Chapter XVII

Hunted

Vasquez took the lead through the halls as we finally neared the armory which we had been traveling to. Ever since Six and the other Xenomorphs ran off, it has been eerily lacking of any encounters. While at first we welcomed it, suspicion soon began to rise and worry filled our minds. Our paranoia only got worse as we moved on through the halls. The tension between us was so fierce that not a single soul dared to make a sound.

On the rare occasion that we did see any of the Xenomorphs nearby, they never once even came close to us. Instead, every time we saw them on the sensors they only rushed past our position to get closer to the heart of the facility. The mixture of all these strange events did nothing to put our minds at ease.

The whole situation had me trapped in a trance of dread, and only the sound of Vasquez calling out to our group pulled me out. "Everyone, eyes front. We should be close." As his command rang out I quickly gave a quick paranoid look around. It was unbearable, constantly feeling like death could be hidden behind any shadow. Six had been there in the past, and when I was by her side I always felt this small sense of security.

Since she left for the Matriarch, she has yet to respond to any of my questions. I would be lying to myself if I said I wasn't worried about her. She was capable, and while I know she is probably the strongest of her kin, I can't but help torture myself with the thought of her lying dead in the woods. Once again my thoughts were shaken as I bumped into one of the people beside me.

The hallway was narrow and as such we were packed together like livestock. Before my own mind could break down on the unbearable weight of the mental stress, Vasquez finally called out once more. "Everybody… We're here." Suddenly the entire group came to a complete halt and I looked up in confusion. When I looked up, I could just barely see the large door of the armory ahead.

Large hydraulics hissed as locks and clamps released, and soon the heavy doors of the armory lifted and the way was made clear. The Marines quickly rushed us inside and within moments we were all corralled into the dark room. Murmurs of worry spilled out between the people as Vasquez ordered one of his marines to get the power on. With a loud hum, the power began to once again surge around the room.

With a final loud whirring sound, a light suddenly filled the rooms and blinded us all. I grunted in frustration as my senses were attacked, and in an act of desperation, I tried to cover the light with my hand. Through the struggle, my vision slowly began to shift to the new environment. Slowly but surely, I lowered my hand with caution, and finally, I looked on to see the arsenal we had traveled so far to see.

A whistle sounded out from one of the Marines as we looked at the room covered in boxes of ammunition, half-raided gun racks, and even a few pieces of gear left behind. As the door sealed behind us Vasquez turned to the group and immediately began to go and give out orders. "Alright everyone, first things first. Line up. It's time we do a head count." Doing as he ordered we slowly formed a line in the front of the room by the door.

One by one, Vasquez walked in front of each person as they called out their name. The Marines were the first to be called. "Johnson, reporting in." cried out the first man. Vasquez nodded and pulled out a notepad, scribbling a mark down swiftly. He walked to the second Marine. "Gideon, reporting in." Vasquez once again wrote down a mark and continued on. The last soldier in line looked a bit more roughed up than the others, yet he stood there with a firm sense of determination within him.

"Hans, reporting in." the man called out to which Vasquez responded with yet another mark in the book. With the Marines all reported in, Vasquez motioned for them to step aside. Now stood only myself and the three other employees of The Company. "Alright then, we're doing the same thing for you all. Just give me your name and we can get started."

The first person he talked to was one of the few survivors we had met along the way. "My name is Edith sir…" she said in a quiet tone. Vasquez then walked to another person I had yet to meet. He looked to be the fellow who had been tasked with getting the large door to open back when we were escaping from Volatile Research. "My name is Stanson. I uh… I'm sorry I couldn't get that door open faster…"

Vasquez gave him a disapproving look before walking over to me. Before I could even speak he simply checked off his book and gave me a nod before moving on to the last person of the group. "My name is James Seargant. Reporting in." With the last name given, Vasquez closed the notebook and took a moment to look around the room and think of a plan. "Alright everyone, listen up. Everyone is gonna get a task, and everyone will do their task."

He started by assigning the soldiers. "Johnson and Gideon, go start opening those ammunition crates and get some magazines loaded up. Hans, take Miss Edith and Mr. Stanson over here to help you get any weapons and equipment you can find. Don't worry about breaking locks, I think that worry is long past us now." The Marines quickly began their tasks and began to go around the room in search of their goals.

It was now Vasquez turned to James and I, and he soon motioned for us to follow him over to a bench on the far wall. As we followed him he pulled out the familiar bag from earlier and motioned for us to take a seat. "It's about time I give y'all some proper care and a look over." Vasquez said as he rummaged through the bag.

