Chapter 10: Shock with the Bad

Disclaimer: I do not own Alien/Predator series or any characters and may not follow all customs and cultures found in Alien/Predator movies.

"Urrrggg . . . I don't want to get up."

"You have to, Maria. We can't stay in this room forever."

"Try me."

Za'taan chuckles as he shifts to his side, taking some of the fur blankets with him to look down upon Maria in marvel. She smiled upon his naked form with the blanket barely covering his groin area. The softness of the fur lightly grooming her bare skin only made it harder for her to get up. He did have a point that she needed to get some fresh air along with being introduced to his clan but Maria rather stay cuddled up to Za'taan, especially after mating with each other last night, and she was as content as she could be when it finished. In her mind, she wanted to keep going, but sleep took her away before she could, but she liked the rest too. Then she felt his claws gently raked over her shoulder and slowly moving downward, dragging the fur blanket lower on her body and leaving her back exposed. She giggles as she raised her hand and slapped it away.

"Are you trying to piss me off?"

She leans her head up and sees Za'taan smirking at her. "Normally, I wouldn't dare since I have a perfect view here but . . ." He loses some of his smirk but looks back to Maria with a smile. "I want you to meet everyone in the Uhri Clan since you're part of us now."

"Are you sure?"

She didn't want to break the right mood but after the meeting with the Du'rout . . . Za'taan's father and Clan Leader . . . It didn't seem to her like a warm welcome, but then again, she was surrounded by Yautjas instead of oomans, and some made it clear that they didn't like her. Especially that female to which her name escapes Maria's mind for the moment which kept criticizing her to the point that Du'rout had to kick her out. She hopes not to meet that female, but the odds wouldn't be in her favor, not to mention that she still needed to pick a bone with the other Yautja named Raith. She shook her head at the doubts and problems she would have to face, planting her face into the soft pillow to cover her frustrating moans.

"What's wrong?"

Maria lifts her head and sees a small figment of worry in his red eyes. She silently cursed herself for making him feel like that, especially after getting back together at last. She raised her hand to cup his cheek and got a soft purr from him in return.

"It's just silly me over analyzing things."

"And you haven't noticed that before?"

"Shut up!"

She slaps his cheek lightly, and both laughed hard. Maria swore that someone could have heard them since that was so loud or at least Za'taan since he sounded like he gave out a war cry. It amused her very much. They settled down a bit before Za'taan speaks.

"But on a serious note, we need to get up. I brought some clothing since I . . . you know . . ."

Maria knew what he was talking about. She remembered Za'taan ripping off her gown, which was the only thing she had to wear, but she's more than happy to get rid of that nasty thing. It only served to remind her of the torture she went through, and she hoped that Za'taan wouldn't ask about that soon. She still needed time to process everything that has happened so far, along with checking on Ana. She only saw her friend once since they arrived here along with finding out about taking care of the device in her head. For some reason, Maria feared it still even though the master control was in the safe hands of Walter. It gave her the shivers just thinking about it. She looks back into Za'taan's eyes and nods.

"You're right. I need to talk to Ana and Walter anyway about something important."

"What's important?"

Maria opened her mouth, to tell the truth, but held it back, thinking it's best for all four of them to meet and discuss the future. But then, a thought comes to Maria, and it gave her the naughtiest plan ever. She wouldn't dare to pull it off, but she feared that the chance would slip away since her body filled to the max with courage and sass. She smirks and turns her body to face Za'taan, creeping her two fingers up his chest in a alluring way.

"I'll tell you when we meet up with them but only if I'm in the mood to get up. I'll make you a deal."

She hums at the end of the sentence, stopping her fingers right where his chest and base of his neck meet and rubbing a little on his red stripe stretching across one side to the other. Her charm doesn't go unnoticed by Za'taan as Maria sees his red eyes lit up and feels his breathing hitch a bit. She chuckles in response.

"Another round with you, and it will give me the boost to get ready. Deal?"

