She didn't know what it was, but she felt like she had just woken up from a long slumber. One that lasted for days. The last time she was awake, she was being driven away to an airport, that's the last thing she remembered before blacking out.
Maisie opened her eyes slowly, her head was spinning. When she fell asleep, she felt something piercing one of her wrists. It felt like a needle. What purpose that "needle" was meant for is unknown but it still stung even now.
When her vision was coming back to her, she saw that she wasn't in the car anymore. She was in a room, no, a laboratory. There were tables that had computers and vials. There were incubation domes where dinosaur eggs would be placed in. And there were DNA samples at the far side of the room.
The girl tried her best to stay calm, but she couldn't. Was she going to be experimented on? What did they think she was, a lab rat?
"Ms. Lockwood. I hope you rested well." A calm voice said from nearby.
She turned her head swiftly towards where the voice was coming from, and she was met with a Chinese American man who had long, black hair that was tied into a ponytail, he had black eyes, a light brown jacket with a white undershirt, dark brown pants, and caramel colored shoes.
He wasn't someone who Maisie knew immediately when she first glaced at him. But the more she looked at him closely, the more he started to remind her of a certain man she's only seen once but has quite a history when it came to the Raptors that lived in Owen's backyard.
This man almost looked like a spitting image of him. There's no way that it could be anyone else, right?
"Doctor Wu?" Maisie gulped.
The man chuckled.
"You probably think I'm my brother, Henry. Me and him are twins so we look alike. My name is Elliot." The man responded.
"B-brother? Owen and Claire never told me he had a brother." Maisie replied.
"They probably didn't know. Not a lot of people know about me. Let's just say I prefer staying under the radar. I'm not really into fame as much as my brother is." Elliot said.
Maisie was tensing. If this man was Henry's brother, could he be as cruel as him? Maisie may not know much but what she does know about Henry is that he's one of the most disgusting human beings on this planet. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that his brother was the same.
"S-so you torture dinosaurs too?" Maisie questioned.
Elliot raised an eyebrow.
"What? That's not my line of work- wait, are you talking about my brother? Does he do that?" Elliot wondered.
What does she mean torture? Henry is a scientists isn't he? Why would he torture something that to most people would be a revolutionary achievement?
"He does it to Indoraptors, doesn't he?" Maisie shot back.
"Indoraptor? Ms. Lockwood, I'm sorry if you're confused, but the Indominus is deceased. And it is not simply a gigantic Velociraptor." Elliot said back.
"Wait... You don't know, do you?" Maisie narrowed her eyes.
"Don't know what? Can you please elaborate?" Elliot asked.
She was still unsure if she should trust this man, but there was something about him that made him feel... Welcoming? He didn't feel threatening like Delacourt or Santos.
His voice was the reason why Maisie didn't feel too threatened. It sounded soothing and relaxing to listen to. Like a father having a civil conversation with their child. This man did not feel the least bit threatening at all. If anything, she was actually getting a little comfortable now since he was being fairly polite.
"Indoraptors are like smaller Indominus Rexes. They can fit into smaller places the Indominus can't. One of them almost killed me two years ago, and they're bulletproof. Sound familiar?" Maisie answered.
Elliot was at a loss for words. Smaller Indominus Rexes? Why the hell would Henry continue to make more of that abomination? He saw what happened when he created the Indominus, didn't he? But what got him worried was the fact that she didn't just say "Indoraptor" when referring to the animal.
She said "Indoraptors" which is plural. Which means there's more than one of them.
"H-how many are there?" Elliot questioned.
"How should I know? The only thing I was told that the Indoraptor who attacked me had siblings." Maisie furthered.
Siblings? The Indominus only had one sibling, and he's presumedly been killed by the Indominus who ended up destroying Jurassic World. But it seems that these Indoraptors are way more numerous than the Indominus Twins.
Elliot stood up from the chair he was sitting in. He went over to another table, and grabbed a piece of paper, a pencil, and an eraser and placed them on the table where Maisie was at.
"Can you give me a detailed drawing of what this Indoraptor looks like?" Elliot requested.
Maisie scoffed.
"Why should I? Go ask your brother. You think I'm going to give you people anything?" Maisie hissed.
Elliot looked around to see if anybody was nearby. He wouldn't want anyone to hear this unless he wants to be Genesis' dessert for the afternoon.
The man sighed.
"Listen, I'm really sorry. I didn't know my superiors would actually go through with kidnapping you. I've tried to talk them out of it several times, but nothing worked. I don't know what they want with you, but they clearly hold you in high regard." Elliot explained.
"Talk them out of it? And why would you want that?" Maisie crossed her arms.
"Should it not be obvious? Kidnapping InGen dinosaurs is one thing, but trafficking a young girl... It's inhumane. You're a person, you shouldn't be treated like this and you definitely shouldn't have to deal with so much stress. You're still so young." Elliot answered.
The man placed a hand on his head. If his brother is anything to go by, it's made very clear to him that nobody here values this girl's life. His brother calls her a doll, but she's not. She can breathe can't she? She can speak, eat, and learn just like any other child.
Maisie was starting to let her guard down. She was not sure if it was a good idea do so but this man wasn't as threatening as she thought. He's actually quite understanding. He's the first person from Biosyn who hasn't treated her as if she's just a copy of someone else.
Maisie looked down as she could see Elliot's balling up his fist and when she turned to look at his face, he was gritting his teeth.
"I can't believe this. Why did I have to join this company...?" Elliot held his head low in shame.
"Why did you, anyways?" Maisie wondered.
Elliot shook his head and bit his lip.
"It's a lot simpler than you may think. I... Just wanted to look after my brother. Ever since the Indominus, I've warned him not to further his research. It's not because I was jealous, it's because I wanted to keep him from making even more mistakes. But if what you have said is true about those Indoraptors, I haven't been putting as much of an effort as I thought I was... Dammit, Henry." Elliot slammed his left fist on the table which startled Maisie.
Was all his effort for nothing? It can't be. His brother has to realize at some point, right? He can't just make this his whole life. He can still do other things to make himself happy.
"Why do you care about him so much? He's a monster!" Maisie exclaimed.
"My brother is a good man. I don't know what happened, but he must be going through something right now or else he wouldn't be acting so differently. I don't know what he's going through, hell, he doesn't seem to care about what I've been going through, but I just want him to realize he's wrong. He keeps saying he wants to achieve control. I don't think he even knows what that word truly means." Elliot sighed.
A tear almost fell down Elliot's right eye. Has Henry been playing him this whole time? Was he really not the brother he grew up with?
Good man? When has that man done any good outside of what he does for himself? Though Maisie didn't mind Elliot, she wondered what he saw in his brother to call him a good man. If there was anybody who'd fit the bill of a monster, it would most definitely be Henry Wu.
Maisie was about to say another word when she heard a whisper behind her. That whisper was calling her name. What was it? A ghost? No, those don't exist. If not then she might be in a dream or something.
Whatever it was, she turned her chair around to see who it was she heard, and when she finished turning, there was a giant metal cage behind her, made only to house a single creature.
"Stupid bars." Krystal complained as she tried scratching the metal bars of the cage.