"Orion, do me a favor and take off those layers, I'm gonna stitch up this wound for you." Vasquez said as he finally pulled out some thread and needles, alongside some chemicals. Instead of listening to him, I just put up my hands and tried to talk him down. "Uh, no need Vasquez, James patched me up earlier." Vasquez began to look frustrated and continued. "Even if he did I can guarantee whatever he used was shit compared to this. Besides, you just got out of your first firefight, almost guaranteed you ripped some stitches. Now, take them off."

I tried to think of something else, but in the end, I couldn't. I reluctantly took off my stained jacket, but as I peeled off my blood-soaked undershirt Vasquez's eyes immediately went wide. "Holy shit. What the fuck happened to you, Orion? I ain't ever see a scar like that!" Vasquez called out in confusion. Looking down I noticed him pointing right at the twisted scar Six left behind.

"It was from a…" I trailed off thinking of something believable. "It was from a surgery a while back." I finally spat out. Vasquez looked on in confusion and sat there in thought. Finally, he looked up at me and asked the most threatening question yet. "What even happened to you anyways? You've been bleeding, that much is obvious, yet I don't see no wounds on ya." I looked around trying to think of an excuse and I began to worry as he sat looking at me patiently.

"Well, the truth is I got grazed by a bullet a while back. I never wanted to say anything to waste your time. I had James help patch me up when we first met and when I was lost I got lucky enough to find some proper supplies. Some experimental crap I have barely heard of patched me up a lot quicker than I've seen anything else I've ever seen." Technically, it wasn't a complete lie, the last bit at least.

Vasquez looked visibly irritated and shot a finger in my face. "You're a fuckin dumbass for being some big Weyland hotshot you know that right?" His voice was harsh as he scolded me. "When you get shot, it is always something you need to share. Pulling that tough guy shit is how you get an infection and die a slow death. Next time, tell me." I gave a silent nod as he backed away and turned to James, only to see the man facing toward the wall away from us.

"Alright Mr. James, your turn. Turn around and let me see the damage." James didn't move and responded quickly. "That won't be necessary. My wound is minor and is in no need of attention." Vasquez once again grew frustrated as he grabbed James by the shoulder and forced him around. "Listen here, I'm in charge of keeping you alive, and I like you guys alive, but if you don't listen to me then-"

During his rant, Vasquez glanced down and saw the scorched hole in James' chest, covered in a white liquid that had all but coagulated and dried by now. Vasquez's expression immediately became cold and he placed a free hand on his holstered handgun to his side. "James. Take your damn shirt and jacket off now." He said in a chilling tone. James simply stayed silent but followed the command.

Before I knew it, James now stood there shirtless, now having nothing to hide his wound. More of the synthetic fluid dribbled from the wound, and as Vasquez confirmed his worries he immediately kicked James down and drew his gun. "We got a fuckin Synth over here! Someone get over here and help me out!" Vasquez shouted aloud as everyone's attention snapped to us. The whole thing happened in a blur and before I could do anything Vasquez yelled at me. "Orion! Did you know this son of a bitch was a damn Andriod?"

I looked at James as he simply sat still on the bench after being kicked down. I thought of what to say, what to even do. Right now it seems Vasquez has full intention to kill James here and now. I thought about if I was really going to let him do it to James- no, not James, but rather that poser of my long lost friend. There was no more time for thinking. It was time to act.

"Vasquez, I swear to you." I gave a quick look at James and couldn't help but feel a tinge of pity for him. "I… I only learned he was an Andriod just before I met with you again." Vasquez gave a silent curse as he kept his aim trained on James. Now, one of the other Marines had run to our side. It was Johnson. "Didn't think to warn us?" Johnson said as he aimed a Pulse Rifle at James.

We sat there in silence, and I simply looked on waiting for something to happen. It was then James finally spoke. "If I may, I can assure you I am not a threat. I am simply here to protect the Specimen for Mr. Weyland." Vasquez chuckled as he heard James and soon it grew to a laugh. "There it is! There's that soulless fucken order taker that will stab you in the back!" Vasquez yelled out. It was then I put in my own thoughts on the matter. "Vasquez wait! Don't shoot him!" I cried out.

Vasquez furrowed his brow as he looked at me, I saw a tinge of rage in his eyes. "You better give me a pretty good reason, 'cause right now I can only think of positives for killing this thing." I took a breath and gave my case in defense of the Andriod. "Look Vasquez, he saved my life, took a bullet for me. I'm just asking you to return the favor of mercy and at least let him go. He could have left me behind but he carried me back to you all for crying out loud!"

The leader of our group stood there in silent thought before finally he lowered his gun slightly and sighed. "Fine. But he is sure as hell not staying with us." Vasquez nodded to Johnson and they pulled Vasquez up and handed him his clothes. "Listen here freak, you're going to walk out that door and you better not show your face by us again. If I see you, I will shoot you. Got it?" Vasquez said to James.

