Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Headhunter ❯ Firefly ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

An,KnightOne: Here is the edited version of it. Hopr you enjoy it.

Headhunter

Chapter 2

Firefly

Misato was in her quarters, usual way drinking beer from her can. Her own quarter was looking like a war room and haven of soldier of fortune. Here an there were beer cans and work papers spread all around on her desk.

Beer was illegal substance by order of US navy command. But luckily corporate own regulations come along. She never thought that she could thank it for anything.

Corporate itself allowed its employees to have certain refreshments, hell it even recruited soldiers to it's service by spreading Terium drug system wide. They were it's only legal manufacturer. That was because of no-one else hadn't find out a way to replicate their method of making it.

Misato had never loved W-Y Corporation. To her personal opinion, they were all bunch of opportunists and greedy bastards. Only reason why corporation had its representative here because almost everything belonged to them. They even build ships, and the Solarus was their first contract between them and the military.

“My avenging angel...” She mused to her self and took, if possible lazier stance on her chair. She had much to be avenged. But she didn't have any idea how she could do it. “Avenging angel...” she repeated. That was the way how her superiors call it. She had done a list on her mind about reasons why to fight against anyone.

First was her friend, Ellen Ripley.

Misato was sure that corporation had some way been responsible her pain and misery. Or at least made her life worse.

Misato never had seen her friend so depressed. She remembered how radiating she was when they both had been last together with her another friend, Ritsuko. It seemed like everything were on it's place, she even forgot what she herself had gone trough.

When they last met, she didn't even believe what Ellen could do...

“You have to do something!” She yelled standing right in front of her.

Ripley was still, holding cigarette between her fingers. She hadn't take any breath of it since she started it, it was just there burning slowly. ”It's over.” she said stiffly.

“What?” Misato said surprised.

“It's over, for good.” She said again just staring at corner. Her curly hair seemed to have little shade of grey on it. She had been like that for the day that the corporate heads had interrogated her. In other point of view

“No its not.” Misato shot back. ”You are still alive...”

Ripley responded this with little chuckle. “Last survivor of Nostromo...”She said sarcastically imitating her own hopeful voice on her sound diary.

“Yes, you can still get up even here.” She put her palms on her hips and looked her friend more severely.

“You don't understand.” Ellen said coldly. “Ikari put his dogs to bite my right down my ass. They cut my pilot wings. I can't fly anything, but paper planes. I'm..” she lowered her chin. ”...Mentally unstable and volatile, I destroyed Weyland-Yutani's cargo ship because of my...” She smiled joylessly when finding a word. “delusions. It's over.”

Misato looked in Amazed what had come her friend. Normally, she had her way of trying to overcome situations what where even impossible to handle. It was actually her attitude what had gave misato her own agenda to be soldier-she had even tried to persuade Ripley to come along with her, but Ripley wasn't enthusiastic to play gun games. “Are you quitting now?” She said sarcastically.

“I'm not angry because they fired me. Nor because of my new job. It's because they didn't believe me...” she said and put her cigarette out. She suddenly raise her head and asked ”Do you believe me?”

“Yes.” Misato said confident.

“Why?” Ripley asked curious.

“You are my friend and...” she stopped when she remembered what happened to her father.

“Because what happened to yourself.” She nodded. “I know my tales are like quick lies.” Her face seemed to fell blank again. “But they are the truth.”

“So what are you going to do now?” Misato asked feeling sorry for her.

“I'm living nicely in here, and gonna work my living by piloting a power loader. No evil aliens.” She swallowed. ”Look, I know that you are trying to cheer me up, not working maybe I'm just over your reach...but thanks for you try..” she smiled.

“Look, things can't get better unless you make it them to change.” She patted her friends shoulder comforting.

Ripley nodded and said. ”Maybe you are right.” They two talked to awhile and then they both decided to go to sleep.

Next day, misato got a message where Ripley told her about the colony of Hadley's Hope, and that she had to go and settle the score. Misato thought that she had made her to do this. Corporation had waved a carrot in front of her. They had promised to give Ripley's Pilot wings back if she would return to Hadley's Hope. And in the end it killed her.

Sudden knock awakened her from her thoughts.

“May I come in?” soft male voice inquired trough the com panel on the doors side.

“Yeah, come in Shinji.” She answered.

Door opened and Shinji walked in suited in his marine uniform. He glanced over Misato holding a beer can in her hand. ”Relaxing after hard day of doing nothing, I see.”

“Being a cruiser commander isn't about work all the time” she retorted.

“Well, being a squad leader seems to be full of it.” He said. And took a seat front of his ex-guardian.

“So, lieutenant how is your shepherding of recruits coming along?” she smiled and took sip of her can.

“It's going good. I got the good ones this time. I have zero hero wannabes on my unit for now.” He scratched his chin. His unit was formed of three groups.

“Yeah, well after trying to have two other groups full of them to be good soldiers I thought you could take easy for now.” Misato answered.

“What would I do with out you?” He said grinning at her.

