Hunter's Night

Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic; he and related characters belong to Sega. Predator(s) belongs to their proper owner(s). The character Samantha belongs to me; she is of my creation and has nothing relation to this universe beyond what I created and this fiction.

For any "Spoken" parts by Predators I hope you'll be able to tell that they're not really speaking English. Hey, if anyone here knows Predator language and can spell it, I'll buy you a meal at red lobster and give you ten bucks.

In the final words of this story, I'd like to thank you all for reading through. Ask not how these universes came together but…that's all I got yeah, don't ask how I came up with this.

P.S. – Sorry for my long delays and absence…Just know I have legit reasons. For public record, all I will say is that I am fine now, well to the extent of what is normal for me ha-ha. Also my bills, you guys know how it is. It's life huh?

Enjoy

-Epilogue-

An Inept Reunion

The sun shined brightly through the leaves and to the ground in the jungle of the Mystic Valley. A few clouds loomed overhead, providing shade to those in dire need of it. Hikers enjoyed this luscious day, the trails were a healthy dry; vegetation was growing out and in full bloom. Flowers opened and blossomed in the warm beams of the sun. Birds chirped and quietly as the songs flowed in smooth harmony with the water fall and the rushing river. The wind blew gently in the field of grass, swaying them in one motion. The movement appeared as moving waves a green ocean. Grass and the bark of trees filled the atmosphere of forest, giving the smell of nature. Tranquility filled the air, soothing even the angriest beast, the peace of this day was unlike any other. Nothing could disturb it, there nothing like a wonderful Sunday morning.

In a large plain, in the middle of a bed of blooming flowers, someone was enjoying this lovely day like no other. A sweet tone escaped her throat; the voice was faint and feminine. She picked one and smelled it; the scent of tulips filled her nose and made her giggle. The girl put it down on her side gently and picked another one. The hybrid child looked to the side, melody of her own and mouthing words, the four year old sang to herself. Her mixed eyes of crimson and jade then shifted to the big blue sky, without thought she fell to her knees. Softly she left herself fall back and continued to stare at the sky, with a child's blissful smile she closed her eyes. Her light blue dress was freshly scented with a flower detergent and she planned to keep it clean, so she stood up and wiped off the backside of her dress. She collected the seven flowers she picked as the best and placed them in her arms like a baby.

Her fur was black, like her father's. She seemed more like a hedgehog because she had quills; they were a soft color yellow with a few strands of purple. Those colors where from her mother, just like her eyes. While she seemed more like a hedgehog as her father was, she had the patience and the calm personality of her mother mongoose, but her temper or anger when provoked excessively were that of her father, unfortunately. Her yellow quills where combed to hang down straight and loose like she liked it. Samantha never liked cutting her hair, long hair was had she like it and well her parent's saw no harm or wrong in it. She wore the white kid gloves like any other and had a hair band in order to keep it from going in her face. Today she wore her white flip flops, and obeyed her mother's constant nag about them; be careful when you walk in the trees outside in those, okay honey? With a happy nod she smiled and left.

As she walked back out of the flower bed into the grass she began to skip, the happy tone coming from her mouth, "Bop-ba, na-na-na, la-la-la," Then she also began to realize her failure to obey a second pair of words her mother was always constantly saying; don't run off and stray too far. She had no idea where she was this time; she looked around and grew nervous after a few seconds of walking the tall tree paths of the forest. "Daddy!" She called out, a squeak in the child's voice. Her walking seemed like a repeating roll, "M-Mommy!" Her small voice broke, a few tears formed. She whimpered and looked around, finally stopping. She fell down and sat on her bottom, not caring for the clean dress anymore. Samantha began to cry, leaving the flowers on her lap, she rubbed her eyes. Already they were pink and puffy.

Her whimpers continued until she heard a hiss. Opening her eyes, past the blur of her tears she saw it. Hanging a long way down off an inclined branch it hissed and stuck the tongue out at her. The black eyes made her gasp. It opened its mouth and let her see the pink of belly crawler's inner mouth. Its scales were black and green; stripes swirled in a natural design. The fangs came out and readied for a bite, she screamed and scooted away. The black snake snapped forward and suddenly kicked up and back with a deep whirl humming sound. A metallic cutting and hum sound ripped a tree's side and doubled back with a whiz above her head. Quickly the headless body kicked of the legless serpent and flipped around as the blood gushed out of the wound; it rolled over and wiggled towards her. She screamed and got up, running away from it, until three dark steel arrows rammed in to its body and into the ground, kicking up a some earth, pinning and finally killing it.

"What…" She whimpered as she stared at the snake's corpse. Her feet kept taking her back, but she bumped into something.

The blurred and distorted image made an electrical crackle and sparked as a pulse of white and blue went down from the tip, its head down to the feet, horizontally. Quickly the colors of cerulean and ashen fused and synced, warping into a line, coming down quickly revealing the true figure; color, shape and all. Storming a humongous seven feet and five inches above her, her three foot height made her look up tremendously. With her jaw hung open she put her chin to the sky and stared wide eyed, "Wow," Her voice had cleared more from her finished crying, "You're tall…" In awe her curiosity took control, making her look over him.

