Joy to all! Here's the new chap I know many of you have been waiting for (ego inflates to fill the room, pushing out all reader) Hey, where'd you go?
Oh, well. Here's the chap... but before that;replies to questions and comments!

Bsdisaster: true, they are so very lethel in every movie, and it does give you that impression. Heh, I'll just keep on trying, and perhaps I won't get blown up in the process... perhaps.

DarkXeno: Really? Well, I'll just have to watch it another few times and then scream in terror if I actually do see anyone even romotely like me running the the background (as in me running through the house like an idiot going 'Holy shit are they real?') Hehe, otherwise; thanks, and here's what happens next!

Butterflydragon: Wow, thanks for the uplifting review, and I hope that I can continue meeting your standards and perhaps changing your opinion about SI fics. I never normally liked them either, at first, but now I find that it's really fun to write them realistically, and being able to talk like one normally would is just a perk XD Yeah, I know exactly what I'd be saying, and most of it's in here... most. Some of it's too bad even for this rating.
Nice to hear from another dragon fan out there :)

OtakusVengeance and Ranma Hibiki: Wow, I can spell you guys' names without having to look at my reviews now! (feels pride for some reason). Heh, anyway, Giving the spear back... hmmmm. Let me think... No speardeath, spearlife. What would I choose? Hah, that's just my logic, but getting the spear taken awayis a different story...
Evil... (hisssss) (more insane laughter)


Can it really end like this? I asked myself as I stared into the unforgiving and cold gaze of the giant Yautja warrior. The mark upon the brow of his mask gleamed raggedly in the darkness, the darkness that was in fact not as dark as the one that I might soon be entering if he actually fired that damn gun. Where in all hell had he gotten it, anyway? I wasn't certain of exactly what humans had had them, but I was well aware that Chopper hadn't found his yet, and he had been hunting with Celtic for at least a full ten minutes before he had found me, after all.

A rapid and agitated series of clicks erupted from Chopper's position, and I felt a dim shadow of hope rise within me as the smaller Yautja seemed to be explaining the situation to the larger one. Celtic still didn't look impressed or happy, but the three red dots that had been hovering over my chest wavered and finally disappeared. I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding, glaring up at the larger Yautja indignantly.

Suddenly, his hand darted out, and I wasn't fast enough to dodge as Celtic grabbed the spear, ripping it out of my grasp and snarling angrily as he investigated it, seeing the chips and lines where it had been hit by claws and rock. Chopper made a noise, but was immediately silenced by a barking roar from the larger and more intimidating individual.

"You know, I do need that to fight down here," I said conversationally with an only slightly trembling voice, annoyed and feeling more than a little snappish from the manner that this creature was regarding me in. I had not just gone through all hell and beyond to stay alive in this place only to have this arrogant son of a bitch take away my only chance at survival!

Celtic growled at the reminder that I still lived, one arm snapping out and gripping me by the neck. I gasped as I was suddenly lifted into the air, unable to breathe all that well from my constricted throat. He hadn't even bothered to retract his wristblades; the edges gleamed threateningly uncomfortably near my head, and I could just see them if I craned my eyes over. Panic began to overtake me as I realized that I wasn't getting enough air, but I fought it down enough to continue my glare, even when it became apparent that Celtic wasn't going to put me down until he deemed he wanted to.

Angrily and desperately, I brought my hands up, curling my fingers into claws as I dug my overly long fingernails into the unprotected flesh of his arm, simultaneously kicking the Yautja as hard as I could in the stomach and ripping downwards with my hands. This movement created long, glowing gashes that were quite deep and seemed pretty painful, judging from the roar that almost deafened me as the grip on my neck loosened. I took the chance and kicked again, putting the power of both my feet into it as I jerked backwards, effectively freeing my neck from the almost iron grip.

I fell to the floor with a thud, wincing and cursing as my bruised body was again shaken by the impact. Celtic's roar still echoed in the room, and I flicked my hands with a disgusted look, watching as the fluorescent green fluid splattered on the floor. Hah, seemed like Mr. Arrogant had finally been taught a lesson about judging your opponents.

I staggered up and jumped back in case I would be attacked, looking at the Yautja warily as he investigated his arm. The ten deep furrows were welling up with his green blood, which was dripping to the floor at a rapid rate. I winced slightly in a semblance of sympathy, but he had deserved it. If he had just left me alone, instead of treating me like some unworthy prey, then maybe we might have both come out better. Indeed, my neck hurt more than the time that I had pulled it out, and I was wheezing slightly from the pressure that had been put on my windpipe. I brought one hand up to rub it gingerly, flicking off more of the green blood before I did so.

