Animorphs: Hunting Game
2: Prey and Predator
Cassie's barn: early morning, the next day
The Animorphs and Erek, their Chee ally, had gathered in the barn to discuss the 'Sharing massacre' as the papers had named it. Needless to say the Sharing meeting had been called off. Since Chapman and the other Yeerks had their hands full keeping the police from discovering too much, their infestation plans were blown. Jake's parents and many others had gone off the Sharing and the idea of a family thing with a serial killer on the loose. Jake had had trouble hiding his relief when they told him that. However, when the others had told him all the gory details, he suddenly felt less satisfaction. Ax, in his natural form, looked more concerned and worried than he ever had. He and Erek had talked at length before they had all arrived and then called everyone together.
I am sorry to say that my suspicions were correct, Prince Jake, Ax finally said, The killer is of another race, one all Andalites hoped never to encounter again.
"Who are they, Ax?" Rachel asked. "Who could do this to Hork-Bajir?"
They are known by many names across the galaxy. The deathbringers, the stealers of skin, the shadow hunters, but they are usually known as the Predators.
"Oh great. I thought it was going to be something really dangerous," Marco muttered. He still hadn't fully recovered from his experience the day before.
"Ok Ax, what do you know about them?" Jake asked. "Why are they on Earth? Are they at war with the Yeerks too?"
We don't know very much about them, Prince Jake. They are a very secretive and very dangerous race. They have Zero-Space capability and their ships seem to have stealth technology that even we can't fathom. We know where their home world is, but no one goes near it apart from the Predators themselves. Anyone else who tried was destroyed before they even got into orbit. They are part of the reason why the Yeerks' invasion of your world has been so slow and cautious. The Yeerks had tried to invade the Predator home world before they came here, but the result was a slaughter. Somehow they knew the Yeerks were coming even before they came out of Zero-space. The Yeerks lost two whole fleets before they retreated and gave up. They never landed one ship or took a single Predator as a controller either.
"Great, so they killed a load of Yeerks! Why don't we ask them to join us?" Marco asked. "We'd kick the Yeerks' butts in no time!"
They join no one, Marco. Aside from defending their home world, they do not interact with other races, not in the usual fashions anyway. Ax said grimly.
"What do they do then, Ax?" Cassie suddenly put in. She had a feeling that she was not going to like this.
They live to fight, Cassie. To hunt. To test themselves in battle. They travel to other worlds and hunt other races for sport. When they make a kill they usually either skin the victim or remove his head or one of his organs as a trophy. That would account for the dead Yeerks yesterday. As far as we know, this is all they live for.
"They hunt anyone? Even those who can't fight back?" Cassie exclaimed, obviously disgusted.
No, they want you to fight back. Weaker and gentler races are usually left alone. They only hunt prey that they consider worthy of their time and their talents.
Like Yeerks and humans? Tobias asked.
And Andalites, Ax added bitterly. They have visited our world several times and killed many of our warriors. No matter how hard we try they always land undetected. The Council has no stomach for a war with the Predators. Not after seeing what they did to the Yeerks, who require our full attention now. The only positive part of this is that they usually hunt alone, unless it's a large-scale hunt of an extremely dangerous species where they hunt in tribal groups like they have on our world. Your species is worthy but not exceptional so there's probably only one here now. They don't like to share their trophies or glory. The Predators are one of the few things we truly fear.
"How do we reason with them? Let them know that we're no threat or challenge?" Cassie asked, almost despairingly.
Ax snorted. You don't. At least I have no knowledge of anyone who did. Once they consider you worthy and target you, they will hunt you across the whole galaxy if they have to. They don't feel remorse or pity. They can not be reasoned with or bargained with. The hunt only ends when they are dead or you are.
"I was afraid you'd say that," Marco said.
"All right, calm down!" Jake suddenly snapped. "It probably doesn't know about us yet. We probably won't have to face it at all if it just wants to hunt Yeerks."
He may have heard of the invasion and came with that purpose in mind, Prince Jake. However, he probably knows of our existence and I think we will almost certainly be targeted also. I am an Andalite. We are considered great challenges to the Predators, which is why they usually hunt us in packs. You may only be young humans, but you have morphing capability. Our young age would be of no concern to him either. After all, how many humans have Andalite technology and have managed to hold off a Yeerk invasion for a year? For a Predator, our lives would probably mean instant promotion to a tribe leader or whatever ranks they have.
