Chapter 25: The Torturer's Playground

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

Qut'suak's mandibles moved frantically as he approached us. I held my head high and showed I wasn't intimidated by his presence. I couldn't say the same of Brackett and Lex but I had faith that everything would go well. But inside . . . I knew very little of how twisted his mind is.

"Nice to see you again. And even brought a few friends along. I must say that I didn't expect you to be captured just like that. It seems too . . . planned."

Qut'suak leaned his face to me. His breath flowed over my skin like hot air and the smell was foul in my nose. I twitched, debating whether I should give him a good whack to the face but there could be consequences. Easy, Anya. Don't ruin the plan just yet.

Qut'suak huffed, leaning away. "No matter. We have you now and Hak'rouh is pleased by the news."

I raised my chin. "Why isn't he here?"

"He has other matters to attend and couldn't come. But I must say he was joyous to know you're here. To be honest, I still don't understand why he fancies you so much other than using you for your gain. You're more trouble so far than you're worth."

Really? I was hoping to be more of a burden to you.

I sighed. "So I assume that you'll be taking us back to him then. I have to say, you are a busy boy, playing the dog to a tyrant like yourself."

I expected a reaction from Qut'suak, seeing the blur of a hand come crossing my face. My reflexes kicked in and I pulled out of the attack just in time. Still, I got a nick across the cheek, not enough to bleed but will leave a mark. He sees this and chuckles.

"You have a big mouth."

"And you're a bastard. Although you're too dumb to realize that."

He blinked his eyes and chuckled again. What's with Bad Bloods and their need to chuckle? It's starting to annoy me.

It was a standoff between me and him until his attention turned away. He walks around me and heads to Brackett next to me. I held a breath inside my chest. C'jit . . . Brackett stood strong but her trembling hand gave away the weakness in her disguise. As much as she experienced the horrors of the Yautja, she never witnessed how a Bad Blood acts. It took everything in me not to react and tell him to leave her alone. He grabs her chin between his fingers roughly and turns her head to each side in admiration.

"Very pretty, this one."

Brackett bit her lip. I couldn't see her eyes so I didn't know if she was scared or angry. Qut'suak lets her go and walks back to the middle of the room. The tension was heavy but my thoughts were somewhere else. I know Qut'suak would toy with us mentally for a while as we leave for our destination. I wanted so badly to know where Daugo was.

Is he here? Is he safe? I closed my eyes briefly. Probably not.

"Leave us. Put the ship on autopilot."

The Bad Bloods that had been working on the panels for the ship left without hesitation. Still, Qut'suak hissed like an animal to any male that wasn't fast enough, even going as far as kicking one behind his back. The Bad Blood fell hard on the metal floor with a loud pop but got up quickly to exit the room. The blue-skinned Bad Blood and the guards remained where they were as silence took over. It felt like my breath could be heard if my heart wasn't loud enough. I watched as Qut'suak nods to the blue-skinned Yautja as he replies as well. The male walks out of the room towards a door on the side. Where is he going?

"I know why you're here." I looked back quickly, not trying to show the shock on my face. "Don't act like I don't know."

Qut'suak strides towards me as if proud of himself. My stomach almost twisted in knots in disgust. He stops only a few feet away and then looks up into the ceiling. "You think we are monsters, don't you?"

"Was there any doubt about it from me?"

He looks back. "All we are doing is making our species great again. Like in the old times before the low lives of the universe began to mix in. If only I was born in the past and was ignorant of today's events."

He huffed before looking towards his belt, reaching for something. It was only then done I notice a hilt of some weapon sticking out. His fingers played around with it for some time, almost taunting me into finding out. But with no answer, he must have grown tired of waiting but spoke instead of revealing it.

"Have you studied our history back on Yautja Prime?"

My eyebrows squinted together. "A little bit."

