Chapter Text

Colonel Miles Quaritch

Blonde locs disappearing into the water was the last he saw of his son. He called for him but a hiss was his reply, and Quaritch despite everything knew he deserved it.

Colonel Miles Quaritch had lived a long life longer than he should have really. First as a human and now a 9 ft blue man-made alien meant to look like a specie on another planet. He had fought many wars on earth, now he was here fighting war for earth.

He lead his troops into battle against the natives and took what the elites wanted for what he was told the betterment of mankind back on earth. Whether the future involved or not he did what he was ordered and never asked any questions even to the detriment of himself and others.

Quaritch always got it done.

Despite it all there was always one task he failed to accomplish and it was a simple one in the grand scheme of things that fought back harder than any issue he had ever experienced and that was capturing Jake Sully, a marine that turned his back on human kind for— on him, for local tail and his children. Life on the other hand had a funny way of working in which the moment he grasps onto Jake, he is also the one that ultimately frees him.

His son—his only son, was in danger and he had made a promise to himself, in the forest, when the kid had accidentally fallen asleep in his arms as he flew Cupcake through the canopies, he was so small, and not in the Na'vi to human comparison but to human Quaritch looking at his baby son in his arms soon after he had been born. This baby relied fully on him and his mother to survive and the thought had scared him and filled him with insurmountable bravery, he would do anything for him.

The sentiment had been brought back in full force at that moment and it stayed with him even after Spider had turned his back on him after saving his life.

His time in the forest with Spider had been short, six months might be a long time but in the grand scheme of the fifteen years his son had lived it was a fraction of the time he had missed. Spider was everything he was not, filled with a levity and joy of a soul that hadn’t been ripped apart by the weight of war and Quaritch hoped it stayed that way. Even though he knew he was going to be the one that inevitably destroyed him too.

This is why without even hesitating he cut Jake Sully free

“Knife.” and handed him the knife, even to the protest of Wainfleet, like him, Jake also got things done.

"Wainfleet keep an eye out for us, alright.” It was an order not an ask, Wainfleet’s protests immediately fell on deaf ears, Quaritch knew what he had to do and no one was going to stop him.

“You go round my six and I’ll take on this side" Jake hadn’t even glanced back at Quaritch as he made his move towards the kids, his ears were pinned straight in concentration occasionally swerving around to listen to any dangers, and what was Quaritch to say the man knew these woods better than he ever could and with a swish of his tail he followed in suit.

In the centre of the gathering stood a tall lean Na’vi woman with a feathered crown split into red and black, red paint in the shape of an arrow aimed down her forehead to the bride of her nose. She like the rest of the Na’vi around her were ash ridden much paler than any Na’vi he had seen. She had a sickly grin on her face as she eyed the sully children, her eyes, large and wide, screamed predator and a warning to stay away. The way she commanded the scene clued him in on her stance and had him formulate his own plan.

She is their Tsahik? Perfect hostage target. She had sauntered over to the sully boy and looked to be asking something from him, persistently pushing the assault rifle into his chest with rising agitation, Quaritch didn’t focus on that. Instead his eyes scanned the scene looking for a certain head of blonde locs. Quaritch’s heart sunk as his eyes sharpened on the boy.

His mask! He doesn’t have it how is he alive?

“He doesn’t have his mask how is he breathing?” Quaritch’s eyes were glued onto Spider and he could feel his ears pinned to his side, Jake’s shallow breaths gave away that he was feeling, the same shock and fear, that was debilitating him leaving his legs shaky and heart racing.

“I-I cant even begin to think about that right now. We need to move.” Jake composed himself, Quaritch knew he did not have time to hesitate and for the time being he was thankful that his son was even alive in the first place. Quaritch moved in after Jake taking the other side as the man had instructed, their plan hadn’t been thought out in the slightest but their combined marine knowledge and experience had them able to fill in the blanks on unplanned positions and attacks as though they had always been on the same side fighting, the same war and at some point that was the truth.

It felt wrong. It felt right.

“Kill the boy!’’ their Tsahik cried as one of her Na’vi raised their bow towards Spider. Every muscle in Quaritch’s body sprung into action, without thinking he lunged Infront of the arrow, piercing right through his upper thigh. Lucky for him aiming for spider was way below any vital spot on his body but regardless it caused him to buckle. He let out a hiss, weak but still threatening. He didn’t have time to tend to his wound or even acknowledge it as his action had given Jake the opportunity to take down the Na’vi guarding the Tsahik.

