Lex finally gets to experience a hunt. Will Scar have taught her everything she needs to knows? I do not own AVP, just having fun with the characters. Reviews always welcome.
When an enemy becomes a friend chapter 6
Scar felt that Lex was as ready as she would ever be. She had ably learned use of most of the weapons she could handle.
Lex was in their quarters, preparing. She had been given sandal-like shoes to wear, which made her think of herself even more like a warrior,............ in some sword and sandal fantasy. Someone must have made them special, as her feet were unlike Yautja feet. As she left the room, she grabbed the tooth necklace and slipped it over her head. She decided she would wear it like a trophy. The better to show all of them that she was their equal. She stopped at the door. What the hell was she doing? This was insane. Fear flared in her heart and soul, and she knew she would have to banish it before she left the ship. She inhaled deeply and counted to ten, then exhaled slowly. She had used this method as a relaxation technique before. Fortified, she went to find Scar.
He was waiting for her in the weapons room. He had chosen for her the extendable shuriken, and the arm blade that had been cut down for her. She'd shown an aptitude for both weapons, once smaller ones had been made for her. She also chose a plain dagger that she slipped into her belt. Scar noticed the tooth necklace around her neck. It suited her, he thought.
The transport pod was small, but luckily Lex didn't have claustrophobia. Hopefully the whole process wouldn't take very long anyway, and the landing would be soft, and not in a lake or someplace equally unpleasant. She felt that surely, after years of such transports, the skills would be there to make them as accurate as possible. Losing warriors before a hunt seemed wasteful.
A few of the other Youngbloods watched as Scar and Lex made ready. Lex noticed them looking at her necklace. She fingered it, glancing at them with hardened eyes. Jerks!
Both entered the pods, and Lex felt a jarring as they were launched into the atmosphere of this unknown planet. She couldn't see out, but what was most amazing was that the interior wall facing her projected strange symbols, most likely Yautja words. The device must have been relaying information to prepare them in some way. Unfortunately, she couldn't read it.
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The pod landed more softly than Lex expected. The door opened of its own accord, and she stepped out, peering around at the landscape. Instinctively, she searched for locations that would be perfect for any prey to wait in attack.
Scar's pod had settled a few yards from Lex's. This impressed Lex. Bulls-eye, she thought. She went over to it and waited to see what the plan was. He had tried to explain a few things to her on the ship, but the language was still a barrier to full understanding. He'd shown her a computer screen and she deduced that this area had the lifeform or forms they were to hunt. She silently prayed they weren't humanoid. It was too late to change her mind now, however. She was committed to this now.
Scar led the way, Lex following closely. She stayed alert, constantly looking around, eyes searching for any movement. The arm blade was heavy enough to give Lex security. She would not extend it until needed though. Her other hand felt for the shuriken attached to her belt.
Lex noticed that Scar walked without fear. He had proven himself, and death, although always a possibility, did not frighten him. He was wearing less armour than on Earth, but here the weather was mild, if a bit muggy. He led the way through the trees, brush and boulders. Scar held up a hand, making Lex stop, her ears desperately hunting for sounds. No doubt he could hear better than her too.
He waved his hand in an arc, indicating that she should circle around one way, while he went the other. Lex circled around some boulders, her finger poised over the extension button on her arm blade. Suddenly, a great black thing of fur and mottled flesh jumped out from behind a boulder. Scar extended his arm blade, slashing at the creature. The animal was too fast for him. His agility, for something so large, surprised Lex. Her fingered squeezed the button, and her blade extended. She moved nearer to where Scar first encountered the beast. It growled a deep sound, trying to intimidate its attackers. Scar pulled the shuriken off his belt and threw it with dead center accuracy, but it bounced off the animal's hide and returned to his waiting hand.
By now, Lex's adrenaline was providing her with renewed strength. She found a boulder, climbed up on it, so that she was far and above their prey. She tossed her own shuriken and again, it bounced off the thick fur before returning to her hand.
Damn, there has to be a vulnerable spot. She looked for the animal's belly, hopefully a soft spot, and tossed it again. Her reward was a deep howling. Scar took the opportunity of slashing out with his arm blade, cutting a deep gash close to where Lex had wounded it. Again, the howling, which Lex felt was a sound she would never forget, permeated the trees. The furry thing fell to the ground, writhing in obvious pain. Scar went over, blade poised just in case. Lex dropped off the boulder and joined him. In that instant, a furry arm of 6 inch claws slashed out at Scar. He sliced the beast's paw off, before falling to his knees. That was when both he and Lex heard another roar. It's mate? Scar was incapacitated. He tried to rise, but couldn't.
