Hello~

This my entry for Soul Eater Resonance Bang 2015!

Jurassic Soul

When Jurassic World's scientists cook up a hybrid dinosaur with a mind of its own, Soul Evans is forced to work alongside his ex-girlfriend and well-known paleontologist, Maka Albarn. Together they set out on a mission to find his missing nephews, all the while facing sexual tension, anger, confusion, love, grief, and obstacles of the Jurassic variety. Lord pray for them both.

Pairing: SoMa

Rating: PG13

Warnings: Language, minor character death, violence, gore, blood, and emotional trauma that deals with grief

Huge shout out to my artists feather97 and RegentShaw (hashpaw on tumblr). They are unbelievably talented, creating beautiful artwork for this story that has literally brought tears to my eyes. No words can describe how grateful I am for having them as partners. They are so great! I also 100% recommend you check out their work! It'll blow your mind!

Another shout out to all of my lovely betas that helped me along. You know who you are and you are AMAZING! Nuff said.

Now, without further ado, my (problem child) resbang~

Crack. Crack. Crack.

"Ah, it's time then."

Professor Stein watched a single black claw slip through a crack in the eggshell, followed by a small chirp. The claw rushed to peel more of the shell away, revealing a small, yellow eye. It opened its outer lid and stared boldly through the reinforced glass. Stein held his breath once its head breached the egg, its stare still unwavering.

The little creature was white with a strange eye-like marking on the crown of its head. Unique protrusions that Stein was torn between classifying as spines or horns covered the back of its head and down its neck. Its jaw looked big and strong, though its teeth were crooked. It had well-developed forelimbs as opposed to the Tyrannosaur, and they even came well equipped with talons and opposable thumbs. No matter how many times he had imagined it, this was so much better; the creature was simply terrifying.

He sighed in relief, nearly forgetting that he was holding his breath, once the creature's attention went back to working its way out of the egg. It had set its sights on something it wanted to eat: him. That stare was meant for prey and it rattled Stein a little more than he would like to admit. Luckily, the little bugger was harmless at this age, and Stein was well-protected on the other side of the glass.

"He's beautiful."

Stein turned and met the sharp eyes of his employer, Medusa Gorgon. She rarely got too involved with her assets, so her presence surprised him. Now that he thought about it, however, she had been working rather closely with the ASURA project she had assigned him months ago. The idea of a genetically modified dinosaur had apparently piqued her interest, and he was more than happy to lead the project in the name of science. He really couldn't help himself, actually. No matter how bad the idea may have seemed.

Stein regarded her with a shrug. "He wasn't designed to be beautiful."

"Yes, I know. Just how deadly is he?"

"Well, his base genome is Tyrannosaurus, though he was designed to be bigger. I added some other species into the mix too, which I can't say while we're on camera." He paused and pointed to the surveillance camera above them. "That's classified information, as you know. All in all, I'd say he's about as deadly as they come. Absolutely terrifying."

Medusa grinned. "Excellent. He should make a fine addition to the park."

"I suggest we take extreme precautions while handling him. It's possible that he may be fairly intelligent."

Medusa scoffed and shook her head. "He's just an animal. I think we can handle him."

Stein nodded and peered through the glass once more, raising a brow. "Huh, not even a few minutes old and he's already hatched. And now it looks like he's taking an interest to his sister."

"The replacement? We have no need for her now. He's what I want."

Stein watched little Asura一the project's name should suit the little beast, he decided一toddle over to his sister's egg. She was struggling to break the shell, clearly weaker than her brother, and chirped at him as if to say help me. Asura merely tilted his head. A second later, that little chirp escalated into a blood curdling scream.

Stein cringed. Little Asura had decided to help his sister by breaking through the shell and latching onto her throat to drag her out. Her cries of agony were hard to listen to, even for a man with Stein's composure. He watched the nest slowly turn into a bloodbath as Asura settled on eating his sister alive once she was out of the egg. The creature's cruelty truly knew no bounds.