“If that was the way how you say thanks, I accept. Men just doesn't seem to survive without me watching over them.” She said pretending to be martyr.

“Seems so.” Shinji answered grinning. ”My old friends are quite excited about army food. They complain about nothing, haven't tasted your food yet.”

“Heheh, about your friends how they are coming along?” Misato had seen Kensuke and Toji in the line.

Shinji's eyes got more hardened gaze. ”Well, they are coming up better than I thought. Except they both have their own flaws...”

“Like?” Misato asked.

“Toji is about interested more about her female colleagues, or more like certain dropship pilot, and is skipping his exercises to get more time with her. Hikari doesn't mind, but sergeant Barnes who is their group leader is pretty fed up.” Shinji think about his own trainers who were much like Barnes here.

“And I don't wonder. Barnes has always been little hothead, but it's just what fighting with the raiders makes up.”

“Can't argue on that. What about our other hero?”

“Kensuke is spending more ammo than two of my groups together plus their sergeants. And...well he's have bad fetish to heavy weaponry, which I think would be everybody a good situation to go trough two words: duck & cover.” Shinji think what else he had left out. ”Barnes is shouting to them his maw so wide that he'll swallow his cigar some day.”

“Hmm. Better watch them.” Misato said grinning the thought about sergeant Barnes choking to his own cigar. ”Have you met our new tail?”

“You mean Ayanami Rei? Haven't talked to her...” his thoughts suddenly switched to his parents. He had tried to find out what had happened to his mother. He had somebody to working on that thing.

“Well, maybe you should.” Misato suggested.

Shinji turned his head and his stare got little bit intense. ”Why?”

“Well...you are gonna work together. And she isn't so disgusting or what?” Misato raised her eyebrows implying.

“Here we go again. Are you still trying to hook me up with someone?” Shinji had enough of Misato Katsuragi's dating service enough to last a life time.

”Well, I know that she works for the corporation, but I think that you could have her to change her mind.” She said teasingly.

“Do you know where she came from, or with who?” Shinji answered. ”From Geofront platform, with corp. soldiers. I don't think that she is looking for an affair.”

“Hey, maybe you are right.” she said “She could easily use one of those soldiers if she has any need comes. Doesn't Weyland-Yutani's motto is `give your all'?.” Misato grinned. “Little morale boost, with price of course.

Shinji chuckled a bit. “You are hopeless. Just the way I like it.” He grinned and stood up.

“And where you are going?” Misato asked.

“Taking my changes, for some reason.” He answered and walked out the door.

Shinji strolled for a while in the corridors. Then he saw the person what he wanted- and yet not- to see.

Rei was staring out of window. She had cool stare what was directed to deep space. She seemed to watch deeper inside the stars.

Shinji was about to turn away, but then he decided that he should go trough this for a once. He walked beside her. She wore a white uniform, which had Weyland-Yutani markings on it's sleeves.

He stared her for a while. she didn't move or said anything just stood there silently.

“Hi.” Shinji said shyly.

Rei didn't answer.

Shinji waited for a little while for answer and then tried again.

“Nice weather out there.” he looked the stars trying to seem them like she saw them. Rei was still silent.

“Bit cold for taste...” he continued.

“Truly.” Rei finally reacted what Shinji said.

“So, what you are looking?” Shinji said.

“The stars. ”Rei answered.

“Really? Wouldn't have guessed..” Shinji looked at them for a while.

“Isn't it curious?” Rei was this time in voice.

“What?” Shinji asked.

“Humans has always trusted to the stars. They have tried to read omens from them, and have and are still navigating by them. They are helping us, and some of us don't even know it.” Rei talked like she had kept this though in her mind but never told it to anyone.

“I know. It's kind of funny. Many of the stars are dead, they have cooled down or exploded long time ago, but we can still see them here, so when somebody is trying to find destiny in there is it being trying to find it in middle of ghosts?” That had been in his mind too.

Rei now for the first time took her eyes of the window and placed them to gaze Shinji. ”Maybe.” she said. “Maybe.” Then she pressed her hand to the glass. “So much life and colours out there, so much riches. And so much death.”

Shinji wasn't sure was she talking about the Xenomorphs. He decided to ask her a personal question. ”How well do you know my father? I've heard that you are almost constantly with him.”

Rei now pierced her gaze trough him for a second time. “I work for your farther, with all of my skills, talent's and strength.” She answered.

This wasn't the answer that he looked for “Yes, but how well do you know him?” he repeated.

Rei was completely quiet. She thought for appropriate answer. “So well what I need.”

Rei was avoiding him. “So, how well do you need to know him?” Shinji pried.

“I...know him so well that I can...understand him.” Rei seemed to be in a tough place for long time in her life. Her emotionless stance had been broken for a while, but it soon returned.

“And what about my mother? Has he ever talked about her?” Shinji was excited to know. In his time, his farthers mainly concerns were the company's own welfare.

Now Rei was even more confused. ”I...I...haven't heard him saying anything about her...I'm sorry that I cannot give you answers that you are looking for..” she said confused.

