WARNING!!! Before continuing, you might wanna have read "Ninja Storm: Redone" by my friend Lily Hanson before you go on, or else some references and storyline may be lost on you. Thanks.
Day of the Dino, Part 1.
The bell rang at Reefside High as the first period science class of twelfth grade began, signaling the beginning of their last semester at this school. The class was rambunctious as they currently didn't have a teacher, and most were running around or throwing paper air planes at one another. One girl was filling her nails, another was busy in her own corner writing things in a notebook, one boy was staring blankly into space and another was typing away on his laptop.
Doctor Tommy Oliver walked into class, eyes widening slightly at the attitude of supposedly-mature twelfth graders. He left the door ajar and walked over to his desk, lab coat swaying away behind him as he fingered his glasses. "Guys! Settle down! Take your seats, please."
Eventually they listened, sitting down at the lab tables and paying somewhat attention to the man at the front. "I'm Doctor Oliver, and this is first period science. Before we start are there any questions?"
One girl near the front, dressed in a pink cheerleader-like outfit raised her hand high into the air.
"Cassidy, Cassidy Cornell," she smiled, standing and walking up to him. Everyone in the room sighed with annoyance, and one girl near the back with yellow arm bands even rolled her eyes. She ignored this and continued. "Doctor Oliver, as you may know I'm the anchor and reporter for our school TV station. I'm sure our viewers are wondering – well, you don't really look old enough to be a teacher."
Her smile dropped as she turned around, "Devin, are you getting this?" she barked to a brown-haired boy holding a camera who had previously been staring into space.
"Cassidy," Doctor Oliver replied. "I promise you, I'm old enough. So let's put the camera away."
"You missed it!" she hissed as they returned to their seats.
"For now let's talk about you guys, what you expect of yourselves in this class," he went on. "Because that's what's really important."
He looked around the silently and non-responsive class until his eyes fell upon an empty stool. "Is uh, someone missing?"
Before anyone could answer there came a small knock at the door, followed by the voice of Principal Randall saying something like "oh just go in!" The door opened to reveal a petite girl with light blonde hair and a green highlight, whose attire was mainly themed by the same color. Her bright blue eyes looked up at Tommy and she smiled a tad shyly.
"This is your new student Doctor Oliver," Randall barked. "Kylee Manson."
"Actually, it's Kaylee Hanson," the girl corrected, but the principal wasn't listening as she had spotted the empty seat. Looking at the clipboard in her hand she grinned evilly.
"I believe I've found my first student for detention," and without another word she was off, leaving them to an awkward silence.
"So, Kaylee, come on in," Tommy smiled, making sure he got the girl's name right after Randall's rudeness. "There's an extra stool over by the wall and you can sit over…"
His eyes scanned the room for free space, and Kaylee merely smiled. "I got it," she stated, walking over to a girl with dirty blonde hair and the yellow arm bands. "Hi, uh Kira, right?"
"Yeah, you're the girl that was here for the tour at the beginning of the year," Kira pointed out and Kaylee nodded. "Cool, have a seat."
The blonde obliged, dragging the extra stool to cram the table alongside Kira, as Doctor Oliver resumed his earlier introduction speech.
xX-Day-Of-The-Dino-Xx
On the school's soccer field, two guys were practicing and were evidently skipping class because the boy fully padded and shaking in the net was nervous. Across from him a boy in a red soccer uniform kept a red soccer ball slightly in the air with his foot.
His keep-ups lasted a few more seconds before he kicked it high into the air, flipped sideways after it and delivered a fierce and powerful kick as it came back down. As he landed on the soft grass, the ball went hurtling through the air towards the goalie, who shook in his shoes and dodged it.
"Dude, you're supposed to try and stop it," the soccer star groaned.
"You sure we're not gonna get in trouble for this?" the other boy called worriedly. "I mean…the bell rang and it's the first day of second semester."
"Look, if anyone says anything tell them Conner McKnight gave you permission to be out here," the red-clad soccer player stated, his messy brown hair falling slightly into his eyes.
"Yeah, but I heard the new principal is crazy! She worked in a prison or something before she came here to Reefside!"
"Don't worry about Randall – she's a woman," Conner began, fully unaware of whom was slowly walking up behind him even though the goalie was clearly telling him to shut up. "And women are just grown up girls. Need I say more?"
"I think you've said quite enough Mr. McKnight," Randall smirked, causing Conner's eyes to widen as he turned around.
He put on his best smile as he faced her. "Principal Randall. I have heard such great things about you," he grinned.