Eventually the crying stopped and an eerie silence washed over the room.

"He's absolutely perfect," Medusa said suddenly. "What do we call him?"

"He's an Indominus Rex. I like to refer to him as Asura, though."

Medusa's smile was almost cruel. "Asura. I like it."

They just stood there, watching Asura feast on his sister's carcass. The little beast was gorging himself. Stein could see the sibling's ribs start to poke through the flesh already; Asura was monstrous. He started to ravage the bone as well, chewing on it like a dog with a rawhide.

Suddenly there was no doubt in Stein's mind.

This had been a really, really bad idea.

"Gabriel, it's time to go! Your flight leaves in two hours!"

Gabriel Evans lined up his dinosaur figurines one by one, entertaining the idea of them springing to life right before his very eyes. It was a dream, he realized, that was about to come true.

His mother, Elicia Evans, strolled into his room and crossed her arms. "Are you ready?"

Gabriel shook his head and said, "Just a second."

He reached into his dresser and pulled out a pendant dear to his heart. At first glance, it looked like nothing special. Just a chain with a sharp claw dangling from it. It looked like a cheap souvenir, but it was so much more than that.

When his mother saw it, a delicate smile graced her face. "Your father's lucky necklace, huh?"

Gabriel nodded sheepishly. "I want him to see the dinosaurs too. I think he's tired of bones."

"Yeah, I think so too. The live ones would have blown his mind. And don't forget he'd want to keep an eye on Uncle Soul too. Make sure he doesn't get into trouble."

Gabriel smiled, if only a little. His mom talking about his dad in past tense tended to put a damper on his mood. "Uncle Soul always finds trouble."

Elicia sighed. "Don't I know it. Now, it's time to get a move on. You have everything now?"

"Yep."

"Then what are you waiting for? Get your little butt in the car."

Gabriel grinned and ran out to the car, only stopping to give his brother, Jesse, a wary look. Jesse was sixteen, six years older than him, and was trapped in his obsessive girlfriend's embrace. Gabriel stuck his tongue out in disgust and threw his suitcase in the trunk.

"I'm going to miss you," Jesse's girlfriend cooed, while Jesse had the most disinterested look on his face.

"Yeah, I'll miss you too," he said with mock enthusiasm.

"Remember to send me lots of pictures! And text me when you get a chance."

She ran her hands through his blonde hair and Jesse flinched back instinctively. It didn't matter if he was clearly uncomfortable, Jesse thought, because she was too busy ogling him to notice. Typical.

Elicia got in the car, followed by Gabriel, and honked the horn. "Wrap it up, Jess. We have to go."

Jesse gripped his girlfriend by the shoulders and said, "I gotta go so, uh, see ya." Jesse then jogged to the car without so much as a kiss goodbye and decided he liked it better that way.

"O-Okay," she called after him. "Call me when you land!"

"Sure!" He was so going to play the bad reception card.

"Alright, boys," Elicia said with a smile. "Your dinosaur adventure awaits!"

Gabriel squealed with glee while Jesse rolled his eyes and took sanctuary in his iPod and headphones.

They arrived at the airport an hour later; Gabriel was jumping up and down with delight while Jesse was still clinging to his iPod, looking bored.

I can't believe this is actually happening, Gabriel thought.

I can't wait for this to all be over, Jesse thought in contrast.

Elicia was beaming at them with tears in her eyes. They would be gone for an entire week, leaving her alone at the house. Quite a few mothers would be ecstatic at the idea of having a week to themselves, but not Elicia. She'd be lonely without her boys. Without Wes…

"Mom, why are you crying?"

"God, Mom, you're making a scene."

Elicia smiled and wiped away the tears. "It's nothing, sorry. Do you have your tickets?"

Gabriel held them up. "Uhuh, can we go now?"

"Yeah, in a minute. Hand those to your brother. Jess. Jesse! Enough with those headphones already!" She tugged them away from his ear and ignored his scowl. "Take the tickets, please."

