The Shadow Hunter

Predator

GW-M129 cowered behind the cover of several thick vines. The scout drones had marked a target in the trees near him, but had not picked up a definite heat trace; it was up to M129 to find out what was out there. He quietly slid around the vines and towards some fallen trees. If it was a false alarm, then he could finish his patrol and head home; if there was a real threat in those trees, then he could retreat and call in the Butchers. He shuddered; they were actually classified as GW-H, but everyone called them Butchers. And that is what they were: senseless, barbaric creatures that walked into a room, killed everything in that room, and left. The only time they paused before killing someone or something was to reload; some don't even wait for the bullets, they just smash things with the heavy guns. M129 blinked away the thoughts; they may be Butchers, but they were still on his team. Thank Mist. M129 checked his visor for a third time. There was no denying it; something was under that tree. As quietly as he could, M129 crouched under the rustling leaves and peeked at his target.
Crap.
He half-crawled, half-ran to his makeshift cover. The legends were true; the Shadow Hunter was huge compared to a Galaga Warrior. But the legends never told of his raw power: there was a darkness, menacing and deadly, that covered the creature. But was it... sleeping? M129 couldn't believe his luck! He had just sneaked up on the most dangerous creature in the galaxy while it was sleeping. He pressed the com-link button on his helmet. BEEP BEEP COM-LINK ESTABLISHED BEEP BEEP. Crap. M129 didn't have to turn around to know that the Shadow Hunter was awake now.