Nearmyer awoke with a head ach, stiff back, sore shoulders and when he looked up, raising his neck it protested having been in such a bad position for so long.

"You know this getting knocked out thing is getting pretty old," Nearmyer muttered bringing a hand up to touch his forehead. When he did instead of feeling his skin on his face he fault the rough leather of a glove. Confused he opened his eyes the rest of the way to see why he had his gloves on and when he did he saw that it wasn't his gloves he was issued meant for light duty work. It was a high speed combat glove that was form fitted to his hand to allow him to use his hand as if he wasn't wearing a glove. It was water proof, scratch proof, and had harden plastic over the knuckles. Officially to protect them from bumping or scraping them, unofficially so when the wearer punched someone they wouldn't hurt their hand and would hurt the one they punched a little more. Now only more confused he placed his hands in the small of his back to try and release the knot that had formed there. He wasn't able to really relieve the pain for the body armor that was strapped to him prevented him. Nearmyer looked down and could see that it wasn't his IVA without the plates, but a Dragon skin vest he heard so many rumors about. How it was lighter than his armor without plates, which he could feel, but could stop a whole magazine of AK. On top of it was his FLC the pouches stuffed with loaded M16 magazines, even the frag grenade pouches contained what they were meant to. He had never been issued grenades before and had only used one in basic training. This is what had hurt his back and shoulders having fallen asleep wearing it.

"Oh fuck," Nearmyer said as he brought a hand up to his head to feel his ACH. Again it wasn't his, but one that didn't have a cover and a Rhino Mount for NVGs that were attached. He was actually going on a mission and he had fallen asleep and what a fucking crazy dream he had, had. He looked around the helicopter first for the others that would be going on the mission with him and then his weapon. He didn't find either until his eyes landed on the helicopter's only other passenger: Z. Strangely the first thing he noticed about Z was that on his ACH was a drawing of a screaming skull wearing a jester's cap. He then focused on Z himself as he sat there, also wearing the high speed equipment and full ammo loud. He had a grim expression on his face, his arms were crossed and he was rocking ever so slightly. Nearmyer had seen him like this before and knew he was doing some heavy thinking and was trying his hardest to remain calm. He then noticed that the helicopter was very strange, almost alien. Nearmyers eyes got wide as the self denial he had put himself in passed and he remember everything again.

"Hey Z," Nearmyer said his mouth and throat very dry.

"Yeah," Z said without turning to look at him.

"Were we captured by uhm?" Nearmyer asked.

"Yep," Z said simply.

"We're not on Earth anymore are we?" Was his second as he put the pieces together quickly.

"Nope," Z said simply again.

"Then they're going to hunt us?" Nearmyer said his voice barely above a whisper as his throat dried up even more.

"Yep," Z said finally turning to look at Nearmyer.

"Why," Nearmyer asked. "I mean don't they take the best for that? We're just a couple of pogs."

"Exactly," Z said. "The prefect test subjects. "They saw us kill those commandos with our bear hands, they know why and how as well. They finally found something that can make subpar prey into decent prey. So imagine what they could do with it: turn good prey into the prefect prey to really give them a challenge. That's where we come in: test it on us first see if two that would never give them a challenge before could give them one."

"How do you know all this?" Nearmyer asked stunned.

"They told me," Z said with a shrug something very hard to do in full kit.

"You can speak Yautja?" Nearmyer asked mouth agape.

"The fuck you just call me?" Z demanded.

"Yautja," Nearmyer said again. "You can speak it."

"What the fuck is Yautja?" Z demanded only more confused.

"It what the 'predators' are really called," Nearmyer explained with a sigh. Z just gave him a harsh disbelieving stare.

"Dude I only know enough Spanish to know when I'm being insulted," Z said with a shake of his head. "What makes you think I know how to speak an alien language I didn't know existed, didn't even know their real name, till three seconds ago?"

"I don't know," Nearmyer said scratching the back of his neck. "Why, and who's high speed gear do we have on?"

"As for why I think it's to give us every advantage possible," Z said a little unsure. "For who's I don't know." They fell in to silence again each unsure of what to say expect for Z who knew exactly what to say but didn't know if he should. "Hey Nearmyer."

