No words. No excuses. I'm sorry for the incredibly long absence. But real life has that funny way of screwing everything up. Hopefully, I'll now be able to sit down, finish up the stories, and not leave everyone hanging. If you've stayed with me this long, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Let's get it started.

CoA Extra Chapter Part 3: Confrontation

Before they entered the portal, Slop turned to look at Ali and the Xenomorphs. "I'll have to ask you guys to follow me in here," he said. "The corridors between worlds can be unstable, but I can make us a path. Sorry to all of you," he nodded to the Xenos. "But I'm unable to make walls, so you'll have to walk on the ground."

Ali nodded. "They'll understand. Let's go," she said, impatient to go rescue the Queen.

Slop nodded and turned, heading through the slash in reality, the small group following behind.

Ali kept her eyes firmly placed on Slop's back. She knew that if she looked to the left or right, the whirling madness would cause her to stumble, perhaps fatally off the path.

"Sorry. I should've warned you. It's a bit rough on first timers," Slop said.

"No, it's fine. If it helps me find Tilda, I'll do whatever it takes," Ali replied fiercely.

Slop smiled, though she couldn't see it. "All right. I promise you, I'll take Rai out and get her back," he said to her.

Ali nodded, determined to save the Queen that had become like a mother to her.

The small critter scurried around on its six legs, nose snuffling as it tried to sniff out any hint of grass or plants it could eat. Its ears perked, and it looked up. In front of it, what looked like a gash out of reality appeared. A man stepped through, followed by a young girl, and a horde of monstrosities. The critter squealed and scurried off.

"All right. We're here," Slop said. "If I guessed right, Rai has the Queen down in that crater." He pointed to a large crater a few hundred yards away.

"Then let's go," Ali said, starting ahead, only to be stopped by Slop throwing his arm out in front of her. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Going in blindly could end very badly for us," Slop replied calmly. "Let's go assess the situation first."

Ali growled deep in her throat, but couldn't deny the wisdom in his words. Nodding sharply, she gestured to the Xenos to stay put as she headed off with Slop to the edge of the crater.

As they approached, Slop got down on his stomach and began to crawl forward. After some hesitation, Ali did the same. They reached the edge of the crater and looked over. Ali let out a strangled gasp. "Oh..." she breathed as she took in the sight.

The Alien Queen was wrapped in so many chains, it appeared that she was made of them. The only part of her that wasn't wrapped up was her egg sac. They watched as it slowly deposited a fresh egg to join the dozens of the already opened ones that were on the ground.

"This doesn't make any sense..." Slop murmured. "What did they use for hosts?"

Before he could form any thoughts, the hair stood up on the back of his neck and he whirled around, meeting the sudden attack from Rai, blocking Rai's Lightning Infused Convergence with his own Zangetsu. There was an explosion as the edge of the crater they were on collapsed. Ali rolled down the crater wall with a shriek, not expecting it. She landed heavily, the breath leaving her body in a WHUUF.

"Well well well, look what the cat dragged in. A mangy mutt," Rai said with a grin.

"Rai, damn you! You knew I was tracking you?" Slop snarled, sparks and lightning bolts flying around them.

"Of course. I was counting on it. And counting on you to bring them!" the King returned triumphantly, pointing down.

Slop glanced down and saw the Xenomorphs heading down the crater, drawn in by Ali's shriek and the explosion.

"Now that they're all here, let's get this show on the road!" Rai said. He put his fingers to his mouth and let out a sharp whistle. Instantly, the shadows in the crater lengthened and became the form of Xenomorphs. Slop's eyes widened.

"You bastard... That's what you used?!" he cried.

Rai laughed, sending Slop flying backwards with a kick. "That's right. I used the bitch's eggs to infect the Shadows I brought with me and created Shadow Xenos! The perfect assassin melded with pure darkness. Just what I need to take you and your little group down for good!"

Slop's eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that," he said as he rushed Rai.

Ali was in the middle of a nightmare. She opened her eyes and sat up to find herself face to face with what appeared to be a Xenomorph made of pure shadow. She saw the mouth opened and threw herself backwards to avoid the second mouth that shot out. Before the Shadow Xeno could make a follow-up attack, it was pierced from behind by the tail of Hermes, who had come to her side. He hissed and offered his head for Ali to stand up with. She did so and looked around, gaping at the sight.

