CH6: CAPTURED.

"Everybody, move to the bases. Go, go, go. Don't look back. GO!"

People ran for their lives as black pods fell from the sky like meteors. Large shadows cast over the Earth as three massive spaceships hovered in the atmosphere.

Humans panicked and fled toward the bases set up by armies around the world. It was a secret plan agreed upon by all countries: in the event of a disaster, armies would establish bases to shelter the surviving humans. And now it was happening in ArkVille.

The pods continued crashing down, releasing alien species dressed in full-body armor, wielding heavy guns, and possessing uniquely shaped bodies.

Like humans, they had a basic humanoid shape with a few distinguishing features. They were taller and larger than the average human, standing at an average of eight feet tall with thick tails. Their flesh was hard, foggy gray, and segmented, with paler, softer scales on the front and larger, thicker, darker scales on the back.

As citizens sought cover, soldiers from ArkVille rushed into the battlefield, launching attacks on the aliens. Tanks blasted explosive shells at the aliens while attack choppers and fighter jets provided air support. Foot soldiers carried heavy chain guns with them and together advanced as they desperately tried their best to keep the aliens at bay.

"FIRE!"

The sound of gunfire echoed across the land as countless shots were fired at the enemy. However, after shooting bullets, explosive shells, and unloading millions of fire power at the aliens, the military soon came to learn that their bullets seemed to have no effect, merely bouncing off the creatures. The soldiers, terrified, turned to even more powerful explosives.

They quickly set up mines, used thicker tank bomb shells, and threw grenades. This seemed to work, but only temporarily.

"Call in more air support now!" Jets and attack helicopters filled the skies, launching rockets at the creatures. The soldiers celebrated as the explosions tore body parts off the aliens.

"Yeah! EAT THAT ALIEN SCUM!"

Suddenly, one of the small alien ships opened in the distance, and flying machines emerged, resembling their own version of jet fighters.

"DRONES. THEY'VE GOT DRONES!"

The alien drones flew into Earth's atmosphere, firing energy beams at the human air support machines. As distractions occurred and the humans began to retreat, the aliens advanced. Using their weapons, they stunned men and women into unconsciousness, beaming them back to their spaceships.

"THEY'RE ABDUCTING US FOR FOOD. RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

No matter how loudly the humans screamed or cried for help, the aliens didn't stop abducting and sending them up in the same pods they themselves used to crash land into Earth. They didn't kill their victims but instead stunned or knocked them out with ease.

"Save yourselves. Fall back. Head to the bases!" Even the soldiers, the men and women meant to serve and protect, were afraid of the aliens, speeding toward the bases in their vehicles and leaving civilians behind. Unprepared for a fight of this caliber, they decided to pull back and retreated, not just in ArkVille but everywhere else in the world.

Once the bases were filled, the gates closed, and those outside were instructed to look for other bases if they could make it. Unfortunately, the aliens captured those unfortunate enough to be outside the bases, taking them up into their ships.

*********

[Inside the ArkVille base]

"This is the end of humanity."

"We're going to die. There's no one to save us."

"What's the government going to do about this?"

"Yeah, some of us have jobs and families elsewhere. When will we see them again?" People in ArkVille's base bitterly complained to the military personnel, throwing temper tantrums and threatening to damage the entire facility.

"Everyone, stay calm. Help is on the way." A large, muscular man in decorated military attire spoke, trying to calm the people down. However, no matter how hard he tried, the angry citizens refused to understand his reasoning.

The man, the highest-ranking official in ArkVille's military, pulled out a gun and fired it into the air, instantly grabbing everyone's attention. "Listen here, all of you. I know you're frustrated and want answers, but for now, head to your designated areas and keep quiet, NOW!" he barked at them. At a time like this, one needed to lead with an iron hand.

Like angry teenagers, the citizens stormed off to their designated areas, where they would receive further instructions on what would happen and when.

"Sir, the first batch of serums has arrived. When should we distribute them?" The general took a moment to think before replying, "Everyone is frustrated now, so it's best we do this when they are calm and rested. Prepare their food parcels and assign them to their sleeping quarters."

"Yes, sir."

*********

Up in the sky, more specifically in outer space, inside a large spaceship, a young, naked man was placed inside a cylindrical container filled with a green liquid substance. The container held an orange-haired lad floating in the green liquid. Attached to his back were three large tubes, each containing different substances being infused into his body.

