Prey to a Hunter
Chapter 9:
Fight Club
Incident+375 Hours. Fall 25th, Year 5
"Jack, look out!" Ann screamed, moving to push me out of the way. I grunted as Ann shoved me sideways, and a flash of heat and a loud scream blotted out the noise of Lillia's panicked cries for help as she ran in the direction of the Inn.
"D..dd…damn it!" I yelled as I stood up, my ears ringing from the concussion of the blast. Then it occurred to me that Ann had shoved me out of the way, to take the full force of the energy bolt intended for me…
"Ann!" I yelled at the charred remains of the pathway. She was unharmed, the heat of the blast having only singed her clothes. The blast had barely missed her, a smoking crater two feet behind her a testament to this fact. I was relieved to see her unharmed, but as the hunter's outline shimmered in the afternoon sun, I knew that could change very quickly. Ann scuttled into the ditch and dove for cover as the hunter prepared another shot.
I drew Doug's pistol and fired. Shell casings littered the ground as I took a bead on the hunter, who hadn't moved from his perch on top of the roof. I noticed three small dots of red, slowly tracking across the ground from Ann's prone form to me. As the light centered itself on my forehead, I leaped to the side and into a ditch as the blue bolt sped over my head. Many bolts whizzed over my head as I tried to reach Ann- the cocky bastard was keeping myself away from my wife! I realized the futility of my efforts when Doug's pistol clicked empty. I reached for my back pocket, looking for the extra clip, but only felt charred flesh. The blast had literally melted my shirt and burned some of my back. I knew that would be smarting later…if there WAS a later at all.
The welcome sound of small-arms fire made me look up from my position in the ditch.
"Hey, asshole! Over here!"
Private Stacker challenged the creature, firing his rifle at the monster above my head. It cocked its head at him and leapt from the rooftop, leaping impossibly high into the air.
"Get back, kid. We'll handle this!" Larsen exclaimed as he barreled into the fight. Firing his combat shotgun at the rooftops, he began a long, barbaric yell at the creature, interlaced with rage.
"This is for Jenkins!" he yelled as the creature rolled off of the roof, landing on all fours in a crouch. Confidently, it weathered the storm of incoming gunfire, nimbly dodging the large tracer bullets of Nickson's machine gun, and the grenades launched by Stacker and Takatura. It reared it's head backwards and let out a loud, manaical laugh that chilled the blood in my veins.
"It's still coming! Fall back!" the sergeant, who by now had arrived with Nickson, Shiro, and Mira in tow. Larsen stubbornly held his ground.
"This fucker's going down!" he challenged, pumping the action of his gun. The hunter suddenly screamed in pain as the sound of bullets piercing flesh was heard. A small pool of green blood formed seemingly in mid-air, dribbling onto the ground.
Larsen finally began to fall back, hopping backwards while shooting rounds out of his shotgun at a pace I considered inhuman. I took advantage of this distraction to grab Ann by the arms and pull her out of the ditch. She snarled angrily at me and raised my shotgun, pointing it with one hand at the hunter. Managing only one burst of fire, Ann pulled the trigger of my shotgun and sent a shell flying towards the hunter. It paused and turned to look at her, turning off its cloaking generator to reveal the huge hunter underneath. The thing's ceremonial armor glinted in the sunlight.
"Come on, damn it!" Larsen screamed, trying desperately to buy us time to get clear. I dragged Ann away quickly, but the hunter was faster. In one swift motion, it leaped into the air, landing next to me while drawing a weapon from its belt. It backhanded me with its fist and fired the strange weapon at Larsen. He screamed in rage as a small net expanded from the weapon's tip and trapped him against the blacksmith's office.
Ann snarled in defiance as the hunter reached down to pick her up. In a final act of desperation, I leaped from my position on the ground and slammed head first into the hunter's gut. A small popping noise and a painful sensation in my shoulder were all that I felt as the hunter roared in surprise. It hadn't expected this final assault.
"Get away from her!" I yelled as I punched the hunter in the face. I felt my hand break as my left fist connected with the hunter's helmet, but I really didn't care. The cold metal facemask glared at me once more as I prepared for another attack. I never got the chance as a warm sensation washed over me. The Predator had fired the shoulder weapon at point-blank range, barely missing my head as I disengaged from the hunter. As much as the idea of going down in a cataclysmic explosion appealed to me, I really didn't want to be anywhere near this thing. The folly of my maneuver, however, became painfully clear as I rolled away from the hunter.
The first bolt struck the ground next to me. Dodging this first attack, I wasn't surprised when the second shot arched towards me; I barely dodged this one as well. The hunter gurgled at me angrily as I stood, glaring defiantly at the metal facemask. The blasts were powerful, but painfully slow, and easy to dodge.
And as suddenly as it had appeared, the hunter leapt back onto the roof and began to retreat! We had it on the run!
"Hit it now! Take him down!" the sergeant yelled, bolstering the rest of the Marines and rallying their fire. His sniper rifle boomed as his first two shots whizzed past the hunter's mask. The thing, however, was smarter than to stay visible, and quickly re-activated its cloaking generator and disappeared into the town.
