Scar, Friend or Foe p.II

Disclaimer: I don't own AvP.
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BEFORE: Lex, Scar, Rave, and Jet have landed their transport back into the Crescent Blood Clan's mothership. As expected, Lex's presence and her newly blooded mark produced extreme reactions and opinions. Opinions that quickly change from one of disgust and disbelief to simple disbelief and immense awe when they realize Lex assisted Scar and Rave in taking down a Queen. Lex issued a challenge. Many rush to meet it.
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.o A COUPLE HOURS AGO o.

(Do you think they'll accept me?) Lex questioned, her legs pulled up to her chest as she leaned back in the transport's seat. It hadn't been the first time doubts assaulted her, but it was the first time everything was quiet and safe enough to think over such troublesome thoughts.

It had only been a few minutes earlier that they had mercilessly allowed Mr. Winston out the transport's doors.

While they were hundreds of thousands of feet in the air. Above freezing water and wasteland. He might have survived.

Hah... not.

Rave, not one to think about the consequences of his actions, or care for that matter, immediately grunted, "Of course they won't acce-"

The bigger Yautja was immediately jabbed in the ribs by the elbow of a disgruntled Scar.

Annoyance flaring, along with the weight of fatigue from post-Hunt adrenaline, Rave snarled at the slightly smaller male warrior. Scar may have been his best friend, but Rave was not in the mood to be toyed with.

Before a fight could erupt, Scar hissed, "I'm not challenging you, Rave."

The massive greenish-brown Yautja, whose muscles had begun bunching for a forward leap, immediately froze and sort of... deflated, "Oh..."

Bored once more, the bigger Yautja lumbered back to the front to see what Jet was doing.

Crises averted, Scar sighed and shook his head. He didn't know how he put up with Rave sometimes. Turning his attention back towards the female Ooman huddled on the seat, the yellowish-greenish warrior spoke, "What Rave MEANT to say was... that their reaction to your... presence... will be predictable. You will be an Ooman to them, on first sight and first scent. But they will soon see your true worth beneath the skin you wear."

(And if they do not see...?) Lex questioned, feeling her doubt wavering and her resolve starting to push through. She looked so tired right then to Scar. She looked like someone who was on the verge of giving up. The warrior side of him felt repelled by her obvious weakness. But another side… a side he repressed for many decades, felt drawn to it.

Stepping boldly forward, his hands crossing over his broad chest, Scar's mandibles twisted into a grin, "Then you will just have to make them see."

Lex couldn't stop the grin from appearing on her face even if she wanted to.

.o PRESENT o.

Lex had no time to ponder over whether they would accept her or not.

She had no time to wonder if her speech had been too convincing.

All she could do was stay attuned to the bodies around her and find out where the next attack would come from.

"You will die on my blade... Ooman." A stocky Yautja growled, his mandibles flaring aggressively.

"Your blade is as quick as your tongue." Lex hissed, her crouch defensive, "Too slow. Why don't you act on your words instead of spewing hollow threats like an unblooded pup?"

His response was an angered howl as he charged forward.

Lex dealt with him as she had the first few that tried to blindly charge her. She gauged their speed and strength in milliseconds with her eyes. Her movements that followed were as quick and as smooth as liquid steel. One hastily made step forward, the twist of her torso, and Lex managed to dodge his blade as well as confuse him with her actions. Taking advantage of this, Lex used his own momentum against him to fling him behind her into the ground.

With a resounding crash and a few cursing bodies, Lex knew neither the stocky fighter nor the ones he landed on were too happy.

Keeping an ear to what was going on behind her, Lex likewise focused her brown gaze onto what was happening before her. A good thing too, as a large warrior barreled towards her while another one leaped at her from her side. The one in the air came faster and Lex was forced to duck low, air whooshing inches above her indicating how close a miss it had been.

But the large one was too close, his bladed hand was pulling back as he covered the few steps between them in a lunge. The blade soon swung towards her in a deadly arc. Eyes widening in the oncoming danger, Lex quickly bent over backwards, her balance precarious as she stood with her upper torso nearly parallel to the ground. The big one tried to take advantage of this as he aimed a blow for her legs, meaning to have her crash onto the ground, where he would then overpower her.

Fortunately, Lex's reflexes were fast. Already bent over backwards, it was easy to reach back and place her weight on one hand, her whole body curving into an upside down 'u'. Palm flat on the ground, Lex's abs tightened considerably as she lifted her legs over the Yautja's low spinning kick. Not waiting another moment, her body still midair with only her palm on the ground, Lex scissored her legs and clocked the warrior good along the side of his jaw and forcing him to stumble back in a daze.

The one that had leapt at her earlier was sprinting back, a Combistick lengthening with a 'SHLINK' at his side.

