Chapter fourteen: The lesser of two evils..

(Scientist's pov: Amanda Brody.)

"See this Amanda? Shanes blood has completely changed.. His body has changed on a cellular level.. These levels are fascinating.. I've never seen cells change on the fly like this.. He is a mystery.."

"Much like Ghardeh Chris? From what she told us.. He was found on a rotting planet while she was hunting. They are a mated pair.. Highly unusual for the e-watcha.. Especially a human.. He must have done something she found extremely honourable in him… I need to find out.. We have gotten all we can from her.. She is used up." Amanda puts a hand on her chin. Chris continues.

"And did you see him burn up? I have never seen that power before.. When you see Clyde you have to get him to carry out some tests.. Pretty fricking amazing actually.."

She shakes her head.. "We are running out of time.."

Amanda walks up to Shanes armour behind a glass display along with Ghardehs armour and weapons.

"And what of the tests on these weapons?"

"All came back negative.." It seems only Shane and Ghardeh can access the weapons.."

She nods..

"I am going to talk with Ghardeh i need her to trust me.."

"Good luck with that.. The way the guards treat her she's likely to rip our heads off.."

"Well then I'll have to rectify that won't i? See you soon.. "

(Ghardeh's pov.)

I stop as the guard rams me for the 30th time. "Move it split chin.. I said MOVE!"

"You are really beginning to PISS ME OFF!" I roar in his face.

"Well i don't GIVE A FLYING FUCK!"

He tries to hit me with his baton but i dodge and headbutt him with a thud his head jolts back. "You fucking." he raises his arm i don't even flinch. Before his baton connects with my chest his arm froze.

"SOLDIER!"

he looks to his left. "Yes Amanda? I was just.. Giving the subject here.."

"I know.. I saw.. It always seems our guest is none to happy and now i see why.. I'll take her from here."

"But.."

"Carry on.. Soldier.. Or would you like me to call Mr D?" He walks away holstering his baton and i stare down at the female..

"Come on Ghardeh." She walks in front of me..

I follow with a huff. She takes me to a room with a table and two chairs.

"There is no one here.. Just you and i". She says turning to me.. "Off the record.. Even the camera's out.."

She looks and i see the camera blank She removes my bracer..

Big mistake…

I immediately grab her throat and squeeze she lets out a struggled breath as i pin her against the wall. She stares into my eyes and sees my burning rage.. Nothing is stopping me from snapping her neck right now.. After everything they have done to me.. Of monsters and men.. But who is the monster now this very second? I didn't care.. Every fibre of my gut was telling me.. Twist. Do it.. But then i think to Shane. My gaze leaves hers my eyes glance to the right.. My grip loosens..

"Ghardeh.."

With her voice i tighten again. Her legs dangling a good metre from the floor.

"Calm Ghardeh.. I'm not going to trick you.."

Her eyes give no lie.. I slowly lower her and she lets in breath as i step back..

"What do you want?"

She holds her throat and rubs it..

"To understand you both.. You are not like other e-watcha and Shane is no typical human either.. You have no reason to trust me.. I know the guards are giving you a hard time and it's not giving you a good impression of us.. For that i apologise.. But fighting back will not help you this time. Every time you do.. Shane is the one who pays.."

I sharply look at her and my dreads fall over the front and back of my shoulders respectively.

"What are you doing to him?!"

"Tests.. He is unique.. Like you.. But everytime you resist.. He resists.. He is slowly losing his life. With every draw from the bracelet.. Our sources came back empty from the few people Shane spoke to in the Louisiana state.. So why don't you help me fill in the blanks.."

"Where did Shane find his unique gifts?"

I laugh and it catches the human off guard.

"No point telling you.. I destroyed the only place he received the power from.. And i don't rightly remember the planet.."

(Lar'ja N'ritja: Ninas pov)

"For the fifty millionth time Uz they will contact us soon! They are probably having a jolly good time.." I say it with a smile.. I look behind to see Danny with his brother and younger sister in tow..

"Have they clocked in yet Neens?"

I groan.. "Uuuuggh no Danny! Uzkielle will you stop pacing you are making me dizzy you big dummy.."

With a growl he tries hailing them again.. Nothing..

