A/N: Thanks guys, for all of your reviews so far, especially someguest and 25Tachigami! Please keep your critiques coming!

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 11

In a couple of days, everything would be turning back to normal. Amazon and her war buddies were about to go kill the bug base or whatever, and then he could try his best to forget everything that transpired the past week or two. Things looked under control. Perhaps he could text his friends now and set up a movie day. As an afterthought, he turned on the TV, setting it to the news to see if anything relating to his experiences might have happened recently.

He filed through his contacts, before hearing the front door brusquely being pushed open. He jumped slightly, not necessarily relaxing when he realized it was Amazon. He watched her warily as she determinedly stalked to his fridge, grabbing everything she could in one arm.

God dammit.

"Please, help yourself to anything in the fridge," he mouthed sarcastically. No way in his right mind was he going to say that aloud. As she walked back towards the door with half of the fridge contents, she bucked at him, growling out a "C'jit".

Tony watched her exit the house with disbelief, before turning to look blankly at the TV. He laughed shortly with his hand in his mouth. "What the hell..." he muttered, struggling to suppress an uncontrolled grin as he watched the empty doorway again.

His semi-amused attitude dropped however when the TV screen blared a 'BREAKING NEWS' image. He grabbed the remote from the table in front of him and turned the volume up.

"-Own Area. The City Museum has been shutdown for an indeterminate length of time. Initially, a security guard was murdered there by a gunshot wound to the chest, perhaps by would be robbers of the facility. According to the NYPD, the suspects are still at large and they may have returned for another round of killing."

Tony didn't know what to think of the report. It was probably the same security guard that his father mentioned last week. But apparently, nothing was stolen. Briefly, he wondered if this had anything to do with Amazon, but he wasn't sure how. The mention of the security guard briefly reminded him of the officer that Amazon killed, which still gave him a bad taste in his mouth. He sighed. He was interacting too much with her. For a time, he couldn't talk to his friends, and Amazon was the only one he could, besides his father. But the fact was she killed a cop. He shuddered to think that she probably killed hundreds before she ever met him. He felt a bit ignorant for not coming to grips with this sooner and he couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't dead yet.


Amazon threw the food in a preservative unit in her ship. She didn't need to eat until tomorrow, but felt the need to assert her point. Tony should be grateful she was risking her life killing the serpents. She closed the unit with more force than necessary, before making her way to the cockpit. The leader of the hunting party that received her message, U'keba, who was known for stealth, would land his ship near enough to the museum to not be detected. He was also a hell-hound's ass. He found it amusing that she would be on Earth hunting and not at home raising young. His brothers were wise not to encourage him.

She didn't feel like flying the ship over there, but time was important. The longer she lagged behind, the more time the Hive would have a chance to grow large enough to be uncontrollable. Dropping heavily into her seat, she activated pre-flight controls and set a path to the museum.

With the ship, the trip was not long enough to be set to Auto-Pilot. Her ship landed on the museum's roof, a few yards away from U'keba's ship, which was along the edges of the large lot behind the building. She entered through the back door where the clan was waiting for her.

"Nice of you to join us," U'keba greeted sarcastically in their native language, looking her over once before leading his brothers further in.

"It is," she shot back with equal sarcasm. U'Keba only scoffed.

"It is interesting that you have appropriated a human household. Why are you there?" he questioned conversationally. His attitude sounded quite arrogant.

"I get my food. That is all," she grunted. Her voice was carrying the impression that the conversation ends there. He didn't seem to get it though. He continued the same subject as they all neared the room which housed the Hive.

"That boy gives you your food? That doesn't sound like a survivalist," he remarked, mock pleasantly.

"He's just there," she growled in reply. Out of all the nearby Yautja, why him? He was extremely irritating to talk to. "It's none of your business," she added. They all kneeled to either side of the door.

"Of course," he said with a laugh. Amazon had the impression that he was expecting such an answer.

"You always were untraditional," the clan leader said, preparing the mine charges to the door. "You are extremely reckless."

"And yet I am still here. Some would say you are overly cautious," Amazon returned, raising her head at him arrogantly.

"Better to be prepared than arrogant," he antiphoned sagely, placing the now ready charge on the door. U'keba, his clansmen and Amazon all backed away from the door, and prepared their Plasma Cannons.

"Perhaps you should begin to follow your own advice?"

Amazon could see his shoulders rise and fall in amusement at her comment. The door blew backwards with explosive force followed by hisses from the hive that were holed up inside.

"You may need it more," the clan leader finally stated before letting his plasma cannon fire away at the nearest enemies.

At least six or seven of the serpents exploded in acid and guts from the opening salvo. The Yautja improvised a wing formation to keep the advancing hard meats from breaching their defense.

"Don't do anything stupid," U'keba warned Amazon. Their plasma cannons had a small cool down period and would not be practical for the whole mission. The serpent warriors steadily closed in, forcing them into hand to hand. The strike team collectively unsheathed their blades, crossing swords with tails. Although the serpent hive was relatively small, it's numbers were still large. They held together though, as the two blooded warriors to her right quickly dispatched a serpent warrior that attempted to leap at them and another one that tried charging at them. The group steadily moved forward, chopping down one that got too close and blasting others from a distance.

Once the last serpent warrior was killed, much stronger hisses of a higher timbre sounded further in.

"What was that?" Amazon asked U'keba.

"It is the Queen Serpent's Royal Guard. Prepare Yourselves."