"Damn it! Spread out and search, damn it! It's still alive!" The Marines panned out and began to sweep the town, searching for our runaway predator.
"Careful, it could be anywhere" Stacker cautioned, un-strapping a device from his belt. It looked like a small green box, and as he flipped a button on the side of the device, it chimed to life, erratically beeping every few seconds.
"What is that?" I asked him as he passed by my position.
"This hunk of junk? It's been acting weird ever since we made landfall…I only just got it working again. This is the only one my squad was assigned…stupid politicans. We pay taxes, for only one hunk of junk that doesn't work? Anyway, it's the Obsidian Systems 435 MT PRS, or the Tracker, as I call it. Why? YOU try saying Obsidian Systems 435 MT PRS in combat, and you'll be thinking up new nicknames faster than you can blink!" he chortled, showing me the device's display box. Several small dots slowly moved across the screen. The names of the Marines were labeled above the dots, which glowed bright blue.
"Batteries burn out pretty quick, too. I didn't want to use it until now, though. It'll be impossible to go find our little friend, now. I get the feeling he's still here, though. Jack, gather everyone in the Inn until we've finished our sweep. You'll all stay there for the night" Stacker ordered. I nodded and helped Ann stand.
"Are you alright?" she asked me. I nodded and imposed the same question on her.
"I think I need a new shirt, but I'm fine" she replied, fingering her burned shirt. The skin underneath the shirt was slightly blackened, but otherwise alright. Ann noticed my gaze and looked at me balefully.
"I'm fine, really!" she exclaimed. I nodded at her.
"Tell your dad to expect company. I'll ask Grey or Mary to help spread the word" I told Ann, going our separate ways as we reached the Inn. Going to the library, Basil hesitantly opened the door as I approached.
"Jack? What's up?" he asked, scanning the area behind me. I asked,
"Are Grey and Mary here?"
He nodded.
"Good. Go to the Inn. The Marines are putting us there temporarily until they catch this hunter. They have it on the run" Basil nodded and went to go get Anna, while a somber Grey marched down the stairs.
"Hey, Jack, did something happen? There was gunfire earlier…whoa, are you alright?" he asked as I bent over to slap a bug on my leg. I stood back up, but not in time for Mary to stick her head out and see the burns on my back.
"Jack! You're hurt again! Is that thing out there again?" she asked, eyeing me up and down. I nodded.
"Yea, it's back. Listen. Round up everyone. Bring them to the Inn; the Marines are setting up defenses for the night there until this thing is caught. Go, we haven't got much time!" I rapidly explained, dashing down the street to notify the others.
Fifteen minutes later, everyone was assembled outside of the Library. Ellen was in a prehistoric wheelchair that looked like it was going to give out at any possible second, and Stu was hovering close by. Pastor Carter's hands were folded, and his normal smile was gone, instead replaced by a grim look. Elli and Tim were carrying a small medical bag with them, and warily glancing at my injuries.
"Again, Jack?" Tim sighed as he looked me up and down.
"Well, it isn't all that bad now, Tim. He's only slightly toasted compared to last time. All it needs is a band-aid and some time" Elli told me, smiling. Tim snickered.
"Well, maybe a BIG band-aid, but still..."
Tim agreed as well, smiling at Elli. Even though her thoughts were still doubtful, Tim and I both believed that Elli, despite her own thoughts, would make an excellent nurse someday. Elli flushed under Tim's appreciative glance.
"Let's go. Harris and the Mayor must be at the Inn already" I said after two more minutes had passed. We couldn't wait any longer; I was only surprised that the hunter hadn't found us all yet.
The Marines were back in front of the Inn, ushering people inside. Looks of nervousness and tension were the most apparent on all of their faces. Stacker gave us a nervous smile as he watched his green tracker, glancing up every now and then at the rooftops.
"Movement! Range, twenty two meters!" he suddenly moaned, glancing at us with a worried expression. The rest of us piled into the Inn, followed shortly by the Marines.
"It's coming. Close the windows" the sergeant ordered. The Marines quickly pulled the windows shut and began to nail boards over them. I knew that they wouldn't stop this creature if it really wanted to get into the Inn, but it would at least slow it down. The boards were hastily put into place, and sunlight still shone through the many gaps the marines had left in the windows. Through this small bit of light, I managed to see the black agent, casually leaning against the top banister of the Inn. What was he doing?
"Signal's clean. Range sixteen meters" Stacker reported. The Marines shouldered their weapons, pointing them towards the doors and boarded windows.
"Get everyone into the back rooms. This is gonna get ugly" the sergeant ordered. Doug and Zack began to help people into the back rooms. Cliff, Ann, Karen and I all stood our ground. The sergeant sighed as he looked at all of us. Pointing to Cliff, he said,
"Well, you've got our second Smartgun. You can stay. But the rest of you, get going" he said, waving at us dismissively. Karen puffed up indignantly, and Ann opened her mouth to start chewing the sergeant out.
"Now, listen here…!" Ann huffily began, unsheathing my shotgun from it's place at her back, but was suddenly cut off by Stacker's next report.
"Ten meters. Eight. Five! What the hell?" he yelled.
