The MRE's they had eaten weren't as bad as Jasmine thought they'd be. When she and Marcus had returned from their emotional excursion, the humans had rested and eaten, and the yautja were more than ready to resume the hunt. They hadn't lost as much daylight as she feared.
She and Marcus had relayed the information to Mike and Alexa, about the Weyland military they had witnessed ushering people towards the FEMA camps. Mike hadn't liked that news at all, as it profoundly changed the plans they had previously made. If they had marched through the streets, corralling people against their will to the other camps, then it was a matter of time before they came to Queens to do the same. In preparation for what seemed to be the inevitable, Mike, Alexa, and Astro had procured the command center that Bishop had left operational before his untimely demise. The men who had occupied the space were vacant, but had left the center functional. It was for all intents and purposes an armored tank, which was immune to certain electrical disturbances, and hacking of its systems. They'd moved it to a more strategic area, after using its override functions to close and deactivate all gates into and out of the area leaving just one on the western edge. They positioned the rolling command center nearest that gate, which was also where the remaining survivors had huddled, too afraid to make a move either way. After that, they waited.
Marcus was quieter than usual, and had a funny vibe. Astro had to rethink it several times before opting to simply not speak to his friend. He was morose, and had a murderous look in his eyes. Moreover, he looked as if he had been crying as well. Astro had no idea what had transpired, but he had also noticed that Marcus' sister wasn't in such a good mood either. She also had not spoken much, and silently left the humans in favor of the alien hunters.
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Kujhade watched as Jasmine donned her armor and weapons and followed along. There was something very different about her mood and her scent. The yautja had no words to express emotions such as grief or deep sadness, but there was something going on with her just the same. He had no time to be distracted, but he hoped that his mate was not so out-of-sorts as to jeopardize herself or the mission.
All the hunters had stealthily, and painstakingly made their way to the sewer entrances that marked the outer edges of the nest, and worked inward. As before, Mar'cte and Nanku were together, Thwei worked alone after Alexa refused to leave the humans, and Kujhade and Jasmine were once again paired. The plan was to set sonar-based weapons strategically within the sewers, which would drive them up and into broad daylight where they would be more vulnerable and hopefully easier to kill.
Jasmine had taken the lead, knowing just about where they should be, and the best way to get there. Since this was her home world, Kujhade decided to avail of her knowledge of the landscape. He got a little closer behind her, as she carefully placed each of the marble-sized devices down the wide, and partially crumbled tunnel. He clicked a little, and grunted her way. Nothing. She didn't even turn around, or pause what she was doing. He supposed that was the way it should be. She should be focused on the hunt, not on him, but it was out of the ordinary for her. She always paid attention to him; always.
Jazzy knew what Kujhade wanted. He wanted attention, and he wanted to see where her head was at. She and Marcus had returned to the group with the death of their mother weighing heavily around them and in them. Jasmine had been trying to stay strong for her younger brother, but there were no words she could say to make it alright. Despite the circumstances, the fact remained that she had taken her blades and killed her own mother, and she couldn't shake the feeling of wrongness. Deeper down, there was also a sense of having exacted revenge, and Jasmine had forced even the thought of it, way down within her mind and locked it away.
Logically, she'd had no choice but to do what she did. The alternative of watching her mother suffer the unnatural birth of a hard meat, was not even an option on the table for Jasmine. She'd opted not to divulge this to Kujhade, as he would only reinforce the fact the she had made the best possible decision. In fact, it was the only honorable decision to make, but she didn't think she could handle being congratulated for it. However, Kujhade was persistent in his way at times. He was edging closer and closer, grunting and clicking in a way that, on the surface seemed very nonchalant, but Jasmine knew her mate better than that. He wasn't going to stop until she told him what was going on with her. She hadn't wanted to say anything about this, ever, but if she couldn't share her deepest secrets with him, then who else did she have?
Just as she finished placing a handful of devices, she found him suddenly right behind her. She was glad he couldn't see her face. Just at the simple thought of admitting what had transpired had her on the verge of tears, but she fought valiantly against it and won, at least for now. Jasmine turned right into his chest, and surprisingly into his waiting arms. He didn't hug her, but he had gripped large hands on her shoulders and brought her very close to him. She could see him take a big inhale, and knew straight away, that he could literally smell the wrongness on her. As usual, crying wasn't going to get a gentle reaction especially in the midst of a hunt. She did, however, lay her head upon his chest and just breathed.
"I killed my mother, Kujhade," she said bluntly. With him, there was no other way. If he was shocked or taken aback at all, he did not show it. His breathing rate did not falter.
"We found her. She had a chest burster, and I had to," Jasmine said. She exhaled loudly, centering herself again.
Kujhade couldn't believe what he was hearing. His mate had first shocked him by admitting to behavior that under any other circumstance, would render her a bad blood. He waited for the rest, and when she delivered it, he was relieved to the greatest degree. As an arbiter, whether she was his mate or not, committing such a dishonorable act as to murder your own bearer, would dictate that he dispatch her there and then. However, she had given the very sound reasoning behind the act, which changed it from despicable to honorable in a matter or moments.
Time was of the essence, so he could not spend it here comforting her, but her scent had changed dramatically. He took that to mean that this small moment had been necessary for her if not for him, and he was pleased that she had yet again shown him a deeper level of trust. Contrary to his normal course of action, he was about to tell her that she had acted correctly, but she had pulled away before he could gather the words. Without saying more, and most especially without crying, she simply went back to the task. A good hunter. He had even thought to himself in that moment, that she might become a great hunter one day. She certainly had the building blocks of one, and it yet again validated her as a prime choice for a life mate. Without wasting more time, Kujhade continued to set the charges alongside her.
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This was one of the best days elder Thwei had had in a while. It almost erased the ugliness of the R'ka situation back on Yaut Prime. He'd made the excellent decision to participate in this great hunt, and had even succeeded in finding the human female he had set out to find. He did not understand the how his chances had been so good to find her on a vast planet such as this, but he'd located her just the same. Truthfully, if he had not found her, it would not have been such a great loss, but still.
Now, he had only to determine how to persuade her to come away with him. The thought was crazy. He had never actively pursued any other species besides yautja for mating. It seemed to Thwei, that a certain series of events and experiences had led him to this path, and therefore he was obliged to see it to its conclusion. It had all started with chasing R'ka to fulfill a vow which he really shouldn't have had to do. But then, he'd met Jasmine and many things had stirred deep within him. She reminded him greatly of the Alexa female, and if he was being truthful with himself, seeing her mate the arbiter was the final straw in making his decision to seek out Alexa.
