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The two snow expedition vehicles, packed to the brim, made it through the tunnel to the bottom without incident.
There, the group was greeted by the sight of a massive pyramid towering beneath the ice.
One of the team's historians couldn't help but take off his glasses and wipe them repeatedly, as if doubting his own eyes.
(Movie screenshot)
"This is impossible! How could there be a Mayan pyramid here?!"
While both are called pyramids, Mayan pyramids and ancient Egyptian pyramids are entirely different in design and purpose.
Egyptian pyramids are built from uniformly sized blocks, forming a triangular prism, and serve as tombs for pharaohs.
Mayan pyramids, on the other hand, only resemble a triangular shape in their overall structure but are far more complex. They were primarily used for religious ceremonies, including the grim tradition of human sacrifice.
The problem is, the Mayan civilization thrived in tropical regions—southern xico, Guatemala, Honduras, and nearby islands.
Those places are thousands of miles from Antarctica, with vastly different climates. Even if the Mayans had advanced mariti capabilities in ancient tis, why would they co here to build a pyramid?
The historian voiced his doubts, and Roy was tempted to quip that maybe a Hollywood screenwriter dread up this pyramid.
At that mont, the geologist chid in with a patch for the situation.
"If we consider the theory of continental drift, when the seven continents were still connected in ancient tis, this could be possible. Back then, South Arica and Antarctica were joined."
The biologist wasn't having it.
"Humans didn't even exist back then. How could anyone build sothing this grand?"
The teorologist couldn't resist adding his two cents.
"What if aliens were involved? Doesn't that make all this possible?"
"Wait a second, haven't we already confird the existence of aliens? What's there to question?"
The scientists started bickering outside the pyramid.
"You guys can keep debating. We're going inside to check if it's safe."
Since they'd confird soone had already entered, Roy didn't want to drag along a bunch of defenseless scientists. He told them to stay outside with the drivers by the snow vehicles to avoid getting in the way.
In the end, only Charles, Roy, Heather, Penny, and five Black Mountain rcenaries—a total of nine—entered the pyramid.
As soon as they stepped inside, they spotted several corpses.
A quick inspection revealed they'd all been killed by bladed weapons, a clear signature of the Predators.
As a species with FTL (faster-than-light) technology, the Predators were a paradoxical mix of advanced and barbaric.
Their advanced technology could crush Earth's—energy weapons, space travel, you na it.
But their culture was savage, clinging to a primal hunting tradition. They preferred close combat over ranged attacks and had a tribal rite-of-passage custom.
Adult Predators had to undergo a unique coming-of-age ritual, proving themselves through a hunt.
That hunt? Tracking down Xenomorphs across the universe.
The Predators would place Xenomorph Queens on habitable planets, releasing the creatures when a clan mber ca of age for their ritual.
If the ritual failed, the Predators would use a planet-killer weapon to wipe the planet clean.
All in all, the Predators weren't exactly friendly. They respected strength, spared won and children, but loved ambushes and slaughter.
Without plot armor, no one in their right mind would ss with them.
Not long after entering the pyramid, Roy's group encountered a sudden shift in the terrain.
Roy reacted quickly, pulling everyone together to avoid getting separated.
"Turn on the thermal imaging. I heard sothing!"
The pyramid's interior was pitch black. Roy, Heather, and Penny had night vision, but the others didn't.
Fortunately, the Black Mountain rcenaries had thermal imagers and gave one to Charles, so it wasn't a big issue.
The nine moved cautiously through the pyramid's complex layout.
Xenomorphs were stealthy, their specialized feet allowing silent movent, so the sounds Roy heard likely weren't from them.
Plus, Xenomorphs had echolocation and could sense bioelectricity, making them deadly hunters in dark, complex environnts.
"Stay sharp. No slacking!"
Roy's warning put everyone on edge.
Suddenly, a limping figure flashed around a corner—definitely human.
"Help! Help!"
The guy started shouting the mont he saw Roy's group. Roy cursed under his breath.
The pyramid was like a dark forest—any noise could attract nearby predators.
"Knock him out!"
A Black Mountain rcenary rushed forward and clocked the guy with a rifle butt. Letting him keep yelling was a death wish.
Then Heather spoke up.
"I think I saw sothing transparent flash by!"
Roy barked orders, pulling Charles to the wall.
"Take cover!"
The pyramid's complex terrain had one advantage: plenty of cover.
This kind of environnt was perfect for defense—without cheats, it'd be tough to navigate.
Too bad the Predators had cheats.
Their armor had cloaking and thermal suppression, plus an arsenal of tactical weapons: spinning blades, nets, plasma cannons, even tactical nukes.
The group held their breath, scanning their surroundings. The five rcenaries covered every possible attack angle, showcasing their tactical prowess.
Minutes passed with no further signs of movent. It seed the attacker had deed Roy's group too tough and moved on.
