I recently rewatched the first Jurassic Park movie to remind myself how exactly was it that Telltale linked their game to it, and also because that movie is very, very good. I'll definitely be adding some scenes from the film into this story, but not many. Just two, to be precise. You'll be able to read one of those in this chap.
Enjoy!
~ Chapter 1 : Jurassic Battle ~
Despite the fact they now had a bitten and delirious woman in the back of the car which didn't seem to be aware of her surroundings, Jessi could not help but feel a bit nervous.
Driving a vehicle while clearly being a minor without a license had nothing to do with her state, nor did the possibility of something bad happening to the woman if they didn't get her to a doctor in time. Though it did worry her a bit.
The only reason why Jessica Harding was being uncharacteristically silent and was trying hard not to take her eyes off the road –other than to avoid crashing into something– was due to the teenager sitting beside her at the front. The very same teen they had run into not even five minutes ago, standing in the middle of the service road.
Usually, Jessi was not shy around other people, especially not her age. On the contrary; she liked it when everyone else looked her way and focused their attention on her. And in spite of not having any guy friends yet, she had no problem interacting with her friends' boyfriends, acquaintances or the like.
But for some strange reason, the guy sitting to her right was making her feel slightly self-conscious. She didn't really know what it was, but every time she'd think of something to say and glanced his way, the words would get stuck in her throat.
The aforementioned young man seemed to be in a sort of fascinated state at the moment. His sparkling blue eyes were wide with what Jessi thought was awe, and he'd not stopped moving his head around the interior of the car ever since he'd hopped in, looking at even the window by his side with almost childlike curiosity. It was almost as if this was his first time riding a car, despite how silly the idea sounded to her.
A mop of short, spiky golden hair sat atop a handsome face which sported three identical marks like whiskers on each cheek, an oddity that Jessica found herself intrigued by. They really didn't look like scars, which only added one more question to the bunch she'd been meaning to ask him for a while.
Then there was his current set of colorful clothes. She'd taken note of his uncommon choice of attire even before he'd been offered a ride, and couldn't help but be a bit surprised at his obvious lack of fashion sense. His dark and orange garments didn't suit him at all in her opinion, nor did the black sandals he wore on his feet. Plus, black was not the best choice for the kind of weather that reigned over Isla Nublar most of the year.
Still, just by looking at him it was clear to Jessica there was something different about the blue-eyed teen. He seemed to exude an aura of sorts that was very hard to describe. The kind that drew people's eyes its way and made them feel attracted by it. Or at least, that's how she was feeling right then, before the voice of her father brought her back to Earth.
"Eyes on the road, Jess."
Said girl whipped her head to the front and tightened her hold on the wheel, a light blush creeping up to her cheeks at having been caught staring. She'd somehow managed to keep the car straight in those few seconds she'd inadvertently been looking at the silent blond, which made her feel relieved no accident had taken place because of her.
"S-Sorry", she mumbled, ignoring the way the other boy round her age turned her way with innocent eyes. The girl then felt the need to deviate the attention she was getting and said, "how... how's she, dad?"
"It's not looking good", Gerry said gravely. On the rearview mirror, Jessi noticed the way he held the injured woman in his arms, keeping her close to him. There was a look of concern etched on his wrinkled expression. "The bruising on her arm is showing evidence of toxins, but I don't believe this is a Dilophosaur bite."
Jessi perked up her head at that. "So it really was a dino like he said?", the blond by her side didn't even seem to realize he was being mentioned, too focused as he was looking through the compartment in front of him after he'd managed to get it open.
"Can't say for sure. None of the other dinosaurs are poisonous."
She felt a shiver snaking down her spine. Suddenly the idea of being out in the open at that time of night didn't seem as appealing to her as it had right after they'd left their quarters. If there was a dinosaur with a poison inflicting bite on the loose that not even her dad knew about…
"I don't think I want to be out here anymore…"
"It's okay, hon, everything will be fine. We just need to get to the Visitor's Center", she heard her dad say from the back, his voice soft in a feeble attempt at comforting her. "Just try to focus and follow the signs, all right? I'm going to check on her vitals."
Just then, the woman on Gerry's hold moaned in pain, gritting her teeth. It was an action that attracted the boy's attention onto her for a moment, before his blue eyes moved from the older man to Jessica.
The aforementioned felt her heart skip a beat as she felt a finger poking her forearm, intent on making her look the blond's way.
"Oh! Uhm… Hi there", she said somewhat nervously, inwardly wondering what could be going through the strange teen's mind. "Do you need something?"
"…?"
"Wait, dad? A little hand here?"
"…Bradycardic, heart rate's only 33… she's burning up…"
Realizing her father had too much on his plate already, Jessi let out a shaky sigh. It was evident her fellow passenger wanted to ask her something, probably concerning the woman's current condition, but obviously couldn't because of the language barrier existing between them.
If only he could speak or at least understand English! Why was the first boy her age she got to meet on the island someone she wasn't even able to talk to, of all people?
"R-Right. Listen, your friend is going to be okay", Jessi didn't know what their relationship was, but he did seem worried enough for her well-being. "My dad's a doctor. Doctor", she repeated slowly, putting as much emphasis as she could on the word. "You understand? He'll help her. Don't worry."
Her hopes at somehow managing to make herself understood were shattered the moment she caught a glimpse of the utterly confused look the blond sported on his face.
"…"
"I guess you don't, then. Shit."
"Language, Jess."
The girl felt herself blushing once more at being caught swearing, though the blood tinting her cheeks was gone very soon. Choosing not to reply to her dad, who was now in the process of examining the woman's eyes and looking concerned at what he saw, Jessica straightened in her seat. She could practically feel the blond's stare on her, watching her intently though not in a creepy way. If anything, he was probably trying to make sense of what she'd told him.