Maria expected a protest of some kind . . . At least a little but he surprised her when he grabs her arm and pulls her under his body, rubbing himself against her. She keeps her eyes on Za'taan but quickly shuts them when the tip of his cock rubs against her core. She lightly moans at the shock of it, but the pleasure soon follows, bringing her gaze back to him. His mandibles open and close at every twitch as his forehead pressed against hers and their eyes connected.

"You are so addicted to this. Do you ever get enough?"

"Never."

A smile forms on his inner mouth as Za'taan lets out a soft purr. "Deal."

With no time to waste, Za'taan presses his mouth on hers, pushing his tongue into her and making her moan in response. Their tongues battle for dominance as the morning passes by them like nothing until they noticed it quickly became afternoon . . . But it was all worth it.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

After much convincing from Za'taan, Maria finally decided to get ready and join in for a small walk to a private room where they would meet with Ana, Walter and to her dismay . . . Raith. According to Za'taan, Raith has been charged by the Clan Leader to guard them in case other Yautjas try to pull off something behind their backs. There was no doubt in Maria's mind that they weren't exactly in the warmest of the company, but it was better than locked away in prison by someone is desperately hate. And of course, she's with Za'taan once more, and she didn't want to have it any other way. He was like a breath of fresh air that she waited for three years to pump her lungs . . . And other things.

Although it was rather late for a bath, Maria insisted on it, feeling a little dirty and figured it was best to clean, or else she worried that others might catch the scent of sex on her. If she knew what she was getting herself into, she wouldn't pay any attention when she went out in public, but since she was surrounded by great hunters like Za'taan, she thought it best to make herself more presentable. The bath was amazing . . . Maria enjoyed the warmth it brought along with the unique scent that reminded her of lavender that she once grew back home. It was the only time she felt at peace before all these events occurred. It was even better when Za'taan came in to wash as well, much to Maria's delight and surprise.

After the bath, both began to dress in their outfits, but Za'taan got his armor all together fast, even more so than Maria who saw she only had a leather bra and loincloth that covered the essentials, but everything else was bare. Maria began to complain a little about it, but Za'taan insisted that it was the only thing available that was her size or else he told her she would be wearing armor that would be too heavy and large for her. It only took her a few moments to go along with it. But when she tried to put it on, it was so complicated that she needed to call for Za'taan's help with it, much to his glee. She swears that sometimes he acts like he won a prize but . . . in a strange way, she loved it.

Both of them strolled at a slow pace down the hallway and in the opposite direction of the meeting room. Maria has never been in this general direction, and it somehow made her nervous. It took all of her being to remain calm for her sanity and Za'taan's sake. He's already worried for her as it is, let alone seeing the look in his eyes of mixed curiosity and concern that she only knew why he was feeling that way. She glances up towards him to see if it was okay for her to ask him, but either way, she told herself she needed to know.

"Za'taan?"

He looks down to meet her gaze. "Yes?"

She hesitated, unsure of how he would respond to her question. She didn't want to be rude and ask something that he might reject, but at the same time, her curiosity nagged her.

"If there's something you want to say, then you can. I'm all ears."

They kept walking but begun to slow down when Maria moved her gaze to him. "What's on your mind? I can sense you seem . . . troubled."

She watched for any signs of change in him but nothing. He remained emotionless and turned to face forward, and that is when she looked down to see his fists tightening a bit, much to Maria's worry. It must be severe for Za'taan to act like this, even if a little. She tilts her head and closes her eyes, hurt that she might have gone too far. That is until she felt a warm had on her shoulder, forcing her to look back at him. She saw that his eyes calmed down while his hand relaxed over her skin.

"There is something I want to know . . . About what happened in the three years since we've been apart. You weren't in the best condition when I took you to the healer, and they said some things that . . . disturbed me."

"Oh."

Maria didn't know how to respond to that question. It was not only that her stories were too complicated to tell right now, but that the reaction he would feel after hearing what Weyland had done to her and Ana would push him over the edge. She knew too well how protective Za'taan is of her well-being, and she feared that he might try to do something stupid like hunt down those that separated them and did her harm. In all honesty, Maria had no idea if Weyland is hunting for as they spoke. She didn't dare to put that through her mind. She's pulled out of her thoughts when Za'taan spoke once more.