Still upside down, one palm to the ground, Lex swung her legs in an arc as she dropped both hands on the ground for greater balance. Thinking her an easy target, the Yautja grinned and sent a hard jab with the Combistick towards her torso. His intent was to free her internal organs from the confines of her body. But Lex had other plans.

With a twist of her wrist, a stronger tightening of her abs, and using the momentum of her spinning legs, Lex quickly kicked the Combistick away from its original target. She hardly felt the long spear's blade glance jaggedly across her thigh, instead concentrating on using the growing momentum of her legs to dish out two solid blows to the sides of the armed Yautja's face.

Before the armed Yautja could fall unconscious to the floor, the bigger Yautja warrior was assaulting her once more, a muscled leg swung towards her unprotected head as he roared from the rush of battle. Lex was barely able to flip backwards to dodge it. Landing in a crouch a few feet back, Lex whipped her head upwards to see the big Yautja continuing his charge towards her. It was then that she noticed that his form was even larger than Rave's, which seemed a rarity from what she had glanced in the crowded room before. But his reddish skin was not like Rave's greenish-brown, nor was that deadly intent to kill her that glinted in his black beady eyes.

-o-o-o-

"WHAT are you do-" Rave started to demand irritably as he found the smaller, ebony skinned Yautja standing on his shoulders.

"Trying to see. What's it look like?" Jet replied half-heartedly, her attention focused on the fight, "Hunter's Moon, is that Ooman kicking some ass!"

"I don't care if you need to see, you can't just climb my shou- Wait, everyone else is losing?" Rave cut himself off, his attention riveting back towards the main object of interest in the large ceremonial chamber: the challenge.

"Badly." Jet chimed with a slight chuckle before pointing out, "Oh! Oh, look! It's Ragtok. Isn't that Ragtok?"

"Ragtok?" Scar's voice hitched, finally joining in the conversation. He had been intently watching the match before, too focused on how the Ooman was doing to notice exactly who her challengers were and what his comrades were saying.

"The Honored Warrior Ragtok?" Rave questioned Jet, his eyes glancing sideways at Scar.

Scar remembered the red Yautja all too well. His drive for power and domination was well known among his peers, if not his elders as well. Not to mention that his size was one that rivaled Rave's immensely muscled bulk.

"Yeah, it's him." Jet answered, not noticing the reactions of the two male Yautjas.

Both male Yautja exchanged worried glances. Not only was this warrior large, he had many accredited kills to his name. How would their Ooman do?

-o-o-o-

He was not like the others. He was more serious.

More... intent on killing her.

Lex could feel the murderous feeling rolling off him in waves. And if that wasn't bad enough, the big red Yautja was grinning.

"I don't know how you managed to join AND survive the Hunt, Ooman. Especially after running into the two upstart Young Bloods, Scar and Rave..." With this statement, he lunged forward, his wrist blades catching and raking over Lex's shoulder before she snapped out of it and followed fully into a dodge.

His words had caught her. Ensnared her, just like Ragtok had planned.

Lex knew his game, though she was too curious to hold back her demanding question, "You know them?"

Around them, the crowd was getting more aggressive in their shouting. More than a few began chanting, "Ragtok Ragtok Ragtok!"

But Lex ignored them, as she had been doing earlier. Unless they were going to attack, they were only a mere annoyance that she couldn't divert much of her attention to. Her brown eyes were locked onto beady black ones.

Ragtok was grinning again and Lex could only think to herself just how much she hated the way he grinned.

"KNOW them?" The big red sounded disgruntled and more than a little envious as he declared, "How could anyone in the Crescent Blood Clan NOT know them?"

Lex sensed more than saw a smaller Yautja charging towards her from her left. Seeing as how the other, bigger Yautja wasn't attacking just yet, Lex twisted slightly as she awaited the other impatient warrior's blind charge.

But before he even made it to her, Ragtok was there, his large hand gripping the smaller and probably younger Yautja by the neck. His grip wasn't kind as the smaller of the two was choked, lifted a few feet off the ground by a pissed Ragtok.

The unfortunate Yautja, Lex, and all those around them heard as Ragtok declared with a vicious snarl, "STAY out of this. This is MY fight!"

That said, he hurled the young Yautja far back into the crowd, a few grunts heard as he made impact with other unfortunate souls.

Ragtok turned to face the dumbfounded Ooman, her brown eyes flickering from far off into the crowd where the foolish Yautja was thrown, to the smug looking big red warrior before her. Lex had wondered to herself why Ragtok had stopped the other Yautja.

And his words had only further confused her.

Did he wish to defeat her himself? Could he claim the challenge in such a way?

