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The night was giving way to the day. Rays of light timidly made their way through the morning mist. Hues of pink and lilac painted the sky along delicate strokes of gold. The crisp air on their skin was a nice change from the humid mist of the forest. Flying on a banshee had its perks. Finally, their clothes weren’t uncomfortably sticking to their bodies. The whole squad hated the feeling of clammy skin against the polyester fabric of their clothes. Quaritch wondered if it was indeed the reason the natives would go around in those skimpy outfits that would have made a stripper back on Earth blush like a virgin.
He let out a quiet chuckle, lowering his eyes towards the small figure slumped against his chest. After months together, the kid still wasn’t used to military rhythms. He had tried to stay awake for the first part of the flight but failed miserably after the first few minutes. The long hike the day before and rising before dawn did a number on the boy. Cupcake also had her part in this. Who would have thought that a banshee was better than a long drive in a car to make someone fall asleep? Certainly not him.
Spider shivered under his arm. In the forest with the warm, dense air, he could get away with his choice of clothing, or lack thereof. But certainly not at this altitude. He had told him to at least wear something when flying, but the kid had refused. He had no idea how much of a difference it would make in temperature when flying that early in the morning. Spider was lucky Na’vi had a higher body temperature so he could at least get warmth from him.
Feeling him stir lightly, Quaritch tightened his hold on the kid. He couldn’t risk having him fall from that height. In doing so, he accidentally provoked a reaction he would have never expected. Spider squirmed lightly, letting out a squeak-like sound. Ticklish. The brat was ticklish. This discovery made the Colonel suppress his laugh. That was something he would remember next time he was being uncooperative.
Steadying himself better on the saddle, Quaritch allowed himself to be captivated by the view. The watercolour sky mixing with the luminescent light of the plants on the horizon was breathtaking. For the first time, he understood why people returning to Earth would suffer the so-called ‘Pandora blues’. Going back to a dead planet whose only colours were those of the advertisements plastering the buildings and the sky must have been depressing.
The old Communication Towers came into view. Four, all constructed near an impressive body of water. The RDA had started building a hydroelectric power station back in the day. The company was eager to use the river's powerful currents for their gain. The project was never finished due to the humans being sent back to Earth. Now the old construction site was covered by vines and foliage. Between the half-finished buildings, Pandora was reclaiming as her own what they tried to take from her.
The task was simple: report to Bridgehead the information gathered and wait for new directives. They weren’t sure which tower was less glitchy, so he had already divided them into small groups; each would go to a different one. Lyle and Prager had the eastern one, Z-dog and Mansk the western one, and Ja and Lopez the northern one. Leaving him with the southern tower. Now all he had left was to choose a collection point for later.
His eyes skimmed the area along the river banks, lined by lush vegetation and tall trees. A herd of sturmbeests quenched their thirst in the river. They looked calm enough, but maybe it was better to avoid them for the time being. They were highly territorial animals after all. He took his time to admire those magnificent beasts, with their long horns and ridge bones on their backs; he had heard a scientist compare them to now-extinct American buffalo. Spider had told him they were the primary source of meat and other animal-based products for the Na’vi. Maybe, after sending the data, they could have an impromptu hunt. The Colonel was sure the rest of the squad would be on board. After all, they were tired of the MRE's bland taste, especially Mansk. That man would have made for a great chef back on Earth.
Quaritch glanced over the old construction site, establishing the main building to be their best option. “Collection point near the main building. Radio when done at the towers. Over”.
Spider was still snuggled up against him, sleeping soundly. His head was resting comfortably on his bicep. The Colonel could feel the rough texture of his blond locks against his skin, so different from the softness of some unruly curls that refused to get matted along with the rest. He found it funny how he would sleep with his lips slightly parted. The boy, with his chubby cheeks and bunny teeth, reminded him of one of those American dolls his sister used to play with when they were kids. Sighing, he figured he could wait until they landed before waking him up. He was just a human kid, thus weaker and with less endurance than them. Quarich was already impressed with his ability to keep up with their hybrid bodies and military training.
