Here is the next chapter of my alternate Avatar 2 book. Hope you all enjoy it.


The Escape of Precious Subjects:

(One Week Later)

In a floating station orbiting Pandora, scientists roamed the hallways rolling bodies in and out of rooms or carrying equipment inside workshops to build new weapons. One scientist dressed in white walked through a set of solid doors. In the centre of the room was a man with short, curly hair. He wore only pants and needles were plugged into his skin which was marred with dissection marks. A mask covered his face, keeping him asleep.

"How's this one doing?" the scientist asked her workers.

"His lungs are acting normally. He can breathe both Earth's air and Pandora's air,"

"I want to see so for myself. Get him ready for testing. But add more methane, ammonia and hydrogen," she walked to a watch room and watched as her workers pulled the mask off the test subject's face. The moment the dark eyes flashed open and he saw the men in masks above his face, he roared, scaring them away. He tried to break free, but his manacles restrained his wrists and ankles.

The scientist spoke through a microphone. "Don't bother moving Peter,"

"You're lucky these bindings are holding me back or I'd kill you for everything you've put me through," he panted in pain.

"Activate Pandora's air," his captor ordered.

"Activating now Dr!" a worker pulled a lever and the poisonous toxins of Pandora filled the room.

The scientist watched her subject choke a little, and then in just a few seconds, he breathed normally. However, the toxins stung his lungs, causing him internal pain. She smiled. "Perfect. He's a perfect example of how humanity will thrive on Pandora's atmosphere. Tell me how our other subject is,". Her workers looked a little anxious. "Well?" she demanded impatiently. "He's much the same but…"

"But what?" she hissed.

"He can't exactly breathe Earth air as easily as Pandora's air. And sometimes it's the other way around, his lungs might need readjustments,"

"I should hope so because General Ardmore wants me to present these subjects as soon as possible. Do more work on that oafish brother of Peter's,"

"But Dr, it could kill him. It nearly killed this subject,"

"Well, that's a pity. Sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. Move this experiment back to his quarters. And make sure he's pacified," the scientist marched out of the room. The workers came back inside to put Peter back to sleep. He looked relaxed and calm. His eyes moved and saw the tip of a sharp needle. The doctor flicked the glass. "Nighty, night," he mocked. The needle pierced through the thin layer of skin. The thumb rest was pressed.

Blar! Blar! A siren buzzed. He jumped, and the needle grazed Peter's skin.

"What's going on?"

"Some subjects are causing mayhem in their quarters,"

"Oh, let the soldiers deal with them. And stop ringing that bloody alarm every time this happens". The needle-man focused back on Peter when he saw the man's head flopped to the side. "Mmm…seems only he needed a small dose. Load him up,". They moved the subject from his manacle chair to a rolling bed. Then all of a sudden…Punch! Punch! Peter kicked another scientist back. He spotted the nearest needle. The needleman tried to stop him when Ahh! He felt the needle piercing his eye and before he could pull it out, a foot struck his face again. His neck broke with a smack to the floor.

"I'm nobody's experiment," Pete spat. He grabbed a shirt, then from the needleman's pocket, he pulled out a golden locket which he clutched to his heart. He grabbed some shoes and fled through the open door with a security band.


Another man, who resembled the other one but had straighter hair and a bristled chin, was chained to another bed in another part of the ship. "Doctor says we're to do more tests on this subject,". At the sound of 'tests', the subject wriggled in his bed but couldn't move. He couldn't bear for them to see his fear.

Blar! Blar! The siren rang.

"What is going on?!"

"Subject P99 has escaped!"

"Lock this one up!" The scientists prepared to move the other subject when the door opened and a rolling hospital came shooting into the room, knocking them against the wall. Another scientist tried to press a red button but grabbing a dissecting knife, the intruder threw it elegantly across the air and stabbed his hand. He screamed, but in mere seconds, he knocked him out cold in an instant.

