"Chomp! Can you hear me, Chomp?" Max called down the steep slope for his Triceratops.
"Do you really think he fell?" Zoe asked alarmed.
"Maybe we could send a search party down there," Rex suggested.
"What search party? We are the search party," Ren told her brother.
"Are you looking for Chomp?" a voice from behind them asked. The D-Team turned around to find none other than Sofia with a wriggling Triceratops in her arms. She gently set the dinosaur on the ground. He ran straight up to Max, who knelt to greet him.
"Chomp, I was so worried about you," Max told the small dinosaur as he pulled Chomp into a big hug.
"So why was Chomp with you, Sofia?" Ren asked the girl.
"For some reason, he started following me, so I figured I should probably bring him back," Sofia giggled lightheartedly. Chomp broke away from Max's hug and started to jump at Sofia's bag. "He seems to be drawn to the Yellow Cosmos Stone."
Sofia took the stone out of the bag and unwrapped the cloth to reveal the glowing orb underneath. Chomp followed her every movement as she did so.
"It is rather beautiful. I don't blame him," Sofia smiled as Chomp bounced excitedly as if Sofia was just going to hand it over to him. The D-Team smiled at Chomp but were all heartbroken on the inside because they all knew that the Triceratops couldn't have it.
"I know you like it, Chomp, but Sofia doesn't have time to play," Zoe explained to the small dinosaur. "She's got to get the Yellow Cosmos Stone to her brother Spartacus in Rome."
"Which is why I better get going," Sofia told the kids. "Take care everybody."
The kids said their goodbyes and farewells to Sofia once more, and once again, the girl was off on her important quest to find and save her brother.
"Do you guys really think that Sofia and the Yellow Cosmos Stone could have been the reason that Spartacus got to be so famous?" Ren asked as they watched the girl disappear into the horizon.
"I don't know," Rex shrugged. "It's hard to tell."
Then, Max's Dino Bracer beeped indicating a communication request from the Backlander. Max raised up his wrist and answered the call.
"What is it, Johnathan?" Max asked.
"We're receiving a strange communication call from another dimension," Johnathan informed.
"Yeah, it's like super weird. You guys should head back here," Gabriel added before Johnathan hung up the call.
"A strange communication from another dimension?" Ren raised an eyebrow.
"What if it's that weird-looking winged guy with our parents?" Zoe asked.
"Only one way to find out," Rex sighed his response.
The D-Team teleported back into the Backlander via beam of light. The kids rushed up to Johnathan and Gabriel to see what this strange communication call happened to be.
"What's up Johnathan?" Ren asked the android.
"It is that space pirate again?" Rex questioned further.
"Sorry for the false alarm, everyone. It's not space pirates. It's Reese. She was able to use the Ancient's time positioning data to find us," Johnathan replied. He pointed to a screen were a very low-quality image of Reese, Laura, and Rod could be seen waving at the D-Team.
"Hey there, Reese! It's great to see you!" Zoe smiled to her sister.
"I'm so relieved that you're safe. You all gave everyone here quite a shock when you just vanished like that," Reese replied. Her voice was full of static from the communication between time periods, but the kids and Johnathan could tell, Reese wasn't all that thrilled.
"It wasn't their fault," Gabriel piped up.
"Yeah, Dr. Z was fixing the time machine and it suddenly took off," Max began to explain.
"Not to mention that we couldn't, and still can't control where we're going," Rex added onto to the statement.
The D-Team and Gabriel then explained the whole story of their time travelling adventure thus far. Starting at when they crashed into the Cretaceous Period up until now after they crashed in Ancient Rome. Even filling in the bits with the winged man who identified himself as something he called a Space Pirate, how they've found out that their parents are also in Ancient Rome because the Space Pirate has them there, and the fact that they're all stuck in Ancient Rome until Johnathan and Gabriel can fixed the time machine.
"Space Pirates, huh?" Rod contemplated the idea of colored, winged aliens that just go around and try stealing things from others.
"What can you tell us about these 'Space Pirates?'" Reese asked the team.
"They have dinosaurs that are extra powerful," Max started
"They have this stuff called Spectral Armor that they use to boost the dinosaurs' attacks and defense," Rex continued.
"They've also got super advance technology," Ren crossed her arms.
"They're also after this girl named Sofia," Max added in.
"Speaking of Sofia, have you ever heard about someone named Spartacus?" Zoe questioned her older sister. Reese nodded to the kids.
"Well, of course. The Spartacus Rebellion was an important episode in ancient history," Reese responded.
"If that's the case, I bet we're around that time," Gabriel commented towards the D-Team before he turned back to the screen to face Reese. "When exactly was that?"
"Well, if you want the exact date. I can search that up for you," Reese replied. She began to type into her computer. "The date was-"
Suddenly, the video went fuzzy, and the audio cut out. Both sides had lost their connection to the other side. Zoe got closer to the monitor.
"Reese? Reese!" Zoe called into the now-blank screen.
"The call disconnected. I think something about the video being cross timelines and dimensions, as well as Ancient Rome not having service means we won't be able to call for very long," Gabriel told Zoe. "It's a miracle Reese was even able to connect to us in the first place."
The whole ship then shook as a large booming sound was heard. The D-Team and Gabriel exchanged glances with each other.
"The Alpha Gang," all five kids said in unison, followed by a synchronized nod. The kids then using to the testing chambers to check out what the Alpha Gang was up to. They watched as Dr. Z commanded Terry and Spiny to use Volcano Burst and Shockwave together in a fusion move. The fusion attack hit a target that was being held up on a stick by Ursula, Ed, and Zander.
"Hey what are you blowing up now, Dr. Z?" Max demanded to know the answer.
"Yeah, I'm already trying to repair enough systems as it is," Gabriel growled. "I don't need you clowns doing more damage than you've already done."