His appearance was very unforgiving, meaning to give a ruthless and cold vibe. The mask it wore had a set of claw slashes, three; across the front diagonally, they were colored with an unknown paint, the color seem to be a faded green now. The triple marks split down in the middle of eye pieces, they seemed to have low and dim glow of white but they seem to be only a dark reflective grey. It was well built in muscle, its skin was a dark tan color that had a shade of yellow, the exposed skin areas such as the stomach and lower sides; some areas of the arm and the thighs were covered and dark and very durable mesh net like covering. What thick and built skin that could not bee seen was covered by its hardened and amazing armor. The metal was not of earth and could withstand much more than what most earth weapons could deal against it. Sleek fitting shoulder pads, thick gauntlets along with the torso vest could withstand almost anything it had ever faced in its hundred and fourteen years of living, there were slashes deep and light all over, battle had him marked and scarred. The battles that happened five years ago had not healed cleanly, the Assassin's blade left him scarred on the flesh, but as warrior, mentally he was strengthened, physically he was still growing. He had yet reached a point to where he could challenge an elder; Bounty Hunters still respected the clan's and its traditions and its laws.

Beads were attached to a necklace around his neck, draped in colors of honor and respect. The staff of the Bounty Hunter now had its markings, beads and jewels of battle and reward dressing it. The dreadlocks were now dressed in beautiful platinum, the polish added to the metal shined under the sun's light making it give a brilliant glow. Samantha looked all around the huge creature who only continued to stare at her. She was too consumed by her childish curiosity to be afraid, not that she was; she felt no fear only slightly shocked by its brute look. It was amazing though, Samantha had never seen anyone like it; so many beads and colors around the neck and on the metal stick on its back, the gray color on the mask was of a shade she had never seen in her crayon or colored pencil box; not even a painting set could make that color. The dreadlocks were more interesting than anything else though; most likely due to there bright shine.

A deep tone escaped his jaw and mandibles; the hum was aimed at the child. Normally he would have no business helping her, but she was very little and defenseless, nature or not it did not seem fair to let her die. But that was not what intrigued him to her, this youngling, was a hybrid. Of mongoose and hedgehog, those colors were engraved in his mind; she had traits of that hedgehog he had fought so long ago. Was she? What would such a small child of a protective creature be doing out here anyway? That event five years ago came back to memory, so complex it was. A rivalry, bounty and honor and shame all rolled into one ball of messy clutter. With tight movements the four mandibles twitched back and clicked twice, a purr came out of his mouth.

She looked it up and down, and finally stared the knee. With one finger, she put out her arm and attempted to touch it. Suddenly there was tight tug on her small chest and sides, it was her clothing. The little hedge-mongoose shivered as she felt a rough and dry claw pick her up by her dress. Slowly it leaned until its back was straight again, bringing Samantha up letting her see its body from an even view. It brought her up to face level, her small limbs hanging down as she stared it face to face. Her big warm green-red eyes bet the glassy gray eyepieces of his mask were the eyes.

"What's this for?" She poked at the mask, nudging its head a little. The thing purred again, irritated a little with the child's poke. Samantha could now see a black leather-like material coating on the neck. From her new view she could see more things, like a large shoulder mounted weapon. The hollow tube was the first thing she saw, "What's this?" A confused grunt came from the bounty hunter when the little child pushed with one leg off of his arm gauntlet and used her other foot to the left chest armor area and pulled herself towards him. Then she used her arms and gripped the uneven armor and the barrel of the gun. Not using much strength made it easy for her to mount onto him, and before he knew it; the bounty hunter had child on his back staring down the barrel of the plasma cannon in off-line mode. She gasped now that she had a better look at his dreadlocks, they were truly amazing the shine went so well with their dark color, they complimented each other. "Wow," Her big staring eyes told the hunter that she had never seen dread brackets so bright or she was simply pleased by shiny objects.

Something in his thinking mind told him humorously that it was probably the second assumption. "Cool," The young hedgehog-mongoose giggled as she gripped a couple of the thick locks. The hunter noticed that she was leaning back on the gun mount her legs rested on the back's design armor and used them like steps, though she was light in weight, she was a little heavy in annoyance.

"You have pretty hair; it's like Ms Rouge's husband's hair." Something about that line made it turn its head and glare through sides of its eyes as best it could. It gritted its teeth and growled silently, the line made him a little mad, it something about it. "Do you know where my mommy or my daddy are?" She asked. A brow rose as the head cocked at an angle.

'My mommy or my daddy?'

What in the world was she asking? A questioning 'rawr' sound came from it again, "Its okay," She sighed, she began to rest on him completely, her elbow resting near the neck as she dug it in into his dreadlocks. She shivered from the armor that carried a cold touch but his dreadlocks were full of warmth and made her react weirdly. "Oh my flowers!" Quickly she slid down its back by the dreadlocks and tapped the ground as she landed. Without a look or thought she rushed to her flowers, the tulips she had dropped when she saw the snake. Low and deep thumps began to sound as she collect the few flowers on her knees.