He'd found her, which was step one. Step two, was bringing her back with him. It was equally as exciting as the hard meat hunt, if not more so. She seemed put off by him if he was to go by her physical reactions, but her scents told a different story. While not totally welcoming, she had seemed more curious than fearful, and he thought he knew how to handle that. She was altogether intriguing. On the way to this relatively primitive planet, Thwei had watched the footage of his pup, marking the female with the clear intent to mate her. Even when Thwei himself had approached her to give her a trophy for her valiant fighting, she had only been cautiously apprehensive, but not completely afraid. It was still the same way. She was cautious, and this showed good judgment. She also showed curiosity as it pertained to him, and this showed that there was hope in going further. It also let him know she had intelligence. Only an intelligent being would attempt to overcome their fear in order to learn more about that which they were afraid of. Knowledge often allayed fear, and so this was a good thing.
Alexa would be his. This was a non-negotiable fact as far as Thwei was concerned. He wondered briefly upon meeting them, whether or not the large adult male had a claim over her. He didn't think so, but if that was the case, that wasn't anything that a challenge wouldn't solve. Surely, she would be swayed by the larger more powerful male, and Thwei had no doubt about his victory in such a case.
Suddenly, he whipped around, his canon charged and ready. There was a sound, like something splashing quietly into the foul water he was standing knee deep in. Thwei scanned the cramped, dank, dark tunnel. Flipping from one visual mode to the next, he saw nothing living except for a few scurrying animals that humans called rodents. He clicked quietly. The sound had raised his hackles, and Thwei was always inclined to believe his gut feeling even over his eyes. The eyes could be tricked, but hundreds of cycles of hunting instinct were difficult to deceive.
Thwei backed up slowly, always scanning the area all around him. He took his short spears in each hand, his senses becoming keener by the second. Something was here with him, whether he could see it or not. It had been suspiciously devoid of hard meats anyway, and that had done nothing but place him on edge despite his more pleasant thoughts about the human female. As he continued to look around, there seemed to be more and more of those rodent creatures gathering in the flooded tunnel. They were coming in from overhead, gathering on the busted pipes, and dropping into the fetid water, only to swim away in the direction from whence Thwei had just come. He may not have known much about the nature of rats, but he knew enough about hunting to know that prey animals scattered in the presence of a predator. Only, they had not been running from him, they were running past him. A large fat one even dropped on Thwei's shoulder rig before plopping into the water below.
They were exiting through a craggy hole just above and to his left, and they were swimming in the opposite direction of where he had been headed. Good. That meant he was going the right way. Still, he kept watch over the growing rodent exodus. He backed up slowly, watching them and looking in every direction. Eventually, the rodents began to clog the crude entrance, squeaking their disapproval of being bottlenecked. Thwei finally decided there were no larger threats currently present. With one last look around, he turned back to move forward, and stopped again. No, his instincts were still buzzing, hackles still raised. Forget the rats, because whatever they were fleeing from was here. He couldn't see it, but he could feel it.
Before him, the tunnel split off into a fork. One side was pitch black, and the other was relatively clear and even had sputtering lights going down its length. The lights did not improve visibility. Instead, it only created shadows which seemed to shift and move of their own accord. Had he been seeing things in the human spectrum, he would have had a hard time detecting the threat which loomed ahead of him. Luckily, there was only one visual spectrum which allowed hard meats to be seen, and he was using it. He readied his weapons once more. He'd locked in on his target, and sensing that it had been spotted, decided to uncoil itself from around the entrance to the dimly lit tunnel. This was no drone. This was what Thwei often referred to as the "queen's guard", and what Weyland jargon called Praetorians. Its large crest gleamed even in the low light, and its silvery fangs glinted as it bared them.
It snarled viciously, and received one in kind. The tail whipped in from nowhere, taking the elder by surprise as he just barely dodged a death blow to the head. The sharp tip was more than powerful enough to pierce the mask, so he needed to be extra careful. The advantage was with the hard meat, as it did not need as much space to maneuver in the restricted tunnel. There was no cover to take, no higher vantage points to assume. However, Thwei had not lived this long without the ability to adapt and adjust. The plasma cannon would need to be reserved as a last resort. All data gathered by his mask, indicated these underground structures had been badly compromised, and any undue impacts could cause them to collapse, either trapping him inside or killing him.
The tail strikes seemed wild and uncoordinated, but Thwei had pulled enough stunts in his long life to know a distraction when he saw one. He nimbly dodged the tail, cutting at it every time it made a pass over his head, but he was watching the large hard meat's body and head movements. It moved quickly, never coming at him from one direction, but all directions. It crawled up along the walls and ceiling, attempting to maneuver itself behind him or to perhaps catch a blind spot, but it wasn't going to work. It was an amateur tactic at best, and one that Thwei hoped the overgrown hard meat would continue to do. In an effort to distract again, it lashed out with its tail, but Thwei was ready. Grabbing it by the end, Thwei slammed the hard meat against the wall, cracking the cement and sending a dust shower raining down on them both. It was hardly dazed, as it twisted back on all fours and lunged at the elder. Six claw-tipped fingers grabbed at the elder's head as it went flying by, just missing by mere inches. Growing tired of the scuffle, Thwei turned on his heels, and released a short barrage of plasma shots from his cannon, downing the alien as it leaped in midair. It crashed to the wet floor, sending the foul water spraying everywhere. Not wasting any time, Thwei went over and cut the fingers off, taking them as trophies. Taking any other part of the body would prove too cumbersome, as the hunt was far from over. There would be plenty of kills to make and trophies to collect. Tucking the long bony fingers into the leather strap slung around his hips, he moved further into the nest.
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Nanku had been unusually quiet. Always boastful about what she would kill and how it would be done, Mar'cte noticed she seemed to be in deep thought. At first, he thought she was focusing more on the hunt, but when she opened her mouth to ask the question that appeared to have been plaguing her, Mar'cte couldn't contain his shock.
"Master hunter, tell me, what do you really think about our clan leader's hybrid offspring?" She asked suddenly. The tone was casual, but Mar'cte couldn't help but pause.
"There is only one thing I think, young blood, and that is how we will best clear this infestation the humans have so carelessly released. I would suggest you think of the same," he admonished, then moved silently forward.
Nanku knew he was correct, but she still had to press for the answer. She clattered her tusks lightly, drawing his attention again, along with his growing annoyance.
"Do you believe a human male is strong enough to produce pups?" She blurted out. She continued to scan the area, but felt Mar'cte's eyes boring into her. He growled low, his patience wearing thin, and eyes narrowing behind his mask as he glared at her.
"Humans produce pups daily. They can't seem to stop producing pups. What is the aim of these questions, Nanku? Out with it, as we will not stop a hunt to cater to your witless questions again," he growled out. He liked the young female, but felt like if they made it out of this, he would have to educate her about her lack of focus for future hunts, in the kehrite.
Feeling that she was treading on thin ice, she turned to Mar'cte and squared her shoulders. No need to shrink away now.
"Do you believe a human male could produce pups with a strong yautja female?" She asked. There, it was out.
Mar'cte clicked irritably, but he couldn't help but be intrigued by such a thought. He knew now by example, that humans and yautja could have offspring together, but had honestly never considered the thought that one of their own females would even tolerate the presence of such weak males, let alone accept a sexual challenge from one.