"There all vicious rumors I assure you," she stated. "Go."
Conner groaned and shook his head, walking off. Randall glared at the goalie. "What're you looking at?" she growled, before kicking a soccer ball with such force it hit the kid in the stomach and knocked him over. "NOW GET BACK TO CLASS!"
xX-Day-Of-The-Dino-Xx
"Hey," Kaylee greeted as she sat down at the picnic table bench beside Kira, who was busy scribbling away in her notebook. "Whatcha writing?"
"Nothing really, just some lyrics…," Kira stated, closing her notebook and looking up at Kaylee.
"You write music? Awesome! Do you sing too? You'll have to play for me sometime!" the blonde grinned, making Kira frown.
"Do you normally talk this excitedly?" Kira chuckled.
"Not always…okay maybe a lot…okay all the time! But it's my first day, and I haven't seen you since my tour of the school back at the beginning of the year."
"True," Kira nodded. But it felt weird for her. She was so used to being alone at lunch. In fact she was used to being alone all the time. So having friendly and happy Kaylee around was a major change. And it was then that she noticed the guitar case leaning against the space to Kaylee's right. "Yours?"
"Yep, one of the few things I can sit still for is playing music," Kaylee nodded. Then her face lit up. "Oh! You could borrow it if you want! You could sing what you were writing!"
"Um…I dunno…," Kira was uneasy, and it didn't help when some people sitting around them on the grass and eating lunch looked up and agreed, saying they hadn't heard her sing in awhile on school grounds. "Alright…sure."
"Yay!" Kaylee grinned, taking her acoustic guitar out of its case and sitting back down. She strummed a few chords to make sure it was in tune as the teens around them began to pay attention, patiently awaiting the music.
"At least this time in Reefside, your wrist isn't broken," Kira smiled, remembering when she'd shown the Hanson girl around school and she had been wearing a cast.
Kaylee sniffled, remembering it. "That was painful!"
Kira smiled as the other musician passed her the guitar, and she noted it was a really nice acoustic. "Okay, it's really small what I have so far, I hope you guys like it," she told Kaylee and the small group of people around them. As she began to strum away at the guitar, Kaylee smiled widely.
"I wanna know, know where you're at.
I'm at the front, but you're still at the back.
Oh, can you tell me where, tell me where you're at?
Freak you out. Freak you out.
Freak you out. Freak you o-out.
Freak you out. Freak you out.
Freak you out. Freak you o-out."
The group clapped and Kaylee grinned as Kira finished what little of the song she had written. "That was sweet!" the blonde exclaimed.
Their applause was ruined moments later when Randall stalked up to them, clipboard in hand and soccer star Conner McKnight reluctantly following. "Miss Ford. I'm afraid you need written permission to perform on school grounds. Let's go!"
"Are you aware that kids who play in instrument have a fifty percent higher chance of getting into college?" Kira inquired and Randall lowered her glasses to grin at her.
"Well, you're hardly college material now are you, Miss Ford?" she smirked, tapping her clipboard. "Now come with me."
Kira groaned and slid off the table, bringing the guitar with her. "Wait!" Kaylee cried. "Can I have my guitar back, Kira?"
"Oh right, sorry," Kira chuckled, passing the other girl what was hers. Randall smiled.
"Yourguitar? Well then, do come along as well Miss Manson," the principal grinned.
"It'sHanson!" Kaylee exclaimed, picking up her guitar and getting up to followed. "Geez, why is it that you can't get my name right, but you get their's just fine?"
"Do you want more detention for talking back to an authority figure?" Randall snapped as they walked off and Kaylee shook her head vigorously. As the three teens grumbled and followed the principal across the grounds towards the school, the sprinklers burst into life, spraying them with vast amounts of water from all sides.
"My guitar!" Kaylee squeaked, covering her instrument with her arms as best she could as if the water was acid that was going to melt it.
"This is just great…," Kira muttered as they followed Randall out of the sprinkler radius.
The principal turned and spotted a blue-clad teen of African-American descent walking towards the school with umbrella in hand and smiling widely. "Ethan James," she growled. "I should've known." She stalked off after him, yelling for the other three to follow her which they did – reluctantly.
xX-Day-Of-The-Dino-Xx
"Sit!" the principal barked as they arrived near the office. The four teens – three of which were drenched – sat down on the bench outside her office.
"Principal Randall, I'd just like to mention the fact that there's no hard evidence liking me to that unfortunate sprinkler incident," he stated, smiling innocently.
