Chapter 45
The search for the last cosmos stone
Chaos ran rampant in the stone age, as both mammoths and cavemen abandoned their homes and fled in terror upon sight of several unusual and most terrifying invaders the likes they had never seen before had appeared mysteriously and were now engaged in vicious battle for control over the area as it seemed!
The D Team was pushed heavy into a corner upon engaging the Spectral space pirate trio and their armoured dinosaurs, being unable to do so much as scratch them as their foes pushed them heavily into a corner! However, things grew worse for them as Specter, the leader of the pirates, unwilling to tolerate anymore interference decided to take matters into his own hands as he appeared from the mothership and summoned forth his strongest dinosaur! Brontikens! A massive armour apatosaurus which towered over them and let out a mighty roar before charging at full speed at them!
"AAAAAH!" They screamed as their enormous foe was about to trample over them! As if their situation wasn't bad enough it had just gotten a thousand times worse! Paris quickly charged in to protect her fiends as she deliver a swift ram to the apatosaurus' chest, but despite her valiant effort, Brontikens felt no more than a slight bomb before swinging his head like the arm of a crane and batting her to the side!
"NO! Paris!" Zoe cried as she was sent flying away like a rag doll!
Ace tried to follow up with another attack, but the apatosaurus reacted quickly, grabbing him in his jaws before throwing him away! "ACE!" Rex gasped next, "That dino is tougher than anything we've ever faced!" he growled in frustration seeing how easily their partners were being swatted away like flies! In fact it might even be just as strong as Seth's Black T-Rex was!
"Yes well that's my little Brontikens for you!" Spector boasted proudly, "Isn't he just a big sweetie pie? Mua!" he added blowing a playful kiss to show how proud he was of his most trusted partner of all.
Chomp tried to attack next, but before he could the other 3 pirate dinosaurs Gigas, Armatus and Maximus quickly joined in and charged at him! "Chomp! Watch out!" Max cried seeing he was about to get overwhelmed!
"He needs help!" Rex cried urgently.
"Ace! Paris! Get up!" Zoe pleaded desperately.
Responding quickly to their ally in danger, Ace and Paris were able to pick themselves up quickly in time as they rushed forward to back him up! Quickly all 3 of the D Team's dinosaurs were engaged in a head lock with the space pirates' dinosaurs as they tried to push at their foes in the hopes of overpowering them!
With the D Team having their hands full, they failed to notice the space pirates pass over them without much care as they then began to survey the volcano, eventually pinpointing the position of the final stone inside it!
Brontikens then began to charge pass the 6 fighting dinosaurs, before ramming his head straight into the wall of the volcano which caused it to crumble down in no time flat!
CRASH!
The sound of the smashed rock caught the attention of the D Team as they turned to look back in surprise at the pirates getting past them, "If the space pirates are over there, my guess is so is the stone!" Max then pointed to it as he looked back to Chomp who was able to knock Gigas back and off balance, "Chomp! Stop them!" Upon his command, the triceratops turned and ran as fast as he could towards the volcano hoping to catch the apatosaurs off guard!
Unfortunately, despite his great size Brontikens was not only quick to respond but also quick to react as he sensed Chomp approaching from behind! With a loud bellow he swung out his front leg and kicked the triceratops back as if he were no more than a mere stone on the path! "Oh no!" Max cried out in horror to see how easily his efforts were thrown off, at that moment Ace and Paris were thrown back by the other 2 armoured dinosaurs.
"Ace!"
"Paris! Quick help him!" Rex and Zoe cried to their partners to back him up!
As their partners tried to follow in after, Armatus and Maximus got in their way and thrust out their tail and horns to keep them back, "They can't get through!" Rex cried in frustration seeing there was nothing they could do! Also as Chomp struggled to get back on his feet Gigas was making a rush at him while he was still recovering!
"Ehehehehe! If you plan on stopping me from getting that last cosmos stone it's going to take a lot more than just you little tykes!" Spector snickered in delight seeing he was easily winning, if he had known battling was this enjoyable he'd have gone down from the ship to get the task done himself long ago!
As the D Team looked on in frustration, the situation seeming almost bleak and impossible, a ray of hope shone down from the sky in a beam of light which caught them by surprise!
"Huh!?"
As it vanished away appearing from it was Cera with all 3 armoured Alpha gang dinosaurs! "Then try us on for size!" she yelled out tensing a fist while Terry, Tank and Spiny roared out in defiance of the gigantic behemoth which responded back with a deep bellow!
The D Team quickly brightened up to see reinforcements had arrived on time!
"Cera!"
"You came!" Max and Zoe cried in joy and hope as their eyes brightened up.
"Was there any doubt guys?" She smiled back at them before looking ahead and hardening her expression, "Okay Terry! Tank! Spiny! Get in there and back the others up!" she held out her hand as the alpha dinosaurs went to divide and conquer!
Roar!
As Armatus swung out his tail at Ace forcing the carnotaurus to back away, the stegosaurus prepared to ready his spiked tail for another go, only for Spiny to grab onto it with his jaws! Armature bellowed in pain and tugged back going to free his tail from the spinosaurus' jaws, but Spiny dug in his clawed feet to stabilise himself, and then used his arms for better leverage as he maintained a tight grip on the stegosaurus' best weapon! Seizing the opening Ace jumped back in and began swinging his tail out and smacking Armatus' head multiple times as he bellowed in pain!
Tank meanwhile charged towards Maximus from behind, managing to catch the corrupted triceratops from behind as her spines and armour grazed against his sides! Bellowing in pain he thrusted his horns out only for Tank to hunker down and protect her underside in time as the horns scratched against her armour causing sparks to fly! Tank swung out her tail which clashed in a tie with Maximus' horns, allowing Paris to seize her chance by ramming his side! Stumbling back and regaining his footing he backed up slightly seeing his focus now being forced to be divided against both female dinosaurs!
As Gigas prepared to bite not Chomp's head, Terry came in time to open his jaws and bite down on white armoured t-rex's neck in time and showing him straight into the ground before throwing him back with all the strength he had! Before his foe could recover, Terry was able to swing his tail out, landing a direct hit on Gigas' head and sending him flying into a nearby rock wall causing his head and armour spikes to be caught inside as he struggled to pull himself free! After that Chomp bellowed back at Terry in thanks to which Terry responded wth a low growl of acknowledgement before they both looked ahead to see Brontikens had turned to face them both!
