A/N: ALright, alright, one more! Everyone was begging for an epilogue after last chapter, so here we be! To clarify, the "preview" ya'll saw at the end, as already said, is work from another story revolving soley around Diny and Indy. Also, got some hate on Claire's death. Think about it folks, Naruto plays god because he enjoys messing with shit. He does NOT, however, enjoy seeing the world get screwed over by people who only care about making a quick buck, however.
HUZZAH MY DUCKLINGS HAVE FINALLY HATCHED! Now I have A BUNCH of little baby quackers to take care of and they are so bloody CUTE! So happy right now...
...alright, moment of glee over!
I return again 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 very 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 before venturing into the silliness that is this crack ficlet.
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. I also credit the brilliant Muddle Not Fiddle by Evilfuzzy9 for inspiring me to do this. 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-full of fourth-wall breaking-silly, not to mention filled with drama at the end and...THE RESULT OF YOUR VOTES!
It makes me a little sad, knowing that this story is coming to a close, for reals this time. So...
...onto the story.
"Charlie bit me!"
"...*snicker*..."
"What? I do not enjoy being bitten!"
~Naruto and Indy~!
Epilogue
Well!
It seems things aren't quite over after all.
When I tried to leave, a certain SOMEONE called NEONZANGETSU walked up to me, smacked me in the face, an' told me to SIT THE FUCK DOWN AND FINISH THE STORY. Bastard. I was all set to head out a brand new adventure, but then he decided to tug the leash. I'll have to kick his ass for that, someday. Oh, but if I did that, he'd stop creating universes for me to muck with...
You see, dear reader, truth is, I've been holding out on you in this diary. Just a little. See, there's a bit of the story I DIDN'T tell. Because lets face it; if Indy found out I was writing this last little bit not only would she burn this journal, but she'd burn ME. She's very protective of her private life, after all. And can you blame her? When you grow up as a living lab experiment, you hold onto what you can, no matter the cost.
In her case, that's privacy. She's painfully aware that she could've ended up like Diny; blissfully unaware, yet, broken at the same time. I think it frightens her. Not to mention she's pissed to all hell at me for what I've done-what I did, what I continue to DO with every waking breath. I let myself go wild on that island for a reason, let that darkness out to prove a point. I even brought the Joker-whom I rarely associate with unless I'm in a foul mood-out of that cage I slapped him in-out of the multiverse to play.
All to prove a point to the world, to terrify them.
And by Jove did I make that point.
Ingen, what's left of it, won't touch the island with a thousand yard pole, now that everyone's been evacuated. And now, my oh my, all of Ingen's holdings have been bought up by a new company. Hmm...now who has the balls to do such a thing? Do you understand what I'm saying?
I OWN this island.
Now, you already know part of this story-we went and dropped an egg mixed with her DNA and mine in the lap of an alternate me, which gave birth to Blue II, or as we just call her, Blue Jr. That's a tale that's still being told. What you don't know is what we did before, during, and AFTER that little escapade. I'm sure many of you are wondering; oi, Naruto, when and WHY the hell did you marry Indy? She's nuttier than a fruitcake! Well, there's a simple answer for that one.
Love makes you do crazy things. Terrible, wild, irrevocable things.
So...
...I guess this is what happened after those things...
Claire woke up.
That was her first surprise; that she woke to blackness.
'I'm not dead.'
That was her next.
She lay in her bed, inside her apartment on the island, feeling as if someone had picked her up and slammed her against the wall a few times. Like she'd been shoved through a cheese grater and pieced back together. She groaned, sitting up in the darkness. In the dim light her hands seemed almost unnaturally bright and she ached, she ached, oh how she ached, her head pounding. With a soft moan she sat up further; it made her body feel even worse, but confusion dulled the pain to a slight edge as she sat there, blinking.
"Where...?"
She held her arm up in front of her. It still shook slightly, and she couldn't make it stop.
Wait.
Why was she in her bed? The last thing she remembered was...those hands...
Memories came rushing back in a blinding, white wave of agony.
Pain.
Agony.
No air...
...Dying...
...Death.
"I feel sick...
"Hell of a trip, eh? Genjutsu does that to ya."
The brunette started slightly as a voice spoke within the shadows. Peering into the faint morning light she saw a figure leaning on a nearby chair-lounging almost. His face remained hidden, sheltered by shadow. But the voice, she knew that voice. That voice was one of the last things she'd heard.