"You're just in time to see my newest creation!" Dr. Z beamed at the kids. "Brilliant, even if I do say so myself."
Dr. Z scrambled to pick up handfuls of move cards from off of the ground. He handed the whole stack of them to the D-Team.
"Move cards?" Rex raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, but you see, these move cards are more powerful than any of the ones we've had before," Dr. Z informed them. He pulled up a holographic screen that showed a picture of the Space Pirate's Torvosaurus with its Spectral Armor on. "That flying creature man that we saw has very advanced weapons. If we're going to battle them, we have to upgrade!"
Gabriel pulled out a grass elemental card and looked it over. It flipped the front of it back around to Dr. Z with an unimpressed look.
"Emerald Garden? Isn't this the move card that the D-Team secured after encountering the Fukuisaurus in Kyoto?" Gabriel scoffed. "What are you trying to do here, Dr. Z? Claim more scientific work as yours, even though it's still the Ancients'? Just because they're not on the ship with us, doesn't mean that you can just copy their work."
"Well, I-" Dr. Z started. Ren then picked out a fire move card.
"Magma Blaster? Didn't we just get this one from that guy with the wings and the Torvosaurus?" Ren cocked an eyebrow at Dr. Z, further proving Gabriel's point.
"I can't believe you! You're still the same no good, lying thief!" Rex shouted at the evil scientist.
"Guys, he's still giving us the move cards. Let's just take them and move on," Max said as he took the rest of the stack.
"As much as I hate to admit it, Max is right. We should all at least try to be grateful," Ren told the rest of the kids, yet she still sounded unimpressed herself. Max sorted through the cards and handed them out to the respectful element holders for each element. Himself with the lightning cards, Rex with the wind cards, and Ren with the earth cards. That is until he got to grass in which he turned to Gabriel and Zoe and looked between the two.
"So, do you two just fight for these, or what happens here?" Max asked.
"Honestly? Zoe can have them," Gabriel shrugged. "I've got my hands full here trying to fix repairs and such. I've out Odis to keep me company, but we wouldn't be much help to your parents if they were to be dragged to another time period, and we were still stuck here. Zoe is involved in more fights than I will probably be anyways."
"Gabriel, are you sure?" Zoe asked. Gabriel nodded.
"Take them, Zoe. Use them to help rescue your parents," Gabriel smiled to Zoe. The pink-haired girl took the move cards from Max.
"Thanks, Gabriel," Zoe told him. Max then handed the fire and water move cards back to Dr. Z, who snatched them back greedily.
"Onto other matters, this new armor I'm working on should make our dinosaurs unstoppable!" Dr. Z cheered as he pranced over to a container with a piece of the armor from the Torvosaurus floating inside of it. "I just need more time to perfect it. Until then, those move cards should keep you all from being beaten into pulps."
Dr. Z heard some ruckus nearby and turned around to see Chomp, Ace, Paris, Ebony, Odis, Terry, Spiny, and Tank all in their chibi forms wrestling and playing around in heaps of metal that Dr. Z is presumably using to work on this new armor that he had spoken about. The small scientist scowled as he scurried over to the dinosaurs to shoo them away from his projects.
"Get out of there you mongrels! This is very important research!" the elderly inventor shrieked at them. Gabriel and the D-Team just sighed. Watching Dr. Z just fed up was just generally exhausting.
"Anyways, what I want to know is where that space pirate guy came from," Max told Gabriel and the rest of the D-Team.
"And don't you find it odd that he also used dinosaur cards like us?" Gabriel added.
"Yeah, and the one he attacked made me think he was after Sofia," Zoe suddenly concluded.
"Why her?" Rex asked Zoe.
"Zoe's onto something!" Ren gasped. "Think about it, Sofia's got that really powerful stone thing, right? What if that's what the pirate dude was after?"
"You're right!" Gabriel agreed.
"Yeah, the Yellow Cosmos Stone. That's what they called it at least. It must hold some really strong power for that guy to attack Sofia like that," Rex contemplated.
"Isn't also strange that Chomp was drawn to it?" Zoe asked.
"Yeah, I think this stone might have something to also do with the dinosaurs," Ren nodded to Zoe's question.
"And now she's all out there by herself. She'll be all alone when that guy comes back!" Rex exclaimed.
"Then let's go find her," Max said with determination.
"Good luck, you guys. Johnathan and I are only a call away if you need anything," Gabriel told them.
"You better not lose any of those move cards," Dr. Z scowled to the D-Team as they headed out.
Now on the surface of Ancient Rome, the kids made quick work finding Sofia. They weren't in Rome just yet, but another small village that was on the way. Sofia was stopped at a well drinking water out of her cupped hands to quench her thirst before setting out once more for her journey.
"Sofia! Hey!" Max called to her as he and the rest of the D-Team ran up to her. The girl turned around and was shocked to see the D-Team again so soon. Chomp was especially excited to see Sofia again as he could sense the Yellow Cosmos Stone that was tucked away in her bag. The small Triceratops tried to jump for it, but his petit jumps weren't getting him anywhere.
"What are you guys doing here?" Sofia asked, delighted to see them again.
"We were worried about you and getting the Cosmos Stone to your brother, Spartacus," Ren replied.
"But why?" Sofia questioned.
"We think that guy with the wings who attacked before was after the Cosmos Stone," Zoe explained.
"Really?" the girl responded with a small gasp.
"Yeah, and we think that he might come back to try again," Rex added.
"But why?" Sofia asked. She opened her bag briefly to look at the stone that rested, still wrapped in the cloth, inside. As if it was on cue, snarky laughter could be heard from above. The D-Team and Sofia looked up. There was what looked like to be a Space Pirate, but this one was different from the one that attacked before. This one had blue skin, was taller and thinner, a very pointed nose, and had a somehow even worse haircut than the other pirate. He swooped in to reach for Sofia's bag.
