.
.: KISS OF MIDNIGHT :.
o0o
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Cold weather, snow, climbing ice covered mountains and leading expeditions into uncharted and dangerous new territories – all these things agreed with Alexa Woods.
Aliens, on the other hand, did not.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Lex had never been more certain of the significance to this proverb than she was in this very moment. Or rather, the moment when she had made first contact with an intergalactic predator that had been out for her blood. The adage had served her well and she had used it to its fullest potential in her gamble to survive.
Lex's guarded eyes tore themselves from the darkness of the pyramid to spare an inquisitive glance at the massive being before her. He was currently leading them through corridor after corridor, navigating the sparse lighting with absolutely no difficulty as she tried to keep up with his impressive speed. She followed a few paces behind at his heel, keeping a cautious and healthy distance, but still remaining close enough to cling onto what little security his terrifying presence offered against those horrid black monstrosities.
She didn't pretend to know what kind of mess she had gotten herself into, nor did she particularly wish to dissect the insanity of it at the moment. Her instinct was to survive, and to do so she had pushed her emotions to the backburner and kept her senses alert. Her uncertainties were forced to take a back seat.
There would be no hysterics from Alexa Woods.
In her mind, she tried to convince herself that she wasn't the only one left. The idea that there were other humans remaining, searching for each other and planning an escape, was comforting in the best of ways. However, the eerie quiet of the pyramid and the mere extent of time that had passed since she'd seen another human's face spoke volumes to the disheartening truth.
Everyone was dead.
And she was alone.
Lex directed her gaze to the large creature in front of her when they slowed to a stop. The hall they were traversing had ended and split into three diverging corridors. She watched, intrigued, as he lifted his arm and utilized a device strapped to his wrist. She heard what sounded like his claws tapping on something metallic and, with a few quiet clicks, a soft glow suddenly illuminated the area in front of him.
Having him here with her – another living, breathing, sentient being that even resembled a humanoid – it was oddly comforting. With him, she didn't feel entirely alone. Although it wasn't difficult to guess the fate that Charles Weyland had suffered at his hand, Lex couldn't explain the peculiar sense that he was different from the other two, that he lacked the mindless violence that they had radiated in waves.
Then again, maybe it was just her desperate attempt to cling to hope that was creating illusionary traits about him in her mind. It was quite possible. The human psyche could do amazing things when the need for survival was strong enough. Coping was just one of the many device mechanisms that could take over, forcing the brain to turn and work when it otherwise wanted to shut down.
After another second or so of silence Lex took a step forward, curious to find out why they weren't moving. She cautiously peeked around his broad shoulder to find an advanced holographic projection displayed above the gauntlet on his wrist. When she saw the detailed levels of the structure they were currently trapped within, she knew immediately what it was.
"The pyramid," she said quietly.
Did he know the way out?
She started to take another step closer, eager to examine the extensive map, when a distinct and low growl stopped her in her tracks, sounding like a very big and very dangerous animal. Her eyes caught the way his grip tightened upon his combistick, clearly telling her such advances were not welcomed.
Lex took two steps back for the one she had taken forward, unafraid but respectful of his apparent boundaries.
From behind the smooth contours of his mask, she could practically feel his eyes looking her up and down, gauging the stillness of her form and the details of her surprisingly schooled expression. She had no doubt that most of the humans he came across were usually sniveling and wailing in terror, their faces contorted in hideous fear. Her calm façade must have seemed like an unusual divergence from the ordinary.
With a dismissive huff, he turned and headed down the hall to their right in a brisk walk. As she followed, she had a mind to ask him where he was leading them. He seemed to know where he was going and she was still worried over the issue of whether or not he was taking them out of the pyramid or deeper into it.
Lex hardened her resolve.
It mattered not currently. Her best and only chance was to stay with him. If she broke away from the security of his presence to search for the surface, she would surely die.
Her biggest concern was those terrible monsters slinking around in the dark like nightmares come to life. The question of just how many of the creatures were left entered her mind. She had come here with a large group, and considering all that she had learned thus far about their reproduction habits, along with a few calculations accounting for how many her and her unlikely companion had killed, there were still many, many more left.
Her thoughts were cut short when the alien before her stopped once more. Thrust from her silent musings, Lex noticed he'd led them to large cell that was similarly built to the sacrificial chamber her team had discovered upon first entering the pyramid. He examined the room around them for a brief moment, as if to make sure the place was secure, before he turned and crouched near one of the walls.
Lex watched, slightly confused, as he unclasped a few mechanical straps on his armor and tugged his chest plate off. The metal clinked and clanked quietly as he set it aside. Afterwards, he proceeded to reach behind himself to pull out a small kit. Drawing his clawed fingers over the sides, he lifted the lid off with ease.
When he started taking out unfamiliar but distinctly medical looking supplies and placing them next to him on the floor, Lex stepped forward, uncaring if he got offended by her proximity. Neither of them was wounded and, unless she was mistaken for assuming this alien equipment was 'medical' in nature, she had no clue what he was planning.
"Hey…what are you doing?" she asked a little cautiously as her eyes roved over the strange tools he'd set out. Although she was indeed curious about what he was up to, a kernel of annoyance flared inside her at the waste of time. She was eager to find a way out of here and whatever he was doing didn't seem to pertain to that.
Instead of acknowledging her, he completely ignored her and she stared in both confusion and impatience as he began making something that looked like blue fluorescent gel.
"What are you doing?" she demanded again, only slightly louder this time.
His head finally lifted and he watched her for several very quiet seconds, the sound of his strong, steady breathing the only thing filling her ears.
He gestured for her to move forward with one large paw and Lex hesitated. Her fingers quickly tightened on her makeshift spear and her back straightened slightly in an unconscious and instinctual effort to make herself appear bigger and more intimidating than she really was.
At her reaction, a low trill rolled out from her companion, smooth and strangely reassuring.
Again, his hand waved her closer, the slow movement amazingly fluid for such a huge, muscular being. Like trying to coax forward a frightened animal or a small child, the long, sharp talon of his index finger curled in a strangely entrancing 'come hither' motion.
Swallowing softly, she buried her nerves and took a few steps closer before kneeling down in front of him.
"What is that?" she asked, her eyes pointing to the gel as he set it down beside him. Her lashes widened significantly when she noticed the huge syringe beside it.
He lifted his fist, thumping it against the middle of his chest once before expanding it out, his fingers spreading as he did so.