The young Raptor grew restless, she wanted to lay down so badly but doing so would mean she'd have to give up any hope she has at getting out and she's not about to quit now.
"Wha? What do you want with Krystal?" Maisie questioned.
"It's not me, it's the company I work for. Believe me, I don't like this any more than you do. But they asked me to monitor the both of you down here since I don't have anything else to do." Elliot quickly answered.
Maisie moved over to where Krystal was. Her right arm went in between the bars and landed on Krystal's nose as she started to stroke her to calm her down.
"We need to get out of this dump, and fast." Krystal whispered.
"I know, girl. Just wait, okay?" Maisie responded.
Elliot watched from behind. After working for this company for three years, it's nice to know there are still decent people in this world. Because after being in this company for so long, he thought he'd never meet a person with a heart again. Everybody seems almost exactly the same. None of them have any decency when it comes to the animals, not even the CEO who runs the damn place.
For someone who was called a doll, Maisie was showing more emotion compared to what people would call her. Elliot may not have known why they wanted to take her, but he knows this much, she's a person. It doesn't matter if she's a clone, she has as much of a right to live as anyone else.
"You know, you remind me of myself with I first saw a dinosaur." Elliot chimed in.
"When was the first time you did?" Maisie asked.
"It was in 1991. Henry invited me to Isla Nublar because he wanted me to see his work. Me being his brother, I wanted to support him. And when I got there, the first thing he showed me was something that I thought I would never lay my eyes on in a million years. He knew how much I loved Stegosaurus, it's probably why the first dino he showed me was a baby Stegosaurus. Back then, it felt like magic... It's why I hate having to see these amazing animals like this. That magic has faded away as the years go by. All people see in them now is money." Elliot said, with a voice that sounded like he was tired.
It was beautiful, and it should have stayed that way. Dinosaurs don't have to fight in order for them to be awe inspiring. They can just exist and make people watch in wonder. It's why he wanted Jurassic Park to succeed, he wanted people to see dinosaurs for what they were. As animals, and not bloodthirsty monsters who kill on sight. But it never happened because Jurassic Park fell.
Now all they use them for is to either gain cash, or to further their work. They don't care about inspiring people to learn about paleontology. Hell, they don't even try to go against the public eye's idea on dinosaurs. All they're doing is thinking about the benefits the animals will bring to them instead of caring for them like how a parent would care for their child.
"Ms. Lockwood- Maisie, may I ask, do you know anything about the woman you were cloned from?" Elliot broke the silence.
Maisie slowly turned to face him and looked into his eyes.
"Not much. Only that I took her place." Maisie sighed.
Elliot nodded and gestured for her to come over to him where he pulled out a laptop and set it on the table in front of him. The girl obliged and sat near him.
He opened up the laptop and searched for some files that were labeled "Char.JPEG". When he clicked on the file he was looking for, it showed a girl- no, a woman who wore a lab coat and looked almost like an adult version of Maisie. And she was seen cradling a Microceratus in her arms.
"Is that her?" Maisie asked.
"Yes. Your mother... Sorry, I don't know what else to call her. She was a brilliant person in ways that me and my brother will never be." Elliot replied.
"Was she a scientist like you?" Maisie furthered.
"From what I've gathered, she was a geneticist who worked on Isla Sorna. You are a lot like her. Both of you like dinosaurs." Elliot remarked.
"I'm a lot like her? What else do you expect from a copy?" Maisie saddened.
Elliot placed a hand on her left shoulder.
"You can be more than that. You're still young, you can build an identity for yourself." Elliot said.
"Already tried it, didn't work." Maisie retorted.
"Or maybe you're just not letting it work. Because all you see in yourself is that you're a phantom of someone else." Elliot replied.
He was never bothered that she was a clone. When he was told about her, he already knew what she was and he couldn't have cared less if she was a clone. All he really cared about was why she was created.
"You know, while it is unholy to some people, I can't blame Sir Benjamin for making you. All of us try to cope with grief in any way." Elliot calmly stated.
"How did she die?" Maisie wondered.
"A freak accident. She died in a car crash in 2004. I'm not sure what the exact details were, but from what my brother has told me, it shattered Sir Benjamin's world. It was like all he lived for died that night. It's no wonder he tried to bring all of that back using you." Elliot explained.
If it was any other reason, Elliot would have shamed Benjamin for creating Maisie, but because he can grasp the reason why she was made, he thinks it's better to understand what the man was going through instead of just calling him a madman.
When someone dies, especially if they're still fairly young, you wish that person would come back somehow. What Benjamin did was use that as a basis for his experiments. He lost someone he cared for and she wasn't even that old, it wasn't fair.
Maisie looked around the lab again and saw what looked to be a bunch of spikes that were kept inside a big glass container. The top of the container had text that said "WARNING: Do not handle without safety equipment. Highly venomous". The spikes looked like thorns. But they we're far bigger, they were black and looked like the spikes that venomous fish would use to take down their prey.
"What is this?" Maisie wondered.
Elliot walked over to the container and looked at it in disgust and shook his head.
"That is what remains of my brother's first hybrid. I don't know much about it but he called it the Scorpios Rex. It died in 2016 and these samples were collected afterwards. Two years ago, the owner of one of our facilities made a gun that used the venom from these quills. That gun is no longer in use because he made it behind our backs. The quills are exceptionally dangerous, but they're perfect for something I'm planning." Elliot responded.
Plan? What plan? Was Maisie right in saying that he really was as mad as his brother?
"Wait, what do you want with them?" Maisie gulped again.
"You see, I made a major mistake. And I'm trying to create a virus to counteract it. If I don't, every ecosystem on this planet will rot. I'm not sure how much time we have left but if I have to, I'll do it in secret. It's for the best that those pests are dealt with." Elliot said, with anger in his voice.
"What pests?" Maisie raised an eyebrow.
Elliot than looked at her, and pointed at another table when there was a creature that was strapped onto the table. It looked like an insect, but it was far larger than any insect that Maisie had even seen. Just glancing at it once made her skin crawl.
"Those. You see, my boss wanted me to engineer these locusts so they can consume crops that aren't ours so that people will resort to buying our seeds. He doesn't only want to dominate the market for dinosaurs, he wants to dominate every market. And will use any dirty trick he can. But they're doing more harm than good. They're becoming too strong and are breeding too fast. What I want to do is use the Scorpios venom and convert it into an infection. Once one is infected, it will send out a pheromone to attract the others, then they'll die off. I made this one specifically so it can release those pheromones. All I need now is to find a way to covert the venom into a virus." Elliot elaborated.
If Lewis won't do anything about it, and his brother is too occupied with his work to give a damn, he'll do it himself. These bugs were created for one purpose, but he knows they'll quickly adapt to others.
Maisie recognized it. She saw this thing on the news once when someone was talking about an epidemic concerning a massive insect infestation. She just didn't know it would be this bad.
"My boss thinks that this is all good and nothing bad will happen. He's just kidding himself. These locusts are just like the Indominus, they were made for a specific purpose but they will quickly adapt and find new purposes to benefit them. It's what I've been telling these idiots, there is no such thing as control. And if I have to go through the effort of showing them that, then so be it. This world was better before I decided to dip my hands into this mess." Elliot sighed.
