Dinosaur: Extinction Lasts Forever

by Darksage95

It has been months since Hazel had returned from her solo mission and left her prehistoric friends behind for the present. Now, joined by Nigel, they return to the past, intent on rescuing the herd from the meteor. But good intentions always come with a price, as Hazel is haunted by the choice of telling her friends the truth…or risking everything she loves with lies.

21. Deal with the Devil

Feeble pests, hairless apes, disgusting little insects. Those were the names Nero called the creatures known as humans. Their strange conversations he overheard in the past few weeks about "tech-know-lodges", "medi-synes", and the ilk about the world they live in confused him to no end. Even what the humans did to his body surprised him.

One minute, he was lying on the ground, losing consciousness thanks to the human Hazel. His injuries he received from his battle against Aladar were fresh, blood seeping onto the grass. The next, he awoke in the same spot, only this time, his wounds were all healed. The wounds had closed up, but still shone on him like darkened, displaced stripes and spots. The ornithopod's hide had darker shades of green on him, but he knew they would disappear. He hated Hazel and her kind for their knowledge on the Fireball and for standing together with his superior, but he could not help but be the slightest bit impressed at their handiwork. Granted that his injuries were still a little sore.

He had deduced that the humans brought him to some part of the park where they could safely operate on his injuries. Thinking of that also made him realize why Hazel had knocked him out; it was so that he would not hurt anyone. Seeing that his wounds had been somewhat recovered meant that he was out for quite some time. A clever move on the human's part, but it was still something he abhorred. He hated getting help from others.

For the past hour or so in the early afternoon, Nero had been walking around the entirety of Prehistoric Park. Earlier, he had been wandering through the Valley sector just to get a bite to eat. In the past, the other members of the herd would veer out of his way in fear whenever he approached either of them or passed them by. This time, they did the same, but they also gave him cold stares and scowls. Nero ignored their reactions, but he felt a hint of anger when he received that treatment. He did not know why, but he was beginning to feel affected by them.

"Why am I feeling sentimental whenever they do that to me?" he mulled over as he continued his walk through the valley. "They are supposed to fear me, yet…now they view me as if I were some kind of outsider."

There were even a few members of the herd that would chase him off or threaten him should he come closer. This mostly came from the ceratopsian members, including the little Microceratus, though their attempts were ignored or unnoticeable by the burly Iguanodon. The ceratopsians would just roar at the passerby and then attempt to charge at him. Of course, Nero had the gall to argue, but doing so earned him one large bruise on his right leg from one of the Pachyrhinosaurus. His leg now aching from the brutal impact of the knobby horn, Nero quickly limped away from the oppressors and the rest of the herd.

As he continued his walk towards the main portion of the park to find a more secluded place to eat, he encountered a number of humans on the way towards the Herd's grounds. Nero had explored some bit of the park in the past few weeks, but did so discreetly. He did not trust any of the Residents in this place and he did not want to encounter any stray humans.

Their reactions towards the incoming green Iguanodon were a combination of wariness and fear. Seeing the humans scramble from his presence as he passed somewhat satisfied the dinosaur. At least, to a certain point. He noticed on their backs the peculiar wooden sticks he saw back when he battled against Aladar. He eyed the weapons with a burning desire to snap them in two. Yet, he knew that the humans had those weapons, him as the driving source. Nero knew from his previous encounter with that sort of weapon that he would be put to sleep should he step out of line.

Just then, the sound of clicks and a cocking sound stopped him in his tracks. The burly oppressor snapped his head to his right and noticed one of the humans along with his friends pointing their sticks at him. The feeble creatures trembled at the sight of his massive muscular form. Their arms were positioned at the ready on the weapons, ready to take action should he attack.

Nero merely glared at them and snorted in irritation. "What are you insects looking at?"

The humans gave no indication towards his threat. It took him a moment before he realized that they could not understand him at all, unlike that brat Hazel. The small group of four kept eyeing him warily and then back at each other. Their nervous reactions were accompanied by whispering amongst themselves along with permissions to shoot him if need be.

To Nero, their loitering was getting really annoying. He let out a loud bellow and gave them a mock charge. The humans ran away screaming, a satisfactory result of his ruse. The dinosaur shook his head then continued walking.

"Stupid humans…" he muttered to himself. "How can they be so resilient when they are so small and feeble?"

His wanderings eventually led him to the very border of the Valley sector and into another part of the Park. The grasses he tread on became shorter and denser. No humans were around him, which brought some relief to the ornery ornithischian. The only creatures there were the large gray mammals with those long trunks at their faces that wandered around. He did overhear some humans and other dinosaurs mention these creatures being called elephants.

When he came closer to them, the present day animals caught sight of the stranger and started to eye him with caution. A few of them even got into defensive stances at his appearance, their tusks lowered in preparation for a charge should he get too close. Nero may be bigger than them by a little bit, but his lack of knowledge on these creatures inhibited his analyses on whether they were weak or not. Plus, he would not dare attack a herd with those white horns unless he was threatened.

Fortunately for the elephant herd, the Iguanodon was in no mood to deal with them. His stomach impeded his decision to create a confrontation with the present day residents. The green herbivore gave them a huff before turning away from them. In no time at all, he was out of their range. Even though he had no quarrel with them, he did not want anything to do with any strange creatures. The herd already shared their living space with lemurs, and now they are doing the same with a multitude of other creatures. All of which he distastes.

Eventually, he arrived at the western portion of the park. His mind was lost in the thoughts for wanting to escape this damned place. The more he mulled in his negative thoughts, the angrier he got. However, he was pulled away from his mental wanderings by the sound of a very annoying greeting.

"Hello hello!" a voice squawked from off to his right.

The dinosaur snapped his head in that direction. Coming towards him was a ten foot tall flightless bird with yellow feathers and black streaks going down from his face to his body. Three white feathers with black tips stuck up on the top of his head. His beak was so large that it could be strong enough to crush a bone in half. The bird's wings may be small, but his feet were large with over sized talons. Nero knew that he was looking at a carnivore, one that was built for speed. But he also noticed something off about this bird; it was his eyes. His gray-colored eyes radiated a childlike innocence instead of a conniving, menacing aura from predators he had come across.

In fact, after getting a good look at the incoming avian, he noticed that he had encountered this creature before. It was back when he battled with his rival Aladar. Nero had only caught a slight glimpse of the predatory avian in the gathered crowd and heard him cheering for his enemy. His memory of that incident made him hate this creature.

The bird stopped just a few feet from him with a skid. Dirt welled up from the ground in a small dust cloud before disappearing. "Phew, I finally found you Mr. Knee-Rows!"

Nero grunted in irritation at the incorrect mention of his name. "Buzz off birdbrain!"

Espantos gasped and gave him a playful look along with a giggle. "Uh oh…someone's a little cranky today. Looks like you need a new friend to cheer you up!"

"Not interested, now beat it before I turn you into feathered mush!" he hissed threateningly.

