I'm back, MistFits. Okay, don't worry, this section of the story will be wrapping up in the next chapter, and then we'll be back to the main plot with Lex and Scar. I've been asked why I'm putting so much focus on Alexa's parents/family, and I'm doing it for multiple reasons:
1. World building. Remember, I plan on making TEH a SERIES, and there are going to be many crossroads for this series. Characters you're meeting or met in the first story aren't going to be one time characters - and many of them will play a major or minor part in the sequence of events. In this case, the past LINKS to the future. Alexa's parents (their story/interactions/history with this strange hunter and Home Light) connect to where Lex is now. Their experiences with this hunter connects to Scar and the Yautja. It plays a part. It will explain so much in the next chapter. Also, knowing Margaret is important for plot development in future sequels. I want readers to feel a connection with her somehow, so that what happens in the future with her can feel a bit more real.
2. To allow myself to get back in the hang of this story. By shifting the focus a bit and world building, it helps me to come up with future plot points. It literally helps shape ideas for what happens next. I know filler can be annoying, but believe me when I say it's helping to make this story the one you guys are starting to love.
3. To build suspense. As I said before, everything has a purpose. I like to get yall minds tinkering on what part some of these things will play.
Alright yall, here we go!
THE ENEMY'S HEART
Unknown Territories
COMPONENT:
ELEVEN
WATCHING, PART TWO
Year: 1997
Location: Yellowstone National Park
Day one of the anniversary festivities for their parents had been a smash hit thus far. When her father had finally come in from fishing, he was beaming from ear to ear at the sight of his passionate and beautiful daughter. Though he'd never say it, the patriarch always knew that Margaret (the embodiment of her mother's elegance and beauty and his own hot temper) was the child he felt closest with...who tore his heart to pieces each time she walked out the door. At the sight of her, his countenance was immediately overshadowed with joy – a relief within itself since he was an expert wrangler and likely cursing obscenities internally for not being able to keep any of the glorious fish he'd lined. But as stubborn as Reginald may have been, he knew one thing for certain: never EVER test Margaret when it came to the enforcement and preservation of wildlife. On his own he may have attempted to illegally keep and cook what he caught, but with Margaret present? He feared angering no one more except God, Himself. Didn't stop him from praying to high heaven for an invasive Lake Trout on his hook (which must be destroyed according to Yellowstone Regulations)…though that prayer fell empty.
Still, he smiled seeing his beautiful daughter - proclaiming how happy his heart was to look at her once again. Between her work and Alexander's, Margaret rarely got to see her family; thus her presence was received far warmer than the Biologist actually expected. Even her usually uppity-acting sister was overjoyed for the siblings to embrace, resulting in Margaret pulling her husband aside and whispering that this much time couldn't be allowed to pass again without fellowshipping with family. Alexander promised he'd move heaven itself to ensure his wife that her heart's desire would be achieved.
Shortly after their arrival, Margaret's mother and sisters secured "ground zero" – which meant they began throwing down in her and Alexander's massive Tiffin motorhome kitchen: making an assortment of delectable and soulful sides while her father and husband slayed on the grill. Together the family congregated and feasted until the sun was about to go down, and then safely stored all food and leftovers in their RVs. Alexander volunteered to take all the bagged garbage to a massive dumpster a few miles away, and while he did that, Margaret sat at a blazing fire surrounded by her loved ones.
But peace wasn't entirely hers. Her siblings and their children were still adamant about sleeping outdoors, yet she couldn't shake the uneasiness about it. Eventually against her better judgment, they'd convinced her to join them. Hours later she nestled down right at the fire's edge (the memory of jungle flames surrounding her 20 years ago reigniting in her mind) with a precious niece coiled against her, while Alexander headed to the other side of the camp to converse with the men. But as her eyes slowly faded close watching the firelight blazing, she continued to see the fire of Val Verde growing closer…and she felt a familiar chill make its way up her spine.