"All right, how about we start with something easy? I'll tell you my name, and then you tell me yours."
She could tell he was still not getting anything, but hoped her intentions would be made clear once she spoke.
"I'm Jessica", the girl took one hand off the wheel, placing it on her chest. "Jessica Harding."
The boy by her side just continued to stare at her for a while in silence – his sapphire eyes scanning her face with rapt attention. But just when she was beginning to think her basic attempts at introducing herself had failed, a big, bright smile found its way to the teen's lips.
"Naruto Uzumaki!", he replied energetically, looking particularly happy for some reason.
"Naruto Uzumaki?", the blond nodded with clear enthusiasm. "So, I guess Naruto's your first name. The other sounds like a surname or something."
Despite the situation they were in at the moment, Jessica felt like smiling herself, pleased at this minor success. Naruto seemed to share her sentiment, as he was now grinning from ear to ear. He then turned on his seat and leaned his head over the seat, in the direction of the veterinarian. He repeated his name one more time, clearly in an attempt to introduce himself to her father, which effectively broke the man out of his state.
"Huh? Oh, right. Naruto, was it? My name's Gerry Harding", he offered the blond a brief smile, before gesturing towards Jessi. "I'm her father."
"I think that's pretty much obvious by now, dad", Jessica commented from the front, finding the cheerfulness on Naruto to be rather relaxing. It helped to get her mind off the bitten woman at the back, or the fact there were dinos out there, roaming freely around the island.
Though all it took for her to be reminded of those things once again was hearing the renewed moans and hisses of pain uttered by the unknown woman on her father's arms.
"A-Ah…! No, no… ¡La isla es una trampa! ¡Ahora nadie nos podrá sacar de aquí!"
"Hey, hey! Stay with me!"
Jessica heard her dad cursing under his breath as he tried to keep the woman from giving up in her efforts to fight whatever was it that had her in such agony. Naruto's previous grin vanished the moment he heard the commotion in the back, replacing it with a frown.
"Jess, I've got to clean this wound up", her father announced, stretching a hand out to pick something from the first aid kit on the other seat at the back. "Just keep driving smoothly."
"Yeah, okay dad."
The girl tensed as she saw a shadow moving about in the darkness, and Naruto seemed to notice it too, given the way he whipped his head in the same direction she'd seen it. His azure eyes narrowed cautiously but he quickly shook his head, which left Jessi once again wondering what could he be thinking at a time like that.
She was about to ask him about it, when the sudden voice of the woman beat her to it.
"¡No! ¡Aléjate de mi!"
"Wait, listen, I'm a doctor. I'll do my best to make you feel better."
Both Jessica and her dad were slightly surprised when the woman allowed her eyelids to part and turned to look at Gerry – her eyes were unfocused and vacant, although she couldn't really see what was going on.
"Doctor? ¿Médico?"
"Yes, that's it! Médico! I'm going to disinfect your wound now, okay? Please let me help you."
Naruto at the front grew very interested when he caught sight of the bottle Gerry had in his hands, and even more so at seeing him spray its contents on the bitten arm. Jessica saw all that through the mirror, inwardly hoping her dad's efforts would be enough to help her.
Yet, all that ended up happening was the woman starting to cough, wheeze and squirm about in the man's arms, which startled Jessi and made her look away from the front.
"Dad, what's…?"
"The road, Jess!"
Her distraction caused her to lose control of the car for a second, making it lean dangerously to the right. Before she could do anything about it, a hand reached out from the side, steering the wheel to get the vehicle back on track – the abruptness of the action caused everyone inside to be jerked in the opposite direction the car had moved to.
Jess felt her heart thundering in her chest as the sudden spike of adrenaline made her tighten her hold on the wheel, only then realizing her carelessness could have gotten them killed.
"Phew!", Naruto released the wheel after a moment or two, heaving a sigh of relief. His azure eyes then turned to her, and ultimately to her dad at the back. He asked something in that strange language of his, and despite not knowing the exact words, Jessica understood what he wanted to know.
"We're okay, Naruto", Gerry retorted from the back, stealing the words right off her mouth. On his hand now was a needle which he soon filled with a transparent liquid from a small recipient. "Jess, honey, would you mind slowing down a bit? I need to give her an injection."
"W-Whoa… That needle's huge…"
Her father clearing his throat was all she needed to be reminded that she was supposed to be focusing on the road ahead, lest she got distracted again. So she did just that, slowing the car to a relatively decent speed which made it jump around less, but still allowed it to go fast enough to avoid being caught by anything undesirable.
"…!"
Jessie was surprised at noticing fear in Naruto's voice, no doubt after having seen the very same thing she'd pointed out earlier. "I take it you don't like needles either, right, Naruto?", a short laugh escaped her mouth as Naruto whipped his head her way with a terrified look. He looked like a scared, cute puppy with his eyes as wide as they were.
"There…"
A long, almost relieved sigh was heard from the back of the car and the woman in Gerry's arms instantly relaxed, falling limp against him. Even over the noise the vehicle was making as it traversed down the road to the Visitor's Centre, Jessi was able to hear her once labored breathing had evened out.
"That should keep her stable. For a while, at least."
She allowed herself to smile at that, feeling somewhat relieved. Even though the woman was a complete stranger to her, and so was Naruto, Jessica wouldn't have been able to bear it if something bad happened to her. Especially not when her dad could actually do something to save her.
"You two okay up front?"
Jessi sent a quick look at the blond, who merely smiled at her, not really knowing what was going on but evidently happy they'd been able to help his alleged friend. "Yeah. I think so."