Why him? Why couldn't it have been someone else? He swore that he would try to stop his brother from making more mistakes, and yet he himself has made the same mistake his brother did. Thinking that there was a way to control these bugs and isolate the damage they would cause. Perhaps it runs in the family.
If he wasn't so focused on getting rid of what he created, he would have kept damning himself all day long for making these monsters. If this is successful, there's no doubt he's going to make this information public so someone out there can take down this company.
Little did he know, there already were people who were in the process of doing just that.
Meanwhile on Kayla's Plane.
Atrocius coughed, he slowly opened his right eye. He thought we would've flopped into the ocean by now, once his eye was open, his vision was a little blurry. He squinted and sharpened his vision as he began to realize that a figure was standing over him.
"Not so tough now, are you?" Daniel scoffed.
The Atrociraptor instantly recognized the man's voice. He was Frances' replacement, not that he cared, but he always found him to be annoying. He's not sure what it was, but he was always tempted to break out and gore him.
Though he just woke up, the Atrociraptor tried to open his mouth wide to bite onto Daniel's face and tried to lunge at him, but when he tried it, nothing happened. What was going on? He wasn't in a cage, he should be able to do whatever he wanted to, right?
Truth was, Daniel wasn't going to take this lightly. He may not be an expert on dinosahrs but he knows the basics. And if he knows anything, it's how to subdue one.
It was then that Atrocius realized that something was keeping his mouth from opening. He couldn't see what I was exactly but he knew it was made out of metal. He tried to move his legs and arms but the moment he did, he knew that he had been tied up. And a muzzle was placed on his mouth.
"Do we really need to do this? I thought these guys were your friends." Owen said from nearby.
"The others were my friends. He isn't." Daniel clarified.
"How come?" Owen wondered.
"He's... Quite a troubled case. He doesn't listen to anybody, not even the woman he imprinted on. In fact, if given the chance, he would've torn her to shreds. I don't know much about Atrociraptor, but I'm guessing Biosyn bred him to be this aggressive." Daniel explained.
"You sure his trainer didn't have anything to do with it?" Owen raised an eyebrow.
"Frances is a good woman. She may have been neglectful when it came to her squad's health at first but she never hurt them. I don't know what it is with this guy, but he seems to want nothing more but to kill. It's like it's the only thing he knows." Daniel answered.
Owen found it odd. None of his Raptors ever acted like that. Even Red wasn't like that before he lost his mind, in fact, he was the most mature out of all the Raptors. The Raptor Trainer looked into Atrocius' eyes. Sometimes the best way to know someone is to stare into their eyes, because eyes are the mirror of the soul.
It may not be obvious to most people, but Owen could tell just by looking into this creature's eyes, that he yearned for nothing but chaos. The eyes had veins and the pupils were as sharp as a sword's tip. These were the eyes of an animal who is extremely stressed, angry, and impatient. Impatient... For what? Owen would soon get his answer.
"Come here and lemme get a good taste of ya." Atrocius grumbled.
"Huh, looks like the chip has shut down. Probably because the remote is out of range. Problem is, you don't need a remote to trigger him. All that remote did was give him targets. He would've attacked you and Ripper even if he wasn't being controlled." Daniel observed.
"Please tell me you have a plan for him. Because if you don't, who knows what he's gonna do once that muzzle is off." Owen replied.
"Worry not, Señor Grady. Biosyn values some their assets and refuses to get rid of the ones that they think are the most useful. My plan is to use him as leverage just in case we get caught." Daniel responded.
Value is putting it very generously. He knows that the only value they see in their creations is how useful they are in achieving their goals. If they're not, they just get thrown aside and left to rot.
However, Owen also had another question that needed to be answered. However, it wasn't as serious as what they were just talking about.
"Just asking, what's with that pendant in your necklace?" Owen wondered.
Daniel looked down and held the green pendant in his left hand. He stroked the front of it with the utmost of gentleness.
"One of my sisters gave it to me. I'm always travelling and I never see my family anymore so I always bring this with me. Reminds me of home." Daniel smiled as he looked at the pendant.
"Hmm, how many sisters do you have?" Owen continued.
"Two. Both are older than me but one of them is shorter than I am. I always tease her about it and she keeps begging me to stop." Daniel chuckled.
Though Daniel laughed, he quickly frowned afterwards. Him wanting to retire from Biosyn isn't just because he doesn't want to be involved with a company that is essentially a criminal organization, it's because he hasn't seen his family in years. He never comes to reunions, he never attends the birthdays of his sisters, he doesn't even know how long his parents have left before they pass away.
"It's hard, you know? Being away from them for so long makes you feel so alone. It's why I want this to be done as soon as possible. I bet one of my sisters must be married by now. I'm guessing your daughter probably feels the same." Daniel sighed.
Owen nodded, he can't even begin to imagine how isolated Maisie must feel right now. It hasn't been a week since she was taken, but he's sure of it that she can't handle not being around him and Claire for that long.
Ripper was listening from behind them as he was also monitoring Atrocius. He looked out of one of the windows, wondering if Krystal is still alive. While they were tying up Atrocius, Owen had mentioned how Biosyn intends to use their dinosaurs for fighting tournaments. And if there's one Raptor Ripper is sure of who will get torn apart in just the first minute, it's Krystal. The only reason she didn't die to Nemesis was because he was way too focused on Fang.
"Talk, talk, talk. That's all you idiots do. When I get out of this, you're all gonna pay." Atrocius hissed.
The Indoraptor observed him closer. Just like Owen, he could tell what this dinosaur was like just by looking into his eyes. He likened it to the Indoraptors he had killed in the past, they also had the same bloodthirsty eyes as this Raptor. He hasn't seen that look in a good minute, the look of someone who wants nothing but to inflict pain and nothing else. It's a singular, simple goal which keeps them afloat.
Ripper shook his head and walked away. Some would say that their past is what strengthens them and that they fully embrace it. But Ripper wished he could erase most of his past from his mind and only keep the good parts.
"Something wrong?" Blue asked.
"It's this guy. I'm so tempted to rip his throat out. He reminds me too much of the Indoraptors I used to live with." Ripper whispered.
"Isn't that a good thing? You love your siblings." Blue said.
"I'm not talking about Striker or Luna, Blue. And I'm not talking about my friends either. I'm talking about the bastards that almost made my childhood unbearable." Ripper sighed.
"Oh... Right. I almost forgot there were more of your kind." Blue replied.
"Honestly hon, I wish I could forget about them. They're some of the worst memories I have. I can't believe I still remember them." Ripper responded.
"Well, I used to tease my big brother about how he was scared of pickles. It was embarrassing for him but was hilarious for me and that was when we were little and I still remember it." Blue stated.
A laugh came out of Ripper. Pickles? Those green things that people eat? Someone like Red was scared of those little things?
"How do you know how to lighten me up when I'm angry? I'm literally complaining about my childhood and you somehow made me laugh." Ripper snickered.
"I've spent two years of my life with you. You think I don't know how to make you laugh when you're mad? Oh, please." Blue rolled her eyes.