Roy had a theory.
"I think that guy was bait, deliberately let loose to lure enemies into attacking or rescuing."
"So, our enemy's pretty smart, huh?" Charles frowned, realizing there were other monsters in the pyramid.
The Thing wouldn't have this kind of cunning—it just hid and ambushed.
"Mr. Black, what now?" the rcenary captain asked nervously.
Humans couldn't stay focused indefinitely. If the enemy was waiting for their guard to drop, they were in trouble.
Roy thought for a mont and turned to Heather.
"Heather, where'd you see that transparent thing?"
She pointed down a corridor.
"Over there."
"Alright, I'm going to check it out. Cover ."
With that, Roy pulled the Leviathan Axe from his inventory.
The others barely blinked at the sudden appearance of the axe—they were used to his quirks.
Roy moved slowly toward the corridor Heather indicated. Everything seed quiet, safe even.
But his ghost wolf senses picked up distinct scents—more than one.
The Predators were definitely setting a trap.
So, Roy played dumb, casually strolling toward the ambush point with the axe slung over his shoulder.
Most Predators avoided ranged weapons unless their enemy used them first. So dishonorable ones—called "Bad Bloods"—broke this code, but those in the coming-of-age trials typically stuck to honor.
Sure enough, as Roy entered the ambush zone, a Predator leaped from behind, wielding a retractable spear.
Roy spotted the attacker instantly, spinning around and slicing the spear in half with the Leviathan Axe. Its mimicry rune unlocked a new form.
Nice bonus—the Predator's weapons were intriguing. Maybe he could mimic their entire arsenal with the axe.
(Retractable spear)
The severed spear stunned the Predator for a mont.
Roy didn't press the attack. Instead, he spoke.
"I know you understand . How about a fair fight? No ranged weapons."
The Predators had visited Earth multiple tis and had the tech to translate human languages.
The Predator paused, then nodded in agreent.
Other Predators uncloaked, showing respect for the duel.
Roy counted seven rookie Predators—four more than in the original Alien vs. Predator movie.
This version was shaping up to be far more intense.
The Predator dueling Roy drew a whip, likely made from a Xenomorph's tail. It was tough, powerful, and perfect for mid-range control and damage.
Didn't matter. The whip was no match for the Leviathan Axe. Roy sliced it clean through, unlocking another weapon form.
The Predator, refusing to give up, tried a spinning blade, a net gun, wrist blades, and a collapsible shield. The axe cut through them all.
(Spinning blade)
Roy was thrilled—six new weapon forms from one fight. Jackpot.
He was having fun, but the Predator was fuming.
Predators were used to dominating with their weapons. Getting outclassed like this was a first.
Seeing the Predator getting heated, Roy spoke again.
"Alright, I'll put the axe away. Let's go hand-to-hand."
The Predator nodded eagerly, desperate to beat Roy and save face, or he'd be the laughingstock of his team.
Roy slung the axe over his back and assud a boxing stance.
The Predator handed its shoulder cannon to a comrade and struck a bizarre fighting pose.
"Let's do this!"
The Predator lunged.
Their bones and muscles were denser than humans', with superior tensile strength, making them naturally dominant.
But against Roy, that ant nothing. He was on another level.
Dodging the Predator's attack with ease, Roy slid forward, landing an uppercut to its abdon. The creature dropped to its knees.
And that was Roy holding back. A full-strength punch would've turned it to mush.
The other Predators were stunned. They'd thought Roy's weapon gave him the edge, but now it was clear they couldn't win even without it.
One Predator started locking onto Roy with infrared.
"Hey! Can't win fair, so you're resorting to ranged weapons?"
The tallest Predator, clearly the leader, stopped the one aiming at Roy.
As ntioned, Predators had a primitive honor code: respect the strong, spare the weak.
Roy had beaten their comrade fair and square, no tricks, just fists. That earned their respect.
The leader tapped his microcomputer, projecting English-translated Predator text onto the wall.
"Human, you are a mighty warrior. You have earned our respect. I wish to leave a token on you as a symbol of friendship."
Roy got the reference. In the original movie, the female protagonist fought alongside a Predator, earning its friendship. It marked her face with two slashes—a sign of camaraderie. When that Predator died, others spared her upon seeing the mark.
"Wait, you want to mark ? That won't work—my wounds heal too fast!"
Roy's superhuman healing made scars useless.
The leader thought for a mont, then handed Roy a necklace from around its neck, projecting more text.
"Human, friendship, necklace!"
The necklace was made of so exotic alloy, adorned with a jagged tooth clearly not from an Earth creature.
Roy accepted it and put it on.
The Predators then cloaked, carrying their defeated comrade away.
For now, they wouldn't attack Roy's group, aning he only had to worry about Xenomorphs and the Thing.
Just as he turned to rejoin the others, a burst of gunfire echoed through the pyramid.
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