"Yes," Nearmyer said looking back at Z.

"I've got a bad feeling about this drop," Z said with just the hint of a smile on his face. Nearmyer just stared at Z unbelieving he was still playing the game and that now it was his turn again.

"Should we switch to something that is more applicable?" Nearmyer asked.

"Fine," Z agreed. "But if you say get to the chopper I'll kill you myself."

"Fair enough," Nearmyer agreed as he tried to think of the song they had listen to in the helicopter.

"Long Tall Sally," Z said suddenly.

"What?" Nearmyer asked confused.

"The name of the song they listened to in the helicopter is Long Tall Sally," Z explained.

"How did you know what I was thinking?" Nearmyer asked with a smile.

"I just know you," Z said simply.

"On your feet," A disembodied voice demanded. The two soldiers hesitated for just a second and they felt something they couldn't see grab them each by their body armor and hauled them roughly to their feet. They were then forcefully shoved closer to a hatch still by unseen culprits. When they got closer it opened and showed them a jungle that was a few feet below them. They were forced closer to the hatch as they tried to push themselves away but with no luck. Suddenly each felt something rough wrap around their necks and prevent them from moving as they grabbed at it feeling something but not being able to see it. Then one of them revealed itself to them and was holding a vial of a yellow liquid in each of its hands(or claws). Both Z and Nearmyer knew what it was even before the ones that held them from behind grabbed their chins and pulled their mouths open. They each exchanged worried glances before the one they could see dumped a vial each of their mate's venom into their mouths and down their throats. Once the vials were empty the one holding them moved and Nearmyer and Z were forced right up to the edge of the hatch both coughing. A second later they were shoved out, fell the short distance and landed hard on the ground. Both got to their knees and started to cough as they felt the heat wash over them again.

As they coughed one of the Yautja threw their weapons out of the ship. They landed on the ground making a chattering near the two soldiers but neither of them made to grab them as they fought with the venom in their veins. The rifles where the same ones they had lost back in the Biotech complex Z's still had the M203 attached to it. The hatch resealed and the craft flew away leaving the two pog soldiers stranded. They still didn't notice as they struggled to regain control of their bodies as the large amount of venom pumped through them. This was the largest amount they had both received by far and it should have killed them, would have killed them if they already hadn't built up a tolerance. Z recovered first since his tolerance was higher because of the larger doses he was given. He got to his feet with one final cough and wiped the spit from his mouth just before he spat on the dirt his spit having a yellow tinge to it. He walked over and knelt beside Nearmyer and patted him on the back, a useless gesture due to the body armor.

"Just take it easy," Z comforted. With a few more coughs Nearmyer got to his feet and once he was steady Z walked over and picked up their rifles and handed Nearmyer his. They stood there clutching their rifles, hearts pounding in their chest, senses heighten so they could hear their own blood moving through their veins. The primary effect of the venom didn't take effect since their mates were nowhere near them.

"What do we do?" Nearmyer asked.

"I don't know," Z said.

"How are we going to get home?" Nearmyer asked.

"I don't know," Z said again.

"Won't someone be looking for us?" Nearmyer said panic starting to creep into his voice.

"I don't know!" Z said a little more forcefully.

"The Army shouldn't they be looking for us?" Nearmyer asked not catching on.

"I don't know!" Z said just a little bit louder.

"Our families what about our families?" Nearmyer asked.

"LOOK I DON'T FUCKING KNOW!" Z shouted as he unstrapped his(well Jester's) ACH and threw it at a tree making a thunk. "I just don't know." Z then reached down into his right ACU trouser cargo pocket and pulled out his worn and weathered patrol cap and placed it on his head in lue of his helmet.

"You should put your helmet back on," Nearmyer said weakly and unsure.

"Why?" Z asked dryly. "To protect my head? I don't think the Army combat helmet is rated to stop blue energy blobs."

"Plasma," Nearmyer corrected. This prompted another harsh look from Z who sighed and started to roll up his sleeves of his uniform jacket to just above the elbows. "You're not authorized to do that anymore."

"I don't think we have to worry about Army regs out here," Z said as he finished with his left and started with his right. "When I die I want to die comfortable."

"What are you talking about?" Nearmyer demanded.