"Good. Do you mind driving the rest of the way, Jess?", her father inquired. "I'm going to get her bandaged up."
"Sure, dad", now that things had calmed down a bit, Jessica felt elated at the prospect of being able to drive for a while longer. "I don't suppose Naruto here knows how to drive so leave it to me."
The aforementioned blinked at the mention of his name, noticing the way Jessica Harding regarded him with a big smile.
Naruto didn't have the slightest idea of what was going on around him.
He'd been with these people for twenty minutes at most and the only thing he'd been able to learn from them was their names. And that they spoke a very strange language, one that did not resemble Japanese at all.
Despite his short time together with them, Naruto could already tell they were not shinobi. Not only their clothes, but the lack of any gear and/or weapons let him know both were civilians. And the… metal box, for a lack of a better term, that girl, Jessica, controlled with the circular handle was unlike anything he'd ever seen in the Nations. It was faster than wagons and horses, but definitely noisier.
Racking his brain for answers didn't help, especially since the young shinobi did not recall ever hearing about means of transports like that existing somewhere in the Nations, much less people that spoke a language other than Japanese.
But what intrigued him the most, though, were the… animals roaming around. Apart from the ones his clones had fought against, he'd actually caught a glimpse of a few others as they moved down the road. Similar, in some ways, but certainly not the same species. Whatever those things were, it was clear they posed a serious threat to the people around if the way Jessica and Gerry had reacted earlier as one of them had gotten close was of any indication.
Now, as they made their way through a dark tunnel, Naruto couldn't help but wonder where exactly they were all heading to. He hoped it'd be a place with other shinobi he could talk to and ask for information about his current whereabouts, or what the fastest way back to his sensei was.
Otherwise…
Naruto surreptitiously glanced at Jessi, who was completely focused on the path ahead. She looked more relaxed now compared to a few minutes earlier, but there was still some anxiety etched on her expression, no doubt at knowing they were not safe out in the open. Her light blue orbs didn't once turn his way, but he found himself staring at them for a little while anyhow.
Gerry Harding was in a similar state, though the older man looked more preoccupied by the woman resting against him than anything else. A woman Naruto was glad to have found when he did. If he hadn't… Only Kami knows what would have happened to her.
It was that very same thought that prompted another to his mind, one he immediately took into consideration. Based on what little he knew about the creatures, none of those people seemed capable of holding their own against them. And the possibility of something bad happening to any of the three civilians if he were to leave them to their luck made Naruto shake his head.
'I'll make sure they're safe before I go my own way', the blond resolved, nodding to himself. As a shinobi, it was his duty to protect others from peril, and he wasn't about to stop doing so any time soon. Not even when finding himself in a situation like the one he was in at the moment.
The moment they made it out the tunnel, Naruto noticed they were slowing down. He looked around with curious eyes, wondering if they'd made it to their destination, but it was only when he glanced ahead that he saw the actual reason why.
"Dad…"
"Jess? Why are we stop…?"
Once he saw it too, Gerry grew as silent as Naruto and Jessica now were.
Blocking the path was another one of those creatures the young shinobi had encountered in his short time in that unknown place, yet this particular beast seemed to be a totally different species from the others. Whereas the previous ones were slender and long, it had a far more robust body, and Naruto could tell it was also way heavier.
Its huge head caught his attention next, as it was even more impressive than its imposing appearance. On the former, the animal bore a large bony frill, three horns on the skull, and a parrot-like beak from where a long tongue stretched to lick the branch it was eating from.
"…She's beautiful", he heard Jessi said, seemingly in awe. "Ah, it's a 'she', right?"
"Right. And we're lucky this young one's by herself. Wouldn't want to meet the Alpha out here. Lady Margaret… Well, she's quite protective."
Naruto had no idea what they were talking about, but nothing in their voices suggested they were either afraid or discussing options to slip away unnoticed. The animal itself didn't seem to have noticed their arrival, and if it had, it hadn't bothered to acknowledge their presence.
His curiosity piqued, the Uzumaki decided to throw caution to the wind and opened the door to his right the same way he'd seen Gerry doing a while ago. As he did so, he dutifully ignored the equal gasps of surprise his action brought about and stepped out the vehicle, never taking his eyes off the seemingly harmless creature.
"Naruto, what are you doing? Get back here!"
He merely waved his hand off in Gerry's way, trying to let the older man know he wasn't afraid, and cautiously began approaching the animal.
Naruto tuned out a brief conversation that took place between his new acquaintances and focused solely on the odd creature before him. An eye on the side of its head suddenly swiveled in the shinobi's direction, making him pause for a moment. He noticed the way the beast seemed to be scrutinizing him, as if to check whether he posed a threat to it or not.
"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you", Naruto raised his hands in a placating manner. He didn't move an inch as he stared straight into its eye.
And it was only when it went back to eating the branch that the blond allowed himself to drop his hands and resume his approach, this time a bit more confidently than before. A grin found its way to his whiskered visage when he noticed the beast didn't even flinch at his sudden proximity, nor did it protest when he stretched a hand to touch its side.
Naruto ran a hand up and down what he assumed was the belly of the animal, an impressed look on his face. 'So it seems not every one of them is dangerous', the blond was slightly astonished at realizing how warm its body felt to the touch. Its skin was quite smooth, too.
"That's sooo cool!"
"Incredible", a voice beside him said in evident disbelief, and Naruto didn't need to look back to realize Gerry had walked up to him when he wasn't looking. "Bakhita doesn't really like new faces. They make her nervous. For her to trust you so quickly…"
There was no way for the blond to comprehend exactly what Gerry meant, but he could tell the older man was surprised.