"Save it for Judge Judy, Mr. James," Randall snapped. "The four of you have detention! For one week. Starting today. Now if there are no further questions--"
The four teens burst into a frenzied protest, Conner's about soccer, Kira's about band practice, Kaylee's about visiting her sister Tori and Ethan's about computer club. "I didn't think so!" Randall yelled, cutting them off before storming into her office and slamming the door shut.
"Okay…," Kira sighed, her voice thick with anger. "Somebody seriously needs a hug."
Kaylee grinned and launched herself at the musician, squeezing her with a hug. Kira looked down at her through the veil of the wet bangs. "I was being sarcastic."
"Oh," Kaylee smiled sheepishly, sitting upright.
"But thanks," Kira nodded.
"Dude," Conner leaned forward, looking past the girls to stare at Ethan. "Computer Club?"
xX-Day-Of-The-Dino-Xx
"…bring the little monsters with you!" Randall smiled as she came around the corner of the hall with Doctor Oliver at her side. "That should be sufficient torture for them."
Conner, Ethan, Kira and Kaylee leaned against the wall outside science class, not looking amused at all. "You've all met I trust?" Randall grinned. "Well, enjoy your little outing."
And with that she was off, leaving an awkward silence in her wake as the four teens glared after her. "So…," Tommy began, taking off his glasses and watching the teens. "You guys like museums?"
xX-Day-Of-The-Dino-Xx
"Whoa!" Ethan grinned like a little kid as Tommy's jeep pulled up to the museum and he spotted the huge T-Rex Statue out front. "Check out the T-Rex!"
"It looks funny," Kaylee commented as they clambered out of the vehicle. As they headed towards the sidewalk, she skittered across the grass towards it. "Wonder what it's made out of?" she reached her hand out to poke it but Kira pulled her away.
"C'mon Kaylee, I don't think you're supposed to be poking the gigantic threatening statue," the dirty blonde told her, bringing her back to the guys. They were standing in front of a chain, from which hung a sign - Sorry, we're closed.
"That's weird," Tommy commented, looking up at the museum.
"Oh well, no museum for us," Conner sighed, faking disappointment.
"Great, let's go home," Kira suggested.
"I'll tell you what; why don't you guys have a look around the grounds?" Tommy inquired. "If any of you guys find anything prehistoric, I'll cancel detention for the rest of the week."
"I'm in!" Kaylee replied quickly.
"I'm gonna see if I can find someone who can tell us when they're opening up," Tommy stated.
The teens nodded and walked off, down the side road.
"So lemme get this straight," Conner began, looking at Ethan. "They have a club just for computers?"
"Would you let it go already?" Kira sighed. "They have a club for soccer but you don't see us amazed by it."
"They have a soccer club? I should go check it out sometime," Kaylee grinned. "How good's the team?"
"We're awesome," Conner smiled. "And I'm pretty sure the cheerleaders need a new vibrant soul."
Kaylee stopped in her tracks, doubling over with laughter. The others slowed down and as the guys frowned, Kira smiled slightly.
"You think…you think I meant…being a cheerleader?" Kaylee giggled, managing to speak between laughs.
"Well if not that then what did you mean?" Conner inquired.
"She meant playing soccer," Kira stated dryly.
"Ohhhh," Conner nodded, realizing it now. He smirked and leaned closer to Kaylee. "So, you play soccer?"
"Yep, since I was four," she grinned, turning to walk backwards as she faced the other three. "Oh, and I also have what is called a boyfriend since…five or six months ago!"
As Kira and Ethan shared a grin, Conner's shoulders drooped and he nodded sternly, walking on ahead and muttering to himself about his own stupidity. Kaylee giggled again and fell into step with everyone else.
xX-Day-Of-The-Dino-Xx
"Hey, you guys ever heard the story about the guy that was hiking up here that fell into a giant sinkhole?" Ethan inquired as they trudged through the woods.
"Sinkholes?" Kaylee's eyes widened slightly.
"Must've missed that one," Kira replied, rolling her eyes.
"C'mon!" Ethan exclaimed, walking backwards to look at the three. "It was on all the urban legend websites!"
"Sinkholes?!" Kaylee squeaked a little louder, looking around them suspiciously.
"Dude, you know this isn't computer club, right?" Conner chuckled.
"Oh, I guess you're too big and bad to surf the web!" Ethan mocked, and Kaylee watched them walk slightly ahead as she clung to Kira's arm.
"Sinkholes?!?!" she whispered worriedly.
"Well what do you do in your spare time?" Ethan inquired.
