Chapter Text
The soldier would leave you for dead.
The very moment your eyes locked, you knew. You saw it in the tremble of his hands, the quiver of his lip, the wet stain between his legs - he wouldn’t help you, not with the enemy present.
Fire crackled behind you, the flames licking at your legs. The body of your Crab Suit pressed down and collapsed, trapping you beneath the hot metal plates.
He hurried to his feet, a sob tore through his throat as he glanced around. You were on a deserted rocky beach, Humans and Na’vi corpses floated and bumped against the half-submerged stones. Red painted the water, clumps of flesh nipped at by smaller creatures.
He looked back at you. “I-I’m sorry, Captain. I-I-I’m so sorry, but I can’t…” Tears and blood dipped into the crevices of his skin, aging him years. He searched your pain-twisted face, looking for perhaps an ‘ it’s okay, you can go ’ or an ‘I understand, I would do the same ’. But he didn’t find it.
Truth be told, you wouldn’t have done the same. ‘No soldier left behind’ is what you were taught. From all the battles you fought on Earth, to serving security on Pandora, you had never abandoned that code. But you did understand - he was young, a boyish face among hardened men and women, he had a life back on Earth. A family waiting for him. A high-school sweetheart desperate for his return.
You did too.
Something heavy fell onto your left leg, crushing and compressing it until -
Pop .
He flinched back at your scream and took this as an opportunity to run.
You saw his fleeting figure between eyes narrowed in pain.
Mere months ago you had advocated for this solider to join the Cet-Ops - there was a spark in him you saw that day. Potential and a future of greatness if he was just allowed the opportunity. You had fought tooth and nail to assign him to your team. He was valuable - one in a million with his excellent use of weapons and the surronding environment. Innovation was rare and priceless on the battlefield.
You began to regret your decision.
The body of your beloved Crab Suit - you had lovingly named him Tiny despite your comrade's disagreement - grew hotter. You cried out as the fire reached your shin, burning the fabric and grazing your skin in long, agonising strokes. Tendrils of stinging pain shot up your legs and torso like a blade slicing flesh. Your mask fogged with your ragged breaths. It was then, out of sight from anyone, that you finally cried.
“Godsake,” you sniffled as tears slid into your mouth.
A sudden feeling overtook you.
The fire roared behind you. It quickly consumed the remaining parts of Tiny - all that was left was you. The flames dug into your skin, and you were engulfed with the stench of burning flesh.
The feeling flooded your veins and bloomed in your chest.
Like hell you would die here.
With a strained cry, you clawed at the rocks beneath you, using the rough surface as leverage to drag yourself out. You clutched till your nails chipped and bent backwards - the flesh beneath splintered with red prills. Swallowing a sob, you moved harder - whatever was on your left leg clattered against the ground as you emerged from Tiny. Not taking a moment to gaze at your lower body - you already knew what you would see - you gripped the ground and desperately dragged yourself away from Tiny’s corpse-
Tiny ignited in a haze of smoke and fire, heaving you into the nearby ocean. Shrapnel was shot out into the surronding area. It lodged in rocks, creatures and your left thigh. The saltwater seeped into your fresh wounds. A scream tore through.
Eywa’s currents pulled you further and further beneath the depts. A chill racked through your body, twisting your nerves into knots. It felt as if the goddess's arms were wrapped around you, pulling you into a stiff, hateful embrace, smothering you till every ounce of fight was torn from your flesh.
Light slipped from your vision, replaced by a smearing darkness. If you squinted hard enough, you could see a face - angelic, yet coarse. Eyes that hold bitterness and resentment - a bright blue like the ocean.
Your eyes lulled back into your head as a finger brushed against your hair.