After two months of practice, his landings were smooth enough that the kid didn’t even stir when they touched the ground. The tower was holding together quite nicely, considering it had been abandoned fifteen years prior. The rusty metal was consumed by vines full of greenery and flowers, unsettling yet undeniably beautiful in its own way. He was amazed at how something so dilapidated was still working. It looked as if nature itself was holding the structure together.
“Time to wake up,” he said, shaking Spider lightly. “C’mon kid, we ain’t got all day.” All he received as an answer was a soft whine and a mumbled “no”. Quaritch exhaled deeply. The task was a one-man job, and the state of the kid, awake or asleep, wouldn’t have changed the outcome. As long as he got the job done everything would have been alright. He’d leave him on the grass near Cupcake while he worked. It looked soft enough to be an upgrade from the log he had chosen as a resting place the night before.
Settled on this decision, the Colonel carefully turned Spider to get a better hold on him. Unexpectedly, instead of being limp in his arms, he snuggled closer and grabbed his vest. Something told him he couldn’t set Spider down without waking him up. A memory from his previous life made its way into his mind. It was the vivid image of a couple of months old baby grabbing his dog tags with no intention of letting go. A warm feeling flooded his senses, he felt his lips curl in a smirk. Spider might be older now, but he was still his baby.
Quaritch let out a long, exasperated sigh. The kid would be the death of him. He opted for sliding down his banshee instead of jumping down as usual, the best option if he didn’t want to startle the sleeping child. Even Cupcake refrained from making too much noise. He’d have to work with one arm. It would take him longer, but there wasn’t a set time to finish the task. Ah, the joys of fatherhood, he thought, rolling his eyes.
The control panel was encased inside a concrete cabinet near the tower base. Ferns crept up the sides, and the crevices were home to a thriving variety of plants. Despite being in rough shape, the outer flapper had served its purpose of shielding the server from the elements of the delicate communication system. All he had to do was insert the code to activate the process for information exchange between his tablet and the main base.
It was easier said than done. Technology had never been his forte, and having to deal with it when it was not working at its full potential was slowly making him lose his temper. The keyboard was designed for human hands, and he kept pressing more buttons than necessary. The damn beeping sounds of each key and the whirring ones of the denied access were sending him on the edge. After the third try, he couldn’t hold back an annoyed growl, “Son of a bitch!”
An incoherent mutter caught his attention. He held his breath and stood still. Even his ever-disobedient tail didn’t dare move. He hoped his small display of frustration didn’t wake Spider up. Thankfully, outside the sound of annoyance, the situation remained the same, and Quaritch’s full attention could be focused on fulfilling his task or at least trying to.
He glanced towards his son’s sleeping face; his eyebrows were slightly furrowed, likely because of his outburst. Most days, he didn’t allow himself to wonder how different things could have been. He was too busy to indulge in the endless chain of what-ifs. Occasionally he would slip. It always happened in quiet times like this.
The remnants of childhood were already leaving Spider’s face, slowly maturing into more adult features. If not for the mask the kid was wearing, he would have petted his cheek. Maybe things would have been different if he had been brought back before. The part of him that longed to be human again was always silent in those moments. Hadn’t he perished, he would have been sixty-six years old. It was cruel to condemn a son to witness a parent’s decay that early in life.
“This is the East Tower group. We’ve successfully delivered the intel to HQ. New orders are as follows: Proceed to grid coordinates 2869. Over.” Lyle and Prager achieved the objective for all of them. A squad member as well-versed with technology as Lyle was a godsend. He let out a sigh of relief. Now that they had the new directives, they could go to the collection point. He didn’t have to wrestle with that keyboard anymore. He might have closed the flapper a bit too enthusiastically as now it was barely holding just on one of its hinges. It was not his problem. The RDA should be less cheap and invest in some new and easier-to-use communication methods.
