Predator: New Allies
-Part Two-
Uneasy Alliances
Previously:
[Chicu! I got readings twelve miles back. Slight heat interference. There were three humans near the ship!] Raiven called to her Hunt Brother. [I know I picked it up too. They were aged from eight years to sixteen years. Unarmed. Not worth it anyway.] Raiven nodded. There was nothing more to say. Three unarmed children weren't likely to pick up any weapons and pursue them. Their biggest problems now were the serpents.
[Chicu, right flank!] Her voice was stressed; there was real danger in these damp woods. Her Hunt Brother turned in an instant and slashed the creature pursuing them. Its left hand fell to the ground, the foundation melting from its acidic properties. They were both unaware of the three children following them silently. Raiven, the Clan Leader, offspring of M'Ackiko, was running alongside of her friend and Hunt Brother, Chicu, pursued by one of their most formidable foes: the serpents.
The children following them were eight year old, Billie, twelve year old, Sue, and sixteen year old, Ann. Each of them had a special gift, and all five of them were about to be thrown into a whirlwind adventure. Billie cringed at the sight of the serpents severed hand. Sue placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do what you need to do." She said.
Billie nodded and ran out between Raiven and Chicu. [Out of the way, human child!] Chicu yelled. Billie did not move, but raised his hands up to the serpents, as if in surrender. [What's he doing?] Raiven asked. [I'm not sure…] Chicu answered. The three serpents that had been pursuing Chicu and Raiven stopped in front of Billie. The one with the severed hand, obviously the trio leader, bowed his head. The others followed suit. [Oh, my fuck.] Raiven said, cursing. [He's tamed them.] He turned and faced the two. "Sue!" he called. "I could use some language help!" Two others girls crept out from behind a tree, the youngest walking ahead. [I think I can understand them.] She said. It took Raiven to realize that she had just heard the girl speak in perfect Hunter language. The eldest looked Raiven and Chicu over. "One of them's human." She said. [What are you talking about?] Raiven demanded. Chicu said nothing. He stood rigid in his place, looking straight ahead. Raiven gave him a sideways glance. [One of you is human. And it's obviously not the male.] Said who Raiven assumed was Sue. [Are you trying to say that I'm a fraud? I grew up with the Hunters-] Sue held up a hand. [I'm not denying that. The thing is… Have you ever seen your reflection?] Raiven stared at her. Pressing a button on her wrist bracer, she took a look at Chicu's organs. His heart was beating faster by the second. She changed back to normal spectrum. [No. You think we carry mirrors with us wherever we go?] Sue took her hand, completely unafraid, and led Raiven to a pond. Without saying a word, Raiven removed her mask and peered over at the water. The face of a human stared back at her. [Fuck!] She exclaimed. [What kind of trickery is this?] Sue cringed. [You ought to watch your language. I am only twelve. And there is no trickery. This is your actual appearance.] Raiven began backing up, her breathing becoming a quickened pant. The thoughts went through her mind. …forbidden to ever visit Earth. M'Ackiko had told me constantly that the humans on that planet would want my organs for dissection. All I knew was that if I were to ever come into contact with one, kill it or disable it… She backed into a tree. Chicu came around the corner. [I wanted to tell you. We all did, but…] Raiven tore past him and the children, putting her mask on her face, My human face, and jumped to the treetops, disappearing from sight.
Chicu and the Children
[You had to tell her.] Chicu said for the hundredth time. "What was I supposed to do?" Sue countered. [Not tell her!] Sue facepalmed and sighed. "See, this is what I get. All for a measly fifty bucks, and I get stuck in this mess." Ann stopped her. "Hey, we all got stuck in this mess. Okay? Right now, we need to find her." The seven of them made for an odd group: Three children parading around with a seven and a half foot creature followed by three serpentine creatures. [Fifty bucks for what?] Chicu inquired. "Oh, so the fact that Billie can tame serpents doesn't spark any ideas?" Chicu gave her a glare. [Okay, fine. So you participated in a scientific experiment that allows you to do all these things.] Sue smiled. [Any chance any of you can use one of those abilities to find Raiven?]