"Yeah, yeah." He swiped them from Gabriel's hand. "I got them. Shouldn't we be going now?"

As if on cue, their flight number rang out over the loudspeaker. Only an hour before their plane took off; they were cutting it close.

"Well, there's your answer." Elicia said as she fiddled with Gabriel's collar. "Alright boys, this is it. You're both going to have so much fun. Oh, and remember, if something chases you...run."

Gabriel's eyes grew wide and Jesse scoffed. "Real funny, Mom."

"Thanks, I try. Now go, both of you. I don't want you to miss your flight."

They both nodded and turned to walk away, but before leaving their mother's sight, she yelled, "Bye! I love you!"

Jesse pinked a little, embarrassed, while Gabriel called back with a grin. "We love you too!"

Elicia smiled brightly as she watched her boys disappear into the crowd by security. Jesse grabbed Gabriel's sleeve and dragged him out of sight after their little love exchange, which she found comical. Teenagers, she thought. They're all so fickle. She turned to leave, letting one tear slip.

Oh Wes, please watch over them, she pleaded. It was going to be a long, lonely week.

"Gabe, slow down."

"Come on, Jess! We're almost there!"

"Do you even hear what I'm saying?"

"Nope. Come on!"

Jesse sighed in defeat and picked up the pace. "You're killing me, y'know that?"

The ferry they hitched a ride on after their little American Airlines adventure had taken them from Costa Rica to their final destination: Isla Nublar. The home of Jurassic World. They were climbing the stairs leading away from the loading docks, marching along with a crowd of people from all over the world. They definitely weren't in New York anymore.

"Hurry!"

Gabriel had rushed ahead without a second thought, leaving his bewildered brother in his wake. Jesse did not sign up to be a babysitter, but that's exactly what he was right now. He didn't even want to come here in the first place, but his mother insisted that he get out of the house and have some fun for a change. Jesse thought his video games and computer hacking programs were a good enough source of entertainment, not some over-exaggerated, dinosaur theme park. That was Gabe's cup of tea, not his. He wanted nothing to do with this place.

And Jesse wanted nothing to do with his no-show uncle either.

"Jess, look!"

He blinked. He hadn't made it to the top of the stairs yet but Gabriel was already up there, looking around wildly. He gave no effort to move faster, though. Gabriel could throw a fit if he wanted, but it wouldn't get Jesse up these stairs any sooner.

"Look! Oh my god, you're so slow." Gabriel's blue eyes cut deeply into his own, almost menacingly. Well, as menacing as a ten year old could be.

"Relax, I'm almost there," Jesse grunted. He cleared the last step and looked on ahead to where Gabriel was pointing with great enthusiasm. What he saw was too great for words.

Gabriel smirked. "Whaddya say to that, Jesse? Still think this place is uncool?"

A large stone gate with wooden doors and lit torches towered over them a ways ahead, branded with the park's name Jurassic World at the top. It was a grand sight, he had to admit, but what he saw beyond that is what floored him.

A dinosaur. A living, breathing dinosaur. It had this ridiculously long neck and was taller than their house, he was pretty sure. It munched on the leaves at the very tops of the trees behind the gate, blending in with the jurassic scenery rather nicely. All he and Gabriel could see was its neck and head. He couldn't even see the whole thing, yet he was in awe.

"That's an apatosaurus. Kinda like the brachiosaurus but smaller. Cool, huh?" Gabriel had probably butchered the thing's name exponentially but Jesse was too stunned to care.

So this was what his father always dreamed about. It made more sense now.

Gabriel grinned at the look on Jesse's face. "Welcome to Jurassic World," he said, mimicking the tone of the cheesy welcoming mantra the speakers had played over and over again at the docks.

Welcome to Jurassic World, indeed.

Maka hated flying. It was official.

