Chapter 14: Standing Your Ground

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

As we went through the hall, we could see the severity of the initial attack. The walls were collapsing on each other since the ceiling was broken. I feared that we would have to deal with it completely caving in on us. There's more to worry about than a pauking ceiling. At least it's holding for now. Lar'ja and I rushed through various rooms and halls, blindly going where we think east would be. We went up some stairs but led to another hallway. It's like a maze in here.

"Are we going the right way?"

Lar'ja asked and I nodded. "I'm sure. We got no choice anyway."

I didn't go soft on him. Even if I didn't know, there was no time to stop and ask directions. As far as I know, members of CHPS were too busy fighting the kainde amedha as it is. Even more so if the Bad Bloods are attacking as well. I hoped they would just send their 'pets' like they usually do but I couldn't take any chances. I have to help Rory and the others . . . and fast!

Just when I thought we were going in circles, I heard the hissing and screaming growing louder from a double door that stood at the end of the hallway we've recently entered. It was getting stronger and I knew we were heading in the right direction. As soon as I reached to open it, Lar'ja pulled me back.

"Watch out!"

He got us out of the way just in time. A blast shoots through the door, leaving a giant hole in the middle. I looked through and pulled back when I recognized the burning smell. Lar'ja grabs into the crack between the doors and opens them. A dead kainde amedha falls to the ground before us with its head exploded into a million pieces. I jumped over the body to avoid the acidic blood already doing its work in dissolving the ground. Lar'ja stayed close behind as we saw what was going on.

It was like watching a mini-war ensuing. Bodies of kainde amedha and oomans littered the ground of the laboratory that was located somewhat in CHPS. I didn't bother to ask about them. I had enough of seeing them in my lifetime. The equipment was torn to pieces. The walls were decorated in deep scratches and burning crevices. It was a horrid scene but not the first one I've seen.

And definitely won't be the last.

"Fucking piece of shit! Come on!"

Across the room, I saw Rory fighting more of the kainde amedha. If it wasn't for the Protector he was wearing, the creatures would have taken him out long ago. However, he was standing back. He turned all around as the creatures surrounded him, wrist blades out and all. But why hasn't he killed them all yet? Three should barely be enough to 'entertain' him. It wasn't until I saw what was underneath him that he gave me the missing piece. He was hovering over Mike who was curled in a fetal position, moaning in pain. A small pool of blood was forming on his side. That's not good.

I wasted no time, charging with my twin swords. The first kainde amedha barely noticed me before it was too late. I sliced into its hide, cutting a few spikes on its back. It howled and tried to counterattack. Its tail missed my head by a few inches but gave me a chance to wrap the chain around it. I tugged and the barb landed on its neck, piercing like a knife into butter. The others saw and converged to me, hissing with rage at the sight of one of their own being killed. Lar'ja rams into the first like a bull, throwing it across like nothing. The second jumped on his shoulders but Lar'ja slashed into its chest with his wrist blades. However, the third creature uses the opening to attack. I watched in horror as it came with its claws ready to rip him apart. I threw the dead kainde amedha and ran to his aid.

"Lar'ja!"

Before I could reach him, a blast from Rory's shoulder cannon hits the kainde amedha square on, blasting it into oblivion. Its mangled body flies from the force of impact, coming to a stop on the wall. Lar'ja finishes the creature off by twisting its neck and throws it away and comes running to my side.

"Are you alright?"

I nodded. "Yes. I'm fine."

Both of us turned to Rory and saw he was tending to Mike on the ground. "Anya! Come over here! Please!"

His voice was lined with worry. C'jit . . . It must be bad. Rory wouldn't call for us like that if otherwise. Lar'ja and I rushed over to them. I got to my knees and inspected Mike whilst Rory slowly turned him on his back. There were three rows of deep scratches across his chest that were bleeding profusely. This doesn't look good. Rory deactivated his mask to get a closer look.

"Shit . . . I told you. You shouldn't have charged at the creature like you did, Mike."

Mike struggled to get a breath but got enough to speak weakly. "I . . . could have . . . handled that . . . bastard." He clutched at his chest in a poor attempt to put pressure. Rory pushed him aside and pressed on Mike's chest.

"It doesn't matter. You're way in over your head."

"Yeah. No kidding."

I had to make a small remark. Seeing that he was carrying no more than a machine gun that laid on his side and a knife strapped to his leg, I sided with Rory. You would have to be a very skilled Yautja to fight with little weapons . . . let alone an ooman attempting the same thing with simple weapons.

