Well, not much to say on this chapter. It's nearly Easter, though, so I'd best get to work if I want to get to the Xenomorphs by then.

Yautja, Predator and all related characters and trademarks are © 20th Century Fox.

APOLOGY AND DEPARTURE

Four Days… Drake thought, Only Four Days left…

Drake's life hadn't gotten any better over the last three days. In fact, not much had happened except intense training with Scarface.

To be honest, he doubted if things could be going much worse. The injuries he sustained while fighting the Monster Squad may have healed, but whoever sent them after his was still out there. Then there was Danny and his goons, detention, teachers, School, not being allowed out after school…and Rebecca.

It had now been over three weeks since the whole situation with her had started, and he still had no idea what he was going to do about it. And these…feelings he was starting to have for her could only serve to complicate things.

Such were Drake's thoughts as he entered the schoolyard to find Adam and Max waiting for him.

"Hey," Adam greeted him, "Where were you?"

"Overslept," Drake answered.

"Again?" Max asked. "Anyway, Danny's looking for you."

Drake clenched his fist. Danny was the last person he wanted to see right now…he'd even prefer to talk to Rebecca. Then again, there was that small, ever-growing part of him that wanted to see her. But the problem with Danny was, with all the problems Drake was having, it was entirely likely that Danny could end up the recipient of a beating marked for a Xenomorph.

Unfortunately, on the way to their first lesson, Adam and Max turned round a corner to see Danny standing there.

"Going somewhere?" Danny asked with a fat, ugly grin.

Adam and Max looked around at six, this time, of Danny's goons.

"Still getting your boyfriends to fight me instead of you?" Adam taunted.

Before he could even finish his sentence, Adam had been punched in the gut. As he staggered, Max lashed out at one of them, only to be struck in the face. Two of them started punching Adam as another one tripped up Max and started laying into him.

Suddenly, something pulled Adam's attackers off and hurled them into Max's attacker. As another one tried to punch him, Drake grabbed his hand and kneed him in the chest.

"That's enough!"

Another one tried to punch Max, but Drake quickly kicked him in the side, knocking him to the ground.

"I said, that's enough!"

One of the goons attempted to hit him in the face, but Drake effortlessly ducked and responded by punching him in the gut, sending him flying into a wall.

Two of them, however, grabbed his arms from behind as another prepared to punch him. Drake easily flipped over and kicked the two holding him into the attacker. Another one punched at his face, but Drake caught the blow and hurled the thug over his shoulder.

Finally, Danny took a swing himself, but Drake instantly ducked and punched him in the face. He grabbed Danny by the collar, pulling back his fist, about to strike…

"Drake, no!" Max yelled, "Dude, that's enough!"

Drake grunted and dropped Danny, turning to the other six, who instantly ran off down the hallway.

"Thanks, Man," Adam sighed as he and Max got up, "Jesus…how the hell do you do that?"

"Karate classes," Drake lied.

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After lunch, Drake stood around for a while, again going over recent events in his head…until the last person he wanted to talk to came up to him.

"Hey," Rebecca greeted him coldly.

Drake nodded, looking away.

"Look…" He said, after a few awkward seconds, "About the other day…I'm sorry. I said some things that…well, that I shouldn't have said and, well…like I said, I'm sorry."

Rebecca paused for a few seconds.

"It's OK," She answered. "I guess it's not easy…you know, doing what you do…"

Drake nodded.

"You know…" He admitted, "I don't think I ever did thank you. You know…for the whole thing on that ship. So, uh…"

"You're welcome," Rebecca smiled, before turning and walking away.

Drake was jarred out of his thoughts by the bell.

Better get going, He thought. God, what the hell is wrong with me. I just want to get this day over with, get home, get onto that trial…and…stop thinking about her. Stop thinking that just because I mustered the guts to apologise to her, that she could see anything in me.

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It was just as he'd feared, Drake thought as he made his way through the sewers, back to the ship.

He'd wanted to kill Danny. Just for beating up his friends. But it wasn't just that. When he was beating on them, he was seeing the Xenomorphs…gangsters…Exosuits…and, most of all, the Monster Squad. He'd lost it. Even though it was only for a split second, a split second, he reminded himself, is all it takes.

He opened the door in the side of the ship and stepped inside.

"There you are," Scarface said, "You've been taken out of School until the trial."

"Why?" Drake asked, "To train?"

Scarface nodded. There are only four days to go, Drake.

"Well, then," Drake answered as he put his bag down, "Let's get started."

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The next three days were like a blur to Drake. Constant training, honing his skills in both physical combat and his weapons…understanding the prey he would face and practicing again and again how to track, fight and kill it. It seemed like a blink of an eye before three days had, indeed, passed.

Drake and Scarface stood just outside the city, as, after a brief shimmering, a shining, massive matrix of light and metal appeared above their heads. Electricity danced around it as the sleek, expertly designed form of the Yautja ship appeared. A ramp quickly descended towards them as Drake attacked his mask.

"Are you ready?" Scarface asked quietly as his 'son' looked up.

Drake nodded, though somewhat nervously.

They both started up the ramp, into the ship. They felt the engines begin to start smoothly beneath them as the ship cloaked again and rose into the air.

Drake glanced out of a window, down toward the city as it rapidly began to disappear as they ascended into the sky.

At least he wouldn't have to worry about School or Danny for the next few days. Instead, he'd have to worry about murderous, acid-blooded monsters.

There were those he'd miss, though. He already missed the cooling night air, and he'd miss Adam and Max. One problem he'd be rid of for a while, though, was Rebecca. Maybe he'd have time to come up with a solution to that whole situation.

Then again, there was that small, growing corner of his heart that would miss her.

Drake turned away from the window as the ship shot into the blackness of space.

To be honest, I thought the emotional stuff came off a lot better there. So tell me: Did I do a good job on that? I was hoping to show that Drake really is starting to angst over his feelings.

Oh well. One more chapter to go, and then…finally, here come the Xenomorphs! So, get ready…the showdown is on your way! Plus, the next chapter will hopefully be more eventful than this. But I'm trying to, y'know, build up the character emotions and all that.

Next Chapter: Drake and his fellow "Unblooded" Yautja prepare for the hunt- but how well can Drake blend in with the Yautja? Can't be any worse than with humans…right? Plus: Drake's about to get himself a rival! Stay tuned!