Xeno Love

Chapter 8: The Fight

Kaleb forced his eyes open. Sitting on his desk were a set of notes from the night watchman, and Jeica was currently watching the cameras. Kaleb picked up the small pad and looked over the night watchman’s messy handwriting.
Xenomorph name: Advena (Jake calls her that at 10:46 when he wakes up)
Jake and Advena seem to have a non-verbal way of communicating?
Cameras are down in bedroom – investigate?
A man entered the room at midnight – supposed to be there?
You started thrashing in your sleep two hours before my shift’s end – get it checked out?
Xenomorphs 158 and 159 had a fight through the bars in holding section 18B
Xenomorph 273 Praetorian stage – consider feeding more?
Shift end – Jeica taking over until you wake up.
Kaleb yawned and tossed the pad aside. Most of that he had already known, including the telepathic bond they appeared to have. Jeica swivelled her chair around to face him.

“They’re still asleep I think. Either that r something interesting is happening inside their bedroom.” She sounded more than a little annoyed at him for his reactions last night, and was trying to guilt trip him. It didn’t work.

“General, could you send Lieutenant Glover up here?”

“Yes sir,” she mumbled, jogging down the corridor. She entered the cafeteria where she knew she would find him. She scanned the faces; none of them belonged to Glover. “Where are you ya bastard?” she asked, as if he could hear her. There was a large crowd of people gathered around one particular spot, and Jeica guessed that it was most likely a fight, and she knew exactly who would be in the centre of a fight. “I hope he’s stripping your rank you stuck-up asshole,” she muttered as she approached the circle of spectators. What she found was not what she had expected, however. Instead of seeing Glover in an all-out fistfight with a burly South-African Sergeant, she saw Jake and his bloody Xenomorph waltzing together on the table with all the spectators laughing and clapping, nudging each other and passing comments. Glover himself was lounging next to a small stereo that was the source of the slow, peaceful music. Jeica gritted her teeth and stormed over to where Jake’s quarters were located. She saw a guard standing to attention outside. “Ah, good to see you’re alert and guarding them,” Jeica sneered. The guard looked confused.

“Ma’am?” he asked.

“You fell asleep, didn’t you?”

“N-no ma’am.”

“Oh? Then could you please get Jake for me,” she asked sweetly, fluttering her eyelids and striking a girly pose. The guard knocked on the door.

“Jake!” he barked. “Jake!”

“He’s in the cafeteria dipshit!” she yelled, startling the guard. “You’d better get your ass down there before I shoot it Private!” The guard scrambled away in the general direction of the cafeteria. Jeica sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She went back to the cafeteria to get Glover.

“Why must you embarrass me so much in front of all these people?”

“Oh come on! You’re doing well. Now, left foot there, tail out of the way, there you go; you’re doing great.” Advena curled her tail around his waist, giving herself a bit more support as she tried to master one of the simplest dances known to mankind. She felt like all of them were making fun of her, but the reality was that the absurdity of the situation was the thing making them laugh. She towered over her dancing partner, making it look awkward, and quite hilarious apparently. She stooped her head down and rested it on his shoulder.

“So, what are we doing today? Besides embarrassing me in front of lots of humans, that is.”

“I thought we might give the pool a try,” Jake told her. There was a flash and someone held their phone so someone else could see it, smiling the whole time.

“This is too much!” Advena broke away shyly and scampered out the door. “Meet you there!”

“Hey! Wait up!” Jake laughed, jogging after her. “I have to get changed first!” The crowd gradually broke up, the centrepiece of their entertainment now gone. They resumed chatting about it for the next hour or so though.

“Glover, the boss wants to talk to you,” Jeica growled, grabbing the lieutenant in question by the arm. Glover leaned against the table.

“Hey sweet stuff, wanna dance?” he inquired, motioning towards his stereo.

“Ha ha,” she laughed sarcastically. “Wanna go fuck yourself? Now hurry up.” She turned to leave, but Glover grabbed her by the shoulders.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he snarled into her ear. “I asked you if you wanted to dance.” This was exactly the arrogant behaviour that Jeica dreaded every time she talked to him.

“And I said fuck off, so get your paws off me and get to the boss’s office.” Glover slapped her and grabbed her hands in an iron grip.

“Don’t talk to me like that bitch!” Glover grabbed her roughly around the waist and started dragging her around in a deranged Foxtrot. Jeica bit back a whimper as she struggled to escape his unyielding grasp. Jeica trembled in helplessness. This was new to her, and she couldn’t have felt more helpless.

“Glover, please,” Jeica begged, the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes. She was ashamed of herself, acting like this. She was supposed to be a hardened war general! But they had done something to Glover. Something that made him have a short temper, brutish muscles and no remorse. Jeica stared right into his eyes pleadingly. She could have sworn they flashed red for a second before returning to their usual neon-green. Anyone nearby instantly turned their eyes in another direction, knowing that messing with Glover only meant trouble. Jeica had never felt more alone. Someone tapped Glover on the shoulder. He turned around and received a faceful of fist. Glover staggered away a few steps before shaking his head and glaring at his attacker. Who dared challenge him? He was going to grind them into dust! Jeica had landed on her butt on the cold, hard floor. Her eyes were drawn to her saviour.

“Jake?” she gasped. Glover growled like a raged animal and pounded his fist against the palm of his other hand menacingly. Jeica shivered. She hadn’t really like Jake to begin with, but she felt sorry for him and what he had just gotten himself into.

“Now, why don’t you leave the lady alone and we’ll all go home in one piece?” Jake asked, staring Glover down defiantly. Glover’s expression softened and he stepped towards Jake, hand outstretched.

“Yeah, sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” Jake smiled pleasantly and shook his hand. What a fool. In the next instant, Glover swung Jake around by the hand and let go, causing him to go flying into a nearby wall. There was a wall of spectators, keeping their distance but still transfixed on the scene in front of them. Jake got to his feet shakily and wiped some blood from his mouth. He spat, and a glob of red-tinged saliva splattered on the floor.

“Son of a bitch!” he grunted, clutching his side. Glover grinned to himself, revealing a row of sharp, canine teeth instead of regular, blunt, human ones. Jake gulped and brought his fists up defensively, like a boxer. Glover, quick as a striking snake, grabbed Jake’s forehead and slammed it into the wall. Stars flashed before Jake’s eyes, and he was hearing a dull ringing noise. Glover punched him in the chest, right where his scar was, making him gasp and double over in pain. Glover brought his face down on his knee, breaking Jake’s nose with a spray of blood, then threw him to the floor. Glover raised is fist to finish off his opponent, but something caught his wrist. He turned around and received a punch in the face from Jeica.

“Leave him alone!” she shrieked. Glover grabbed her by the neck and pinned her against the wall, at least a foot off the ground.

“You stay out of this; I’ll deal with you afterwards.” He tossed her onto the floor and returned his attention to Jake, who was struggling to prop himself up with his elbow. Glover kicked him in the face, then stood on his chest wound. Jake was gasping and panting heavily, barely staying conscious. Blood sprayed over Jake’s face. Not his blood. Glover stared down at the sharp object piercing his stomach. It was then yanked out of him, and his babbling body was tossed aside. Loving arms lifted Jake up gently. Through the inky blackness that was creeping across his vision, he could hear someone screaming.

“Jake! No Jake! Jaaaaaaaaake!”