"Which of these weak human males could even survive the mating? No, Nanku. Are we done with senseless questions?" Mar'cte asked. He was starting to become truly angry with her at this point.
"Sei-i. Forgive me master hunter," Nanku said, and quietly trudged on. Mar'cte glared after her for a few moments before continuing himself. It was a strange line of questions, and it unsettled him. He didn't feel any threat coming from her, but wondered if he should bring it to Kujhade's attention anyway. Finally deciding that it wasn't worth it, Mar'cte set the last of the charges in his hand.
They were inside the nest, but hadn't seen any hard meats. Having finished her own task, Nanku came back, walking past him to leave the sewer tunnels. Once outside, they took up their positions at least one city block from each other. Mar'cte took it upon himself to send out the signal that he and Nanku were ready, then settled perched on the ledge of a low rooftop.
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The rumble of the convoy could be heard before they even reached the gate. The radio chatter coming in through the command center was angry and confused. Why wasn't anyone answering? Checking the cameras mounted outside the gate, Mike seemed relieved that there weren't as many as he thought there'd be. He turned towards Astro and Marcus, nodded a signal as the two young men left the command center confines and took position.
"Alexa, you're up," Mike said through the mic.
"Roger that," Alexa spoke into her earpiece. She was standing near the gate's booth. As the vehicles approached, she stood out from the gate waiving her hands as if to flag them down.
"MA'AM! STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE, AND KEEP YOUR HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE 'EM!" A voice boomed out from the lead Humvee. Alexa put her hands way up.
"I just wanna turn myself in. I'm Alexa Woods!" She called out.
"We know who you are, just stay right there or so help me god, I will kill you where you stand!" The voice called again. A few seconds later, a flood of military goons piled out of the vehicles, guns drawn and trained upon her. Just as they were surrounding her, about to apprehend her, a small canister rolled silently into the midst of them. Alexa smiled at the man directly in front of her.
"I'm glad you think this shit storm is funny. I'll make sure I'm the one to wipe that goofy looking smile of your face," he said menacingly. Alexa shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't think it's funny, but I was wondering something," she said cryptically.
"I suggest you shut up. The captain doesn't like bitches with smart mouths," the one behind her said, as he prepared zip-tie cuffs.
"How long can you hold your breath?" She asked suddenly to the captain, a large smile on her face.
"What?!" He asked irritably.
"Your breath, captain. How long can you hold it?" She asked again.
"What the hell does that mean?"
Alexa hunched her shoulder again, still smiling.
"Nothing," she said, then kicked back hard, landing a blow to the leg of the man behind her. Simultaneously, almost in slow motion, a shot rang out and the captain went down hard. Thick fog hissed from the small container as the soldiers immediately began to shoot in all directions. Alexa grabbed the gun from the dead captain's hands and shot from below. The gun was not like any she'd ever seen, but she didn't have time to stop and inspect it. All she knew, was that it was more powerful than a shot gun, with half the weight and recoil.
The effect of the fog was mitigated by a strong breeze coming off the ocean. It obscured vision, but was being whisked away almost as fast as the canister could empty. At once, the soldiers began to maneuver more cohesively, but it would be for naught. The fog had done its job.
"Drop your fuckin' weapons you pieces o' shit," a strange man said. He wore civilian clothes and looked haggard, and pissed. The soldiers were now surrounded by the few remaining survivors. Mike came strolling between them, his gun drawn and an intense look on his face. He lightly clapped the man holding the gun, on the shoulder as he walked by. Mike stopped before one of the soldiers and peered down at the slightly shorter man.
"Tell us what we wanna know. How many more of you are there, and where is the military? The real military?" Mike asked. The man stared defiantly, and shook his head slowly.
"I ain't telling you shit," he said, eliciting grunts of approval from his comrades.
In a flash, Mike took the butt of the sawed-off shotgun he was holding, and smashed it into the man's face. Stunned, the man staggered back, receiving only a boot to the sternum, as Mike kicked him to the ground. Stepping one foot onto the man's chest, Mike leveled the shotgun and promptly blew the man's head off. He turned to the next man, shotgun muzzle at his face.
"You talking or nah?" He asked. The man stared at the muzzle, then back up at Mike. When it seemed he would hesitate, Mike cocked the gun, and the man began to sing.
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"Okay, so there's a military base in Jersey. You should take a few men and one of these vehicles and find a way out of the city. You think you'll be okay?" Mike asked one of the survivors.
The man nodded solemnly.
"Yeah, my brother used to serve, so I know where it is," he looked down at one of the dead Weyland soldiers with disdain.
"These fuckers rounded us up and put us in fucking concentration camps. Right here in America. America, man! They gotta pay, so we'll do what we have to, and thanks. You got one hell of a crew with you Mr. Harrigan," the man said, looking between Mike, Alexa, Astro, and lingering upon Marcus. The man leaned in close to Mike.
"You think he's alright? I mean, he looks a little, I don't know, extremely pissed," the man whispered to Mike. He was slightly alarmed when Marcus turned to him as if he'd heard it. He was standing at least ten yards away or more, but was glaring at the man anyway. Mike cast a look, and furrowed his brow. He could understand the concern. From what he was aware of, Marcus had not slept in a significant amount of hours and did not seem unusually fatigued. He had also grown. At first, Mike thought nothing of it, but when he'd met him, Marcus was barely six feet tall, now he was nearly eye-to-eye with Mike, and Mike was a healthy 6'5" or so. The muscle mass was another concern. It seemed to be coming from nowhere. It was as if the young man was "juicing" or taking steroids, but that wasn't even possible, and steroids didn't work that way. He was bulky, and it was defined and not merely for show. His strength level had gone up as well. Mike watched as he'd effortlessly tossed one man over his shoulder, and throw him at least a few feet.
"He's going through a lot right now, but he'll be okay. No worse than the rest of us I guess," Mike replied. That seemed to satisfy the man, who shook hands with Mike, then gathered a small group of men to leave with.
Mike and Alexa made sure that the remaining survivors had a way out of the city themselves. The less people around, the less numbers for the hive, even if the numbers were already out of control. After everyone had left, the small group convened near the mobile command center. Mike and Astro cast another wary glance at a brooding Marcus.
"Lighten up dude, we gonna kick ass in just a minute," Astro tried. Marcus only glanced up, flashing a brief smirk before reaffixing his scowl firmly in place. Deciding that enough was enough, Astro took a chance. He liked Marcus, although they had known each other only a short time, and under the strangest of circumstances. They were close in age, with Astro only being three years older, and he felt that after all this, and if they all made it out alive, that he and Marcus would share all the makings of a good friendship. Besides, whatever was going on, it was clear that Marcus was in some sort of emotional turmoil that he was refusing to discuss. Astro came near, and beckoned Marcus to follow. He was just a little surprised to find that his young friend came along willingly enough.