"My name is Espantos and I am a Phorusrhacos, or Terror Bird as the humans call me," the predatory bird introduced, completely ignoring the forest one's threat. Nero merely stared at him in complete bewilderment at the misfit's obliviousness and cheerfulness. "I am from the grass plains of South America in the Miocene period. I like to play games, talk, roll in the dirt, and make new friends. Ooh I know! Would you like to be my friend?"

Nero marched up to the Miocene predator until he was within mere inches of the bird's face. His steely eyes met the childlike gaze of the Phorusrhacos. "Listen here you simple-minded twit, I'm not in the mood to socialize, especially with an idiot like you. Now if you value your life, you will leave me alone!"

A moment of silence passed between the two. Espantos looked upon the bigger creature with complete indifference, which confused Nero as to whether he understood the warning or not. When he opened his mouth, he expected the bird to agree to it and walk away. But instead, he got the complete opposite.

"Speaking of new friends, my buddy Devil-oh would like to speak with you, now that you're up and walking again. Looks like the humans did a fantastic job with patching you up! Good for them! Anyway, he's just further down this way," he said and gestured behind him with a movement of his head. He then looked back at the ornery dinosaur, who now had the look that spelled his desire to kill him. However, Espantos did not seem phased by the danger he was getting into. "Just follow me and I'll lead you to him!"

Nero let out a low growl and gritted his teeth. "Don't know him, don't care. Now you've got ten seconds to scram before I add red to your colors."

"Oh yeah! I saw your fight with A-ladder a few days ago!" the bird squawked with excitement. "It was awesome! Lots of blood and bones breaking! Though I was cheering on A-ladder, no offense! Such a good guy, we're practically buddies now. Oh don't worry, I know you're feeling bad about not winning. I'm sure he'll give you another chance for a round 2. And maybe next time, I can cheer for you both!"

The mention of the bird cheering for one of his hated enemies made Nero's anger skyrocket. The nerves in his brain snapped and his eyes filled with rage. Even Espantos' own stupidity added to the fire. Nero let out a roar into the sky.

"That's it! You're dead!" he hollered then raised his hoof up.

The dinosaur attempted to stab the Miocene denizen in the side with his thumb spike, but only hit air. Espantos dodged by jumping back with his quick reflexes. Nero expected him to be cowering in fear then running, but was only met by a little cheer from the bird.

"Ooh! Are we playing tag now? Yay! Not it!" Espantos laughed then took off running in the opposite direction.

Nero, wanting to kill the bird for being the most annoying thing in the world at the moment, took part in the chase. He chased the bird throughout most of the western portion of the park. He may have his strength, but his sheer size hindered him as Espantos topped him with his speed.

The chase lasted for what seemed to be a few minutes. The Residents in the area, including Theo and Ellie, along with any keepers in the area, watched in confusion as the Iguanodon chased after the crazy Espantos. As they ran, the predator's laughs only got louder as he reveled in the supposed game. Every time his chaser got close enough for him to attack, Espantos would just veer out of the way. This caused Nero's frustration to rise even more.

Eventually, Espantos had led him to a certain area of the park. Unlike the rest of the vicinity, this place was devoid of any keepers for some apparent reason. But Nero did not even notice as he was focused on killing the ground avian. Unfortunately for him, Espantos was just too fast and his own stamina was depleted.

Nero slowed to a stop and panted. His eyes were on the ground then at the misfit bird that escaped ahead of him. His distance became greater with each second that passed and dust clouds erupted from the trails of his footfalls. If Nero had been paying attention, he would have noticed that he was in front of an enclosure that had tall wooden fences that surrounded a partially forested habitat. The area was large enough for a big solitary animal, but he paid no mind to that at the moment.

"Get back here you feathered freak!" he roared at him. His command was too faint for the bird to hear because he was now too far away.

The Iguanodon let out a bellow of irritation and stomped on the ground with a hoof. The herd being taken to this place after the Fireball destroying their home, being with creatures that have no business in meddling with their lives, having to and losing to your most hated foes had driven Nero off the edge. Now there was this idiotic bird that had the potential to drive others insane merely by showing off his stupidity.

"This place is no paradise," Nero shook his head in annoyance. "It's a glorified deathtrap! If I were the leader, I would lead them away from this place or force the humans to take us home!" But no! Aladar and the herd want to stay here in this strange new world!"

In his loud tirade, he began to pace back and forth. His wounds ached from his recent chase on the Espantos bird and his now occurring rant. But his injuries were the least of his worries. He faced worse before, and these wounds were nothing.

"If I weren't in this situation, I would have his head on a platter. That is my herd he is leading; my position I trained hard to get! And what happened!? A rookie with little to no experience beat me to it!" he bellowed in rage. "Then there is that blasted human female; standing in my way every single damn time! Right when my goal is within my grasp, she steps in my way! Nothing would please me more than to crush her with my bare hooves! But she has the protection of the herd and everyone…"

Nero then stopped his pacing and looked up at the sky with complete shame. His eyes were near tears, but he held them back as he trained himself that crying was a sign of weakness. He did this in order make himself appear strong in his emotional state. "If Kron were here, he would only see me as a disgrace to his name…"

Unbeknownst to the Iguanodon, he was being watched the entire time. He heard a laugh from nearby. Its voice was like the very rocks of the earth shaking mixed with the crash of thunder from a storm.

"Well well well...if it isn't the herd's underdog."

Nero let out a quiet gasp and turned around to the source of the noise. Slowly maneuvering to that one direction revealed the large enclosure that he was pacing in front of. Last he viewed that enclosure, it was devoid of anything, save for the forest it contained. However, this time, something was now standing behind the wooden bars of the makeshift habitat. The creature the Iguanodon beheld sent shivers down his spine and the cold tinge of fear down his heart.

He had seen many creatures in his life, but this one he knew all too well. It was as tall as a tree with a crimson hide and small horns over parts of its body. The head was broad and stout with a jagged row of teeth in its mouth. The gigantic two-legged beast had two defining features that stood out above most predators he had seen; the menacing devilish eyes and the horns that jutted above them. There was no mistaking it, Nero was looking at a Carnotaurus.

"I suppose the phrase "all brawn and no brain" plays well for you," the creature, apparently male, rumbled with laughter. "These days, no one would stay long enough in my presence, but you're one of the foolish ones to remain here."

The herbivore backed up in complete terror. Nero had seen a number of the predators in the park, but had no interest in trying to get to know them. The law of herbivores and carnivores being natural enemies was something he followed heavily. Even that Espantos bird was a conundrum, but he had only met the predatory bird for a brief moment. However, finding out that one of his natural enemies was able to speak to him was something he never thought was possible. "You! How can you be talking!? Predators like you can't talk!"

Diablo let out a snort. "Of course we can talk; every living thing can. We just choose not to talk to you leaf-suckers."

Nero squinted his eyes at him. His curiosity now getting the better of his mind, even though he remained cautious around the captive carnivore. "Who are you then?"