Lex nearly dropped her lance as she immediately shot back up to her feet, staring at him with wide, guarded eyes as her arms repeatedly tensed at her sides.
She knew exactly what he was trying to say.
He had one of those things inside of him.
Uncertainty filled her with alarm, not sure what to do about it.
He didn't give her a second to contemplate the dilemma, though, for in the very next moment he reached out and snatched her small wrist from her side. With only a menial fraction of his strength, he yanked her back down, bringing her face directly before his with a warning growl.
She didn't let the sudden display of aggression get to her.
She merely stared into the blackened eyes of his mask, slowly realizing that if the creature were allowed to reach maturity inside of him…he would die.
If he left her like all the others had, she would have no one left.
She would be completely alone.
Her eyes gradually lowered to his chest and she envisioned the disgusting creature squirming around inside of him. Anger flared within her, making her wish she could just reach inside and rip the little abomination from his body. These things had taken so much from her. Strangely enough, she did not want him to leave her, too. Not like this. She didn't want to be alone.
The sound of another slow trill snapped her gaze back up to his. His thumb was roughly rubbing her tiny wrist with a pressure that she could only assume was gentle for someone of his kind, his large paw completely swallowing her in its grip. It stunned her for a moment, feeling such a clearly reassuring gesture from this…this alien.
Then again, he needed her help to survive just as much as she needed his. It wasn't surprising he was trying to butter her up, per say. Had it been any other occasion, then perhaps she would have found it ironic.
Strengthening her resolve, Lex hardened her eyes and nodded once.
"Okay," she said steadily, conveying that she was ready and willing to do whatever he needed of her. "Tell me what you want me to do."
She stayed silent as she watched him pull a large dagger from his boot and gesture to his chest again.
Lex suddenly paled. She immediately took back her wish to reach inside him and pull the monster out when she realized that was exactly what he had in mind.
Obviously he was much more resilient than humans. He was built sturdier and was no doubt an extremely hardy creature, but this was just…was it even possible for him to survive? On the other hand, she knew he really had no choice. It was either get it out now and risk death in order to gain a small possibility of living, or outright die from the creature when it hatched later.
It was certain death versus almost certain death.
She couldn't help but admire him for his choice, his desire to live, even knowing it was going to be agony. He may have been built like a brick house and his tolerance for pain was likely elevated, but she was willing to wager he felt it just the same as any other living creature. He was just as mortal as her.
A long, shuddering breath left her lips as he began to walk her through the 'plan' for the procedure. With silent resolve she concentrated on his wordless directions. She memorized every instruction, unwilling to miss a thing that could cause her to screw up the whole operation.
He made a gesture to cut through the right side of his chest, just a little below his ribs, without actually breaking the skin. He went through the motions, showing her the steps they would take in a carefully choreographed sequence.
When he removed the knife, he grabbed her wrist again and drew her hand forward, coaching her on where she should grab. After pulling back, he kept her hand fisted and lifted the dagger to slice through the imaginary alien's throat, only to throw it to the side before pointing to the bowl of gel and syringe that lay beside his thigh.
Lex studied every stage of the process carefully, determined not to fail. As he released her arm and brought the dagger to his chest, presumably to cut through for real this time, Lex hastily stopped him, hardly able to believe he was ready to do it, just like that, with no preparation or moment of waning reservations.
"Wait," she said sternly and reached out to stay his hand. He cocked his head slightly and gave her another warning growl as she stood, ignoring him.
She took a minute to pace slowly, shaking her arms at her sides in an attempt to collect herself in every manner possible. She wasn't going to think about the horror of what she was about to do. She wasn't going to center on the fact that she was about to reach inside an alien's chest with her bare hands to pull out another equally terrifying alien larva. It would only get her worked up and make her more nervous. Instead, she evened out her breathing as she clenched and unclenched her fists, working out any anxious jitters that may hinder her actions and cost her companion his life.
She could feel his eyes on her every move. Perhaps he thought she was simply frightened or panicked. If so, then so be it. However, as her field experience began to kick in and her role as a guide whose job was to properly and confidently tend to her clients in situations like these took over, she wanted him to have confidence in her resolve and to be comforted in the knowledge that she was going to do her best. After all, it was his own chest she was going to be wiggling her fingers around in. She doubted he was any more thrilled about having a human feeling up his insides than she was. Either way it didn't matter. His species didn't seem like the kind that cared much for reassuring words and gestures. Still, she'd be damned if she didn't take a moment to properly prepare herself before reaching into an alien's body in an impromptu and rather barbaric operation to pull out yet another alien lifeform incubating inside him.
Truly, she'd had to deal with some rather harrowing medical emergencies in her time as an expedition guide, but this was a whopper. Usually she knew exactly what she was doing, but there was no amount of training or experience that could prepare her for this.
Focusing her mind on the task at hand, she composed herself and turned to her hulking companion. Once she met the black gaze of his mask's visor she gave him a single resolute nod.
"Okay, I'm ready," she said quietly, her voice echoing slightly and reverberating off the hieroglyphic carvings of the room that surrounded them.
Stepping toward him, Lex unzipped her jacket and shrugged it from her shoulders before tossing it to the side. As he lowered himself from his crouch and leaned back against the wall for support that he would undoubtedly need, she straddled one of his muscular thighs to ensure she had the best angle that she could work with. His leg felt incredibly hard beneath her when she settled down onto him, like massive wall of rock. There was nothing soft about him and her sudden proximity to him was a little intimidating and unnerving, if only for the fact that they'd been keeping a healthy distance between them up 'til now.
With her feet planted firmly on the stone floor she looked up one last time just as something entered her mind; his anatomy could be totally different from hers. What if she grabbed his heart or something by accident and killed him?
Lex had to restrain herself from releasing an explicative. Narrowing her eyes, she tried to think of the best way to go about this. Likely, the direct approach was the best possible choice…the only choice, actually.
Lifting her hand, she brought it up and lightly pounded the left side of her chest.
"Heart," she said, hoping he would understand her meaning as she reached out and did the same to him by gently patting the dense, hard muscle of his left pectoral. She nearly jerked her hand back, momentarily stunned by just how staggeringly solid he was. "Where's your heart?"
His head tilted and Lex realized he was not grasping what she was trying to convey.
