Avatar: The Return of The Songbirds

Chapter Twenty-Five - What's Our Plan

The next morning, Chris had no motivation to get up. All he wanted to do was go back to Vialo. He felt at home when he was with her. For the first time since the day he woke up in his avatar body, he felt like he belonged, and now because of his own careless behavior he couldn't see her. He couldn't risk putting her and her family in danger again. He felt so conflicted, and it was driving him crazy. Chris spent the majority of the morning in his bed, staring at the ceiling. As he laid in his silent room, the echoes of knocking began to bounce around it. "What." Chris shouted.

"Open the door idiot." Nick shouted back.

Chris grunted, as he sat up. He stayed still for a moment, before pushing himself up and walking towards the door. "What do you want Nick?" Chris asked through the door.

"Chris, just open the door." Nick ordered.

Chris rolled his eyes, but caved and slowly opened his door. "What." Chris repeated.

"Can you not act like this...please." Nick begged.

"Act like what." Chris barked.

"Like you're giving up." Nick replied. "Matt and I need you. Vialo and her family need you." Nick continued, as he gently slammed his hands onto Chris's shoulder and squeezed. "So I need you to man up, and get your head back in the game!" He added in a joking tone.

Chris let out a soft sigh as his head fell towards the ground. "I know." Chris conceded with a grin, before grabbing onto Nick's forearms. "Thanks. That was one hell of a pep talk." He chuckled, lifting his head back up to meet Nick's gaze.

"You're welcome. And of course it was, I'm the best." Nick replied in kind. "Oh, and Lisa wants us...downstairs." Nick added. "Like right now." He pressed.

Chris let out another sigh and nodded. "Alright, give me a second, I need to change." Chris exclaimed, closing the door in Nick's face.

"Cool, I'll just...wait here then." Nick joked, leaning against the wall beside Chris's door. Five minutes later, Chris had finally made his way out of his room. "It's about damn time." Nick groaned. "I almost died from dehydration, you know that?" Nick joked.

"You are so dramatic!" Chris laughed.

"I know, it's kind of my thing." Nick chuckled. The two joked around like they normally would, so to not draw any unwanted attention to themselves as they made their way towards the sketchy hallway and and eventually getting into the nightmare inducing elevator. "I really hate this thing. I get trying to make it look off putting, but this!" Nick paused. "This is outrageous." He finished.

"You are outrageous." Chris joked, with a loud chuckle.

"Haha shut up." Nick grunted. Just then the doors opened. "See this is better." Nick exclaimed, walking out of the elevator. Chris on his heel.

"There you guys are! Sleeping in all of a sudden are we?" Lisa barked, walking down the staircase in front of them.

"More like Chris was sleeping in. I was up, waiting for him." Nick shamelessly admitted, throwing Chris under the bus in the process.

"Thanks man, what a friend you are." Chris hissed.

"Alright, we don't have time for bickering!" Lisa chuckled. "Well while you were getting your beauty rest, Matt and I were coming with a plan to make sure that the general never goes back out there again." Lisa exclaimed. Chris and Nick stood there silent for a moment. "Why are you staring at me like that?" Lisa groaned.

"No its just...so you and Matt are spending quality time together now?" Nick cooed, causing Chris to burst out in a fit of laughter.

"Shut up, do you wanna know the plan or not." Lisa grunted.

"Yes, what's our plan?" Chris asked in between laughs.

"First we need to address the elephant in the room" Lisa proclaimed, eyes locked on Chris. "Those photos you showed the general, they were real weren't they Chris?" Lisa questioned. The room fell silent, as everyone looked to Chris for his answer.

"Yes, they were real." Chris confessed.

"What?" Nick shouted. "You told us that they were fake." He added.

"Not only that, but you told Vialo they were safe." Matt added.

"Wait, you lied to the natives?" Lisa barked. "This is why the Na'vi don't trust us! Why did you lie?" She continued.

"Because they lost everything!" Chris hissed. "All that information would have done was scare them." Chris added, lowering his head towards the ground. "And besides it doesn't matter if they know or not, they won't be in that area for much longer." Chris groaned.

"What do you mean?" Matt exclaimed in confusion.

"They're going to leave...soon." Chris admitted. "We just need to keep them safe for another week." He added.

"What do you mean they're leaving? Where...where are they going?" Nick interrogated.

"Back to their clan. The clan our general almost killed off entirely, but Vialo's parents found who's left of their people and they will leave to be with them." Chris finished.

"But." Matt paused, feeling a rush of emotions mainly that of sadness.

"I know, I feel the same way but we have to keep them safe." Chris exclaimed. "Like we promised them we would." He added. The room was eerily quiet. "So, what's our plan Lisa?" Chris repeated.

Lisa sighed and walked over to her desk, grabbing a pile of papers laid out on top of it. "I have the report you asked for." She began, handing it to Chris. "Look if this is going to work, we really need to lean into the "research" part of this plan." Lisa continued. "My team and I will go out with you today, and if anyone asks why, say you found new numbers and needed new eyes." Lisa added, leaning against her desk. "It is extremely important that we stay away from your friends, they are off limits for now." She emphasized.

"I know." Chris agreed.

"Wednesday we will bring the general out and say there are new findings, which there may be once we scope out the area, but if we make her feel involved she'll be less observant." Lisa offered. "How does that sound to you guys?" Lisa asked.

"It will work, at least for one more week." Chris reassured her. "Is that all?" Chris questioned.

"Yes, that should be everything for right now." Lisa replied. "The plan may be subject to change as we move forward because anything could happen." She added.

"Alright, I understand." Chris exclaimed. "Then let's get a move on." Chris ordered. "Gather your team and suit up, I'll meet you at the deck." He finished, before walking off.

"He is not okay." Lisa sighed.

"No, he isn't, but he will be." Nick proclaimed. "He will be." He repeated, as if he was trying to reassure himself along with everyone else.