The sight of the tables turning greatly displeased the space pirates, "Oh great it's her again." Sheer mumbled as she hardened her expression reflecting her sour mood.
"Why oh why can't they just make it easier for all of us and just give up already?" Foolscap grumbled folding his arms in annoyance.
"Yeah, we're so close too!" Gavro grunted as he punched a fist into an open palm of his hand.
The one most disgusted by the turn of events was Spectre himself, as he took out a hanky from his pocket and chewed on it in frustration, "Grr….it's just like back in the future…." he growled as he recalled Cera reminded him of a certain person back in the past who was nothing less than a thorn in his side, the mere sight of her was bringing up bad memories for him, as his eyes flared red with rage, "Well not this time, now when we're so close to our ultimate triumph!" he growled as Terry and Chomp both charged towards the giant dinosaur fearlessly, "You want a fight? Fine then! Brontikens!" Specter shouted before pointing ahead, "Go provide our guests with the finest entertainment there is!" he commanded as the giant apatosaurus bellowed a battle cry before meeting his 2 foes head on in a full on charge!
Terry and Chomp rammed against the titan's legs but to their shock the apatosaurus didn't even budge! They on the other hand felt their heads had just slammed into a wall made of chrome steel as they stumbled back shaking their heads in disorientation! Looking up they widened their eyes as Brontikens read up on his hind legs ready to crush them both in a single stomp! Chomp turned around and ran away as fast as he could, while Terry leapt back as they managed to put enough distance between themselves and their foe as he crushed down on the ground causing it to crack underneath! Had they been there they would have been turned to mush in an instant!
As Terry landed on the ground, Brontikens swung his massive tail out at him! Miraculously he was able to duck down in time, barely managing to avoid losing his head as the swung tail sent a large force of wind which blew the others back slightly!
"URGH!" They grunted holding their arms out as they tried to stabilise themselves from being blown away!
Seeing he had to take care of that tail first, as the apatosaurus prepared to bring it back for another swing, Terry quickly jumped out and clamped his jaws on it in time as he bite down as hard as he could and tugged on it, causing Brontikens to bellow in pain for the first time in his life much to Specter's shock. "GASP! How dare you hurt my sweet little Brontikens!?" he gasped dramatically before shaking his fists out in anger, "GRR! You won't get away with this! Swat those pests off now!" he ordered as Brontikens bellowed out, mustered enough energy to lift Terry off the ground with his tail before swinging him out and throwing him at Chomp! Like a full faced bullet the size of a boulder, Terry roared out in pain as he collided with Chomp and the 2 dinosaurs crashed into some nearby rocks and were left heavily battered on the ground!
"Oh no!" Max and Rex gasped in alarm while Zoe covered her mouth in shock.
"He just swept them off like insects…." Cera berthed in both amazement and horror at the sheer might of their new foe.
Despite having a rather silly name, Brontikens himself clearly didn't reflect that, in fact he was as tough as they came and with his sheer might it was a miracle that Specter never chose to enter the battlefield himself in their previous adventures otherwise they would have been finished off long ago.
Spector then grinned and began to snicker with malice, "Ehehehe! After all the trouble you caused me and my men I expected you to put up more of a fight, shame with all that's on the line and that your best has failed you!" he laughed mocking them as the D Team could only look on in frustration.
"Grr…." As much as they hated to admit it he was right, at their current skill level and the way things were going they didn't stand a chance. If only there was someway they could fight back…..a miracle of some kind….
Right on cue, a second beam of light came down from the sky above and appearing from it was Dr Z and the alpha trio! "Careful what you wish for! Now you have the alpha gang to deal with!" Dr Z yelled as he pointed out at the pirate boss.
Cera widened her eyes at what she saw, "Are they crazy!? They can't take on the pirates without any dinosaurs! What are they thinking!?" she thought in bewilderment. To fight the good fight with nothing but their dim wits….admirable but most foolish.
"Wish!? If I was going to wish for something then," Specter blew a kiss at them, "Mua! It'd be those darling eyebrows." he said flamboyantly.
Dr Z gritted his teeth taking offence at his words, "My eyebrows aren't darling! They're thick and wiry like steel wool!" he growled jumping up and down in frustration, "But thanks for noticing…." he said calmly at the end, till massive rumbling in the earth began to make him change his tune.
They all widened their eyes in a panic as a massive armoured apatosaurus suddenly stomped towards them, "Oh how rude of me, allow me to introduce you to," Before Specter finished, the huge sauropod prepared to bring its foot down on the entire gang!
"WAAAAH!" They cried as they jumped out of the way just in time!
"Brontikens!" Spector finished proudly as the foot crushed down on where the Alpha gang once stood, as they regrouped to catch their breath in a corner near some large rocky outcrops.
"A sincere pleasure to make your acquaintance…." Zander muttered as they all groaned and relieved to have escaped their brush with death even if it was by the skin of their teeth.
"So much for backup…." Cera muttered as she shook her head in disappointment, plus they were really embarrassing them in front of their enemies too.
"Now then Brontikens, let's get back to carving this volcano!" Specter ordered seeing they wasted enough time already with minor inconveniences. Obediently, Brontikens turned around towards the volcano and bellowed loudly in agreement and triumph, "And to speed things up, how about I activate my most favourite! Spectral Destroy!" Spector blew a kiss as he activated Brontiken's most powerful move! The apatosaurus' armour suddenly grew a pair of appendages embedded with 6 coloured orbs each glowing like the 6 other elements, as they charged up into a massive beam in the center between the appendages before firing a huge beam into the volcano's side!
The gang was forced to close their eyes due to the bright glare of the move and hold their arms out to shield against the incoming winds. As the light died down and the attack ceased, there was an ominous silence for a brief moment, one which Cera could tell wasn't good in the slightest, "What….did he do?" she breathed speechlessly, and before long she could get her answer, one none of them would like. Before long the ground suddenly began to quake violently! Chomp roared out in alarm as the others looked around restlessly trying to figure out where it was coming from!
"That doesn't sound good!" Rex cried.
"When does an earthquake ever mean good Rex!?" Cera screamed at how obvious it was.
