Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Her Ikran glided above the attackers below them. Neteyam, Lo'ak, and Zinekxeng were put on lookout duty. More Zinekxeng was put on young sully duty by Neytiri. Zinekxeng fidgeted with the throat mic she wore. she hated the things, despite their usefulness, they irritated her skin.

She looked down to survey the raid, they didn't need her on the ground at the moment. Tsyul was strong and would be able to defend the Na'vi on the ground if a ship was incoming.

While she had her eyes down she noted Lo'ak diving toward the ground. Her eyes snapped to Neteyam, motioning for him to go after the younger sully. Neteyam dove after him.

She shook her head and looked back to the sky. The two boys could protect themselves Neytiri made her responsible for them. She stayed surveying both the raid and the sky.

While looking at the sky she saw a skyship.

She pressed to her throat, calling to those who shared the connection. "Incoming at your 7, Jake."

Her eyes landed on Jake as he responded. "Stand down zine, rocket coming."

She watched the rocket go to the sky, however before the missile landed, the ship shot one off as well.

Panic flashed through Zinekxang. She covered her face as it landed.

A cloud of smoke and dust lifted into the air as she started searching for the young sully boys, Tsyul feeling her panic, she dove down.

She dropped off Tsyul's back, disconnected tsaheylu, and ran towards the last place she saw the two boys.

Lo'ak was coughing and walking out of the cloud of dirt.

"Lo'ak!" she grabbed onto his shoulders and checked him over, "where is your brother?"

"Dad has him." she nodded and walked him toward Tsyul.

She placed him in front of her on the Ikran before lifting them from the ground.

"Get the injured, bring them home. Move out." She spoke for Jake as she watched him with Neteyam.

They flew towards their home in silence.

"What were you thinking?" she smacked against his arm.

He sighed and looked down, "I just wanted to help."

"Your dad gave you strict orders, sweet boy."

"Don't call me that."

"I am your aunt, Lo'ak, I can call you what I like. You need to follow your father's orders, you're going to get yourself or others hurt."

"I know, Zine." He hung his head down letting out a sigh.

She rubbed his shoulder and looked at him, "It will be okay. You're exactly like your father was when he was younger. you all have things that remind me of him."

He laughed softly and looked at her while rolling his eyes. Despite the wind rushing past their ears they could hear each other fine. they always could, her and the sully family.

She landed and let Lo'ak slide off Tsyul, her eyes scanned the family as they disputed about Lo'ak and Neteyam touching down on the war ground.

Her eyes lingered on Neteyam as he held his side. Slipping from his fingers was a deep red.

"Jake, your son is actually bleeding."

Zinekxeng slid off Tsyul and rushed to Neteyam, walking with him and Neytiri toward Tsahik's tent.

Following them were Kiri, Spider, and Tuk. Lo'ak hung back, being scolded by Jake.

Neytiri nodded at Zinekxeng before walking off to talk to Jake, a silent agreement for her to watch the kids while the parents discussed.

Spider stood by the woman who was twice his height, she placed her hand on his head and watched as Mo'at and Kiri fought over treatment for Neteyam.

Spider leaned into her hand as he watched them.

"what's wrong, my boy?" she squatted down to be more level with the small human.

"I just wish I was more like you guys."

She smiled sadly at the boy, all he wanted was to fit in with the family he had found himself with. "You are one of us, maybe not on the outside, but you're more Na'vi on the inside than all of the other avatars combined."

He smiled softly at the comment she made before looking down.

"Kiri redid your stripes!" Zinekxeng placed her hand on the boy's arm and looked the blue stripes over, "They suit you."

He smiled big at the woman before he, Lo'ak, and Kiri disappeared off into the village.

Mo'at motioned for Zinekxeng to walk closer to her and the young teen boy.

Zinekxeng placed her hand on Neteyams head as Mo'at spoke to her.

"His wound needs to be redressed in the morning, if he feels pain, give him this as tea. other than that, my grandson will be fine."

"Thank you Tsahik."

"I told you not to call me that, you are family."

"Yes, Mo'at. Now, let's get you home Neteyam, you are to rest."

"But grandmother didn't say I needed to."

"Auntie did." Zinekxeng pulled him up and walked him towards the sully's tent, her hand found its way to the back of the boy's head, rubbing his head and smiling big at him. She poked her tongue out at him as they walked into the sully tent.

She pointed him to his bed, muttering the word rest before walking off, leaving him pouting behind her. She sat across from Jake and Neytiri.

"His dressing needs to be changed and if he gets any pain, give him this as a tea." She held up a small satchel before tossing it toward a small pile of leaves.

"You were supposed to be watching them."

"Jake, I was. But Lo'ak dove and I told Neteyam to follow. I thought it be better both of them were on the ground to protect each other than one alone."

Jake went silent, his tail flicked behind him and his ears folded. she was right. she normally was when it came to battle.

"Jake," Neytiri warned, not looking up from her preparing of food for the family.

Jake nodded and looked at his mate, the same love he held for her returning to his face, not wavering once after all these years.

A smirk pressed against Zinekxeng's face before she stood up and walked out of the sully's hut. She shot a wink to Neteyam, mouthing to him, 'ill bring you back something good.'

She always brought something back for her family when she went out alone.

Kiri and Tuk were the easiest to find things for, a fruit or a flower, a naturally dropped tooth or pretty stone and they were happy. Lo'ak and Neteyam often got new wraps or blades from her, their current ones were ones she found while exploring a cave deeper within the forest than they were allowed to venture. Spider treasured anything she brought back, despite this she also looked the hardest for him, she wanted him to feel accepted within the family, and the poor boy deserved it.

She ran her hand along Tsyuls skin, her Ikran's colours showed best in the dark. The vibrant purples that otherwise would be blended within the black skin. Her underbelly was a mixture of vibrant blues and whites.

She bonded with the Ikran before pulling herself up onto her back.

"Zine!"

Her head snapped towards the voice.

Spider was jogging towards her with a smile plastered across his face.

"You're meant to be in bed, my boy."