"Looks like fate chose the right female for me. Otherwise, I would've ended up with Delta instead." Ripper nuzzled his mate.
Blue gave him a toothy grin and started giggling. Red wasn't the only dinosaur she had fun teasing.
"Hey sis, Ripper said that he's thankful you're not his mate." Blue called out.
Ripper's jaw fell to the floor and one of his eyes started twitching and a groan followed afterwards.
"Why hon? Why?!" Ripper whined.
"Ah, first Charlie, then Echo, and now you. I see how it is." Delta scoffed.
"Yeah, he also said that if you were his mate, that'd be a fate worse than death." Blue cackled.
"The hell?! I didn't say-" Ripper was cut off when Blue put a hand over his mouth.
"Hmph, dorks. You guys always pick on me 'cause you think I'm tough and I can handle it. You're tearing me apart over here! Have some decency." Delta giggled.
"Yep, she's lost it." Echo said nearby as he was resting on the floor with his brother.
Delta titled her head over to her brother who's eyes widened. Echo soon gulped, and he started shaking his head, almost begging Delta to take her attention off of her.
"I've lost it, eh? Hmm, okay. Next time you eat, I'm gonna spit on it. Good luck dealing with that." Delta said with a sassy tone.
"Ugh, what is wrong with you?! You dare ruin a guy's food like that? How dare you!" Charlie exclaimed dramatically.
Fang joined in on the laughter. He hasn't had a good laugh ever since Krystal was taken. It's nice to have some fun once in a while.
"Argh! Would you just shut up?! How can you even bear to be around each other? You're insufferable!" Atrocius complained.
The plane went silent. The only thing that could be heard was the engine from outside. They didn't expect to hear Atrocius chime in. Ripper actually thought that the control chip was still in effect but it wasn't.
Ripper's temptation was growing by the second. Why would they need him as a bargaining chip? He could just mow down every Biosyn soldier he sees. It's not like bullets have stopped him before.
"At least they ain't as cranky as you. You literally sound like an old man complaining about kids having fun!" Kayla joined in. She may have just met them, but since she was going to get paid, she may as well enjoy the experience while it lasted.
Echo and Charlie started snickering. All Atrocius could do was sit there and accept every insult they threw at him. It's not like he could do anything about it.
"Settle down, you guys. He might start crying if you're not careful." Claire teased.
Atrocius growled. Though his arms were tied, his claws were curling up due to his anger. If given the chance, he would murder everyone in this plane. Not even caring if it crashed. He'd kill them one by one, counting everyone who laughed at him and tearing them down until he gets to the last one who laughed at him.
Ripper wasn't worried about Atrocius. He may put up a good fight against normal Velociraptors but if he fought with Ripper and Fang, they could easily take care of the situation. Plus, there's only one of him. He's not exactly the most difficult animal to deal with.
The Indoraptor walked back to his son who had fallen asleep. Owen went over to Kayla to ask her about something.
"How much longer till we reach the valley?" Owen wondered.
"Actually, we just entered it's airspace. Just hope they turned off the ADS." Kayla replied.
"Wait... Ads?" Owen raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not talking about pop-ups. It's called an Aerial Deterrent System. It helps keep the flyers away from the planes. Biosyn implemented it recently so it'll be easier to travel using aircraft." Kayla responded.
"Huh, we could've used something like that back at the park. Would've helped when the Pterosaurs got out." Owen remarked as he went back to the others.
"So, we go in, get your daughter out. Simple as pie. Or we get turned into dino chow." Kayla said as she kept flying.
Blue sat down with her mate as they watched over their son. There's something about Fang that Ripper wished he had. He wasn't jealous of his son, but there definitely was something that Fang had that Ripper wished he did have.
A good childhood.
The only traumatic event that has caused Fang physical pain was when he fought Nemesis. While his father's childhood would've been pure hell if it weren't for his siblings and friends being the only good influence in his life up to that point.
He stroked his son's head gently. And looked to his mate.
"I'm an idiot aren't I?" Ripper started.
"Yes and no. Honestly, I don't know which to pick." Blue replied.
"I should've at least tried to understand her. I don't know what it is but there's something in me that keeps wanting to cause pain whenever I see a potential threat. It doesn't even need to be physical pain." Ripper sighed.
"Maybe it's just your older self showing through." Blue said.
"That's what I'm worried about. That part of me is only good when it's used to attack enemies. Krystal isn't an enemy, at least not anymore. But I still didn't stop, not until she ran off. Sometimes I wished I could be more like Fang. At least he understands others, he doesn't try to scare them, he only does if he himself is scared. I can barely go a day without scaring someone who doesn't know me. Sometimes I don't even care if their feelings are hurt." Ripper shook his head.
Blue rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.
"Look, they're only scared because dinos keep spreading stories about you. That's all. It'll go away some day." Blue whispered.
"I wish that were true. Maybe then I'll learn how to be more like our son." Ripper finished.
Though Ripper found the attention amusing at first because he liked it when everyone was afraid of him, after a while, it was starting to effect him negatively. Even if he wasn't doing anything, if he so much as goes near another animal he doesn't know, they would run as fast as they could in the opposite direction, not even looking back once.
He finds it odd that some creatures are comfortable with drinking in a lake while a predator is near them, he's even heard that they're perfectly fine with a Carnotaurus drinking beside them. And yet, if it was him in that lake drinking with other dinosaurs, they'd flee the moment he set foot in that area.
What was different about him? He kills to eat just like any other dinosaur. So why do so many animals fear him? Is it because of the methods he uses? Or is it something about his appearance? He can't nail it down, but he can't go anywhere without being feared unless it's someone he knows well.
"Also, thought about what to say to Krystal yet?" Blue queried.
"It's coming together. All I need to do is to choose the right words. She's a good kid, she'll come back around." Ripper answered.
Blue was about to complement her mate because of his kindness, but right as the words were about to escape her mouth, a beeping sound was heard.
On the front of the control panel for the plane, a red light was flashing over and over while an alarm was blaring.
"Well, that ain't nice, now isn't it?" Kayla said casually, with a sense of nervousness in her voice. Owen quickly rushed over to her to see what was going on?
"Problem?" Owen asked.
"Looks like they didn't turn off the ADS... Guess here comes the fun part." Kayla rolled her eyes. Owen knew that when she said "fun", it could only mean something bad was about to happen.
"Guys, better hold on to something quick." Owen called out.
"Oh don't worry, Owen. It's probably just a bunch of Pteranodons, they never attack planes." Just as Charlie said that, an odd noise was heard.
It almost sounded like a door screeching. Or a type of honking noise. Definitely did not sound like a Pteranodon, their calls are far more high pitched. This was something else.
Flapping could be heard from outside as a massive shadow cast itself onto the plane. Owen went over to the front window and looked up to get a glimpse of what was causing those noises. What he saw was something he couldn't have dreamed of even if he tried.
First, there was a small pointed tip that glided in the sky. As it moved forward, it began to reveal itself as a beak of sorts. And it was connected to a gargantuan flying beast that would make tales of dragons sound more believable.
"What is that?" Owen asked nervously.
