AN: So I already have one story that I am working on and I also have a LOTR story as well…BUT I have had this one rolling around in the back of my truck for a while. I call it my red light story because I jot things in my notebook while I'm sitting at the insanely long red lights in my city. The main character is actually based on some of me and a few experiences that I have had in my life. What's real and what's a part of the story will remain a mystery, as we all have our burdens to bear. I also decided to publish it because a new acquaintance of mine on fanfic is having a bit of a rough spot right now and I hope this can offer some distraction for her. I hope you enjoy it Mrs. T. Well enough blathering. Enjoy….I hope.
Disclaimer…I don't own anything from AvP or Predator. It's all just for fun and therapy.
Chapter 1 It could always be worse
The pain was almost unbearable. The throbbing, burning, tearing sensation seemed to want to shut his brain down and drown him in a sea of darkness. He could taste the metallic tang of his own blood mixed with the dirt and leaves of the forest floor.
"Well this just fucking sucks" he growled
Trying to push himself up on his elbows to get an idea of the damage; Matthew tried not to vomit from the sudden burst of pain. He couldn't help but chuckle with dark humor as he realized that he was probably going to pass out and most likely die in his own back yard. All be it a very large backyard….. One thousand square miles of mountains and forest in the middle of a state park in Colorado backyard to be exact.
With a great heave of strength Mat pulled himself up to sit against the massive fir tree that had stopped his fall…abruptly. Looking at the mangled mess of steel and plastic that had been the brace that encased his knee he began to work on controlling his breathing. Going through the systematic checks for injury that he had learned from his years in the military he realized aside from his knee and some cuts and scrapes that he was mainly whole and uninjured. Looking up at the roughly twenty foot ravine that he had fallen into he was surprised at the limited damage.
It had been a routine hike, the same path, at the same time that he walked every day for the past two years. After his release from the army hospital; the doctors had insisted that he exercise as much as possible. So Mat packed up his life and moved from the deep south state of Alabama and moved north to Colorado. When he arrived he found himself buying a small piece of land and a cabin butted up against the state park. He was alone and that's the way he wanted it.
"Well you're not dying Mat" he muttered to himself "So stop fucking off and let's get home"
Gritting his teeth Mat pulled himself up to wobble on his good leg. After several attempts and some very colorful language he gave up trying to crawl back up to the path and decided to follow the stream that he knew wound around to the back side of his property…eventually.
As he slowly picked his way down the slippery rocks the hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end. The whole reason he had fallen in the first place had returned, it had drawn his attention to the lush green canopy above him. Not paying attention he had walked off the path into the brush and then over the steep drop.
Sliding to his left Mat crouched into the ferns by the stream, ignoring the sudden pang of heat in his scarred knee….he was being watched.
The hunter trilled in mild amusement. Making its way along the lip of the ravine where the ooman had fallen. Now it watched as he began limping down the small waterway, when suddenly he hunched into the thick vegetation.
Switching to the thermal view on its mask the hunter tracked his movements. With a side cock of its head it watched him scan the ridge line. This ooman was getting more interesting the longer it was watched.
The hunter had been on the blue planet for almost eight cycles now. After having been ambushed by the same bad bloods that it and its mei-jadhi had come to hunt, the two hunters had been separated. Alone and unsure of the whereabouts of its companion the yautja had traveled across the harsh wilderness looking for an area to signal for help.
Only to stumble across this very strange male ooman. It mused.
All though very well built physically and obviously very intuitive. He was deemed unworthy prey due the obvious defect to his right leg. The strange apparatus that supported his leg seemed to also hinder it as he would drag it slightly at times.
But as the hunter had settled on a branch to wait for him to pass he had suddenly stopped and looked almost directly at its hiding perch. The hunter tensed, in that moment believing itself to be spotted, and prepared to leap on him. Then the male just continued walking still scanning the tree line. That's when he had plummeted over the steep slope.
The hunter trilled at the memory of the interesting language he had used as he slide and fell down the embankment. Oomans were such colorful creatures! It decided to follow him a ways as he made his way down the waterway. That's when for a second time the hunter felt that it had given itself away when the ooman suddenly crouched into the leafy plants beside the stream. He sat there for several moments watching the top of the ravine before grumbling some more colorful phrases and moving on.
He has a very strong hunter's sense! He can feel my presence!
It took almost the entire cycle for the male to return to its shelter. The sun had begun to set behind the mountains when he had finally stumbled up onto the front overhang, called a porch or some such nonsense. Though colorful the ooman's language was a tiring affair with far too many words to express such simple things.
Scanning the clearing around the shelter the hunter decided that the cycle hadn't been entirely wasted on its silly fascination with the ooman.
This will make a good place to rest and signal the clan ship for assistance.
It would also allow the hunter to observe this ooman a little longer. With that thought it leaped into one of the large trees that surrounded the shelter and settled in for some rest.
Mat collapsed on his bed, he was exhausted and very sore. This day had not gone anything like he had hoped it would. He was a creature of habit and today had screwed that all up.
Besides the obvious discomfort of the unexpected detour he still couldn't shake the feeling that something had been behind him the whole way. Any army ranger with any field experience worth anything could tell you when something didn't feel right. You learned to have a sixth sense about those things…..or you died. Your six o'clock was your weak spot. Today there was defiantly something on him! Also he could swear that he had seen movement in the trees in the front yard when he had finished cleaning up that afternoon as well.
"Sure as hell wasn't a wolf or mountain lion" he grumbled sleepily "I'll go back tomorrow and sniff around a bit."
And now I talk to myself! He thought sarcastically before slipping into sleep.