Chapter 16: Revelations (Part 2)

I saw everyone duck down immediately and then, a blue light comes crashing through. It landed right in the middle of our circle, crushing the ground beneath it and sending shrapnel of rock into the air. It went so fast that all I could was hold on to Lar'ja's arm as if my life depended on it.

All at once, Lar'ja raised us both to our feet and everyone else soon followed. All of us were in shock, trying to find out what that blast came from. Coyle was the first to ask.

"What the fuck was that!?"

Before anyone of us answered the question, a shot rang out and we all jumped but there was nothing. We were all still until we heard a gurgling sound from behind the group. I looked behind and saw Lynch with a shocked expression and that is when I noticed he was bleeding from his mouth.

"Lynch?"

Everyone turned around to face him but I gasped when I glanced down his body to see a huge hook skewered through his stomach that was being drained of blood while his stomach was barely hanging out of his midsection. I reached out for him until his body was yanked hard and away from us. His scream echoed in the dead of night as he disappeared into the darkness and then, it was silent.

"LYNCH!"

But he was gone. Now, I knew that we were in trouble and all of us armed ourselves as quickly as possible. I pointed my handgun around the area, waving it around to find our target. Everyone else did the same, including Lar'ja who had his SMG in one arm while his wrist blades were out on the other. The only problem was that we couldn't see who got Lynch. But then, I heard the clicking noise again and my fears were soon realized.

The Bad Blood jumped down from the tree, standing up to the full height that made him look like a tank. His skin began changing color and it reminded me of a chameleon. I could hear Lar'ja growl behind me and the whole group backed up a bit, worried about what his next move is.

Meanwhile, my brain was going into overdrive, trying to find a way out of this. I had seen this guy in action and if he could swing Lar'ja as he did before, he could kill us all within a matter of minutes if he wanted to.

I was about to speak to McKenna until I noticed something in the Bad Blood's hand. At first, it looked like just some dark orb until the light from the moon shined on it and when it did, I just wanted to vomit.

It was Lynch's head with a terrifying look that was frozen on his face. His eyes were halfway rolled into his head and his windpipe was visible for everyone to see. I couldn't move and this image only added to my fear and shock that was already filling me. What a monster!

Then, McKenna roars out, which dragged me back to the reality of the situation.

"Light him up!"

Right on cue, bullets were flying everywhere. Everyone was pumping out bullets as fast as they could, including me and Lar'ja. Rory ran to my side for protection since he was the only one who didn't have a gun.

Little did I know that the bullets were doing little damage on the Bad Blood. He just stood there and laughed as if he enjoyed this, twitching his mandibles erratically. We were just tickling him. Shit!

When he had enough, the Bad Blood swiped his giant hand and threw McKenna and Nebraska towards the side as they landed hard on the far ground. Baxley and Coyle charged at him, stupidly believing that it would be better but it wasn't the case. The Bad Blood just swiped them into the air, not even paying attention to them. His focus was on us . . .

"Rory . . . Brackett . . . Get the fuck out of here. Now!"

Brackett just nodded her head and ripped Rory from my side. He began to struggle in her arms, screaming in defiance.

"Anya!"

I didn't turn to see him disappear into the bushes with Brackett. I kept my focus on the Bad Blood and Lar'ja did the same. The Bad Blood came closer until Lar'ja growled furiously at him. The Bad Blood stopped and glanced at me before he clicked at Lar'ja again. Great! He's using their native tongue so I can't understand them.

Their 'conversation' only lasted for a minute until Lar'ja began to shoot his SMG at the Bad Blood. It didn't work as he laughed again. He swiped the SMG out of Lar'ja's hand and shoved me to the side, grabbing onto Lar'ja's throat. I could hear Lar'ja labored breathing as the Bad Blood raised him high into the air like last time. Lar'ja took his wrist blades and swung at him but got caught in the Bad Blood's hand. Then, he threw Lar'ja into the air until he slammed into a tree, breaking it in half like butter. His mask was ripped from him and landed on the ground next to him.

I gasped at the thought of someone hurting Lar'ja. I wanted to do something but I couldn't think of any. The Bad Blood would kill me before I ever have the chance to do anything. But I have to do something! I have to!

I watched as the Bad Blood came closer to Lar'ja but then instinct took me over and I ran with all my might, dropping my handgun and pulling out my knife from my side. I went for his back and began to plunge it down until the Bad Blood caught it in one hand.

Before I could pull away, he gripped my throat and raised me off the ground. I was struggling so hard to catch my breath but it was useless. His grip tightened around my neck and I was fighting to stay awake when my vision began to wane.