The clearing was quiet, saved for some chirping sounds and rustling in the distance. He turned, ready to go to the collection point. Spider wasn’t the only one exhausted by their tight schedule. Cupcake was curled up, head under her wing, resting. Bonding with such a creature was one of the reasons he didn’t loathe being reborn into a different species. Her beauty had him spellbound. The gold of her leathery skin was glistening in the light, enhancing the blue hue of her skin. She allowed him a freedom he never experienced before; when they were up in the sky, he was one with her, not a passenger.
While admiring his girl, the boy in his arms stirred slightly, mask still pressed on his shoulder and mumbling something Quaritch couldn’t exactly pick up. “Are we there yet?” His voice was drowsy. It sounded like he could fall back asleep at any moment. Testament of this were his eyes, heavy-lidded and glazed over. The realisation of being in his arms didn’t hit Spider immediately. It was only when he shifted him a bit to get a better hold that the kid jolted up and tried to squirm away. “Put me down! I’m not a child. I can walk!” Sleep gave way to irritation and embarrassment.
“Shush, kid!” He silenced him. “You were the one who grabbed my vest and wouldn’t let go. I had no choice.” Spider’s eyes darted towards his hand, still holding onto one of the front straps. He retracted it abruptly, almost as if it just burned him.
“Put me down!” This time the screaming was accompanied by some pushing and kicking. The kid was like a cat. One moment they are happy to be held, the next they are hissing and twisting to get down.
“Hold your horses, tiger. Don’t you go gettin’ all upset,” the Colonel bounced him, lightly fixing his hold on him. This time he used both arms to keep him in place.“You slept like a bear in hibernation while I was gettin’ things done. Now we gotta go to the collection point.”
“I can do it with my legs, dipshit!” Here it was again. Spider’s signature sass.
Quartich might have stopped his legs from kicking, but not his upper body from wiggling or his arms from pushing against his chest to get down.
“Son, we gotta work on your manners.” The man’s hand moved before he could think and lightly pinched the kid’s side making him yelp.
“Hey! What-” But his fussing was cut short again by another pinch. This time he managed to get a small cackle followed by a death stare.
“Fuck you!” Once more, he was met with insolence: hard times required hard measures. He couldn’t deny being amused by his attitude. During his teen years, he had acted similarly, only much worse. Spider was a sweet kid, most of the time, but he still had a rebellious spirit. Proven by his occasional acts of defiance.
“You brought it on yourself, son. I told you to keep down with the swear words.” Without any more warnings, he tilted him slightly backwards to get better access to his belly. On instinct, Spider let out a surprised shriek and tried to hold onto him, enabling the Colonel to tickle him, running his hand along his stomach and ribs. Alternating wiggling fingers and quick jabbing movements. No plea, no wriggling made him stop, not until the kid was out of breath. Spider was breathing heavily, eyes glittering with tears and ill-concealed amusement.
“Now, stay put for one second, will you? We need to fly there. I ain’t putting you down now only to pick you up again to get on the banshee. This back is twenty and at its prime again. Like hell, I’m ruining it before time, crouching up and down if I can avoid it.” With that said, he gave the kid a little jostle in his arms to keep him from moving. His words were indeed truthful. But there were some things left unsaid. Quaritch didn’t voice something he didn’t want to admit to himself. He wanted to hold him. He wanted to cling to moments where he could delude himself with the idea that Spider was just his son and not his prisoner.
The kid was pouting, offended beyond belief. His cheeks were burning red from laughter and embarrassment. Not entirely from being held, he was used to it. One time the kid had let slip how his friends used to do it too sometimes. It was almost instinct to do so for them, considering his size. What had embarrassed him was the tickling. Quaritch felt a familiar tingling sensation in his throat. He tried to hold the laughter in, failing, as a small snicker got past his lips. Keeping him in line would be a piece of cake.
It would also be a good opportunity to hear his earnest laugh again. He was used to the half-choked laughs from when the blond mocked or talked back to them. This one had been so different, a hearty laugh sprinkled with high-pitched screams. At that moment, he felt the desire to hold him closer and laugh along with him. But he couldn’t. He had to maintain a strong facade as much as he could. He couldn’t afford to be too soft.