"Your heart," she repeated and, cautiously at first, grabbed his hand in both of hers to carefully begin guiding it to her chest. There was a brief instant in which she hesitated, holding his palm just inches away from her body. She was beginning to realize just how much trust she was putting into this being by doing this. He could crush her without the least bit of effort…she'd seen him throw those aliens around like they were paperweights. What would that strength do to her should he see fit to use it?
The thought quickly faded as she brought her mind back to reality, recognizing the fact that he was putting an equal amount of trust in her by depending on her to help him.
Bringing his hand the rest of the way forward, she laid it against her. His massive paw nearly engulfed her completely as she pressed his palm down on her breast. Closing her eyes, she listened and waited until she caught the distinct beat thrumming through her veins. Once she found it, she began patting the back of his scaly hand in time to the steady pulses.
"Where is your heart?" she asked slowly, opening her eyes to glance up at him. "I don't want to damage it accidentally."
His head was still cocked, studying her curiously.
Another moment passed as he seemed to contemplate this until he pulled his hand free. Gripping her forearm, he guided her palm back to his chest and pressed it surprisingly close to where the human heart was located. It was exactly the same place, actually. Under her fingers, she felt a steady thumping, beating strongly under the bulky layers of muscle and hide.
Thu-dump…thu-dump…thu-dump…
"-heart," her voice repeated back to her, mechanical and electronic in its sound, taking her completely by surprise. It was a recording, a lone word singled out from her short question and looped back. He nodded once, apparently having understood her message.
Lex nearly sighed in relief, glad that his physiology seemed similar to her own. That, at least, gave her some comfort to know she wouldn't inadvertently grab anything too important…hopefully.
Letting out a deep breath, she offered a small but reassuring smile.
"You ready?"
The predator gave her no response as he lifted the dagger and positioned it over his chest, only looking up to check her one last time before commencing unflinchingly.
Lex quickly rolled up her sleeve, squirming slightly in her seat atop his thigh as she waited with her eyes dead set on the area where the tip of his blade touched his skin.
She felt him tense under her and, without warning, he plunged the dagger deep into the right side of his chest, just below his ribcage. Fluorescent green blood seeped from the wound and trailed down his abdomen. Impressively, the predator exhaled sharply but made little protest. Just as his breathing picked up, he ran the blade further down and twisted it to create a gash large and wide enough to fit her small fist.
Lex refused to even flinch as she remained intensely focused. Her eyes stayed keenly fixed on the hole he was currently gouging out, undaunted by the neon green blood that spilled from him.
When he removed the blade, Lex braced one hand against his chest as the other moved forward and slipped between the flaps of flesh, refusing to waste any time with unnecessary dramatics. "Brace yourself!" she announced just to give him fair warning.
A low, pained groan came from her companion's throat when she pushed deep inside. Her fingers instantly set about searching for the abomination that resided in his body. She tried not to hesitate or get sidetracked by his tortured growls, but it was difficult. The instinct to stop causing him pain when she knew she was the source was strong, but she powered through it, knowing that this had to be done. His arms tensed harshly and his leg bent slightly, allowing him to clutch his armor plated knee while his other hand punched the wall at his back to distract himself from the anguish of her tiny hand maneuvering around his innards.
Lex closed her eyes and began to build a mental picture of what her fingers were feeling. It was intensely hot and about as slimy as she would expect anyone's insides to feel like. But when she felt his ribs against her wrist, she doubled her concentration and tried not to gag.
She'd seen the numerous skeletons laying around the pyramid grounds, tucked in dark corners and lying atop the sacrificial alters with their sternums erupted from the inside out and faces distorted in agony. With an educated guess, it wasn't hard for her to deduce where the little monsters grew inside the body.
A picture of the beasts came to mind and Lex mentally steeled herself. She refused to lose even one more person to them – even if that person was her unlikely companion. She'd been responsible for her team's lives and she'd failed them. At least with him, he gave her a goal to strive for; to get him out alive. Perhaps then she could somehow find redemption in this small act.
Now utterly determined, she began to hurry her search, not wanting drag out his misery any longer. When she felt something squirm against her thumb, her heart literally leapt.
She had found it!
Lex immediately lifted off his thigh and angled her body in order to maneuver her arm enough to grab it. Leaning in closer, she pushed just a little deeper until her hand was buried inside him nearly up to her elbow. Then she felt it and her fingers instantly clamped around its slithering body.
"Got it!" she cried, still holding firm to the slippery mass in her grasp.
He answered with a shuddering trill, both of them seeming to understand each other perfectly well despite not knowing a single word or sound that passed between them.
Before she even attempted to pull it out Lex gave it an experimental tug and checked his reaction. She wanted to be doubly sure that she actually had the chestbuster and that it was not wrapped around some random vital organ. Considering it was tucked up somewhere between his ribs and his lungs, she intended on doing this as properly as she could – without causing too much collateral damage. She wasn't going to do something as stupid as just yank it out.
When she saw no immediate response from him, she assumed it wasn't attached to anything and slowly started to retract her arm, bringing the slimy creature with her.
However, as she began to pull it out the parasite seemed to realize the danger it was in. Like the little monstrosity that it was, it began fighting her efforts to drag it out of its incubator prematurely. It twisted and squirmed around, clamping down on her hand with its small mandibles before releasing its tiny and underdeveloped inner jaw.
Lex gave a loud cry when pain shot up her arm. It had pierced straight through the heel of her thumb. She had practically felt it graze the bone.
Pushing the pain aside, she used its inner jaw against it by pressing her palm hard against the mouth of the creature, effectively trapping its face in her hand and ensuring that it would not escape to cause further damage.
Finally, both her hand and the parasitic alien emerged from the side of his chest, coated in green blood and screeching loudly in protest to its untimely birth.
She opened her mouth, about to call out their victory, when something abruptly stopped her hand's journey, leaving her unable to pull it out any further.
"Shit!" she cursed in both anger and panic when she realized what was happening. "It's wrapped around something!" She thought she'd already made sure this wouldn't happen, but it must have coiled its tail around one of his organs in a last ditch effort not to be removed.
Cold fear wound itself around Lex when the predator let out a long and agonized groan. His body was tense and he seemed to be shaking slightly as his head rolled back against the wall. His breathing was heavy but she could tell he was trying to keep it under strict control. She dared not pull harder for fear of the damage it could cause.
