3 Ch. 2 - The Avatars

"There he is. You must be Tommy's brother, Jake right? You look just like him. My name's Norm, I worked with your brother for three years.", Norm said, hanging his hand out, which I shook.

"It's nice to meet you.", I say, in the Na'vi language, but that's what it meant in the end. Norm showed completely oblivious shock, like as if he'd been punched in the gut.

"W... what? How do you..-", I hold up the book. And he squints seeing a bookmark half way through it. "Where'd you even get the book, it took me and your Brother three years to be able to get where we were before he passed on.", Norm complained, looking really peeved.

"A week after he passed on, I suddenly felt like I had to study up on the Na'vi language, and well, after a few hours of searching the old Amazon company's archives, I found it. So here I am.", I said, smiling at him, while holding my arm out, where he shook it after a bit of hesitation.

"Well-", he was cut off as Grace came out from the Avatar Link Unit, gesturing towards one of her Colleagues, yelling out in question about a cigarette. What surprised me however, is that she looked a few years younger than what I saw in the memories. Maybe around Twenty Eight?

"What's wrong with this picture, people? Where's my damn cigarette? Oh, this never gets any easier walking around...", she said, holding her head like she had a migraine, as one of her said colleagues quickly ran over with a cigarette, and a pair of migraine pills.

"Uh, Grace? These are your new apprentices, for the Avatar Program, that we talked about a little over Five years ago? Uh, this is Norm Spellman, one of the origional apprentices. And this is Jake Sully, Tommy's brother.", Max said, introducing us, and I tensed as Grace's eyes passed over Me after Norm.

"Jake... do you even know anything about the Na'vi?", her eyes showed massive annoyance, as she knew I was a marine, but I'll surprise her this time.

"Of course. I studied on it after my brother died.... But I can at least speak some of the Na'vi language as I'm doing now.", I said, in said Na'vi language, and I grinned internally at her widened eyes, which actually began to hold what looked like a bit of sympathy, but not enough it seems.

"You're still just a marine, not a Scientist. But you've shown you've got potential... What about you Norm?", she asked, and Norm flinched, before introducing himself as well, which appeased Grace, where she turned, and picked up two forms, handing them back to us.

"You will be up at 0700, and begin training in your Avatar forms. hopefully, within a month, you'll be able to do enough to survive out there in Pandora on your own. Max, show them to their bedrooms for now, I'm going to go finish up my smoke.", Grace said, before walking off, and we followed Max back out the other way, where there was a long hallway and lots of bedrooms.

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I woke up to a white ceiling. It was a bright new day, which made me expectant of things to come. Though I toned down my enthusiasm, so I wouldn't jinx it.

I managed to get in my wheelchair, and roll to the closet, after I took off my shirt to get a new one. I traced the several scars adorning my back and a little high on my chest, remembering the many battles I went on, before my final mission, where I lost the ability to walk or use my legs period.

I shake my head to get rid of those thoughts, pulling on a gray sweatshirt, then I pull on some shorts to cover up my modesty. It didn't take long after I brushed my teeth for Grace, Norm, and Max to bang on the door, which I opened quickly enough to not make them wait.

"Well good morning, Marine. You ready to start your day of wonder?", they ask, grins on their faces, even Grace who asked the question, seeming like she was in a good mood.

"Well, I sure hope so Grace. I've been getting bored with all this rolling around doing nothing for the past few days. Lead the way.", I said, grinning back at them.

We made our way to the Avatar Link rooms, passing by the big white room with Norm's and I's Avatars. This is the day that everything starts. But instead of like 'last time', I'll be patient so the doctors can finish their tests.

Thirty minutes later, I opened my eyes to a bright white ceiling, and two human doctors standing over me. I slowly got up, but stayed sitting.

"There we go, can you touch your fingers and move your toes? Yes, there we go, good!", the doctor said, and about a few hours later, We could finally go outside. I went to where I saw Grace's Avatar in the memories was, and sure enough, there she was, although she was helping the younger Avatar holders out. She turned to me after a minute, and broke out into one of the largest smiles I've seen her have, which was quite pretty in all honesty.

"Well there ya are, Numb nuts, you focused on making me wait so long to get you and Norm over here? Oh, and here!", She tossed one of the fruits over to me, which I caught. "Nice motor functions. Go on, try it, it's delicious.", she said, and with a bit of hesitancy, I took a bite. And damn, it was one of the most delicious fruits I've ever tasted, beating Watermelon in like a mile.