Chapter 4

At Hell's Gate…

Word had spread around base of the two missing avatars. Max and Grace were taking shifts watching the link beds for any sign of their return, but they were worried. Grace had not been able to sleep a wink, worried for both the avatars and their drivers. Pandora was hostile in the day time, but night was an entirely different beast. Any manner of creature could kill those two if they didn't see it coming.

Max was more worried for Jo than he was for Jake. Logically he knew that she was perfectly capable of surviving on her own, but he still worried. She was a good friend and a good lab assistant, no matter what Grace said. She had a curiosity about her that had endeared her to him. She would happily go out on expeditions as long as she got to stay with Max and help afterwards. Even if that help was only washing beakers and slides in the lab. It had taken some time for him to get used to her presence. After the first few months, he no longer jumped whenever she decided to speak. Most of the time she could sit in the room for hours-just watching everyone-until she heard something that interested her.

The topics ranged. Sometimes it was as normal as a question about the samples, and sometimes it was questions about procedure. It happened all across the department too. Some times she was in the botany labs, the medical wing, the hangers, or the avatar labs. The only place on base that she seemed to actively avoid was the control room. But that wasn't unusual; most people avoided the control room.

A lot of people had come from around the base to check on the two while they were in link, but none of them stayed for very long. It was frustrating to just sit and wait for something to happen. Trudy had been the most recent guest, but she had left for a guard shift in the hanger about an hour ago. Norm had also stopped by, but his incessant passing had gotten old fast, and he was told to rest.

Quartich had even visited for a few minutes, but only to offer to lead a recovery party at first light. At this point most people outside of the program already thought that Jo and Jake were dead. Those people were idiots. If anything had happened to the avatar they would have returned to their bodies; that was how the link worked. They were alive…for now. Max only hoped they stayed that way.

Grace busied herself by checking their biometrics ever three seconds. She couldn't panic, but her nerves were showing. She had flown out with Trudy until the sun had set, but there was no sign of them.

She had jumped out of the Sampson and made a beeline for the link room, only relived when she found out they were still in link. Since then she could only pry herself away to get either coffee for her and max. It was driving her crazy to be this useless.

Suddenly the room filled with a familiar beep and she ran towards the link bed.

"It's Jake, he is coming out!" Max called out happily. He called Norm into the lab before making his way over to Jake. The bed opened slowly, but it was obvious he was still out of it.

"Get me a flashlight," Grace snapped to a poor assistant that was moving just a little too slow. The poor man almost tore off his lab coat pocket trying to get the small light out.

"Come one, come one," She said as she waved the flashlight over his eyes. Norm burst into the lab and over to them, panting heavily from sprinting there.

"Jake…Jake!" Grace shouted a little more insistently. The entire room breathed a sigh of relieve when his eyes finally dilated and he waved the light away.

"Thank god," Max breathed.

"What happened?" Norm asked. Jake just sat up and shook his head, probably trying to readjust to his human body. It was hard to be in the avatars-with their superior senses- for long periods of time and then return to human bodies. Normal side effects included disorientation, dizziness or hallucinations in some cases. All of the symptoms faded with time, they were just a part of the process.

Grace steadied him as he tried to keep his upper half upright.

"I don't know, some small black things were chasing me and me and Jo got separated," he said. Grace cursed; she still had one driver stranded out in the Pandoran forest. with what sounded like Viper-wolves after her. Which caused her face to pale as another thought entered her mind.

"is your avatar okay?" she tried to sound calm, but the question came out forced. It was obvious he was exhausted, but they needed answers. Jake slumped again and she propped him up.

"it's fine, I'm fine," he reiterated. He laughed weakly before staring her in the eye, "But your never gonna believe where I'm at!"


Two more days passed before a team of patrolling AMP's found Jo. She had stumbled into them on accident, but had collapsed in relief when she found them. They traveled back to base and were meet by Grace in her human body in the hanger. Jo had collapsed in front of her, babbling about Jake and the Na'vi. Only stopping when she finally collapsed from blood loss and exhaustion. She didn't even wake when they pulled her from the link bed and was taken to the med bay. No one had ever stayed in link for so long and they wanted to make sure there were no side effects. She had been comatose for about a week before finally recovering. The exhaustion of staying in link and awake for three days was catching up with her.

