The Xenomorph Queen chased after Lex shattering the ribs of a long-dead whale as she ran. Lex ran for cover underneath a large water tower. The Queen ran towards her and attempted to claw and bite at Lex. The water tower strained backward as the Queen put her weight on the water tower; the wooden foundations began to split and collapse.
Lex pushed herself back as far as she could to avoid the Queen's mouth. The Queen shot out its secondary mandibles at her, but it was a few inches short of reaching Lex's face. Frustrated, the Queen continued to push into the bottom of the water tower to get at Lex.
Suddenly, Scar leaped up into the air and threw his spear into the Queen's face causing her to roar in pain and rage. Scar landed next to the water tower and observed how his strike affected the Queen.
The Queen used her clawed arm to break off one side of the spear and then the other side. Yellow blood oozed from the wound; the spear that still remained inside the Queen's skull quickly dissolved.
Lex got out of her hiding place and saw the chain attached to the Queen's collar. She then saw how it could hook up to the water tower which was on the verge of falling into the cold Antarctic Ocean.
"Help me," Lex asked Scar who seemed to understand what she was up to.
The Yautja complied and assisted Lex with the chain. Lex wrapped the chain around the water tower's lock. Scar used all of his strength to pull the Queen backward toward the Ocean.
The Queen immediately resisted and roared as it realized what was happening. Lex and Scar soon realized a problem in their plan; the water tower was not falling over the edge. The Queen suddenly used her tail to slice into Scar's gut and out the other side.
Lex watched horrified as Scar was lifted off the ground; the Queen raised Scar to eye level. Scar gave the Queen a defiant roar; his mandibles fully extended. The Queen screeched at Scar and was just about to slice through Scar's head when she realized what Lex was doing.
Lex used a piece of metal to pry the water tower off its base so it would fall off the cliff. The water tower fell over the edge taking the Queen with it. The Queen screeched and flung Scar off her tail. Scar fell to the ground with a thud on his back. The Queen clawed the ground as the water tower's weight pulled her closer to the cliff.
Lex found herself frozen in stunned shock as the Queen attempted to kill her with its secondary mandible. The Queen missed her by an inch and fell over the cliff. The Queen and the water tower fell into the icy ocean and sank to the bottom. The Queen gave a last silent roar as she continued down into the dark cold ocean and disappeared.
Alien Vs Predator
The Female Warrior
Lex ran over to Scar's body; he was already dead. He had been stabbed through the gut; his spine broken. He had lost a considerable amount of green blood. Lex felt some sadness at the death of Scar even though he had contributed to the deaths of half her crew. Despite everything, she could not help but feel pride for the warrior alien.
Lex didn't have much time to consider the dead alien before her. A spaceship suddenly decloaked in the air a short distance away from her. The spaceship's engines blew warm air around her as it descended to the ground. Its lights came upon her and the dead body. Immediately, other Yautja appeared out of thin air. A half-dozen Yautja suddenly revealed themselves and walked closer to Lex and their fallen comrade.
Lex watched in amazement and fear as four Yautja approached the dead body. They all wore various types of masks and were heavily armored. Lex could tell that each of them had a different type of mask or other feature that differentiated themselves from the other. The Yautja ignored Lex and picked up the dead body and carried it back towards the ship.
The eldest Yautja did not have his mask on. His eyes looked upon the dead body, but he showed no sign of sadness. He then looked upon Lex and stared at her face. There were two marks on her cheek; the same sign as a warrior's first kill. The Yautja considered the dead body and then back at Lex. He understood that the dead Yautja must have found the human worthy of the mark for a successful kill. If that were true, the human must have killed one of the Xenomorphs by herself down below in the pyramid.
The Yautja elder valued a kill just as Scar had. He took out a small staff with sharp points on the end. He then extended the blade so it reached one meter long. The Yautja Elder then threw the spear to her as a gift. It had not been the first time the Yautja had given a human a gift for a successful kill. In 1997, a Yautja Elder gave a pistol from the 1700s to a police officer who managed to kill a Yautja warrior in one-on-one combat.
