Time is up.

The wait is over.

What Drake is about to face in these next few chapters (kicking off probably in the next one) will be nothing short of apocalyptic. I am going to rock Drake's life to the core and bring you a battle of the Gods. (Not literally) I am not exaggerating here. I've been building up to this through the whole story. And it's going to be as epic as it could possibly be.

So here it is, to celebrate hitting 150 reviews, a long-awaited beginning to a climactic confrontation the likes of which the AVP universe has never seen. (To my knowledge) Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far… and now, it begins.

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

ARMY OF DARKNESS

"Drake, wait!" Deadstreak shouted, leaping across the rooftops after him.

"Shouldn't we go after them?" Dachande asked after a brief second.

Scarface, however, simply turned and shook his head.

"I've seen the things Drake is facing before. And it will be bad. We have to help them."

"So where are we going."

"The ship."

"The ship? Why?"

"To arm ourselves. Drake's got plenty of weapons, but we'll need more. And besides…"

Scarface suddenly looked down at the street, his mask detecting something.

"What is it?"

"Hurry!" Scarface yelled as he leapt down onto the next rooftop, Dachande quickly jumping after him.

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Drake wasn't even thinking.

Sheer, mindless rage flooded his mind, sweeping away all thought and rationality in a torrent of endless fury. He ignored the feel of the wind and his armour against his skin, unfazed by the dizzying heights of the buildings as he leapt from one to another.

"Drake, hold up!" A voice shouted from behind him. He simply ignored the voice, barely even recognising it.

All he wanted to do was something he should have done weeks ago: Find Yutani, and tear him limb from limb.

And nothing- not even the Gods themselves- would stop him.

Finally, the source of the voice was running alongside him.

"Drake, will you hold up!" Deadstreak yelled, as Drake finally skidded to a halt. "You're just going to go in there and kill everyone in sight, are you?"

"That's as good as it gets," Drake answered flatly. "Now don't get in my way."

They both stood silent for a few seconds, Drake clearly itching to be off, to cover the few remaining blocks between them and the Weyland-Yutani corporation headquarters.

"No stopping you, is there?" Deadstreak finally asked.

Drake simply shook his head.

"OK. But I'm coming."

"I don't need help."

"No, you just don't want it. You have to think about this…"

"What about it? For God's sake…" His voice rose again, his clenched fists tightening as he gritted his teeth. "They almost killed her and threw her out into the street. No one does that to her. No one!"

He leapt off again, racing toward the headquarters.

Deadstreak hunched down ready to jump after him, until he heard something behind him.

He turned round to see three futuristic, large weapons held by black-suited soldiers.

He recognised them. From his conversations with Drake, he recognised the soldiers standing before him, and knew exactly what he was in for.

"Monster Squad…"

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"What is it? What's happening?" Dachande shouted as they ran through the sewer.

"No time!" Scarface answered as they finally reached the ship, barely visible as always in the darkened sewer tunnel. Almost desperately, he threw the doors open.

"Grab any weapons you know how to use," He ordered as he grabbed a pair of Mauls from the weapon rack.

"For what? What are we fighting…?"

He was suddenly cut off by a massive explosion behind him, as the door into the ship dented.

"One more like that and they'll be in," Scarface explained with a hint of fear and, mostly, anger in his voice.

"What? What are they?"

"The Monster Squad!"

The door flew in with another explosion. In front of them, three of the black-armoured soldiers stepped in, brandishing their weapons.

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The Glaive cut through the two guards like a hot knife through butter, their blood spraying out in arcs as Drake sliced the blade through the door in front of him.

An access hatch. Easy way in, through the cooling tunnels.

The tunnel stretched out for what looked like miles in front of him, cold and metallic and identical for as far as he could see into the inky blackness.

This was it.

Without a moment of hesitation, he ran forward into the tunnel, whipping out his Glaive as he went.

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"Sir?" The scientist asked nervously as he entered the room.

Yutani turned round silently in his chair, as if in silent contemplation.

"He's here, sir," The scientist continued. "The hybrid…"

"Excellent," Yutani said as a grin began stretching across his face. "And the others?"

"It worked perfectly, sir. The Monster Squad should have them all in custody fairly soon."

"Excellent. We're ready. And the girl?"

"It went perfectly, sir."

"Superb. And what about them?"

"They're already fully grown, sir."