A quick note to consider popped into his head, could he even communicate with the youngling?

Her head turned to see the giant creature leaving her presence. It walked pass her, the big and heavy foot steps digging deep into the dirt of the trail that was barely noticeable. The hunter kept his eyes on a hyper sense. It's burning vision being cleared and filtered as it looked for the temple grounds. Unfortunately the events from five years passed had led to several punishments and he was spared from death by narrow decision within the clan's high ranking officials. The War-Chief purposed that he and the Assassin apprentice be put to death for breaking the ancient ethic code of self defense. In total, more than six slain. It was impossible for any one of them to be considered a threat to their lives or for that matter; injury. The law enforcement officers that the Assassin apprentice had killed were armed with a chemical-reaction propelled projectile weapon, 'A petty gun, those types of arms can't even damage your armor, both of you know that!' The elder, the Blood-Warrior roared in its native alien tongue. The memory raged in his head, as if it happened again. Both the Assassin and Bounty Hunter were being questioned of the actions they took on the backwater planet that the renegade Elite was tracked to.

To make the matter worse, both were being trailed as one, and they were being judged as a whole. While the Assassin received the bite from his killing of law enforcement of the planet, the Bounty Hunter could do nothing to defend himself from his actions. Three youths; all fell at his metal cord, blade and staff; their blood was stained to metal of his weapons. The tribe Elder, simply and respectfully known as Elder hummed as he took all points of view into consideration. Death was a heavy penalty that was given out under many circumstances but; it must have a valid reason along with some form of proof.

In the stone building they stood, both young warriors stiffly standing, their wounds trying to recover.

"Both of you should be ashamed of what—" An Elder with blue markings was cut off by the Elder.

The old Predator had more scars and battle marks than anyone; it had outlived most of his age group. His mark was marked in very faded paints; years among years had lifted the deep shade of yellow from the mask and left it a barely visible yellow. His dreadlocks were at length only achieved by his life span. The long gray and black locks touched the floor and rested in few small loops in some areas as the length was so great. The mask had two eye pieces and there were claw marks everywhere on it, the left eye piece had a very deep gash coming straight down, whatever hit that mark, dug into the metal. The eyes had a deep blue glow; both youths refused to make any eye contact with the enraged elder. At his stone throne like chair were four elders, two on each side. The blue markings elder that was cut off was shocked that he was interrupted. Respectfully and fearfully he lowered his arms; that made angered visuals to the young ones. He hushed and let a soft and humble purr escape his throat.

The Elder's bark echoed the silent room, "And you fought one another why?" The ancient warrior stood up from his place. His roared bellowed the room, "This was not a competition!" Even the War-Chief and the Blood-Warrior and the other two ranking tribe leaders stepped a couple of steps to the side and allowed the angered Elder his space. "Since when do we fight amongst ourselves like this? The both of you," His yell got them to look up and directly at him, "You were sent to hunt and bring back the runway," Behind the mask he glared at them, his purr making them tremble within their battered armor, "Instead of working together to keep your presence on a timid and sensitive backwater planet silenced and quick; instead of working as one to get one of our best; instead of working together to prove you two know what it is to show cooperation…you decide to go after those energy jewel and compete for the head of the Elite."

The Elder purred in disgust;

"I have never seen such a pitiful display of order execution in my life!" He stepped closer to them, their heads turned away. "Our race does not slaughter the helpless; I wouldn't be surprised if that planet has run amok after the ruckus you made. Not even that irritates me as much as the fact that you went after those jewels." The Elders armored arm lifted up and came down on their heads; he gripped the top of their dreadlocks, "Are you insane? That type of unrestrained power could've killed you both and what would've the point of this mission? The only thing that out weighs that is that you dare to break our sacred laws of the hunt! We are warriors and hunters! Not savages! I will discuss your punishment with the Elders; whether it is to be capital or not…now get out of my sight!" With quick movements they obeyed the barked order and sped walk out of the higher chambers.

Never had he been so scared of some one who was well over seven hundred years older than him. The Bounty Hunter shuddered at his recollection. Continuing his work, he crouched down and touched the dirt. His scaly fingers dung into the soft earth, it was dry and no sign of what it usually left behind. This was a disgrace, how he could be left to such petty child work; even after what he did, this was unbelievable! How could he be sent for the clean-up hunt? This was for hatchlings and broods of amateurs, someone of his caliber should never be left to do the clean-up. It was humiliating and ridiculous; hunting down the leftovers of prey or what escaped from battle. Not only was it easy, but of all planets chosen to have this done for; this place.

The electrical pulse swept across his sight vertically. The grass and trees were blue; shades of light and dark in all varieties. Among the blue figures of forest and lush vegetation were a few footsteps. The figure was also blue but its shape stood out to him; he touched it and let his vision change again. The green view blinded most of jungle details out his view but the footprint stood out well; there was a trail and it led to his left. It was shaped like a bird's foot, three long claw tips and a slender foot width. For some reason it was using its hind legs only right now. It could've been injured but then again, blood would've been found. Then again, the wound could've healed; the report from the kill team stated that though the objective was killed; a lackey or two was unaccounted for in the body count; one was certain he shot an arrow through the left arm of the creature. Once again the mandibles tapped the inner mask, changing the view to a bright white. Suddenly there were spots and droplets, all faded red. The speckled drops were nearly invisible; they had faded so much they almost blended into the bright white background that allowed for the specialized sight level of heat.

