**Maturity Warning: Descriptive Blood and Gore. This is a fair warning to those who may not enjoy this sort of thing.**

Chapter 31: No One Left Behind

It was slow going, but it was something that had to be done, no one would be left behind this time. Amun followed Jolene's directions as they went from door way to door way, finding each and every one of her daughters that were hidden in every pocket of the laboratory. The king had to send small groups out to find them, sometimes taking more than twenty minutes to get to them.

Amun's hive fronted the combat, they had been given more of a chance to practice hunting and fighting. The practice that they had called play was now their most important skills. However, when his daughters had been at play, no one was to be injured. At this point, Amun was beyond playing nice, so if it was a threat, his daughters were instructed to take it down.

Amun would watch as his daughters would take off into corridors that he could not fit through, they would fight, rescue a xenomorph, and return covered in blood. There had been more bloodshed than he had ever wanted, but he was mad, and he could have a temper when provoked. So he let his daughters hunt, let them kill, let the thrill take them over. He could feel it as well, the adrenalin they all felt as they crawled on the ceiling in the dark waiting for their pray. As they took to vents and crawl spaces, pulling their victims into the darkness. He was scared to admit that part of him enjoyed it.

Because they were the ones who had hurt his hive? Because they had gone so far as to use Jolene's DNA to create a xenomorph queen? He did not know what it was that drove his desire for revenge, he just knew that part of him would not stop it.

He stood and waited near a small door way, his daughters were returning from another lab, a hand full of Jolene's daughters with them. He watched and waited and almost did not notice as Jolene approached and leant against his large body. She let out a low thrum, but he was too focused to notice.

"A-amun?" She quietly asked, a bit afraid when he had not responded to her touch. "You seem...seem off." The more the sounds of her voice filled his mind, the more he was drawn back to the moment. He realized she was concerned and turned to look to the queen. When he noticed her piercing gaze, one that told him that she was worried about him, his head fell a bit to the floor.

"I...I have a lot on my mind...I'm sorry." He took a deep breath in and let it go quickly in a loud huff. "They will be back soon, we should keep moving." He started passed the queen to continue down the large corridor, but was stopped when she pulled at his arm. He turned his large, crowned head to see why.

There was a moment of silence as she looked upon him, probably trying to figure out what was going through his mind. When she said nothing, he took it as a sign that she wanted him to explain what was happening inside his head. His shoulders relaxed and he took a moment to find the right words.

"I have been betrayed, Jolene...stabbed in the back by the last person I thought would be the one to do so. I...I have no idea what to think. Everything that I fought for was thrown in the garbage for the safer option." The king started to slowly pace in front of this new queen.

"I have bleed and been beaten to keep those I love safe. I have lost those I have loved to this stupid company. And now "He shook his large head from side to side. "...now that I have tried to save someone else from the fate that my queen suffered, I was tossed aside for trying to do so. I...I have no idea what to think." As he spoke to her, sadness took over his words and his emotions flooded outward. He tried to hold them back, but could not keep them from entering Jolene's mind. He continued.

"She...I fought to free her. I dug, literally dug, with hands and feet to free her. For weeks I dug that stupid hole to get to the lab she was in. She lost an arm because she just wanted to talk with me. Still...none of that mattered, and now she left me to die. She could have just stayed in the mountains, safe within the hive. I wanted to be alone, I wanted everyone safe!" His footsteps almost became stomps as he walked in his tight circle in front of Jolene. She was pretty sure he was making dents in the metal floor.

"I wanted them all to stay home, stay safe. They chose to help, and I am so proud of that. That they chose to help someone with nothing in return. That they were willing to put their lives on the line to do the right thing. But she still threw that aside and traded my life for safety. I understand why, I'm just mad that she actually did it. I can't be-"

The feeling of Jolene's lips on his stole all the words and emotions from his mind. Her hands, now on the sides of his face, pulled him strongly towards her. Her second set of arms reached out and grabbed onto the exoskeleton of his rib cage and helped to keep him in place. As she kissed him, his entire body relaxed, all emotions seemed to melt away and his mind was still. It felt so much like when he had kissed the human Jolene that this time he could not back away. It reminded him of her smile, of her touch, of her kindness towards him when they had first meet. He pictured the field of wheat that they had been standing in within his dream. Her naked form in front of him, their lips locked together just as they were now.