"You can't say you didn't deserve it," I rasped, a grin somehow rising to my lips as Celtic continued staring at his arm in what looked to be disbelief, my words lost upon him. I sighed slightly, waiting for the Yautja to come back to himself and hearing the curious sound of trilling coming from Chopper, who had been watching all of this happen silently from where he had been standing.

The sound served to snap Celtic back to reality with a vengeance, and the large Yautja roared angrily. Surprisingly, his anger wasn't directed at me, but at Chopper, who merely tilted his head and made more of those growling noises that I was sure were words of a sort, but I'd be damned if I could understand them. After a few moments of this, both became silent, and Celtic stared at me for a long moment before snorting dismissively, clipping his spear back on his belt and stalking towards the exit tunnel at the other side of the room that had apparently opened up right after Chopper and I had entered. I was about to say something, but sighed and gave it up; it was his spear, after all, and he had a right to take it back.

"Hell, what am I going to use as a weapon now?" I muttered to myself, looking over somewhat irritably as Chopper clicked to gain my attention, using a sweeping gesture to indicate that I was to follow him as he made to pursue Celtic. I sighed and trotted along, wondering belatedly how much muscle I was going to put on from this workout and if I would ever be the same at home if and when I got back. Yeah, that was leaning more towards 'if' at every passing moment that I didn't have the spear to help me.

Ooh, another dark passage! What a surprise! I thought with a voice just dripping sarcasm, glad that my eyes could adjust well to the dark now that I had to survive in it. I had always told mom that it was more useful to be able to see in dark rooms than to be able to see in really bright ones, because dark places usually held more dangerous things that could kill you. Of course, I had always been joking, but now the joke had become a harsh reality.

Reality. Heh, just a few hours ago I had actually been sitting on the computer at home, cursing at reality because things like this didn't happen. Now that they were happening, I felt a bit like a hypocrite for not liking it. It had, after all, been one of my biggest wishes to be in an adventure just like this one, so I had better start enjoying it while I could. Hell, if I got back, this would probably never happen again, and if I didn't get back, I would have to get used to this shit.

So stop wining and start acting like the hero you always wanted to be, I told myself firmly.

Three sets of footsteps echoed dully against the stone around us, giving the place a type of endless feel that was distinctly unnerving, and far too quiet for its own good. If I didn't know better, I'd think that something was about to happen. Well… just in case, I let my eyes lid over slightly, listening carefully.

Footsteps, the clink of armor, my breathing, the rattle of skulls, the skittering of many legs…

Wait a minute! The skittering of many legs!

I stopped; stock-still and wide-eyed as I looked all around, my throat suddenly gone dry as I realized that there was at least one Facehugger tailing us.

"Hey up there! Stop for a sec!" I whispered harshly, making Chopper turn curiously. Celtic hesitated slightly, but grunted and moved on, ignoring my words as if I was just a bother. I curled my lip, but didn't dwell on the idiot; there were bigger things to find, and my eyes searched the surroundings much as they had when I had been attacked before. All it needed to do was move once…

Chopper growled impatiently, and at the same moment I caught sight of the pale, spider-like form off to my left. Sensing that it had been found, the Facehugger leapt, its many legs propelling itself into the air with an amazing speed. My hand whipped upwards, too slow to stop the leap but just fast enough to bat the creature off course, making it bounce off my shoulder and plop to the floor. With a speed born of desperation I slammed my foot down on it, careful not to break the exoskeleton and make it bleed as I caught hold of the thrashing tail and rendered the thing pretty much helpless, although I couldn't move or it would be freed.

That was a problem, considering that there was another one currently flying at me.

"Yah!" I yelped, my arm holding the tail snapping up as fast as it could and the caught Facehugger flying through the air like some sort of demented living mace, smacking hard into the leaping one and knocking it aside. There was a crunch as Chopper used his own spear, a weapon that he had not used before to my knowledge, to impale the creature before it could gather itself for another leap. I couldn't pay much attention, though; because I had to keep the Facehugger I was holding from latching onto me.

It seemed that neither of the two Yautja had ever seen my unique way of dealing with the spiderlings, and even Celtic was regarding me curiously as I slammed the creature into whatever hard surface presented itself, namely the walls and floor, until the squeaking finally stopped altogether and the creature was a mess of broken limbs. With a final grunt I smashed it into the wall with as much strength as I could muster, wincing slightly at the sickening crunch and the sizzling of blood eating through the stone that I heard.

