Super short. Uh... for reasons. Was originally supposed to be part of chapter 33 but 33 got too long. So this became its own chapter and it uh... just didn't end up long enough to really warrant being its own chapter. But it doesn't fit in with the next chapter. SO HAVE SUPER SHORT CHAPTER! Also warning of death here. (Original chapter title, right? 8D Like totally ominous email, right? Update: Chapter 34: DEATH! Spoiler? EVERYONE DIES!)
Raptor
Chapter 34: Death
Barry Sembène was born on Saint Lucia, a small resort island in the Caribbean ocean. Most of the islanders were fluent in both English and French and Barry was no exception. His mother died when he was young. He didn't remember her. He was raised by his dad; a fun loving fisherman who seemed to never frown a day in his life. But when Barry was 13, a huge tropical storm struck, just off the coast of the island. It was bigger than projected. Barry's dad got caught on his boat in the storm and he died. After that, Barry was sent to live with his only relative, an aunt in the US. She tried, but she was a single mother with four smaller children already. For the five years he lived with her, he often got shuffled to the side. She was strict and often forced him to help with his cousins but he didn't really mind. At least he had a place to live and it was only for a few years.
When Barry turned 18, he left and joined the Navy SEALs. He met Owen a few years into it. Their similar upbringings sparked an immediate interest and they became fast friends. When Barry told Owen he was thinking about enlisting in the Navy Marine Mammal Program, Owen was very supportive. In the end, both left the SEALs and joined the marine program. But Owen was the one who excelled in it. He just had a natural way with the animals. Barry wasn't jealous. He was happy for his friend. And when Owen announced he was leaving, that he'd been offered a new job training animals for a different military faction, Barry was again happy for his friend. But he was also sad. They'd become close and he'd miss his friend.
And then, a few months later, Barry got a call with the same job offer. Owen had requested his help. Barry was nervous. Dinosaurs were a lot scarier and wilder than the dolphins and sea lions they'd worked with. But he'd talked with Owen. And his friend seemed excited. That excitement infected Barry and he agreed. He was on the island a few weeks later.
Of all the raptors, all the other dinosaurs in the park and probably every animal he'd ever worked with, he connected the most with Delta. It wasn't exactly his choice. The raptor just seemed to latch herself to him at an early age, since his first day on the island really. Barry could never get Owen to tell him exactly why. But he'd often glimpsed and heard laughter from his raptor friend and the girls. He knew there was some inside joke that he just wasn't let in on.
So for whatever crazy reason, Delta liked him. And for some even crazier reason, when Barry had happened upon her laying on the ground in the middle of the road after the debacle with Ida, he didn't run as he should have. He had glanced around, took note of the truck much farther down the road, and stepped closer to the unmoving Delta.
It had been years since the last time he'd been that close to her without a fence. And that time had been the first time he'd been alone with one of them. They'd been 7 months old and the raptor paddock had finally been approved by Owen. They were nearly waist high and too big for the Bungalow. So one day, Owen announced it was moving day! He explained it to the raptors, told them they were too big and they needed a bigger home. But when he arrived with a small transport van, none of them seemed too keen to get in. Echo was the first one in, but only after Owen promised her that she could watch Nemo when they got there. Charlie filed in shortly after and Blue followed suit.
But when it was Delta's turn to walk up the ramp, she took a step back and shook her head. Owen tried everything to get her in the van; bribes, toys, trickery, and wresting. But she kept either wiggling free or racing back out of the truck since Owen turned. She was being beyond stubborn. And Barry was standing back, laughing. Blue didn't like that. She snapped and yelled and tried to get her sister to listen but nothing she did worked either. So she jumped at her instead. Blue caught Delta completely by surprised and quickly pins her to the ground. Delta tried to kick her off but Blue was faster. She grabbed Delta's foot and started hauling her up the ramp by it. Owen had stepped in, trying to stop them. Blue had been too rough and Delta was bleeding. She let out a pitiful whine and sunk to the ground near the van.
"She's fine." Barry said with a laugh. "I have a first aid kit in my jeep. You go ahead and take them. I'll patch her up and drive her over in my jeep in a bit." Owen had agreed without a second thought. Delta was being super stubborn and he didn't feel like dealing with her anymore. And for whatever reason, she almost seemed to like Barry better. So Owen shut the doors and left with the three other raptors.
Only after they were left alone did Barry realize. It was the first time he'd been alone with any of the raptors. But he knew not to show fear. And as Owen had said, Delta liked him best. And it wasn't like she was attacking or growling. She wasn't showing any signs of aggression. She was just sitting there on the ground, watching him with interest. So he scooped her up and walked towards his jeep. He set her in the back seat and held up his finger. "Stay here." He said and then turned to fish his first aid kit out.
