Na'vi is in italics as I'm sure you know from other fics :3 (I also use italics when a word is emphasised but it's not hard to understand what is and isn't Na'vi - I hope, kek)

Word Count: 1840

Seated on the ground, your tail was agitatedly slapping on the dirt, your eyes hard and glaring as you looked up at the marines surrounding you.

The only other one sitting on your level was Spider, seated right in front of you, his movements fidgety.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned, and you dropped your gaze down to him, your eyes softening before you subtly nodded.

"Why are you here with these demons, little one?" You asked, twisting your wrist a bit in the restraints behind your back to try and get some relief. That action didn't go unnoticed however and behind you, the one who cuffed you grabbed and yanked your queue, making you grunt out a hiss, your head now forcibly angled back.

"Where is Jake Sully?"

Keeping your teeth bared, you glared at the colonel who just spoke that, staying quiet.

"Where is your hideout? We know it's somewhere in the Hallelujah mountains. It's a matter of time before we find it, but I can save you a lot of pain if you tell me now." You were simply looking at the man and Quaritch frowned, prodding Spider with his boot.

Getting the hint, the boy turned to you. "He wants to know where-"

"I know what he wants." You interrupted, glancing down at Spider given your head was still yanked back.

"You understand English." Spider's eyes widened and you hummed, watching the kid carefully connect the dots. "Listen, they want to go after Jake and kill him, we can't let them-"

"Jake is gone." You interrupted once more, your ears angling down as the ceremony replayed in your head.

"Jake? Jake Sully?" Quaritch spoke up, hearing the familiar name uttered from his pseudo-son and your lips.

Glaring up at the recombinant, Spider then turned back to you. "You have to run. They're still searching for the clan and once they find them, there'll be hell to pay for all those shipment raids."

Annoyed, Quaritch crouched down, grabbing Spider's arm. "Listen well, you're here to translate, not to go have a tea party with her. What was she saying about Jake?"

"She said he's gone." Spider glared, his own annoyance growing, and the colonel looked over at you, to which you kept your stare cold.

"Gone? Gone what? Where?" Quaritch watched you respond in Na'vi, Spider speaking up a second later.

"'Why would he tell us', is what she said."

Scoffing, the recom commander got back to his feet, glaring down at the Na'vi in front of him. "Who were those two kids just now, hm?"

"Kids?" Spider asked, perking up at the new information while his heart beat a little faster at the look in Quaritch's eyes, his own flitting down to you. "Don't tell him. He'll use it against you!"

"He'll use it regardless, whether he knows the truth or draws his own conclusions." You spoke, gritting your teeth. "They're my sister's children." You spoke softly, nodding at Spider, giving him the go-ahead to relay the information.

"She's their aunt."

"How nice." Quaritch hummed, resting his hand on his belt – more specifically his gun. "Tell her to give up Jake Sully's location or I will kill them."

At his words – spoken so casually, so calmly – your eyes widened, every muscle in your body tensing as you leapt up, intent on what you didn't exactly know, but you were quickly pulled back down on the ground by your queue, another hand pushing down on your shoulder, forcing you to sit.

"Understood that, did she?" Quaritch hummed, looking down at Spider while he heard you cuss him out in Na'vi.

"Kill isn't exactly a hard word to understand." Spider glared back and Quaritch simply sighed, looking back at you.

"Jake Sully, the Omaticaya clan, where are they?"

"I pray your soul never finds its way to Eywa."

At the mention of the goddess, Quaritch rolled his eyes, glancing down at Spider. "She cussed you out." Was all he said, confirming the marine's suspicions.

"Alright." He sighed, his tail swishing behind him in annoyance as he crouched down to your seated height, motioning for Mansk behind you to let go of your queue. "Let me be very clear. You want those kids to make it home safe? You tell me what I want to know."

Spider said something in Na'vi to translate but your eyes didn't move, staring straight into his own, your ears angled back in your frustration as the two of you held the silent standoff.

At your lack of response, Quaritch tilted his head mockingly. "I can call it in right now, you want that? A lone banshee headed towards the Hallelujah mountains carrying two hostiles. They'll be spotted and gunned down within minutes." He threatened, his hand moving to his comms resting around his throat.

At his words, a brief panic flashed in your eyes and the colonel narrowed his eyes. "You went to Grace Augustine's school, didn't you? You can understand exactly what I'm saying."

"Sir?" Mansk asked, but the man waved him away without looking, his eyes staying on you.

"So, what's it going to be, sweetheart? Jake or those kids? Tell me where the clan is."