"Watch out!" Max called. Sofia and the D-Team hit the ground to dodge the incoming pirate. The blue figure zoomed over their heads, missing his target. He swung back around to face the D-Team.
"This should be like taking candy from a baby!" the leaner winged creature remarked in a snobby tone.
"It's a different pirate," Zoe told the D-Team and Sofia.
"What do you want?" Max demanded. The creature landed on the roof of a small house nearby and put his hands on his waist.
"I am the mighty Foolscap of the great and amazing Spectral Space Pirates!" He announced to Sofia and the D-Team. "And while I'm in a good mood, I suggest that you hand over the stone."
"Here," Ren said as she picked up a pebble from the side of the dirt path. "Have one!" Ren fully chucked the small rock at this new space pirate. Foolscap caught it effortlessly in his hand before he just dropped it beside him.
"You're a smart kid, huh?" Foolscap sneered. "Well maybe after you feel my might, you will quake with fear and beg to hand over the stone."
Foolscap took out a dinosaur card and drew it in towards a hexagonal shape on his outfit, similar to the one the red colored pirate had. Only this time, the summoning portal was on the pirate's headpiece that rested on his forehead instead of strapped to his chest. A Shunosaurus appeared, ready to take on the D-Team.
"That's a Shunosaurus!" Zoe filled in.
"Let's them have it, Chomp," Max told his Triceratops. He poked some buttons on his Dino Bracer, turning Chomp into a card that appeared in his hand. Max held his arm out straight in front of him and clashed the card in the Dino Bracer. "Dino slash! Go, Triceratops! ROAR!"
Chomp jumped out onto the ground with a thud. The Triceratops opposed the Shunosaurus. Chomp wasted little to no time rushing in towards the water affiliated dinosaur to attack it with a charge. The opposing dinosaur was hit by Chomp's attack that sent it flying into one of the nearby buildings, effectively destroying it in its wake.
"Let's see how tough you are when you face the Spectral Armor!" Foolscap growled. He held up a black and white version of the Shunosaurus card to his headpiece. The Shunosaurus began to glow a reddish-purple color starting at its forehead, where the same mark that was on the Torvosaurus was. When the light dissipated, armor had appeared on the top of the Shunosaurus' head, down its neck, on its shoulders, and along the top of its tail.
"I think it's about time we get Sofia out of here!" Ren told the others, all of which nodded to her which agreement. Zoe took Sofia's arm and took the lead in running away from the battlefield. Ren and Rex where right behind them. Max backed up a few steps before ultimately deciding to turn around and follow the others.
"Cover us, Chomp!" Max told the Triceratops.
"Keep running!" Rex encouraged.
"Yes, that's right, run like little chickens," Foolscap mocked them as he flapped his wings and soared after them in the air. Chomp charged in at the Shunosaurus again, but the other dinosaur counter attacked and was actually beginning to put up a decent fight against the powerhouse of the D-Team. Chomp roared at the long-necked dinosaur. In return, the Shunosaurus swung its tail at Chomp. The Triceratops ducked out of the way of the incoming attack. Then, Chomp dipped his head and attacked again with his curved, upper horns. The Shunosaurus was knocked into yet another building, sending debris flying everywhere.
Foolscap had to shield himself with his arms to avoid debris hitting himself in the face. However, the excessive amount of rubble that headed his way, knocked him straight out of the sky. He frowned at this development in the fight.
"Come on, Shunosaurus, we'll be back later," Foolscap huffed. He turned his dinosaur back into a card and began to fly off. He stopped before he turned out to the D-Team and Sofia. "Don't think you have beaten me yet, because you didn't! I'm just going to go get a Band-Aid."
"Wait! Come back and tell us what you did with our parents!" Max called after the blue spiky-haired pirate, but Foolscap did not turn back around or stop for even a moment. The brunette scowled as the pirate disappeared over another building and out of view. He pushed a button on his Dino Bracer and Chomp turned back into a card. Max then swiped the card in his bracer to turn Chomp chibi-sized.
"Are you okay, Sofia?" Zoe comforted as she helped Sofia sit and rest against a wall.
"Yes, I'm fine, thanks," Sofia replied. Chomp ran straight up to Sofia and put his front legs on her lap. "You too, Chomp," Sofia added with a smile.
"That guy was weird," Ren stated. Ebony chirped in agreement from the girl's arms. Sofia took the sphere out of her bag and unwrapped the cloth in her hands to reveal the glowing stone underneath. She just sat, staring at the stone in partial disbelief.
"You were right, they were both after the Yellow Cosmos Stone," Sofia told the D-Team as she emptily stared into the sphere.
"What I still don't understand is how these guys heard about the stone in the first place," Max stated.
"I'm afraid not even I can answer that," Sofia sighed. "This stone has been in my family for a very long time, and no one has ever come looking for it."
"What can the stone do?" Zoe asked.
"I only ever saw it used once," Sofia began. "It was really amazing. My brother transferred its power to his sword. He told me that when it's used correctly, the Cosmos Stone can transform a warrior's sword into an invincible weapon. Its power can be limitless! Unfortunately, when the Roman army invaded our village, I couldn't get the Cosmos stone to Spartacus in time, and he was captured. That's when they took him away to force him to fight as a gladiator. I feel as if though it's my fault. If only I had been quicker to get the stone to him."
"Hey, you can bring that stone to Rome and get it to him now," Max made a fist pump.
"We can go with you and help you get the stone there safely," Rex told Sofia.
"Yeah, and since those Space Pirates are the ones who took our parents, and they're after the stone, it allows us to get close to them so we can possibly rescue them," Ren chimed in.