The banshee sensing their presence near her greeted them with a screech. She had taken a liking to the kid, going as far as affectionately bumping her muzzle on Spider every time he approached her or helped ready her saddle. Sometimes he wondered if it was because of the bond they shared or because she could sense the level of adoration Spider had for her.
His child's love for Cupcake trampled all the resentment he might have held against him. It was proven by his twisting forward, with his arms extended to pet her. He subconsciously knew that the Colonel wouldn’t have let him fall.
Quartitch let him pet her for a few minutes. Today they didn’t have a tight schedule. He half-understood some of the soft terms of endearment Spider kept repeating to Cupcake. The previous moodiness and embarrassment were gone, replaced by pure delight. Judging by Cupcake’s happy chirping sounds, she enjoyed receiving all those scratches behind her kurus.
“C’mon boy, let’s put you on.” Having said this, he hooked his hands under the kid’s armpits placing him on the base of her neck and mounted right behind him. He couldn’t let the rest of the squad wait too long for them. Spider could keep playing with Cupcake later during the briefing with the rest of the team.
“I could climb on her, you know? I don’t need your help to get on.” Spider’s words were so muffled that he almost didn’t hear them. He couldn’t see his face, as he was using his long hair to shield it from him. He would have interpreted that as a bad sign if not for a small detail. Usually, when the colonel put his arm around him for safety when flying, Spider would scoff or actively try to push it away. This time the kid had placed his hand on it, giving it a light squeeze.
“Oh, I don't doubt it. But Cupcake won’t let you climb her like a tree. She’s prideful this one.”
Upon their arrival at the collection point, the Colonel was happy to see that the rest of the squad was already there. Their banshees were perched under the shadow of the dilapidated main building, chirping and hissing with each other. By far, the most playful was Ja’s banshee. What he lacked in looks, he compensated for in behaviour. With his grey and turquoise marbled skin, Ozzy didn’t shine in the light like his Cupcake. But he was more vocal and high-spirited, considering his constant nibbling at something or someone. Ja still bared the scars of one of his friendly bites on his arm.
The unruly creature was busy chirping and bumping his head against a sleeping Paco. This was the name Lopez had chosen for his banshee. The two, just like their riders, seemed to share a strong bond. They never strayed too far apart from each other, and when another tried to get in between the two of them, they became extremely territorial.
Quaritch found his men comfortably sitting on the ground, sunbathing with almost no care in the world. A soft layer of moss had covered what remained of cracked concrete pathways. Ferns grew from the damaged cement as though it were fresh soil. The site was now part of the forest. Small trees and climbing plants were growing all over using the structures left behind as support. Lilac and blue flowers cascaded along walls and pillars.
Lopez was shirtless and splayed across Ja’s stomach, eyes closed in a similar fashion to his banshee. Z-dog was busy searching for something in her backpack, probably her pack of gums. The rest were preoccupied with discussing something his ears couldn’t pick up.
He almost felt guilty for ruining such an idyllic moment, but he had to see the new files sent by the headquarters and plan a course of action. Now that he had left Spider with Cupcake, he could concentrate on his work.
“Ah, would you look at that!” Mansk’s glasses were lowered to get a proper look at the scene unfolding in front of him. His voice had an unusually cheerful inflexion to it. “I used to do the same thing with my dogs.” His head was tilted towards where they had left their mounts and Spider. The nostalgic curve of the man’s lips deceived him. As he turned his head to look towards the kid, Quaritch was sure his soul had just left his body for a second time.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!”
With children, you better have a thousand eyes. This was the phrase he remembered his mom repeating, over and over, to him. It was from when she was pestering him with the idea of marriage and children. He never paid mind to her blabbering, nor had he understood it to its fullest. Not until he got his son back, at least. Now her words made a lot more sense. No matter how much he tried to anticipate Spider’s next foolish move, the blond always found new ways to surprise him. Leaving him feeling puzzled and bewildered. Soon, he would sport his old silver fox look. Of that he was sure.
Spider had his hands on the jaw of Ja’s banshee, some of his fingers hooked inside his mouth. Quaritch had no idea what was going through that boy’s mind, but he was sure as hell reason or self-preservation weren’t among them.
