This is a new story mostly centring around one Character. I will be continuing Lead the Lost cause, however I wanted to try this out. Review if it works, It is an experiment. I know this chapter is short, but consider it a prologue.

Also this guy starts off 100% RDA, however that may change. I'm not sure in what direction this will go in, but let's just see!

Begins approximately the same time as Jake's arrival on Pandora.

Reviews are really appreciated :D!

(update: this chapter has been re-written in parts cause I'm trying to get the flow right. I always sound too rushed :( )

Death Row.

The door to the cell opened.

"May I come in?"

The man sitting on the cot motioned an acknowledgement.

"Sure." he said in a gruff tone.

A waiter wheeling a cart upon which sat a gargantuan dish of lobster pasta and a 2L bottle of Coca Cola.

"Sorry about the coke. Surgeon says that it interferes with the..."

"Injection?" remarked the prisoner, finishing off the waiter's sentence.

"Yeah."

The prisoner sighed. "Well, I guess that's to be expected. Thank you."

The waiter nodded and quickly strode out of the room, swinging the door shut. A hand shot out and grabbed the door before it could lock automatically. The prisoner froze in mid mouthful.

"Hello?" he asked, swallowing his food.

A man in a black robe with a white collar walked in. A priest.

"Hello, my son." he said, "My name is father Garnet."

The prisoner looked him in the eye. "Reverend. You come to take my confession?"

Garnet nodded. "Avery Mason. Is that your name."

"Yes, it is."

The priest nodded again. "So... it says here you are being executed on seven accounts of high treason and several more of murder."

Avery laughed "I guess it could be called that."

"The pro environmental groups have been calling you an idol, an example for all to follow." continued the priest.

"I disagree."

"Pardon me? With what do you disagree with."

"Everything. It's all out of perspective." Avery shrugged "It's been looked at in black and white. The absolute is being focused on, the in between being thrown into whatever pile of moral ground without the motives or reasoning being consdered."

Garnet frowned. "You did jeopardize an important part of humanity's future."

"Fair enough. To be honest, my reasoning was petty and stupid."

"And what was your reasoning?" enquired Garnet

Avery spooned another morsel of lobster into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully for awhile before responding.

"Revenge. Spite. Anger. Mostly those three. Not intelligence. That much is obvious. Nobody really knows what happened there, do they?"

Garnet looked at the young man seated before him. "Well, if it is something different that did happen, what was it?"

Avery put his spoon down and poured himself a glass of the cola.

"You know, reverend?" he said, offering the priest some "You are honest to god, the first person to ask me that question."

Garnet kindly refused the offered coca cola.

Avery continued. "Well, it's a fairly long story. I'll tell you some of it, you'll have to decide the rest for yourself. And at the end, I have a question for you."

The Priest motioned for him to continue. He began to tell his story. The pair sat there until dawn, Garnet not saying a word while Avery told the tale of how matters transpired the way that they did.

At the end of the story, both men where silent for several minutes.

"You said you had a question to ask me at the end?" said Garnet finally.

Avery nodded. "Yeah. So you've heard what I told you, so tell me this. Was it worth it? I mean, I guess several good things came from what I did, but also several things that weren't. But now that you see why I did what I did, what do you say. Was it worth it?"

Garnet shook his head. " I can't answer that question." He got up to leave.

"Please." pleaded Avery "Just say something. I don't care if you lie, or if you tell the truth. Just give me something to hang on to. Please."

Hell's Gates RDA Facility, Pandora. About 7 years previously.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you are not in Kansas anymore. You are on Pandora. Remember that fact." The booming drawl of Colonel Quaritch was tuned out due to boredom by Avery Mason. He had heard it before. Well, not this exact speech, however, but every combat zone he'd been in had the same kind of thing. Each proclaiming the danger and terror the soldiers would face. It was routine. He eyed his watch.

Avery was about 6 foot 2, broad shoulders and decently muscular. He had lightly tanned skin, green eyes, and a relatively slim, clean shaven, face. His black crew cut was covered by a red bandanna. On this bandanna, the words "GET SUM" were emblazoned in white. He kept a 12 inch combat knife sheathed on his shoulder, a 45. calibre black revolver on his sidearm holster, and had a meticulously pump action 6 gauge shotgun perched lazily on his lap. On his right arm, he had a tattoo that said "HOPE COMES ALIVE".

"How long till this shit's done?" he growled at the wiry man sitting beside him. The man shuffled nervously.