"So, we can act as Sofia's bodyguards and keep an eye out for the Space Pirates at the same time," Zoe piped up. "It's a win-win!"
"Is that okay, Sofia?" Max asked the girl.
"Of course! I'll feel much safer having you all with me," Sofia smiled to the D-Team. Sofia then went to pick up her bag to put the stone back into it, but she found out that all four of the D-Team's dinosaurs were playing tug-of-war with it. It was Paris and Chomp versus Ace and Ebony.
"Ace, let go of that!" Rex told the Carnotaurus.
"Paris, stop it now. That bag doesn't belong to you," Zoe hissed at the Parasaurolophus.
"Ebony, put it down!" Ren scolded her Stegosaurus.
"Chomp, cut it out," Max ordered the Triceratops. "Wait a minute, I have an idea."
Max bent down towards the dinosaurs that were pulling on the bag and grabbed it in his hands. He gently tugged it away from the four dinosaurs.
"Could I borrow your bag for a little while?" The brunette asked Sofia.
"Sure, but you know, it's kind of a girl's bag," Sofia blinked confusedly at Max.
"Yeah, Max. It's not really your style," Zoe agreed with Sofia.
"Don't worry, I've got an idea," Max told them. "Here's what we do."
Sometime later, Max had fully explained his plan. The team split up into two groups. Group one consisted of Zoe and Ren. They stayed with Sofia. Meanwhile, Rex and Max took Sofia's bag and split off from the group. Zoe, Ren, and Sofia walked ahead of Rex and Max, while the duo took a longer way around to their next destination, another small village that was still on the way to Rome.
Foolscap came back, just like he said he would. He spotted Ren, Zoe, and Sophia walking with Ace and Paris by the kids' sides. The pirate observed them from a moderate distance. He huffed.
"I don't know why I was so afraid before, I'm big and brave and tough!" Foolscap told himself, more than likely just trying to boost his own confidence and ego. Foolscap then noticed that Sofia's bag that she used to carry the Cosmos Stone was missing. "Wait, where's the bag."
Another thing that Foolscap had realized was missing were two other brats. He flew off away from Zoe, Ren, and Sofia.
Max and Rex were walking along a different path that was definitely the more scenic route. There were more trees around and it was going to take long to head to this next village that they were heading to. Max clutched Sofia's bag tightly in his arms. Chomp and Ace padded by their sides.
"It's quiet," Max whispered to Rex The blonde female nodded in response.
"Agreed. Stay vigilant. We don't know if that pirate's going to attack, or even the Roman army," Rex cautioned. Little did they know that nearby, the forementioned pirate was already waiting for them up ahead, ready to strike.
The girls all made it safely without any problems to the next village. The camped out in a used barn amongst the straw to wait for the boys to arrive. The wait continued to draw out, and the girls all began to start getting worried and restless.
"Max and Rex should've been here by now," Zoe frowned. "I'm going to see if I can't spot anything outside."
"Alright, I'll stay here with Sofia," Ren replied. Zoe got up and headed out the front doors of the barn and disappeared around the corner. Ren turned to make small talk with Sofia, but she noticed that the girl was intently focusing on something outside, peering through a crack in the barn. Ren cupped her hands around her eyes and squinted through the crack to try and see what Sofia was seeing.
There were two men directly outside the barn. There was one who had a full head of hair and a beard. The other was bald. The bearded man seemed to be untying his hoses from a post by a water trough. They were hooked up to a cart with a riding seat in the front. Travelling supplies were piled up in the back of the cart. The men just seemed to be holding a standard conversation. Ren tried to focus to hear what the two were talking about.
"Opening day at the Colosseum," the guy on the left with the beard said to the bald man. "There's a new batch of slaves that are going to fight as gladiators."
"Opening day?" Sofia whispered. Ren's turned towards Sofia.
"Don't worry about it, we'll be there on time," Ren told her. Both girls focused back on the conversation that was happening outside the barn.
"But I'm supposed to plow the fields," the bald man replied. Ren had assumed that the bearded man asked the bald man to go with him to Rome.
"It's fight to the finish! The battles start tomorrow," the bearded man replied.
"Alright, I'm in. Let's go," the bald man nodded. Sofia turned away from the crack and stared down at the straw as if deep in thought. Ren looked at her.
"Sofia, don't even think about it," Ren told her.
"I have to. This may be the quickest way to get the Yellow Cosmos Stone to Spartacus!" Sofia told Ren. The blonde wasn't too thrilled about this idea but caved anyway.
"Alright, let's go. We can catch a ride in that guy's cart," Ren said.
Somewhere else in Ancient Rome, the Alpha Gang were able to sneak out of the Backlander without Dr. Z, Johnathan, Helga, or Gabriel realizing. How the three stooges were able to slip past them was beyond comprehension. They were in one village that was just under a day's walk away from Rome. The three did what they did best, and that's following their noses to stalk a chap who was just enjoying a pizza by himself.
"It looks so cheesy," Ursula's mouth watered as she stared at the pizza.
"Three more slices after this piece," Ed stated.
"That makes one slice for each of us," Ursula narrowed her eyes at the pizza.
"How can you say that when you don't even know what toppings it has?" Zander asked his comrades. "It could have anchovies!"
"I don't care what's on it!" Ursula growled. "It could have pepperoni, flies, and snails, and I'd still loaf it right down. Let's go."
Ursula shoved the two boys out from their hiding place, and she walked straight up to the fellow eating pizza at a table and smiled at him.
"Excuse me," she said.
"You don't have anchovies on that, do you?" Zander rapidly asked.
"Ignore my rude associate, sir. We were just wondering if you would share some of your-" Ursula stopped as she looked down at the plate that once was full of pizza, but now, it was totally empty. "Your... oh no..."