"I am known as Diablo. Like all of the creatures here in this valley, I too was displaced from my time. I was "rescued" by the human brat known as Hazel a while back," the bull lizard introduced with a hint of venom in his tone at the mention of the human woman.

The outcast shook his head and let out a scoff. "That feeble hairless ape? Figures, I heard that this valley housed predators, but I never thought she would stoop so low as to rescue a predator like you. Your kind has been hunting my herd for too long!"

The Carnotaur opened his maw into a sarcastic smile. Even though he was showing pure interest in the matter, his expression also contained a bit of hatred. Especially from his horrible yellow eyes. "Ah yes...that herd. But you speak as if you are its leader. Yet, if I can recall correctly, you lost your chance at leadership days ago to the blue grass-chewer."

Nero eyed him in complete confusion. How in the world would a predator know about the fight he had with Aladar? Did that Espantos bird tell him? Did any of those apes gossip about it while he was out? "How do you know about that? And of the leader?"

Diablo let out a terrifying chortle for a few moments. The action confused the herbivore greatly as to why the predator found his questions amusing. To him, it felt like the very earth was shaking at the very sound of his laughter, like some kind of earthquake was bound to happen. Nero was not much of a coward, but he always had a fearful disposition towards predators under his tough exterior.

"Let's just say word travels around fast. As for my knowledge of your superior, let's say we've...crossed paths some time ago. It was he and his friends that nearly killed me. In fact, it was your herd that robbed me of my chance of an easy meal!" he said with pure anger in his voice.

It was at that moment Nero realized what kind of monster he was dealing with. Deep within the recesses of his memory, he recalled the day the herd was backed into a corner by a certain predator. The rocks behind them blocked their only way home. Their only way out was through the canyon, but that meant going up towards the demon dinosaur. Nero remembered that day well; it was the day the herd stood up to the Carnotaur and survived, but it was also the day the herd received a new leader as well. A leader that he abhorred greatly.

Nero's eyes widened in complete shock. His mind raced with the memories of the past, until he finally comprehended this stark realization. "You! You're the Carnotaur from before!"

"Indeed I am," Diablo nodded nonchalantly.

The Iguanodon gave him a scorned expression. "Your kind has haunted us for generations. I don't know what kind of business you have with me. Whatever it is, I want no part of it!"

The horned demon snorted at the refusal he heard. "Oh I think you will, once you hear what I have to say."

Nero turned around and began to walk away, eager to leave the scene and the carnivore he unintentionally struck a conversation with. "Stow it!"

"You and I have some things in common, things that we despise. You despise your leader for taking your dream position and the human girl for standing in your way every time. I have my own reasons to hate them," Diablo started. His reasoning made the dinosaur turn around again to face him. His eyes were filled with a tinge of curiosity, but was overshadowed by the fear and hatred he had for the animal.

The herbivore narrowed his eyes. "So we both have ones to hate. What of it?"

Diablo cocked his head up in a haughty manner to show his superiority over the underdog male. He shook his head to cause a few oncoming birds to leave him be before replying. "What if I gave you a chance at redemption? To get back at those two for ruining your life? Think about it; once they're out of the way, you won't have to worry about who will lead your herd."

The forest green one took a few steps forward until he was mere inches from the cage. In turn, the crimson devil dinosaur lowered his head so that his steely reptilian eyes could meet his. Nero gritted his teeth at the very thought of even conversing with this beast, yet he wanted to hear what this monster had to say about this offer on dealing with those he hated.

"Go on…" he gestured for him to continue.

"I can help you with that. But...only if you let me out of this prison," Diablo simply replied. His response was a sharp laughter from the wretch before him.

"Release you? Please! What makes you think I should release you? If I do, then you'll just go about doing as you please, or try to kill me."

"Oh don't worry, you have nothing to worry about," the bull lizard tentatively reassured. His calming tone strangely dropped Nero's guard like a mother would to her child. The feeling scared Nero a little, but he was still eager on what he had to say. "My only wish is to kill those that have wronged us both. Now I'll say it again; if you release me, I will kill your enemies. I will get my chance at freedom while you will get what you wish."

The Iguanodon looked down at the ground at that statement. He wanted to get back at Aladar and Hazel for always getting in his way. If he let Diablo out, he would be able to get the leadership position he always desired. The herd would follow him without question and he would be free to treat everyone in the valley the way he pleased, even get back at the humans for always annoying him.

That was a sound thought, however, he also considered the negative consequence if he did do this. If he released Diablo, there is a big chance that he would go back on his word. He may hate Aladar and Hazel for his own reasons, but he may also go after him and everyone else in the valley. The herd would view him as a traitor, however with Aladar and Hazel out of the way, he would force them to bow down to him. Nero let out a snort and eyed the predator in submission.

"Well, do we have a deal?" Diablo earnestly asked the herbivore. Moments later, he finally got an answer he wanted.

"How do I release you?"

Diablo turned his head over to a particular contraption nearby his compound. Nero looked in that direction and beheld a sleek, gray, oddly shaped rock that lay stationed a few feet from the bars of the enclosure. To them, it looked like a pile of boulders that seemingly attached to each other and had streaks of blue shining across the surface edges like small streams. Nero had no idea what this thing was, but Diablo had an idea. He saw the humans work on this thing a few times in the past. He even overheard the human known as Marcus telling his fellow co workers on how it worked, along with its purpose.

"You see that odd-looking contraption over there? That is the one thing that allows the accursed ring on my leg to hurt me. If you destroy that, I will be able to break free without a problem. Of course, I cannot do anything from where I am at, but with outside help-"

His explanation was cut off when the ornithopod made a mad dash for the machine. Once close enough, he reared up on his hind legs until he was high enough. Then, with a roar, he stomped his forelegs down onto the human craft, nearly flattening it. The sound of it was almost deafening to both dinosaurs' ears. The noise that accompanied it had a down pitch, similar to the cry of an herbivore letting out its last breath. Stray blue sparks erupted from the destroyed machine and bits of metal stuck up from where they were once connected. What was once an operating piece of technology that held Diablo in was now a flattened piece of junk.

Diablo grinned at what he had just seen. He reared his head up, took a few steps back, and then charged. Breaking through the fence was a piece of cake now that the only thing that limited his strength was destroyed. Splinters of wood and pieces of the wall crashed onto the grass. The smaller bits flung all over the place like little bugs. He shook his head and then let out a victorious roar on his escape. The demon then quieted and walked over to the herbivore that stood before the wreckage.

Nero, now panting, turned around at the sound of the Carnotaur's heavy footfalls. He looked up at the predator that was now back in his former glory.

"You have my thanks, green one," his nodded in terrifying gratitude.

"I did what you asked. Now do the other end of the deal!" Nero ordered the monster before him.

Diablo let out a huff and then gave him a sadistic smile. "Yes, of course. A deal is a deal my friend. You won't have to worry about who will be leader any longer."