Her avatar wasn't in a much better state. They were lucky they had found her when they did, or it was likely they would have lost the avatar. None of the injuries would leave any lasting damage aside from a scare. But the clumsy first aid had only barely helped. They had put it back in the healing tanks, and she was almost fully healed when Jo woke up.

That had been an entire other story. While she had been in recovery, Jake had filled in Grace on their little 'mishap' which meant she was furious by the time Jo was conscious.

"I still can't believe you told her," she hissed. She had joined Jake for breakfast before his second week with the Na'vi. That is if the 'food' the cook served didn't kill him first.

"What was I supposed to say?"

"Oh, I don't know; something other than 'we jumped from a waterfall and she let a pack of viper wolves hunt her'!" she finished furiously. There were more delicate ways to describe it, ways that wouldn't have put her in Grace's line of fire. She had been stuck in the med bay too, so there was no chance of escape when Grace found her. Bending the truth a little to make it sound a little less reckless would have helped.

"It wasn't that bad."

"No! It gets worse, before that you told the Na'vi that I was around their jungle, and now I'm on their list too." A drastic understatement. She didn't know how he managed to talk them down, but he had managed to let it slip he wasn't the only driver running around. She knew it was an accident, but still. That little statement only added fuel to the fire. He had been worried when Tsu'tey mentioned shooting another avatar, and had said her name. The Na'vi did not like the idea of sky people being so close to their lands unsupervised.

So, an agreement was made between Grace and Eykutan through Jake. Jake would stay with the people, while Jo and Grace were allowed to come and check on his avatar at least once every few weeks. He would walk to the edge of Na'vi land and they would give him a once over before sending him back. Neytiri would come with him of course, she was charged with learning about the warrior avatars after all.

But the worst part, was that having lost an avatar driver in the forest had landed Tsu'tey and the rest of the hunting party in trouble. The hunters had gone back to that spot and spotted the blood trail into the trees, which lead to a loud argument- or so Jake said. The young hunters were punished, but Eyukutan was impressed and wanted to meet the warrior who outsmarted his men. He had lifted the ban on humans at Hometree recently for Jake, but that didn't mean he was sending out invitations. But for some reason, he wanted to meet her, which meant Jo was now forced to go to Hometree on a peace mission-a place she had tried her hardest to avoid.

The tribe wasn't exactly the problem, but going meant she risked getting recognized. Jo had a few run ins with Na'vi over the years, not all of them ending peacefully- and the last thing she wanted was to dredge up memories for the tribe. They only knew her by the name that had been on her patch when she went with Grace at the school, J.H. Garrison. They didn't know her as Jo, but they would recognize her as soon as she stepped food in Hometree. Her avatar had a few issues that Jake's and Norm's didn't, the earlier avatars tended to have a few genetic mutations that were worked out in newer ones. Her avatar was no exception. Rather than the trademark yellow, her avatar had almost neon green eyes, and the queue was too long. It went down to her knees; she had to keep it attached to her belt so it didn't get caught in the low hanging branches. Another thing was her coloring. She had the same skin color as the natives, but her hair took a little more towards her human side. There were a few strands of red mixed in that had come out of nowhere. Her human body had taken heavily from her mother- light brown curly hair that was always full of knots, tan skin covered in freckles, and green eyes. she didn't know where the red had come from, but it was there. It gave her hair a kind of bronze sheen, not something she appreciated when she was hiding and the light hit it.

All this-plus the beaded bands she wore on her forearms- made her easily distinguishable. The bands had been a gift from some kids at the school, she never had the heart to take them off after the incident. With or without them-there would be no difference. Her only saving grace was that the hunting parties were supposed to be out when she showed up, it wasn't much of a conciliation- but she would take it. Most of the people who could recognize her were hunters- or they were when she knew them.

"I still don't get why your so against going to Hometree?" Jake took another bite of his food as he asked her. She still didn't understand how he stomached some of the stuff they served in the mess hall. She usually stuck with some of the stuff they grew on base and a protein ration. She wasn't a scientist- but something told her that the oatmeal was not to be trifled with. It had growled at her once.

