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Italics: (Na'vi language, Metkayina sign language, and Jake's inner thoughts)
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Kiri, Lo'ak, Tuk, and Spider were running through the forest, trying to get as far away from the Avatar soldiers as they could. Kiri stayed close to Tuk, making sure she didn't accidentally stray off and get lost. Lo'ak and Spider guided the girls, trying to get out of the forest before the Avatars could realize they were there. But little did they know, that Quaritch and his group, discreetly, already took notice of their presence.

"You're going to be in so much trouble," Kiri reminded, running beside Lo'ak. He rolled his eyes and continued to move forward. "Kiri, stop," He said, not liking the feeling of being patronized. He was already aware of the situation they were in, but the best course of action was to keep moving.

"It's almost eclipse. Come on!" Tuk urged, turning her head to look at her siblings, but as soon as she looked forward again, an Avatar soldier came from the bushes and grabbed her. Tuk let out a terrified scream, feeling incredibly startled and afraid.

They were being surrounded. Lo'ak and Spider did not hesitate to raise their bows and arrows, aiming them at the soldiers that were coming in from the bushes and trees with guns pointed directly at the kids. Kiri stood behind her brothers, watching with distress at how Tuk was being handled. The situation was escalating quickly, and the kids were all on edge at the sudden appearance of the Avatars.

"Put it down or I'll shoot you!" One of the soldiers yelled out, threatening Lo'ak and Spider. The human boy hissed menacingly out of instinct from growing up with the Na'vi. "Drop it! Right now!" An Avatar yelled out, and not wanting to worsen the situation, Lo'ak dropped his bow and arrow, raising his hands in the air. Lo'ak turned to look at Spider, who was still aiming his arrow at the soldiers.

"Put it down. Put it down," Lo'ak said to Spider in Na'vi, and the boy reluctantly put it down and kicked it away. As soon as the kids were unarmed, the soldiers proceeded to each grab one of them. An Avatar came behind Kiri and grabbed her by her braid, making her yelp in pain as the soldier tugged her back.

"Get over here. Drop to your knees! Stop fighting," He menaced, kicking her legs, making Kiri drop to her knees uncomfortably. "Kiri!" Tuk yelled out in distress at the sight of her sister being mistreated and handled harshly. Kiri groaned in pain as the man pulled on her braid even harder.

Spider was fighting against the hold that one of the Avatar soldiers had on him. The boy hissed and squirmed around to get away, but his efforts were futile and in vain. "Check them for weapons!" One of them said, prompting each of the soldiers who were holding one of the kids to begin to check if they had any other weapons on them that could be taken away.

"Kiri!" Tuk cried out, letting out a strained whimper as tears brimmed in her eyes because of the hold the female soldier had on her and her braid. The small 8-year-old looked at her older sister for help, but Kiri gave her a hopeful expression, hoping that'll ease her fear.

"Calm...be calm," Kiri said in Na'vi, trying her best to reassure her little sister even from afar. "Shut up! Don't move!" The man holding Kiri barked, holding onto her braid and hair tighter.

Soon enough, Quaritch came around the corner with his rifle in his hands, inspecting each one of the children they had encountered. "Well, what have we here?" Quaritch started, walking amongst them. He looked at Spider momentarily before turning around to face Lo'ak, that had a gun aimed at his head, along with Kiri and Tuk. He lowered his gun and flipped it around him so it was hanging on his back and his hands were free.

Lo'ak was raising his arms and talking in Na'vi in an attempt to reach out for his sisters as Lyle grabbed Kiri's hand and raised it, showing that she had five fingers. "Look, Colonel. Check it out. 4 fingers. We got a half-breed," Lyle said, showing that aside from her thumb, Kiri had four fingers, unlike other Na'vi that had three.

"Shit..." Spider muttered, knowing that they were surely screwed now that these Avatars discovered that they had human genes within them. Lyle held Kiri's braid, tugging on it harder, making her cry out in agony. The Avatar soldier also had her arms pinned behind her back, so she couldn't move.

Kiri looked at Quaritch with pure fear as she saw him approaching her. The Colonel then turned around and walked over to Lo'ak, standing in front of him as he was being held back by his braid as well. "Show me your fingers," Quaritch asked, and Lo'ak was silent for a few seconds before looking up.

Lo'ak said nothing, and simply raised both of his hands, flipping off Quaritch. He had both of his middle fingers up with a deadpan expression. Quaritch chuckled with disbelief before concluding. "You're his, aren't you?" The Colonel concluded. It was evident.

Lo'ak did not reply, but looked up at Quaritch since he was on his knees, and let out a throaty and strong hiss while baring his teeth to the Colonel as a threat. Lo'ak wasn't scared of him. His tail moved around swiftly behind him, reflecting the anger and heated emotions he was feeling. Quaritch was not phased by Lo'ak's actions, but his smirk only widened. "You're his, alright," He said, confirming that the Na'vi boy in front of him was yours and Jake's son.