"How'd you suck down all three of those so fast?" Ed questioned. The lad finished off the last bite of the pizza before he smiled to the Alpha Gang.
"What was that you were just asking?" the man smiled.
"We wanted some of your pizza, you little piggy, but you didn't even leave us a lousy crust!" Ursula hissed at the guy. He just blinked back at her for a moment.
"So, it's pizza you want, is it? Too bad, I just had some here a moment ago," the guy told the Alpha Gang. "But I'll tell you where to get the best pizza in the empire."
"Yeah?" Ursula asked. All three members of the Alpha Gang had their interests piqued. "Why's it so fantastic?"
"Well, the folks around here call it Horse Pizza," the chap replied.
"That's not very catchy. How did it get a name like that?" Zander questioned.
"Once you taste it, why, you'd tell your horse to get some more!" The fellow beamed. "As matter of fact, that's what I did."
"We don't have a horse, but I'd certainly trade these two lugs for some," Ursula told the stranger. "Now, tell us how to find this pizza."
"Yonder," the lad pointed off into the distance. "In downtown Rome!"
"Downtown Rome?" the Alpha Gang echoed.
"The shop's right there in the Leaning Tower of Pizza, yup!" the fellow smiled to the friendly strangers.
"The Leaning Tower's not in Rome," Ed frowned. This deserved him a bop on the head from Ursula.
"Don't argue with the man. Why else would they call it the Tower of Pizza?" Ursula hissed at Ed.
"But it's still a long way to Rome," Zander pointed out.
"We may not have a horse, but you hold the key to our speedy travel right in the palm of your hand!" Ursula told Zander, who just looked back at her with confusion. Ursula pointed to the Alpha Scanner that Zander was holding.
"Oh, give me that," Ursula grumbled as he snatched the Alpha Scanner from Zander. Ursula pulled a dinosaur card from out of her pocket. "Time to go to work, Terry!"
Ursula slashed Terry's card in the Alpha Scanner. The full-sized Tyrannosaurus appeared in the quaint little village and roared ferociously. The friendly fellow who was previously eating pizza got up and ran from the monster that had magically appeared before his eyes.
"Terry here will be our personal taxi to Rome," Ursula told the boys.
"And we don't even have to tip him," Ed smiled. Terry roared before he turned his back on the Alpha Gang and began to rampage in the village.
"Wait, Terry! Don't leave us! You're our ride!" Ursula pouted. Terry continued to cause an uproar amongst the village. This attracted attention from the village guards.
"It's a monster!"
"Sound the alarm!"
"Close the gate!"
The Tyrannosaurus stood before the guards armed with shields and spears. Terry roared at them as a warning to get out of his way.
"This isn't good," Ursula sighed.
"Perhaps the Roman soldiers will be scared of Terry and retreat?" Zander suggested.
"Attack, men, attack!" the seemingly captain of the small guard commanded. The soldiers charged in at Terry with their spears in hand to attack the beast.
"Then again, maybe not," Zander gulped. The guards threw a net at Terry. It landed in front of his feet. Terry glared at the soldiers and roared at them. The Tyrannosaurus stomped onto the net. Little did the dinosaur know, that was supposed to be the plan. The soldiers pulled onto the net, and the net closed in around Terry, successfully capturing the Tyrannosaurs.
"Well, there goes our taxi ride to Rome," Ursula frowned. She held up the Alpha Scanner, ready to call Terry back into his card. That's when one of the Roman soldiers claimed the Alpha Scanner right out of Ursula's hands. This happened to be the commanding soldier of this particular platoon.
"Seize the intruders right away, men," he ordered. The Alpha Gang were then quickly surrounded by a circle a spear-wielding soldiers.
Max and Rex were starting to get closer to the village where they would be meeting up with Zoe, Ren, and Sofia. Just then, their Dino Bracers began to beep. Max raised his wrist and looked down at the blinking dot that was practically right on top of them.
"It looks like we've got some company," Rex said as he looked at his own Dino Bracer.
Just then, a large gust of wind could be felt. It almost knocked the boys straight off of their feet. It was Foolscap flying in close, his wings stirring up large breezes around him until he chose a spot to just sit and hover.
"You thought you could trick me by carrying the stone for the girl, but it didn't work," Foolscap boasted to the two boys. Max clutched the bag tighter and turned his back to the pirate.
"If you really want this thing, tell us how to get our parents back, or you're not getting it," Max told the winged creature.
"No in no position to bargain with me," Foolscap scoffed. "I'm a Spectral Space Pirate, and you're nothing but a measly, little Earthling."
Foolscap then began to dive at Max in an attempt to snatch the bag from the boy. Max and Rex began to run down the path. The two kids made eye contact.
"Here, Rex, take it!" Max called as he tossed the bag over to his friend. Rex caught the bag effortlessly.
"Start talking pirate. What have you done with our parents?" Rex asked over his shoulder. Foolscap flew up again to see that now it was the blonde-haired boy that had the bad. Foolscap then dove at Rex instead.
"Playing Pirate-in-the-Middle, are we?" Foolscap sneered at the two boys as he neared Rex.
"Max!" Rex called as he tossed the bag back over to the boy who was originally carrying it. Foolscap swooped up as Rex no longer had the bag and turned to follow the bag's trail as it sailed through the air.
Just then, it was snatched from the air by Chomp. The little Triceratops must have thought that he was getting to play as well. The dinosaur then began to chew on the bag.
"No, Chomp, we're not playing fetch," Max sighed at the Triceratops.
"Attention please, ladies and gentlemen, the winner is me!" Foolscap cheered as he swooped in a Chomp and grabbed up the bag from the dinosaur.
