Chapter 5: Welcome to CHPS

Disclaimer: I do not own Alien/Predator series or any characters and may not follow all customs and cultures found in Alien/Predator movies.

Rory . . . it's really him?

Even as I spoke his name, my mind still couldn't register the connection between the boy I first met and the adult male standing in front of me. It's only his brown eyes that were the same as before, showing joy and curiosity that only a child would display. His expression brought me back to the memories when Rory and I were enjoying each other's company with Lar'ja watching over us. My heart stung for a second when I mentioned him. I stared back to Rory as he cautiously stepped closer.

"Anya?"

He sounded unsure but kept coming closer until he stopped after a few steps. His eyes widened all of a sudden, tilting his head down to the ground. I thought I must have done something wrong. What is he . . ? I was about to call out when he began to chuckle. He pressed a hand to his forehead as I saw a hint of tears from the corners of his eyes.

"My bad. I should deactivate this then."

Confused, I followed his gaze when I realized he was talking about his armor. He reaches for his gauntlet and presses a button that I couldn't see. A small red glow seeps through the design, glowing in intensity. The next thing I knew, the armor began to retract inward and towards the gauntlet. I didn't know how to fully describe it but it was like seeing each piece turn into light for a brief second before disappearing. It retracts from his legs and arms, finally leaving his chest and into the gauntlet. When it finished, the gauntlet quiets down and the red light fades away. I look back to Rory and he was wearing a bodysuit made of metal. Surprisingly from a closer look, it appears to be as soft as silk, bending with him every time he moved a muscle. That must be what he was wearing underneath that I saw. Rory stretches his muscles, rolling his shoulders and flexing his legs.

"Geez . . . still can't get used to how constricting it can be. After a while, you become numb." Rory smiles at me and my body relaxes more. The tightness I felt from the battle broke, helped by the fact that Rory doesn't look threatening anymore. My slow response to him is due to many seasons of training. Yautjas never let their guard down when they're in a fight, even afterward. I have seen some who lose a fight and can't stand the thought of being defeated so they attack their opponent when their guard is down. It was most unfortunate to witness a stubborn Young Blood lose his life for pride. So that's why I didn't react or got to him despite knowing who he is now.

But then, he walks towards me once more. Feeling an invisible pull, I followed his movements and met him in the middle. Eventually, only a few feet of space separated us. Rory and I stared at each other for quite some time. Smiling, he reached his hand out and pressed it on my shoulder. He rubs it gently . . . and comfort I had missed in such a while. A smile formed on my lips and I grabbed his shoulder in return. It was cold and metal but it didn't feel like that. There was more warmth than I thought. The joy grew inside my chest and my smile reflected it. Rory did the same until we pulled ourselves together in a warm embrace.

"It's good to see you again."

I giggled. "Same here."

Our arms wrapped around each other like bars. He squeezed as hard as he could. Being a Yautja hybrid, I was much stronger than him so his hold was like someone trying to squeeze a rock. Still, I can feel some of his strength. He's not a child anymore. I patted his back gently so I didn't injure him unintentionally. We pulled apart after a few moments, looking at each other in joy.

"I . . . can't believe it's you. You've grown a lot."

I glanced up and down his body and he was built like a tank. Through his bodysuit, he had a six-pack on him that bulged out. His arms were strong and his legs seemed like they didn't belong to him. He must have worked out a lot. I heard him cough and I realized that I might have made him uncomfortable. Even though he smiled, his cheeks began to burn. I turned my eyes away in a flash. "My apologies . . . you really changed."

Rory smirks. "Of course. I can't stay a child forever. I have to get older someday."

I chuckled and the awkwardness was gone. "True. But it's hard to fathom. In space, it felt like I only left for a year or so."

"Well . . . space has a rule of its own. But look at you. It took me a hard time to know it was you. The armor looks very impressive."

Without warning, Rory walks around me. At first, I had no pauking idea why until I saw his eyes squint together in concentration but also in delight. He was observing me. Upon realizing it, my cheeks burned once more but I remained still. He's just looking at my armor . . . nothing more.

"Rory? What are you doing?"