"I'm not sure, I'm supposed to head down to the Avatar link chamber, I'm not sure for you guys."

Avery grinned. "You in the Avatar program too?"

The scientist looked up at Avery with a stunned expression on his face. "You don't look familiar. Did you go to the language and biology training?"

"Nahh. I'm security. I got "requisitioned" by the RDA last minute. Very complected corporate reason which I won't get into I did my training with the SEALS." The conversation had thus far earned the two several death glares from the senior officers standing behind the colonel.

The look on the scientists face shifted from shock to puzzlement. "Weren't all Avatar drivers supposed to get at least basic training an instruction on Pandora?"

"Apparently not. Either way, I'm glad not to have had to go. I'm not exactly the sitting in a classroom type."

"Oh okay. By the way, I never quite caught your name. Mine's Norm. Norm Spellman." said Norm, extending his hand. Avery took it and shook it.

"Avery Mason." he said.

"Great!" smiled Norm nervously. "Well, he seems to be wrapping up. We should probably head down to the link room."

As if on cue, the employees began to shuffle out of the briefing room, as the colonel turned to converse with his officers. Avery and Norm made their way to he exit.

"Norm," said Avery "You know where we're going?"

Norm nodded, taking out a map of the complex. "According to this, it should be down this corridor to the main lab entrance."

"Lab entrance. That's where I'm headed." A man in a wheelchair came up between them. "Avatar program."

"Join the club." chuckled Avery. "You a scientist?"

"Security. You?"

"Same"

"We should, uh, maybe go now. I wouldn't want to be late."

"Yeah, neither do I." laughed the man in the wheelchair

The trio began to walk down the hallway.

"Corporal Mason!"

Avery turned to see Quaritch walking towards him. The other two turned around as well, and the colonel motioned for them to move along.

"Colonel?" said Avery.

Quaritch walked up and clasped his hand on Avery's shoulder. "Son, I am very glad to see you here.

"Glad to be here sir."

"If you do not know already, I was the one who selected your file and got you this contract. All that I ask in return is for you to do me a favour. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes sir." nodded Avery

"Good. Now listen carefully. I put a lot into getting you here, so don't fuck it up. I got faith in you kid. What you need to do,as well as defending those science pukes over there, is to be my insurance."

"What do you mean by that, sir?" Avery tried to give the impression he wasn't expecting this.

"I need you, to make sure none of them go rogue on us. See, Augustine and all them, they've been very troublesome, objecting over everything we do that remotely harms the Natives, even if it saves our lives. You make sure they don't directly hinder us, and I will be more than satisfied. Can you do that kid?" Quaritch's hand was on Avery's shoulder, and he noticed that the colonel's other hand was grasping a small bottle of brandy, extended between them. Alcohol was not permitted on base, except for executives.

Avery smiled as he took the bottle.

"Can do, sir."

Quaritch smiled. "Good to see we're on the same page, son. Now get to wherever you're supposed to be."

Avery saluted and walked off to where Norm was opening the door for the guy in the wheelchair. If there was one thing he knew from experience, it was that orders were to be followed without question. He slid the brandy into his backpack. There where perks, of course. He grinned.

Norm looked back over his shoulder. "Oh, hey, Avery right?"

Avery nodded. and scratched his jaw. "About how far away is the Avatar centre?"

"Not too far. Like I said, down this corridor." said Norm. His nervousness was beginning to wear off and he seemed more at ease.

The man in the wheelchair looked up at him. "You got a name?" he asked.

"Yeah. Name's Avery." grunted Avery, extending his hand.

The other guy half smiled, extending his hand "Jake Sully."

The name seemed familiar to Avery. Sully, thought him, where have I heard that name before.

"Nice meeting you."

The three men walked quietly talking about their lives back home, their favourite things. None of them had a family of their own, no wife, no kids. Gradually, they began to relax, and feel more at ease with the complete strangers that were their company at the time.

"So, Jake. Where did you get your training at." asked Avery casually.

"Marines. You too? I'm assuming your from the North American Federation as well?" replied Jake.

Avery shook his head. "Navy Seals. Not the Marines." a pause "Were you in Venezuela?"

Jake nodded. "Don't remind me about that mess, please." he said wearily, as if his bones grew suddenly tired.

"So, should be getting there soon, right guys?" interjected Norm, desperate for a change of subject.

"You're the one with a map." said Avery dryly.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry."