"You!" it was a yelp.
"Me."
"You killed me!"
"Nope."
Funny how a simple word could take your mind and throw it off the tracks and into oblivion.
"But...I...you...hands...
"You'd best start believing in fiction stories, miss Dearing." came the catcall. "You're in one."
Claire's first and immediate instinct was to scramble backwards, out of the way but a flick of his fingers turned her muscles to stone. She sat there, paralyzed unable to move as he stood. A fine sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead. What was he
"You know," Naruto's voice began, "Its not often that I do something like this, Claire."
"D-Do what...?"
The figure turned, sighing. "Your nephews were very...persuasive. They reminded me who I really am; I'm a good guy. I ain't here just to kill people for shits and giggles." His finger snapped and just like that she found herself able to move again, skittering back and away from the approaching shadow that terrified her so. Somehow, she managed to find the strength to be indignant. Zach! Gray!
"If you hurt them...!"
"Oh, relax. They're sleeping soundly in the next room. Your assistant, too. Death by Mosasaur is a nasty thing. Couldn't have that happening, ya know?"
Claire...didn't think she had an answer to that.
"Lets be clear on something here," the bed creaked slightly as he sat down beside her, blue eyes flashing like chips of diamond. "Clear the air, ya know. That little strangling bit? Real. Indy almost killed you. Being shot? Not so much. Joker was there alright, but mostly to scare the piss out of you. He did his job. You should be thankful I didn't let Indy finish hers." he leaned into the light, and she saw the claw marks on his face, burning a bright, angry red in a savage X upon his visage, his right eye an ugly, blind white. "After all...
...she nearly gouged my eyes out."
Claire couldn't quite find her voice after that.
"Your face...
He laughed, it was a soft bitter sound. "They say ladies love scars. Guess we'll have to see if that's true until they heal." How could he laugh at such a thing? She'd scarred his face! How could ANYONE find disfigurement -their own or otherwise- even remotely funny?! Yet here he was, clapping, chuckling at his own wounds as though they were second nature to him.
...why am I alive?" she asked at last.
"On a whim." came the answer as he leaned away, good eye winking.
"A whim?"
"Yes, a whim." Naruto replied, parroting her happily. "And maybe a chance at redemption. You were complicit in the whole Ingen incident as much as anyone else, but you meant well. Your only mistake was considering my girls to be THINGS not people. A common mistake. So, out of the goodness of my bleeding heart and your adorable nephews, I'm giving you another chance. It should be here any moment now."
Before she could ask what he meant by that, a knock sounded at the door.
Naruto perked up. "Ah, there she is. Come in!"
A crop of messy black hair thrust itself inside the arch, bright red eyes glowing in the dark. Full lips nestled around a soft serve cone, licking strawberry ice cream.
"Pizza?"
"No, Diny." Naruto hummed, "That's ice cream, remember?"
...kay."
For a terrifying instant Claire thought she was looking at Indy, the terrible creature who'd nearly killed-or had she-her only hours ago. But no, the proportions were all wrong; she was taller, more lanky than the wicked woman who'd choked the life out of her. The eyes and hair were different, too. So was the dress, the bright, orange colors nearly painful to look at it. Similar, perhaps, but different all the same.
"Come on in." he called. "Claire won't bite."
Apparently, that was all the encouragement Diny needed. Because; without pause or preamble, she scooted across the wool floor and flopped into the blond's lap, somehow maintaining the sanctity of her snowy treat as she did. She tilted her head to the right and uttered a small, clicking sound with her teeth, to which Naruto began stroking the long mane of her hair moments later. The young woman leaned backwards then, laying her head against his chest, curling into him
White teeth flashed out as she nipped him, a playful, almost loving bite on the neck.
The woman offered a pleased hum of a sigh, arching her shoulders back as his fingers ghosted down her spine. There was something strangely intimate about it, and it made Claire feel as though she were intruding. It made her flush, fidget, look away even.
Finally, those eerie eyes settled upon Claire.
...'llo." she said softly.
"Claire, this Diny." Naruto hummed, pulling the hybrid close. "I believe you've met."
Diny gave her ice cream a deferential lick before leaning forward. She sniffed once, scenting her. Seeing a human doing this was...odd to say the least.
"Is she...Is she one of...