He rubbed the back of his neck, "I couldn't sleep." The lie slipped from his tongue clumsily, he could never lie to Zinekxeng, she always saw right through him.

"Come on then, ten minutes." She outstretched her hand for the boy to take.

She pulled him up to settle in front of her, his own smaller hands wrapped around Tsyuls kuru. the Ikran cooed affectionately and wiggled her head. Zinekxeng pet the side of the Ikran's neck. It took Spider a moment to settle on the large beast's back.

Tsyul took from the ground and flew up into the sky, her wings beating against the clouds. Zinekxeng kept her arms by her side, simply letting Spider tilt them around. Spider leaned forward a smile plastered across his face.

Zinekxeng grabbed the Kuru's, below spiders hand and lent forward with him, at the shifting of weight Tsyul flew faster. A similar smile to spiders spread across Zinekxengs face as they weaved between the floating mountains.

"Hold on." Zinekxeng pulled tsyul's kurus and flipped them. Tsyul used this to dive, folding her wings against her body and letting herself fall.

Spider let out a laughing scream before pulling himself against Tsyul's body.

Zinekxeng pulled up, smiling as they began gliding above the mountains.

"I got you, my boy. Nothing will hurt you." she pulled Spider up to lean against her and look out at the view of their bioluminescent home.

He sighed and relaxed atop Tsyul. They stayed there in peace for a moment before she heard peaceful breaths leaving a now sleeping human boy. She wrapped an arm around his body and started taking him home.

Tsyul landed gently, lowering her head for Zinekxeng to land with Spider in her arms safely. She used her spare hand to disconnect the bond before beginning her walk toward the science tent. She made sure as to not disturb Spider as he rested peacefully in her arms.

She pushed the door open and grabbed then walked into the housing, beds were strewn in almost every available corner, and machines were letting off dull beeps. She laid spider on his bed, slid his mask off his face, and set it down next to him. He turned to his side and muttered. Zinekxeng softly stroked the young boy's head as she pulled a blanket over him.

She stood before silently rushing for the Na'vi masks. She sucked a breath of it into her lungs. she took one last look at the young boy, resting now completely peacefully on the mattress.

She hung the mask back and slipped out of the building. she looked around at her village.

It wasn't what it used to be, but it was beautiful and alive. That's what mattered.

She looked towards her hut. Empty. Dark. She wasn't as lucky as Jake and Neytiri. She wanted a mate, a family, but finding one was easier said than done. She looked towards the sully hut, it was peaceful and quiet, but it radiated a warmth that hers didn't. She looked around the dark room as she walked in, she had nothing decorating the hut, not like the sully's.

She, however, had Tsu'teys knife and her father's Stave on pedestals against one wall. She looked at them. When on the ground she took them with her. Often she was the most armed of the clan during battles.

She pulled her bow off her shoulder, placing it against the wall next to the other weapons.

She sighed before laying down atop her sleeping mat. She let her eyes drift to the only open window, looking out at the open mouth of the cave.

She stared at it, her eyes feeling heavier and heavier, but she didn't let them close just yet.

She saw Tsyul land on a floating island across from the mouth of the cave, her sings and back glowing in the darkness cast by the eclipse.

Only as she saw the Ikran settle did she allow her body to relax on the mat.

Chapter Text

Her sleep was disturbed by a sharp jab in the leg. Her eyes snapped open and she looked around, her hand on the dagger she always had on her person.
She saw Lo'ak, Kiri, and Spider standing around her little hut, giving it that light it needed.
"You scared me." She looked at Lo'ak and grabbed at her chest dramatically. After a moment she let her body stretch, pops coming from her after being in such a dead sleep for the night.
"Can you come with us?" Kiri stood behind Spider and Lo'ak.
"Where?" The woman stood up, looking down at the children as she reached her full height. Lo'ak would soon be far taller than her but she had him covered for a year at most.
Kiri flicked her eyes to Lo'ak, causing Zinekxeng to look at the boy.
"The battlefield," The boy muttered avoiding the woman's gaze.
"And your parents said this was okay?"
"No…” The boy rubbed the back of his neck; “But we thought they wouldn't be as mad if you came with us."
"So you're gonna put the blame on me?"
"That's not what I meant!" Lo'ak became flustered as a grin spread across the woman's face.
She put her hand on the top of his head and laughed.
"As long as you all listen to me and bring your daggers."
Lo'ak and Spider nodded eagerly.
"Let me come!"
The group looked at the doorway to see Tuktirey standing there huffing.
"No, we can't." Lo'ak dismissed her, shaking his hands and walking towards the youngest sibling.
"I'll tell Mum and Dad!"
Lo'ak let out a groan and threw his head back, "Fine! but you listen to Zine."
The woman laughed and looked at the smaller girl as she bounced slightly on the balls of her feet. She placed her hand on Kiri's head and looked at them.
"Let me get myself sorted then we will go."
The two boys nodded and walked out of the hut, Lo'ak taking Tuk with him.
"Why do you let them do these things?" Kiri suddenly spoke up.
"It's either I go with them or they go alone, sweet child." The woman looked down at the girl, a girl she could see grace in, with every single thing she did, "Your parents would prefer I go with you all. At least then you have some form of protection."
As she was speaking she was succouring Tsu'tey's dagger at her waist, she pulled the bladed staff from the stand and slid her hands along the blackened wood.
"But still, you'll get into trouble."
"But I will be able to keep you all safe." She placed her hand on Kiri's head and bent at the shoulders to touch their foreheads together, "You kids will never realise how much you mean to me and your parents."
A smile spread across Kiri's face and she let her eyes close.
"When we get back I need to redo your braids." Zinekxeng fiddled with the braid beside Kiri's ear and huffed softly.
Kiri smiled at her, it was an unspoken promise that they would be safe upon return home. That she would be with them.
"Off we go." she ushered the girl out of her hut and towards the others who were waiting at the mouth of the cave their village was situated within.
It was closer to mid-day than Zinekxeng would have liked, it meant she overslept and missed most of the daylight.
The children started running along a thick vine spanning between the floating mountains. Zinekxeng followed them, running along the vines gracefully, a smile spreading across her face as she ran.
She had managed to get in front of the children before they reached the next vines.
Lo'ak let out a groan, "One day I will beat you Zine."
The woman looked up at the younger boy as she began climbing off the mountain.
"Maybe you will Lo'ak, but it won't be anytime soon you can count on that."
She landed on the soft ground of pandora as she finished talking. the others following, Kiri closest behind.
Zinekxeng ran her hand along a plant, feeling its cool skin against her own causing a smile to spread across her lips. Kiri stood next to her, a smile spread across her face as she did the same.
Zinekxeng adored Kiri's love for Pandora. How she treated the land and adored the animals. Kiri was one of the ones who often voiced her hatred for the RDA for what they were doing to their homeland.
Kiri looked up at the older woman, a smile across her face.
Zinekxeng cherished the girl and loved her more than she thought she could. Kiri reminded her of Grace, she felt she needed to protect her better than she protected Grace.
The thought made her eyes glass up and she looked away from the young girl before she could see them. She stood to her full height and looked at Lo'ak.
"Lead the way, boss." She fiddled with the double-bladed staff, swinging it softly beside her to distract her mind.
She kept her ears pulled back and her eyes scanning. There had been more and more RDA soldiers within the forest recently, more advances to attempt to take pandora to be their own.
Kiri wandered off while Spider, Lo'ak, and Tuk ran around. Zinekxeng flicked her eyes between Kiri and the others. She trusted Kiri, Jake had spent years training his children how to protect themselves and others. Kiri hated the training, she wouldn't hurt anyone even if she had to.
Zinekxeng looked up at the crashed airship hanging in the trees. Zinekxeng bowed her head recognizing it as the ship Trudy fought in.
"Are there any dead bodies up there?"
At Tuk's question she bobbed down to be level with the youngest, "Remember your dad's stories about a great warrior that rescued him and grace? helped fight the sky people away?"