His upper mandibles rubbed against each other as he walked around me, minding the chains that bound me to Brackett and Lex. "A long time ago, we were nothing more than mindless beasts, isolated from the rest of the universe. Too ignorant to understand the great dangers that lurked in the shadows. It was a dark day when our greatest enemies arrived . . the Amengi."

That name rang a bell in my head. I have heard of the tales from other Yautjas about the first Yautjas that ever hunted. I didn't pay mind though since I was focused on training for becoming an Elite. But now, I didn't understand why he was bringing it up now. As much as I hate to say, he might be going for a point.

"Our ancestors were taken as slaves, used for trade, labor, and eventually entertainment for their purpose. But the one thing they did that changed everything was when they began experiments on us."

I shuddered, now understanding where he was going with this but I knew he was going to twist this for his gain and make a reason for it. I didn't interrupt him, despite my temptation to bark at him.

Still keeping pace with his back and forth motion, he continued while holding the unknown weapon on his belt. "We became powerful and intelligent. Eventually, our greatest warrior emerged from it . . . Kaail. He was a wonderful sight to be heard. He destroyed our enemies, took their hides as trophies, and created our species we know today."

And then, Qut'suak finally pulled out the weapon and raised it for all of us to see. It was some sort of sickle weapon but appeared old and worn out. The metal, however, seemed brand new. I squinted my eyes for a closer look, admitting how marvelous it was. Qut'suak's eyes lit up as if he saw the sun for the first time.

"He used this to kill the Amengi. A sacred artifact that I took from the vaults of the Council." I growled softly when hearing that. To take an artifact from the sacred vaults was the greatest offense you can make. To know that Qut'suak did it without any regard made me sick.

"He would have become a great leader in our eyes. He could have continued our species to grow stronger if he continued the experiments. But he was a fool. He demanded them to be ceased, only to honor the loved one he lost."

He paused. "He was weak."

Out of nowhere, he throws the sickle across the floor. It spins until slowly stopping at my feet. I looked at the weapon and felt like the honor of the Yautja was spat on right in front of me. Slowly, I looked up and glared at him before trying to lunge at him. How dare he!? The guards growled and yanked the chain back a little too hard. My wrists scraped on the insides of the chain, leaving a burning sensation.

Qut'suak chuckled. "But that has changed. We will finish what we've started and bring a new era of domination. And I hope you live long enough to see it. But I'll give a preview of what's to come."

He snapped his fingers and the door on the side opened. Everyone turned, hearing the slow groaning of metal with wheels. At first, I couldn't see what was coming. The shadows were too thick until a form began to merge. A contraption of what appeared to be a rack came with someone strapped on to it with metal straps. Two males were pushing it out in the room while the blue-skinned male led the way. My eyes searched for who it was they were bringing.

When I saw his face, I almost fell to my knees. My heart dropped to my stomach and my muscles trembled in despair. Even I heard Brackett and Lex gasp in shock.

Daugo . . .

There was no doubt. It was him.

He was unconscious, barely hanging on as they placed him in front of us. I could see what they have done to him. His body was riddled with burnt scars on his chest and thighs. I shuddered as they reminded me of my own. But that wasn't the worst of it. I could see scraps of metal infused with his flesh with stitches putting him together . . . like they stuck them in him. They looked painful and I wondered if they did this while he was conscious and feeling pain. One set of mandibles on his right side was cut off, leaving stumps of what used to be there. His ribs were showing and his muscles had deteriorated into almost nothing. I couldn't see if Daugo was breathing.

"Daugo!"

I cried for him. His hands twitched for a second but nothing else. I called out again but he didn't respond. He let out a faint gasp, bringing some relief that he was still alive but it was labored. They had tortured him.

"You bastard! What have you done to him!?"

I thrashed against my bindings as hard as I could. The guards began to pull the chain once more but harder. I barely felt them, focusing solely on Qut'suak.

"Anya! Calm down!"

"This isn't going to do anything."