Lex accepted the gift and looked over it for a moment. It was clearly alien technology; it was worth a fortune if she ever sold it. However, she didn't feel like it would be appropriate to sell such an artifact. Lex considered how she would even get back home; she was stranded on a desolate island in Antarctica.
The Antarctic wind chilled her; she suddenly realized the intense cold. She had thrown her jacket away when a Xenomorph's acidic blood got on it. She realized it was night; she was going to freeze.
The Yautja Elder then turned back towards his ship; his business with the human finalized. Lex realized with growing certainty that she would surely die from exposure in the cold. If she didn't die this night, she would surely die the next. She had no food with her either.
"Wait!" she called out to the Yautja Elder.
The Yautja Elder turned around, his mandibles clicking at her. Lex crossed her arms as she shivered uncontrollably in the cold. "Can you give me a ride?" she asked.
The Yautja Elder simply stared at her. He could see that she was shivering and that her clothes would not be enough to keep her warm. His body could sustain cold temperatures with little clothing but even he had his limits. He didn't want to stay outside for very long if he didn't have to.
"I am going to freeze to death," Lex stuttered. "Can you please drop me off somewhere warm, anywhere but here," Lex pleaded.
The Yautja was uncertain as to what to do. Nothing like this had ever happened before. The prey was asking the predator for help? It was impossible. The Elder looked at the spear. No, she was now a predator just like him.
"What's the point of giving me this spear if I am going to die here?" Lex asked him as her lips turned blue and her hair began to turn white with frost.
Two Yautja warriors were at the Elder's side. The three clicked together in their own language and then looked at the human woman. The Elder finished his orders and walked back towards the entrance of the ship. Lex closed her eyes and knelt down in sorrow realizing she was doomed to die in the cold.
The two Yautja warriors suddenly approached her and lifted her to her feet. Lex struggled against the two aliens, but they were insistent. They dragged her toward the ship. Lex realized what was happening and stopped struggling. The three went into the ship as the doors closed.
The two Yautja warriors left Lex as the ship began to rise off the ground. Lex looked around touring the ship. One room was filled with capsules presumably for the purpose of sleeping during the flight. She then saw another room with various trophies of Xenomorphs, large beasts, and to her amazement human skulls. Lex saw the dead Yautja carried away to another location. Lex watched as his body was placed on an altar of a sort. The Yautja bowed respectfully before the body and then carried on with their work.
Lex felt a sudden vibration as the ship went into space and then nothing. Lex felt a powerful force push down on her. Falling to her knees, she struggled to get up. The Yautja noticed her struggle and made a modification on their computers. The gravity suddenly lifted. Lex could now stand again.
The Yautja Elder approached her and clicked at her. Lex shook her head not understanding. "Grav-ity….is…high..er for us," the Elder said with broken English. Lex nodded understanding.
The Elder invited her to the viewing screen. Lex was able to see Earth in orbit for the first time. A swell of emotions went through Lex as she saw the oceans, landmasses, and the cloud cover of Earth. She had never believed she would be able to see Earth from space in her lifetime. She wondered how the Earth didn't see them. Was it the cloaking device?
"They…can not see us," the Elder said referring to the human populations below.
"Why do you hunt?" Lex asked.
The Elder looked at Lex curiously. "I…will help…you to…understand," the Elder said.
Meanwhile, the dead body of Scar began to move slightly. Something was pushing upward from his chest and then suddenly exploded out of the dead Yautja's chest. The creature resembled an infant Xenomorph but with a small difference. The jaws of the Xenomorph contained the mandibles of a Yautja. The creature gave a small screech as it worked its way out of the dead Yautja's body. And then it started to consume its host's body and grow.
The Elder and Lex were in the control room and were unaware of what was occurring in the other room. The viewing screen of Earth began to tilt as the spaceship went into orbit around the planet. Lex saw the North American continent come into view.
