Archer growled and quickly exited the trailer. He saw his brother having a battle royale with the oncoming serpents. Not wasting time he quickly began to nock and loose his arrows. Shrieks, roars, and explosions once again were splitting through the air. "We can help them." Nadia said to the group. They looked at her like she was insane. "Think about it. Some of the marines went with us but a lot stayed here too. Even if they were all taken some of their weapons might have been left behind." She said hopefully. The group nodded. "I think just one of us should grab them. Those serpents won't notice as much. Grab enough for everyone and come back here. Then we all help." Roxy added. Once again, the group nodded. "They had their own armored vehicle with weapons inside I saw. The vehicle alone has a large weapon. We just need to start it and get it to here." Marissa added. The group turned their attention to Eli. Eli looked at them. "Whatever you are thinking, unthink it." Eli said as he scooted away. "Come on Eli. If it doesn't have keys only you can get it started. If you don't do this we are all going to die anyways." Claire told him. Eli looked at Alec who held his hand and he sighed. "Fine..." The girls sighed in relief. "I'll go with him. The plan won't work if he can't make it." Alec offered. The girls nodded. Eli and Alec stood up. Quickly and quietly they left the trailer. They stayed low as they made their way to the armored vehicle. Blaze and Archer seemed to be holding their own well enough for now. But they were definitely running out of time.
On their way to the vehicle Alec had found and picked up two assault rifles. He stayed close to Eli the whole time. They finally arrived at the armored vehicle. Eli quickly slipped inside and began searching for the keys while Alec stood watch outside. "Just start this car. The only hope of survival we have... No pressure. After this I better get the most amazing wedding known to man." Eli grumbled as he continued his frantic search. "Of course I guess I need to be proposed to first... New plan, if we survive and he still doesn't propose to me, we are breaking up." Eli mumbled. After searching every possible nook, and still no keys in sight Eli began to hot wire the car. "I think they are starting to lose, angel." He heard Alec say. "I'm working on it!" Eli hissed. Alec smiled. Eli rarely got sassy, and how adorable he was when he did. When they were no longer in a life or death situation Alec was going to ravage him for sure. The engine started and Alec climbed in. He'd kiss him later. Eli drove the armored vehicle while Alec kept watch to make sure no serpents stopped them. The girls heard the rumbling of the engine and they all stood and met them outside. climbing into the back of the truck they armed themselves while Eli drove to where the Yautja were facing the serpents.
When the vehicle stopped Nadia leaped out of the truck, and not a moment too soon. She saw a serpent was on Blaze's back. It ripped the gun from his shoulder and pierced its tail through his shoulder. Blaze roared slamming his back into a rock to knock the serpent off. Meanwhile Archer was cornered in a tree. Serpents crawling up the trunk and towards him. He pulled a blade out and began slicing their fingers off or impaling them through the tops of their skulls when they got too close. He was even kicking some off. The humans popped out of their vehicle with weapons and began firing. Half aimed at the waves going for Archer and the other half aimed for the numbers targeting Blaze. Blaze and Archer looked over when the shots rang out. Then focused back on their own battles. Roxy had decided she wanted the weapon on the top of the vehicle. It was slightly comical, the smallest human firing the largest weapon, and laughing like a lunatic the whole time. However even with the help of the humans there were still just too many. But at least they had pushed them back and the Yautja got a break. Blaze tapped his gauntlet activating the bomb. The humans looked to him and he pointed to his wrist before signaling explosion. "Oh shit." they said in unison before all retreating into the vehicle. Archer leaped from his tree. Blaze took the bomb off of his wrist. He threw it as if throwing a Frisbee or a throwing star towards the mass of black serpents. He and Archer both sprinted, jumping into the armored vehicle with the humans. When everyone was inside Eli pressed the gas pedal all the way down. The vehicle lurched forward. Archer pulled up some coordinates on his wrist gauntlet showing Eli. Eli nodded and drove the vehicle as fast as it would go to their destination.
For once Archer and Blaze seemed tired, their abdomens moving a bit more than usual from how they were breathing. Nadia held Blaze's hand. They heard the explosion behind them. The blue flash lighting up the whole sky before it surged outwards. Exactly like what had happened to the pyramid. Fortunately this time the group wasn't shoved forward from the force like Blaze and Archer were at the pyramid. They managed to escape with a decent amount of time. When they reached the destination the Yautja climbed out of the armored vehicle. The humans followed them. Blaze and Archer removed their masks. Just like the pyramid the force of the explosion had caused certain parts of the ground to crack and open up. Including a gorge that exposed a raging, bubbling and boiling river of lava. Archer and Blaze looked at the humans. They both bowed their heads to all of them. "We don't have enough trophies for you all right now. But perhaps when the mother ship arrives." Archer said. "To this point I think a ride back to Earth is more than enough." Alec said and the group nodded in agreement. They heard a loud crack and they all looked to it. It looked like something was trying to break out from underground. The bashes continued, but each one got fiercer than the last until finally something burst through. From the terrain a massive serpent emerged. It was so much larger than the rest. The group watched as Blaze and Archer's eyes both widened as they looked up at it. That was a bad sign. That was a very bad sign. As the massive serpent stepped forward the Yautja and the humans stepped back. "We released it so maybe it'll be friendly? It's grateful so it'll be friendly right?" Claire whispered nervously. "I would not bet on that if I were you." Roxy whispered back.