Immediately her eyes scanned for the dagger, only to see it laying on the other side of the predator, much too far out of her reach. Without even thinking, Lex bent forward and clamped her teeth down on the alien's throat. Even as she bit into it hard, her blunt teeth failed to penetrate its flesh.
More anger coursed through her veins, enraged by the bane these creatures had thus far brought her.
Viciously, Lex shook her head, growling and tearing its throat open. Simultaneously, she sent up a silent prayer that it would fall limp and relax its hold like most other organic life forms do when they die, rather than stiffen up and ruin her efforts. When the disgusting alien screamed and wailed before suddenly falling limp, a surge a triumph swelled inside her – only to instantly vanish when a burning sting began to sear the bottom of her palm.
Shit! Its blood!
Hastily, she spat the piece of frayed tissue from her mouth, grateful that its flesh had protected her face from the vile substance. Thinking fast, she snapped her legs together over his thigh, protecting him from the dripping acidic blood as she pulled the rest of the long, worm-like creature from his chest.
His deep, shuddering breath alerted her to the fact that he was still conscious. That meant he was thankfully still alive, though she certainly didn't envy him. It would have been better for him to just pass out, just to spare him the pain.
She had been so concentrated that she had failed to notice if he was even still breathing up to that point. Zoned in so thoroughly on her task, Lex could only hope they wouldn't be attacked – they would be totally helpless in the face of such an event.
With the threat of attack now in her mind, she began to move faster. She leaned over his lap and grabbed the syringe with her injured hand and dug out a hefty scoop of the blue gel with the other. With the syringe too large for her to hold properly and her wounded hand adding to her difficulties, she instead used her chin to press into the plunger as her fingers locked through the ringed grips. She drove the needle deep into the hole in his chest and compressed the nozzle with her jaw, stuffing the area with serum. Just as she pulled the syringe back she followed with the handful of gel, smoothing it over the bloody gash and packing it in as tightly as possible.
Lex couldn't be bothered to flinch when he abruptly tossed his head back and released an unexpected and terrifyingly loud roar, his body shaking all over with pain.
By the time she realized the ordeal was finally over she suddenly became aware of how still he'd become.
Concern made her lift her eyes to his masked face, afraid that his body had finally given out after such an excruciating procedure. However, when she leaned forward and caught the sound of his shallow breathing, she released a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding.
"Must be some painful stuff," she remarked to herself and lifted her hand to briefly examine the bluish gunk coating it. For him to suffer through all of that, only to pass out from the gel, she couldn't imagine how powerful it must be.
Considering she'd grabbed it barehanded, she was just glad she hadn't touched it with her wounded hand.
Leaning back, the young woman let out another long sigh. Her head fell back and her eyes slipped shut as she felt her entire being begin to shake and tremble. The stress of the moment was catching up to her. Like a delayed reaction, it caused her nerves to fray at every ending.
It was fine with her, she was just thankful she hadn't gotten all queasy and useless during that nightmare.
However, just as the adrenaline began wearing off and her intense focus withered away in the quiet of the cold room, she became glaringly aware of the harsh sting burning her thighs and hand and even the corner of her mouth. Without the rush of adrenaline to dull her senses, she was starting to feel the pain. Quickly, she pushed herself from his thigh and stood up to examine herself.
The vile blood of the creature she had killed had splattered against the injured heel of her thumb and also the back of her hand, leaving behind a matrix of burnt flesh. It had also dripped to the outside of one of her thighs after she'd used her own legs as a buffer to protect her companion. Lex snatched up the large dagger from the ground and swiftly shredded the thick fabric of her pants, slashing the still smoking material from her lower hip all the way to her knee.
Throwing the eroded flap of fabric aside, she mentally cursed herself for her foolishness and forgetting the damage their blood could cause.
Lex inspected the disfiguring burns that covered her thigh and hand. She was grateful that it hadn't eaten all the way down to the bone. It was just the surface skin that had suffered. As she reached up and touched the small spot to the left of her lips, she flinched back at the brief jolt of pain it caused. Lifting the dagger, she wiped off the blood and checked the damage in the shiny reflection of its blade. The throbbing wound was no bigger than the size of a small bead. It must have only been a single stray splatter that had hit her face, thank god.
That is definitely something I don't wish to ever experience again, she thought as she glanced down to her unconscious companion. Maybe he'll be okay now, at least.
When the scraping of stone and granite disrupted her moment of silence, Lex lifted her head to see the walls around them starting to shift. A flash of worry rushed her mind. They would be crushed if she couldn't find a way to move him. But, when the room altered around them and then settled seconds later in a very different but secure shape, she realized he must have known this room would remain relatively unaffected throughout the ten minute intervals that kept the pyramid in an ever changing state of transformation. He must have specifically chosen this chamber, knowing that there would be a good chance he'd be decommissioned for an extended period of time.
The last shift had occurred a few seconds before they'd entered the room. But now that she looked back on it, it was hard to believe only ten minutes had passed since then. That gruesomely barbaric 'surgery' had felt like it took hours, rather than minutes. It was like time had slowed down and sped up all at once.
Either way, it had been brutal.
Lex was torn between feeling pissed off and feeling pleased. The former because he'd been impregnated by one of those damned things in the first place, and the latter because he had actually trusted her enough to allow her to reach inside his chest with her bare hands. Though, it wasn't like he'd had much of choice. So she doubted trust had anything to do with it.
With a weak frown, Lex checked her surroundings.
She'd been stuck in this damn pyramid for – by her calculations – nearly a full day and a half, running into xenomorphs at every turn.
She was exhausted.
Just then, a cold chill ran down her spine. During her time here she had developed a very distinct sense of awareness, almost like an alarm that alerted her to the sleek, black terrors running amok through the halls. It caused her skin to tingle and her pulse to race anytime one was near, even if it was out of sight. She could practically feel them in the air.
Right now, those alarms were going off like crazy.
The latest pyramid shift had opened up new corridors to the room. It must have led them straight to her.
Immediately, she turned her dark eyes to the shadows. Her body tensed up into a defensive position and she slowly lowered herself down to reach for her makeshift lance and shield.
Wrapping her fingers tightly around the ancient metal, she ignored the stinging pain it caused her injured hand and brought the alien skull closer to her torso to protect herself. Straightening back up, she adjusted her stance and ran her gaze over the darkness surrounding her.
The low, aggressive growl reached her ears only seconds before the sight of a long, onyx shape gradually crept out from the shadows. Sleek and smooth in its movements, it was like the blackness had come to life, melting into reality.
