Chapter 7: Welcome?
Disclaimer: I do not own Alien/Predator series or any characters and may not follow all customs and cultures found in Alien/Predator movies.
It seemed like forever, but Maria managed to break out from her long slumber, groaning from the pain. Her whole body felt sore in every fiber of her muscles, but it wasn't as bad as the throbbing pain in her head. She felt like a horse kicked her and then some more. The only thing that was working was her hearing. It wasn't back to normal, but she could still hear a voice that sounded like Ana, but the other voice was more of a clicking sound that reminded her of a Yautja. Whomever Maria was hearing, she knew they weren't an immediate threat by her understanding or else the hunter would have killed them onsite.
"When will she wake up?"
The concerned tone of Ana's voice gave Maria a little bit of strength to at least groan a little, catching the attention of Ana and whoever was with her.
"Maria! Maria, are you awake?!"
Maria tries to call for Ana but nothing. Her body refused to obey, so she attempted to groan again, but this time, it doesn't work. Her mind was cursing herself for being so weak at this precise moment when she had no idea what the fuck was going on or where she was.
"She's not ready yet, Ana. Give her more time."
It was a different voice, but she recognized it as Walter's, but Maria wanted to wake up and ensure that Walter hasn't done anything crazy while she was out. ., which she didn't know how long.
"But she hasn't woken up since we got out of Weyland's clutches! I'm worried!"
Again, Maria tries to call out for them, but instead, her body decides to go back to sleep. Her hearing fades once more but not before hearing a small purr that sounded almost like Za'taan. Oh . . . She wished to see him again. Where is he? But the darkness pulls her back yet again and all Maria could do was comply.
[Hours later . . .]
After some time or whatever time it might be, Maria felt herself getting stronger but wasn't sure if it was just a lie after remembering last time. Still, she decided it was worth trying. First, she checked her eyes and felt them twitch a little. Good news so far . . . She then worked her fingers and sighed in relief when they began to move a little. She could feel her strength returning, and with a little bit of it, Maria finally opened her eyes in a long time.
The blinding light obscured her sight for a couple of moments before they adjusted to it. Maria blinks a few times as her blurred vision clears up. When it does, Maria could see that she wasn't at the facility anymore, and instead, it was something completely different. She stretched her fingertips across a smooth, yet cold, metal bench of some kind. It almost reminded her of a medical table that doctors use in the office except made of hard material. Her eyes look along with the room that was dark with a faint light above her, but as she caught a glimpse of the ceiling, it had engravings of various, red symbols that she had no idea what they mean. However, Maria saw one particular one that was displayed mainly around the smaller ones. The swirl-like pattern got her brain kicking as she realized it was the same symbol that not only was on her cheek but also represented Za'taan's clan.
Maria lunges her upper body fast into the air but immediately regrets it as the throbbing pain in her head explodes along with the ache of her muscles still going strong. She gasps at all the feelings ravaging her body and falls back down on the metal table, trying her best to soften the landing. Her nails dig into her scalp in an attempt to dull the headache, but it did little for her.
But just as she adjusted to dealing with it, a familiar clicking sound catches her attention, and again, Maria rises but takes it slow this time. She turns to her side on the table, and her chest tightens in fear as she faces a familiar Yautja face. Quickly, Maria scrambles off of the table, which was a long drop and almost lost her footing, and hits her back onto a wall that seemed like solid concrete or something. It mattered little as Mara kept her eyes on the male Yautja standing before her.
"Who are you?!"
At first, the strange male didn't respond except take a few steps closer to her, which made her jump into action. Despite the pain that followed, Maria got into the fighting stance that Za'taan taught her so long ago, bringing her fists up and bending her knees to keep a stable posture. The male clicks again and stops in his tracks, staring down at her with his cold mask. It was then that Maria realized who it was after seeing the same horns that decorated the edges, not to mention the unique feature of the split dreadlock dangling off the side of his head. It was the same Yautja that she meant but remembered it was the same one who knocked her out!