His hands and tail started to move to pull her in closer, but hesitated when they were half way. His mind had snapped to Emilia. So, instead, they moved to her shoulders and pushed her back, despite her protest. His body let out a violent shiver from the flood of hormones from the sudden kiss. He looked to her and the purple cloud that was starting to form around her ebony body. He could not do this. He pulled her large crown towards his and pressed into her.

"Jolene..I..I can't. Emilia is still my queen and will be until I can talk with her. I am mad at her, in a way I cannot ... I don't know what will happen after all this, but right now...I cannot." As much as he wanted to, his values prevented it.

"I kn-know. It was...just the only thing...I could think of t-to make you...happy." She said quietly as he held her close. He was happy that she was worried about him and happy that she understood where he was coming from.

"Thank you" Amun whispered back. He let out a low thrum to let her knew he was being truthful.

Jolene started to pull away, but not before planting another soft kiss on Amun's cheek. He did not mind that one. Suddenly, his attention was taken from this heart warming moment, to the feeling of panic from his daughters who had gone down the small hallway.

"Bobby! What's happened?" He called out quickly.

"Ambush! Abby is hit, alive but hurt." Amun quickly went through his options and came to the best one. He looked to Scarlette, who had been watching down the small hallway for her sisters.

"Scarlette, take Molly, Erin and Dedrea. Send Molly in first. Go!" They did not hesitate, his daughters knew when to ask questions and when to follow commands. This was not a time to question. Amun watched as his charger, praetorianand two runners took off into the door way. Out of sight, thankfully he could feel them.

Amun reached out with his mind and found the original group that had gone in, they were all in a panic. Somewhere in pain and others were very frantic with their emotions. He spoke to all of them.

"Daughters! Don't panic, it will only make it worst. Use your minds, think your way out of the situation. You will be fine, help is on its way!" As he finished his statement, the crack of gun fire could be heard getting closer and closer. His daughters were retreating. He started to panic, he wanted to get to them, to fight for them. He started to pace outside the door frame, waiting for them to appear.

"FATHER!" Bobby yelled. " Father we are coming to you, they are right behind us! Some injured!"

"Run Bobby, get here fast. Let your sisters help." Amun told his first born. Just then, a sound from his right caught his attention. A sharp crack and a loud rumble. He turned his head just in time to see the RPJ that was only a few feet from him. He tried to tilt his crowned head down to take the brunt of the force, but he was to slow. The rocket impacted his shoulder and sent him backwards.

He slammed into a pile of boxed that had been beside the door, sending them in every direction. He tried to recover quickly, but the pain in his shoulder was staggering, sending fire down his entire arm as he put pressure on it. Jolene ran to his side and pulled him to his feet, she then stood between the king and the unseen enemy.

From over her shoulder, Amun could see the new threat and he did not like it. Twenty or so soldiers now aimed their rifles, and various other weapons, down the long corridor at the xenomorph threat. He had no time to conceder his course of action before another snap of a RPG was heard and started its way down the hall. This time, they saw it coming.

Amun grabbed Jolene and leapt to the side, thinking he would have room to spare. However, he was shocked when, at the last second, the projectile quickly turned and dove towards them. Jolene, still being the one in front, took the hit. Amun only saw the fire and smoke surround her body as the explosive went off, sending the queen backwards into Amun. The force was enough to send them both backwards.

Amun did his best to shield her from the fall, it was all he could do to stop further injury to the queen. Amun felt himself slam into a truck that had been parked in the corridor, a few of his ribs cracking in the process. Then they both fell to the side and onto the cold ground and all Amun could feel was the pain the Jolene was now emanating. It seared his mind like fire burning flesh. As she laid upon his body, barely moving, he tried to help her stand with his one good arm.

"Oooooooommm..." She groaned as she got to her feet. " Amun...my...chest." The crackle of fire arms told Amun that his daughters had already started their attack, he had a moment to check on Jolene. He spun around her to look at the wound, it was not good. Ribs were broken and missing, acid blood oozed from a sizable hole that was now on her exoskeleton. Amun quickly looked around for the nearest drone and found that a few of Jolene's daughters were already on their way towards their queen.

" Seal the wound with resin, help my daughters when they come from the door!"

"Affirmative." The nearest drone said to the king. He took one last look at Jolene and took off towards the new threat.