Heavy footsteps made their way through the dense underbrush, sharpened talons snapping through fallen twigs like butter before finally giving pause at the edge of the tree line, watching the lumps around the bright fire cautiously. Then, a small creature near the fire stirred and sat up, rubbing its little eyes tiredly before rolling over and wrapping its limbs around the adult near it. Easy prey. No longer cautious as its appetite piqued, and with its attention focused on its prize, the footsteps made its way forward – past the others, past the open bag of potato chips tucked secretively within the bright colored lump to the side of it – straight for where the little creature had laid back down. Wary of the brightness and heat from the deadly fire, the talons stopped five feet from the feet of the pair, and their owner huffed and panted with dangerous temptation.
Hearing a strange, harsh exhale, Margaret stirred in her sleep. If she were an ordinary woman, she might have simply rolled over and ignored it – but all of her training and obtained knowledge fired off warning signals in her mind, screaming for her to wake up. Then, realization. Her eyes snapped open and she turned her head over…staring into the grizzled, scar adorned face of a 600 lb. male grizzly bear. The bear's black eyes stared into her irises, before lowering to the body of her sleeping niece. Margaret's blood ran cold before a sudden, motherly indignation began to build within the pit of her stomach. The grizzly was fixated on the little girl, and flattened its ears and lowered its massive head with a reverberating growl. Oh God...Margaret clutched her niece tightly as she murmured out, "No you don't, you son of a bit-!"
The grizzly suddenly rose on its rear hind legs, towering a humongous 8 feet high, as its deadly maws parted and it let out a vicious roar. With the little girl stirred awake, she screamed in terror as Margaret cursed. The rest of the family came to wake with shouts of fear as some took off for their RVs, others running to get Alexander and some other men, and the rest shouting to try and distract the now irritated beast. Dropping to all fours the bear charged, closing the short distance with blinding speed. Margaret reached towards the fire and yanked out a thick stick clothed in flame, which she swung and struck the bear hard in the face, causing it to let out a painful yelp as it leaped back and swiped at the embers on its face with its massive paw. Margaret took this time to jump to her feet and position her now crying niece behind her. Already the child had tried to make a run for it, but Margaret had her fastened tightly in her fist by the shirt. "Stay with me, baby!" she yelled, knowing that if she ran the bear would have her in seconds. The grizzly swiped its talons towards the woman in anger, but Margaret countered with her flaming stick. Already she could hear the shouts of the men (her husband's above them) approaching. Ordinarily she would have tucked the young one beneath her and played dead, but there was something dangerous in the eyes of this bear that told the Biologist such a move would have been for nought, and Margaret shivered in recognition of what it was…the eyes of hunger for human flesh. Alexander came into view, shouting for his wife to get down as he held a double barrel shotgun up to the ready and took aim – a perfect shot. She could only hope that he'd be able to take it BEFORE the pain of the bear's attack took them (or more specifically, HER. She'd die first before letting the grizzly lay a scratch on the little one).
The grizzly rose on its hind legs again, and jutted its neck far out as it released a mighty roar. Almost in unison with the animal's angered call, Margaret inhaled and screamed at the top of her lungs in righteous fury, holding the flaming weapon above her head at the ready for a fight…when the bear's roar was suddenly silenced with the sound of a boom and flash of light. A splash of wet exploded forth and hit Margaret right in the face. The massive creature's body hovered in silence for a moment before dropping to the ground with a loud and lifeless thud…half of its head blown clear off.
Letting go of her niece's shirt, the little girl made a beeline straight for her mother – the uppity sister - who squeezed the child's cheeks in terror that she'd been hurt. "MARGARET!" Alexander cried, racing and leaping over the flames like an Olympic god before taking his shaken and still wife into his hands. Her eyes were staring at the lifeless body of the grizzly, staring mesmerizingly at the hole in its partially obliterated skull. For a moment, the Biologist felt pity that the beast had been slain...but... "Mar," Alexander cooed to gently pull his wife out of shock, cupping her cheek with one hand and neck with the other, and then ripping off his shirt to wipe the blood from her face, neck, and chest. "Baby, you okay? Baby?"
"Is she okay?!" hollered Irene from the distance, sitting down in a chair as her enflamed nerves were trying to get the best of her.