He was behind me when I spoke, stopping when he heard it. "Oh!" As if he got caught, he came back to the front of me, scratching his head in embarrassment. His cheeks glowed a bright red, confirming it. "I didn't mean to do that, Anya. It's just . . . your armor is impressive. Matches your wrist gauntlets too."

I couldn't help but giggle the way he acted curiously but looking like he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Despite the years of being apart, he still has his bright personality that gave me strength in my darkest days. Rory slapped on my shoulder. I smirked, swatting his hand away. I must have let my strength go a bit because he seethes in pain, pulling his hand away to rub it. I gasped softly. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry." I panicked and was about to help him when he chuckles. I pulled away in confusion. Rory?

"Geez, Anya. you've gotten too strong now. But I should have known after fighting you."

The incident from before came back to me. Although I took most of the injuries, a pang of guilt washed over me. I lowered my eyes to the ground. "I didn't mean what I said back then . . . and what I've done. I thought you were—"

"One of them?"

My eyes zipped back to him. I thought he was going to be angry that I would suggest what I thought. He did the total opposite. Rory smiled and waved his hand like it was no big deal. "I know about everything."

My eyes widened in surprise. "You do?"

He nods. "US Defense Command gave me the details of the report from six months ago. Some say a human wearing armor was at a hive. I thought it could be you but I wasn't sure." The tone of his voice grew softer and yet sad. "Now I feel stupid for not believing it."

He glances at my shoulder. I followed and noticed he was looking at the burnt mark on my armor. I didn't want him to feel sorry so I decided to put humor in the conversation. "Oh, this?" I patted it. "The armor protected me from most of your attacks. I have to say . . . you had some impressive skills but lack control. Almost took the tunnels with us."

I glanced at the entrance and it was completely collapsed. Nothing but boulders covered it. My criticism came through unintentionally but I was curious. Rory was smart enough that he wouldn't decide to blow up the cave that was struggling to stand up. It would have crushed us to death if he wasn't careful. I wrapped my arms together and watched him. He chuckled nervously, closing his eyes while rubbing his head.

"Yeah . . . That's entirely my fault. I'm still getting used to the controls on this thing. It's the first official prototype of the Protector to be tested on the field."

"The Protector?"

Rory's mouth opens in surprise. "That's right. You don't know." He twists the gauntlet from side to side to show me. "This is the upgraded version of the Predator Killer you and Lar'ja gave me. I merely changed the name to something better . . . sounding."

"Oh."

I glanced at the gauntlet once more but it didn't look like the Predator Killer I've seen last time. Very little was told to me about what it is other than used to give oomans the advantage over the Bad Bloods. To think it was a suit of armor . . . like a Yautja's. This is so messed up. I sighed, pushing a strand of hair that fell over my face. "I see."

He smiled. "Yup. Speaking of which . . . where is Lar'ja? I was expecting he would still be with you."

My body froze in despair when I heard Rory mentioned Lar'ja's name, dropping my gaze to the ground. I didn't know how to answer his question. I still had no idea what happened to him . . . or if he's even still alive. Without any communications into space, I was in the dark and fearing for the worst. It started to put cracks into my heart, threatening to shatter into a million pieces. Rory must have seen the change in my expression since he brought his hands to hold my shoulders. "Did I say something wrong?"

I shook my head, holding back the tears that threatened to come out. "I don't . . . know. We got separated."

Rory's eyes widened in shock, probably feeling like an idiot for saying something like that so abruptly. "I'm sorry . . . I didn't know. But how? What happened out there?"

I expected that Rory would ask and despite my uneasiness to tell him, he had a right to know what I've seen . . . what has been done . . . and why I ended up here. I took a deep breath and stared into his eyes.

"It's a long story . . ."

I was about to open his mouth when we heard shouting from far away. Both of us turned, seeing multiple lights flashing throughout the trees and bushes. My body froze in panic when I heard radio sounds and one ooman barking out orders. I couldn't exactly hear them without my mask but it was a signal to hightail it out of here. I turned to Rory but he doesn't appear to be surprised as I was. Instead, he groaned in annoyance.

"Seems like the US Defense Command got tired of waiting for me."

"Huh?"

