Hunter: Fight to the Death

After a few intense seconds, curled in a fetal ball, I heard the sound of the explosion die and saw its blazing light of destruction dim. I couldn't see what it had done but I was certain nothing had survived; the facility was gone and so were the men who'd done all this. And…Hunter was gone. The two Predators and Jake got up but I lay on the ground, my shoulders shaking as I grieved. I was so confused, so angry, so sad I couldn't hold back the tears. Shamelessly, I wept on the ground. I don't think I'd ever cried in front of Garv or Fire Blood and I think they were confused by my emotional state. But, Jake understood.

He knelt down next to me without a word, just pursing his lips like he didn't know what to say. I noticed him and squeezed a fresh flood of tears from my eyes.

Clearing his throat quietly he whispered, "Little Fighter…I'm…I'm so sorry."

For some reason I felt like a child again…alone and frightened…small; I sat up quickly and put my head next to Jake's heart and cried. His strong arms held me close and he put his chin over the top of my head in a consoling posture. As I sobbed I thought of the weirdest thing…when Hunter killed my real father I don't think I cried…but now I wept for Hunter as if HE were my father.

After a moment Garv clicked quietly, "We must get to the ship Little Fighter."

I wiped my reddening eyes and sniffed hard, "I'm sorry…"

Predators did not mourn their dead. Death was an understood part of the hunt and they accepted it without thought or emotion. His eyes lowered slightly, "Hunter…was an honorable and just leader. It was my privilege to hunt and fight along-side him. But grieving for him will not bring him back nor honor his memory. You must be strong for him."

"I…I just can't believe…" I started but choked on the words.

Jake helped me to my feet still holding me comfortingly. Fire Blood made a short rasp, "We're wasting time. We need to go."

Garv nodded in agreement. "Little Fighter we must go."

I looked at him and then into Jake's eyes. The compassion and empathy that shown from his eyes held me. "I…We have to go Jake."

"Where?" he asked, puzzled.

My eyes averted to my feet. "The ship. We have to leave." He opened his mouth in protest but I placed a hand on his chest, "You…you've done so much for us. We never would have escaped without you." I sniffed again, trying to steady my tremulous voice. "I don't think any thanks can be given that could repay you."

He took my chin gently, "You don't have to thank me. I just wish…you wouldn't go."

Again my mind twisted with perplexity. Slowly I backed away from him but he took my hand, "Can I at least see you off?"

I nodded with moist eyes. So many strong feelings all at once! Clenching his hand with my own I led him after me. Garv turned and noticed Jake was still with us as we made our way back to the ship.

"What's HE doing?" he demanded harshly.

"He wants to see me off." I explained evenly though I knew Garv's jealousy was as potent as ever.

He snarled lightly behind his mask but restrained himself. Suddenly Fire Blood and Garv stopped in their tracks, both of them staring ahead. I peered around them and saw what they were looking at; three transparent silhouettes ahead of us standing as still as statues. I felt so overwhelmed with emotions and now another was thrown into the tumultuous mix of my thoughts: fear and tension.

With a quiet beeping Algar, Quick Blade, and Striker dematerialized before us. I noticed they each had nets of skulls tied to their backs and belts. Their hunt had been successful.

Jake whispered, "Who are they?"

"That's the rest of our hunters…the one in front is Algar and he hates me." I replied.

Immediately Algar's dark mask eyes scanned our group "Where's Hunter?" he asked abruptly.

Garv clicked curtly, "He was killed."

From Garv's short answer I could tell he wasn't about to admit what happened…especially not to Algar. The reddish banded Predator snarled contemptuously when he noticed Jake next to me, "And WHAT is that!"

Before Garv could answer, I stated boldly, "He's mine. I claimed him as a mate."

Very slowly Algar took a step toward me, "What gives YOU the right to claim anything Ooman?"

"Hunter permitted me to keep him."

He barked a malicious laugh, "'Hunter permitted'…I don't know if you noticed…but Hunter is dead! His words mean nothing now."

