all things between || Avatar Universe

25 - All Things Between

As soon as Neteyam's eyes met his younger brother's, he felt relief, like a breath of fresh air. With his ilu leading the way, he made his way to the edge of the ship and leapt off with a somersault, his knife ready. Tsireya, Tuktirey, and Lo'ak were soon freed, and Neteyam couldn't help but smile as he saw the last of them grinning from ear to ear.

Trying to ease the tension in the air like a heavy fog, Neteyam bantered with his brother, doing his best to lighten the mood. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off beyond the fight. A nagging sense of unease was only confirmed when he realised that his ikran wouldn't have shown up if it weren't for a good reason. The only thing he could do was hope that Sabrina was safe in the village.

Neteyam could hear the unsettling noises emanating from the SeaDragon, causing him to tense up and prepare to leap off the ship. He had learned from humans to avoid places where alarms were blaring, and this was no exception. Instead, Lo'ak darted towards the centre of the vessel, grabbing a weapon from one of the dead RECOMs' bodies.

"They've got Spider," Lo'ak declared, noticing that Neteyam was preparing to abandon the ship, "We gotta get him."

Neteyam's mind raced, considering the potential outcomes of their actions. He knew he needed to keep Lo'ak safe, or his father, Jake, would never forgive him. But leaving Spider behind would build an insurmountable wall between himself and Sabrina. He would always know that he left the man she loved behind to fend for himself and that knowledge would haunt him forever.

And to make matters worse, they all cared for Spider. Kiri and Lo'ak would never forgive Neteyam if he didn't take the shot to save their friend. And, deep down, Neteyam knew he cared for the human boy too. It was just foggy to remember that.

"Come on," Lo'ak urged, pushing Neteyam to decide. "Come on, bro. We can't leave him."

For the first time, Neteyam felt that Lo'ak was right. He made a deep sound of frustration in the back of his throat, rising from his kneeling position. Would he regret his decision to go after Spider?

It was too late to think about that now. Lo'ak guided Neteyam through the labyrinthine corridors of the SeaDragon, but they struggled to find their way. The labs they had been in before were nothing compared to this; the sheer amount of equipment and metal was overwhelming.

Neteyam tapped his younger brother on the shoulder and gestured upwards with a flick of his chin. "Let's climb," he said, and Lo'ak nodded in agreement. He positioned his newly acquired weapon in a way that would allow him to move freely. Climbing was something they had done countless times before, just not on tubulations. Nevertheless, it was easy to "spider around," as they had become adept at traversing rugged terrain.

From the top of the yellow rails that stretched along the inner sides of the ship, Neteyam and Lo'ak saw Spider walking surrounded by humans. Lo'ak held the gun like a child carrying an old toy while Neteyam strained his entire shoulder as he gripped his knife, made in his home clan.

Neteyam looked at his brother, signalising in the way the Metkayina had taught them that he would be the one to go first. Lo'ak didn't protest, even though he wanted to.

As they leapt over the humans, it felt like they were children playing a game of tag. Neteyam moved with lightning speed, taking down two men in quick succession. But in the heat of the moment, he couldn't be sure if he had accidentally hit Spider.

Lo'ak followed closely behind, but instead of firing his weapon, he used it to beat the humans into unconsciousness. They never expected the Na'vi boy to be so decisive and brutal.

Noticing that he was being rescued, Spider went to fight, helping the other boys and knocking out the humans in the way he knew to be their most significant disadvantage: breathing.