Putting up to his eye line, he leaned closer to me as I stared back at him. I noticed his missing mandible on one side and a cut that went across the side of his face. I remembered that I made that cut myself. I gave a silent smile at him. Serves you right!

I began to hear him about to do another set of clicking noises but instead of sound, he spoke out in words.

"What the fuck are you?"

"What?"

That took me completely by surprise and I guess from the Bad Blood's expression that he felt the same.

"Ah . . . so you can understand me now. That makes things much easier."

My words were stuck in my throat. One minute I couldn't understand what he was saying and now, it's like we're talking the same language. I tried to speak out as best as I could to him.

"How . . . do you know . . . our language?"

He growled and tightened his grip a little, making me gasp. He put his eyes closer into my mind like he was trying to look into my soul but I couldn't look away and it terrified me.

"Look here, ooman. I may understand you but I would never speak out your filthy language with my own tongue. It's disgusting. Not worth my breath."

I don't understand. If he doesn't speak English, then how am I able to communicate with him? I don't even know how to speak his language!

"Then . . . how?"

"I could say the same thing but my mission is not you. It's him."

I slightly turned my head to the side to see Lar'ja groaning out in pain. He tried with all his might to get back on his feet but it was useless. The Bad Blood must have dealt him more damage than I thought. I turned back to the Bad Blood.

"What . . . do you want . . . from him?"

All he did was tilt his head in curiosity, somehow surprised that I would ask such a question.

"He didn't tell you? I thought for sure that he would spill out his secret to you oomans but I guess he was too proud to tell you."

"What?"

"But since you're going to die, I guess I could tell you a little."

I tried to keep my focus on Lar'ja but the Bad Blood gripped my chin tightly between his fingers and forced me to look at him. His burning, yellow eyes were filled with disgust and amusement at the same time. They were very different from Lar'ja that was devoid of anything good. The only thing that was the same between him and Lar'ja were the color but other than that, they were two completely different beings.

"He stole something that belongs to us. Something that he intends to give to your pathetic race."

If I didn't have his huge hands wrapped around my neck tightly, I would have been cursing so much for one lifetime. I wanted to return to Lar'ja and check if he's okay but I was powerless to stop the Bad Blood. He was too strong . . .

"Something that could turn the tide against us and help to reassure the continuation of your kind. After all, a war will be coming soon. A war that will consume everything on this planet and once we are done, the Yautja will claim this planet like our own and you. Will. Be. Destroyed."

At first, I didn't want to listen but when the Bad Blood mentioned a war between our race and his, my heart stopped for a moment and the realization that something worse is coming made me want to vomit everything that I had.

Why didn't Lar'ja tell us about this? Was this his mission all along? To destroy our kind and take over the planet as his own? Was he just using us for his own gain? I don't understand! I don't understand!

My thoughts were interrupted when the Bad Blood began to chuckle at me.

"Don't worry though. You won't live to see that day come. However, I have one loose end to tie up and then I'll deal with you. Especially for what you did to my face!"

Next thing I knew, he slammed me on the ground hard and I screamed when I could feel breaking of bones in my chest so I figured that several of my ribs were broken since I had sharp pain everytime I tried to take a huge breath.

The Bad Blood stepped over me and began to walk towards Lar'ja, growling even more until both of us made eye contact with each other. I didn't know what to do. I was afraid but not for me. For Lar'ja since this time, I'm not able to protect him. He was going to die and I couldn't bear to witness it. I tried to use all my strength to lift myself off the ground but the pain in my back made me yelp and I fell down on my stomach. I didn't want him to die . . . I couldn't.

I looked back into Lar'ja's eyes and for the first time I met him, they expressed complete fear in them. I didn't know if it was from the fact that the Bad Blood was coming to kill him or worried for me.

Do something! Get up! Come on!

I tried again but I fell back down again. My body wasn't responding to me anymore and despair began to seep inside me.

However, when the Bad Blood was only a few feet away from Lar'ja, I saw Rory running between them and I gasped at the notion that Rory was in the crossfire. He held Lar'ja's mask in front of him like a shield, ready for an attack. What the fuck was he thinking?!

"Rory! Get the fuck out of here! He'll kill you!"

I pushed my body up again with all my might and I made some progress when I got to my hands and knees but my strength was beginning to fade.

"Well. Well. Well. An ooman pup has come to the rescue. Are you asking to die, little one?"

