The Space Between

Chapter Twenty-Two: "Fear"

Mark stood still, sniffing the air until he was sure where the smell of burnt rubber was coming from. The yellow lizard was on the wall. Mark let his nails grow out slowly, trying not to draw attention to them. He couldn't change his appearance like them, but he was able to control the few features he had. The yellow lizard hissed, then leapt to the other wall before leaping off it to attack him from the other side. Mark expected that. Lizards like him never went for direct kills. As the lizard lunged for his hips, Mark jumped and twisting through the air to roll across the lizard's back. The lizard crashed into the other wall. When Mark landed on his feet, he slashed his black talons across the lizard's back. The Lizard let out a startled scream, twisting around to glare at him with a shocked expression. Mark glared right back at the lizard. The lizard hissed at him, wrapping his tail around Mark's neck and flinging him into the Cafeteria. Mark landed roughly on one of the bolted down tables, sliding off to the floor. Grunting in pain, he looked under the table to see the yellow lizard stepping in casually to close the hatch behind him.

The yellow lizard bared his sharp teeth, sneering out in a menacing voice. "I wonder if you taste as special as you are." Mark pushed himself back onto his feet, watching the lizard creep closer to the table with his long tail flicking behind him in agitation. Mark moved until they were circling each other around the table. The Lizard scratched his nails across the tabletop, hissing out at him as he leaned forward a bit. "What's it like to be living proof at how weak the gene pool gets after cross breeding?" Mark kept his face stony as he retorted sharply. "I don't know. Tell me?" The lizard hissed aggressively, grabbing the table so hard that his claws pierced the metal. Mark stopped pacing a second, telling him seriously. "You can deny it. But there is a little human in YOU." The Lizard hopped up onto the table, crouching as he walked across it slowly on all fours. Baring his teeth, the Lizard hissed out at him. "Do I look human to you? I bet your stuck in that weak fleshy body. One swipe of my claws. One bite... and it will be fatal to you!"

Mark stood his ground, saying calmly. "If you are not willing to accept change... Go home." The Lizard brought his nose within inches of Mark's face, snarling out. "Oh, we will. Once we clean out the filth like you from the herds!" Mark reached up to grab the Lizard's throat, causing the lizard to squeal from how strong his grip was on him. Dragging the Lizard off the table, Mark hefted the squirming Lizard and threw him across the cafeteria. The Lizard landed on a table with another squeal, rolling off and going invisible. Mark had to remind himself that he couldn't be too close to them. As strong as he was... the Lizard had been right. His skin couldn't withstand as many hits from their claws and tails. Let along what some of their bites could do. Moving toward the lizard, Mark kept his eyes on the floor as the lights flickered. Little droplets of blood were trailing after the lizard from his wounds. From somewhere across the cafeteria, the lizard stated aloud. "Don't you see how unnatural you are? We used human DNA to survive. Adapt. Not pollute our strong lineage with the cattle."

Mark watched a slight ripple across the wall, stating back casually. "That's not what I've heard. Your way of life is dying because of Reptilians like you." The Lizard hissed, asking curiously. "Really? Why would you think that?" Mark didn't see the need to hide it. So, he answered as he pulled a tool from his belt. "My father told me. He told me that there is a war between meat eaters and the herbivores. That you came to earth looking for more resources... but only the herbivores wanted to adapt themselves to survive. The meat eaters didn't like the idea of... 'polluting their lineage' as you say to become omnivores. Which is why you come to pick us off. Because meat eaters like you are eating too much. And the herbivores are going extinct or are on earth. I'll bet your kind has even started eating each other as a result." The Lizard chuckled to himself, his voice echoing across the room as he said. "So what? Survival of the fittest is natures number one rule and it is universal."