"So the best thing we can do is to lie low for a while?" Rachel asked. "Let him kill as many Yeerks as he likes while we stay out of the way."
"That's probably the best thing you can do," Erek spoke for the first time. "I've only got limited contacts, but from what I've heard the Yeerks are going crazy with panic, both from their losses and trying to cover everything up. The Sharing wasn't the only place that got hit yesterday. He attacked two other Yeerk hideouts as well and killed over thirty of them. Some of the Yeerks tried to escape by bailing out of their hosts but it didn't save them. He killed both the Yeerks and the freed hosts. Some of it was even more grisly than your experience. Some controllers were eviscerated, another one had his lungs ripped clean out." Everyone looked slightly ill when they heard this. "You probably haven't heard of it yet because the Yeerks aren't too keen to advertise it."
"Ok, it's agreed. We'll stay low for awhile and hope he gets bored soon and leaves. I sure as hell don't want to face him," Jake said.
"Nor me," Rachel added. "I'm going to have nightmares for months over this."
"What, Xena's finally scared of something?" Marco crowed.
"At least I didn't end up puking my guts out, Marco!"
"Ok, we'll meet again later. Let's get to school now, before Marco and Rachel do the Predator's work for him!" Jake laughed.
Chapman's House: The same time
Chapman was making his report to Visser 3. He was trying very hard not to visibly shake. He knew the Visser would not take this well.
"Our losses have been severe, Visser." Chapman was saying. "We've lost nearly fifty controllers in the last day alone and your infestation plan will have to be delayed. We won't get much attendance at Sharing meetings now, not if people think there's a serial killer in the vicinity that likes to carve up his victims."
Stop gibbering, Iniss 226, I know it's not your fault. Visser 3 snapped. I don't expect you to challenge a Predator and still be alive the next day. Not like that fool Visser 9. He thought he could conquer them easily and now he's dead, along with his entire command.
"What do you want me to do now?"
Scale down our operations for the time being and send most of our men out of the area and to the orbiting ships. The Council will not like it but they are intelligent enough to know that you do not cross a Predator without severe consequences.
"But what if he decides not to leave until he destroys us all, Visser?" Chapman whined.
Do not panic, Iniss 226. Predators do not stay in one hunting ground for very long and I doubt he is here to destroy our entire invasion force. That would be impossible for one Predator alone no matter how good he is. Besides, we may yet receive some compensation for our losses. He probably knows of the Andalite filth that are causing us so much trouble. With most of our forces out of harm's way he'll hopefully look for new prey!
A sly grin spread across Chapman's face. "Yes, It's perfect! He'll hunt them down and go, leaving Earth free for the taking!"
That is my hope, Iniss 226. A pity I couldn't have done it myself, but at least I can rest assured that their deaths will not be pleasant!
Both laughed sadistically. Chapman then left to start implementing Visser 3's orders.
On a rooftop near the Animorphs' school: half an hour later
Cloaked and unseen the Predator crouched on the rooftop impatiently, scanning the people below with his thermal vision and voice print analyser. He was already becoming bored. The Yeerks that he had killed yesterday had not been as much of a challenge as he had liked. He wanted more challenging prey, not easy kills. Hopefully he could find those Andalites that were on this planet fighting the Yeerks. With their heads, this trip would have been worthwhile. Finding them and killing them, however, would be difficult. As advanced as his vision and weapons were, the Andalites' morphing power made them extremely formidable adversaries. He also had no idea of the location of their base or how many there were. However, he did have one lead. He had spotted some young humans near the site of one of his hunts the previous day and had overheard them discussing Andalites and Yeerks. Since most humans were, to the best of his knowledge, ignorant of both chances were that those humans were the Andalites in morph or had been recruited secretly by the Andalites as their allies. Either way, if he found them again, it was most likely that they would lead him to what he was looking for. Therefore he was scanning every human's voice pattern and heat signature, trying to find a match.
Suddenly his voice analyser detected the voice of one of them. One of the females. He scanned closer and saw three of the humans he was looking for. Two females and one male. Finally, he thought, a challenge. Arming his weapons, he started making his way toward the building that they were entering. Below him, Marco, Cassie and Rachel entered school unaware that their worst nightmare was about to be realised…
TO BE CONTINUED…