Xeno and Shadow Xeno were locked in mortal combat, hissing and shrieking filling the air, the crackle of lightning from Slop's and Rai's battle not even drowning it out.

"Did he infect...those things...?" she wondered aloud, barely hearing Hermes' insistent hiss and stepping back to avoid an attack from a Shadow Xeno. Hermes leaped forward and pinned it beneath his bulk, stabbing its head open with his second mouth.

Ali took the small breather to take in the battle more. The Xenos were outnumbered, but had the advantage of experience, whereas the Shadow Xenos only had their instinct.

"We can do this," she thought to herself, before a streak of light flew down from the heavens and struck the ground, sending up a massive amount of dirt and rock. Xenos flew everywhere, shrieking in surprise.

"NO!" she screamed, seeing many of her friends being crushed by rocks or killed by Shadow Xenos taking advantage of the distraction. Looking toward the crater, she felt her body grow cold. Slop was there, smoking and coughing, covered in scratches. Rai landed next to him, smirking.

"You should know better than to pick a fight with your betters, little mutt," he said, grabbing Slop by the throat and lifting him up. Rai then held his other hand out to his side, catching his Convergence and grinned. "Eat this," he said as he stabbed Slop in the stomach.

Both Ali and Slop's eyes widened as Slop coughed out blood. Rai then threw him into the wall next to Ali, where he slammed into and then through, rock collapsing on him.

Ali whirled around to watch, then turned to Rai, glaring at him with pure hatred. Rai smirked at her. "What? You want a round?" he asked, gesturing to her.

Screaming in pure rage, she charged him, ignoring Hermes' desperate cry, intent only on causing the man in front of her pain. Rai's smirk widened as he sheathed his sword and punched Ali in the cheek, causing stars to erupt in her vision and making her collapse.

"Don't worry," she barely heard Rai say. "We'll keep your precious queen alive. We need her eggs, after all." Then he began to laugh

Ali's eyes filled with tears as she watched her family start to become surrounded by Shadow Xenos. "Why... why were they not crushed...?" she barely wheezed out.

"Because they're part shadow, girl. They shifted into the rock's shadow," Rai said, grinning. He glanced up to see Hermes charging him and drew his blade again. "Don't worry. I'll send your friend to greet you in Hell."

"NOOOO!" Ali screamed, the effort of it almost causing her to vomit, as she watched helplessly as Hermes rushed forward into certain death, but determined to do anything he could to save his best friend and family member.

"Well... this hurts..." Slop thought, buried under what felt like a mountain, all gashed up. "I've... got to move... I made... a promise to her..." His memory flashed back to when he first met her. She was a young girl, living with monsters because she herself was a monster, due to the fact her mother was infected by a Xenomorph when she was pregnant. Instead of developing into a Chestburster, the Alien embryo instead fused with the fetus, imparting Alien senses and acid blood to her. Her mother died in childbirth due to it, and she's lived at an orphanage ever since, shunned by the children who instinctively understood that she was different. Until she met Hermes. Her family. The Xenomorphs.

"Heh... I bet the kid never even had a human friend... Well... I want to try and be that to her." Slop thought.

Through the rock, he could hear her screaming.

"Don't worry... I'll take Rai out and get your Queen back to you. That's a promise.. We're both monsters, after all. We have to watch out for... each other."

There was a massive explosion from the side of the crater. Rai stumbled, off balance as Hermes took the opportunity to pull Ali from harms way.

Coughing, Ali struggled to look to where the explosion happened. Her eyes widened as she saw Slop stepping from the crater. His eyes were now glowing red, he had fangs, and a black wing sprouting from his back. "What...?" she breathed.

"Nanomachine... Crusnik 00... Power output 20 percent, activated," she heard him state.

"Heh. Crusnik, huh? Doesn't freakin' matter," Rai said, approaching Slop. "You're still DEAD!" He swung his sword, only for it to be blocked by a large sword materializing out of nowhere. "What?!"

Slop looked up, staring Rai in the face. Rai felt a chill go down his spine at the sight. Reasserting himself, he sent lightning coursing down the blade and into Slop's body, but was astonished once again to see it had no effect. "But how?!"

"This form grants me far more control over my electrical power. It's easy to match yours in the opposite polarity," Slop replied, his voice partially a growl. With little effort, he sent Rai flying up with the air.