"That can't be, son. That's in here, with us!"
"Shut up, for a second!" I hissed. I thought I heard something, coming from the roof…
"Oh my god" Shiro's eyes widened in realization. The thing was on the roof. A loud crashing noise indicated that he had also cut his way into the building. The agent seem to almost dissapear as loud, heavy footsteps clunked thier way across the ceiling and into the hall above us.
"Oh, shit!" Larsen screamed as an all too familiar shimmer leapt into the room. This was beginning to become repetitive; when would this bastard just give up and go home? The Predator landed on the table in front of us; lashing out with its fists, it struck Takatura in the face and laughed as she reeled backwards, her head bruised and bleeding.
"Die, motherfucker!" Larsen yelled, firing his gun erratically. Squeezing the trigger and spraying the final two shells of his shotgun, he snarled in anger at the creature. The thing shrugged off the blows like they were nothing, and planted its leg firmly into Larsen's chest. He grunted and toppled backwards, sending tables and chairs flying.
"Let's rock!" Shiro yelled, firing her rifle at the creature. Shell casings littered the floor as her rifle sprayed a steady stream of lead in the direction of the hunter. As the bullets flew through the air, I just wondered what exactly this thing was made of. It absorbed the flying lead like a sponge absorbing water, unflinching and stoic. Suddenly, the hunter roared.
-
The Yautja was very, very grateful for the armor he was wearing. Normally, hunters would not wear armor during hunts, but this was a special case. Three times before, Yautja hunters had been killed during hunts. And each time, save the last massacre of three young bloods, they had been defeated by humans. This warrior would not underestimate the human's ingenuity, but the armor wasn't invincible, as a sharp pain in the hunter's side revealed. The hunter roared in anger, more than pain, and reached for the shi'ruken at his belt, just as his cloaking generator short-circuited and blew out for the final time…
-
The hunter re-appeared, a small dribble of green blood pooling at its feet. A shot must have been lucky and pierced the armor adorning the creature. The armor was gunmetal grey, and looked dented and scratched from all of its encounters with the Marines. The chestplate seemed to cover the entire upper torso and some of the neck, tapering down to several strips of metal hanging above the legs. At least it wasn't invincible.
"Jesus Christ, what the fuck are you?" Larsen yelled as the hunter pulled something from its belt. It reminded me of a ninja throwing star, but much bigger, and much deadlier looking. It threw the weapon with deadly aim at the fallen Takatura, who screamed in pain as the weapon dug into her shoulder, barely missing her heart. Her eyes rolled into her head as she went into shock. It reared its hand back to throw another star, but was interrupted by a large cracking noise, and a long, white trail of smoke and compressed air. It stumbled backwards several feet, before lowering itself into a crouch. The sergeant slowly lowered his sniper rifle and spat a wad of tobacco out of his mouth.
"Your mom" the creature gurgled, holding the sniper bullet between its two fingers! The sergeant's jaw hit the floor at the same time as his rifle as he stuttered and gasped.
"Holy shit!" he growled as the creature flung the bullet aside.
-
The Yautja was very pleased with himself. That move had been a one-time move, with help, thanks to the quick calculations of his helmet's HUD computer. He knew he probably couldn't do that again without losing a finger, but it was still very, very, great.
-
Stacker was the first to react. As the hunter had stumbled backwards several feet, he leapt on top of a table, pumping the action of his grenade launcher and sliding a grenade into the weapon. Roaring a challenge, he screamed,
"HIT THE DIRT!" before firing the grenade. We all didn't need telling twice. All of us hit the dirt at the same time as Stacker's grenade sailed through the air, on a crash course for the hunter's head!
BOOM!
The grenade exploded violently, showering the area in molten-hot flecks of wood and fire. Strangely, no bits of shrapnel were spread at all from the grenade's explosion, but who was complaining? I'd rather be as I was, without any large pieces of metal embedded in my spine.
Stacker was flung backwards, off of his table, and onto the floor beside me, barely missing my head with his fist. He laughed, coughing up blood as he beheld the smoking crater where the hunter had once stood.
It was then I noticed the long, pointy object embedded in his chest. It was the hunter's throwing star.
"Ha…ha, hahaha, urgh! I…got…you…!" he choked before he passed out. His rifle clattered to the floor next to him, smoking from his master's final shot that destroyed the hunter.
"Did we really get him?" Ann asked, slowly getting up. Mira grabbed Stacker's forgotten tracker, and slapped her palm against it several times.
"No good. The thing's circuitry is fried. He must have used an EMP grenade, sir" she reported, opening the panel of the device to reveal the fried circuits. The device was slagged.
"Our ATS systems are still working, though…spread out and search! Mira, Shiro, help me move Stacker upstairs. You two, Jack, Ann, get Takatura. They'll need medical attention" the sergeant ordered. Mira and Shiro grabbed the fallen Marine by the armpits and ankles, and dragged him upstairs. Karen watched him with concern.
"He's a good kid. Don't let him die" she told Mira as she passed. She nodded, and pulled him out of sight.
"Three down…damn, is that what it took to kill this thing?" the sergeant mumbled as he walked outside.