"Me?" Conner smirked, looking over Ethan's head towards the girls as his gaze locked with Kira's. "I got out with girls. Y'know, they're the ones at school that smell really good with the long hair and the make-up."
"Oh, it's like that is it?" Ethan stated, stopping in his tracks and nudging Conner's arm.
"Yeah," Conner scoffed, staring down the shorter teen. "It's like that."
"Whatever," Kira rolled her eyes, brushing past them as Kaylee followed, still looking left and right for these 'sinkholes'. Conner chuckled and followed.
"All I'm trying to do is give you guys the heads-up," Ethan told them. "Stuff happens out here. Just don't come crying to me when you fall in a giant sinkhole."
No sooner had the word left his mouth did Ethan go plummeting through the ground as it gave way. Kira, Kaylee and Conner followed from where they stood.
"SINKHOLE!" Kaylee yelled as she fell downwards.
xX-Day-Of-The-Dino-Xx
The four teens got to their feet, brushing off whatever dirt and dust they could. Kaylee's eyes were wide as she looked around the small and dark tunnel, seeing the only available source of light was the hole they had come through.
"You okay?" Ethan inquired, seeing the look on her face.
"I'm…kinda not so good with the close…small…spaces," she whimpered.
"Ah, Claustrophobia?" the short blue-wearing teen nodded and she smiled weakly.
"Nerd-speak," Conner stated, shaking his head. "Alright. You guys stay here where it's safe; I'll climb up and come back with help."
He passed behind Kira, sliding her out of the way by placing a hand on her back. Kaylee frowned and leaned closer to Kira as Conner walked up to the tunnel wall.
"What was that all about?" she inquired and Kira shrugged. "And…why are we letting him be all leader-ish?"
"Wait for it," Kira smiled, watching as Reefside's star soccer player got about two feet off the ground in climbing before a rock broke away where a hand was and he came crashing down.
"Back already?" Ethan chuckled, before helping Conner up.
As they walked on, it was evident these tunnels were scaring Kaylee a bit much so Kira decided to make her concentrate on something else. The best she could come up happened to be singing what little she had written of a song, in hopes it could work.
"Freak you…Freak you…Freak you out…Freak you o-out…," she sang softly, and Kaylee nodded her thanks, humming along as best she could and pretending they weren't however many feet underground, with small lights coming through sinkholes, and a series of never-ending enclosed and not-at-all spacious tunnels.
"Babe, could you keep it down?" Conner smirked, walking past her and patting her shoulder as he did. "I'm trying to stay focused."
"Did you just call me babe?" Kira inquired, switching from her singing voice to a heated one in a flash. Conner walked off a few feet, exploring the tunnel a little more. Kira turned to look at Kaylee and Ethan incredulously. "Did he just call me babe?"
"I dunno; I wasn't listening," Ethan shrugged. "I was grooving to your tune."
Kaylee chuckled and nodded at Kira, who groaned and stalked off towards the tallest teen. She stopped in front of him and he peered down at her. "You called me babe, didn't you?"
"Might've," he smirked, shrugging. "Why, is there a problem?"
"Listen, my name is Kira. K-I-R-A," she explained. "Maybe you should write it on your hand or something. Alright?"
Kaylee and Ethan followed her as she went off down another tunnel, shrugging at Conner as they passed him. It took them another ten to fifteen minutes before they got to the end of the tunnel to find a skeleton of a T-Rex.
"Can I poke this one?" Kaylee smiled weakly, ignoring the closed in space around them.
"No," Kira shook her head.
"Why not!"
"Because, it screams Jurassic Park to me."
"This'll get us out of detention forever!" Conner grinned, stepping up to the head of the Dinosaur and reaching out towards the jaw.
"Why's he allowed touching it and I'm not!" Kaylee whined.
"Do you think you should be—" Kira didn't finish her sentence as the T-Rex jaw snapped down and a click echoed in the tunnel.
"Whoa…," Conner breathed as the wall beside the skeleton began sliding upwards like a garage door. Behind the door was something that looked like a lab, with stone walls, tables covered in machines and gizmos and a three-toed Dinosaur print as lights along the walls.
Ethan, Conner and Kira walked in and before Kaylee followed, she poked the T-Rex skeleton.
"I could do a crazy video in here," Kira smiled as the four teens walked in and looked around.
"It's better than the creepy tight tunnels," Kaylee smiled, sighing in relief.
"Whoa," Conner said again, patting Ethan on the shoulder. "This must be like the mother ship for you, dude."