Shinji was little disappointed. He expected that person who worked closely with his father would know. “It's okay. He always said that hanging up in the past is a bad way...”

“I disagree.” Rei said with bit of emotion in her voice.

Shinji raised his head “Really?”

“Past is what make us what we are in the future. If we don't know our past, we are ignoring large part of ourselves, running away from it.” Rei said quietly.

“I see.” That was what he was going to do. Father had kept the truth about her mother away from him for too long. “I think you are right too.” Shinji admitted.

Rei looked again to the window. “Do you think our future is in the stars?”

Shinji raised his head. ”I think we should solve our own problems first before leaving to conquer the galaxy.”

“Why is that?” Rei asked.

“Well...there is the Predators and the Aliens...and who knows what else. I don't believe that we are ready...after all they are something not to take lightly.” He answered.

“Maybe it's not question about being ready. Maybe it's just about need to look around.” Rei answered.

“Could be that too.” Shinji shrugged.

“I need to go. Thank you.” Rei thanked.

“For what?” Shinji inquired.

“For talking to me. I'm only used to talk when somebody want's me to do something, or when I have to order someone to do something for me. I conversations.” She turned away. “Between you and me....”she stopped and said: ”Your father can be workaholic some times..” she seemed to smile a little, then she continued to walk away.

Shinji had quite odd impression about her. ”Like talking with a robot...” except one with somekind psychological software installed. “And robots are more social...”

“We prefer the name `artificial person'.” Voice in his back answered.

Shinji startled and sprung around. “Oh sorry about that, Bishop. It's just like semantics to humans.”

“I understand but, its also distracting.” Bishop replied.

“Sorry, I try to find out way to fix that. How can I help?” Shinji asked.

“I'm looking for representative Ayanami. Operator huyga told me that she was here.” Bishop said almost like Rei.

“She is in her quarters now. Why are you looking from her?” Shinji said.

“I've received an important order.” Bishop said.

“Can't it be issued her by another than you?” Shinji asked

“It's an Weyland-Yutani `eyes only' order, only she has the right to hear it.” Bishop said and walk the same way where Rei had went.

As soon as Bishop had left, Shinji noticed a piece of paper on the floor. He pick it up and read it. It had a writing in it.

`I have found something about your mother. Meet me here twelve pm. Standard time.' -Bishop

“Finally..” Shinji thought. Maybe now his questions would be answered.

Captain of Firefly was a ruthless man. He hasn't ever been easy to intimidate.

He didn't trembled when Gendo Ikari crushed last remnants of his former employer and almost destroyed his frigate.

He didn't startled when bunch of W-Y Corporations troops tried to kill him.

Even in most fiercest colonists who had tried to avoid being killed and tormented by him haven't ever been him much of a worry. After all he was captain for thirty crewmembers on board. He had firepower to arm small army, and his crew was loyal for one thing: money. The best loyalty in whole universe.

He believed that there wasn't anything that could end his days on the sun. W&Y Corporation had left him alone, after serious casualties that his crew had inflicted to them. They didn't care about death tolls, but hiring new troops was difficult when all they could provide was bodies. Local gangs didn't dare to come in to their territory. It was feeling of immunity towards death.

Their latest raid on ship full of Terium drug was a complete success. No one even tried to fight back. They just succumbed to their fate like lambs, and he enjoyed feeling over power what he had upon them.

One of them had been quite pleasurable experience to him, she cried and in his twisted mind it made whole torment more satisfactory. There was absolutely nothing that could end his days. No justice in these parts of space, no laws. No limitations. He could keep this up until he had enough loot to early retirement.

Or so did he think.

Now things were quite different from his usual outfit. Something had come on board. At first he thought that it was some of the colonists that they had missed, his boys would make short work of it.

Only problem was, that it was making short work over them.

They haven't ever seen anything like it. It was indeed different. It did not die. Captain saw how it deflected bullets with its gauntlets and how it disappeared and emerged again from some corner.

“Where The hell is it?!” The captain shouted and looked around furtively. About thirty crewmembers only four, and himself were left. Every one seemed to be disappeared or cut to pieces. One of them had heard screaming coming from the cargo bay, at firs they thought that Mark and Ray had some fun with the prisoners. It soon changed, when they all hear mighty roar echoing from walls of the Firefly.

“Sweet Jesus, what is that thing?!” man in his side shouted. He was armed with a Pulse rifle, where grenade launcher had been stripped off. Crew of the Firefly had always complained how it was adding unnecessary weight to them. Captain just told them to bear it like a man, but finally it was easier to go along with their claims than argue. He was young like most of Firefly's crew, young ones who loved easy money and little work.

Now Captain was beginning to regret his act of softness. But in the other hand they didn't even saw their attacker, so how could they have any change to fight it with or with out pulse rifles?