"Get back here!" Max called, though knowing the facade was soon to be over. Foolscap turned the bag upside down and began to dump out all of its contents. Just ordinary rocks.
"Gah! You tricked me! There's nothing but rocks in this bag! That is so not nice!" Foolscap growled at the boys. The pirate chucked the bag down at the ground and went to fly off. Max raced after him.
"Tell us where our parents are!" Mac scowled. He jumped into the air and grabbed Foolscap's leg. "Or I'll be bringing you down!"
Foolscap glared at the boy that has attached himself to his leg. He turned to face Max, but still kept his wings beating to keep him in the air.
"I'm afraid you're the one that'll be going down," Foolscap said. The pirate used his other leg to kick Max off of him. The brunette boy tumbled down to the ground below. Foolscap scoffed before he flew off and out of sight. Rex ran up to Max.
"Max, are you okay?" Rex asked his best friend.
"I'm fine, but will be Sofia be okay if he finds her?" Max asked Rex. Rex nodded decisively.
"Of course, she will. She's got Zoe and Ren with her," Rex replied.
Upon arriving in the next village at the barn that the team decided that they would all meet up with, Max and Rex were meet with a very worried looking Zoe.
"Sofia and Ren are what?" Rex asked as soon as Zoe told the boys that she just got back, and they were just gone.
"They just disappeared?" Max asked Zoe. "Are you sure?"
"They must have decided to go after Spartacus on their own," Zoe told the boys.
"I know Ren can jump into things, but she didn't even think to tell you?" Rex cocked an eyebrow at Zoe.
"Weird," Max added on.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Rex asked. "Let's go find them."
The cart with the two stowaways made it into another small village. Ren and Sofia poked out from under a couple of layers of fabric to peek out at their surroundings. Sofia had the Cosmos Stone with her, tied to her waist with the fabric that had kept it wrapped up. The two girls spotted a fenced in area where men were practicing fighting with sticks and a row of them sat on a bench under minimal shade.
"Those look like some of the people that got taken from my village!" Sofia whispered to Ren as she pointed to the men practicing and the ones sitting down.
"Then let's go ask to see if they know where your brother is," Ren nodded to the girl. The two girls slipped off the back of the cart. Thankfully, neither of the men in the front of the cart seemed to notice the girls sneaking off of the back. Ren and Sofia walked up to the line of captured men that were sitting on the bench in the little shade they could get. Soldiers watched them precariously.
"I was wondering if any of you have seen my brother, Spartacus," Sofia asked the men.
"He was here with us first, but then they sent him to Rome," one of the prisoners replied.
"He was one of the slaves that was sentenced to fight to the finish in the Colosseum there," another prisoner added in.
"Fight to the finish?" Sofia gasped with horror.
"Not even the strongest warrior can survive such as sentence," the first prisoner frowned as he scowled at the ground in disgust.
"Not even Spartacus," the second chimed in.
"Oh no," Sofia muttered.
"Don't worry, Sofia. We're going to find Spartacus and get that stone to him," Ren told Sofia determinedly.
Just then, the ground began to shake under their feet. It wasn't an earthquake, as the shaking come in thuds. It felt as if something or someone big was trudging towards them.
"What is that?" Sofia asked in alarm as she tried to figure out what the thing shaking the ground was. Neither her nor Ren had to ponder for long, as the front gate of the village crumbled to pieces. Standing amongst the debris was the same Shunosaurus from earlier.
"Run for it!" A civilian called.
"What is that thing?" one of the prisoners questioned.
"A monster or maybe a dragon!" Another answered.
"A dinosaur," Sofia's eyebrows furrowed at the sight of the Shunosaurus.
"No doubt about it. And you know that means you know who isn't too far behind," Ren told Sofia. "Get ready, Ebony."
As if he was on cue once again, seriously this guy has impeccable timing, Foolscap flew in with his same high-pitched nasally laughter.
"You better hand over the Yellow Cosmos Stone right now, or you'll face the wrath of Shunosaurus!" he ordered.
"We're never giving it to the likes of you!" Ren scowled at Foolscap. "Let's go Ebony."
Ren pressed some buttons on her Dino Bracer. The Stegosaurus shone a light purple before being transformed to a card in the blonde's hand. Ren bent her elbow, so her forearm was vertically right in front of her. Ren slashed the card in the slot.
"Dino slash! Let's rock and roll, Stegosaurus!" Ren called out. The stegosaur appeared in front of the two girls ready to defend them.
"Archer's fire!" a voice called. It was the commander of this village's platoon of soldiers. Spears and arrows began to be launched at both of the dinosaurs.
"Come on, this is our chance to get out of here," one of the prisoners told Sofia. The girl looked to Ren. Ren nodded back to her.
"Go, Ebony and I will give you some cover. Get the stone to Spartacus," Ren said to Sofia. Sofia smiled back at Ren.
"Thank you, so very much, Ren," the girl smiled.
"Don't mention it," Ren told her. Sofia and the prisoner then turned to a fence and began to start scaling it.
"You can't get away from me on foot," Foolscap sneered at Sofia as he dove in to try and claim the Cosmos Stone for him. Suddenly, he began to be attacked by sticks and stones that began to soar through the air at him.
"Woah, what's going on here?" Foolscap asked.
"Beat it, you freak!" One of the prisoners told the winged alien. The prisoners were rallying together while the guards were busy with the dinosaurs and picked up whatever they could find to throw at Foolscap to get him off of Sofia's back.
"You creep!" another prisoner called.
"You don't belong here! Get out!" a third said.
"Sticks and stones my break my bones, but names- Oh right you are throwing sticks and stones, I better call reinforcement," Foolscap said. He took out another dinosaur card and placed it against the hexagon on this headpiece. A Majungasaurus appeared on the ground below the pirate.
