A few days passed and no one but people bringing food to them came. There was no testing or scientists. It was only Artemis and Rhage left together in the cell that apparently was now their shared one.

A guard with a sneer and nasty scar spanning his face informed them that she had been relocated to stay with the Predator. She wondered if this was some kind of test they were doing. Maybe they were watching their every move.

It had to be that, Artemis concluded on the third day.

They were probably watching every interaction between them and it made her nervous. What were they seeking? She didn't know what their goal was by keeping her and Rhage locked together but she didn't mind the companionship. Together they had gotten to know each other some.

Artemis found he was an Elder, something a Hunter achieved over many centuries of countless hunts and accomplishments. He liked to brag about how his trophy collection was the largest of his clan. Such a thing had earned him the title of Clan Leader. This alien was a freaking leader of his people. It was no wonder he was so calm and level headed.

Rhage had a calmness that matched his hard earned profession. His title he wielded with great pride.

She also learned he had hundreds of kids, literally hundreds. The Yautja sure got around. He told her sex was for the most part just for breeding, though it was enjoyable on the occasion, but the females he had kids with didn't mean anything to him. That assurance helped to quell the weird jealousy she felt towards the unknown women he had bedded.

It was on the fifth day of them being stuck together that she got to see what he looked like outside of the shadows.

Artemis had just finished the tray of food that had been delivered while Rhage sat silently next to her. She noticed he had been quieter than normal, his eyes on the doorway like he was waiting on something. Whatever he was planning it sure wasn't going to be a party.

One of his hands gently rubbed her lower back. Her back had started to hurt and no position lying down had helped. Not on her side, back, curled up, or even sitting against the wall.

Nothing.

She guessed he grew annoyed because he made her sit in his lap where only a loincloth separated them from his sex. It took her a while to get used to being against him skin to skin, but she grew comfortable when he started rubbing her back. His body was jacked, not an inch on his body that wasn't muscle, but he was nice to snuggle with. A few times she fell asleep with her cheek resting against him as he held her close. Snuggling with an alien was definitely an experience, she came to realize.

• • •

While she was in and out of sleep, Rhage waited patiently for the guard to return for the empty trays.

For hours he waited. Waited for the right moment to finally make his move. He was going to escape this place and erase every part of it. Nothing was going to be left behind. He wouldn't come back to this planet, either.

The moment came when the door slid open revealing a male guard who casually walked into the cell, oblivious to his surroundings. Now was the perfect chance.

Rhage quickly and gently deposited Artemis onto the nest, the woman never stirring in her slumber. He stood to his full height and crossed the room in seconds. Taking the male into a headlock he picked him up and slammed him against the wall, the male's body falling in a limp heap on the floor in a growing pool of his own blood. The human never stood a chance against the superior strength of the Elder Yautja.

As he yanked the badge free from the guard's person, he heard a breathy yawn behind him. Artemis's heartbeat sped up as the nest creaked beneath her as she sat up. He could feel her eyes on his back.

Quickly he stood to his full height towering over the dead guard at his feet. "Artemis. I need you to listen to everything I tell you from now on. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes. Are you breaking us out of here?" He didn't miss the small gasp that came from her when she finally noticed the mutilated corpse at his feet.

"Yes. I need you to stay here where you are safe while I retrieve what was taken from me."

Another creak of the nest alerted him that she was standing now, the sound of her feet approaching him. "Okay. Can I see you? Your face? I'll show you mine."

He hadn't told her that he could see perfectly in the dark. Every feature of her face had been memorized, down to every freckle that dotted her cheeks. What made him worry was her reaction to him when she saw him in the light. "You shall see me soon. See why in shadow I hide."

"I see parts of you. I'm not afraid."

"You should be." Rhage growled, stomping his way through the door where he looked left and right before going left.

Every guard that tried to stop him died a quick merciless death, their corpses laying in broken heaps and littering the halls. Deeper he went through the facility until he reached the room he had seen the idiot workers take his armor and equipment. He smashed the locking mechanism on the door with a giant fist and bulldozed his way into the room. Quickly he found what he was looking for.