Before long, the volcano soon blew its top, spewing magma and dark ash which blanketed the sky in a sea of smog and fire as it began to rain down upon the stone age landscape!
"AAAAAAHHHH!" The D Team cried out as the ground began to shake ever more violently and the volcano began to spew both molten rock from its peak and letting out a stream of lava which ran down its sides!
"NO! We're done for!" The A Team cried out as well seeing if they stayed any longer they would be wiped out completely!
A falling rock went down and smashed the cosmos stone detector connected to Specter's pod, and with their means of finding the stone lost the pirates were forced to beat a hasty retreat to their ship, as they recalled their dinosaurs before the lava rolled down at them before returning to the ship which then vanished from sight!
"Look they're retreating!" Cera pointed out as the ship vanished.
"You know that's actually not a bad idea!" said Rex seriously as he looked to the others, "We've gotta get out of here now!"
"Don't need to tell me twice!" Max gritted his teeth seeing they couldn't do much now, as they recalled all their dinosaurs safely to their cards as the beam from the Backlander enveloped them and began to take them back.
As they were about to leave, Cera clicked her tongue in frustration seeing the volcano spewing lava uncontrollably because they weren't able to stop the pirates, and the village and mammoths were directly in its path, "Tch! We'll have to come back for the cosmos stone another time….we'll just have to figure out how…." she thought as they disappeared right before a spewed rock from the sky crashed where they were!
CRASH!
At that moment the 4 children materialised on the upper bridge of the Backlander where Dr Z's grandchildren were waiting for them. "They're back!" Laura cried as she and her brother Rod came in to welcome them.
"Are you guys all okay?" he asked then in concern.
"Yeah, a little toasty though…" Max answered relieved to be back safely onboard the Backlander.
"That volcano totally blew its top!" Zoe shuddered nervously, the experience still on her mind and she was unable to shake it off.
"Jonathan we've gotta get out of this area." instructed Rex.
"I concur, but not all of you have returned yet." he answered most reluctantly which alarmed the gang.
"You mean grampa and the others are still down there!?" Laura exclaimed while the D Team gasped.
"Huh!?"
"They must have stayed behind to look for the stone!" Rex gasped.
Cera gritted her teeth in frustration, "Are they insane!? They'll get barbecued out there!" she growled as Laura turned pale.
"Oh no!" she gasped before looking to Helga who had just walked in at the perfect time, "Helga! You need to save grampa and the others please!" she begged clapping her hands together.
"Never fear Laura! I shall not rest until they are safely back on board!" she saluted Laura before she disappeared in a veil of light that was activated by Jonathan.
"Please come back soon…." she pleaded worriedly as Rod put a hand on her shoulder.
"She will Laura, I promise." he said to her with a warm smile as the others nodded in agreement with him.
"Yeah. Those guys are as tough as nails, we know from personal experience." Max commented.
"Mhmm, they'll be back here before you know it." said Zoe with assurance as Laura looked to the outside with teary eyes at the smoking skies and fiery magma raining from the volcano's top.
"I hope you're right…."
A few long moments passed and the D Team along the with Alpha siblings waited in anticipation for the return of Helga and the Alpha gang. As it went on, Laura clutched her hands together over her chest on worry over what might have happened to her beloved grandfather and his henchmen. They were just about to fear the worst when Jonathan suddenly called out to them with good news.
"Helga and the Alpha gang have just arrived!" he announced much to their relief.
"AH!"
"I'm bringing them up now!" he said pressing a button which caused the Alpha gang being carried by Helga to materialise inside!
Right after that, Jonathan activated the time jump as they sped into the time stream, much to Dr Z's chagrin, "Bring me back! Bring me back!" he whined struggling desperately to stop Jonathan, as Helga quickly dropped him and his men down before leaving to do some cooking in the kitchen.
"OOF!" he grunted having slammed on the floor hard.
Laura and Rod quickly gathered around to help him up to his feet, "Grampa there you are!"
"You had us really worried Dr Z! Why didn't you come back with us just now!?" They cried.
Cera folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at him crossly, "You're lucky Helga was able to come get you guys in time otherwise you'd be cooked to a crisp."
Instead of a show of gratitude, Dr Z instead blew his top off just like the volcano did, "GRARRGH! You brats ruined everything! Just like you always do! Why can't you just stay out of my business?!" he ranted childishly as he jumped up and down flailing his arms out earning many disappointed or crossed looks from everyone else around him.
"Seriously? That's the thanks we get for saving your sorry behind?" Rex muttered wondered why they even bothered if he didn't appreciate it.
What he said next came as a complete shock to them, "I don't care! I need to get back the black cosmos stone that hairy elephant stole from me!" he screamed justifying himself as they all widened their eyes at the unexpected news.
"Say what!?"
"You saw the cosmos stone!?" Cera and Zoe cried in shock.
He looked to them in response, "Yes! A black one! And I was so close to getting it if that elephant didn't swallow it in the first place!" he shouted in frustration seeing it was within his sights and grasp if only Helga hadn't pulled them back at the last minute.
Max widened his eyes, "What!? A mammoth ate it!?" he gasped.
"That's what I'm saying!" Dr Z yelled back at him in frustration, "The volcano spit the cosmos stone up then some hairy behemoth went and swallowed it down! Talk about energy food!" he yelled shaking his fists.
Hearing his story made Cera whistle, impressed that with their dumb luck the Alpha gang came through for them once more, on another note she hoped the mammoth wouldn't get sick by eating the cosmos stone.
"So now what?" Rex then asked.
"Do I have to think of everything!?" Dr Z cried out in exasperation, "Now we find that mammoth and we find the cosmos stone!" he yelled banging his fists on the console in front of him impatiently.
"But how do we find this mammoth? I mean we can't go back to his time." Zoe asked curiously.
Thinking about it Cera couldn't help but feel a little bad for the ice age mammal and the people of that world, then again they didn't have time to fix things since they were escaping in a hurry, hopefully it wouldn't affect their future like it did with the jurassic.
"Right! That big volcano is as unstable as Ursula is." Zander then grinned snarkily as he decided ti milk the moment, an idea he soon came to regret.
