Here's the next chapter for you dear readers, now we shall see just WHAT kind of plan Ankylo has up his sleeve for the Dinosaucers!
As before in all the previous chapters I would like to say that one of my readers 'brave kid' came up with the idea for this story, so all thanks goes to him for asking me to try it out as well as his Beta Reading of it too.
I also want to apologise in advance if any of the Dinosaucers, Tyrannos and the Secret Scouts are out of character.
Disclaimer: I don't own Dinosaucers or any of its characters, they belong to Michael E. Uslan, Nelvana and DIC Entertainment
(By the way…all flames and flamers will be ignored thank-you. I'll make an exception for CONSTRUCTIVE reviews on what needs an adjustment or suggestions for other chapters/stories, for they are most welcome. Remember if you don't like my work then don't read or review it! NO-ONE is forcing you to!)
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PART FIVE:
The sudden blaring of an alarm siren brought all the Dinosaucers, which were still at the Lava-Dome, right to the main control room where Allo was waiting for all of them.
"What's the alarm for Allo?" Ichy asked as he and the others joined their leader.
"This," Allo said grimly indicating the main monitor behind him. The image on the screen showed Teryx and the Secret Scouts, all chained and locked up in an electrified cage looking helpless.
"Oh my gosh!" Bonehead said in alarm. "When did we get this Uncle Allo?"
"About a few minutes ago," Allo replied. "Along with this message," he added flicking a switch. Underneath the image on the monitor the following message flashed up: 'IF YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR FRIENDS AGAIN, ALIVE JUST TRACE THE SOURCE OF THIS TRANSMISSION TO FIND THEM.'
"We've got to go save them!" Ichy said determinedly. "Have you got a location?"
"You bet I do," Allo said confidently handing him a computer printout. "I traced the transmission to these co-ordinates. Now then Ichy, I want you to take Tricero and Bronto Thunder with you to go rescue our friends. But be careful you could well be walking into a trap."
"We'll be careful Allo have no fear of that," Tricero reassured his leader as he and his two fellow Dinosaucers left the control room.
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"This is where the transmission was coming from?" Tricero said in disbelief as he and his two friends arrived at their destination.
Allo's co-ordinates had lead the three Dinosaucers to the centre of an old theme park located on the outskirts of Boulder directly outside the park's house of horrors.
"Well this place looks like it hasn't been used for a while," Bronto Thunder said looking around. "So, it would be the perfect place to hide our friends and set up a trap."
'Indeed it is,' a voice suddenly spoke out. Looking up, the Dinosaucer trio saw that a huge view screen had been built at the top of horror house. As they watched the screen lit up to show a huge high-backed chair with a huge Tyrannos D on it.
"Ok Rex!" Itchy called up to the screen. "It's all over! We've found your hideout, now release our friends or you'll be real sorry you kidnapped them!"
'Oh dear,' the figure in the chair sighed out loud. 'I didn't think you Dinosaucers would be so ignorant to think it was Genghis REX who kidnapped your friends.'
To Itchy, Bronto Thunder and Tricero's surprise the figure in the chair that swung around to face them was Ankylo wearing his new outfit.
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Back at the Tar-Pits Genghis Rex, who was monitoring all that was happening at the theme park, looked at what he was seeing on his scanner in astonishment. "Just what on Reptilon is that fool Ankylo DOING?!" he exclaimed in disbelief as he continued to watch.
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'As you can see my friends,' Ankylo said smugly to his Dinosaucer enemies. 'I am far MORE than the dumb Tyranno I once was.'
"Of course!" Ichy said in sudden understanding. "That night in the Boulder Collage Gym when you crashed into the I.Q Rater and Enhancer, the power surge which came from it boosted your OWN intelligence didn't it?"
"Oh bravo," Ankylo said sarcastically giving a slow mocking clap. "It seems that at least ONE Dinosaucer has an actually brain.
"Never mind the insults Ankylo," Tricero snapped angrily up at the screen. "What do want from us?"
"What I want from you is very simple," Ankylo said pressing a button on the armrest of his chair. As he did so 3 secret doors which the Dinosaucers hadn't noticed before slid open at the front of the horror house. "I want to play a game of hide and seek with you."
"Hide and seek?!" Bronto Thunder exclaimed in disbelief. "Are you serious?"
"I have a nasty feeling that he's being REAL serious about ALL this Bronto Thunder," Ichy said grimly.
"You're absolutely right," Ankylo said cheerfully. "This is indeed a 'fun park' so why not put it to a good use? Inside my horror house is a maze where your companions are imprisoned at the centre. The three doors I have opened are your own personal paths to follow, which MAY lead you to the centre of my maze that is IF you get by any of the challenges I put in there."
"By challenges," Tricero spoke up. "I take it you mean traps."