With a few more taps he looked at the trail, following it until he could see no more. His ears caught a snapping and he bolted up, spinning quickly. His vision changed back to bodily heats and his blades snapped out. He purred and called out for his prey, taunting it in a way. Through the blue trees he picked out a small patch of yellow and red on his left, he snarled as he glared it at it. Within a few seconds he grunted, almost passing off as a sigh. His body eased from the tension. The blades withdrew as his full battle ready body relaxed. The Bounty Hunter soothed his muscles; it stood up straight and quickly tilted his head, making a crack noise. This was getting a bit more annoying than what he was already dealing with.

Disappointed she stated, "Sorry," Her heart was racing; she spooked it but not as much as it spooked her with the sudden battle stance. Samantha slowly let her face come out from hiding; the tree wasn't going to hide what he already knew. "I can't find my way home…" She whimpered. The young hybrid didn't want to be alone at all. Nothing scared her more than being alone in an unknown area.

During his last visit everything that barely sensed him broke down into a literal state of panic but this child just did not even seem fazed by the fact that this was the first time that she had ever seen anyone looking like him. The more primitive animals of this planet ran for their lives as if he were hell's knight of death. Not even the largest mammals matching his height or maybe more, possibly in strength dared to attack him. Why was it that a youngling was not afraid? Violence, while not even considered, was not an option. Ignore, continue on even if there is a tag-along?

Samantha stepped into the open and walked front of him and lowered her head in fault. "Can you take me to my home?" Again the tallest person she had ever seen did nothing but turn around and continue to walk. He didn't say no, so she began to follow him more freely. With his height, the small steps made her little legs jog in order to keep up. She panted with a small smile growing as she kept pace with him. The child hugged her flowers to her chest to keep them from falling.

His helmet let a distorted laugh come through. He kept his pace but look back slightly. The young one still followed! As warrior he saw it unnecessary to intimidate it with a roar, not to mention the possibility that an elder would review his mission logs and recordings. Mistakes with these kinds of punishments can never be repeated. Tribal shame and humiliation amongst his equals, no matter the nuisance, this objective will go through without a single setback. Continuing with his tracking his vision filtered to a green outlining the blood splats in a brighter green. These were more recent, the wounds have not healed quickly enough. The spacing between the marks were close, it may have been reduced to crawling.

"Silfff-rahhharg!" The frequency of the hiss set off the sensors. With a soft clicking purr his mandibles tapped the inside of the helmet; he gritted his teeth as he turned back slightly. She had stopped with him. Her breathing was quick, apparently she was having trouble keeping pace. So why did she follow him? His hearing picked up the next gritted growl. It was aware of him. How close though, and in which direction? These woodland areas echoed every noise in all directions. The green screen outlined a few tree lines and many of the brighter foliage of the branches. From his left a twig snapped he charged towards the child. She yelped as he lifted her into the air, and closed her eyes in fear as he jumped. The air behind him whipped with a thick brutal cut. The Bounty Hunter turned around and saw the creature hiss at him, taunting with the inner jaw. The hunter set the child down on the ground near his side, everything was being recorded and the Elders would not let a thing go, especially a preventable death. There was no room for collateral damage, the Xenomorph touches no one and all evidence is taken.

Samantha slowed her breathing, "Why—" He bent his knees slightly and let a hand down in front of the child, keeping her from moving any further up.

"Samantha!" Someone shrieked, "Honey, mama wants you with her now!" The voice sighed heavily. "Oh goodness…I told you not to run off!" The comment was whispered with some mild sarcasm within her worry.

Wonderful. How lovely. Just perfect. The mother searches relentlessly for the hatchling. What a marvelous encounter it would be for her to spot him with her offspring. It would be a reunion to remember to say the least. He pressed his back to the tree he leaned on and tried to blend his body within the shadows. The Bounty Hunter tilted his head slightly enough to peak on the side of the tree. The dark eyes behind the mask scanned the area. He could not see anything through the filter, the objective had run off. An electrical pulse line ran from the tip of his head down his body and hummed. Samantha fell backward gently out of surprise.

"Hey!" She could see something but at the same time she saw nothing? He was just there. "Where'd…I don't wanna play hide and seek right now—"

The child felt someone's strong grasp pick her up, "Samantha!" The tight hands shifted into a firm hug, "Oh thank heaven!" She couldn't help but smile, these arms were unforgettable. "What did I specifically tell before I let you go out and play?"

"Mommy!" The little one giggled as she turned around in her mothers grasp. She hugged back as tightly as she could, "Mommy! I found white tulips!"

"Samantha…" Mina fought the water in her eyes as she tried to talk sternly to her disobedient daughter, "What…did I tell you before?"