"it's not that I'm against Hometree, per say. I am just not the tribe's favorite person." The first part was a blatant lie, the second was probably true. She hadn't talked to the Na'vi in about a year, but the only person that knew she had any contact with the them recently was max. After that accident, Grace had almost sent her home before she could fully explain what had happened. It was only Max vouching for her that kept her in the program.

He shrugged at her answer and went back to eating.

"your going to tell me why someday, along with why your avatar has those scars on her back?" he was of course referring to the long ones that slashed across her back. He had seen them when her avatar was still healing. Her avatar was probably about 20% scar tissue at this point. She had some on her torso, her legs, one that looked suspiciously like teeth marks in her shoulder; they were everywhere. He didn't ask about the ones on her wrists, those had concerned him, but that wasn't a topic you brought up with someone you just met over breakfast. Her avatar had many other smaller scars, but those specific ones had caught his attention.

"We will see about that?" she answered smugly. They continued on to have a pretty pleasant conversation. He told her about any new developments back on earth- there weren't many. The only thing she really paid attention too was when he said the price for alcohol production went up and had shut down her favorite brand of beer. He swore he saw a tear in her eye when he told her.

She told him about some hidden spots on base. Places she liked to hide from Grace that no one on base really went near. There were quite a few places to just disappear too. Places the cameras didn't see, or that he didn't let them see.

"The best place to go is the Ghost Hanger."

"Ghost hanger?"

"the oldest building, it's kind of abandoned now. Used to work as a mechanic shop for the AMP's and Sampsons. People call it the Ghost Hanger because it's so run down compared to the rest of the base."

"You sure know a lot of hiding places."

"I don't like many people, rook. I actively hate most of the population here." It was a mutual feeling for the most part. She had taught some of the men stationed here to respect her when they tried to haze her. Some of those bastards spent weeks in the med bay, the lucky ones at least.

"There you are!" she scowled as Norm and grace found them. She liked Norm, honestly; but the man had interrupted her breakfast a few times before. No one interrupted her meals.

"what are you doing?" Grace snapped. Still a little tired, Jo didn't even hesitate in her response.

"discussing quantum theory," she said dryly. Graces glare only caused her to shrug and sip her coffee. Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer.

"It's time to go. Jo go get Trudy and link up. We will meet Jake and Neytiri on the edge of Na'vi land." Well, looks like breakfast is over.


Maybe if she timed it right she could get Trudy to take her back to the base. Grace could tell them she got sick… or something more believable. She had never met Eyukutan, and now he invited her to Hometree. Eyukutan was a good leader, he wouldn't invite a wolf into the sheep's den. She didn't need to meet the male to know that. If she were to bet, she would say that Mo'at was somehow involved. She had heard the Tsahik was a dangerous female and she had been the one who wanted to observe Jake. The few Na'vi she had meet were from the school and the guards who came with them. They told her about their leaders and the kind of people they were.

She was sure she didn't want to meet them, but this wasn't something she had a choice in.

"Just stay quite and let me do the talking," Grace said.

"No problem, Doc," she huffed. If she could get through this without talking she would. She understood basic Na'vi, but her speech was rusty at best. The only things she knew she could say with absolute certainty was 'I see you' and 'my Na'vi is not good'. Both of which might help her in this situation.

"There they are," Grace said. Sure enough, Jake came out of the trees-tailed by Neytiri. If the situation weren't so serious, Jo would be rolling on the forest floor laughing. What is he wearing? She cackled internally.

"Nice outfit there, rook," she managed to say it without laughing, but barely. Jake scowled and shifted on the balls of his feet. He hadn't been happy when they had taken his clothes, walking around in just a leather jock strap was weird to say the least. He never had taken his clothes for granted until he lost them. But before he could reply, Neytiri stepped in.

"I see you, Karyu Grace, and where is-" she froze when her eyes landed on Jo. Who could only smirk and wave awkwardly.

"I see you, Neytiri," she said, trying to sound friendly. Her yellow eyes narrowed and her grip on her bow tightened. Jo tried not to take it personally that the weapon was drawn.