"Now then, to take care of business." Slop turned to the Xenos who were watching and vanished. In a massive spray of acid blood, all of the Shadow Xenos were bisected, shrieking in pain. Slop reappeared, lightning fading from his legs.

"What...is he?" Ali murmured, then heard Rai shriek in rage.

"You damn MUTT! I'll KILL YOU!" he roared, vanishing at the same speed Slop had just attained, seeking to slice him in half as well. However, Slop had seen that move and vanished, reappearing behind Rai.

Rai gagged as a large cut appeared in his stomach, blood spraying in the air. Gritting his teeth, he snapped his fingers, opening a Corridor of Darkness. "Fine... you win this round. But we'll win the war," he said, vanishing through it.

Slop slowly descended to the ground, wing and fangs fading, eyes returning to normal as he collapsed to his knees.

"Slop!" Ali cried, running to him.

Slop looked over to her and let out a tired smile. "Hey... looks like we won..." he said in an exhausted voice.

"What... what was that? What did you do?" she asked.

He closed his eyes before replying, "That was one of my powers. Crusnik. However... it exhausts me something fierce, so I tend to use it as a last resort." He looked to her with a serious expression. "In my travels, I've absorbed many powers like that, to the point where I'm almost not human anymore."

Ali felt a chill go through her as she stared at him. "This man... What has he experienced to make him like this?" she thought to herself

"I'm getting ahead of myself," Slop said. "We came here for one purpose, right?"

Ali gasped. "Tilda!" she cried, turning and running to the Alien Queen.

Slop smiled and followed, then frowned. Something wasn't right. With a shock, he realized that amid the showers of rocks and explosions, Tilda had been pelted many times and was grievously wounded.

Ali fell to her knees, crying. "Tilda... TILDA!" she cried. "Slop! That medicine! Quick!"

Slop pulled out the kit and opened it, only to realize with a chill that he had no more bacta. "I'm... out," he said softly.

Ali looked to him in shock, then started sobbing. "No... NO!" she screamed.

"There... might be another way, though," he said hesitantly.

"Do it! I don't care what it is! Do it!" Ali wailed

Slop sighed and nodded, walking over to Tilda. Putting his thumb in his mouth, he bit down, drawing blood. He hesitated, then held it over one of the open wounds so that his blood fell into it. There was a moment of silence, then a loud hissing noise.

Tilda started spasming. Ali gasped. "What's wrong? What did you do?!" she screamed to Slop.

"I gave her my blood," he explained. "With any luck, and with as strong as she appears to be, she'll be fully healed. But it's going to hurt like hell."

Ali glared at him, but then realized there wasn't really any other option, and held Tilda as best she could. Suddenly, the wounds began closing. She gasped, crying in relief.

With a slow hiss, Tilda began to stir, looking up to Ali and nuzzling her.

"My child..." Tilda spoke to Ali

"Tilda..." Ali said weakly, relieved

Slowly, the Alien Queen stood and looked around. Seeing all of her children who had given their lives for her, she started keening in sorrow.

Ali watched, her eyes full of tears, then turned to Slop. "Will she be okay?"

Slop nodded. "Yeah. She'll be fine now."

The Queen noticed and looked to Slop, hissing.

"My child, who is this one?" she asked Ali.

"He's the one who helped save you," she replied.

Slop looked up at the Queen and bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, great Queen," he said formally.

"You helped save me? Then I am in your debt," she said to him

Ali opened her mouth to translate, but Slop shook his head. "No, great Queen. No debt is owed, for I was caught by surprise by the Shadow Xenomorphs. I should've been able to predict that, and stopped this." He gestured to the battlefield, littered with corpses. "As such, I'll make amends now." He brought his hands together and concentrated.

"You can hear her? Wait, what are you doing?" Ali asked Slop.

"Yes, I can hear her. I'm very sensitive to psychic wavelengths like hers," he said. "And I'm making amends." A green glow formed around his hands, and he began to pose in a multitude of poses before settling with holding his arms vertical in front of him. "Mass Resurrection!" he cried out, releasing the spell.

A glow infused every one of the dead Xenomorphs, their wounds closing. Slowly, one by one, they started to stand, hissing in surprise.

Ali's jaw dropped, and she looked over at Slop in astonishment. The Queen hissed in amazement.