“This is bullshit!” one with older submachine gun snapped, and began to half run away. He was named Ruyan, he had deserted from colonial marines after gaining addiction to W-Y drug, and he realized that it was easier to rob than work for them to get it. He didn't care anymore who he had to kill to get it. “Where you think you are going Ruyan!?” Captain grumbled.

“I'm going to get my ass out of this chicken shit outfit!” He turned around and yelled. ”I should have done this before.”

“Get back here! We aren't gonna run away if things get little heated!” Captain roared and pointed his shotgun at him. ”Nobody leaves now!”

“Little!? Whole goddamn crew is been slaughtered and you a just sitting here hiding! I'm fed up! I'm getting still out while….” Sudden clang coming from the left made him glance up to that direction. He didn't hear anything at first.

Next thing what he heard was series of clicking sounds. Coming from his side. He managed to saw a transparent figure holding something in its hand. Then long spear flied trough mid air and soon transformed so it could be seen. Black, needle bladed spear pierced his chest and grabbing him from his feet and hurled him to a nearby wall. With loud thumb he was left impaled into a wall and spear tip drilled little while in wall. Ruyan raised his hands to the spear, trying to get it out from his guts, and he tried to talk something but only silent wheezing came out.

“Holy shit!” man holding double pistols cried out.

“It's here!” another said and raised rifle in front of him and begin to scour places with his eyes. He got something in his eyes, which was bound to have his attention. It seemed like a figure, except he only saw its borderlines. It was standing on one of the terium crates. ”What the…?” he wondered.

“Don't just wait there! Kill that fucking freak!” one of the remaining ones barked.

Suddenly three red dots appeared on his chest, forming a triangle. Humming came out from the direction where transparent figure and red light spot glowed form its shoulder.

“Die, motherfu…”sudden blue bolt sprung out from figures shoulder, burning right trough his chest. He cried out of pain and large barrage of sparks shoot everywhere from his body and odor of charred flesh filled the hall. Another gang member slumped lifeless to the floor

Three men sprinted away from the Predator. Couple container blocks far they stopped and looked back all of them aiming eerie figure.

Figure on the container let out a loud roar, which was enough to make three remaining bandits to shudder. Transparent figure jumped down middle other boxes. The captain, like all great leader's inspired courage in his men what seemed to be hiding deep inside his two remaining soldiers.

“I'll kill both of you low-life fuckers myself, if you try to run to those goddamn escape pods!” he squeezed his shotgun tighter, kept it halfway pointing at them. These days SPAS-12 was ancient weapon compared what corporation was using but it was still enough to him.

Neither of them left.

“Right” he nodded. He didn't remember either me name. They weren't worth to be remembered and he didn't believe that some day he might have something to do with them someday. “You.” He pointed man with double pistols. ”You will circle by that container over there, behind that bastard.” Then he spoke to another man ”You will go there so that freak will be on crossfire so that you hit it even if you can't see it.”

Both of them stared at him, with a questioning look in their eyes. Silent `what about you?' was obvious question.

“I'll be on guard her, in the case that it will try to come somewhere else.” He squeezed again his shotgun closer and both of them decided that they would die rather later than now. They went where they had been told to go.

Other guy with double pistols wondered between the containers for some time. He stopped between two containers, one of them was without of restrains and another was been placed against the wall. He stopped leaning back to unrestrained container.

Second one was holding his old assault rifle and was closing on the place where Ruyan who had tried to leave, was impaled. Now he saw that lifeless body was lying on the floor, in a blood pool.

Spear was gone.

“AARGH!” he heard loud scream echoing out of the containers.

He looked back to the labyrinth what the Terium containers formed and quickly spun his pulse rifle towards it and beginning carefully to close in the place where he had heard another bandit's cry. When he stepped out of the corner of the container labyrinth he saw what kind of fate his comrade had suffered.

He saw double pistols on the floor. Hands were seen between to containers what had crushed him. Blood pool sprung around between the containers slit what only seemed red stripe. Scratch markings what stern nails had left could still been seen on the container.

He look horrified the scene what the predator had left behind. He glanced around trembling where he would saw bright red dot or eerie figure. Last gang member did only manly thing he could do, only thing that no one of his fellow men's hadn't tried.

He throw away his rifle and began to reach the escape capsules. When he turned he saw his nightmare come true.

Transparent figure was blocking his way. It took couple steps and emerged that he could see it on its true form. It was way taller than he had thought and also possessed more mass. Heavy steps covered the floor when it was right in front of the gang member. It grabbed him by his troth and raised him up to air. It looked at him for a while.

Warm liquid dripped out of mans crotch.

Predator behind his hunting mask grimaced the bitter smell and hurled half-dead man to a nearby container. Last words what he heard before black curtain covered his eyesight was series of clicking sounds, and a word.

“Pathetic.” It said with it's own hoarse voice.

Predator looked around. Every other crew member had been slain or been beaten to unconscious. He thought was his show about his physical fitness a overkill. After all it was only a one man. He felt sudden sense of guilt covering his mind.