"You can drop me off there," Lex said pointing to the continent.
The Elder made some clicking sounds to two others. The two went into another room and disappeared from view. Lex got the impression that the aliens were being sent off to drop her off. The Elder said nothing to her as the spaceship stayed in one spot above the North American continent.
"Why we hunt?" the Elder repeated.
The Elder pointed to the Earth. "We create…civilization…we hunt it," the Elder began.
"I understand. You created human civilization with the pyramids," Lex said.
The Elder nodded. "By hunting humans…they become stronger…so that they can defend…themselves…from others," the Elder said pointing to the stars.
"Humans may begin to challenge us," the Elder added.
Lex frowned; she didn't like the Elder's explanation but decided to remain silent. She didn't understand why they felt compelled to hunt. Wouldn't it be simpler for them to share their technology with Earth instead of hunting? They nearly wiped out the human race so that they could hunt those alien serpents.
The spaceship began to turn away from North American and towards the Pacific Ocean. Lex gave a look of confusion as the spaceship orbited away from North America. "That's where I live. What are you doing?" Lex asked confused.
"You are chosen," the Elder said.
"What the hell does that mean?" Lex asked becoming angry.
The Elder waved his hand and walked away as two other Yautja warriors took hold of Lex. The Yautja dragged Lex to another room and kept hold of her arms as she struggled against them.
Lex yelled in protest and attempted to beat the two Yautja with her fists. Finally, the Yautja threw her into a room. Lex took her spear and extended it. The Yautja looked at her curiously as she pointed it at them. The two clicked in amusement at her defiance.
"I will use this thing," she threatened.
The two Yautja continued to click as if laughing. Lex suddenly swung at one of the aliens. The Yautja blocked the spear with his wrist guard. The other Yauntja kicked Lex to the ground; the spear fell onto the floor.
The two Yautja picked up a fighting Lex and placed her on a medical table of a sort. They then strapped her down so she wouldn't be able to move her arms and legs. Lex could see various cutting tools off to the side. Realizing she could die soon, she fought as hard as she could against the metal restraints.
A Yautja took out a needle and raised it so that Lex could see it. "Stay still," one of the Yautja ordered.
Lex knew that if she fought while they were injecting her, it would rip her arm open. She decided to keep still and if she died she would die painlessly. The Yautja inserted the needle into her vein in her arm. Lex hissed in pain as the needle punctured her arm. The Yautja carefully emptied the needle's contents and then quickly withdrew the needle.
The two Yautja released Lex's arms and legs and waited for her to get up. Upon her release, a furious Lex tried to attack one of the Yautja. "What was that? What did you inject me with?" she demanded.
The Yautja ignored her weak punches and then proceeded to drag her back towards the Elder in the next room. The Yautja rudely pushed Lex before the Elder's presence. "What did you do to me?' Lex demanded of him.
"Air…not safe for you," the Elder explained.
Lex simply stared at the Elder and then softened her expression. "You could have asked," she said annoyed.
The Elder turned away from her dismissively. Lex considered the air for a moment; from the moment she was on board she found the air heavy and humid. She didn't think it was toxic but who knew in an alien ship.
1:00 AM
An hour had passed since Lex had been picked up by the Yautja. During that time, the Yautja gave little explanation on their future plans with Lex. The spaceship simply orbited the Earth as if scanning for more suitable hunts.
Lex began to feel sick from the injection. She was sweating in the humid environment and ached all over. She felt feverish and experienced a migraine headache. Her dark skin started turning a sick looking yellow.
"I think I need a doctor," Lex said to the Elder.
The Elder stared at her but didn't reply. "I'm sick. I have to leave this ship, or I will die," Lex said weakly.
The Elder looked at the other two Yautja and motioned for them to take care of her. The first Yauntja held the weak Lex down while the other injected her with another batch. Lex squirmed slightly as the needle punctured her arm. The two Yautja then walked away from Lex.