Again, he scratches his head. "Yeah. I was supposed to give him an answer when the tunnels were cleared out but I lost track of time. Now they're sending reinforcements."

I stuttered with my next words, confused more than ever. "You work for them?"

"Not exactly. It's a long story. Guess both of us have a lot to explain but now's not the time. We should skedaddle out of here before they find us, especially you."

He does have a point. The military has a price on my head and it would cause lots of problems for me and Rory if we got caught. Rather not take the chance. I turned to the direction of where my ship would be and began to walk away. I picked up my mask on the way, hooking it on my belt. It was slightly damaged to the point that I might need to do major repairs. Great . . . more work for me.

"Where are you going?"

Rory stopped me in my tracks, running to my side. I stopped as well, confused as to why he did that. I sighed. "You said we needed to get out of here and I'm doing that."

"But it goes nowhere."

I stopped in my tracks, turning my gaze to him. "I have to get back to my ship. It's the only place I know I'll be safe." I tried walking again but this time, Rory stepped in front of me and blocking my way. I didn't tolerate it one bit. It could be the many time Yautjas tried the same thing followed by their rude remarks about me. This felt almost the same. Out of instinct, I let out a Yautja growl. Rory stiffened in shock but still hadn't moved. My mind barely registered that I was behaving badly towards him when he doesn't know why I reacted. I backed down, rubbing the bridge between my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Rory. I didn't mean to growl at you."

I saw him relax and a smile returned on his face. He carefully patted my shoulder once more in a friendly manner. "It's okay. I already knew but a little warning next time. I thought you were going to butcher me."

I smirked. "I still can."

He pulls his hand away, only to shove my shoulder playfully. "Of course. But on a serious note, I think you should come with me."

My eyes squinted. "Why?"

I didn't want to sound like I didn't trust him but I had no idea what place he was going to take me. My wariness over the few months was hard to break out of with all the Bad Bloods and the kainde amedha running around to breed or to kill. But Rory insisted.

"There's a safer place I know. And everyone is there waiting to see you."

My head perked up in surprise. "Everyone?"

Immediately, I thought about Brackett and McKenna. Are they really waiting? It has been so long since I remembered their faces. If Rory had changed so much that I barely recognized him, I wondered how they have as well. Even so, my heart leaped inside with joy. I wanted to see my old friends again and if I had the chance to see them again . . .

I stared at Rory as he nodded. "Yes. It's not far from here and safe from sight. But we need to go now."

As soon as he said it, the lights got closer to where we stood. The shouting grew louder and I swore I heard the clicking of guns being loaded. He's right. We need to go. However, I felt hesitant to leave my ship unattended for who knows how long. I looked into the direction of the ship, thinking about my options. Well . . . it's got the cloaking shield so it should be alright for now. I'll go back to when I have the chance. I turned to Rory and nodded in agreement.

"Alright."

He smiled as he turned his back to me. "Let's go. Follow me."

He takes off in the opposite direction and I followed suit, pushing through bushes as quietly as we could.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

We raced through the forest in haste. I checked behind to make sure no one was following. I could have run faster than Rory could but since he was leading, my pace was so slow for me. I was used to keeping up a fast pace for long lengths of time on my hunts. It served to keep my energy high and my strength maintained. It was a rough lifestyle to keep up, demanding everything you can give and still wasn't enough. It didn't matter much as the moment but it sure told me such a difference between then and now.

Rory kept on going, looking down at his wrist gauntlet and talking to someone. I got skittish about who he was communicating but promised it was a friend of his. I trusted him . . . but I didn't trust whoever was on the other side of the line. But then, he makes a jerking stop before the treeline and I almost slammed into him, barely managing to give a soft shove forward.

"We're here."

I looked forward but saw nothing but forest. I huffed, turning my annoyed face to him with my arms crossed. I thought it was all a joke. "Really?"

He raised his hands like he was confused. "Really. It's just past this."

He points past the bushes before pushing through. I followed closely behind but what I saw in front of me gave me goosebumps.