"You . . . Son of a bitch. Why did you do that!? Knock me out like that!?"
With anger fueling her, Maria sprints towards the male, intending to at least give him a small whack that would piss him off. However, as she flung her fist at his chest, the male saw it coming and grabbed harshly on her wrist. Maria cries a little since it only further aggravated her already injured body, but the male refuses to let go. Maria scrambles to free herself, but it was like trying to push a boulder off her body. She screams once more at the male.
"Let me go!"
"Enough . . ."
Maria freezes upon hearing the familiar voice despite just it being a recording. It sounded like Za'taan! But . . . How? She relaxes underneath his hand as the male slowly lets her go. She backs off a bit while rubbing the bruise that was already forming underneath her skin while looking wide-eyed at the Yautja before her. He knew Za'taan before back at the facility with the recording of my voice . . . And he has the symbol of the Uhri Clan . . . So he must know something about his whereabouts. But just as she about to ask, another thought crosses her mind. Where were Ana and Walter? The last time she saw them was when she heard Ana crying out for her. She turns towards the male with demands on her mind.
"Where is Ana? And Walter? What have you done with them?"
The male turns to his wrist gauntlet, pressing his clawed fingers on its panel and then a recording started to play.
"Please . . . She's my friend. I'm not going to leave her."
It was Ana's voice that filled with pleading. Maria had to hold in her tears at the thought of how much her best friend worried for her. She felt regret filling her chest and creating more pain on top of it. Maria closes her eyes a bit to compose herself and then looks back at the Yautja.
"Are they safe?"
The male nods and Maria lets out a sigh of relief. At least they were alright for the moment. Her attention draws back to the Yautja as he makes the clicking sound once more but has no idea what he's saying. She stares at him with confusion until he begins to turn around towards the exit. Maria was about to ask where he was going until he tilted his head to the side to see her and motions his head to point at the exit. When Maria didn't get the signal, the male growls and walks back to her. Before she knew what was happening, the male wraps one arm around her waist and lifts her, placing her over his broad shoulder that didn't help since it covered in armor.
"Ow!"
She wanted to make clear that she didn't like it on top that it sent a prickling pain that flowed from her hips and down her legs, leaving numbness behind. With all of these problems, Maria thought that she must have been through much more Hell than she anticipated. But why it was acting up now . . . She didn't know. But she had more problems to deal with as the male began to carry her out of the room.
"Bastard! Let me go! Right now!"
Maria scrambles to break free of his grip, but it was no use. She felt a vibration radiating from his body as he turned his head to her face and growled ferociously. His cold mask only made it worse for her since she couldn't read his features. The little fear that was buried deep inside Maria started to surface. She had no idea who this Yautja was, or why he was doing this, so the unknown was beginning to scare her. However, she refused to show it off, and with no other option, she let herself dangle over his shoulder as the Yautja turns his head back around and down the hallway.
As the male walked through in silence, it gave Maria a chance to look at her surroundings. Like the room she was in, the hallway had similar red symbols along the bottom and top edges of the walls. It must have taken a lot of effort to make such designs. Looking more closely at them, Maria couldn't help but admire them.
The hallway seemed like it could go on forever, and Maria just wanted to fall asleep. The exhaustion of everything that had recently happened along with the recent pain was taking a toll on her. Her eyes were about to shut close until the male stops in his tracks out of nowhere. Lifting her head a little, Maria looks to see that they were right in front of a large, metal door with a lock placed in the center of it. Maria tightened her eyebrows in confusion as the male began to click again. When he was done, nothing happened for a minute or two until a beeping sound echoed from the lock. Next thing she knew, the door began to creak and slowly open as each part slide across the metal floor and disappear into the walls.
As soon as that happened, the male begins to walk yet again, and Maria remains silent as the scene before her took her breath away.