Ragtok only answered her unvoiced question with a snarl, his hand extended mockingly, "Shall we...?"

-o-o-o-

"Keep him still! Hold him!" Rave commanded Jet, who was currently locking Scar's thrashing legs together with all her strength.

"He's not allowed to DO THAT!" Scar bellowed, twisting as he tried to break the bigger Yautja's hold.

"Calmn DOWN Scar!" Rave hissed, "Intervening at this point won't do ANY of us any good, least of all Lex."

Scar blinked at that, more surprised at the way Rave was acting than by his words or actions alone. In these types of situations, it was usually Rave who was so out of control. Now he was actually THINKING? About consequences? And... THINKING?

"How can you just STAND there?" Scar said bitterly, his form sagging in Rave's locked arms.

"I want to pummel Ragtok's face in as much as you do, acting as arrogant and foolish as he is..." Rave snarled, though he noticed Scar's sense of control was back so he released the yellowish-brownish one and stepped back.

Taking her cue from Rave, Jet likewise released Scar and stood, scratching her dreadlocks, "I don't get it. I hadn't realized you could claim an openly declared challenge like that."

"You CAN'T." Both Rave and Scar snarled simultaneously, creating a backpedaling female Yautja that almost wished she hadn't said anything in the first place.

"That's just the way Ragtok is." Rave stated, crossing his arms.

"He always tries to get his own way..." Scar muttered, mandibles clenched as he threw his intense amber gaze back at the battle meters away.

He still had the urge to rush over there and kick Ragtok's ass to galaxy's end but he, unfortunately, had better control than that.

-o-o-o-

"I'm not scared of you..." Lex declared, not quite sure why she felt it needed to be said.

Maybe it was the way Ragtok was looking at her. He looked so confident. So smug.

So foolish.

Lex sprinted forward, feinting left and instead landing a kick to the Yautja's right side. Surprisingly, Ragtok staggered a big. But before Lex could fully withdraw her leg, his huge hand was clasped over her ankle.

'SHIT.' Lex managed that one thought before her world was turned upside down.

Before he could do whatever he was planning, the Ooman slipped Rave's knife out of her boot and slashed blindly upwards towards his arm.

Taken by surprise once again, Ragtok let slip a startled cry as he was forced to drop her.

She couldn't let him too close. He was strong. Definitely strong. And, unfortunately, he was way stronger than she was. Especially if you compared his thickly muscled frame to her more slender and fragile-looking one.

'I can't let him get too close. He'll have the advantage if that happens.' Lex found her realization repeating through her head as they circled each other warily.

Lex caught sight of neon green blood. It was dripping down his jaw, right from underneath the huge hand he had pressed over the left side of his face. His hand was clamped right over his left eye.

She had gotten a good shot in after all. Lex grinned.

The Yautja, however, wasn't as delighted.

"You... BITCH..." Ragtok snarled, "You sliced my eye!"

-o-o-o-

Scar's felt his heartbeat jump at Lex's small victory. But at the same time his stomach tightened.

Inside he was worried, but he forced a brave front. Jet and Rave were looking at him and he couldn't let it show.

"She's going to win, right?" Jet inquired softly.

She had heard of Ragtok. Ragtok the Merciless, he was sometimes called. The Honored Warrior had reached his elite status with more than a few underhand ways and not too many would doubt that rumor.

If the fight hadn't been personal before, Lex had made it so now.

"She'll win." Rave said, fully believing so. He made sure his green eyes met Scar's amber ones as he repeated, "She WILL win, Scar. I know she will."

Once Rave's trust was gained, his faith was boundless. Steeling himself with the resolve he found in Rave, Scar nodded once, his mandibles clenched too tightly to say anything.

She would win.

She would win or else she was dead.

-o-o-o-

The big Yautja was coming at her with a vengeance now. His flurry of attacks were faster than before and Lex found herself hard kept to dodge them all.

"Why don't you attack? Why do you keep dodging!" Ragtok snarled, a wry grin once again twisting his mandibles.

Lex decided not to answer him since she needed all her breath to fuel her muscles so she could continue narrowly dodging. The big red Yautja's size was deceptive. Who knew he could move with such speed?

Lex found her mind running around in circles. She needed to think of a way to defeat him. She couldn't just keep dodging like this. But her mind refused to register that she needed a plan. All that filled her vision were those murderous black eyes and the attacks she had to keep dodging.

All it took was one wrong move. One wrong step and Lex's eyes widened.

Maybe Ragtok wouldn't notice- but no.

Of course he would notice.

And he did.

Lex's breath was knocked out of her all at once as his knee connected soundly with her stomach. Doubled over instinctively, Lex's attempt to dodge was futile. Her options considerably narrowed, Lex was forced to slash blindly once more, her dagger aiming at the fist aimed for her. It sliced nicely across Ragtok's knuckles, forcing a hiss out of the Yautja's mandibles as he jerked his hand back instinctively.