"Jaych? I am supposed to be bringing someone named 'Jo'" she said annoyed.

"that is what my people call me," she answered quickly. It didn't look like Neytiri was any happier about this arrangement then the rest of them.

"Fine, follow." She turned around swiftly and walked off, not bothering to check if they were actually following. She almost felt bad about Neytiri dismissing her, but she couldn't blame her. this was why she didn't want to go to Hometree, she didn't want to see those looks of hatred from people she once thought of as friends.

"Jaych?" Jake whispered as they walked. He fell in step with her while Grace walked ahead, just behind Neytiri. Grace was stiff as a stone, it showed in her shoulders. Jo couldn't blame her. She probably saw this as a chance to earn the tribe's forgiveness.

"I met my first Na'vi at the school. The kids saw my dad's initials, J.H., on my dog tags and just went with it." She liked to wear her dad's dog tags wherever she went. Grace had given her a chain to put them on when she was an avatar so she could wear them. she wore her own set of tags when she was human.

"You never corrected them?"

"They were so happy at being able to read it, I didn't have the heart to tell them. My dad and I have the same initials so it didn't bother me that much." She thought it was kind of cute. The kids were smiling from ear to ear when they said it for the first time. Grace played along because she thought it was funny.

"How many names do you have?" he asked incredulously.

"Too many," she answered straight-faced.


They arrived at Hometree quicker than she would have liked. The Na'vi parted for their little party as they passed, some reaching out to touch her before retreating.

She didn't see any children, they were probably somewhere else for this little visit. That was probably for the best. She also didn't see any hunters, but she did spot a few sentries on their walk in. It seemed the entire clan had come out to great them. no pressure, she thought. She didn't know if the Na'vi had been told about her, but they knew Grace, which means they had heard of Grace's guard.

They were brought before a large helix like structure running up farther than she could see. At the base stood two Na'vi, undoubtedly Eykutan and Mo'at. Jake and Neytiri moved off to the side, leaving her and Grace to their scrutinizing eyes.

"I see you Eyukutan, Olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya. I see you Mo'at, Tsahik of the Omaticaya." Jo bowed slightly, following Grace's lead. As long as they wrapped things up before Tsu'tey and his hunting party came back, she would be in the clear.

"Karyu Grace," he nodded in her direction, "and you must be warrior Jo." Jo swallowed a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding before nodding.

"My warriors don't lose their prey that often, it was shocking to hear that they did not manage to track you. How did you manage to escape? Based on the blood trail we found, you must have been injured." She glanced nervously towards Grace before answering.

"Forgive me, Olo'eyktan. My na'vi is not good. I was a ranger on my world- a hunter. I used the darkness to my advantage to hide in the foliage of a tree. Were it day, they would have without a doubt found me." Had it been day they wouldn't have missed her the first time. For the first time she was thankful she had gotten lost during the night in the one part of the jungle that didn't light up at night.

"yes, I agree. but that does not explain your injuries." He said hardly.

"I jumped from the cliffs to escape a…" she didn't know the word in na'vi "…Thanator. My leg got hurt, when we realized where we were a pack of nantang attacked us. I tried to lure them away so that Jake could make it back to base." She really needed to take a refresher course on Na'vi after this. Maybe Max could help her study.

Eykutan considered her for a minute before asking Neytiri something. Jo couldn't understand what they were saying, but the frown on Neytiri's face was not a good sign.

"Come here." Mo'at rose from her seat and beckoned her forward. Reluctantly, Jo walked towards her; noting that most of the Na'vi were reaching for their weapons. Not good, she thought. She made her way to Mo'at slowly, purposefully trying to seem as harmless as possible. A hard thing to do in a ten-foot body.

She stopped a few feet away when Mo'at grabbed her jaw and yanked her closer. She didn't make a single move as the older female, held her face captive in an iron grip. Her other hand traced circles around her eyes, the digits dragging along her lower lashes and back.

"Your eyes see the truth," she said. Jo had no idea what she meant, but as long as the female was happy she didn't mind being in the dark. Jo regained her senses when she recognized that Mo'at had just spoken English. She supposed she should have seen that coming. Both Sylwanin and Neytiri probably brought any lessons Grace taught them back to their mother.