Lar'ja moved to the other side to inspect the wound. "This is severe. He needs treatment fast."

Rory huffed. "I can only do so much. Brackett would have medical supplies on her. But since she's not here and the medical bay is blocked off by those things, he won't make it."

It stung at my chest when I heard that. All I could think about was Molly. I watched her die in my arms and I felt it was going to happen the same way with Mike. My mind came up with an idea in an instant.

Not this time . . .

"I know a way to save him."

Before Rory or Lar'ja could ask what I meant, I got to work. I took one of my swords and held my arm out to expose skin. I took a deep breath and laid the blade on my palm before cutting. It stung but manageable. I watched my blood seep out and drip onto the floor.

"What are you fucking doing?"

He reaches for me but I pulled away quickly, growling a warning. He stepped back and raised his arms, shocked by what happened. Lar'ja said nothing but instinctively did the same as Rory. He knew all too well what would happen if a male got too close to an angry female and I was no exception.

"I got this."

I turned back to Mike as his breath got worse. The blood was flowing too much and he wasn't going to last much longer. I placed my hand on his wounds and smeared the green blood all over it. I knew my blood would help heal but concerned that it might not. The only person I've done it on was Za'hir when he was on the brink of death. I can heal Yautjas but wasn't sure about oomans or if there was a difference that could mean life or death for Mike. I hope this works.

To my relief, my blood absorbed into the wounds and the sides began to close. Even the blood stopped pouring out of them. In a few short seconds, the scratches were almost gone as if they never existed. I sighed, feeling the tension in my chest waned a bit.

"How did you . . ?"

Rory glanced at me with shock and awe. Oh yeah . . . He'd never seen this done to someone else.

"It's an ability I found out long ago. Not a good time to ask."

That's one of the many great qualities in Rory. When he knows someone doesn't want to talk about a subject, he lets it go. I watched Mike groan as he tried to roll to his side to get up.

"Mike. You shouldn't."

"Shouldn't what? I don't have the luxury to lie down in the middle of a battle. Those alien bastards are going to pay."

Mke shifts to his knees but when he tries to use his hands to get some leverage, they cave in and he almost smacks his face on the floor. Lar'ja holds his shoulder before it could happen, turning him around to lay him on his back.

"They will pay. Guarantee that."

I could hear a soft, almost faint, growl coming from his throat. Mike looked towards him in shock as if he couldn't believe Lar'ja would say such a thing. But then, he relaxes. "Good . . . I hope they get what they deserve."

I suppressed a giggle. Now I don't have to worry about Mike not liking Lar'ja. He was one of the few that I still don't know too much about or if he had some grudge towards Yautjas in general. But this was a step forward for both of them . . . helping each other out like this. I just wished everyone was like that . . . so simple.

"Alright. We need to regroup with the others outside."

Rory got up on his feet whilst trying to get Mike up as well. I reached to help but Lar'ja beat me to it. He lifted Mike like it was nothing, putting him over his shoulders like a doll. Mike protested a little but wasn't sure if it was out of anger or frustration over the fact that he needed help. His next words made his intent clear.

"I don't need to be carried. I can walk on my own."

He thrashed again but they were poor and Lar'ja was much stronger. Lar'ja didn't say anything but allowed Mike to have his tantrum until I had enough. I went to them and gave a soft smack on Mike's head. He yelped in pain. I had to remind myself that I was much stronger than before. What was a small nudge to a Yautja would be a punch in the face to an ooman. Mike glared at me but I responded with a glare of my own.

"We don't have the luxury to wait for you. So just shut up."

Mike was wise and smart enough to know when to back off. He groaned before looking to the ground. I turned to Rory. "Stubborn man, isn't he?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "To each his own."

I sighed, looking back to Lar'ja. "Are you sure you want to carry him?"

I thought Lar'ja would protest at such a request. I made it clear enough in my voice to let him know my intent. But instead, he surprised me. He gives a small purr and grunt. "If it helps you in any way, I can do it."

I smiled and it lit his golden eyes for a split moment. "Thank you." I turned to Rory. "So now what?"

"We'll need to head outside where the main fighting is. Unfortunately, we'll need to take the longer route since the elevator was destroyed in the initial attack. Luckily, we can blast our way through the pipes."

Rory points to the wall that had a massive crevice leading to a series of pipes and wires. Great . . . He's talking about that? I tilted his head at him. Really?