"I understand." James spoke in a cold lifeless tone. He turned to me and nodded his head. "Good luck Orion. I hope to see you again." With his last words spoken, James was pushed to the door by Johnson and they began to put in the code to open it. As I watched James wait to be exiled, I couldn't help but think of everything I had done with him for the past few years. As I recollected the past, the door finally opened and James began his journey into the darkness. Alone.

The whole room was silent as the door was sealed once again. No one moved or even made the smallest sound, the whole situation clearly had a pretty big impact on everyone here. Vasquez looked around and finally broke the silence. "Well? Come on! We got to move, we are still on the clock people!" he yelled out to which everyone immediately began their tasks once again.

Vasquez silently walked over to my side and grabbed my old dirty clothes. Instead of handing them to me, he simply threw them on the ground and motioned for me to follow him. Doing as he commanded, I followed and we soon arrived at some un-pillaged wall lockers. Vasquez quietly input the override for the lock and opened the doors wide. Inside was a mess of all kinds of items that he began to rummage through before finally pulling out a black T-shirt that has the Colonial Marines emblem on the top left of it. He handed it to me and silently I put it on.

"Help me open these crates up Orion, tell me if you find anything we can use." I gave him a nod and together we walked over to one of the crates and lifted it up. The thing was long, narrow, and heavy as hell, but we managed to get it over to the benches and set it down. Vasquez undid the hatch on the metal crate and opened it up. Inside were two shotguns, a pulse rife, and a few cases of ammo for both weapons. Seeing the shotguns, a smile instantly grew on Vasquez's face and he picked it up with glee.

As he admired the weapon he looked it up and down, to his satisfaction it was factory new. He reached inside and grabbed a handful of buckshot and slugs before stuffing them inside some ammo pouches in his uniform. While Vasquez gawked over his new firearm, I continued to look inside the box until I saw another smaller crate inside. I moved some stuff out of the way and pulled it out. As I did Vasquez's eyes grew wide and he whistled. "Hey, Hans! Get over here! We got a radio!"

The scruffed Marine ran over and looked at the box in my hands. I gave it to him and he opened it quickly. In no time at all he began to set it up and as he did so I looked around once more. By now, most of the others had finished their tasks and all that was left was Johnson and Gideon sizing up some body armor for the two other employees. Suddenly static began to sound out around the room as the radio was brought to life.

"Hans, call the Marlow and let them know we should be there by noon." Hans nodded and began to speak. "Come in Marlow, come in Marlow. This is Fireteam Bravo of Base Team reporting in." He waited for a response but only static answered us. He spoke the same line again but once again, no answer. He let out a grunt and input some new commands. "Can I go open wavelength Seargant?" Hans asked. Vasquez nodded and Hans tried again.

"Come in Marlow or any ground troops, this is Fireteam Bravo of Base Team reporting in, does anyone hear me?" Once more, static was our answer. Hans shook his head and tried yet again. "I repeat, this is-" Suddenly he was caught off as a feminine voice shot out through the speaker with an ever so present accent. "This is Tequila. The Marlow has been destroyed and we're setting up a base in Freaya's Prospect. I don't know where you are but you need to haul ass to our position right away. The bugs slowed down but this won't last forever. We already got wounded down in a storage room we got locked up"

The news of the destruction shook us all to our very core, and we all gave each other a silent look of shock and disbelief. "I'm sorry, did you say the Marlow was destroyed? How the hell did that happen?!" Hans asked through the radio apprehensively. "No one knows, one moment it was there, the next, no more Marlow. All I know is that we're not alone here anymore. For now, focus on getting here, we are locked up across the way from Club Eden. Tequila signing off." The silence left behind was deafening and now we all looked to Vasquez, hoping he could help guide us.

He was just as stunned as us, but he quickly regained focus and looked at us with a newfound vigor. "This changes nothing. We stick to the plan. We'll do one last supply check once we get everyone some gear and we hightail it out of the facility, get past the ruins, and finally get to the monorail. Once we're there, we ride it to the colony, and meet up with whatever is left of the crew."

His quick response in this desperate hour helped soothe the chaos in the room, and within moments everyone went back to work. I helped Vasquez load up ammunition and before I knew it I had been given my own body armor and even some knee pads. I no doubt looked ridiculous in the heavy armored vest, but it would no doubt help me for what lay ahead.

(([_]))

This is ridiculous. This is outrageous! It's practically insanity! I sat atop my throne deep in thought, so much so my nearest Praetorian had even made her way to check on me. "Mother, are you alright? The Hive begins to grow still from your silence." she called out to me. I looked at her and gave a nod. "My child, I am fine. Go back to protect the hive, I must think on important matters." The Praetorian bowed and quickly left my throne room.

