A/N: I return my subjects! THE I's have it! Ya'll are getting another chapter! For any wondering, YES I have seen Jurassic World, and I bloody loved it! Indominus Rex was indeed a bloody clever girl, downright remarkable, really. I found that her death was rather sudden, however, amusing as it was.
And when I saw that there were so few Naruto crossovers with it and all the INSANITY that takes places throughout, well, the gears in my mind got to turning. As another note, this is a sort of prequel to the "Not Going Home" series as a whole, chronicling the adventures of our dimension hopping blond.
Therefore, before reading this, I SERIOUSLY suggest you stop and read that, first.
LET THE NEW ERA BEGIN! Also yes, I've purged another few stories as of this mark. Now...
...off we go! I proudly present another chapter for Clever Girl! Its meant to be short and sweet, so I hope ya like it! AND YES, I take some unabashed shots at Jurassic Park Three, here =D And yes, I strongly believe that there was more than one Spino only Isla Sorna. This story reflects that belief. Now...
...for reals this time! Hope ya like it! Its nice and long! And the FEELS! Prepare yourself for the funny's AND feels! Its derpy, funny, silly, and filled with dram at the end!
"I do not understand the meaning of this word."
"What word?"
"This one."
"Oh, that...that's...family."
"Meaning?"
"Its...I guess you could say its like pack. You and me, that's what we are. Family."
"Family...hmm. I like it."
~Naruto and Indy!
Gibberish
Why must I write in this infernal thing?!
Papa insisted that I learn the art of writing, so here I am. Ha! A laughable skill. What need have I of paltry pens and notes when I am the queen of all I survey?! I know how to hunt, walk, talk, and speak. What more do I need to know? Still, I promised him I would write in this infernal thing, if only to keep a leash on my thoughts and prove I'm not some dumb brute. I have a mind, a heart, a soul. I am an individual. I have learned the simple joy in living off the land, seen the beauty of an island left untamed by the two legs, witnessed the savagery that only the strong survive.
My existence has been...a strange one, to say the least.
For as long as I can remember, Papa has been everything to me. Father. Daddy. Alpha. Pack. Yet when he tells me that we'll be leaving this place soon...I am given pause. Not just this island, but he tells me once he's completed his business on this "Jurassic World" as he calls it, we'll be going somewhere else entirely.
Do I want that? Am I ready to do that? Leave behind everything I've known?
I'm sure that, were he to read this, he would point out that yes, I still stumble on occasion and refuse to grasp the concept of shoes-far better to feel the grass beneath one's feet-but I am still me. I am here. I am alive and I am not alone.
And I am NOT going away.
He tells me I am almost ready now, that soon, very soon, we can go back to the place of my birth. But at a cost. I have to remain in this fleshy form for the duration of our stay. While I no long abhor it as I once did the idea of walking amongst so many two-legs in such a vulnerable body has me on edge.
I am...what is the word...?
Afraid.
Yes, that's the one.
I HATE being afraid.
But more than that I hate...hate...HATE...
...that he brought this horrible man into our camp!
"RAAAAAARGH!"
Naruto didn't so much as twitch when the tree trunk sailed right over his head. He didn't deign to open his eyes in the least, even when the massive oak crashed into the lake and doused him with gallons of water. He'd become accustomed to such outbursts as his charge grew-after all, she had puberty to contend with, and that was hell for anyone, let alone a unique, one of a kind shape-shifting hybrid like herself. But outright ripping a tree out of the ground and tossing it at him was new.
Even for her.
"Something wrong?" he opened an eye, the lone blue orb staring complacently out at the towering Rex looming over him, a mere meter away. Anyone else would have soiled themselves and screamed for their mommy like a little girl. Naruto barely batted an eyelash at the glowering maw of teeth and fangs about to bite his head off. Indy clicked her jaw at him, snarling furiously. A series of senses assaulted him, conveying anger and displeasure and...was that fear?
"You know I can't understand you when you're like that." he said, smiling up at her. "Use your words."
You!
Indy snorted angrily, a cloud of steam blasted the matted mane of his hair back on his head. In barely a blink an angry young woman stood before him, her bright orange eyes hot and angry on him. A quivering finger thrust itself into his face, mercilessly jabbing his nose. In the back of his mind he remained grateful that she'd learned to shift while wearing clothes; he'd no desire to get an eyeful from someone who was practically a daughter to him...partner...whatever the word was.