As the remaining family began to converge on the scene of the violent encounter, one of the men (one of Reginald's brothers by the sound of it) replied, "You see how she clocked that bear upside the head with that damn torch?"
"Bad ass!" added one of the youngest of the adults in awe. He'd heard his aunt was tough, but obviously the stories didn't do the facts any justice.
"LANGUAGE, JACOB!"
"But how'd a bear even get here?" asked another masculine voice exiting from the safety of its RV.
Despite it being impossible, there was a collective sound of eyes rolling. "This is Yellowstone Park, Dan."
Snarling at the snarky comment, "Dan" replied: "Don't be a smart ass, Jackie. I meant: WHY?"
"Like I said: This. Is. Yellowstone-."
"SHUT UP!"
Reginald, caressing his shaky wife's shoulders, interjected, "I think he means: we tossed all the garbage and locked up the food. Why would a bear just approach our camp with a big ass fire if there was no food out to entice it?"
A female teen who had brought her boyfriend along for the trip, coughed nervously. Her thick, wavy hair resembled Alexa's just much shorter (chin length), and perhaps a little more frazzled than it should have been – an indication of what she may have been doing with her boyfriend while they thought everyone was asleep. Her name was Mariah, and she was the spitting image of her grandmother Irene: with the rich, dark melanin that looked like it reflected ancient gemstones. She would grow to be a beautiful woman – exceptional, otherworldly with the right sense and humility after learning from those around her…if she could rid herself of those shallow teenage values that ALWAYS pointed trouble in her direction – as was evident now judging from the guilty expression on her face. She bit her plump bottom lip with such passion it disappeared entirely. "Except…there was…" All heads turned to face the two teens standing near the fire, holding hands, clothes disheveled, and visibly paled.
Alexander's brows narrowed, sensing the proclamation of "fault" in her shaky tone. "Was what?" he growled.
Mariah swallowed, tugging on the ends of her oversized KISS t-shirt. She'd never seen Uncle Alexander so angry, and the knowledge that that anger was directed towards her was a frightening realization. Out of all the siblings and their husbands, these two tended to be the most docile…at least towards the kids. She swallowed. "Food." Before the adults could pounce verbally she rushed an explanation in which she hoped would spare her their vengeance due to her teenage naivety. "Johnathan and I were sharing a bag of potato chips but I thought if they were tied up real good nothing would smell it-!" Sadly, she was oh so very wrong.
Alexander Woods – still hyped on adrenaline and running through the idea of what could have gone wrong to his wife YET AGAIN – wheeled towards the teen with such anger in his eyes that even her boyfriend leaped back with a girlish whimper. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND?" he bellowed, causing Mariah's father to step forward.
He was a retired Navy Seal and nearly as massive as Alexander was – he was also Alexander's brother-in-law – and despite their general camaraderie, was on the verge of putting the Major in a chokehold. "You best watch how you address my daughter, Alex." There was such venom in the nickname that even Margaret was snapped back from her confused daze with an incredulous look of righteous fury, her brow up in a way that made her father mutter in the distance, "Aww, hell…" If there was one golden rule in the family, it was that no one disrespected her or her husband – and especially not to her face. Margaret was known to settle the drama, not be a part of it; so anytime someone had the audacity to come sideways at her, the Biologist took beyond exception to that. Don't let the degree fool you: Margaret was an ethereal goddess – but of vengeance when it came to her husband and daughter. Her sisters and their husbands, and their children, had learned that the hard way before…and she was more than willing to teach that lesson again – life or death experience or not!
Alexander took a step forward, craning his neck with a challenge from the retired officer. "You best teach your daughter some fucking common sense, Darius!"
"BOY-!" started the Seal, clenching his fists and taking a step forward.
But Margaret was in front of Alexander in a heartbeat, and chest to chest with her brother-in-law with all the rage of hell in her eyes. Darius faltered. "MAN!" she chimed in. "My husband is a man, who ran straight towards danger with a gun ready to protect me and our niece. Where the hell were you?"