"Trudy he called her."
she nodded and smiled at Tuk, "That's her ship. We respect it don't we?"
Tuk’s eyes widened in wonder as she stared up at the skyship.
Zinekxeng rose to her full height and looked up at the two boys climbing around the craft.
Her eyes shifted over to where she last saw Kiri. She watched as Kiri walked along the plants and smiled at the sight before settling against a tree.
Zinekxeng watched the children play.
She had found a gift for Neteyam, a tooth, most likely that of a young Thanator. She was fiddling with it while keeping her eyes on the three children in front of her.
"Where is Kiri?" Spider suddenly spoke up.
Zinekxeng looked to where Kiri had disappeared, Spider rushed off in that direction, calling her name.
Zinekxeng swung her blade again and walked toward where she last saw Kiri.
She looked over a plant and smiled softly. Spider was waking Kiri up. Kiri had let herself rest with Mother Eywa.
Spider and Kiri re-joined the group and Zinekxeng looked at Lo'ak, her full body weight lent against her father's bladed staff.
"We have to get back soon, lead the way."
Lo'ak nodded and looked at Spider with a grin, the mischief they shared never ended well.
Lo'ak started leading them back home before he stopped dead in his tracks, he squatted, placing his hand against the ground.
"What is it?"
"Lo'ak?" Zinekxeng pushed forward to look at what he saw.
Her heart sank and she tightened her grip on her staff.
"It's way too big for a human." Lo'ak began looking around the forest for any clue of where the tracks came from.
"Avatars?"
"Maybe," the two young boys began following the footprints, "but they are for sure not ours."
Tuk clung to Zinekxeng suddenly and looked up at her, "What's going on Zine?"
"We are just seeing who is here okay love, I'll keep you safe." She held Tuk’s hand as they followed Spider and Lo'ak.
Kiri followed behind the boys, "what are you doing?"
"Tracking hush."
Zinekxeng and the children bobbed down, looking through the bushes at the old RDA camp Jake and the other Dream walkers had been stationed in years prior.
Scattered within the old battleground were large armed RDA Avatars. Zinekxeng grabbed Tuk and pulled her closer to her body, her hand finding its way to the back of Spider's shoulder. Behind her, Her tail flicked low to the ground. She bared her teeth and glared at the beings in the clearing.
"We are never supposed to come here." Kiri grabbed onto Lo'ak's shoulder and tried to pull him back towards home.
He brushed off her hand and his tail began flicking roughly behind him.
"Dad is going to ground you."
"Can you stop?"
“For life.”

Lo’ak rolled his eyes at his sister's comment and kept watching the avatars in the clearing.

Zine felt Tuk’s grip tighten on her hand.

Zineekxeng placed her other hand on top of the younger girl's head.

“Bro, we have to check this out.” Lo’ak nodded at Spider.

Zine looked at him and reached to grab his tail, “Lo’ak no.”

He and Spider had already started walking ahead closer to the clearing.

“Fuck.” she reached to her neck to call Jake about the situation, as her hand touched her neck where the com was supposed to be panic flooded her body. She had forgot to put the irritating thing on.

She watched as Lo’ak and spider slowly and quietly crept towards the clearing, watching from further behind the young boys, her hands against the younger girls' backs.

“We need to leave.” Kiri looked up at Zine, her eyes filled with panic.

ZInekxeng nodded and watched as the two boys finally started making their way back. Lo’ak had his hand to his throat calling in what he saw to his father.

“I got eyes on some guys. They look like avatars…”

Kiri put her earpiece in to hear what her father was saying while Tuk turned into ZInekxeng's stomach clutching the woman as she tried not to panic.

“But they are in full camo and carrying ARs. There are six of them. Over.”

Lo’ak looked at Zine his ears folding down against his head as he listened to his father speak.

“We’re at the old shack.”

Another moment of silence filled the group before he began speaking again “Me, Spider, Zine, Kiri…” he looked away from Zine, and Zine's eyes snapped back to the intruders. “And tuk”
Another moment of silence and then Kiri tapped Zine’s arm and signalled them to move out.