The green ornithischian gave him a questioning look at the mention of that curious statement. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that I am going to SLAUGHTER your herd and have my revenge against Aladar and his feeble followers. And it's all thanks to you," the carnivore told him with a toothy grin.

Diablo's temporary ally gasped and took a few steps back, only to have his legs meet the broken metal of the generator that kept this monster in his pen. "You...you monster! You said you would help me!"

"Oh it's been so long since I stretched these legs. Since you released me, I will spare you the slow and torturous death I had planned. Instead, I'll make it quick, meat!" Diablo laughed and then brought his head up. His maw opened to a large extent, he then quickly brought his mouth down onto the herbivore, teeth at the ready.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile...

Marcus' workshop

Marcus had just finished adjusting some wires in the mainframe of one communicator. Considering that it had only been a few days since he made the first one, he managed to make at least five. It took quite a bit of practice, but he was well under way on creating enough earpieces for every staff member in the park.

If anyone passed by his workshop at the moment, they would see it in a worse condition than normal times. Tools were strewn all over the place, wires and bolts were scattered everywhere, and spare parts decorated the edges of the table. The only other items on there besides the tools and parts were a nearly finished communicator and a black walkie-talkie. In the back of his shed, a black speaker system that was hooked up to his smartphone via a cable played Drowning Pools "Bodies".

There were times when Marcus would listen to music while he worked. This time being one of them. His head would nod at times and he would even lip sync with the songs. In fact, this was one of his favorites.

His right hand held on to the pliers and slowly reached for one of the wires within the communicator he worked on. The console lid was open and showed the numerous wires and parts within. He was nearly done with it and just needed to attach a few more things to the main chip. The pliers on the fourth to last wire, he cautiously brought it close to one of the bolts to tie it around…

"JULIE TO EVERYONE IN THE PARK! WE HAVE A MAJOR SITUATION HERE! DIABLO HAS ESCAPED HIS ENCLOSURE! I REPEAT! DIABLO HAS ESCAPED HIS ENCLOSURE! THIS IS A CODE RED!"

The engineer dropped his tool and screamed as he fell back on his seat. The chair hit the dirt ground hard with a slam. Marcus' head throbbed from the impact he had just experienced. His hand ran through the back of his head for any injuries, which thankfully there weren't any. Otherwise he would have hit his orange ATV that was just a couple feet away from his desk.

But there was no time to think about his body. His assistant's words ran through his head like a mad animal stampede. He quickly got up and grabbed the walkie-talkie that was situated on the table. Pressing the speaker button on the left side of the box, he then brought it close to him.

"Uh Julie, could you say that one more time? I could've sworn you said something crazy. Did you just say Diablo had escaped?" he questioned his assistant through the radio and released the speaker-trigger, doing his best to hide the fear that was building up within him. His heart raced and adrenaline rushed through his veins as he tried to see if he were hallucinating or not about the Park's ill-tempered carnivore breaking out.

Wanting to make sure he heard everything correctly, he grabbed the black remote he kept for the speaker system in his pocket. Pressing the small, gray square button at the bottom middle caused the music to cease.

"Sir, I meant every word I said!" She then let out a scream, which was then followed by a loud crash in the background. Screams from other people followed as well.

Marcus cursed under his breath then screamed into the radio. "WHAT THE HELL!? The Barrier Poles we put up in the enclosures in the Park are state of the art! How could that Demon BUST OUT!? Did someone crash their jeep into his Security Generator!?"

"Sir, there was no one around! Me and a few keepers came to his enclosure when we heard the roars in the area!"

The man let out a sharp breath then spoke again. He created the barrier poles along with the generators that accompanied them. Each of the enclosures in the park, save for the Bug House, the Valley Sector, the Microraptor Aviary, and others that did not need much security, were outfitted with nearby generators. Those contraptions were powered by that one power source, and should anything happen to the generator, then the poles would power down, giving the animal the opportunity to escape without getting hurt by the electric shocks.

"Julie, how did Diablo escape?" he slowly spoke into the radio in a calmer, yet more stressed out tone. He released the button to hear an answer come out.

The woman cried out in terror at the nearby sounds of carnage, which included the sounds of breaking wood and metal. Marcus perked his head and looked out the exit of his shed. The sound was faint, but he could tell that the destruction was nearby. When the chaos quieted down, the woman spoke again.

"Something...smashed the security generator! It's as if it's been flattened to the ground! It wasn't us because none of the keepers were around and all of our vehicles were accounted for."

It was then that Marcus decided to investigate for himself. He went over to the back of his shed to where his computers were. His monitors were all arranged in a semicircle fashion on the separate table he had in the back. All of which were hooked up to the satellite pole outside. As the head engineer, Marcus was also given the privilege of having access to all of the security cameras in the park. The cameras were set up as a way for people to monitor the Residents whether it was health related or just to analyze their behavior. In this case, they were also used to make sure that none of them would cause any chaos, like that one time a few years ago when one of the Borealosaurus had inadvertently caused the near-destruction of the park.

Marcus hurriedly got into the rolling chair that was situated on a smooth gray mat and began to type away. The screens that once showed the schematics for various projects around the park, including some research on solutions to the budget crisis he had on the left screen, shifted to the images all the cameras showed at that moment. He scanned all of the cameras and noticed the keepers rushing in all directions towards where the Carnotaurus was. His answer was in the image at the top right corner of the screen. Looking closely, he could see the crimson predator running then crashing into the fence that led into Triceratops Creek.

Various voices clamored in his radio nearby. He could hear the yells of the other keepers, Bob, and even his boss Nigel giving orders to everyone in the park to subdue the beast. He wanted to help out, but first he wanted to see how the devil dinosaur broke out. Looking over at the right computer monitor, he focused on the largest image at the top left.

In the image, he saw the fence already broken down, with splinters of wood everywhere. The generator a few feet away had been smashed into pieces. The good thing about this camera was that it was situated in a way where he could see that part of the enclosure and the generator that was nearby. Wanting to know what happened earlier, he typed various codes on his sleek ebony keyboard. Instantly, the screen showed white streaks across that part of the frame and the video started to rewind. The images were blurred and he could see two shapes. Stopping the screen at the right time, he noticed that the smaller shape was of a familiar green Iguanodon and right across from the creature was Diablo himself.

Marcus gasped. The image showed the ornithopod rushing over to the generator nearby and smashing it to pieces. Moments later, the Carnotaurus backed up then charged up to the fence, breaking the barrier into pieces. The man pressed the space key on his keyboard, not wanting to see the rest of it. He then went over to his radio and pressed the button.

"Everyone! This is Marcus! Anyone with a stun gun had better get to Triceratops Creek now! Amp up the voltage to maximum if you need to! Just stop that monster before he destroys everything!"