They entered a substantial dome-like room that she believed could fit several airplanes and still have room to spare. The symbols decorated the top of the dome from each corner until they met right in the center with the same Uhri Clan mark as before. Maria knew that wherever she was, it was the clan Za'taan mentioned. With that, she hopes they wouldn't try to do anything terrible to her. Will they?
Before she could ask, her body suddenly drops to the ground with a considerable thud that reverberated a sound everywhere in the room. She grunts as her ass hurts. She just about to turn back to the male until another voice stops her.
"So, this is her."
This time, Maria understood the voice in plain English as her eyes widened in shock. She thought it was Za'taan's voice, but it was way more profound than his . . . And wiser like an old man. She didn't dare to move but kept her eyes staring at the ground, waiting for something to happen.
"Look at her. A pathetic ooman lies here before us like a scared cockroach."
"Behave, Ho'valea. She is my guest, and you know better than to act like that."
Maria could hear a faint of a growl but didn't seem as sincere as the first voice. Still not wanting to look, she listened to the scrapping of claws on metal going back and forth, but it annoyed her more than being scared. Her ears hated the sound, and the desire to lash out at the unknown person was starting to get the best of her.
"How is she to help us? If it were up to me, I would have her thrown into space to die like the skinny bitch that she is."
That sent Maria's anger over the edge, calling her a bitch with a disgusting tone in the voice. Using all of the strength she had, she swiftly raised herself back on her feet and twisting on her feet to stare right at the person who dared to say that.
"How about I show you what a bitch can do, you—"
As soon as she glanced up to look at the person, her mouth clamps down in shock and fear. In front, several Yautjas lined up along the wall like in the military with deadly and yet beautiful armor covering their bodies, making them look like knights from medieval times. All of them had masks so she couldn't quite see their faces, but Maria could feel the tension coming from each one . . . Like they were waiting for something. Their weapons shined in the light as Maria involuntarily reached behind for her spear on her back, but it wasn't there. Shit! Where were her weapons? Maria assumed that they must have taken it when she was out. That sent her blood boiling since she held those weapons so dear. Maria looks back and forth, observing each Yautja in the lineup until her eyes caught sight of stairs leading up to somewhere. Curiosity got the best of her, and she let her eyes wander higher and higher until she stops just as she sees a pair of Yautja feet.
"Curious . . . is she?"
The voice came just above her sight, and Maria swallowed a bit of spit before slowly looking up. When she did, her eyes stared right into a pair of golden ones that only belonged to a Yautja that sat upon a massive throne. She was in awe at sight but also in fear out of respect. Whoever was this Yautja seemed like a benevolent leader or something. Maria could see that his dreadlocks were beginning to turn greyish-white from old age, but his body said otherwise. His exposed muscles were solid as a rock, and his armor decorated with so much jewelry that it made him glow and complemented the red cape that flowed over his shoulders and draped on the arms of his chair. His mandibles twitch a little as he brings his hand up to scratch a claw on his cheek.
"Interesting. She is not as I thought she would be."
"That's because you expected too much from an ooman. Why are you so surprised?"
The same voice that called her a bitch earlier made the male Yautja turn to his side along with Maria. Right next to the throne, a bigger Yautja comes strolling out of the darkness behind and comes to the male's side. Maria could tell that it was female due to having breast along with slimmer body shape. The female comes to the male's side, purring a little as she caresses a clawed hand across the male's cheek. He wasn't even fazed as he gently swatted her hand away, not really in the mood for this sort of thing.
"The only thing I'm surprised is that you're speaking in the ooman tongue when you clearly showed distaste for their kind."
The female becomes baffled and steps away slightly from the male. "Excuse me? I want the bitch to know what I'm saying so that she could shover her ass back to where she came from!"
The female turns around to glare right into Maria's eyes, but instead of scaring her, Maria's anger grew once more as she got to her feet and glared right back.
"If you have a problem with me, then come and get it."