He was a far distance away but knew he could close the gap quickly. So he sprinted. As he did, he watched as xenomorphs attacked from the roof while the ones on the floor acted as a distraction. Once they had broken the humans line, the others moved in swiftly. He could see that a few of his daughters were taking hits, this combat was harder because the soldiers had had time to dig in. No matter, Amun's daughters were cleaver.

As he approached, he noticed another soldier taking aim with another rocket, pointed at the king once more. This time, Amun was able to bow his head in time and let the rocket explode on its rock, hard surface. It kicked him back a small amount, but he recovered quickly. Lifting his head while he continued to run, he did not see the belt feed machine gun that was now pointed at him. The barrel flashed a few times and the king felt the sting of the bullets and they tore into his mid section and leg.

Thankfully, two of his daughters ambushed the squad and the machine gun fire stopped with the bloody screams of the four that had been behind the cover. Amun arrived at the action and noticed two soldiers off to the left who were shooting at another target that had made it behind them. He raised his tail high into the air and whipped it towards them. His aim had been true and the three foot blade punched through one of their chests like a knife through soft butter. His scream did not last long.

The soldier, looking over to her comrade, saw the giant blade protruding from his body. Her eyes went wide as she tracked it back to its source. She locked her gaze with the three story tall king for a moment before she was taken to the floor by the alien that she had originally been aiming at. She did not have time to scream as the second mouth from the warrior slammed into her skull, punching a hole through the helmet and into gray matter.

Amun flicked his bladed tail and relieved himself from the dead body that was on it. He looked towards the sound of more fire and noticed a mist of pheromones coming from around a pile of boxes, he took the three or so steps towards it and snaked his head over top. Looking down he noticed one lone soldier shooting frantically towards various xenomorphs that were now zigzagging their way between cover. He had not noticed the king that was now above him.

Amun drew back his lips and exposed his razor sharp teeth, saliva oozing from his mouth as he opened his maw to reveal his second mouth. As his drool hit the soldiers helmet, he paused and wiped a hand on his head to see what had touched him. Amun watched as he looked at his hand, realized what was happening, then snapped his rifle up. The king was quicker. His second mouth shoot forward and bite down onto the man's shoulder, fitting most of it inside its toothy grip. He let out a scream and dropped his rifle.

Amun, soldier still in his grip, stood and lifted the man into the air. Pulling his second mouth back into his larger jaw, he then bite down onto the man, digging his teeth deep into his upper chest and back. The screaming stopped as Amun brought his teeth together and separated the large hunk of flesh from the man. His lifeless body falling to the floor, followed by the piece Amun had bit off. Blood dripping from his face, Amun turned his attention back to the fight.

He noticed that most of this threat had been taken care of, so he turned back towards the door that his daughters had entered. Where Jolene was. He could see from the distance that she was still being attended to by her drones and that his other daughters and emerged from the door. Molly now stood in the small door frame, her head low to the floor blocking on coming fire from within. He took off towards them to help.

Once there, noticing that Molly was taking rounds to her crested head, he moved fast and gathered a few of the large crates that he had been thrown into and pushed them towards the door frame.

"Molly, move!" He commanded. She did so without question. A few rounds from the attackers made their way into the corridor before being blocked by a huge metallic box. Amun rammed in into the door way, then moved another few boxes into the way to make sure there was no way to get through.

He then turned to Molly, concerned for his daughter. He looked down and saw that Scarlette was already tending to her. Bobby was right beside her, calling forth her resin and filling Molly's wounds.

"Molly!" He called to her, knowing that she was injured badly.

"I...I'm ok daddy, just...A bit light headed." She was not ok, they needed to get her out of here. Amun turned his attention to Jolene who was now patched up, her hand over the wound on her chest.

" Jolene, how many more?" He asked with a sense of urgency.

"That-that's it!" She said back as she looked to the four new additions that had joined them. Amun reached out to all of his daughters.

"We are leaving, help your sisters and watch the side doors. Follow Bobby and Scarlette, they will lead us out." Amun looked down to Scarlette before scooping up Molly. She was heavy, and his injured arm protested, but he fought through the pain. "Scarlette, take the lead." The praetorian looked to her father, nodded and took off towards the exit. Jolene came to stand beside the king and placed one hand on his shoulder.

"Thank y-you...Amun." He looked to the queen and sent her a mental smile.

"No one left behind."He replied