A moment later, Naruto's ears picked up the sound of Jessica exiting the car, her shoes producing a distinctive sound against the road.
"I thought I told you to stay put, Jess…"
"It's no big deal. Look, Naruto's already made friends with her. I bet she will like me too if she gives me a chance!"
As if on cue, the aforementioned Bakhita jerked its head in the direction of Jessica, who had made her way to it a bit too quickly. Naruto was forced to pull his hand off Bakhita's skin and take a step back when the latter let out a low, yet warning growl.
"Eep!"
"Easy girl, it's all right."
The animal flared its nostrils and shook its head, immediately going back to the branch before her. Naruto grinned at that. It seemed all she wanted was to try and eat her food in peace, a feeling he knew all too well.
"I guess she doesn't really like me…"
After patting the shoulder of his daughter, Gerry gestured Naruto to stay where he was as the former walked past Bakhita and towards a gate just ahead. The Uzumaki's eyes took notice of the fact said gate was connected to a fence, similar to the one he'd come across a while ago, forming a square around a vast valley. He couldn't see much from his position, but even with what little information he had to go on, he was beginning to have an idea of the purpose of the fences.
The size and the material they were made of all pointed to them being some sort of cages for the many creatures around. Why exactly, he didn't know yet. That was something he had yet to figure out.
"Hey, Naruto?"
Turning his azure eyes to his left, Naruto found himself staring back into a pair of orbs of a lighter shade than his'.
"How did you do it?", Jessica Harding muttered, her voice hopeful. "Make Bakhita like you, I mean."
The Uzumaki blinked, refusing to break eye contact. He'd be lying if he said he understood what she wanted to know, which he showed by slumping his shoulders and shaking his head.
Jessie sighed through her nose. "Right", the girl placed her hands on her hips, musing about something. Then, she broke out into a beaming smile. "Ah, I know! Watch this."
Naruto did nothing but stare at Jessica as she began making a very poor impression of someone approaching the animal, stretching their hand to pet it and laugh merrily after they'd accomplished said fact, all in that order.
Her acting made the blond burst out into laughter, only now realizing what she'd been meaning to ask all that time.
"Hey! You're supposed to be showing me how to approach Bakhita, not make fun of me!"
Though she feigned annoyance, Naruto could actually see her lips threatening to curl into a smile. He was about to say something, when he spotted Gerry moving out the corner of his eyes – he was making his way directly towards a small building just outside the tunnel, his brow furrowed.
"Dad? Where are you going?"
"The gate's locked in the open position", he simply said. "There should be a manual release in the shed. I'm going to take a look", halting in his advance, Gerry turned towards the pair of teenagers. "Jess, why don't you get back in the car? As soon as I move her out of the way, we'll get going."
"Are you kidding me?", the aforementioned girl groaned, crossing her arms. "What about Naruto?"
"That gate is heavier than it looks, trust me. With Naruto's help, I should be able to close it much faster than on my own. Besides, we really need to get moving as soon as we possibly can. Our patient still needs to be looked at by a proper doctor."
"…Ah, all right. Whatever."
Naruto saw Gerry nodding at his visibly dejected daughter before continuing towards the metal door he was originally heading for. Jessica flashed Naruto a dejected pout and then sulked back to the transport, though not before muttering something under her breath that the Uzumaki felt like was aimed his way for some reason.
"Wait, wait, this is not going to work."
Despite not speaking the local language, there were some things that he could still pick up on. Especially when said things had to do with the current obstacle they were facing.
After Gerry had unlocked the door leading to the shed and done something inside, he'd headed straight for the gate, signalling Naruto on the way to come lend him a hand. Pushing it hadn't been much of a problem, and the young shinobi knew he'd have been able to handle it on his own.
But with Bakhita in the way, that was an entirely different matter. No matter how much they pushed the gate against the animal, it still refused to move and leave its precious bounty behind.
"We won't be able to close the gate unless we find a way to get Bakhita back in her enclosure."
Naruto eyed the creature for a moment, and then grinned. If she liked that branch so much, then he could use it as bait. He raised his hand at Gerry, signalling him to wait, and walked up to the creature.
Its eyes only deemed him worthy of attention when he snatched the beast's food away from it, making it shake its head about and groan loudly in evident discontent. "You want this?", Naruto cooed, tempting the beast with the branch while also keeping it away from its beaked mouth. "Go get it!"
Ignoring the surprised gasps coming from both Gerry and Jessica, the Uzumaki effortlessly sent the rather big branch flying into the enclosure with just a throw – it travelled a rather long distance until it finally fell to the ground, with Bakhita running desperately after it and howling at the top of its lungs.
"W-What… But how…?"
"Th-That… Huh?"
For some reason, both his new acquaintances looked shocked at something Naruto failed to understand. Was there something in his face, perhaps?
"…Le-Let's just close this gate", Gerry shook his head, positioning his body so that he could start pushing. "Give me a hand here, Naru-"
A long, distant roar interrupted the older man before he could finish asking for help, one that Naruto quickly noticed was coming from somewhere within the area enclosed by the fence. Looking through the gate, the blond felt a chill at the sight that greeted his azure eyes.
"Oh no… The Alpha…"
Standing amidst a small group of creatures like Bakhita was a massive, four-legged horned monster that was almost three times bigger than the ones flanking it. Its white horns pointed menacingly in Gerry's and Naruto's direction as what could only be described as a juggernaut began pawing the ground, pushing grass and dirt backwards.
It not only seemed seriously pissed off at them, but also ready to charge their way with the force of a thousand Rock Lee's flying kicks.