"You... but... how... what?" she stammered.

Slop smiled, then fell backwards.

"Slop!" she cried, rushing to grab him, but Tilda beat her to him. The Alien Queen held the human in her secondary arms, Ali, rushing to his side.

Slop's eyes fluttered open as they met Ali's. "Sorry but... I'm going to... sleep for a day or so..." he mumbled, then went limp.

A gash appeared in the air inside the nest. Tilda, Ali, Slop, and all of the Xenomorphs stepped through.

"Good to be home?" Slop asked the Queen, who hissed in the affirmative.

"We're back. Now talk," Ali insisted, looking to Slop. "You made that promise, remember?"

Slop nodded, thinking back to when he woke back up. He was immediately bombarded with questions, but promised to explain himself when they got back to the nest.

"All right. I did promise. What do you want to know?" he asked Ali

"What is that Crusnik thing? How did you heal Tilda with your blood? How did you bring back all of my friends? They were dead. What did you do? What are you?" she shot off, rapid fire

"Easy, easy. All right. One at a time. A Crusnik is a vampire that drinks the blood of other vampires. I can use it to boost my abilities, but like I mentioned, I suffer severe exhaustion, so I use it as sparingly as possible. As for how I healed her-"

"What do you mean, vampires? Vampires aren't real," Ali interrupted.

Slop smiled knowingly. "Not real in this world," he said simply.

Ali opened her mouth, then closed it and nodded.

"As for how I healed her, the powers inside of me offer very fast regeneration speed against normal enemies, but not against those Kings," he said. "I put a few drops of my blood in Tilda, which was enough to heal her, but like I said, it hurts like hell."

Ali nodded as Tilda hissed softly.

"The spell I used to bring back your friends is called Mass Resurrection. It completely drains me dry to use it, but it's very handy after a battle, as you saw," Slop said.

The Xenos in the room all hissed their appreciation for the abilities of this human.

"As for what I am... I was originally human. But I guess now, I'm a monster," he said casually, shrugging his shoulders.

Ali sucked in a breath, hearing those words that she had hated so much.

"I think we all agree that this nest owes you a debt of gratitude that we will never be able to repay," Tilda spoke, as all of the Xenomorphs bowed their heads to him. "Name what you want, and we will work to make it so."

Slop, blushing and waving his hand back and forth, stammered out, "No, no. That's not necessary. Please, don't go through the trouble to-"

Tilda hissed firmly. "I insist," she said with the authority of a Queen.

Slop thought for a few seconds, then glanced at Ali, who was also in agreement with Tilda. "Well, I guess if you insist, all I ask for is your friendship," he said to them.

Ali looked to him in astonishment. "Friendship? Why?" she asked before she could stop herself.

Slop looked at her, his face serious. "I didn't want to tell you this, but one of my other abilities is to read the lives of people I look at," he said softly.

Ali froze, her face heating up. "So you're doing this out of pity? Is that it?" she asked hotly.

Slop shook his head. "No, I'm not," he said. "I'm doing it because I want to."

She looked to him, eyes narrowed. Hermes nudged past her, approaching Slop. Hissing softly, he put his head under Slop's.

Slop stroked his head like he had seen Ali do, then looked over at her. "Trust me," he said.

Ali sighed and nodded slowly. "All right," she said reluctantly.

Slop smiled and held out his hand. Ali smiled back and took it.

Slop stood at the entrance of the nest, Ali next to him.

"So you're leaving now?" she asked him. Slop nodded.

"Rai's still out there. But don't worry. I've put protection on this place. He won't be able to get in anymore," he said. "And even if he could, I'll come when you need me. That's what friends do."

Ali looked to him. Her first human friend. The feeling was...nice, she could admit. "Okay...friend."

Slop smiled to her, then turned, cutting a slice in space. But before he could step through, he heard a hiss. Turning, he saw Tilda and the other Xenomorphs standing there, waving in farewell. He smiled and waved back, before stepping through, heading back to his base.

Ali stood there, watching as the gash vanished into thin air. "Goodbye, my friend. See you someday," she whispered softly, before returning to the nest, her Xenomorph family at her side.

Again, the deepest of apologies for being away so long. I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things, so please keep your eyes peeled for more chapters for all my stories coming soon. R&R if you please

Be safe and well

Slop Doggy