"I am...frustrated!" she exclaimed spinning away from him with a hiss, the motion causing her white sundress to flare furiously out at her hips. Naruto quietly facepalmed. The concept of modesty was utterly lost on the young Rex; thankfully she'd remembered to wear briefs as well, today. He wasn't about to go into the matter of explaining the principle of clothes and why people needed to wear them again. That was one escapade he had no desire to repeat.
"Okay, frustrated. Why-oh dear."
Chomp!
Before he could complete that thought Indy spun around and bit him, her sharp teeth sinking into the yielding flesh of his right bicep with an angry nomming sound. Yet another nervous tick, she'd taken to nipping him when she was well and truly stressed. Now she was glowering bloody red daggers at him, refusing to release her hold. He knew perfectly well that-even in her human form!-she had the strength to rip the limb clean off his body if he tried to struggle, so instead, he simply sat there, bemused by her actions.
"I can see that." he deadpanned, staring at her down the length of his bleeding bicep with all the patience only a rogue deity could muster, "Why?"
With an angry squelching sound, Indy let go of her favorite chew toy.
"I could ask you the same thing!" her voice rose audibly, veritably keening in distress on a subvocal level. "Why must I suffer the presence of this...this...intruder?!"
"Who, Stein? He's harmless!"
"Yes! AND NO HE IS NOT! He looks like a...what is the word for that stitched monster from the book you showed me?"
"Frankenstein?" Naruto offered.
"YES! THAT! It is not natural! Neither is he!"
"Look, Indy, I may be a deity, but I'm no doctor." the blond replied, picking himself up and drying himself off with a snap of the fingers. "Stein is. Better yet, he's an old friend of mine; one that won't try to dissect you unless you bite him. He's only here for a few days, checking you for infections and the like. Then he's back to his world."
"He poked me." she muttered, grasping at straws.
"After you growled at him yesterday," Naruto soothed, "I'm sure he did."
Her expression didn't change. Naruto felt his smile taper down into a frown.
"Something else is bothering you." It wasn't a question.
Indy went very still.
For a moment he thought she was going to bolt again; run off into the jungle, as she always did when she didn't want to talk. This time, something rooted her. Those bright amber eyes burning like twin fires, suddenly quelled themselves, becoming almost subdued somehow. She fidgeted restlessly on bare feet, kicking up bits of wet mud and dried leaves as she shifted. Her arms hugged her torso fiercely, fingers gripped at her arms tightly. Naruto said nothing, he simply waited for her to speak, as was her wont.
And eventually, she did."
"I think about this...this...this place we are to visit," she began slowly, pacing away from him, "And I am frightened!" In a blink she whirled back, glaring at him as though this were somehow his fault. "I should not be! I have nothing to fear! You said so yourself! I'm strong! I'm powerful! So why do I feel this fear?" Bright amber eyes bored into him, demanding an answer, as though she honestly expected him to help her rationalize her fear. Perhaps she did. Naruto sighed, pushing a hand through the spiky tresses of his matted mane of hair, contemplating her question, the strangeness of it.
She wasn't rightly a teenager anymore, more an adolescent than not, but it was moment like this that reminded him just how young she truly was.
Spirits, she was growing up so fast.
Crunch.
Indy started slightly as her protector stood suddenly, the abruptness of the movement obliterating the dead leaves at her feet. Everything in her told her to shift and bolt; it was only through a supreme effort of will that the young Indominus managed to hold her ground and stand fast as he approached her...
...and laid a hand on her head.
"It's alright to be scared, Indy." Naruto soothed, rubbing her scalp. "You're only-
A furious hiss snaked between her clenched teeth.
-only what, human?! I'm not! I don't even know what I am anymore!"
"You're someone very special to me. That's all that matters."
Her petulant pout didn't fade.
"Would you feel better if you had a mother?" he offered.
The question, sudden and unexpected as it was, nearly floored her.
"I have no need for a mother." turning her head, she nuzzled his hand, purring softly. "I have you."
She wasn't expecting the laughter. "True enough, I suppose. So, you wanna play the word game, again?
Her eyes widened.