"Dad!?"
"Naruto, hurry!"
Coming back to his senses, Naruto willed chakra to his arms and started pushing alongside with Gerry, managing to close the gate in a matter of two seconds. A lock clicked to the side, signalling the gate was firmly stuck in place.
Though they both quickly realized seeing the door to its paddock closing didn't deter the gigantic beast in the slightest. It bellowed with even more anger than before, lowering its head to the point its long, sharp horns were almost grazing the ground.
And then, it charged.
The whole ground seemed to tremble beneath their feet as the beast approached them, gaining momentum with each passing second. Naruto stared idly at it for a brief moment, watching it approach them in a trance, until his reflexes kicked in and he was prodded into action.
"Move!"
In the blink of an eye, Naruto caught Gerry by the waist and jumped away from the gate, watching as it was sent flying to the other side of the road by the raging beast who wasn't even slowed in its tracks and went straight for the car, ramming into it from the side.
"Jessica!"
The Uzumaki dropped the older man safely by the door leading to the shed, and immediately frowned. A very loud and annoying noise was now coming from the vehicle, and Naruto noticed it was making the beast even angrier if the way it was getting ready to charge once more was of any indication.
"Jess, get out of the car!"
"I… I can't, dad! She's still in the back!"
Gerry was ready to throw caution to the wind and go help his daughter, but Naruto and someone else beat him to it. Out of nowhere, two Narutos showed up beside the car, pulling the front and back door open.
"What the…!?"
"Hey, you! Get the injured woman to safety, hurry!"
"Right away, boss!"
Jessica didn't seem to have heard the Naruto now extending a hand her way, too busy trying to find a way to stop the noise the car was making. She also never realized the massive animal was about to charge her way again, bellowing with as much energy as it could muster.
"Jessica, now!"
Making use of the speed he'd gained in all his years of arduous training, the blond pulled Jessi out of the driving seat, scooped her in his arms and dashed in the opposite direction in a mere second – the girl letting out a high-pitched scream all the while.
Just a moment longer would have gotten them both impaled by the two gigantic horns that pierced through the car as if it was butter.
Naruto promptly carried Jessi to her awaiting father, who was now holding the door to the shed open. He dutifully ignored the flabbergasted look on his visage and the bright blush on Jessica's cheeks as he carried her bride-style into the room, placing her down gently on the floor a moment later.
"We did it boss!"
The original gave his clone a curt shake of the head. "Not yet", his azure eyes briefly paused on the image of the unconscious woman lying against a nearby shelf, before he swiveled them in the direction of a silent Jessica, scanning her for wounds.
"How… Naruto, who…?", the words got stuck in the vet's throat, and it wasn't due to the beast roaring just outside. "What the hell is going on here?"
Gerry was clearly shocked, and so was Jessi. He could tell. The look on her face was one of pure incredulity as she glanced back and forth between him and his clone, looking as confused as her father was.
"Uhm, boss?"
The room shook and things fell from the shelves, a loud banging noise made everyone's ears ring. Naruto's eyes hardened at the sudden thought that crossed his mind, only now realizing the beast wasn't planning to give up any time soon.
"Ahh! Dad, what-!?"
"It's the Alpha!", Gerry interjected, growing pale. "It must have seen us getting inside!"
This time, Naruto knew they'd have gotten lucky, as the charge must have missed the entrance by a significant margin. Otherwise, they would have been stomped over by now.
There would not be a second time. Not on his watch.
"Boss! What do we do!?"
Naruto didn't need to think too hard about it, as his mind was already made up. Standing up from beside Jessica, the blond turned towards the door. "Stay with them, don't let anyone cross that door until it's safe."
"Gotcha, boss!"
"Hey hey, where're you going? You can't go out there, you'll die!"
The blond would have laughed at the little faith Gerry was apparently placing on him, but opted to shrug his shoulders instead and give the pair a thumbs-up. "I'll be fine", he said in Japanese, shutting Gerry up for a moment.
Though Naruto clearly realized the older man wasn't done trying to stop him.
"No, I won't let you, you're just a kid. You can't possibly think-"
"Ah ah, why don't you sit back and let boss do his job?", the clone stepped between Gerry and the original, mustering a carefree smile. "He's quite capable at fighting, trust me."
As the clone prevented Gerry from getting in the way, he failed to account for Jessica, who stood up and ran straight to Naruto before he could even place his hand on the door handle. Her arm shot out and caught his', making him whip his head her way.
And when he looked at her, he saw worry written all over her expression, her eyes moist and pleading.
"Wait… Don't go, please, you'll die out there!"
Naruto was momentarily taken aback by the sheer sincerity of her concern, and the way she bore her eyes into his', begging him to stay. Despite having met barely a while ago, she was already worrying over him the way only a handful of people had ever done in his life.
And seeing just that served to fuel his resolve even further.
"Stay here, Jessica. It'll keep you safe."
Was all he said as he gently pried her fingers off his arm, grinning a bright grin her way before he swiftly exited the shed, closing the door behind him.
"No, wait!"
The other Naruto was blocking the exit a moment later and facing both Hardings with a dead serious expression, a kunai in hand for further emphasis. Neither Gerry nor Jessica knew he wasn't actually planning to hurt any of them, but it did intimidate them enough to take a step away from the door.
Soon enough, a bone-chilling roar was heard, and Jessica's fear at something happening to Naruto skyrocketed.
The moment he stepped foot outside the shed, Naruto's ears were assaulted by the persistent noise still coming from the four wheeled vehicle – one that had been thrown off the road and against a large, ancient looking tree. Though the noise was mildly annoying to him, he could see the effect it was having on the raging beast, which looked torn between smashing the vehicle to pieces or impale him before doing the former.
