A slap came to his face with enough force to knock him to the ground. Ali jumped up and loomed over Devon who thought, for a moment, that his tactic hadn't worked.

"What the hell was that?!" Ali demanded.

She was back.

"Good to have you back," Devon replied.

"Yeah, yeah, good to be back, but seriously? What the hell was that?" Ali repeated.

"It was the only thing I could think of that could break you free," Devon answered.

"Still, you could have done something else!"

"I tried, but obviously me liking you bugs you more than killing Ripley does."

Aisha hissed in fury at Ali and Devon and they remembered where they were.

"How about we put this conversation on hold until we get this Hive exterminated," Ali said.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Devon said.

The two of them turned to face off against the oncoming aliens. The aliens came at them one by one and Devon and Ali took turns taking them down. However, while Devon was going up against an alien, Ali realized that this battle could go on for hours more before they ever had a change of getting to Aisha. With dread, she realized instantly why Aisha was having them attack one by one; if she sent more, Ali and Devon would kill more at a time, but if they only killed one at a time, they would tire out before Aisha ran out of aliens.

"It's getting harder with each alien," Devon added to Ali's suspicion as he finished off his latest alien and moved off.

Aisha let out a hiss, almost as if she agreed. Ali decided to switch to telepathy so that Aisha wouldn't know what they were planning.

"That's her plan," she said.

"What are you talking about?" Devon asked.

"If she tires us out before she runs out of aliens, there's a better chance that she can either kill us or capture us."

"Good point."

"I have a plan, but this is a one time thing; we need to get it right the first time because we won't have another shot."

"I'm listening," Devon replied.

"You're up!" Ali shouted out loud after she had killed the alien in front of her.

"Right!" Devon replied and he jumped forward to face the next alien, however he moved further forward so that he was closer to the alien when it attacked instead of it coming to him. He killed it as quickly as he could and moved back. Ali followed up after him, moving further forward as well. After she was done, she stepped back and Devon took her place. They continued this pattern of moving further and further forward when they would face off against the aliens. With each attack, they moved closer and closer to Aisha.

When Ali was close enough to attack Aisha she called out, "Now!"

Together, Ali and Devon jumped on Aisha. Ali landed on Aisha's back and Devon landed underneath her, near her second pair of arms. Aisha screeched in anger and attempted to grab Devon, but he dodged them while holding on for dear life. He tried to cut into Aisha's thick skin, but he was having too much trouble trying to hold on at the same time.

"Take your time, Ali, I've got her," Devon said sarcastically after five minutes of avoiding Aisha's arms.

"I'm a little busy!" Ali responded from Aisha's back. Several of the aliens had followed her up and were attempting to knock her off.

"I can't hold on to her much longer!" Devon replied.

"Just give me five more seconds," Ali replied as she knocked the final alien from Aisha's back.

She moved into position right behind Aisha's crest, where she was most vulnerable and waited. Before long, two more aliens jumped up on the back of their Queen and moved towards Ali. Ali smiled and waited for them to come closer. Suddenly, one of the aliens launched its tail forward, barb aimed at Ali and made an attempt to stab her in the side. But Ali ducked out of the way and the tail punctured the back of the Aisha's head. Aisha hissed in agony and twisted her body around in her throne. There was a loud cracking sound and Ali looked up. The supports holding Aisha up were breaking under the strain of her thrashing.

"Devon, get out from under her!" Ali screamed.

Devon jumped out of the way just as the tendrils broke and Aisha fell to the ground. The angered Queen rose to her feet. There was a loud ripping sound as she pulled herself free of her ovipositor, the liquid cushioning coming out in a rush.

"Devon, move!" Ali cried out, still on top of Aisha's back.

Aisha's tail swept across her back, knocking Ali off and sending her flying across the Hive. She hit her head hard against the wall, causing black stars to jump in front of her eyes. Through the stars, she could see Devon engaging Aisha, and losing.

"Devon," Ali cried weakly and tried to rise to her feet, but her attempt was useless and she fell back against the wall.

Devon dodged another of Aisha's attacks, but he was having difficulty on account to the wound in his shoulder and the slash across his back. Ali tried again to get to her feet and help Devon, and this time she managed to get into a sitting position.

Ali?

It was Emery. Her thoughts displayed images of fear and fury.

"Emery, we're having some difficulty."

I know. I have sent many of my best Warriors to get you and Devon out of there. But I want that Queen dead, lure her here.

"There?!"

Here!

Ali let out a hiss of air in aggravation and jumped to her feet, adrenaline coursing through her body. She darted forward, dodging the aliens that swarmed in to intercept her. She reached Devon just as Aisha's clawed hand arched down towards his chest and quickly placed herself between the Queen and Devon. She screamed as Aisha's claws reopened the wound in her shoulder and pierced through in many places. Aisha's hisses drowned out Ali's screams as she tried to wrench her claws free of Ali, but they were in too deep.

"Get out of here!" Ali said to Devon through clenched teeth.

Devon shook his head. "Not without you!"

Getting up, he grabbed Ali by the shoulders and pulled her hard toward him. She let out another scream of anguish as Aisha's claws exited her shoulder. Aisha screeched in pain and fell back away from Devon and Ali. When she looked down, Ali saw that one of Aisha's claws had broken off, remaining embedded in her shoulder.

Aisha continued to back away while hissing to her aliens. Ali and Devon both raised their heads to see a swarm of Emery's Warriors flood the chamber.

Get out of there now! Emery's voice thundered in both of their heads.

Devon grabbed Ali around the waist and pulled her good arm over his shoulder, helping her hobble toward the Warriors that had just entered. The Warriors waited until Devon and Ali were behind them before making their way slowly back to the exit they had just came through.