He shrugged his shoulders. "Got a better idea?"

"No."

"Then let's go."

Rory activates the Protector and his mask covers his face once more. He turns to the pipes and aims his cannons in the center. "Plug your ears."

I covered them just as he sent a few blasts into the wall. The explosion shakes the ground as rubble scatters like dust. The sound of metal groaning as the pipes broke and fell, exposing an opening for us to walk through. Rory goes in first and has to twist his body around to get past. I followed suit but waited for Lar'ja carrying Mike to go first. It took a little longer to figure out how Lar'ja can fit through, seeing that he was much larger than us and he growled in frustration. Thank goodness I can change forms if I wanted. I stayed in the back in case more kainde amedha tried to attack. Their most annoying quality other than hunting in packs was that they liked to sneak behind to get a fatal shot. I remained diligent, staying poised to kill as we made our way through the inner walls of CHPS. After a minute, I decided to ask a few questions.

"So what happened? Did the Bad Blood make a sneak attack?"

Lar'ja asked and Rory responded. "Yeah. As you said, they found a way to sneak past our trackers and blasted us with their ships. Looks like they used the same method as before with their equipment."

"Wait . . . they used ships?"

I asked. I couldn't see Rory due to Lar'ja overshadowing my view but I could still hear him. "Yeah. They have a whole armada of sorts out there. It's almost a miracle that our main forces kept them at bay from entering the base. But of course, they send their pets to do their dirty work. It scattered the rest of us that were still inside. I'm sure about the others since they blocked off the communications."

"Yeah . . . and this is the results . . . of the mess."

Mike interrupted but shut his mouth quickly. Despite his wound healing, his body was in a strain. He began to cough and I could see he wasn't doing too well. His skin began to sweat around his cheeks and forehead. I believed his age was starting to take a toll on him. He's not exactly in his prime anymore.

"What about Xen'ork?"

Lar'ja clicked his mandibles, speaking in a serious but annoying tone. I couldn't blame him for still not liking Xen'ork much but this wasn't the time. Rory shook his head a little to dismiss it.

"I sent him with the others. They're fighting the Killer Yautja as we speak. They kept their main forces from entering but I don't know how much longer they can hold. So we need to keep moving."

After that, all of us kept pushing through faster. Other than the alarms and red lights still flashing, I thought about the others. Xen'ork . . . Brackett . . . Lex . . . Dallas . . . Dutch . . . Izzy . . . and of course Royce . . . despite being an asshole. I trusted Rory's words and everyone's fighting abilities but I worried too much. This wasn't exactly the situation I wanted it to be. I had hoped that help would arrive before this whole pauking mess happened.

So much for that, Anya . . .

"Here it is! This will lead outside! Be ready!"

Although Rory alerted us to the fact, there was no doubt we were close. The shouts and blasts were getting louder by the minute and sounding like it's from outside. We're close.

We stopped a few feet away from another wall where the pipes ended. This is it. I glanced at Lar'ja just as he did the same. I could see the worry in his eyes but I smiled so he wouldn't.

I whispered. "I'll be alright."

He didn't say but nodded his head slowly. He frees one hand and lets it glide across my cheek and I relished in it. But it also brought fear that we may not make it out alive. In my training with the Yautja, I was taught to be prepared for the end. But it's not going to be this day. I refuse. I grabbed his hand and rubbed my thumb across the backside. I nodded back as he pulled away, turning back to Rory as he aimed for the wall.

And then, his cannon goes off.

The blast rips the wall much cleaner than the last one but since Rory was close, the concrete flies outward at anything unfortunate to be in the way. Rory charges blindly into the smoke left behind and that's when I heard the screeches of dying kainde amedha. But then I heard the roars of a Yautja following behind. So they are here. I went around Lar'ja and charged into the smoke. I heard his protest but it was too late. I was already outside and there was no turning back.

Immediately, I was met with a kainde amedha that must have seen me coming. My reflexes kicked in and I bent backward. Its claws missed my face by a few inches but managed to trim the edge of my hair off. With a swift turn, I sliced my blades into its chest. The momentum dragged the blades through its body until it cut it in half. The creature fell to the ground as I swiftly got to my feet. That moment is when I was able to see the true damage the Killer Yautja brought with them.