Letting out a defeated breath, you looked at Quaritch, your hard stare faltering. "Jake is gone. The Omaticaya clan has nothing more of use for you." You spoke, your Na'vi accent strong in your words, though Quaritch's ears perked up at your sudden English, a grin spreading on his face.

"I think it just offered me something very much of use – you. You're going to teach us the Na'vi way, sweetheart."

Your ears pinning back, you glared up at the colonel while he held that grin, right before motioning to the one behind you in a silent order.

"Up you get." You kept quiet as the recom behind you lifted you to your feet by your right arm, your hands still tied behind your back while your ears stayed down.

Letting out a whistle, Quaritch caught the attention of his squad, beckoning them over from where they'd been spread out and keeping a lookout. "We're returning to base. Z-dog, pick up those, would you?" He ordered, pointing to your scattered weapons to which you frowned, watching the female recom pick them up. Walking over, the colonel waved Mansk away, taking his place on your right, holding onto your bicep. For a moment, he regarded you before bringing his hand up to his throat, pressing into the comms, which made your heart shoot into your throat. "Blue one actual to iron sky."

"Blue one actual, this is iron sky. Send your traffic."

"Request for pickup, we have one casualty and a hostile as prisoner."

"Affirmative, headed your way."

Nodding in satisfaction at the answer, Quaritch then looked back down at you, to which you stared back.

"Just behave while we wait, would you?"

- - - -

Keeping your head held high, you did everything you could to not look at the soldier you shot, the arrow still stuck inside him while some of the other recoms carried him in. In the distance, the sound of rotor blades steadily approached, your ears turning to it.

Looking up, over the tops of the trees, you saw the familiar grey come flying in, your tail raising in agitation.

"Samson's here, everyone round up!" Quaritch called out over the growing noise, clapping his hands as all the recoms lowered their guns and approached the colonel, huddling to the side of the clearing to give the aircraft space to land.

Next to you, Spider placed his hand on your leg, making you jump before you looked down, seeing him give you a reassuring nod. Despite your rising anxiety, you sent a small smile down his way, your hair starting to whip around your face as the samson lowered to the ground, it's blades still moving rapidly.

To your right, Quaritch received some kind of response from the pilot, making him hum and speak something into his comms that you couldn't hear over the loud noise of the aircraft. "Everyone in!"

Feeling his hold tighten on your arm, you were quickly urged forward, jogging over to the samson together with the colonel and Spider in tow, the boy jumping into the open side before turning back, watching as Quaritch helped you up into it – you having no choice with your hands still bound behind your back.

Lifting your legs, you grimaced a bit at the cold feeling of the metal under your feet, all the stimulations combining to raise your anxiety even higher.

Your bound hands restricting you, leaving you helpless, the loud noise invading your sensitive ears and making you feel like your head was splitting, the smells of the machine only bringing thoughts of the raids you partook in. It was too much.

Once you were up, Quaritch let go of your arm to step up himself and you were stood frozen like a cat, unsure of what to do.

A touch on your leg made you snap your head down, eyes slightly wide to see Spider beckoning you in, patting on the small bench for you to sit down. Taking in a deep breath, you nodded and stepped over, tentatively turning around to sit on the small seat, the boy taking his own next to you.

"It'll be okay!" He called out over the sounds of the engines and you looked at him, unsure if his words were true. "Trust me!"

And with nothing else to do – no other options left – you nodded. After all, even in a sea of blue, he was the only familiar and kind face.

"Hey!" Lifting your head up, your gaze crossed with Quaritch as he sat crouched before you. "C'mere!" He called out, lifting his hand and making a twirling motion with it, to which you frowned in confusion. Rolling his eyes, Quaritch scooted closer. "The cuffs!"

Confused but understanding a little more, you turned around as best you could on the seat and the colonel leaned in, reaching behind your back and holding a small device to the middle of the snap-on cuffs, making them unlock.

Your eyes glancing at Spider, he kept his eyes on the colonel while said man sat straight again, making sure to get your attention. Looking at him, he brought his wrists together in front of himself in demonstration, you quickly picking up on what he wanted.

Holding your arms out, he re-snapped the cuffs on you, restricting you once more though now with your arms in front, leaving you a lot more comfortable.

"Once I know I can trust you not to run away or murder any of us, they can come off again!"

With those words, he looked around to see all the Recombinants had climbed and strapped in, nodding in approval as he walked while staying ducked to the front of the opening, slapping on the window of the pilot and giving a thumbs up.

They were ready to get out of here. 

20-02-2023