Chapter 1

Synopsis: In the aftermath of the events on Bouvet Island, a critically wounded Scar returns to Yautja Prime to his own tribulations. Lex Woods is intercepted by the Weyland Corporation. A year later, after the Yautja discover a pyramid full of dead Xenomorphs, Scar is sent out to discover what happened.

Obligatory I'm slightly changing canon things about Yautja, such as the blooding taking place annually instead of I will preface that any text bolded will be Scar speaking himself, while anything italicized will denote the use of the translator.

Is this real? Did this really happen? Lex asked herself as she rode on the snowcat back to Weyland's ship. Sadness filled her heart leaving behind all those who had fallen, the predator included. She worried what she would tell the captain when she arrived alone with their CEO and all the crew dead. Tears froze to her face as she finally had time to process all that had happened. She made it to the ship.

"I need to see the captain," Lex breathed heavily to the confused sailors who greeted her. They looked behind her as though looking for the rest of the crew, then shot each other wary glances before leading her to the cockpit. She knocked, and slowly opened the door. The captain greeted her.

"Excuse me, I presumed you would be Mr. Weyland," he muttered, clearly unimpressed with this stranger before him. Lex sighed, her body growing heavy. The captain's eyebrows furrowed and he looked at her as though he already knew what she was about to say.

"Mr. Weyland is dead. Everyone is dead… I… I'm the only person who made it out" she said hollowly. Lex expected a series of questions, accusations even, but instead the captain just nodded.

"Mr. Weyland had anticipated this would be a possibility. Please get some rest in your cabin, a plane will be here to fetch you in the morning" the captain replied coolly. Lex looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean a plane?"

"You will have a meeting arranged with Mr. Weyland and fetched immediately. Now please rest, I must call and make arrangements."

"Did you not hear me? Weyland's dead, he…" she opened her mouth to argue, but one of the crew opened the door and beckoned her to leave. Disobeying seemed futile. The man politely escorted her out and led her to her room. She heard the door lock behind her. An uneasy feeling washed over her. Between this worry and the horrific events of the previous days, sleep did not come to Lex that night.

xxx

A Weyland plane had arrived on the landing strip of the large ship in the morning as promised. An exhausted Lex boarded, and landed somewhere she did not recognize. She slept hard that night until they woke her up very early. Several Weyland agents escorted her along the journey on both flights as well as layovers, and she learned not to ask questions about where they were taking her. "Mr. Weyland wishes to speak with you," is the only answer they ever provided. England, then, she figured.

On their last flight she saw Big Ben as they made their descent. She was rushed into a private taxi with heavily tinted windows and rushed directly to the Weyland Headquarters building. Through the elevator the guards took her through several security checkpoints until she finally arrived at Mr. Weyland's office. The agents left her at the door, and she meekly opened it.

"Come in, I hope your travels weren't too arduous," a cheery man called out to her. He looked completely identical to the Mr. Weyland she had known, albeit much younger. "You must be confused, please, have a drink with me." The man poured her a neat glass of Scotch which she did not drink.

"Who are you?" Lex asked.

"Believe it or not, I am Mr. Weyland."

"Mr Weyland died… I was there, I heard him die," she murmured, her voice shaking as she remembered the traumatic memory. The man smiled sympathetically at her.

"Yes, I want to hear all about that, but first I must disclose to you that Mr. Weyland was well aware of the possibility that this mission would prove fatal. Our founder had the foresight to ensure the company would be handled properly until his son Peter comes of age. Unfortunately we have not learned to cure cancer yet, but we have other technology, and therefore had his memories and intellect preserved. In the event of his death, a copy of all that was him was to be downloaded into a synthetic - or robot if you will - of his semblance." Lex's eyes widened.

"So… you're basically his clone?" This fucker's immortal, she thought.

"Essentially. Classified information… which means if you told anyone I'd have to kill you," Mr. Weyland chuckled. Lex's lips tightened, and Mr. Weyland suddenly grew serious.

"A half-joke, half-truth in poor taste. My apologies, Alexa. But herein lies where we must speak seriously. You know a significant amount of classified information about that pyramid, the aliens inside them, the predators that hunt them," Weyland said flatly. Lex's eyes widened.

"W-Weyland knew about the aliens? When we entered? He said that-"

"Do you really believe Mr. Weyland was so vain as to enter that pyramid only to name it after himself?" Weyland clicked his tongue in an almost patronizing way. "Weyland Industries is developing technologies you can't even begin to dream of, Ms. Woods. That mission was to collect technology, bring it back, take samples or specimens of these alien species. And we aren't the only ones. The evolution of man is going to become expedited, interstellar travel in the blink of an eye, technology the likes of which no one can even dream of," Mr. Weyland spoke passionately.

"What does that have to do with me?" Lex asked reluctantly.