The helicopter veered to the right and she squirmed in her seat, holding onto whatever she could with an iron grip. She was known to be reckless and full of courageーthat's what her colleagues had said, at leastーbut this flying death trap had worn her down to a bundle of nerves. Her hand clamped over her mouth as her face turned pale. She was going to be sick.

"Are you alright, Miss?" the pilot asked without an ounce of actual concern in his voice. It sounded more mechanical than sincere.

"Yeah, just dandy," Maka lied.

"We're going to land in a minute. I would tell ya to fasten your seatbelt, but if you tighten it anymore than you already have you might just pop."

It was a joke. She tightened her seatbelt anyway.

"Here we go. Hold on tight."

When they started to descend, Maka bit her lip hard and watched her knuckles turn white. She needed to focus on something else, like why she had decided to come to this wretched island in the first place. She had told herself for years and years that she would never be caught dead here, but they were so damn persistent.

The park had called her over a week ago. She ignored the first fifty calls before she finally picked up, listening to them going on and on about something they called an Indominus Rex. A hybrid dinosaur. The first of its kind. Highly unpredictable and dangerous. And they wanted her to research and document its behavior before they opened its enclosure to the public.

Maka refused at first, exclaiming her disgust for the park and what it stood for. But then they talked about the beast's impressive intellect and menacing aggression, how it ate its own sibling and had been raised in isolation. That's when she read in between the lines, read all the danger hidden there. And then she thought about him, of all people, and she reluctantly agreed. God, she gave in so easily. What a foolish thing to do.

The ghost of a woman, pale with glowing eyes, suddenly appeared next Maka, shaking her head. Her clothes were torn and matted with dry blood, and she held a giant tooth in her lap. Maka blinked and the woman disappeared, but the emptiness lingered and she shook with nerves. How could she have forgotten about her? It had been years since Maka last saw her, a decade since the bloodcurdling screams had stopped, and now she was back again. A grim reminder of the evil harbored in Jurassic World.

"Miss, we've landed. You can get out now."

Maka broke out of her eerie stupor and stepped out of the helicopter on shaky legs. The ride had rattled her more than she thought (physically and mentally). Her knees would wobble uncontrollably for a while, so walking wouldn't be a good idea for the next few minutes. In the meantime, she settled on drinking in her new surroundings. It certainly rivaled the desert atmosphere she was used to back at home and at her digging sites. It was lush and colorful, teeming with life. The air was moist and humidーsomething she was not a fan ofーbut that was typical for the tropics. She flinched suddenly and smacked the back of her neck, cringing. Bugs. Lots and lots of bugs.

"It would be in your best interest to invest in bug spray during your stay here."

Maka turned to see a man with glasses standing just below the landing platform. He was tall, slender, with a crop of gray hair atop his head. He was clad in a long, white lab coat with a strange stitch-patch pattern to it. In fact, the rest of his clothing followed the same pattern. His face had scars.

A gleam caught her eye, reflecting off of his glasses. "I'm Professor Stein, Ms. Gorgon's lead scientist. I specialize in genetics. Every animal you'll find on this island was conceived by my hands."

Maka blanched a little at his choice of words and tried to regain her composure as she walked off the landing pad. "So you like to play god?"

It was a small challenge to his character but he smiled. "Something like that. I enjoy taking things apart more than creating, though."

She shuddered but held her ground. "Nobody should have that kind of power."

"You're right."

Maka blinked in surprise.

"But you were not invited here to criticize us, Ms. Albarn. You are our guest and I must say that you're being very rude to your host."

She clenched her fists and bit back a nasty remark. "Where's Medusa? She's the one that called me here, not you. Some host."

Stein seemed unfazed by the venom laced into her words. "You will be meeting with her shortly. First, you'll have to pick up your partner."

"Partner?"

"Yes. Ms. Gorgon recognizes all of your achievements and your expertise, don't you worry, but she also knows your weakness. You've only ever experienced these animals fossilized, not alive, so she'd like the word of a field expert as well."