The first tube held lime green, glowing liquid, the second contained black liquid with small blue hexagonal chips, and the third extracted pure human blood.

"Human specimen seems to be responding well." One of the alien species spoke to another as they observed Ace. The room they were in was insanely massive with hundreds of other cylindrical tubes with human subjects in them. A few aliens would occasionally check on the humans and then returned with dead bodies belonging to those who, unfortunately, could not withstand being tested on any longer.

"Its body, though weak to their standards, has shown many pleasing results. We may have found our match."

"Indeed. It also shares a biological similarity with the only female which has proven to be a match as well."

"Grand Master will be pleased. He will be very pleased."

Ace, slowly regained consciousness as his eyes opened. Through the green liquid and tempered glass of the container, he could see two strange figures conversing in a language he couldn't understand well.

The two figures continued speaking with each other as they paced around the room filled with more containers like the one Ace was in. 'Where...where am I?' he tried to ask himself, but his words were muffled by the oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth.

'What the hell...' The aliens looked at him, wearing eerie smiles on their dragon-like faces. Small speakers were placed at the edge of their collarbones, and each of the aliens turned them on.

"Translator on. Is yours working?"

"It's working well. I think this being can hear us clearly." They spoke with deep, god-like voices, enough to scare the faint-hearted. Ace watched with a burning anger as the two beings circled around him.

"Who...WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ME?" he shouted angrily. "Cherry....where's Cherry? HEY!! WHERE'S MY SISTER? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?" Ace questioned once more, having seen Cherry's body floating in a cylinder similar to his.

One of the aliens approached his container and said, "Greetings. My name is Toh. We are the Granians, an intelligent species of complex life forms from a galaxy millions of light years away from yours."

The second one came closer and interrupted its comrade, saying, "We have come looking for...let's just say test subjects for a special program. We believe that humans possess a special trait in their DNA that is very compatible with what we need."

"However," the first one continued, "You are the third subject out of thousands to survive. Your body hasn't shriveled and withered, but you're not the strongest we've found...yet."

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU WANT US FOR. LET MY SISTER GO!!" Ace ordered with tears dissolving into the green liquid he was in. "HOW DARE YOU? YOU CAN'T USE OTHER LIFE FORMS FOR YOUR OWN SICK, TWISTED EXPERIMENTS!"

"Oh, but on the contrary. You humans kill, enslave, and inhumanely massacre the life forms that share your planet with you. How is it twisted when the roles are turned?" The first one asked with a smile. They burst into laughter, pointing at Ace.

*BEEP* *BEEP*

The computer screens behind them lit up, and both Granians turned their attention towards Cherry whose body was moving up and down in the cylindrical tank. The aliens pulled out a red liquid, similar to blood, and fed it through the tube transporting liquids into Cherry's body.

As soon as the liquids came into contact with her body, Cherry begun to scream unconsciously while her body convulsed."

"Excellent. Let's add some more for better results."

LET HER GO!! LET MY SISTER GO!!" Ace's eyes widened as seething rage coursed through his veins. Cherry's already sickly form, sunken skin, and bones showing through her flesh saddened Ace but what angered him was the fact that the aliens were hurting her with sick smiles on their face. Seeing this, Ace shouted in rage, "YOU MONSTERS. HOW LONG HAVE YOU KEPT HER IN THERE? GET HER OUT." He yelled, but the Granians paid no attention to him.

As Ace's anger reached new levels, he started to shake viciously in the tube as the three smaller tubes came out of his back. While doing so, his eyes were bombarded with red flashes, followed by his body starting to change

The boy's body grew longer, his fingertips turned into claws, and his veins bulged until they burst, releasing his contaminated red and green blood in a slightly darker hue. His blood mixed with the green liquid, turning it as dark as squid ink.

The Granians stood there, confused by what had just happened. The sudden, wild behavior from the human scared them and neither knew what to do exactly.

"Wait, these aren't the human defense mechanisms we were told of, are they?"

"I don't think so. This can't be, right?"

From Ace's tank came a loud roar, a mixture of a T-Rex from Jurassic Park and a screeching Demogorgon. The roar was so terrifying that the two Granians slowly walked away from the container.

"Call for backup. I repeat, call for backup," one of them said as they pointed their guns at Ace's container.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

*ROOOAAARRR*

"LET...HER...OUT!!"