A/N: Thanks, someguest, for the suggestion! That helped out a lot. I hadn't given 'Amazon' much thought actually, lol. Thanks again.
Keep the reviews coming. I really want to see what you guys might think is wrong with the story so I can act accordingly. Don't get me wrong, I like the positive feedback, but I need more criticism, too. I need to know if you think the story is moving too slow, too fast, or just right? Also, let me know if characterization seems lacking. Tell me what's on your mind! I CAN TAKE IT!
Chapter 9
When Tony awoke, Amazon was still inside of his house, having apparently awoken before him. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and noticed she was sitting at the living room table, tinkering with what looked like her mask. He slowly sat down, studying her face for the first time. Honestly, it wasn't as frightening as he thought it'd be. It was a given that it was definitely intimidating, but now he understood why she ate so much. Amazon hadn't acknowledged his presence and he looked down to see that she was doing something with the machinery on the inside. Tony was amazed there was so much electronics inside of the mask. The outside of it didn't give that impression. The nearest thing he could compare it to was a motherboard of sorts. As big as she was, he didn't think they're people were that dexterous with their hands.
Inwardly shaking his head, he was still mildly annoyed that she was still here and not already in space or whatever.
"Amazon," he said evenly, so as not to agitate her or something. Amazon paused what she was doing in looked Tony in the eye. He was caught off guard by the way her eyes looked. What was it called, central heterochromia? Her iris looked gold and then blue to a reddish hue as you went from the center to the edge of the iris all in the same eye. It reminded him of a lava lamp.
Realizing he was staring, he coughed and made a show of sniffing before looking away.
"Just wondering. Uhm, why are you still here?" he asked lamely.
Amazon continued to stare at him momentarily before turning to her gauntlet that she apparently acquired during the night. She pressed a series of buttons on the new gauntlet and a holographic screen showing a full body Xenomorph appeared.
"More still here," she said in her still rough English. Tony scratched his chin, taking in the appearance of the 3-D model. If he thought Amazon's face was a little rough to look at, the hologram was damn ugly. And they were bipedal, too? Now that he could get a clearer look at them, they looked like leeches with alligator bodies. Yuck. That was the thing that attacked him the other day?
Tony groaned as he remembered what Hamilton told him of them.
"They're parasites, aren't they?"
Amazon nodded once, slowly, before turning back to her work. Well, she seems completely unconcerned, Tony sarcastically thought with a grimace. But it's not like this was her homeworld. She was trying to kill the things after all, right? How could he complain?
Tony felt awkward, not able to think of anything else to say or ask as she still continued to tinker with that mask of hers.
"So..." Tony drawled, nodding lamely. "What about the guys of your species? Are they taller or something?" he rambled, asking the first questions that came to his mind. Amazon was ridiculously tall as is. He'd hate to think how huge the men were. But to his surprise, Amazon made a noise akin to chuckling.
"Men are...shorter."
"You're kidding me?" Tony couldn't help but ask in retort. He didn't think much of the fact he was somewhat having a conversation with the being before him.
"The men are smaller...damn," Tony reflected. Amazon indeed. And apparently, she found his statement funny if the sound of another chortle was any indication.
Tony leaned back in his chair, looking around the room as if for the first time. He felt like he'd wake up soon and that all of his recent experiences was the result of getting trippy off some drug in a club. He centered his attention back on Amazon as she placed the newly -whatever she was doing- mask over her face.
"You got nice eyes."
Tony assumed she was staring at him before he realized what he'd just said. "I mean, uh," Tony fumbled before yawning. "Yeaaah, I'm tired! Good night!" he said quickly before standing up to go to bed. He noticed Amazon staring at him as he left. He entered his room without bothering to close the door and jumped onto the bed with an irritated sigh.
"Man, I'm being stupid." Tony put the pillow over his face as he lie on his back on the bed. "You got nice eyes," he mocked himself with an exaggerated voice. "The hell am I saying? I sound like a creep." He felt he had needed to say something to her, but it came off as sounding extremely stupid in hindsight. Why did he say that? I mean, she was very abrasive, but she seemed pretty cool if you got to know her. And apparently, you only get that opportunity if you rescue them from impending death. Tony stopped himself from letting his thoughts go on a tangent and just focused on the pillow still blocking his vision. He lazily put it under his head.
As he slowly started to succumb to sleep, he figured he was beginning to befriend Amazon. And he still didn't know what their species were called or why they really do what they do. Now that he had the chance, he had so many questions. With a final yawn, he blanked his thoughts and went to sleep.
While Tony was relaxed as could be in the current situation, Amazon was growing more irritated every time Tony talked to her. First, he saves her life and then today he throws what was probably an unthinking compliment at her. Humans in general were small and not quite as sturdy compared to men of her species, yet she was feeling warm nearly every time he spoke to her.
It was really pissing her off. He wasn't even Yautja. She felt embarrassed and maybe a little disgusted. In irritation, she flipped the table not caring if the Ooman awoke and stomped to her ship.
Once inside, she leaned on the wall frame for support as she stared at her trophy collection. There were a small variety of skulls ranging from human to the hard-meats to some other large beasts of unverifiable origin. She looked at the set of human skulls, wanting to resolve herself to challenge the boy once the hard-meats' queen was killed, but she couldn't quite say it in her mind, and it was annoying her. Maybe if she went and collected some more trophies, she'd feel better. Some of the other Yautja would be here in a couple more days and perhaps she wouldn't feel so confused any more.
Amazon sat on the rooftop watching the humans below while looking for a target, but she lost interest quite quickly. It wasn't empathy, but she wasn't feeling as enthusiastic as when she first set out several minutes earlier. Finally, she gave up and just relaxed on the rooftop. Bored, she unsheathed her wrist blade, examining it several times before letting it sheath.
She shook her head in irritation. She felt her enthusiasm coming back and she needed to kill something. Traversing the rooftops again, she considered heading to the museum again, but rejected the idea. As attractive as the idea was of killing another hard-meat was, she didn't have the resources or the back-up to jump in their again until her comrades finally showed up. Instead, she spotted an armored truck pulling up the driveway below. She had noticed the same truck a small distance from the boy's house. Three men stepped out of it and it looked like they were searching the alley she had climbed from to get to the roof.
Apparently, they had been keeping an eye on her. She was about ready to claim their skulls when she noticed one of them men was that soldier that Tony talked to several times.
Great, another one I can't kill yet.
She briefly reflected that she had no real reason not to kill him, only that he was associated with Tony. However, as much as she hated to think it, she didn't really want Tony to be upset with her.
With added irritation, she realized she was referring to the Ooman by name. Abandoning her intent to hunt for tonight, she made her way back to the house.
A/N: Lol, tell me what you thought about the characterization. I tried my best to not make Amazon seem to mushy. They are born to be badass killers, after all. Let me know how you think I did.
Also, please tell me your thoughts on Tony and Amazon so far. And if you have any plot suggestions, let me know, I'll definitely consider it as a continue this story.
