Disclaimer: I do not own predators/yautja

Prologue

It was happening again. Trinity sighed, rolling over to seek comfort.

The dream would always start with a low trill from the forest to her right. Sometimes it felt so realistic she would wake up, a ceremonial dagger pulled from under her head rest, ready to protect herself. Tonight though, she relaxed, letting the dream reality take over. Her nightmare stalked her dreams, maybe, just maybe, she could defeat him tonight.

The trill alternated to a deep purr, lulling and soothing, mixing with the stench of poison. The putrid smell awakening her from the seductive caress of sound.

Shifting, the air warned against her senses. Trinity ducked, pulling to the left as a net shot straight over her. She didn't look back. Instead ran into the surrounding alien scrub. She looked around for a weapon as she ran over roots and around tall tree trunks – dodging and darting. Never staying in a straight line.

With basic body armour, and no weapon, she continued to run from her nightmare. Without her wrist blades, her whip or her favourite weapon of all, the one handed spiked mace.

A roar went up, the forest immediately quietening, along with it Trinity stilled. Her heart resonating in her ears and throat.

The roar had been close. Whatever it was had been faster than her. Circling around, waiting for her to run into its trap.

She was no fool. She looked to the tree to her right. It was climbable. Just.

With a growl of her own she grabbed onto the thick truck and started to rise. Her talons sunk into the wood. It was unpleasant, but she had a feeling that being caught by her nightmare would be worse. Trinity barely had time to react as a combi-stick lodge itself into the trunk where she was about to put her hand.

The combination of missing her next hand position and the shock had her falling to the ground below. Her scream cut off by a loud thud as she landed face down. Luckily the soil was soft and the fall was short. She moaned in pain moving a little to see what damage she'd sustained. Her arm was broken.

Opening her eyes through the falling bark and soil she found herself staring up and up into the merciless face mask of her nightmare. Beneath armour that could make an Elder jealous, white skin glistened under the sunlight.

His stance didn't suggest a battle or a challenge, but it was intimidating and dominant none the less.

She pushed off her good arm and crabbed walked backwards, growling to leave her alone. Searching him for any clan markings on the body armour. Nothing. He belonged to no clan. His sole purpose was to haunt her.

Ignoring her growl he lunged for her.

Kicking out at his knee, he only block and grabbed her foot, flipping her back to her front. The next thing Trinity was slammed up against a tree. Her face was only slightly touching the rough surface of the wood trunk.

Her dream horror was only using enough power and energy to keep her powerless. He knew her darkest fear.

The purr was back, his poison returning with it. Wrapping her in seductive death. No. It was just a dream.

No matter how hard she struggled, kicked, scratched and clawed. She was useless. She could not escape. Her attempts quickly punished as he forced her further into the tree every time she resisted.

"What do you want?" She growled, teeth hissing and snapping.

"You." The word was spoken in yautja, but she understood him none the less, and that one word jolted through Trinity and forced her to open her eyes.