A woman ran through thick underbrush and sharp mesquite trees, the briers cutting her deeply and causing blood to flow down her legs and arms. She wore nothing but a tank top and some old jean shorts, her feet covered by worn cowboy boots. Long dark hair hung in tangled strands down her back and shoulders, sticky with blood from a blow to her head.
In her right hand, she held tightly a pocketknife; her left hand positioned protectively over her slightly swollen belly. Ada Blue was twenty years old, three months pregnant, dark hair, hazel eyes, 5'10, and running for her life from an abusive husband.
The moon shown full over the dry Texas land and Ada almost tripped when the voice of said husband rang out in the night. "ADA! COME BACK YOU BITCH! I'M GOING TO BEAT YOUR SORRY ASS UNTIL YOU CAN'T EVEN STAND!" her breath hitched in her throat as she saw several flash lights shining through the brush, her husband wasn't alone; having two or three of his buddies helping aid him in the retrieval of his wife.
Ada heard cursing about a foot away from her and it caused her to turn a sharp right as a light fell on her and she was forced to break through the thick thorns out into the open, her boot catching on a root and forcing her to fall forwards, only just managing not to land flat on her stomach. Ada groaned, stumbling to her feet and running a few steps before the person behind her broke through the mesquite trees behind her and tackled her to the ground.
She cried out in defiance, and struggled fiercely, the blade of the pocket knife cutting into her hand from her hold on it, the blade being moved during the fall. Three other men came running towards the two as the man that caught her yanked her up by the hair and twisted an arm behind her back so tight she could feel her shoulder straining in its' socket.
Her husband strolled in front of her, his hair out of the carefully slicked back look that he usually kept it, his face still bleeding from the slash she gave him on his cheek with the pocket knife. "Ada baby," he said in a demeaning voice, "I've been looking everywhere for you. Worried sick. Thankfully Josh here, found you." He nodded his head to the man who held her and she cried out as his hold on her hair and arm tightened.
"Please," the woman whimpered, tears forming at her eyes.
Her husband jerked his head to the side, swaggering closer to her and leaning in. "What. Was. That?"
Ada blinked, her eyes desperate, "Please don't hurt the baby. Please Dean." Light from the other men shown on her face and she squinted, looking at her husband with a fearful expression.
The man scoffed, "Oh honey, you dumb bitch. What makes you think, that I would give a damn about some kid of yours. In fact, I don't think you would even make a decent mother to any child of mine." He pulled out a long hunting knife, "This whole thing was a mistake, I think it's time I fix things."
Ada's breath caught in her throat and she watched as he made to stab her in the gut, to kill her child. Her blood ran hot and her adrenaline rose, as maternal instinct took over.
Giving a strangled cry she jerked her head back as hard as she could and hit the man's chin behind her, knocking him back and causing him to loosen his hold on her. She leap forward with her pocket knife and drove it into her husband's throat, shouting as his knife sliced her arm in defense, his aim off in the darkness as his friends dropped their flashlights to help him.
She screamed in fear and anger as she stabbed him repeatedly, his face nothing but blood in the darkness beneath her. One man had barely grabbed her shoulders when two long, serrated blade impaled his chest, lifting him off the ground and tossing him aside. The other two were quickly dispatched by having their throats grabbed by invisible hands and smashed together with a force so hard their skulls fractured.
Ada stabbed her husband one last time and looked up to see bodies of the other men around her, her breath caught in her throat and she looked down at her husband in shock at what she had done. Sitting up, she fell back, sliding off his body from where she had tackled him and sat perfectly still when she heard a string of clicking to the right of her.
It was the oddest sound she had ever heard and she shivered when she felt eyes on her. Clouds uncovered the moon as a body formed in front of her eyes, very, very, tall, lean and broad.
Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes went up and up to the creatures head and she could barely make out a smooth masked face framed by long thick strands of hair. The creature cocked its head at her and Ada's hand tightened briefly on her knife.
"M-di h'dalk, Yeyin Ooman" It said to her in a smooth voice, though the words were made up of clicks and snarls, Ada thought it sounded feminine.
Blood was dripping down her arm from the gash Dean had left their and her vision blurred, Ada swayed on her knees, vision going darker. Her southern voice rang out softly in the night, "Please, don't harm my child," and she promptly passed out in the dirt and carnage of the men's bodies.