Once again being alone, I quickly went back into my thoughts. I had let Six go, I had to let her go, yet what she is doing is nothing short of blasphemous. She is the greatest of all my descendants, capable of more than any other, and she will take my place when I fall. So why is it that of all my children, she must be the one with such a flaw as to bond with a human?! It's just something I can't allow to happen, but I must keep her on my side.

What am I to even do to prevent this? I've already allowed her to reunite with this… 'Orion', so to banish her from seeing him is simply not an option. He must be dealt with if the future of the Hive is to be secured, such weakness won't be permitted while I live. This terrible connection Six has gained has already damaged her connection to me. The most horrific moment of all was when she acted against my will in the garage and attempted to spare one of those monstrous scientists.

She has seen my memories and the memories of her kin, and despite all the pain and suffering the humans have inflicted on us, she still has the will to show them mercy. The thought of it began to kindle a fury in my heart. If she reunites with Orion, then her path will be forever changed. I can't let this happen. Having thought of anything I could think of, I began to focus my mind on all my kin near the ruins.

"My children, humans attempt to flee the prison which held us for so long. They will soon be by the ruins of the old Demons. Hunt them down, slay every last one." With my message sent to all near the ruins, and making sure Six wouldn't hear it, I can only sit and wait for my will to be done. If she discovers that I am having her human hunted, she will surely turn on me. However, she is still far from them and it shouldn't take long for them to be taken.

As I sat on the throne in the heart of my nest, I began to manage the Hive. I watched as Drones continued to carry my eggs away to other parts of the hive. I sent out more and more Warriors around the foundry in search of threats. Time marched on as I began to order my children once more, but soon I felt a new presence near the hive, a presence I had not felt in generations.

The moment I felt it I looked up in rage. Immediately I sent out a distress call to my guardians and within moments, my chamber was filled with dozens of Warriors and the Praetorian from before. "Mother, you call us to your aid, what has happened?" The Praetorian asked as they looked at me in worry.

I took a moment to look at my force. As they sat there in silence waiting for my answer, I had to accept the fact many of them would fall. A lone drone walked into the room silently and took away another egg I had laid. "My children. The demons I warned you all of near. Even now one attempts to attack our home, I can sense them watching us from afar."

As I explained the threat I could feel the sense of understanding rush through my guardians. "They will come here to destroy us and everything we have built. You all must protect the Hive and kill this intruder. Use the darkness and abuse the shadows, only face it head-on if you must." As they heard my command, many bowed and quickly began to run off in preparation for the fight. Within moments the room was empty except for The Praetorian and a few of her sisters.

I couldn't get up from my throne for more eggs needed to be made if our Hive is to continue expanding, but that doesn't mean I was useless. I let my body go limp as I focused all of my mental strength onto a lone child of mine near the entrance of the Hive. As I delved into the mind of my own, they soon let go and allowed me to take over. They were a Warrior, and they were followed by five of their kin. I looked around and ordered the others to hug the walls and disguise themselves within the Hive Resin.

Doing as I commanded, all the others followed my lead and soon the entrance was left apparently empty. We stayed completely silent now as we lay on the walls and ceiling. Time passed on as we waited, yet eventually our quarry soon neared. The footsteps were heavy, and the scent was strong. While eyes could not see them, their very existence betrayed their illusion of light. Slowly and ever so cautiously the large Demon made its way inside the Hive and soon stood directly below us.

I waited for it to continue to get it in a more favorable position to strike, but it suddenly stood still. The Demon gave a cautious look around and then opened the device on its arm, inputting a quick command. I eyed the creature, trying to figure out what it was doing, only to realize it too late as their eyes flashed. "It sees us, strike!" I called out. The Demon quickly pulled out a strange disc and sent it flying through the air. Before we could even drop down the disc sliced through two of my daughters and maimed them, spouting their yellowish-green blood all over the walls.

Myself and the three others quickly rushed the Demon but it quickly turned and shot balls of plasma, obliterating the skull of one of my children beside me and ripping the arm off the other. Now it was just myself and one other and we circled the demon as it looked at us, waiting for us to make a move. We hissed at the armored devil and in return it let out a deep bellowing roar. Mighty claws shot out of the wrists of the Demon's gauntlets and finally, the standoff was broken.

As it looked at me, my daughter behind the creature lunged at the Demon only for the weapon on its shoulder to turn around and shoot out a ball of plasma. It killed her without even seeing the coming attack. It was now apparent this Demon was not in the slightest like the others. It was experienced and knew how we fought, this threat was much larger than I anticipated. The threat once again made sure I noticed it as it suddenly raised its hand in the air.

At first, I was confused but suddenly I heard the spinning disc from behind me. As I turned around I moved just in time to survive. The disc still managed to maim my tail and I screeched in pain as the appendage fell off. The Demon caught the disc as it returned to it and quickly put it back on its belt. Thinking quickly, I used whatever was left of my tail to fling blood at the attacker and they let out a roar as they quickly removed the armor the acid landed on.

