Nina moved with a light hunter's tread upon the jungle's floor, which had leaves scattered about as far as the eye could see. Her every sense was alert, keened to a point where if anyone did appear, she would know about it well before they could come within firing range. Adrenaline and aggression coursed through her veins like fire, lighting up her spirit and reawakening the darkest depths of her mind.
She could feel it; the world she had once known drawing to a close as she drove herself through the anguish and turmoil that seemed to surround her life. She felt she had known- even if not under the same circumstances- a day like this would come, when she would depart whatever she once knew, and slay through the boundaries that had caged her her whole life. The fear, pain, and tears she had collected from loss over her years of training and fighting, now brewed at a hotter pitch to create a poison she would gladly use to her advantage in the upcoming fight. Nina would need that source of locked rage and strength to lash out at her enemies.
She felt her hand, which gripped the Combistick vice-like, tremble in fury. Never in her life had she touched such an inner power of ire, making it difficult for her to control. This would not do; not at all. For years she had kept her emotions under lock and key, so now that she had released them, how would she fight if she lost herself in them? Her rationality would be overrun by her anger.
Something to consider before the real battle began.
Hiking up a tree and sitting herself on a thick branch hidden with leaves, Nina pulled out her canteen and drank a small sip, allowing herself a couple minutes to rest before she continued searching for her friends. She wouldn't be much use to them if she was exhausted and fatigued. Still, she couldn't help but want to rush to them as quickly as possible.
Maybe the Bad-Blood she had seen in the temple had been easy to face, but that was when he hadn't expected much from her either as a wounded adolescent, and she had help from the Elder. These others though, they wouldn't show restraint or take her abilities for granted whenever they discovered she was there. More than likely, they weren't showing any mercy to her comrades either. That extra motivation in mind, she continued moving.
Who all was still alive? That was the biggest thing she questioned. If the other two humans from the Jungle Hunter Clan had guessed correctly, could it be possible that everyone was already dead? That this was a fruitless journey from the start? No! She refused to believe or accept it. They were stronger than that, they had always been.
The skin under the armor on her shoulders and calves was sweating, soaking her clothes under it as the sunlight heated up the strange metal, but Nina didn't mind; too busy concentrating on what lay ahead. Oddly enough, mixed in with the urge to save her friends, was a small desire to prove herself. To whom, however?
Bleeding heavily from a shot in the back of the head, Jacob's hobbled form flopped down onto a large rock. His eyes had rolled back into his skull and his flesh was pale and cold. A Bad-Blooded Yautja warrior placed one clawed foot on the body to hold it in place, then reached down and into it, pulling the blood-soaked spinal cord and skull out of the now slaughtered creature. He had to admit, this one put up a decent chase. For a short time anyway. The warrior, with his back arched and his face staring into the sky, let out a loud cry of victory.
The sound could be heard by Nina from afar, and it rattled her bones and shook her spirit. While other creatures native to the land were used to the cry, she definitely wasn't. Dutch had told her of this cry; it was both one of pain, and more often so, success in a kill or preparation for battle. She was running out of time.
Now at a quiet, mad dash, she raced through the jungle terrain, hopping on rocks and moss in order not to crunch the leaves at her feet. It also left a clearer path in case the Bad-Bloods had left any traps for their prey. Her heart thumping, soon she skid to a stop upon spotting Jacob's gory remains lying at a Predator's feet, who was currently cleaning a human skull and removing the jaw bones from it, with no idea she was near. Too enraged to feel sickened, Nina's eyes narrowed into slits as she glared at him.
Silently, she moved sideways and began climbing a sturdy tree, to give her the advantage of higher ground. As she placed her booted foot on one of the smaller branches, it snapped and fell to the earth below. She froze in place as the Predator quickly jerked his head in her direction, not daring to breath. Thankfully, a bird that was a few branches above her flew away, also startled by the noise. He watched it fly and shook his head before returning to his gruesome work.
Nina carefully stood on a thick branch, gripping one above her with one hand as she hooked the retracted Combistick to her waist. She was at least thirty yards high. She began bending her knees, slowly releasing the branch above and balancing like a cat. Quietly, she brandished her rifle from her back, looking through the scope to take aim. She could not lose a moment. Timing, aim, and silence were crucial weapons she needed, more than any gun or blade right now.
One of the first rules of survival, Nina informed the Predator below in her mind, never let your guard down. With no second thoughts or doubts, she fired.
It was a direct it. The bullet lodged right in the warrior's eye. If she had aimed for his heart or brain, she knew it would barely make a difference- their skin was very tough. He yelled with rage and pain, neon green blood pouring from the wound like water. Standing up and activating his plasma cannon, he fired in the direction of whoever had ambushed him, his mandibles stretched out, flaring in anger.