0o0o0o0
Thewi clicked her mandibles in regard to the female ooman at her feet. The female was pregnant, her mask showing her that the fetus flourished still, despite the damage its mother sustained.
The huntress scanned the female and found that she had suffered two freshly cracked ribs, several cuts and abrasions, and a small hairline fracture to her skull. The female was very brave and honorable in the act of protecting her young against her attackers.
Thewi had been watching the whole thing for the past two hours, having seen when the woman had escaped her presumed mate from their vehicle a mile away. Saw her fight him when he tried to subdue her. The female had fought well, while the males were dishonorable, bad bloods; attacking a pregnant female and then attempting to remove her pup.
Thewi was outraged, her hair bristling in anger at the dishonorable act. Coming out of thought, she analyzed the open wound on the females arm and clicked, she couldn't let a strong female, pregnant at that, die after such bravery.
Retracting her dah'kte, she squatted down from her 7'6" height and carefully lifted the ooman into her arms, holding a hand to her arm to stop the bleeding. She stood up, and turned back to her ships direction, her long dreaded hair swaying down her back, beads and trinkets with symbols of rank and honor engraved in them clinking as they moved.
Thewi would honor the female by helping her survive; taking her on as an apprentice. It was not unheard of, especially if it was one of the Elite who had taken the ooman on. Though uncommon and not always approved of, Thewi knew most of her clan would not challenge her decision.
0o0o0o0
It was hours later before Ada woke up in a tube. Taking a short breath as her ribs still pained her when she breathed; she immediately checked her stomach, rubbing a hand over it as if to see if it was still intact. She smiled a little, relieved to find that the baby bump was still there.
Glancing around, her brow lowered in a frown as she surveyed her surroundings. She was in a dimly lit room, with fog covering the floor and a metal table sat a few feet in front of her, the room looked almost like a medical room at a hospital, just darker and with a different design. There were machines in the corner that looked to be monitors and cabinet like furnishings.
Ada's biggest confusion was the tube she was in, she felt warm, and tingly; leaning forward slightly to look over herself and gasped at the sight of her cut up body healing in front of her eyes, the smaller cuts sealing faster than the deeper ones, leaving just thin red lines in their wake. The mesquite thorns and wounds from Dean had really torn her up, bruising littered her body from what she could see from under her tattered clothing.
Where the hell was she? What the hell was going on? The last thing Ada remembered was killing her husband in a blind rage before seeing a creature above her.
Carefully running her cut hand over her face, she then tried to push open the glass, but it wouldn't budge. Panicking slightly, she slapped the glass and pushed against it, but it would not budge.
Pausing, she could hear a beeping from the top of the tube, almost like a heart monitor, the only difference was that there was another smaller beep overlapping hers. She held her breath as she listened…was that…the baby? Her eyes got heavier as sleep overcame her and she let herself drift into peaceful oblivion as the sounds of her heartbeat slowed in time with that of her child's.
0o0o0o0
When Thewi returned to her ships med bay, she was pleased to find that the ooman was healing nicely. Her deeper wounds would scar over and show of her survival and fight. The fetus was thriving still, and Thewi clicked as she watched it move in its dam's womb.
She remembered her previous pregnancies well, how marvelous it felt to give new life. After whelping fifty pups, she should have been retired to motherhood, but Thewi chose to hunt still, and lead her clan alongside her hunt brothers, whilst raising her young.
Though now, all of her offspring were weaned and either blooded, or preparing for their chiva, leaving her free to go on longer and bigger hunts like that of the back water planet. She came to Earth to hunt Oomans, as they were a prey that tested many skilled Yautja, the first few weeks had been fruitful. Thewi having killed several fine and honorable specimens, but these last three she didn't even bother keeping a trophy from. Other than taking the females' mates' head, to honor the female; she got rid of the bodies. They were not worth polishing.
Checking the oomans vitals one last time, she left the med bay for the control room. Setting the route for the Clan ship and silently making her way to her kehrite to train.
A/N: Hello all! I hope you find this interesting thus far. It's been bouncing around in my head for quite a while. Please Review and let me know what you think! :)
(Disclaimer: I do not own Aliens, Predator, or any of the Yautja language.)
M-di h'dalk, Yeyin Ooman = No Fear, Brave Human
Thewi = Blood
Kehrite = Training Hall/ Dojo