"I'm not unstable, look at me now cool and calm even though you just insulted me…." Ursula smiled cheerfully before sporting a menacing glare, quickly he took out a large fan and smacked both Zander and Ed to the ground! "GRRGH!
WHACK!
"Right! I stand corrected at least those of us who can stand!" Ed whined covering his head which throbbed painfully while Zander remained knocked down and out cold.
All the talk about a mammoth made Max bring up some old memories of his, "Hang on….haven't I come across a mammoth fossil once?" he thought curiously bringing a finger to his chin in thought before widening his eyes in alarm, "WAIT!" he cried loudly as everyone looked to him.
"Wh…What is it Max?" Rod asked in surprise at his sudden outburst.
"This may be a long shot but I once visited this place with my dad which had all these different kinds of fossils and one of them was a mammoth! Thing is, it was buried under a whole bunch if volcanic ash." Max answered.
"Think it's the same one?" Rex asked.
"Uhh….I don't see why not. Both mammals were from the same era and both were near volcanoes." Max suggested seeing it was a possibility.
"So was it the same place we were at in the stone age!?" Dr Z then demanded impatiently.
"Actually that may be hard to answer since the crust of the earth has moved so much since then." Zoe pointed.
"Yes, Zoe is absolutely right." said Jonathan in agreement as he got everyone's attention, "To see if it's the same location, we would need to determine where the volcano we were at ended up in present day Earth." he said.
"Can we?" Laura asked.
"Yes," he answered before looking over to Max, "First I need Max to show me where it is he saw that fossil." He then looked ahead to the console as he keyed in their earlier location, "Then I will see if it matches up to the spot we were at in the stone age."
Max walked up to where Jonathan was so he could show him, "Alright….it was there!" he pointed on the map which depicted present day, "Now fast forward the crustal movement to see if it matches!"
As Jonathan brought up both sites together, to everyone's amazement they aligned with each other almost perfectly with only a decimal point difference!
"Yes! We have a match!" Jonathan announced as everyone cheered in joy.
"YAY!"
"Shall I plot a course?" He then asked them, though it was obvious what the answer was.
"Yes! Tally ho! Plot a course I say!" Dr Z cheered in excitement, "After all we know the where and the when and…wait when's the when?" he then asked realising that was the most important detail.
"That's simple, 3 years ago! It was my summer vacation!" Max answered as he tensed up excitedly and the ship sped away towards a light at the end of a tunnel! Along the way, Cera smiled to herself with relief seeing fate blessed them with a second chance, and they weren't going to blow it this time.
The ship soon shot out of the portal over a mountainous region surrounded by trees and a large patch of sand right ahead on a high perched area, "Here we are!" Rod called as the Backlander went into cloak mode.
It wasn't long before they caught sight of their target, a mammoth fossil being excavated by a familiar palaeontologist and a young boy whom Max easily recognised, "Look! There's me and my dad!" he pointed out.
"You mean you and your dad from 3 years ago." Rex corrected him.
"We can't go down to the site with them there." said Zoe with caution.
"Right! Otherwise it could change the course of history!" Rex gasped seeing they were in a very sensitive time where the slightest change could affect their present as they spoke.
Cera narrowed her eyes assessing the situation carefully, "We'll have to chase them away somehow." she noted, though that would be a task far easier said than done, "Question is…how?"
"Any ideas?" Rod asked the group hoping they could brainstorm something smart and effective.
Ed held out his hand as they looked to him, "We could go down there and scare them with a dinosaur?" he suggested bluntly. The others then narrowed their eyes, let out deep sighs of exasperation or face palmed and shook their heads at him, as he shrugged his shoulders, "What? It was just an idea."
"And a bad one at that…." Cera muttered wondering why they put up with him, of all his stupid ideas that may be his worst. Though believe it or not Dr Z and the rest of the trio were considering of doing that.
"Wait a sec," said Max as he put a finger to his chin in curious thought, "If I'm remembering right, while we were digging there was this small earthquake that caused us to leave the site for a bit." he said.
"Earthquake?" Jonathan repeated curiously before looking to the console in front of him, "You mean something like this?" pressing a button, the Backlander emitted a shockwave which rattled the surrounding dig site which forced both past Max and past Dr Taylor to retreat.
"The ship can do that too? Wow…." Cera whistled impressed seeing it didn't just erase time changes it was capable of causing sonic waves that can be used as a weapon too.
"Wait! So it wasn't an earthquake?!" Max exclaimed before widening his eyes in sheer disbelief, "It was us!? Then that would mean I was watching me way back then like I'm watching me right now!" he stuttered seeing how they had created their own past blew Maxs mind away, to the point where even a feather would be enough to knock him over.
"Yeah that's right! It's all about you you you!" Dr Z muttered sarcastically, "Now come on! Let's find that cosmos stone!" he ranted posting ahead at the fossil as Jonathan sent them down in the teleporter.
They soon appeared right before the ancient bones, "Look there!" Max quickly ran to it, "The mammoth…." he breathed in surprise to see that old fossil from long ago now before his eyes again.
"Wow, the years haven't been kind to him have they?" Dr Z remarked snarkily.
"Yeah…" Cera couldn't help but feel a bit responsible of its cruel fate, though then again if they didn't save him chances were they wouldn't find the cosmos stone at this point in time, so perhaps this might have been a good thing.
Dr Z however didn't care in the slightest as he ordered his men to excavate the remains post haste, "Now then get that cosmos stone!"
"You got it doctor!" The A Team replied taking out various digging equipment like shovels and pickaxes before descending upon the remains like a pack of wild scavengers as they began pelting away at rock and stone with their tools to uncover the bones underneath. The others looked on in bewilderment, seeing their reckless digging may end up damaging the fossil own the process, also being completely disrespectful to the dead's rating place….though what did that mean for museums?
Before they could completely uncover the whole fossil, their excavating was cut short by the unexpected and untimely arrival of the space pirate mothership right above them!
"Huh?"
"Oh no, it's-"
"Cosmos stone! To you I go! To find you inside some mammoth bones!" a loud off key singing voice echoed from the ship.
"Really bad singing…." Zoe muttered plugging in her ears finding it to be torture.
"I beg your pardon!?" Specter cried taking offence, "My Brontikens happens to love that number!"
"Ugh then your dinosaur has just as bad taste in music as you are tone deaf…." Cera groaned as she covered her ears completely.