The hiss from the colossal Kiande Amedha was all that it took to know it wasn't planning to be friendly. Archer and Blaze responded back with a low trill of their own. The serpent hissed again, and they trilled again. Are they negotiating a peace treaty or what? Roxy thought. When the serpent stood taller, Blaze pointed his wrist gauntlet at it. Pulling it back like he loaded a crossbow, and then clenching his fist a blade launched from it hitting the serpent in the chest. He then pulled the throwing star he loved so much. Launching it like a boomerang it sliced off one of the horn-like appendages branching from the serpent's head. After it came back he caught and launched it again this time slicing its throat. Unfortunately this only seemed to piss it off. It whipped its tail, slamming it into Blaze's abdomen. Blaze went flying about 10 feet into the air, and landed hard about 20 yards away. Archer had to duck to avoid getting hit by Blaze's body. When Archer stood back up he roared at the monster. Now he was the one that was pissed. He nocked and loosed an arrow. The arrow hit the serpent in the side and exploded. It let out a shrill shriek, and instead of hitting Archer with its tail, it hit him with a back hand. Archer ended up getting launched higher and landing harder, but not as far away as Blaze. The serpent then crossed the distance as Blaze was picking himself up. Once again it whipped him with its tail, hitting him in the back and he collapsed back down from the force. Nadia watched as the creature raised its barbed tail and aimed it to stab Blaze in the back. She quickly raised a rifle and started firing it into the beast's back. It shrieked turning its attention to her, but before it could charge Archer was up and he had launched another arrow. The arrow hit its back and then exploded sending the monster tumbling forward. Now it shrieked loud and even more shrill. It whipped its head to the side to Archer and sprinted at him. "Run!" Roxy cried. Archer turned and sprinted. The serpent not that far behind. Archer was dodging one crushing blow after another. The humans began firing round after round. But they didn't seem to phase it now. Evidently it's rage had given it tunnel vision, and Archer was currently at the end of that tunnel. Blaze was up now and running after the serpent and his brother. As he passed Nadia he swiped his spear from her.
A whistle caught Roxy and Nadia's attention and they looked over. Marissa pointed to the armored vehicle and then to the gorge with the lava at the bottom. They gave her a thumbs up. Understanding her plan. Now, to get the serpent close enough and get it attached. Currently, Archer was trapped. Dodging blow after blow, the serpent was getting increasingly inpatient and angry that it kept missing. Blaze leaped into the air. He slammed the spear into the side of its skull as he extended its length. The beast reared up screeching. While it thrashed Archer got out from under it. "Guys!" Claire yelled. Archer and Blaze looked. She pointed to the winch attached to the vehicle, then the vehicle and then to the lava. Blaze launched the net from his gauntlet. It opened up and attached around the serpents head and began its usual process of self tightening. While it was distracted by the net and the spear the humans had driven the car over. Archer sprinted grabbing the winch, unraveling it as fast as he could, then threw the hooked end to Blaze. Blaze caught it and made a sort of lasso. He threw it up, and the moment it wrapped around the queen Kiande Amedha's neck he and Archer both pulled tightening it around her. Archer went to the vehicle, ripping the door open, and quickly pulled Eli out. He removed his knife, raising it high, and stabbed it as hard as he could. It pierced through the pedal and pinned it to the floor. The vehicle lurched forward, dragging the unexpecting queen down. She shrieked, clawing at any and everything. At one point, her frantic flails sliced and got caught in Blaze's leg because he roared in pain. He was also now being dragged with her. He twisted his body a certain way and was able to get her claw dislodged. He stood up but their flourescent blood was dripping down his leg.