Raiven
[Human?] She jumped to the next branch. [Not possible.] She jumped to the next. [Paya, why do you torture me so?] She wondered why she hadn't suspected it. The other females were eight to ten feet tall. She was only six and a half. She had to have special armor made because the regular kind didn't react correctly with her DNA. At the next branch, she slammed her combi stick against the tree and yelled at the sky. [It's not possible!] She took off her mask. [Goddamnit.] Her face was steaming with tears. She didn't often experience these. A twig snapped and she whirled around. An armed human hunter. Just what she came here for. She put on her mask and turned on her cloaking device. Jumping down from the tree branch, the human turned around. "What was that?" Raiven turned off her cloaking device and removed her helmet. The man stood in awe at her human beauty. "What are you doing out in this weather?" he asked, referring to her skimpy hunting suit. Raiven attempted the human language. "Just got lost." She said, perfectly. "I'm lost, too." He said, his eyes caressing her well trained curves. As he got "lost" in her figure, Raiven pulled out her gauntlet and stabbed him in the shoulder. "What the fuck!" he yelled. "I suggest you don't get lost any time soon." Raiven taunted. She took her free hand and caressed his cheek, pulling him in closer, as if she were about to kiss him. In one swift move, she pulled his head off of his neck, yelling, "Fuck you!"
Chicu and the Children
"I spy, with my little eye… something green." Billie said. "It's a tree." Ann said. "Billie, everything here is a green tree." Chicu was getting fed up with this. They had been walking for at least half an hour now. And the only words exchanged were related to Billie's never-ending game of "I Spy". He began again. "I spy, with my little eye…" Chicu whirled around and grabbed him by the neck, his gauntlet out. Unarmed or not, he could live without this little pest. Something grabbed him from behind and yanked him down, spinning him over onto the ground. The whirlwind fighter was on top of him, its hand wrapped around his neck. "Stay away from my brother!" the voice of Ann chimed in. Chicu was shocked that he had been taken down by this small human. Even more, he was shocked that he couldn't get up. Before he could react, Billie screamed in pain. Ann ran to him, leaving Chicu to defend them. The black truck bore the symbol of the Weyland-Yutani company. As his plasma caster began to charge and aim, a familiar voice rang out, "Thought you guys could use a hand!" Chicu's Hunt Sister jumped from the trees and landed silently next to him. Ann and Sue tried to ignore the fact that se had a human head on her belt. [You know, they're after you, right?] Chicu asked. "Oh, yeah. I know." Raiven answered. "He's dead!" Sue cried. Raiven looked over at the limp body of Billie. She felt an emotion she had never felt before. Sadness. Tempered with rage. Her heart was hurting for this dead boy. It was a human emotion, almost never used by the Hunters. It was love. She yelled and charged the truck's guards, killing many with her smart disc. Taking out her combi stick, she killed the rest. "Now!" she called to Chicu. He fired at the truck's engine. Raiven ran to avoid the explosion. As the truck flew up into the sky, Raiven hugged her Hunt Brother. As she backed up to marvel at their work, Ann screamed. Raiven felt a string of warm drool ooze down her shoulder. The serpent. "Fucking shoot it, Chicu!" He did nothing. [I-I don't want to h-hit you.] He said, his voice small and weak, as if he were worried to kill her. "It will kill me if you don't shoot it!" Too late. She felt a sharp intake of pain as the serpent's Death Clamp burst into the back of her neck. Chicu slaughtered the three serpents and dragged Raiven back to the ship.
Escape Ship
[She's dying! Save her!] Chicu yelled at the medic. [There's no possible way to save her. Chicu, she's gone.] He said, putting down his scalpel. [Listen to me! We will save her! She is not gone! Not yet…] Chicu said. His voice was strained and slurred. He was terribly worried about his Hunt Sister. He ran out of the room and returned with some of his live trophies. The medic stared at him. Was he crazy? [Are you suggesting…?] Chicu nodded. The medic began taking the bits and pieces from Chicu's trophies. The last piece, Raiven's brain, was put into place. Now all they had to do was hope. And pray.
One Week Later
[Ku'Rah has awoken!] The Youngblood Hunter shouted to the waiting crowds. One in particular stood up immediately. [She demands the company of Honored Chicu.] He said, his eyes looking at the Hunter standing in the crowd. He jumped from the side of the room he was on and landed next to the Youngblood. [Honored Chicu…] He said, mystified. [Where?] Chicu demanded. The youngblood simply pointed to a small room, shielded by a curtain. Chicu opened it and stepped inside…