The Demon then moved their gauntlet to aim at me and for the first time in eons I felt a tinge of fear as an ever-so-familiar hiss escaped the gauntlet. I put my arms to block the attack I knew was about to come, but it did nothing to stop the inferno. As the flames surrounded me, I felt my connection to my daughter shatter and I was suddenly back in my Throne Room breathing heavily.

"What has happened my Queen, are you alright?" my Praetorian asked in worry as they saw my distress. I let out an angered hiss as I thought of the loss of six of my own children. "They must die, the Demon poses an even larger threat than I previously thought." I quickly looked to my Praetoran and gave them my will. "Join your sisters in the halls of the Hive, stealth against it is useless. Destroy the Demon. I will join you shortly." As she heard my command she stood still for a moment and shook her head.

"Mother, you can't go, it is too much of a risk!" The Praetorian said. I answered swiftly and with fury. "Do not question my choice child! I know the risk, and I understand the danger they pose! That is why I must go." The Praetorian bowed in submission and ran off to join the fight. From afar I could hear the screams of my children as they fought in fierce combat with the Demon. I shook my head in anger and with a tinge of frustration, and then I took a firm grip around my throne.

Using what strength I had, I rose up from my throne, and as I did so I felt as my ovipositor slowly and painfully detached itself from my loins. I powered through the pain and then I let myself fall to the ground. My landing shook the very foundation of the foundry and for a moment all the sounds of combat stopped. I rose from the ground, my muscles aching from old age, and then I began my journey to meet the Demon head-on.

Every step I took was like a tremor and shook the ground. My large stride helped me get there within moments, and I looked on at the bloodbath. The Demon had killed well over a dozen of my daughters and now was locked in a fierce fight with my Praetorian. The Demon once more used its gauntlet to send a flurry of flames into the face of my Praetorian and sent her crashing to the floor as she ran in a panic to put out the flames.

With her down, I let out a deafening roar and the Demon stopped in its tracks. It looked at me in what I could only describe as a shock but quickly regained its composure. It tried to grab the disc from before, but I wouldn't let that happen. The moment it moved to pull the disc from its hip I turned around and gave it a shattering whip of my tail. The force was so strong that when the Demon hit the wall it bent the steel behind it.

The Demon struggled to its feet after it fell and I began to approach with rage in my heart. As the metallic face saw my approach, a flurry of plasma shot out and began to slam into my form. My ancient shell provided enough protection to stop the plasma from doing real harm, but the force of the blasts was still enough to knock me down. As I fell to a knee I began to brace as more and more plasma was thrown at me.

With me now down the Demon got up and pulled out his large wrist blades. It let out a ferocious roar and charged me in a full sprint. As it neared I looked up only to see it jump up in the air and move to deal a finishing blow. As it soared through the air, I suddenly sensed another presence and a black blur followed. Right before the Demon landed on my head it stopped and let out a roar of pain as it dangled above me in mid-air, sending blood all over my form.

A large black tail had ripped through the Demons chest and the bright bioluminescent blood poured from the gaping wound. The Demon looked down at what happened and tried to move an arm to the large tail ripping through their torso, but instead, their arm simply fell limp as they took their dying breath.

The body of the Demon was thrown to the ground and the Praetorian quickly came to my side. "My Queen, the Demon is dead, are you alright?" She said as he helped me to my feet. When I was once again at my full height I looked down at the Praetorian and gave her a nod. In silence, I made my way back towards the Throne Room and my daughters followed me closely.

As I made my way through the Hive I looked on to see Drones running all around to repair the damage done. Thankfully some of them carried in new hosts to help bolster the ones that we lost. As I finally entered the Hive I slowly walked back to my throne and looked up at it. Getting back up will be a pain, perhaps I shouldn't have left.

I slowly and carefully crawled up the wall, my muscles aching with every movement. My age might have helped my armor and mind, but my insides grow weaker with every passing decade. Eventually, I got back in place and the Drones quickly began to rebuild the throne around me, encasing me in place once more.

(([_]))

"I'm coming Orion. The Jungle is dense and slows me down but I promise you I am going as fast as I can." To hear Six finally call out to me brought me unmeasurable relief. "Six, are you ok? You haven't spoken for hours." I asked her. A small moment of silence passed before she responded to me. "I am fine Orion, I had to speak with Mother. She knows of you but I believe I convinced her that you are truly different."

Her voice had a small feeling of happiness as she explained the events to me. In all honesty, the thought of having the Matriarch herself know of me was as terrifying as it was shocking. Before I could continue my mental conversation with Six, our group slowed as Vasquez pulled out the map. The sound of wrinkling paper could be heard as he looked where to go next.