"SHE is the one you experimented on." A lone eye cut to her, scathingly. "Lets see what she has to say." An eternity passed, and it seemed that the hybrid really didn't have anything to say. She pressed a hand to the administrator's face, cupping her cheek. Almost as if she were curious. Studying her. Is this what humans look like? she seemed to be thinking, wondering, pondering. She could see the thoughts churning behind those scarlet eyes like broken gears, cogs in a fractured machine struggling to make a sick sort of sense with it all.
In the end, Diny cocked her head aside. She had only one question.
"Why?"
It broke something inside Claire. Shook something loose.
Why, indeed?
Why had she thought creating a hybrid was a good idea. Why hadn't she refused? It would have been simple; tell Masrani no, that this was a bad idea, terrible idea, horrible idea. He listened to her; she could have tried to steer him onto another path, a safer path...so why hadn't she? Why had run with his suggestions? Created not one, but two monsters? She couldn't find the words, until Diny reached out and took her by the face. Her bright red eyes, so young and innocent, seemed to peer into the very depths of Claire's soul.
"Why?"
Maybe if she had, all those people would still be alive. Owen wouldn't be missing, and...and...
Just like that, the dam broke.
"I'm...sorry." The words tore themselves from her in a sob. "I'm so, so, SO sorry..."
Diny regarded her curiously.
Then she nodded.
The smile that followed reflected no anger, no pain, no grief. Nothing but a pure, simple joy. Slim arms reached forward, pulling the older woman into a stiff, awkward hug. It lasted for all of an instant; then, she pulled away, nodding slowly. All was forgiven.
"Okay."
Claire nearly guffawed, a nervous giggle leaping from her lips in disbelief. "Just like that?" she wiped a dear from her eye, scrubbing it away witht he back of her hand. Relief filled her, rushing through her body in a fiery flood of shock and awe.
Diny grinned. "This is Sparta."
...I'm sorry, what?"
"Just like that. That'd be Diny speak for yes." Naruto hummed, patting the blackette on the head, eliciting a pleased purr from the hybrid. "Diny's simple; she knows what she likes, what she does not, and she lacks the capacity to hate. Life would be so much simpler if the rest of you were like her, wouldn't you agree?"
A hoarse chuckle greeted her. "See? Progress. Now, lets discusss the terms of your second lease at life. This island? He raised an arm, indicating the room, and the window beyond. "Mine. You, my dear girl are going to spend the rest of your life atoning for this, helping me restore order. And when you are done, you will ABANDON this island, leave it to the dinosaurs, and never return. If you break this agreement, I'll be back to finish what she started. So, then, are we good?"
Claire nodded.
Naruto laughed.
"So glad we agreed-
-WE DID NOT AGREE!"
"Yes, we did." Naruto sighed, pinching his nose some hours later. "She works for me now." Doing so made his scars throb -any wounds inflicted by Indy had always been slow to heal- but he took the pain and shunted it aside, smiling patiently as she wheeled away from him with a furious hiss, tail cracking out, swatting down a lamp. She'd partially shifted in her stress, even now he could see flakes of grey peeling away on her skin, her fingers threatening to curve in deadly, raking claws.
"She's a monster!"
"A misunderstood one." her alpha corrected sharply. "One who feels remorse."
"Humans do NOT feel remorse!"
"Be that the case or not, you WILL respect my decision." He didn't flinch when she rounded on him, flashing her fangs. Her eyes flicked up to the scars, the ugly red marks still crisscrossing his face...
...and she backed down.
Her hackles rose. "You infuriate me!"
"Love you too."
Blue tracked the scene, her dark eyes reflecting nothing.
When she finally spoke, her voice was little more than a dry whisper, a blade slipping free from its sheathe.
...respect the alpha."
Indy snarled. "Silence, beta! Before I silence you myself!"
...just as you silenced Echo and Delta?"
Amber eyes flicked to the forms of the slumbering raptors near what had once been the stairs. Irate, she snorted.
"Shut! Up!"
Blue didn't react to that. A strange of azure hair flicked down across her face and, irritated, she blew it away.
She'd been strangely silent since Naruto had "snapped" her into a human to tend her injuries. The last explosion had broken her arm, and it was nigh impossible to cast it while she was a raptor. A snap of those fingers remedied the situation, but her mind remained predatory despite the temporary loss of limb. Silent. Mute. Though the danger had long since passed her body remained tense. Coiled. Ready to spring at the slightest an' lightest provocation.