His shot hit the tree closet to Nina's, catching part of it on fire. She had slightly blinded him. However, her luck didn't last long. Before she could take out his other eye as well, his next shot hit above her, sending white sparks and branches raining down on her. She lost her balance and fell.
She hit the ground on one side, just managing to get her forearm out of the way so she wouldn't land on top of it. Her shoulder and leg were fine with the armor; it definitely did block strikes wonderfully. However, the drop deactivated the cloaking device. Upon hearing her landing, the Predator ran to her and growled, activating both pairs of wristblades, watching her with her good eye.
Nina had two choices; face him head on or dodge. Since running was out of the question and fighting him with brute strength alone would be suicide, she chose the latter. When he swung for her head, she ducked and dove through his legs, quickly pushing herself up with her arms and giving a tremendous kick to his spine. The warrior staggered forward and almost hit the tree.
Nina spun around and regained her footing almost simultaneously with the Predator. His swung for her stomach this time, which she leaned her chest forward and straightened her legs back to dodge, narrowly missing it by millimeters. She activated her own wristblades right in front of the warrior's face, forcing him to back away.
They regarded one another for a split second. The world around them had evaporated, centering them in a mental fighting ring. Soon they clashed blades together, fist to fist. The Predator was the first one to break loose and swing for her again and again. Nina was forced on the defense in order to block his rapid strikes, sending sparks flying off in every direction.
He had her backed up to the boulder, almost causing her to trip over Jacob's corpse. Once he had her pinned, she would be trapped. He swiftly swung again, however this time, when Nina blocked, she followed it off with a round kick, hitting the warrior in his unguarded side and pushing him away, giving her enough time to free herself from being cornered.
She gestured for him to continue and said, "Age before beauty; you first." The Predator, now ticked off for finding her to merely be a human, female wretch, complied. He refused to be beaten by something so weak and frail. He drove a fist forward at her neck, which she moved away from easily, but this time, he was ready-and relaying- for this strike to miss. Once it passed her, he brought it back around, locking Nina in a choke hold, catching her by surprise.
He smiled at his struggling prey, savoring the moment. He had just been about to run her though the gut, when she began elbowing him repeatedly in the abdomen. So someone so small in comparison, her elbow was sharp and the bone hitting against his stomach and lungs might as well have been a club.
After a few rounds of his, he let go, trying to catch his breath. She was feisty, but that would only make the trophy from her body that much more rewarding and sweet. Seeing his panting state, she side kicked him in the chest, but he grabbed he leg and twisted it around, causing her to fall flat on her face.
He dived his wristblades to lodge them in her back, and she rolled sideways. He tried again with the same result. Nina slashed him in the face with her own blades. His blood dripped on her as he backed away, when he lifted his hands away from his face, he revealed two parallel lines cut above his brow and in between on pair of mandibles.
The warrior's vision was blurry and with only one good eye, he was at a severe disadvantage, but he could still see her solid form in front of him if not details. He prepared to tackle her.
Nina saw the opening clear as day. She had less than a few seconds to make it. Everything seemed to go in slow motion; the Predator spread his arms wide to tackle, and she rammed forward, yelling a furious war cry. She placed one arm above her head, under his neck, and with the other she stabbed her wristblades through her opponent's chest.
He faltered from the impact and knew as soon as they went through he was dead, but he would not go alone. He listed up his own blades with the remainder of his strength and dung them downwards at her head. Nina quickly retracted her blades to dislodge them and ducked, the slash almost scraping her helmet. The warrior's body fell on top of her in a heap, spilling even more blood on her clothing.
The battle had ceased. She had won, but just barely. Nina struggled to shove the hulking behemoth off of her and wiggled out from under him. She retracted her other pair of wristblades when she stood, breathing in air that reeked with the scent of death. Her heart felt like it would burst through her chest with great velocity at any moment.
She had won? She won…She WON! Nina smiled, happy with herself. She felt she had avenged many deaths with just this one kill, specifically her father's and Jacob's. After that brief moment of relief had passed, she got serious again.
She checked her cloaking device and was glad to see it had merely been shut off and not damaged. She recloaked. The blood was already sticking to her, and it felt unbearable. If the cloaking device ever did shut off again, Nina would literally glow in the dark with this gunk on. Plus, who knows what animals the scent of fresh meat might attract.
Time to find a way to wash up, she decided. Nina left the bodies as they lay, figuring carnivores would eat them anyway and if the other Bad-Bloods found them first, burying Jacob would be a telltale sign on who must've cut their comrade's life short. She walked away, silent once more.
If only she had known the Predator had activated a hologram device right after he'd been shot and while she was in mid-fall. The whole event had been recorded. And a large group of Bad-Bloods had witnessed everything.