"Peter…" breathed Erik in revelation. Peter quickly pressed a green button and disabled his brother's wrist and ankle bindings. Freed at last, Erik sat up and embraced his brother tightly. "Oh, Pete, how did you…?"

"We're getting off of this ship,"

"But where would we go?"

"Anywhere but here,"

Both shrouded in prison tops and stolen jackets, the brothers grabbed bag supplies and weapons from the storage room. They peeped through a door and saw soldiers rushing down the opposite way. "We can make it to the ship bay," Erik whispered.

"We can't leave the other subjects here,"

"We can't save them, Peter. There are two hundred soldiers on this station and only two of us. Our efforts will all be for nothing if we don't go now," his brother sighed, reluctantly agreeing. They dashed the other way, but when they turned a corner, three soldiers pointed their guns at him. Peter swiped his leg, tripping one up. Erik grabbed a gun from another and knocked him out before kicking the other head-first against the wall. They tried to go back the way they came, but down the corridor, over ten soldiers aimed their guns at them.

The scientist appeared between them. "I really am sorry about this gentleman, but we cannot let you leave."

"Why? So, you can do more damage to us?" Erik dared.

"Trust me. I am only doing what is right for humanity!"

"You call taking us from our family and experimenting on us doing what's right?" Peter snapped, clutching the locket to his chest. "It's anything but right. It's inhumane. You have put all your so-called subjects on this station through enough pain. And for what? To help humanity colonise a world that doesn't belong to us?"

"You two are not leaving,"

"Oh yes, we are." Quickly Erik shot a pipe running along the ceiling. Steam blinded the soldiers. Then he shot back, and they scurried, giving him and his brother a chance to flee with thundering bullets behind them.

"Don't shoot!" shouted their leader. "We need them alive! Lock all doors!" Peter and Erik were just a corridor away from the ship when the hatch started lowering down to seal them. Pumping the adrenaline into their muscles, they sprinted and slid right under the door seconds before it could fully shut. But they were not out of their pickle yet.

They ran to the nearest one. "Can you pilot the ship?" Peter asked desperately.

"It's been seven years," Erik answered back. "My fingers aren't exactly as useful as they used to be,"

"Well, you're gonna have to try!" Peter's heart jumped to the sound of the door opening. Soldiers remained behind them. He pressed a button on the outside, the ship's door opened and they climbed up the gangplank and sealed themselves inside. Dumping the bags on the floor, they sat in the seats and Erik pressed as many buttons as he could.

"Don't just press buttons if you don't know what they do!" The banging of bullets cut off his brother's shout-out. "Start the ship! Start the ship!"

Erik pushed a level up, and the engines roared. The craft floated and hovered, but the elder brother's clumsy fingers caused them to collide into walls. He strained, struggling to keep it upright.

"Take it down! Take it down!" shouted the scientist. Her men aimed at the engines. Blast! Kaboom!

Erik couldn't hold on. "We just lost one engine! But we're not going back there!". He managed to steer their craft right out of the station and out into space. "Okay! Where to now?". Before his brother could answer, they heard engines and turned to see soldiers in aircraft vessels seeking to catch them. "Hold on!"

Peter felt his stomach coming right up into his throat. He nearly threw up. His brother steered the ship away from the station. "Doesn't this ship have guns?"

"No, it's a transport vessel!"

"Oh, just great!"

"Shut up!" Erik did a rough steer. The ship rotated around and shot back the path they came from.

"Erik, what are you doing?!"

"Trust me!" Erik narrowed his eyes at the station through the windshield. Then he steered right and went up and over some laser shields. His quick turns caused two of the pursuing ships to collide and crash. Then he caused another to collide with one of the main engines keeping the lab station in orbit.


"Doctor, the ship can't take another hit!" one of the engineers reported through a radio.

"We have to shoot them down!" a soldier protested.

"No! Only shoot the pursuing ships down!" she commanded.

"But they're our soldiers! Innocent men!"

