Dumb. She snagged a few more of the glass tubes and clutched them in her fist as she began to sidle sideways. Thealien ceased siphoning to glance at her. She smashed another test tube a few feet to its left, leading it away from the door.
She sidestepped more quickly, and the alien noticed. Up came its head, and it ignored a few missed spots of blood to bolt in her direction.
She held out the torch and tossed the remaining vials. The alien paused at the sudden abundance of blood and tissue. Now was her chance. Before she could whirl and break for the exit, the door opened, and seeing Grayson, she exclaimed, “Thank goodness you’re here.”
“What the actual fuck?” Aquarius swore, ogling the alien. A man she’d never met but had seen images of since she’d studied the images of all the warriors.
“Get into the hall. We’ll handle it,” Grayson declared, advancing with a menacing mien.
“I don’t want you to kill it, though,” she exclaimed.
“Why ever the fuck not?” Grayson snapped, never taking his gaze from the alien.
“Because this might be my only chance to study a live one.”
“A valid point, but I do get the impression that will be very dangerous, as it will try to kill you,” Aquarius pointed out as he shifted to flank the alien.
“I’ll take precautions. I’m not stupid,” Leila huffed.
“Debatable,” Grayson muttered.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Leila couldn’t help an indignant note.
“You fed it,” he accused. “Despite knowing it was trying to regenerate and obviously didn’t have it locked away.”
“I only left it with a little. When I went to bed, it was a tiny blob. I didn’t expect it to escape the aquarium while I slept and find itself more food.” A weak excuse. She’d been negligent in not placing a cover over the top. In her defense, the sheer glass walls shouldn’t have been climbable.
“Are you sure we can’t just kill it? I mean, if you grew one alien, surely you can grow another?” Aquarius noted, having made it to the rear of the alien, who kept twisting its head to keep them all in view.
“What if it doesn’t work because it’s a copy of the original?” she countered. “We can’t take the chance if I’m going learn more about it so as to help the Zodiac Warriors find a way to counter the threat they pose.”
“While your reasoning is valid,” Grayson interjected. “I’m not sure how you expect us to contain it. The only thing I see that might have worked is those cages over there, and I don’t know how we’re supposed to stuff it inside.”
“Tower can help with that.” She glanced at the ceiling. “Could you please provide us with an animal trap, like those used to capture racoons?”
As if it understood its sudden danger, the creature suddenly rushed Leila. She squeaked, waving her torch, only to realize the flame had gone out. Grayson dove at the alien with his bare hands! More astonishing, he actually managed to cup it, only to yell, “Ow, the fucker’s biting me.”
“I got you, dude,” Aquarius crowed. “Right behind you, the door is open. Toss the little fucker in.”
Grayson turned and flung, the small alien landing in the mouth of the trap. The moment it landed, it got to its feet and bolted for the opening, only to hiss in rage as its weight triggered the flap that slammed shut. It gripped it with four clawed paws and rattled it with clear rage.
“Angry fucker,” Aquarius noted. “But looks like the cage will hold it.”
“It might hold a normal creature, but given this one has too many unknowns, I think we need something a bit more secure,” Leila murmured. “Tower, I’m going to need a containmentchamber with an unbreakable viewing glass and, inside, a metal cage with holes too small to poke a finger through.”
“Did you just ask Tower to build you a new room?” Grayson queried with raised brows.
“Got a better idea?”
“What you’re asking is?—”
“Done,” she chirped, heading for the door that appeared in the wall. Beside it, a window overlooking the newly created chamber.
“I’ll be damned,” Grayson breathed.
“Coming through, move aside,” Aquarius sang as he toted the trap through the doorway Leila opened. He plopped it inside the waiting cage, latching the hatch before exiting.
Leila eyed the angry alien rattling around before murmuring, “You can remove the trap now, Tower. The threat is contained.” The smaller cage disappeared, and the creature immediately began exploring its new prison, showing no signs of its agitation abating. When it realized it couldn’t escape, it hissed in her direction.
