Assassin (Fate/Crossover - Xenomorph)

**Assassin** (アサシン, *Asashin*) is the servant of ??? in the ??? Holy Grail War.

## Profile

### Identity

Assassin's true identity is the **Xenomorph**, and known colloquially as the Alien, highly aggressive endoparasitoid extraterrestrial species. The Xenomorphs are vicious predatory creatures with no higher goals than the propagation of their species and the destruction of any life that could pose a threat to them. Like wasps or bees, Xenomorphs are eusocial, with a fertile Queen breeding a host of subordinate castes. The creatures are known for their potent acidic blood and their pharyngeal jaws, although their biological life cycle, in which their offspring are implanted inside living hosts before erupting violently from their chests, is in many ways their signature aspect.

Aside from their repeated conflicts with humans, Xenomorphs have notably been associated with the Yautja, who know them as kainde amedha ("hard meat"). The Yautja revere the creatures as incredibly dangerous and thus highly worthy prey, notably employing them in initiation Hunts that serve to test young members of their society and mark their progression into adulthood.

### Appearance

Notably, Xenomorphs will alter their physical appearance during development depending on the physiology of the host in which they gestate – in all likelihood, this incorporation of physical traits gleaned from the host is designed to ensure the adult creature is better suited to the environment in which it will find itself. This ability to alter its form based on the host's physical attributes occurs at a cellular level and has been referred to as the "DNA reflex". Historically, most Xenomorphs encountered have typically gestated inside human hosts, and therefore adopt a basically bipedal, humanoid stance, but other variations born from a wide variety of different host organisms have been seen, and as a result feature varying physical appearances. Perhaps the most notable of these variations is the "Predalien", the result of a Xenomorph gestating inside a Yautja. However, regardless of any physical variation resulting from the host, Xenomorphs always possess certain distinctive, trademark characteristics.

Outwardly, they are encased in a tough mesoskeleton, lending them a skeletal, biomechanical appearance, and are usually colored in muted shades of black, blue or bronze. The outer shell is incredibly resilient, impervious not only to the creature's own potent acid blood, but also capable of withstanding some forms of small arms fire. Whatever organism a Xenomorph gestates within, they invariably possess distinctive, elongated, cylindrical skulls, but have no visible facial features other than their mouth. The carapace atop the head has been seen to vary, from smooth and vaguely translucent to ridged and opaque. It has been proposed that this difference is part of a maturation process, and that younger Drones possess the smoother, domed carapace, while older ones feature ridges. Notably, ridges are often visible beneath the smooth dome of Drones.

The Xenomorphs' primary weapon is their inner pharyngeal jaw, which is capable of shooting from their mouth like a piston with sufficient power to smash through bone and metal. In fact, a common tactic used by the creatures to eliminate prey is to restrain the victim with their hands, immobilizing them, before killing them with a precision jaw strike to the head, piercing through the skull and penetrating the brain; this form of attack is colloquially known as a "Headbite". On several occasions, Xenomorphs have been seen to suspend the corpses of those that they kill from ceilings.
Xenomorphs have segmented, blade-tipped tails. The sharp tip has been seen to vary from a small, scorpion-like barb to a larger, flat blade. Despite their seemingly flimsy physical construction, the creature's tail makes for an incredibly potent weapon, strong enough to impale and lift a Yautja from the floor with seemingly little effort. The tails have been used variously as stabbing, slashing and blunt force trauma weapons. Above the tails, the creature possesses several dorsal spines on its back, typically consisting of two pairs – a larger upper pair and a smaller lower pair – often with a fifth, sharper spine in the center below the base of the head. The exact purpose of these tubes is unclear.

As a result of the DNA reflex, Xenomorphs have appeared as both plantigrade and digitigrade organisms, usually in accordance with their host. For example, human- and Yautja-spawned Xenomorphs typically possess humanoid hind limbs and walk upright, while Xenomorph's spawned from quadrupedal hosts (referred to as "Runners") sport double-jointed hind legs and move predominantly on all fours. The Cloned Xenomorphs created aboard the USM Auriga also possessed digitigrade legs despite spawning from human hosts, perhaps as a result of imperfections and cross-contamination in the cloning process.

### Personality

During events in Aliens on the LV-426 colony and in Alien Resurrection on the USM Auriga, the species displayed observational learning and problem solving skills, and in both cases the Aliens learn how to operate machinery at a very basic level. On LV-426, they were able to cut power in a section of the complex to gain access to the humans, and the Alien Queen learns to board an elevator by observing Ripley and Newt escaping in the one beside it. The novelization of the film notes that the queen establishing her 'nest' at the base's main power plant could have been chosen either for the feral, animal reason of the warmth that it would provide or for the intellectual reason of selecting a location where any attackers would be unable to destroy her without destroying the entire facility. In the director's commentary for Aliens, James Cameron noted that the creatures in Aliens had been alive for far longer than the Alien in the original, and had more time to learn about their environment. On the USM Auriga, the Aliens kill one of their own, using its blood to melt through their enclosure and escape; in Alien vs. Predator, they use a similar strategy to free the queen from her chains. An Alien also uses acid spurting from its severed tail as an improvised weapon, indicating they are fully aware of the effects of their acid blood.