Fear was her first response. It flooded her veins like a disease. It threatened to freeze her up and send her mind into a haze of panic and despair. However, Lex quickly stomped it out. Fear would get her killed, it would make her weak, and she'd had enough of feeling weak. She'd had enough of these creatures terrorizing her. They'd killed off her entire expedition team and now they wanted her, but she wasn't going to let them. She outright refused to give in.
Even if they took her, she'd be damned if she didn't at least put up a good fight.
Her eyes narrowed and she hastily tucked her companion's dagger into the back of her belt, saving it for backup. One brief sideways glance towards him told her he was still out cold. She was totally on her own.
This was going to be a battle she would have to fight alone.
Shifting her stance, Lex leveled the creature with a deadly glare, neither of them willing to back down. The deep, menacing growl it emitted from its drooling maw seemed to communicate just how well it understood her body language. However, when it slowly turned its eyeless head, senses taking in the lifeless parasitic heap lying on the floor where she had tossed it, only to alter its attention to her unconscious partner leaning against the wall, Lex nearly cursed.
Its posture lifted slightly, as if raising its hackles in anger at the sight of its aborted sibling.
Fast and deadly, it suddenly launched towards him and clasped its spiny claws around his ankle, causing Lex to yell out in a burst of protective fury.
"Let go of him, you bitch!" She rushed forward and raised her staff high before driving it down hard. The crude spearhead, made from one of the aliens' own barbed tails, cut straight through the beast's slender hand with surprising ease.
Its head reared back with a subsequent scream of agony and rage, writhing slightly as it pulled away from him. Acidic fluid dripped freely to the stone floor, sizzling and burning through the thick granite.
When it abruptly turned its seething gaze towards her with a vicious snarl, Lex lifted her shield and stared straight back into its glossy, eyeless carapace. She moved carefully, both human and monster circling one another, allowing Lex to place herself directly between her companion and the enemy she now faced alone.
I won't lose, Lex mentally asserted to herself. I won't die here.
Suddenly, the alien charged and Lex followed suit. Holding her shield and spear out fiercely, she faced the opponent set before her, refusing to yield to the seemingly insurmountable odds.
.
o0o
.
Every subtle sound was unnervingly exaggerated in the numb silence of the room. Each time Lex tightened her grip on her weapon, every rasping chafe of her jacket, every shuffle of movement and every breath she took was amplified in the cold air surrounding her.
The soft shuddering of her breath filled the quiet as her eyes scanned the darkness diligently. She sat at her companion's feet, knees pulled up and grasping her spear and shield tight, having purposefully placed herself between him and anything that dared to steal out from the shadows.
She was certain hours had passed, coming and going and leaving her behind in this hellish place. After she'd defeated the first creature that had attacked, two more had soon taken its place. It had been a hard fought battle, but she'd come out of it alive.
There had been many an opportunity for her to escape, many a newly unlocked egress for her to run. Even though the pyramid continued to shift around her, this room had always remained open, allowing him a place to recuperate after such an invasive operation. Indeed, she had seen many chances to flee, yet she had stayed. Now, she simply sat like an unmoving sentry and listened to the sound of his breathing, communicating to her he was still alive.
She had stood and faced the danger willingly when it would have been more suitable for her to leave him behind and save herself. While he may know a way out, she clearly would have been better off leaving him and searching for that exit on her own, rather than wasting time here and placing herself in danger by protecting him.
Perhaps she was just afraid of being alone. Perhaps she thought she stood a better chance with him on her side. Either way, Lex refused to lose anyone else to those monsters, even if he was different from her. He was under her protection now, just like her team, and she had already made a silent vow to herself to get him out alive. He was her last chance at redeeming herself.
Lex tried to take another mental count to determine how many of the black, serpentine creatures were left, but it was impossible to verify. She kept making guesses, but she didn't know how many of her crewmen had simply died compared to how many had actually been successfully used in their sick cycle of reproduction. She had also seen three of the humanoids, her companion included. While she knew one was already dead, the other's fate was unknown. Could he have been impregnated, as well? Not to mention, she had no clue if there were others like him. If they'd been taken down, there could be uncountable numbers of them left. The odds could be insurmountable.
Given they'd been wandering the pyramid for hours on end, slaughtering creature after creature without even a sign of his cohorts, it wasn't hard to figure out he was the only one left of his kind and she was the only left of hers.
How dismal…
Shaking her senses back to full alert, she momentarily scolded herself for allowing her mind to wander off when she needed to keep sharp. She needed to stay frosty.
Quickly snapping back to attention, she busied her eyes with vigilantly scouring each and every crevice of darkness set before her. She was just starting to wonder if another attack would come when the distinct sound of reptilian skin scraping across granite startled her.
Shield and spear in hand, she whipped around and stopped short at the sight of her alien companion staring back at her from behind the smooth contours of his mask. His head was upright and he was clearly awake, his breathing sounding much better. Lex sat momentarily frozen. She glanced down to the gnarly looking wound on his chest before slowly lowering her weapons, realizing she might have overreacted a bit. She was certain if she survived this ordeal her nerves would be shot for life.
"Hey…" she began carefully. She very nearly flinched at the sound of her voice breaking the thick silence after it had hung in her ears for so long. "How are you feeling?" She really hoped he was well enough to start moving again.
Lex was still unsure if he could understand her and she didn't know if she should even bother trying to communicate any further. But he seemed to pick up on at least a few of her words so far, like his understanding of her effort to locate his heart. Although, she doubted words were really necessary. She was certain he was as equally aware of their predicament as she was. They were nothing but sitting ducks in that room.
He studied her for a moment, his head cocked slightly to the side, as he examined the three xenomorph corpses surrounding them – one of which whose amputated hand was still wrapped around his ankle. When he lifted his gaze back to her, it was as if he was baffled by the prospect that she had actually protected him. Even with his eyes concealed behind a sleek black visor, she could practically taste the mystification wafting off him.
She could feel his eyes roving over her after scanning the carcasses strewn about the room again, clicking in consideration.
Although she had already caught an obscured glance of his face earlier in the pyramid when he'd taken his mask off to mark himself, Lex was curious as to what his expression was like under that visor. Rather, if he even could make an expression.
Had she impressed him somehow? Like the way she did when he decided to let her tag along. What if he'd only let her come with him for the express purpose of getting the alien out of him? What if he killed her now that she'd fulfilled her function?