"So be it,"

The soldier sat in the gunship and aimed for the three remaining vessels carrying soldiers. He couldn't do it. "Fire!" his commander ordered. "Fire!". Scrunching his eyes, he pulled the trigger. Boom! The first ship exploded. Then the next one. The scientists didn't care that those men who were dying out in space were loyal. She only cared about keeping her subjects alive. The final one was closing in and it wouldn't fall for Erik's evasive manoeuvres; it closed in on them. But the soldier was given a strict order. Just when they got so close, he pulled it and boom!

The final pursuing ship exploded. But one of its large engine pieces crashed into the brother's ship causing an engine and a wing to explode.


Inside their ship, Peter nearly fell off his seat. "What was that?"

"The third engine's dead! I can't control it! We're going down!" Erik steered the ship in the direction of Pandora.


"No!" the head scientist screamed as she saw her prized subjects in their ship plunging towards Pandora. She glared at the soldier who had shot down the other three ships and now accidentally the ship they didn't want shot down. Without a second thought, she pulled out a gun and killed him with a single blast.


The ship plunged towards Pandora, towards the great vast oceans far, far below. They crashed through layers of cloud, seeing the water coming closer and closer. 1000 feet. 500 feet. 100 feet. 50 feet! Crash! Splash!. It sank and sank, crashing into large, twisted pieces of coral, crumbling it to pieces. The brothers fell off their seats, groaning in pain. It was a wild ride. "That is more fun than I ever want to ever again," Erik winced. "Pain everywhere,"

"Don't say that" Peter puked to the side whilst his brother was looking. Just as they felt ready to rest, water was fired into their faces. The crash had damaged their ships, in seconds half the ship was flooded, damping their clothes and supplies and electrocuting the screens. Peter tried to open the hatch but with the ship upside down, their only way out now was blocked. "Now what?"

"The windshield!" Erik dragged him towards the battered windshield. They banged and banged but it remained thick as hard ice. Before they knew it, their air pocket was only 10 cm deep. They could feel Pandora's air dissolving from the air bubbles but their lungs helped them breathe normally. Still, they wouldn't give up. Taking the deepest breaths, their bodies could master, they ducked their heads underwater and banged and banged against the windshield. But it remained resistant. Bubbles airs left their lips and they realised they were about to meet their end.

Just when all hope seemed lost, two blue teens appeared through the marred glass, with bright yellow eyes. They were a boy and a girl, the former with tied-back hair, the latter, with long flowing hair with a braided scalp; both wore indigenous clothes fit for the sea. The brothers were stunned. The two behind the windshield talked with fingers and facial expressions and nodded.

The men watched their knives being pulled out of their sheaths. Crack! The knives pierced through the windshield, breaking it apart. The girl gave it another jab whilst the boy grabbed the windshield frame and gave it a mighty kick, breaking it apart. After sheaving her knife, the girl offered out her hand to the men, but they wouldn't take it. She rolled her eyes and beckoned with her fingers again. Peter felt more air bubbles leaving his lips. But glancing at the girl's eyes again, he saw kindness and generosity reflected into his petrified ones. He grabbed her hand, and she pulled him out. The boy reached inside for Erik, who took it without hesitation, trusting him too. Together, the teens pulled the two escapees up and up and…

Cough! Cough! Cough!

The men felt Pandora's air filling their lungs and emptied the litres of water from his throat. But the energy was drained from their muscles. Their eyelids dropped as they felt blue arms across their chests pulling them across the water.


A black sun with a golden outline entered his eyes. The sand was all he felt under his fingers. Under his head were palm leaves and draped over his body was a warm wrap. Erik pushed himself up. He groaned as he rubbed his head. He took a moment to focus his eyes and realise he and his brother beside him were in some sort of campsite. There was a fire in front of their feet and by their side there were bags and more make-shift beds. And yet no one was nearby. Heavy breathing rang his ears and he saw his brother's eyes flickering. "You awake?"