"Exactly," Ankylo nodded in confirmation. "So if any two of you fall for my challenges then at least ONE should make it, hence the three doors. So, what do you say?"
"I say," Bronto Thunder said determinedly. "Let the game begin!"
"Then split up and choose one of the three doors," Ankylo said to them. "And may the best Dinosaucer win!"
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"Alright that is IT!" Genghis Rex roared furiously getting up from his chair at the Tar-Pits. "I am going to ring that Ankylo's fat little NECK when I catch up with him! It's one thing to hide his new intelligence from me, but to set out and destroy the Dinosaucers WITHOUT my permission? I'll show him the penalty of his treason!"
By this time Rex had reached the main door to the control room, but as he pressed the 'open' button in the wall panel next to the door the most unexpected thing happened. Instead of the door opening, an alarm immediately went off and the lights suddenly dimmed and a computerized voice was heard.
'Attention, attention! Tar -Pits II base has been compromised by the enemy! Lockdown procedures have now been activated.'
"What the hell?!" Rex exclaimed furiously as he saw all the control room instruments close down except the main screen which still showed what was happening back at Ankylo's Fun Park. "Who reprogrammed the Lockdown Program?!"
'That would have been me 'Bossasaur',' Ankylo's mocking voice crackled out of a nearby speaker. 'I couldn't have you interfering with my plan to destroy the Dinosaucers now could I? Also, if you had learnt I had…'recruited' some of our fellow Tyrannos to help me out you'd DEFINETLY try to stop me. Now then…before you blow your stack over this… may I suggest you just sit back in your chair and enjoy the show.'
"Ankylo you will pay DEARLY for this treason!" Rex roared furiously. "Do you hear me?!"
The Tyranno Leader's only response to this was a 'click' as Ankylo turned the speaker off infuriating him to no end.
"NOBODY IMPRISONS OR IGNORES GENGHIS REX AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!" Rex screamed hysterically as he grabbed his personal radio communicator. "This is Genghis Rex!" he snapped into it angrily. "I've been locked in the control room thanks to that traitor Ankylo! If there's any one of you idiots who HAVEN'T been brainwashed by him, get over here NOW and GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
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In his own base Ankylo turned away from his screen to face Terrible Dactyl, Quackpot, Brachio and Princess Dei who were patiently waiting for him.
"Oh boy…" Quackpot said nervously. "His Scaliness was REAL annoyed at you Ankylo, and he'll be REALLY annoyed when he finds out its US backing you."
"Look," Ankylo said calmly to the worried Tyranno. "Forget about Genghis Rex for the time being, he's safely under wraps and it'll take ages for him to get free. In that time, we'll have dealt with the Dinosaucers and then he'll no longer be a problem. Now then to business," he went on. "Our enemies are on their way into my maze, so that means all of you need to get into position." As he spoke Ankylo pressed another button in his chair's armrest and four secret doors in a nearby wall opened up. "Off you go," he ordered them.
As Terrible Dactyl, Quackpot and Brachio left through their doors Ankylo gently gripped Dei's arm.
"What is?"
"I just wanted to say good luck before you go my dear," Anklyo said quietly to her. As he spoke he handed the Tyranno Princess a jewelled necklace with a huge purple gem in the centre.
"Where did you get this?" Dei said in amazement as she took the necklace.
"From my robberies while I was setting up all this," Ankylo told her. "After all, if I'm going to be a king of galactic crime…I'll need a queen."
Hearing this coming from Ankylo made Dei blush heavily, for she had never been complemented so well by ANY Dino on Earth OR Reptilon. "I'll…I'll think about it," she stammered heading for her door. "First…we'll deal with the Dinosaucers."
"Yes indeed Princess you go," Ankylo called after her. "With MY help, I am going to make the Tyrannos MORE powerful than your brother Genghis Rex could EVER do!"
Turning his chair back to his screen, Ankylo changed the picture. The image now showed a computer-generated map of the maze he had sent Dinosaucers into. Three blue dots showed Bronto Thunder, Tricero and Ichy wondering around their separate paths. "And now my friends," he said quietly to himself. "As you said…let the games BEGIN!"
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"Is there no end to this place?" Bronto Thunder asked himself as he continued to cautiously examine his part of Ankylo's maze. He'd be walking around the corridors for what felt like ages, occasionally he'd come across a dead end and have to retrace his steps, but it felt like this entire maze was deserted. "I wonder how the others are doing?" he said as he got out his radio and switched it on.
"Bronto Thunder to Tricero are you receiving me? Over?" There was no reply just an unfriendly crackle of static, frowning in worry Bronto Thunder tired again. "Ichy can you hear me? It's Bronto Thunder, over." Again, there was nothing but static. "Very clever Ankylo," Bronto Thunder muttered as he switched off his radio and put it away. "Jamming all our radio signals so we can't help each other, so I guess we do this the old-fashioned way."