"But I want you to tell me when you are ready. I know that you're worried about me and I'm glad you're here. I hope that you trust me with this information and not try to hide it. After all, I'm here for you . . . and only you."

His words put a smile on her lips. Maria stops in her tracks from walking, making Za'taan do the same since his hand was still on her shoulders. She grabs his hand and pulls it off her shoulder, only to hold it in both of hers. She slowly pulls it towards her face and presses her lips on the back of his hand, lighting tracing them across in a gentle gesture while closing her eyes in pleasure. She hears Za'taan purr, and she looks up to see his red eyes lit up like before. She smiles and moves his hands onto her cheek to relish in the warmth while looking up to him.

"I know . . . And I promise to tell you when we meet with everyone. It's better to hear the answers from each perspective. Is that alright with you?"

Za'taan nods, rubbing his palm on her cheek once more. "Of course."

Both smile at each other, and they let go, continuing their walk through the hallway to reach their destination.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The rest of the journey seems far quiet and straightforward for Maria to which she secretly liked. Not because she wanted to be alone with Za'taan but also to avoid causing trouble, which her mind was contemplating if it was a dick and cowardly move. Either way, she didn't know what another way she would have it. The worry made her heart beat a little and in turn, made her move her hand to hold on to Za'taan by the arm. He greeted it eagerly and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, making her feel safe.

But the stress increased when they passed through a door that leads to a round, open area. The number of Yautjas in the room was too much to count for Maria but not as bad as the stares that followed afterward. Some seemed curious about her while others looked like they ate something that left a bad taste in their mouths. It made Maria stand closer to Za'taan, even though it made it harder for both to walk. She felt his grip around her shoulders tighten a little, and a rumbling began to grow in his chest. No doubt in Maria's mind that Za'taan didn't take their reactions to Maria well. However, he surprised her when he leaned closer to her ear and whispered.

"Keep on walking and ignore. We're almost there."

All Maria could do was smile and nod slightly. They made their way through the crowd, making sure not to get in anyone's way or get blocked by a group that would pick a fight with them. To their luck, they made it through to the other side of the area and opened the door to head into another hallway filled with doors on each side.

Another couple of steps until Za'taan stops them in front of the last door, far away from anyone else. He moves his hand and slams several times on it, making sure whoever was in there knew they had company.

"Is that you, Za'taan and Maria?"

"Yes."

Maria recognized Ana's voice when she answered, so she knew her friend was in there. Then, several noises of groaning metal started up and kept on going for quite some time that it would be enough to make any person lose their patience. The door opens, and Ana comes running out without warning, wrapping Maria in a tight embrace.

"Maria! It's good to see you again!"

"Easy, Ana. It's like you haven't seen me in years."

They both giggled as Maria patted Ana's back for a bit before pulling from her. The smile on her friend's face made her smile as well like an infection. She sees Ana turn towards Za'taan and reciprocates the same thing she did to Maria, wrapping her arms around his waist as much as she could briefly. After all, he was three or four times bigger than her. She pulls back and looks up at Za'taan.

"And it's good to see you too."

Za'taan chuckles. "You're cheery today. Everything went well?"

Ana nodded but turned with a little nervousness creeping onto her face. Maria squinted her eyes to show her confusion at what her best friend meant. But before she could answer, Ana wipes her face clean and goes back to the happy smile on her lips.

"Well, don't just stand there. Come in."

With that, Ana tugs Maria's arm to follow her into the room. Maria barely resists other than making sure she didn't lose her arm from the tug before following along with Za'taan right behind them. When they entered, the room's design reminded her of the meeting room with Du'rout and the other Yautjas, but a little smaller and instead of stairs and a throne, a large, round table stood with several large chairs that are twice the size of the average ooman male. It looked fancy, and Maria was glad that it was empty, but her hopes ran out when she turns her head to the side. There stood Walter who had his hands gripped together in front of him with a smile. She started not to mind him after all the events but right next to him was Raith with his mask off for the first time Maria had seen. The dark, green skin on his face seemed to have grown dull with age or preferably by the many scars upon it. She had no idea which one was the cause, but the injuries made him look like he came out of a shredder, making her look away for a second. The tip of one tusk on the lower mandible had been chipped off, giving it a jagged edge look compared to the others. Other than the one dreadlock that was split on end and dangling from the side of his head, he looked just like any other Yautja she had seen. However, the rough events between them made Maria tense in anger.

