Author's Note: Many thanks to my faithful readers who not only noticed I had updated, but r/r'd. My sis also thanks you for your nice comments about her chapter staring Xeira and the excellent feed back you provided about our theories on the Xenomorph senses. An now back to the hunt.
Warning: UST, fighting, and gruesome imagery
Disclaimer: The Tik-pyak/ Deathworm is my own creation and is the only thing aside from my OCs I can rightfully claim
Haven
Unaware of the trouble brooding aboard the ship, the young warriors continued their third day on the hunt. Many times they had discovered burrowed holes from their quarry, tunnels used only hours before their arrival; whether the beast knew of their presence, none could be certain, all they knew was they were getting close.
The first day on the hunt had borne no fruit. The second had provided them with evidence of the Deathworm's recent activity, including scraps left from the creature's last meal. On this third day, the Youngbloods saw a few native animals that dared come out so close to the Deathworm's domain in search of the scarce water it almost appeared to be guarding. The Youngbloods were traveling around an oasis they'd discovered, knowing that even the mighty Deathworm they sought would soon come up for water.
Scar glanced over at Lex. The heat bothered the Yautja, but Lex seemed to be having the worst trouble. She had a brave face on when ever she took off her bio helm, but he knew her well enough to see the sickness growing behind her eyes. If this hunt did not end soon, he was afraid that she might have a heat stroke, despite the cooling gear she donned.
He made his way towards her; their unmasked eyes met as he approached. The two hunters exchanged one knowing glance before Lex's face brightened slightly and she turned away, Scar too look in another direction. The emotions they felt for each other were mutual, yes, but neither of them were quite prepared for what came next.
It was when Scar turned away he saw Dart. His rival was also looking at Lex, with a calculating countenance, like he was trying to figure out how to use the human and her relationship with him to his advantage. Scar began to growl as the other Yautja turned his attention on him. Dart's mandibles twitched in a way that would be the equivalent of a smirk on a human.
Dart approached him, Tool was no where to be seen, but Scar knew that the little cretin couldn't be too far away. The rivals stared each other down. Finally Dart spoke, "She's going to die." He growled nodding in Lex's direction.
"You don't know that." Scar snarled back, risking a glance back at her. She had put her helm back on after taking it off to drink some water, and now was reading the information they had on the Deathworm for probably the hundredth time.
Dart laughed, "She's going to over heat." He growled, "This hunt could take days, even weeks, there's no way she'll last that long."
"She has a name." Scar told him, trying to avoid a fight since it was probably what Dart wanted.
"I know that," He replied, "But who cares?"
A small creature crawled its way toward the oasis
"Is there a reason you always need to challenge my ability to put up with your..." he paused a moment, "…Buhl-shiit, Dahrt?" He finished using an English term, knowing full well that it would tick his rival off.
The creature licked water off the surface of pond, its eyes flitted back and forth; its ears rotated this way and that, searching for any sign of danger.
Dart glared at him, the English term was meant as a trap. If there was going to be a fight, it was always smart to makes sure your opponent attacked first, Scar was playing his game, but he was good at it. This show down could go on for days before any physical fighting actually broke out.
"You disgrace your Yautja heritage by liking her so much." He snarled.
"It's no disgrace to admire another hunter-"
"Don't try to defend yourself." Dart warned "I know. I see it, you think nobody else does?"
Scar snarled in frustration, "You didn't answer my question earlier…" He growl to change the subject of the argument, "Do you provoke me for no reason, or is it just in your blood."
His words hit their mark. Dart flinched at the mere implication of his Bad Blood father. His hand went to his knife, where it rested, waiting for Scar to continue so he had reason to attack. "Don't you dare-"
"Don't I dare what?" Scar replied, also reaching for his dagger in case this got out of hand. The creature at the water looked at them nervously as if sensing the tension.
It started with a rumble… Then all Hell broke loose.
Like an explosion, something burst from the sand with a horrible bellow, the animal shrieked in terror... And then was simply gone. Swallowed whole. The beast responsible bucked back, snarling hungrily, scanning the surrounding area for more food.
Scar and Dart jumped back. The Deathworm was big enough that the young warriors could end up as a meal if it choose to fight rather than looking for something easier to catch. Startled by the sudden appearance of their quarry, the Youngbloods hesitated a single moment.
"Nan-de than-gaun!" Someone roared.
"Nan-de than-gaun!" The others echoed.
The Deathworm, despite its name, was not a worm. It focused its two large eyes on the strange creatures before it, while a second smaller pair just below the first glanced wildly around. Its maw opened again, revealing two sets of razor sharp teeth, as it roared. Someone threw a spear which pierced the roof of its mouth. The bellow became pained and angry.
Its body was slim and covered with hard shell plating, like the armor they were wearing. The body was long and flexible; probably what got it the name 'worm', but Lex later said the creature reminded her of a creature she referred to as a 'Chinese Celestial Dragon'. The creature had a spike on every other plate.