The Bounty Hunter began to crouch slowly; the heavier shadows of the trees let his camouflage work flawlessly. He looked around his feet for a way to move unnoticed. Twigs, brush, uproot, crisp leaves and soft foliage. There was no way to move without making a small sound and he was not going to risk it. The mother had too much past experience, one move and she would look and one look in his direction and she'd spot him. As long as she was unaware she wouldn't look for him. He kept his patience, slowly turning.

"Mommy he was big! He was taller than daddy and almost as big as the house!" The child spouted off almost excitedly. "He was there and then he then he wasn't! He was like the air!"

Mina sighed with relief at the fact that she was fine, her imagination rampant as always. "I'm sure," She gave her child a smile.

"No!" Samantha knew her mother, "He had hair like Mr. Knuckles and it was really long! He had shiny parts and was like Prrrrr—mommy! Hey, too tight!" The little hybrid squirmed in her mother's tightening grasp. The little girl looked at her mother for a reason why for the extremely tight chokehold on her tiny body. "Mommy?" Her mother's eyes looked almost faded.

"Samantha what sound did you just make?"

"Huh?"

"The big person, what sound did he make?" Her voice had a vibrating feel.

"He didn't talk but he went prrrrr and he was quiet."

Only a few yards away, invisible while motionless the Bounty Hunter kept an eye for advancing movements. So long as he didn't move and she did not advance towards and notice his camouflage distorting the line of sight he could slowly disappear and continue without further interruptions.

"He had long hair, like Mister Knuckles but really long and more than him—"

"Where was he?"

"Right there!" Samantha pointed eagerly towards a tree just ahead of the rest the outlining trees of the narrow path.

The Bounty Hunter let his head fall back on the trunk of the tree quietly. The small spotted figure, a mix of yellow, orange and red through his filtered eyes pointed in his direction. He let out a silent gruff; this entire planet was a nuisance. He turned his head and peered slightly beyond the bark line of the tree. The mother let her daughter down and lowered herself to the young brood's level.

"Listen to me honey, I want to go home and look for your dad, if he's not there then just stay home okay?"

"Why?"

"Because I said so, now go up the trail and go left at the little pond and you'll see the house." Mina gave her daughter a serious stare.

"But what about—" Samantha's mother cut her short by forcibly turning her around and gently pushing her in the direction of the pond.

Mina sighed as she watched her daughter begin walk faster up the trail. "Hopefully it's just a crazy animals or please just let me be wrong." She slowly walked over towards the woodland area near where her daughter pointed to. Her eyes looked around for anything familiar to years ago. It was embedded in her mind, everything. The look when the camouflage moved slowly distorting the air it blended into. The empty dark eyes of a ghost, the glow of said eyes that would flash a grim yellow. It was years before the sounds of the common wildlife would stop making hypertension take over. Years before she had to stop staring intensely at all her surroundings. With her daughter came much peace of mind but horrors from hell and beyond could never really be eased. Her partner faired differently but that was only because he wasn't normal at all. Though he said he had let it pass him, she could see it in his eyes, and hear it in his voice. Nothing was ever the same for him. He was living with it but no could tell if he had progress. For his home, daughter and lover he hid his uneasy feelings. Trying to ignore what was sense in the background that had unwilling been developed, just like her.

It was life, just trying to move on and live on. Sometimes the past can be put aside and dragged along and not have much attention paid to it. Unhealthy, well no one was an expert on how to deal with it, so this was the best way. Only hope that it just stay back and never comes back to catch up.

Mina clenched her fists as she arrived near the area. Her green eyes scanned the area intensely. Ears twitched as the tried to make out differences between her own assumptions and the wildlife around her. What was natural and what sounded eerily familiar was too frightening. The lavender haired mongoose sighed and tried to relax. It was almost like years ago, hunted by silent shadows.

He looked down and to his left. Same height, bone structure, body heat was virtually the same. Why not confirm the creature? He still wouldn't be able to move without alerting her. She had walked just ahead of him, no movement and it would be as if was nothing but air in the wind. The hunter compared a few stats to an old record in a memory bank. Quietly his mandibles tapped the beneath the mask scrolling through data.

Metal sliding on metal, a sound deadly no matter what. It was flawless, the sheathing sound of intent to kill. The Hunter grunted as spun around saw it. He held up his right arm extending the shuriken with all six blades out. Instinct made him reach with his left arm, grabbing the armed hand and his scaly right hand latched on to the hedgehog's rib cage. With great force he steered the right downwards and lifted the smaller creature by his main body and flipped him over, aiming for the dirt. It was him again.

Shadow blinked rapidly and shook his head to get a grasp on the daze he felt from the powerful slam he just received. The killer revealed himself. The static crackle warped quietly as Shadow remembered his mask…his face. He sat up and gripped the shuriken; within a second's reaction he beamed it at his target. The black hedgehog witnessed the shock of his life; the Bounty Hunter stuck his arm bent slightly at his elbow and performed a skill only for masters. The Predator let the six bladed star spin onto his armored forearm make the alloys contacting spark and flash violently from consistent speeding impacts as his rode up his forearm and upwards towards his shoulder. As it neared his face he leaned sideways while keeping eye contact with the object and picked his moment carefully. As the shoulder length ran close to his face his left arm came up, reaching behind the object grabbing it, Shadow gritted his teeth. The Hunter leaned back upright and growled quietly as his chucked the shuriken towards Shadow. He caught it the spinning object, but he noticed upon its stop, blood ran down between his middle and index fingers. He looked back up and the Bounty Hunter. Heat waves vented off of his right arm's armor, he looked for green blood. Other than scratches on the armor, it was untouched.