I barely heard Brackett and Lex pleading for me to stop. My mind snapped back to reality and I calmed down once more. Qut'suak seemed amused at the development and he let out a thrill of excitement. "This is fun to watch."

I snapped at him. "What did you do to him?"

He raises his hands. "We were bored so I and the boys decided to have some fun. He was being a bit of a troublemaker so he needed a thorough punishment for his crimes."

My teeth rattled, grinding together harshly.

"If he didn't move during the punishment, he wouldn't have more scars on his body. When he bit one of my boys' hands off, we decided to cut off his mandibles. An 'eye for an eye' . . . you oomans know the phrase I'm sure. But it was lovely . . . hearing him scream your name and—"

"Shut up!"

I couldn't stand it anymore. Qut'suak knew too well what he was doing, boasting about what he'd done to Daugo right in front of him, giving me the grotesque details of what they've done to him. He was playing with my mind, trying to break it even. He was doing a good job in that department but I was not going to give them the satisfaction. My breath and heart raced and I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.

Qut'suak grinned. "Can't handle it?"

I didn't answer. He huffed and came to me, grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanked my face up. My neck popped from the force, leaving an ache behind.

"You should be worried. I've been ordered not to harm you in any way but Hakr'ouh didn't mention harming your friends." His eyes sought out Brackett and Lex, then turned his head to the unconscious Daugo before back to me. "I'm going to have some more fun."

He lets go and motions the blue-skinned Yautja to come to him. He does and whispers between them. I couldn't hear what they were saying but I didn't like the look of the male as he grinned. Both glanced in my direction before the Bad Blood roared. It echoed in the room and since it was made of metal, the sound was amplified. All three of us had to plug our ears to endure it but it wasn't easy. It felt like my eardrums were about to burst. The male suddenly ceased and the room went quiet for a moment.

The next thing I knew, an awful sound was heard from far away or at least from my perspective. It was abnormal, like a monster. It was a combination of a hiss with a roar, shaking me to my bones. The door opened and that's when I saw it.

The creature barged in like an angry elephant ready to charge. The light gave me a good look and the creature. And I thought it couldn't get any worse.

This 'thing' had the general structure of a kainde amedha except having two tails and heads instead of one, wrapped in several strands of thick chains that are usually used to tie ships to wharves. Its grotesque, dark green heads were shorter but lined with dreadlocks on the end of it. Its claws and feet were extended abnormally, looking like it only had bones and no muscle. However, it had natural armor that looked like it was melded into it but I wouldn't have said it was natural at all. Its back had spikes that reminded me of a stegosaurus. Another abomination that I should have expected. Seeing the lower levels of the Xy'lophion gave me enough inclination.

"What do you think?" Qut'suak commented.

He got close to the creature but stopped when it lunged at him. The two Bad Bloods pulled on the chains but it wasn't enough for them. One Bad Blood pointed his gauntlet at it and launched a small probe. Upon contact, it explodes with an electrical charge. The creature gave a blood-curdling scream as it trembled. I cringed at the thought if it was me in its place but I'm glad it was. But even so, it only made the creature angrier. It tried to turn around and snap at the Bad Blood who gave the shot but it was no use. The chain was too tight to move its two heads. It was a wild animal.

When it settled down a bit, Qut'suak smiled as if proud of his monstrosity. Unhinged fucker.

"This is the latest creation we made. We're still learning about it but very volatile. Which is why I need your help."

"My help?"

Is he pauking kidding me? Has he lost his mind, thinking I would help? My eyes kept straight but my ears were listening carefully to the outside. Pauk . . . how long are they taking? I don't know how much longer we can hold.

"Yes. It hasn't fed in a while so some instincts we haven't seen might kick in." He turns his head and looks toward Daugo. All of us could hear him groan but his eyes didn't open. When Qut'suak turned around, the creepiest smile was on his mouth. My eyes widened at the expression.

"I forgot that I can't harm you. But why don't we see it with your father?"