Quaritch took her short moment of astonishment to grab her and put the gun to her temple. The arrow in his leg caused his movements to be choppy but still fast and precise enough to get him where he needed to be.

“Put down your weapons!” His voice carried through the forest despite all the noise from the fighting. A glance around, made him note that they clearly didn’t understand the situation at hand, to show them what he meant he fired at one of the approaching Na’vi putting him into the ground instantly, their Tsahik now clearly understood the situation they were in and ordered her people to stand down. They complied lowering their weapons to the ground fear in their eyes as they looked at Quaritch.

Good, normal, I can handle this

The pain in his leg flared up from the stance he had taken but he could wobble, show any weakness that could allow them to have the upper hand and turn the tides on a balance of scales barely in their favour. With the situation mostly handled he started giving orders, he fought with all his might to keep his eyes away from Spider as he knew looking at the boy would lock his attention. He would want to go up and check any wounds he might have, the thought alone filled him with dread.

“First you are going to back away from us and slowly hands where I can see em.” their Tsahik started to cry, her tears dry and clearly meant to be mocking before he could even question her and finish his orders he felt a sharp tug from his kuru which turned into an overwhelming burning sensation, he felt his knees hit the ground before he could even comprehend what was going on. The pain flared though his whole body leaving him helpless, the Tsahik laughed at him while he cried in pain. His kuru was being strangled by hers. The constant supply of pain and fire leaving him completely vulnerable, with a quick glance to his side, he saw the body of Jake Sully on the ground as his children cried over him, Spider among them calling for him.

Not me

With a heavy fist and his strength alone Quaritch severed their bond, his hand shook from the amount of strength he had to put just to raise it past his thighs, but the damage had left him weak and wheezing unable to fight back as she rubbed her fingers against his face with an innocent smile of a beast.

“You are strong sky man” voice laced with temptation. “You will teach me how to make thunder!” She raised the assault rifle to his chest and kept her eyes trained on his, she had this fire, evil within her he hadn’t see in many and knew exactly what kind of person he needed to be. He glanced back at the Sully’s—at Spider and saw him looking right back with worry and fear in his eyes, Quaritch didn’t know if it was aimed at him or the situation at hand, regardless he had to do what needed to be done.

If she was fire, despite the dangers, he would have to play with it, so he did as he was asked and showed her how each component worked and how to use them. Her visage was bright with glee the black paint around her face caused the excitement in her eyes to be even more visible. If things had been different he probably would have fallen for her right then and there.

She reminded him a lot of Paz, strong woman, an even stronger fighter its why she was called into battle leaving baby Miles with the scientists to wait for her to get back. She never did.

He was harshly thrown back into reality when she cocked the gun in his direction. “I don’t need you anymore skyman” was all she said with a grin across her face, her scrutinising gaze still trained on him before he felt a hard blow to the back of his head sending his whole world into darkness.

Ah shit.

Quaritch came to not too long after the pain from his leg and kuru shot through his system, waking him up with his hands bound and Jake Sully lying Infront of him, his kids not too far behind.

Fuck. My head.

It swarmed and pounded it seemed getting your nerves messed with did lingering damage, he laughed to himself at the sardonic thought. A quick tug of his wrist and he knew he wasn’t getting out of these ropes anytime soon, Jake on the other hand still struggled and writhed trying to free himself before he too came to the same realisation.

“These pricks know their knots.” Despite it all Quaritch found this situation oddly hilarious tied up face to face with his sworn enemy probably about to be killed with his only son. Maybe that brought some comfort that this whole saga would end in one fell swoop and if Jake’s dead then he did his job in the end. Still though his biggest regret would be Spider that kid deserved to live a long and happy life despite his own personal actions, he should have been around more when he was a kid, should have raised him even without his mother, but he died and now here he is as a blue alien about to die again and taking his son with him.

That would have been the case had not the inconspicuous flowers unprompted shot out needles hitting the Na’vi guards that had been watching over them, springing one of the Sully kids into action, he grabbed the blade left behind and started tearing through his rope before doing the same to his siblings and Jake Sully.

Once Jake got free Quaritch had fully expected them to leave him there to die but instead. “C’mon” Jake rounded his back ripping him from his bondage, he knew he had no time to ask questions so with a quick glance at Spider they moved. Tearing through the jungle to get as far away as possible from the ashy Na’vi before they found out they were missing and started tracking them. He reached for his neck planning on contacting Wainfleet to tell him to help with evacuation only for his hand to touch empty skin.