While the Xenomorphs are arguably carnivorous, they do not feed as frequent as other species thanks to their blood that provide substantially large amount of energy. In Aliens, majorities of corpses of Hadley's Hope's colonists used as hosts are left undisturbed despite being cocooned for quite some time, yet The Dragon, Xenomorph Runner in Alien 3 apparently consumed some of its human victims. Similarly, in the novel Alien: Sea of Sorrows, a Xenomorph hive at New Galveston had used up hosts become its food supply after the birth of their respective chestburster. Through this, it can be inferred that Xenomorphs require sustenance to quickly replenish energy from demanding activities such as fighting, chasing, and hunting hosts.

## Abilities

When standing upright, Xenomorphs are vaguely bipedal in form, though they adopt a more hunched stance when walking or sprinting and are equally adept at moving on all four limbs, even in instances where the host was a bipedal lifeform, such as humans. They are quite capable of running and crawling along ceilings and walls and are expert jumpers. They possess great physical strength, having been known to break through metal vent covers and welded steel doors with little effort, and even of breaking down reinforced pressurized doors over time. Their large clawed talons are more than capable of tearing humans apart, while their primary jaws are capable of producing a bite strength estimated at 6,000 psi.

While tall in stature, and biomachanical in appearance, Xenomorphs have been known to camouflage themselves against their surroundings by fitting into, and crawling through, tight spaces. Xenomorphs also do not radiate heat, and their body heat matches the ambient temperature of the environment in which they are found. Adverse extremes of temperature appear to have little, if any, affect on their physical prowess. In fact, physiologically they are incredibly hardy creatures – aside from being unaffected by temperature extremes that would quickly incapacitate or kill a human, they are capable of surviving in the hard vacuum of space, at least for a limited period of time. In order to succeed in their attack on enemy human vessels, the Rage equipped attacking Xenomorphs with breathing apparatus, suggesting that the creatures do require some form of atmosphere to survive for extended periods in space. One Alien on Fiorina 161 was even known to survive several tons of molten lead being poured onto it.

Xenomorphs notably lack lens-based, photosensitive visual organs. However, studies by Lasalle Bionational and Weyland-Yutani have shown that they nonetheless possess several keen senses. First and foremost, the creatures have sensory structures along the sides of their extended skulls that are capable of perceiving atmospheric vibrations (sound). Given the lengthy structure of the head, which gives the creature a wide field of "hearing", this is thought to be the Xenomorph's primary means of rationalizing its environment, a form of biological sonar similar to that employed by terrestrial bats. The creatures are also capable of detecting heat via highly sensitive thermoreactive organs located behind the skull's frontal plate – which is itself constructed of the unusual C60 carbon-lattice, known to demonstrate exceptional conductive properties. This, coupled with a highly developed olfactory sense, is thought to be how Xenomorphs locate their prey. Their sensitivity to pheromone signals would also help to explain why the Yautja Cloak is ineffective against them. Finally, despite the absence of traditional ocular organs, Xenomorphs possess largely vestigial photosensitive organs flanking the frontal plate; these rudimentary visual receptors are thought to grant the creature the necessary depth perception required when attacking prey. It is possible they also aid the creatures in seeing each other, as Xenomorphs produce no notable body heat, a fact that would otherwise render them blind to their thermal receptors.

During tests, Lasalle personnel discovered that it is possible to stun Xenomorph specimens through the use of a low-intensity ultrasound pulse, rendering them completely inert and relatively safe for manipulation and study. This discovery led to the development of weapons effective at disabling Xenomorphs, such as the Sound Cannon.

According to the research of Dr. Paul Church, the Xenomorph has a "psychic receiver" organ at the front of its head lined with compound cells of fullerite-encased hurlantium. The internal structure is solid neurons in two binary very dense fans. The fullerite and hurlantium pick up E-waves and the binary fans create interference patterns from electromagnetic fields. This allows the Alien to receive brainwaves and enables it to assess another animal's physical characteristics by seeing its subtle body. That is why strong electromagnetic fields affect the Aliens.
Furthermore, this organ atrophies when the Alien is in captivity.

Xenomorphs seemingly possess an acute sensory bond with one another, something that develops during early gestation within a host. This allows them to keep track of not only each other, but active hosts, too.

Xenomorph blood is an extremely potent and concentrated molecular acid that can corrode on contact almost any substance with alarming speed. It is dull yellowish-green in color. The blood is in fact a component in a biological "battery" that provides the creatures with their energy, and seems to be pressurized inside the body so that it spurts out when wounded, as a defensive measure. This blood can prove incredibly problematic when encountering Xenomorphs aboard a starship, as using traditional firearms or explosives to attack the creature will potentially cause its blood to leak out in sufficient quantity to eat through the hull of the ship.