"It's Skya. She's a Quetzalcoatlus. They used to rule the Cretaceous skies. And they should've stayed there." Kayla answered.
Quetzalcoatlus? Ripper tensed up. He remembered Fang telling him something about Talon's flock being attacked by a creature called Quetzalcoatlus. Could this be what he was talking about? Ripper couldn't see the giant Pterosaur because he was at the back of the plane, but he could already tell something bad was about to happen.
The Indoraptor began shaking his son. Fang's eyes lazily opened as he yawned.
"Dad... Are we there yet?" Fang wondered.
"Listen, that Quetz thing you told me about, it's right above us." Ripper whispered.
"Wha?!" Fang gasped.
At first, he thought his dad was joking. He likes to goof around with his son. But in a time like this, theres no way he'd be kidding about something as dangerous as a Quetzalcoatlus.
"Back for more, pilote?" The Quetzalcoatlus, Skya, asked with a sassy French accent.
Owen looked at Kayla and was about to ask her, but before he could open his mouth, she already answered his question.
"Okay, let's just say me and her have some beef. Biosyn hired me to capture her after she got out of the valley. They didn't know who let her out but she escaped and I guess ever since then she's been able to recognize me just by looking at me." Kayla explained.
"And she's French?" Owen questioned.
"I don't know what's up with that. Maybe one of her handlers from when she was young was French and she just adopted the accent." Kayla guessed.
Skya was staring at Kayla from above. The pilot was tempted to pull out a gun to shoot the Pterosaur in the face, but she wasn't sure if that would end well for her plane. Especially if she ends up missing.
"Hmm... This plane is smaller than the one you used to catch me. I wonder..." Skya giggled sinisterly.
The giant Pterosaur then tapped the top of the plane gently with her beak. It may have been just a slight tap, but the plane shook when she did it.
Atrocius had no idea what was going on. All he wished for was that he never jumped onto this plane. Sure, he couldn't have stopped it because he was not in control of himself, but at the very least, Ripper could've kicked him off. It would've hurt but it still would have been better than this.
"Yeah, let's just say she likes to play with her target. She's got a weird sense of humor that's for sure." Kayla remarked.
Ripper was gripping onto the floor as hard as he possibly could. If a hole is poked onto the plane and she attempts to snatch someone, he won't think twice before jumping onto her and shredding her to pieces. He may not be able to see the giant flyer, but if he did get a hold of her, he might be able to take her down if she doesn't reach him with her beak.
"I see. Very tacky..." Skya trailed off as she started to climb the clouds. The Quetzalcoatlus flew higher and higher. Until she disappeared into the distance.
Kayla let out a huge sigh. Perhaps that Pterosaur wasn't in the mood to mess around today. She wouldn't try to trash a plane, would she? From what Kayla has heard, Biosyn prohibits their animals from hurting humans.
"Phew. Crisis averted, people. She's gone." Kayla breathed.
"Well, that was interesting. You know, I heard about her escape eight months back. Just didn't know she was this large. It's quite scary if you don't have a plane big enough to deal with her." Daniel spoke up.
"Yeah, no kidding. If she attacked my baby, I'm not sure if this old girl would last." Kayla replied.
"Hey, don't tempt it." Owen chuckled.
Owen looked forwards and saw a giant dam nearby. The water in the dam was frozen and he could also see that the plane was flying over a lush forest. This could be where the Biosyn base was. Which meant that they were getting closer and closer to getting Maisie and Krystal back.
The only problem they'll have to deal with is security. Which really shouldn't be a problem because Ripper is around. At this point, the only thing that can stop him is a dart made specifically to tranquilize Indoraptors. If the guards aren't equipped with such weaponry, taking the girls back will be easier than they thought.
This whole thing would be easier, had it not been for the fact that they misjudged one thing.
"Bonjour à nouveau!" Skya never left. She just wanted them to think that so they would fall into a false sense of security. She laughed playfully like a young girl as she charged for the back of the plane.
As she pushed herself towards the front, she tore through the front window. The wind was pushing her back, but she didn't care. She kept on wailing on the plane as she used her beak to poke at the left engine. The engine exploded afterwards as Skya was edging further and further back. Her claws dug into the plane and began ripping through the top, one of her claws almost reached the Raptors. And it was just a few inches away from Charlie's face.
"Okay, okay, just breathe. It's just a bad dream." Charlie tried to calm himself.
"This ain't no dream. It's a freaking nightmare!" Echo shouted as the claws tore through even more metal.
Skya using her beak to stabilize herself as she jabbed it onto the top, and her right hand was on the remaining engine. Because she was being pushed back, her claws tore through the other engine, setting it on fire as well.
Fang was at a loss for words. It's no wonder Talon was so afraid of this monster. It's just one creature and it's able to do this much damage to a plane? He doesn't dare to wonder what a flock of these would do if they were present here.
"Ah, I've had my fun. Au revoir!" Skya laughed happily as she flew up.
Daniel shook his head and groaned. He knew that thing was dangerous, but he didn't think she was this dangerous. And the fact that she treats it as a game makes it even worse.
But the worst was yet to come.
Squawking could be heard from outside. But these sounds were far more familiar than Skya's. They sounded smaller. And they were. But that didn't mean that they would be less of a problem.
The Indoraptor looked over at one of the windows at the side of the plane and as Skya was flying away, a crowd of very recognizable winged menaces were beginning to close in.
"Oh, for fu-" Ripper was cut off.
"Language, Ripper! Our son's here." Blue interjected.
"Trust me, hon. Swearing is the least of our problems right now. Looks like she brought some company with her." Ripper retorted.
Behind Skya were a flock of very hungry, and very angry animals. And they were already preparing to have a little bit of fun themselves.
"Crap, yeah, about that. I forgot to tell you that everything that flies here worships her like some kind of queen. That includes the Pteranodons." Kayla groaned.
Claire didn't think that was possible. When an alpha Pterosaur is chosen in a flock, it's a very specific member of that species. Like how Pteranodons pick their leaders depending on the size of their crest and their skills. She's never heard of a flock who follows the lead of something else.
But it shouldn't be too much of a surprise. She's bigger than them. If they don't follow her, they won't stand a chance against her wrath. So if you can't fight them, join them.
"They're all yours, boys!" Skya announced as the Pteranodons swooped in for an attack.
"Caramba." Daniel whispered as he hid his necklace and pulled out his revolver.
The holes that Skya made earlier were big enough for the Pteranodons to fly into. One of them landed in the middle of the plane as it screeched at the Raptors. However, before it could do anything, Ripper lunged at it, decapitated it, and threw it back outside where the wind pushed it to the ground below.
As the fires continued to burn the engines, the plane was losing altitude. If Skya had only taken out one engine, it would've been bad but the plane would've crashed slower at least. however, she had to go the extra mile and take out both engines, now the plane was on a crash course straight into the icy lake that the dam was blocking.
Owen looked around, seeing the Pteranodons swarming the plane. He looked over to where Claire was sitting and saw what kind of seat she was in. This gave him an idea.
"You got a chute?" Owen quickly asked.
"Only one, it's on her chair." Kayla answered.