Lex felt dizzy and couldn't see straight. Whatever they had injected her with, it wasn't helping. The Elder turned his back on Lex and was preoccupied with his work. Lex looked over to the control panel.
"If he won't send me back home, I will," Lex thought to herself.
Getting back to her feet, she struggled to walk over to the control panel. The Elder didn't seem to notice her as she wrapped her arms around the control panel. Lex looked at the controls and didn't know what any of them meant. There were red marks that looked like some sort of alien language. There were pads where she would presumably push to obtain a response.
Lex began pushing on the pads; the ship immediately responded and went off course. Lex wasn't sure what she was doing but at least she was getting a response. The Elder turned around and roared in displeasure at her. Lex ignored the Elder and continued to work the controls. The Elder smacked her off the control panel.
Lex glared at the Elder and punched him as hard as she could on his bare chest. The Elder didn't seem to be affected by the blow and pushed her away from the controls. He then worked to correct Lex's damage to the control panel. Lex grabbed a hold of the alien's shoulders, but he shoved her to the ground.
Finally, Lex got back to her feet and punched the Elder hard to the jaw. The Elder was stunned by the punch and took a step back to steady himself. Lex smiled as she realized she had surprised him. The Elder roared at Lex; his mandibles fully extended, and his arms stretched outward. Lex curled her lips showing her teeth and stretching out her hands in a similar motion. She didn't notice that her nails had grown an inch longer.
The Elder swiped at Lex, but she quickly dodged the attack. She then punched the Elder to the gut hard. The Elder pushed Lex aside and then jumped next to her and away from the control panel. Lex went for another punch but was blocked by the open palm of the Elder. The two stalemated as the Elder held her fist back. Lex glared at the Elder and punched him to the face with her left hand. The Elder reflexively kicked Lex to the ground stunning her.
Lex got back to her feet and tried to fight the Elder again but was restrained by the Elder's hands. Lex struggled against the Elder but couldn't free herself. "Good," the Elder said and let her go. Lex fell to her knees exhausted.
2:00 AM
Lex gave up on attempting to get back home. She stayed in the control room with the Elder watching over her. She continued to feel sick from the two injections. Her dark skin was slightly lighter with small dark spots. Her hair began to rescind back but began to grow out longer in the back. Her muscles were also tightening and becoming stronger. Lex had always been in top shape but now her muscles were expanding and become more concentrated.
Lex would have noticed these things, but she could barely concentrate. The third time the Yautja injected her, she didn't even resist or become aware of what was happening. Fatigued from her ordeal, Lex went to sleep.
5:00 AM
Lex woke up crying out in pain. Her entire body spasmed in pain as it began to change. The Elder and some of other Yautja youths watched her as she writhed in pain. Her red ice hiking suit began to burst and tear as her body began to grow. Her boots busted open as her feet grew larger. The Yautja watched in fascination as she grew a foot higher.
Her body quickly increased in mass and her nails extended longer. Her arms expanded surpassing a male human bodybuilder. Her legs also became much more muscular and firm; any fat on her body became pure muscle.
Lex panted as the changes continued on her body. "What have you done to me?" she cried.
"You will soon join our species," the Elder said.
"Like one of you," she said pointing her clawed finger.
"Yes, although female, of course," the Elder said.
Lex simply stared at the Yautja as another wave of pain went through her body. She suddenly realized that she could understand the Elder clearly. He was speaking with clicks and grunts, but she could understand him.
"Why?" Lex asked with her still human mouth.
"You were given the mark by one of our clan. He would have not have given it to you unless he acknowledged you as a warrior. The mark is only given to those worthy of becoming one of us," the Elder explained.
"But…I have a life to go back to. I have a job and a bank account," Lex said lamely; she realized bitterly that she wouldn't be able to access the million promised to her by the Weyland Corporation.
"Those are pitiful concerns compared to the hunt," the Elder said dismissively.
"You had no right to do this to me," Lex said angrily.
