I see the april fool's chapter was a success, judging by how confused you were. xD Sorry about that still. :P I want to make it clear that you can forget about that chapter, nothing about it happened for real. I gotta say, though, i was laughing quite a lot while reading the comments. XD
And another matter, i'm not ending the story just yet. I'm not good at ending stories or chapters, so i'll probably drag it out for a good while. xP
NyanToTheCat: Just the reaction i was hoping for. :D Thank you very much! x)
xXxSaiyanPrincessxXx: Hehehehee! xD I was waiting for many '...what?' comments and i wasn't disappointed. Oh no, b-day in april fool's day, people won't know if it's for real or a prank. O_o Or maybe they will. :P
werecatninja: And i laughed evilly at your disbelief. XD Mwhahahaa!
bree51: Heh! Thank you for your positivity. It's cheering up my day. :)
Teddy-wabbitz: Thank you! And glad that you found it amusing. :)
SouzouWriter: I am deeply sorry for your suffering. I promise i won't do it again in this story. xP
Iamluck: Nope. Definitely not. :)
Meramor: Thanks! :D Yeah, i think there would have been some reason to question the remains of my sanity if i had made this an actual chapter. x)
MrsTayla: Oh, you're an observant one, aren't you. ;) And dammit, i felt so embarrassed when i realized i had misspelled a simple word like 'tea'. XO How is that even possible? Well, anyway, here's some more of that drama for you. :)
AMYLEE PRIME: Lo siento. xP But don't worry, it's not going to end yet. :)
blackangel150: Yep, they almost did, but the temptation to interrupt them and confuse the hell out of everyone was too much. xD
Dragowolf: I know. I'm as good as dead. xP I already drew a picture of him searching for me and i would draw a picture of what happens when he finds me, but i really can't think of how i would get out of that one. ^^; But glad that you liked it. :D
Themulesrule1902: Hehe! Thank you! :D And no, it's not the end. :) I was really embarrassed the whole time i wrote the end of that chapter, i could hardly bring myself to write the words pink and bowtie. xD
Sea9262: Thanks! :) I will never be able to think bowties without that image in my head. I hope you won't suffer the same. xD
Jorda96: Thanks, i'm honored! xD
Laika923: Yes, for some reason i remembered someone saying something like that and decided i had to put it somewhere in the story. Glad that you noticed :D And sorry for the mental scars... xP
RKF22: Thank you very much! :)
MaiWishes: Heh, i think almost nobody saw that coming. ^^; But no, nothing of that really happened, so you can relax. :) And i would never be able to finish this story so quickly so expect a lot more chapters. I'm really glad you decided to look for those perverted stories and found my little perverted story. x) It's great that you can find people that like the same preverted things that you do. I've found it's futile to try to explain what i'm writing to my friends, they don't get it. Luckily my sister does and she's the same kind of a weirdo that i am. xD
I don't own AvP.
Lex had forgotten how fresh the outside air was. They had spent the whole day underground, so it was no wonder. The sun had already set behind the trees, its last rays still casting a red and orange hue to the sky. It would soon vanish and make room for the serene moon and countless stars that were already starting to show up.
She doubted Scar enjoyed the scenery or the air as much as her, since he was probably used to a completely different environment, but who knew. She turned her head to look at the tall warrior next to her. His eyes were going through the shadowy woods, searching.
"You think he's here already?"
Scar shook his head and turned his gaze from the surroundings to Lex. "Not yet, but probably soon. We'll just have to wait."
"I hope it won't take long", Lex tried to peer at the darkening forest, knowing she would never see the hunter coming, but trying anyway. "I don't like leaving the others like this."
"It was either that or leaving you there with Stealth and that's not an option."
The way Scar said his fellow hunter's name, sounded like he had been talking about something particularly disgusting that could be found on the bottom of someone's shoe. Lex decided it was better not to continue on the subject.
They stood there in silence for an unknown amount of time, eyes moving between the trees around them. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but soon Lex had more questions in her mind.
"What about the hunter arriving then? Do you know who he is?"
"I'm not sure", Scar admitted. "But I have my suspicions."
"And what do you think he'll do when he sees me?"
"You don't have to worry about that. You have the hunter's mark. He won't do anything to you."
Lex wanted to point out that it hadn't stopped Stealth, but since the subject was still taboo, she said nothing about that. She was hoping that Stealth was an exception.
"Besides", Scar remembered something. "He might already know about you."
He smiled at the woman's confused face and explained. "In our last visit, quite a lot of hunters saw you fighting the queen with me and those who didn't, quickly heard about it from the others on the ship. After I had recovered, I had to answer a lot of questions about you."
