Disclaimer:
The following story may contain violence and strong language, young readers are advised not to repeat the swearing at home.
Note I do not own Jurassic park or its related canon.
Enjoy the story!
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"Sun shine and lolly pops and rainbows everywhere" sung Braden in an almost cheerful manner as he snapped his new jaws experimentally at a moth as it flew past.
He staggered a little as he walked, still unaccustomed to the new limbs he was walking upon, ahead of him the black velociraptor was growling under her breath.
Braden continued to hum a loudly as they walked, stepping loudly on sticks and leaves and rustling bushes carelessly.
"Who knew walking was so hard" he laughed as he tripped and stumbled, the velociraptor whipped around and let out a loud threatening hiss in his face.
"Be silent Fake skin!" she hissed, Braden visibly flinched at the hiss in fear but slowly rose his head a determined gleam in his hazel eyes.
"No" he stomped his foot in defiance, the raptor snarled in anger and turned her body to face him.
"I'm likely going to die soon so I'll die happy" he huffed stubbornly holding something to his chest, the raptor only just noticed the two little pieces of string dangling between the claws.
"Be silent or I'll silence you" she hissed taking a step closer so she was nearly muzzle to muzzle with him, Braden tensed and his lips quivered a little in fear.
"Geese I'm being threatened by a dinosaur I should he shivering in my boots, but I lost them" he joked trying to hide the fear in his voice, Braden remembered how his odd sense of humour had guided him out of a few fights and such, he hoped it would save him again.
"Stop talking in riddles" she snapped angrily, Braden grinned at her toothily.
"Riddle me shriddle" he said bluntly, the raptor was clearly confused and just hissed at him in annoyance.
"For a social creature you sure are anti-social, didn't know animals contradicted themselves" said Braden boldly, pushing himself on the offensive.
"And for something so smart you sure are dumb" she retorted sharply, he chuckled and said confidently.
"You just called your species dumb" he chuckled loudly, Braden had finally pushed the boundaries and the raptor pounced upon him.
"SILENCE" she screeched in his ear as he was pinned to the ground, Braden avoided her gaze and only grunted in acknowledgment.
"Speak like this to the pack and you'll die!" she hissed coldly, Braden shivered slightly at the sincerity in her voice.
'These are not people, they are different and have different social structure, better be careful' Thought Braden as the raptor slowly stepped off him, he'd learnt to fit into a different type of society, if he was to survive he'd have to learn a new primitive style of social expectations.
"Teach me" he said as he slowly stood, still clutching something in his hands, the raptor clicked her teeth and looked at him puzzlement.
"I'm probably stuck like this so I better learn how to act like one of you, depending on how long I live that is" he said his tone suddenly becoming serious, the raptor regarded him for a moment, those predatory eyes studying his form.
"The alpha will decide your fate" she grunted before continuing to walk, Braden clumsily followed her, still as loud as ever but he refrained from singing.
They walked for some time in silence, until Braden lost his patience and he blurted out a question.
"The stuff that… 'Ate' me…. What is it?" he asked her hesitantly, referring to the strange goo that melted his human body, the raptor glanced at him in distaste before speaking.
"The humans made that evil water before they fled the island the elders say, it consumes everything that it touches and leaves nothing behind…. But today the evil water was different… When I attacked your human body, we both fell into the evil water below. The water didn't eat me, it instead chose you, why?" she barked demandingly, Braden shrugged his shoulders in reply totally clueless as to what the stuff was.
"That's why I asked, I thought since you live on this place you know more… did the other human with me escape?" asked Braden in a hopeful tone, the raptor growled in reply before speaking in bitterness.
"It escaped" she sounded so frustrated as she said that, but Braden didn't care he was just pleased that Jarred hadn't died on this hellish place.
They passed a god awful stench and Braden jumped slightly with a yell of disgust, covering his snout with both paws and looking around in confusion. The other raptor looked back at him in slight amusement, silently watching him as he slowly moved towards some bushes.
Braden clumsily searched around the area until discovering a massive pile of dirt, or so he hope it was.
Flies buzzed around it like a small storm, bouncing off his scales and swooping around his face, Braden gagged in disgust and stumbled hastily back towards the raptor, with both paws still over his nose.
"Move move I not staying near that!" grumbled Braden, pushing past the raptor and stumbling ahead in a hurry.
The raptor shook her head and darted forward, overtaking Braden and placing herself in the rightful position of leader of the group. Braden didn't argue he just urged her to move faster away from that mountain of putrid dino shit.
However he didn't know they were now passing into the inner territory of a raptor pack, if he did, he probably wouldn't have hurried so much.
Braden was walking beside the raptor, listening to her explain the hierarchy of control in a pack when he noticed the smell of several creatures.
He stopped in his tracks and sniffed again experimentally, trying to block out the smell of plant life and other odd things around him.
He was so transfixed upon smelling the air he didn't notice something slowly emerge from the bushes behind him and move closer to investigate.
It wasn't until he felt air blow on his neck did he notice the other raptor, a familiar green raptor he remembered chasing him back at the Igen place. With a small yelp he tried to jump to the side but fell, landing loudly into a pile of bushes.