Jackie, Darius's wife and Margaret's sister, stepped up next with threat in her very body posture – judging from her practically see through lingerie robe which she struggled to keep closed, Margaret knew exactly where he'd been. "Now listen here, Margaret. I'M the oldest-."
"I don't give one flying pig how old you are Jacqueline," snapped Margaret. "You boys think you've got a problem?" she added, scowling at the two military men. "Everybody needs to calm the hell down before I MAKE this a problem! It's not entirely Mariah's fault for the bear coming in."
Margaret's other sister, Patricia, looked around like heaven had spilled over onto earth and she wasn't ready to meet God quite yet. "I'm sorry, but Mariah and her uninvited boyfriend had food out munching like they haven't eaten in 40 days and 40 nights. The Park Ranger specifically said-."
"I know what the Park Rangers say," hissed Margaret, taking a step back to wrap an arm around Alexander's waist – both men still eyeing each other with lust for a fight, "but it wasn't the chips that attracted the bear. Why else would it walk right past them?"
Dan, Patricia's husband, asked, "Then what attracted it?"
"I think this bear has a bad history with people. I think it sees us as a food source."
"You mean like a man eater?!"
"That would explain why it ignored the food. There were so many of us and it focused on the baby girl. Knowing she would be easier to snag. It came straight for us." Margaret sighed and rubbed the back of her head, her fingers shaking uncontrollably. "We gotta call the Rangers and NOW. In the meantime, everyone needs to sleep in their RVs tonight. The carcass may attract other predators to feed – and I wouldn't recommend moving it. Everything has to stay like it is for their investigation."
Irene looked to Margaret. "Should we find another place to camp?"
Margaret nodded. "Definitely. First thing in the morning. Unless you guys feel like loading up right now, but it's super dark."
"We'll do it first light. In the meantime," Alexander added, turning to face his wife and place his back to Darius, "everyone sleeps indoors, lock your doors, and maybe keep the key in ignition."
Reginald scoffed. "Key in the ignition and a .22 on my pillow."
As the crew dispersed after showing Margaret and the traumatized little niece some love, the Woods pair made their way into the RV, where the wife instantly showered her husband in emotional, heartfelt kisses. A fire burned between them, and Alexander swooped his wife up and made his way towards the bedroom – murmuring how grateful he was that she was okay...with all the plans of showing her as well.
The next morning, Margaret awoke to a strange silence. There were birds chirping, but it didn't sound the same. It felt like everything had cleared out of the area except for a couple of creatures foolish enough to stay. "You're going crazy, girl!" she thought to herself, rolling over to face her still slumbering husband. With a soft smile she traced his jawline, and played with the bridge of his nose, stirring him awake.
His smile was like the sky had opened up. "Good morning."
His love was infectious. "Morning," she whispered. Kissing him softly and sensually on the lips – letting him know that she wanted, longed for, more of what he'd given her last night. There was a comfort in their lovemaking that left her hungry and desirous for more. Some couples screwed each other's brains out and then went on with the day like it was a chore – but what Alexander and Margaret had was almost spiritual in the way they connected together. She prayed every day that Alexa would find a man who could love her so deeply in her mind, spirit, emotions, and body. Alexander made Margaret feel like every woman was worth experiencing the love he expressed for her in every way in which he expressed it; the sad reality was most women never would. She hoped Alexa wouldn't be one of them.
"How're you feeling?"
Margaret laughed dryly. "Like I came face to face with a man eater…"
Alexander was going to say that it wasn't the first time – but that was a sore from 20 years ago that he didn't want to open…especially since it still seemed to haunt her even now. Hell, seeing her life possibly come to an end at the hands of the bear made him feel that worried as well. He'd almost lost her in that car crash, then when that…thing grabbed her…and now this? Fortunately he'd taken a job with Home Light that made him feel confident that he'd be able to protect her if that creature ever did show itself again. "You're okay now."
Margaret sighed, wrapping her leg across her husband's waist. "Thanks to you."