"Hi, Walter." She nods towards him while Walter gives her the same response.

"Good to see you, wel, Maria. Everything good?"

"Of course. Feeling better than before."

She smiles but turns towards Raith who hasn't shown any emotions on his face, uncertain about how he was. It didn't matter what she wanted to say to him. Maria smirks and raises her hand, twiddling her fingers in the air.

"Hello, asshole."

She saw Raith's mandibles twitch and she could have sworn that she struck a nerve in him despite not understanding what she said to him. She keeps her smirks on her face until Za'taan comes to her side.

"Told you, Raith. She wouldn't be happy to see you after everything."

At first, Maria became confused as to why he spoke in the ooman language until Raith caught her by surprise.

"I know . . ."

Maria's eyes widened in horror that Raith knew what Za'taan and maybe herself said in front of him. Her mouth gapes open enough that she could catch flies with it. She points straight between Raith's eyes.

"How did you . . .?"

Za'taan chuckles behind, making Maria turn her whole body around to him. She connected the dots and assumed that Za'taan might have taught him how to speak since Ana, Walter, and Maria arrived. She lets out a growl to show him the disappointment. He lifts his hands to each side of his head.

"I didn't teach him if that's what you think."

Soon, Maria turns back to face Raith but sees a shocking image before her. Right next Raith, Ana moved to his side and had placed her hand on his arm, but gently and lovingly, much like how Maria did in the times she's spent with Za'taan. Maria had to take several breaths before speaking out.

"What's going on?"

Although Maria was tempted to shout and scream at what she witnessed, she decided to give Ana a chance to explain herself since she was her best friend. She waited patiently, crossing her arms and watching Ana twitching nervously until she finally said something.

"Well . . . while you were resting, I got bored, but I didn't want to bother you so . . . I spent some time with Raith since he's been assigned to protect us. Plus, Walter is not exactly the best entertainment. No offense, Walter."

Walter raised his shoulders for a moment and nodded. "None taken. I'm not the best to keep up conversations."

Ana tilted her head to the side and grinned, but it soon disappears when she turns back to Maria. Both stood there in silence until she continued. "So Raith and I talked and eventually . . . The conversation turned to teach him to speak and understand human language or ooman as he calls it. I didn't know how he learned so quickly since I'm not the best teacher but . . . here we are."

"Yes . . . It's true."

Raith speaks out, and Maria jumped a little from the surprise, forgetting that he was in the room for a second. She lets her arms fall to her sides and sighs, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her fingers from the headache that came from trying to fill in the blanks during the time she recovered in Za'taan's room. She raises her head and relaxes a bit.

"Okay. You got a lot of explaining to do later. Capiche?"

Maria raises one finger and bounces it up and down in the air as a warning. Ana sees this, and her cheeks begin to blush a little, not sure whether it was from embarrassment or something else. Maria betted on the latter one, but for now, she wanted to talk to her friend about something more substantial. She watched Ana shake her head up and down slowly.

"Capiche."

Maria calms down after hearing her friend's answer and lets her body slump down a bit to relax her muscles that started to quiver from the tension in them.

"What does 'capiche' mean?"

She heard Za'taan's question and wanted to laugh when she saw his face twisted in confusion, but he looked like someone squished his face like plato, but she wanted to move on so she answered quickly. "I'll tell you later."

Luckily, Za'taan didn't push the matter further, and Maria clears her throat to talk about the issue at hand. "How are you feeling right now, Ana?"

"What do you mean?"

"The . . . thing . . . in your head."

Maria taps a finger on the side of her head. It took a second before Ana realized what she meant by that statement. However, the reaction she gave took Maria by surprise. Instead of the small panic she expected, Ana merely gave a worried look, not to mention that she turned towards Raith who lowered his gaze, seeing his fists tighten. She turns to the side to see Za'taan, and he gave the same expression as Raith showed. Walter remained emotionless as usual, but it didn't matter. Something was up, and Maria didn't like what she was seeing, making her feel more demanding than ever.