"Tch!", Naruto clicked his tongue in annoyance as his opponent pawed the ground, its nostrils flaring. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!"
A dozen of carbon-copies of Naruto suddenly popped into existence, all sporting confident smirks. The beast paused at seeing the small beings appearing out of nowhere, evidently confused.
It was a pause that the original took advantage of.
"You two!", he exclaimed, gesturing towards two copies that were closer to the vehicle. "Find a way to stop that noise!"
"On it, boss!"
"The rest of you, attack!"
Naruto's army of clones unleashed a battle cry that seemed to jerk the animal back into reality, its head now whipping in the direction of the charging bipeds. However, before it could even think about surging forward and meet their onslaught with its horns, the beast found itself surrounded on all fronts.
"Get it, boys!"
"Yosh!"
The clones attacked in unison, creating a whirlwind of punches and kicks that they aimed at the creature's head, sides and back. Their combined attack forced it to take a couple of steps back, moving its head about in an attempt to shake the pesky beings off of it.
"Oi, watch out!"
Some of his kage bunshin didn't heed his warning in time, and were promptly dispelled when the best suddenly jerked its head to the side, hitting the clones square in the chest with both horns. Gritting his teeth, Naruto saw the beast looking as if the previous assault had been but a mere hindrance.
'That thing is pretty sturdy, huh? Might have to stop holding back if I want to take it down', Naruto thought to himself, standing alongside his army. Both him and his opponent stood still this time, seizing each other up. It seemed as though the monster no longer saw him as an insignificant being it could easily get rid of. If anything, there was now caution on its eyes, reflected in the way it chose to wait for his next move instead of just rushing him.
Now, if only that stupidly infuriating noise would let him focus!
"Any luck with that thing!?"
"Not yet, boss!"
"It's coming somewhere from here", the second clone ripped a metal panel from the front, revealing hidden machinery inside. The noise got instantly louder when he did so. "Ugh, shut up already!"
"Just destroy it!", was all Naruto managed to shout before he was forced to jump to the side, narrowly avoiding being hit by the charging beast.
Some of his clones got pushed aside and dispelled by the attack, but Naruto paid them no more than a passing glance before a sudden idea popped in his brain.
Before the beast could even attempt to slow down on its charge, the Uzumaki was already up in the air, focusing all his chakra to his leg. "Take this!", he shouted, extending his leg forward as he came crashing down on the beast's massive rear.
When his attack connected, the monster found itself propelled forward, towards the narrow tunnel the group had come from a few minutes earlier. The force of the kick was so much it couldn't even pull itself to a stop, and Naruto watched with a victorious grin as the animal crashed into the wall, making it crumble and fall onto its giant head.
The animal slumped on the ground as debris fell onto it, not unconscious but momentarily stunned.
"Yatta!"
"It's down, it's down!"
"Now, it's time to finish…!"
A distant booming noise cut Naruto midway, accompanied by a slight tremor of the ground that made him and all his clones freeze in their places.
"Wh… What was that, b-boss?"
Naruto was about to open his mouth to respond, when he heard the noise again, this time a bit louder than before. The air filled with tension as one by one, every Naruto moved their head in the direction they thought it was coming from, once again picking up the same booming sound getting ever closer.
Dozens of bright blue eyes were now fixated on the jungle a bit further away from the enclosure, where the road disappeared amidst the inexpungable darkness of the night. They stared at it in silent expectation, with everyone including the original getting ready for a new fight.
After a moment or two, a clone alerted the group to some trees rustling in the jungle. "Over there, look!", his shout of warning was practically silenced when the previous booming sound rang from somewhere much closer, and the Earth trembled beneath their feet.
And then, something finally emerged from the shadows.
"…!"
A multitude of gasps resonated among the clones, and even Naruto himself felt like gaping at the gigantic monster that then revealed itself to the group.
"…Holy Kami-sama…!"
Standing right at the edge of the jungle was a new kind of creature four times taller than Naruto, possessing a long, muscular body and an equally lengthy tail which looked capable of destroying a small building with just a sweep.
In contrast with the one he'd just fought, this monster stood on two enormous legs, with two noticeably small arms Naruto would have found oddly adorable, if not for the rather sharp claws on each of these limbs that looked like they could slice through anything.
But what probably stood out the most and had his clones gulping sonorously at the mere sight of it was the monster's frightening mouth, filled to the brim with serrated teeth that looked like they could tear through the hardest material in the world with ease.
Naruto felt a shiver snaking down his spine. One bite from that thing was enough to turn anything to a bloody pulp!
As he and his company of clones stood still, gazing at the monster with incredulity, the latter rose its head high and released a mighty roar into the night – the sheer power of it made the very Earth shake and birds nestled around the jungle to fly away in a hurry.
To make things worse, the previous horn-bearing animal seemed to choose that very same moment to recover from its state, picking itself up from the ground and shake the debris off its body. It instantly turned around and snarled ferociously at the distant monster, one that soon caught sight of it.
Left aside, Naruto found himself right in the path of two very angry beasts, both charging at each other with as much speed as they could muster.
"Oi, don't forget about me!", the blond exclaimed. "I'm the one you should be worried about!"
Despite his confident claim, it was clear none of the creatures had any immediate interest on him at the moment. Naruto grinned and allowed the animals to get close, and right at the very last moment, he and his clones somersaulted over the two, which met in a ferocious clash.
While still in mid-air, Naruto eyed the beasts fighting below. The horned one tried with all its might to keep its foe at bay by using its impressive horns, while the latter kept on attempting to tear them off with its long teeth.