Quaritch proceeded to grab Lo'ak's braid from the soldier who held him before and harshly tugged on it harder, making hiss and groan in pain. Lo'ak's eyebrows furrowed, looking up at Quaritch with nothing but hatred. "Where is he?" The Colonel asked with an emotionless look, referring to Jake, and by adjacent, you as well. He was looking for both of you.

Quaritch tugged harder on Lo'ak's braid, making the boy wince and flinch. "Sorry, I don't speak English with assholes," Lo'ak said in Na'vi, and Quaritch understood what he said, so anger boiled inside him. He didn't have time to deal with pesky teenagers.

"Where is your father?" Quaritch asked more demandingly this time, tugging harder on Lo'ak's braid to the point that he thought it would snap off. The Sully brother yelled out in pain, and then let out a strained cry that was a mix of a scream and a hiss. It was too painful for him to bear, but Lo'ak wouldn't let Quaritch see that he was getting through to him. Kiri, Tuk, and Spider all fought against the hold the Avatars had on them.

"Really? You wanna play it this way?" Quaritch challenged, not hesitating to pull out an incredibly sharp knife from his belt. Kiri's eyes widened and begged in Na'vi for Quaritch not to hurt her brother. Unexpectedly, the Colonel let go of Lo'ak, so Fike grabbed his braid again, turned around with his knife, and started walking over to Kiri. Lo'ak yelled out for his sister, and Spider immediately started fighting even harder the grip that the soldier had on him. He couldn't let Quaritch hurt Kiri, not if he had any say on it.

"No! Stop! Hey! Hey! Don't touch her!" Spider yelled out, trying to break free from the iron grip that he had on his arm. Spider groaned and hissed, trying to escape and protect Kiri. He eventually calmed down when the Colonel turned around to face the human boy. "Don't hurt her, please," Spider begged, shortly after the soldier holding him tugged him back, telling the boy not to move.

"What's your name, kid?" Quaritch asked, and Spider let a few seconds pass before answering reluctantly. "Spider," He started, breathing heavily. "Socorro," The human boy said, making Quaritch's ears twitch with intrigue. Once he said that the Colonel immediately realized how this kid might be. He gestured with his hand for the soldier holding Spider to release him, and when he did, Quaritch kneeled on one knee in front of him.

"Miles?" Quaritch asked, and Spider was taken aback by the use of his first name. The boy knew that the man in front of him was his biological father. Spider pursed his lips and shook his head slightly. "Nobody calls me that," he said, refusing to be addressed by that name.

"I'll be damned. I figured they sent you back to Earth," Quaritch said, but Spider looked at him with a serious and cold expression, with his eyebrows furrowed. "You can't put babies in Cryo, dipshit," He replied. Quaritch's ears tipped back and he tilted his head to the side.

If his assumptions were correct, that boy was his son. Either way, he ignored those thoughts and let the Avatar soldier grab onto Spider's arms and hair again, holding him back as he was before. Quaritch stood back up and remained silent for a few seconds, that was until one of his subordinates spoke up.

"What do we do, boss?" One soldier asked, but the Colonel didn't say anything. He pressed a button on his coms and began to speak. "Iron Sky, Blue on Actual," He started, speaking directly to General Ardmore that was making her way by ship to the location relayed to her by Quaritch. Flying beside the ship where the General was, there were two helicopters alongside it with extra reinforcements just in case things went south when it was time to recover Quaritch and his team.

On the main cockpit of the ship, the General stood behind the pilot, surveying the terrain. She pressed the button to her coms to reply to Quaritch. "Blue on Iron Sky, send your traffic," She said, waiting a few seconds to get a response from the Colonel.

"We are standing by for extract, over" He replied, and Ardmore nodded. She leaned over the pilot to give him the next instructions. "Take us in," She said, and without hesitation, the pilot followed orders and relayed the message to the other pilots of the ship. "Dragonfly coming left. We are a go for extract," The pilot said, steering the ship to the left and heading to Quaritch's location.

"Sit tight. We're inbound," Ardmored said, walking away from the cockpit and towards the inner part of the ship as she stayed on the line with the Colonel. She still had her cup of coffee in her hands, taking nonchalant sips every now and then. She was completely unbothered. "Bingo in ten. We're on the clock," The pilot in the cockpit said, starting to steer the ship towards their desired location.

Back with Quaritch, he was circling the children, talking to Ardmore, and giving her the last few details. "Be advised. We're bringing high-value prisoners," The Colonel said, making the Sully siblings and Spider all tense up at his words. They prayed mentally that you and Jake would arrive before they were taken.

"Let us go!" Kiri said, fighting against the hold Lyle had on her. "Shut up!" He said, not letting go of her under any circumstance. He only held her braid tighter, causing Kiri more pain and discomfort.