Peter pushed himself up, his body aching everywhere. "Pain everywhere," He rubbed his head which didn't hurt at all. "I slept pretty well,"

"It seems we both a nice bit of treatment," his brother showed him the blanket and make-shift pillow that had kept him comfortable. "Look where we are,"

Peter stared around the camp and admired the lush island forestry behind them. Then he stared up at the sky at the black sun which was actually a moon. "Eclipse," he glanced around more and he saw the glowing sea in front of them with algae washing ashore. Some of the plants on the land glowed too. "Where are we? I can't remember anything after blacking out, after those blue…"

"Avatars?" Erik finished. "They had four fingers. But they didn't look like grown-ups. They must be kids or slightly older. And they wore indigenous clothes. They could be hybrids,"

"Where are they?" Peter stared around but all they saw was sand, palm trees, rocks and… "Look," he pointed down. Two pairs of feet-marks were in front of a rock pool only about twenty feet away from them.


Under the sea, as the algae and coral glowed in a flash of sea colours, the two blue teens were pulling nets of freshly caught fish to the surface when the boy blocked his twin. He pointed up and they saw the men they had rescued, staring down through the water. And yet they couldn't see them because it was so blurry.

The boy twin signed to his sister. Looks like they're awake. Think we should talk to them?

We should. And we're going to need help finding Tsireya and Atuiko.

Let's find out who they are first. They may not be soldiers but we don't know if we can trust them.

Wiggling their tails and bodies like mermaids, their heads pushed through the water and the two men they had saved shuffled back on their knees in shock at their yellow eyes. "You're Navi/Avatar hybrids," breathed Peter. The two teens traded water, seeing not cruel soldiers but stunned fugitives.

"You saved our lives," Erik realised. "Thank you,"

"Thank you," Peter used a bit of sign language.

The boy's eyebrows bent. "We can understand English, you know,"

The men felt petrified. "You can talk," Erik staggered.

"Well. Yeah. We're not illiterate," the girl scoffed.

"No, I mean you can speak English,"

"The clue's in the number of fingers," the boy wiggled his hands.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you,"

"Perhaps you both should come out of the water. It is hard to have a conversation like this," Erik offered a hand. The boy took it as Erik pulled him out of the water before Peter pulled out his twin too; the twins dumped the fish on the sand. "There. Might we know the name of our saviours?"

"I'm Lo'ak," Lo'ak pointed at himself. "This is my twin Sylwa,"

She simply waved. "Hey,"

"I'm Peter," the man she rescued introduced himself.

"Erik," his brother said next.

"You guys must be brothers," Lo'ak guessed correctly.

"Thank you for keeping us comfortable. You have quite a nice little campsite," Erik complimented.

"Thank you. It may not look like much but it was the best we could offer,"

"Why did you two save our lives?" Peter asked. "I mean we're…"

"Humans?" Sylwa shrugged. "It is what it is. That's not enough to leave you guys to drown,"

Surprise was registered on the brothers' faces. These hybrids were clearly enemies of the RDA and yet they had chosen to rescue them despite the hatred the Navi had for humans. "Also, you're both wearing prison clothes," Lo'ak pointed to their dried clothes. "And you two crashing implies you were attempting an escape, but you plunged from the sky," he added.

"Very clever," Erik complimented. "How long were we asleep?"

"Since this morning," the girl's twin explained, picking up the fish again. "You guys were pretty banged up after that crash,"

"Well, I have to say you guys make nice make-shift beds," Peter complimented.

"We've just caught some lunch," Sylwa's net had five fish and so did her twin's. "Took quite a few deep breaths,". They escorted them back to the campfire. "A lot of your human food is still dry but you could try the fish,"

"I suppose we could," Peter said.

"Too bad, I don't like fish," Erik said. "I'll just stick to whatever we can afford,". They sat around the campfire and once the fish were skinned cooked and ready, the twins and Peter munched on the roasted meat whilst Erik managed to eat some cereal bars and wraps wrapped in plastic, water-proof wrapping. The eclipse passed and daylight returned; the fauna and flora bioluminescence receded and it all looked like a simple island one would find on Planet Earth.