"You were not expected to survive. All non-essential personnel were to be executed after the retrieval. But, here you are… and you are valuable to us. That mark on your cheek… Whether you like it or not, you work for the Weyland corporation now. But before we discuss what that entails… I need you to tell me everything."

xxx

A year had passed, and despite Scar's somewhat long recovery from his near-fatal wounds, he had returned as an infamous warrior on Yautja Prime. For months the young predator was unable to hunt, his body weakened from his extensive injuries. He worried that his state would bring shame to his clan, but the glory of killing a Queen had greatly overshadowed any short-term inability to hunt or fight. In a way, his battle scars were a testament to how revered Scar's prowess was.

Quickly after his recovery, Scar had trained hard to regain his strength and combat skills. He was a mere Young Blood when he had completed his Blooding on Antarctica, yet his reputation was on par with many older and more experienced Yautjas. He grew unusually fast too, towering eight feet tall.

Still, Scar's heart longed for something his planet could not offer him, not made any less tiresome by the customs of his species: the strange human that helped him. His human. No matter how much he wished for it, she refused to leave his mind. It was standard and expected for Blooded warriors to breed with any females that chose them to ensure the strength of the clan. Scar had refused to do so since his return. Much speculation and frustration from his peers surrounded the aloof predator. He generally avoided everyone as much as he could.

They had just returned from a hunt. Scar was tearing into a piece of meat with other warriors in the ship's dining hall when he noticed a female staring at him from the corner of his eye. It had become a daily nuisance to him. He ignored it, much to his acquaintance's delight. One of his peers, a tall one-eyed Yautja clicked something. Immediately, his other comrade, a shorter Yautja growled at the first. While the two squabbled, Scar only muttered angrily under his breath in his alien tongue, ignoring both of them. They were jealous of him, he knew.

The one-eyed Yautja turned sharply towards Scar, gesticulating his hands in an irritable fashion as he spoke. At this Scar snarled loudly, leaving his peers in a fury as they laughed behind him. Elite warriors glared at him as Scar passed them, too respectful to chastise him openly but secretly stewing with envy that a lower ranked warrior was out-competing them in the estrus. Scar slammed the door irritably behind his chambers, stalking about like a caged animal. He couldn't wait for the ship to land so he could scurry off to his dwelling and hide. Scar was tired of the constant barrage from both males and females in his clan. Most of all, he could not stop thinking of her.

xxx

Upon landing, Scar immediately began stalking off to his dwelling, desperately wanting to hide away from his world. He avoided all attempts at clan members speaking to him until an Elder firmly intercepted the young Yautja, stopping him in his tracks.

Scar stifled a frustrated growl in the back of his throat before nodding and reluctantly following the Elder. He was led into a large room with many pedestals, each appointed with an Elder. He briefly made eye contact with Oshun, the one who saved his life a year ago and gifted Lex his combistick.

The young Yautja warrior kneeled before them in respect. The Clan Leader gave him a small gesture to rise, and Scar did so. The room filled with a series of clicks and low growls as they addressed him. Something was wrong; that was clearly relayed to him as the Elders spoke. As Scar listened to them speak, a burning ember of hope seared in him. He was going back to Earth again, and given the circumstances, this was a chance like Bouvet Island. Scar accepted what the Elders were saying. As he turned to leave, the Clan Leader called out to him. Scar turned, his body language freezing. A series of stern growls and clicks reached him. They were chastising him for his refusal to participate in the estrus. Scar's muscles tensed, but he resisted any sign to show disapproval or disagreement. Finally the young Yautja was dismissed.

Scar's body shook in irritation as he made way to his quarters. He wanted desperately to be left alone to prepare for his return to Earth, but alas, was again bombarded by another Elder. Scar stopped at the Elder's call, violent impatience barely restrained behind serene respect for the older Yautja. He softened when Scar realized it was Oshun.

Oshun's eyes searched him knowingly. The old Yautja knew what was on Scar's mind; Oshun was the only one who had any inkling as to what was tormenting him. Oshun murmured a mix of understanding and warning before handing him a small metal object. Then Oshun bid him goodbye and departed. Scar finally closed his door with great relief and began to prepare for a much different hunt, attaching the small piece of metal to his mask.

xxx

Weyland Industries kept a close eye for more signals that marked the arrival of the predators, but none such opportunities had presented themselves in nearly a year. Lex had told Weyland everything she knew about what had happened on Bouvet Island. After many NDA's and thinly veiled threats to her life, Lex was allowed to come and go freely on the condition that she be on call if there ever was a need for her. Sometimes she had been needed.

It was of utmost importance to the company that any remaining xenomorphs on Earth be destroyed, as they posed a significant threat to human existence. Lex was tasked with analyzing cases of climbing disasters, lost civilizations, and unexplained human deaths in order to find more hidden pyramids. The Dyatlov Pass incident was the only one Lex discovered was really the work of predator sacrifices to hunt xenomorphs. She led the expedition, briefed the crew on what to expect, and exterminated the dormant queen and facehugger eggs. No predators arrived or were found, as they did not arrive and initiate the hunt. Specimens and data were taken.

Another important clandestine goal of the company was to obtain technology from the predators. Her spear was confiscated for a time for analysis before being returned to her. Weyland took a particular interest in the fact the predator had not only spared her, but recognized her as his equal. Unfortunately, this proved more difficult than exterminating Xenomorphs, as they had to wait for the predators to arrive.