Although I could hear the Bad Blood's words clearly, I could see that Rory looked very confused as to what he was saying. It was confirmation to me that no one else could understand him except for me and Lar'ja now. But Rory stood his ground, raising up the mask even higher.

"Don't come closer or I'll shoot!"

The Bad Blood stopped for a moment until he let out a loud shrill that made me tremble from it, even when I was far away. That feeling only assured me that something bad was going to happen.

"You stupid ooman pup. You don't even know how to use it."

Before anyone of us could react, Rory activated the mask, which shot a huge blast from its side. However, the Bad Blood managed to move out of the way so that it missed and destroyed a nearby tree.

"So you do know how to use it. You're a clever one but it ends here."

Without hesitation, the Bad Blood swiped his hand across, hitting Rory on the way. The mask goes flying into the air while Rory went the other way, screaming when he hit a tree trunk hard. All I could see was Rory's lifeless body slumped at the base of the tree, unmoving and unresponsive.

My eyes widened and my chest pounded harder than anything I felt before. First, I couldn't protect Lar'ja or anyone else. And now, I couldn't even protect Rory. I wanted to just forget everything I saw. To disappear from this world and never have to deal with this again. I just wanted to be gone. Forever.

But then, something snapped inside of me and I could hear a voice inside my head, calling to me.

"Anya . . ."

I stared into the ground with my arms holding my upper body while my knees began to tremble.

"Anya . . . Listen to me."

Again, the same voice echoed inside me. I couldn't recognize it at first until it became more clear and I recognized it.

"Mother . . ."

"You are unique. You are more than what everyone around you says. You may be different but you have a strong spirit."

I didn't know what to make of this. I was hearing my mother's voice but she wasn't here. I shouldn't be hearing this at all but she was there nonetheless.

"You may think you are alone but you never will be. There will be times that you feel that way but there will be people who mean so much to you. You have to protect them. You must . . ."

Her words echoed all around me and it was then that I finally looked up but everything was in slow motion. I saw the Bad Blood moving closer to Lar'ja while Rory was lying on the ground with Brackett running to him and trying to get him to wake up. I glanced around me and saw everyone on the ground in pain, crying out in agony and their faces full of despair.

I need to protect them. I have to protect them! I have to!

"Protect them, Anya. Protect!"

I looked back at the Bad Blood and when I saw his smug face, I couldn't handle it anymore.

Then, everything inside me snapped.

The anger began to bubble inside me. The flames were growing and spreading to every corner of my body. I clenched my hands into the dirt, gripping it with all my might. I ground my teeth together and while that was happening, all I could think of was killing the Bad Blood. I wanted him dead!

Protect! Protect! Protect!

In that instant, my whole body began to change in an unnatural way.

I could feel the bones in my spine break multiple times but I was far too angry to feel the pain. However, the bones began to reform again inside me, like my spine was being extended far beyond the limits. My legs began to grow longer and thicker, packed with rows of muscles that began to stretch and constrict. The strength in my arms returned but they also began to change the same way as my legs, being packed on with more muscles as I flexed them and it felt good. I felt powerful!

My hands grew larger and at the same time, my skin transformed from my tan colored skin to mottled patches of light and dark green. My nails began to grow and became as sharp as knives. The last parts to change were my face as I felt my jaw crack and move around into a different shape while something started to protrude from my cheeks. My teeth grew jagged and sharp as I felt tube-like appendages dangling on the sides of my face and down my back.

I could feel my body change but I didn't care. The anger inside me blocked off all other emotions that I had before along with the pain. My eyes kept fixed on the Bad Blood and now, I was ready for blood . . .

With my new profound strength, I lifted myself up effortlessly and didn't feel the same pain that was keeping me down earlier, like it just vanished. I stood taller than I ever had before and I noticed a little that I was almost the same height as the Bad Blood except a little shorter but still, it was different than before.

As soon as I was standing up tall, I could feel a deep rumbling inside my chest and it was getting stronger and stronger. Eventually, I couldn't hold it in and I opened my mouth wide.

And then, I roared.

A Yautja roar.

Hi Readers!

Here is Chapter 16: Revelations Part 2 and it's heating up.

It's time to rumble! A fight is brewing between Anya and the Bad Blood but who will win now that Anya has gotten something up her sleeve but what about Lar'ja and his mission?

Is he really only on Earth to help it or destroy it? What will everyone think about all of this? Will there be conflict or something worse? So many questions but very little time.

Hope that you guys enjoy this and stay tuned for the next chapter that's coming your way!

Happy Holidays! :)))