Alexander trailed his hands down her sides until they rested on her waist, relishing the feel of her body situated perfectly on top of his. Involuntarily his hips rotated upwards, and he groaned when she matched his rhythm in a delectable counter clock motion. "I'll never let anything hurt you, baby. Never. I'd die for you first."
"I know," she breathed, scratching her nails softly against his bare chest. During the night she'd slipped on a pair of panties and butterfly sleeved lounge shirt that matched the green of the Yellowstone, but already Alexander was reaching down in an attempt to move the undergarments aside, his pelvis going up and reaching for her heat. "If you hadn't killed that bear, I don't know what…would…have…Alex?" She looked down at him, noting his confused expression. "Baby, what's wrong?"
Alexander swallowed, sitting up slowly. "Margaret. I…I didn't kill the bear."
Margaret's head shook a little with shocked amusement. "Oh…well then it must have been my dad."
"He didn't have his gun."
Margaret cocked a brow. "You sure?"
Alexander snorted. "First thing he said was: 'I don't have my fucking gun!' It was in his trailer, locked up."
Margaret blinked. "Then Darius-."
"Was in his RV boning Jackie. He came out with his gun after the bear got dropped."
"Dan?"
"I had his shotgun…and it didn't fire. Fucking thing was jammed. I was about to go Rambo and grab my blade."
Margaret crawled back off of her husband's lap, and she noted the look of emptiness as she pulled away on his features - but there was another look on his face...worry. "Well if some Good Samaritan did it why didn't they come out and see if everything was okay?"
Alexander blinked. "Margaret-."
Her sisters had been preoccupied – one getting her body worked and the other sleeping. "If none of you killed the bear….then who-?" As if on cue, Margaret's eyes stared out into space, thinking…realizing…With a sharp gasp she was gone, flying off the bed and running through the kitchen with such speed, her feet slipped and she went sliding on the floor as Alexander called her name and struggled to slip into his trousers. The Biologist rushed down the steps and yanked fiercely on the door, before slamming her weight against it as the lock came off, and she went barreling out of the motorhome and stumbling onto the ground. The campground was empty with the rest of her family still sleeping, and Margaret looked around frantically into the tree line before stumbling back over something furry and soft. When she regained her senses and sat up, she expected to see the massive body of the dead grizzly. Instead, she saw a flattened bloody skin, a husk, surrounded by removed innards. "Oh my God!" she gasped, crawling backwards until her hand touched something hard and smooth. She looked down, and found her fingers grasping to the skull of the grizzly - perfectly manicured and cleaned…still attached to its spine. She screamed. She screamed for her life, clutching the skull in her hands before throwing it some feet away as Alexander made his way out of the RV and stood at the remains of the bear in disbelief – the rest of the family coming out and gaping at the brutal spectacle.
Margaret was on her feet, hysterical, and running into her husband's arms. "We got to go! He's here! HE'S HERE!"
"Baby!"
"I KNEW IT! HE'S BEEN HERE THE WHOLE TIME! HE'S BEEN WATCHING ME! FOLLOWING ME!"
"Margaret!"
"What's going on, now?" asked Jackie, poking her head out of her RV's passenger window. Apparently when Alexander said to sleep with the keys in the ignition, she took it to heart and actually slept in the passenger seat in case they needed to haul hell out of the campground.
Alexander struggled to contain his wife, whose eyes were wild with something that even the bear attack could not bring out of them. It was a look he'd seen before...as she was being flung out a window in a Val Verdean hospital. Instantly he knew what she thought was here - even if he himself wasn't quite so sure despite the evidence being clear. Then again, Alexander wasn't a biologist. He didn't know. He couldn't. But he did love his wife - and that was just as good. "Margaret," he whispered, grabbing her by the shoulders to calm her down.
"I want to go, Alexander!" she hissed, sane enough to know that she needed to lower her voice. Everything that had happened was supposed to be classified - her family couldn't know the terror that kept her up most nights. "NOW!"
Irene approached, looking her daughter up and down with worry. "Everything okay, Alexander? What's wrong with my baby?"
