Alien vs. Predator:

The Ballad of Hate

The Xenomorph research lab was a creepy room, full of advanced computers and instruments, the noisy swivel chairs added an eerie effect to the dark room. Despite the shadows and darkness, the bright white walls and lab coats that seemingly come naturally with scary laboratories. And yet it was not the twisted instruments, the squeaky chairs nor the clean white walls that frightened Research Assistant Adams at all, it was in fact the humongous window that loomed above and in front of them, the fact that the very same window was an acid-proof metal wall on the other side, and that the creatures inside this metal bloodstained room had watched Research Assistant Adams walk into the lab. Despite his feelings on the inside, Adams merely shivered on the outside, as he continued to his new boss: chief executive Dr. Haight.

Dr. Haight noticed the new scientist walk into the room, but he gave him no acknowledgement; you had to earn that luxury from the infamous Dr. Haight. He noticed the boy shiver, an expected reaction for someone who has never worked in a workplace quite like this. The boy walked up to Dr. Haight, but couldn't quite speak; instead he looked through the window once more.

They still stared at him, as if they knew he was afraid, which he was, he found it terrifying that these carnivorous monsters could see him through five inches of transparent metal and two inches of part-opaque acid proof steel. He turned to the boss and found his words at last "...um... hi." He said in a shaky tone "I... um... am here for the... err..."

"Job." Dr. Haight said whilst handling schematics "but not just any job, you are here for the lab assistant post, a dangerous position for a beginner. Are you sure you have what it takes?"

"Oh yes sir, I have been told that I am a very quick learner sir, in fact I have been complimented as an amazi-"

"Yes, yes, yes I get the point.... Adams." Haight carefully read from the papers in his hand. "What I find amazing is that you can see them." He flung his arm in the direction of the window.

"Oh sir, I was born on the planet Stone." The look Dr. Haight gave shown confusion. "You know, the one with another planet blocking half the sun... I was brought up in the dark, so... um, I can see in the dark. Of course this has its limits, and it means I won't be going to mars anytime soon but-"

"How very interesting, this will be quite useful indeed." Haight interrupted as he walked Adams over to the window "tell me ...Adams, what do you think of them?" he waved his hand once again towards the creatures.

"The Xenomorph's sir? I think they are... well... amazing. They adapt to immediate situations and do so successfully, they seem... intelligent, perhaps more so than I."

Haight liked this one, he shown potential. "well, maybe not intelligent, but indeed amazing, what we do here though is... beneficial to their species on the whole. For instance." Haight flicked a switch on the wall, revealing the blood soaked aliens. "These are genetically modified Xenomorph's, though they look the same, they in fact, mammals, these specific Xenomorph's do not need a queen, though still answer to her call, we are trying to fix that."

Adams seemed shocked by this, but before he knew it he was lead outside the room and into the corridor. He was shown into each room, where he saw biological marvels ranging from Xenomorph's with cow blood, to legless, armless Xenomorph's. But one xenomorph stuck in his memory:

Haight led Adams into the final room, "...and this is my pride and joy; this xenomorph has a mental retardation, whereas it is just as intelligent as each of the others I shown you, this one has been separated from the hive mind. It is possibly the only Xenomorph in existence with a mind of its own, but not only this, but its skin has been pigmented from the usual black colour. "Haight could see the excitement on Adams face and decided to reveal the Xenomorph.

The Xenomorph could smell the two tormentors even before they walked in. One was new, he smelt young and innocent, not yet a tormentor. But the other he knew, every hive ling in the structure knew this tormentor, they named him after their feelings towards him, they named him Hate. As Hate activated the lights, the Xenomorph recognised the name given to him; Silver. Due to his outcast flesh, he was named after his colour. But Hate was introducing Young to his abilities, but Hate knew so little. Because Silver could tap into the hive mind, he could smell what the others could smell, and in an instant, all the Xenomorph's in the facility could smell something, something that they all knew well, yet have never smelt before, they could smell the Hunter, and he was on his way.