Again, she just watched him. She didn't put up any struggle or resistance as he moved closer and opened the kit.
"Now see here, Delta." He started as he cleaned the smear of blood off her foot. "You're a big girl now. That means you have to listen. When we tell you stuff, you need to listen. Or else you might get hurt or in trouble. And you are too big to live here anymore. But we got a special new place just for you girls. And Owen and I will be there every day to take care of you." He promised. "Just like always."
Barry pushed the memories away. This wasn't really anything like that. Delta was injured, he was sure, but it wasn't just some simple act of stubbornness or rebellion. It was... well he honestly had no clue what that was. Some weird brainwashing thing. He had watched her for a few moments, until she started moving. "Delta." He whispered her name, daring to step closer. He knew it was crazy, he knew he should have ran as soon as she moved. But he stayed there, saying her name softly over and over again.
Finally, Delta opened her eyes. She quickly got to her feet and shook herself. Then she turned. She lifted her head and blinked at Barry. She tilted her head and blinked again. Then her eyes widened and she took a step back.
Barry held up his hands. "Easy, Delta." He spoke softly.
She shook her head again and snorted loudly.
"Hey, Delta." He continued softly. "It's alright."
Delta shook her head again, more violently this time. Then turned and ran into the trees.
Barry let out a sigh and moved to follow her through the trees.
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
She was starting to feel better, starting to think clearer the further she got away. She'd seen Firelady in the cab of the truck. Her and her mate. Maybe she wasn't the biggest fan of Firelady. The redhead was always giving Alpha a hard time. But Delta still understood that Firelady was important. Firelady was Alpha's boss. Firelady was to be protected. And she'd jumped at it anyways. And she'd seen Trip and Squirrel in the back. And she really knew they were off-limits. And she'd attacked them, too. She couldn't stop herself. She couldn't control herself.
Echo had tried to stop her. Echo had followed her and snapped at her and tried to pull her back by her tail. But her youngest sister had no effect. Delta had heard her, but she couldn't answer. And then she'd been knocked to the ground. That was almost a relief. She hadn't hurt any of them. But when she'd woken up and heard Barry's voice, she panicked. The voice in her head was telling her to attack. Attack this man whom she loved, who was family. A brother to Alpha, another parent to her. Despite his hesitation of her close proximity sometimes and his inability to speak her language or run with her like Alpha. He was still family. She'd known him nearly all her life.
And now this voice was telling her to attack him. And she didn't want to. So she ran. Without thinking where, she just turned and darted into the trees. She needed to put as much distance between herself and Dirt as possible.
She weaved through the jungle seamlessly, moving quickly. She hardly saw anything. She wasn't paying any real attention. Just move. Just keep going. And suddenly, she was lost. She slowed and stopped. She wasn't exactly sure where she was. Her eyes darted around. No trees. Buildings. Cars. Stone ground. She put her nose to the stone ground and inhaled. There was no scent of Ida anywhere.
But there was something else. A scent she did know. One she committed to memory at an early age. A man that had tormented Alpha in many ways. There was a growl stuck in her throat as she turned towards the large building. The voice in her head that clouded her judgment and screamed at her to kill was finally aimed at someone she wanted to kill, someone she'd wanted to kill for years.
No hesitation. She ran up the steps to the door and burst through. She stopped just inside and tilted her head to the side. The bright colors and displays and pictures distracted her for a moment. She stared at them, her mind trying to let her mull these new things over. But it wouldn't. She breathed in and caught the scent again. She turned and darted down the hall. She followed the twists and turns of the hall. She thought maybe she understood the rooms she passed. She knew of the lab, of the place where the baby dinosaurs were created. She'd seen it on the box thing with Alpha, back when they were small enough to live in their real home.
And then Delta slowed. She heard a ringing sound. Like a phone. She stopped and lowered herself to the ground. Phone. Echo was obsessed with phones. Phones and Nemo. Echo. Thoughts of her sister drifted into her head again. Delta closed her eyes and pressed her head to the ground. She tried to block out the voice that drifted in through the open door a few feet from her.
Wu stepped out of his storage vault. He turned and typed in his code, the door swinging shut behind him. Then he fished his phone out of his pocket. He glared at the display for a moment before putting it to his ear. "I told you to never call me!" He hissed into the phone.
"Uh... sir..." A male voice said.
"What do you want, One?" Wu snapped, interrupting the voice.
"It's uh..." The voice stammered for a moment. "It's Two." He said. "I borrowed One's phone."