Human had only a little change beating predator in close combat, only human what Thaarn could think to be up to the task was his student. Asuka was her name, but other Predators called her Pacifist. It seemed sometimes triggering some kind of amusement in her, but Thaarn couldn't understand it.

She wasn't interested about hunting humans. And he didn't want force her to do anything. She was human in nature, but also one of his tribe. She was more keen on hunting Xenomorphs. Thaarn agreed that they were more challenging that humans these days. He had sent her to a place where there was a possibility to hunt an Alien. He had told her to look for lonely creatures, they had hunted Xenomorphs together, and she was going alone.

“Guys?” male voice called in the back of hall.

Thaarn wakened his thoughts. He almost forgot what was happening. Last one of them. Their leader. He was carrying weapon what was different than any other he had encountered here. It was human weapon called `shotgun', to him it was some kind odd name. But nevertheless dangerous. Thaarn think that his gauntlets would give him some cover, but it would also give his prey enough time to react.

He needed a diversion.

He talked in his own language. If the captain would have undergone same kind of training like Thaarn's student, he would have heard “Come here, and face me.”

Thaarn heard steps. They were rushed, captain was running, either to escape or towards him. Thaarn couldn't tell.

“Come here.” He talked with human language now hoping to lure prey to battle with him.

“No way!” angry voice replied. “come here and eat this, freak!” Captain hold his shotgun ready and glanced over the corner of container covering him.

Thaarn was little amused by captains threat. “Are you afraid?” he continued. He explored his surroundings trying to make up the best way to him.

“Why don't ya come here to find out, huh?” Captain switched his shotgun to gas operation. “Don't ya have enough gut's?” He glanced again being nervous to sweat. He thought that slugged shells could be the all what he needed.

“Why?” Thaarn replied.

“Why what?” he answered.

“Why did you kill…your kinds?” Thaarn hadn't witnessed executions like this before.

Captain was amused. ”Because I could. That's why.” He answered sarcastically. He moved out of his cover. He think that he had found the place where Thaarn was hiding. ”You wouldn't believe what kinds of rush it gives me…seeing they crawl..”

“So, you are superior than them?” Thaarn's voice was curious.

“Hell yes! They are just lambs, weak animals, and this is war!”

“War…?” Thaarn repeated. “War..War…War…War” he repeated this word several times with his own and captains voice. Thaarn sprung out his spear and it let out a little hum when it grew about his size.

“What the…Are you some kind of parrot?” Captain heard this too and now run behind another container. He heard faint humming coming behind the container's in front of him.

“You are…lowly individual.” Thaarn accused.

Captain laughed. “Was that an insult? Man, are you stupid or what? They are just cattle, fatting up and being carved to meat just the way they should. I don't know what kind of shit head you are but you ain't gonna take my ship!”

Thaarn let out a hiss. ” I've been away from too long. I did a mistake believing that humans have changed…they aren't all like my student…”

“Hah! I know it! You have some one with you! Heh! Of course!” Captain took another dive between exposed space of the labyrinth.

“She is…more than you could even imagine…”Thaarn remembered their departure.

“She?” Captain said hostile. ”You have a bitch in here?! Where is she? Or did you fuck her up someplace else?”

“What?” sudden sense of anger burst out off him.

“Your lady! I bet that she is hot…tell you what give her to me and we could have some group fun together if you know what I mean. Ever had third wheel with her?” Captain taunted. ”Guess she's bored, haven't had any real man for along time. Well don't worry i'll take care her at every position when you are gone, and after that I will beat her face till it bleeds-like a red sun.”

Thaarn's other hand squeezed tightly around his spear and his free palm clenched a giant fist. Knuckles were cracking on his free hand. He was enraged by that kinds of insult towards his student and at the same time maybe closest comrade to him. This wasn't an insult just for her, but also insult to his ablities.

“You see this is right job for me…always easy money and some pussies to play with.” He took last step where he had first heard Thaarn's voice. ”You are this chains weakest link, say your prayers!” He sprung around the corner and fired three shots blindly the place where he think was Thaarn's position. When he looked precisely he noticed that it was empty.

“Gone hiding your foxy lady's skirt, huh? Well and I'll find you and then I and that chick will have some hot banging together..”

Now Thaarn couldn't calm down himself any more. He leap around the other box and let out a roar.

Captain turn around and fired two shot's. One of them hit Thaarn's shoulder plating nearly ripping it off. Another shot hit his free hand.

Thaarn felt shells tearing his flesh. Predators skin is tough and thick, but slug shells between that kind of distance were even too much for Predator to handle, Thaarn was hunting with relatively unprotected armor. He didn't stay still to endure the pain, but waved his spear in large arc trying to hit his feet's.

Captain managed to make partially sidestep but Thaarn's spear hit his leg tossing him on his back to the floor. Thaarn didn't try to impale him but raised his spear to upwards hit again downwards with his needle bladed spear.

Captain narrowly managed to avoid his doom and needle blade met floor letting out metallic clang. Captain soon took firmer grab of his shotgun and fired again.