"C'jit! Pauk!" Uzkielle shouts steps away angling his arms in frustration.

"Language Father! There are kids about!"

He turns and snarls at Danny.

"Pisss Off Danny.. Dtoudi c'jit!" He throws him two fingers in a V sign.

I slightly laugh i still can't get used to him throwing Danny the bird.. His fault for teaching him it. Danny stomps a foot in commanding gesture but Uzkielle has none of it.

"Danny you may be big brother to Ry'kar and Avamar, but you'll never be big enough to take on Uzkielle.. How many times do i have to say?"

Danny twists his face and makes an incredibly painful impression of me.

"How many timeth do i have to thay?"

"Uz just go have a coke and a smiley would you? I say.. He growls and his heavy foot falls disappear in the opposite direction, almost ramming into Danny.. Serves him right for pushing his buttons.

"Someone shat in his cornflakes Neens?"

"Shaaat in hiissss corrnfrrakessss." Avamar repeats..

I put a hand to my mouth and try not laughing at her mispronunciation of 'Cornflakes.'

"Avamar don't copy Danny's sewer mouth.. Or Uzkielle's vulgar finger pointing.. It's very bad.." I say.. Her eyes close and she nods.

She slaps Danny across his head. Causing him to jerk away.. "Ava?!

Don't do that!"

"And that's Ghardeh's line.."

"Blow me.." He says

"Aaand that one's mine.."

Ry'kar leans into me as i search for the Scorpion..

"That's strange.. It's still in orbit around earth.. Cloaked.."

"Maybe they extended their stay?"

"Maybe.. We'll give it another day or so.."

I run a finger through Ry'kars dreads.

"Welcome home both of you.. Looking very well! Look at you both growing up! Even Danny is a big boy now… Coming up to… Twelve in a few months!"

"Yeah moom!" Danny says holding his hips. But my expression changes.. He hasn't called me that since the battle of the world eater out of fear... I smile. Slightly.. But then drops.. Seeing the world eaters maw as i jumped into it, lightning pulsing through me.. The white flash before my combi-stick erupted into a explosion of chain lightning.. I shake the memory to the back of my mind. And smile again. "Twelve years young Danny.. Time flies.."

We all huddle together.. Then Avamar laughs.. Sending a warm fuzzy feeling into my stomach..

Week 3...

(Earth: Shane's pov.)

Shane is laid on a table with large needles from a machine as it scans his whole body and analyses everything..

"We still can't find an explanation for his blood.. He is human.. But he is slowly beginning to show similar yautja abilities.. Faster healing. Faster cognitive abilities.. Bright green fluorescent blood. Something is missing.."

Shane's eyes stir..

"Err Chris… He's waking up.."

"How? He should be under for several more hours.."

Shane feels his bracelet is missing..

"Nevermind.. He's gone back under.."

"Alright.. Begin a marrow extraction..

Anything we can use for our next batch of assets.."

"Extracting now.."

"Did you ask if you could have my bone marrow?"

The scientist jerks his head up.. It still shows Shane is under.. Not his yautja side..

"Oh shit!" He presses a panel under his desk as Shane rips his arm from the machine. And kicks the whole machine from his body causing his green blood to ooze from the needle wounds. He looks as he is in a special grey suit for the procedure. A guard runs up after he loads his shock weapon but Shane throws a fireball at him causing him to turn to ash.. Shane picks up the shock weapon and aims it at the scientists.

"Silence the alarm or I'll pump you full of this c'jit.."

"Ok.. Alright.." Shane senses a guard coming behind him and shoots him with the weapon.. The alarm goes silent..

"Good job krit.." Shane shoots the scientist.. Chris is hiding behind his desk..He throws him out of his hiding spot and aims the weapon at Chris's head.. "Easy Shane. Easy.."

"I'm not Shane.."

"Then who am i speaking with..?"

"Ze'rei Sain'ja…" he takes his key card and shoots Chris with the weapon causing him to collapse.. He moves on and shoulders the weapon every mental note of exits in his mind but not yet.. Ghardeh.. He needs to find Ghardeh..

(Ghardeh's pov.)