"Hey man, what's going on?" Astro asked, knowing it was probably not going to be quite that easy to receive an answer. Marcus, stared at his friend for a while, before drooping his shoulders, and putting his head down. Astro waited patiently, a trait he wasn't known for at all.
"I found my mom," Marcus offered, then shook his head, still not looking up. Astro waited again, seeing that both Mike and Alexa were hovering closer so they could hear.
"She had a thing," he said, tapping his chest. "We had to."
Alexa gasped lightly, and covered her mouth with both her hands. Astro's face was a mask of empathy, as he risked placing a comforting hand on Marcus' shoulder. To his surprise, Marcus allowed it without resistance. Alexa came up to him, and forcefully grabbed him into a hug. He was now taller than her, but that didn't stop him from leaning down and resting his head on her shoulder. He wasn't crying, but it seemed a relief for him just the same. She looked at Mike with worried eyes, as she rubbed consoling circles on his back.
"Thank you, Ms. Woods," he said with such respect, that it almost broke her heart. For all his size and aggression, he was a young boy who had been through a tremendous amount of loss in a short amount of time. He briefly wrapped strong arms around her, before standing up straight.
"We don't have much time now, but I know your sister will be there for you Marcus. We're gonna make it out of here, and you'll be with her again for a long time," she said, reaching up to caress a smooth cheek. He nodded, and flashed a quick, tired smile before readjusting himself and his weapon. She watched, as his face became like stone; emotionless. It was frightening how well he could bury his emotions, in the blink of an eye.
"All the people are evacuated, so we should send the signal now," Marcus said to Mike, who immediately did so. With Kujhade's reluctant permission, Jasmine had given Mike a small communication device for the task. She had to promise to retrieve the device when all was said and done.
"Jasmine, it's all clear. Ready when you are. Over and out," Mike spoke into it. A few moments later it flashed twice. She'd gotten the message.
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Kujhade and Jasmine had received everyone's signal. She looked around, as the sun had begun the first leg of its descent. She watched as Kujhade made a few passes over his wrist gauntlet. When he was done, he leaped upon the roof of an abandoned storefront, and perched.
"Show off," Jasmine mumbled, and then found her own low roof across the street. She couldn't jump as high, but she found that her cleats easily dug into the building's mortar, as she made her way up. She perched over the edge of the roof as well, on all fours, subconsciously taking on the same posture as the creatures they were hunting. She could have easily been mistaken for one on first glance, had anyone happened by and saw her.
It could not be heard above ground, but soon it would be felt. The small charges weren't bombs, but sonic devices which emitted a signal that only few beings could hear. Collectively, the sound was like a tsunami, as it rolled through the underground tunnels. Once they reached a fever-pitch, the ground began to vibrate. Inside the nest, the hard meats were shrieking and scrambling aimlessly. It was all the queen could do to try to communicate with them, as she herself was beginning to succumb to the sonar attack. The sounds vibrated through them, and although she was the most resistant, she was not immune. The lesser drones had begun to rend and gnash among themselves, killing each other in the process of blindly trying to escape. Even her queen's guard turned this way and that. Only their fierce loyalty and instinct to protect her at all costs, held them from running haphazardly and attacking anything in their path.
The young queen had been laying eggs. The egg chamber was near to capacity, and there were waiting hosts, but this could not wait. She watched as the eggs themselves began to burst, the precious life within, dying before her eyes. Steadying herself as much as she could, she tore herself away from her ovipositor. She called to them above the din of the noise that only they could hear.
Out! Escape!
That was the overarching directive. Leading by example, with her guards close behind, the queen made her own exit.
Jasmine tried to prepare herself, but the sheer numbers were staggering. They came pouring from underground, screeching, spitting, and nearly tearing themselves apart. She was following Kujhade's lead as he had instructed. As of yet, he had not shot any of them, as they were doing a damned good job of killing themselves. In fact, from what Jasmine could see, Kujhade was barely paying any attention to the drones. He was looking for the queen. Growing agitated because she had not made an appearance, Kujhade opened fire upon those who still had the wherewithal not to attack themselves. However, the daylight still assaulted them with a sense of disorientation, and it was easy pickings.
Lifting her bow from her back, Jasmine joined in on the fun. The arrows were more effective than she could have dreamed. They pierced through the hard meats like a hot knife through butter. The sunlight was doing its job. They came running out, but they never seemed able to get themselves organized. By now, they would have been climbing the walls, but they were only scrambling around in confusion. Kujhade had meanwhile gone down into the thick of them with his whip in hand.
For a moment, Jasmine was mesmerized. He was awesome to watch. For all his size, strength, and muscle mass there was a certain grace and fluidity to his movements, that Jasmine had never seen anywhere else. He was a Spartan warrior from another world. Kujhade plowed through them with little effort. He'd done this dance many times, and his expertise was evident. His armor gleamed in the sunlight, as he moved fluidly between them. Jasmine chose to stay up top. Sure, she could have gone down, but something told her there was a lot more fighting to be done, and she'd need to preserve her strength if she didn't want to be a burden in the fight. Also, it didn't hurt to watch him work.
It took nearly thirty minutes to kill them all, but there was still no queen in sight. Kujhade roared in both triumph and frustration, for not having a bigger challenge. Seeing that there were no more, Jasmine made her way down to the street. She had to step over the dead smoldering carcasses to get to her man. Slowly, she circled him as he readjusted his armor, growling low and watching her. Jasmine ran her fingertips up the inner part of his muscular thigh, and over his equally muscular buttocks. He gave something close to a yelp, and stared at her in surprise.
"You know, there's nothing that turns me on like a hunter who can rip the heads off three hard meats, and then look sexy as hell doing it," she cooed to him, in a sultry voice. She grazed her fingernails along his sides, and then along his abs, all while circling him. Jasmine stopped in front of him, her hands roaming all along his front. It elicited a loud purr. Suddenly, he grabbed her up by the throat and pinned her against a nearby wall. He pulled her leg up and forcibly wrapped them around himself, grinding against her as well.
"Such a distracting female! If we were not in the middle of such an important hunt, I would mate you here until you lost your voice from screaming my name," he growled. He brought his mask close to her face, and ground himself against her again.
"When we get back to the ship, Kujhade, maybe you can teach me a lesson about being such a distracting female," Jasmine said, then ran her nails against his ribs again.
"I will," he said, then released her throat, causing her to drop to her feet. He stalked off proudly, and she couldn't help but watch him.
"Come, hunter! There is more killing to be done," he called behind, and got off to a trot.
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The outpouring of hard meats from underground was easily taken care of. Thwei, surveyed the kills, confused about where the queen might be. He'd taken care of a guard, so she shouldn't be too far behind. Just as he was thinking about contacting Kujhade to see if he had run into the queen, he heard a low rumble. It sounded like a stampede from afar, but it was coming from beneath the street. From the same holes in the ground that the drones had come through, came three large hard meats. The queen and two of her guards. They seemed slightly confused, but less so than the group of drones. He hadn't quite planned on dealing with all three at once, but he was also never one to shy away from such a grand challenge. He was perched on a light fixture above the street. They had not sensed him yet, but it wouldn't be long before they cleared their heads and started using their brains. If he wanted to live through the encounter, he would need to strike immediately. First, the guards needed to be taken care of. Thwei shot at one of them, then jumped to a nearby building. He had to keep distance from them, and keep them confused as long as possible. If he could manage to stay on the move, and attack from different angles, he had a chance.