"Spector must have followed us here!" Rex then grunted in realisation.
"And now that I am here I want what's mine!" He demanded as he pointed out at them, "The seventh and final cosmos stone so hand it over or else you'll all be destroyed!" he threatened.
Seeing now this was their last chance at saving the universe, Cera gritted her teeth and shout out at the top of her lungs, "Never!"
"You don't scare us!" Max yelled defiantly.
"Well if he doesn't," as they looked up they saw all 3 space pirates leave the ship and were making a dive at them! "Try us on for size!" Foolscap grinned.
"Better yet," Gavro reached into his pocket before throwing out a large energy net at the whole lot! "Try this on!" he yelled as it opened widely preparing to ensnare them all with the fossil!
"AAAAH!" The gang cried and held their arms out unable to react in time! Thankfully Jonathan who had been watching and keeping the ship in cloak, was able to beam them all back to safety in the nick of time before taking them somewhere further away!
As Max opened "Hey…we're back inside the ship!"
"Phew, Jonathan got us in time…." Zoe wheezed in relief putting a hand to her chest as she let out a deep sigh.
"AAAH….smart thinking beaming back the fossil with us." Dr Z commented as he wasted no time, using his alpha claw he was able to yank out the cosmos stone which was wedged in a crack of the fossil, "And check it out it was the same mammoth! Goodie!" he cheered as he put it in a container for safe keeping.
"Wow…the last cosmos stone…" Max breathed in awe as he an the others eyed it closely.
"Not as colourful as the others…." Zander commented.
As they laid eyes on it, Miku who was perched on Cera's shoulder suddenly shook in agitation, as she looked to her Cera couldn't help but look a little put off by seeing how flared up her eyes and feathers were! "Miku?" she muttered in confusion. Instead of wanting to get at the stone like the others, the microraptor wanted nothing more than to be rid of it instead. If the cosmos stones were of equal but opposing nature to the stone plates, would that mean that the central stones of both sets are the ones which held the most power and overall influence? Perhaps secret dinosaurs detested the black stone instead since they were born of positive energy instead.
She didn't have long to ponder over it though, "WOOO! I want to see!" a familiar but most unsettling voice sounded from out of nowhere, before its origin materialised before the group as a hologram!
"Specter!" Rex cried.
Cera gritted her teeth with disgust upon sight of him, "He must have traced our connection back to us…." she hissed seeing he locked onto their signal last time they made contact so now they could continue to track them wherever they went much to their discomfort.
"Wow! It's pretty!" He then waved his hands playfully at the black stone, from what it seemed beauty was in the eye of the beholder.
"And it's mine!" Dr Z cried hugging it close, "So keep your peepers off it! It's mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!" he spat while shaking around in defiance making it his claim.
"Oh is that so?" Specter commented seeing that could be easily resolved, "Well what if I were to offer you all something for it?" he suggested before a sinister expression came on his face, "Something like oh say…your parents?"
"AH! What are you saying? You're gonna let our parents go free!?" Max
Cera narrow eyes not trusting him
"Well that's entirely up to you." he replied pointing at them before shrugging his shoulders, "In other words if you give me that black cosmos stone then yes, I'll let them go!"
"So you say, but can we trust you?" Zoe questioned as Cera narrowed her eyes and hissed under her breath.
"Not a chance…." she thought considering how he used Seth to deceive them in the first place.
"Think it over and let me know. Toodles!" Spector then muttered uncaringly seeing the outcome was obvious and mattered little to him, as all 7 stones would soon be in his possession, before he disappeared from their sight.
"Hey wait! Does that mean they're alright!? Let us talk to them!" Max pleaded but got no answer much to their disappointment.
"He's gone…." Zoe sighed.
After that there was some conflict over what to do
While the kids question giving up the stone to the last time they see their parents also bad things too would happen if the pirates got it
Dr Z more concerned about dinosaur king title but Max wrestled it away from him when he let his guard down
Max in the end took charge and told Jonathan to send a message to Specter
Alpha gang think he mad but soon Rex thought of the idea and they looked to Cera
"You think you can do it Cera?" he asked her seriously.
Already seeing what Max and Rex were thinking she nodded with a serious expression on her face, "I'll make it my best work yet." she said before taking Dr Z's claw from him much to his surprise!
"Hey! That's mine too!" he cried.
She paid no attention to him as she shot out the claw into the gap Dr Z pulled the black stone from, "Let's see…..this should do the trick!" she thought out loud after feeling around inside a bit before yanking out a ball sized rock from inside it. Looking to Max, Rex and Zoe, they smiled, held a thumbs up or grinned seeing it was perfect.
Dr Z narrowed his eyes in suspicion at what was going on between them, "What are you pla-" Dr Z and the alpha gang soon caught onto their little plan as they snickered deviously, "Aaah! Clever! Hee hee hee! Now this I'm perfectly okay with!" the old man snickered as he rubbed his hands together eagerly with glee.
"Hehehe, that dimwitted space bozo will never see this coming!" Ursula grinned sinisterly while Zander and Ed snickered.
Cera took the stone from the claw and eyed all around it seeing there was still some work to be done in order to make it convincing enough, "I'm going to need some tools for carving the right shape…." she said as she narrowed her eyes at it, "Along with some black paint."
Quickly Dr Z turned to his 3 henchmen, "Alpha gang! You will get her everything she needs now!" he ordered suddenly which made them jump in surprise.
"Yes sir!"
On our way!" They said as they hurried out the door to get the needed supplies and everyone else split off to make preparations for the trade.
Dr Z decided to keep the black cosmos stone back in the same place where the others were first kept, while Ursula and the others quickly got the supplies she needed before she sent them to wait up above the bridge with the D Team, since she needed to be alone in order to focus.
(Later)
"Max, the space pirates have sent me a message," said Jonathan up on the bridge as he brought up a message sent to them by their enemies, "They're saying they're waiting for us at a clearing a few miles north. They're giving us 5 more minutes and no more to make our decision." he said looking back as the others turned serious seeing it was now time.
Looking to one another, the D Team nodded deciding to take their chances before Max looked back to Jonathan, "Alright, tell them we'll be there soon." he said as the android typed on the console to reply Max's exact words.