"Normally, I'd be insulted. But when you're right; you're right," Ethan grinned.
In the center of the room there was a large meteor-like thing sitting on a table with mist pouring out of it. In the center there were four small rocks, almost like gems. Red, Blue, Yellow and Green – an uncanny and ironic color scheme.
As Conner reached for the red one, Ethan shook his head. "Yo, don't touch that."
"Why not?" Conner frowned as the two girls came up on either side of him, in front of gems that reflected their color-theme outfits. Ethan was across from him in front of the blue one.
"You're really taking this 'dumb jock' thing to a whole new level," Ethan commented.
"There they go again," Kaylee sighed.
"Look, I have sat through enough lame science classes in my life to know that thing looks fully prehistoric," Conner pointed out. "And if I don't have to miss practice…"
"I hate to agree with him – really, I do," Kira put in. "But I already missed one rehearsal."
"And this was my first day…and I got detention!" Kaylee nodded. "If I tell my sis she'll kill me!"
They all nodded and together, they picked up the gems in front of them, which began to glow brightly seconds after and emit slight noises.
"Well…what are they?" Kira frowned, turning the glowing yellow gem from hand to hand.
"They look like glow sticks but, y'know, round," Kaylee pointed out as the green gem in her hands pulsed slightly.
"I can go online later and see if I can find out," Ethan offered.
"You, in front of a computer?" Conner chuckled. "Wait, let me put on my surprised face."
"Aww, lay off," Kaylee sighed.
"No, that's fine," Ethan stated, standing his ground. "Because in ten years from now when his hair line's receding and he's playing pick-up soccer in the park because his dreams of turning pro never quite worked out – I'll have my own multi-billion dollar software business."
He smiled at Kaylee, who returned the gesture while Kira and Conner exchanged frowns, shrugging. And after shaking her head, Kira turned toe and headed towards the door.
"Where you going?" Conner called, making her turn around.
"I don't wanna think about what kind of freak lives in a place like this," she told him. "And I sure don't wanna be here when he gets home."
"Wait for me!" Kaylee cried, running after her and pausing at the door leaving the lab to shudder at the thought of returning into the claustrophobic tunnels before she followed.
"Right behind you," the guys stated, following as well.
xX-Day-Of-The-Dino-Xx
"This way!" Ethan called about fifteen minutes later as they were finally reaching the end of the tunnels. Light was a lot more prominent here and as the four teens ran swiftly; they reached a large opening out into the woods again.
Conner, Kira and Ethan stopped once they were at the top of the small path leading from the tunnel, but Kaylee continued until she was out in the open and fell to her knees. "Light! Ground! And above all other things; OPEN AIR!"
"She really didn't like those tunnels, did she?" Conner inquired and Kira shook her head.
"If small enclosed spaces scared the pants off of you, would you?" she stated and he shrugged.
"Guess not."
"Compass," Ethan realized as they caught up to Kaylee, who was now getting to her feet. "Does anyone have a compass?"
"Gee, and I was gonna bring one," Conner said sarcastically.
Suddenly, a large gust of wind blew by. "What was that?" Ethan asked worriedly.
"That was what we people like to call the wind," Kaylee smiled, back to full spirits now that they were in the open again. "It comes in varying speeds and sounds, and sometimes brings surprises with it known as 'things that will hit you and make you go ow'."
"That ain't the wind," Ethan shook his head as louder sounds echoed around. "As much as we'd like it to be; it ain't."
There was a large flash of purple to their right, left and front as a group of six or seven freaky lizard-like creatures dropped from each.
"Don't…move…," Conner whispered.
"Great idea, make it easy for them!" Kira hissed.
"New plan…," Kaylee whispered.
"RUN!" both girls cried together, taking off with the guys in tow.
"Considering the fact that we're running for our lives, I won't elaborate on how weird finishing each others sentences is!" Ethan yelled.
They reached a huge ditch in the road and had to jump. Conner made it across with ease, while Ethan hit the edge and struggled but made it over. Unfortunately for the girls, being short was not a blessing for this stunt as they weren't able to make it over and fell.
Their yells of surprise made the guys turn and run back, peering over the edge. The lizards were approaching fast as the girls got to their feet and reached up.
"C'mon!" Conner yelled, pulling Kira up as Ethan helped Kaylee. As the monsters began coming over or through the ditch, they ran off again as fast as they could.
Kira hadn't noticed a tree root sticking out and tripped, falling to the ground. As she turned, the monsters were closing in and she screamed. What happened next she could not have ever fathomed as waves of yellow sonic energy amplified her scream, knocking the lizards off their feet and into the dirt.