“Yes, sir, Moving out.”

They all slowly began creeping back towards the path.

“See, I told you.”

Zine passed Tuk to Kiri as she hung back watching with her staff against her body, ready if she needed.

“You are going to be in so much trouble,” Kiri said to Lo’ak.

Tuk was running ahead of the three older navi and spider, the anxiety easing from her as she rushed.

Lo’ak and Kiri bickered and Spider cut them off.

“It's almost eclipse, come on!”

Within a second tuk was in the arms of one of the armoured avatars. Zinekxeng flicked the staff and pulled Kiri behind her.

Spider and Lo’ak drew their arrows and began hissing at the others that emerged from within the dense forest of pandora, their guns were drawn and their words aggressive.

Courses of ‘down’ and ’ drop it’s mixed with threats.

Spider became more aggressive as they shouted.

Lo’ak was the first to drop his weapon and he reached out to Spider speaking to him and telling him to drop his weapon as well.

Zine growled out at them; her eyes never leaving Tuks as she placed her staff atop Lo’ak’s bow.

As soon as Spider threw his bow to the ground the avatars surrounded them, and grabbed them by their kuru. One kicked at the back of Zinekxeng’s knees, causing the woman to grunt as she fell to her knees. The others followed suit pulling the kurus effectively restraining the group.

“Stop fighting.” the one holding Kiri grunted out as the young girl wriggled.

The chaos caused Tuk to panic and Spider to continue struggling

Zinekxeng hissed at the one that started patting her down, pulling Tsu’tey’s blade and her other knives off her body and tossing them off into the bushes.

“Mawey…” Kiri looked at Tuk, she still struggled.

The avatar holding zine placed his knee in between her shoulder blades, pinning her to the ground and pulling at her kuru harder.

She was an adult and if she tried she could overpower him, yet besides the panting, she didn’t move, her eyes scanned the younger ones' faces.

She watched as more avatars walked into the clearing, she stared at them watching their every move.

“What have we here?” The one that had been shouting orders in the clearing stepped into the middle, his AR lazily in his hands and he looked from face to face.

His eyes lingered on the spider for a moment before he tossed his gun to his back.

Zinekxeng locked eyes with Spider seeing the pistol pressed to his temple,he too stayed eerily still. The man approached him.

“Colonel, check it out.” Zine struggled for the first time against her captor's hold seeing the man holding Kiri's hand up to his boss, Lo’ak doing the same.

“Four fingers. We got a half-breed.”

At the words and seeing Kiri’s panic Zineekxeng struggled harder, a hiss escaping her throat as she stared daggers at the man.

“Shit.” a soft mutter from Spider.

The boss took a moment to look at Kiri before moving towards Lo’ak, “Show me your fingers.”

Mischief flashed in Lo’ak’s eyes as he lifted his hands, middle fingers raised.

“You're his aren’t you?” The leader had a grin across his face at Lo’ak’s gesture.

Lo’ak hissed at the man.

“You're his alright.”

Zinekxang's glare had shifted around the group and had settled on the leader.

She watched as he reached to grab Lo’ak by the Kuru and pulled him to his feet.

At Lo’ak’s cry of pain, she struggled harder than before managing to shake the man off her back and rise to her knees, a hiss taring at her throat as she continued glaring at the man. Her captor struggled to grip her kuru and pull her back down.

The leader shifted his eyes to the woman, the first glance he gave her before he motioned for his second in command to help the struggling captor.

The bald man pushed her head into the ground and pinned her to the ground, both of the men putting their knees across her back.

“Where is he?” the leader turned his attention back to the boy in his hand.

“Ke plltxänge oe nì'Ìnglisì” Lo’ak spoke between pants, “hu vonvä.”

“Peseng ngeyä sempul?” the man spoke in broken language and he tugged on Lo’ak’s kuru, causing him to cry out again.

Tuk screamed out for Lo’ak, Zinekxeng shook again trying to free herself from the men atop her.

“Really?” the man reached behind his back to grab something, “you wanna play this way?”

As he finished speaking he pulled out a large knife.

Zine went still and her eyes widened.

“Pot pung rä'ä! Pey fpomit sweyn!” Kiri shouted, struggling against her captor again.

The colonel dropped Lo’ak and turned towards Kiri.

Zine started struggling harder than before, screaming out as he drew closer and closer to Kiri. One of the men pressed a gun to the back of her head.

“Kiri! No! Stop!” Lo’ak switched to English
“Hey! Hey, don’t touch her!” Spider started to struggle against his captor.

At Spider’s words, the man looked away from Kiri, his eyes settling back on Spider as they did before.

“You hurt them I will kill you.” zine spoke out her fangs bared.

“What's your name kid?” The man's voice seemed less harsh with the young boy.

“Spider… Socorro” Spider held his aggression as the man approached him.

The man motioned for Spider's captor to release him and he squatted down in front of the human boy, “Miles?”

At the name Spider’s eyes flicked to zine, anger and sadness in his voice, “Nobody calls me that.”

“Well, i'll be damned… well, I figured they sent you back to earth.”

“They can't put babies in cryo, dipshit.” His sadness had disappeared, anger clouding his expression.

Silence filled the group as the man stood back up.

“What are we doin’, boss?” One of his goons asked.

The boss lifted his hand to the com around his throat.

“Iron Sky, Blue One, Actual… we are standing by for extract over.”

They began moving us back towards the clearing where the battle happened.

“Be advised we are bringing in high-value prisoners.”

They dragged us through the forest into the clearing. They tied the younger's arms and threw them to the ground. Zine had her ankles and wrists tied together, causing her to be hunched over, almost curled in a ball as she looked at the others, Lo’ak and Tuk together against a log and spider and kiri somewhere behind her.

“That’s sullys’ woman.” Her attention was snapped towards the two men watching the screen.

“She's an animal.”

“Sully… son of a bitch.”

Zine felt spider slide behind her his panting bringing comfort to her.

“We are going to be okay my boy.”