Before they knew it, the kids were being rounded up and tossed onto the floor harshly. At least they were closer together now, even if they were still being held back by their arms and braids. Lo'ak was being thrown onto the grass, and he groaned at the position he was being put in on the ground.

Quaritch and Lyle stepped away for a minute. Lyle pulled up a small tablet and handed it to the Colonel. There was a video that needed to be analyzed. "Lyle, get me some audio on this," Quaritch asked, and his second in command did not hesitate in doing as told.

As soon as the video they wanted to see came up, it was footage from the Ampsuit during the battle between Quaritch and Jake. The fight in which he was killed. In the video, the camera panned down to you, showing how you were trying to liberate your body from under the deceased Palulukan. You looked up and hissed menacingly. Anger boiled inside Quaritch just by looking at you, knowing that you were the one who finished him off.

"That's Sully's woman," Quaritch muttered, referring to you in the video, and Lyle nodded. "She's an animal," Lyle said with shock at how feral you had become. Your skills and tenacity were commendable, but it still didn't make Quaritch's anger rise whenever you were mentioned or he saw you.

Trying to get out of his bonds, Spider stopped what he was doing to listen in on the conversation between the Colonel and his subordinate. The human boy peeked around the rock he was sitting against, and he was able to get a glimpse of the footage Quaritch was watching with a scowl on his face.

"Give it up, Quaritch! It's all over," Jake said in the video as the camera of the Ampsuit focused on him. "It's Sully," Quaritch said, feeling an overwhelming amount of need for vengeance when he saw him, most likely more than you. Spider continued to peek from around the corner, watching the video from afar. He had never seen that fight before because he'd only heard about it from Lo'ak.

"Nothing's over while I'm breathing," Human Quaritch said in the video, and Spider's breath got caught in his throat at this newfound information he was receiving. "I kinda hoped you'd say that," Jake said in the footage as he started to charge at the Ampsuit.

Spider's eyes widened as his eyes furrowed while he watched the footage. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Never had he ever seen that side of you or Jake. Spider knew how both of you were very intimidating and skilled warriors, but not to the extent of what he saw. He continued to watch behind the rock he was leaning against, as horror seeped through him.

Before the kids knew it, the eclipse had passed and it became nighttime. The forest had darkened, and there was no longer light to see the forest in, but now, at least they had the moonlight to guide them. Soon enough, Neteyam, Jake, and you all landed on a big tree to let your Ikrans perch themselves on the branches and the trunk of it.

Jake hopped off his Ikran and grabbed his gun and other weapons while strapping them around his back. You dismounted Aio, disconnected your queue and bond from her, and grabbed your trusty bow and arrow gifted by your father. Neteyam got off his own Ikran and grabbed his bow and arrow as well. Before the oldest Sully brother could step any closer, you and Jake stepped in front of your son.

"No, no. You stay with the Ikran," Jake said, buckling in his vest with his weapons. Neteyam visibly stiffened at his father's words. "Dad, I'm a warrior like you. I'm supposed to fight," Neteyam said, really wanting to accompany his parents to save his siblings and Spider.

"Neteyam," You said, with a tone of warning. Neither you nor Jake wanted him in direct line of danger, especially what happened at the train raid a few days before. You knew he wanted to fight, but even Jake agreed that he should stay back for now and not engage. It was for his safety and well-being.

"I'm not gonna say it again. Stay back," Jake warned, completely dead set on having his son stay where he couldn't be hurt. After a few seconds, Neteyam nodded and reluctantly turned back to the Ikran. "Yes, sir," He muttered, and that was enough for Jake and you to look at each other with knowing looks as a sign that you were ready to go.

As he watched his parents go, Neteyam turned his head around with a determined look on his face. He couldn't just sit back and not help bring back his siblings. He was a warrior, it's who he was, and he wanted to prove that he was completely capable and competent. He knew that the mission a few days ago made his parents warier of letting him out on the field of battle, but he was ready. He was. He'll be damned if he stood by and did nothing.

Quaritch was still watching the video footage of the moment he was killed. He watched as you shot a second arrow directly into his chest his human body. Spider was still watching the video as he peeked from behind the rock he was in, with pure terror spread across his face. He looked away for a second, turning his head away to stop looking. A thousand thoughts ran through his mind, he could barely process them all.

Meanwhile, Quaritch continued to watch the video, seeing the footage showing how after you shot the second arrow, you crouched over Jake's unconscious Avatar body as you hissed protectively. The camera showed effectively how the Ampsuit collapsed on the ground with Quaritch inside, ending his life.

As soon as the video was over, the Colonel put down the tablet and a sullen expression came across his features. Now that he was seeing his death from a different perspective, he didn't know what to think anymore. A barely noticeable frown formed on his lips as his eyes dropped slightly. He truly regretted not taking vengeance on Jake that day like he wanted to.