He snaps his fingers again and the Bad Bloods follow his command. They loosened their grip on the chains while Qut'suak pulled out a chunk of meat from a pouch hanging on his belt. He hovers it in front of the creature, egging it to become more violent. He throws the meat right on Daugo's chest and falls to the floor, leaving a trail of red blood on him and onto the floor. The creature, seeing such a sight, takes off. With the chains limp, it sprints with unnatural speed, having its sights on him. Everything went still for me and I could only watch as the creature jumped in the air, pulling out its discolored claws like a cat towards Daugo.

No! He can't do this!

"Stop it!"

I screamed in anger, tugging on my binds. Lex and Brackett also pleaded but I barely heard them. I thought they would allow the abomination to kill him but with a snap of Qut'suak's fingers, the chains became tight again. The creature's body was thrust back but it made one last desperate attempt. It snapped its extended jaw and managed to take a small chunk of Daugo's chest. Despite being unconscious, he wasn't immune to pain and gave a labored roar . . . a futile attempt to show how he felt. A massive crevice of green color was left, showing a little part of his sternum.

"Daugo!"

Again, he didn't respond and I felt horrified. He wasn't bleeding bad but given his condition, it could prove fatal. The Killer Yautja would never heal them. They would make it worse so I shut my mouth and growled as Qut'suak laughed.

"Excellent. It reacted so fast. Imagine once we tame this beast to kill the remaining forces that oppose us."

Like a shark, he moved around us and jumped over the chain to get behind us. I tried to turn but one of the guards saw my movements. The female Bad Blood extended her spear and knocked the blunt side to my back. I grunted and turned forward. This female knew where to hit to force a prisoner to move as she pleased. Sad that she's part of them . . . forced or not.

Qut'suak went to me first, gliding to stand behind me. The hairs on my body stood as his hand glided to the back of my neck, moving my hair to expose it. A tip of his claw digs into the middle, stinging like a needle. But it was nothing compared to what he did next. His hand moves underneath my shirt and touches my skin. I felt I was being violated. He was doing as he pleased and I could do nothing to stop him. I'm sorry, Lar'ja.

He moves away, confusing me until he moves to Lex. He grabs a curled strand of her hair and tugs a bit too hard. Lex tensed when he yanked out a piece from her scalp easily. This time, she retaliated. "Get away from me, you motherfucker."

She spits in his face, getting her saliva all over his upper mandibles and even some drops hung on the lower ones. Qut'suak snaps and grabs Lex's neck, shoving her to the ground. I faintly heard cracking of bone and saw that a line of blood was flowing out from the top of her head, giving a clear indication that he cracked her skull. My breathing became labored, struggling to keep in check with my emotions. Lex turned her head to the side and glanced at me and Brackett. She shook her head slightly in a 'no' gesture. I had to silently admire her for her courage. She's better than me in certain ways.

"You're more a pain in the neck than Ta'kasa. I wanted to save you for later and use the other ooman but I have a better suggestion."

Qut'suak brings her up on her feet and releases Lex from the chain, uncuffing the binds on her. He drags her to the center of the room, tightening his grip on her neck to make her stay still. The creature hissed in delight and tried to get Lex when they got too close. He pulled her away before the creature had the chance.

Qut'suak huffed. "That's not what I want."

He nodded at the blue-skinned Bad Blood and clicked at the opened door to where they brought the creature through in the first place. Another Bad Blood comes in with some sort of opaque metal container. What is that? He stops a few feet away and puts it down, proceeding to open it. Cold steam comes flowing from the sides as the lid is put to the ground. It became more strange as he pulled out a set of metal tongs, long enough to be at arm's length. He dips it in the container and something begins to thrash inside. My heart hammered at the anticipation but dropped when I heard the familiar cry of a creature. My suspicions were confirmed when the Bad Blood pulled out a facehugger.

But this one was different.