A few feet away the other three stopped running, clamping their hands to their ears to brace against the painfully loud sound infiltrating. When the sound died, they looked at one another before running back to Kira.
"Help her up," Conner stated and Ethan complied, taking one arm while the soccer player took the other. When she was on her feet Ethan backed off but Conner kept a firm hand on the small of her back, steadying her for no reason.
Kaylee noticed this and rolled her eyes, turning her gaze instead to the root clearly sticking out of the ground. "Wow, you suck. How could you miss that one?"
"Shut it," Kira stated.
"What was that?" Ethan inquired, referring to the scream.
"I have no idea," the dirty blonde shrugged, and suddenly the yellow gem in her pocket began to glow fiercely. She pulled it out and felt a rush of warmth and tingling flow through her as the image of a large yellow dinosauric bird flitted across her mind, its scream echoing through her head and reflecting the one she had just uttered moments before.
As the gem stopped glowing and made a funny sound, the lizards were alerted again and on their feet. The rushed forward and the teens took off running again.
Kaylee, who was now starting to hate this forest dearly, began wishing to be anywhere else – to be away from these monsters. Her wish was realized as the gem in her pocket began to glow and all four teens were encased in the same green light before suddenly disappearing.
Seconds later they reappeared near the forest edge and she took the green gem from her pocket, poking it with her free hand. "What the heck is this thing?" she questioned as warmth filled her body and slight pinpricks annoyed her fingers. The image of a green-scaled dinosaur with a large frill of spines clouded her vision before disappearing.
As the monsters teleported in, the four teens took off in different directions. Kira was the first to stop in her tracks and turn, staring down the monsters. As one jumped at her she dodged, swinging her fist up to catch another one in the face. It was sent sprawling, as she spun around another creature, kicking out behind her and causing it to hit the ground as she went on.
She blocked the attack of one lizard, before ducking under the swipe of another. Smirking, she grabbed an arm of each, and spun them together, causing them to crash into one another and get knocked out. Roundhouse kicking the nearest monster she looked up, amazed by her sudden adept ability to fight.
A little ways away was Kaylee, dueling monsters left, right and center, but instead of being amazed, it looked like she was right at home. She flipped backwards, landing on the shoulders of a creature and twisting it the hit other creatures with its huge arm. Eventually she got bored of this and maneuvered it the crash into another monster, jumping down and going right back into the fight with two more.
As she ducked under the swipe of one and kicked it to the ground, it wrapped its arms around her legs as she tried to fight the other. She tripped and fell over, but rolled out of the way of the monster's kicking foot; swiping her leg out and making it eat dirt.
Ethan was less successful than the girls, having been grabbed from behind by two lizard creatures. He jumped, kicking his feet out only to have them land in the hands of two more monsters. They growled and threw him a few feet away, onto the ground.
Groaning, he pushed himself to his knees and his eyes widened as a monster rushed forward. Bringing his arms up to brace against the attack, a sudden warm feeling shot through him as the monster's sharp arm connected with his and did nothing.
He frowned, looking up and seeing that his arms were covered in shinning blue scales. Grinning like a kid in a candy story, he pushed it back onto its knees, getting to his feet and slipping into a series of fight moves against oncoming monsters that shocked him.
"Something's happening to me…," he breathed, looking at his glowing scaly arms. He opened his right hand and found the blue gem there in his palm, burning brightly. As it turned off the remnants of an image of a large blue Triceratops flashed across his mind.
Conner was last to have his gem trigger, as he was attempting to hold his own with what street fighting and brawling he'd learned growing up and fighting with his brother. Amazingly, he wasn't half bad. This was of course until he was grabbed and thrown a few feet through the air, into a tree. He cursed as his back smashed against the wood and he fell to the ground.
Looking up and groaning, the gem in his hands began to glow bright red, and a red T-Rex roared across his mind, adding strength and a feeling of power to him. He looked up in time to see a monster charging towards him, and flipped to his feet, spinning into a kick that hit it in the face and floored it. He looked around, frowning as everything was moving slowly.
"Wow…everything's so slow!" he cried. He looked left and right and watched as two sets of monsters flew slowly through to air towards him. Grinning, he raced towards one group at fast speeds and kicked them away, before racing across to the other and punching them away.
He grinned, fighting back a few monsters before finally getting out of there and back to a path, where he met up with the other three. They all had their gems in hand, and were panting.