Lopez’s uncontrolled, wild laugh reached his ears. The recombinant was now sitting up to enjoy the daring display. A familiar tingling sensation in Quartitch’s hands was screaming at him to put his hands around his throat. That wasn’t funny or endearing. It was a tragedy.
His laughter turned into full-blown hollering when that empty head of his son decided that nuzzling his mask against the beast’s snout was a great idea. Lopez’s high-pitched screams drew Spider’s attention to him. The boy, feeling everyone’s eyes on him, awkwardly waved in their direction.
“Boop his nose, kid!” Screamed Z-dog, getting a high five from Lopez and a loud whistle from Mansk. The idiots were giggling like three middle schoolers, not just them, but the others too. Quaritch always considered himself a good judge of character, but considering everything, he was starting to question it. Maybe people were right when they called Marines crayon eaters.
“Don’t encourage him, you crazy woman! This is serious!” Prager snapped in her direction. He looked almost as distressed as the Colonel.
“Boss, shouldn’t we do something?” Ja was the only intelligent person of the bunch, the voice of reason among those boneheaded morons. He was glad he had selected him for the project.
His first instinct was to go and snatch the boy away. The problem lay in the banshee's reaction to such an abrupt gesture. Those curved teeth were as sharp as razors. He couldn’t risk something going wrong. Ja was a great medic, but he would prefer to have a son with all his limbs attached.
“I think the safest option would be for me to go and retrieve him.” Ja’s golden eyes were fixed on the kid, filled with concern. The Colonel looked at him with a doubtful look. “To make sure Ozzy doesn’t get startled,” he explained.
The knowledge that his namesake was Ozzy Osbourne didn’t make it easy for Quaritch to calm down. His clenched jaw was starting to hurt. He’d read somewhere that the famous heavy metal singer bit off a bat’s head back in the day.
Spider was still playing with the beast’s teeth and powerful jaws like it was some kind of puppy. Petting him and laughing when he hissed towards him. Seeing him hook his thumbs in Ozzy’s upper lip to further expose the retractable fangs was what made him snap out of his stupor. “Go get him.”
Ja didn’t wait for him to finish talking. Upon hearing the word ‘go’ he sprinted into action. The man walked towards the blond with measured steps. His resolute calmness was betrayed only by the nervous swaying of his tail.
Quartich was surprised to see how Ozzy almost ignored Ja, giving him a brief chirp of acknowledgement before turning his attention back on Spider. The banshee turned his full attention to him only after their queues connected.
He couldn't hear what Ja was telling Spider, but the man looked exasperated and the kid was yet to remove his hands from Ozzy’s sharp teeth. Stubborn. Just like his father, whispered a voice in his head. A familiar sensation crept into his heart. Despite all the worry, seeing a part of himself in the kid always made his heart swell with pride. Alas, it wasn’t the right time to be proud. The kid would get an earful for this stunt.
Today, he realised, was a day for discoveries because even Ja's proverbial patience had a limit. In a matter of seconds, he grabbed Spider's hands and steered him away from the banshee. Even from a distance, he could see the brat show resistance, dragging his feet on the ground. It seemed the kid was keen on the idea of risking losing his arm. Not Ja. After disconnecting his queue from Ozzy and taking a couple of strides, he turned around and put him on his shoulder.
A succession of “no,” “put me down,” and “I don’t want to,” could be heard from where they were all standing. The kid attempted to wriggle free to no avail. Ja had an iron grip on him.
The Colonel almost didn’t wait for Ja to put Spider on the ground to start lecturing him.
“You outta your damn mind, boy? Do you wanna lose your fingers or something?” Quaritch grabbed his shoulders tightly enough to keep him in place.
“I was just petting him. Why do you always freak out? Stop hovering over me!” The irritation in his voice was blatant.
“I will stop when you stop doing stupid shit like that!” But Spider wasn’t listening to him anymore, having turned his head to the side, pouting, arms crossed in front of his chest. “You don’t know how some of them could react when we’re not there. Especially Ozzy.”