"Look forget it," Z said finishing with his sleeves.

"No what the fuck do you mean?" Nearmyer demanded forcefully.

"I think is fucking obvious," Z said with a sigh. "We here to do one thing die a 'honorable' and horrible death. Even if we don't get killed by the predators-"

"Yautja," Nearmyer corrected calmly.

"What the fuck ever," Z said sighing heavily. "If we don't get killed by the Yautja there is no way we're getting home and I didn't get survival training did you? I don't know what plants to eat. We either die by them or we starve to death either way w-" Here Z stopped and sniffed at the air. "You smell that?" Nearmyer sniffed the air and he smelt it as well.

"Yeah," Nearmyer said having smelt the sweet smell of his mate. It was faint and far away but it was there none the less.

"There here somewhere," Z said. "Forget about what I said earlier. If we're going to die it's going to be getting to them." Z sniffed the air once again. "This way." He said starting off into the jungle. They walked for a few moments in silence and Z felt bad for being so short with Nearmyer. "So you know a lot about these yay-yays."

"Yautja," Nearmyer said slowly. "And yes I know some stuff. I was really into them when I was younger and spent hours on the internet looking stuff up."

"So is this their home planet or what?" Z asked as he ducked a branch.

"No," Nearmyer said. "This is game planet used for hunting game like us. Wait you should know this. This is basically what happened in the last one."

"I remember them in LA and drug lords being killed in the last one," Z said pushing another branch out of his way.

"What? You haven't seen the third one?" Nearmyer asked.

"There's a third one?" Z asked.

"Yeah," Nearmyer said. "Anyway this planet is like a game preserve."

"Ok I got ya," Z said as he watched some sort of flying insect take off from a large leaf. It seemed to move too slow, slower than it should have. He blinked and shook his head and it started flying at regular speed. "So can they naturally turn invisible or do they use some kind of tech?"

"Some kind of tech," Nearmyer said. "Same with their vision. Well they naturally see in heat but their masks refine it."

"How'd you know I was going to ask that next?" Z asked as they moved through the jungle.

"I just know you," Nearmyer said simply.

"Alright here's a tricky one for you," Z said with a chuckle. "What's the deal with the mesh shirts? I mean are they going clubbing later?"

"Actually," Nearmyer started knowing full well Z was asking a question that he didn't think he would be able to answer. "There is a general consensus that their home planet is very cold. Those 'mesh shirts' are heated to keep them warm but then they don't have heavy layers to take off when they go to warmer planets they just turn the heating off."

"Really?" Z asked. "How do you know all this again?"

"Like I said," Nearmyer explained. "I was really into them."

"Ok just one more-" Z started then sniffed the air again. He smelt something new, it wasn't exactly unpleasant but it was different and he knew it was one of them. Z lowered his voice. "You smell it?"

"Yeah," Nearmyer said not believing he could actually smell it.

"7 o'clock high," Z said voice barely above a whisper but kept walking. "In the trees I bet it's going to strike soon, thinking it can finish us off quickly."

"What do we do?" Nearmyer asked tightening his grip on his rifle.

"Relax," Z ordered. "If it thinks we're on to it, it's not going to strike or just shoot us with plasma. It's going to want to get close, use blades right?"

"Yeah," Nearmyer agreed. "More honor in killing prey in close combat epically if they're armed."

"Ok we're going to draw it in and take it out," Z said simply.

"How?" Nearmyer asked his eyes wide.

"Just follow my lead," Z said as he keep walking having not even turned to speak with Nearmyer. "One day you'll be alone! All alone in a combat zone!" Nearmyer quickly caught on and started singing joining Z in the cadence.

"Bullets flying all around!" They both sang loudly. "Better keep your head to the ground!" The hunter that stalked them from above had found them easily enough and couldn't believe they were just walking not even looking for their death and where it would come from. Then when they started to sing the hunter knew it had them, they were completely unaware of its presence. It was a little disappointed that they had brought them all this way to be killed so quickly. It did matter as long as it killed them before the other hunter got them, their singing was sure to attract it.

"Don't you worry about being alone!" They both continued to sing. "C&E's gona bring you home!"