Before long, the doors behind them open and they looked behind to see Cera come in with a container in her hand. "Is the stone ready Cera?" Rex asked as she nodded back seriously.
"I have it right here." she said as she put it inside the holding machine and then joined them.
"We're all set." said Max clenching his hand into a fist as everyone around nodded together.
"Mhmm."
Jonathan nodded in acknowledgement, "Alright, I'm heading for the rendezvous point now." he said pushing on the control levers as the Backlander hovered further off in the distance, and before long the space pirate ship appeared right ahead, before beaming down Gavro, Sheer and Foolscap in the center of the clearing as they awaited the arrival of the D Team seeing their ship approaching them.
"There they are….." said Rex as the camera screen zoomed in on the 3 pirates, the sight of them made the group harden their expressions in disgust or agitation.
"Grr…."
Cera then brought up her dinoshot, "Just one little thing left." she began typing on it before a beep sound came from it, "Done."
The others looked to her curiously at what she meant.
"What'd you do Cera?" asked Laura.
"I've managed to disable their weapon systems, so we won't have to worry about blasting us ever again." she answered which made a few of them including Ursula and Zoe let out sighs of relief.
"That's good to hear."
"Yeah, wouldn't want to go through that horrendous experience again." They each said feeling a little more at ease to hear the good news.
Nevertheless she still maintained a serious composure as she looked to her friends seeing they were the ones volunteering to go down themselves, "Be careful you guys, I still smell a trap so don't let your guard down for even a second." she said as they nodded back at her.
"Mhmm."
"Will do." said Max and Zoe in assurance while Rex looked to Jonathan ahead.
"Jonathan, do it." he said as his butler nodded in response.
"Very well….." pressing a button the 3 children were enveloped in bright light before vanishing.
"Good luck." was all Cera could say, wishing them success, as they appeared on the ground before the space pirates on the prairie, while she and the others looked on in anticipation over what would happen, "Now let's watch, if they try anything sneaky then we beam them back post haste." she said.
"Yeah, or better yet we take the fight straight to them and then take the other 6 cosmos stones back so I can be dinosaur king!" Dr Z shouted out loud in confidence clenching his fists and shaking them, as Cera and his grandkids looked to him with raised eyebrows.
"Bad idea…." they muttered back at him much to his dismay. They nearly lost the last time they faced off so it was clear that the direct approach would be the worst plan ever, then again chances weren't zero that they'd have to fight again.
A moment had passed, and it appeared as though they were discussing terms and conditions to the trade, till they eventually settled on doing it at the same time. "Jonathan you ready?" Rex spoke to him through communicator.
"Just give me the word." he answered.
The moment of truth soon came, "One…Two…Three!" Jonathan pressed a button sending the container on their end over to the space pirates' side while the pirate mother ship sent them 6 pods containing the D Team's parents all inside!
As Max and Zoe ran over in excitement to open the pods, while the space pirates went over to the container. When the pods were opened however, the parents that stepped out quickly reverted to the form of 6 gel jarks which suddenly snared the D Team as their allies widened their eyes in alarm.
"Oh no! It was a trap!" Rod cried
"Ahahah! Trap sounds so cruel, I prefer the term surprise!" Specter chuckled in amusement, appearing in hologram form to them, seeing they fell for his trick before vanishing and appearing with his minions to celebrate their victory!
"GRRR!" Cera growled clenching her fist in hate along with Dr Z, they knew it seemed too easy.
"Grampa we've got to go down and help them!" Rod cried to him as Dr Z then nodded seeing they had no choice now but to recuse them, plus he really wanted payback on them for all the trouble they caused.
"Right! The direct approach it is then!" he said strongly in agreement, "Jonathan! Prepare to-"
"Wait! Look!" Jonathan interrupted him as a beam of light erupted from the pirate's ship! Appearing there were a group of gel jarks, along with a certain man whom the Alpha gang and D Team weren't pleased to see.
"It's Seth!" Rod and Laura exclaimed in disbelief, seeing him again was like reliving a bad nightmare.
"He really is alive…."
"No way…"
"Grrr! That traitorous worm!" Dr Z growled clenching his fist in anger with the trio and Cera hardening their looks, seeing his face again reminded them of how he double crossed them not long ago.
Seth then appeared to talk with the pirates for a bit, and when Sheer threw the 'cosmos stone' to the ground it shattered into many pieces! It was then they knew the jig was up, "Uh oh looks like they figured out we were trying to double cross them." Cera gulped as the pirates turned to them in anger!
"But wait! They double-crossed us first!" Zander whined as everyone else grew increasingly anxious.
"What's that!? A quadruple cross!?" Dr Z cried.
Seeing his joke being used against him, Specter became greatly displeased, "GRRRR! Hand over the real stone at once!" he growled in fury, for the first time ever and for once he actually put a big scare into the whole group on board! "Otherwise your 3 little friends will pay most dearly!" he threatened as the jarks began to surround the whole trapped D Team and Seth walked over to where they were!
"I think he means it, we need a plan or else…." croaked Laura in worry as Dr Z felt immense pressure get to him.
"GRRRGH!"
"What do we do grampa?" Rod then asked while Laura huddled her hands close together in worry.
"Any ideas Dr Z?" Ursula asked next as they awaited his answer seeing he was pretty much next in line.
He then looked to all of the panicked or anxious expressions everyone in the room was giving him. "Uhh…err….Why are you looking at me!?" As much as he didn't want to give up the cosmos stone he knew he couldn't let the D Team face the consequences, nor could he bring himself to abandon them in such a desperate time of need knowing they'd do the same for him. His dreams of being dinosaur king aside he also feared the consequences of what would happen if the pirates got their hands on all the stones!
To their surprise the jarks suddenly turned around and began walking to them instead, "Huh?" They blinked their eyes in confusion at what was happening.
"What are they doing?" Cera muttered in suspicion, seeing Seth's actions to be most puzzling, and that didn't bring up much confidence.
"Alright Jonathan, take them." he said looking up to the ship at a spy drone Jonathan had launched to observe the situation as he did for their past missions.
"What? Those creatures?" Jonathan questioned suspicious at letting them on board.
"They're harmless, just trust me there's no time!" Seth then insisted.