Yet, instead of getting even angrier and more foolhardy, the big warrior spoke.

"You think they want you in the Clan? You think they accepted you just like that?" He growled.

Taken aback, Lex's face twisted in confusion as she said, "What?"

He darted forward then, clawed foot aimed at the side of her neck. Lex almost tripped over herself as she staggered back to dodge it. Ragtok simply stepped up, following as she backed away, continuing with his verbal as well as physical assault.

He knew her fears. He played on her doubts. Lex could barely keep his voice out of her head.

"Rave and Scar, those two are known troublemakers." He swung a powerful fist, Lex barely dodging it by dashing to the side, "All they care about are themselves. All they want is to mess with you. See just how long they could string you along, pretending you could be one of us." Ragtok sweeped his leg out low, catching Lex off guard in mid-step.

With a huge gush of oxygen escaping out of her lungs, the Ooman hit the ground hard, her landing sending immense waves of pain throughout her body. The shock of it reawakened the intense burning through the wound on her shoulder. The wound she had received from the Queen. They had mended it back on Earth in the Piper Maru, but it wasn’t close to fully healing over.

Her mind was spinning with the pain, Lex tried blinking her eyes hard as she tried to focus.

A large foot was coming down, planning on squishing her head like a melon.

Lex rolled to the side, the foot barely missing her as small chunks of floor exploded on impact.

The Ooman flinched, attempting to get up when suddenly her side exploded in a burst of fire. Ragtok had kicked her and she fell back to the ground. Then his foot was pressed down on her, keeping her from rising.

Her head was clearing. Strangely, her alarm was fading.

She was staring straight into two black eyes, each reflecting the victorious smirk gracing his mandibles.

"You. Will. NEVER. BE. One of us, Ooman." Ragtok said arrogantly, total belief weighing each word, "Never..."

He would kill her now.

Lex's head was reeling. She tossed her head from left to right was she tried to focus in the tilting world around her, Ragtok's foot the only solid thing as he stomped slowly down to crush her ribs.

She rolled her head to the right and froze. Beside her, also laying on the floor, was an intense blackness. Jaws slack but deadly, black lips still curled back in anger. It was the Queen. The Queen's head. The one she had fought and defied before Scar had come in and snapped her huge head from her bony shoulders. Would she die after all she went through to survive?

Would she let the words of some uppity Yautja warrior get to her? A Yautja who couldn't possibly know. Know her life. Or even know her?

Ragtok grunted, seeing the Ooman still beneath his feet. Had she accepted defeat? Curling his mandibles in a grin, the big red Yautja raised his foot and slammed it down one, final time.

This would crack her ribs, spewing all her organs out to decorate the floor. In doing so, he would kill her; effectively slaying the Ooman who dared try enter the Crescent Blood.

Or, at least, he tried to.

Lex was FURIOUS.

"WHAT the FUCK do you know..." Lex was trembling.

She recalled the memories of the pyramid. The fear. The death. Her teammates dying.

Ragtok was taken by surprise. He was actually TRYING to crush the very ribs under his foot. But she was stopping him.

This pathetic Ooman female was stopping him with two hands gripping under his foot.

"...the FUCK... do YOU KNOW..."

Lex's trembling increased. But it was not in fear as Ragtok first suspected.

Her vision flashed back to surviving in the pyramid. Death would claw at her, but then she would escape somehow. Either by her own determination or with the help of Scar and Rave.

She trembled in rage.

"...about what I WILL or WILL NOT BE!"

Ragtok's eyes widened. There was something inside this Ooman that he had never seen before. A glint of pure, unfiltered fury. It was like gazing into a brown whirlwind as he peered into her eyes.

His hand flicked over to his waist, unsheathing a particularly deadly looking dagger. He would finish her before she could do the same.

-o-o-o-

She was down. He couldn't see her past the crowd.

Lex was down and Ragtok was towering over her.

A growl rumbled through his chest and out his throat and Scar whipped his head towards Rave and Jet, "I'm going out there."

Without another word of acknowledgement, without even waiting for a reply, the yellowish-brownish Yautja was down the ramp of the transport and pushing through the crowd. Jet started to after him, a curse on her lips when a large hand fell on her shoulder.

Jet's ebony eyes locked with Rave's jade ones and he shook his head.

There was no stopping him now, not when Scar was like this.

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Cue action-packed music and-Oh... wait a second. The chapter's over. Oh well.
Oh yeah... I'm glad ppl like the story and I apologize for any confusion. Feel free to critique or compliment and whatnot.