"Shadow!" Mina turned around and saw only Shadow staring upwards at an all too familiar shape. With a grunt she bolted towards him instantly sliding next to him and putting an arm front of him as it were a barrier between him and old nemesis. "We're not doing this anymore," She said was uncertainty in her voice. "No more,"

The Bounty Hunter stared at the two. It was too late to move undetected, impressive the Hunter became the Hunted even for a moment. The female picked up her partner slowly while never losing eye contact with Bounty Hunter. Once on his feet forcefully, Shadow glared at him, the Hunter thought nothing of it. His lover tried to pull him more but he remained in place. She tried to wrap her arms around him and pull him again with all her strength.

"Mina, leave now!" Shadow tried to peel her latched arms off.

"No! Not again! You're not doing this anymore!" She yelled "You're not going to do this to me—"

"Stop yelling!" A high pitched voice cried from behind. "Daddy, why are you and mommy yelling?"

The Hunter tilted his head and saw the young offspring stand not a few feet from her parents. She was leave last he saw but after the mother came close, he lost attention on her. She held only a few flowers in a hand, wiping her eyes of the tears she couldn't explain.

"Samantha I told you to go home!" Mina gasped at the voice and let go of Shadow, running instantly in front her daughter's trying to block everything from her.

The hedgehog backed up slowly while never losing his fixed glare. The Bounty Hunter shook his shoulders in an act relaxation getting a slight flinch from Shadow. He let out a gruff cough; the hedgehog wasn't going to make a move that would endanger kin. He was protector first and the blood between him and the Hunter came second.

Shadow backed enough to crouch down next to his family. "Listen to your mother and go home, you too; both of you go home and—"

"Daddy you are you hurt?" Samantha grabbed her father's hand, ignoring the weapon it held.

"No, I'm fine," Shadow gently moved his daughter's hand off, with a small forced smile, "Mina, take her and go."

Mina picked up her up and kept the fighting child in her maternal grip, "You are too, we're one family and we're staying one family!" Mina didn't let a tear drop with her breaking voice.

Samantha kept trying to furiously separate herself from her mother's unmoving deadlock grip. The little child looked at her flowers on the ground while her mother and father argue about something. She opened her mouth flashing a set of baby fangs she had inherited. She was about to bite but notice something in her peripheral. It was the tall person again. She managed to pull every child's trademark trick, on her own mother. The child loosened her body into the most flexible thing ever. Slipping through her mother's grasp like she was covered in oil, she fell to the ground and pick up a tulip.

"Samantha no!" Mina reached down and tried to grab her daughters dress but the child moved a bit quicker than her. "Shadow!" Mina yelped

The Hunter took a step back and stood slightly sideways as the youngling jogged towards him. His watched mask tracked the father, the crosshair fixed on him for two steps then he disappeared. The young Predator shut off the alert system and used his eyes. Within seconds the child was lifted up and her father appeared again. Invisibility, could he have developed that technology? Behind the hedgehog and his struggling offspring a bit of dust kicked up and blew away in the wind just as quickly. He raised his brow, impressive. A dash so quick the eye fails to keep up with the movement. They were mere feet away from him and the hedgehog look up at him without fear. His eye caught something though, the hedgehog's body heat spike violently for a moment. As soon as he grabbed his offspring it went down. Was it and energy spike?

Samantha pushed on her father's chest trying to break from his hold. After failing to even budge him she grunted as she forced room between his death grip arms and his body to turn around. She held out her arm hold a flower towards the hunters.

"Samantha, what you doing?" Shadow put her arm down and held her closer, "Go to your mother right now!" He didn't let go just yet.

"I'm doing what you and mommy told me to do always when someone helps you," Shadow raised an eyebrow, "Here," The words made him lose a bit of concentration so the child managed to lean out much more of the hold.

Beneath the mask he remained curious. The child had more of these earlier and was very worried about them. Now the young brood was fighting her father's hold on her to reach out to him. Her tiny arm shook up and down as she tried to reach even closer to him with it. The brood was grunting and her face squinted as she continued to fight for breathing and moving room in her holder's arms.

"Daddy!" The child said annoyingly.

The Hunter let out a soft quick purr. He lifted his right arm out and opened his palm. The small heat figure squirm to reach even further, cautiously he kept a keen eye on the bigger heat figure. On his rough scarred and cold palm he felt a soft, almost string like object touch. Small drips of water were left from a recent rain. It was nearly weightless; it had no warmth to be seen through his vision filters. He blinked and shut off his filters and relied on common sight. A thin supportive healthy stem colored a rich green. The buds were pure white, with only a few nips of the outer rim lightly colored yellow and a faint green.