Seeing time was indeed short, he reluctantly agreed, "Very well…." Pressing a button it caused the gel jarks with the D Team to be beamed up on board the bridge!
A bright light soon lit inside and the D Team looked around in confusion to see where they were.
"Huh?"
"We're…back on the Backlander?"
"Did Seth just save us?" They each asked while their allies looked at them in surprise like they were at the situation.
"What's going on here?" Dr Z muttered scratching his bald head in thought.
"No clue…." Ursula shrugged her shoulders.
"Eww….these guys give me the creeps…." Rod shuddered sticking his tongue out in disgust while his sister shivered.
"Same here…." she quivered being put off by their slimy exterior.
Cera narrowed her eyes, recalling he intended to use the pirates for his own means, so now perhaps they had outlived their usefulness. As she turned to look back down to see how things would turn out, a light shone down from the mothership and what appeared from it surprised them, "Look!" she cried pointing out as the others looked to where she was focusing on, at a jark pushing a small trolley with the other 6 cosmos stones in them.
"He's got the other 6 cosmos stones too!" Max gasped while Zoe and Rex widened their eyes in surprise.
"And he's giving them to us?" Ed muttered scratching his cheek in confusion, none of this was making any sense to him and he was the slowest of the bunch.
"So then? He's been playing them from the start too?" Rex asked.
"Who's side is he on then? Can't he make up his mind!?" Zander cried in dislike of all the surprises that were shoved at them all day.
Dr Z however was completely oblivious to the situation at hand, "Who cares!?" he cried jumping up and down in joy and excitement, "He's got the other stones so now that means we have all 7!" he cheered before looking to Jonathan, "Jonathan! Let him on board now!"
"O…Okay…." he muttered as he pressed a button which let that jark on board too. Now the D Team had all 7 cosmos stones with them now….though was that a good thing? Some of them wondered what they should do with them now.
Right after that, Gavro called out Gigas who roared out furiously, but Seth remains undeterred as he summoned forth cryolophosaurus! As Gigas rushed towards them, the cryolophosaurus effortlessly jumped over him before turning around and swiftly knocking him down with a quick rush!
Everyone widened their eyes in amazement at what they saw, "Wow, look at him go!"
"He's really strong!" Max and Rod voiced out, that was one thing they had to give Seth credit for, he knew how to handle dinosaurs as well as exploit their strengths and weaknesses to his advantage.
"We barely managed to scratch Gigas," Ed noted, "And he's doing it just fine without breaking a sweat! No fair…." he then whined.
"Hey I want a closer look." said Max with interest as he turned to pull himself free, only to realise something rather unsettling was happening to the gel hark who had him, "Um….why does it seem like this guy's grip on me is getting tighter?" he muttered looking down to se the arms around him were tightening instead!
"Hey me too…"
"Same here…" Zoe and Rex spoke out feeling deeply unsettled, something was going wrong and now they were about find out.
The remaining jarks suddenly looked to the rest of them, before beeping rather sisterly, giving off some very bad vibes which they took notice of.
"Umm…why are they looking at us like that?" Ursula sweated as she backed away.
The moment she took a step back, the jarks opened out their arms and rushed out at them!
"AH! They're coming this way!" Cera cried out loud as the others widened their eyes seeing they were crossed again!
"Run for it!"
"WAAAAH!" Rod and Laura screamed as they scattered and the jars were hot on their heels! Another meanwhile had jumped ontop of Jonathan while he was off guard too.
"Human shield!" Dr Z cried out loud as he hid behind Ursula much to her dismay!
"WHA!?" her heart skipped a beat as she swung her hands out to keep their slimy filth away, "Get away from me you disgusting slugs!" To no avail as she and Dr Z were quickly overwhelmed! "HELP!"
"AAAH! Why do we keep trusting Seth!?" Dr Z then cried out loud as he and Ursula were soon nabbed!
"Let go of me you overgrown gelatinous germ!" Ursula growled as she struggled, knowing she needed a shower after this!
"We'll save you!" Zander and Ed cried out before being surround by jarks!
"Never mind!" Zander cried as they too got caught too!
Cera then narrowed her eyes and clicked her tongue in frustration as her comrades were being taken out one by one, "Tch! Note to self, never trust a single word Seth says ever!" she swore under her breath as she jumped out and somersault kicked at one of the incoming jarks' faces! "HA!" By the sheer force of the kick it was sent back as it crashed into some of its friends and they ended up as a slimy mess on the wall which then slid to the floor! "You clowns won't get me that easily!" she taunted them. Hearing something unusual going down on the battlefield below, she stopped to have a look and found herself entranced by the battle down below. The cryolophosaurus was able to make Gigas and Armtus crash into each other before sending a powerful barrage of speed attacks against Maximus before sending him crashing to the ground.
The sight of the battle was absolutely stunning to her, "Wow, I knew Seth was tough but to be able to take on all 3 of those dinosaurs by himself and not break a sweat…." she breathed before narrowing her eyes, "Then again he did make them in the first place…plus since he's been planning this for sometime it makes sense if he also made some countermeasures knowing he'd have to fight them at some point." she thought seriously as she brought a finger to her chin in serious thought, "Though the question remains…if he can fight on even footing with the pirates….would we stand a chance against that kind of power?" At that moment, she sensed something bed her, but was too late as a gel jark suddenly shot out its arms and grabbed hold of her! "GAAH! Let me go!" she cried in protest struggling hard but was completely restrained too just like the others, "Tch! I can't believe I let my guard down!" she then cursed herself for being so careless.
"I can't believe that big sneak Seth ticked us all again!" Rod growled as he and Laura tried their best to stay out of the jarks' slimy arms and sticky skin!
"He may have tricked us but that doesn't mean he'll be able to catch us!" Laura retorted as she stuck her tongue out at them. Noticing something to the side they were shocked to see Jonathan was restrained by a jark!
"Huh?"
"They say if you do not give up, they will make the rest of us will pay dearly…" he muttered reluctantly as the 3 jarks that held Rex, Max and Zoe captive held them up and were preparing to throw them out as they cried and struggled to no avail!
"WAAAAH!"
"No they wouldn't!" Laura cried in horror.