The green raptor tilted its head in bemusement and looked to the black raptor to see her reaction.
"I thought your brother had died?" growled the green raptor in confusion, the black raptor clicked her teeth in annoyance before calmly stating that Braden wasn't her brother.
The green raptor looked down at the struggling Braden once more, then back to the black female raptor.
"Sure it is, look same colour, same patter, even the red patch around his eyes are the sa….." the raptor slowly trailed off as it slowly spotted the differences in Bradens appearance, the human turned raptor slowly looked at them both before taking a deep breath.
"Bye!" he barked before scrambling towards a tree, both raptors blinked and moved there head back in surprise, before darting forward in screams of furry.
Braden jumped into the air, claws latching onto the bark of a tree several meters in the air. He dragged himself upwards using the new claws and what human traits left of his body to scale the tree to safety.
"It worked!" he chirped happily as he looked down at two very annoyed velociraptors, they didn't know how to climb a tree.
"Get down here!" barked the black raptor furiously, the green raptor just glared on wondering who and what Braden was.
"Ha ha umm nope, I'll take my chances up here where your teeth can't get me" said Braden confidently as he shifted his claws for better purchase in the wood.
"What is that?" said the green raptor looking to the black raptor.
"The evil water ate a human, then made him… into a fake skin" she said breathing heavily in rage, Braden hummed cheerfully in success then notice something on the bark.
"SPIDER!" is what he intended to say but instead he let out a warning bark before tumbling out of the tree and to the ground, both raptors jumped at the bark and turned their heads to watch the small spectacle.
"Fuck Spider fuck shitty bloody brbbrbrb" he shuddered unaware that a small crest of feathers moved on the back of his head as he spoke, he then began rolling around on the ground.
"Hell no I'll take raptors over spiders!" he growled before standing up and looking himself over to make sure the spider wasn't on him, a wild look in his eye as he moved.
Both velociraptors looked at each other with concern, before slowly moving towards the frantic Braden, he was still looking himself over as if expecting to find a spider upon his scales, growling and cursing as he did so.
"Evil bloody bugs, burn them all" he roared loudly, before noticing the raptors both staring at him, he lowered his head and let out a small squeak of fear.
"Any more funny ideas?" growled the black raptor as she tapped her killing claw on the ground, Braden held up 1 talon in response and cleared his throat.
"There a spider on your leg" he said innocently, she turned her head and sure enough a large tarantula was crawling up her leg, but she didn't jump and simple snapped the insect in her jaws.
Braden shrugged his shoulders and began looking himself over once more, the string still hanging from his closed hand somehow.
"Fake skins are stupid" muttered the green raptor bluntly, Braden rose his head in reply, and unaware he was actually trying to intimidate the raptor with body language.
"Let see you climb a tree Greeny, go on climb the tree" snapped Braden aggressively, the green raptor hissed in reply and flexed his claws ready to attack.
Braden took the sight in and was ready for a fight, even though he'd probably loose. But he didn't expect a loud growl in the air to make both raptors suddenly go stiff, they slowly looked at something behind Braden who felt a shiver run down his spine.
The human turned raptor lost all sense of bravery, feeling something larger looming behind him, and he had a hunched what it was.
"It's a Carno isn't it? Hunter with horns?" he said hoping they understand, both raptors took a slow and cautious step back in reply.
"Carno or spiders? I choose spider!" Braden jumped forward just in time, the Carnotaurus snapped its jaws at the air and roared loudly in rage before charging forwards.
The raptors scattered and Braden was once more in a tree, just high enough to avoid the Carno's powerful jaws.
The jaws nipped his tail and he yelped in pain, crawling a little higher in reply. The raptors both let out a danger call, they had ran into an ambush of Carno's who all emerged from the bushes.
Braden noticed with curiosity how the Carno's changed colour like a chameleon to camouflage, it explained how they were able to sneak up so closely.
The human turned raptor looked down, his Carno was distracted as it looked towards the other raptors trapped.
'They haven't attacked yet… didn't the raptor say the Alpha gets first blood in a kill…. Help or not help…. Ga mum you raised me to well.' Thought Braden as he loosened his claws, with a small thump Braden landed upon the Carno's armoured plated back, the predator snarled and looked back in confusion.
"Hi" Braden waved innocently with a smile, before throwing his fist forward and punching the Carno in the eye, he then held on for dear life as the carnivore began bucking and shaking about, trying to dislodge him from his back.
The other Carnotauru's were so distracted by their Alpha's pained yells, they didn't notice the two raptors dart past into the safety of the bushes.
Braden continued to hang on, remaining fasten to his spot between the Carnos shoulders until it stopped in exhaustion.
"Lucky I haven't eaten" mumbled Braden looking a little pale, his claws slid free of the tough flesh and he jumped for the tree, hastily climbing it to safety.
The Carnotaurus below let out a bellow, before stomping off into the forest with the rest of its pack. Minutes after they left, both raptors slowly returned from the bushes, sharp eyes darting around for danger in the darkness.