"The Word Game" as Naruto put it, wasn't really much of a game at all when you knew about it. It consisted of him conjuring up a dictionary and teaching her new words, ones she chose herself. He did so now, trying to ignore the uncomfortable sensation of the slight hybrid taking up residence in her lap. Some things would never fade, he supposed. Trying to push her off-and keep her off-when she was like this warranted more harm than good and by this point, he simply didn't have the willpower to resist.
"I do not understand the meaning of this word." she thrust her finger impotently at the series of syllables that confounded her so. "You did not tell me its meaning, yesterday."
"What word?"
"This one." she pointed.
"Oh, that...that's...family."
"Meaning?"
"Its...I guess you could say its like pack. You and me, that's what we are. Family."
Indy blinked. Then, slowly almost gradually, a smile formed on that pale, perfect face.
"Family...hmm. I like it."
Today is the day.
He tells me I'm ready and maybe I am. I have spent weeks preparing for this day, without truly knowing what to expect. Father insists that I should expect the unexpected, but wait, does that mean I shouldn't expect him to expect my expectations...gah. My head hurts just thinking about it. Understanding his mind requires an intellect I do not have, a mind I could never truly hope to match. Perhaps that is why I am afraid but, that fear is overshadowed by another emotion.
Yes, I dare say, I am excited.
Today, I will see others of my kind-perhaps even another like me!-but he tells me that they cannot simply change their shape as I can. That I am unique. Does this make me better? I do not think so. Curious, on the other hand...most certainly.
I believe I am ready.
...I suppose we shall find out.
Indy understood humility.
She'd had the concept beaten into her since she was a hatchling; yes, she was fast, she was strong, but she was not the strongest. Naruto held that title. She knew that the world was a big place and her sanctuary was only one small corner of it and that one day she would have to leave that sheltered cove and venture out into the world, whether she wanted to or not. With or without Naruto. She' told herself she'd always known that, from the very beginning. And she'd thought herself ready.
Now?
Not ready.
Not ready at all!
She squirmed like a restless child as she walked amongst the two-leggeds. Her hand clutched Naruto's like a life line; she feared he would vanish into smoke the moment she let go. Her eyes itched horribly beneath the sunglasses she'd been forced to wear in lieu of painful contact lenses, but her mind was a-whirl with possibilities. Every fiber of her being ached for action, longing to investigate the senses that assailed her. She felt like a nestling all over again, an infant newborn unable to accept the sheer assault on her psyche.
And she was utterly delighted by it.
So many sights!
Many sounds!
Smells!
Her eyes raced wildly as they stepped off the boat. She glanced to and fro, an eager dog straining at her leash. Naruto humored her by following, but he never once let go. In hindsight, she supposed she couldn't blame him after the tree incident-still had a nasty temper, she did.
"Excited?"
She risked a glance back at Naruto, frowning.
"How do you do it? There's so much...
"Try breathing. It helps. And not eating the humans."
She sniffed. "But they smell so good~!'
"Whaaaat did you just say?"
Indy gulped. "That I, ah, love you very much?"
"I did not just hear that. Did you, bro?
"Nope, not at all.
Zach and Gray Mitchell, nephews of Claire Dearing, stared back at the pair on the dock almost in disbelief. The younger of the two brothers thought that for a moment-just a moment-he actually saw a tail whisper into existence behind this strange waif of a girl.
Indy smiled and placed a lone finger to her lips.
"Sh."
Gray could only stare.
"Or better yet, run." Naruto flashed his teeth in a menacing smile. "Before you get eaten!"
The boys didn't stand around to see if he was serious or not;
"When someone earns my respect, that means I do not rest. I devote all my energy, everything I have, to either killing them or getting them on my side. Or in your case, keeping you far and away from any boys, one age and all. They weren't good enough for Indy-his Indy-Not a one of them!
"Why did you do that?!"
"Keeping an eye out for you."
"That sounds like a hypocrite."
"Yes, I am a hypocrite." he chirruped happily. "A splendid, silly, overbearing hypocrite who will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. A loving, doting hypocrite who-
-when next he looked, Indy was gone.
Naruto felt his eyes bulge.
"OI, oi where did she go?!"