The female's eyes widened in surprise but went back to anger as she steps forward, drawing a blade from her belt. Maria didn't know what she would do if the female decided to attack, but there's no turning back now. But as quick as it started, it stopped when the male Yautja on the throne grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand back.
"Enough, Ho'valea!"
The male growls at the female who steps back a bit when he lets go of her wrist. The male relaxes back into the chair and waves his hand in the air. "Leave us."
Maria watches as the female Yautja named Ho'valea glares a little at Maria before going down the steps and heads for another door that lead somewhere else. It slams shut behind her as Maria looks back at the male on the throne.
"So . . . Your name is Maria. Correct?"
Maria was stunned at the mention of her name to another Yautja that she hasn't seen before. Her mouths close and open while trying to say something, but all she got were stutters coming from her throat. She stops and clears her throat before trying again.
"Yes. How did you know?"
The male grunts. "I've heard a lot about you from others but got details that seem to differ to what I see now. Hard to imagine the things you did back on the ooman planet."
Maria lifts her eyes in confusion as to what he meant by 'details' and such. She decides to speak out towards the male and find out what the fuck is going on.
"Who are you? And where am I?"
But just like that, the Yautjas that were lined up moved in unison as they drew their weapons out in response, making Maria jump. She could see the wrist blades, knives, and spear coming out from each of them and Maria stepped back a bit, trying to figure out why they were so defensive all of a sudden.
The male on the throne lifts his hand in the air and growls, causing all of the Yautjas to back off and return to their original positions and sheath their weapons. Maria sighed a breath of relief since their leader had no intention of killing her. He puts his hand down on the arm of the throne and leans in to get a closer look.
"My name is Du'rout, and I'm the leader of the Uhri Clan. You're on our ship as we speak."
Upon hearing his words, Maria's eyes widen a little from the realization that the male in front of her was the leader of Za'taan's clan. Maybe he's here right now? But her mind begins to fill with so many questions that she couldn't contain them any longer and spoke out without warning.
"Where is Za'taan? Where are Ana and Walter? How did I get here? What have you done? I—"
The roar coming out of Du'rout echoed across the room and made Maria, and even some of the Yautjas flinch from it. Maria shuts her mouth fast and steps back in fear that she might have overstepped her boundaries in a place where she had no idea. Du'rout inhales profoundly and lets himself rest on the back of the throne, but she could tell that he was getting frustrated.
"As I was saying, you were brought here under my command by my second in command Raith. He's the one who carried you here from the ooman planet."
Raith? Maria turns her head to the side to look behind at the male Yautja that came for her when Weyland imprisoned her and taken from her planet to end up here. She turns back around to face Du'rout once more.
"He was only to bring you here, but your friends wouldn't leave your side. They must be very loyal to you."
Maria gasped at the thought that Ana and Walter were with them as she steps closer to Du'rout. "Where are they? Please let me see them."
She watches Du'rout pause for a moment before looking to the side and at an unknown male Yautja, nodding slowly. The Yautja male bows his head and crosses his arm over his chest before walking off through a door that was located on the other side of the stairs. It didn't take long before he walks back out with someone following behind. Maria watches as the male moves to the side, and sure enough, she could see Ana and Walter walking through and into the room. When Ana's eyes make contact with Maria's, both gasp in surprise.
"Maria!"
"Ana!"
Ana runs towards Maria, and she welcomes her best friend with open arms. Their bodies meet, and both wrapped their hands so tightly that they were squeezing the breaths out of each other. Maria could hear Ana's cry as her body began to slump to the ground a little. She had to hold on tightly to her best friend to keep her from falling. Moments later, they release each other from their grasps but kept their hands on each other's shoulders. Maria could see that Ana's eyes were dripping with tears, but they were happy ones due to the smile on her lips.
"Maria. I'm glad that you're finally awake."
Maria smiles. "As am I."