Margaret turned and grabbed her mother's hands as gently as she could - trying to contain the fear best as possible. "I'm sorry, mama," the woman rushed. "But I-I'm not feeling so well. I need to leave."
Reginald approached next. "Sounds like PTSD, right Major? Last night must be hitting her heav-."
"WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BEAR?!" yelled one of Reginald's brothers, offering the road to gasps and confusion from the other family members.
Jackie and Darius, who had finally exited their vehicle, stood over the remains in bewilderment. Darius cursed and bent down, preparing to touch the skull placed delicately along the ground with precision and care, when Margaret sprung forward and pushed him back as cautiously as possible. "Don't touch it!" she shrieked - fearing that if the monster was still watching, it would take exception to its prize being tampered with.
Jackie, however, feeling that perhaps her sister was being aggressive towards her military husband, stepped forward - and after screaming, "Don't touch my husband!" - slammed her palm hard against Margaret's face with enough force that the Biologist stumbled back. Reginald could be heard murmuring the same, "Awww hell…" from last night, as Margaret took but a split second to transfer from shock to anger. But she didn't have time to stand upwards and pounce for the eldest sister. Because almost at the same moment that she'd been slapped back, a vicious roar erupted from the forest - causing everyone within the campground to freeze in terror.
He didn't know why there was such rage in his chest. Yet here it was. When the massive carnivorous beast that he'd been tracking entered into the oomans encampment, he watched from the trees with interest. A few days ago, a comrade had been defeated by an ooman male in one of the massive cities. He'd watched the hunt as the other older ones had, admitting the ooman's resilience and strength with honor. But when the hunt was completed, he could not return back to the stars with his brethren...not without seeing the Queen first.
For years since that night, he'd return to the blue planet and track her down no matter where she was. Somehow the curiosity in her strength and the loyalty of her males had shifted to something else. She was strong, wise, brave, and built for making many strong sons. Yet she bore none - produced no more children. He couldn't understand why her mate did not give her more seed to strengthen the numbers of their clan. HE surely would have! After biologic scans he could see that the female was in healthy condition, and able to produce more little warriors. Why she did not, however, was perturbing. They had one pup, a female. Over the years he came to see that she would be just as elegant as her mother - but perhaps far more dangerous. THAT was surely an honor, he had thought to himself. Even the female Yautja were to be feared - even more so than the males at times. A more vicious version of herself was perhaps far greater a gift than a sea of sons...but that did not stop him from watching her...wanting to know more.
So he was able to determine where she was headed, and went to wait for her there. In that time he'd discovered the righteous beast who fed on man flesh. It was a strong opponent, and a cunning hunter. He would have its fangs decorated upon his body as a prize. Stalking the creature, it came to the place where she was, and he watched some more, interested to see what prey it would claim. But when it went for her, he stood upright in the trees and gripped the bark so tightly his claws left permanent indentations upon the wood. When she grabbed the fire and aimed to fight the beast back, his body reacted in a strange heat that nearly made him unsheath "himself" in want. When the beast attacked, he fired his plasma caster and put an end to the creature - relishing in the beauty of its blood upon the Queen's flesh. By Paya, she was killing him! And when the oomans vanished into their transports, he came down and inspected the catch before beginning the process. He heard the sounds of mating coming from her transport, and it took everything within him not to rip open the roofing and slay her unworthy mate out of the burning agony that grew in the hunter's chest. After completing the process, he could no longer muster the desire to take his trophy. Instead, he left it behind for the one who truly deserved it...a gift for her…
But now, now he could hardly control his anger any further. The other woman struck his female. Rage seared and burned, and he wanted vengeance for daring to lay a hand on the Queen...the Queen that plagued his thoughts with the idea of a great sin:
To make her his own.
To be continued…
AN: Okay, the next chapter we will see the conclusion on this particular flash back (aka Margaret telling Major Dutch and Home Light her recent interaction with the Woods Hunter). After the next chapter, we will be back on track to the story! I wonder how Yeyin'thwei's insight on Lex engaging in a trial will carryover with the couple? Scar DEFINITELY won't like it...at all...
LOVE YA, MISTFITS