I dropped it as if it had suddenly become a burning brand, flexing my fingers to regain some semblance of flexibility in them, as I had been gripping the tail of the Facehugger hard enough to draw a few drops of red blood. The creature that plopped to the ground was very obviously dead, killed by pure desperation on my part. I hadn't even had a weapon this time.

Good thing they weren't as strong as a full-grown Xeno, else I'd have been pretty dead myself.

I turned back to the Yautja, my eyes half-closed as I listened. There was no sound but my ragged breathing; even the two warriors before me weren't moving, presumably because they were still absorbing the fact that I had killed another of the damn things. Geez, for being my favorite creatures, the Xeno's were really starting to get on my nerves right about now. I mean; I could only take so many times of being attacked before I just decided to hate the suckers and leave it at that.

Chopper made a sound of approval then, nodding slightly before retracting the spear he held and holding it out to me. I stared at it blankly, eyebrow rising up into my bangs as I contemplated why he would want to give me a weapon, especially since he had been so reluctant to give me Celtic's spear in the first room I had met him in. Finally, I took it, knowing that I would be better protected with it and also that it would be a very foolish idea to refuse this gesture that told me the other Yautja thought me worthy of using it. Frankly; I wasn't gonna argue with him. When it came to a fork between death and survival, I knew which one I'd take every time.

"Thanks," I said with a slow nod, running my fingers over the spear that was less ornate than that of Celtic's, but still amazingly detailed and perfectly balanced in my hands. I turned slowly as a growl came from the direction of the dead Facehugger, and saw that the larger Yautja was inspecting it. As I watched, he snapped off the only unbroken limb, turning towards me slowly. I narrowed my eyes, wondering what he was going to do.

Chopper rumbled something, and I lifted my head to look at him. He gestured to the mark on his mask, then at me, and suddenly I understood; Celtic had accepted me as a warrior –a surprising fact in itself-, and wished to mark me as one. I looked at the large Yautja skeptically, and then glanced down at my already marked hand and mulled the thought over in my mind. Well, if he really wanted to, I certainly wasn't about to try and stop him! Even though my mom would go through the roof… but I guess she might understand if she got the whole story. I knew mom would believe me, considering I had a very strict code of honor when it came to lying.

"Go ahead," I said with a sigh, looking up into the expressionless eye sensors of that ornate and imposing mask. Heh, I had always wanted a tattoo on my face, and I knew I was about to get one when the leg was brought up to my cheek. I flinched as the blood burned through my skin with excruciating pain, but as I had already gotten burned many times by the blood it was nothing new, and the process was over within seconds. Celtic growled approvingly and handed me the leg, which I took with a respectful nod and began draining on the wall beside me.

What I wouldn't have given for a mirror right then.

The atmosphere of the group changed slightly after that, as the rigid tenseness had begun to dissipate. I was surprised at how much I had actually been able to sense it, considering that I was horrible at the social game and could barely read any type of signal unless someone smacked me upside the head with it. The echo of our footsteps seemed less foreboding, and I began to have the vague hope that we would soon find the exit. The air was beginning to change, as well; the musty and stale smell that pervaded the rest of the pyramid was shot through with a clean and fresh snap of a circulating breeze.

With lifted spirits I began to hum the tune of one of my favorite songs, the melody twining and reverberating nicely in the enclosed hallway. The two Yautja ignored it, and I felt safe enough to hum louder as the harmony moved more into the song. After a few moments, it was as if I was in my own world; my head was bobbing with the music that I was humming and I was deep in thought. At the edges of my conscience I heard one of the two finally take notice and growl curiously, trying to imitate the sound, and a small chuckle warped the song slightly as I smiled.

And then both Chopper and Celtic's arm computers began beeping frantically, and my heart dropped down to my feet as I heard the sound. Both Yautja brought their arms up, looking at the message on the computers and growling in a surprised way before stiffening. Celtic took off immediately, and Chopper took the time to turn around and growl at me commandingly before he began to run as well.

"Shit," I said with a groan, taking off at a speed that I had never thought I'd reach again and keeping pace with the others easily. I knew; I knew what had happened.

And oh, I knew that there wasn't much time left…


Ahhhh! A time limit! I ALWAYS DIED IN THOSE TYPE OF GAMES!