I clenched my fists at his tone. He almost sounded glad that Hunter was dead. I knew that was true. Algar never liked Hunter and always wanted his position as leader. A flame was burning in my guts and threatened to consume me like the explosion we'd just witnessed.

"It serves the feckless, bastard right. What kind of leader places a worthless Flathead female at the same level as a warrior? One who doesn't know the meaning of being a hunter!" he hissed nastily.

That did it my eyes went wide and a strangled scream of rage erupted from deep within me, "DAMN YOU ALGAR! DAMN YOU TO HELL! HOW DARE YOU IMPUNE HUNTER'S HONOR! I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR UPON HUNTER'S HONOR I'LL KILL YOU!" If Jake hadn't held me back I would have attacked my enemy right there.

His mask turned slightly. "That sounds like a challenge to me…a challenge of my authority."

My eyes burned with Hell fire and ragged enraged breaths issued from between my clenched teeth, "You don't have the balls to lead the clan! You have to wait like some goddamned scavenger for Hunter to get killed before you can move in! When Hunter was alive you never had the guts to challenge him! What kind of coward are you Algar?"

Suddenly, before I could blink a flash of metal came straight at my skull! I couldn't react…but Jake did. Forcefully he swung me around placing himself between me and the dagger! With a sickening THUNK! I heard the blade enter his back and scrape against bone. He went rigid and winced as he sagged against me. A hollow gasp of horror and shock fled my lungs as I viewed the jagged blade stuck deep into his back. Jake crumpled to his knees, gasping and wincing. It hadn't hit his spine, brain, or heart but it might've punctured a lung. It wasn't immediately fatal but could be if he didn't get it fixed soon. That dagger was meant for me…not him. He'd saved my life again.

I held his face in my hands and he managed a pained smile, "You ok?"

"You damn fool! Why did you do that? Why?" I cursed him in a higher voice.

He lightly kissed my hand closest to his lips, "You know."

I almost cried and wanted to help him, but by this point I was in a livid state of raw fury at what Algar had said and did. Reaching around my back, I periscoped my spear's twin barbed tips and screamed as I charged my enemy! I wasn't even thinking I was in such a state of rage. All that filled my red vision was KILL HIM! Swirling my spear in a hard jab I aimed straight for Algar's neck! He made no move to dodge me. In the blink of an eye he caught the shaft of my spear, stopping it dead in mid swing. Eyeing the deadly tip a moment he uttered a shrieking bellow and wrenched the spear from my grasp with little to no effort. Carelessly he tossed the spear aside and I gasped as he reared a fist back to smack me. Luckily I ducked just as he made a swipe above my head and rolled fast just barely missed getting kicked. I leaped to my feet and ducked low in a fighting crouch. What was I doing! Algar was twice my size and hundreds of times stronger than me! Thinking quickly I drew one of my hip daggers and placed it before me for protection.

He laughed at my weapon and came at me fast with a fierce roar. I ducked, spun around and stabbed upward. Much to my astonishment the dagger found Algar's middle and I rammed it in clear to the hilt into his greenish tinted flesh spilling the glowing blood from beneath it. My little victory was short lived because Algar didn't stop or even seem to feel the dagger sticking out of his middle. He bulled into me and punched a solid fist into my chest!

All breath fled me and I heard a sharp crack in my chest as I flew back several feet like a limp cloth. When I hit the ground finally I gasped for breath but the very act sent shards of pain straight into my spine and chest. He'd busted my ribs like twigs. I didn't know how many but it felt like I was dying. Cringing and writhing on the ground I couldn't breathe or see because of all the lights exploding in my vision. I tasted blood in my mouth. Through the blazing lights I could see a shadow vaguely come at me. I squinted and cleared my sight just enough to see that he was coming to finish the kill and I didn't have a weapon or an ounce of energy to fight back with.

He had his wrist blades out and pulled them back to end my pitiful life when all of a sudden Garv caught Algar's wrist and with a mighty swing of his entire arm he bashed Algar's head throwing him back away from me.