"We could have left you to die in the cold," the Elder replied.
Lex was about to protest when another spasm of pain hit her. Her skull began to change as her brain expanded. Lex clutched her head in pain as her forehead expanded slightly. Her teeth began to become sharper and her jaw expanded for a more powerful bite. Her eyes had already changed from dark brown to yellow.
"Come," the Elder motioned for her.
Lex struggled to get back on her feet as pain still surged through her body. She kicked off her cumbersome boots; her feet had become larger and ended in claws. Lex considered the red hiking suit; they were torn beyond repair and were effectively rags. Her tattered clothes were more of a nuisance now with her six-foot six-inch height. She hesitated to take them off and walk around the space ship in the nude.
"Can I have some clothes?" Lex asked embarrassed.
The Elder turned to look at her. "It is warm enough," he replied and then walked into the next room.
Lex frowned at his response and reluctantly threw her clothes aside. Totally nude, Lex looked at her changed body. Her body was larger and was higher in height and yet it still resembled curves and a slender figure. Despite her increase in weight and height, her body was still proportionally athletic. She noticed with some satisfaction that her breasts were larger but muscularly firm. Her stomach went from smooth to firm abs.
Lex considered her clawed feet. They still resembled human feet but with some differences. They were larger than before but were flexible enough to allow her to leap and stand up on her toes. Lex felt her face with her hands. She could still sense a human face with a mouth, cheeks, eyes, and a brow. However, her lips were clearly gone and her ears were shrinking.
The Elder motioned her to move with his hand while she was distracted. Lex walked forward without difficulty on her new feet and legs. The Elder gave her a look as she passed by him into the next room; he hadn't seen a female in some time.
The room was lit by a strange orange light. The floor was covered in a layer of fog. Lex looked at the walls and could not help but receive the impression that the walls were alive. Lex looked over to a wall displaying various skulls of beasts killed in previous hunts.
The Elder was quickly joined by four other Yautja youths. They each gave Lex a look of fascination before giving the Elder their full attention. "Fight her," the Elder commanded one of the youths.
Lex wasn't familiar enough with the Yautja language, but she could tell that the others were snickering at the volunteered youth. The youth gave off the body language of displeasure and humiliation at having to fight a female.
"I don't want to fight," Lex said in English still.
"You will either learn to hunt or become a breeder," the Elder told her bluntly.
Lex stared at the Elder as the full ramification of what he was saying sank in. "Okay, I'll fight," she gave in.
The youth rushed Lex and clasped her arms. Lex threw his arms off and backed away. The youth spun around and used his momentum to backhand her to the chest. Lex fell to the ground stunned.
"Get up," the Elder ordered.
Lex did what she was told and confronted the youth. She attempted to punch the youth but missed. Lex continued in her attempt to punch the youth, but she was unsuccessful every time. Finally, the youth counter-attacked punching Lex hard to the face causing her to fall backward.
Lex looked up at the ceiling dazed. The youth dragged her by her feet. Lex tried to fight the youth, but he was too strong. Lex finally managed to get free and got back on her feet. The Elder watched curiously as Lex and the youth continued to fight with punches and kicks. Lex had some knowledge of martial arts from her previous training. Although her body had changed, the rules still applied.
Lex blocked some of the youth's punches and blocked a kick that would have landed in her gut. Lex backed away exhaustedly and hurt from the fighting. The youth extended his mandibles in victory. His victory was short-lived as the other older youths mocked him from behind with clicks.
Lex looked at her hand; it didn't resemble a human's anymore. Her skin had changed to a tougher material than before. It was neither human nor reptilian. She looked over at the male youth; his nails were not nearly as long as hers. Inspecting her fingers, she noticed that her claws were significantly longer than his.
"Fight," the Elder ordered.
The youth rushed Lex for another attack. Lex held her hands out from her body and waited for the youth to approach. When he finally came within range, Lex slashed his chest with her nails. The youth backed away surprised; light green blood escaped the wounds on his chest. Lex smiled and fully extended her fingers. The youth was now on the defensive as Lex swung with her sharp-bladed claws. The youth attempted to retaliate back only to find his arms and upper legs slashed with her claws.