Letting go of the button, he slammed the radio on his desk then took out his cell phone. From the stories he heard from Nigel and Hazel, he knew that this beast had a vendetta against the herd in the valley. He knew they needed to be warned. He pressed the button on the top of his smartphone and activated the screen. Marcus punched in his four digit code, which then caused the screen to switch over to his Iron Man wallpaper with his various apps. He pressed the Contacts app at the lower left and searched for the one person he knew was in the Valley sector. He needed to call Hazel.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sometime later...that same afternoon

The Valley Sector

With all of the events that occurred over the past few weeks, Aladar wanted to have a relaxing day, devoid of any problems. The wounds he received from his battle days ago were healing and were at the point where the bandages were no longer needed. The feel of being free from those artificial bindings relieved the cerulean male. Although, the itchiness from the still recovering battle injuries irritated him at times. However, he knew they would heal with time. Sadly, the same could not be said for his burns. Aladar knew they would take a long time to heal, or even stay with him for the rest of his life. They were something he had to live with.

Everyone was gathered at the lake. Baylene, Eema, Martha, and Url lounged at the shore while all of his children, their friends, Plio and family played in the water. The mammoth, now welcomed to the friend circle, frequently brought her adopted niece to the Valley sector so that she could be with her friends. Although she still received warning signs and cautious reactions from the rest of the herd, she did her best to not let that get the best of her.

Flia was off with Hazel in the park, and from what the Aladar could glean from the previous encounter he had with them earlier, they were headed to visit Nigel about an important matter. The only one who lay by his side was his mate Neera, who was looking on at the small playful group in the lake. The day started off as normal...at least, until an unexpected visitor arrived.

"Aladar! Neera!" a gruff and desperate voice called from off to everyone's right.

They turned their heads expecting to see some herd member like Sarge greeting them due to the similarity in that tone. Unfortunately, their answer was completely different. The faces of the whole group, including the other dinosaurs that were gathered at the lake for a drink or passing by, gave the newcomer a sour gaze. Even those in the water stopped their splashing and playing to see what was going on. The one that was coming towards them was none other than Nero.

Witnessing the green Iguanodon approaching the alphas was unexpected and immediately put them on their guard. However, what surprised them even more was the state he was in.

Aladar and Neera had no idea what to make of the situation. Or more specifically, how some dinosaur as tough as Nero could get so beat up in a short amount of time. True, he did receive some well-deserved punishment a few days earlier for trying to usurp leadership of the herd, but that was predicted. This time, however, no one expected Nero to return to the valley limping and bloody. His life substance dripped with each step, leaving a trail of crimson splotches behind him. The Iguanodon's gigantic claw marks and distinctive bite mark on his back left everyone wondering what had happened to the bully when they weren't looking.

"Oh boy...look who decided to ruin the party…" Eema groaned. Next to her, Martha the mammoth slapped her forehead with her trunk in annoyance at the appearance of the unruly male. Url hid behind the immense sauropod amongst them, attempting to hide himself from the intruder.

Nearby the alphas just gave each other wary looks before turning their attention to the wounded Iguanodon. Although they did not want to have anything to do with Nero, they could not refuse his request to see them. After all, his wounds were also attracting everyone's attention. The smell of the trail of blood he was leaving created a metallic stench in the air.

"What is it now Nero?" Neera schooled her appearance into a more polite gesture. She did very well to hide her anger towards the attempted usurper, but only at an extent.

"Yeah what happened to you?" Zini playfully snarked from nearby. "Did you accidentally take a dip in Irwin's pond or something?"

That remark earned a scorned look from the wounded male. Zini slunk into the water in an attempt to hide from his burning stare. The male then returned his focus to the two alphas, his expression softening to that of desperation.

"Aladar, Neera, you must get the herd to evacuate this area now!"

The two herd leaders looked at each other for a moment in confusion before turning back to Nero. While Neera remained silent, her mate was the first to speak up.

"What are you talking about Nero?" he told him, half-annoyed and half-concerned. After all, how could anyone in the valley be in such danger. From the tour that Hazel gave of the park not too long ago, this place was deemed the safest to live in, even though there were carnivores. They were contained though and were kept under high security courtesy of the humans.

"We're all in danger here!" he stomped his left hoof, causing some dust on a dirt patch to fly up in a small cloud. "The Carnotaur from within the valley, it...HE has escaped!"

Everyone around the lake burst into gasps and screams. The herd that had gathered there began to fret about the terrible news. A number of them, especially the Struthiomimus in the area, ran around in circles or shifted in their positions nervously. Some let out furious roars meant for the one who had told them what had happened.

Martha looked over at the ones within the water. The children were all quaking in fear while the lemurs took to reaching the shore to join her and the elderly women she was with. Their fur dripped with water as they made their way over to Baylene's great form to take shelter at her body size. Sensing that things were about to get worse, the mammoth outstretched her trunk out to the younglings and did a "pull-in gesture". The children got the gist of it and quickly swam for the shore. Once they arrived, they stayed close to Martha for protection. Their scales, or skin for the little Mikiya, dripped with water onto the grass like little streams.

"That's impossible!" Neera blurted out, not wanting to believe a word Nero said. "There was no way that predator could have broken out on his own! The humans made sure of that with those walls they made, along with their 'security'!"

Aladar inhaled and eyed Nero with suspicion. Judging from the fresh wounds, the labored breathing, and the shifting gazes he made to the herd and back at the alphas, he knew he was hiding something. Wanting to know the full truth, he made his way over to the herbivore and stood mere inches from him; his watchful gaze peering into the wounded rival's soul.

"Nero, I can sense that you're not telling us something. Hazel and her kind here had things under control and reassured everyone that there was nothing to be worried about. They even took us in and cared for us after all that we had been through. So don't you dare try to antagonize the humans because I can see through it. Now reveal to everyone…" he reared his back to make himself look more in command. His posture intimidated Nero, though he did his best not to show that fear. "How did Diablo escape?"

The green herbivore opened his mouth in an attempt to reply, only to fall silent. His lips trembled at the thought of revealing the full truth. He had already created enough trouble, and saying what had really happened would only put him in deeper water. He wanted to escape, but with everyone watching, there was no way he could do that. There was only one thing to do…

"It was me," he let out a rough sigh. "I did it. I helped him escape."

The screams and gasps returned. The part of the herd that was gathered around the lake became even more active in a frightful frenzy. In fact, the others in the valley gathered around to see what was happening, only to find out the hard way when they learned what was going on. Furious dinosaurs, and even some of the lemurs that had the courage to be within the giants' presence, shot the newfound traitor accusations for his crime.

"You traitor!" a Pachyrhinosaurus accused from one side of the shore.

"Imbecile! You sold our lives to the enemy!? What's worse is you're leading him straight towards us!" Lethe, who had arrived in time to check up on her daughter and took her place next to the elders, shrieked at the ornithopod.

"You fool! You're no better than the Carnotaur himself!" a Styracosaurus spat.

Nero, now getting bombarded by the multitude of accusations, backed away in complete guilt. He never thought he could be faced with this much pressure from a large group of beings. Every insult shot at him was like a knife to his psyche. His intentions to release Diablo were logical, at least to him, but because of what he was going through now, it was also a stupid mistake.