"Who the heck only packs one parachute?" Owen questioned.
"I wasn't expecting company!" Kayla shot back.
Owen got out of his seat and rushed over to Claire. The Raptor Trainer placed his hands on her check and pressed his forehead against hers.
"Listen up, yeah? We need to get you out of here." Owen breathed heavily.
"WHAT?!" Claire shouted in disbelief.
"The parachute is gonna activate automatically, if it doesn't, pull the lever behind you." Owen instructed.
"No, no. What about you?!" Claire questioned.
"By the looks of it, this bird's gonna crash into that frozen lake. That should break our fall. If it doesn't, at least Maisie will still have her mom." Owen answered.
Tears rolled down her eyes. But Owen kept smiling. If he can't get to Maisie, at least he can rest knowing Claire did. He looked over to Daniel and the Raptors. Ripper was holding onto both Blue and Fang. Charlie and Echo were gripping onto the ground, and Daniel pulled out a knife and jabbed it into the wall so he had something to hold onto.
"I know it sounds stupid, but you know how to talk to her. If I mess up again, things are just gonna get worse. I'd rather have you talk to her than me." Owen finished as he kissed her on the left cheek.
Claire shook her head, she wanted to stay. What if they end up fine after the plane crashes? They've escaped bad situations before. It should be no different now.
Owen looked over to Kayla and nodded to her. The pilot then pressed a button that opened a hatch at the top. Claire's chair was launched into the sky, the wind brushed up against her as she screamed. She called out Owen's name in a desperate attempt to hold onto him, but by the time she said his name, she was already out of the plane.
The chair was falling fast, Claire wasn't taking any chances, she immediately pulled on the lever just behind her head as the parachute was activated. She looked down below and saw that if she were to land, she would land into the forest. Only problem was, she wasn't sure how she would defend herself down there. If this place really is a kind of "sanctuary" there must be some predators in that forest.
But theropods weren't the only thing she had to worry about.
Claire started to slow down her breathing as she was calming down. The forest was not too far away, however, her calm composure melted away once she heard a sound she did not want to hear.
One of the Pteranodons ripped through the parachute. Claire's eyes widened as the chair was falling faster into the forest. She didn't know what else to do but take a deep breath and hope everything would be fine. She held her arms in front of her face to shield herself as the chair plummeted into the trees.
Back on the plane, the right wing of the plane got separated because of the pressure the wind was putting on it, along with the fact that the right engine was burning and tearing the right wing apart.
"What's the plan?" Owen gulped.
"Whatever happens, that's the plan!" Kayla responded.
Daniel moved back to Atrocius and jabbed his knife to the floor. He can't use a bargaining chip if said bargaining chip is dead. He had a hand firmly gripping onto Atrocius as the plane was nearing the dam.
Owen looked back to check on her Raptors, but all he saw was Ripper angrily glaring at him. Owen narrowed his eyes to see if what he was seeing was real since Ripper has never gotten mad at him ever since Fang was kidnapped.
"I swear, if we survive, I'm gonna kill you." Ripper growled.
"That's a joke, right?" Owen nervously laughed.
Ripper didn't respond. He only continued glaring at him.
"Okay, fair enough. This was my idea." Owen sighed as he took a breath and held onto his chair as tightly as possible.
The plane started emitting a whistling noise as it was getting close and closer to the frozen lake. The whistling was getting louder the closer it got and it almost sounded like a whistle of death.
A loud crash was heard as the front of the plane smashed into the ice. Kayla and Owen rushed to the back right before it happened. The plane was suspended in the icy, but it was slowly sinking ever so slightly.
The cold wind in this area didn't feel like the one from Owen's home. It almost as if the wind itself was trying to kill them. And in a way it was because if they stay here for too long without anything to warm themselves will, they'll die because of frostbite.
A hand came up from the holes that Skya made. Owen was the first to make it out of the plane, he lended a hand to Kayla as he pulled her to the top. Daniel followed soon after, the Raptors also followed suit, with Ripper carrying Atrocius on his back.
"This was my baby." Kayla sighed as she looked at the wreckage of her crashed pane
"Don't worry. We'll get ya a new one when this is all over." Owen replied.
"You better." Kayla chuckled.
They slowly made their way down the left wing which was still attached to the plane. Once they got onto the frozen lake, Owen made sure to look if the ice was alright to walk on.
He gestured for the others to come over. When they got there, they kept their distance from each other. Too much weight might crack the ice so it's best if they don't stand too close.
"And people wonder why I hate flying." Daniel said to himself. He wasn't completely against the idea, it's just that he prefers to drive. To him, it's much safer because at least you won't drop from several thousands of feet if something goes wrong.
Though the lake was stable for now, they were still taking it slow while they were walking on it to make sure nothing cracks. Owen wanted to get his mind off of the ice so he decided to ask a few more questions.
"Where'd you learn to fly?" Owen wondered.
"Air force. Legacy came from my mama." Kayla answered.
"Huh, how'd you end up working for you know who?" Owen asked again.
"I was a legit contract pilot back then. But the pay wasn't enough to send back to my family. So after a while, temptation got to me and I started working for Santos. But honestly, I think I might be done with this job." Kayla replied.
Daniel carefully kept his eye on Atrocius who was still on Ripper's back. He was resting on his side and couldn't do anything but let the Indoraptor carry him. But Daniel knows that Ripper can't do this for the rest of the journey or else he'll just get even more tired. Daniel started to think of a better solution to keep Atrocius at bay while they continued their mission.
"How about you?" Kayla queried.
"Was in the Marines once. Didn't last too long since I was hired by InGen to work at Jurassic World. The only thing I know how to drive is a bike." Owen said back.
Owen looked down at the ice every now and then to check for cracks. But then he turned his attention towards the Untamable Thief.
Did Ripper really mean what he said? After two years of them bonding with each other would he really go that far? Then again, Owen can't blame him. Fang should've stayed at home, if they weren't lucky, he could've died when the plane crashed or when Skya ravaged the vehicle.
Even Blue was worried. She didn't want to fight him again. They've been through so much and he's improved a lot during that time. Would be really risk breaking their bond?
Ripper rolled his eyes.
"Yes Owen, it was just a joke. Gosh, do any of you have a sense of humor?" Ripper shook his head and let out a small laugh.
"I do!" Charlie exclaimed.
"It was a rhetorical question." Ripper clarified.
Both Blue and Owen sighed in relief. Meanwhile, Atrocius didn't say anything because he got knocked out during the crash.
Owen pointed over to the dam. He suggested that they go over there. It's going to help them see where they need to go next since it's near the forest, and it will reduce the risk of them falling into the cold water.
Though they were supposed to stay sperated, Fang still stayed relatively close to his parents. He's always been energetic when it comes to winter climates since he gets to play all day, but today was the first time he wasn't excited about being in a cold environment.
"There's probably a pathway or an elevator in that dam." Kayla observed.
"How do we find her?" Owen asked.
Kayla then pulled out some sort of device out of one of her pockets. It was no bigger than her hand and was rectangular in shape.
