“We know what you’ve done, Elise. Drop the knife.”

Elise walked only a few steps back - yet, they felt their back press up against the wall. The creature inside their grip squirmed; although far less than how anything else would react. Illsee was onto this scheme, after all.

“No,” Elise said. Ripley leveled their pistol at them - in response, Elise’s chokehold only pressed harder on the thin neck of Illsee. He started to choke, quietly - although to his credit, he did so without making them loose grip.

Elise chuckled. There was no happiness, not even a positive emotion like arrogance or satisfaction - merely a cold, cold laugh. “I’m the one in control here,” they said. “Level your gun at me. It won’t matter. You don’t even have the strength, Ripley. I know you don’t.”

They watched his trembling fingers, watched his pupils dilate. They knew that he didn’t have the strength - they’d been with missions with him, after all. His skill was admirable. But he never had the strength to go toe to tow with a Chimera like Elise did.

It was strange how these things worked. Elise never felt like they’d had the time to truly think things through. But now, as the Chimeric blade pressed against Illsee’s neck, they felt like they had all the time in the world. Mere milliseconds seemed to pass by in minutes.

“Why they’d make you do it, Ripley?” Elise said. “It just made it all harder for you and me. Made it more likely you’ll fail. Think about it, Ripley. Why didn’t they just nuke me from space? Why did they have to include you?”

Elise felt lightheaded - their heart quickened, their lungs heaving. It almost felt like euphoria. It didn’t even matter now, did it? Even when Chimeras stared them down, it didn’t feel like this, it never felt like this. Is this what they felt like, the Chimeras, when they talked to them? No wonder they constantly had that horrible sense of arrogance.

Ripley looked horrified. No wonder - they had to shoot one of their comrades. For some strange reason, Elise didn’t have the same qualms. Maybe they would, once this was all over.

If they got through this without having their brain blown to bits. Elise laughed. It was sort of hilarious to them at this point.