Henry Wu rolled his eyes and shook his head. He didn't have time for this.
"It's about Three." Two continued, his voice shaking a bit over the line. "He's been... rebelling."
"So?" Wu said, turning from the vault. He headed across the room, towards the door slowly. Inadvertently, closer to Delta, who was still out in the hall. He slowed and paused just before stepping out. "What do you want me to do about it? He's your responsibility."
"Sir, he's becoming unstable."
Wu let out a laugh. "He's reaching teenage years. Three will be fine."
"He's demanding we call him Holt, sir."
Wu pulled the phone away from his ear as there was a beep on the line. His eyes widened as he saw the name on the screen. "Finally." He mumbled out. "Deal with it, Two." He snapped as he hung up the call and accepted the second. He quickly put the phone to his ear again. "Where have you been, Vic?" He turned and headed back across the room.
Delta edged closer and peered around the door. The lab was empty. It had always been empty the few times she'd been there for testing. Just Alpha and the doctor. But she'd seen videos and pictures of it when it was full, with others like Dr. Asshole Butthead milling about. Her eyes narrowed in on the man with the phone to his ear.
Wu stopped in front of his vault doors again. He back was to Delta, he had no idea she was there, watching him. "What do you mean change of plans?" The doctor asked in a hushed voice. "The embryos are safe here. The backup generators are all online. They can survive up to eight weeks on them." Dr. Wu turned slightly and his eyes widened as he listened to the person on the other line. "No, no. We can still salvage this, Vic!" He said. "We lock down the storage lab and leave. We wait for everything to die down and sneak back in a few weeks."
Delta studied him, listening to his words and watching his movements. She didn't understand everything he said. But she knew he was the one who made the baby dinosaurs. He did it right in this lab. He was going to lock up the lab where he made the babies and then sneak back. He was coming back... to steal the baby dinosaurs... That's what Delta understood of his words. Dr. Asshole Butthead was going to steal the babies! Delta growled low in her throat.
Wu stopped at the rumble. He turned slowly, catching sight of the eavesdropping raptor for the first time. His eyes widened and his phone slipped from his hands. The device clattered on the voice.
Delta didn't give him a chance to do anything. She darted forward, letting out a shriek. Wu held up his hands but Delta was on him in seconds. She grabbed onto his outstretched arm and relished in the loud crunch of the bones and the sound of the man's screams.
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
Barry heard Delta's shriek. Then he heard the very human screams. Again, his head said run. Back the way he'd come and back out of the building and far away. But he didn't run back. He ran forward, towards the screaming. He turned the corner of the hall and headed into the main room of the lab. And stopped.
Delta was standing over the mangled body, blood dripping from her jaws. She growled at the sound, whipping her head around. Splatters of blood flew with her movements, dotting the nearby desks and machines.
Barry held up his hands. "Delta." He said her name softly as his eyes glanced down at the body. He swallowed nervously and looked back up at Delta.
She blinked at Barry. She breathed out and shook her head. Then turned and glanced down at the body underneath her. She tilted her head, looking confused.
"Delta." He said her name again, this time a bit louder.
Delta blinked again. She shook her head and stepped back.
Barry took her hesitation as a good sign. He held up his hands in front of him steadily and stepped forward.
Delta's eyes zeroed in on Barry as he moved towards her. It was like she was finally able to see him again. She stepped sideways, further away from what she'd done. She let out a whine and lowered herself, pressing herself to the floor. Her eyes settled on the floor.
Barry breathed in deeply and exhaled. He stepped to the side and lifted his arm to point back at the door. "Delta."
She looked up at him for a moment.
"Out." He said.
Delta nodded her head. She stood up slowly and walked towards the door. She kept a wide berth of Barry as she moved, aware of his space.
Barry watched her for a moment. When he was certain she was listening to him and he saw the shadow fall in the hall, he turned back around. He stepped closer to the body. He grimaced, looking at what was left. But then his eyes caught sight of the badge on the man's belt. He bent down and reached for it. He stood up and stared down at the image. Blood splattered the image but it was clear. Dr. Wu's smiling face stared back on him from the ID badge. Barry let out a sigh. He shook his head and stared at the ID in his hands. The bloodied ID. He turned quickly and headed out into the hall to find Delta.
The raptor was standing in the corner of the hall, her eyes on the floor.
"Delta." Barry said softly. "Follow me."
Delta nodded her head and moved in step behind him, keeping her distance.
Barry glanced behind him, confirming she was following. Then he turned and headed towards the restroom to wash the blood off his fingers and the ID.