"But there is a darkness in your eyes. A cold fury that risks consuming you." Jo paled at her words. What did she mean? What fury?

Mo'at released her and Jo retreated back towards Grace. The two leaders exchanged words and Jo gulped nervously. She did not like being in such a helpless situation. When she went into battle, or even just out of research trips- she knew how to handle the situation. It was survival, something she knew. But this was something far deadlier than any weapons, this was politics - something she never wanted anything to do with.

Grace stayed silent through their whole exchange. Which did nothing to make Jo any more at ease.

The three kept speaking for what felt like hours. Mo'at and Eykutan glancing towards them occasionally before returning their eyes to Neytiri. The three were obviously debating something, and based on the nervous look in graces eyes; it was nothing good. Jake looked just as lost from his place beside Neytiri, but he tried to smile reassuringly. Jo doubted he would be lucky enough to negotiate with them again.

"what are they saying?" Jo whispered. She tried to be quiet, but every na'vi eye snapped towards her. Mo'at straightened up and walked towards them.

"I wish to speak with you privately, you will answer all my questions." Her tone didn't leave any room for argument. Jo followed Mo'at up the helix, catching a glimpse of Jake talking to Jake before she couldn't see them anymore.


"relax child, I won't hurt you." Debatable, extremely debatable, Jo thought. Mo'at had her sitting in a small hut amongst the leaves. As far as she could tell they were alone. But that bit of knowledge did not help her nerves. Every instinct in her body said to get away from this female; a notion she wished she could follow.

"I simply have a few questions. We can speak in your language for ease. We had assumed that JakeSully was the only warrior dream-walker, yet another one was with us all along. My mate is mad our daughter never mentioned it."

"Neytiri did not know," she never brought her weapons with her to the school, Grace forbade it. Her hand to hand experience had Most days she was a teaching assistant, or a jungle gym for the younger Na'vi. They were like human toddlers- just larger and blue. She would sometimes bring stuff from the base for them to play with- all of course pre-approved by Grace.

"My mate didn't want to meet you, but I changed his mind."

Before she could help herself, she spoke, "Why?"

"Because I was curious. Never has a dream-walker escaped from the Na'vi without the use of their weapons. Now not just one, but two travel near our border. One bears the sign of Eywa, and the other manages to vanish into the night like a Na'vi. This one having been hiding under the noses of the clan. What does this sound like to you?"

"A coincidence," she insisted. Mo'at laughed. Jo sighed, she believed in Eywa. She retained that there were some things science couldn't explain, the people's connection to the forest falling in that category.

"There are no coincidences. I was curious about this other warrior, so I asked for a meeting. But it wasn't Neytiri that caused me to want to speak with you."

"Really? Do tell," she said sarcastically. Mo'at raised a hairless brow and Jo shrunk. She reminded Jo of her mother.

"Tsu'tey came to me saying that Eywa led them to an invader, and they failed to capture it. but I believe, that they were only supposed to lead you here." Jo wasn't following this, so the spirit led one of the deadliest hunters and a young hunting party to me in hopes they wouldn't kill me? Thanks for taking that gamble, Eywa.

"Then I got to see your eyes, I don't see the hunger in your eyes I have seen before in your kind"

"Thank you?" Jo replied. There really wasn't a response to that. It sounded like a compliment within an insult.

"but I do see a greater purpose," She snapped. She emphasized the point with a stab to Jo's sternum with the bone she wore around her neck.

"you said that earlier," Jo grumbled. The crazy female licked the blood from the bone and smirked at her. An unsettling sight to say the least.

"I have decided, come." She grabbed Jo's forearm and dragged the poor clueless ranger back down the tree. Decided what, Baba-yaga? She screamed internally.


Even years later, she would never be able to tell exactly what happened when she descended the tree with Mo'at. One second she was shoved towards Grace, the next a shouting match started between the two rulers- she recognized the word Eywa being thrown around. But they were talking to fast for her to get the rest.

