Thank you, Nicolemily2891, for your review. I deeply regret any confusion caused and want to clarify that it was entirely my doing. I am responsible for both accounts. A further explanation will be provided below. I kindly request you to proceed reading this account, as "The Hold" has already been removed from the temporary account. Thank you! 😊

Apologies to everyone! Life got in the way of my writing, and then I got locked out because I couldn't seem to find my log-in information. Anyways! This is my new story. You may have noticed another story called "The Hold" under CrownofChaos. That was me, and it was a temporary account because I was not sure if I would be able to recover my old account. It's been a LONG time since I have written anything. But I was finally able to locate the information to get back into my account today. So I'm slowly moving my stories to this new account. I'll be looking into my other stories as well. I know they need some attention too.

Please give this new story a chance and let me know your thoughts on this new one. Thanks guys! I would love to hear from you.

Chapter 1

I adjusted my ponytail, securing it tightly, before I placed my face shield on and put on my long gloves and apron, all acid-proof. This had become my daily ritual, and I let out a sigh, hoping that today would bring some much-needed answers. I wasn't overly optimistic, but I was starting to wish I could be.

"Assist me in flipping it over, Daren," I instructed my lab partner.

I carefully sliced into the peculiar creature's body, causing a mixture of blue and white liquid to spill out. It was both fascinating and unsettling to peer into the inner workings of this dangerous extraterrestrial animal that had been captured during the raid. I plunged my hand into the opening, feeling the slimy and squishy insides of the creature.

"Oh my goodness! The smell is unbearable," Daren complained, turning his face away and coughing due to the foul odor.

"Bring the light closer," I responded, pushing aside the repulsive odor to the best of my ability.

He adjusted the light's position as I peered into the lifeless body. In many ways, this creature resembled typical earthly animals, possessing a heart, lungs... but lacking any rigid bones. It also secreted a slippery, opaque white slime, which likely allowed it to stealthily maneuver through our ventilation system unnoticed. Its mouth was circular, its teeth sharp as well-honed knives. Four eyes and a spiked tail completed its unique anatomy. Through my research, I had uncovered that these creatures possessed a small gland in their throats, filled with a lethal poison that they could spew at their targets. It was as if they were intentionally designed as instruments of war.

"Be careful not to touch that!"

Daren hastily withdrew his hand from the tiny black gland I had just extracted from the creature, placing it on a nearby table. "Good Lord!" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with relief. "You nearly scared me to death."

"Great. It's best to avoid touching that. It's highly toxic. If it comes into contact with your skin, it will act like acid. Could you do me a favor and just hold the light without touching anything? We still have a lot to learn about these creatures."

"Who needs knowledge anyway? I say we just shoot those bastards."

"Yeah," I responded with a hint of sarcasm, "shoot them. But it's also important to study them. They-"

"We have enough firepower to obliterate them from the sky. Kill them all. Then, there's no need for studying. This is our planet, and nothing reminds them of that better than blowing them sky high."

I raised my head and fixed him with a piercing gaze. "And what happens when they continue to multiply? What happens when there aren't enough humans left to fight?"

He gulped nervously.

"That's why we need science. By studying these creatures, we can not only find a way to destroy them, but also prevent them from reproducing and protect ourselves. They have already caused enough deaths. Clearly, relying solely on guns is not the solution."

"Well," he cleared his throat, "that's why I'm here holding the flashlight, Dr. Swan. They say you're the most skilled researcher left in our last protected facility."

I shook my head sadly. "I'm not. I'm just... I just want this war to be over. I'm exhausted from witnessing death and seeing dead bodies everywhere. I'm tired of studying these creatures that seem invincible."

"Well, um... that flashing smoke bomb you created seemed quite effective against them." He tried to lift my spirits with his words.

"Yeah, but it's just a distraction. It only momentarily confuses them. It doesn't kill or harm them. It only buys us some extra time to escape."

"Hey, it's better than nothing. Give yourself some credit."