"He has two?" Ren gaped at the red and white striped dinosaur. The prisoners froze and stopped throwing things at Foolscap. They all then began to scatter. Sofia dropped off of the fence and landed on the ground. She turned to look up at the carnivorous dinosaur that was approaching her.
"Please, make it stop!" Sofia cried to the pirate.
"Only you can make it stop by handing over the Yellow Cosmos Stone," Foolscap replied. "I'll get it either way, but if you cooperate, it'll be a lot less painful.
Sofia cowered in fear on the ground. The Majungasaurus roared at Sofia. Just then, a heavily built dinosaur ran into the side of the wild affiliated dinosaur. It was Ebony coming to Sofia's rescue. The Majungasaurus slid across the ground. It looked at the Stegosaurus that had attacked it and roared.
"Way to go, Ebony. You show that brute!" Ren cheered on. The Majungasaurus began to circle the white and grey Stegosaurus. The Shunosaurus joined the battle and suddenly, it was a 1v2. Ebony looked between the two opposing dinosaurs. Ren's face turned into a scowl.
"You got this Ebony. Don't give in," Ren told the Stegosaurus. The Shunosaurus charged in at Ebony, to which Ebony turned and swung her tail at. Just as Ebony turned to defend against the water dinosaur, the Majungasaurus ran in to attack Ebony from the other side. The Stegosaurus wailed as she was hit. The Shunosaurus headbutted Ebony. Suddenly, things weren't looking all too great for Ren and Ebony.
"Dino slash! Go, Triceratops, ROAR!"
"Dino slash! Carnotaurus, blow them away!"
"Dino slash! Spring up Parasaurolophus!"
Ren turned to look and barging into the front gates of the village were her teammates with their dinosaurs all out and ready to assist Ebony. Ren smiled at Max, Rex, and Zoe. Chomp rushed in and headbutted the Shunosaurus away from Ebony. Ace and Paris tackled the Majungasaurus.
"Now there are even more monsters!" a random civilian screamed.
"You again, eh?" Foolscap asked the kids who were just joining them.
"Glad you guys could make it to the party," Ren responded with a light chuckle.
"Thank goodness you're all here," Sofia told them.
"Well, it doesn't matter how many of you there are, you're too late!" Foolscap hissed at them. "That stone is as good as mine, and there's nothing you halflings can do about it! Not after I apply the Spectral Armor!"
Foolscap took the greyscale copies of his Shunosaurus and Majungasaurus cards and put them against his headpiece. The emblem on the top of both dinosaurs' heads began to glow with a red-purple color. The glow surrounded their bodies. When the light vanished, armor had appeared on both the Shunosaurus and the Majungasaurus.
"Oh yeah? Chomp give him a piece of your mind!" Max ordered his Triceratops. Chomp charged in towards the Majungasaurus. The wind dinosaur counter attacked with a headbutt. Ace and Paris attacked the Shunosaurus while Ebony stepped back from the fight to recovered before charging straight back into fighting again. Foolscap looked to Sofia.
"The problem with being a landlubber like you, is that you quickly run out of places to go!" Foolscap laughed as he flew in towards Sofia.
"Ebony, protect Sofia, now!" Ren told her Stegosaurus. Ebony looked towards Sofia and the strange pirate that was rapidly approaching her. The Stegosaurus leapt into acting and stood defensively between Foolscap and Sofia. She angled her entire body, so her back spines were lightly pointing towards Foolscap, and her tail was curved around with the spikes facing the pirate.
"Shunosaurus! Come get this thing away from me!" Foolscap called for his dinosaur. "Let's see how you like Aqua Vortex!"
Foolscap took the water move card and put it up to his head piece. Shunosaurus thudded on over towards Ebony as it roared. A pillar of water began to surround the Stegosaurus. Ebony looked around her was the water began to build and build. It wasn't long until before the water completely engulf her. The Stegosaurus was sucked up by the current of the vortex. The water suddenly vanished, leaving the Stegosaurus momentarily suspended in the air. Ebony then dropped like a rock back to the ground. The dinosaur glowed purple until there was nothing but a card in her place.
"Ebony!" Ren called out. "Sorry guys, Ebony is down." The Shunosaurus then looked towards Sofia and began to charge at the girl. Ren quickly ushered Sofia out of the way of the incoming dinosaur. Ace came by and headbutted the Shunosaurus to get its attention back on fighting the dinosaurs, not the people.
"Are you okay, Sofia?" Ren asked.
"Yes, thanks to you," Sofia smiled to Ren.
"Here, Sofia, let's get you out of here," one of the prisoners held out his hand to the girl. Sofia took it and allowed the captive to help her to her feet. The Majungasaurus then decided that it was time to leave fighting Chomp and Paris and assist its teammate.
"Look out behind you, Ace!" Rex called. The Carnoaturus turned and dodged the incoming Majungasaurus. Chomp and Paris were right behind the striped dinosaur. It was now a 3v2 and the odds seemed to be more in the D-Team's favor.
"Where'd the girl go?" Foolscap asked as he looked around amongst the chaos of the dinosaur battle. The pirate spotted Sofia behind ushered towards the gate by some of the escaping prisoners and Ren. "Hey get back here!"
"Keep moving!" Ren called. She turned around to face Foolscap. Max, Rex, and Zoe quickly joined her to block Foolscap's path. Never mind the fact that he had wings and could just fly over the wall.
"Stop right there! Leave Sofia alone!" Zoe demanded.
"How dare you pipsqueaks challenge a great Spectral Space Pirate!" Foolscap sounded offended.
"Jokes on you, we don't know what a Spectral Space Pirate is," Ren scoffed.
"Basically, we do what we want, we take what we want, and we do it whenever we want," Foolscap replied.
