Authors Note: Thanks again for all the reviews guys! I'm really taking them all to heart and plan on applying the constructive criticism in future writing attempts, and if I go through and re-write this when I finally finish. Oh, and Scarlet-Moonlight: To answer your question, I've elaborated in this chapter. Enjoy.

Warrior

Chapter Three: Communication Barriers

I had been standing in an empty hallway that branched off in three directions- left, forward, and right- before I had slid the mask onto my face. And when I blinked, and opened my eyes again, I found myself thrust into a new field of vision and a whole new atmosphere. The metal walls and floors changed quickly to dark blue, and the that shone down onto us from the ceiling turned into a light reddish-white color. I was seeing the world through heat sensors. It didn't really occur to me though, until I looked down the hallway straight ahead of me.

It had been completely empty before- that I was sure of. But now as I looked down the hallway, I saw moving figures, a very bright neon green in color, moving towards, and away from me. "What the," I started to say, and looked back towards the Great Predator, to see that he was indeed green in color to me too. He had given me his mask to wear, as another symbol. Maybe, in his mask, the other Predators wouldn't notice that I was human?

That idea however, was quickly disputed after I looked down at my own hands, to see that they were indeed vivid red and orange colors, a reminder of the human blood that still ran through my veins. Seeing it, I was somewhat relieved. I'd been so far from feeling safe, and at home in a place for so long, that I was beginning to believe that I was losing my ties to humanity. Obviously though, becoming a warrior didn't entail changing everything about yourself in the process.

A series of clicks and growls came from the Predator beside me, and I nodded to him, understanding that I was supposed to follow him. He took me to the left, and down a reasonably empty hallway. It was far more difficult following him then I'd first thought it would be though. The blueness of the cold metal walls seemed to run on forever, no twists or turns- they just weren't there. Keeping my eyes locked- the only way I could retain some sense of control and placement in this view- onto the Predator. I couldn't lose him; not in this place. I'd already seen that I wasn't exactly welcomed, so until I figured out why I had been brought here, I knew it would be a potentially fatal mistake to strike out on my own.

I had been staring at the moving green form of the Predator for what seemed like ages, when another stepped out from seemingly to the right of me and further down the hall. With a hand raised in greeting, the Great Predator passed him, and I watched the other predator bow down to him as he walked by, his head bent down in respect, confirming my theory that he was in fact their leader. I stepped around the bowed form of the second predator, and was oddly surprised when he bowed again for me.

I reminded myself of the symbols on the front of the mask. They must have held some sort of status in their culture, and while worn, the bearer must be treated with the highest respect. Of course, the soft growl, which followed me as I turned right, and followed the Great Predator, told me I was most likely wrong in all of my assumptions. 'Who am I to try and understand their way?' I had to ask myself as I trekked down the hallway after my new protector. This whole thing could be a trap; a plot to get back at me after the Predator who had protected me on Earth had died so close to his honor and glory.

Lost in my thoughts, I slammed against the Predator who was leading me down the hallway, and jumped backwards away from him in fear. "Sorry." I said quickly to him, hoping that he understood me. I raised my hands up in front of my chest, as a sort of 'please don't hurt me' gesture. "I'm sorry." I told him again, and when I felt it was safe, lowered my hands again.

After a series of clicks in my direction, the Great Predator reached for my face and unhooked the mask from my armor.

Hiss.

I heard whatever it was that the masks fed into turning off, as the connection was broken. With a sigh of relief, I hefted the mask from my face and was wrenched back into my normal eyesight. The stench of Predator breath stuck with me for a long while afterwards though, clinging to my hair and most likely my very skin. The thought disturbed me if I dwelled on it for to long, so I forced myself to think of something else, and settled on observing the room I was standing in.

More metal surrounded me on all sides, but this room was far more advanced then that of the hospital wing. I had to guess that what I was on would serve as 'The Bridge,' in any decent science fiction novel. The middle of the room was sunken, with steps leading down into a small alcove, which on closer inspection held many podiums, on which sat more of the masks the Predators usually donned during the hunts. Lights streamed up through the natural floor, and lead all the way down to the other end of the room, where another of the full wall windows were located, now looking down onto a now much smaller Earth.

I had to guess by the distance, that the ship I was standing on was moving incredibly fast. It had only been a few minutes since we'd been in the Hospital Wing, and Earth hadn't been all that far away then.