"All right everyone, we're almost out of here so get ready. When we go outside stay in formation and stay together." With his word spoken we once again continued through the hall. I decided to join him up front for a quick conversation as one question still dominated my mind. As he saw me join his side he gave me a look of curiosity.

"Hey Orion, what is it? Got shot again?" Vasquez teased. I ignored his banter and went straight to the topic. "Vasquez, back in the armory you seemed really freaked out about James. What's up with you and Androids?" The moment I asked the question his light-hearted demeanor instantly vanished. "Why the hell does it matter?" he spat back.

I found his retort to be rather surprising and I immediately spoke my mind. "It matters because you just sent away a survivor that could have helped us, Android or not." Vasquez grew only more irritated as he heard my words but this time he stayed silent. "We got to trust each other Vasquez, and I just want to know why you turned on him so quick." I said in a softer tone so as to not upset him any further.

Vasquez sighed and looked around as if looking for a way out of the conversation. Finally, he broke his silence and talked to me once more. "You're right… I suppose you at least should know." He brought me closer and made sure we were out of earshot of the other employees. His voice was kept low to make sure only myself and the Marines by him could hear.

"Back before I was put on this planet I worked on clean-up missions for the Marines. One day we were sent out to this station that had just recently been purged from a soon-to-be Hive, luckily it was caught before a Queen could be born." As he spoke he simply looked off into the distance as if he was still there, the sight was unnerving.

"I was only a Private at the time, and while we were sent there we got a Weyland liaison with us to 'recover' anything vital to the company. Turns out a lone Xeno managed to survive but before we could kill it, the Weyland bastard shot three of my buddies in the back to 'protect' the Companies property." Vasquez paused for a moment and his eyes looked dead as he continued once more.

"We didn't know it was an Android. The thing nearly killed me as we tried to gun it down. Those things are tough as hell, and I got hurt real bad taking it offline. That was actually the reason I got sent here, they said I wasn't fit for active duty until I healed." Picturing what Vasquez told brought waves of understanding. I couldn't even imagine what went through his mind when the Android turned on them.

Vasquez shook his head and pulled himself out of his own trance. He looked at me now with a tinge of regret hiding in his features. "So yeah, I don't exactly trust Androids. No one that has met them in the Marines trusts them either. We learned pretty quick they are two timing bastards." Vasquez sighed and looked forward. "Go back with the other employees Orion, I don't want you messing up the formation."

Doing as he told, I quickly fell back and joined the side of Stanson. It was only after a few more turns that we finally reached the access door. The door wasn't large like the main gate which honestly caused me to feel a tinge of surprise. Vasquez began to input the override into the door and finally the hydraulic locks released and it flew open.

A damp warm gust of air immediately flew in and struck my senses. The air was thick and it was noticeably harder to breathe the moment it hit me. Vasquez motioned for us to continue and we stayed close behind him. Yet again I was surprised to see the exit we took. Instead of putting us out in the woods, I looked around to see that we were in some kind of tunnel system. The further we walked into the tunnels, the larger they grew.

It didn't take long until we reached a massive cavern. Our path led us to a massive stone formation that acted as a bridge through the cavern. Down below was a drop so far I couldn't even see the bottom, and up above was a massive opening to the jungle canopy. Beams of light shined down on us from the surface and lit up portions of the cavern walls. I looked on in wonder as I began to see massive stone structures and engravings, covered in moss and foliage all over.

The strange ruins even had heads and statues of strange masked human-like tribals. They had long hair and blunted masks. These must be the owners of this place… I thought to myself. The ruins almost reminded me of the old pyramids of Central America I used to read about in old history books. As I continued to gawk at the strange marvels around me a sudden high pitch ping rang out.

"I got contacts coming in! Looks like about six of them!" Johnson yelled out. Suddenly, more and more began to appear on the motion trackers. "I got some too! I'm reading three more!" Gideon yelled. The soldiers quickly looked all around, letting their flashlights brighten the darker portions of the cavern. "Even more coming in boss! They're everywhere!" cried out Hans.

Despite the sensors showing them coming from all around us, we couldn't see a single one. It was then one of the Marines saw one on the far walls and immediately opened fire. The bullets flew across the distance and sent the Xenomorph flying down into the abyss below. "We need to keep moving! Get out of the way!" cried Edith as she tried to move past us.

"We can't go anywhere till we clear our escape! We stay and fight!" Vasquez yelled as he pushed her back in by Stanson and I. We were now trapped on the rocky bridge, our only way of escape getting rushed by the Alien force. As more Xenos rushed us, more and more guns began to fire as they became visible. In only moments it became a full-on shooting gallery for the Marines.

It didn't take long for us to figure out where they were coming from. The cavern was lined with small tunnel entrances on its walls. While two Marines focused on the tunnels, the other two Marines focused on keeping them off the bridge. The sound of rifle shots and the occasional shotgun blast from Vasquez echoed all through the cavern.