We stood on a ledge that overlooked an electrical facility that took a huge chunk of an open field that looked to have been plowed over to get rid of trees that once stood. It's not the fact that it's an industrial facility in the middle of the wilderness but the resemblance brought me back to a time that I would rather not remember. The pipes that ran through buildings like snakes . . . the secret location . . . it was like deja vu. The shock was replaced with anger and I growled in response.

"What's wrong?"

"It's them."

"Who?"

I growled again. "It's Stargazer."

It was the same . . . I didn't think they would be still around but if they were, there's trouble brewing. I pulled out my wrist blades in a split second, stomping towards the ledge so I could jump down and take care of business. But once more, Rory intervenes and pulls on my shoulder. He said something but my mind was dazed in bitter emotions so my instincts took over. Without warning, I turned to him and pressed my wrist blades on his throat. His eyes widened in shock, fearing that he would be the next to get killed. It wasn't my intent but I was not in a great mood.

He swallows, raising his hands to show he doesn't mean hard. "Anya . . . Listen to me. It's not Stargazer."

I spoke calmly but lined with rage. "How can you say that?"

He shakes his head. "They've been gone for years now. They're no more."

As soon as those words rang in my ears, all the anger inside broke. Been gone for a long time? It started to make some sense. Of all my time here on Earth, I haven't seen a single Stargazer soldier around. Plus, if there are any signs of alien activity, they would be the first to hop on it. But it wasn't the case here. The military is the ones controlling the situation and not Stargazer. Relief flowed into my chest but it brought along more questions than answers. I was about to ask Rory more but he spoke first.

"Ummm . . . can you put those away now?"

I followed Rory's gaze to my wrist gauntlets and gasped upon realization. I retracted them back into the gauntlet. "Sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"It's alright. Understandably, you would react like that. This was once Stargazer's base after all."

My eyes perked. This was Stargazer's base?

"Again, I have much to explain but let's get inside to talk."

Rory jumps from the ledge and I thought he was crazy. It was at least two stories high and no ooman could survive that. If he was a Yautja, then it might be different. I reached out to try and catch him but it was too late. He was already in the air and out of my reach. I could only watch as he fell to the ground. Are you pauking crazy!? You're going to get killed!

But he surprised me yet again.

When he hits the ground, Rory landed as if he only skipped over a rock. I froze in shock by what I saw. He straightens himself before looking up to me. He smirks and waves his hand for me to come. "Come on. I'm waiting."

I blinked my eyes to snap out of it. I took a deep breath to lift the heaviness in my chest. I jumped as well, landing a few feet from him. It was no problem at all but I was curious how Rory managed to do the same even though he was an ooman. I glared at him and he answered.

"You think I would pull a crazy stunt like that without knowing the consequences?" He pulls a bit of the metal body suit he was wearing out before letting it go. It springs back to his body, clinging onto him like skin. I was still amazed that something like that could look so flexible. He didn't need to tell me how he landed without hurting himself. That suit is something else . . .

"We're almost there."

Rory and I ran through the buildings and pipes that surrounded the facility. To me, it was like a maze and I would have been lost if Rory wasn't leading me. All in all, it was nothing more than an electrical facility but looks can be deceiving. Finally, we stopped at a metal door on the other side of the facility. I expected something more than what I was seeing. As Rory walked closer to it, I noticed some writing on it that was too small to read from afar. In the center, the letters CHPS were written.

CHPS? What does it mean?

I was about to ask Rory about it until he pressed on the panel next to the door. He enters a code and a buzzing noise rings. The panel turns green and the door cracks open. Rory was the first to step in along with myself. The inside appeared to be a single room with no connecting doors or windows. Definitely Stargazer . . . The last time I broke into their facility, I had to go through a similar entrance. I thought about how much pain in the ass it was to get inside. Once the door closes shut, another buzz rings and louder than the first. I was tempted to plug my ears but it only lasted a few seconds. The ground shook and the floor began to lower itself at a slow pace. Although I didn't like it, it allowed me to ask him some questions. I turned to Rory on my side and opened my mouth.

"So . . . what does CHPS mean?"

"Excuse me?"

He tilts his head to me, surprised that I have known such a thing. More questions popped in my mind but I focused on the first. "There were letters on the door when we came in. Does it mean anything to you?"