Shit they took my comms.

He was going in blind, he didn’t know where Wainfleet had gone, or if he was alive, but he had no time to think about it as he had to keep focused to keep up with the Sully family.

They moved through the bushes like it was their second home and it very much was, he had after all seen it many times, his leg ached and caused him to buckle a few times as the movement caused the arrow lodged in his thigh to justle around enlarging the wound. The blood loss was leaving him light headed and weak. He needed to pack it but he had no time and he wasn’t about to call out to them to get them to wait for him, if he stopped and they left him he was a dead man.

Hope I don’t have to run again soon cause my leg is done for.

Spider kept up as expected so Quaritch had no choice, he just needed to push more, so he did. Once they got to a river bank they dove in letting the water carry them down the stream and away from those psychotic Na’vi. The cold water shocking his system giving him the adrenaline he needed from the blood loss that was weakening him. His wound continued to bleed, the blood leaking into the water it ached and burned as the liquid seeped into his open flesh, but he kept steady swimming anyways. He noticed Jake constantly glancing back at him then to his leg but he refused to acknowledge it. His weakness would not be acknowledged even if the arrow hurt like the mother fucker.

Colonel Miles Quaritch would not die from drowning.

They approached the river bank and pulled themselves out of it, everyone heaving and panting from exhaustion, he slinked behind Jake the two of them making eye contact a conversation passing with eyes alone. Quaritch knew he would struggle if he fought now, his leg had left him exhausted along with all the running and swimming they had done, but if he had to fight he would.

“We still have some unfinished business.” Quaritch braced himself for the fight. He could see Jake was exhausted and hope he felt the same amount of exhaustion he did.

“Or we could just not, not right now.” Jake dropped his bow and arrow keeping his eyes locked with Quaritch’s.

Hah. Guess the bastards tired too.

“We still have our knives.” Despite the comment Quaritch walked—or more so hobbled right past Jake before settling onto a rock not too far from the kids. Spider was—no had been staring, he noticed it when Jake had been doing the same thing in the river bank, glancing at him then down to his leg. Jake was one thing, his son, another, he wasn’t meant to look weak in-front of him. The kid said nothing though, Quaritch wondered what was going on through Spider’s head, his eyes swarmed and his vision blurred, his head was pounding and he was fading fast. Jake came in front of him at that moment forcing him to focus despite fatigue that was washing over him fast.

“Despite all this time you still don’t get it?” Jake questioned and it only made him angry from the weariness and pain. He wasn’t in the mood for all this questioning.

So preachy he is like the general

“It doesn’t matter what colour I am I still know what I need to do.” He spat back, his brain fogging over as his adrenaline seeped out of his body. He glanced at spider the boy sat up despite the exhaustion evident on his face, his eyes were slack and his body swayed. Despite it, he was ready for a battle, it stung when he realised this but he knew it was warranted he is the one that caused his lack of trust why would it be different now? Even if he took an arrow for him.

Before falling under into the abyss, once more the words of Jake Sully rung through his ears “You need to open your eyes Colonel and see.” and like that he was out. The words playing around in his head like a mantra as he stayed in a coma like sleep.

The only reason he even woke up was to an all to familiar voice screaming at someone. He wanted to stay in his dream like state where nothing felt real and he didn’t have to think about anything, not his human life nor his Na’vi self nor Spider he just needed to be—.

“I WILL KILL THAT DEMON!” he shot up from his resting ground, expecting to see the blue sky and the green leaves of the pandoran trees. Possibly also the familiar screech of a blue ikran tearing towards him the rider bow poised ready to end his life. Instead he was met by white pasty walls and the smell of disinfectants something he hardly paid attention to as a human but as a Na’vi it was impossible to ignore. Bright lights sent his ears pinned to his head and his eyes snapping shut from the pain. His head pounded and he was extremely disoriented. He shifted his legs gently trying to make sense of what was going on. He was in a hospital room why? How? Did Lyle or another troop take him back to home base? The voice—that voice that doesn’t make any sense that’s-. His thoughts were sharply cut off, with the sound of a table crashing down. His eyes shot up putting him face to face with no one other than an extremely murder hungry Mrs. Sully walking around the corner her, eyes sharp and out for blood.

My blood no less. Shit.