"This is a Beacon Tracker. Most people who work for Biosyn or for a branch of Biosyn have one of these to possibly locate fugitives or lost employees. We're gonna use it to track down Claire. Plus, if we lose it, you can always use one of your Raptors, right? I heard those dinos can smell really well." Kayla explained.
"Yeah. Sometimes they even smell stuff they don't want to." Owen snickered.
"Don't freaking go there, man." Echo rolled his eyes.
Just as they were a few feet away from the dam, Ripper stopped and he gently placed the Atrociraptor on the ground and started to look near one of the large mountains nearby. But they weren't really mountains, they were more like walls that were made out of rocks.
The Indoraptor saw that the wall actually had some kind of path. As if there was a way for something to get in here. In the middle, there was a giant crack of sorts that separated the walls into two and the crevice looked big enough for something to walk through them.
Ripper let out a loud roar, once he did, it bounced off of the walls and echoed throughout the crack. Ripper narrowed his eyes and started growling, Blue turned back to look at her mate and she was confused. They were almost at the dam, why did he stop?
"Rip? You okay over there?" Blue called out.
"We're not alone here. Something's definitely watching us." Ripper said back.
"Huh? How can you tell? There's nobody here but us." Blue replied.
"When we were walking, I started sniffing the air. I smelled something, it was faint but it wasn't any of you." Ripper answered.
"Okay, what's with the roaring then?" Blue wondered.
"Look, you may not believe me because I've never had to use this in the past when you were around, but I have an ability called echolocation. In short, it helps me see things by roaring at something. The sound bounces off of something else and right now, it just bounced off of something that's moving." Ripper explained.
Blue was even more confused now. Why has doesn't he use this more often? And why does he only decide to tell her about it now?
"Owen, is that true?" Blue queried.
"When someone was trying to sell him, they mentioned something about echolocation. But I guess he doesn't use it too much since he mainly relies on his nose to do the work." Owen answered.
Ripper prepared himself. He slowly lowered his body and gently placed his arms on the ground as he went on all fours. He could see some kind of silhouette in the darkness of that giant crevice. There was barely any light that penetrated into it so it was hard to see.
The silhouette started to get blurry. As if the closer it got, the more unnatural it's shape was. At first, Ripper could make out a head, two legs, and a tail. But now, he wasn't sure what he was looking at.
It looked like a mishaped blob. There were limbs that were moving in every which way, and it was constantly changing it's shape.
Out from the darkness emerged... Another Raptor? This one was shorter than a Velociraptor at only 5.5 feet tall, eight feet long, and weighed about 400 pounds. It was like Krystal, it had feathers. And very prominent ones too. The feathers on its arms and tail looked like they came from birds. It had a sharp head, and two small brow ridges. It's main skin color was dark grey, the feathers underneath it were black and the feathers on top were a vibrant red.
This was Pyroraptor. It's name translated to "Fire Thief" which is fitting given the animal's fiery colors. However, this male was not alone. From behind him, emerged a second Pyroraptor. This one had dark blue feathers on its face and legs, and the top of the tail. It had a grey snout, hands, and feet. It's body was also coated in red feathers and it's tail feathers were orange and it's eyes were yellow. This one was the female, and she was the reason why the silhouette had such an odd shape. Because she was walking right beside the male.
The other Raptors weren't startled, there's six of them and there were only two Pyroraptors. They wouldn't risk a fight with a bigger pack. Especially not on a frozen lake.
But Ripper was more than ready to tear them apart.
"Y-you! You were there weren't you?!" Ripper shouted.
"Ripper, what are you talking about?" Owen questioned.
The Indoraptor ignored Owen. He just kept his eye one the Pyroraptors. He knows how dangerous it is to fight on a lake like this, but it was almost like he couldn't stop himself. His body just kept telling him to move.
The male Pyroraptor roared back at Ripper and bared his teeth. He looked at the female then to the ground. With one swift stomp, he sent his foot crashing onto the ice which startled Ripper as he edged back.
The ice around the Pyroraptors started to crack. Blue and her siblings didn't know what to think, did those two want to die? If this lake ends up breaking apart, the cold temperature of the lake might be enough to put them out of commission.
Ripper walked back to Atrocius and pulled him onto his back again, and when he turned to look at the Pyroraptors, the male looked at him and smirked. The ice beneath the two Fire Thieves broke and both fell into the lake.
Snickering could be heard as Charlie was trying his best not to let out such a loud laugh because it might attract other predators.
"Really, that's it? Man, that's the funniest thing I've seen all month! They tried to act all tough, now look at them!" Charlie giggled.
However, he was the only one who was laughing. Because Ripper was close to where those two fell in, he looked down into the frozen lake. The ice was strong enough to where the group could walk on it, but it was also thin enough to where he could see something moving underneath.
"T-that's not right." Kayla gulped.
Ripper quickly put it together. It's no surprise why the male smirked right as he fell into the water. He wouldn't do that unless he knew what he was doing. Because these Pyroraptors had an adaptation that was very different compared to their Cretaceous variants.
Webbed feet. With that in mind, it's obvious what he and the female were doing.
"Crap. They can swim!" Ripper alerted the others.
"Ha! Nice try, man. Your jokes are almost as funny as they are!" The moment Charlie said that, a loud crack was heard just a few feet away from him.
The female jumped into the air and broke through the ice and landed onto the frozen lake.
"Oh... Please no." Charlie nervously laughed.
She screeched as the group ran as fast as they could towards the dam. If they were in any other situation, they'd easily overpower these two. But if they spend any more time on this lake, it's probably going to break open.
Ripper found it hard to run because he was carrying Atrocius with him and he wasn't secured onto his back. The female then dipped back into the hole she came out of and continued to stalk them through the water.
"Ever thought you'd see a Raptor acting like a penguin?!" Kayla yelled.
"Only in my weirdest dreams!" Owen responded.
Daniel looked back to see where the Pyroraptors were. But he did not look as concerned as the others for some reason. It almost felt like he didn't feel a sense of urgency.
The male lunged forward and boosted out of the lake like an orca as he tried to bite onto Ripper's tail. However, he missed and crashed into the lake once more. The ice behind Ripper was beginning to crack as he increased his speed and used his hands to hold onto Atrocius while he was still on his back.
Fang couldn't even fathom what he was seeing here. His parents have always told him that if someone fell into water that was ice cold, they'd die almost immediately. Yet these Pyroraptors are racing through it as if they were sharks.
Owen and Kayla jumped onto the railing of the dam and went over it. They landed safely on the top of the dam and most of the Raptors and Daniel followed afterwards.
As Ripper was closing in on the dam, he could see the male on his left as he bursted out of the lake and started running on the ice. The female did the same as she was on his right.
The Indoraptor groaned as he threw Atrocius in between the railings to make sure he wouldn't get hit by them. He then climbed into the railings and met with the others. Ripper turned his head immediately after, but it wasn't fast enough to stop the female from jumping onto the base of his tail. The male soon followed and landed on his back.
He's had enough. His last encounter with these two was one of, if not the worst experience he's ever had. He won't let them get away again.
Ripper shook his body until the male was shaken off. He then chomped onto the male and threw him backwards onto the other side of the dam.