The forest was completely in ruins. Giant crevices from blasts turned it into a minefield with bodies of kainde amedha mostly covering it. The sound of metal clashing rang in my ears mixed with screams and roars as ooman, Yautja and kainde amedha fought each other in a deadly duel. My stomach twisted in knots at the sight of an ooman being half-eaten by a kainde amedha while still alive. There was nothing I could do to save him. He was far too gone. Most were torn to pieces. The overwhelming smell of blood was the only thing my nose could pick up. Urg . . .

My eyes go to the sky when I heard the blasts from before. To my horror, dozens of small ships hovered over, blasting away nearby where CHPS stood underground and trying to get inside. Following the sound, I watched Rory taking on a Yautja with black armor and a red X symbol on his back.

Bad Blood . . .

"Finally. Better late than never."

I rolled my eyes upon hearing Xen'ork among other things. Despite fighting with five kainde amedha, he somehow manages to keep up a conversation in the middle of a fight. He slews one with his mauls like butter and goes for another. When he catches me in his sights, he smirks.

"Come on then, lazy!"

I growled. I swear he's going to bite off more than he can chew.

A little further away, Dallas and Lex were keeping some kainde amedha at a distance. It was easier for Lex since she held a Yautja spear and wore some form of the Protector. It wasn't as advanced as Rory's but the basic protection was still there, shielding her body like a shell. Dallas, on the other hand, wore military gear padding but was wielding a small gun. I looked closer and realized it was a Yautja weapon but none I've seen before. It looks like a handgun. Dallas shot it and it did as much damage as a shoulder cannon, killing a kainde amedha with ease.

Some would think Dallas to be an idiot for not wearing the Protector like the others but there were reasons. Being in CHPS for a while, not many oomans have adapted well to the Protector. Mostly because they were unfamiliar while some disapproved using alien technology. It was stupid but not my call. But the majority stuck to using it and we're fighting well against the Bad Bloods and the kainde amedha.

However, the enemy had the advantage of their ships.

One of the Bad Bloods that was fighting caught me in their sights. My body tensed as the Bad Blood charged at me like a wild bull. His eyes full of rage and death, wanting nothing more than to slaughter me. I braced for impact as he came.

But out of nowhere, a shot ran through his chest and he stopped in his tracks. Green, neon blood flowed out of him like a waterfall while pieces of his heart were dangling out by a thread. He falls flat on the ground, revealing it was Brackett who shot him with some sort of large shotgun that seemed longer than herself.

She grins, seeing the shock in my eyes. "Glad you both came in one piece."

I smiled. "Same here. Can you help us with Mike? He's not doing so well."

Brackett's instinct as a scientist kicks in. She rushes to Lar'ja's side and helps to pull Mike softly off of him. "What are his injuries?"

Lar'ja grunts. "Took a hit from a kainde amedha. Anya healed the majority with her blood but . . ."

"And it worked?"

Brackett sounded surprised but more curious. Like the time she analyzed my blood for the first time. Does she ever get bored?

Just as Brackett got to work on Mike, I heard a scream of battle across the field and saw it was Izzy on the ground with a kainde amedha on top of her. She was holding her ground using some kind of sniper rifle but was stuck. Royce tried to run towards her to help but a massive Bad Blood blocks his way. Filled with anger, he fights back. He aims an auto assault-12 right at the Bad Blood's skull but misses when his opponent dodges. He brings his wrist blades down and Royce tries to block it. But judging his time, he wasn't going to make it. I never liked Royce for his attitude but not enough to deserve to die.

"Anya."

Lar'ja calls from behind and I felt his hand hovering over my shoulder. But I darted out of there before he could grab onto me. "Anya!"

His pleas fell on deaf ears as I raced to help Royce. Sorry, Lar'ja. Just as the Bad Blood was about to come down on Royce, I plunged my swords into his back. The Bad Blood was unaware of my presence until the last minute. He let out a death cry before I swung him away. Royce looks at me with shock. Probably was going to leave him for dead. Not so heartless am I? I stared back for a few seconds until I turned my attention to Izzy. I watched as Lar'ja jumped on the kainde amedha's back, and crushed its skull like a pebble. It fell lifeless on the side as he reached to pull Izzy back on her feet as she gasped for breath.

"Thanks. I owe you one."

"Don't mention it."

Royce comes over and goes to Izzy first, frantic when he looks over her. Lar'ja follows behind and comes to my side to do the same thing. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, watching Royce and Izzy having a moment. His hand comes to caress her cheek and she presses her face gently. For once, I saw him smile. It was barely noticeable but enough to tell me that he cares about his wife very much. It's hard to imagine him being affectionate with another. I rolled my eyes. Well . . . I'm not exactly one to judge on that. But when he looks back to me, the smile vanishes, replaced with bitterness.

