Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own Alien/Predator series or any characters and may not follow all customs and cultures found in Alien/Predator movies.

Urg . . . What the pauk?

A'sao's head pounded immediately after the shock of the hit to the temple, her mind racing to fill in what happened when she blacked out. It didn't take long before she felt someone placing her arms behind her back and then hearing something click, the sound alone was cause for alarm. Oh no you don't!

The adrenaline started to drive her out of semi-unconscious and she grabbed onto whoever was behind, turning to allow gravity to bring them down. They fell from the treetops and crashed into several branches before hitting the solid ground with tremendous force. A'sao twisted onto her feet and brought her wrist blades to cut deep into whatever was with her, receiving a piercing roar that pumped her blood with fire.

"You!" She hissed as she realized it was a Bad Blood, stumbling back while holding his bloodied face, drops seeping between her fingers. She knew from the foul odor of death she tasted in her mouth, "Bhuh'kah!"

Bhuh'kah lowered his hand, revealing the deep gash across his face, and the lower right mandible was broken in two places, barely hanging on by exposed tendons and ligaments. Upon seeing the blood, the Bad Blood slowly looked at her with fury, "You Lou-dte kalei! You'll pay for that!"

"Then come!"

Bhuh'kah made the first move, coming in a zig-zag movement that made it difficult for A'sao to keep up. Still, she grabbed her bow and aimed while studying the Bad Blood's pattern, waiting for the right opportunity. Come on, Bastard.

At the last minute, Bhuh'kah took a step in another direction, changing his pattern to rush straight at her to get the upper hand but she anticipated and fired. The arrow pierced between his armor and cut through the joint that held his shoulder and arm together, almost severing the limb from the Bad Blood's body. Bhuh'kah jumped back out of her range, still glaring at her as he checked his arm. Growling, he took out a knife and cut it into his flesh, and with a single thrust, his dead limb dropped like a sack of rocks.

"Useless!" Bhuh'kah kicked the arm out of the way before looking back to A'sao, "Do you think this will make a difference?"

A'sao clicked her forked tongue, "You're right about that. Regardless, you will die by my hand once and for all!"

She struck first, leaping in midair while firing a shot at his head. The Bad Blood sliced it in two before it reached his face but in doing so had no time to react to the second arrow that made contact. One moment he was staring at the end of a metal point and the next thing he knew, one side of his vision went dark and with it brought an excruciating pain that swelled his skull from the inside.

Bhuh'kah screamed before A'sao planted a hard foot into his chest and used momentum and gravity to crush him between her and the ground. The Bad Blood, despite the unimaginable pain, roared at her and in retaliation swung his blades. It successfully knocked her bow from her grip but only freed her hands to wrap around his neck.

A'sao ignored the sting in her hip from his blades inside but her anger dulled it as she squeezed. Bhuh'kah struggled, desperately clawing her arms and moving up to dig into her hide until she felt the pulse of his heart slow down, observing his facial features contort and his eyes almost popping out of their sockets while he choked. It didn't matter to her and she smiled.

The feeling of death in her hands . . . the notion that one simple jerk would end this Bad Blood for good . . . was all she could think about.

Really? Are you going to stoop that low?

A'sao paused, loosening the grip enough to give the Bad Blood a bit of a breather. Despite the desire to see him dead, this was not the Way of Honor as it only displayed she was almost the same as them if not already.

She heard the Bad Blood chuckle under her, "You're . . . weak. Just like the oomans but worse."

A'sao stayed silent and it only made Bhuh'kah laugh hard, "It doesn't matter anyway. You'll . . . join your lover soon. What great plans he has for the male."

A'sao's blood ran cold, the silence only fueling the Bad Blood's confidence, "Perhaps he might play . . . with him for a bit. Might even have his way and discard his remains like dirt . . . before our Leader's blood runs cold."

The words sunk in like water to a sponge and the rage returned with a vengeance. A'sao tightened her grip once more, cutting Bhuh'kah off and spitting in his face, and staring with all the hatred in the universe. Instead of fear as she would expect, Bhuh'kah half chuckled under a small breath.