A white tulip flower from a hybrid child.

"My mommy and daddy always tell to me to say thank you if anyone ever helps or gives something to me!" The child looked up the masked tall person, "Thank you for helping me find my mommy and my daddy!" She grinned brightly at him.

Shadow kept an inner cough from escaping, "Samantha…" He looked at his smiling daughter. Then he looked up at the Bounty Hunter, as always the mask hid the, if any, expression. He looked back to his fair-haired mongoose, who was taking small steps while not looking away from the Hunter.

Mina placed a hand on her lovers back upon reaching him, "Maybe…" She looked at the hand the thing still held out.

"Put me down!" The child groaned "I wanna walk!" She kept squirming in her father grip. Her parents looked at one another and back at her. Life out here in more a secluded area with all type life and knowing their friends and company, sure life was different and unusual but had she really not been intimidated or seen anything strange about this? Finally she slipped out her fathers grasp, sighing with relief.

The Predator slowly closed his hand, the movement making Shadow look with a guard again. The Hunter shook his shoulders and flexed his neck. He then grunted to get their attention. Both parents looked up at him. Silently he lifted and moved his left arm in front, across his chest. With his right hand, he extended his index and middle fingers while keeping his ring and pinky closed to keep a hold on the stem of the tulip. He slowly his two fingers motioned walking across his left forearm, on top of the metallic armor. Shadow noticed, the index finger, dragged slightly. It wasn't a mistake. The young Predator then held up his left hand gestured with only his index finger. Mina nodded slightly and held back her child still who shook her leg while saying something. He then with the same hand closed it and stuck out a thumb, he ran it across his leather covered neck quickly making his shorter dreadlocks near his face sway slightly.

Mina swallowed her breath, "Please say it's not us," She leaned over and whispered to her dove. The Predator shook his head upon her words. Mina blinked surprisingly, it understood her.

Shadow noticed it looked at him. Almost as if was asking if he understood, what else could he do? He nodded slowly.

With that the Bounty Hunter turned slightly and looked back at them again. He looked down at the small child, then at his right hand. Looking back to her, it noticed she had been looking at him as well. He tilted his head once at her. She cocked her to the side confusingly. He began to flex his right wrist, shaking it a little. Samantha could see a black fabric yarn with decorations on. A large discolored white object about three inches hung off the middle. It was a tail bone of something larger, a youngling's keepsake of a small kill as a youth. On both sides of the tail bone were oval beads colored gray and a dark green, the stones had a smooth and shiny look. The flexible black string ran through one long side, going through the tail bone in between them through an forced opening and out to the other stone. The hard element wasn't native to the planet neither was the creature's bone. Keep with symmetry on opposite sides smaller beans two of blue followed by two of very light blue that seemed to have a shade of purple on its outer edges but when stared at they were blue. While the most stone and trophy draped part of the wristband was on one side the naked side had nothing but two strings of white that hung loosely off of tiny makeshift pin circles. The fabric seemed to shine vibrantly under sunlight. The child's mouth opened at little in awe of the gorgeous object. The enormous Hunter rolled it on top his forehand with his left and quickly maneuvered it off, leaning only slightly towards from waist up he let it hang off his index and middle finger.

Samantha stared at the wristband intensely. With both hands she reached for it, her tiny gloved hands crossing at her pinky fingers creating a nest like place for it. The tall person reached out towards her and let it fall in her hands. With a huge smile she grasped it and looked at it make sure it was there. She took her gift between her hands began to explore with it. The hybrid stretched it to tolerable lengths notice it was a very flexible fabric. She giggled as she began to put it on her wrists, switching constantly not able to decide which to wear it on. The Hunter kept his slightly turned stance while staring the young one's parents.

"Thank you!" Samantha squealed with a bounce in her movement.

Shadow felt a tug on his back from Mina just as the Bounty Hunter leaned towards their child. He knew what it was for but he felt different.

There was something different about this encounter. He couldn't figure it out though. It's as if there was no threat or danger. Shadow looked around and noticed something. His mouth opened slightly as if wanted to speak but nothing came out. Behind the Hunter a pair of eyes glowed a bright yellow, flashing white once. Then a humming sound crackled as blue and white mix of static lines behind a tree revealed another on his left, crouched. Shadow noticed it had one of its dual wrist blades out full. They were smooth, not curved and jagged like the others he had seen. In its other hand was a blade about a foot and half long. Another pair of eyes glowed blue, it remained cloaked down the trail's pathway, looking in their direction from afar. How did he not notice them? How long where they there? Where they on watch or protecting? Mina's eyes widen as they made their positions known, perfect stealth. Even if the three weren't there that whole time, they managed to position themselves without being noticed.

Samantha suddenly pointed behind the Hunter, "Look! His friends!" Samantha shouted excitedly. Mina pulled her daughter closer and whispered something about silence.