All of a sudden, Rory slaps his hand on his forehead and laughs. Okay . . . what's so funny? He stops after a few moments, wiping some tears that managed to escape. "I can't believe they haven't removed it yet. I knew I shouldn't have trusted those bozos."

I kept my mouth shut, still waiting for an answer. When he saw a serious expression on my face, he straightened himself up but had a smug of a smile this time. "It's the name of our organization that was formed after Stargazer dissolved. It means Coalition of Human Predator Spec Ops . . . or CHPS for short."

"Coalition . . . of Human . . . Predator . . . Spec Ops?"

"Yup. It's dedicated to protecting humanity from enemies but also to fight alongside those who share the same goal, including Predators or Yautja as we call them. Couldn't get it to change into that. Many of our staff couldn't pronounce it."

I rolled my eyes. Of course, they wouldn't. It was hard enough for me to pronounce in the beginning. And who comes up with such a name? I couldn't argue it anyway. I had no position to speak out against it so I removed it from my thoughts.

"You said you have staff. How many are there and do they know everything?" I had to ask about it. From what I know, humanity is oblivious to the existence of Yautjas and their technology . . . and for good reason. Stargazer was a great example of how wrong it can go.

"There's a lot and they know about the existence of Yautjas." He places a hand on my shoulder. "I know you worried after what Stargazer did to you but rest assured that they'll keep it a secret. We made sure of it."

All of a sudden, the wall in front of us disappears, replaced by a full glass window that brought in so much light that I had to shade them or else risk being blinded. Rory, on the other hand, wasn't even fazed by it. He lets go of me.

"We're here."

The elevator slows down to a stop, shuddering when it hits the bottom. The glass door opens as Rory and I went through. When I stepped out of the elevator, I couldn't fathom what I was seeing. What the pauk?

The whole room in front of me was more like a warehouse that stretched as far as the eye can see, surrounded by rocky walls reinforced by metal arches. But that wasn't what impressed me more. It looked like a factory filled with at least thousands or more people running around of various cultures, shouting commands and working on various things. Rory says there were lots of staff. He failed to tell me that it's more in the thousands range . . . maybe more. It was hard to count them all. Huge machinery scaled the sides and moved at such speeds. I wasn't sure what they are for but their size alone was massive. Overall, it was a working force of mass proportions.

In short, I was frozen in awe.

"Impressive, isn't it?"

I turned to the side, seeing Rory smile as if proud of himself. He takes a few steps in front of me, turning around to hold his arms out to the sides.

"Welcome to CHPS."

Hello Everyone!

A lovely reunion but not as smooth as some would think. Anya still has a bit of anger for Stargazer. At least she can feel safer now. So now we know what CHPS means but what will it provide for the future? Are humans willing to join sides with Predators (or Yautjas) despite the prior history of hunting them for so long?

That will be the question we'll be thinking of for some time.

Will Anya be alright with all of this? What would the organization think about her and the involvement? Also, what's Rory's role in CHPS? Find out soon! :)

Chapter 6 (Ooman Allies?) will be posted anytime next week at the latest (Friday) but might pop up early so be ready. This chapter will be very special to me as it will bring many characters of the Predator universe together . . . or at least the human side. ;)

Thank you for Mariah, Anonymous-E, and Nightroad for the reviews on Chapter 4.

For Anonymous-E, don't worry about the repeated reviews. It was an honest mistake and it makes sure I got the information for Respect. Thank you for it :). I know everyone is asking about McKenna, Rory's father, and wondering if he's alive or not. Unfortunately, I can't spill the beans until the next chapter. It will go in-depth who is with Rory and who is not. Sorry for making you all wait but I hope it's all worth it.

Also, I did change the name of the Predator Killer since I read some that think it's stupid and I agree on it. So I changed it to the Protector. I think it has a good ring to it but if not, let me know and I'll take it for notes.

Thank you and Good Hunting! :)))

Reading notes:

Normal = Anya (human form) or any human speaking English (ooman language)

Italic = Anya (human form) or any human speaking Yautja

Bold = Any Yautja speaking English (ooman language)

Bold and Italic = Any Yautja speaking Yautja language