"Yo…how much do I love detention?!" Ethan laughed.
"Hey!" Tommy had finally found them and as he ran towards them, they stuffed the gems into pockets and sleeves and out of sight, looking as inconspicuous as possible. "You guys alright?"
"Well I—" Kira started, but Ethan interrupted, nodding.
"Yeah, couldn't be better," he grinned.
"Nothing out of the ordinary happened?" Tommy inquired.
"Define, 'ordinary' and I'll see what I can do," Kaylee stated, making Conner shush her.
"Naw, just your, uh, routine hike in the woods," Ethan told him. "Lots of furry little creatures."
"And a few scaly ones," Kira commented, and Conner applied slight pressure to her foot by standing on it, shutting her up as Tommy frowned at her.
"So, you get into the Dino exhibit?" Conner inquired, drawing Doctor Oliver's focus to him.
"Uh, still working the kinks out," he stated. "We better get you guys back. C'mon."
"Don't you guys think we should tell him?" Kira inquired as they dropped back a bit from their science teacher in order to talk.
"I dunno about you, but I've got over a thousand sci-fi DVD's and you wanna know how many times the dude with the super powers ends up in from freaky government lab on a table with wires in his head?" Ethan whispered.
"EvenI know that," Conner stated as they stopped to talk in a little circle.
"Wires?" Kaylee squeaked, and Kira gave her a pointed look.
"Don't start another complex like the sinkhole one," she stated.
"Right. Sorry," Kaylee grinned sheepishly.
Tommy stopped walking and turned to look at them. "You guys coming?"
Giving each other one last agreeing glance, they followed.
xX-Day-Of-The-Dino-Xx
"Okay, so we all agree, no one talks about this?" Conner inquired as the four teens walked towards the school, backpacks on and a soccer ball being thrown from one of his hands to the other. They exchanged glances.
"Not even my sister?" Kaylee inquired.
"Not anyone. No matter what," Conner specified.
"Aww," Kaylee pouted.
"I can do better than that," Kira stated, turning to face them and outstretching her hand to drop something in Conner's palm. "I'm out."
They looked down and spotted the yellow gem in his hands. "Just forget I was here and I'll do the same," she stated.
"Hey, how come he gets it?!" Kaylee frowned. "You know me better! …Right?"
"Well here," Kira took the gem from Conner and gave it to Kaylee.
As they debated this for a moment, Cassidy Cornell and sidekick and cameraman Devin Del Valle came out of the school, walking towards the parking lot.
"I'm telling you, there's something weird about Doctor Oliver," Cassidy stated. "I mean seriously, I called Angel Grove High and they wouldn't tell me anything. It's like his private record's just one big secret."
"Yeah…I kinda think that's why they call it a private record," Devin said, scratching his head. "I mean if they were public--!"
Cassidy interrupted him as she pulled him in behind a small station wagon, peering over the hood in the direction of the four talking teenagers. "What?" Devin inquired.
"Don't you think that's a little odd?"
"A bunch of kids standing around talking…yeah, freaky man."
"No!" Cassidy snapped, wanting to hit Devin over the head. "Think about it; why would Conner McKnight, king of all jocks, be hanging out with Ethan James?"
Devin shrugged, looking totally lost.
"King of all geeks!" Cassidy added, and it clicked in Devin's brain.
"Yeah! Right!"
"Not to mention the Avril Wannabe and the new kid," Cassidy sneered. "I mean seriously, in the nearly four years we've been at Reefside have you ever seen them look at each other? Cuz I haven't."
"You know what?" Kira groaned, knowing that it was impossible to talk to them at this point. "I give up! Take it, do whatever, just don't involve me!"
And with that she turned away, throwing an apologetic look Kaylee's way before storming off down the road. She got no further than fifteen feet before an eerie wind blew by – the same from earlier, at the tunnel exit.
"Oh you gotta be kidding me," she muttered, turning around to see the three others watching. She turned back to the road and the lizard monsters from before were suddenly there and grabbed her from all sides, making her drop her backpack. "Get away freaks!"
"Kira!" Conner yelled, and he and the others rushed towards her, only to have her be teleported away before they could reach her.
"Hurry, the camera!" Cassidy yelled. "What do you see?"
"Wicked, you gotta check this out!" Devin smiled, opening the LCD screen for her. It showed nothing but beautiful skies and healthy trees - perfect for a weather report but not a story.
"There's nothing there," she snapped.
"She's gone…," Ethan stated.
