The dust of Yautja Prime was rough and desolate. The weak cannot survive here. At least, difficult by any means. But what isn't? Looking over the landscape, mostly sand and death in a dry wasteland. Around here, at least. My name is Aida. Njohrr is my father, Kwei is my younger brother, and Dek is my baby brother. My mother... She's a lot, and expects me to fight at her will. I refuse to. Unlike the rest of my clan, I don't want to fight if I can avoid it. So, why am I out here? Once there are any traces of anyone out here, I will be leaving for Earth. One, I am going to test the Prey and test my skills with them. No one questions it, especially since I am the biggest of the females in the clan. My name is Aida. I hate violence, so I avoid it if possible. But of course, I am not given much choice.
That's when I heard a vehicle coming out here. Looking to the side, a blade fighter is heading this way. Great. I turned to my ship and headed inside. Time to go to Earth. Heading to the helm, I start the engine of the ship.
"Vek'dti kra'nach Aida," the ship's AI system said as the helm started up.
"Va-de, k'vath kra'hta dari," I ordered the ship's AI system.
"Gau'tei, tak'cha-set." The ship began to move, and I took a seat, looking over the trophies I had gathered over the years—many human skulls, from the start until now. A few Xenomorph skulls here and there, some dinosaur skulls, and I'm surprised that there are some planets with dinosaurs from Earth still alive around now. People are strange. They look for ways to bring back extinct creatures, but don't look into the downsides. I heard about humans making dinosaur parks, and all went downhill. Hence, that's how I got dinosaur skulls. The dinosaur I hunted last was something called a D-rex. I wear a device around my neck to adjust what I hear and what language it sounds like I'm saying. I still remember the first time I went to Earth. At the time, there was another unblooded that had gone with me, but to another part of the world. I hadn't seen him since; he probably ended up killed somewhere. I, however, went to a place that was covered in color and lights. Honestly, I would have stayed and lived my life in hiding there.
Until I saw men hurting a woman. I remember I growled at the sight. The men looked around in a panic; the area they were in was far off, and no one would hear them easily. So I jumped down that night and killed those men, ripping out their spines and skulls. The woman ran, terrified. I wanted to ease her fear, but a creature close to nine feet tall there wouldn't be good for calming, humans are small things, and aren't easily trusting of what they don't know or understand. This trip will be just another Distraction for me to get away from Yautja Prime, more specifically, my mother. But it is better than her trying to send me to go after whatever bad blood that has come to be in another clan, fathers, or anyone else's clan.
"Ka'thra-da ti." The ship's AI system sounded. I turned to the helm of the ship and stood up, walking to the window to look down as Earth came into view. This place of kayos is my escape from home.
"Tak'cha'dte ka, na'kth kwei." I ordered the AI system as it got close to the planet. "Dak'ra-nok kh'cha, nau'kan tsi'kren."
The ship cloaked in camouflage as we entered the status sphere and lowered into the planet's orbit. Watching as the world came into view, I watched it all through the helm's front window. Once the ship had landed in a rather desolate area, I slid on my helmet and headed out, weapons on my hip as I moved quickly. The trip was long and silent. Most people must have abandoned this area. A good place to hide the ship.
The sun began to rise on this planet, and humans went out at night and day made their switch. The streets grew crowded, and I scaled the side of these human building structures and made my way to the rooftops. The crowded community grew noisy as the sunlight covered the civilization of humans on this side of the world. Walking across the rooftops silently in the daylight, I watched the humans down below as they went on with their daily lives. My footsteps were heavy as I walked across the rooftops. Then, leaped across the gap between buildings and clawed my way up to the rooftop. Some humans saw the rubble and ran off in a panic. My cloak kept me hidden.
Climbing onto the rooftop, I stopped. On the next rooftop was a young female, sitting there, something over her ears, and doing something with this tablet on her lap. Silently, I crossed the rooftops and stood behind her, watching over her shoulder. She was drawing a picture on her tablet with a device in her hand. I watched her draw with focus. She stopped and took off her devices from her ears, looking around. I stepped back silently. She turned and looked at every angle, confused.
"Hello?" She called, looking around her. I stayed still, watching her. "What the hell do I smell then?"
Tilting my head as I watched her, curiosity grew. Can she really smell me with a sense of smell so weak? Moving silently, I circled her while she couldn't see me. She lagged behind my trail while turning, but still followed my movements without seeing me. Strange. Looking at her tablet on the ground, I had an idea. I picked up her devices while cloaked. She saw this and gasped. She backed away and nearly fell off the rooftop. I grabbed her waist and pulled her back over. She is small in both my hands. She held onto me while she couldn't see me.
"What the?" She looked around, confused. I set her down on the rooftop to sit, being careful since she was a human, not a Yautja. I picked up the tablet and device and wrote in the Broken English I knew, then handed it to her while still hidden.