"A field expert," Maka hissed, a little ruffled by how he evaluated her credentials so dismissively. "And who would that be?"

"Solomon Evans. He handles our velociraptors, you see. Ms. Gorgon believes his interactions with them to be invaluable for your research. He knows predatory dinosaur behavior firsthand."

His name hit her like a punch to the gut. Of all the people on this godforsaken island, why did it have to be him? She was hoping to avoid all contact with said field expert. The man who, at one time in her life, had taken her breath away. The man who had taught her how to love. He also taught her about betrayal and heartbreak, she bitterly reminded herself, and left it at that.

"Take these." He tossed her some keys which jumbled in her hands for a second. "They're to the jeep to your right. Your VIP access card will be in there too. Follow the GPS and it'll lead you straight to him. Then you will both meet Ms. Gorgon at the Control Center."

"Why do I have to pick him up?"

He grinned. "Ms. Gorgon wanted you two to have some time alone to acquaint yourselves with one another. You are going to be working together, after all."

Maka literally felt her jaw drop. Spending time alone with the Evans boy that ripped out her heart? She was in no way prepared for that. Hell, she may end up killing him in the process. Or herself, to avoid the situation altogether.

"I suggest you be on your way. Ms. Gorgon doesn't like to be kept waiting long."

For a split second she actually considered jumping back inside the flying deathtrap. Maka decided that that would be better than this. Anything would be better than this. But, as if to spite her, the helicopter's propeller started turning and, just like that, the pilot had left her. He was flying away, leaving her trapped in the worst place on the planet.

"Well?"

She clicked the unlock button and the jeep let out a little beep. "Let's get this over with."

"Demon, don't give me that shit."

A loud, defiant squawk sounded in response.

"Tsu, don't let him walk all over you. You're better than that."

A small, faint clicking noise came in return.

"Hey, Crona! Don't turn your back on me."

Nothing but the whoosh of a long tail.

"Wes, you really need to get your troops in order. You're slacking."

A roar of protest, followed by the sound of biting, clawing, pushing, and shoving.

"Ah, that's better."

Soul Evans stood atop the velociraptor enclosure on a metal beam, leaning against the railing almost dangerously. The enclosure itself was impressive if he did say so himself; he had had a hand in designing it.

The small paddock area was shaped like a circle with the metal walkways above cutting it into fourths. On the south end, there was a small containment area where the raptors could be restrained to be monitored; that was where their heads were placed into metal braces to keep the staff out of harm's way. On the north end, a path let out to five acres of land styled in a tropical setting where the raptors could stretch their legs a bit. All of this was guarded by a twenty foot metal fence that could be electrified if need be.

Totally safe. Unless, by some unfortunate events, you fall into it. Then not so safe. Its residents really wouldn't be that forgiving, though they'd appreciate your sacrifice to fill their bellies.

"Get on with it, Soul," Blake said with a hint of annoyance. "You've got their attention."

Soul raised his hand and watched the raptors' eyes follow it slowly, though more out of curiosity than obedience. He shook his head. "Not yet, just a little more."

Blake groaned and Soul shrugged it off. Patience一something Blake lacked exponentially一was key in this line of work. So that was why Soul was now biting back any snide remarks Blake wholeheartedly deserved as the guy continued to whine. Honestly, Soul should have the right to choose his colleagues. Ms. Gorgon owed him that much, at least.

"You've got them eating out of your hands!"

"No, I've only got Tsu eating out of my hands because she's submissive and a good listener. Something you're not." He could only hold back for so long, he reasoned.

"Don't you rat on my Tsu!" Blake bellowed. The insult flew right over his head.

"Oh, stop your whining and let me concentrate. You're annoying the animals. Even your precious little Tsu."

Blake blanched at that, and Soul took the opportunity to focus back on his training.

"Oi, eyes on me!" He used the clicker and raised his hand in the air again. This time their heads snapped up toward his hand without any hesitation. They were focused. Good.

