blainesgirl: Thank you! Oh and you know you can darken the background right. Once your reading a story look to your right: There's this little icon that allows you to turn the screen black and the words white. Very useful if your finding reading difficult.
StudentofDust: Thank you so much. I'm happy your interested in the story thus far.
Teddy-wabbitz: Thx! The storyline better be good - I practically lost a arm and a leg to do that first chapter. I don't usually write a chapter that long.
Alive At 2PM: Well wait no further. I hope you like the new chap.
Author's Note: This chapter is short: Perhaps a huge let down compared to the first chapter but never the less I hope you do enjoy it.
Chapter 2: Coming Out of Hiding
? POV:
Without a word I watched keenly from my perch at the arrival of the newcomers; group 64 I believe. So, so far there have been 64 groups before mine and still this ongoing chain never ends. I stretched my worn limbs not even recalling the last time I've been out in the open like this; so relaxed and carefree. Not having to constantly look around or fret about being hunted or watched. Even if it's for a little while I was enjoying the freedom while it lasted; the freedom to actually be able to walk around and not have to worry whether or not I'll live to see the next day.
I've out lived everyone in my group and secretly hidden my way into this planet. I say hidden because I haven't been caught yet and have been keeping a low profile for quite some time. After season after season of slyly sneaking under the radar with no chance of ever making a move I got a break when the last group, group 62, killed the three prior hunters. I got lucky. Something that has only happened once, or so I've been told.
Though I never witnessed the first triumph myself, it was told to me through tale. Another human that resided in a group previous to mine was an old man that survived on the planet longer than any could imagine. Though he did never tell me how long, you could tell by not only a moment's glimpse of him but through speech. He was a wise old man; now deceased, not from the hunters but of an unknown illness that mysteriously took his life without notice. I bowed my head slightly at the remembrance; taking in the moment.
If the old man was right then I don't have long till more of them arrive; three anew. 'Stronger, smarter and more ruthless than the last' the old man's words echoed in my head and I shuddered at the thought. I turned my gaze back to the skies.
So I have to strategize quickly if I have any hopes of ever getting off of this game planet. My mind wondered to Noland; one of the few who survived along with me in our endeavors. We both out lived the others but in the end I suppose I'll be the only one that made it in our group; sad. I sighed not at all felling to remorseful about Noland's demise. Noland was…well he truly only looked out for his own wellbeing. I'm sure after a few more seasons went by he would have surely betrayed me soon enough. Did I mention he was kind of crazy in the head? Well, that's Noland for you. He made one dire flaw that cost him his life and that was that he intervened in the previous hunt and purposely encountered group 62. Even leading them to his hideout, which was one of the biggest mistakes a person can make. The hunters were after their primary targets so by leading them to his base he pretty much gave his hideout away to the hunters; making him a target as well.
The vision I was looking in appeared in blues and blacks, the bright reds and oranges marked the new individuals as they fell downward. I cocked my head to the side as the last remaining heat signatures disappeared into the jungle and I slowly began to climb down from my perch and stalk forward.
It's taken me years to get use to this new sight; though you could never really tell time here. I remember the first time I got this new technology and put it on I ran into many trees; it defiantly took some getting used to. I huffed a muffled chuckle at the recollection.
I weaved in and out of trees and through the terrain with ease looking closely for any heat signatures. The mask picked up something in the trees and I immediately stopped and calmly sidestepped it be hide a bush. I huffed in irritation at the poor visage this mask provided. It didn't give the best visual description; I suppose this is an old model. I remember Noland had the more advance bio-helm and alien tech. We were actually going to meet to trade equipment and supplies the following winter but seeing as he is no more I suppose I can give up all hopes at ever getting something more…up to date.
The red blur in my visor struggled in the trees and I smiled under my mask at the pathetic scene. I never belittled my kind, if anything I was proud to be human. Yet sometimes I had to wonder, why of all things to hunt down we were chosen. I watched unimpressed and slightly embarrassed that this person was practically representing mankind here and he was wrestling around with a tree. Ok well I perhaps do deride my own kind but I never second guessed my species till I arrived here. If their getting easily deterred at the beginning then how are they going to last in the long-run, I thought. After shuffling around like an idiot the person finally bottled enough common sense to take out a knife and cut themselves free and fell into a thick bush; breaking their fall. Not even a few seconds after they fell the person burst out of the bush wielding a weapon. I instantly stooped down to a very low crouch.
These newbie's were very well known to fire off shells when they first arrive and I wasn't in the mood or didn't have the patience and or humor to be shot at. The person didn't do anything but look around, taking in their surroundings making me relax; relieved I wouldn't be forced to kill potential allies. Basically if you're a human than we were automatically temporary…comrades. Well, that's until you turn on me or I turn on you first. It's not personal; it's more of a survival of the fittest thing out here. The person lowered their arsenal before heading off in the direction of the other parachuters. Wise move, I thought; perhaps thinking that there was some hope for our fellow man.
And with that I shadowed the lone human; finally getting the pleasurable feeling of being the hunter instead of the hunted.
Author's Note: I bet you guys weren't expecting that. Yep, in my version of the movie [Predators] Noland wasn't the only one on the game planet. Hope you guys like the twist in the story! Sorry if this chapter seems a little TO short and kind of rushed. I'm trying to get all my older stories updated so I can resume my newer ones.
Stories that should be updated soon: [What you'd Least Expect_Experiment 619_One's Instincts_Eight is better Than One_Live Among Us]
***Note (1): I've re-edited Eight is better Than One. I added a few things and [Hopefully] fixed all the spelling errors. Check it out if you have time and if there still are a few errors than I would hope you'd be kind enough to point them out for me.
***Note (2): Another thing: I'm not sure if you know this but I have school so I know things are going a little slow, forgive me. Also me B-day is coming up in a matter of days so I have planning. I know you would wait patiently for the awaited updates though so thank you.
Sincerely,
-Humor