The young Hunter then turned around all the way. He reached back and grabbed something thin about a yard long and then his body began to have lines of static. As the lines began to hide him he pulled the pole object and gripped it. As the final parts of him began to blend with the environment he lifted it slightly and jerked down slightly just as quickly. Suddenly as the object itself began to become invisible as it snapped and sheathed against metal to a length equal to almost his own height. The eyes that watched began to turn around and fade like ghosts in the wind, all them extending their gauntlet blades just before he lost sight of them. Shadow looked for fearless one that revealed himself completely but there was nothing but a plant and jungle brush gently moving as a breeze came by.

Mina looked down as her daughter hopped up and down happily, "Bye-bye!" The innocent child waved her hand wildly at the disappearing figures that walked away.

"What just happened?" Shadow asked dryly.

"I don't know but I feel like…" The mother continued.

"It's over."

Mina mumbled her words, "Yes…I think…"

"No…it's been over, for us." Shadow quietly said. A blank look gave Mina the impressive of him collecting everything mentally. "It's been over for us, they're here for something. Something they need to get rid of, something that isn't supposed to be alive here."

"Daddy?" The child tugged on her father's gloved hand. It had thin trailed lines of dried blood staining it now, "Are you sure you're not hurt?"

He smirked with a small chuckle, "No, I'm fine."

"But mommy says you don't care when you're hurt though," Samantha looked at her father pointed at her mother, "Mommy said you're re-gic…re-giclously childish sometimes,"

Shadow chuckled softly, "Is that so?" He looked up and noticed Mina crossed her arms. Earlier in the relationship she would've blush, but at this point she had began to act more on her worry rather be shy of it.

Mina expelled a deep breath, "How could even let her reach out to it like that? Oh it never end with you does it? Sometimes your so careless, especially with yourself you know!"

"I am not," He smiled as he was finding humor in her reactions, which he felt were slightly excessive. "I'd never let anything happen, you know that." The ebony hedgehog leaned over and rested his head on hers. She let out a childish grunt for someone her age, "Fine, let's go home and I'll make it up to you okay?" He reached around her and began to force her to turn as she slowly moved with him. A giggle left her lips as he nuzzled with her.

"First we take care of daddy's ouches." The hybrid loudly stated while trying to squeeze in between both of her parent's crossing legs.

"No." Her father quickly responded.

"Mommy said that when you get hurt and it bleeds, you get…" She stuttered off as the complex word left her mind, "In…inf…?"

Mina laughed lightly while looking down at her stumped daughter, "Infected baby, in-fec-ted

The hyperactive child jumped up and down, "Yeah infected!" She licked her lips, "You get infected if you don't wash it with the stingy water…"

Shadow shook his head, "Uh no, absolutely not. No way, no rubbing alcohol." He picked up daughter with a sigh, "It's been a tiring day so let's just go home." This time she didn't fight. Happily she rested in his arms as she sat down between her father's warm body and on top of his crossing arms, almost as if where a place just for her to sit. Her tiny legs hung freely as the couple began to walk back up the trail. Samantha looked at her last three tulips as her mother and father conversed about something uninteresting.

"One, two, three." She giggled as she looked to her parents, "Just like us!" She began to remember that she had six. She was lost and met the tall person, and lost two when she climbed up him. Then she gave one to him as a thank you. "Can we tell Crystal and her mommy and daddy about this?" She began to move excitedly, "And Ms Amy and Mac and his dad! Can we please? I wanna show them!" She tugged slightly on the wristband that she now wore as a snug necklace. It was comfortable for her and wouldn't keep falling off this way or keep annoying her with a decision of left or right.

"We'll see," Shadow responded while securing his arms resting place for her again. He looked to the side and asked Mina without words. She in turn raised her eyebrows with uncertainty. With a nodded she silently pointed back to their daughter, Shadow didn't want to respond.

"Honey…I don't think you should be wearing that," Mina as they walked reached for her daughter's newly deemed necklace. The little one squirmed and tried to scoot away from her mother's hands, "Samantha…" Her mother groaned. This was going to get worse than going to the doctor for a blood sample. The memories made her sigh.

"No!" She covered the item, "I like it mommy!" The hybrid tried to cuddle up to herself and lean as much as possible against her father. Hopefully he would support his little girl.

"Honey, you have no idea where it's been or what it is!" Mina referred to the bone tail. Samantha was too young to no what a bone actually looked like. "Shadow, are you just going to let her wear that thing's…thing?" There was some shock in her voice. She expected him to be the one doing this.

Shadow nuzzled his daughter's hair making her giggle, "Leave her be, it'll be fine," Mina gasped at his words, "We'll look at it later and figure it out, she's happy right now."

The child giggled, "Thank you daddy," She rubbed the necklace's stones with a smile. As they continued to walk around to a turn she kicked her feet gently, anxious to go home.

"Samantha," The child turned to her mother's words.

Mina's daughter made eye contact with her mother, "Yes mommy?"

"From now on," Shadow looked at Mina as the two talked, "No talking to strangers…ever…anywhere…"

"Okay." She nodded obediently. Then she looked innocently back and forth between her parents, "What's a 'strangers'?"

With a smile and a deep blink he continued with his family progressing towards home. Shadow couldn't help but let out a silent chuckle under his breath.