The hard meat shrieked and tried to track where the shot had come from, but she couldn't just yet. She lashed her tail blindly, but she wasn't even close. Thwei shot again, and tossed one of his shuriken for good measure, striking the queen's crest this time. It took a good chunk out of her crown, before it returned to his hand. The queen screeched, and lashed out, not as blindly as her guard. She stood at least two stories high, and her tail was twice that length. The queen spotted him, and began to run towards the building he was on. Thwei leaped off, just in time to miss a set of claws which would have ripped him to shreds. She barked an order to her two guards, directing them where she needed them to go. They obeyed the best they could. The sun was in the first stages of its decline still, but was still effective. They both managed to climb the building, attempting to flank him, and cut off any route of escape. Thwei had to think fast. His net was too small to cover any of them entirely, but maybe he could buy some time. He shot out a net at one of the guards, managing to aim at its face. The force of the net drove the hard meat backwards over the ledge of the building. He could hear it screeching and struggling to get out as the net restricted. That would only work for a moment, as the acidic blood would surely burn through. He shot at the other guard, hitting it square in its chest. It stumbled back, but did not fall. Instead, it charged him. Thwei nimbly dodged to the side, but was caught and tossed across the street. He slammed into a light pole, dented it, and fell to the ground. He didn't have time to be disoriented. Gathering his bearings quickly, Thwei watched as all three closed in on him. Perhaps, with all his planning, Cetanu had another plan. No matter. Every hunter would eventually meet his end. The only honorable way to enter into the eternal hunt, was by dying on your feet. Charging his twin cannons, Thwei let loose a barrage of shots. He roared loudly and charged forward, going right for the queen. If he was to die, he would take her with him.
Just as he was running full tilt towards his final prey, the guards suddenly became occupied with something else. Thwei was fully expecting to be killed by one of them, since he was going for their queen, but that would not be the case. He heard two familiar roars coming from behind his position, but he had no time to look around. Thwei's focus was the queen. He took a running start and leaped for her crown, preparing his two combi-sticks in the process. Just as he was about to strike, she turned and whipped her tail, knocking him through the air. He landed nearly a block away, with a thud on the hard asphalt.
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Nanku and Mar'cte hadn't had much to do. There wasn't nearly as many hard meats as they had anticipated. It was Mar'cte's idea to go towards the elder rather than towards the humans to assist. Now that they had arrived, Nanku realized that he had been absolutely correct. Two guards and the queen were all here, and Thwei was alone. They came just in time to see the elder, bravely meeting the Black Hunter in his last stand. The queen had sent the elder flying, just as Nanku and Mar'cte came to challenge the two guards. Roaring and jumping headlong into the fray, Mar'cte used his smaller size to his advantage. Their inability to properly focus notwithstanding, he was able to move between the two large hard meats before they could react. He ran and slid between their legs, shooting his plasma cannon from underneath them. Seeing how effective this tactic was, Nanku followed suit. Their reaction time really was exceptionally slow for their kind. The two guards were struggling to keep up with their smaller attackers. They were always a few seconds too late to reach or perform a tail strike. The queen, however, worked a little more clearly. She seemed to hang back and watch, but she was communicating with her guards.
They changed tactics smoothly, as the guards stopped trying to fight back, and begin to attempt to funnel the two predators towards the queen herself. The queen had to struggle to keep them on task. This went against their very nature, to allow potential harm to come near her, but she was the most capable of the three while the sun was still shining. The hard meats moved to form a loose triangle of sorts, blocking any escape either up or out, such that the predators found themselves in the middle of them. Every time either predator attempted to move underneath the hard meats, they were blocked harshly, and tossed towards the queen, who then tried to skewer or crush them. Nanku had been caught by a guard and thrown to the queen, who then managed to run the claws of her lesser arm through Nanku's side. She was hurt, but now she was close enough to the queen to try something different. Nanku still had some of the small, marble-sized sonar bombs. She managed to gather a handful from a small pouch on her side, as the queen brought the young female near. The queen's head had fully emerged from her crown sheath, as she let loose a vicious snarl. Nanku roared defiantly, and tossed the small devices at the queen. They were small enough to become trapped in the crevices of her exoskeleton. Not feeling any pain, the queen paid no attention to this move. The tip of her tail hovered as she planned to run the young predator through. With a menacing laugh, which was eerily high-pitched and close to that of a human girl, Nanku programmed the small devices and set them off. The effect was immediate. The queen slammed Nanku to the ground, and shrieked in madness, stumbling and twisting over herself. The guards did not escape. They were thrown completely off kilter by the broken mental link, and began to move frantically, running into buildings, cars, and everything else in their way.
The queen herself, was tearing at her own body, rending herself in an effort to end the debilitating sound. Seeing his chance, Mar'cte slipped between the two guards. Taking a cue from Nanku, he still had the small discs they'd used in the tunnels to cut down the horde of drones. They stuck to anything, and when he threw them at each hard meat guard, they adhered to the exoskeleton, and blinked ready. Needing to press only a single button, he barked at Nanku to move out of the way. They both moved to higher ground, and upon reaching a safer distance, Mar'cte activated the traps. They came to life, the red lasers cutting into the hard meat's flesh instantly. They were cut into small pieces, nearly exploding upon their activation.
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The humans stood upon the top of the mobile command center, silently making their peace and preparing for death. If these Xenomorph's were somehow impaired during the day, they didn't seem so. There seemed to be hundreds of them running towards the encampment, like a black wall of death. It was literally like watching the way a tsunami covered and flowed over everything, deadly in both its approach and its wake. Alexa grabbed and squeezed Mike's hand, then gripped her beloved spear. Marcus had tears in his eyes, but steel in his gaze as he readied his own machine gun. Astro smiled, releasing a cackle that sounded maniacal under the circumstances. Mike had gotten a rocket launcher, and stood ready with it.
"It was nice serving with you," Mike said quietly. "Don't stop shooting until you're dead."
No one responded, but the feeling was mutual. The sea of black madness came rushing to them like a tidal wave. Over the tops of buildings, covered the streets, then over the gates, with some getting caught on the barbed wire there, and trampled by the ones behind them. Mike launched a rocket, and everyone else opened fire, yelling and crying, believing this to be their last stand. But the wave came, and then it went. The Xenomorphs flowed around the command center, paying nary any attention to being shot at and killed. They did not even stop to attack. As one whole mass, like a terrible flock of alien birds, they moved inwards until the last few stragglers came up the rear. Turning to watch the retreat, the humans never stopped shooting, killing as many as possible. As they disappeared into the distance, they all turned to each other in confusion.