What's your problem?

A'sao was about to finish him off when something stabbed in her back, going through her ribs before exiting out of the side and squirting a good amount of green blood. Instinct kicked in and A'sao lashed out behind, slicing the neck of a Bad Blood that had snuck to attack. Typical! She turned back to Bhuh'kah but then was knocked to her back and the Bad Blood was now on top of her.

He chuckled, "I guess I'll show you what I meant."

A'sao hissed, "You'd wished—"

She noticed immediately something was wrong. She tried to lift her arms to retaliate and instead, they flipped back like dead weight. No matter what she did, they wouldn't respond along with her legs and the rest of her body. What's going on? Why can't I—

A'sao horribly realized. The wound! The blades had Ver'vadum!

Bhuh'kah confirmed it with a chuckle, "You thought we didn't come prepared . . . but sorely you're mistaken."

He slid a claw down her neck and in between her armor and snagged her breast, groping it provocatively as she growled, "I was told to finish you off but I'll let you enjoy my pu'tak and if good, maybe I keep you for my pet. Wouldn't you agree?"

Bhuh'kah came closer, his forked tongue slithering through his mandibles and reaching for her. A'sao would have given anything to cut it off and split his skull like naxa but with the full effects of ver'vadum, she was helpless as a newborn. All she could do was watch as the Bad Blood stripped his loincloth and his hardened pu'tak wiggled closer, waiting for the inevitable.

The Bad Blood was seconds of doing what he desired before his chest exploded in blood and muscle that sprayed in her face. Bhuh'kah trembled and slowly looked down to the noticeable hole where his heart would have been, the sides of it turning into liquid, and if acid was the cause of it.

Bhuh'kah turned in stunned horror to face the Yautja behind and A'sao immediately realized it was Vi'su with a Cri-te'ka, a weapon A'sao recognized all too well.

Despite the fatal wound, Bhuh'kah aimed his wrist in a last-ditch effort to fight back. Oh no you don't!

A'sao desired to finish this herself and with all the willpower, she mustered enough strength to grab the Bad Blood by the sides of the neck and dug her claws deep into his throat. Bhuh'kah stared back and moved to attack her but she didn't give him another moment to breathe, let alone get her. She snapped his neck with a pop before twisting his head almost all the way around.

She felt the tearing of skin, muscle, and bone as she slowly yanked toward the sky until finally pulled his severed head, taking pieces of his spine with it.

There you go. Suck on that you piece of c'jit!

A'sao suddenly lost control of her body once more and went limp, falling back toward the ground. She would have slammed her head into the dirt if Vi'su didn't catch her in time.

"Hold on, A'sao. I got you."

Vi'su reached for one of her side pockets and took out a syringe filled with a pale blue liquid, plunging the tip into her hip. A'sao roared briefly, biting into the inner flesh of her mouth as she felt the cold and heat of the liquid painfully through her body. Although it hurt, she could feel her fingers first and then gradually her legs began to react to her commands.

"There you go," Vi'su encouraged her until her comrade rushed to get up, "Whoa! Hold on!"

A'sao ignored her the first time and struggled to stand on her feet.

"A'sao! You're not ready yet. You need to take it easy."

"Let me go!" A'sao slapped Vi'su's hand away, "We need to keep going . . ."

A'sao hissed and looked around. The entire field they were in was in ruins but the campsite was eerily quiet. No Bad Bloods remained except the dead ones and it was awkward that none were here to take the extraordinary opportunity to destroy them. Instead, she saw the trail of footprints they left behind that weaved back into the dense bush of the jungle. You . . !

With anger in her veins, A'sao stood and attempted to walk despite not being at a hundred percent. All she could think of is to destroy the Bad Bloods along with the Outcast that dared be considered an ally.

It was a trap all along . . . We were played like fools . . . Fools!

She clenched her fists and walked faster. When I find him, I'll make sure he suffers greatly! I'll tear him apart and then—

Her leg gave way and she almost fell on her face if Vi'su didn't catch her in time, concern resounded in her voice, "A'sao, please . . . That is enough."

