Never Too Young (Tsu'tey X Reader)

Chapter Three

(Y/N) Pov

Ronan could be seen out the corner of my eye from where I was standing, next to my avatar. I turn my head towards him and flash a smile "So what do you think? Is your avatar as good as the real deal?" I half-joked thinking of all the times my brother had proclaimed back home how he was the best. Ronan shook his head and chuckles at me, rolling his eyes "Love you too sis but anyway it's surreal to have the avatar right in front of me" he sighs leaning against me a little. Seeing my avatar made me feel the same way, apart from a few of my avatar features such as it being super tall, blue and catlike it was like having an out-of-body experience. There isn't anything about my avatar that I dislike because with the use of my genetic code the lab-tech team has managed to make a perfect avatar version of myself, though the closer I look at it the more it seems to show a closer resemblance to the Na'vi then the others do. Hopefully, that's a kind of blessing and I hope to Eywa that it would bring me closer to the Na'vi even if it was only a tiny bit within my time here.

Both Ronan and I move away from the avatars and around to one of the lab areas where Norm, Jake and Max were already hiding, looking at samples under the microscope and playing around with the video log cameras. As we entered the space Jake's voice became louder and clearer to understand, he is sat in front of a video log camera that was probably set up by uncle Norm and is attempting to break down the concept of the avatar program as a topic for his first video log "So the concept is that every driver is matched up to their avatar so that their nervous systems are in tune" he sounds fairly unsure of what he was stating which seemed to make him fidget with the camera a bit. I didn't consider helping him out at this moment only due to the fact that I knew Max and/or Norm would end up guiding him through it, I shrug it off and mostly zone out as a loaded a fresh sample collected from the Pandoran forest beyond the Hell's Gate boundary fence. Compared to the digital samples we used back on earth for the training program this was so much more detailed and the quality of the sample was unreal.

Time seemed to fly as we spent a large majority of time getting used to everything within the lab there is a lot of highly advanced technology here which would have cost the company a fortune. I jump a bit in shock and am broken out of my zoned-out state of mind when uncle Norm wraps his arm over my shoulders and leans against me with slight pressure "Come on kiddo, we've got to get a move on. It's time to meet up with Grace in the link room" I nod at him and get up, putting all my stuff away neatly. As we arrive at the entrance of the link room we find my brother and Jake waiting outside the link room for us. The boys started to bicker about facts on our new boss Grace Augustine though I didn't have the energy to listen in on what they were saying, the link room is buzzing with lab techs and avatar drivers going in and out of the coffin-like link bays attached to the walls all along the far sides of the room. "They're coming out" I hear a lab tech shout as a large majority of the link chambers slide out and the lids open to reveal a lot of tired-looking avatar drivers.  

One link bay, in particular, caught my interest with a lab tech on the jog towards it with a lab coat and cigarette in hand. A woman with fiery red hair sat up within the bay and flashes a look of annoyance towards the lab tech holding her belongings. She snaps her fingers at the girl who immediately came closer, handing over her lab coat and cigarette "Thank you" the women I now realize to be Grace mutters as she put her cigarette between her lips and lit it up before putting on her coat. She briefly makes eye contact with me before looking towards Max for answers "Grace, I'd like you to meet Ronan & (Y/N) Hilton, Norm Spellman and Jake Sully" Grace looks half uninterested as she signs some paperwork before handing it off, she then recognizes our uncle Norm and replies "Norm, I hear good things about you. How is your Na'vi?" she quizzes, Na'vi is the language that the native on Pandora use and it is the same one we learn to be able to communicate with them properly. "May the all mother smile upon our first greeting" Norm greets. "Not bad, you sound a little too formal" Grace replies, "I've studied for years but here is much to learn" Norm finishes before looking off more confidently.

I straighten myposture as Grace turns her attention fully towards me and shooting a nod to mybrother. There is nothing more stressing than having your boss look youstraight in the eye and not know what her first impression of me is"(Y/N), your instructors had a lot of good things to say about you. Icouldn't be more impressed with your progress" Grace states in Na'vi and Ilet out a sigh of relief, flashing her a smile. "Grace? This is JakeSully" Max draws Grace's attention away from us and towards Jake Sully whoheld out his hand to greet her. Grace huffs out "Yeah, yeah. I know whoyou are and I don't need you, I need your brother" I am shocked, how couldshe flatly say something like that to him after losing his brother. Jakesexpression forms into a frown as he stress' to Grace about his brother beingdead and how him being here instead might be a big inconvenience to everyonebut that didn't seem to help the situation with Grace remaining frustrated. Icould see how unhappy Grace is about Jake being here but I wasn't going tostand there and watch her go off it him for something he couldn't control"You shouldn't be mad at him for choosing to continue his dead brothers'dream, Tom was a great person and losing him has impacted us all so just backoff a bit" The look that crossed Graces face shows that she was notexpecting me of all people to say anything about her attitude towards Jake.

There was a slight change within Grace's attitude now as she asks Jake about his history of lab training to which he states "I dissected a frog once" this comment sent everything downhill fast. Grace becomes even more frustrated even angry as she looks towards Max who had managed to stay relatively quiet through this ordeal "You see? I mean they're just pissing on us without even the courtesy of calling it rain" she snaps. Turning she utters "I'm going to Selfridge" Max tries to stop here as she starts to walk out of the link room stating to her that it would be a bad idea to do so but she just shouts out "No. Man, this is bullshit!" on her way out the door. Once grace is out of sight most of us turn out attention to Jake as Max tries to reassure him that it's alright and that we should all be in the lab tomorrow at 08:00, also that Jake should try using big words probably to sound more impressive. "Everything is going to turn out alright Jake" putting my hand on his shoulder looking down slightly at him "I know it" I state before moving towards the link room exit to be able to find my room and unpack, as well as being able to go to the mess for something to eat so I'm not sleeping on an empty stomach.

The mess itself is fairly large and holds a mixed group of people as it is one of the few shared spaces between the marines and everyone else from the program. The food is to be expected not restaurant quality but enough to survive on and gain all our needed proteins 'Gee, I'm just about ready to hit the hay' I let out a sigh as I make my way through the never-ending hallways towards my room which I found earlier on. With everything unpacked, I flop onto my bed and give in to the sleepover taking me. Here's to a new beginning.