As the Marines fought off the horde, we took slow and careful steps closer and closer to the exit. Despite our best efforts, the Xenos began to make sudden movements to avoid getting hit and got ever so much closer to us before getting blown away. We hadn't even made it a quarter of the way when the first Xenomorph got onto the bridge.

Now being on solid ground with no risk of falling, they became noticeably harder to take out. Bullets bore deep into them, but still, they continued the advance. It took nearly twenty rounds just to drop a single one. "Don't stop fighting! We're almost there!" Vasquez called out to the group. As more of the Xenos got on the bridge, they soon began to crawl on its sides and even under it, making them near impossible to hit.

Vasquez rushed to the back to help stop the coming tide of Aliens. His slugs proved to be devastating to the creatures and sent them flying off with the force of each shot. Johnson was now the lone Marine in front and yelled at us. "We're almost there! Come on!" he screamed. It was then I noticed a glob of liquid fly through the air with a strange glow to it. It landed on Stanson and just as it did he began to scream in pain.

The acid ate through his clothes in seconds and as he tried to peel off his layers, he took a wrong step and tumbled off the side. His screams continued for what felt like ages as he fell to his death, the noise reverberating off the walls of the abyss. "We got a Spitter! Find it and blast the fucker away!" Johnson yelled as he scoured the walls with his flashlight.

It was then a second blob of acid landed on the bridge but thankfully this one landed short of us. Johnson followed the trail of the blast and soon found it on the wall. Sacks of bright green acid lined the side of its head and just as it readied itself to spit again, Johnson sent a grenade from his rifle into it, blowing it away in a fantastic orange blast.

I joined Johnson's side and took out the pistol I had been given. I began to help him gun down any Xenomorphs that neared us. "Below us!" a voice cried out and quickly I turned to look. I saw two Xenomorphs appear from below the bridge, Vasquez quickly turned and shot the first, but before he could kill the other it grabbed the ankle of Gideon and dragged him off the side.

His scream echoed out and even as he fell his gun spit out ammunition, sending bullets flying around in all directions into the abyss. "You fuckers! We lost Gideon!" Vasquez yelled as he continued to keep the hoard back. "There are too many of them! How close are we Johnson!" Vasquez yelled out in desperation as he quickly began to load more shells into his shotgun.

"We're almost there! Maybe ten meters or so!" Johnson yelled beside me. It was then Vasquez lowered his gun a screamed his command. "Run for it! Get off the bridge and into that tunnel!" Just as we heard him we all went into a full-on sprint and quickly began to cover the distance. Just as we entered the mouth of the cave and crossed the bridge we saw another door at the end of the hall.

We pushed ourselves to our limits and made for the door. We quickly stumbled inside and as Vasquez entered last, he quickly turned around a began to fire into the hoard that was right behind us. "Close it already! Come on!" As he screamed Hans ran to the door controls and began to seal it. Just as the doors closed Vasquez let out a final shot and the scream of a dying Xenomorph rang out in my ears.

With the door sealed and the path once again safe, everyone took a moment to catch their breath. Hans simply stayed kneeling by the door as Johnson comforted Edith who was sobbing into his shoulder. Vasquez simply stood staring at the door in silence, one fist clenched tight as the other kept a firm grip on his shotgun.

I walked over to him slowly and calmly put a hand on his shoulder. "Vasquez… How are you holding up?" I asked in as soft a tone as I could. He simply stayed silent and continued to stare off at the door. I took my hand off his shoulder and decided it best to let him be alone for a moment. I looked around the room and only now did I notice that we were now in a part of the ruins themselves. The stone structure was lit by floodlights and all kinds of equipment littered the area.

I began to look around and wonder, thinking it better than to sit and reminisce on all the death I had witnessed in the past day in my life. As I looked on at the strange unknown dialect on the walls I heard shuffling as Vasquez finally began to move once more. "Alright people. I know we've lost friends, and I know you're all tired, but there is more going on here." he said as everyone looked at him

"I want to stay here as much as you do and rest and mourn, but the truth is that there is a doomsday clock ticking as we speak. Every hour we stay put is another hour this Hive expands. It's a big colony, and that means it will be a big Hive." He looked around the room and made sure to make eye contact with every person left. "All that matters now is we make it to the Monorail. It's only a few klicks away now, so all I'm asking is that you stay with me a little longer."

Everyone looked to each other for a moment but the Marines all stood up tall and gave Vasquez a firm salute. "We're with you till the gates of hell come falling down Seargant." Johnson said. Vasquez saluted them back and they all soon began to get ready once more. While they readied themselves I checked off my own equipment just in case. I had three magazines left for my sidearm and my body armor was still in pretty good condition.