"Braden 2.. Carno a big fat ZERO!" bragged Braden enthusiastically as he dropped from a tree branch onto the ground, looking very pleased with himself.
"Fake skin brave but still stupid" snorted the green raptor stubbornly.
"Bravery isn't my strong point, that why I have this" he said a little timidly as he held the string between his claws, letting a small shaped piece of green jade dangle from the string.
He lowered his head a little embarrassed as the two raptors looked at the fossilized rock, wondering what it was.
"Humans carry items to remind them to be things, this rock is meant to make you feel brave and strong….. are you both alright…. They didn't hurt you?" he said moving closer, eyes scanning the raptors for injuries.
"No harm come to us…. Why risk self for us?" said the black raptor a little sceptical, Braden looked a little hurt and puffed out his chest.
"Morals, if someone needs help I help them, be it raptor or human….. That and I had a score to settle with the Carno for chasing me earlier" he said innocently, both Raptors didn't fully understand what he said, but they didn't question him further. As for that moment something else emerged from the bushes, smaller than a Carno but significantly more terrifying.
"Despite this you're still trespassing" hissed a powerful male voice, Braden's jaw dropped slightly and he looked over at a large pale looking velociraptor with red eyes, silently emerge from the forest.
"Sorry.." he muttered pathetically in reply as he took a few steps away, crouching low to the ground in a submissive stance.
The Alpha turned his eyes to his fellow raptors and barked for an explanation, the black raptor calmly explained that Braden, aka 'Fake Skin' as she passionately preferred to call him. Came from the evil water and somehow smelled like her brother, the Alpha growled a little and suddenly pounced upon Braden.
He didn't more or make a sound as the massive ivory male pinned him to the ground and began sniffing him thoroughly, he let out a confused noise before sniffing more and letting out a growl, his foul breath making Braden wrinkle his nose in disgust.
"I know I should be silent, but before you ask I don't know why this happened either" muttered Braden dully, the Alpha snarled in his face and dug his claws into Braden's flesh.
He blinked and shifted a little before letting out a loud whine of discomfort, seemingly unfazed by the claws puncturing his flesh. The Alpha hissed and slowly withdrew his claws, watching the wound suddenly seal itself shut with a gooey material then disappearing under scales.
"Am I going to die?" the Alpha looked Braden in the eye, staring at him silently as he pondered the question, Braden looked back with a mixture of fear and acceptance, he was ready to die. He died when the evil water ate him and left this behind, he didn't even know what he was.
"Can I at least know the name of my killer before you end it?" the Alpha closed his jaws and slowly stepped back, but Braden didn't move.
Half a dozen raptors stood watching, waiting for their leader, their Alpha to determine the fate of this creature that pretended to be one of them. The black raptor felt a little conflicted, a small wire of loyalty towards Fake Skin for saving her life.
But she knew the rules, and would uphold them despite her own interests.
"Get up" barked the Alpha, standing tall and powerful above Braden, Braden slowly stood to his feet in a stance half between a velociraptors and human.
The two stared at one another for several long minutes, until finally the Alpha made a move, a final move to end this small situation. The ivory raptor slowly nudged Bradens muzzle with his own, nuzzling him like a member of his own pack.
From the side line the green raptor blinked and cooed a little in surprise, the black raptor sighed softly and sulked into the dark embrace of the forest.
"I don't understand?" said Braden in confusion, feeling the Ivory raptor rub his jaw against him creating an unusual smell.
"I'm letting you live, for now" Braden swore he saw the raptor smile, wait he suddenly realized he'd seen the raptors do a lot of human actions. Was he going mental and hallucinating or could raptors actually do facial expressions.
"You will call me Alpha, disobey me and you die" warned the Ivory raptor sternly, Braden looked up at him then bowed his head slightly.
"I understand Alpha" Braden's mind spun with confusion, he fully expected to die, he'd seen enough 'Animal Planet' to know outsiders in a pack normally killed on sight, and the raptors were so smart, it scared hi deep down.
"Good, follow us Fake Skin" ordered the Alpha, Braden watched him walk away before slowly following, with much more grace as he slowly grew accustomed to his new limbs.
'Oh god have I seriously just joined a pack of savage murdering dinosaurs…. This be so cool if I actually knew what to do' mused Braden as he followed the raptors home, nothing was said that night as the pack slowly gathered around a cluster of old trees and boulders.
Instantly Braden noticed so many different smells, it was so overwhelming and the ground was literary marinated by the stench, it was too much he needed air.
Ignoring a few surprised chirps from below, he scurried up a tree and perched himself uncomfortable between two tree branches, looking down upon the pack from below.
He'd stop and admire them but exhaustion was setting in, and the pain in his stomach suddenly intensified as he remembered he'd hadn't eaten in ages.
'I hope Jarred is okay, poor guy is alone' Braden didn't notice eyes watching him from below, he just simply rested his head upon his arms and drifted off to sleep.
To be continued…
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Authors note:I hope people enjoy this story I making, next chapter I'm revealing a few bits and pieces about the origin of the story and some important facts about the characters, have a good week everyone!