"Not that I'm complaining, but why didn't they kill us?" Alexa asked.
"They're going somewhere. Look how they're moving," Marcus offered.
"Let's follow 'em, and end these nasty fuckers!" Astro said excitedly. Everyone tentatively agreed, and made their way down from the top of the command center. They all jumped into the Humvee, and followed the herd.
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Thwei's rib was broken, as was his left ankle. A nice large gash had opened itself along his left arm, where he'd skidded along the concrete to a stop. He'd eased himself over to lean against a nearby vehicle, and began to work on himself. First, the ribs. Using his mask, Thwei could get a sense of the extent of his injury. Only one rib had been broken, and that was a hairline fracture. Not much to be done there, except a painkiller. The ankle was the biggest concern because his mobility would now come at a premium, and there was no way he would be sidelined because he couldn't walk. Thwei took his medi-comp, and opened it, looking for the best tools. He retrieved a large syringe, and filled it a quarter of the way, with a strong painkiller. Angling it as close to the fractured rib as possible, he injected himself. Within a matter of moments, he was breathing better and able to take deeper breaths. He removed his boot, prying it from around his rapidly swelling ankle. With the same syringe, he injected himself near the ankle injury. Paya be thanked, that the bone had not pierced the skin, so he believed the break could be set. It was the wrong angle for one to attempt to do themselves, but after a scan of the break, Thwei aligned his ankle with the high curb of the sidewalk as much as he could to brace it against something hard. With one large hand, he pressed his ankle quickly, moving the bone above the joint back into place, thus realigning the ankle joint itself. He let out a muffled roar, not wanting anyone to perchance hear him express any pain. He then got a small, scalpel-like knife, and made a small incision around the swell. Bright green blood flowed freely, as the swelling decreased instantly. Taking a small vial of a yellowish liquid, Thwei cleaned the small wound which was already healing, and then used the same liquid to debride the gash on his arm. Replacing the vial of liquid, Thwei retrieved a slender metallic item from the medi-comp. He expanded it to reveal it as a splint for his ankle. He filled the small chamber located on one of the metal slats, with a painkiller and antibiotic blend, and set it on his ankle. The splint fit around his lower leg like a cuff, with small needles inside which buried themselves into the muscle tissue. It would numb and work to stop any infection, as well as set the bones. It looked like a mini torture device, akin to an iron maiden.
Thwei watched with a mingled feeling of pride and anger, as the two members of Kujhade's fledgling clan brought down the two guards. He needed to be there, taking care of the queen. This was his kill, and he would not stand idly by as another hunter did his job! Thwei made it to his feet, first testing his weight on his ankle. He was starting not to feel the pain anymore. Good. That meant the drug was working. Unfortunately, he could still feel the weakness of the joint, and was unable to place his full weight upon it. That meant he had to hobble and be careful of reinjury. Thwei hated this! How could he have allowed himself to become this severely injured at his advanced age?! He took a deep breath to calm himself. Even so, he was not even near to dying, so that meant the fight must continue. Shifting nearly all his weight and balance to his good leg, he began to set off in the direction of the fight. From where he stood, it seemed the two guards were not only dead, but the queen herself was in severe distress. He wondered why the two hunters had not finished her off. It appeared they were simply content to watch her in whatever suffering she was enduring.
As he began to hobble his way towards the queen, two things caught his ear. First, coming up quickly behind him was the sound of a human transport. Thwei turned to see an obviously angry Kujhade, and his human mate quickly approaching. The car stopped with a screech, and Kujhade jumped out, growling and fussing at Jasmine. The human female was laughing a little. Angered at the laughing, Kujhade slammed into the side of the still running vehicle, turning it over on its side and roaring at it.
"You're such a big fucking baby Kujhade!" Jasmine yelled, still half laughing.
"I told you no more human transports!" He screamed in her face. Jasmine folded her arms and stood her ground, smiling behind her mask.
"Whatever, big baby. You got in it though, so get over it," she said, rolling her eyes behind her mask, and turning her attention to Thwei. She noticed right away that he was hurt, but acknowledging it would only make things awkward and make him angry. So, instead, Jasmine greeted him normally, with a respectful nod of her head, and went over to reach and shake his shoulder. He clicked his own greeting and turned to the arbiter.
"It seems your clan members have taken my kill, but I won't let them have it quietly," he half-joked.
Kujhade was about to respond, when an increasingly loud sound like thunder rolled towards them.
"What the hell is that?" Jasmine asked absently, already preparing her bow. The two hunters turned their attention towards the sound. Kujhade went to higher ground, looking for the source. He had to have seen it, because he roared loudly and both readied his cannons, and appeared to ready his last resort bomb. Jasmine's eyes went round.
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"Keep up with them Mike!" Alexa screamed, holding on to the inside door handle, as Mike drove like a bat out of hell to keep up.
"This thing isn't exactly known for its speed Lex!" He replied, as he took a corner going nearly 60 mph.
The swarm of Xenomorphs were way ahead of them. Their speed was astonishing, as they easily outpaced the large vehicle. A few minutes later, found them behind the large group of aliens. They'd broken formation and seemed to be completely out of sorts. They were screeching, trying to climb the buildings, doing anything and everything. They appeared to be trying to simultaneously go towards and move away from something. Mike pulled up short behind the group of aliens, being cautious all the while. Although, the small group of people seemed to be the last thing on the collective minds of the aliens, they still opened fire on them. They took cover behind cars, trucks, and walls. The mass was so thick that the people could not see the other side of them, where the queen and the hunters were located. However, they could see the blue flash of discharging plasma cannons coming from above the group.
"I can see those hunter things! Marcus, wanna dive in or nah?" Astro asked excitedly. Marcus threw him an uncertain look, but tentatively nodded in favor of the decision.
"Where the hell are you two going?!" Mike and Alexa yelled in tandem at the two young men.
"We gotta kill 'em, now!" Marcus yelled back. He ran over to the Humvee, and before Mike or Alexa could stop them, Marcus grabbed the bag full of grenades and ran.
"Fuck!" Mike yelled after them. He looked to Alexa who shrugged her shoulders.
"Shit!" He exclaimed again, and followed their lead.
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The queen was still a whirlwind of lashing tail and claws. The sound had driven her into complete madness, and it was now nearly impossible to approach her even for the kill. Nanku was impatiently waiting to take a trophy from her, but was reluctant to shoot her with the cannon. It might destroy her crown or other parts of her, prized for a collection. On the other hand, she could not be allowed to live regardless of the condition of her body after her death. Just as both of them were making up their minds, Kujhade came running up, with his mate and the elder Thwei in tow. He took only a few moments to review the scene, before coming to a quick resolute decision on what to do. Mar'cte and Nanku watched as Kujhade strode forward towards the writhing queen, drawing his wrist blades. Rightfully, the kill belonged to Nanku since she was the one who brought her down initially, but she was too inexperienced to know how to move forward and finish the job in this situation. Killing, of course, came naturally to all of them, and Nanku was no different nor was she any less deserving. However, she still had a lot to learn, and was content to place herself in position to do so.
