Xenomorph Runner

"It kills on sight and is generally unpleasant."

- Andrews, about the Dog Alien

Xenomorph Runners (aka. Runners) are alternate breeds of Xenomorphs that birthed from quadrupedal hosts.

One of the most infamous Runners, whom called The Dragon, serves as the main antagonist of Alien 3. Inherently, it wanted to kill everything in correctional unit at Fiorina 161. Once having Ripley on its mercy, it spare her so the embryo Queen inside her would erupts and creating another new hive on the planet.

The Dragon
See The Dragon main article.

Biology
The Runners had all the typical characteristics of a Xeno, however their physiology was different in a way that allowed it to move faster than the average Warrior or Drone. In particular, they had a preference for walking on all fours and their legs were shaped in a more digitigrade way for this purpose. Also, while those aliens affected a more black or blue-black coloration, a Runner was dark brownish-red. Dog host-based Runners lacked the dorsal tubes and spines of its warrior cousins and as a chestburster it was born with all of its limbs.

When a Runner is far enough away from a target, it can lunge toward it at tremendous velocity. The Runner commonly leaps at its victim's neck, which it strikes viciously on impact. This causes damage that is often unexpectedly severe from a creature of the Runner's size.

While all Xenomorphs have an aversion to fire, Dog Aliens are particularly affected by it. The heat causes them to expand internally and explode, showering nearby enemies with damage shrapnel.

Thanks to its abnormally high-output metabolism, Xenomorph Runner can conjures images of a rapid terrestrial cheetah - but one that never tires and can leap onto prey with the force of a sledgehammer.

AVP: Extinction
In Alien Vs. Predator: Extinction video game, Xenomorphs Runners serves as the scout unit of Xenomorph Hive. Their primary function is to explore the areas both around the hive and battlefield to search the potential hosts' territory so other xenomorph units can be prepared well for their hunt in the runners' explored area. Xenomorph Runners can also produces spores like some Xenomorph breeds in the game which not only capable to detect organic foes, but also functions as some kind of organic tracker device so it's fellow Xenomorphs can easily tracking the escaping hosts. It's volatile skulls also made the creature perfect for the kamikaze attack against enemies whom armed with heat-based weapons like flamethrowers.

When Runners upgraded, they develops a large number of subcutaneous stinger-tipped venom sacs across its extremities. On contact with a victim, the stingers inject high concentrations of Alien spores that multiply in sufficient quantity to turn bodily fluids black and soupy, sickening and nauseating the host organism in the process. This ability is highly useful to weakened the formidable hosts' fighting capability so it's fellow Xenomorphs can both track and weakened the said hosts without much problem.

The Runner has an unusually high speed metabolism that enables it to heal at truly astounding rates. This regeneration does not occur when the Runner is being attacked, as its body must cope with the internal system shock produced by penetrating wounds. This coping period is short, however, after which biological repair happens so quickly that it is observable with the human eye.

The drawbacks of the xenomorph runner are it's lack of exoskeleton unlike the warriors and it's claws less effective against durable armor. Radioactive materials can also hindered it's regenerative capabilities as well.

To create Runners, the required hosts are Kurns and Kriltics.

Gallery
Runner (ksenomorf)