The vehicle got stuck in some sort of sand pit. Archer and Blaze rushed over. They started yanking on the wire to keep the queen off balance while the humans dug the tire out. Meanwhile, the queen's blood had burned through the net. She then ripped the spear out. "It's out!" Roxy yelled. Archer let go of the chain as the humans began pushing the vehicle. While he turned to help, the now free queen impaled Blaze on her tail. His body arching forward by sudden impact. "NOOO!!!" Nadia screamed as she saw the tail sticking out from his abdomen. The queen lifted him up to her face. Opening her mouth to deal the final blow. Blaze just stared her down and roared loudly at her. Her mistake was holding him so close. He pulled out his knife and stabbed it into the side of her neck. The queen shrieked at the sudden pain, slamming him hard on the ground. Nadia was sure she heard sickening cracks during the impact. The queen then whipped her tail, and Blaze went flying off, landing hard quite a few yards away. Archer, Nadia, and everyone else began pushing the car harder while Blaze had distracted her. Finally, it lurched forward again as it came free. Everyone quickly jumped out of the way as the queen came crashing through. Digging her claws into the ground. She held on for a few seconds, but the gravity and weight of the armored vehicle pulled her claws out, and she fell with the vehicle into the river of lava. Everyone looked over the side, making sure she fell all the way in and died. Nadia quickly ran to Blaze. The rest of the group followed. Blaze was on his back. his tendrils spread out around him. The wound to his abdomen was large, and the blood was pooling below him. The blood he had coughed up, and how it still sounded like he was gurgling as he trilled suggested the queen had punctured his lungs. In his eyes, the sounds he was making, and the way he was moving and stretching his neck, Nadia could tell he was in pain. Nadia knelt beside him, grabbing his hand and squeezing as tears poured from her eyes. "Stay with me, Big Guy." She said through her tears. Blaze refocused, then reached up. He placed his hand on her cheek weakly as he looked at her. "Hey... Don't look at me like that. A big guy like you? You'll be all right." She croaked out as she held onto his hand. The tears continued to fall, and she placed a gentle kiss on his clawed hand that rested on her cheek, choking back a sob that threatened to surface. Blaze's eyes began to close. Time seemed to move in slow motion as his hand slipped from hers, hitting the ground. After that, it was as if time froze, and the world began collapsing around her. Nadia gasped as realization hit, and she shook her fallen Yautja. "No! No, no, no! Blaze. Please, please don't leave me. Blaze!" she cried frantically, continuing to shake him, but he never responded. "I love you, Zgură!" she yelled one last time. He remained unresponsive. Nadia laid her head on his chest, hugging him tightly as she sobbed.
Roxy was crying too, seeing her best friend in so much pain. She knelt with her hugging her from behind. The rest of the group was somber. Marissa had silent tears flowing. She didn't love the guy like Nadia did, but she considered him a friend. He had gone above and beyond for them, especially her more than a few times, and she didn't even kill one of those serpents to earn that. Above them, another Yautja uncloaked himself. They all gasped and quickly stood up and moved away. Except for Nadia, who was still hugging a lifeless Blaze. Roxy finally reached down and pulled her up, but Nadia struggled. "Let me go!" she yelled, and Roxy made her look at the Yautja. This one must've been an elder, as their black locks were dark grey on him. They all backed away as four more Yautja males came forward with a stretcher. Lifting Blaze up, they placed him on the board and carried him into the ship. The elder looked at Archer. Archer bowed. There was a series of growls and clicks between the two, so they must've been talking in their native tongue to each other. Once the conversation was over, the elder placed a hand on Archer's shoulder. When he did, Archer stopped bowing. The elder looked at the humans. He made more clicking sounds, then turned on his heel and headed back into the ship. The humans looked at Archer. "Come on then. We will take you all home." Archer said. The humans all boarded the ship, followed by Archer. The ship was absolutely massive. It dwarfed the ship they came on by a lot. It had to be miles wide, and about as tall, if not taller than, some sky scrapers. Something so large, they wondered how was it so stealthy. They had no idea it was there until they uncloaked it. It was truly shocking.
Archer showed the humans to their temporary room. "I will come get you all when the trophies are ready. In the meantime..." he said as he walked to a wall. Tapping on a panel; a screen appeared. The humans followed him over. "This button will allow you to view outside of this aircraft." he pointed, then pointed again. "This one will allow you to have any food or beverage you want. There are a few other panels throughout this room. They will lower beds for you if you choose to rest." he finished, and then he left. Claire pressed the view button, and they could see their space ship. They saw the exact moment it exploded as well after multiple blue bursts, similar to their shoulder weapons, hit it. "I can't believe it. Other than us... Everyone else really is dead..." Marissa said softly. "I can't believe my big guy is dead." Nadia said, and immediately she broke down again. The group hugged her tightly. "When you said I was going to regret it... I didn't want it to be like this." She said between her sobs. The group just held her tighter. Archer came back to get them in a little while. Nadia had cried herself to sleep. Archer looked at Roxeanne. "The trophies are prepared." he said. Roxy approached him. "Di is like this... How are you?" Roxeanne asked, and Archer tilted his head. "Your brother is dead. You can't tell me that you're fine." She clarified. Archer stared at her. "I am fine." he replied. Roxy rolled her eyes. "Fine. Don't tell me. But I am here if you need someone." She said. "Can I ask you a favor?" she inquired, and Archer nodded. "I really can't stand to see her like this. I know one thing that might cheer her up, but I need you for it. When she was tiny she was saved by one of you. Can you help me find him? Meeting him again might help her through this." Roxy asked. Archer nodded. "Description?" he asked. Roxy frowned, shaking her head. "She never saw him. Only touched him. But the story is specific. With that and a time frame, can you?" She said, and Archer nodded again. He then took the group, except for Nadia, to receive their trophies. They had decided that letting Nadia sleep was a better option.