"Um…um…um…," Kaylee stammered, unable to figure out what to do.
xX-Day-Of-The-Dino-Xx
Ten minutes later and Conner's red 1967 Mustang came roaring around the street corner, throwing Kaylee from one side of the backseat to the other even with her seatbelt on. Tires screeched as he did and Ethan was glad to be in the front bucket seat.
"I think I'm gonna be sick…," Kaylee grumbled and Conner glared at her through the rear-view mirror.
"No, you're not. Get anything remotely smelly or vomit-like on those seats and you're dead."
"Well if you could drive slower that might not be an issue!" Kaylee snapped.
"Right so…where are we going?" Conner inquired.
"You're driving like a maniac and you don't even know where we're going?" Kaylee cried. "Wow, you're are stupid!"
"Guys! Focus!" Ethan pleaded with a worried tone. "Look, what about Doctor Oliver's?"
"What's he gonna do?" Conner frowned.
"He's a dinosaur guy! These things are dinosaurs…," Ethan trailed off as he brought his PDA out of his pocket and began working at it.
"Sort of," Kaylee point out.
"Alright, so where's he live?" Conner inquired.
"Uhhh…1992 Valencia Road," Ethan told him.
"Valencia Road that's…," Conner frowned, thinking about it. "That's like way out in the middle of the woods."
"Woods, as in the ones with the sinkholes?" Kaylee inquired and the boys chuckled. "What! Those tunnels were small and dark and creepy! Excuse me for having a fear!"
xX-Day-Of-The-Dino-Xx
A little while later they pulled up a dirt path that resembled a driveway, all the way to the quaint little house at the end. Stopping the car and turning it off the three got out and raced to the door (but not before Kaylee found a nice bush to puke behind).
Conner peered through the window while Ethan knocked, and Kaylee joined them a moment later. "Knock again," Conner stated when there was no answer.
"Now what?" Kaylee inquired, seeing that no one was answering.
Conner shook his head and walked over, pushing the door - which was apparently unlocked - open. Ethan and Conner exchanged glances while Kaylee poked her head inside, frowning.
"What are you doing?" Ethan inquired, and Kaylee ducked back behind them, shrugging.
"It's a creaking door. Just checking there aren't things going to jump us when we walk in," she told them.
"How many horror flicks have you watched lately?" Ethan chuckled, before looking up at a suddenly-so-serious Conner.
"Why would he leave it unlocked?" the tall teen shrugged.
"He's got no neighbors," Ethan pointed out.
"He's lonely?" Kaylee suggested.
"What, you've never heard of the three bears?" Conner chuckled, moving inside.
"Is that the last book you read?" Ethan taunted, following.
"Guys!" Kaylee exclaimed, making them stop and look at her. "Isn't this considered a B&B?"
"What?" Conner frowned.
"No wait…that's a Bed & Breakfast. I think I meant to say B&E," Kaylee giggled. "Yeah! B&E!"
"I still don't get it," Conner stated.
"Let me translate," Ethan chuckled. "Breaking and Entering."
"Did we break anything?" the soccer jock pointed out. "No. So it's only and E. Now let's go."
Reluctantly, Kaylee followed and she found the boys in what appeared to be the study. On the main table was a small replica of a T-Rex Skeleton, almost like the one from the tunnels.
"Doctor Oliver!" Ethan called.
"Now you call for him?" Kaylee rolled her eyes.
"Hey, check it out!" Conner grinned, stepping up to the T-Rex model. He went to touch the jaw and bring it down like the one from the tunnels but Ethan stopped him.
"Remember what happened last time you did that?" Ethan inquired.
"Dude, the guy's a teacher, not—" Conner's words were delayed as he pulled the T-Rex jaw and a tile slid away from the floor and up, revealing a staircase into a basement with dim lightning.
"Batman?" Conner finished, eyes wide.
"Bat-cave!" Kaylee giggled, running off down the stairs. The other two exchanged glances before following. The sight they found at the bottom had never crossed any of their minds.
Stone walls, tiled flooring, three-toed Dinosaur prints as lights, tables covered in machines and computers. They walked slowly, staring around in awe.
"Dude, this looks like the place from earlier!" Ethan realized.
"Um, I think it is the place from earlier, genius," Kaylee laughed.
"Are you guys freaking out right now?" Conner inquired.
"Yeah…I'd have to say I am," Ethan nodded.
"Seriouslynot normal," Kaylee stated. Guess some things never change.
"If you're looking for extra credit, you're in the wrong place," a voice told them, and the three teens turned to find Doctor Oliver standing there, looking none-too-pleased.