Kujhade stopped and turned to his clanmates.
"Get to higher ground. She has called her entire hive, and we must leave soon," he said, and turned back to the task.
He took a moment to pick his spot to attack. It seemed chaotic, but she was moving in a loose pattern. She seemed to prefer being on her back, as she pulled at her chest area. Her blood flowed freely, running in pools to the ground making it unstable beneath her. The queen seemed unconcerned with the fact that doing this would likely kill her faster than the sonic weapons she was trying to fight. Kujhade was about to make his move, opting to come from the side and leap onto her for a decapitation, but the sea of black hard meats changed his mind. They were advancing much faster than he first believed when he saw them coming. They were already only a block away, and that was not enough time for him to kill the queen and make it away from her alive. It would be a fool's errand to try it, and he was not ready for this to needlessly be his last hunt. Instead, he climbed to higher ground himself, settling next to Nanku.
He looked over to see Jasmine and Thwei perched together nearby, all of them looking at the coming tide of death. Jasmine made her way to him, just a rooftop over. She had to yell over the din of noise the hard meats were making.
"Kujhade, how are we going to kill all of them?" She asked. With the yautja, it was not always a clear-cut answer. They were headstrong enough to jump headlong into the throng, feeling it the most honorable. On the other hand, they sometimes liked to play the long game, and live to fight another day as long as the task could be completed. He answered without looking her way.
"I have already called for our transports. The human habitation is lost," he said calmly. He then looked back at the horrible scene unfolding from below. Jasmine followed his gaze, letting his words sink in.
On the street below, the drones had reached their queen. They swarmed her in waves. At least fifty or more covered her, trying to remove the devices and dying in the process. The sound was killing some of them, and the queen was killing the rest. Every time they covered her, she went berserk. She wanted their help, needed their help, but was too insane to receive it. Instead, she was crushing them to death with her claws, skewering others with her tail, and ripping others apart. None of them dared attack her. They were helpless before her crazed onslaught. The hunters all watched, as the drones were digging at her, killing her in their desperate need to save her life. Suddenly, she scrambled to her feet, letting out a deafening roar to her subjects. In response, the drones jumped her, covering her from crown to tip, biting and gnashing at her all at once, as she plowed through the dense crowd.
Kujhade had to admit, it was pretty ingenious to have set off those devices directly on the queen's body, but she wasn't dying fast enough. He stood, and opened round after round of his cannon directly at the queen. She whipped around in his direction, but was too confused and close to death to offer any real threat. Despite this fact, his entire clan and the Elder opened relentless fire over the entire group, blowing them to bits on every discharge. Jasmine decided not to waste her bolts which she had recovered from the last batch of bodies, and just use her cannons.
Jasmine would have been having a sick sort of fun killing them so easily, but in the back of her mind she was extremely worried. She had not heard from Marcus or the others, and if they had met this horde of hard meats, then they were likely not even alive. With that in mind, Jasmine went to the edge of the roof she was on, and made the short six-foot leap to the fire escape landing on the side of the building next to it. She climbed to the top to get a better look. Her heart sank. The swarm of drones stretched over many city blocks. Their overall number was staggering. Kujhade had been correct. New York was lost. There was no way to defeat them all down to the very last hard meat. There were simply too many to make sure that not even a single egg remained. She flipped through every visual mode possible, just trying to see any sign in life beyond these horrid aliens who had decimated her home city. In the distance, she thought she saw something. Two human figures, followed by another, and then another had made it to rooftops of their own. Then, a huge explosion followed.
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Marcus and Astro were running along the rooftops shooting, until they were on top of what seemed to be the thickest part of the swarm. Stopping to rifle through the bag, Marcus retrieved the grenades, handing Astro a few of them as well. Without a word, Marcus pulled the pins with his teeth and tossed them haphazardly amid all the aliens. He ran a few more yards, and repeated the action. Getting the message, Astro did the same. Across the street Mike and Alexa were shooting since Marcus had grabbed the entire bag of bombs. About ten seconds later, a huge explosion erupted, blowing alien body parts sky-high, and rocking the already unstable street. A few seconds later, another, then another explosion until they were all detonated. All the while, they all kept running in the direction of the hunters. In the distance, Marcus could see Jasmine waving him over, and jumping up and down.
As they all rejoined, Mike looked upon the carnage of the queen, and cringed. She lay struggling in the street, her brood all around her, killing her and being killed. She was no longer mobile, and they had torn and chewed through her legs. Jasmine ran over to Marcus, jumping up on him and trying to kiss him through her mask, which only made him crack his first genuine smile since earlier that day. It was creepy, considering the front of her mask was the face of one of those monsters, but he let it slide.
Overhead, three ships appeared in the sky, landing on the buildings close by, embedding themselves within. Kujhade began the wrist nuke sequence, as did all the other hunters. Seeing this, Jasmine removed her mask, tears standing in her eyes.
"What the hell is going on Jazzy? Aren't they gonna keep fighting?" Marcus asked nervously. She turned to her younger brother.
"There's just too many of them Marcus. We have to destroy it," she said, her voice thick with emotion. Astro, Mike, and Alexa all exclaimed in the negative.
"No! You're one of them, you have to tell them we can save it! We can save it!" Alexa screamed, marching over and grabbing Jasmine by her shoulders.
"We can't Alexa! You see how many of them there are! You know what they can do! Now, let me go!" Jasmine ordered, wrenching away from the other woman, and starting her own wrist gauntlet sequence.
"So, it's like that? You go off with them, and now all of a sudden you can just kill millions of innocent people?" Mike asked incredulously, giving Jasmine a hard stare.
"If we don't do this, we're looking at maybe the whole eastern seaboard being like this. Hell, even all of America. You think any military or government is prepared for this kind of shit?!" She asked, with a hard edge to her voice. She then sighed, seeing that he was not moved.
"Listen, Mike, I know this is fucked up. This is my home, I grew up here. New York is known all around the world, but it's over Mike. Do you think we can win before they spread? All it takes is one. Just one egg, just one drone, just one queen. Just. One. How many other people will die because we were too chicken shit to do what we need to do today?" Jasmine pleaded. Finally, Mike dropped his eyes. She was right.
"My mate! We must go now!" Kujhade called for her.
"Wait, wait, wait, where the hell do you think you're going? You're not leaving me anymore Jazzy! No!" Marcus exclaimed, his voice laced with terror. He grabbed her arm, and she was surprised at the steely grip.
"I'm not leaving you, Marcus. You're coming with me. C'mon," she said simply, grabbing him by the hand and leading him to the pod. Kujhade growled softly, not liking a third wheel that he didn't authorize.