"Flint!" The female cried out as she stopped her attack and leaped off of Ripper and ran towards the male who's name was Flint.
Flint shook his head and growled. The female then approached him as he began to get up.
"Hey, are you hurt or-" The female was cut off.
"I'm fine Amber, it's none of your business." Flint retorted.
"Oh... Sorry." The female, Amber said in a shy tone.
Ripper made a menacing stride towards the two Pyroraptors with his mouth ready to crush both of their skulls if it's possible. The moment he got to them, he stomped his right foot in front of Flint's face and tapped his sickle claw on the dam.
The Indoraptor lowered his head and he made it clear that he had enough because he was growling intensely.
"Remember me? Remember what you did?" Ripper whispered angrily.
"Ripper, they're down, I think we should go." Blue suggested.
"And let them go? They're the ones who helped the people who kidnapped Fang! If anything, I'm doing you and our son a favor." Ripper shot back.
Flint coughed and breathed heavily as he glared at Ripper.
"So, after helping our trainer save your son this is what we get in return? I should've let him rot in that cage if I knew this was going to happen." Flint sighed.
"THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Ripper roared as he raised his right hand.
Amber got in the way. Flint didn't like this because he can easily get out of this himself. All he needs to do is roll or jump out of the way.
"Please, don't. He doesn't know what he's talking about." Amber begged.
"Doesn't know what he's talking about you say? Well, he damn well knew he was helping people take a child, now did he?!" Ripper yelled.
"D-don't. It's true, we helped our trainer save your son. Please, we know we did something bad but we now know it was wrong. We've moved past it now. Don't hurt him." Amber pleased once more.
"Why the hell should I believe anything that comes out of your damn mouths?!" Ripper snapped.
Fang wasn't sure who to side on. Sure, they helped Biosyn take him, but they were also responsible for helping Frances free him by not trying to stop her. For now, he remained neutral and wanted to stay as far away from that fight as possible.
"Por el amor de Dios! They're telling the truth, dammit!" Daniel chimed in.
Ripper turned to glare at Daniel. The man wasn't afraid of most animals. Not even Genesis scares him anymore since they haven't seen each other in a while. But there was something about the look in Ripper's eye that told him that if he were to make one mistake, that mistake would be his last.
He looked back to the Pyroraptors and looked into Amber's eyes. They were filled with fear. Perhaps she had some kind of relationship with Flint, either they're packmates or something else. Whatever the case was, Ripper reluctantly called off his attack and put his hand down.
"You're lucky I'm not in a bad mood today. If I was, I wouldn't be so forgiving." Ripper scoffed as he walked away.
"You know these guys?" Owen moved over to Daniel.
"Yeah, that's Amber and Flint. They're part of Frances' squad." Daniel replied.
"How many types of Raptors were in that squad?" Owen questioned.
"I don't know why they used more than just Velociraptors. The others you saw in Malta were Deinonychus. There's only one of them we haven't seen." Daniel explained.
"Who's that?" Owen wondered.
"He's the alpha of the pack, he keeps everyone else in check. His name is Dagger." Daniel responded.
"Why wasn't he with the others?" Owen continued.
"Hell if I know. I have no clue where they took him." Daniel finished.
Ripper walked over to Fang and Blue. As he did, both of them could hear him growling as he kept his eyes on the Pyroraptors. If nobody was there to stop him and he didn't know they helped in Fang's escape, he would've had no problem tearing them to shreds.
"You okay, Rip?" Blue wondered.
"I'm fine." Ripper continued growling.
Blue held Fang back from talking to his father. She knows how Ripper deals with these kinds of things and it's best to leave him alone for a while until he simmers down. But she can't blame him for acting like that. If it was her and she knew what they did to Fang, she would have acted the same way. It's only natural for a parent to act as such towards someone who have wronged their child in the past.
After that, the Pyroraptors walked off, with Amber helping Flint stand. But before they got out of range, Daniel ran over to them.
"Great, what do you want, Danny?" Flint rolled his eyes.
"Only my family calls me that, and I hate it when they do. It makes me sound like a kid. Anyways, do you know where Dagger is?" Daniel asked.
"How should we know? We haven't seen him in months ever since we were dumped here." Flint answered.
Daniel found this to be odd. Out of all the Dromeosaurs, Dagger is the only one who he hasn't found yet. He thought that he would've seen him during the mission in Malta but instead he saw Atrocius come out of the pen.
Why wasn't Dagger in Malta? There's no reason not to have him there since every other Deinonychus was. There might be something more sinister at play here. He's the alpha of the pack, which means he's the most valuable Dromeosaur that Biosyn has. They'd definitely want to put him somewhere nobody would be able to get to easily.
Ripper picked up Atrocius again. The group found a stairway that lead to the bottom of the dam and proceeded to use that instead of the elevator since the Raptors wouldn't fit in it.
Owen looked at Atrocius again. If all he wants is to hurt others, has he hurt any of his own packmates? Should they even be called his packmates considering what Daniel has said about him? He seems to not get along with anyone. He probably doesn't get along with the rest of the Dromeosaurs unless he's being controlled.
"I gotta ask, does he have any friends?" Owen queried.
"If you can count his cage as a friend, then yes. It's the only thing he doesn't try to damage." Daniel sighed, he wondered why Biosyn let that maniacal Raptor enter a group of other Raptors that he could possibly harm. It's almost like letting a psychopath enter the same room as a bunch of students. It's just asking for trouble.
"I'm guessing he has a lot of rivals then." Owen observed.
"Just one. He seems to really hate Dagger and Dagger seems to hate him too because Atrocius said that he couldn't have been more happy when Frances left. Ever since then, I can tell that if given the chance, Dagger would tear through Atrocius. If he can anyways. I don't know what that psycho is capable of." Daniel said.
Daniel has never seen Atrocius fight, not until Malta. And even then, that was a short lived fight and it quickly turned into a chase. Who knows what he can really do if he's in control. If his personality is anything to go by, he might be just as bad as Ripper when he gets triggered.
Owen looked out into the forest. He tried to spot where the parachute was but saw nothing. He took a breath as he kept walking down the stairway.
"Really love her, huh?" Kayla asked.
"Yeah..." Owen trailed off.
"I get it. I like redheads too." Kayla replied.
The Raptor Trainer nodded and continued to walk down. If Claire is alive, she's probably trying to find a way to contact them as well. Which should give them a hunt as to where she is.
But the problem was, the place she fell into is not a place that most people would want to be in. It was inhabited by a herbivore, but it's one who could easily be mistaken for a predator because of his attitude.
To Be Continued
Author's Notes: I've wanted to do this chapter for a while now. Especially since I really liked the Quetzalcoatlus. I'm not exactly sure why I gave her a French accent since I wrote some of these drafts two years ago, but it is different since some of the animals that have accents either have Spanish or Brazilian accents. And if you've read Ripper's Journey II, you'd already be familiar with the Pyroraptors and especially Dagger. One can only wonder where he's in right now. But that's a story for another day. And by the way, yes, I did change the retcon they did in Dominion when it came to Maisie. It's a movie I adore but that part wasn't exactly my cup of tea.
SEE YA NEXT TIME!