Disclaimer: I do not own We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story in any shape or form.

Officially back from a long hiatus due to exams, grades, and life in general. There isn't really all that much to it. Anyhow, bouncing back and writing again.

"Set me free, from the chains holding me. Is anybody out there hearing me? Set me free..."~Set Me Free, by Casting Crowns


Part 2: Outer Monster, Inner Friend

Rex caught quickly up to the other dinosaurs, but took as long as he could to march from the tent to another one, bigger and more spacious than the last. There were four ominous looking cages dead center, which the dinosaurs leaned away from, knowing all too well what they were for. Screweyes, however, hadn't torn up the contract yet, and one by one, they were forced to walk into the iron-barred cages. A few circus workers, looking at the dinosaurs with eerily unreadable expressions, came in to put on a few shackles.

Dweeb pulled away at first, whimpers emerging from his throat as he struggled to avoid being chained up like the rest of them. The man that was fruitlessly trying yelled a few incomprehensible words at the scared Parasaurolophus, none of which probably were fit to translate.

"Dweeb, just let him." Rex murmured, defeat and indifference evident in his voice. The smaller dinosaur gave a shudder as he finally allowed the worker to fasten the chains to his feet. It wasn't the ice-cold metal against his scales that brought the jittery moment; it was the fact that Dweeb and the other dinosaurs now noticed the sadness that seemed to hang over Rex like a cloud.

Screweyes stepped out of the shadows once all the dinosaurs had been properly shackled, still holding that ever-constraining paper in his hand. In his other, he held a bucket filled with glowing green Brain Drain. This he poured into a set of trays, and placed each at the doors of the cages.

"The contract won't be ripped up until the final part of the deal is complete." The shifty ringmaster stated, gesturing obstinately to the trays. There was a long period of tense silence, before Rex shakily reached down, plucking up the tray with wavering claws. He closed his eyes for a moment, just briefly running through all the adventures he'd had seen during his short time in the Big Apple, and his growing dread at exactly how this new outlook on life was going to end.

He looked around at the other dinosaurs, giving each of them a good long glance.

After all, once this was over, they would be thought of as…

No, don't even think of the word 'food'.

"You don't take it, the brats stay with me." Screweyes reminded menacingly. Snapping out of the nostalgic moment, the apprehensive reptile gave the green pills one last glance before gulping them down in what felt like an oddly too-fast manner.

Right away, Rex felt an old presence rise in his mind. The old carnivore, the side that he never wanted to let out again, no matter what the case.

Yet, here it was, shoving him into submission as he took control. There was no degrade, just surrender. He was faintly aware of the others, looking at him in a mixture of fear and sadness. Then it was all gone. It was as though he were looking at everything from somewhere deep within his mind, yet he could feel everything that happened.

Like the fact that his 'other' had just thrown them [or him, either way, he felt it too] against the bars of the cage, biting in savage ferocity. The metal in his teeth, the coolness of the material, it was all too real.

It wasn't him… It wasn't him…

Oh, I don't think so.

Rex stiffened, or he would have. It couldn't be, could it? He wouldn't…

Do not underestimate me, weakling. It is not 'me'…it is 'US'!

His voice, it was like his, so much like his that it shook him to his core. Then his eyes landed on the other dinosaurs. They were looking right at him in a manner that suggested they had seen Godzilla himself.

And they were looking at him like that. He didn't…this wasn't…

Rex's mind spiraled down into pure repulsion as his memories, somewhat fogged, came up with those olden, prehistoric days. Except in those cases, the other dinosaurs rarely got away. For a few moments, he silently thanked the fact that there were firm metal bars in between them and him.

He was faintly aware of shouted commands, a zinging feeling running through his mouth, collapsing against the back of his cage, and everything grayed out for him after a while, even though he was sure he was still moving.


Yeah, thought it would be an interesting notion if the Brain Drain in fact separated the savage half from the sentient half, making it prominent, and still allowed it the intelligence to...communicate, in a sense.

But if it doesn't sit right with you, you can make it your own way. I'm not one to hold a grudge just because you didn't like my work.