Hell's Gate's complex was essentially one big building. All essential structures were housed inside of it. Several complementary buildings, including the hangar and armoury were outside.

Walking through the stainless steel halls of Hell's Gates, the trio passed several of the different labs. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Norm stopped at one doorway.

"This is it. We're here." He said.

"You sure?" asked Avery. Norm pointed up. There was a sign over the door saying "Avatar Control room and Storage".

"Good point."

"Well, shouldn't we knock, or something?" Said Jake lazily. He seemed to have gone back to normal.

"Yeah, I guess so." came Norm's reply. He walked up to the door and knocked firmly three times.

Well, thought Avery, Now the fun starts.

Almost as soon as Norm had finished knocking, the door was opened by a darker skinned man with a thick black beard who looked to be in his late thirties. He looked them over with a puzzled expression, as if trying to figure out who they where, until his face lit up. He smiled warmly, and shook each of the new arrival's hands with equal amiability.

"You must be the new Avatar drivers. Come in, come in! By the way, my name is Max Patel, and I'm in charge of the synchronization of the human and avatar minds."

The trio introduced themselves in turn while shaking his hand. Max committed the names to memory and then walked over to a computer terminal. He entered in each of their names, took a blood sample, and in general made sure that that the newcomers were who they said they were. The machine confirmed that these were, in fact, the new Avatar drivers.

"Alright, you have the proper identification, not that I ever doubted that. Now we can- Holy!" Max's eyes bugged out at the sight of the shotgun in Avery's hands.

"Is there a problem?" asked Avery, trying his best to act innocently.

"Uh, I don't think you're allowed to bring a shotgun into the labs." chuckled Jake.

"Oh, shit. Sorry bout that."

Max was scrambling underneath a desk, much to the amusement for everyone but Norm, who walked over to help. Max waived is hand at Norm, still under the desk.

"No, I found what I was looking for." said Max, before Norm could speak. He lifted up a large briefcase. "Here, put in this before Grace sees it and rips you a new one."

Avery backed up a step and lifted his arms up in a gesture of bon homie. "I got the safeties on, If that would make her feel better." he said, reluctant to hand over his pride and joy.

" Not worth it." said Max, as he and Norm eased the weapon out of the disgruntled soldier's hands. "Trust me, this is for the best."

"Fair enough." sighed Avery. Max motioned to his knife and his revolver.

"Those too." he said "They're just as dangerous."

"Hey man, the shotgun I'll do, but these thing I can hide. And besides, these items stay on my person. At. All. Times."

Max opened his mouth to argue, but then decided against it. Instead he just shrugged. "Fine, it's your skin." Avery slid his pistol and knife into a pocket on his vest.

There hung a somewhat awkward silence, before Jake finally spoke. " So when do we get to use these Avatar things." His voice had obvious anxiousness and excitement laced throughout it. Avery could imagine what he was feeling. To have a chance at walking again? Damn right he should look forward to it.

"Unfortunately Grace is busy collecting samples, but when she get's back, you can give them a test drive." replied Max. Jake looked crestfallen.

"But, if you want, you can have a look at the Avatars right now." he continued.

"Finally! I've waited for so long to see this!" exclaimed Norm, giddy like a child on Christmas.

Max smiled. "Well then, come this way, please." He motioned for them to follow as he walked through the labs and into a badly lit room with several giant tubes. As he got closer, Avery realized that these tubes had figures in them. Giant, blue figures.

"So these must be the Avatars." he whispered, looking through the plexiglass tubes at one of the figures.

"Yeah, pretty impressive, aren't they? I think that one is Norm's, yours is down there." said Max.

Avery walked slowly down to a tube farther down the row. The first thing he noticed was that there was already a tattoo on the Avatar's arm, a tattoo saying "Hope Comes Alive" on it. Great, they put the tattoo on. It was one of Avery's special requests that the tattoo was put on. Nobody seemed to mind.

As he looked closer, he noticed that the Avatar indeed did look like him. Albeit a 10 foot, blue, quasi cat version of him. This is insane, he marvelled. He couldn't wait to see what he could do in this, what he could achieve.

Something very unusual happened. Avery became excited. Very excited. He didn't show it too much on his exterior, but inside he was almost bursting. This place is gonna be my oyster once I get in this thing.

His train of thought was derailed by a voice coming from the lab. A woman's voice.

"God dammit guys,where are my cigarettes?"