Lex advanced on the youth and with a burst of effort kicked the youth hard to the gut. She then fell on top of the youth and held her clawed hands at his throat. "Give," she threatened.
The youth said nothing as he considered his options. He could throw her off and remove the pitiful threat or he could stay where he was and experience the pleasure of a female on top of him. Even as she held her clawed hands at his throat, Lex could sense a sort of arousal flow through her as she kept the male firmly beneath her.
The youth suddenly realized that he was being made fun of by the other youths. His pride at stake, the male youth threw Lex off of him with his legs. The Elder looked at the youth with disapproval; he knew what he was doing. Lex was on her back stunned.
"Good, you have learned the female's advantage in fighting," the Elder approved.
The Elder motioned for one of the youths to retrieve some equipment for the next training exercise. Within a few moments, wrist blades were sent over. "Hold out your wrists," the Elder commanded.
Lex cautiously did as she was told extending herself. The Elder took the wrist blades and clasped them over her right wrist. There was a slight sting as it clasped around her wrist. The Elder seemed to realize her pain.
"The wrist blades connect directly to your nervous system. You can extend or retract the blades by your own will," the Elder explained.
Lex waited as the Elder placed the next wrist blade on her left arm. There was a similar sting as it clasped on. "Practice it," the Elder said.
Lex concentrated and suddenly two blades slid out of the holster and became fully extended above her wrist. Lex looked over the blades; they were extremely sharp but crafted in such a way that they could be used as a saw for cutting meat. Lex tried with her left arm and also extended the blades. She then concentrated once more and retracted the blades safely inside their holster.
"So, I did it," she said.
"Now you will fight with them," the Elder announced.
Another youth came forth and quickly extended his blades. Lex raised her bladed hands in a defensive stance. The Elder motioned for the youth to fight. Lex and the Yautja clashed with their blades. Lex backed away a few steps as the youth advanced on her with his blades. Their blades suddenly clashed causing sparks to fly. Finally, the youth slashed her arm.
Lex backed away clutching her right arm. Dark green blood with small traces of red flowed from her wound. The Elder motioned for the youth to stop. He complied and took his place next to the others. Lex glared at the youth and then at her wound.
"He nearly took my arm off," she exaggerated to the Elder.
The Elder ignored Lex and opened a compartment on his wrist. Inside were small tools used for healing wounds. The Elder walked over to Lex and examined the wound. He opened a bag on his waist and took out a piece of blue rock. He crushed the rock over her wounds. Lex felt a stinging sensation as the mineral burned her wound; the blood stopped flowing. The Elder then took out a small fire lighter and ignited it.
"This will hurt a little," the Elder said.
Lex nodded and looked away. The Elder ignited the crushed mineral in her wound causing a painful sensation in her arm. Lex cried out in pain as her wound was completely sealed. Her cry was no longer that of a human woman but closer to a Yautja, the sound amazed Lex.
The Elder put his tools away and closed his compartment on his wrist. "Come with me," he requested of her.
Lex walked with the Elder to another room that hosted several types of weapons. The Elder took out a circular orb and showed it to her. He pressed on the edge of the orb and immediately four blades shot out of the shuriken. The Elder motioned with his hand had to use it. Lex watched as the Elder pretended to throw the device.
"Watch your fingers when you use this," the Elder advised and then closed the blade.
The Elder took out a projectile weapon of sort. It was a small device with a nozzle. Lex had seen the device before when she was inside the pyramid. A Yautja had killed a security officer by trapping him in a wire net that slowly stopped him from moving. The Yautja then proceeded to stab him through with his spear.
The Elder showed her how to pull the trigger on the weapon and then placed it down on the desk. The Elder then took out a vial of blue fluid. Lex looked at it with wonder. The Elder took the cap of the vial and then demonstrated its properties on a knife. The fluid immediately dissolved the knife.