This time Thaarn was prepared and waved his gauntlet to protect him self. Captain watch amazed as almost unprotected predator deflected his shots, and waved again his telescope spear.

Captain hold his Spas12 horizontally and managed to block Thaarn's spear swing. But instead of his expectations spear didn't drop out from Thaarn's healthy hand. Thaarn had battle before one handed, this situation wasn't new to him. He had firm grip over his spear.

Pair struggled, Captain trying to push spear out of Thaarn's hand and Thaarn trying to twist his spear inside of captains flesh. Soon Thaarn spear needle blade began to touch captains cheek. ”aa…”Blade begin to tear wound on captains cheek.

This time he noticed possible window fighting against wounded giant. He managed to straight out his shotgun. ”Say Good night!” He fired again.

Slug shells hit directly Thaarn's hunting mask, throwing him backwards against the containers for couple meters of absent space. Thaarn smashed Against the containers and with a loud thump, he fall against them leaning back them like unconsciousness, spear lying on his side.

Captain slumped powerless after struggle with the giant. He looked proudly how his weapon had make his enemy sorry that he ever came around his territory. “That's the way, consider yourself this chains weakest link, pal.” He chuckled and jumped to his feet.

He made his way to lifeless body of the predator. It was lying still against the boxes, still bleeding from shoulder and arm.

Captain closed right beside and studied his opponent carefully. From close it seemed to be dressed in some kind of web suit, only thin clothing covering it's crotch. “What a fashion design…is that some kind new stripped version of armani suit?” He asked jokingly.

Thaarn didn't answer.

“Or is that some kind of sex therapy shit between you and your lady? Hafta say that these kinds of suit's are my style…”He felt Thaarn's clothing between his fingers. then he proceed to look his opponent injured hand. Almost bright green blood was trailed from all the way from the labyrinths end to container group.

Predators shoulder was almost intact, only couple slugs managed to get it's way inside his green flesh. but impact still was pretty strong, as a proof his shoulder plating was almost torn out.

Gauntlets had held up well too but slugs had torn unprotected side of it. Green flesh seemed almost glowing in the dark room.

“I guess you can save ships reactor when you are glowing like that…Wonder what Weyland-Yutani would pay for your corpse?” He wondered, like Thaarn could answer.

“Heh, they have elephants memory what it comes to money. I have had just about enough of it.” He stood up took something out of his pocket. One of the most difficult goods to smuggle here, old time cigars. They were still hard to get, W&Y never had any serious interest of Hydroponics gardens, so they had left it for others, who were willing to invest on hydroponics. Terium was a synthetic drug, one of the most closely guarded secrets.

He put took his lighter and put his cigar tightly around his lips. “You see…” He opened his lighter and gas flame ignited on it. he took it closer to his cigar and soon he blow out smoke rings. ”That Gendo Ikari had some kind of own things on the move, always chasing weird bug's, or investigating ruins, never really cared about any ancient shit. Man's gotta look to the future, not just messing around old ruin or run after some rumors…” He glanced Thaarn. But then again you don't seem to be a rumor, do you?”

He watched Thaarn's body and kicked his arm. It slumped back over his spear. “Hmm…Ikari will pay anything for your corpse, an' I don't wonder any of it, being that kind of alien Rambo with those gizmo's all over you self…” he took another breath of smoke and turn his back to his ticket back to the sun. ”Must be pretty cool to be you…”

He tasted his cigar for another time. “Well, they can't stop me, I'm invincible as you saw. Hell I can get new crew when I have sucked all money out of your corpse, I'm sure that there plenty of nice doctors who want get dissecting you…like Ritsuko Akagi!” He remembered doctor who was one the most attracting symbols of Weyland-Yutani. ”I heard her being transferred somewhere in the front line…hell maybe we can exchange something else than just data….” He said confident and turned again to Thaarn.

And his cigar slipped out of his lips.

Thaarn had risen up, holding again spear in his other hand. Captain reacted and raised shotgun ready to fire, but it was now Thaarn's turn to surprise him.

Arm what seemed to be uselessly crippled, swing trough the air and smacked his shotgun aside. Thaarn thrust his spear trough his stomach with power that the spear sprung out of his back. He let out of cry of surprise and agony when he felt it tearing trough him.

Captain looked amazed. In his last seconds one thing flashed trough his mind to his lips: “This is..agh...one shit trip...” Shotgun slipped out of his grasp, and life escaped out of his limbs, he soon fell powerless his body only holding up because of Thaarn's strength. Captain of the Firefly, leader of Flying Daggers gang, had met his final dawn.

His days on the sun were officially over.

Thaarn hit captain body out of his spear with his injured arm's palm. He pressed a switch barely even seen on his spear decorations and telescope spear began to shrink back to its practical mode.

“Weakest link…” Thaarn clicked and put his spear back to its own compartment. He studied his latest kill. Despite how low his honor was in human and predators degree, captain had still put him up a good fight. Partially fault of that was his. He had attacked with out thinking that it maybe could be fatal to himself. But again, he tried to preserve honor of his student…

Thaarn didn't partially understand why did captain begin to explain all of that somebody who he thought to be dead. Thaarn guessed that it was some kind of cultural issue, what he hadn't seen before. But it wasn't everything what was odd.