"You smell me?" My writing was messy, but readable. The female read it and looked at what she thought were my eyes since she couldn't see me.
"Yes?" she responded. "Is it not noticeable? Or can you not smell it?"
I retook the tablet and wrote it out again. "I haven't noticed it. What do you smell on me?"
"It smells like willow tree bark," she answered. This was surprising. I had been around willow trees often on Earth when I was just wandering around. I didn't believe it was enough to have the scent on me.
Thunder rumbled overhead. Raindrops came down. My cloaking began to waver. She saw my helmet, and her eyes widened. I stood at my full height over her, and I made my way to the edge of the rooftop. Over my shoulder, I glanced at her and waved before leaping to a rooftop and traveling across it. I traveled across the rooftops, but my mind wouldn't stop going back to that female.
The travel went on until the sun came out, as it was sunset. I looked over the horizon at the pink, magenta, and beautiful hue gradient. It was a beautiful sight I got to see on Earth during my stay. This place is gorgeous. Then there are the darker aspects of this planet, some areas more pronounced than others. Walking across the rooftop, I heard a scream from below. Looking down, a group of males and females is tormenting a little human pup. The little one was crying as the grown humans shoved it around.
I leaped down with a loud thud, and I landed. The fully grown humans looked in my direction. The little one took it as a chance and ran away crying. My footsteps were heavy, deliberate, and echoed in the small space between buildings. The closest human drew a knife, and the others followed his example. The closest one, I tore his head off. None of them could see me since my cloak was still on. The females screamed. I didn't stop with the first one.
With the rest, I crushed their abdomens against the wall and killed them, while the last one, I jammed my hand in her back, and tore out her spine and skull. Their blood covered me. I roared out into the night. I dropped the head and pulped skull and spine with the bodies. I heard many footsteps approaching this way. I dragged one of the male bodies that was still intact, scaled the wall, and hung the body by its feet on these thick wires overhead.
The first human who saw the body screamed. I watched from above. I was about to leave when I saw the Human again. I stayed despite knowing I needed to head off. I scaled down the building near her, careful not to make any noise or sudden movement that would notify the other humans around her. She turned her head slightly in my direction. She can smell me. The other humans don't.
"What the hell is this?" a male asked while looking at everything around in the small space. I watched with satisfaction.
"This keeps happening every so often," another human said. "The last time this happened, the government nuked an entire city!"
"Wait, I thought that was back in 2007," another added. "Wasn't one of the government bases attacked back in 2018?"
I watched this with interest and observed them.
"Everyone out!" another human said, ushering away the crowd. I followed the girl at a distance, climbing up the side of a building as I followed her. She could feel me following her. She must have an idea where I am and what I can do, looking at the result I left. I don't know why I was following her. She isn't strong prey, but she is still interesting as far as humans go. Then I shook my head and went back to hunting. I can't get distracted, even though this human is more interesting than the rest, considering how little she feared me when she found out she was being watched. But she did almost fall off a building.
I was about to leave, till I saw males following her. I dropped down, and a loud thud sounded. The males stopped in fear, and the female stopped and turned back quickly. She saw the males; others on the street looked this way. My cloak kept me hidden from them still. They only saw the indents my feet left. The males looked fearful and left in the opposite direction. I walked closer to the female. Others on the streets came to the indent where I landed. The female made a small motion with her hands before leaving. I followed her. She walked quickly, but I could keep up with my regular walking speed.
She walked for a long while, and I followed her the entire way. She went outside the area of buildings to the outskirts. Does she know my ship is out here? She kept walking, and I followed her. I looked ahead of her in the distance. the outline of my ship's base on the ground was visible. She walked till she was a short distance from my ship's hull. Then she turned to me, even though she couldn't see me.
"Did you follow me?" She asked, looking up and around ahead of her, trying to find my eyes. I hit a few settings on the arm piece and made myself visible. She looked in my eyes, even with my mask on. "You can understand English, yes?"
I let out clicking noises and a gentle growl.
"Right, uh, just nod for yes and shake your head for no, okay?" She asked. I nodded my head, letting our more clicking noises. "Okay, good to know."
I tilted my head and watched her.
"Were you sent here?" She asked. I shook my head. "So you aren't here to abduct anyone or probe them or whatever your kind will do to humans?"
I tilted my head, watching her.
"No, that's stupid," She shook her head, talking aloud. "This is real life, not those movies with terrible lighting, effects, and writing."
I watched her frustrated moment. She realized I was watching and coughed. her face looked red. Is she ill?
"Anyway, uh," She began again. "Did you come here to hurt people?"
I took a few minutes to consider how to answer that, then I shook my head.
"You took a minute to answer that," She noticed. "I guess it depends?"
I nodded slowly.