A cough breaks their moment, and Maria looks behind to see Walter strolling along with a genuine smile on his face. After everything that Walter has done, Maria began to feel a sense of trust in him, so she lets go of Ana and stares right at Walter, smiling while nodding her head.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
All three of them glanced at each other as if nothing else existed around them. However, Maria was pulled back into reality as Du'rout grunts to catch their attention. Maria, Ana, and Walter look right back towards him as Du'rout shifts in his seat.
"Enough of that. We have more pressing matters to attend. After all, I didn't bring you all here, just for a reunion."
That didn't settle well for Maria as she turns towards Du'rout and grunts in annoyance, glaring right into his eyes so that he knew how she felt.
"And what is the reason exactly?"
Du'rout didn't answer her and instead, glanced at Raith who came to Maria's side without her noticing. Du'rout begins to make a clicking noise, so Maria assumed that he was back to the Yautja language. Raith watches, and after Du'rout finishes, he bows in respect and walks off into one of the doors from earlier, disappearing as it closes behind him. Maria turns back to Du'rout who sighs heavily, and she could see that something was troubling him. Maria steps forward until she was by herself in the middle of the dome-like room, looking up to the leader as she speaks.
"Tell me. Why are we here?"
She speaks with determination and stares right into his golden eyes as his mandibles tighten together as if contemplating to tell her what their reason is for doing so. After moments pass with both sides being silent, Maria straightens herself as Du'rout rises from his throne and tilts his head to the side a little before going back up.
"I need your help."
Maria tightens her eyebrows together and feels confused at his answer. "With what?"
Then, Du'rout starts to descend from his throne and down the stairs slowly but still keeping eye contact with her. Maria remains still but glances back to ensure Ana and Walter are alright. She could see the fear and concern in both of them, but she remains strong so they wouldn't have to worry. Maria looks back at Du'rout who had finally made it to the bottom but stopped there. His cape sweeps back and forth until it stops and Du'rout takes one huge breath before speaking.
"It's a matter of importance to the future of my clan and . . ."
He pauses for a second while glancing down to the ground and Maria could see that whatever he was going to say must be hard for him to say. But whether it's because he's asking an ooman for help or it's more personal . . . she didn't know as Du'rout looks back to her.
"Unfortunately, only you can help me in this matter."
Still, Maria was confused at his request and was about to ask more until one of the doors opens abruptly. Everyone in the room looks in the general direction as the tension in the air begins to build. For some reason, Maria's heart started to pound in anticipation of what was coming. It scared her a bit, but it wasn't entirely the reason why she was so nervous. Soon, it is Raith who comes through the door, and that made Maria slump a little. Somehow, she felt disappointment.
But then, she hears another pair of footsteps following behind Raith, and soon, a shadowy figure pops from behind, but she can't see their face. The shadow's frame was massive compared to Raith, and much bulkier is she might add. Still, Maria remained focused as the figure comes out of the darkness and into the light.
When the figure finally emerges, Maria gasps and her eyes widen in shock but also surprise. Her heart races at a phenomenal rate while every fiber of her being begins to tingle. She couldn't move, and all she could do was open her mouth and call out a single name.
[Unknown POV]
The male sits upon a large bed as he twirls a knife back and forth, inspecting it for any damage from his training. Although he had been training for what seems like a long time, his mind was focused elsewhere as he looks up through his window and into the dark space of the universe.
It was boring, and the male decided to get some sleep in the hope of having some 'normal' dream for once, but with his luck, it won't happen. He stands up from his bed and places his knife on the small table across from him, also glancing at his various weapons in hand. But just as he was turning around and about to fall onto the bed, a call from the door stops him in his tracks.
"What do you want?"
The male growls at the visitor, not wanting to have company right now but instead, the door opens up, and the male grunts in annoyance as Raith comes strolling in like he owned the place. It made him sick, but he's second in command, and he can't exactly fight him at this time.
"Still sulking in here as usual?"
"Shut up! It's not my desire to be in here after all."