I wiped the sweat off my forehead with my arm. "Daren, I've been working nonstop on this for three years. Day and night, never stepping outside, never experiencing the world beyond these walls. And still, I have nothing. It's as if these creatures were purposely engineered and sent to our planet to annihilate humanity. They act like crazed monsters on steroids. They mercilessly attack and kill everything in their path. And they seem to possess knowledge of our systems. They know where to go to infiltrate our buildings. They even know how to cut off the air supply in a room."

I huffed, feeling my frustration rise.

"Whoa. Take it easy. Need a paper bag to calm down?"

I shook my head. "I just can't wrap my head around it. They're unfazed by everything! The only reason we caught one is because it got flattened by a tank. And that's not even the worst part."

"Oh no. How could it possibly get worse?"

"Oh, trust me, it does. These creatures, they're like pets or aliens from another world. They're not the primary threat, I'm sure of it."

"So, you're suggesting that some other lifeform is sending these creatures to our planet? Like they're using them as attack dogs?"

"Sort of. I'm not exactly sure about their connection. But it's bizarre. I would do anything to get my hands on the actual aliens, or whatever they are."

"Okay, okay. But how do you know there are other actual aliens? What evidence do you have? I mean, what if these beasts are emerging from within our planet? Or what if some twisted person created them? You mentioned they're engineered and familiar with our systems. Wouldn't it make more sense if someone from our own planet made a mistake in a lab?"

"I was informed. Well, I read in one of the reports that a creature was sighted. Not one of those dog-like creatures, but a real, bipedal creature. The report mentioned it was burrowing up from underground."

"Well, if that's the case, did someone capture it? Destroy it? They just let it go?"

"No, according to the report, the creature went back underground. It was too fast for them to react."

"So, why does everyone assume they're from another planet? You mentioned it had two legs. Maybe it's some strange underground cult. Like peculiar people dwelling beneath us. The dogs and the weirdos."

I shook my head in disbelief. "It's not as simple as that. Based on my research, it appears that the dog-like creatures cannot withstand Earth's natural air. They simply cannot survive on the surface for extended periods of time, which is why they retreat underground. At least, that's my theory."

Curiosity piqued, he asked, "What evidence did you uncover during your studies?"

"We managed to capture one of them and kept it restrained and sedated in a cage. It fought relentlessly to break free, but after a few days, it suddenly collapsed. Upon dissecting it, I discovered that its lungs had burst, indicating a severe lack of oxygen in its blood. Essentially, my findings suggest that it suffocated to death after its lungs gave way."

He chuckled. "So, our air is lethal to them?"

"Well, that's the part I'm uncertain about. I believe our air might be a contributing factor, which is why their survival depends on going underground. However, I also suspect that light plays a role. While in captivity, I noticed that the creature showed discomfort in the presence of bright lights. But when it comes to the other creatures, I have no knowledge whatsoever. All I know is that they are far more dangerous than these... animals."

"More dangerous?" he questioned, intrigued.

Avoiding eye contact, I spoke in a hushed tone, "One of them single-handedly annihilated an entire fleet of army ships. No survivors. It was merciless. Cold-blooded."

"Only one? Just a single entity managed to annihilate an entire fleet of our army ships? How can you be certain it was only one? There might have been others."

"No, there weren't. I witnessed the footage from the surveillance cameras, which I wasn't supposed to have access to or watch. So, this conversation remains strictly between us. But I have my own methods of gathering information," I said with a smirk. "It was indeed just one. It moved with such incredible speed that it was barely visible on the camera." His expression turned serious, as if he was finally grasping the extent of the danger we were in.

"Did it take anything from the ship? Like weapons or supplies?"

"No, everything remained intact. Except for any trace of life," I replied.

He shuddered. "It doesn't make sense. What could they possibly want?" he whispered.
I shook my head. "That's the ultimate question. Nobody knows."
He fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "If it's so effortless for them to eliminate us, why are they lingering? There must be something they desire."

"I wish I had the answer. All I can do is continue working, searching for something that can halt or even cripple them. But I'm essentially operating blindly here."