It had the six, spider-like legs and tail but included small spikes that ran over its back and down to the tip. The sound it made when it thrashed around was sickening, reminding me of a dying animal. The Bad Blood held it in the air, keeping it far enough away from himself. Facehuggers are not to be messed with, even Yautjas are cautious of them but this one must be terrible enough that the Bad Blood's hands were shaking. This is messed up.

But then, Lex was forced closer to it. Qut'suak's grip tightened on her but then moves both of them closer to Daugo. I had a dreadful feeling of what was to come. When I saw that evil smirk of his, it only ensured the worse.

"This facehugger was made to create this creature here. We thought it would save time and resources to reproduce rather than splicing DNA all over again. Question is . . . which being would be suitable to host another one."

His mandibles twitched in my direction, moving to create a disgusting smile. "Why don't we find out?"

I growled. What are you planning?

"It's between Daugo and this ooman. One will be spared while the other will become a host to our new breed of kainde amedha. Your choice."

This was the ultimate torture. He was making me choose whether to save Daugo or Lex. To decide which species is more important to me . . . Yautja or ooman. Qut'suak knew what he was doing, breaking me down inside with these small actions but only to make me weak enough to become desperate. I glanced at the struggling Lex and then to the weakened Daugo. My heart tightened in my chest. I couldn't decide. It would feel too much like I was splitting myself apart, showing my true loyalties. I opened my mouth but shut it once more. My voice wouldn't come out.

"Don't do it, Anya."

I snapped my head up, hearing Lex's voice. She was panting but her eyes were strong. "You're better than this. Don't let them get to you."

I gasped softly. She's right. He's merely playing with you. Don't let him control you. The doubt inside me faded, replaced with conviction. I turned to Brackett and she nodded, showing the same conviction as I.

Qut'suak didn't like it and dug his claws into her neck. She gasped as I saw trickles of blood flowing down her neck. He did have a short fuse and hated when someone was interfering. When he saw the way our behaviors changed, he had enough.

"Fine. Then she'll be the host and I'll savor the time in slowing killing Daugo right in front of you."

He tugs Lex forward to the facehugger. Its legs reached for her face, yearning to have her. Lex was hyperventilating but remained calm. She got closer and closer to it. My patience was wearing thin.

Where are they? Lar'ja . . . Olgoth . . . T'uark . . . what's taking so long.

The facehugger got closer, inches from Lex's face now. I couldn't wait anymore. Pauk this! I started twisting my wrists inside the chain, moving my fingers to the right position. Initiation of the plan will be premature but I wasn't about to lose another person. Sorry . . .

All of a sudden, a huge explosion shook the entire ship. The alarms went off and everything was in sudden chaos. My body froze in surprise but this was it. This was the moment all of us were waiting for.

The plan is in motion.

Hello Everyone!

I hating Qut'suak right now, even more than Hak'rouh. But then again, he hasn't shown the worse yet.

But poor Daugo . . . He looks like he's been through Hell and back, looking more disfigured than ever before. It hurt Anya so much.

But worse was how Qut'suak was teasing and torturing her slowly. The worst pain, in my experience, is when someone close to you gets hurt and you can do nothing but watch. It was the same for Anya and shows how cruel the Killer Yautja can be.

I can only imagine what else they have done.

But now, the plan is in motion. But what does it consist of? How will they defeat a ship full of kainde amedha and Bad Bloods with everyone scattered? Will Lar'ja and the others get to them in the chaos?

Or will they be on their own against Qut'suak and the abomination he created?

Find out when Chapter 26 is posted next week (Friday the latest) unless changes are posted on Instagram. There will be two parts consisting of Chapters 26 and 27 with lots of blood and gore so double the fun. It has just begun ;)

Thank you for Mariah, Anonymous-E, NeverNeverLady, and Guest for the reviews on Chapter 24. The good stuff is about to begin but won't be the biggest one. This might be the longest story I write so far so I hope all of you love it. :)

Thank you and Good Hunting! Stay safe and healthy! :)))

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