Lex managed not to laugh, but couldn't hide her grin. "I didn't realize your culture included gossiping too."
Scar growled as if offended and pulled the now laughing woman into an inescapable hold in his arms. "Watch it, you know I…"
"Scar!"
Both Scar and Lex froze at the sound of the new voice. Scar let go of Lex immediately and turned to face the speaker. "Wolf?"
Wolf? Lex searched for the source of the clicking sounds she had heard. She found it after the newly arrived hunter deactivated his cloaking device, taking his mask off.
Scar had been so surprised by the older hunter suddenly appearing, he had answered him in English. Now he switched back to their own language. "I thought it might be you coming here."
"And I see you're still alive", Wolf stated with a stern look on his face. Then he glanced at Lex. "What's the meaning of this?"
Scar instinctively took a step in front of Lex to partially hide her. "She's a warrior too, she has earned the mark of…"
"I know who she is", the older hunter interrupted with a harsh tone. "I saw what happened in your trial, young blood. I know you marked her as a hunter. What I don't know is why? And why is she with you again?"
From the hunter's look and the way how Scar was shielding her, Lex knew she was the topic of their conversation. She noticed how tense Scar had gotten and it made her tense up too. She guessed Scar was defending her in some way. Whatever it was, she wasn't going to let him do it on his own.
Stepping forward away from Scar's protection, Lex quickly got both of the predator's attention. "If there's something that concerns me, I would like to have a say in this conversation."
The talking halted and Scar looked like he would have wanted to push her behind his back again and keep her there by force if need be. The older warrior's look was more complex, as if trying to decide whether to find the small creature in front of him interesting or insolent.
"What is she saying", he asked Scar, not taking his eyes off of the strange human.
"She wants to speak for herself ", Scar translated and then switched to English. "Lex, this is not a good idea. Be very careful with what you do now."
Lex didn't need a reminder of that. She tried to stand confidently while withstanding the imposing predator's scrutiny. "I know, but standing behind your back isn't going to do me any good either, is it?"
Scar couldn't deny that. "No, it will make you look weak. But you can't go too far either or he might think of it as a challenge."
"Well, I trust you to correct me if I say something bad", Lex wanted to shrug casually to convince Scar that she knew what she was doing, but she couldn't. She didn't know.
It was like she had expected. This hunter was nothing like Stealth or Scar. He was clearly a veteran of many battles, that much was clear from his countless scars and one missing mandible, not to mention the amount of impressive weaponry he was carrying.
That wasn't the only thing obvious to the eye. His confident stance and the commanding look in his eyes, they were a clear indication of someone demanding respect. And somehow Lex was sure that most of the time he got it.
"I will hear her then", Wolf said and Scar noticed the pondering tone in his words. He was glad that the older predator didn't have a language translator in his mask, not that he was wearing it anyway. It sounded like he hadn't yet formed any kind of opinion of the woman and now he could make sure when he would, it wouldn't be the worst possible.
Not that Scar didn't have faith in Lex and her ability to survive. He knew her to have a warrior's heart, courage to stand up to any foe and unwavering loyalty to her own. In fact, it was that loyalty that he was somewhat worried about. It easily led to situations where one would go too far with defending the other. That was something either one of them could do for each other.
Scar was still a young hunter and it hadn't been long since his rite of passage. He hadn't yet earned the older hunter's respect. Lex was in a worse situation since she was a human. An outsider. It would be nearly impossible for her to gain the veteran's respect.
Holding in his worry, Scar told Lex what they had been talking about before she had interrupted them. "He's questioning my decision to give you the tribe's mark. And not jus that, he wants to know why we are here together again."
Lex pondered just for a second and then took a proud look on her face. "Tell him I earned that mark because I succeeded in where those other hunters failed. And as for us both being here, a lot of it's just coincidence."
Scar hesitated, but did as told. The older hunter's expression didn't change when he took a slow step forward. Lex didn't know what to expect and she wanted to glimpse inquiringly at Scar, but somehow she was sure that looking away now would be bad. So she endured, forcing her fear to subside with sheer determination.
Wolf observed her, if possible, even more closely. Lex felt like he was one step away from starting a hands-on inspection. Fortunately the uncomfortable situation didn't last, as the seasoned warrior ended the silence in a sound that Lex could, even with the language barrier, interpret as contemptuous. His next words made Lex frown as Scar translated.
"He says participating in one hunt doesn't mean that you are a hunter yet. Considering how small and measly you are he doesn't think you're ever going to make a hunter."
The whole time he was speaking, Scar was reluctant to say the words that he found offending to the woman. Continuing the translation wasn't any easier. "Besides, he thinks the last time you were probably more lucky than skilled."