"Nearmyer's gona bring you home!" Nearmyer belted out solo.

"Za-" Z started but the hunter choose that moment to leap from the tree. It was meaning to land on Z to take him out first since he seemed to be the leader. Z however had heard it leap, could somehow feel it move through the air towards him and he whipped around. He could then see it as it moved through the air as the shimmer came at him, but it was moving much slower than it should have been. Z side stepped and swung his rifle's butt towards the top part of the shimmer, there was a crack as his butt stock connected with its face. It gave a cry of surprise as it was knocked to the ground, still seeming to fall too slow. It landed on its back in a shallow puddle and water splashed up when it fell. Z didn't give it a chance to get back up and stomped on the center of the shimmer where its chest should be. He kept his boot there as Nearmyer placed his own boot on its chest, both shouldered their rifles aiming point blank. Their fingers tighten on their triggers and they were about to fire when the water short circuited its camouflage generator. There were blue sparks and then the hunter was revealed to them and they eased off their triggers but kept their fingers on them. The reason they did this was because this Yautja was female.

Her arms were above her head palms open from landing hard on her back the wind knocked out of her. The two soldiers exchanged glances unsure of what to do and confused why they were showing compassion at all. She was starting to react when Z made the decision, he shifted his aim and fired a single three round burst into her plasma caster attached to her shoulder, sparks and smoke shot up from the broken weapon. Z then raised his rifle high, flipped it around and brought the butt stock down as hard as he could on the front of her helmet. His venom enhanced strength allowed him to dent the metal but more importantly she was knocked unconscious. The total time from when she had jumped to be rendered unconscious: four seconds. Nearmyer raised his rifle aiming for her head when Z smacked his rifle back down.

"What are you doing?" Nearmyer demanded.

"We leave it alive," Z said. "I don't know much about these...Yautja. However is it safe to assume that they are proud creatures? Has lots of honor and all that?"

"Yeah," Nearmyer said after some thought.

"Then when it wakes up its going to be pissed," Z explained finally removing his foot from her chest. "But it will go after us alone too much pride to get help taking down a couple of pog humans. I just took out its plasma launcher thing."

"Plasma caster," Nearmyer corrected as he removed his own foot from her chest.

"Whatever you say," Z said. "So we have the advantage of range. If we kill it they'll just send more after us. I don't know how long whatever they gave us will last and we will be barely able to handle one let alone three or more without it. So we let it sleep and get a head start."

"I'm following you know," Nearmyer said as he knelt down and started patting her down. Z snapped his rifle up aiming at her head to cover Nearmyer in case she woke up.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Z demanded.

"Disarming her," Nearmyer explained.

"Her?" Z asked raising and eyebrow and loosening and retightening his grip on his rifle.

"Yeah it's obviously a female," Nearmyer said as he removed her harness that had several bladed weapons on it. "It's why you hesitated to begin with."

"Yeah," Z admitted. "It just doesn't feel right to waste a woman even if it is a alien that's trying to kill me." Nearmyer then removed the disk that could seek a target out over incredible distances. "Hey I remember that thing cut through like four dead cows and Agent Peter Keyes. Could I have that?"

"You want a highly advanced, deadly weapon you know nothing about?" Nearmyer asked just to be sure he understood.

"Yep," Z said and with a sigh Nearmyer tossed it to him. "Sweet." Z tucked it between his stomach and body armor. Nearmyer pulled a collapsible spear from a sling on her back and looked at it.

"I get this then," Nearmyer said as he placed it across his own back using the sling.

"Fair enough," Z said as he tossed the harness with the other weapons on it randomly into the jungle. He then looked her over and focused on her chest watching it raise and fall ensuring she was still alive and unconscious. Satisfied they started walking again following their mates sweet scent. They walked for what felt like a few hours the sun sinking lower but still bright, keeping eyes, ears and noises open for any sign of their hunter. They came across a small, shallow, pound that several fish swam around aimlessly in.

"Prefect," Nearmyer annoyed happily. He stopped and picked up a larger fallen branch. He then pulled out a combat knife that was attached to his thigh(they really wanted to make sure they had everything). He started to use the knife to shape an end of the stick to a point.

"What are you doing?" Z asked making it clear he didn't want to stop.