"It's like acid," Lex guessed.
The Elder nodded. "It dissolves everything it touches. The prey cannot know we were here," the Elder said referring mainly to humans.
The Elder then took out another weapon. It resembled the gun that was hosted on top of the Yautja's shoulders. The Elder showed her the weapon and pointed to a screen on the top of the weapon. She watched as symbols appeared on the weapon and then stopped.
"It's charged," he told her.
The Elder deactivated the weapon and then took out a mask. Lex had seen the mask before; it resembled Scar's mask. "The mask is a replication of a beast on our planet. A Yautja youth must kill this beast before they are to receive their own mask and hunt on other worlds," the Elder explained.
"In your case, you have already proven worthy of a mask," the Elder allowed.
Lex wasn't sure whether to feel proud concerning this. "The mask filters the air so you will be able to breathe on other worlds. You will still be able to breathe on Earth, but it will be more difficult for you now," the Elder said.
"The mask also provides a multitude of sight: night vision, motion detection, visual targeting, infrared scanning, and it records everything that the hunter sees," the Elder told her.
Lex nodded in understanding; her own vision was beginning to change as her body became more like a Yautja. "The mask sends visual information directly to your brain. You can then target prey with this plasma cannon with your mask," the Elder said showing her the plasma cannon.
"Why do you use the plasma cannon? Isn't that cheating?" Lex accused.
The Elder was taken aback by her words. "The plasma cannon can only be used for self- preservation and if the prey possesses a projectile weapon," the Elder said.
"So, if the prey doesn't have a gun you don't shoot him?" Lex asked confused.
"Correct. If the prey is armed with a knife then we fight with our blades. If the prey does not possess a weapon, we fight hand to hand," the Elder lectured.
"The only exception is under grave circumstances where the objective is to kill all prey within a small amount of time," the Elder added.
The Elder then picked up another arm-band made of metal. He opened the compartment and revealed the computer hardware inside. "This creates a cloaked field around the person who possesses this," the Elder said showing the device to Lex.
Lex understood the technology. In the pyramids, she saw three Yautja disappear and reappear as they attacked the security forces. "It will become temporarily deactivated if liquid touches it," the Elder warned.
"The device is also a thermal detonator. After the countdown is completed the device will cause an explosion that will destroy everything within a small radius. The device will only detonate if it's attached to your nervous system," the Elder continued.
"So, suicide," Lex clarified.
The Elder nodded. "It's honorable to destroy yourself if it kills a powerful prey or saves the life of another. If you are mortally wounded it is expected that you destroy yourself to prevent other civilizations from discovering our presence. You will know when the time is right," the Elder told her.
Lex simply stared as the information sank in. Suddenly, she felt a spasm of pain, causing her to fall over. The Elder simply watched as she continued to change. Lex clutched the sides of her face as her ears slowly disappeared and her skull began to change shape. Her jaw pushed out and two sharp teeth erupted from her upper lip. Another two teeth erupted from her lower jaw and pushed forward. The mandibles pushed forward and created a thin but tough piece of skin that connected the two sets of teeth. With her mandibles fully extended, the upper teeth hung down and the lower teeth went straight up. The Elder watched in fascination as a pattern of spots appeared on her back, upper legs, shoulders, and the sides of her face. No single Yautja, with the exception of twins, had the same skin pattern. Her upper chest, breasts, and abdomen were a pale white, but the rest of her body was a light tan. Her spot patterns were black. Her hair was still a wild black, not yet braided.
When the changes were complete, Lex was a genetic Yautja. The Elder observed her in order to see if her changes were complete. Satisfied, he assisted her to her feet. "Will I ever be human again?" she asked softly.
"Why would you want to?" the Elder asked.
Lex thought quickly; she found thinking was faster than before. "If I am to find a powerful adversary on Earth, I will need to blend in," she said.
