Listening closely to the footsteps, they appeared to come from only one person. Straining your earholes, you didn't hear any squeaking accompanying them, which meant it wasn't a latex animal running.
It was of a human.
You glance to your friends, giving a single nod and pointing towards the ground.
Stay here.
They seem to understand as they also nodded back, keeping their mouths shut. Alex however, sniffs the air as his eyes seem to cloud over with a sense of familiarity.
The footsteps echo throughout the cross section hall accompanied by laboured breathing. They grew increasingly closer, the anticipation rising alongside a pinch of nervousness.
It was a brief moment as a teenage girl with brunette hair glances at you, fleetingly making eye contact. Both you and the girl's eyes widen in shock as the girl sped by, suddenly increasing her pace. You saw fear and desperation in those hazel orbs of hers most likely from the sight of three latex creatures.
"Jessica..?!" Alex suddenly shouts in shock before barrelling past both you and Sam, charging towards the girl with the agility of a tiger.
"Who?" Sam's stupor driven question was left unanswered as the aforementioned tiger is no longer in sight, leaving both of you dumbfounded.
“That must be one of his friends. C'mon snake boy, after them!” She quickly chases after them, snapping you out of your stupor as your feet began to give chase.
The squeaking made by rubber friction and laboured breaths made them both easier to track despite the many doors lining the expansive hallway.
Alex clearly had no intention of being stealthy, but it could be excused in such a desperate time.
Eventually you and Sam come across an open door. Taking cautious steps, the room appears to be very similar to the room you had encountered the mad dragon in earlier. But that wasn't what caught your attention.
You give a hiss of shock as you spot the girl barred by a low railing at the edge of a catwalk, a pool of blue liquid awaiting her to give its rubbery embrace.
Alex was a few meters away, not daring to move in fear of prompting her to jump.
She thinks that it's water!
Sam mentioned that fact, making you squint at the liquid that awaits below the catwalk. You realize that it had a sheen similar to your composition,
Latex...! If she jumps...!
"Jessie! It's me, Alex! Don't do it!" Jessica seemed to be stunned when the white tiger called her by the name only two others are allowed to call her aside from her family, but she ignored it as her fear overtook her reasonable mind. "I'm still here! Please don't jump!"
She was shaking wildly as tears drip from her eyes. "G-get away from me you monster!" Her words stung Alex, causing him to take a step back as he recoiled. "P-please.."
Alex was speechless. "Monster?" Jessie seemed to shrink into herself, stuck in melancholy.
However, he brushed aside the stinging fact and steeled himself, tensing his muscular body and balling his fists.
This however triggered Jessie at seeing the threatening gesture, panic settling in again as she quickly backpedalled.
"That wolf monster ate Tyson!" She looks down towards the vat of blue liquid, climbing over the short railing in an attempt of escape. Alex froze as she dangles over her own doom, fear gripping his heart.
"Please... don't!" Alex took a step forward. She slips.
Time slowed to a crawl as the horrified face of Jessie stares towards the lunging white tiger, hand outstretched in a desperate attempt to save her as she fell backwards.
"NO!" Alex roars as his clawed hands fail to reach her in time, leaving it clawing at empty air.
He slams into the cold metal grates of the catwalk, stunned. Clamping his eyes shut, he awaits the inevitable splash that would spell the loss of another's human form.
It took a few moments for Alex to look back up, hearing no splash or screams.
Looking forwards, his heart thudded in his chest.
You hiss while smirking at Alex's lying form. "Little help here?" Sam called out, snapping Alex out of his stun. He trailed the cause of the need, only to see your tail going past the railing, something heavy being dangled.
You had somehow managed to throw your tail over the railing and catch the teen.
"Martin!"
He quickly gets back up, scrambling to reach you.
He took a hold of your thick tail, seeing Jessica below dangling over the vat of latex within the coils of your tail.
With a renewed fervor, Alex smiled a toothy grin as he pulls up your tail. It was unexpectedly heavier than anticipated, Sam struggling to even hold it in place. Alex however pulled up the girl with relative ease.
"Dang Martin, how the heck did you even lug this tail of yours!" She grunted as the tail slipped her grasp, her scrambling to catch your scales.
It took a quick minute for the girl to be hoisted up back onto the platform, thankfully unhurt and simply unconscious.
Alex pries off your tail, hugging Jessie as he rubbed his face over her much like a cat does. You pull off your tail, smiling.
"Jessie..." He whispers as he cradled her, purrs seemingly emanating from him as he stroked his claws through her hair gently.
Both you and Sam looked on as Alex sat on the floor, and you couldn't help but notice.
Are those....