Calm Before The Storm, Jake Sully

067, Gone.

♯┆calm before the storm  .ᐟ
━━━━━━━━━━

"Knees!" Quaritch shouted before throwing down onto the metal floor beneath them. Denahi winced in pain, hissing at the man who threw her down. Varang took Denahi's kuru in her hands, threatening to cut it with a knife but deciding to allow her cruel tendrils to wrap around Denahi's.

Denahi screamed out in pain— the feeling indescribable. A torture method. Using something so beautiful as tsaheylu to create pain and suffering. Something Denahi couldn't fight with her own mind, Varang filling up the empty spaces with abuse.

"Mama!" Tuk shouted as she heard her mom scream out in pain, a Mangkwan holding Malhua and Tuk back.

Quaritch leapt forward and grabbed the comm from off her neck, pressing it to speak with Jake, "Jake. I know you're out there. I know you can hear me. Varang here is lighting up your wife pretty good." Quaritch moved the comm towards Denahi, making Jake listen to Varang torture her.

Her entire body thrashed in pain, following the signals of Varang's palm. "Now, I want you to come in and I want you to bring Spider with you. And I know you copy that."

Varang looked towards Quaritch with a smile before releasing Denahi from her kuru.

Denahi fell down to the ground behind her. But, she didn't take the time to rejuvenate. Her hands immediately fell onto Pril crying against her chest.

That was the terrifying part. That neither Quaritch nor Varang cared that Denahi held a newborn child to her chest. That if their plan happened to harm the child, the two of them wouldn't care about it.

"You can hurt me..." Denahi managed to whisper out from her deep breathing, "But if you touch my children, I will kill you!" Varang knelt down to Denahi's level, grabbing her chin and making her face level with hers. "I have no care for children..." Varang mentioned before hissing.

"It is no surprise Eywa turned her back on you," Denahi spat out towards Varang.

Denahi snapped her head up when she heard the screeching of Ikran's. Watching as Mangkwan people were snatched into the air by their sharp claws. A taste of their own medicine. "Great mother..." She whispered.

The animals fighting back reminded her back to her first war with the RDA.

She watched as Varang danced around on the deck, gun firing in the air, "Death, fire!" Varang continued to repeat multiple times.

Malhua and Tuk took their chance to sprint towards their mom on the ground. Her arms wrapping around their little backs. Protecting them from the attack of the enemies.

"Be calm..." Denahi whispered to the two, "Be strong. Sully's never quit." Tuk nodded her head at the words. Jake would come for them. He would save them. Especially after what Quaritch had made him listen to.

But, when Denahi noticed Spider walk onto the ship, without the assistance from Jake, Denahi was beginning to think otherwise. Perhaps, he hadn't heard Quaritch.

"I'm here to make a deal. Me for them," Spider announced before Denahi shook her head at the young boy. "That can happen. Come with me, son. I'm a man of my word. We can resolve this here and now. Everybody goes home..." Quaritch told Spider.

Spider inched towards Quaritch. The man placed his hand on Spider's shoulder, "Circle up! We're outta here!"

That was it? That was all they had wanted? Denahi looked down at Malhua and Tuk. Watching as tears flooded down their cheeks. "Spider..." Tuk whispered out.

But, that whisper captured the attention of a Mangkwan standing behind them. Denahi felt the cold barrel of a gun against her nape, and then she felt nothing. The Mangkwan shot backwards, body landing on the floor with blood trickling from their head.

Then another two with wounds to their chest. Varang looked out into the direction of the bullets, firing her gun. Denahi grabbed Malhua onto her waist and held onto Tuk's hand, taking their chance to run.

The three of them climbed over the fence, "Tuk!" Denahi shouted when her daughter landed on her side. "Run! Run!" Denahi shouted to the two of them.

Pushing them in front before the painful blow of a gun smashed against her back, throwing her into the floor with a screech.

Varang picked Denahi up and slammed her against the metal railing. Her hand grabbed the knife secured on her waist, holding it up to Denahi. In which, she hadn't had a chance to fight back. Nor the energy.

She closed her eyes. Waiting for the moment. Denahi was scared. Terrified. Afraid of leaving her children and husband behind. But, she knew there were people waiting for her return on the other side.

The world stood still. And the sharp knife hadn't come into her chest yet.

Because, it wasn't Denahi's time. Varang's face fell into pain when Kiri attacked her kuru with her glowing tendrils. "Leave my mother alone!" Kiri shouted out.

Denahi took a moment to breathe again, holding onto her painful back. Varang fell to her knees in pain. "Bitch!" Kiri exclaimed before throwing Varang back.

Varang looked out at the Sully girls before running away with a scream.

"Kiri..." Denahi whispered to her daughter before Kiri crawled towards her. "Mom, you are wounded," Kiri mentioned as she rubbed the wounds across Denahi's back and face.

Denahi shook her head before called out for Riti. Her children doing the same.

"We must find your father!" Denahi exclaimed to them all. Searching the area of the ocean beneath them. Finding that Jake wasn't down there— he wasn't there. That familiar tight feeling in Denahi's chest arrived, but she pushed it aside.

Strong. Strong. She had to be strong. "He is in there!" Lo'ak shouted out to them.

The three of them flew into the vortex, feeling the strength of the strong wind. Riti landed on the ground, on a rock floating. Watching as Jake, Spider and Quaritch sat in pain.

Lo'ak jumped off first, holding his gun out. Denahi second, holding her bow. "Wait! Wait!" Jake shouted to them all. Noticing how all of his family held their weapons out. None of them withdrew despite Jake.

"Ain't this a bitch..." Quaritch smirked before throwing himself off of the rock.

Down into the burning flames. Was it over? Could their family rest once again? "Ma'Jake..." Denahi whispered after watching Jake limp onto a rock. He looked up at her, holding onto her cheeks.

Jake cursed himself at her wounds. Small cuts across her face, bruises on her flesh. Blood falling down her skin. "Baby... come here," He said before dragging Denahi onto his chest, holding her close to him.

The light returned. The sun bloomed. Malhua and Tuk rubbed their exhausted eyes. Lo'ak offering to carry Malhua back to the marui. Spider and Kiri taking guidance for Tuk.

Jake and Denahi flew down to the ground on Riti and walked to their private spot after returning Pril to her family.

"Are we safe now? He is gone?" Denahi asked as she cleaned the wound on Jake's thigh. Jake sighed and winced in pain, holding his hand around her arm softly. "I don't know, baby. I don't know. But for now, he's gone," Jake mentioned with a smile.