Algar lifted his head with an enraged roar, "HOW DARE YOU INTERFERE!"

Garv returned the threatening sound, "YOU will NOT TOUCH HER! She's right…you're NOT the leader and you NEVER will be!"

"And I suppose you'd fight me for that right?"

My friend lifted his head confidently, "I'll rip your guts out and feed them to you."

Algar snarled, "To the death then! You will rue the day you crossed me Garv…YOU and your little Flathead whore!"

Garv's wrist blades were out in a second and he swung at Algar who blocked the blow. I held my side, trying to get up but I could barely move. Helpless, I watched the titans clash. None of the other Predators made a move to stop them. They were in the death fight…the right to lead the clan. Many warriors vied for the title of leader and weekly, if not daily, Hunter would battle to keep his position. He succeeded every time. But now…this was a fight that would determine the next clan leader. Whoever survived would lead…at least until a challenger killed them. A brutal system of command, but effective enough.

Blade met blade again, making the air sing and thrum with their dance of death. Garv bulled Algar back with his larger size backing him but Algar had skills to counter that. He allowed Garv to shove him until he dropped to one knee, grabbed Garv's wrist and threw him over his shoulder! However, Garv flipped through the air and landed gracefully on his feet, drawing his spear in the same motion. He let forth a shrieking howl and swirled the spear fancily in patterns over his head and off to the side. Algar withdrew his spear fast and parried Garv's initial hit but received a crunching fist to the side of his mask. Snarling the smaller Predator swung his foot up and delivered a sound kick to Garv's gut.

My friend staggered back only a couple steps and leaned back in a limbo like bend to dodge a huge sweeping swing from Algar's spear! Thrown out of step by his own attack Algar couldn't dodge as Garv leaped up and cracked a foot across the side of his head! The blow was so powerful that Algar's mask came loose from his face to expose the damage: a broken mandible that hung sickly to one side at an unnatural angle; even for the flexible mouth part. Glowing green blood spilled from the wound and Algar spit it to the ground with an enraged snarl. Quickly he threw off his mask, flaring his unbroken face parts and flashing his eyes.

Algar leaped at his opponent, flipping the spear behind his back and suddenly slashed it across the small of Garv's back ripping a huge gash in his flesh! Garv arched his afflicted back and roared parrying the next swing made by Algar.

I watched them and cringed every time Garv received a wound. Every fiber of my body wanted to help him but I couldn't even if I weren't hurt. Back and forth they fought making unbelievable moves and continuing their deadly confrontation. Suddenly Algar hit Garv off balance and with a horrible crunching squelch he rammed the barbed tip of his spear clear through my friend's body! I screamed as Garv stood with a spear jutting out of his middle. OH GOD! Even though I hurt anyway, the pain from my friend seemed to transfer over to me…I could almost feel the spear shaft penetrating my body. Algar was heaving with exertion but made a pleased rattle as he watched his skewered opponent squirm.

I wanted to throw up but suddenly I saw a flash of metal by Garv's knee and I gasped as he mightily slammed his knee up into Algar's throat. A huge splash of neon green blood erupted like a gruesome fountain from the back of Algar's neck as his mandibles flared stiff in shock. My jaw dropped in shock and near joy when I saw what Garv had done. He had a knee blade! It acted much like a wrist blade except it was a single foot long blade hidden in the ankle band. It was actually a rare kind of weapon and I had no idea Garv had one…and apparently neither did Algar.

A steady stream of fluorescent lime blood leaked from Algar's eviscerated throat. Growling almost evilly Garv turned his knee, making the blade carve nastily through Algar's neck and then with a quick kick downward Garv ripped it out of Algar's neck releasing god-awful amounts of blood and torn neck muscles.

My enemy blinked once and then heavily collapsed…dead. Garv backed away from the body making a disdainful noise in his throat. The spear still jutted from his body but he had won and was still alive. He was now the leader of the clan.