Chapter Two: I would check you for ticks (I'll scratch your back if you'll scratch mine)

Why I was helping the alien? Who the hell knows but it's something different and well I'm a new age me. Granted this new age me started under an hour ago but I might as well make him comfortable while he's dying. Besides he's not screaming insults at me so it's a good start. I take out the medkit as I don't notice on the datapad two new blips show up on the small hud it has installed on it. I'm a terrible Spartan looking back but this should be in first person, that's all the future sight you'll be getting. I smile at the dying alien. "Now I like to think I've got good bedside manners but let's get this over with. I doubt you like me right now. But you're... well kinda bleeding out. So! You can accept my help or you can a least accept my company." That got a reaction from him.

"Don't look too surprised big guy, I hope you don't mind me calling you that, but judging by the dry blood and how you look. You won't survive the night." I rub the back of my neck as I wonder if he can understand me at all. "Look I don't know if you even understand me but just humor me." I huff as I get nothing from him and I sit next to him as I guess I'll just keep him company.

He looked at me as he looked surprised, I mean I don't read mandible expressions but his eyes, I use he in the genderless sense, are pretty expressive. His shoulders relaxed as he hissed softly and conceded defeat, "Alright human I'll let you help me." His voice made my body rumble as I could feel the vibrations in his voice. Was cool as hell might I add.

I grinned at him, "Well nice to meet you too. I hope you're a good patient 'cuz if you kick me I will break your leg."

"What an odd way to bestow help, human. There is a piece of shrapnel embedded in my side." He spoke sounding tired. I would be pretty tired too from bleeding out.

I grabbed the nutrient heavy, mostly protein, bar as I tore off the part that had my bite in it and I handed it to him, "Well eat up or else you might pass out on me. Forgive me as I'd like to talk at least you know... keep you company." I grabbed the datapad as it has a limited X-ray on it. I looked at the two blips on the radar as I only spent a few seconds on it before taping. "You might want to move your hand. So... when are your buddies coming to get you." I say hoping he'll play into the idle chatter.

All I got was a grunt as all 4 mandibles worked on the bar. Well that totally worked. I frowned as the shrapnel was in deep. "Alright try and lean back more. Or would you like to try and lie down?" I spoke turning away as I got out the biofoam and tweezers. I heard slow scraping of armor on the stone and watched him slowly try to lie down. I grabbed his arm and helped ease him down. "This will be a quick fix. I'll look in the wound and see if I can fix it up with a needle and thread or if Biofoam will have to keep you together till help arrives."

"Very well... but why are you helping me, human?" He said softly probably softer then he wanted to.

I looked at him for a moment, as I thought about it but I simply told him, "Sometimes people don't need reasons. Like I said, might as well make you comfortable. Besides I like to help people and well you looked like shit so why not make your time left less shitty. "

"Very well... get this over with." He said bracing himself.

I turned on the flashlight and held it in my mouth as I swabbed the wound with a wipe. The tissue looked dark like his skin though the material under my fingers was like that of my nanosuit. I opened the wound wider and his claws, yeah they look like claws, dug into the stone as I saw the shining metal. I gripped it tightly with the tweezers and ripped it out. My pupils became like pinpricks as I looked over the wound in what I dubbed "Spartan time". I grabbed the biofoam and stuck the nozzle in the wound and sprayed. He hissed loudly, I brought my leg down on his wrist, I didn't break it just pinned it, so that he wouldn't hit me.

"Done! Done!" I said jumping back with the flashlight falling from my mouth. Now, I'm just in my nanosuit the big red monster was in fully functioning armor so I did not want to go pick a fight with him.

Kulu felt that burning pain as she moved faster than he could register. Either he was far weaker then he first assumed or she was far stronger but his basic instincts told him to get what was causing him pain off of him.

"Woah woah chill man! Just take it easy." She said as her hands were suddenly on his shoulder as she looked down at him concerned. His chest heaved with breaths as he now knew what his mate whispered to him... Not your time Kulu. "Just breathe. That's it. You won't be able to move much as the biofoam will harden and well it's unpleasant to move around with it in you." He watched her smile falter for a moment as Kulu saw the air move behind her as he could hear the faint hum of a Plasma Rifle.

"So... you want to tell your buddies it's pretty rude to shoot someone who just saved your life?" She put on a brave face but Kulu watched her eyes falter as she helped him back into a sitting position and began to clean the tweezers.

Kulu growled as his helmet sprung to life and let out a sigh of relief as the Zukor siblings were there. "Stand down. Yes that is an order and no I am not delirious." Kulu growled in his native tongue the little human jumped at the sound of his voice.

"So that's what you guys sound like." She said with a grin as if she discovered some deep secret of the universe.

Kulu rubbed the hide in between his eyes just where the helmet met his scalp. "I take it you have not fought my kind much?"

"Nope not at all!" She replied in an oddly cheerful tone.

However Kulu would not take this response at face value as she was acting outside the, what he saw as, normal human behavior. He saw her packing up and she took out the magazine for her magnum, she was looking straight at the Zukor brothers, whom were cloaked. Her movements were slow as she was showing them non hostile actions. "So... are your friends going to shoot me?" She asked as he heard that break in her voice.

"No." Toma then hissed causing her to tense, there was something off about this human, then again this was Kulu's first experience in dealing with a human this young in an intense combat situation. He grunted silencing the swordsman. Kulu still outranked the swordsman, and on the ground no one outranked him. "I see it in this light. You helped me for no apparent reason, I now have that promise to fulfill to you."

As he spoke he watched her relax but her eyes kept moving to the brothers. She ran her fingers through her head fur, hair as humans called it. "So essentially you owe me one. And you letting me live doesn't count as your... fulfilled half of the bargain?"

His mandibles moved slowly as he rolled around her words, his translator was on a very low setting as he saw the best to learn the language was to hear it used. "Correct. Though I could easily say that this was that fulfillment. As I doubt we will see each other ever again but if we do, you have that... half of this debt." Kulu spoke with an amused tone as he felt a little lightheaded now.

She picked up her pack and smiled, "No one will ever believe me I had a pleasant conversation with an Elite." She spoke with a giggle, "Take care big guy." With that she walked down the corridor. As her footfalls faded, H'el and Toma uncloaked. By this point a few other men had shown up and helped Kulu to his feet.

He felt so lightheaded as his steps were weak. He snarled in frustration as he did not look like a Field Marshall should. He doubted he'd ever see the little human again but what an interesting idea it would be. He smiled at the thought, or he thought he did, but his eyes rolled back as he passed out once more causing panic among the 'rescuers'. All Kulu wondered was how interesting would it be.

Another revamped/upgraded chapter. And I'm changing a good portion of the plot but... ugh my writing was terrible when I first started. Why did you people like it?! Perhaps me having grown as a writer can only see the flaws of this now but you're going to like the way this plot is going.

Typed up 5/17 and 5/18/2015