"Okay. No funny business, Demon. You got that?" All he got was a snort in return, but that was tolerable. "Wes, I expect you to stay on point." A loud chirp resonated as an I know in Soul's mind. Funny how the voice he made up in his head sounded so much like his brother's.

"Alright, and we're moving."

He walked across the metal beam with his hand still in place, impressed with how they followed his every move, all eyes on him. It had been the first time in weeks since they actually followed his directions. It was a breakthrough.

"Okay, time for a sound off."

Soul stopped, grabbing a bag at his feet, and placed it on top of the railing. He grinned when he heard the excitement bubbling beneath him through chirping, squawking, clicking, clawing, nipping, and air biting. They knew exactly what would happen when Soul brought out the bag. Food.

"Demon, look alive!"

He pulled out a nice-sized rabbit and tossed it down with a quick flick of the wrist. Demon met it partway and ripped it out of the air, eagerly shoving it down his gullet when he landed. The beast had a mean streak and always pushed Soul's buttons but, at heart, he'd always be a show-off.

"Alright, Tsu. It's your turn."

He grabbed a chunk of meat torn from a deer carcass and threw it down to her. Demon managed to tip it in the air before it reached her, though, fully intending on stealing his nestmate's meal.

"Hey, he can't do that!" Blake yelled, just when Soul had forgotten he was still there.

Tsu, as if feeding off of Blake's anger, dug her claw into Demon's foot before he could reach the prize. Demon shrieked in pain and backed off, eyeing her warily. Soul couldn't help the smug look he was sporting as Tsu swallowed her snack whole. She finally grew a backbone, he thought, catching the glance the raptor sent Blake's way. With Blake's encouragement, of course.

"Damn straight! You show him who's boss!" Blake shouted, and Soul just rolled his eyes.

"Crona, this one's for you."

Crona looked pensive and uncomfortable, typical for her. It was hard for her to keep eye contact and her head held up so high, so Soul praised her efforts with a knowing smile and her favorite snack: a large snake. Sometimes he questioned her sense of taste but he couldn't really badger her. She liked what she liked, and he was pretty sure raptors would eat almost anything.

"Heads up!" He tossed the snake down and cringed when Crona caught it only for Demon to snatch it right out of her mouth. He was really starting to grate on Soul's nerves. He sighed and gave Crona an apologetic smile; a silent promise to give her another snake when Demon was contained.

"Demon, I'm getting real tired of your shit." The defiant squawk he got in return only succeeded in irking him more, so he moved on to his next eager customer.

"Okay, saved the best for last. Isn't that right, Wes?"

A loud roar, or at least as loud as a raptor could roar, made Soul smirk. "Got a nice, fresh chicken for ya. You want it?"

Wes crowed a few times and teetered on his feet, his long claws poking at the dirt. That was hell yeah in raptor, Soul decided. He threw the chicken to Wes and snickered when he caught Demon standing perfectly still; he wouldn't dare challenge the beta. Wes chomped on the chicken in his jaws, savoring the taste before swallowing it whole.

Soul chuckled. Raptor Wes's table manners paled in comparison to his brother's. It made him laugh. Just for a second.

He used the clicker and raised his hand again. "Eyes on me!"

The raptors met his gaze and rose up on their back legs. Again, focused. Soul tried so hard not to let a goofy grin show. No time to get sappy, this was business.

"And, go!" Just as he lowered his hand, they all sprinted forward. He smiled and turned to watch them go.

In that moment he wished he could be running with them, his pack一no, his family. Wes, Demon, Tsu, and Crona. They were family. Soul had imprinted on them the second they hatched; he knew he had a connection with them. It wouldn't be long before he could run or, more accurately speaking, ride alongside them as their equal. No, as their alpha. That's where he belonged.

His brother knew that, he thought. He must have known that his little brother's heart resided with the dinosaurs; he had shared that love with Soul, after all. Wes was the person that understood him better than anyone and would always forgive him, despite all his flaws.

