Avatar: {Hybrid and Alien]

{16}

Things were flung at them.

Some supply packages and small cylindrical objects were thrown from the piles of containers and fling at Asim and the na'vi. Asim crouched down quickly and covered his face and body to shield himself. One object landed close to him, and it immediately made a clicking sound before it released a stinging white mist. It got in his lungs and stung, making Asim cough and gag as he tried to back away quickly from the area. The white mist extended all over the room, spreading thanks to other cylinders having been thrown. It also reached the na'vi that backed up and began to cough as well due to the mist getting to their lungs and stinging. Then Asim turned around to face the interior door and saw two figures come out, both with weapons in their hands. One of them pointed their weapon at Asim and shouted at them in a strong and aggressive tone, while the other pointed at the na'vi. From what Asim could make out...it was a language that he was familiar with. "Oi!!! Koko de ittai nani o shitte iru nodesu ka? Deteike!! Samonakereba, anata-tachi zen'in o koroshimasu!" they said to him and the other na'vi at the doorway in a male voice rapidly, weapons loaded and ready to fire. Asim stared at him for a moment before he started to remember. That language...that was Japanese. And that voice...it belonged to only one Japanese that he knew of. One that will always be his friend and part of his family.

There was no mistake. It was Kentaro.

"Kentaro! Kentaro! Ochitsuke!! Don't shoot! It's me! Asim! And don't shoot the na'vi! They're with me!" Asim called out as he coughed some more and held up his hands, indicating that he was no threat. The one with the long weapon flinched as if a knife had been thrown at him, before slowly and carefully lowering his weapon. An eternity passed before Kentaro slowly approached, taking some steps to walk into the light of the doorway and look at Asim with a wary expression. Even with the breathing mask on Kentaro, Asim had no doubt that who he saw was one his friends looking at him with surprise as recognition spread across their face. "Asim...Hontoni anatadesu ka? Is that you?" Kentaro asked, voice shaking a bit as his eyes widened and saw Asim clearly now. "Yes, it's me. Asim Angus. I am alive and here" he said to him as he lowered his hands and smiled, slowly getting up to be face-to-face with his friend as he nodded slightly. From behind the breathing mask that Kentaro wore, Asim saw that Kentaro's eyes were beginning to tear up. And who wouldn't feel so relieved and with tears after what has happened?

His friend recognized him, and that was enough to make Asim also tear up as Kentaro dropped his weapon and both of them embraced in a tight hug. "Ikite iru! You are alive! It's been so long, old friend!" Kentaro said with a shaky voice as the two continued to embrace. Then both of them were suddenly picked up in mid embrace and hugged by a larger and stronger grip, and Asim immediately knew who it was even before he looked at them. That was Mikhail, and he too was overjoyed as he hugged them in his strong grip and shouted some Russian words. "Moy tovarishch!! You are alive and kicking!! And...why do you smell like gryaz?" Mikhail exclaimed as he carried them and gave them a tight squeeze, pausing to sniff and making Asim and Kentaro laugh. "What happened to you? After the fighting and everyone departing...we assumed the worst. We did everything that we could to search for you. How did you survive for so long?" Kentaro said after both were set down and everyone was settled. "I have no idea. But I'll explain later. How are the rest doing?" Asim said as looked at them, still smiling and with relief.

Kentaro and Mikhail looked at each other, their smiles fading as they looked back at Asim. "Wait...no...they couldn't have..." he said as he registered their faces and his heart stopped momentarily. Then after a moment Mikhail bursted into laughter and punched Asim lightly in the shoulder. "I'm just kidding, tovarishch!" The other two are alive and well. And Lily has grown too. Why are you so serious? We would never let anything happen to each other while you were gone." Mikhail chuckled, making Asim let out a relieved sigh...and shove his friend. "I'm serious. I was knocked out for who-knows-how-long and recently woke up. I barely survived the forest of Pandora if it weren't for the blue natives that captured me" Asim said, gesturing outside to the door. And speaking of which, the na'vi hunters have recovered from the fumes and were now approaching slowly. Kentaro and Mikhail noticed them and immediately got their weapons to aim at them, but Asim pulled them down to prevent them from shooting. "Calm down! They are with me! Stand down." Asim ordered his friends. They looked at the na'vi, who also had their weapons ready to be used, and obeyed Asim's orders as they slung their weapons to their backs.

"What are they doing here? Are they bringing you hostage here and plan to return you to us in exchange for something?" Kentaro asked Asim. "Well...sort of. But it's fine, because they spared me, and what they have asked for belongs rightfully to them. It's the least that I promised them" he explained to his friends. "I don't think it's wise to negotiate with them. What if they decide to kill us all instead? And—what in the name of Krista is that?!" Mikhail asked, exclaiming in surprise as he and Kentaro backed away as they saw the large dark figure of Layontsin peering from the outside of the doorway. The thanator creature peeked in, but did not step in as she spotted the two new humans. "It's a very long story. One that I will be happy to tell once I tell them what is happening" Asim said as he turned to the na'vi hunters and told them to lower their weapons.

Once he explained that Kentaro and Mikhail were his friends, his brothers, the hunters understood and did what Asim asked. "Thank you. Now, please excuse us for a moment. I'll be back. I promise" he said to them and turned back to his friends to go inside into the outpost building. The na'vi hunters and Layontsin went outside to wait. Inside the outpost, when the doors have closed and the two took off their masks, Asim and his teammates went to get the others. Emeralda, Shaka, and Lily were all present, and they took a moment to register that it was really happening before they all rushed over to hug him in a tight embrace. Asim felt at home now, back with all of his family and especially Lily, who, as Kentaro had said, has grown a bit more. "We all missed you, cara" Emeralda said with some irish as they let go. "I knew that you would come back. I never doubted it, arakunrin" Shaka said to Asim with a bit of yoruba. He smiled and nodded, seeing that they were all here with him. Lily came up to Asim and giggled, being picked up by him. "Big brother is back!" Lily said, making Asim smile proudly and his heart warm up with joy.

"Now, tell us. How did you survive?" Kentaro asked as Asim's friends all sat down or stood where they were, waiting to listen.