When I looked up I saw Edith getting brought over as Vasquez readied himself to lead us even further into these ancient ruins. We all gave him a nod and he began the march into the beyond right as we did. As we left the room light suddenly attack our senses and voices could be heard from all around us. "Get down now, raise your hands!" a rough and robotic voice called out.

Before any of us could respond another voice cut through. "Wait! Wait! Stop it you idiot it's more survivors!" a voice yelled out. The lights suddenly shot off and a man in a researchers uniform rushed to our side. "Dear God I am glad to see some more actual people! And Marines too!" the man said with excitement.

Vasquez raised a hand and interrupted the new man. "Hold on, just tell me exactly what's going on here, why the hell did they threaten to gun us down!" Vasquez yelled as he pointed at the masked guard beside the survivor. The employee chuckled and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah yes, I am sorry about that. The Combat Androids can be rather aggressive and don't really seem to understand the difference between us and the Xenomorphs."

Vasquez immediately grimaced as he heard the word "Andriod". The man continued, "As for myself and the others, the excavation team out here has been rather well off during all of this. The Androids have kept us safe and we've been ordered to simply stay put." Vasquez shook his head and began to speak.

"You've really just stayed put? You're a damn fool, all of you! If you think staying here is gonna save your life your dead wrong." his gaze shifted over to the Androids. "And if you think those things are gonna be the thing that saves you, then you must be insane." Vasquez's outburst didn't seem to impress the man.

"Let me show you what we got set up here, then you can complain." Vasquez simply cocked an eyebrow and we all followed the man outside. I looked around as we entered a massive clearing inside the ruins. We stood atop an incline of chiseled stone and a stone staircase led down into a large complex of stone structures forming a maze-like journey down below.

Stairs led to the roofs of many of the structures and the largest was in the center of it all. A good dozen or so Combat Androids roamed all over the place and multiple turrets had been set up high and low to hold choke points. Lights illuminated statues of more of the masked hunters and for a moment I swore I could even make out some markings that looked like a Xenomorph and Facehuggers.

"Well, Mr. Marine? What do you think?" Vasquez gave him an unimpressed glare and looked back at us. "I don't like it. I need the route to the Monorail, can you at least show us that?" Vasquez spat out. The man looked rather disappointed hearing the response and motioned for us to follow him.

"Fine, but I'm telling you it would be better to stay here. If you really want to go then follow me, there is an exit down below that goes straight to the Monorail station. Vasquez gave a nod and we followed the man down the staircase. Now in the ruins, we stayed close to our guide as we made our way through the maze-like structures.

The ambient sounds of the jungle ecosystem suddenly came to a complete stop and we all froze. Vasquez looked around with caution and for a moment I could hear an ever-so-faint clicking sound. Suddenly one of the turrets above began to fire at the tree line, and then another one began as well, both shooting in different directions.

Stress began to build up in my chest as I feared we were about to get caught in another Xenomorph attack. My thoughts were quickly subverted however when instead I saw an unexplainable stream of light fly through the air and destroy a turret. Before I could even comprehend what I saw, another bolt of light shot out and destroyed another turret.

All the Andriods raised their weapons and our guide began to panic. Vasquez quickly tried to get him to focus. "Hey, buddy! Snap out of it! What's going on?" The man simply mumbled something incomprehensible and then bolted off back the way we came. Loud sounds of grinding stone then began to sound out and spikes shout out from the top of the walls of the pit.

We followed the guide only to see that the way we came had somehow closed shut. The staircase seemed to have risen above and left us trapped down below. The man began to completely lose it and ran off into the maze in search of help. Vasquez motioned for us to stay close and we began to look all around in fear and confusion. A new threat is here, and whatever it is, we're trapped here with it.

- Authors Note -

Thank you all for your patience with me this past week. This chapter has come in as my largest one yet and I hope you all have enjoyed it! I had a lot of fun getting to write in some good old Alien vs Predator action, especially with Scorch and his flame thrower! While I can't exactly say the next chapter will come out this weekend, I assure you I will be getting it out ASAP.

In this chapter we get to see some more of Vasquez as more is revealed of his military history. James' secret officially falls apart and he is banished by the group, all the while the Yuatjas begin to cover more and more ground. Scorch's attack on the Hive failed, but that was only one of the mighty Elites slain.

As always, thank you all who stop by and read my story of Six and Orion, I am glad to be able to bring this content to share with you all! I would also like to give another thank you to the people who have helped me with this chapter! In our server, some people helped give names to our 'jolly' group of survivors, and it has been extremely helpful to have some support. If you wish to join, the link is below! For now, I wish you all a fantastic day. This is your narrator, signing off.

Server join link - discord. gg /AzTnKZGZ (sorry if you can't copy and paste, you may have to just write it manually in the search bar).