Didn't make it any less gut-wrenching to miss his brother's funeral because he was at a vital stage in bonding with the raptors. The blood, sweat, and tears he had put into raising them would have been deemed a waste, as Medusa put it. Now all he had to hold onto was the idea that his big brother understood, that he would always forgive him, even in the afterlife.

Soul gripped the sharp claw pendant around his neck, hand trembling. Too bad he couldn't forgive himself. It was all his fault, after all.

"What did I say? Eating out of your fucking hands. Hell, they're even licking your fingers."

Soul deflated a little, dropping the pendant and pushing all thoughts of Wes aside, and watched his raptors disappear into the tropical brush. One white-streaked tail, one blood red, another dark blue with black markings, and the last a light purple, all vanishing without a trace. He sighed. Leave it to Blake to interrupt his thoughts with a seriously uncalled-for comment. The man truly had a gift. Luckily, for once in Soul's life, he was grateful. Blake couldn't know that though.

"You had to make it weird."

"What? It's a compliment. Learn to take one, raptor whisperer," Blake replied casually, popping a banana in his mouth for good measure. Soul was suddenly very aware of the uncanny resemblance his partner had to a monkey.

He grinned, amused. "Raptor whisperer? Really?"

Blake shrugged. "It's the first thing I thought of, don't judge."

Soul waved him off and made his way down the metal stairs leading to the containment area. The raptors were due for an examination within the hour and he needed to make sure everything was secure. That's when he heard a squealing pig race by, followed by someone shouting, "Pig on the loose!" As if nobody could tell that already.

Great, he thought. Just what I need right now. He saw some of the staff grab nets, which baffled him. Did they actually expect to rescue the pig? It was already the end of the line for the little thing; they should have known that. Before Soul could voice his concerns, however, he witnessed a young man一the new guy, Hiro, if he remembered correctly一atop the metal walkway, swinging his oversized butterfly net over the railing to catch the pig. It looked like the start of a really bad joke.

Squawk. Squeal. Snap. Scream. Thud.

And here came the horrifying punchline.

It all happened so fast. One minute Hiro had the pig in his net, ready to bring it up to safety; the next, Demon grabbed the pig and the net, catapulting Hiro into the paddock with a quick, powerful thrust. Then, for a moment, silence. There was a chill in the air, like time itself had frozen over. Soul felt it in his bones, this panic, this fear. It rattled him down to the core, and he wasn't even the poor fool trapped in the cage.

Squawk. It was a call for backup, Soul realized. He recognized the tone. On cue, the rest of the pack joined Demon in the paddock, one by one. The look in their eyes assured his fear; they were on the hunt.

"H-Help me!"

"Well fuck," Blake said under his breath, lost for words for probably the first time in his life. He stood frozen on the steps with the banana dangling from the corner of his mouth. Soul would have laughed if it weren't for the situation at hand.

A young man was about to die on his watch by the hands一or, rather, claws一of his raptors. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of staff members raising their taser rifles, preparing to fire twelve amps worth of electricity. No no no no no no. If they stunned the raptors, the bond he had worked so hard to forge would be broken. They wouldn't trust him anymore. These last four years would have been for nothing. He would lose his family. Soul clenched his fists and bit his lip hard.

I'd give anything to study these animals in the flesh, his brother had said, jealousy but mostly admiration shown in his eyes. Maybe I can live my dream through you, Soul. It can be our dream. Whaddya say? Will you see it through?

The answer was clear.

"Soul, what the hell?!" Blake yelled. His banana hit the metal stairs with a thud as his jaw went slack.

Soul had rushed to the gate separating the containment area from the paddock, now working the control panel with a shaky hand. What he was about to do was stupid, no, insane. He and the raptors had a connection, he was certain of it, but was it strong enough to keep him and Hiro out of harm's way? Only one way to find out.