“Zine…” he began.

“Separate.” One of the patrolling men pushed Spider away from her back. She let out a hiss and turned to kick at his knees.

Guns were pointed at her in seconds.

“Colonel, does this one need to stay alive?” one of the women closest to her growled.

At that, Spider covered as much of the woman's body with his own as much as he could, “Please, dont hurt her.”

Tears began dripping onto Zine's skin from Spider.

Zine glared up at the leader as she turned her head into the boy, trying to comfort him.

The leader sucked his teeth and glared daggers at the woman, but his eyes softened as they shifted to the sobbing boy, who was so ready to take a bullet for the woman.

“She’s just as important as the others.”

Those with guns raised let out a grunt and lowered their weapons.

“But, if she keeps doing shit like that. She’s done.”

“Rutxe, Zine.” Spider lifted his head to beg the woman.

She nodded at him her eyes softened before she pressed her head to his, “Tam.”

He was pulled off the woman again and she was moved to be against a log, her feet against the ground and her head by her knees.

The group was silent while the eclipse began to fall. Zine kept her head down and her eyes closed, she was listening for any sign of Jake or Neytiri.

She could hear the boss watching the screen again, the death of Quaritch.

“Yeah, there is nothing after that.”

He leaned down to pick up Quaritch’s skull, sighing as he turned it over in his hand.

The avatar next to him held up his dog tags, gesturing for him to take them before putting them in a pocket of his vests.

Zine sighed and looked up, scanning the children's faces, her eyes settling on Tuk fiddling with her restraints.

“Mawey.” Zinekxeng spoke calmly to Tuk, “Mawey, yawntutsyìp.”

“You want us to recover these remains?” the right-hand man spoke to the colonel.

No words were spoken, the only noise from the two was the skull being crushed in the colonel's hand before he walked away from the ruins.

Eclipse fell, casting Pandora in darkness as it always did. Rain began falling, causing some of the RDA Avatars to look up at the sky before pulling the captors towards some trees.

“Sully should know by now that his kids are missing.” The leader spoke to his right hand as they moved to cover.

Zinekxeng was picked up by the right hand and tossed over his shoulder, a grunt leaving her lips as he disrupted her focus. She was walked to the group and tossed in front of Kiri.

“Are you okay?” Kiri asked leaning towards the woman.

Zine nodded and looked up at the young girl, “Yes.”

Kiri leaned her forehead against the woman's arm, letting herself sob into the woman's skin.

The woman leaned her head against Kiri’s arm and shushed the girl.

“Blue one, stand by ready.” the words came from the colonel’s radio as he patrolled around the group. “We are three minutes out.”
Zinekxeng closed her eyes again to listen for Jake or Neytiri amongst the natural sounds of pandora, she was searching for that abnormal call from one of the two warriors. Her focus was the only thing calming the rage within her. She didn’t want the children any more scared than they already were. The moment she started to panic so would they.

The colonel continued to pace around the group, scanning the clearing and the treelines around them. The Dreamwalkers held their weapons at the ready, they knew the dangers of Pandora.

“Watch our six.” The colonel commanded the man holding spider and kiri. The man pulled the two children around to face towards the forest.

Zine tried to roll to watch the man however she was unsuccessful as the woman watching her placed her booted foot against Zines shoulder keeping her facing towards the clearing.

Zinekxengs sigh caused her shoulders to rise and her wrists to pull at the restraints.

Suddenly Neytiris call filled the childrens ears. Zinekxeng’s ears perking up. She tried to look over her shoulder her face being pushed into the damp ground by her captors boot. She hissed out as another call sounded from deep within the forest.

To the untrained ear of the RDA avatars it would just sound like the call of a Pandoran animal, but to the captured Na’vi and Spider it was the familiar sound of Neytiri.

Behind zinekxeng, spider and Lo’ak shared a knowing look.

Their parents were close.

Kiri begun preying to mother eywa, her kuru quickly being tugged as she was forced to shut up. Dispite this she continued her prayer.

As sudden as their capture was. Chaos broke out within the group. Neytiri had shot and killed the Captor that held Kiri and Spider.

As soon as the death was noticed shots were fired in the direction the arow came.

“Lo’ak!”

At his name being called Lo’ak pulled at a smoke bomb on a near avatar, tuning to bite the arm of his captor, in any other situation zinekxeng would have giggled at the sounds he made. At his actions Tuk followed suit, sinking her fangs into the womans arm, causing her to be thrown.

Lo’ak reached Zine and begun pulling at her restraints managing to break one of the ones around her ankles before looking at the woman.

“Go, get Tuk out of here and make sure kiri and spider are safe. Go, now.”

He nodded at her before calling, “Tuk, come on. Go, go, go.”

“Run!” spider shouted, grabbing and dragging kiri with him.

Aungst the chaos zinekxeng continued struggling against the remainting restraints. She wouldnt break the ones against her wrist but she hoped the one on her ankle would snap.

And it did. The satisfying noise of the plastic breaking from itself caused a small smile to break across her face.

She was up to her feet in less than a second and she was rushing behind the children in the same amount of time.

Kiri was grabbed by the Kuru, but just as quick as she was grabbed an arrow was plunged into the captor's chest.

Zine knocked against a tree as she continued running, causing her to stumble. It caused her to be further behind the children than she would have liked.

A bullet began tearing through vines and took a large gouge out of a tree; before becoming stationary in Zinekxeng’s thigh. She let a scream tear at her throat as she fell into the fauna of eywa. Ahead of her the children stilled for a moment, hearing one of the most important members of their clan in such pain caused panic to spread through the children, but to avoid the same fate they took off running.

Behind her, the shooting had quietened down. The battle was coming to a stalemate. Each awaiting a moment of weakness from the other.

Zine clutched her thigh. Quickly standing and limping after the children, she needed them safe.

The chaos begun again behind her as she continued, quickening her pace as much as her throbbing thigh would allow.

Ahead of her she saw spider and kiri rushing further from the chaos. Seeing the two she pushed herself to run, each step shooting an agonizing pain through her body, and yet she ran.

