**Pinterest gave me some ideas again**

"Your species has done no good to the rest of the universe." Vega snapped, his ears pinning back. "You may very well be different than your vicious ancestors, but for the time being, you are just as dangerous in our eyes." He took a breath and slowly swished his tail in the grass on instinct, calming himself.

"Wait, so what are you going to do with us? You said you wouldn't hurt us, but we've clearly caused an inconvenience for you…" Emanuel began to look a little more frightened.

"Release? Are- are you taking us captive or something?" Emanuel glanced worriedly at Stephanie. At least, he thought, being captive was better than being shot.

Vega huffed, glancing towards the ship then looking at Beta. "We'll keep them in the clearing until we've got what we need from the area, then we'll venture further into the forest, keeping a close eye on the both of them… They can act as our guides."

"Well, we should at least find a safe place to keep them, in case a hostile creature comes through." Vega muttered to himself for a moment. "I'd say let's tie them and put them in the ship, but I don't like the thought of humans in our vessel."

"Just, uh, so you know, I don't think there are any 'hostile creatures' in this forest." Emanuel said, giving a small shrug. "It's part of a nature trail and, well, the people in charge of the place wouldn't just let predatorial animals roam freely like that."

"I'd say so." Vega nodded slightly as he came closer to the young ones and looked up at them. "As little as I intend to blindly trust them, this is their planet." He grabbed their arms and turned them around, nudging them toward the clearing. "Go on."

Emanuel wondered what Stephanie was thinking about all this, being taken prisoner by aliens that had invaded Earth. He himself was trying not cry and freak out in front of all of them while also trying to figure out how they were going to get out of the situation without getting themselves hurt or killed.

Vega looked around cautiously as they went back into the clearing, just in case, before trotting over to the ship and going inside. He found a length of rope that he tied the kids' hands together with, then tied them to each other so it'd be a struggle if they attempted to run off. "Now then," He went over to pick up and reactivate his equipment, "watch them while I finish this up."

Emanuel watched Vega with intrigue for a moment, wondering what it was the little alien was doing. He looked at Stephanie and gently nudged her arm. "Hey, you doing okay?"

Vega scanned the grass, trees, flowers, insects, and some holes in the ground. When he was done recording every bit of information he thought important, which was just about everything, he went back to Beta to show them. He spoke quietly to his partner, explaining what the two of them should probably stay away from and whatnot.

"You don't sound very fine, Steph." Emanuel cringed at her laugh. "Look, I-I'm sorry about the phone thing, I really should've thought about the brightness… B-but, hey, current situation aside," he looked at their hands, "at least nothing too bad has happened yet, right? I mean, it sounds like aliens and humans have a bad history, so, if anything, we're real lucky that it was these two who came here and not some angry revenge seekers…even though that short one seems a bit snappy."

Vega's tablet showed a scan picture of a small, furry animal with a fluffy tail. "I'm also guessing whatever fauna lives around here is hiding; the only creature I managed to scan that wasn't an insect was something called a…squee-rel."

"No, it registered as docile. Though it seems they could be hostile if provoked, like the 'fox'." Vega said. His eyes caught Stephanie sticking a device into her pocket, and his tail stiffened. "What- what was that? Who did you just contact?" He suddenly demanded.

Vega made a sound in his throat. He didn't know what she meant by her 'texts' - maybe the messages between whoever she was contacting? And why would they find something embarrassing on the device? "I have no idea what you mean, but give me the device."

"Hey, you know, we haven't heard your names yet." Emanuel spoke up. "If you won't tell us why you're here, will you at least tell us your names so we know how to address you?"

Vega had growled, but ultimately ignored the "short" comment - he was used to it from home and training with his former team. He also replied with a quick "no" to Emanuel's request. He had to lean up a bit to see the "fonee" screen and was just as intrigued by it as Beta was. "It's like the tablets we use, only…somewhat more primitive. How cute, you humans attempting to replicate interstellar technology."

"This is advanced for humans?" Vega glanced at Stephanie and Emanuel, then at the phone, then back at the children, then he curled his tail and trilled as if he was cooing to a fledgling. "Oh, I didn't mean to insult your species' work."

"Oh yeah!" Emanuel nodded a little. "I still see those near old gas stations sometimes. There aren't that many around any more because we have tech like this nowadays, but she's right; those are definitely primitive."

After a few more moments of watching the colorful screen, he blinked and looked up at Beta, then at Stephanie. "We will be confiscating this fonee device." He decided.

Vega leaned a bit to see Emanuel past Stephanie. "Do you have a device as well? If so, hand it over." He said.

Emanuel sighed. "Yeah, okay." He reach into his pocket and took out his phone, unlocking it as well. He sent a text to his mother, telling her that he'd be staying over his friend's house, before he handed it off to the short alien.

"Nor on mine." Vega stated, matching Beta's expression. He pocketed the phones on the inside of his uniform, then he reached forward and grabbed the end of the rope tying the humans' hands together. "Come on. We've got ground to cover."

"Wait, where are we even going?" Emanuel asked, but Vega didn't answer him.

Vega tread carefully, checking every bend in their path before deciding where to turn and making sure to stop and scan whenever he needed. He rarely had to make sure the humans kept up the pace, but he still checked on them every now and then. The farther they went from the ship the more anxious he became, but he didn't let his instincts, which were screaming for them to turn back to safety, deter him. Eventually, he stopped when his ears perked up at a faint sound in the distance. "There's water nearby." He noted aloud.

_(howdy)