"I was beginning to get used to all this glowing," Peter said sadly. "It looked so beautiful,"

"Eclipse is the best time of the day," Sylwa explained finishing off her fish.

"Forgive me for asking but what are two forest teens like you two doing out here in the middle of nowhere?" Erik asked curiously. "I mean shouldn't you guys be in the forest part of Pandora?"

"We were forced to leave our home," Lo'ak said sadly. "It's been months since we last saw it,"

"But what about your family? Is there no one else?" Erik noticed the emotional faces the twins bore with the sentimental questions he was asking. "I'm sorry if I..."

"It's fine. It's just complicated," Sylwa wiped her eyes. "We don't want to talk about it,". To excuse herself from any further questions, she started packing up some supplies with her twin whilst the men made sure their clothes and all their supplies were dry.

"Well, Lo'ak and Sylva, thank you so much for saving us. But now we need to be on our way," Erik said.

"And where exactly are you guys gonna go from here?" Sylwa asked. "Without your crashed ship,"

"Didn't think of that one. But that doesn't matter. We need to get as far away as possible before the RDA find the remains of our ship underwater at the bottom of the ocean,"

"Why are the Sky People after you?" Lo'ak asked them intently.

"'Sky people'?" Peter repeated with furrowed eyebrows.

"Your race. I mean the bad humans who come up from above," Sylwa explained, hoping she didn't sound offensive. "Did that make sense?"

"Kind of," Peter answered awkwardly. He noticed that Erik was sceptical. "I think we can trust them. The RDA or bad sky people as you call them need us because we're their key to allowing humanity to thrive on Pandora once it's colonised,"

"Is it do with why you can breathe without a mask?" Sylwa asked. "We didn't see any masks in your ships and you guys managed to hold your breath for a long time underwater,"

The brothers nodded grimly. From the pain in their eyes, the twins could see that they had been through so much trauma. "The RDA experimented on us with trials to adapt our bodies to Pandora's atmosphere," the elder explained. "And now they want to use us to harm other people which is why we need to get as far away as possible,"

"The bad sky people are our enemies too. There are soldiers in this archipelago hunting us as well," Lo'ak explained. "Maybe we should stick together,"

"Also, you guys have no idea how dangerous it can be here. You're gonna need our help," Sylwa reasoned. "We were also hoping perhaps you could help us. We're trying to find our friends, but we don't know much about the open oceans,"

The brothers decided to have a silent conversation. "The RDA is going to be coming after us," Peter reminded grimly. "We take them with us, we'll put them in more danger,"

"They're lost and alone just as much as we are," Erik considered. "They need our help just as much as we need theirs. Like Lo'ak said, we share the same enemy,". There was no argument to counteract that statement; it was set. "It seems we're sticking together,"

"Thanks," Sylwa said gratefully. "And we promise you guys, we'll protect you from any Navi we might encounter. I'll take this," she took one of Peter's bags and Lo'ak took one of Erik's. The four made their way along the beach towards a grove of trees.

"Once again, thanks for saving our lives," Peter said gratefully. "You have no idea how much it means. You two are the first people in years to show us generosity. When the RDA returned from Earth all those years ago claiming your kind were the enemies, we didn't believe them one bit,"

"What they're doing to your home is wrong," Erik conceded. "And to anyone as well back on Earth who disagrees with their methods,"

"Is that why they…" Lo'ak paused.

Erik nodded to his words. He dared not to say anything else. The teens chose not to say anything else. "Not to be rude you two," he spoke again. "But how exactly are we going to make our way across the seas to find these friends of yours and get as far away as possible from our enemies?"

The twins ululated into the air like birds and from out of the trees appeared two bright-coloured Ikran. The brothers staggered back watching their saviours greet them. "Holy moly," Peter breathed. "Incredible. I've always wanted to see one of those," he stepped a bit too close. Betze and Skeera growled.

