Sticking The Landing
“Cait, are you serious?” Jayce hissed “In what world would he react normally to that?”
“I didn’t think he’d go all psycho on me!” Caitlyn shouted back “I was just asking a question!”
The two of them were walking behind the rest of the group, they were making their way across the large paths of the main RDA base, there were large tanks and hundreds of ex-marines running around with guns and masks. Jayce kept his head down.
“We’re all trapped on this alien planet for ages now, together, Cait, you shouldn’t be fighting!” Jayce lowered his voice, they were all on Pandora now, he looked up at the large, setting sunset and then his gaze moved towards the fences that kept the tall, colourful trees that were rich with bioluminescent life and native cultures that have been around for hundreds of years, years before any people even discovered it.
“It wasn’t like I wanted to argue, I thought he’d be more civil than that, don’t get mad at me, please” she asked weakly
Jayce sighed “you’re right, I’m sorry, Viktor shouldn’t of reacted like that, I promise I’m on your side I’m just-“
He didn’t respond, frowning at a large army truck that was rolling by, it had colourful arrows punctuated into the sides.
“Jayce?” She gently grabbed his shoulder “what’s the matter?”
He thought for a moment “I- I don’t know how to describe it” he settled on
“Try me, maybe I can diagnose you” she winked
Jayce smiled weakly “It’s just..I’ve been feeling pretty weak for the past few days, like, one wrong move and I’ll crumble to bits”
“Go on”
“It’s not just physically I feel like this, it’s in my head. I feel like I’ve shared all my secrets to somebody I don’t trust, it’s..it’s weird, Cait, I don’t like it”
Even through her mask, he could tell Cait was thinking a thousand thoughts at once “This could be something, but it could be the fact you’ve been stressed for so long, not just before you boarded the ship, and now you’re on Pandora wearing some stuffy mask so that probably doesn’t help”
She paused for a moment “Also the stress of your mission, I mean, the Avatar drivers probably have the toughest job, not just adjusting to your new body but also befriending the Na’vi”
Jayce licked his lips “would you believe me if I said that’s the part I was most excited for?”
Caitlyn giggled, her gaze moving towards Vi, who was making sure Powder and Ekkos masks were secure “Yeah, I would”
☆
He’d mulled it over for a while, and then he decided.
He needed to confront Viktor, on Cait’s behalf
….Without telling her.
The thing is, Caitlyn hates confrontation, she’d probably rather face the Na’vi than complain about Viktor to Viktor.
But Jayce wasn’t
“Hey, Viktor, can I talk to you?”
They were all standing in some large and formal-looking office, the others were all talking amongst themselves while Grace talked to somebody.
Something a Colonel? He didn’t know, he wasn’t paying attention.
Viktor, unsurprisingly, wasn’t talking to anybody, but was frowning in the corner like he smelt something bad.
“Not now, Talis”
“You’re literally not doing anything else”
“Good observation, now go away”
He’s realising, that he can just talk to him now
Gods, sometimes he forgets the most basic stuff when he’s around Viktor
“I don’t like how you talked to Cait”
He raised his head and stared at Jayce.
“Excuse me?”
“Oh come on Viktor, I know you’re smarter than that, you talked to Cait like she was the dirt on your shoe”
“Oh, of course you’d defend her, can’t handle it when your rich friend gets a reality check?”
“You know nothing about us” Jayce said darkly “Maybe you’re the shallow one here, ever think of that?”
Viktor rolled his eyes
“You completely went off on Cait for just asking you a question, I get that it was a rude one but she doesn’t deserve to be treated the way you treated her”
“Do you hear yourself right now?” Viktor leaned on his cane “the way I treated her?”
“Has she ever treated you like some hopeless cripple? Hell, have I?”
Viktors mouth formed a line, which would be a really adorable sight at literally any other time
“That’s what I thought” Jayce said “I’m sorry you’ve been treated like shit before, Viktor, I really am. But you’re not gonna feel any better by being like the people who hurt you, believe me”
Viktor scoffed “wise words, Talis”
Jayce flinched “Look, don’t apologise to Cait, she’ll get pissed at me if you do but just, I don’t know, think about what you said and how many times she’s been a rich asshole to you, really think”
“I suppose you want me to think about the number of times you’ve been a rich asshole to me, too” Viktor said
“I mean, if you can manage it” Jayce chuckled.
And then, Viktor did the same. A soft laugh escaped his lips and he made no effort to cover it up.
That’s….that’s something
“I’ll consider it, Talis”
Maybe today wasn’t gonna be as bad as he thought.
Then Grace came back into the room.
With….
Oh shit.
With his fucking dad.