"There's nothing after that," Lyle said, taking the tablet back from Quaritch, who was deep in thought by the looks of it. The Colonel proceeded to walk over to the rusty Ampsuit and grabbed his human skull, ripping away the old air mask that was still attached to it. Spider watched as Quaritch held up his human skull in front of him, analyzing and inspecting every detail of it.

As he did that, Lyle proceeded to reach into the Ampsuit and pull out Quaritch's old military necklace, tucking it in the pocket of his vest. "Should we salvage the remains?" Lyle asked, but the only response he got was Quaritch crushing the skull with no mercy or remorse at all. It served as closure somehow. He brushed his hands so that he got rid of the remains of the skull in his palms. The dust had gathered and he tried his best to brush it off.

Soon, the eclipse passed completely and the forest was almost pitch dark. It had also started to rain and drizzle. Kiri, Tuk, Lo'ak, and Spider were still being held hostage, with a tight hold on their braids. It was so sensitive that any sudden movements will give them extreme pain, so they had no choice but to comply and stay completely still, hoping someone will come and rescue them from this situation.

One man held Tuk separately, not to far away from Kiri and Spider who were held right next to each other by a single soldier. A few Avatars that didn't have the task to hold onto the children were patrolling the area, ensuring that there weren't any intruders up until the moment they were picked up.

They hid behind trees, logs, and bushes, propping up their guns against a surface in case they needed to shoot."Blue 1, standby. We'll be there in three minutes," General Ardmore said through the walkie-talkies they were relaying messages back and forth from.

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You and Jake were already treading through the humid forest. You could hear commotion nearby, and Jake could too, so you stayed close enough to be able to see one another. You held your father's bow in your grasp, stopping in your grasp, and began to sniff, and you could sense your children were nearby. You turned to Jake and he nodded, giving you the go-ahead to continue since the coast was clear. He held his gun in his grasp, keeping it aimed forward.

Now it was time for you two to separate momentarily. Before Jake let you go off on your own, he grabbed ahold of your hand with his free one and tugged you closer to him. Your face landed on his chest and your body was pressed against his. You were startled for a moment, but then relished the moment, and tucked your head in his neck as his hand detached from yours and slid onto your waist.

You wrapped your arms around his torso, and you immediately understood why he was doing this. He was scared. He wanted you to be careful. Jake knew you were more than capable of taking care of yourself, but every battle is unpredictable. He prayed in his mind, hoping and begging Eywa to bring you back to him. You felt him kiss the top of your head, and then nuzzle his nose in your hair.

"Stay safe. Please. Come back to me," He whispered to you, and without hesitation, you nodded against his neck and hugged him tighter. You also wanted him to come back to you safely. The feeling was mutual. "You too," You muttered to him, and he nodded. A few seconds pass until you both departed and started to go your separate ways.

You and Jake stood far apart, but close enough to see each other. You turned your head to look at him, seeing him gesture with his hand to advance. And with that, the two of you stealthily walked through the jungle, getting closer and closer to where Quaritch had your kids. You leaped over a bent tree root while Jake walked as he lowered his stance, keeping his gun aimed forward. Eventually, the two of you were so far in that you lost sight of one another. Both of you focused on the mission, no matter how worried you were for the other.

As the night progressed, Quaritch could sense something was coming. His ears twitched at a sound he thought was fake and that it was just his mind playing tricks on him. The Colonel turned to Fike, who was on patrol behind him. "Watch our six," Quaritch said, moving away from his spot, and walking to where he thought the sound was coming from.

As Quaritch walked away, Fike held onto Kiri and Spider, dragging them over by their with a gun pointed at their heads and making them face the opposite direction. Kiri and Spider groaned uncomfortably, with mingled feelings of pain and numbness. They had been at this for hours on end.

From her spot, as she was still being held by a soldier, the female Avatar soldier was still holding her braid. Tuk looked at the ground, not making any sudden moves, but a familiar sound made her ears twitch and her head turn to where it was coming from. The 8-year-old gasped and looked around. After hearing the sound resonate again for the second time, Kiri also took notice of it, and her ears tipped backward while she looked around.

If it was what she thought it was, then she couldn't help but let relief wash over her, as well as Tuk and Lo'ak. It was you. You were yipping sharply, making the sound echo through the tree, disguising it as if it was an animal making that sound to confuse Quaritch and his soldiers. But, you knew your children would recognize it right away.

Not too far away, you were now on a broad tree branch, leaning against the trunk and holding your bow and arrow close to you. You had gotten close enough to the point where you could see your children being held, hostage. You camouflaged yourself against the tree and moved slightly to the side to peek through the branches and then to yip again, catching the attention of Spider as well. The human boy was able to hear that loud and clear this time.

Lo'ak and Spider looked at each other, nodding at one another. They knew it was you making those calls. The soldiers were still unphased and assumed it was an animal like you hoped, but the children were already aware that things would turn south very soon. Spider exhaled in relief, but not too hard to cause suspicion, but at least he knew they were getting out of this situation soon enough.

