Cat & Mouse

The Nest

"Damn this place. With the most recent change now we have to go down to go up and out. It's infuriating." Roxy grumbled as she watched the hologram. "But at least we are okay and can get out, Rox. Not to mention we dont have those two assholes to deal with anymore" Nadia offered as she nudged her friend with her elbow. Roxy couldn't help the little grin that tugged at her lips. "Fair. Sorry I'm totally losing my cool image in this hell hole." Nadia shrugged. "It happens to the best. You're just upset for everyone that's all." Nadia replied. "We should consider moving faster though. The sooner we get out of here the better." Marissa added. "Of course, but also we aren't carrying a person. We need to think about that too." Claire whispered. The four girls all looked sadly towards Alec carrying a still unconscious Eli on his back. Clearly just as pissed off as he was sad. He should've beat the shit out of that damn marine while he had the chance. Then maybe he wouldn't be carrying his unconscious and seriously wounded boyfriend now. How surprised that asshole would have been if he had learned that he was a captain, therefore outranking even his precious lieutenant. He was also entirely too familiar with the Yautja. He had survived one of their hunts once by killing one of them. But he definitely got the shit beat out of him and nearly died in the process. He had earned the respect of that race, but he didn't care to test them again or make it that obvious. As competitive as they were he knew they'd only challenge him again.

"We will stop here for now. Just for twenty minutes then we will go down. Everyone rest and get hydrated." Roxy instructed and they all listened. Nadia went to Alec to help him lower Eli down. They all enjoyed their water break. Alec at least dabbed some water on Eli's lips. It wasn't the best method for hydration, but it would work well enough. He also patted the sweat off his brow and his neck. He whispered sweet nothings into his ear as well as he gripped his hands. Hoping, wishing and even praying that somehow it would wake him up."Seriously when he wakes up you better marry him on the spot." Roxy said to lighten the mood. "I plan to." Alec replied and the group smiled. "I call dibs on being the best man. I am confident in my ability to pull off a tux." She added. "Ohh I want to be a brides maid." Claire said excitedly. Alec chuckled and nodded. Once the twenty minutes were up they all stood. Nadia helped Alec get Eli back onto his back. She pat his shoulder as they all began their journey out once more.

Eventually they slowed down. They started noticing a lot of slime, and under their feet they could hear the squishing. Shining their lights onto the walls they noticed many slimy vine looking appendages. The slime was eerily familiar. They glanced at each other. It wasn't slime, it was mucous and they knew only one thing in this place produced it. Marissa began rapidly shaking her head. "No, no, no no no no." She started repeating over and over. "I have to agree with Marissa. I don't do mucous and I DEFINITELY don't do the black serpents that make it." Claire agreed. "We don't have a choice. Through this is the only way out. Grow a pair of tits and move on with your lives." Roxy said sternly. "It's either brave it through here now, or just stay here like sitting ducks while those things slaughter you." She continued, "But at least through here you have a higher chance." She finished. Claire and Marissa glanced at other. They sighed and nodded their heads. "Great, let's move." Roxy said and the group made their way through the mucousy corridor. When they emerged in the chamber their eyes went wide. Marissa and Claire gasped. In the center of the room were dozens of those eggs that unleashed those pale crab-like creatures. Lining the walls was more mucousy, for lack of a better word, cocoons. But they weren't fully enclosed and what they contained weren't the serpents. It was all of the researchers and marines. Nadia scanned and she gasped as her eyes landed on Isaac. His head was down and he had a gaping hole in his chest. Looking around all of the researchers and marines, if they didn't have one of those things on their face, then there was that same gaping hole in their chest with a dead pale creature at their feet. "So... A female of sorts must lay the eggs. Those crab things will attach to a human as a host... Like a parasite. But if they die afterwards, then that means what gestates and comes out is... Those serpents?" Claire guessed. The rest nodded. "And those lizard things hunt the serpents... So to them then we are only sacrificial lambs." Roxy finished with gritted teeth. "And you like them!? Admire them even!? " she turned her anger on Nadia, causing Nadia to jump.

A cough interrupted them. They all turned their heads and saw Pax a little disoriented and stuck in one of those cocoons. Seeing the dead creature at his feet as well Nadia smirked. It only seemed fitting considering he had made Isaac suffer the same fate. Pax soon got his bearings as he looked at them. "Thank God you all are here. Get me out of here, please." He all but begged. The researchers just stared at him. Without a word they all began to walking through the nest and to the other side. "YOU PATHETIC BITCHES GET ME OUT OF HERE!" he yelled at them. They simply waved at him as they continued on. He was yelling all sorts of obscenities, but it didn't take long for the obscenities to stop and be replaced by pained yells instead. They all listened as they could hear his body breaking from the inside out, before finally the flesh ripped open and the shriek of a baby serpent filled the air. They didn't dare to watch any of that however, they at least had that respect. Also they didn't want to be anywhere near that thing when it matured. An hour or so more passed in total silence. Mainly due to Roxeanne's outburst. Finally their eyes all landed on the pyramids exit. They smiled in relief, and quickly hugged each other. Looking at each other they sprinted for the exit. All of them except Eli welcoming the blinding sunlight.