"Get over it Kujhade. He's coming with me, and that's final. We can fight over it in the kehrite, but I'm not leaving him here to die in the blast, got it?" Jasmine said, standing her ground before her burly alien husband. After a moment of growling in defiance, he whipped his tendrils, purposely smacking her in the face with the tips of them, before entering the pod. Choosing not to say anything to that little display, she stood by as Kujhade handed her his wrist bomb. It was ticking away, but slower than usual. He was giving them time. She looked at him but he only grumbled and turned away in response. She turned to Marcus.
"Okay, he's giving us a little more time than usual," she said. Astro stepped forward.
"Uh, what about us though?" He asked, concern etched over his handsome face. Jasmine looked around, then pointed towards Mar'cte and Nanku.
"They've got room, but you better hurry up, Mar'cte likes to leave on time," she answered. Astro ran over quickly. Surprisingly, Alexa tried to beat him over there, but the younger man was too fast. He shrugged as he tried to negotiate his way into the pod.
Exasperated, Alexa stood with her arms crossed. She knew the power of those bombs, and that the area needed to be cleared or else. She turned back, ready to see if Jasmine had more room, when, as usual, the Elder yautja appeared before her suddenly.
This was a moment she had been both dreading, and secretly romanticizing in her mind ever since Bouvetoya. What would her life had turned into had she gone with him, or had she been invited? She'd forced herself not to think about it, figuring it was a dangerous rabbit hole to go down. When she saw him again this time, she wondered in the back of her mind, if this time he would ask her to come. Now when he held out his large hand in an inviting way, Alexa simply stared at it. This was the moment of truth. In his way, a very universal way which could not be misunderstood, he was asking her to come with him. Her heart hammered in her chest, even as the countdown in her head ticked away. Finally, she forced herself to look him in the face. Of its own volition, her hand moved to place itself into his larger one. Instantly, he closed it, trapping her hand in his fist. The heat coming from him was uncomfortable, as Alexa found herself lifted up and then over his shoulder, caveman style. He hurried to his pod, and set her gently inside, before turning to set his own gauntlet and toss the bomb into the street below. He then entered the craft himself, his large body taking up the majority of the space inside. Alexa glued her eyes to the horror below.
Marcus turned to Mike, who seemed both angry and saddened. He understood the feeling.
"You coming with us, man?" Marcus asked Mike. The older man set his jaw, trying to hide his tears, and looking away.
"No," he said.
"You can't stay here, you'll die Mike," Marcus tried.
"I don't care,"
"Fuck that, yes you do care Mike. At least let us take you out of the city. My sister says these are like nukes or something. The whole city will be… you know," Marcus offered. Mike turned to him angrily.
"Say it! Go ahead and say it! The city will be completely destroyed, and it's all their fucking fault, including your precious sister!" Mike screamed, pointing an accusing finger in Jasmine's direction. He saw Marcus' features harden.
"We don't have time for this bullshit. You either come on right now, or stay here and get blown to fucking smithereens, your choice," Marcus said, and on cue Jasmine tossed both her and Kujhade's bombs down. Her mask regarded Mike coolly as she gently grabbed Marcus by the arm and led him away. He went willingly. Soon after, Mike went to the only pod which seemed to have enough room; with the Elder.
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The pods found their way to Kujhade's ship, which was parked in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of New York. The docking was slow. It was slow enough for all of them to have a front row seat to the destruction of the iconic city. The humans watched in crippling sadness, as the skyline shattered and fell. There was no flash of light, and no sound. It was like watching the movie 2012 in silent slow motion. The waves that battered the ship were spectacular, as the islands crumbled into Hudson Bay. Jasmine, Marcus, Astro, Alexa, and Mike plastered themselves to the windows of the respective vessels, unable to turn away. Alexa sobbed openly, powerless to help herself. Mike tried to comfort her, but the Elder was having none of it, as he made himself a physical barrier between the two humans. Alexa had no choice but to cling to the yautja, as her emotional storm hit and passed over her. Thwei rumbled quietly, purring all the while, and allowing the small female to curl herself onto him.
Kujhade was doing much the same, purring to calm his life mate. He tried to imagine what he would feel to watch any part of Yaut Prime be destroyed by hard meats. He began to stroke her hair, as she removed her mask. Finally, she turned and buried her head in his chest.
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It seemed just about over. In less than thirty minutes, the most famous city in America, and the very fabric of the country itself had been forever changed. Mike, had resisted the urge to sob, but he didn't want to be cooped up with any alien for a moment more than he had to.
"I have to go back. Take me back. I'm not going into space," Mike said flatly, to no one in particular, but the elder understood that he was being addressed. Without any words, Thwei set a course back towards the land, or what was left of it. Only a few minutes it took, to be back over the state of New York. The five islands were gone, the ocean reclaiming that area quickly, as the remnants of the city washed into the open waters. Alexa didn't have the heart to keep looking. They landed some miles outside the city, in an unpopulated area. The vessel touched down, and Mike scrambled out of it as fast as possible. Alexa, much to the chagrin of Elder Thwei, followed him out.
As soon as they were both out, Alexa got in front of Mike. He turned his face.
"Listen, I know what it feels like, alright? You're not the only one feeling this loss. I still can't believe it. I keep hoping I'll wake up and it'll be just a nightmare, but,"
"Well, it's not a fucking nightmare Lex! This is real life! These fuckers, that everyone is so ready to leave off with, came here and destroyed a part of Earth, and now they just get to ride off into the sunset like shit didn't just happen, like lives weren't just obliterated!" He stormed at her. She blanched, tears standing in her brown eyes like crystals.
"That's not fair," she whispered in a small voice. "You should come,"
"Listen to me, and you listen good Lex. I will never, EVER, go anywhere with any damn alien. As much as I hate that they'll get away with this, someone still has to pay, and I have to be the one to make them pay. Weyland is behind it too, and are no less responsible for any of this. Someone has to bring the fight to them, while you and Jasmine and the rest, ride off with your yautja saviors," he said, and stormed off.
Alexa opened her mouth to speak, to shout something behind him, but she could think of nothing. Instead, her mouth opened and closed a few times, like a fish out of water. She angrily wiped the remaining tears from her face, and turned resolutely back towards the pod, where the predator was patiently waiting. She didn't want to talk to him either. Mike's words had made a lump of guilt plant itself in her throat, and she was hard-pressed to swallow it. In silence, except Thwei's constant purr, they returned to the main ship and docked.
A/N: Okay, so here it is. The monster ending that I hope you all deserve after such a long wait. I apologize for that wait, as I never intended that to be the case. At this point, I'm just hoping you all are still interested in it enough to even read it. I thank you all so much, for sticking with me and this story. I know it's long, but it was either put in all in one chapter, or never finish it. Up next is the much needed epilogue, and I'm wondering if any of you would be interested to read one or two deleted scenes. These are parts of chapters that I wrote, but then realized they didn't fit with what I had already written, or moved the story in another direction. Tell me if you'd be interested in reading something like that, just for shits and gigs. Again, thank you all so much! Love you :D