Not a Soldier Yet |Ao'nung x Neteyam|

63. Reckless Games

Neteyam climbed up the tree further silently; the recoms made no move to do the same as the young Omaticaya. It seemed they were unsure if they should.

"You save me to use me?" Neteyam called out. He had ran out of shells, having pelted all of them into Quaritch's face. The Omaticaya did not stay in one tree for more than a few seconds. Underneath, he could head the recoms follow where his voice led them.

Quaritch scoffed into the night. "This is not using you, Sully boy. I'm just asking you return the favor. You owe me."

"You broke my kneecups, bloody asshole. There is nothing to repay here." Neteyam clenched his fists, peeking down and freezing when his gaze met his attackers. Quaritch raised his gun and pulled the trigger, aiming for the young na'vi male. Neteyam hid behind a thick branch, flinching as the bullets tore into it mercylessly. It was too dangerous to do anything else in that moment but wait for the recom to reload his weapon. The second the bullets stopped raining down on him, Neteyam jumped out of sight, opting to climb lower, knowing Quaritch expected him to go even higher to seek safety.

Neteyam noted with satisfaction that the recoms had lost track of him. He decided to stop talking even as they called out to him.

"Come on, pretty boy. Why don't you come down here and face us like the warrior you are?" Quaritch's question rang heavily in the air between them. Neteyam was stalling for time. He wanted morning to come. A sick, twisted part of him wanted to continue playing this deadly game of tag. He knew he should try calling for help, but they were so far from the village only his ikran would hear his calls; Neteyam did not want his trusted companion to be killed in cold blood because of him.

Minutes passed in tense silence before Neteyam hopped between two trees again. He sat down carefully, sighing softly and inspecting his arm. The cut had stopped bleeding, but it still throbbed gently, warm and aching.

"Maybe we should call for the ikrans, sir," Lyle suggested, his voice reaching Neteyam's listening ears.

Quaritch help a hand up, shaking his head. "That would draw attention. We only want the kid or Sully, not the whole village."

Lyle nodded in understanding before scanning the area again but not finding Neteyam in the dark forest. The recom's ear kept twitching as he listened for even the faintest sound that could lead him to Neteyam, but Neteyam was sitting prefectly still if not for the swishing of his tail.

"You did not tell me I was taking him to shore only for him to be our debt, Colonel."

"At first I wasn't," Quaritch replied. "That was before I realized he's not considered a kid by his clan, nor by human standards either. Kid's at least twenty if not more."

Lyle nodded slowly, ears flattening slightly. "I still think he's awfully traumatized."

"Well," Quaritch snorted. "Sully has a way of fucking up everything he loves."

Neteyam rolled his eyes; his father was very dear to him. Neteyam felt oddly calm despite the dangers lurking under him, loaded with bullets that could take his life in one clean strike if Eywa so wished it. He pressed a blunt nail into the cut on his arm, reopening the wound. He marvelled at the stark contrast between the colour of his skin and the deep red shade of his blood.

"This is getting us nowhere, Colonel-"

"If you do not shut your mouth, Lyle, it will be your head I'm going to put a bullet through."

Neteyam stretched his legs out, smirking in amusement at the rising anger in Quaritch's voice. He knew that feeling well.
"Hey, demon. The last person to try and hurt me, I shot an arrow through his heart."

Quaritch held a hand up to Lyle before motioning for the recom to follow him. They walked in the direction they heard Neteyam's voice ring out loud and clear from.
"And where is that arrow now, kid?"

Neteyam scoffed, swiftly moving to a new tree. "You'd be surprised."

Quaritch's brows furrowed in confusion before he dismissed the topic, deeming the young male's words mere empty threats. "I'm getting tired of your little cat and mouse game, kid."

"Oh," Neteyam hummed, not stopping his climbing. "If you're tired, go to sleep. It might help, old guy."

"You think you're so damn smart, you brat," Quaritch hissed, hitting a fist against a tree, making the leaves shake.

"I don't think. I know."

Neteyam decided in that moment to throw his knife, aiming for Lyle's neck - the recom fell silently to the ground, starting Quaritch. He opened fire in Neteyam's direction, but by then the smaller na'vi was already metres away in the opposite direction.

"You fucking brat-" Quaritch sneered, staring down at Lyle's unmoving form.

Neteyam kept moving, trying to stay silent as he jumped swiftly from branch to branch, beginning to see the edge of the forest. Neteyam jumped down, dashing towards the ocean and calling for his tsurak; he knew the creature would hear him, but he was far and it would take some time for his beast to arrive. Quaritch immediately chased after him, catching up fast but Neteyam dived into the water, kicking his legs as fast as he could and swimming down into the deep darkness of the ocean at night. Bullets pelted against the surface, sinking uselessly next his body. Neteyam spotted some of Eywa's glowing creations circle around him before he signed to them to leave, not wanting their shine to draw Quaritch to him.

Quaritch hesitated near the water's edge before rushing in; Neteyam swam further, hiding behind some large corals. He heard it before he saw where the sound was coming from. Many tulkun swam towards him, crowding around the coral he hid inside, shielding him from the recom. Neteyam watched as Lo'ak's spirit brother slammed into the older male, pushing forward until Quaritch back met with a sharp rocks. Neteyam saw blood rise around him in dark clouds, bubbles escaping the recom's mouth.

Neteyam swam over to the nearest tulkun, signing to it in gratitude, mind fuzzy