He noticed how captain had put something on fire and then breathed it. Thaarn found soon with his thermal vision on the floor captain cigar. It hasn't even get started. Thaarn put the fire out by cutting it's head, and then he smell it. He recognized some similarities on aroma of certain jungle plants, but the rest wasn't familiar to him.

He opened up a container on his wrist to take it with him. Maybe his student would know better. Now he switched his mask vision mode.

They upgraded their hunting masks to show world to them in colors. Thaarn had acquired this mode after he took Asuka with him. Predators only show heat of humans, and they only saw difference on humans when they were close enough. Other clan members later upgraded their helmets so that they could see her too. This mode was rarely used, and its original purpose was quite different. Some time ago, group of humans had come up a way to hide their presence from predator's eyes. They began to develop a way to see things what didn't show thermal radiation. It wasn't sophisticated like their vision of the world, and it wasn't accurate, but it was better than not to see anything at all. Basic problem was still the same: There wasn't all purpose mode what would be right to every situation. Seeing the world like that was unique experience to them, as they saw collection of bright colors on their eyes.

He now saw captain's shotgun on the ground. He picked it up and studied it carefully: it looked old, but still effective. He saw shells on the ground and wondered would there be anymore of them in the ship. He decided to take this as his additional trophy.

He also took a look of his wound. He had left all the healing equipment in their ship. So he could only say one thing about his wound.

“Scheisse.” He had heard Asuka use that word often, especially at beginning of her training. After hearing about it sometime he decided to ask what it meant. Now he had to make a call for Asuka to pick him up. He pressed button on his wrist computer. Message had been sent and now he could only wait her to come pick her up. Enough time him to make necessary preparations…

Asuka saw alarm light blipping on her own arm computer. Thaarn was calling her to pick him up. It wasn't only blipping rarely so Thaarn wasn't in danger, but he thought that place couldn't be secure for long.

“Hold on, I have to take care of something first…”She knowing well that he couldn't heard her.

Asuka prepared to meet her prey, her first one that she was going after alone.

She reminded herself instructions what Thaarn had teach her. She had several weapons of her choice.

One was predator Spear gun, powerful weapon that resembled a sniper rifle, but instead of bullets it shot out spear tips, which easily made hole on a wall. Only drawback was Xenomorphs agility and weapons slow rate of fire… “Maybe not, I'm not so good with that thing…”

She looked then about another weapon. This was a one of the Predators choice of weapon, a disk. It was linked with hunting mask so that it could contain lock over target same way that like they plasmacaster. This was maybe one of the efficient weapons that predator's had but Aliens acid blood made it somewhat hazardous weapon: it chops it and it has bad habit to bring acid to it's users hand when it returns to its master. Many predators let it fly only once and then it hits somewhere else to dry up. ”Mmm, really tempting, but no” Also disk had a flaw to miss it's target on tight spaces.

Next was her favorite, telescope spear. Her spear was different than Thaarn's: it was made out of two Xenomorphs tails, which she suspected to be brothers. She didn't know if they had any kind of relationship, but they seemed to stick together. Nevertheless, this spear was inner built of predators own metal alloy, and coated outside by those tails. It was complete immune to Xenomorphs blood; it was same chitinous armor like they own. Tails black vertebra were forming wave kind of pattern and when she was holding her spear horizontally it seemed like a stoned snake. Aliens tail end up in a wide spear like tip. It was good for hunting average Xenomorph because they usually tried to plunge and tackle their victim with their own mass, so it was easy to impale them with momentum of their own jump. So long when Asuka didn't let them to lurk behind her, she should be okay.

“Guess we have a winner…” she took the spear out of the weapons cabinet, and whirled it a while in her hand. Her moves were sophisticated and it almost seem that spear had come alive. After taking firmer grip over it and making some thrust attacks on the air. ”Yeah…this will do…” He pressed the button and the spear shrink back to carrying mode.

Now all things what she had to worry were people on the outpost. They probably were scaring for their lives and desperately were waiting for someone, who told to be a cargo liner.

But what would happen when they notice that their savior is a predator? They seemed all to be civilians about how they made their mayday request.

But they were armed. And desperate.

That was a bad combination, more likely they would be so afraid that they would try to kill her after she made it to planets surface.

So, she was thinking should she fire back if they fire upon her? She had never been intention to hunt down another humans, and Thaarn had again against all her thoughts accepted her request to leave those trips where Thaarn had gone to hunt, and spent more time on her true enemy…

Enemy. That was a word that predators didn't use. They talked about prey's or hunted, but they never mentioned about wars, or enemies. This was another thing what deeply had been on her mind. They didn't seem to hate truly anything except two things: Krarlraarln and Krarl'rurt'shaarrn. Asuka only knew that predator word Krarlraarln meant a `monster'. Krarl'rurt'shaarrn was unfamiliar to her, but Krarl inside the word series was probably `terrible' or `cursed'. It didn't help that In predators language weren't really words, only rythmical clicks, what she constantly was missing. Much of predators world weren't clear to her.

