Page 52 of Close Encounters of the Hot Kind

"Please." I grab his arm, my fingers barely wrapping around his muscled forearm. "Don't hurt them. They're just doing their jobs. They're scared."

"Analysis indicates minimal threat level from primitive projectile weapons." His head tilts, studying the officers. "These humans pose no danger to my systems."

"Then you won't-"

"Lethal force unnecessary. Non-lethal tactics sufficient."

Before I can blink, Garros moves. His arm stretches like liquid metal, wrapping around two officers' weapons and crushing them to scrap. Another officer fires point-blank at his chest. The bullet ricochets, embedding in the ceiling.

Garros's leg extends, sweeping three more cops off their feet. His other arm morphs into a wide pad, pinning them safely to the ground. The remaining officers back away, eyes wide with terror.

"Threat neutralized." Garros's limbs retract to normal proportions. "No permanent damage sustained by law enforcement personnel."

The cops lie groaning on the floor, their weapons scattered uselessly around them. Not a drop of blood spilled.

"Thank you." I step out from behind him, surveying the scene. "For not hurting them."

"Unnecessary violence serves no logical purpose." His golden eyes fix on me. "You showed concern for their wellbeing despite their hostile intent. Why?"

"Because they're people. Just trying to protect the city."

"Fascinating. Your empathy extends even to those who would harm you."

Heavy footsteps thunder across the train car's roof. My heart leaps - Varak must have caught up. But before relief can fully settle in, the ceiling erupts in a shower of sparks and twisted metal. The explosion throws me off my feet.

My head cracks against a seat. Stars dance across my vision as acrid smoke fills the car. Through the ringing in my ears, I hear the whir of rappelling lines.

Dark shapes drop through the jagged hole in the roof. The smoke clears enough for me to make out their scaled forms - Grolgath soldiers, at least five of them. Their weapons train on the still-stunned Garros.

"Target acquired." One of them wraps a restraining cable around Garros's massive arm. "Prepare for extraction."

My fingers brush something cold and metal - one of the cops' dropped pistols. Without thinking, I snatch it up and squeeze the trigger. The gun bucks in my hand, bullets sparking off the Grolgath's armored hide.

"What the-" The soldier holding Garros's arm turns toward me. "Human interference detected."

I empty the clip, forcing them to duck and weave. Their grip on Garros loosens. He shakes his head, awareness returning to those golden eyes.

My small victory is short-lived. Five alien weapon barrels swivel in my direction, their tips glowing with deadly energy.

"Terminate the witness." The lead Grolgath's voice drips with cold authority. "No loose ends."

I raise the empty pistol anyway, hands steady despite the fear coursing through me. If I'm going down, I'm going down fighting.

Garros's body ripples like mercury, stretching and flattening into a massive sheet of rock hard scales. He slams into the Grolgath soldiers, pinning them against the train car's walls and floor.

"Run!" His voice echoes with a metallic ring. "I cannot maintain this form indefinitely."

I sprint for the door, leaping over the trapped aliens. My feet hit the platform and I keep running, not daring to look back.

The evening air fills with screams. Not the usual city noise - pure terror. People point at the sky, phones raised high.

I follow their gaze and my jaw drops. A massive disk hovers above the elevated track, its metallic surface reflecting the city lights. Blue energy crackles around its rim.

"Oh my god, it's aliens!" A girl with cotton candy pink hair livestreams the scene. "They're using some kind of advanced deployment system-"

"Yeah, it's called a rope." I grab her arm and pull her away from the train car. "Stop filming and start running, you #moron!"

The platform clears as I herd people toward the stairs. "Move! Get out of here!"

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