Her own eyes broke away to fleetingly comb over the dead bodies of the aliens. She had done this. She had been strong enough to take them on and come out on top. Even if he had only used her, hopefully he'd now see that she was worth keeping around.
Kiande amedha chiva…is what Sebastian had called it. His two other companions had failed at what she had achieved. They had been unsuccessful where she had triumphed. It's why he kept her, why he hadn't killed her.
She looked back to him, truly taking in the details of his alien form for the first time. His vaguely reptilian hide was shaded in deep, mossy greens and blacks and tans; colors that washed out and blended over his body, lighter on places like his chest, stomach and the insides of his arms – darker on his legs, back and sides. In those places of transition, where his light russet hues faded to green, his flesh was mottled with dark spots of varying shapes and sizes. He had smooth hair-like appendages that resembled dreads and fingers that were large, but fairly lean for such a massive frame, each digit tipped with dangerous looking claws. His hands were nearly black and covered in smooth scale-like ridges and bumps that faded out to flesh tones at his palms and undersides of his fingers. However, his most notable trait was the stunning bulk of ripped muscle that covered absolutely every inch of his body, which, in turn, was wrapped in a thin layer of mesh.
He easily stood seven foot, possibly taller.
He utterly dwarfed her in every way.
Her eyes dared to roam over the toned shape of his chest, abs and narrow hips. With his armor covering nearly every other part of him, they were the only places that were exposed enough for a clear view without his chest plate blocking them. Lex quickly glanced away.
Indeed, if she, a small and – by comparison – frail human had succeeded where his brethren had failed, he would no doubt view her as an asset to getting out alive. That, or a complete affront to their pride. She hoped it was the former.
Yet…he'd trusted her to put her hand inside his chest…for some reason, she just couldn't get passed that.
Lex ventured another cautious glance at him and nearly balked upon realizing he was still openly studying her, completely unabashed. Under such a stare, she quickly straightened her posture and coldly squared her shoulders, refusing to appear weak.
Maybe she had gained his respect at her accomplishment in killing these monsters. Maybe he simply knew he didn't have any other choice than to tolerate her. Either way, she found herself glad that he had taken a chance on her. Somehow, she felt her odds at getting out of this alive were better off with him than without him. After all, anybody that could actually survive having a hand jabbed into their chest to pull out a disgusting, writhing alien was someone she wanted on her side.
"Come on," she insisted after the silence began to stretch on too long for her liking. "We need to keep moving." Lex stood up and stretched out her hand in offering, a gesture she was certain would be clear, no matter their language barrier.
He looked at her hand, clicking in curiosity, before he casually smacked it away and began to get up on his own.
Lex had to stop herself from moving forward to help when, upon standing, he let out a pained growl and fell back heavily against the wall.
"Hey, take it easy," she urged quietly and narrowed her eyes in disapproval. It was clear he was trying to hide his discomfort. "There's no sense in pushing yourself." There also wasn't any sense in him acting like a tough guy. She'd just pulled an alien parasite out of his chest a couple hours ago. It was safe to say anybody would be a little woozy after such an experience. She certainly wouldn't hold it against him even if he fell to the floor howling in agony.
Impressively(and arrogantly) enough, he merely snorted at her concern and bent down to retrieve his chest plate before pushing onward, adjusting the metallic armor over his shoulder as he went.
Lex could only follow after him, inwardly hoping that he would never expect the same resilience from her if she were ever grievously wounded in their battle to survive this hell hole.
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o0o
.
It was impossible to tell time down here. There was no sun that rose and fell to give away the changing of the hours, or to tell her if it was day or night. The only light that existed in the pyramid was afforded through cracks and crevices and the occasional bright beam billowing in through the even rarer well-lit passageway.
Lex had yet to determine if these sparse sources of light were produced from somewhere in the pyramid, or perhaps leaked in from breaches at the surface. There was no way of knowing for sure how they were dispersed throughout the many ever changing halls they traversed. She suspected it employed the use of mirrors or something similar, considering the light would seem more reflected than direct and would fade in certain areas that she assumed were further from the point of origin.
Breaking down the numbers in her head, Lex guesstimated that from the time she and Weyland's team had entered the shaft under Bouvetøya Island to now it had been at least a day and a half, quite possibly two given the total shift in reality she had recently experienced.
She was exhausted and hungry and completely worn out. Physically and mentally.
Lex buried the head of her spear down into the skull of yet another black creature at her feet, shoving the heel of her boot atop its long cranium to give it a twist. The sharp motion stilled the creature's pain filled writhing, allowing her to pull the spear free and shake off the corrosive blood.
Indeed, she was glad he'd made her such a weapon from her initial victim's tail, otherwise she would have been left totally defenseless after her first kill. No matter how primitive the spear was, so long as she could defend herself she would use it to its fullest capacity.
Stepping away from sizzling blood on the floor, Lex glanced at her large companion just as he extracted his wrist blades from deep within an alien's skeletal chest.
As he turned to her, she watched his head cock curiously, his unusual dread-like hair swinging with the movement. She nearly mirrored the motion, wondering what it was she had done this time to spike his curiosity. Then she realized her center of gravity was way off. Her vision blurred for a moment and she felt her world begin to tilt, causing his image to move in and out of focus.
Lex barely managed to reach out and catch her palm on the cold stone wall before she collapsed. She leaned against it heavily, closing her eyes to try and gather her senses. It seemed she was even more fatigued than she had originally thought.
When she opened her eyes again, Lex nearly jolted back at the sight of her companion standing right in front of her, tilting his head here and there as his gaze roved over her. Tall and imposing and with muscles that looked as if he could tear her asunder with naught but the slightest effort, Lex jerked back and immediately straightened up when his hand lifted and slowly began to reach out for her. Although the action had caused a terrible wave of dizziness to assail her, she gathered her inner strength and pushed it down stubbornly.
"I'm fine," she reassured him, fearful that if he began to see her as a weakness he would be rid of her. "Just a little tired…" Lex trailed off sternly, trying to demonstrate her competency by moving forward.
His gaze followed her as she stepped around him, growling softly in what she could only translate as disapproval.
Heading for the steps at the end of the room, Lex held back a curse when she felt her legs wobble again.
Before she could even reach the stairwell, a large hand landed on her shoulder, pulled her back to the wall and then forced her onto the floor.