As for Jake, he had taken another path and was now creeping behind some leaves, not making any noise. There was an Avatar soldier with his back turned to Jake, so that gave the ex-marine the perfect chance to strike. As Jake walked closer, he adjusted the grip he had on his hatchet to an angle he could instantly kill the soldier. Jake's steps were completely drowned out by the sounds of the forest, so the soldiers he was preying on still had no idea of Jake's presence behind him.

Not wasting any time, with one strike, Jake struck his hatchet in the back of the soldier's neck, killing him instantly. To avoid the noise of the soldier's impact on the floor and creating a commotion, Jake managed to grab ahold of the Avatar before he fell and laid him down on without creating any unnecessary noise. Checking if the coast was clear, Jake continued walking and switched from his hatchet to his rifle instantly, knowing he'd need it.

Behind the tree you were leaning your back against, you began to notch your arrow onto your bow and lifted it to aim at the mercenary holding Kiri and Spider. The thing is that, from your angle, Kiri's head was aligned perfectly with Fike's head, so one wrong shot and Kiri would be dead, along with Spider who was in the way of your arrow's shot too.

While Fike's eyes searched the perimeters with his eyes, he heard Kiri start to pray in Na'vi with her eyes closed. Annoyed, he tugged her braid back, making her groan in pain. "Shut up," He muttered, his ears tipping back as he aimed the barrel of his gun into her head.

Your eyes tried to analyze the best angle you could shoot at, but at every possible circumstance that passed through your head, it always ends up with Spider or Kiri hurt. You inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying your best to not let your hands tremble. You could see and hear Kiri praying to Eywa, making you more nervous about missing the shot. You had to wait for the perfect moment for Fike to move his head away enough from Kiri to shoot.

With frustration building up, your eyebrows creased and your ears tipped back in fear. You couldn't miss it, but only a miracle could help you now. You breathed out air softly through your lips, closing your eyes momentarily before opening them again and adjusting your bow and arrow in your grasp. Tension was building up inside you, but it was quickly overpowered by the determination to save your kids. You pulled back your arrow further, preparing for the perfect moment that you knew would come any second now.

Kiri continued to pray, and as if your prayers were heard, Fike tugged Kiri's head back by her braid low enough to give you a clear shot at his head. "Shut up," He seethed while Kiri held her eyes closed tightly to withstand her suffering. You took that opportunity instantly and let your arrow go, making the arrow strike Fike directly into his forehead, killing him.

The man fell back onto the ground, lifeless, so you hid back against the tree hearing the rest of the soldiers start to grab their guns and shoot merciless gunfire. The tree was protecting you while you leaned against it for protection. "Contact made!" One of them yelled, all of them following suit as they continued to shoot aimlessly at where the arrow came from.

Knowing that they were distracted and trying to shoot at you, you leaned your head back against the tree, yelling through the gunfire. "Lo'ak!" You yelled, and upon hearing your voice, your son immediately knew what to do. He moved to grab onto the latch of the stinkbombs on the military vests of Quaritch's mercenary soldiers.

When the bombs went off, blinding the men with smoke, Lo'ak took the chance to grab onto the arm of the soldier who was holding onto him and sunk his teeth in his arm, moving his head around to cause more damage so that the mercenary would let go of him. The soldier cried out in pain at the feeling of Lo'ak's teeth on his skin.

Following the actions of her older brother, Tuk grabbed ahold of the arm of the woman that was holding her and sunk her teeth into the skin of the female soldier. The woman hissed in pain, feeling the little Na'vi girl move her head around like a dog with a slipper.

"You little shit!" The woman yelled out, not being able to shoot because her arm was caught. Even if it wasn't as big of an impact because Tuk still had young and baby teeth, not developed ones like Lo'ak, it still hurt like hell for the woman. On top of that, the stinkbombs were clouding up the space with green smoke, making it hard for the soldiers to see, but it made it perfect for the children to escape.

Tuk was able to get away as soon as the woman let go of her braid. The little girl didn't hesitate to run towards Lo'ak, who immediately helped her run farther away. "Tuk, come on!" Lo'ak urged, helping his sister run with him toward a deeper part of the forest.

Kiri and Spider were trying to escape, even if they were cuffed, so as they ran through the chaos, another female soldier grabbed Kiri's braid, tugging her back. Not knowing that she had fallen back, Spider continued to run.

You sneered at the woman getting ahold of Kiri again, so you notched another arrow and quickly let it go, effectively letting it strike the female soldier right in the chest. This gave Kiri the chance to run away once again, catching up with Spider and her siblings. The human boy grabbed her hand and pulled her along. Quaritch was still shooting bullets at you, knowing you were behind the tree. You leaned against the trunk once again, using the tree as a shield while preparing your next move.

During the gunfight, Quaritch stopped shooting to hide behind a log. The woman you just killed was laying across it, so the Colonel pulled the body over the log until it was out of the way. He proceeded to hide, and reload his bullets before going back into action.