"Stand back. They're extra sensitive to seeing humans," Lo'ak warned.

"And do not look in their eyes," Sylwa warned. She scratched her mount's chin. "Looks like your wings are a lot better. You're not gonna like what comes next girl but I'm counting on you to be nice,". She turned to the men. "We're going to fly,"

"Wait. You want us to ride on your flying mounts?" Erik was not comfortable with this one bit.

"They would prefer to be called Ikran. We'll cover more distance and it's the quickest ride. Just hold on tight and you'll enjoy it," Lo'ak swung his legs over the saddle. He offered a hand to Erik but he wouldn't take it.

"Either we can sit here and argue or you guys can get on the saddles," Sylwa mounted Skeera. "This is your best chance of staying alive. Trust us," Scared but amazed at the same time, Peter trusted her. Unfortunately, her mount didn't. "Easy Skeera. Be nice,"

"You promise not to go too fast?" Peter begged. "I get motion sickness,"

"Don't worry. You'll get used to it once we take to the air," she offered her hand and keeping a firm eye on Skeera's distrusting eyes, Peter was pulled up behind her. He tightened the bags to the floral-material ones attached to the saddle.

Lo'ak pulled Erik behind him. "Just hold on tight," the man he had saved hugged him from behind. "Not that tight,"

"Sorry," he loosened his grip.

"Let's go Betze," Lo'ak commanded his Ikran to take flight, and Skeera and her riders followed behind them.

"Woah!" Peter nearly fell backwards, but Sylwa pulled him upright. His stomach churned but he swallowed the temptation to throw up.

"Take it easy. It happens to everyone first time flying," she said soothingly. The two Ikran gained elevation and then aligned themselves in a horizontal pattern. The men took a moment to steady themselves whilst keeping a firm grip on the teens. "See? Not so bad right,"

"It's better than plunging from the sky," Erik remarked. Everybody laughed. "Well let's find your friends guys,"

"And get away from the RDA ships that will be tracking our crashed vessel," Peter added. "Never thought I'd say this…but this actually feels great,"

"Like you're free," Sylwa acknowledged admirably. Peter saw her kind smile and couldn't agree with her more. They glanced at their brothers who shared the same ecstasy. The twins' ears vibrated to the cacophony of vocalising clicks. They looked down and saw Tulkun splashing around in the water. "These are Tulkun," Lo'ak introduced.

"Incredible," Erik pulled out a pair of binoculars and stared down. "Beautiful,"

Sylwa looked intently down pulling out her own set. "Where'd you get those?" Peter asked curiously.

"I collect human things," she answered, not looking away. She concentrated carefully on each one but saw one swimming a distance from the pod. Her heart dropped. She stared down, hoping to find a missing fin. But it had all its fins. It rejoined the pod and they swam south.

Lo'ak saw her shake her head and him and he sighed. "What is it?" Erik asked.

"It's nothing," he lied. "We should keep moving. The further we get away the better," he yipped and Betze flew faster. Skeera got all competitive and she sped after him, prompting Peter to hold tighter onto Sylwa. They flew further into the distance, following the sun.


And that's the next chapter done. What did you all think? So Peter and Erik are brothers and they were experimented on to make them be able to breathe both Earth's and Pandora's air. Now they've escaped and the Sully twins have rescued them. Oh dear, but Tsireya and Atuiko are missing and they can't find Payaka or Tsu'tey either. Will they find their friends? We'll have to wait and find out. I will try and finish Wish next week. And I will make sure to get onto another chapter of How to Unite Two Worlds and Encanto 2. I know I have a lot of stories on the go but I don't like just sticking to one particular book and then going right onto another one. I like to do a few at once so I don't get a writer's block. See you all soon. Please send ideas for this story if you have any.

Jack Donnelly as Peter

Tyler Blackburn as Erik