Lex was carefully quiet for a while, then let out a brief laugh at the demeaning statement. When she thought about it, the words were probably not even meant as an insult, it was just what the warrior considered to be a fact. She would either have to try and change that or just let it go.
"I would be happy to better my skills, but unfortunately we have a bit of a situation here now. Tell him Scar, if you haven't yet."
Scar explained what had happened, from the beacon designed to lure hunters, to the captured warrior who had never been found and the predalien queen that was the result of all of this. The older warrior was understandably angered by such desecration, but kept his anger under control and let the younger hunter finish his story.
Scar didn't mention Stealth at any point, but emphasized how he had been working with Lex and other human warriors to end the bug infestation before it could properly begin. When he mentioned the humans, Wolf took another look at Lex, who had no idea what they were talking about. If she had known, she might have guessed that the warrior was looking at her apparent injuries that she had collected along the way. He just didn't know she had gotten most of them from encounters with Stealth and not the xenomorphs.
Then came the difficult part. Scar braced himself.
"It's my estimation that the situation is out of hands. The bugs are currently contained below the ground, but they could break free at any minute. I can't risk letting a queen lose. That would be the end of this planet and the human race."
Wolf's eyes narrowed as he started to suspect where the speech was heading at.
"I request discontinuing the hunt and calling the ship for…"
That was as far as Scar made it when the seasoned warrior rammed into him. The attack took him by surprise and they fell to the ground, wrestling.
Lex was even more surprised and cried out for Scar in horror. He couldn't hear her from their battle if that's what it could've been called. Despite his best efforts he was quickly overcome by his experienced adversary, who pinned him face down to the ground and arms behind his back in a painful angle.
"Have you lost your mind youngblood?" Wolf lectured the younger hunter. "You would bring yourself to shame so easily? Throw away a promising future. For what?"
Scar growled in frustration and embarrassment until he caught a glimpse of Lex. The woman had extended the spear in her hands and was shouting with a furious look.
"Let him go right now! I swear I'll…"
"Lex no!" Scar shouted back alarmed. "Don't do anything, just put the spear away!"
Wolf looked back at the noisy human and saw her, weapon readied and in a battle stance. "That human's got guts, but she's not too good at picking her battles, is she?"
Scar couldn't have agreed more. "Lex drop the spear now!"
"I wonder…" Wolf released Scar and headed for the woman.
The older predator was impossibly fast and Lex found herself staggering backwards when he suddenly appeared in front of her.
"LEX!" Scar scrambled up to go after the warrior. Lex held her spear sideways in front of her, not quite daring to attack the older predator and not knowing what else to do. For a second, she stared into the yellow eyes that showed no emotion, then the spear was being pulled away from her with such force she couldn't do anything to hold on to it.
The next thing Lex knew, she was being held in place by a strong grip on the back of her neck. She was facing Scar and saw him frozen in his tracks, a mixture of anger and fear plastered to his face. It was weird, she couldn't remember him being afraid before, maybe surprised when the queen had emerged in Antarctica, but not exactly scared then either. She knew it was for her, he would never be afraid for himself, but now he was afraid for her.
Wolf's grip was meant to keep her still, not to hurt her, but Lex didn't bother kidding herself. That hand could as easily break her neck if the warrior wanted to. Unfortunately, not even knowing what had started the fight, she had no idea what it was that he wanted.
Scar and Wolf were locked in a staredown, each waiting for the other's move. When the older hunter didn't do anything, Scar spoke first.
"Let her go."
"What is she to you?" Wolf's voice was strict. "A pet? A hunting partner? Answer me!"
Scar stood there, lost. "She's here hunting the bugs with me and…" He tried evading, but the older warrior wasn't fooled by this.
Lex heard a sharp swishing sound that she knew all too well. Then she felt the cold tips of the dual wristblades grazing the skin on her chest where her heart was. She held her breath, looking desperately at Scar in search of some reason for why this was happening.
Scar was close to bursting with rage, his fear the only thing holding him back. "You hurt her and I promise I will kill you!"
There was no more evading, no words to say that could explain his reaction. It was now as plain as day. Wolf shook his head disappointed. He withdrew his wristblades and let go of Lex, who looked back at him and then at Scar in confusion.
"You've grown too fond of this human."
Scar gestured for Lex to come to him. "Yes."
"What are you going to do?"
Lex walked next to Scar, who wrapped his arm defiantly around her shoulder. "I'm not coming back with you when the hunt's over."
Wolf remained quiet for a while. "You do realize that means you're going to be exiled from the tribe? Losing your honor and becoming a badblood?"
The answer was in Scar's eyes already, but before he could say anything, they heard a strange, scraping sound, which caught everyone's attention.