"Well we got to eat," Nearmyer explained. "So I'm making a spear to fish with."

"Why when you got that really high speed one from that one we knocked out?" Nearmyer asked.

"Right," Nearmyer said pulling it from his back and pressed a button and the spear sprung out. "Alright here." He toss the spear he had made from the branch to Z who made no attempt to catch it. "Let's see who can catch the most fish."

"Can I go first?" Z asked with a wryly grin.

"Uhm, sure," Nearmyer said stepping back from the pound a little unsure with Z. Z still smiling walked up to the edge of the pound, opened one of his grenade pouches, pulled one out, pulled the pin, and tossed it underhanded into the middle of the pound. Four seconds later it went off causing a column of water to explode up. When it settled back down every one of the fish was floating near the surface dead. Z turned and walked back towards Nearmyer.

"I win," Z said evenly. "Loser go gets 'em." Sighing heavily Nearmyer retracted the spear and placed it back on his back surprising Z that he knew how to do that. Nearmyer wadded into the ankle deep water and started to collect all the fish holding them by their tails. Z tossed him his empty canteen as well. "Fill it if you'd be so kind." Nearmyer opened the canteen and held it under the water bubbles come out of it. Once the bubbles stopped he took it out of the water, recapped it and tossed it back to Z. Who took a small tap from his canteen pouch and placed inside, it fizzed in the water. It was a chlorine tap that purified the water making it safe to, the Yautja had thought of everything. Nearmyer walked out of the water carrying a dozen fish by their tails. When he step out of the water he looked down as his soaked pants and that's when he saw the mud on his boots. A smile a mile wide slowly spread it across his face as an idea struck him.

"Hey Z," Nearmyer called out.

"What?" Z asked turning around. Nearmyer raised one of his mud covered boots so Z could get a better look. "No." Z said simply and harshly.

"But come on it worked for him," Nearmyer countered as he removed his rifle's sling to tie the fish together.

"It only works when its wet," Z explained as he started to walk through the jungle again. "Your body heat will dry it out quickly. So if you start at your legs the mud there will be dry and not doing anything by the time you get to your head."

"Piss in my cheerios," Nearmyer muttered starting after him rifle in his hands, fish over his shoulder.

"You know what song keeps going through my head?" Z asked as they walked.

"Long Tall Sally?" Nearmyer asked the smell of fish overpowering him.

"No, Run Through The Jungle," Z said as they walked. Nearmyer had to admit it was a very fitting song and before he knew it, it was stuck in his head as well. "Whoa, thought it was a nightmare." Nearmyer started to sing Z joining in right away.

"It's all so true," They both sang. "They told me don't go walkin' slow, the devil's on the loose. Better run through the jungle. Better run through the jungle. Better run through the jungle. Don't go lookin' back." Before they could sing the second verse Z stopped walking, stopping them in a clearing. He looked up at the sky and the darkening light. "I say we stop and make camp for the night . What do you think?"

"Camp sounds good," Nearmyer said setting the fish down. "And food."

"You start cleaning the fish I get a fire going," Z said as he started to pick up sticks and branches in the immediate are not wanting to venture out by himself. Neamyer found a large flatish rock and placed a fish on it as he pulled out his knife. He started to gut and clean the fish like he had seen but never had actually done. He butchered the first two, barely getting any meat and was about to attempt a third when Z walked over. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good," Nearmyer said raising a hand that was stained with blood and scales. Z looked at Nearmyer and just shook his head.

"I'll clean the fish you go work on the fire," Z said pulling his knife from his own thigh. Nearmyer shrugged and walked over to the small rock encircled pit where Z had stacked smaller sticks and dry leaves as kindling and larger branches nearby. Z meanwhile started to clean the fish with the skill and efficiency of having done it many times before. He soon finished cleaning the rest of the fish leaving the skin on one side of the flay to make it easier to cook. With that task complete he looked over to see how Nearmyer was making out and his jaw drooped. He was setting there literally rubbing two sticks together trying to start a fire. Sighing Z stood up and walked over snatching up his rifle.