It wasn't Earth that I was too concerned with. It was what was placed as a memorial in front of the glass that I was focused on. The body of the Predator that I had fought alongside on Earth, the one who had saved my life in the Pyramid, and had marked me as a fellow Warrior, sat on a table in front of the glass. A group of other Predators stood beside him, chatting anxiously and poking and prodding at his lifeless body. One took a knife from it's pocket, and began to lower it to his skin, cutting into it on his chest with a simple slice. An Autopsy.

"No," I cried out suddenly, "stop it!" I found myself running forward, pushing between the Predators' trying to get them to stop. That was when I saw it. All eyes were on me, as I stopped before the body of the Predator, and felt my stomach roll. Besides the cuts on his chest from the knife, was a hole. Green blood had splattered all over his chest, radiating outwards from the wound. I felt extremely sick all of a sudden. How could this have happened?

As my mind raced, I barely registered the series of clicks and growls of mottled speech occurring around me, and then the group of Predators moving away and out of the room, leaving me alone with the Great Predator and the body of my friend. "I'm… Sorry." I heard an odd, strangely metallic voice speak behind me, and I went still. Parts of the voice were familiar- simply because- they were mine.

Clutching my stomach, I turned to face the Predator, whose hand was on his wrist computer. Frowning in confusion, I observed him with my head cocked to the side, trying to discern if the voice had been his own- or simply a broken recording of my own. "I'm Sorry?" The voice said again, raising tone slightly at the end, and I scoffed in disbelief. He was trying to communicate with me now, trying to make me understand. Maybe there was some sort of humanity or compassion hidden underneath their exterior after all…

I turned back to the dead Predator. I still didn't know his name, and doubted I would ever learn it now. "How could this have happened?" I asked myself aloud, shaking my head in disbelief and gazing downwards, into his body through the exit wound the Chestburster had left behind. I was reminded of Miller, and Sebastian, and all the others, what they looked like after the Chestburster had escaped, and the pain they suffered through while it broke it's way through their chest cavity. I still didn't understand.

There was just no way of knowing how long the Predator had been carrying the Serpent inside himself. We hadn't been apart in the pyramid long enough for him to become impregnated after I had returned his weapon. It had to have happened earlier, while we were still on opposing sides. It was kind of ironic- the hunter had ended up becoming a vessel for the one thing it vowed to hunt and destroy.

That was when another thing hit me. His chest had been fine before he had died. "When did this happen?" I asked suddenly, looking up at the Great Predator, seriousness and fear flowing through my blood. "Is this why you brought me here?" I asked him, taking a step away from him. I couldn't have been brought here to fight? Could I? "I didn't ask to be Warrior for you." I heard myself saying in defiance. "I didn't want to be in the middle of your war with the Serpents! I didn't want to be the one to survive, when all my other friends died around me!" I shouted to him, not caring anymore if I angered him or not.

My fear had overwhelmed me now. Somewhere, on the ship, an Alien was maturing. 'God only knows how long it will take until the killings start…' And one thought hit me harder then all the rest- I wasn't ready to fight again.

"Don't you have anyone else?" I asked, frustration taking over me. I could tell by the way the Predator was looking at me; with wide eyes and a head titled to the side, that he didn't understand a word of my tirade. I felt like crying. No one understood me here, and I couldn't understand them, so how the hell was I supposed to help them? In despair, I leaned my back against the window, and slid down in, resting my forehead in my palms as I fought the tears struggling to break from the corners of my eyes.

I probably sat there for a full five minutes, in complete silence as I contemplated my situation. But I was finally broken from my thoughts by a large hand on my shoulder. With just that hand, I was yanked back to my feet and forced to stand. I sniffed and wiped my eyes and glared at the Great Predator, just wanting to be alone now.

"Come with me." I heard his natural voice grate, sounding like metal on metal on stone. I cringed slightly as he spoke to me, but more out of the suddenness of the noise, then the words themselves. He took off without me- his weapons and prize skulls swinging at his waist, and his cloak billowing out behind him.

It wasn't a question.

Authors Note: Well, here's the third chapter, the final in the installment. JUST KIDDING! I couldn't do that to those of you who might actually like this fic.

Plus, I like it too much to stop writing.

Depending on how much work I have tomorrow, I might update the next chapter, which should finally be where the story will start to pick up again. Don't worry; I have a very big surprise planned for Lex in the next chapter. Thanks for all your feedback guys/girls.