"Your clocking device will allow you to observe the humans without being detected," the Elder replied.
"I know…but sometimes the best way to collect information on someone is to get real close to them," Lex said.
Lex demonstrated her point by caressing the Elder's shoulders and standing within inches of the Elder. The Elder simply stared at Lex; the female Yautja's presence was intoxicating and confusing. Lex became surprised at herself as she realized she was flirting with the Elder. It was true that he was the strongest of all them and as of right now the most worthy mate.
Lex tried to snap herself out of it as sexual urges nearly overwhelmed her. She felt a powerful urge to intertwine her mandibles with him; a possible Yautja kiss. The Elder realized what was happening and stepped back and presented himself as her superior.
"You will be given your armor now," he said as she was still nude before him.
Lex wrapped a belt around her hips. The belt contained a metal plate that covered her crotch. An armored cape was attached to the belt; the cape covered the back of her legs and backside. Lex took two knee guards that were strapped around her upper legs; the guards covered her upper thighs. She then strapped leg guards to her lower legs below her knee cap. Next, she put on her boots, a welcome fit for her larger feet. The boots seemed to mold around her foot as she put them on; they didn't require strings or buckles.
Her next set of armor was for her upper chest. She took a metallic bra of sort and covered her breasts with them and then strapped them behind. It was a tight fit but still comfortable. Her shoulders were also covered in armor. The metal seemed dense but did not weigh her down. With her new strength, she could barely feel the weight of the armor. Finally, she put on her wrist blades, cloaking device/thermal detonator, and medical kit on her arms.
Once she was done, the Elder looked over her. He tested the firmness of her armor by touching her shoulders, breasts, and thighs. If not for the seriousness of the situation, Lex would have found his touching inappropriate. The Elder looked up and nodded his approval.
The Elder then placed her mask onto her face. The mask covered her entire face so that the only thing visible from her head was her long strands of hair. At first, Lex couldn't see anything but eventually, a new kind of sight went through her mind. She could now see the infrared of the Elder in front of her. His body was glowing in various colors of red, orange, and yellow. Lex instinctively understood that this Yautja was healthy.
She soon realized that her air was being filtered. Lex had taken scuba lessons before but this was different. There wasn't a cumbersome tank or regulator. She was able to breathe as usual through the mask. The mask fit tightly against her face; she fought a sense of claustrophobia.
"You will become used to the feel of the mask," the Elder told her.
The Elder then attached a plasma cannon holster on her shoulders. The holster attached itself to the mask allowing Lex the ability to target. Even without the actual plasma cannon, she was able to begin targeting.
"Target my finger," the Elder instructed.
Lex did as she was told and concentrated on the Elder's fingers. A red triangle appeared in front of her vision and immediately targeted the Elder's finger. The holster on her shoulder moved accordingly.
"Good. Now track,' the Elder ordered.
Lex's red triangle followed the Elder's finger. Her holster moved in a circular motion as if aiming for the Elder's finger.
"Good, you have done well for a beginner," the Elder praised.
Lex attempt to speak but the mask blocked her ability to speak clearly. The Elder seemed to realize her problem. "You must speak our native tongue to communicate with the mask on," the Elder said.
Lex considered what the Yautja language would be. As her brain had expanded, she seemed to have gained the ability to access language and comprehension faster than as a human. Lex mimicked the clicks of the Elder.
"Good, have done well a beginner," Lex said in Yautja.
The Elder gave Lex an amused look as she tried to mimic him. "We are called the Yautja," the Elder began.
"Yautja," Lex mimicked.
"We have a few simple but important principles. We hunt civilizations so they don't die of widespread starvation and disease. We preserve the species of many civilizations by hunting them," the Elder stated.
Lex had heard the same speech before but from human hunters. "On occasion, we may hunt big game to sharpen our skills and bring honor to ourselves and families," the Elder said noting exceptions.
"The prey is to never know the hunter exists until the last moment of life," the Elder said.
"We hunt for honor and skills," Lex repeated.