The male moves towards Raith and puts his face inches from his. Their mandibles touch each other every time they moved, but the male didn't care since Raith didn't even flinch at the action. He knows that whenever Raith comes in, it's usually for business and not a social call. Raith grunts and walks back to the open door.
"You have been summoned by the Clan Leader. Come on."
Raith walks out of the room and the male growls in annoyance. He didn't want to meet the leader to hear the same excuse over and over again for hours. He didn't want to waste his time, but then yet, he knows that refusing the order will end him in a worse situation than what he was in now and dressed in nothing but a plain loincloth and metal sandals. Like it's not already bad as it is . . .
The male sighs and walks out of his room to follow Raith to the meeting room. The hallway was always the worst part for him since he could bump into someone whom he didn't like or wanted to pick a fight for some random reason. It's an area he always wanted to avoid, but it's inevitable, and he didn't want to be seen as a weakling. The male shakes his head to get rid of the thoughts as he catches up with Raith so he could ask what was going on. Not like he even cared anyway.
"Tell me, Raith. What does the 'Clan Leader' want now with me?"
"I'm not allowed to tell you until we get to the meeting room."
"Do you always follow your orders every day."
"I obey my leader no matter what. Just come one."
Raith picks up the pace, forcing the male to pick it up as well. After some time, Raith stops just in front of the door that leads to the meeting room. He calls out with a loud voice.
"Second in command requests access to the meeting room."
Just like that, the door begins to creak open and eventually, opening up entirely to the meeting room. The male rolls his eyes at the thought of another lecture like before. If it were his decision, he would be out of here before anyone would suspect it, but he has no choice. He waits as Raith walks into the room with part of it shrouded in darkness. After Raith was clear from his sight, the male takes his turn and steps forward and into the meeting room.
At first, it all looks the same as he looks to his side but becomes confused as he sees Du'rout standing at the bottom of the stairs and not on his throne as usual. Something was going on in here, and the male became more concerned as he walked further in. He sees the many Yautjas in a line along with Raith who went to Du'rout's side and stood firm as a second in command should do.
The male keeps walking as he turns his gaze into the middle of the room and notices a lone figure standing there. His mandibles click together to try and figure out who this person was, so he got a little closer until he finally emerges from the shadows.
And when he did, time around him froze and stood still . . .
Right in the middle of the room, an ooman female stood tall as their eyes met each other. Those brown eyes brought back sweet memories from a time that seemed so long ago but now passed by in a blink of an eye. He heard the female gasp in surprise, but it was a sweet sound to him. He didn't think that this moment would ever come and he worried that this might be a hallucination that his mind created.
At that moment, the male decides to call out, and with a deep breath, he lets his voice come through.
"Maria . . ."
The female gasps again as she takes a single step forward with her hands out to her sides to keep her balanced. When her voice calls out in response, his chest burns with a flame that was strong and true as he realizes that the woman he loves was right in front of him.
"Za'taan . . ."
Hi Readers!
Wow! The moment has finally come and for those who have read Break Free and Endurance so far knows what I'm talking about! (It's getting hot in here . . . so take off all your clothes :D)
With this, will everything become a happy ending? There is still some tragedy and horror awaiting this story, but what will it be? And what is Du'rout's purpose for bringing Maria and her friends here on the Uhri Clan's ship?
Find out when Chapter 8 comes next week!
P.S. Since my semester is over, I'll be making it my goal to post new chapters for Metamorphosis on Wednesdays and Endurance on Fridays (will post changes on my Instagram account in case of emergencies). For Nexus, it will be every other week unless changes happen but don't worry, my stories will keep on continuing.
Also, thank you, Maria, and Anonymous-E for the reviews. They help me in my writing, and I appreciate the time you take to write your reviews. As for Anonymous-E, I got your notes from the last one about the Bad Blood. I wanted to clarify if it's indeed for the story you requested for me.
Again, thank you all for the support and enjoy! :))))