Not only that, but this much pressure he was receiving felt...nostalgic in a weird way. Nero thought about the last time something like this happened, but when he did, he realized it was not directed at him. Instead, it was directed at the human known as Hazel. When she had revealed of her knowledge of the Fireball, the whole herd and her friends were turned against her. Was this what it felt like? Having the whole world hate you for an innocent mistake, although his was not as innocent?

An odd feeling pierced the very core of Nero's soul. He could not explain it, but it felt like something dug through his heart like a wound. He had not felt this sort of thing for a long time. For most of his life, he trained himself to be strong against any oncoming obstructions, whether they be physical or emotional. This time, his strength gave way. The accusations he was receiving was taking a toll on his psyche. For the first time in years, he felt an emotion that he never thought would come back to haunt him. He felt...hurt.

The herd leader looked upon him in anger and shame. Not only had he released the Carnotaur to fulfill his own selfish desires, but he had also led the predator to this part of the valley, with everyone in it! Aladar, now at the point where his rage could no longer be kept, bellowed at him at the top of his voice. "Nero how could you do this to us!? We took you in, we sheltered you from danger, we looked after you even though you didn't need it! You deliberately put the safety of everyone in this valley in jeopardy!"

"Diablo tricked me!" Nero defended, now roaring back at the leader. "He told me that he would help me in becoming leader of the herd if I helped him escape! And he would do so by-"

His sentence was cut off by a sharp accusation from the alpha male. "By killing me and those you hated? Just so that you could get what you wanted?"

Aladar's rage was now being let out. His inner emotions were now giving way. The Iguanodon's face was now flooding with fury at the one who had sold them out to a vicious predator. "Wanting to take me out to become leader is one thing. But selling out the safety of everyone to that monster is just pure evil! You betrayed us Nero! You've sunk even lower than I thought…"

He retreated a little from the new traitor then looked upon the herd. Their accusations quieted down at the sight of his steely gaze. "A crime such as this deserves nothing more than banishment from the herd."

Nero looked down in shame. His selfish desire had unwittingly costed the safety of everyone in the valley. He only wanted to get back at Aladar and Hazel for always getting in his way. But in proceeding to that goal, he had casted a death sentence onto everyone. His eyes turned away from the leader, not wanting to meet his cold gaze.

Aladar was about to add on to the retort when suddenly, a roar was heard from somewhere towards the main part of the park. The herd and everyone else turned to that direction at that very sound. To most of them, they knew what that sound was. It was a roar of victory, but not of the good kind. The bellow was enough to shatter even the hearing of anyone close by. It sounded like an animal trapped in a rage. It was deep, guttural, and sent shivers down everyone's spine. They knew what this sound was, and who it belonged to. It belonged to that of a Carnotaurus.

The herd leader shifted his gaze back to the forest colored one. His emerald eyes that were once filled with rage were now filled with resolve. "But now's not the time for that. If nothing is done now, then there won't be a herd to be banished from."

Nero's eyes widened in complete surprise and perked his head up. He was being let go? Just like that? Then again, it was because of the situation they were in now. The burly one watched the leader turn towards his mate and give her orders pertaining to what was coming.

Neera, who was just as surprised as everyone for witnessing her mate spare Nero, remained quiet to hear what he had to say.

"Neera, get the elders and all of the younglings away from here. I'll stay with the others to fight off that predator," he said without looking at her.

The fuschia Iguanodon rushed up to him and gave a worried look. "But Aladar, your wounds haven't fully healed!"

He sighed and stared at her reassuringly. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just get them to safety."

As much as she wanted to protest and stay with her love, Neera had to agree with him. The weak and the young would need a leader to bring them to safety. She knew what his plan was and she too was worried about the safety of everyone. She nodded in resolve then watched her mate turn to the entire herd.

"Everyone!" he proclaimed. "For those of you who can fight, stay with me! I want all the children and the old to follow Neera away from here!"

On cue, Neera made her way over to the herd and began to call over the elders and the children. They all followed her order without question and gathered at another part of the lake shore, where she could easily keep track of them. All of the younglings, most of the fraction being Iguanodons, cowered next to the older members of the herd. All of them waited as the rest of the group clustered into that area.

As for the rest of the herd, they milled about and packed together like they did the last time. They stood their ground and awaited Aladar's next orders. Although they were shifting in their positions and shivering nervously on the upcoming battle. A few of them wanted to just run and be with the group that was leaving. There were even a number that clamored amongst themselves, mostly on Nero betraying them to a carnivore like Diablo. They growled at him and shot him hateful glares.

The green Iguanodon, feeling that he had caused enough trouble, wanted to leave the area too. But not with Neera's part of the herd. The forest-green one made his way towards a nearby forest edge so that he could avoid the carnage he had caused. The bloody trail he left created a gigantic stain in the pristine plains of Prehistoric Park.

Aladar noticed this. He never liked Nero, but he could not help but feel pity for the dinosaur. He could not help it, but he somehow felt that he wanted to apologize. However, now was not the time for that, as he needed to help gather the strong and fit in the herd to fight off the incoming natural predator.

Aladar made his way to his older companions nearby. The elders took on a face of determination and nodded to him in understanding. The leader did not need to tell them what to do, but the same could not be said for the mammals on the sauropod's back. Zini was jumping in excitement while Aya was trying to subdue him with her arms. Plio held on to her daughter in an attempt to calm her fear, her tears streaming from her eyes. The only one who put on a brave face was Yar.

"Guys," he directed to the prehistoric primates. "Gather the rest of the clan and go with Neera. I don't want you here when Diablo arrives."

The yellow lemur's mouth fell agape. "Aw come on! At least let me help you out! I can take him on!"

Aladar shook his head in disagreement. "Sorry Zini, but it's too dangerous. Besides, this valley is going to turn into a war ground if things get out of hand."

Plio, although very worried about her adopted son's safety along with the rest of the herd, gave him a face of understanding. She placed her hand on her brother's shoulder and gestured him, along with everyone else, to make their way towards the gather group of elders and younglings a few feet away from the left shore of the lake.

"Don't worry Aladar, we'll get everyone out."

The blue-green Iguanodon gave her a small smile. He knew the brown and white lemur would get things done. After watching his family and the elders retreat, he then turned his attention to the mammoth near him. Specifically, he paid attention to the children that hid behind the megafauna's leg. The kids peered out from behind the mammoth's great girth and stared at the herd leader, who looked upon them with a bit of strictness.

"Kids, I want you to go with the others."

The younglings all nodded in agreement to that. Well...except for Talin and Mikiya. They were the only ones that showed disappointment for not being able to attend in the fight. Their frowns were apparent on their faces; in fact, the little elephant calf gave him the puppy dog eyes. Aladar saw right through that ruse and ignored it. However, his eldest son was much more...straightforward.