Lex ran to his side. The claw marks weren't that deep but she didn't know why he seemed so slow to move. She tried to help him up, but Scar grabbed Lex's arm hard, causing her to pull back without thinking. He removed the wrist computer from his and placed it onto hers. She shook her head, saying 'no'. This would leave him vulnerable. He tried to get her attention, but she was vehemently shaking her head. Scar pulled on her arm harder to make her stop.
"Ok, ok, " she said. Lex watched as Scar pretended to push some buttons. What was he showing her?
He fell back from exhaustion. Lex stood and looked around, listening for sound, any sound. She had to protect Scar from the other beast should it be near. She looked at the wrist computer, pushed the sequence of buttons just as he showed her, and noticed....that she had vanished. She raised her arm up and could see right through it. It was the invisibility shield his people used. Every movement on her part caused a rippling in the air, like heat waves. She grabbed up his combi-stick, and stood waiting, her ears prickled, waiting for anything. The roar she'd heard sounded more intense. Perhaps the animal knew its companion was dying and was angry. It would be here soon.
Lex didn't move, not wanting her location to be visible in any way. She just waited.
Her patience was rewarded, as the other animal, seeing Scar lying on the ground, ambled forward, looking around as it moved closer. Lex, in one smooth movement, ran forward, extended the combi-stick did a flying head-over-heels flip, landing near her prey and thrust the weapon deep into its gut. She ducked, as it turned and slashed the air where she stood only micro-seconds ago. She retracted the combi-stick, pulling it from the wound, before again thrusting it into the animal's throat. It was dead before it hit the ground.
Lex ran to Scar, to find he was still breathing. So was the first creature. Lex took her blade and put it out of its misery. She turned off the invisibility device, and returned to Scar.
"What's wrong? Why can't you get up?" she asked, near panic.
Scar showed her the wound, which was now bubbling an ugly green, a mixture of his blood and the animal's poison. He grabbed her arm, pushing buttons on the wrist computer. He pointed to the sky, indicating that the ship would pick them up.
Lex walked over to where the severed paw lay. She picked it up carefully and gave it to Scar. He roared weakly, then lay back, clicking softly. Lex lay next to him on the ground, not sure what to do. She didn't want to make his wound worse by attempted to repair it. If he was indeed poisoned, he would need better care than she could provide.
"Don't you die on me!" she ordered him. "Don't you die." A single tear slid down her cheek, the release of all the tension she had felt.
This did not go unnoticed by Scar, who tried to touch her face with his hand, but he was too weak. He let it fall to the ground.
Lex felt the slight wind that she knew meant the ship had arrived. It appeared with the familiar ripple effect she had seen on Earth. Several of the Yautja exited the ship, and came over to the pair, one standing proudly, the other prone on the ground. They picked up the fallen hunter and carried him into the ship. Lex followed closely, carrying their trophy from the hunt.
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Lex had removed her weapons from her body and was now waiting next the table where Scar lay. Another Yautja, a healer no doubt, was checking his wound, clicking and rubbing the goo that Lex knew was their medicine. She only hoped it would stem the poison as well. She placed her hand on Scar's, as he was being worked on. He was barely conscious. The healer, when finished with his patient, asked Lex in English, "Hurt?" She shook her head. He left her with her injured, but healing battle companion.
"Do you know how you scared me to death out there? It was two against two. You should have defeated them easily!" She kept talking, hoping he would know she was there. It also kept her mind busy so that she wouldn't break down again. She was angry, but not at Scar. More that she had failed to recognize that the danger was greater than she had anticipated. She looked at the severed paw, wondering what he would do with it. Maybe he would give her a claw to add to the tooth necklace. Lex lay her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was weak, but he wasn't in any danger, or so she hoped that the attitude of the healer indicated that. She stayed with him the rest of the day and into the night. She was lying on another table sleeping, when she heard loud clicking. She arose, to see Scar awake and trying to sit up. He saw the paw lying on his chest and let out a roar. Lex laughed, and hugged him carefully. They had survived their first hunt.