Continuing on his way Bronto Thunder turned a corner in the maze and to his surprise, he found himself in a large room done up like a wrestling ring! Standing in the middle of ring was Brachio dressed in a strong man's outfit!
"Hey there Bronto Thunder," Brachio waved mockingly to his enemy. "So glad you FINALLY made it, I've been waiting for you for ages."
"What's this all about Brachio?" Bronto Thunder cautiously asked the Tyranno as he slowly walked into the ring. "Why are you here?"
"I believe I can answer that question," a hologram of Ankylo said appearing in the centre of the ring between the two foes. Bronto Thunder noted that the hologram was all dressed up as a traditional carnival barker, complete with straw hat, striped shirt and a large cane he brandished like a pointer stick. "If you want to get to the centre of my maze to rescue your friends, you have to engage Brachio here in a wrestling match."
"That's right," Brachio said in confirmation as Ankylo's hologram faded away. "If you beat me in a fair fight you can continue on your way."
"You serious?" Bronto Thunder asked suspiciously.
"Absolutely," Brachio nodded cracking his knuckles. "So, are you going to fight me or what?"
"Alright then," Bronto Thunder said giving up and charging forward with the intention of tackling his enemy head on.
Brachio smirked as he neatly sidestepped Bronto Thunder allowing him to go flying into the rings netting. The Dinosaucer collided with the netting with the intention of using it to fling himself back at Brachio. However, as Bronto Thunder hit the netting he received a huge electric shock, the unexpected attack made him cry out in agony before he collapsed on the ground in a stunned heap.
"You know Bronto Thunder," Brachio said with a chuckle as he walked up to his defeated opponent. "Ankylo was right, for a hero you REALLY are stupid! I wanted to fight you fairly, but Ankylo insisted on rigging his ring with a mild electrical current to beat you. I told him it wouldn't work, but you sure proved ME wrong! Oh well…with you down that only leaves Tricero and Ichy, I wonder how easily QUICK it'll be for Quackpot and Dei to defeat them?"
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Meanwhile in his part of Ankylo's maze, Tricero was carefully moving along looking for his captured friends. He had already tried his radio and found that it was being jammed, so he was being cautious as he walked for fear of traps. "Oh boy…" Tricero muttered to himself. "I sure hope Bronto Thunder and Ichy are alright."
"You'd do better to worry about yourself Tricero!" Quackpot's voice suddenly boomed out.
Looking up, Tricero found himself in what appeared to be a hall of mirrors. However instead of his OWN reflection in them, Tricero found the mirrors all contained Quackpot!
"What the heck is all this Quackpot?" he demanded to know.
"It's all part of the fun of course," Ankylo said appearing as a hologram still in his guise of a carnival barker. "If you want to continue on your way to the centre of my maze, you have to find the REAL Quackpot in my hall of mirrors."
"So, he's actually in this room huh?" Tricero said looking cautiously around him.
"That's right," Quackpot said in confirmation as Ankylo's hologram vanished. "So I'll just wait right where I am and let you find me. Oh, and I WON'T try anything sneaky," he added with a chuckle.
"Yeah right," Tricero muttered to himself. "Ok…if Quackpot is REALLY in this room all I have to do is smash these mirrors." So saying Tricero charged forward towards the nearest mirror shattering it to pieces.
"Wrong one," Quackpot said mockingly. "Plus, you get seven years bad luck for EVERY mirror you smash."
"You mean it'll be YOUR bad luck when I finally CATCH you!" Tricero roared angrily as he charged forward destroying another mirror.
"Now it's fourteen years."
For the next couple of minutes, which felt like hours to Tricero, he charged at the mirrors smashing them to pieces in his search for Quackpot. Finally, after he smashed his last mirror he stopped to rest. "This is NUTS!" he panted. "I feel like I've smashed HALF of these mirrors and no closer to finding the real Quackpot!"
"Plus your almost exhausted," Quackpot added. "You've also racked up quite a few years of bad luck too!"
"I can see what you're trying to do," Tricero said in realization. "You're trying to exhaust me so I can't fight back when I DO find you! Well it's not going to work!"
"Actually," Quackpot said in triumph. "It already has!"
As the Tyranno spoke four large mirrors that HADN'T been smashed, suddenly flew out of their positions around the four walls of the room and surrounded Tricero in a perfect glass box.
"Got you!" Quackpot laughed as he stepped out of his hiding place where one of the mirrors had come off. "I can't believe that actually WORKED," he added as another mirror descended from the ceiling completing the box.
"You cheating little backstabber Quackpot!" Tricero yelled furiously to his enemy. "You got me so exhausted from smashing mirrors, you took the opportunity to capture me!"
"That's right," Quackpot chuckled. "By the way don't think you can break THOSE mirrors of your box, they're UNBREAKABLE glass. Well…with you captured that only leaves Ichy and Ankylo has something REAL special in mind for him!"
