"Link's ready!" Max called out as Jake settled into his pod.
This was it, he was going out, they were going to the Omatacaya, granted it was with Grace and Norm, but Jake would find a way to shake them... he had to. He couldn't have his first time meeting Tsu'tey being in front of them, he couldn't give them that kind of leverage over him.
Excitement and pure, unbridled terror buzzed just under his skin, making his palms sweat and his muscles twitch. He's ready, or at least he hopes so. Today was the day that Jake was going to meet the man he'd known for as long as he could remember, he was trying not to think too much. He was trying not to have expectations, of himself or Tsu'tey, twenty six years is a lot of buildup and he didn't want to be disappointed.
Jake tried not to think about all the things that could happen that would lead to disappointment. Assuming he actually succeeded in his half-baked plan of ditching Grace and Norm and finding the Omatacaya on his own, they could kill him on sight before he can explain himself, Tsu'tey could end up not actually existing, Tsu'tey could exist and not know Jake, Tsu'tey could not recognize him and not believe his explaination... every possible scenario had run itself through Jake's mind at least a dozen times, some more likely than others considering the evidence Jake had that Tsu'tey knew of him, but he tried to keep them from his thoughts now. There was no point worrying, he was too far in, whatever happens happens and Jake just hoped it will be in his favor.
Jake was mercifully pulled from his thoughts as Grace approached his pod, leaning over him. He was slightly surprised that his distain for her seemed to have diminished considerably, if he had learned anything from his less than pleasant interaction with the Colonel the day before, it was that the people he knew for a fact were out to cause the Na'vis harm saw the avatar program team as an obstacle. He still couldn't forgive Grace for her betrayal of the Omatacaya, but it was a start.
"That was a nice thing you did for us yesterday," Grace was looking at him with an open, grateful expression on her face.
"I didn't do it for you."
Grace stared at him for a moment, before her open expression closed to a hard, determined look, "I don't know why you're here... but you obviously have something going on that you have not disclosed. If you do anything to jeopardize this mission in any way-"
"I know what you did, Grace." Jake cut her off, he wasn't necessarily angry with her, but the thought of him being thought of as someone out to do the Na'vis harm made his gut twist just enough for him to lose a little self-control, "I'm not here for you or your program, I'm not here to help you," Jake sat up a little, reaching up past Grace to grab at the top half of his pod, "if anyone here is a danger to the Na'vi people, it's you, not me." Without waiting for a reply, Jake tugged on the pod, pulling it shut around him. He couldn't help but feel like maybe he was a little to harsh, but it was too late now.
-x-
Before he knew it, their helicopter was touching the ground and no more than a second passed before Jake was out. He drank in his surroundings, the gun they had insisted he'd carry hung limply at his side. The engines were cut off at Grace's order and Jake relished in the quiet of the forest around them.
He vaguely heard Grace and Norm speaking behind him, he briefly considered just breaking out in a run and getting as much distance between him and the others as he could, but he thought better of it, deciding to save desperate plans for last.
Jake had too much energy to stand still though, so he settled on taking a couple deliberate steps away from the clearing. A moment later, he felt Norm and Grace follow behind him, so he began walking deeper into the forest.
As they walked, Jake pretended he couldn't feel Grace's eyes boring into the back of his skull. He distracted himself by looking for any opportunity to slip away unnoticed.
That opportunity came as the form of a heard of Angtsìk, which he saw through the brush while Grace and Norm stopped to collect samples.
Jake looked back to make sure he was far enough away for his plan to work, when he was certain, he steeled himself and prayed that Eywa would forgive him. In one, swift motion, Jake swiped at the thick crop of touch-sensitive spiraled plants, causing them to retract suddenly, which startled the Angtsìk grazing behind them. Jake took in a deep breath and got ready to run as he pulled the trigger on the automatic rifle in his hands.
The response was immediate and exactly was Jake had wanted. He dived out of the way as the heard charged forward, he heard Grace and Norm's yells and felt a brief moment of guilt and hoped they had had the wherewithal to dodge the oncoming stampede. He couldn't wait around and find out though, he had to move.
Jake took off in the direction Grace had seemed to be steering them towards, removing his shoes so as to stay silent as he moved in case Grace and Norm decided to keep going.
He knew he was already in Omatacaya territory, so he knew he was being watched, but he needed himself seen by one particular Omatacaya. However, the longer Jake walked the less sure he became.
Little did Jake know that above him in the trees sat a Na'vi woman with her bow drawn and ready to shoot, when an Atokirina floated down and settled itself on the tip of her arrow just for a moment before floating away.
Neytiri stared at the dreamwalker who stepped silently and carefully just like a Na'vi, who seemed to be searching for something. A wild, excited smile tugged at her lips as she turned and leapt to the next branch over, a laugh almost escaping her lungs as she sped her way to where she knew her friend was keeping watch.
-x-
Jake was lost, he had no idea where he was at this point, he didn't even know if he was even still in Omatacaya territory. He had not seen a single Na'vi hostile or otherwise and he was about to just start screaming Tsu'tey's name in hopes the other would hear.
Suddenly, Jake heard crashing nearby, he was able to pick out the sound of heavy footsteps. Something was running towards Jake and he had no idea what to expect. He was backed into a corner with nowhere to run, so he braced himself, holding the spear he had made out in front of him.
He could hear the steps getting closer, Jake held his breath, ready to fight off whatever it was that was definitely making a beeline straight for him.
There was one final crash behind the foliage before the charging creature broke free.
Blue. It was very blue.
Whatever it was had come to a complete stop right inside the clearing Jake was in. Adrenaline was bumping through his veins so violently that it took him a moment, just the space of a blink but it felt like hours, before he could comprehend the figure that stood in front of him.
Tsu'tey.