Her brother however knew exactly what would happen if they didn't listen, "They would!" he gritted his teeth and clenched hand in frustration, clearly Seth hadn't changed in the slightest since they alt met, more precisely he turned out way worse and maniacal, meaning there were even more lines he'd cross to achieve his goals now. Seeing no other choice the siblings let out a deep sigh as they he'd out their hands, "Fine….we give…" said Rod with intense spite as the jarks took them hostage too.
Cera looked out the window to see Seth had unleashed blizzard smash upon Gigas, Armatus and Maximus, putting them out of commission with ease before recalling cryolophosaurus soon after. Seeing his strength matched by his cunning and diabolical ambitions, "Mark my words Seth, you'll pay for this…." she swore under her breath as she and the others were lead away to behind the bridge as some of the jarks commandeered the ship, and sent it into a time warp!
"Seth took our ship, took us hostage…." Max muttered as they were surrounded on all sides.
"Yeah and took our dino bracers…." Rex noted seeing their devices were taken along with Cera's and the alpha gang's so now they were pretty much helpless.
"So why'd he take off? What's he looking for on the ship now?" Zoe asked.
Dr Z widened his eyes realising what he was after, "Gah! The black cosmos stone! And if he gets it all of space and time is toast!"
"WAH!?" Everyone gasped in alarm knowing they had to stop him by any means necessary! Though there was the issue of getting past the gel jarks surrounding them on every corner! A task which seemed nearly impossible…
Without warning, a massive collision was felt outside and the impact sent everyone tumbling down and thrown off balance! "GAAAARGH!" red alert sirens soon flared out as everyone struggled to get back up.
"What's going on!?" Dr Z grunted.
"I don't know it felt like something hit us!" Rex cried as some loud angry singing echoed from the ship's communicator.
"What's that terrible sound?" Max muttered finding it to be rather annoying.
"Oh no…." Zoe croaked recognising the voice all too well.
At that moment, Specter's face slammed against the computer screen as he screamed out in immense fury like never seen before, "GRRRGH! I'm coming for you Seth! For you all!" he roared before his face blanked out! Clearly he didn't take being double crossed very well, especially by someone whom he trusted as a partner almost as much as Brontikens!
The sight of his raging tantrum put everyone else on edge fearing what he'd do to them in his crazed state, seeing that ramming their ship with his own was just the tip of the iceberg, "WAAAH! Hold me!" Ursula squealed as she shuddered.
Thankfully for them, right on time, Helga soon dropped in carrying several large pots with her. Seizing the chance while the gel jarks were down, she threw out a spoonful from the pots which splattered against some of the jarks causing them to dissolve and sizzle their bodies away!
"Look they're melting!" Rex cried as everyone looked on in surprise.
"Yeah but how?" Zoe asked in amazement.
"A good cook never reveals her methods," Helga replied calmly, "But in this case," she held out 2 of her pots, "I'll make an exception! It's salt!" she boasted proudly at having discovered their weakness.
"Let's give it to em!" said Rod as Laura took a pot and he threw a handful at some jarks causing them to melt!
"Forget a spoonful of sugar, take this!" Ursula smiled scooping 2 spoonfuls from some pots Zander and Ed were holding before showing them out! Now the tables had turned and the gel jarks began to sense fear in their circuits as they began to scatter in terror, hoping to avoid getting turned into escargot!
One splattered jark dropped a dino bracer, which Max quickly grabbed hold of, "Gotcha!" wasting no time he ran out the door to head for where Seth was.
"Max!" Rex called but to no avail as he exited the room.
"I'm going after him!" Cera yelled in response as she followed him, "We'll leave these guys to you!"
Rex gritted his teeth wishing he could come with them, but she was right they had to deal with the gel jarks fast while they had the chance, "Grr…okay! But be careful!" he yelled back to her. Before long the rest of the jarks made a run for the door, "Get back here!" Rex yelled as he and the others chased after them, intending to finish them once and for all, also still holding a grudge for deceiving them earlier.
(Meanwhile)
"Where are you Seth!?" Max yelled as he got inside the cosmos stone holding chamber and Cera followed right behind him.
"Show yourself you coward!" she shouted as they looked around hoping to find where he was or any clues that would lead to him.
A certain voice soon gave his position away, "Right here." They looked to the side and saw him standing there with his back turned.
"AH!"
"But you're too late, all the cosmos stones are mine." he said menacingly before turning to look at them, "And they're going to stay that way." he smirked waving the cryolophosaurus card in his hand as they both widened their eyes knowing what was coming next.
"Urgh…uh oh…"
"Oh no…."
Seth took out his dinoholder, "Come on out cryolophosaurus!" slashing the card the secret ice dinosaur appeared on the field and roared out ravenously.
As it did, Cera and Max waste no time doing the same, "Dino slash!" They cried slashing their own cards.
"Triceratops! Roar!"
"Micro raptor! Shine!"
Chomp appeared on the ground facing off against Seth and his dinosaur once more, while Miku perched on Cera's shoulder before being thrown out.
"Energy equaliser!" She then linked herself to behind Chomp's frill where she would be shielded, as she transferred energy into him knowing he'd need it more than ever!
"Get ready for the battle of our lives Chomp, because with the whole universe at stake anything goes!" Max yelled out as Cera narrowed her eyes, while Seth smirked most sinisterly as the battle that would decide the fate of the cosmos rested on this one battle!
Things turn rather hairy for the D Team as the 7 cosmos stones are nearly brought together! The fate of the cosmos hangs in a far more delicate balance than ever and the stakes couldn't be any higher!
Also hope you enjoyed Terry and the other alpha dinosaurs doing something here too even though they weren't able to save the cavemen village or the mammoths from the volcano but that was how it was meant to be.
In response to reviews:
Anonymous
-Same here, look forward to writing it though hope for help when I can get it.
-Glad it's cleared up.
Drew Luczynski
-Yeah it would have been cool to see but censoring would tame it down or remove it completely sadly, felt they could have didn't more fighting with insects. Since the d team dealt with rabid plants I felt era should fight the bugs.
Sorry if this battle may not have went how you wanted it but things had to proceed as the anime did, as destiny had in mind haha. Still it took 3 dinosaurs to beat Gigas so even with all 6 they couldn't do much against 4 armoured dinosaurs, though it will be properly explained and addressed when it gets to the final battle.
Guest
-Didn't think about it but will see.