Thanks to all of my reviewers! Each and every one makes me smile!
X pauses for a moment X
Wow, that was sappy. What I meant was...I ate cheetos and grinned stupidly at your kind commentary. Yep. Thankey! Hope you enjoy this one!
Chapter 3
Ripley pulled herself over the tip of the ledge, eyes scanning the darkness expertly. There was no sign of the creature, or much else for that mater. The stone-hard platform receded into velvet darkness after a few feet, atmosphere cool and vaguley stagnant. Standing still for a moment, the tall woman closed her eyes, head cocked to one side, feeling the vacancy with her mind. That thing couldn't have gone too far...
A blaze of beam-light flooded the dank passageway instantly sending the shadows on a hasty retreat. Ripley swiveled unapprovingly to face the offender with a furious stare. Chip looked back at her curiously.
"See better in the dark, do you?" he inquired, an eyebrow raising humorously.
"Perhaps..." She relinquished her anger to his half-smile. "I just don't know how that thing will react to the intrusion."
"Probably's setting the table right now." Terc chimed in. The soldier behind him grinned.
"Hope there's cake."
Ripley rolled her eyes and took a purposefully large step to distance herself from her dim-witted companions. She made a mental note to remain detatched from them. Those who joked on these kind of recons seldom lived past the first hour. Not that she considered it a severe loss...
The passageway came to an abrupt halt after a few dozen yards, emptying onto a narrow shelf-like walkway embedded into an inner wall. Across from their current vantage points, the land crew could see only numerous tunnels. A cave-mirror view reflecting all but themselves. Ripley was reminded of the central chambers of an ant hill. Shrugging, she stepped cautiously onto the shallow walkway. It would only take a minute to uncover which way they were to go if she placed her hands on the cream-stucco-esque formation. Turning, she made to do so, her hands stretching toward the wall, fingers pulling apart in anticipation.
A loud almost-hiss erupted from below, and for the first time the team turned their gazes downward. Kneeling upon the stale-crust walkway, the only female regarded the owner of the cry through narrowed eyes.
It stood not too far down from their current position, pupiless eyes widening, tentacle-like hair constricting and fanning weightlessly about it's pointed face. Seemingly realizing something, it thrust a thin arm upwards, a strangely long digit angled at a spot above and to the right of their heads.
"I'd say its telling us to leave..." Chip mused, lowering his tracking beam from its chest hesistantly. The creature took no note of it, just continued to stare in the direction it was pointing.
"Maybe we'd better do as it says. That thing looks like a deranged..."
"Get down!" Ripley screamed, scuttling backwards with haste. Her eyes darted to the side, following the movement of something inhumanly quick.
Terc turned rapidly at the screeched warning, nearly tumbling over the edge as he did so. Chip grabbed his arm and swung him into Ripley's grasp as he rotated on a combat-boot heel, gun raised in aim. A tar-blur jumped from above his head, sharp tail glistening against the matte finish of the wall. He squeezed the trigger with masterful speed, bullets sputtering towards the foreboding creature.
He wasn't quick enough.
The wall shook with the penetration of dozens of bullets as the creature made a nimble leap to the side. Its sharp-edged tail was lost in motion for no more than a second before it could be seen colliding with Chip's side. His scream echoed throughout the chamber as he plummeted to the far-off floor.
The originally pursued creature watched the human fall like one watches a yo yo glide out of its owner's hands. It stared, emotionless, as the man hit the floor with a sickening thud. Staring at the prone form far below for a few curious moments, it returned its watchful orbs to the ledge with the other humans, eyes slitting with observation.
Ripley shoved Terc to the side as she vhemently cursed herself for unessecary carelessness. She looked down to where Chip lay, shuddering.
He didn't move.
"You bastard!" She screamed at the starless-night skinned monster before her. She crouched, a quick hand grasping for the pulse rifle strewn across her back. Raising it to eye level with the alien's abdomen, she fired with speed made possible only by her non-human genes.
The large serpent stared at her, unmoving. Most likely it could sense her inner kinship with itself, and lacked the knowledge of what should be done with her.
She didn't care. Without a second thought, she riddled the tough hide with ammo, stepping cooly to the side as its blood gush-sprayed its surroundings, before it too, toppled over the edge. She watched it collide with the ground dispassionately.
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Triy watched the new-strange creatures walk into the main chamber of the defense structure. They seemed unusually dependent upon the light-stream held in the biggest one's grasp.
The one with long curly locks stepped onto the inner passageway, taking in her surroundings. Something separated this one from the others, Triy realized, watching her acute movements attentively. She turned her back to its pewter-eyed stare suddenly, hands reaching for the wall, forehead lowering. What was it doing?
A minute flick of movement could be detected just above the creature's head. Triy knew what it was before it had a chance at another breath. The serpent-hunter crawled unnoticed towards the prey below. Couldn't they feel its presence?!
Shrieking a warning to the beings not too far above its perch, the now pale-saphire creature pointed at the xenomorph.
Nearly simultaneously, the four creatures turned in the direction of Triy's cry, the objects in their hands pointed threateningly. They paused, staring at it, eventually lowering their posessions.
Did they want to die?
It was highly improbable, but perhaps the creatures still couldn't sense the monster above them. Growing frustrated, its masses of tendrils waving violently, it pointed at the danger above them. Their gazes were still fastened to Triy, as they began mumbling a bizarre language amongst themselves. Widening its eyes, Triy watched the drone slip closer to their heads.
A scream from the lithe one penetrated the chamber suddenly.
One of the creatures was tossed to the vocal one, the largest of them spinning to face the approaching danger. Triy only had time to note that its speed was lacking before it was knocked over the edge by a thrash of a tail.
It fell to the far-below ground, where it landed with a loud crack and moved no more.
Triy watched it for a few moments, wondering why it remained still. Why wasn't it moving? Surely it wouldn't stop for a rest in the middle of a battle!
Perhaps it would. And was, apparently...
Unintersted in the immoble creature any longer, Triy returned its gaze to the current battle.
With an extrememly loud burst of sound, the longest-haired one pulled something off its back and fired into the xenomorph's rough hide. For a reason unknow to Triy, the serpent hesitated.
It was rewarded with death.
It plunged over the side of the ledge much like the other creature before it. But Triy knew that it was dead before it made impact.
Nodding approvingly at the proficiency with wich the one creature disposed of the drone, the now teal-skinned, silver-eyed being stared at the remaining aliens on the ledge, wondering at their next choice of action.
Before long, they began climbing down the side of the defense compound. Probably to recover their fallen comrade.
Triy eyed them curiously for a decent length of time before shrugging and mimicking their actions.
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Please review if you like what you read! ....Or disliked it. Let me know if there's anything despicable about it! :)
In case anyone's confused about Triy: It IS an IT. Yeppers. And its species' connection with the xenomorphs and yautja will be explained in future chapters...
Oh, and don't forget to check out PREDATOR: Ancient World if you like my randomness. ; P It's co-written with the immensely talented Bastet1023!