"No way Dad!" he shook his head. "I'm staying to help you out!"

"No Talin, you go and be with your mother. I don't want you being involved in something like this," he strictly told him.

"But I want to help you! The story of you and mom and the herd fending off a Carnotaur involved the other younglings helping out!" the little blue-green child pleaded. "So I should help out too!"

His father shot him a parental scolding look. The thought of his own son risking his life to help the herd was noble, but not at this time. He was too young and had his whole life ahead of him. Plus, he could not bear the thought of his own flesh and blood dying at the hands of one of his enemies.

"That was a different situation!" he argued. He then let out a sigh then gestured the children over to Neera nearby. "Look, this is no time to be arguing. The longer we stay like this, the closer Diablo will arrive in the valley. I want you to be with your mother and help protect the others. Can you do that for me?"

A moment passed and Talin gave him a depressing nod. He sighed and gestured his friends and sisters to move to where the alpha female was. Soon, they joined the ranks of the other younglings and elders. However, only one stayed behind, and it wasn't one of the children. Aladar looked upon the megafauna with a questioning look, and got one of resolve in response.

"Aladar, that monster threatens the safety of my Sisterhood and all in this valley. Please, it would be an honor if you would allow me to fight by your side," she asked him with every ounce of dignity.

Aladar may have only just met her days ago, but he could see from that very first time they met that she was a reliable friend. The herd leader replied to her answer by shooting her a smile before heading over to the brave ones that will fight. His gait was quick, but it was still at a good walking pace that Martha could keep up with. To the other herd members that witnessed the new ally, they could not believe such a massive and strange creature would want to fight by them. However, they felt that her assistance could turn the tides on the battle.

"Thanks Martha. We're going to need all the help we can get," Aladar said, taking his place at the front of the troops. The mammoth took her place next to him, ready to fight as well.

Things were going well from then on. Aladar stood at the front, like a true warrior. Within himself, he felt courage, pride, and determination all mixed up into a ball. The adrenaline was already coursing through his body like mad rivers. Although he felt a tinge of fear, he knew that as long as the herd was together, they would succeed. And with the help of a massive mammal like Martha, things could not go wrong.

"Alright everyone, this is just like last time!" he hollered over the clamoring of the herd. "Remember, stand together! It's the only way to prevent him from getting us one by one!"

The resolve in the herd intensified. Their fearless leader, though still wounded from his previous battles, was determined to see the light of tomorrow. They had seen this before, back when they were backed into a corner a year ago. He had fearlessly stood his ground and fought off the Carnotaurus. Now, he was about to do it again. The feeling they were sensing now was none other than his courage.

Well, that beautiful moment was interrupted by a couple of screams off to their right. They looked over and were horrified to see a large, squat reptilian lumbering his way over to their leader. The others screamed and backed away, except for the megafauna and the head ornithischian. Those two were the only ones that did not perceive this intruder as a threat, because they knew him very well. This creature had dark, sharpened scales, a long body with small legs, and an elongated head with a jaw that had small teeth jutting out. The intruder was none other than Irwin the Deinosuchus.

The ruckus had also attracted the departing group that Neera was leading. They turned to see that large reptile and were surprised to see it speaking to him. Now they were confused as to whether this one was a threat or an ally if their alpha male was not frightened by his appearance. Only the elders, the lemurs, Neera, Talin, Alden, and their friends were the only ones that showed no fear, although they were just as puzzled as everyone else.

"Finally!" he gasped when he settled down before the leader of the Valley herd. "Took me a while to find you mate!"

"Irwin?" Aladar cocked his head to the side in confusion. "What are you doing here? And how did you get here?"

"Oh it was easy mate!" he used his head to gesture over behind him to a particular part of the valley. The dinosaurs looked over there and noticed the river that ran near that part of the sector they were at. It was just in front of that part of the forest and ran as long as the park itself. "I took the water ways."

"But what about that collar that the humans put on you?" Martha added. "How did you manage to bypass that wall?"

"Believe me Martha," the prehistoric crocodilian chuckled. "Those shocks hurt like hell, but after making my way through, they turned into tickles."

"Irwin, have you seen Hazel and Flia anywhere?" Aladar asked him with earnest.

The crocodile looked at him and frowned. "I saw your flyer friend in the park. She was following the mess Diablo was causing. Most likely tracking him down. As for that little ankle-biter, I haven't seen her anywhere..."

Aladar shuddered at that thought. Hazel not being with Flia was definitely ill news. She could be anywhere now, either trying to stop the Carnotaur from approaching or trying to rally the other keepers to stop him. Hazel not being with the herd and not being seen with the other humans made him worry even more.

"Now as to why I'm here…" Irwin's reptilian eyes bore a sign of worry. "I came here as quickly as I could on these stubby little legs. You guys well aware of what's going down now?"

Aladar answered him with a worried sigh. "Diablo's escaped and is now coming this way. I don't know what kind of trouble he's causing now, but we're well prepared for his arrival. We faced this kind of situation before...and we can do it again."

"Well I'm glad to see you guys are pretty enthusiastic about this," Irwin sarcastically remarked. "But you guys have bigger problems to deal with at the moment…"

His response earned him puzzled looks from Aladar and Martha. What kind of problem could be bigger than facing that blasted Carnotaurus? Both creatures wanted to know what this crocodile knew, but whatever it was, they felt in their guts that it could not be good.

"What is it Irwin? What's going on?" the blue-green Iguanodon questioned.

Irwin was about to respond when a series of squawks were heard from the direction of the nearest border. Everyone turned towards that direction and noticed a small shape approaching them. This creature was coming at a very high speed, matching that of the Velociraptors they encountered in their travels.

But the creature that was coming was no raptor. It was bipedal, with mostly yellow feathers and a black stripe going down on each side from his head to his body. Three stray white feathers stuck up on his head like little spikes. His arms were actually small, near discreet wings and his beak looked like it was powerful enough to crush a skull. To those that have encountered this park nuisance in the past, they knew him as Espantos. However, he was normally cheerful. Seeing him completely terrified was something new.

"RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!" he screamed and made his way towards the herd.

The behemoths quickly parted a pathway for the oncoming bird. They did not know what he meant and a number of them did not want to get run down by him. Others really had no intention to get involved with the strange two-legged. The questionable bird disappeared as fast as he reappeared, making his way around the lake shore and over to the rest of the valley.

"What's up with Espantos?" Aladar blurted out, wanting to know what had frightened the avian so much.

Irwin merely shook his great head at that. He may have been in the park for a long time, but he had never seen that Terror Bird so frightened before. "Nothing scares that bloke...this is really not good at all."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, there's trouble in the park mate. Diablo busting out is not only getting the humans into a frenzy, but also everyone else."

"Oh no…" the mammoth gasped. Everyone looked at her only to see the faintest shivers underneath her thick layer of hair. Martha was panting and was staring at the ground for some reason.

Thump. The vibration went passed her feet in a split second.

Thump, thump. This time, two came in at a faster rate.