Naruto's remaining briefcase exploded in his hand, showering himself with shattered shards of broken plastic. Lifting his head slowly, he craned his neck loosely and somewhat eratically to look at the direction of the in which she'd gone,-a twitching, spasmodic movement to his motions.
"Oi, oi, oi, my bad luck strikes again, it seems."
The fun had only just begun.
Indy stared at her "sibling" in disbelief.
She had followed the scent here, to this her here, in this paddock, leaving a note behind the promise to return the moment she finished her business. Towering walls on either side threatened to stir her claustrophobia all over again, even in her large body she felt small and puny compared to those great towering monoliths. Of course, she could scale the walls at any time in her human form, but the towering spires invoked a strange sense of unease all the same. An irritated snarl snaked between her teeth.
The sudden presence of yet another dominant animal, however, commandeered her attention.
It wasn't long before she spotteed the creature, lurking between the branches.
"Come out!"
Everything collapsed down around her as she saw the beast's bulk, met its cold gaze. She could feel it crushing her. Everything was moving so fast. She was drowning in water she couldn't see. Every fear she'd ever had came back to her at once. Monsters surrounded her. Her stomach inverted, her hope shriveled out of existence and her heart caved in.
Indy glared back at her twin-doppleganger?-for long several seconds without letting up, veins throbbing visibly in her forehead. Those amber blue eyes were cast in shadow, and gleaming with baleful light. His angry lips were curled back almost of their own accord, barring her teeth in a decidedly vicious snarl.
"What are you...?
"ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US."
...what.'
Another series of snarls and chirps.
"MY HOVERCRAFT IS FULL OF EELS."
'Mocked. I...am I being mocked, here?' Indy snorted in disbelief, baffled by the creature-her sibling?-odd vocalizations before her. 'You, there! Beast! Make sense!' Its grunts and warbles sounded warped and distorted, by comparison, mindless gibberish that made not a lick of sense besides. She stared at the creature for a long moment, this twin, this reflection of herself. It mirrored her movements, looked just like her, only larger-a good foot longer
"MY-
'Quiet!' Indy snapped, roaring, and the larger creature cowered as though it had been struck. 'Cease your gibberish!'
There was a moment of shared silence between them-comprehension, perhaps?-as the two dinosaurs stared one another down. Indy clicked her jaw, irritated.
'Are you talking to-
"SOMEONE SET US UP THE BOMB."
An orange eye twitched.
'Die.'
Then she pounced!
A/N: Aye, this is a two-three-shot primarily to show how Naruto both met and "tamed" if you will, Indominus Rex, who will appear later on during his travels. Of course we all know she's a savage beast, but I like to think that she's misunderstood because of her horrible upbringing...just a little...
So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly? Hope you enjoyed the story! And of course, enjoy the preview! Hope it makes ya grin! It also hints at another story...one that's gonna blow your socks off!
(Preview)
"Oh, I've got an idea~!"
"I do not see the point of that." Indy sighed, looking up from her clawed fingers, uncaring as the the deadly razors shifted back to harmless human nails once more, "What could you possibly mean by-what you doing with my egg?" Amber eyes watched him intently, never once leaving the prize in his hands. She was wholly protective of her clutch, every one of them Naruto knew; just as he knew she was going to bite his head off if he didn't explain himself posthaste.
"Now wait just a second! Don't get all bitey!"
Pearly whites flashed. "Explain yourself."
Her offspring held limitless possibilities; even she herself admitted she didn't truly know what would hatch from the tiny cluster she'd spawned.
"C'mon, its just one egg. I thought I'd go poking around with it."
"'Tis my egg." she hissed."
"Reading Shakespeare again, huh?" When her leer didn't abate he deflated with a sigh. "Look, if its that important to you, I'll just conjure up another one from your DNA. After all, we have to do SOMETHING with it. Its not like we could-oh."
"Oh? Oh, what?"
Naruto simply grinned. "I've an idea."
"You already said that."
"Libel! How would you like to meet me when I was first starting out?"
Her head tilted. "I do not see the appeal. I like you as you are; not some powerless weakling. Why would I wish to meet an alternate version of you?"
"I'll take you to my favorite hunting grounds~!"
The queen's head whipped around so swiftly he was certain she'd given herself whiplash.
Her eyes sparkled.
"Truly?!"
R&R~! =D