Suddenly an explosion against a tree caused spider to be flung through the air.

“Spider!” she pushed herself faster, her worry clouding her mind enough for her to ignore the pain.

She didnt notice kiri being pulled away by neytiri as she dropped from the fallen tree bridge, nor did she notice the RDA avatars stalking closer to the boy.

She slid to him and held his head, he had been knocked into a groggy state from the fall and had some scrapes and red marks but nothing broken. She pulled her hands away from him, blood markings left in place of her hands.

Before she could turn around and react to the soldiers behind her, the butt of a gun crashed into her temple.

As she fell she watched Neytiri and Kiri disappear into the Pandoran forest, black clouding her vision.

The colonel picked up Spider, throwing him over his shoulder and motioning to one of his strongest to do the same with the woman.

The intruders rushed off with the two, towards their extraction point. Disturbing the tree line was a large RDA Skyship.

Spider awoke from his groggy state and started fighting the colonel, seeing the woman he thought of as his only relative limp in the arms of one of the avatars didnt calm him, it only made him thrash against the hold harder.

Their extraction was seamless despite the two new beings going up with them.

Within the forest the family had a happy reunion, tears were shed and they held each other.

“Where’s spider and zine?”

“They took them.”

Jake consoled his daughter at the loss of her best friend and her aunt. The adults both shared worry for the duo but Zine would be strong, and be able to save herself and spider.

Chapter Text

The woman woke up groggy, her head beginning to pound as soon as her eyes adjusted to the blinding white light of what seemed to be a cell. 

She covered her face as she sat up, noticing the mask on her face, a device keeping her from human oxygen while she was out. She groaned; trying to collect the memory of how she got where she was. The image of Spider looking up at her dazed and confused came to her mind, and then the image of Neytiri taking Kiri to safety.

“Spider.” Her voice was weak, the feeling of it harsh against her dry throat and her eyes unfocused as she shot up from where she was lying.

She fell to her knees with a scream as pain coursed through her. She had forgotten she had been shot. 

She looked down at the dressed wound on her thigh, blood already seeping through the too-white fabric. She groaned as she stood again. She banged on what she assumed to be the door to her cell, her weight completely on her good leg as she screamed. 

“Ayvrrtep, bring me to Spider!” she continued banging against the metal and glass door until her knuckles burst, her blood leaving smudges and splatters as she hit harder. The leader of the RDA dream walkers now stood outside of the door.

Two men whom she assumed to be his second in command and strongest stood beside him, watching the woman as she beat at the door. 

Tears began pricking at her eyes as she stared at them; growing weak. 

“Please.” as she spoke she dropped to her knees, pain shooting through her leg at the sudden impact, “I need to know he is okay.” 

The door slid open but the exhaustion had taken over her completely. She did not know how long she had been asleep or how long it had been since she was at the compound. 

The two minions walked in first, dragging her back from the door and allowing the leader to walk in as well.

She allowed them to drag her, blood dripping down her wrists and fingers, and tears pooling in her eyes as her worry for the boy and her family grew. 

“Give us answers and you can see Miles.”

The leader had squatted down in front of her, his hands loosely clasped in each other between his thighs. 

“Spider,” she didn’t raise her eyes to look at him as she spoke, “His name is Spider.”

“Whatever.” the man's grip on his own hands tightened, “give us information and you can see Spider.” 

The name coming from him left a pit of swirling anger building in her stomach. 

“I don’t know anything. I’m just the caretaker.” The lie slipped out of her before she could think it through. 

“Bullshit. Two of my strongest men struggled to hold you. And you were armed more than any caretaker should be.” He stood and looked down at the woman. 

Her eyes raised to stare at him, a smirk slowly spreading across her face as she spoke again, “Do you think the Sully family would have a normal caretaker for their children?” The tears rolling down her face accompanied by the smirk made the men's hair stand on end.

He sucked his teeth and looked at his two men, “Take her to the boy.” 

Her eyes lit up and she slowly raised to stand by the men, they were taller than her, one not by much and the other by enough that she had to crane her head to look at him. 

The men grabbed her by the arms, boss leading them out into the hallway. 

She took a moment to look around the parts of the building she could see, humans in large mech suits, and others in labcoats roamed the halls.

While she was walking further down the hall she noticed the humans backing away slightly, fearful of not only the RDA Avatars but of her. If they stayed in line none of them would have to be hurt. She studied the man in front of her. She felt she knew him, at least knew of him, however no matter how much she thought she couldnt place the man anywhere. 

She realised that the man on her left was more allowing her to put her weight on him than dragging her. The one on her right however had his fingertips digging into her flesh. She looked between them, still trying to place the familiarity she felt. As she thought her head began to throb again.

The leader in front turned, causing the three to stop and wait. He input a code into a pin pad, an identical room to the one she woke up in behind an almost identical door. Scratches and hand prints had replaced the blood in her cell. 

Within it, Spider was sitting on a table fiddling with his hands.

“Spider..” her voice betrayed her excitement as she rushed into the room, pushing the men off of her and past the leader.

Spider turned to her and his face lit up, “Zinekxeng!”

He lept over the table and hugged the woman around the waist. She wrapped her arms around him, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other on the back of his head, softly petting his wild hair. She sunk to her knees, her hands moving to the front of his face to cup his face.

“Lu nga pung?” She checked the boy thoroughly, looking at his arms and hands, lifting them to look over his ribs. 

“English.” The leader spoke, his words dripping in venom. 

“I’m fine Zine,” Spider spoke, a small grin on his face at the woman’s motherly actions. The worry that had been clouding Spider’s mind began clearing seeing Zinekxeng in front of him.

The woman nodded slowly and pulled the boy back into a hug, her arms tight around him. 

“You need to tell us where the Sully’s are. Where the village is.”

The moment was interrupted by the man's voice. The woman shook her head. 

“I am loyal to them, I will never tell you anything.” She didn’t let Spider go as she spoke. 