The blond gestured all his clones to attack the bigger beast, knowing they would only be able to push it back at best. But that was exactly what he wanted.
His clones then propelled themselves down on the massive monster, making chakra-powered attacks rain on it. Their target roared in frustration as it was forced to release its prey's horn, taking a couple of steps back. Meanwhile, Naruto landed safely on the first beast's back - the latter not even realizing it had an undesired guest on top as it prepared to attack once more.
"We got it boss!"
Unprepared for what came next, all the clones that had managed to push the monster back met their end as the beast swung its massive tail through the air and dispelled them all. Naruto grinned despite the loss of his army, and a moment later, the bigger creature was sent staggering back when its smaller foe rammed into it.
A roar of both surprise and pain escaped its gigantic mouth as it tried to recover.
Naruto took this as his cue to finish a fight that had prolonged more than necessary, and summoned a new clone to assist him with the creation of his ultimate technique.
"Rasengan!"
Before the beast he was currently standing atop on had any chance to react, Naruto slammed the spiralling sphere of pure chakra down on its head, making it howl in absolute agony as it collapsed to the ground, its thick skull now sporting a big, circular dent directly behind its frill.
'One down, one to go'.
Knowing the other monster still needed to be dealt with, the blond and his clone used the head of the one they'd just defeated to propel themselves forward. As they came dangerously close to the beast, it reacted by snapping its jaws at the pair of Narutos, aiming to crush them both in a single motion. The monster's opponents proved too fast to fall for it, however, and it roared in rage as its tiny preys began darting around its massive body.
In one blind attempt to catch them off guard, the creature swept its tail through the air again. Naruto and his kage bunshin somersaulted over it, and counterattacked by stabbing the monster on the sides with their kunais, drawing blood from the wounds.
Now injured, the beast seemed to grow even more angrier at not being able to catch the elusive beings, and made a desperate attempt at trying to stomp its massive feet over them.
Once again, the two Narutos simply leaped away before it could do as it intended, making the monster stop in its onslaught so as to roar furiously at them.
That proved to be a fatal mistake.
Getting the opening Naruto was looking for, he rapidly created another rasengan with the help of his copy while still running around the monster. He then leaped away at yet another attempt at eating him alive and immediately darted towards the head of the beast.
"Eat this!"
Elevating himself a few feet up in the air, Naruto thrusted his rasengan upward, aiming for the lower jaw of his imposing opponent. The incredible power behind his ultimate jutsu forced the head to bend backwards and the monster to be pushed back, a long roar reverberating around the area as it stumbled and finally fell onto the ground, its weight shaking the Earth.
And then, all the noise vanished and only the critters of some nightly insects were heard around. Everything quieted down around him like the calm after a storm, making Naruto heave a long sigh through his nose.
He'd taken down the biggest things he'd ever seen in his life and lived to tell the tale.
'If only Sakura-chan or Kakashi-sensei would have been here to see this…', the blond thought to himself, looking between both inert beasts one more time to make sure they wouldn't be getting up again. He then gave his clone an appreciative nod, the latter dispelling on its own accord a moment later. 'Or even the teme. I bet he'd go green with jealousy if he knew I did this myself!'
"Hmph. You can hardly consider these… beasts as a worthy challenge for any shinobi."
The voice of the one and only Kyuubi no Kitsune didn't produce as big of a reaction as the fox initially expected it to. On the contrary, Naruto merely shrugged his shoulders upon hearing what it had to say, not surprised at the Kyuubi's sudden appearance in the slightest. 'Have you actually seen how big those things are? And those teeth, those horns… I bet they could kill even a strong shinobi in the Nations if they dropped their guards low enough.'
"Which they wouldn't, unless they were complete fools severely underestimating their opponents."
Naruto rolled his eyes in annoyance, sitting down cross-legged on the ground. He wasn't even tired after his fight with the monsters, but with everything that'd been going on up until then, he felt like taking a minute or two to try and make sense of things now that he had a moment of respite.
'Yeah yeah, whatever you say, Kyuubi', knowing the fox would rather be controlled by the Sharingan than let him win a discussion, Naruto decided to let the matter slide. 'Nice of you to finally show up, though. I've been stuck in this place, wherever that is, for a while now and I have absolutely no idea what's going on!'
Within the confines of his mind, the Kyuubi snorted loudly. "Yes, well, forgive me for having other, more important business to attend to. After all, what happens to you is of little significance to me."
'…Business like taking a 24-hour nap, right?'
"Precisely", Naruto outwardly seethed as he heard the fox roaring in laughter at his own expense. That damned fox! Didn't it realize how serious this was? If he'd had other people to talk to, he would have simply chosen to ignore it, leaving it to its own expenses for the remainder of his stay in that weird place. But there was simply no other choice for him at the moment.
'Can we please talk about my little problem now, furball?', Naruto pleaded, growing impatient as the fox only now came out of its laughing fit.
"Very well. But only because you said 'please'", if he didn't know the Kyuubi any better, the blond could have sworn he felt it grinning from ear to ear. "Now, I'm aware of you current… predicament. But I'm afraid there's little I know you already don't."
Naruto tried not to let his disappointment show on his face. 'So you basically can't tell me anything?'
"I never said I didn't have valuable information to share with you, kit", the fox retorted, sounding cautious for some reason. "I'm merely wondering whether my information will mean as much to you as it does to me...'
The Uzumaki let out a long, audible sigh. 'All right, I'll bite', he said, folding his arms over his chest. 'What do you want in exchange for that information?'
"Nothing", the fox's statement managed to catch Naruto off guard for a moment. "I'm willing to share what I've learned as a gesture of goodwill. And any further discoveries I make in the future, for that matter."