Lex gasped and clenched the rod of her spear tightly as she stared up at the predator standing before her. His massive form blocked off any chance of escape, looming over her and scaring her out of her wits.
"What are you do-?" Lex cut herself short when he suddenly crouched down and leaned forward aggressively, forcing her back flush against the wall.
"There's no sense in pushing yourself." Yet again, Lex was stunned by the sound of her own voice echoing back at her.
She exhaled shakily and began to slowly lean forward at hearing the recording, fascinated. She stopped herself just shy of reaching out to touch his mask when she realized he actually seemed to understand her language to some extent.
"You…can understand me?" she asked, partly in disbelief.
There seemed to be a moment of consideration on his part, maybe contemplating how he would answer or maybe just trying to decipher her words. After a few seconds of thought, he nodded his head with a faintly skewed shrug.
"You only understand…some of what I say," she stated rather than asked, having easily read his gesture.
He nodded his head again, much more confidently than last time.
"What's your name?" she found herself asking before she could stop herself.
"--name?" her voice repeated back.
Lex blinked, realizing that he must not recognize the word. She briefly mulled over the best way to communicate her question, and in the end decided that the 'me Tarzan and you Jane' route would likely be the easiest option. She then proceeded to lift her hand to her chest, intending to convey her name along with the meaning of the word.
"Lex…I'm Lex," she said, patting her chest lightly before reaching out to warily place her hand on his shoulder. She dipped her head expectantly and raised her brows slightly as she waited for his reply.
"Lhe…Lehhhcks."
Lex's eyes suddenly widened and she nearly pulled back in shock. Her mouth parted fractionally, both astonished and utterly enthralled to hear her name rolling out from behind his mask. The deep, gravelly voice sounded more like the roar of a diesel engine turning over, rather than anything smooth or even human. But the sheer reality of having him in front of her, attempting to speak her name, had her grinning in amazement.
"Yes…" she whispered softly, bobbing her head with a few absentminded nods as she stared into the dark, blacked-out eyes of his mask. "Lex."
"Lehx," he repeated, his pronunciation much more better than his last effort.
"What is your name?" she tried again, hoping that he now understood. Undeniably, she had been curious about his name and if he even had one. She would not stoop to something as degrading as giving him a pet name, seeing as how she herself would be quite offended were someone to give her some silly moniker simply because they could not understand her language. Aside from that, taking into account the mere fact that he was a hulking, seven foot tall alien built for the sole purpose of killing…he didn't really seem the appropriate type to give a 'pet name' to, nor did she think he would appreciate it.
He was silent for a short bit and Lex began to wonder if she had failed to get her message across. Just before she was about to try again, he reached up and pat his chest in much the same manner that she had done to hers.
"Skahhr," he drawled slowly, apparently trying to articulate it in a way she could replicate. "Skar," he said again, much more clearly. His enunciation was heavily laden with clicks and trills, leaving Lex to suspect that without the human-esque translation it would be something she wouldn't even be capable of understanding, let alone imitating.
"Skahr…Skar…" Lex echoed quietly, trying it on her tongue a little more firmly and turning it over in her brain as her mouth silently worded his name. "Scar," she said as her eyes lit up with understanding. Her gaze lifted to his, the pronunciation dawning on her. "You're name is Scar."
He nodded again, all of his mannerisms measured and smooth and even a bit exaggerated as he lifted his hand and tested the softness of a stray lock of her curly hair with a brief touch from his clawed finger.
"Lex."
Lowering his large paw, he placed it on her shoulder and pushed her back against the wall in a clear statement that he wanted her to rest.
She looked down at his hand engulfing her shoulder and then raised her dark eyes back up to him. Her brows furrowed in annoyance when she finally comprehended his message after a few seconds of thought.
"You can't possibly expect me to sleep right now," she scoffed, wondering if he'd lost his mind. "A person would have to be insane to sleep with those monsters running around!" Lex tried to stand back up, but the firm pressure of his hand was too strong. He easily kept her rooted to the spot, refusing to allow her to get up.
"Let me go," she said sternly. "I'm not going to just sit around here while those-!"
She instantly snapped her mouth shut when he lunged forward, growling harshly in her face and shoving her back into place, one of his hands braced on the wall above her head.
"Fine," she bit out with a direct glare and reluctantly turned her head away, exposing her neck in a universal display of submission. She had to bow out, as this was a fight she was obviously never going to win. "But you better not let your guard down on the off chance I do end up falling asleep."
He lifted his chin with a heavy snort, as if he were offended by the idea that he would ever do such a thing.
It took a couple of moments to get her pride to acknowledge her 'surrender', but Lex eventually gave in and rested her head back against the wall. She grudgingly let her muscles wind down as he stood and made his way over to the other side of the room. She observed him warily for several long minutes, still unsure if he would care enough to bother watching over her as vigilantly as she had watched over him. Completely leaving her life in the hands of a strange alien who hunted humans for sport wasn't exactly on the top of her to-do list.
It didn't exactly take a genius to figure out that his kind obviously wasn't too keen on altruism and all of its encircling philanthropic qualities. But he had at least honored their unspoken agreement of camaraderie thus far.
Still…he had a name, and it was Scar…somehow, it made him even more real than he already was. Her humanity latched onto it; the familiarity of names, the intimacy of it. Humans named things. Humans gave things titles. Names brought about connections and it made her look at him differently. It made him seem a little less alien and little more human in her eyes, even though she knew full well that he was anything but.
His name is Scar, she thought as her half lidded eyes stared sleepily at his tall form standing across from her. His arms were crossed over his broad chest and his back was against the wall. She could literally sense him staring right back at her.
After only a few minutes of trying to stay awake, Lex felt her head drop once. Quickly, her fingers tightened on her spear as she snapped her head back up and looked around a bit frantically, disbelieving that she had truly been so tired as to nod off that fast.
A deep, rippling noise rumbled out from her companion's chest, something that sounded suspiciously like laughter. Lex merely ignored him and readjusted her position to get a little more comfortable, hugging her spear securely between her legs and tight against her breast.
Settling her chin on her knees, Lex's eyes began drooping again only seconds later.
It was difficult finding peace in the darkness of this place. Flashes of snarling, salivating maws and elongated skulls painted in glossy black veneers filled her every thought and worried her to the point of paranoia. Their claws could lash out from any passageway that was too dark for her to see through. Their tails could drop down from the ceiling at any time. Should she let her guard down long enough to miss their bodies crawling over the walls, their lengthy inner jaws could protract and penetrate her skull. Were she to allow them one second of advantage over her, it would mean her end.