Either way they seemed to have weight among predators. Thaarn didn't want to talk about them, and other predators only said that she doesn't want to encounter either of them.

“Approaching Enron 578” Monotone voice reported.

Asuka awakened her thoughts now was time to decide. she worked out her shoulder cannon, and decided that if she would need to defend herself, she would. She was just hoping that it would not come to that. Asuka looked again her outfit. Her web suit was still at place and she had dressed her gauntlets covering her arms, and shoulder armors were in place. She thought should she dress something else covering her. She felt still little naked. Some armor plating had been spread front of her should her ever need more protection.

“Aw hell, I should be a great hunter and here I'm thinking what would I put on like I'm going to a prom.” She snorted at her own vanity. At one time these kinds of questions where her main concern, but it all seemed so pointless now. She walked to the cockpit to see her hunting ground.

As her ship fly trough atmosphere she could saw virtually untouched planet opening under her. Great forests of pine trees were growing, and spectacular rock monuments rose between the threes as competing each other for glory. She even saw deep blue lakes somewhere. It seemed like fairy tale forest, so pure and beautiful that she couldn't understand how abominations like Xenomorphs were living there, it just didn't make sense.

This was one of the reasons why she had wanted to be a pilot of company ships. Cargo ferries also went places like these, exploring the universe not just lining up somewhere. All though she had heard that may of them also went environmentally hostile areas, but even them were sometimes worth to look into. Discovering these kinds of things and worlds were one of her passions. She like most of the people working here had grown up on space stations. And clean sky was something what was rare to her.

She soon saw where out post where placed. It was dug inside of mountain formation. Only a landing platform, enough to take in three dropships was visible, installation seemed to be tried to hide. She saw lone figure waiting on the platform. A Man.

He soon noticed that vessel in approach wasn't company's, but an unknown.

Asuka finished her ships landing sequence and looked her own hunting mask. It was auburn shaded, not like Thaarn's own mask. It also had lesser markings and decorations but it was because she was his student. `When the time comes, you will get more higher rank.'

Asuka hadn't really thought about her future, how she would die or how old would she get. Those things didn't seem to be important. Only one thing was.

Hunting.

She pressed her mask tightly around her skull. Clicks on both sides confirmed that it was in place. Normally predators breathe their own gases mixed up with oxygen with a feeder system placed on their back. But after while of getting their lungs to come along with oxygen predators could breathe same air as humans.

She sling her wrist blades open concealed on her right hand. It was same as using knife against a Xenomorphs, useless, but still worthy as using it a tool chopping her way trough obstacles.

She opened hatch and walked out of her ship, then she took good look over the guy who had survived trough hell here.

He was middle aged wearing technicians uniform. He had completely covered with blood, it didn't seemed to be his own, because he was still standing. Her face were pale and strained. He was horrified and looked like all his life has been collapsed. He looked even more horrified as he saw Asuka. He began to shook his head and laugh, but it wasn't joy full. He seemed to be nervously chuckling like considering her arrival kind of anticlimax. He took couple shaking back steps, screamed like being killed and began to run back to the building.

Asuka knew instantly that she couldn't talk any sense to him. He was too scared, and maybe he had find his way here randomly. ”Hey, I'm not gonna kill you!” she shouted back to him hoping that predator speaking like human could make him sense that he wasn't in any danger.

Man didn't answer but continued to dash back to the door. He began to panicking to press buttons on the panel, trying to find the right one.

Asuka shook her head. “I've heard about shy men, but even baka didn't get so upset when seeing me...” she joked to herself, it was obvious he couldn't heard her. She sighed the fact that man wasn't carrying any weapons, so she didn't had to kill him.

Door opened. Asuka was amazed that person so volatile state of mind could remember opening sequence.

But the real reason was different.

Huge, pitch black figure came out the door. Panicking man was so confused that he didn't even notice it, before he run in its arms, and then it was too late.

Creature grab him with its claws and raise him up. Man began to scream but it ended middle into a disgusting crack sound. Asuka was too far to see things clearly. He saw something red sprung out oh place of his head. The alien threw his almost headless body aside and took couple steps, before letting out a deep roar.

She grimaced and took a closer zoom over her enemy.

Instead of melon head this alien owned broad shield like head, it's head sprung back out wide to cover large area. It was also bigger than Xenomorphs that she had sawn. Its arm's were longer, and feet's more thicker. Tail had almost grown oversized. Asuka quickly realised what her enemy was.

A praetorian.

Asuka chewed her lower lip inside her mask. ”This is not my day...”she said to her self as the guard alien began to smell area around itself.

An, Knight One: Pairing thing I won't comment, to keep you 'excited'. And by the way Ellen Ripley, and Bishop aren't ACC's, but original characters from the movies.