“Quaritch, you got nothing from the boy, why would you get anything from the girl?”

A new voice had entered the conversation, causing the woman to stand and push Spider behind her slightly. She turned to face the door and looked at the new person. 

“How can he be that demon? He is dead.” She stared the woman dead in the eyes before her eyes drifted up to the other man settling on his. 

It couldn’t be Quaritch. Neytiri had killed him. 

The man smirked at the intense look on the woman's face, “In the flesh, Darling.”

Bile rose in her throat at the pet name and her face pulled into a look of disgust. She went pale and turned back to the woman, pulling Spider further behind her.

“What do you demons want?”

“Oh, that's easy. We want Pandora.” The unknown woman grinned at the enraged expression that crossed the Na’vi warrior's face. 

She went to step towards the woman, but Spider grabbed Zine's wrist; stopping her mid-stride. She glared at the RDA officers, she pressed the tip of her tongue to her fangs, the all too familiar tang of blood filling her mouth as she stepped back to stand by Spider. 

She chose to stay silent leaning against the table, Spider tucked behind her slightly. Her bandages had turned into an overflowing bloody mess, as did the floor near her feet.

“She needs to be treated.” A small human woman pushed into the room after seeing the bloody mess caused by the woman.

“She did it to herself.” The blonde leader hissed before turning to the RDA avatar colonel, “Quaritch, we have a course of action to plan. Shall we?” 

The smaller woman approached the na'vi ignoring the group that stood in the doorway. 

“Mansk stay here. Let's go.” Quaritch spoke to his men as He followed the woman, his second followed him while the large man stepped into the room and closed the door. 

“Do you mind sitting so I can change your bandage?” The woman asked kindly. Her features were soft, and kind. Her skin was darker than Zine had seen before, and her hair was pulled into a tight bun to tame the curls. 

Spider looked up at the older Navi with pleading eyes. She rolled her own before sitting atop the table.

“What's your name?” The woman asked, “I'm Sasha.” The woman looked up with a big smile. She was sweet. She didn't deserve to be here. 

“Don't talk to her.” The silent man spat out.

“Oh come on Mansk, she's scared and in a place unfamiliar, a bit of kindness helps sometimes.” 

Zine took note of their comfortable interactions and looked into the man's dark glasses, where she assumed his eyes were, and she stared. Her eyes were dark, filled with anger and rage. 

“Hands.” The little woman held out her own hands.

The larger Navi woman placed her hands in the woman's, the size difference would be comical in any other situation. 

“Zine. What are we going to do?” Spider sat next to the woman and hugged his knees. 

The woman pulled the boy to rest against her side, earning a stern glare from Sasha as she immediately tore open the stitches she was putting in her hands. 

“I don't know.” She let her weakness show as her tears started to fall into the boy's hair. Spider turned into the woman to hug her chest. Despite Spider being an older boy he, unlike Neteyam and Lo’ak, showed his weakness with the woman, he saw her more as a mother than anyone else knew.

She let the woman work on one of her hands as she stroked Spider’s head, her mind wandering to the family that escaped the group.

She hissed suddenly as the disinfectant stung her burst knuckles. The RDA stepped forth weapon drawn. 

“Sorry, this one stings.” the woman's face lifted into a lopsided smile filled with sympathy.

The sashas genuine smile caused the large blue woman to calm down. She turned into Spider’s hair again.

The woman finished cleaning and dressing the Na’vi’s wounds, the fresh white gauze creating a sharp contrast between the woman's slightly dirty body and nature-based clothing.

The woman stepped back after packing her small first aid kit, “Keep them dry for at least a week.”

Zinekxeng nodded her head. Spider had fallen into a peaceful sleep against the woman, judging by the bags under his eyes he hadn't slept since they arrived. 

“What did you do to him?” Her piercing golden eyes shifted from the small red marks across his body to the man leaning against the wall. 

The woman's eyes held anger, yet she was being genuine and careful with her words.

“Please, Mansk.” At the sound of his name, his gaze shifted from the human woman to the Na’vi.

He let his arms uncross and stepped towards the woman, Mansk was normally quiet but something about having somebody so strong place themselves into a weak position. He was intrigued by her, the whole Blue Squad was.

“They tried everything they had. He held quiet. You are most likely next when you are strong enough.” 

The woman shifted her gaze down to the boy she had settled in her lap, she gently traced from his hairline down to a red circle on his temple. She looked up at the man against the wall again.

“If you didn’t get anything from the boy you won't get anything from her.” The woman smiled up at the large RDA avatar before walking out of the door, leaving the boy and the Na’vi woman alone with him.

“What are you? You aren’t a dream walker, are you?” the woman’s words were slow. She was stepping carefully, pushing to get as much information from the man as she could in this chance.

Mansk lifted his glasses and rubbed his eyes harshly, pinching the bridge of his nose, “It’s complicated. Our consciousness was copied. We aren’t exactly those men we were when our bodies died.”

The man let his glasses rest on his head as he spoke, maintaining eye contact with the woman. 

She smiled softly at the man nodding a thanks to him before closing her eyes. 

Mansk nodded and the group sat in silence until the hiss of the door opening caused the woman to lift her head and the boy to stir awake. The woman shushed him as she slowly rubbed his forehead. 

“Rest, Ma Spider. You’re safe.” 

The boy let his eyes close again as the woman continued rubbing his head. 

She shifted her eyes to the man in the doorway, that same demon. Her eyes were piercing as she stared at him. 

“Grab her, General says it's time.”

The woman slowly and gently shifted so that Spider was resting on the bench before she stood from the table.

Chapter Text

Mansk stood on her left, his hand gently around her arm like earlier. She let him walk her out of the room behind the demon. 

She trusted the man on her left more than any of the others and yet she still kept a guard up as she should. She was their prisoner, she was here for information and she would not be leaving, no matter how much information she gave.

She walked into a large laboratory, the room was clean and overly bright. 

Mansk walked her to the biggest machine in the room, strapping the leather binds around her wrists and tightening them to fit snuggly around her smaller wrists. 