She pictured her expedition team, all of them that were supposed to be safe under her wing, being dragged off one by one. Although she refused to meet such a fate, it was not very difficult to picture herself in their position.
Curled up against the wall with her legs drawn up to her chest, Lex made a silent vow to herself to never allow those creatures to reach the surface…even if it came at the cost of her own life. With the sleek, black terrors still on her mind, Lex's eyes finally slid shut against her will. As her cheek slumped to her knee, her grip on her spear subconsciously tightened. She huddled its comforting security closer to her chest before loosening her hold altogether, at last drifting off to a fitful sleep.
.
o0o
.
Something had her!
Lex cried out in fear as she felt something big and warm wrap around her. It was firm and unyielding, making her feel utterly powerless against its strength. Everything seemed dark and cold and she could sense her usual composure slipping in the chaos of her mind.
Trapped in the un-reality between sleep and awake, she began to hyperventilate as her lungs constricted.
Everything was out of her control; her team, her life, her surroundings. Lex was a young woman used to the unknown. She had always considered herself prepared for that unavoidable cog in the wheel when she led her expedition teams into uncharted lands. But this had been something so far outside the realm of her expertise that she could do nothing more than grasp at the edges of the cliff of sanity and survival, desperate not to fall over into the void.
In the disorder of her unconscious mind all she could see was darkness. Inside that darkness, all she knew was that they were there; the aliens, the monsters…the terrors. She knew their purpose well enough.
Their growls were in her ears and the occasional glint of their glossy hides reached her eyes.
Hurriedly, Lex's arms began blindly flailing, searching for her spear, but to no avail. She couldn't move, not with that firmness still wrapped around her, holding her arms tightly to her sides.
She felt utterly defenseless, at the mercy of their slobbering jowls and deadly claws. Every fear and emotion was amplified in her dreamlike state, hindering any effort she made to calm herself enough to gather her wits. The pure helplessness of her circumstance was overwhelming in the worst of ways. It caged her in the darkness and reached inside her with unforgiving fingers, ripping out every ounce of her strength.
"No!" Lex jerked violently at the feel of their cold, spiny fingers gripping her arm. "No! Get off me!" she shrieked in angry protest even as their tails wrapped around her waist and legs, subduing her to the point she couldn't even move.
She clawed and fought relentlessly, refusing to give up on life. Even if they devoured her alive, they would never conquer her, they would never destroy her spirit. To her very last breath she would fight them. She tried crawling away, running, punching and kicking, but they were so very strong…
Lex had always been the type to never go down without a fight, but as a bleak sense of dread sank over her, she was left with the inescapable truth that she would never live through this. They would take her back to their lair where she would die in terrible, horrible pain.
In her dream, she was surrounded by them, unable to move…helpless. In reality, her body felt the warmth surrounding her, pinning her arms to her sides to keep her in place. It was two different realities battling to come to the surface and her terrified mind could do little more than convert the feeling of restraints into her dream, translating it as tails and claws.
Something was suddenly covering her mouth, gripping her with insurmountable strength and locking her head back against something solid to silence her cries of protest. A whimper of fear slipped past her trembling lips. The feeling of their strong tails wrapped around her, trapping her own arms to her sides, was terrifying. Her body twisted against the hold, blind instinct pushing her to fight to the bitter end.
Then it all stopped and a rich, thundering sound filled the air.
Lex froze at the deep, rumbling purr that suddenly washed over her, reaching into her chest and invading her weary body. At the back of her head where she was pressed to that firmness she could feel strong, constant vibrations thrumming through her skull.
Her brain practically tingled from it and her eyes nearly rolled back into their sockets.
Pleasure, full and strong, surged into her, causing her body to instantly go limp. How long had it been since she'd felt anything so good?
Unable and unwilling to fight it, she let out a long, quiet moan in the back of her throat.
The sound gradually grew louder, soothing her like the steady, rolling waves of an ocean.
Slow and lethargic, her eyes slid open to see the walls of the pyramid – already shifted several times over since she had dozed off. Wrapped around her, Lex found it was not the tails of aliens that had ensnared her, but the strong arms of her companion.
Crouched behind her, he had apparently pulled her back against his chest at some point in her sleep in order to restrain her thrashing. His hand was pressed over her mouth, muffling the screams she had undoubtedly been making during her nightmare.
A brief worry entered her mind, one that had her wondering if she had been loud enough to attract the unwanted attention of the xenomorphs. That was probably why he was trying to shut her up. But as that steady purring kept pouring into her skull and the heat from his body bled through the layers of her jacket, Lex could barely manage to keep her eyes open.
There were parts of her that railed against the idea of trusting him like this. She didn't want to place her life in his hands. Not only was it a leap of faith she wasn't ready to take, but it was also a massive blow to her pride to have to rely on someone else for protection. For a woman as independent as she, it was as discomforting as it was humiliating.
However, as those smooth, reassuring vibrations continued to roll over her form, Lex felt all her concern and unease wash away without her consent.
Lex exhaled against the hand pressed over her lips as fatigue finally won out over logic, sending her spiraling into a sleep that was much more peaceful than last.
.
o0o
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Translations:
Kiande amedha chiva - hard meat trial
Thank you for reading! I truly hope you enjoyed the chapter. I wrote this fic several months ago when I had to take a break from my other story. I never intended on posting it, but I just found it the other day and decided, why not? So far, I've already finished writing about half it, which is around 63k words. Currently it's being edited for posting. Perhaps if anyone is interested I will finish it, but I'm uncertain as to its future for now.
Quick Author's Note:
Xenomorphs attach themselves to their host's main artery for nutrients, so I'm sure you hardcore fans are wondering how Lex would be able to pull it out of Scar without totally killing him. Well, other than the fact that I'm abusing fan fiction by substituting AVP reality for my own, here is my lame answer; when the xenomorph was removed from Scar's body, it detached itself to attack Lex's hand when it realized it was in danger, thus, (pretending the artery wouldn't kill him from internal bleeding) making it safe for Lex to pull it out. (In theory.) I know, I apologize, but I needed to keep Scar alive. Wouldn't be much a story without him, would it? Besides, it gives them something to bond over. Nothing like a good, excruciatingly medieval-style torture session to bring two people together!