Soul pressed the button with open printed in bold on it and flinched at the resounding beep, a warning to turn back. He shook his head and confirmed that yes, he was opening the gate, and no, he did not have a death wish. The latter was debatable the more that he thought about it, though.

"Don't shoot! Whatever you do, don't shoot!" he cried, watching the gate rise with a wild look in his eyes. He saw taser rifles start to lower and figured this was it. It was time to be the alpha. Or time to die.

Soul darted inside the paddock and stepped in front of Hiro while the raptors were getting ready to close in. They screeched, agitated and surprised by his sudden appearance, and bickered amongst themselves. He gulped and raised his hands, mustering up his courage and putting on a brave face. Showing fear could mean death.

"Easy, easy," he uttered calmly. "Eyes on me." Demon squawked and bared his teeth. Crona clawed at the dirt, anxious and wary of her surroundings. Tsu was clicking at him, like she was sending him a warning of some sort. Wes stared right through him and raised his claws, edging a bit closer.

"I said eyes on me." He repeated sharply. The fact that his voice did not waver astounded him. The raptors' heads swiveled up at his tone, their eyes burning holes through his palms. Soul had them where he wanted them if only for a minute. He couldn't waste any time now.

"Hiro, run," he whispered. The guy didn't even hesitate judging by the dirt cloud now forming behind Soul. Those words snapped him out of his daze in a heartbeat. Hiro dove to safety while he stood there, staring down his pack while they stared back with hungry eyes. The food they had had was already forgotten, apparently.

"Soul, get out of there!" Blake urged, standing by the control panel. He must've moved once Soul entered the paddock.

Soul took a deep breath. "Close the gate."

"Are you fucking nuts?!"

"Do it now."

"C-Close it!" Hiro shrieked, trying to scoot as far away as possible.

"Ah, hell!" Blake cursed as he started working the control panel. With a beep, the gate began to lower.

Soul wiped the sweat from his brow and started counting down in his head. Five. Crona was teetering on her feet, unable to stay still. Four. Tsu wouldn't stop clicking. It seemed frantic now. Three. Demon was fussing, air biting and clawing holes into the dirt. Two. Wes was very still. One. He looked Soul dead in the eyes. Now.

Soul took off at the very last second and slid under the gate before it closed. The raptors were right on his tail, slamming into the gate or jumping to where he used to be standing. They squawked in protest and gave him cheated looks. Especially Demon. He was pissed. He started to squeeze his snout through the metal bars in an effort to reach Hiro.

"You are fucking crazy."

Soul sported a weak grin. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"T-Thank you! Oh my god, that was so close!" Hiro was practically groveling at Soul's feet.

Instead of the typical no problem or you're welcome, Soul decided on a different approach. "You ever wonder why there was a job opening?"

Hiro went pale and gulped.

Soul then looked him hard in the eyes. "Never turn your back on the cage. Got that?"

Hiro jumped when he noticed Demon's fruitless efforts to get to him and nodded.

"Good. I'm glad you see it my way."

Blake snorted as Hiro scurried off. "I think the poor guy pissed himself."

"I wouldn't be surprised."

"Hey, uhh, did you know that was going to happen? With the raptors, I mean. You wouldn't have gone in if you didn't know, right?"

Soul shrugged. "Yeah. I had it all under control." That was a lie. For a moment, he thought they were going to rip him apart limb from limb. He could see it in their eyes. The only sliver of hope that showed through was their hesitation. That's why he's still alive.

"Solomon Ethan Evans!"

Soul blinked. That voice. He knew that voice. It struck a painful chord in his heart and rubbed salt into the wound that cut deeply there. The wound that never healed. It was her. Fiery green eyes, ash-blonde hair, and all. She marched up to him in a fury, and he hardly had time to register how she had gotten through the outer gate. It required a card to gain access. He just stood there, mouth agape, like he had just seen a ghost. In a way, he thought, that's what she was: a ghost from his past. She stopped in front of him and sized him up, eyes burning into his own. He held his breath.

"You idiot!"

Slap.