Meanwhile, Jake had made it through a shortcut he took and unexpectedly came up behind an unsuspecting soldier, turning him around and stabbing the mercenary with his hatchet and his dagger. The body went limp on the ground and Jake moved on to the next one.

As Quaritch leaned his back against the fallen log, in the corner of his eye, he saw the arrow that you shot the woman with. The Colonel's face pales as he realized It looked exactly the same as the one you killed his human body with. Quaritch's ears tipped back at the sight of those damned green feathers at the end of the arrow, giving him undesired fear.

Quaritch laughed dryly and proceeded to change his bullets, refilling his ammunition. He had run out and he had to take cover, but he knew you could hear his voice. "Is that you, Mrs. Sully?" He called out, receiving silence in return, but he was certain you heard him. "I recognized your calling card," He continued, referring to those animal-like noises you made hoping to deceive and confuse him.

Behind the tree, you were panting and breathing heavily. The adrenaline certainly took a toll on you, but you wouldn't let Quaritch intimidate you. Your kids were out of the line of danger, but you still had him to take care of. Rain was still drizzling and landing on your face, making small water droplets drip from your face and your hair.

Before speaking again, Quaritch looked at one of his soldiers hiding behind a tree and gestured with his hand a signal he wanted to be passed down to the others. After seeing the signal, Lyle turned and passed on the message to one of his comrades close by. Quaritch's soldier began to get into position shortly after.

The Colonel continued to cock his gun and prepare it to shoot again. "Why don't you come on out, Mrs. Sully?" Quaritch taunted, and you leaned your head back against the tree. "You and I, we have some unfinished business," He called out, trying to intimidate you.

You turned your head slightly, and in the corner of your eye, you could see Kiri and Spider finally running farther through the forest. If they were out of sight, since they were the last ones to run and get away, it meant that Tuk and Lo'ak were also out of danger and probably much farther out. You sighed in relief to yourself, glad that they were safe, but then turn your head back to where it was, you inhaled deeply before speaking up.

"Demon! I will kill you as many times as I have to! In this life or the next, I will not hesitate to make sure you don't wake up ever again!" You threatened with rainwater dripping down your cheeks and your face.

Thankfully you had your Ikran warrior visor to keep it away from your eyes and your forehead. Unfortunately, while you spoke to Quaritch, you had no idea that him taunting you like this was just a distraction for one of his soldiers to sneak up behind you.

"You and the Corporal have been pretty busy, haven't you?" He said, bringing up the topic of your children. You didn't want their names in his mouth. "Got yourself a whole litter of half-breeds, haven't you?" Quaritch continued, and you scoffed to yourself at his audacity.

Unbeknownst to you, the man Quaritch sent was already hiding behind some bushes with his rifle aimed straight at the back of your head. Even though the branches were in the way, it was a perfect shot. When the mercenary was about to pull the trigger, an arrow was shot at his back.

When the Avatar soldier fell lifeless to the ground, Neteyam appeared from behind. He had saved your life. Noticing the presence of the oldest Sully brother, one of the remaining soldiers didn't hesitate to aim his gun at the boy, preparing to shoot. Neteyam was fearless, and he notched another arrow, preparing to strike at the soldier aiming at him.

"Na'vi!" The soldier yelled out, warning the others about the appearance of Neteyam. The mercenary started shooting, but before the bullets could hit the boy, Jake ran in and tackled his son to the ground to avoid any of the bullets that were coming in. Both father and son quickly stood up and started running the other way. "Go! Go! Go!" Jake urged Neteyam to run, as he was right behind him.

Many more soldiers began to shoot as well, prompting Jake and Neteyam to both hide behind the safety of a tree. Jake turned to his son and inspected him to make sure he was okay before they proceeded. "Are you okay, boy?" Jake asked, and Neteyam nodded assertively. They waited a few seconds, splinters of wood raining on them because of the bullets hitting the tree.

"Follow me. Ready?! Ready?!" Jake asked with urgency, mostly because the gunfire was so loud that he wanted his son to hear him, and Neteyam did not hesitate in answering with confidence. "Yes, sir!" He answered his dad, more than ready to fight.

Simultaneously, Jake and Neteyam stepped away from the tree and headed right towards the battle area and their enemies. Jake started shooting at any of the Avatars across from him but quickly turned around and Neteyam followed by his side. "Move!" Jake exclaimed, and his son did not hesitate to follow his lead.

The two of them took off running despite the bullets that were being fired at them. They ran through the forest through every branch, trunk, root, and space they could find. Seeing that Jake and Neteyam were retreating, you immediately started running away from the tree you were on and down to follow the lead of your husband and your son.

As you ran trying to catch up, Quaritch fired a bomb that exploded just above you, and the impact made you stumble slightly. Even so, you didn't stop and got back up to continue running. You could see Jake and Neteyam in the perimeter of your eye, so you knew that you'd be meeting up again with them soon.