"What's happened? You all know something I don't."

No one answered at first, and the anger inside Maria started to grow, threatening to break through in which she tried to avoid. She kept looking back and forth at everyone, and she was about to yell out in frustration until Walter stepped forward into the open circle.

"We know you're talking about the chip in Ana's head and we have some news about that too."

Maria squinted her eyes at Walter, crossing her arms over her chest. "Tell me."

"While you were out and recovering, the Uhri Clan's healers took Ana in for surgery due to their equipment picking up something from us."

The word 'surgery' made Maria feel scared for Ana. She knew that the Yautjas don't do the same procedures as hospitals back on Earth but more so that she didn't know what they did to her. Her heart began to race, making her body heat up to the point that she began to sweat. Za'taan sees this and comes to hold her shoulders to sure that she didn't fall over from shock.

"I think it's best that we let Maria rest for a bit. Let us —"

"No!"

In retaliation, Maria thrusts herself out of Za'taan's grip, turning back with fury in her eyes but kept her voice low enough to not worry everyone else around her. "I need to know."

She sees Za'taan's face twist into shock by her behavior, but Maria didn't care. She was already deep into this, and it was her best friend they were speaking about. She slowly turns around, wiping the sweat that began to drip down the side of her face.

"Please, Walter. Keep going."

Walter nods. "Of course."

He clears his throat and continues. "As I was saying, when the healers did the surgery, they found the chip lodged in the middle of the parietal lobe. It's based on the electrical signal from the master control and activates the pain receptors, causing painful sensation to the subject."

He puts one hand in his pocket and brings up the master control, lifting it high to show everyone what he meant. "But only if the button is pressed. Other than that, it's pretty harmless."

"Harmless? That thing could kill her if the master control were in the wrong hands. Your words don't make it better."

Now, Maria's anger began to resurface, and it was becoming more difficult to control. The moment when Weyland smiled evilly as he used the chip to cause Ana so much pain, and she felt helpless that she could do nothing about it. She can sense Za'taan coming closer, but she didn't want to hurt him, even though he was much more robust than her. Just as his hand was reaching for her, Maria twists around fast and growls as much as she could. Za'taan backs off in shock, but Maria turns back to Walter before her emotions got the better of her. She glares at Walter, making sure he knew that she wanted him to tell more. And so he did.

"Of course . . . It's still dangerous, so the healers decided to try and remove it, so they called me in since I knew the human anatomy far better than them. They weren't happy but were instructed by Du'rout, so they had no choice. But when he got in there, there was a problem."

"What problem?"

When she asked, the silence in the room grew along with her anger. Right now, she didn't have the patience to deal with the suspense, so she finally snapped. "Tell me!"

Maria shouted so hard that it made everyone tense up, including Walter, which was a shock to her as well. She tightened her fists so much that the muscles in her fingers began to sore and she wouldn't be surprised if blood came out. However, her mind was full of intent to finding out about Ana.

Walter straightened himself out, flexing his fingers and placing them behind his back. "The problem is that since it's in a location that is difficult to operate even with human technology, there are high risks of causing serious brain damage. In short, if we did the operation, it could effectively kill her."

The anger inside Maria disappeared in an instant as soon as Walter mentioned the possibility of death. The flashbacks of when she witnessed the death of people back at the wedding rehearsal . . . their screams of death echoing in her ears . . . Her father's death at the hands of the kainde amedha . . . Her hand ending her mother's life . . . And now Ana is trapped with a chip that could kill her by shocking her brain or surgery. The thoughts were too much for Maria to bear. All of a sudden, her vision began to blur, and her head felt like it was going to explode. And then, the room started to spin to the point that Maria could no longer keep herself up. Her body began to fall to the side and if it weren't for Za'taan catching her, no doubt she would have hit the ground hard.

"Maria! Are you alright?"

His voice semi brought her back, but the headache remained. She nods to Za'taan as reassurance and lifts herself back on her feet by holding on to his arm that was wrapped around her waist. She didn't bother to pull away in case she would fall again. She takes deep breaths and looks back at Walter.