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"So far so good," Ichy said to himself as he continued examining his part of the maze. Like Bronto Thunder and Tricero before him, Ichy had found his radio was being jammed and thus making contact with his friends impossible. "Ankylo's thought this out real good…there's no doubt about that. I just wonder what he's got in store for me?"
Rounding a corner Ichy entered a large room and stopped dead in his tracks. In the centre of the room all apparently unconscious in a cage, were Teryx and the Secret Scouts! In the centre of the cage set up on a small trolley, was a large metal canister with dials and switches set into the canister's lid.
"Teryx!"
"So, the hero is here at last!" Ankylo said appearing in his hologrammatic form. Only this time the Tyranno was dressed like a classic villain complete with black hat, coat and a fake moustache.
"What have you done to my friends?"
"They're simply stunned and quite safe," Ankylo reassured him. "However…they won't be for much longer. The canister on that trolley is an invention of mine called a blockbuster bomb. Once I finish talking to you I will activate it and then you have 10 minutes to diffuse it, otherwise you'll all be blown to kingdom come!"
"Are you crazy?!" Ichy exclaimed in horror. "You can't do that!"
"Oh, can't I just?" Ankylo smiled before fading away. "10 minutes starting now!" Once the hologram had gone the canister began emitting a steady electronic bleep.
"Oh no!" Ichy cried out in horror running towards the cage. It didn't take him long to pick the lock of the cage and soon he was leaning over the canister, studying the controls set into its top.
"Ok," Ichy said to himself. "Let me see. This dial with the needle is the timer, the red area at twelve o'clock signifies the detonation point. So when the needle reaches the red we get blown up! I've got to get into this thing and remove the timer!"
Working frantically for a few minutes, and trying to keep his clawed hands from shaking, Ichy carefully managed to get the front off the canister. "At last!" Ichy said in relief as he glanced at the detonation dial. To his horror he saw that while he had been working the needle was now only a fractional distance from the red zone, and the bleep was rising higher also getting faster.
"I've got to remove the fuse!" Delicately reaching into the bomb's innards Ichy gently lifted out a large circuit…
Suddenly the bleeping stopped and the needle on the detonation dial became still.
"Oh…I made it with time to spare!" Ichy sighed to himself in deep relief. He then turned his attention to Teryx and the Secret Scouts, to his delight he saw that they were waking up at last.
"Are you guys ok?" Ichy asked as he knelt down and undid their chains.
"Oh we're fine," Teryx said calmly as her chains fell off. However, as she spoke the Secret Scouts vanished into thin air chains and all. "But you're not…!"
Before Ichy realised what was happening 'Teryx' blew a powder into the Dinosaucer's face causing him to gasp, cough and splutter before falling unconscious on the floor.
"Now we really DO have prisoners," Princess Dei said evilly as she turned off her hologram image of Teryx she had used to disguise herself as. "Thanks to Ankylo, you fools walked into this trap all by yourselves! It'll be the second of TWO surprises your leader Allo should be getting right about now."
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Back at the Lava-Dome Allo was pacing up and down the main control room, he had been doing so ever since he lost all contact with Ichy, Tricero and Bronto Thunder several hours ago.
"What is taking those three so long?" he said worriedly to himself as he continued his pacing. "They should have reported in ages ago."
"Are you talking about us?" Teryx asked cheerfully as she and Secret Scouts walked into the control room loaded with their shopping bags.
"What the...?!" Allo said in astonishment. "Where did you all come from?!"
"From Boulder where we've been shopping and asking questions about the robberies," Sara said puzzled by Allo's surprised behaviour.
"You've been in Boulder this ENTIRE TIME?!" Allo exclaimed in disbelief. "Why didn't you radio in to TELL us this?!"
"We tried calling the Lava-Dome several times on our way back here," Ryan said to Allo. "But something had jammed our rings and Teryx's radio."
"Oh no…"Allo said in quiet horror as realization suddenly struck him. Teryx and the Secret Scouts had never been prisoners at all, the message and the images he and his friends had seen were all faked. He had sent Ichy, Tricero and Bronto Thunder off needlessly into a trap and NOW their enemy really DID have prisoners!
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Oh boy! What a cliff-hanger of an ending for this chapter huh? It seems that Ankylo plans are coming together nicely! He's got Genghis Rex imprisoned in his own base (for the time being) while Ichy, Tricero and Bronto Thunder are now the Tyranno's prisoners.
This is all thanks to Ankylo's new intelligence and charm which he used to build traps and co-operation from his fellow Tryanno's. Now that he really DOES have prisoners what will Ankylo do next? And what will Allo and his fellow Dinosaucers do to stop him? It will all be answered next chapter, so don't forget to read and review in the meantime and see you then! Thanks in advance!