"And you call that great?" Max asked
"As a matter of fact, I do. And you know what else is great? My Mujungasaurus, which'll finish you off for good!" Foolscap scowled as he pulled out a wind move card and placed it against his headpiece. "Kangaroo!"
The Mujungasaurus began to run at supersonic speeds towards Chomp. The dinosaur circled around Chomp, attacking the Triceratops from all directions. It was a similar, if not identical version of the Mayfly move card that the Allosaurus used. The Mujungasaurus skidded to a halt as the Triceratops fell to the ground. Chomp shone with a bright yellow light before being turned into a card.
"Oh no, Chomp! Rex, Zoe, use the move cards you guys got from Dr. Z," Max told his teammates. Rex and Zoe looked at each other with a smile before they nodded.
"Alright this is perfect," Zoe said as she pulled out the move card that she got from Dr. Z and slashed it in her Dino Bracer. "Paris, hit 'em with Emerald Garden!"
A glowing green orb of grass and leaves generated from Paris' mouth. The Parasaurolophus shot it at the Shunosaurus. The opposing dinosaur got hit by the attack. Ferns and vines sprouted up around the Shunosaurus. Its energy was being drained.
"Direct hit!" Rex cheered before he pulled out his own move card that he had received from the scientist. "Ace, let's use Biting Wind!"
Rex slashed the move card. Twin tornadoes began to race beside the Carnotaurus, then from out of the tornado, shot several crescent moon-shaped blades of air that sped towards the Mujungasaurus. The striped dinosaur was hit repeatedly. At the same time, both of the pirates' dinosaurs turned back into cards.
"We did it!" The D-Team cheered in unison.
"I can't believe I got beaten by these junior landlubbers, and on top of that the girl with the Cosmos stone got away," Foolscap scowled. He flew in towards the ground spotting two dinosaur cards. "Well, if I can't have the Cosmos stone, how about I settle for these instead?"
The D-Team wasn't fully aware of what he was talking about until he realized what he had picked up off the ground as was back in the air. At first, the kids thought that he had just picked up his dinosaur cards, but upon further inspection, the cards that he picked up were Chomp and Ebony's!
"Tata for now!" Foolscap flew into the air and out of reach.
"Wait! Come back with those!" Max yelled after Foolscap.
"You can't take them!" Ren followed up. They chased briefly after Foolscap, but it was no use. Foolscap had disappeared with the Triceratops and Stegosaurus cards. The D-Team stood there in disbelief. Did they really just lose Chomp and Ebony? Just like that?
Ren clutched her fists tight as she fought back the tears that were welding in her eyes. Max looked so stunned that he was going to cry.
"Max... Ren..." Zoe whimpered. Rex put a hand on Zoe's shoulder without saying a word. Nothing that either of them said were going to cheer the other two up. Rex and Zoe just turned Ace and Paris back into their chibi forms. They just lost two important and valuable team members. Not only that, but their friends.
"Chomp," Max growled under his breath. He clutched a fist. "Those Spectral Space Pirates crossed the line this time. First our parents, and now two of our dinosaurs. I'm going after them."
Max was about to run off if the direction that Foolscap disappeared into the distance when a firm grip on his shoulder stopped him. It was Ren.
"I know you want to go after Chomp, believe me, I want to charge in after Ebony. But we don't know where they went, and we can't go in unarmed," Ren told Max. Max was about to retaliate, but she was right. They didn't have dinosaurs anymore, what kind of a fight could they put up to get them back? Let alone rescue their parents.
"We also need a plan," Rex piped up as he picked up the Shunosaurus and Mujungasaurus cards. "What matters now is figuring out a plan as action. We need to save our parents and now Chomp and Ebony. We can't just charge in without some sort of a plan."
"I would love to stay and help you all, but I need to start moving very quickly," Sofia told the D-Team.
"What do you mean Sofia?" Zoe asked.
"Spartacus has already been taken to Rome to fight. We're less than a day's travel from the city. If I hurry, I can make it there on time," Sofia said.
"Count us in," Max replied with a growl in his voice.
"Max, are you sure?" Rex asked his friend.
"Yeah, we'll go with Sofia to Rome and make sure she gets there safe," Max stated. "It also gives us the chance of running into those Space Pirates again and the chance to find out what they did with our parents, Ebony, and Chomp."
"Agreed," Ren nodded.
"Then it's settled then," Zoe added.
"We're going to Rome," Rex declared.
"I don't what to say, but thank you all so, so much. I don't know what I would've done without you all," Sofia looked and made eye contact with each individual member of the D-Team.
"Get them!" a voice called. The D-Team and Sofia looked towards the noise to see a net that was soaring over their heads. The mesh of rope landed on Sofia and the D-Team. The net was weighted down in each corner and a couple of the sides by a large stone. The net dragged the five of them onto the ground, along with Ace and Paris. Soldiers of the villages' soldier platoon pounced on the rocks and the net to hold it down.
"Let us go!" Zoe wailed to the soldiers that had now captured them.
"What do we do?" Ren asked as she pressed her back against her brother's, making eye contact with a couple of the soldiers on the outside of the net.
"We're turning your sorcerers and your monsters over to the Roman army!" one of the soldiers declared to Sofia and the D-Team.
"There's a big reward for them!" Another soldier stated. The D-Team looked between each other. There's a reward for them to be handed over to the Roman army? That couldn't be good.
"Tell us where they are!" multiple other soldiers harmonized as they pushed in towards the D-Team and Sofia. They glanced nervously towards each other. They just lost Chomp and Ebony, the D-Team were trying to rescue their parents, and they were also helping Sofia to save her brother. They didn't have time for any of this!
"If we don't get out of this trap right away, we'll never make it to Rome on time to save Spartacus!" Max exclaimed to the rest of the team.