Kiri and Spider were still running through the forest, trying to get as far away as they could. "Go! Go! Go!" He yelled to Kiri since she was running in front of him. It was tough to run faster since their hands were bound, but they made do and continued to escape.

Quaritch and his team were still advancing to where you, Jake, and your family were running to. The Colonel proceeded to load another bomb onto the launcher he had and shoot it. It just so happened that Spider was the closest to it, so the impact knocked the human boy down and he tumbled to the bottom of the root they were running on. He tried to grab onto a vine as he fell to break his fall, but it didn't make the landing any less harsh. He screamed as he crashed onto some weeds and plants while he rolled down. He was feeling himself blink in and out of consciousness.

Kiri gasped as she saw him tumble down and fall to the precipice, so she leaned over the tree root they were running on. "Spider?" She called out to him, but the human boy was already feeling everything around him distorted.

"Spider!" Kiri called out to him, but it worried her further when she received no response. It seems that he was knocked out. At that same moment, you jumped from a branch onto the scene and saw your daughter leaning over the root they were standing on. "Kiri!" You exclaimed worriedly, hurrying over to her.

You leaped over to her other side to be in front of her. "Spider! Spider!" Kiri called out to him again. You proceeded to grab her arm, not too harshly, though and started to pull her along with you. If the two of you didn't get out of there soon, Quaritch would catch up and it would be harder to shake them off again.

"Come! Come on!" You urged your daughter, but she was resisting as she kept looking down the tree. "It's Spider! He's down there!" Kiri said with worry and urgency, but as you two peeked behind the tree trunk, it looked like Quaritch and his team already found him and surrounded the human boy. You couldn't go back for him now. It was too risky.

The Avatar soldiers and the Colonel started to crowd the boy, right as the ship with General Ardmore started to arrive at the destination that Quaritch had relayed to her. "10 minutes out in enemy air space," The pilot said, knowing that it would be any moment before their arrival was intercepted.

General Ardmore rushed to the cockpit, pressing the buttons to her coms to communicate with the Colonel. "Blue 1, get back to the rally point. Now!" Ardmore ordered, warning the group of Avatar soldiers to be ready for pick up and to reassemble.

Quaritch and his crew started approaching the human boy that was on the ground, covered from head to toe in mud and grass. Quaritch got to Spider first, so he flipped the boy over, seeing he was almost completely passed out. Spider was breathing heavily and his eyes were half-lidded, trying his best to stay awake.

"Blue 1, fall back!" Quaritch heard Ardmore through his coms, and he didn't waste any time in telling his crew to start falling back. The Colonel threw Spider over his shoulder, following his comrades to the meeting point.

Kiri was watching all of this happen with a distressed look on her face. As much as it pained you to see your daughter like this, it was too later to go back for him. Quaritch had him now. "Spider!" She yelled, feeling you tug on her arm to take her further into the forest.

"Kiri, come! Come! We have to go!" You exclaimed, finally feeling your daughter start running with you. You pulled her in front of you to allow her to run before you, and you made sure she didn't stray off. Jake sent you signals on where to meet up again, and as you and Kiri ran, the family was heading there now.

Tuk and Lo'ak had also been running this entire time, and he had not dared to leave his sister behind at any moment. Tuk was following her big brother as fast as she could. "Go! Go! Run!" Lo'ak exclaimed to Tuk, who had adrenaline running through her veins.

Before they knew it, Lo'ak and Tuk came into a clearing at the same time as Neteyam and Jake. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Jake asked Lo'ak with concern, but he was quick to reassure his dad. "No, I'm fine," Lo'ak said, and Jake nodded, quickly turning to Tuk.

"Tuk, are you hurt?" Jake asked, kneeling to her youngest daughter's level. Tuk came running into his arms, finally letting the waterworks out after so much adrenaline. "Daddy," Tuk sniffled and cried into Jake's arms, and he hushed her gently, not even imagining how traumatizing this must've been. "Shh, It's okay," He whispered gently.

Meanwhile, the ship had finally arrived at the designated location where Quaritch and his team were supposed to regroup with Ardmore. As the aircraft hovered over the forest with a bright light shining down on it, the wind the propellers were creating was blowing on the trees and the grass rather harshly.

Quaritch arrived with Spider still unconscious on his shoulders and proceeded to hook himself onto the metal rod from the ship above to be taken up. Every remaining Avatar soldier, including the Colonel, gave the signal to be brought up. They all immediately started to be winded and lifted to the ship. This was the moment when Spider was gaining consciousness and he was filled with confusion as to why he was being lifted off the ground and onto a giant ship.

The moment that the Avatar group was all on board, the ship eventually left, with Spider in it. Jake watched with a vengeful and angry expression as the aircraft departed and left the forest. It finally meant they were safe at last.