It had been too long since he had worn the armor; his bio-mask even. Wearing it again felt like home.

He donned the partial chest plate that covered his heart, two shoulder pauldrons, a wrist gauntlet with a computing unit and wrist blades, another wrist gauntlet that housed his additional pair of wrist blades, cod piece, armor that covered his groin in an intricately woven metal braiding that also covered his hips, shin guards, and sandals that had metal coverings over his claws. The mask was last, the dull grey color shined under the artificial lighting with a gritty texture from the years of wear, various marks marring the surface. Attaching the tubing to his back unit he tested his canon.

While he cleaned house of the humans that ran this hellhole, he caught up with the many messages that awaited him from his clan. All worried but confident he would return in months' time as usual when he would choose solo hunts. Rhage had been kept in that place for six months. Too many months long in his opinion.

He yanked his wrist blades free of a guard as another started firing at him. Extending his combi-stick and turning on his heel with a speed the newcomer didn't anticipate, he threw it so hard it carried the male in its trajectory into the far wall. Rhage retrieved his combi-stick letting the body fall to the floor with a thump. Once he killed four more guards who stood in his way he made his way back to Artemis, his mate. When he retrieved her then they could escape.

Rhage wasn't leaving without her.

She was his and no one would stand in his way.

• • •

Artemis stood in the left corner of the cell right by the door so she would be out of sight of any passing guards. An alarm rang through the air mixed with the distant screams and occasional gunfire. She knew it was Rhage on a vicious killing spree. A passing guard had been talking about it on his walkie-talkie. That guard was one-hundred percent dead by now, she knew.

From the sounds of it he was leaving a massive trail of bodies in search of his stuff. She wondered what they had taken that was so important. Perhaps the keys to his spaceship? Did spaceships even have keys? She'd never even left the damn planet, much less seen an alien spacecraft. The prospect of seeing one was exciting.

While she waited she rubbed her bump and spoke soft, encouraging words to her unborn young. Tiny kicks were her indication that her words got through to their, as Rhage called it, "pup".

"Your daddy is killing all of the bad guys so we can get out of here." She coo'ed. In one hand she held a plasma pistol she stole from the guard, her finger on the trigger and the other she caressed her swell protectively. If anyone thought of coming in to harm her they'd regret it.

As if she had jinxed herself a soldier came running in with a needle that she was all too familiar with. There was no way they were knocking her out, not ever again!

Raising a shaking arm, she fired a few shots at the man, the hits splattering blood across her face and clothes. She watched as he fell to the floor in a growing pool of blood. His chest looked like Swiss cheese from the number of holes she had put in him with the weapon. Artemis kicked at the corpse as sick relief flooded her veins.

It was as if a switch had been turned on and she needed to run the course. Adrenaline like she had never felt before rushed through her veins, igniting that fire within that she thought the cruel assholes had beaten out of her. That drive was back and here to stay. Here to fight for the survival of both her and her unborn child. She didn't know when Rhage would return.

Escaping that place was the top priority.

Breaking the one thing Rhage had ever asked her, she broke into an awkward jog down the hall to the right. It was the opposite way that the Yautja had taken but she wanted to find another weapon, a bigger one, perhaps a plasma rifle. The pistol didn't have nearly the firepower that the rifle had. Not by a long shot, nor the range.

Artemis wasn't a person who had ever learned how to shoot a weapon, but in this instance she was going to have to learn quickly.

The hall turned and winded, passing empty rooms and large metal doors until she came to a wide open space filled with all kinds of aircraft. As she ran through the empty hangar-like space, completely devoid of people, she recognized various military aircraft. There was a craft at the far end that got her attention, though.

The thing was massive. It was a large dull metallic triangular spacecraft that seemed like something out of a science fiction movie. Unlike the hard clean lines of the craft that filled the hangar, this one had smooth curves and two wing-like extensions on the side that looked like they tucked in. She couldn't find a turbine of any sort like the other planes, nor did it have any lettering or military insignias. This craft was utterly alien.

