When his family was reunited, Jake stood in front of you and the kids with a defensive stance holding his knife in front of him and then turning back to check if everyone was there and in one piece.

"Spider, get them out of here!" Jake asked the boy to take his daughters to safety. The three kids were standing on the ramp that was slowly sinking with water. "Come on," Spider said, turning to Kiri and Tuk to guide them away.

Quaritch turned his eyes from Spider to look at you. "I owe you a death," The Colonel said, pointing at you. In return, you hissed with menace, and then suddenly feeling Tuk start to tug on your arm. Your little girl was scared for you, wanting you to go back with them.

"Mama, mama...please! Mama!" Tuk begged, but you didn't want her to see you like this anymore. You kept your gaze straight forward, glaring at the Colonel that brought so much suffering into your life. Took everything from you. You looked down at Tuk momentarily, placing a hand against your daughters cheek, and then looking back up to see your husband. You and the kids were slowly starting to walk backwards onto the water, along with Jake who stayed in front in case Quaritch attacked.

"You're not leaving, are you Jake?" Quaritch taunted. "You know when I'm out there, knowing that I'll never stop. I'm coming for you and I'll kill your whole family," Quaritch threatened, watching the family back up into the water. Spider heard this and he felt all of his respect he had built up for Quaritch vanished into the air. When the kids were in the water, Kiri looked at her father with worry and concern. "Dad!" She called out to him.

A few seconds passed where your husband stayed completely silent, but then finally spoke up. "Then let's get it done," Jake said simply, lunging directly at Quaritch and beginning their fight.

-

It took me ages to finish this because of school :( But I did it! I'm a bit behind schedule because of final projects but I swear I finally have it all figured out. Turns out that if I made this the last chapter, then itll be way too long, so chapter 20 will be the last!

After this chapter, I'll post chapter 20 this Thursday, and then the epilogue ending on Friday or Saturday. I'll post the alternate ending next Monday. It kind of lands right at the same time as the beginning of posting of 'Your Existence' so I'm working that out.

As soon as this book is done by around the end of next week, I'll keep you guys posted on the start of updates for 'Your Existence', but most likely on the coming Tuesday or Wednesday! <3

Also, I wanted to point out the fact that as soon as book 1 and 2, Im going to start revising both of them. I run them through grammarly, but I still want to improve the chapters already up <3

-