"Are you sure that there's no way to get it out?"

Maria glances for a bit at Ana, who looks down in sadness but then she sees Raith place his hand gently on her shoulder and when he did, Ana looks up to him and her face lit up a bit. Something was going on between them, but her mind couldn't think about it right now as Walter spoke.

"Believe me. I've tried everything I could to help your friend. Weyland may be evil, but he's smart and would make sure that his contraptions are difficult for any to remove it. However, there is a possibility that I could disable it permanently without removing it."

"How?"

"I'll still need more time to research it, but I have data stored in my system. It could contain some answers in how the chip works. And if it does, then we can save Ana's life."

In that instant, it was the first time that Walter had given her something that she was grateful to him. He had given her the hope of freeing Ana from Weyland's clutches once and for all. Maria looks back at him and gives him a small smile.

"Thank you, Walter. I appreciate it."

He smiles back to her. "Anything I can do for you, let me know. I will inform you when I found something."

The mood in the room shifts to a relaxing one, easing everyone from the tensed topic that recently been dealt with. But then, Ana's cheerful mood comes into play.

"Well . . . that was some conversation, but I'm dying to check out the celebration tonight."

"Huh?"

Maria became confused as to what Ana was talking about. She turns around to face Za'taan but finds a smile forming on his mouth as well. "She means that the clan is celebrating the successful hunt of the Young Bloods that made it through their Chiva. It's not every day that all of them made it out alive to live the next day."

"Chiva?"

Za'taan nods to Maria. "It's the test when Young Bloods go on their first hunt to gain a trophy from the kainde amedha. If successful, they become Blooded and are welcomed as new members. It only happens once every hundred years."

Maria chuckles a little at the thought of Yautjas dancing, laughing, and most likely drinking in one area. Seemed hilarious in her mind. "Really?"

"Really. Of course, it's for you too."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Me?"

"Yes, which is why we need to go as soon as possible. It started already."

"Yeah! And I don't want to miss out on the fun!"

Ana jumps in her place, and before anyone knew it, she grabbed Raith's hand and dragged him across the room and out the door, begging him to hurry it along. Raith seemed annoyed due to the growls coming from his throat, but he lets him do what she wanted regardless. Walter follows behind, smiling at both Za'taan and Maria as he exited the room as well.

"Well . . . that is a surprise."

"What is?"

"The way that Ana acts with Raith. Something is going on between them, and I need to know."

Maria hears Za'taan chuckle and pulls her chin up with his hand, kissing her on the lips before she could react. Maria hesitated out of shock, but after feeling his mouth on hers, she closes her eyes and brings her hands to tangle in his dreadlocks. He purrs and reluctantly pulls away, looking deep into Maria's eyes with love.

"Maybe the answer is right in front of you."

She doesn't move or react for a few seconds before smirking up at him, tapping a finger in the middle of his forehead. "I still want to know."

Za'taan laughs. "I know. You're very persistent. But for now, let's get going."

With that, Maria and Za'taan walk together out of the room and into the hallway with happiness in their hearts.

But little did they know that their happiness won't last for long . . .

Hi Readers!

Hope you are enjoying the summer break! :)

So Maria found some disturbing details that could endanger Ana's life, and she doesn't want to go through with it again. But she's got more things to hunt down like finding out the growing relationship between Raith and Ana. What had happened between them while Maria was out? Is there another romance blossoming?

Speaking of which . . . The next chapter (number 11) will be about Raith and Ana and how they began to bond together in request to Anonymous-E. After all, I like their pairing as well, and it might serve a purpose later in the story. Who knows?

But of course . . . The danger is around the corner, and it will come as the most unexpecting of them all, but that is for me to know and all you readers to find out when Chapter 11 comes along!

P.S. Appreciation to Anonymous-E, Maria, and Paul Lenzen for the excellent reviews on Metamorphosis. It helps me a lot, and I hope you all continue to enjoy my stories.

And for Anonymous-E, I did get the details of the Bad Bloods for the requested story and has been noted. Sorry if I didn't tell you sooner.

Thank you and enjoy! :)))