Chapter Five Bodies

We stood by the bodies of the ancient predators.

"I don't understand…" What he was telling me was too ridiculous. Well, I suppose after being kidnapped, dragged across the galaxy, jacking a ride home, and finding myself in an ancient pyramid under the Capitol, 'ridiculous' is a word people like me should use sparingly.

Is there anyone else with a life like mine? I hate it. When Katniss was with me... I don't know. She made things better. It was so special. Just the two of us. What did I have after getting my vengeance? Nothing. Nothing at all.

"The serpents are free," He explained, "Long ago, the hunters created this place as a memorial to a great struggle between humans, the predators, and the bugs." Herald pointed at the busted rib cage of the skeleton, "Bugs reproduce by implanting a host with larvae. The young consume as much as possible then," He made an exploding gesture with his hands.

Wow, that was gross.

Herald looked afraid. For a moment, I felt pity for him. He was going to die a horrible death one way or another. What he did to Katniss was unforgivable. Still, being trapped in a deathtrap underground with a couple of killer monsters on the loose was a pretty poor lot to have.

We stood there a moment, and he explained what was so bad; apparently these bugs absorbed traits from their hosts. The stronger the host, the more powerful the bug.

"Out there, somewhere is a predator/xenomorph hybrid. A Predalien, if you will. And it is going to wipe out everyone here. I now understand what happened here, where that Yautja came from. Long ago, this was a Colorado city. The serpents, predators, and humans fought a great battle here. It ended with a great explosion. Then Panem rose. Around the time of the great unrest, the predators must have built the temple in memorial," He paused now considering. I did not care about the history lesson, but I was thinking deeply too.

I thought about how rewarding it would be to leave him locked in an arena with a 'predalien.'

Herald continued, "From there… The time of the great unrest was too cold for them to hunt. So there must have been a hunt during the Revolution. And it went south, it must have been a big bad hunt. A predator was implanted, but one escaped, somehow sealing the tunnel behind it, likely using a detonator and a stasis pod. Fast forward fifty years, and it wakes to find a perfect arena."

I swallowed, remembering, "What's happening now?"

"Well, they must see this new revolution as a way to restart the big bad hunt. Big Bad Hunt take three, so to speak. Aliens vs. Predators vs. Tributes, you are a Predator-killer, are you not?"

I nodded. It made sense, except for the fact that I was sent here as part of a team.

Troops scrambled around us. I wondered if they cared that their comrades in District Twelve had suffered a similar fate. How far must a person travel down the road of violence before they become equally heartless? Not that my road has been clear of death, just… it is hypocritical of them to feel nothing for the suffering of others.

My companions were stalking us. I could practically feel their recycled breath on my neck. As long as they were around, the future was set. They worked with me, and would protect me if it came to that.

A guttural scream echoed through the chamber. It sounded like one of my companions was dying. But what could take one of them down?

And how could I stop it?!

Katniss

I moved silently. The cave echoed every sound ominously. What should have been the soft sounds of careful feet on stones became a marching army. A squad of troopers could have tromped right into the group and none of us could have discerned their coming.

Smell touched them in different ways. Gale and I, used to the fresh meadows, found it foreign; our times going into caves where abbreviated. The hunters felt their senses crackle alive with the wind putting them on alert. Finnick was panicking. The open ocean was his home, and the dark depths were off-limits; that's where the predators were. Johanna did not care. She was simply counting on dying from the point in time that the mission was created.

Together the group walked in silence. Finally, Finnick had enough, "I have an idea."

The others turned to look.

"Look, the basecamp down there likely does not have proper security. Whoever is running the show will be exposed. If I am captured, they will likely take me there. Then you two can take him out with your arrows!"

Gale and I exchanged looks. Both of them wanted for this mission to succeed, but now, when the cost of victory was so clear, neither felt comfortable doing anything.

"Oh, you big babies! Let me show you how it's done!"

Johanna dragged Finnick off. Gale and I exchanged nervous looks. Maybe our mission had ended before it had even begun…