"Looks like your buddies came to get you."

He spoke harshly at the 'buddies' word and it stung in my chest. Still, having a grudge? Can't he let up for once? "Does it matter? Right now's not the time to talk."

Royce didn't get the message, even as I threw my sword at him. His body goes rigid as the blades fly past him and get a kainde amedha just as it was about to kill him with its inner jaws. I pulled my sword back and stepped back. "Happy now?"

The shocked look on his face said it all. Take that.

"Hold your fire! They're pulling back!"

Someone shouted into the air and glanced to see what was going on. Sure enough, the Bad Bloods and the kainde amedha began to retreat. What? But they didn't disappear. Instead, they stopped when there was a fair amount of distance between us and them, forming into a line. The Bad Bloods kept their pets in line, putting the metal collar back on them. This brought confusion to our side . . . and me as well.

"Anya. What are they doing?"

Rory comes over with Dutch following behind along with other members of CHPS. I had no idea he was here since I didn't see him. But judging from his wounds, he was fighting hard. There were deep scratches all over his arms but he didn't seem too fazed by them, carrying an M4 with a grenade launcher. He should have been dead from all of this. Guessing he wasn't lying about his old injuries.

I shook my head in response to Rory. "I don't know."

"They could be waiting for something."

"But what?"

Lar'ja pulls me closer to his side. "Or they want you."

Xen'ork adds as he comes. "Yeah. No kidding. They're not messing around. That's for sure."

Lar'ja's hand grip my side tightly when he heard that, enough that it was becoming uncomfortable but I didn't dare to push away. He was raw, barely in control of his emotions. I didn't know if it was due to his memories of being trapped by them or the fact that they almost ended my life. It could have easily been both. I grunted in response. "It doesn't matter. We need to get everyone unable to fight out of here. Lex, Dallas . . . can you do that?"

They both nodded. "Yes."

"Alright. Help me get Mike and any other injured while the rest of you watch them closely. And then we—"

"Well . . . well . . . well. So you are alive after all."

My eyes widened in horror when I heard that familiar voice from behind. No . . . It can't be . . . My body tensed when everything went silent other than the soft gasps and growls from Lar'ja and Xen'ork. His hold on me grew tighter and this time, I had to gently push Lar'ja's hand away from me, enough that he could still hold me but not like a snake.

"We got a problem."

Dutch calls out, cocking his weapon. Everyone else did the same but I couldn't move. The last time I heard that voice was when everything went down to c'jit on Yautja Prime. When I lost . . . My fists tightened. The fear inside was gone and replaced with rage. Slowly, I let my eyes rise to see his face.

The first one she saw was Qut'suak. It had only been a while since I last saw him but it was too short. His ugly, mug face studied me for a second until his mouth slowly went to a smirk. All I wanted was to take his face apart one piece at a time and rearrange it back so that he would never be able to do it again. But the voice from before didn't belong to him. And as I found out . . . he was the least of my concerns.

Someone comes behind Qut'suak and pushes him to the side, revealing his form from the shadows. My anger grew immensely when I saw his armored body, covered in black metal with red stripes all over to make him look bulkier than any other Yautja. It was an old trick males use so that others wouldn't challenge him easily. When my eyes caught sight of his red-colored ones, my nails dug into my palms and released my blood to drip onto the ground as I called out his name.

"Hakr'ouh . . ."

He smiled. "Ta'kasa . . ."

Hello Everyone!

Oh boy . . . now things are heating up.

Hakr'ouh had made an appearance but that also means a lot of trouble is on the way. Although Anya and her allies are putting up a good fight, the Killer Yautja has a great advantage over them. With no more allies in sight, things are not looking well. But is there still hope for support to come?

But what does he want from her? Why are the Bad Bloods holding back? Will they survive or is this another moment for Hakr'ouh to torture her? Will Anya keep her cool or will she make a mistake that'll cost more than just her life?

Find out when Chapter 15 is posted next week (Friday the latest).

Thank you for Mariah, Anonymous-E, and NeverNeverLady for the reviews on Chapter 13. I hope that this story finds you all entertained. I don't have a lot of confidence when it comes to my writing. Sometimes I trail off so let me know your opinions.

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