"Nan-de than-gaun!" The Yautja roared, many of them started to throw their projectile and long distance weapons, testing to see what sort of attack best took out their foe. The Deathworm ducked, avoiding several of the assaults, but taking a few spears to the head where they simply bounced off.
Scar started to take aim with his plasma riffle. The Deathworm reared up suddenly, and dropped with a heavy 'thud' on top of a group of Youngbloods. It reared and again, and slammed back down, before it jumped out of its hole and dove back into the sand, vanishing under the ground.
The Yautja it had crushed either stood up dizzily, trying to focus on staying conscious, or did not move, either passed out or dead. No one checked to see which; they focused on the spot where the Deathworm had vanished.
"I…Think it's gone." A Yautja by the name Carve growled, thinking perhaps the beast had run away.
No sooner had he spoken when another explosion, like the one that marked the Deathworm's first appearance, sounded beneath him. The Deathworm closed its teeth on the Youngblood's arm. Carve screeched in pain. The creature tossed its head, and him with it, from one side to the other madly before a horrible tearing sound was heard and the Yautja went flying, his arm still dangling from the creature's jaws before the Deathworm spit it out.
Other Youngbloods were firing their plasma rifles, catching the Deathworm's armor plating and causing it to melt slightly. It didn't take the Predators long to discover the creature's weakness. The armor that covered it was only on its back and sides. If they could catch it while it was rearing, the beast's underbelly was completely unprotected.
The Deathworm reared again, roaring in pain as plasma rifles blasted its gut, but continuing its body-slam attack. Lex glanced over at the group of Yautja in danger of being crushed and recognized Tool among them. Remembering her promise to his friend, Lex dashed forward with out thinking and tackled Tool, knocking him backwards out of the monster's shadow. The creature slammed its body against it Yautja twice before it jumped back out of the sand and underground again.
"Why did you do that!" Tool snarled pushing her off him. Lex wanted to explain, but had no time, nor did Tool speak English to understand her either. But her swift near brush with the Deathworm had given her an idea.
Scar stayed still waiting for any sound that would reveal where the Deathworm would strike next. A rumbling began underneath him. He dove away; the creature closed its teeth on thin air, but turned quickly and spat a thick black substance at Scar. The goo, probably venom, splattered across his bio helm. The substance blinded him momentarily, but because his mask shielded his eyes, there would be no damage.
The Deathworm charged him, ramming a spike into his side and flinging him into the air. Scar landed hard and lost conscious for a few precious seconds. He opened his eyes again, and fought the sticky black venom off his face, and gaining back his vision to find he had been thrown some distance from the battle. He sat up and shook his head dizzily, trying to keep it from buzzing.
The Elders stood not too far from where he landed, watching the hunt. He met his father's gaze for a moment, Crusade gave him a small nod, before Scar stood, rushing back towards the battle.
Back amidst the fray, Lex stood poised with her Ki'cti-pa in a battle stance, waiting for her chance. The Yautja around her took no note of what she was doing, but she'd made an observation of the Deathworm's pattern. If she was correct, the monster would begin to rear soon. The others were too large and slow to pull this off, but maybe, just maybe…
The Deathworm began to rear. Lex ran beneath it as the other Youngbloods dashed the other direction. She lifted her spear when the creature began to slam, the human dove and rolled. The beast shrieked in pain and surprise as her spear drove through it and pulled back leaving a deep gash in its underbelly. Orange blood and guts began to spill out from the wound. The Deathworm thrashed violently and screamed, until at last it fell. Lex was on the ground, the creature's body dropped toward her. She cried out it terror and rolled again, narrowly missing being crushed.
Scar clutched his bleeding side, "Lehkz!" He cried, unable to see if she'd made it out. None of the Yautja could see through the dust, a few of them had lost their masks during the battle and coughed horribly as the sand settled in their throats. Scar didn't hear Lex reply, leading to the assumption that she'd been crushed.
However, as he dipped his head sadly, the dust settled and Lex limped out from behind the Deathworm. Stunned silence filled the air for a moment as the Youngbloods all caught their breath after the long struggle. The three Elders were approaching; Lex looked up at them, "So…" She asked, "How'd we do?"
Before the surprised looking Elders could respond, one of the surviving Yautja roared triumphantly, shortly others joined him and Lex was charged like the star football player after a game and hoisted on shoulders. The triumphant roars continued, Lex laughed as they held her like some sort of hero.
She glanced down and found Scar was among the Yautja hoisting her. She knew behind his filth cover mask there was a smile, which behind hers she returned. She looked back up at the Elders, who simply shook their heads at the wasted energy of the youth. Behind them Lex noted Tool and Dart. Tool looked at her, his mask lost in the sand, with eyes that sparkled with a new admiration. Dart folded his arms and gave her a simple nod, but his body language implied a continued dislike for her.
Lex frowned, but thought perhaps his acknowledgement that she was worthy to be a hunter was enough, and that trying to win him over completely was a goal she might one day reach.
Of course she had no idea how wrong she was. Dead wrong.
Author's end note: I hope Ya'll enjoyed that, again, battles aren't exactly something I'm used to writing, I did my best, what'd you think?