Thump, thump, thump. Now they were getting faster and more out of sync until there were so many of them at one time.

None who were in the valley knew this, but elephants, and mammoths like Martha, had keener senses than other animals. Specifically, their hearing was outstanding and so was their smell. Pachyderms could also detect the faintest tremors in the earth via their feet. If a vibration was felt, such as a tremor, the elephants would be one of the first to know about it. They could even escape an earthquake before it hit if they had the chance.

But what Martha was feeling was nothing like that. Those around her were questioning as to why she was so scared all of a sudden. Moments ago, she was determined to fight off Diablo. Now, it was as if all of that courage faded away.

"What's wrong Martha?" Irwin rumbled.

"Something...something big is coming. And it is closing in on us...fast!" she cried out.

Aladar walked over to her, leaving his position at the front of the line. "Martha tell us! What's coming? Is it Diablo?"

She shook her head. "No...it is not him. It's something bigger."

"Bigger?" the Deinosuchus cocked an eye ridge at her. "Oh no, Sheila! Don't tell me that's what I think it is!"

Martha let out a terrified groan in response. This sort of sound was typical of elephants when they are communicating with each other. Their sounds can let others know how they are feeling or used for other situations. In this case, she is letting them know that danger was coming. This puzzled the dinosaurs, but Irwin got the gist of it easily.

"It is not a single entity. I can detect vibrations in the ground with my feet. It is how we know our surroundings when covering great distances, communicating with Sisters miles away or detecting anything that is coming. But this...it is not one big creature...it is many…"

"Oh crikey…" Irwin gasped in a most primeval hiss. "They're here! Aladar, get the herd out of the way!"

Just then, the vibrations became even stronger and out of control. So uncontrollable that it felt like a little tremor was happening within the valley. The herd, and even Martha herself, lost balance at the sudden shakes in the ground. All of them attempted to remain on their feet, whether it was by the earth shake or the weak knees from the incoming strike. All of the prehistoric creatures shifted in their positions to try to regain balance.

Martha then screamed at the top of her lungs. Her cry was mixed with that of a shrieking elephant, making the warning that much more terrifying.

"EVERYBODY SCATTER!"

Both factions of the herd could not make out what she meant by that. But they did not need to think about that for long. Coming over the crest of the hill ahead of them was a hoard of animals. They came towards them in a frightful craze. The end of the crowd was not definite, but it was very large.

The multitude of the hoard included the Borealosaurus flock, the Ornithomimus flock, two Triceratops, one burly Elasmotherium, the Therizinosaurus tribe, the elephant herd, and the Plateosaurus troop. Staying barely ahead of being trampled underfoot were the Saber-Cats, each with a cub in their jaws and eager to get away from the stampede. The incoming group may be smaller, but the sheer size of the sauropods and the force the others were coming in with were enough to ruin the unity.

The whole herd scattered from the incoming stampede. Everyone ran about all over the place in a craze. The lake shore may have stopped the incoming Residents from proceeding any further, but that resulted in them running about the area where the herd was.

The gigantic sauropods ran about in circles around that part of the valley. Each turn they made caused their tails to follow them. The sharp turns resulted in their tails to end in a whip-crack. Those that were unfortunate enough to be in their way were swiped by the side of the freestanding body appendage. Their feet were also a hazard as well; the smaller dinosaurs frantically avoided being in the way of the giants so as to avoid being crushed by their weight.

The elephants, Triceratops, and Elasmotherium did the same too. Only they were armed with sharp horns and/or tusks to make up for the lack of sheer size compared to the other bigger Residents. The adults that were about their size put maximum effort into avoiding their protruding weapons, especially after they witnessed a fully adult Iguanodon get batted aside effortlessly courtesy of the male Ice Age rhino's 7-ft horn. Getting stabbed by them in the heart was one of the last things they wanted to go through.

Those that were near the Therizinosaurus were having a tough time. Being around complete strangers, the feathered potbellied behemoths saw everything as a potential hazard. Continuously, whenever one of the Residents got too near, they would swipe their large claws at them. A number of them already obtained large gashes on their ribs. Bloody dripping from the new wounds, staining the fertile grass.

The other Residents caused just as much trouble too. The Plateosaurus and Ornithomimus sprinted in all directions, frightened out of their wits. In their confused state, they would accidentally kick the younglings away, bruising them. Or they would run into other Residents or herd members in a panic, getting stunned or hurt in the process.

Sabrina and César were able to find and scale a large acacia tree, luckily high enough to avoid being stepped on by the much larger Residents. The two Smilodons both carried the young Saber-Cubs Tai and Sable safely by the nape of their necks to the safety of their refuge's branches, which they set down when they were out of immediate danger; panting and sucking in air from their physical exertion. Both adult Pleistocene hunters were exhausted from sprinting a majority of their travel there. Their Smilodon physique was too muscled and stocky, meant to take down large mega-fauna, not long distance running. However, with the threat of being squashed in the panicked frenzy of their neighbor's giant footsteps, they had more than enough motivation to keep them ahead of the stampede.

Everyone screamed or let out bellows. Residents and herd individuals accidentally colliding into each other, loved ones getting separated, the children in the herd doing their best to avoid getting stomped or bumping into the more robust adults, and injuries being inflicted by complete accident. That part of the valley at this moment could be described by one word: chaos.

Those that managed to avoid the frenzy could only watch as the disorder continued. Aladar and Martha observed in complete shock at what was happening. Not once in their lives had something like this happened to them. It was also at this moment that Irwin tried to warn them of this. The crocodile, though cumbersome on land, was also quick on his feet for short periods of time. At the last minute, he managed to sprint out of the way of the incoming stampede and make his way back around the herd and getting into the lake for safety.

None of them knew this, but all this chaos happened within the last couple of minutes. But to them, it felt like longer.

"Oh no...Mikiya!" Martha screamed and then dove into the fray, determined to find her adopted niece before it was too late.

"Martha wait!" Aladar called for her.

Before he could get in to stop the mammoth from causing trouble for the herd in her own worried craze, he was stopped by a deep chuckle. His whole body froze at the sound of that laugh. He slowly turned around and gasped in horror at the form standing a few feet from him.

The creature was large, slightly taller than that of Martha or anyone else. His thick red hide was dotted with small horns and a cream underbelly adorned his ventral side. Two larger horns jutted out from above his eyes, creating a menacing appearance. His jaws were open, dripping with saliva and revealing dagger-like teeth.

Aladar knew this creature very well. He encountered him and another of his kind last year a couple of times. This same creature backed the whole herd into a corner and was defeated by him, Neera, Flia, and Hazel. He also knew he was the same one he saw days ago when Hazel showed him around the park. There was no mistaking it...he came back like a persistent disease, this time with a vengeance.

"Aladar, I finally found you," he rumbled with laughter and took a step forward. The ground shook under his weight, making Aladar back up in fear. "You and I have something to... Discuss…"

Diablo had arrived.