Originally Lex had refused to kill any predators, but Weyland informed her that they did not expect her to: to do so would result surely in her death and be a waste of a previously undocumented bond with the predators. Instead, in the event they made contact with the predators, Lex was required to earn their trust and try to translate to trade with them. This was not optional.

Lex spent her spare time mountaineering and guiding scientists around dangerous places. She spent her free time researching historical events that may have been predator sacrifices, creating lists for possible future xenomorph exterminations. It made her skin crawl thinking that there were more of those creatures lurking in the unknown. Most of all, she dreaded that phone call from Weyland when the next hunt would occur. Weeks passed after the anniversary of Bouvet Island, and Lex hoped that maybe they'd never call her again, and her life would resume to be normal again.

Then one day, Weyland's number did appear. Her heart sank. She picked up the phone reluctantly.

"I presume the predators signaled," Lex sighed.

"Yes."

"Alright. Where are we goi-?"

"Something's wrong though."

"What do you mean?" she asked worriedly.

"They signaled Dyatlov's Pass and they signaled weeks after the anniversary of Bouvet Island. They know there's no stage ones left to infect us and they still sent the signal. This is going to be a trap," Weyland stressed. Lex's breath caught in her throat, cold sweat beading from her body.

"Okay. Let's do it."

xxx

"Everyone be on high alert. They know we're going to be looking for them," Weyland barked at his crew. The small posse stopped at a clearing, the ground covered in snow and ice. The wind howled and night was beginning to fall.

"We need to stop and camp. If we get attacked, no one will stand a chance against something that can see in the dark," Lex panted. She was exhausted, her body aching to stop.

"I don't want to wait any longer than we already have. It's possible the predators are leaving soon, or hell, have already left. It took us a week to get everything together, the snowstorm's fucked us enough and I'm tired of delays," Weyland snapped. They had originally planned to arrive at the pyramid by noon, but harsh weather conditions had prevented their plane from taking off for several hours.

"We're not going to make it before night falls. You're going to lead everyone into a slaughter," she argued. Lex ran in front of Weyland who petulantly stopped.

"Let me go. Alone. They won't hurt me… I hope. Let me establish contact, see if they're even there. Everyone needs to rest and be able to see before you put them in range of a bunch of predators pissed off that we invaded their temple and ruined their ceremonial hunt," Lex demanded.

"No, it's too dangerous," Trent blurted out. He was a hotheaded ball of muscles that orbited Lex on all their missions. There was a time when she may have been interested in someone like him, but dating while hunting aliens was not something high on her priority list. Particularly the more she got to know Trent, the less she liked him.

"I didn't ask you, Trent," Lex snapped. Weyland considered it for several moments.

"It's very likely they're watching us as we speak, and camping is not any safer than if we keep moving," the business mogul said thoughtfully.

"If they're watching us right now, why wouldn't they have attacked already?" she countered. Weyland nodded.

"Fine, you're right. It will make contact and not waste any time. Everyone does need to rest. Just… be careful." Weyland wasn't entirely sure if Lex would come back alive; they could see her as a traitor if the predators were already watching and kill her outright. They might not even see her mark before it was too late. He figured there was only one way to find out. Trent opened his mouth to protest, but both Weyland and Lex shot him a glare that closed it. Lex unlatched her spear until it fully extended, gave her platoon one last look, and began tiredly trekking further into the pass.

xxx

Lex had hiked for almost an hour now, her legs shook with exhaustion and frostbite nipped at the tips of her fingers and nose. Sleep desperately called to her, and she wanted nothing more than to curl into the snow and close her eyes. Yet that certainly meant death, whether from predators or the elements. She kept fighting until the entrance of the pyramid came into sight. They're waiting for me inside, if they don't already see me, she thought eerily. The sun had just set, twilight illuminating the woods around her.

Before she reached the entrance, Lex's body froze.

Click click click click click.

The woman spun around, her spear in hand. The sound stopped.

"Show yourself," Lex called. A moment passed before she heard a large thud behind her, branches snapping from a tree where her stalker had been perched. Large footsteps began appearing in the snow, slowly walking towards her. They stopped curiously just out of range of her spear. Lex moved her spear from an attack position to resting beside her vertically to show she was not a threat. What seemed like minutes passed, each moment Lex waited (almost impatiently) and expected to be killed instantly. The footsteps hadn't moved; she knew the predator was still there.

"Well?" she questioned, seemingly as confused as the killer standing in front of her. A button beeped and the outline of a tall, dreadlocked alien appeared before her. Lex's narrowed eyes widened into realization. The predator inhaled deeply, his breath catching as though he forgot how to breathe. He took a tentative step towards her.

"Scar?" she whispered. He paused for a moment before clicking a button on his mask. A recording of Lex's own voice replayed to her.

"...friend." The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Lex smiled. The predator's shoulders relaxed; finally, he exhaled all of the breath he'd been holding for so long.