"There. We're clear. Is everyone okay?" Jake asked, and started looking over his children but realized you weren't there. Neither was Kiri. His heart started to race, but relief filled his body as he saw you approach Kiri right behind you. At the sight of you, Tuk came running into your arms and you embraced your youngest daughter with relief that she and your sons were okay. "Tuk..." You whispered into her hair, grateful to Eywa in every way.

"Mom!" Tuk said as she wrapped her arms around your shoulders, and you embraced the back of her head. It seems as if your emotion's finally started to resurface so you started to cry as you held Tuk close to you and Kiri embraced you in a hug from behind. "Thank you, Great Mother! Thank you!" You cried, feeling you choke on your voice as you sniffled.

Jake rounded up Neteyam and Lo'ak, hugging them by the back of their heads and bringing them close to him. He couldn't explain how relieved he was that his family was all in one piece after an ordeal like that. "It's okay, boys," Jake reassured his sons, leaning his head against Neteyam and Lo'ak's.

Jake lifted his head, patted Lo'ak's shoulder, and turned to look at Kiri. Your daughter lifted her head from your shoulder to look at her dad. "Where's Spider?" He asked, but that simple question brought tears to the girl's eyes once again. "They took him. They took him," Kiri said as her lips quivered and more rainfall fell on her face. She was ridden with sadness.

Kiri began to cry more as she detached from you and went directly into her father's arms. "It's okay. It's alright, baby girl," He hushed Kiri, and it broke him to see her crying. Kiri wrapped her arms around his father while he held one hand behind her head and another one around her back to rub it soothingly.

"Easy. It's okay. He's a tough kid, don't worry," Jake said, holding his daughter close while she cried. "Alright, shhh..." He cooed, rocking her from side to side. There were a few more seconds of Kiri crying on her father's shoulder, but that was until Jake spoke up. "He's going to be okay. We're all going to be okay," Jake promised, holding the back of Kiri's head, while he held a serious look on his face.

Eventually, everyone's nerves eased and they were able to start making their way back home. Neteyam had his arm wrapped around Kiri's shoulder as she laid head on her brother's shoulder. Lo'ak was holding Tuk's hand as they walked forward and returned to the place they left their Ikrans.

You and Jake were walking behind your kids, and it had been a silent way back until Jake grabbed ahold of your hand and pulled you behind a tree as your kids continued to walk. You couldn't take too long so that they don't notice you and Jake are gone.

Before you could process another thought, Jake suddenly pressed his lips against yours. He couldn't show it in front of the kids because he wanted to check over them first, but now that he could be here with you, he needed to let you know glad he was you made it out alive. He knew Neteyam saved you from almost being shot from behind, and he would be thankful for that every day.

You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and continued to kiss passionately for a few seconds before pulling away altogether, taking your breath away while leaving you panting while you looked up him with half-lidded eyes. Jake leaned his forehead against yours, prompting you to gently rub your nose against his as you panted softly, trying to get air back into your lungs. He opened his eyes and his hands slid to your waist, holding you close.

"You came back to me," Jake breathed out, looking into your eyes as you gazed at his just as intently. You nodded at his words and smiled gently. "You did, too" You replied with a sullen tone, but happy on the inside that you had him in front of you. It felt surreal. Your family was complete and nobody was hurt. It was a miracle, and you thanked the Great Mother for that.

"I love you. I realized today that I don't say it as much as I should, and I could lose you or our kids at any moment," Jake whispered, sighing. His breath hit your face. You smiled and leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek as you held his jaw with your other hand.

"I love you, too, Ma Jake." You said, tucking your head on his neck as you wrapped your arms around his torso. He reciprocated your actions by putting his hands on your hips, keeping you as close to him as possible. "We have to go back. The kids will notice we're gone soon," You whispered against the nape of his neck, and in response he nodded, pulling away from the hug you two had.

Instead of completely letting go of you, Jake wrapped a single arm around your waist and brought you back to the trail you were walking on earlier. While you walked, in the distance, you could see your children laughing and joking together ahead on the trail, and the sight brought a smile to your face and Jake's.

As you two walked together, you turned your head up to look at your husband, smiling softly. "We did that, Jake," You said, and he nodded, turning his head to press a kiss on your temple. "We did," He admitted with a gentle smile coming on his lips.

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8.3k words- I did not think this chapter would be as long as it was. For this entire series, this might be the longest chapter so far. I really hope it was worth it whsj I put all of my efforts on it lol

I did feel a bit iffy about this chapter tho. At times It felt rushed, but Ill revisit it again soon and make necessary changes. Also, Im running it through grammarly a couple times just to make sure.

The good thing is that my busiest week is over so in the coming week, i'll have more time to write, so yay! Expect Chapter 6 soon! Boy am I excited for this story, you all have no idea.

Anywho, as always, please comment and vote everyone! They make me so happy and I love reading them all! I pour all of my energy into this book so I hope you guys are enjoying it shshs

See you all in the next one! 🤍 Have a great Monday tomorrow!

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