She looked up at the man before settling her head back against the hard metal machine. Once she had been strapped tightly some humans in lab coats walked up to stick small patches across her body, on the same spots that Spider’s red markings were. 

One of them pulled an odd contraption down over her head, pinning her head in place. She stared at the man standing ahead of her, searching for anything of that demon in him. 

Chatters and mumbles from the lab coats didn’t take her eyes off the man, her stare held strong even as the pain started to shoot into her body. She gritted her teeth fighting the scream that began to rip at her throat. She continued to stare at the man, her mind only filled with rage, she ignored the shouts from around her, asking her about her home, about Jake. 

She screamed suddenly, rage bursting from her lungs and her whole body stiffening. After her outburst she suddenly calmed, her head lulling back against the machine as much as it could, her lidded eyes staring the man down. The man continued silently staring back at her, arms crossed across his chest.

The na’vi woman let her eyes close as she thought of his death. The man growled as he walked towards a machine and switched it off. 

“We were getting somewhere!” a lab coat shouted.

“No. You weren’t.” The man growled as he turned to look back at the woman who was now slumped in the machine, panting gently. A smirk across her face. 

“Can’t handle seeing your death, Demon?” 

The man sneered before turning to Mansk, “Her room.” 

“She’s bled all over our fucking machine.” a lab coat spoke from next to her as he took off the patches on the woman’s body and unclasped the machine around her head. 

Mansk stepped forth and pulled at her restraints, freeing her. 

He looked at her, expecting her to move but she didn’t, couldn’t. The pain had exhausted her. He slipped a hand around her waist before lifting her out of the machine.

The man walked behind and shifted slightly, the woman was being carried by his strongest man, yet he felt something. He settled on rage, that was what he held for the woman, anger and hatred for her kind. 

Mansk laid her down on the table in the middle of the too-bright room. 

“We should take the sympathetic approach.” He whispered to the man as the large man began walking out of the room, “She is a woman.”

Mansk nodded and walked off, going to retrieve the woman's belongings hoping that they would help. 

Quaritch closed the door and leaned against the wall waiting for Mansk to return, holding the woman's blade, staff and a tooth. 

The man took the blade and tooth, walked into the room and saw the woman lying where she was left. She let her head lull to the side, looking at the intruder in her small space. She eyed the man before jolting up at the sight of the blade in his hand. 

Her eyes filled with tears slightly as she looked up at the man. A smirk slowly spread across his face as she watched her shift.

He stepped fully into the room, the door closing behind him, Mansk left outside. The man sat by her as she stared at him, her eyes following his every small move.

“It is a nice blade.” He twisted the knife in his hand as he looked over at the woman. Her eyes were still on him as her tears refused to fall.

“A lover?” 

The woman's eyes flicked down to the blade before they settled back on his, “No.”

He hummed and twisted it again before handing it to the woman, “You use that on any of my men and Spider is dead.” 

With that, the floodgates opened. Her tears fell in an endless stream but she was silent. Completely silent, staring the man dead in the eye as she slipped the blade back into its comfortable spot on her hip.

“Understood.” was the only shaky word she let leave her lips as she glared at the man. 

The man sat there silently observing the woman, her bandages bloodied already, the stitches torn from the machine and her tensing. 

“What's your name?” 

“Zinekxeng.” 

The man hummed before standing, “Behave and you both might just live.”

She looked down at the blade on her hip before nodding, her tears streaming down her face to her chin before dripping down to her chest.

The man leaned against the wall looking at the woman. He crossed his arms over his chest as he studied the woman. Her lean body was toned, scars covering the exposed skin.

“You’re a fighter.” The man spoke, breaking the silence.

“Yes.” 

Her single-word answers unnerved the man. He wanted, needed her to talk, for the sake of the mission he told himself.

“What is your relation to the sullys’?”

“Reletive.”

“That wild woman had a family?”

The man watched as the woman lifted her head, her gold eyes staring daggers at him as he mentioned his killer, her best friend.

“We all did. Until you demons came along.”

He had struck a nerve, earning more words from the woman ahead of him. The rage that filled the woman's eyes caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand. 

But as the rage in her eyes continued to swirl, she didn't reach for the blade he returned moments ago, instead her knuckles lightened as they gripped the edge of the table.

He looked her over again, blood had begun dripping from her now blood-soaked knuckles. 

“Fuck.”

He stepped forward and scooped her from the table, her head lulling back again. Dark spots began clouding her vision until she lost the fight against her eyelids. 

She went limp in the demon's arms. 

“Mansk!” 

He noted how light the woman was as he rushed from the bright white room. Mansk followed close behind his colonel as he ran through the white halls, blood dripping from the girl within miles’ arms leaving a trail for the labcoats to worry about. 

He burst through a door, a woman stood quickly from her computer, Sasha the same woman that had treated her hours ago. 

“I knew she wouldn't take the interrogation well.” she eyed the man before rushing to pull a curtain back, revealing an Avatar-sized bed and machines. 

Miles laid her down and stepped back for the human woman to work on her. Sasha attached the machines to the woman, her heart rate had slowed and her breathing was shallow.

“She’s lost a lot of blood. Can you hand me that IV bag?” she pointed at a slightly larger-than-normal IV kit, built for the Deja Blue team. 

Miles snatched it and handed it over to the woman before stepping back, letting the doctor work. 

“We should strap her down,” Lyle spoke now in the doctor's office, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. 

The idea hadn't even crossed Miles' mind until Lyle spoke. 

Mansk stepped forward in front of his dazed colonel and strapped the woman's wrists to the bed. 

Miles turned and left the office, his ears pinned back and his jaw clenched, Lyle following behind him like an obedient chihuahua.

Quaritch shook his head and forced the idea of Zine in pain out of his mind. 

“Got it.” Sasha celebrated as she finally sunk the IV into the large blue woman's skin.

Mansk stood against the wall watching the doctor work, she wasted no time in changing the stitches and dressings.

She stepped back and looked at Mansk, “We just have to wait now."