"Hey don't look at me like that," Nearmyer said. "You try to start a fire without matches." Rolling his eyes Z pulled the magazine out of his rifle and pulled back the charging handle ejecting the chambered round. He reached out and caught it with one hand something he wouldn't have not been able to do if it wasn't for the venom. Letting the rifle hang by its sling he pulled out his multi-tool and changed it into pliers. He then used them to pull out the bullet and dump about half the powder out of the shell and onto the kindling. That complete the crimped the top of the shell to keep anymore powder from spilling out. Z locked the bolt back on his rifle and slipped the blank round he had just created directly into the chamber. Nearmyer took a step back as Z lowered the rifle so the barrel was touching where the powder was on the kindling. He fired the sound seemed to echo forever but once the burning powder left the barrel and started the powder that was on the dry leaves and that started the leaves burning. It started with a small flame that quickly grew as the rest of the sticks caught. Z added a few larger branches to help the flames glow, just before he walked away a smug smile on his face.

"You red neck son of a bitch," Nearmyer said as he warmed his damp feet by the fire.

"Hey," Z said as he manually cycled the bolt to eject the spent round since there was no projectile to automatically cycle the bolt. "My drill sergeant told me how to do that. Also for the record I grew up in a city." Z brought over the fish flays over to the fire and started to cook them holding the half that still had the skin on it over the fire. Once he had cooked all the fish the two soldiers sat on a log eating as they watched the fire crackle as the last of the sun light started to disappear.

"Join the Army they said," Nearmyer said suddenly. "See the world they said. I didn't think they had this in mind."

"I don't think so either," Z agreed eating more fish. "If we ever make it back remind me to bring this up with my recruiter."

"No problem," Nearmyer said chuckling. "I got a few words to say myself." They ate the rest of their fill in silence as neither wanted to discuss what was really on their minds: their mates. After they finished eating Z wrapped the remaining uneaten fish in cloth and stuffed them into his left cargo pocket.

"Alright I'll take first watch," Z said standing up and checking his rifle.

"One on, one off?" Nearmyer asked as he started to clear a spot on the ground near the fire.

"No," Z said. "You know as well as I do you're still tried as shit after that. Half on half off. I'll take the first five hours. If it's not light by 10 hours then we'll do one on, one off."

"Sounds good," Nearmyer said as he laid on his back looking at the now dark sky. He pulled his rifle so it was on his chest at port arms. "Kind of pretty." He remarked as he looked at the bright and numerous stars. Z just nodded as he sat back down on the log and peered into the dark jungle the only light was the flickering fire. Nearmyer had fallen asleep quickly like he always did, Z always wondered how he did it. Z also knew that he would stay asleep for nothing less than a gunshot or explosion or if something touched him. He would awake instantly if so much as fly would land on his boot. He himself was the opposite and would wake at the slightest and smallest sound of any kind if he didn't recognize it. Then with the venom flowing through him he could hear everything from the crocking of, what he guessed were, frogs to the buzzing of insects. He was starting to get the hang of focusing his hearing however and that's how he heard the heartbeat that was somewhere behind and above him. He could smell her as well once the smell of fish had finally left his noise. He had picked up on her a while back but didn't say anything as to not let on that he knew she was there.

"Whoa, thought it was a nightmare," Z sang softly as he set his rifle down by his side hoping to draw her in again. ""It's all so true. "They told me don't go walkin' slow, the devil's on the loose. Better run through the jungle. Better run through the jungle. Don't go lookin' back."

She watched them with carefully but especially him. The one that had hit her first and had knocked her out. When she awoke she was first surprised that she was even alive then she was angry first with herself. She had made many mistakes one was underestimated her prey. Then she went after them in a straight line relying solely on her camouflage a young blood mistake. Then when she had found most of her weapons were missing she was really angry, she was furious at them, at him. Every hunter can make mistakes but there was no greater dishonor then losing their weapons. She had picked up there trail again easily enough but this time kept her distance moving around them as not to keep to a straight path this time. One had gone to sleep while the other, the one she wanted to skin first, was still awake. He had placed his weapon on the ground next to him and started to sing as he relaxed. She was weary of his actions because of last time though. So she watched him for a bit longer as he then removed the ammunition from his weapon and took it apart for cleaning. She had him now as she dropped from the tree branch and landed without making a sound. She started towards him slowly making sure to place every foot down with precision. Once she had closed half the distance and he still had his back to her his weapon in pieces she broke into an all out sprint, a blade spring forth from her right gauntlet.