Then someone had latched onto her forearm, she only reacted. Yanking her arm away and backing up as a slashed the air where she had been. She didn't think, simply watched as the blade slashed at her once again, but she was ready this time. As the blade wielding Na'vi thrust the blade, she caught his wrist and flipped him over her shoulder. She heard a rush of air leave his lungs as his back hit the ground, but she didn't let up. She dove towards the knife that had fallen from his hands. Turning on her toes as a he tried to take back the knife. With his back exposed, she kicked out his knees and place the tip of the blade at his jugular. From here, it was only one quick sli-

"Jo!" Grace yelled. Her eyes snapped up as the two rulers watched the spectacle. Mo'at smirked and turned to her mate, a look of triumph in her eyes.

"Release him," Mo'at said, gesturing to the young hunter eyeing her vigilantly. She dropped the blade and backed up. It was only when he stood that she got a good look at him, and her blood drained from her face. The hunter from the forest…but if he is back, sure enough, the hunting party had returned; with a familiar scowling face. Tsu'tey walked straight up to Neytiri and Eyukutan, apparently arriving after their little skirmish. He glared at her for a full second before recognition set in.

"Uniltìranyu!" hissed. Ears lying flat against the sides of his head. Suddenly she wished she had kept that knife. If looks could kill, she would be long dead.

"Why are you here?" he demanded.

"Why does everyone keep asking that? You're the ones that called me here." She said in exasperation. She looked to Mo'at for help, hoping their conversation had sparked some sort of kinship- but the witch had the gaul to giggle. A little help here! If someone didn't step in soon than the Na'vi would be short a future leader. She had beaten him every time she sparred in the past, she just hoped his arrogance had stunted his ability with hand-to-hand combat.

"Enough!" Eyukutan shouted. The na'vi were fell silent, even Tsu'tey-who was still glaring daggers at her.

"You may leave, Karyu Grace, we have seen enough." Eyukutan snapped. Jo bowed again and sighed. That had gone better than anticipated. She had met the leaders, received cryptic advice, and managed not to get herself killed- not the worst meeting she has ever had.

Both Grace and Jo moved to leave, when Jo was stopped by Mo'at's voice.

"Only Karyu Grace may leave."

This lady can't be serious. Jo looked between Grace and Jake who were both a little stunned at this turn of events. They had probably assumed-like Jo had- that this meeting was over. The Tsahik was determined though, and the Olo'eykutan- while blatantly against this decision-wasn't getting in her way.

"I wish to study this one further, perhaps there Is hope for your people yet?"

Excuse, me?

"Syrtri," she gestured to the young hunter who had attacked her, "shall be her teacher."

EXCUSE, ME?

"Sa'nok, I don't think it wise to leave her with such a young hunter" Neytiri chimed in. She had a glint in her eye, and Jo didn't like it. She had that same look in her eye whenever a brawl was starting on base and she had a good seat to watch.

"I agree, she could have killed him just now. Pick someone else." Eyukutan might just be her best bet of escaping this thing. Of all the times for a married couple to fight, now would be it.

"Fine, then how about Tsu'tey? It would do him good as future leader to learn of the sky people."

That traitorous witch!

Eyukutan seemed completely oblivious to Tsu'tey's growing anger at this idea, and nodded.

"Hold on, now. We had an agreement." Grace tried to sound calm, but she was out of her element. Grace planned for every discrepancy, but no one could plan for this. They already had one driver, why do they want another?

"Agreements change." Mo'at said. Then she just up and walked away.

Were Jo an irrational person, she would be getting angry, perhaps yelling about how unfair this was, maybe even yelling to a friend about it-but Tsu'tey was already doing that quite nicely, and one of them needed to be rational about this. It appeared that the Tsahik had made her decision, and nothing could be done about it. Contesting it wasn't going to solve anything.

"Grace, Just go." We can talk about it more when I come out of link tonight" she said calmly. Grace looked ready to argue, but stormed off instead. Jo couldn't blame the woman for being angry. She had been trying to get back with the clan for two years. Then a military man on his second day gets lost in the woods and is chosen, and to add salt to the wound her body guard was then chosen. The Na'vi had selected the only two drivers on the entire base with a military background.

"Didn't see that one coming," Jake said behind her.

"Me either."