It had to be Rhage's ship.

How they got it here she didn't know, but it was the one place she knew she would have to hide in. Voices shouted from the far end of the hangar and they didn't sound like friendlies.

"She went this way! Fan out! Leave nothing unchecked and uncovered! Go! Go!"

Artemis's eyes nearly popped out of her skull as she raced towards the alien spacecraft. Upon her approach a door slid open on the backside of the craft, a door three times her size, Yautja size she realized. It slid open like an eye on a downward slant, one part sliding up and the other down as a metallic ramp extended. Even as she ran up the ramp and into the belly of the alien ship, she marveled at the cool dark metallic walls and vast interior she hadn't expected.

Inside was nothing she had ever seen, the only recognizable thing a giant metallic chair that sat at the far end in front of a wide smooth glass-like control panel.

That must be the pilot seat! It's big enough that I may be able to hide, she thought.

Hide she did, as she hastily climbed onto it and curled in as small a ball that was comfortable. The chair had a leathery padding on the back and seat that felt cool against her body. She waited with bated breath, hoping the guards would pass by the ship. Alas, that wasn't the case.

Not with her luck, anyways.

Boots thumped up the ramp and around the large area of the control room area she was in. The sounds of the guard's boots were muffled but pronounced enough to where she could track where he was walking. Left, along the wall, across the center to turn around, right, along the other wall and around a closed door, and finally towards her hiding spot. Her breathing picked up, nausea flooding her body and her hand flying up to cover her mouth as a scream built up in her chest. Tears pricked her eyes as the boots drew closer and closer, each thump causing the nausea to build.

The room spun wildly as the giant chair was spun around to reveal a man standing there in head to toe black with a sneer on his face. His dark eyes gleamed with malice and victory. The name Gutter was embroidered on his vest under a shiny badge with the emblem of the company he worked for, a minimalist W-Y in yellow and white.

"There you are you little shit. You're going to come with me nice and sl—"

He didn't get to finish as two twin long serrated blades burst from his chest, the very blades materializing out of thin air.

Artemis screamed in shock. She watched as the guard choked and sputtered wildly as the twin blades raised him high in the air and moved to where she saw him from the side. Blood poured out of his mouth as he stared in fear at the giant reptilian creature that had impaled him with the twin blades that extended from a wrist thing it wore.

The creature was easily eight feet tall with long blue tube-like dreadlocks that fell past its shoulders and faded into blood red towards the ends; white speckles here and there on various bead-decorated strands. It's skin was rough and scaled, patterned like an alligator in dark green, creamy white, and pale yellow; the colors slightly faded in brightness. On its body it wore dark grey armor that covered half of its chest, both shoulders, forearms, hips and groin in a braided metal, shins, and metal that curved over vicious looking black claws that tipped its big feet; its hands wearing black leather-like fingerless gloves where vicious black claws tipped its fingers.

A cannon-looking weapon was mounted on one shoulder where on its back sat a beetle like object where tubes ran from it to the sinister mask it wore. The mask had evil downward turned eyes that glowed yellow where it flowed up a sloped head; the bottom half angular and intricate shaped where it covered the jaw of the creature.

Said creature growled deep, like a tiger, within its wide chest, a familiar clicking noise accompanying it that Artemis realized was one she had found comfort in.

Artemis realized, with shock...and relief, that this was Rhage. This was the alien she had spent the past few days caged with. The giant shadowy creature she had found a quiet comfort with; a friend, as awkward as that was considering she carried his child, their child.

Rhage continued to growl as he pulled the shaking soldier closer as if he was examining him.

The soldier tried to kick pitifully but the blows didn't faze the giant menacing Yautja. It seemed nothing more than an annoyance. Fear had long replaced the malice in his dark eyes, his fight worthless as the Predator had long caught his prey. Death awaited him now.