"Okay, so why are you here?" She asked. I took a Bloody pulped skull with the spine still attached off my belt and held it out to her. She looked at it with wide eyes. "Is- that's a human skull?"
I nodded. She looked very unsettled.
"So you're here to hunt?" She asked, shaking a little. I nodded. "Are- are you going to add my skull to it?"
I shook my head.
"No?" She asked, a little less shaky. "So, why did you kill those people?"
I took out my plasma sword and gestured to it.
"A sword?" She asked. I shook my head. "Weapons- You killed them because they were armed?"
I nodded.
"Is that why you took the skull?" She asked. I shook my head. I put away the sword and my prize. And pointed to the muscles in my arm. "The strongest? that's why you took the skull?"
I nodded.
"Okay, so being tiny saves me," She said. I tilted my head, watching her. I walked towards her till she was an arm's length away. "Huh?"
I kneeled to her height. She was confused watching me. I took off my mask and showed her my face. She let out a small gasp. She looked at my face, her eyes wandering. My mandibles clicked as I watched her. her hand shakily traced my face. my mandibles twitched under her hand. I didn't move and watched her as her hands traced my face.
"What are you?" She asked quietly.
"Aida," I said to her. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"You can talk?" She asked. I nodded. Slowly, I stood up and put my mask back on. Then I pointed to her. "My name?"
I nodded.
"Well, my name is Alexis." The female, Alexis, said.
"Alexis," I said her name, testing it on my tongue. Alexis's face went red again. I poke her face gently with my clawed finger.
"What?" She asked. I pointed to my face, then hers. "My face?"
I nodded.
"Oh, you don't know what blushing is, do you?" She asked. I tilted my head in confusion. She let out an uncomfortable laugh. "Well, uh,"
I watched her; her reactions like this make her much more interesting than regular humans, even Yautja.
"I should get home, heh." She gave a smile while walking around me. I took her arm in my hand, stopping her. "Huh-wow!"
I picked her up, turning on my cloak, and ran at full speed. She clung to me as I carried her. the tech in my mask traced her lifestyle to a big building. I carried her in one arm as I scaled up the buildings and leaped to her building. I didn't stop till I reached the window, and climbed in, and set her down. She was disoriented, but mostly okay past that,
"Okay, that was disorienting," Alexis said. "You should-"
That's when we heard something in her home. I looked past her, and here was a male in all black, holding a gun. Immediately, I grabbed him by the head and crushed it. Alexis immediately called for help as more males came in. I rushed them and slaughtered them. Alexis couldn't see what I was doing, but the sound of flesh and bone being broken was enough to imagine.
By the time more humans came, the males were dead on the floor, one missing both his skull and spine. I stayed out of the way with my cloak still on. The humans investigated, and I stayed close to Alexis till they left. I looked to her, turning off my cloak.
"That was bad." She said, looking up to me. "Is this your everyday thing?"
I nodded. She sighed and hung her head.
"Okay, so what now?" She runs her fingers through her hair.
I pointed to the skulls on my belt.
"Right, your... hunt?" She asked. I nodded. "Right, guess I'll see you around, Aida."
I nodded and headed to the window. Climbing out, I scaled up the side of the building. The sun was down, and the stars came out, full moon overhead. I traveled across the rooftops. Alexis was still on my mind. I thought about her small size relative to me, and how she wasn't scared when she saw my face. When her face would turn red from something I reacted to. This has never happened before; nothing has been on my mind like this. She is unlike anything I have met before. She might just be what I stay on earth for. Or I might take it with me; we'll see what the circumstances bring forward.
Days went by, and I would get a new hunt here and there. By the ninth day, I had ten skulls on my belt. I hadn't spoken to Alexis, but I watched over her when I did see her. Hence, the new trophies. The humans were all in a state of alert, while my blood trail was what many saw as an antiquated slaughter. But I was going after the worst threats on earth while sparing the weakest. It's how Yautja are, and how we improve our skills and choose the strongest to be our trophy, honoring our vow of hunting. Partly, that's why I'm here, besides avoiding my mother.
Moving on, I continued to travel until I saw vehicles with a very familiar logo. Weiland Yutani Corporation. A friend of mine works for them. She, however, is aiming to tear apart the company. They must be looking for me or something that escaped their containment. I stayed on the rooftop and watched from above as the humans spread out with guns and body armor. My mask's tech zoomed in and tuned into their communication system.
"Yutani, the Yautja is in the city." One human said into the comms, possibly to the one running the show.
"Stay on its trail, its tech could be a brilliant use to us, its DNA too." Another human voice came through. They took tech before things changed since then. Now it's in the system to be aware of while on Earth.