In some instances, Xenomorphs have been known to be conscious of the effects of their acidic blood, and even exploit it to their advantage – aboard the USM Auriga, the Lead Alien and another Cloned Xenomorph successfully escaped their containment cell by eviscerating a third, causing its acid blood to melt through the floor of the cage. Similarly, Xenomorphs on Bouvet Island, led by Grid, freed their Queen by slashing and cutting her, causing her blood to melt the chains that restrained her. Some forms of the Xenomorph have been known to "spit" acid, either as a tool or a form of attack. For example, Facehuggers have been known to regurgitate a small amount of acid to melt through obstructions between them and a potential host, such as the faceplate of a spacesuit helmet. This spitting ability has also been exhibited offensively by adult Xenomorphs; much like a spitting cobra, the creatures will spit acid to blind and incapacitate their victims rather than kill them outright. Despite their own immunity to their blood, Xenomorphs are vulnerable to hydrofluoric acid, which was used against them to great effect on LV-178.

Xenomorph Drones can also produce a thick, strong resin (vomited from their mouths) that they use to build their Hives and to cocoon their victims. This substance has the added effect of paralyzing their victims when regurgitated over their nose and/or mouth, making it easier for the creatures to move them to the Hive for implantation.

### Skills

#### Class Skills

* Presence Concealment (E-B Rank): Although Assassin excels at lurking around undetected in the confines of a spaceship. It is yet to be fully adapted to Earth’s environment, nor is yet aware of the patterns of its prey. However, Xenomorphs are terrifyingly quick learners. Presence confinement is raised by one rank each time Assassin survives an encounter with an enemy Servant.

#### Personal Skills

* Xeno-Biology (Self Modification) (A Rank): In this case, the “modification” refers to the Xenomorph’s capability of acquiring a portion of its host’s DNA while gestating inside using its Noble Phantasm.

As such, Assassin gains one positive rank-up its parameters each time it kills an enemy Master with its Noble Phantasm.

In addition, Xenomorphs themselves are referred to as “The perfect organisms”, possessing a exoskeleton comparable to enchanted armor and enough strength to crush titanium. Xenomorph blood and stomach fluids are also highly acidic, enough so to dissolve anything non-magical in origin. Assassin's tail-blade is strong and nimble enough to parley with even the Noble Phantasms of other servants.

* Eye of the Mind (False) (B Rank): Predatory in nature, Assassin’s senses are supposedly hundreds of times keener than that of an average human, and it possesses astounding intelligence for a killing machine, able to gage its enemy’s strength and is opportunistic enough to single out the weakest prey, as it slaughtered the crew of Nostromo one by one.

Assassin gains Rank - A Luck when engaging a solitary human opponent, and gains Disengage at rank C should reinforcements arrive. Being a member of a hive mind, Assassin can telepathically address its peers to produce strategies against its foes.

### Noble Phantasm

#### **Only For Killing: "Cycle of Death and Rebirth"**

The Xenomorph reproductive process crystallized into a Noble Phantasm, in all of its grotesque wonder.

Assassin’s supply of mana automatically runs dry within 72 hours of its summoning, causing its body to shrivel and die, this happens regardless of the mana capabilities of its Master. As such, Assassin must use its Noble Phantasm to persist in the War. Regardless, Assassin is known to quickly turn on its own master the instant it is summoned to turn it into a host using its NP.

Assassin hatches about a dozen eggs 24 hours into it’s summoning, the eggs fully mature in another 24 hours, or immediately upon the premature death of Assassin’s primary mature body, should it have been killed by another Servant. A grown egg produces a face-hugger. (an insectoid fuckmesh that looks like two hands glued together.)

Face-huggers are considered as weaker parasitic familiars akin to juiced-up crest worms, and mainly relies on stealth and surprise to subdue its host. But once they do. They will immediately plant their secondary eggs down the host’s throat with their proboscis.

The eggs will mature in the victims thorax cavity as they drain prana from their hosts before the fetus of Assassin develops, killing their hosts in a spectacularly gory manner. The newborn Assassin would grow to adult size in a matter of minutes,though it is comparatively vulnerable during that time.

Eggs borne of Masters will produce an identical Assassin bearing all of its predecessor’s parameters, and the status of Servant is passed on to it, while those borne of regular human beings would only hatch sub-servant Xenomorphs with no reproductive capabilities.

## References

https://avp.fandom.com/wiki/Xenomorph\_XX121\_(Alien)

https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Xenomorphs

https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/summon-a-servant-mark-vi-the-dark-six-f-sn-crossover-servants.370875/page-7#post-20404941

https://www.avpcentral.com/xenomorph-prime