I hear alarms blaring.. Something is wrong.. I wake up strapped to a table.. I look around and see several guards in the room with me.. I growl and one of the guards licks his lips nervously as i shift my wrists.. My bracers click open.. I lay still "Hey hey her bracers are open!" I look at him.. "Your mental capacity is very low for you to figure that out ooman.." The power resets and my bracers close around my wrists.

"There feel safer now?"

He moves away…

Amanda walks up to me.

"Sorry about that.. I just had to test you.. Right where were we?"

I look at Amanda "You opened my bracers to test me?"

She nods..

"Trust Ghardeh.."

I snort at the woman.. This whole monkey talk is getting on my nerves. Trust. I trust nobody here..

"We are going to put you under Ghardeh.. It won't take long to run the tests."

I feel something in my bracers feed a liquid into my arm. I fall asleep..

"Ghardeh wake up…"

I hear a voice i haven't heard in.. Two hundred and fifty years…

"Ghardeh… Wake up daughter.."

I open my eyes.. I see.. I see my father.. His silver orbs.. His mottled grey and black forehead.. His speckled black hands hold my shoulder..

"What are you doing Zi'toll Ahra?"

"You are a huntress.. Not an whelp.. Find your way forward.. Walk on.."

He moves to my side but as i turn to see him once more he is gone.. I stand in a pitch black chasm.. When i see a light.. It creates a pattern on the thin veil.. I follow it and reach the other side..

"Ghardeh…" Another voice… Velvet to my ears.. My mothers deep blue eyes pierce the light.. Her orange and white forehead moves from my left… She holds my hands..

"Keep going.. Find your footing.. Keep afloat.. Do not fall.. Go…" She moves in front then to my right.. "Eyes forward.. Claim what is yours by right.."

I remember those words.. I walk forward.. There is a sword.. Set on a plinth..

I grab it..

"I belong to the warrior in whom the old ways join… The new…"

"Kill them.. Kill them dead.."

There is a noise.. A shouting.. Gurgling breath.. A tearing intrudes my ears.. I come to and find everyone dead in the room.. I pull my arm from the human soldier to which i impaled with my bare hands. I move away. The scientists have escaped from the room.. Something has changed inside me… Something dark.. Something that doesn't belong.. The alarm still sounds.. I find the area locked down.. I'm trapped.. I grab a rifle and see small blood splats along my body.. My blood but also red human blood but i don't see visible wounds on my person. I walk into the scientists room.. There is a glass door. I ram into it and smash the glass.

"Shane.. I have to find Shane…"

(Amanda's pov)

"Tell me you saw that Josh?! Tell me you got it all on cam feed!"

"Yeah i got it.. But we have bigger problems.. Shane is making his way to Ghardeh's section.. If they find each other it's over.. We need to call it in now.."

"Has the everyone been extracted yet?"

"Yes it's just the us… Shit! We got it wrong Amanda! Shanes headed to the xeno plant.. He's going to destroy our work!"

"Shit.. Look Josh.. The company can start over.. We still have the files.. We have that at least.. We have to contain Shane and Ghardeh.. She.. She's the one whose the most stable Josh.. Out of all yautja we've had.. Her samples have been taken to the biomechanics lab.."

"Wait do we still have the asset here?"

Amanda looks back as she walks.. "The Predalien? It is still in sedation."

"Good I'm.. Waking it up.. May- th- ca- slo- Sha- dow-.." Josh begins to break up as comms begin to go down.

"No that will do more harm than good don't even think about it!"

Josh cuts off..

"Josh? Josh?! Shit!"

Author note: So not only do Shane and Ghardeh have to worry about escaping now they'll have to worry about a predalien? Bad Juju.. The pair are badasses they'll make it.. They have to! Let's find out! Stay brillo people.

Yautja words:

C'jit- Sh^t.

Pauk- F^ck.

D'toudi- Little.

Ze'rei- Fire.

Sain'ja- Warrior.

Zi'toll Ahra- Purple Flame. (Non-cannon my own words for 'Purple' and 'Flame'.)

Krit- Idiot or general remark. (Non-cannon my own word.)

E-watcha- Incorrect pronunciation for the word, Yautja. (Yah-oot-cha.)