Rhage held the key.

With his free hand, Rhage buried his large clawed hand into the chest of the man and gave a hard yank letting the body drop to the floor in a floppy fucked up heap. In his large hand was a bloody spine where the man's skull was still attached to it on one end.

She screamed in horror as Rhage had fucking ripped the guy's spine and skull clean from his body with his bare hands. His bare hands! It would've been impossible to believe if she hadn't just witnessed it herself. Bile threatened to fill her throat.

His dreads flying in an arc around his head, Rhage turned towards her with such speed it made her squeak in surprise.

Fuck he's fast! She thought.

Ice ran down her spine as she remembered the weapon she held. Glancing at it and back to him, she tossed it to the side and away, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. She quite liked her spine and skull intact.

Very much so!

She knew the answer but she still asked, "R-Rhage?" There wasn't anywhere she could run so she pressed herself further into the chair and away from him as he cocked his head to the side, those clouded blue and red-tipped locs falling to the side.

"Yes, it is I. You did not listen." He growled, his voice laced with anger that made her jump.

Rhage had never been angry with her before. She didn't like it. He was terrifying.

"I-I'm s-sorry. I-I k-killed a guy a-and ran." Her eyes grew wet as tears pooled in them, the adrenaline in her system now leaving her a mess of nerves and fear, fear of Rhage and his wrath.

The fucking guy had ripped someone's spine out for fuck sakes! She didn't want that to happen to her.

Briefly, she wondered if maybe him being so nice to her was because he was manipulating her, trying to use her in some evil way, just as everyone else here had done. She doubted her own propensity at the kindness she instantly gave to those around her. Artemis hated how so kind and naïve she was at times, her being someone who would gladly meet and get to know a stranger. After all that she had been through, she wondered if she would ever trust anyone ever again. The very thought was scary.

Rhage didn't speak. He stood there, flexing his large clawed hands open and closed, as if trying to calm himself.

Artemis feared what was to come. His silence was suffocating so she kept talking. "I-I needed to s-stand up for myself and stop being a wimp! I didn't k-know if they would send a-anyone to kill me! How could I sit around and be a wimp?! I've been nothing but a wimp!"

Still, he said nothing. There was only rapid clicking from him.

She jumped in the chair when he suddenly unfurled a metallic bullwhip from his waist belt, where many other weapons sat, and turned on his heel to wrap it around a guard's neck who had walked the ramp and yanked, beheading the guy in seconds. Artemis had to turn her head as she physically gagged at the sight of more dismemberment. Seeing so much gore wasn't agreeing with her stomach.

Pointing to her with a long finger he commanded her to stay on the ship.

With a deep growl that made her shiver, Rhage stomped down the ramp and started to decimate whole groups of guards just by himself and the whip. As it swung in the air and wrapped around his victims, the metal spread out like a pine cone opening and the vicious metal spikes impaling flesh. He moved with such speed and grace, his precision deathly accurate. The sight was fucking terrifying.

Seeing a Yautja in action was scarier than anything she had ever seen.

The Colonial Marines were right to fear his kind. Rhage was utterly vicious and precise. A quickly growing body count as he disappeared from sight here and there to chase down those who tried to flee, their screams abruptly stopping. His body was a living killing machine. It was no wonder these people here wanted to capture and breed Yautja.

She thought they were fucking insane. Utterly stupid.

When she noticed Rhage was out of sight she took the opportunity she had and ran down a hallway on her left, the right side of the on-ramp. She fucking booked it as fast as her pregnant self could run, given her rounded middle, and looked for somewhere to hide.

It was pointless to hide from an alien killing machine, but she still tried. Facing his wrath again was not something she wanted. She gladly chose cowardice in this moment. Bravery went out the window.

With some relief, she was grateful she couldn't see his lime-green eyes that glowed in the dark. Having to be eye to eye with him would've made it worse. The guilt ate at her chest, but she wasn't going to let him make her feel awful over her quick decision.

A door opened as she ran past