I leaped across the rooftops and aimed my plasma caster at one vehicle. I kept my cloak on and watched from above. Then I fired, destroying the vehicle. The humans below panicked and looked up, guns ready. I watched them, staying out of sight, and my plasma caster ready, my hand on my plasma sword. The humans haven't fought a female Yautja yet, and I plan on changing that once I get a good look at how they fight. For the most part, with only guns. Fair in range, but they can't strike anything behind them without possibly losing a fight with something in front of them. So I will test something.
Quietly and quickly, I scaled down the wall, and in the center of the humans, since they had their backs to each other. Idiots. With one quick slash around, the humans close to me fell dead in half. I moved down as the other humans turned and fired, shooting each other dead. I stood up and looked around at the dead humans. My cloak kept me hidden, and blood dripped from my hand. I left the group there; none are suitable as a trophy from the group. As I left, I saw that another troupe was coming this way. Looks like they'll find others of their own dead. Not my problem.
I left them there and scaled the building's wall to the rooftop. And then left. I didn't care. I kept walking. My mind wandered to Alexis again. Not long ago, I met her on the street. She saw my cloak flicker, and followed me to a hidden area, and she talked to me, and I answered yes or no questions. She mentioned going to something called therapy. She explained it's to help process something traumatic. I wasn't entirely sure what the use of that is. Humans are strange. She went on to explain that mental health is as important as physical health. I was still confused, but I took what I had as what was the basic information and left it at that.
I shook my head and went on to continue to travel across the rooftops. I kept an eye out for threats or Alexis. The planet here is much calmer than what the Yautja grew up with. There is mostly just people without weapons wandering around, none very hostile, just unpleasant. I didn't go down to take any as trophies for that exact reason. It's not much, it's not exciting, it's not dangerous, but it is pleasant to listen to the area around me and just enjoy Earth at its finest. Even if there are some Unpleasant humans, they don't affect how much I enjoy it here on earth. Looking down, I saw how Humans often cross race and take in children that don't look much like them.
I wonder if taking in a child without a mate would be for Yautja. I can imagine how upset Mother would be. but this will be my choice. I continued, watching the humans and their children. I continued as the sun moved throughout the day during my travel. The company humans kept showing up every so often. It's annoying, but they aren't causing problems yet. So time will tell. At least that's what I thought, until they surrounded Alexis' home. I was angry. I made my way in silently, and inside, Alexis was surrounded and being questioned.
"I told you, I don't know about a Yautja, whatever that is." Alexis said while restrained to a chair.
"Ma'am, this creature is dangerous. We need to contain it before more people die," one of the humans said.
I let out a growl and click. Alexis's eyes widened when she heard me, but they couldn't see me because of my cloak. I moved to stand behind her while the other humans looked around in a panic, weapons up and aimed. Alexis relaxed; she could smell me. How can she smell me anyway? The humans in front of us continued to look around, trying to find me, weapons aimed. One turned aggressively to Alexis.
"Stop playing! Where is it?!" He had his gun pointed at her. I moved behind him, jammed my hand in his back, and tore out the spine and skull. Alexis had her eyes closed tightly. The men all turned with wide-eyed horror. I turned off my cloaking and roared so loudly, the entire building could hear me. The men aimed to fire at me. I slashed Alexis's restraints, blocked her with my body, and hit a few buttons on my arm piece, turning on my shield. The gunfire bounced off the shield, hitting the men, killing them. Turning to Alexis, I lifted her over my shoulder.
"Wha-Aida?!" She explained, while I jumped out of the window and dug my claws into the wall as we descended downward. Once we landed, I ran, still carrying her over my shoulder. "Aida! Where are we going?!"
I kept running. Humans ran screaming. I turned on my cloak and lost the company. I set her down on her feet.
"Okay," She sighed, exhausted. "That was a lot."
I turned off my cloak and nodded.
"I am gonna need my things and move... somewhere else." She said. I tilted my head to the side. She noticed this and explained. "I don't have family around here that care, the only family I have don't care that I'm alive. They wanted me to do something they approved of, but I wanted to do art."
I watched her. She wanted to do one thing, but no one in her family approved of it. That sounds like my mother. She doesn't support the non-violent choice.
"I doubt you are staying long either," Alexis said. I tilted my head. "Once you finish your hunt, you're going to leave. Right?"
I watched her for a while, not moving my head or my body.
"I'll take that as a yes." She said with a disappointed tone. "I guess it can't be helped."
I stepped closer to her.
"Aida?" she asked. I pointed to myself, then back towards her home. "Are you offering to get my things?"
I nodded. She was surprised.
"What about the people?" She asked.
"Vra'at k'cha'ti-de naru'ta," I told her in Yautja. She gave me a confused look. I headed off and turned on my cloak.
The humans from before left to search for us. I climbed up her building and into her home, gathered the tablet and device she was drawing with, and this bag of her clothing. She didn't have much, but it will make things easier for traveling. I picked up the back and put away the tablet, device, and the wires that came from the wall to give them power.