"All of them?"

"Yes, sir."

"Excellent. You may go."

After the scientist left, Yutani turned and silently activated a small communicator.

"Keyes," He said as he continued to grin, "He's here. More than likely in the cooling tunnels."

"Sooner than expected, sir."

"Indeed. But everything has gone perfectly."

"Good news. Your instructions, sir?"

"Activate the rest." He looked silently out the window, an insane fire in his eyes. "Activate the army."

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Drake finally reached a dead end in the cooling tunnel. It seemed like he'd been running for an eternity when he reached the ladder.

Prepping the Plasmacaster one last time and whipping out his Glaive, he thrust himself up the ladder and struck the hatch, causing it to go flying up.

To his surprise, he found himself in a room that looked to be entirely dark. He could see… nothing. Just… darkness. That was it. Pitch black.

Before he could activate his mask, however, a sudden clapping sound cut through the air.

"Ah, marvellous," Yutani half-laughed as he entered the room, clapping. "Good to see you again, Drake. Long time, no see."

Drake rose the Glaive in front of him silently.

"You know why I'm here, Yutani."

"Ah yes, your little girlfriend. Shame she couldn't be here…" Again he grinned, chuckling slightly. "I understand she had a doctor's appointment?"

Drake hissed and suddenly ran forward, but as soon as he'd covered a few feet…

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You see, you haven't thought your actions through tonight, have you?"

"…What?" Drake asked, slowing to a stop.

"Well, if I had a powerful corporation after me," Yutani mused, "I'd make sure to cover my tracks…"

"What are you talking about…" Suddenly, the realisation hit him. "No… Oh, No…"

"Yes. The Monster Squad is assaulting your little homestead even as we speak!"

"You…"

"And don't think that's it, Drake…"

Blinding light suddenly filled the room, what looked like black blurs descending from the ceiling.

"I can take your robots," Drake answered flatly.

"Oh, really? Well… how many can you take?"

Wave after wave of the Monster Squad suddenly leapt down from the rafters, completely filling the room around Drake.

"Wait…" Drake realised. "They… Scarface told me about them. The Monster Squad. They're not robots. They're…"

"Yes. Cybernetic enhancements. Humans."

Drake's anger suddenly rose again. He could almost feel the blood boiling in his veins.

"Who were they?" He demanded, shouting at the top of his lungs? "How many of them? How many times? HOW MANY?"

"They were no one," Yutani said in a completely level voice. "The homeless. The dispossessed. The criminals. And I have made them into something more. I put them to good use."

"You bastard…"

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Keyes silently entered the room, walking up to one of the scientists.

"What's our status?"

"They're ready, sir."

"Excellent. The army is prepared… now it's time to activate Mr. Yutani's greatest achievements…"

He flicked a few switches, a dim light flooding the massive chamber visible through huge glass windows.

What looked like a huge, writhing black mass began to suddenly move, scurrying about in every direction at once.

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A sudden, terrifying, ear-splitting screech filled the air. The mere sound of it caused ice to flood Drake's veins.

"… I know that sound…" He gasped with a sudden fear. "No… that's impossible…" The reality washed over him, numbing him with dread. "It can't be…"

"Oh, I assure you it is," Yutani smirked. "I must thank you for leading us to them."

"You can't have… Oh, God… they're…"

"Yes." Yutani's voice almost rose to a laugh. "Xenomorphs."

"No… how… how many…?"

Yutani was silent for a moment, opening his mouth slowly.

"Thousands."

"You idiot!" Drake yelled as he extended another Glaive. "You can't control…"

"Don't be so sure. And in any case, I'm afraid you've served your purpose. My one aim for you now is one of curiosity."

"What?"

"Let's see what happens when a Xenomorph… impregnates a half-Yautja."

He turned to the legion of Monster Squad soldiers.

"Take him down."

The full weight of what was happening seemed to have punched Drake in the stomach. He wanted to throw us. Rebecca was in hospital, and Scarface, Deadstreak and Dachande were going to be massacred…

…Because of him.

He looked around in horror as the soldiers primed their weapons…

TO! BE! CONTINUED!

Man, how's Drake going to get out of this one? Monster Squad… Xenomorphs… what else can he have to deal with?

Next Chapter: Drake Vs. The Monster Squad! And there's one more little aspect of Yutani's plan…