With Indy storming across the lobby like a typhoon, that remained a very real possibility.
Charlie had already tried that, mostly out of curiosity if nothing else.
"Charlie bit me!"
Naruto snickered at the memory.
"What? I do not enjoy being bitten!"
Huffing, Indy whirled away, clicking her teeth.
"I HATE you!"
She'd hoped to make him flinch with those words, instead, he just drew closer. When she turned her back to him and stalked away, he followed, placed a hand on her shoulder. So she folded her arms across her bosom and clenched her jaw with a snarl, refusing to let him have his way. She refused to allow it for him, the insufferable bastard! But the silence still held, becoming thick, cloying, and, unlike the alpha, Indy did not possess infinite patience.
Eventually-finally-she turned to face him. Her anger leeched away when she saw his face. Truly saw it, the claws she'd carved into him in a rage. Without thinking she reached up, tenderly touching a hand to his face; a gentle touch, tracing the wounds she'd left him.
"I didn't mean to hurt you," she said at last, mournfully. "You got in the way. I'm," she nearly choked on the word, "S-Sorry for hurting you."
Naruto laughed.
"It's my specialty."
"You must think I'm a monster."
"Would I give a monster this?"
And then he took her hand.
At first Indy thought he was merely holding it, but when he conjured a thin ring out of nothingness, she suspected more. Dropped to a knee. And her heart spiked. By the time he slid that thing onto her finger, she felt as if she were going to faint, scream, and cry all at once.
Indy blinked, admiring the gold band on her finger with some trepidation.
"Why did you give me this ring? I fail to see the purpose of such a device. Why does it go on my finger?" Naruto sighed, rubbing his face. He'd taken to doing that a lot lately. He was still alpha, but there had been a bit of a disconnect between them as of late. Less and less she saw him as father, and more as leader. Commander. Mate. More and more she enjoyed strange things, physical things; things such as sitting near him, letting him massage her shoulders, letting him TOUCH her, wanting to BE touched...
...and yet, when he'd gotten in the way, he had hurt her. Emotionally, and physically.
Yet she didn't want to hurt him back.
Spirits, she felt regret!
She didn't understand these urges. They baffled her so.
So did the ring he'd presented her.
"Ugh...you really are lost when it comes to human customs, ain'tcha?" Holding up his own hand, he slid another, matching band onto it. "Look, see? We match. I gave you the ring BECAUSE in human customs, a ring is a sign of marriage. Remember that word? Its when two people pledge themselves to each other and...well, ya know?"
Her heart lurched.
"What did you just say?"
"Marriage. You know, matrimony."
"Meaning?" it was all she could force out through numb lips.
"Meaning, will...marry me."
The words floored her; she physically lost her footing and tumbled to the floor. Then her brain rebooted, and there was only one word left in her mind. But she couldn't bring herself to say it. Not here. Not yet. Instead, in a rare breach of character, she reached up and grabbed the horned blond by the hem of his jacket, dragging him close.
"If you hurt me, I'll hurt you." it was hiss. "Understand?"
"Cross my heart and hope to die." he swore.
"Then my answer is YE-
"Oooh, shiny~!" Diny's head popped up over her shoulder, beaming. "I want a ring, too!"
Indy squawked, holding tight to her hand.
"Diny, don't you DARE!"
Naruto listened for a long moment, then he started laughing.
"Never change guys...never change...
In the beginning, I never thought I'd be able to empathize with a dinosaur. And how could I? I thought they were dumb, unthinking unfeeling brutes. Claire's mindset used to be my own; I thought I could just keep one as a pet, not an individual. It never occurred to me before; its so obvious now that I want to slap myself. They're all individuals. We all are. From the lowliest lizard to the mightiest rex upon the land, each animal on this island holds sentience.
I once thought I knew it all, everything there was to know.
Now I know better. Much better.
Why, you ask? Because...
...they're my Clever Girls.
A/N: THE RESULTS ARE IN! HAPPY ENDING FOR ALL FOR REAL THIS TIME! THIS CHAPTER IS THE LAST ONE! THANK YOU ALL FOR ENJOYING THIS LONG, WONDERFUL RIDE WITH ME! Its over for reals this time!
Aye, this is a short series 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! Hope it made ya grin!
Ja ne~!
R&R~! =D