She snapped at her comrade, "Don't tell me what to do!" She hit Vi'su in the face, hissing like a mad viper who gave enough warning that it merited an attack. A'sao grumbled and kept walking away from the shocked Vi'su.

I will find him! And when I do, I'll make sure he suffers greatly! I'll tear him apart and feed his corpse to his hounds! He'll pay for what he did to Nai'stip and then—

A'sao froze in the open battlefield. Wait . . .

She whipped her face to look around but didn't find the one thing she wanted to see.

"Where's Ethan?!"

A'sao turned around and stared at Vi'su for an answer but when she didn't answer quickly, she stomped to her and grabbed her shoulders, "Where is he!?"

Vi'su swallowed, "He was . . . taken."

A'sao paused, "Taken . . ?"

"When the Bad Bloods ambushed us, they used the confusion to grab him."

"And you didn't go after him?!"

Vi'su took a deep breath, "I had no choice. I needed to save you first before we could help him."

"You bitch!"

A'sao flung her fist as hard as she could, cracking Vi'su biomask in the middle and the impact forced Vi'su to hold on to avoid flying through the air. A'sao took the opportunity and rammed her into the nearest tree trunk, clawing deep into her hide while spitting with boiling rage.

"You should have gone after them!" She shook Vi'su violently, "They'll kill him for sure now! Do you understand what you did!?"

"I . . ." Vi'su's voice cracked.

"What!? You're going to say that he's not worth it!? After all what he did do for us!? For Nai'stip!? You abandon him just to let him die!"

Vi'su lowered her head.

"Say something!" A'sao grew angrier, "Just admit it! This is your idea to execute a stupid plan! He's nothing to you, isn't he!?"

"HE'S EVERYTHING TO ME!"

Those words . . . those simple words took A'sao and even Vi'su by surprise, more so by the first given that Vi'su shoved her away and displayed aggression by growling and hissing. A'sao had to take a few seconds to gather her thoughts and process what happened in the last heated moments. Both are breathing heavily from the adrenaline between them.

It was Vi'su who spoke first, "You think you're the only one who cares for Ethan? You have no idea . . ."

A'sao blinked and say nothing or rather she didn't know what to say. Does she . . . also feel the same way about him? No way . . . It can't be . . .

"I . . ." A'sao stuttered, "When?"

Vi'su's demeanor changed to a calm state but still apprehensive while she pulled out something, "It doesn't matter now."

A'sao watched as she opened her hand to reveal a small device that had a red circle outline glowing and blinking. She recognized immediacy and its function. A tracker.

"I took precautions in case something like this happens. Right now, we need to catch up. They're not far."

Vi'su walked past her and toward the direction of the footprints and into the hellhole they might encounter. A'sao, still shocked by the revelation, had to bring her mind back to reality. She does care for him.

"Vi'su."

A'sao watch her comrade stop but kept her back toward her, "What are the chances that he might survive this?"

When she didn't get a response, the dread grew in her heart and her stomach tied into a knot. A'sao waited until Vi'su sighed and turned around, her posture was all she needed to know what the answer was.

"Slim. But with luck, we might have a chance to kill two birds with one stone," Vi'su raised her wrist and two blades emerged, showing confidence that A'sao hasn't seen in a very long time.

"Let's get Ethan back."

Hello everyone!

A long wait but a brilliant chapter is ready for everyone and a lot to consider between the females and the dangers of such a thing, especially with no idea if Ethan is alive or not. Many might think he might be given to those who read my stories but also know I like surprising everyone. Such a sadistic writer I am LMAO

But anyway, work has been very crazy and I feel I'm going nuts with writer's block but I am pushing through since I care for all my readers and supporters out there :)

Thank you very much for your support and Good Hunting to all. :DDDDD

Normal = Human speaking human language

Bold = Yautja speaking ooman (human) language

Bold and Italics = Yautja speaking Yautja language

C'jit = Shit

Cri-te'ka= burner modified to fire acid blasts

Lou-dte kalei = Child bearer (derogatory)

Naxa = Fruit

Pu'tak = Penis/Cock

Ver'vadum = toxins that paralyze (specific to Yautja)