Once she hadn't moved in on him with his rifle next to him, he to decided to take a risk and take it one step further. He started to field strip it and acted as if to clean it. Despite her best efforts he still heard her land the venom had made sure of that. He heard every step she made and the when he heard her break out into a sprint he closed his eyes and waited for death. Instead he felt her presence behind him and then felt something sharp, that he couldn't see, press against his throat. He sat there waiting for her to drag it across cutting his throat and spilling his blood but she didn't and wondered why. One was out of surprise that the human hadn't flinch or was begging for his life. That was one of the things she lived for was the pleading her prey did just before she ended them. So she decided to it a step further as well be revealing herself so he could see the jagged blade that was pressed to his throat. The human then did something she didn't expect, he sighed in annoyance.

"I heard you coming from a mile away," Z said as he tensioned his body. Although he didn't get survival training he had been forced to take combatives level 2 and 3 when the classes needed more 'volunteers'. The first thing he did was lean back getting distance between his throat and the blade grabbing her arm at the same time. As he leaned back he pulled on her arm pulling her forward as her body weight shifted. As she fell forward he tucked his legs up to his chest and once her chest was above his he kicked his legs back out planting both in her stomach. Then using his legs and his arms he rolled her onto her back falling with her landing on top. He landed sitting on her chest his knees pining her arms above her head his right hand drawing his knife and held it to the side of her neck. He glanced quickly over at Nearmyer to ensure he was still sleeping and then leaned in closer so he could whisper.

"Look I know I'm dead already," Z said whispering harshly. "I know it's only a matter of time and I have accepted that fact. But do not fucking toy with me, the only reason I don't kill you is because I don't need any more of your kind pissed off at me." With that he stood up getting off of her and re-sheathed his knife. He walked over and sat back on the log and started to put his rifle back together. She got to her feet unsure of what to do. Twice he had fooled her, twice he had bested her and twice he had let her live, perhaps she had misjudged him. She removed her helmet the hissing the tubes make when she removed them caused him to look back up. In the flickering light for the fire he was able to see her clearly. She was about a head taller than he was, had full breasts covered in a thin looking garment and wonderful curves. Once she had removed her helmet he could see her face and her smooth looking skin and mandibles. He turned his attention back to his rifle as he slipped the bolt back into the upper receiver. She walked over to him, how dare he ignore her. She grabbed him under his chin and pulled him to his feet and turned his face to the side. Z rolled his eyes as she turned his face to the other side still not struggling. She couldn't believe he still wasn't afraid of her.

"Kill me already," Z said with annoyance. She tighten her grip on his face and considered doing just that. Instead she still held his face for reasons she didn't know herself she kept him alive. She then leaned in closer and Z heard her growl or purr he didn't know which was which. He then watched as she leaned in even closer and opened her mouth. The next thing he knew she was running her tongue along the side of his face. It was warm and wet and when it reached his ear in worked its way inside. Then before he could react to that she had pressed her mouth over his and that same tongue he had felt on his face he felt in his mouth. He pushed her off of him then, shoving her hard causing her to stumble back. Before she could do anything he had pulled his knife from his thigh again.

"No," Z said forcefully holding his knife in front of him. "I'm already taken. You can kill me but I won't do that." She pulled her helmet back on and re-cloaked herself just before she ran back into the jungle. How dare he reject me she thought as she ran, one way or another she would have him.

The other hunter had watched all this unfold and then her rival flee. She had tracked the two humans as well but at a much greater distance as not to reveal herself to her prey or the other hunter. She was puzzled as to why her rival did what she did with the one called Z. She could see why she became attracted to him since he seemed to be the alpha of the two and knowledgeable enough to survive. However the other was knowledgeable in his own way knowing more than any human should about her people. She thought about killing them both when the one known as Z looked right at her despite her camouflage and distance.

"I know you're there as well," Z said looking at the branch that to most would be just a branch. Z watched as the other one sunk back further into the jungle as well. He then finished putting his rifle back together. He watched the jungle again his head swimming.