“What is it with you today, uh?” The man’s question fell upon deaf ears. “Spider, answer me!” Quaritch resorted once again to a soft pinch to his side. It was either that or trying to shake the stupid out of him. Considering his strength, it wasn’t the best idea.
“Will you — quit it — Stop that!” Little squeaks and bursts of laughter escaped his lips for each pinch he received. Trying to slap away Quaritch’s bigger hands was useless.
“I’m still waiting for an answer.”
“I’ve been around ikrans my whole life. I know when one likes me.” He replied through gritted teeth. Brown eyes stared directly into his, challenging his authority.
“Spider, I know he likes you, but Ozzy’s way to show affection is by biting.” Intervened Ja, having already regained his composure. “Do you remember how he nibbled at me the other day? For me, it was a scratch, but for you? It would be much worse.” Out of everyone, Spider seemed to listen to Ja the most. The recom had crouched down on one knee to be at eye level with him. “Next time, it’s better if you call me. You can go crazy with the pets when I make the connection with him, ok?” Then, unexpectedly he squeezed with both hands at the kid’s side. Getting him to giggle once more.
The look of utter outrage and betrayal was enough to make the other recoms laugh. “Not you too!” He whined.
“So, do we have a deal?” Ja was smiling cheerfully towards Spider. He had extended his pinky towards him, waiting for the kid to reciprocate. The Colonel had to admit, Ja knew what he was doing. Surprising considering he was an only child. But maybe that was exactly the reason why he was so patient, he never had to fight tooth and nail against his siblings.
“Fine…” he replied, rolling his eyes and hooking his own pinky to Ja’s. “He never hurt me that bad before though.”
“What do you—” Ja’s eyes bulged with worry, “Spider, kiddo, you don't mean to tell me that Ozzy has nibbled at you before, right?”
Spider’s guilty smile gave them all the answers they needed. Before Quaritch could even assimilate the information and worry about it, Ja had already done it himself. The recom had an indisputable mother-hen side when it came to the kid. After turning him around to check, he had finally found indisputable proof of the bite on the blond’s shoulder. Nothing too concerning. The teeth marks looked like small punctures and could go easily unnoticed. But it explained why Spider had worn the baggy RDA jacket they had provided him without complaints the week prior.
Lunch was a sad affair. Some MRA, a couple of protein bars and fresh water. It could have been better, but the morning had been stressful enough, all thanks to the kid. They needed to keep their energy for later.
For dinner, they could forage or hunt something in the forest. It would help with the squad’s morale. It would also let the kid blow off some steam. The additional sleep had allowed the kid to reach peak hyperactivity, meaning they had to deal with more dumbassery and shenanigans than usual. Presently he was being held by his ankles by Lopez. The man was as much a child as the kid himself.
“Let’s move!” He wanted to hit the miles necessary to reach the new position in four days.“Where do you think you’re going?”
“… to Cupcake?”
“No, we proceed by foot. The banshees will follow us. We can’t tire them too much.” He wasn’t letting him anywhere near those animals today, not after the stunt he had just pulled. “And you better be on your best behaviour.”
Spider let out a dramatic sigh, then with a sly grin, he replied, “If you can’t keep up, you should retire and take it easy, grandpa.” When Quaritch tried to tickle him, he was prepared. He jumped to the side, sporting a victorious smile on his face. It was a short-lived triumph. This time the one that got him giggling and defeated was Z-dog. All with one flick of her tail.
The woman had a gleeful light in her eyes, “Give up, squirt. It’s seven against one.” She gave him a light flick on his mask to further prove her point. “You can't beat us.”
The Colonel was amused. He had to admit it: using their tail to tickle the kid was, without a doubt, brilliant. He knew he wouldn’t have to wait long to use it. Spider was a curious kid by nature. He would soon start jumping around, following some beetle, or investigating animal tracks. They would have to pull him away from falling to his death, but at least he would distract them from their monotonous routine.
For Quaritch, it was more than a distraction. It was parenthood. The slim chance to play at being a father, however deluded. As exhausting as it was, he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.