Few times in his life had Naruto Uzumaki been as confused as he was at the moment. The Kyuubi never did anything without expecting something else in return, which was why Naruto felt like he did at the fox's claim.
"I'm aware of your mistrust and I understand it. Under different circumstances, I'd have never made a proposal of this magnitude. Least of all to you."
Naruto would have taken offense at that, if he didn't feel the same way.
"But after hearing what I've found out, even you will agree that it's best to put our differences aside and work together until we have a clear idea of what happened to you, where we are exactly and how is it you can get back to that old pervert you call Jiraiya the Sannin."
Two distinct emotions crossed over the blond's expression as he stared off at nowhere in particular, musing over his tenant's words. The first one was disbelief, which soon turned into uncertainty. Making a truce with the very same fox that'd caused the death of his parents and many other shinobi the day he was born just sounded wrong on every level, and yet, if it really knew something that he absolutely needed to know, could he really just say no to it?
For several minutes, Naruto thought long and hard about the offer he was being made, until it became painfully obvious to him the Kyuubi was not going to keep waiting any longer.
"Well…? What do you say?"
Naruto knew he was going to regret this. One way or another, the fox would try to backstab him as soon as he dropped his guard.
But given his current predicament, there was really no other choice at that point.
'…Okay, you got it, Kyuubi', the young shinobi said after what seemed an eternity, ignoring the way his tenant smirked in pure satisfaction. 'But if I see even the slightest hint of you trying to lead me on, then…!'
"You'll soon see you have nothing to worry about, kit. I just want the same as you… answers", despite nothing in the fox's tone suggested he was up to no good, Naruto didn't allow his guard to lower. The beast had fooled him in the past, and it could do so again anytime he wanted to. "Now, prepare yourself, for what I'm about to tell you will surely have quite an impact on you…"
John Hammond could not understand it.
Where had everything gone so horribly wrong?
Jurassic Park was meant to be a safe place, one where people of all ages could gather to marvel upon the wonders of an ancient past. The many dinosaurs they'd engineered and brought back to life were but one of the many attractions Ingen had planned for what was to become the most unique park in the whole world.
That certainly had been Hammond's dream ever since the idea of extracting DNA sequence from fossilized mosquitoes came to mind one night while speaking to his old friend and business partner, Benjamin Lockwood.
But now… that dream had turned into a complete nightmare. And all because of the selfish actions of Dennis Nedry, who was probably far away from the island by now, laughing at his expense. At the expense of them all.
John stared with vacant eyes at the bowl of ice-cream before him, absently scooping some on a spoon and bringing it to his mouth. The sweet taste of chocolate did nothing to calm his nerves and worries, or to take his mind off the fact most their dinosaurs now roamed freely around Isla Nublar.
And if that wasn't preoccupying enough, his beloved grandchildren were out there as well, exposed to all the carnivores who would not care whether their prey was a fellow dinosaur or not. He could practically imagine their terrified faces as they hid somewhere, hoping to remain out of sight until morning came and someone found them.
Hammond could only hope Doctor Grant would be able to keep them safe until help arrived. The man was certainly far more knowledgeable than he'd ever been in the dinosaur field, and if there was someone that could find a way to evade the many predators lurking in the shadows, it had to be him.
For the sake of his grandson and granddaughter, he…
A sudden, almost imperceptible sound interrupted John's train of thought, making him whip his head around and face the corridor leading out the cafeteria. His old, bespectacled eyes instantly caught sight of a rather unexpected figure, standing by the exit with a rather… curious look on their visage.
"Oh, hello there, young lad", Hammond's eyes softened, realizing the person staring back at him was nothing more than a young man with golden hair and bright blue orbs. "Forgive me, I didn't see you there. Please, come closer, don't be afraid. You're safe here."
Who was probably a 15- or 16-year-old teenager looked around for a moment, before tentatively taking a few steps forward and allowing the light in the room to illuminate his appearance. John stared at the young man with interest as he approached the table.
"I don't believe we've met before. Are you one of my scientist's relatives, perhaps?"
That was the most logical conclusion John could come to. After all, the only way to gain access to the island those days was to be brought in by an Ingen employee, and even that was quite difficult with the never-ending waiting list of people hoping to make it to the park before it even opened.
The boy walked up to where Hammond was sitting by, not muttering a word. He then pulled up a chair by John's left, sitting down in silence.
"Not very talkative, are you?", despite the silent treatment he was receiving, the old man let out a dry chuckle, pushing a bowl of ice-cream and a silver spoon in the direction of the young man. "That's quite all right. I can only imagine how scared you must've been all this time", John's face grew somber for a moment, the thought of something bad happening to this boy's family crossing his mind. He shook his head, knowing it wouldn't do to remind the poor lad of whatever tragedy had occurred to him. "Would you fancy some ice-cream? It's quite good, if I say so myself."
"Did you know just one drop of your blood contains billions of strands of DNA? The building blocks of life!"
Hammond inched forward in his seat. "Know? Why, I helped design the tour myself! That's just one of the many facts we included to help the audience understand."
"A DNA strand like me, is a blue print for building a living thing!"
Now John was sure the young man beside him was repeating excerpts from the video of Mr. DNA, and quite accurately so. "Well, it pleases me to see at least someone enjoyed that part so much", he smiled, briefly recalling how unimpressed some of his later guests had been by it. "Of course, it's still a work in progress. We were planning to have a full orchestra playing some tunes to add as background music, but with the current state of things, that may never happen."
Hammond felt a twang of pain in his chest at the thought of what his park could have been. His bespectacled eyes examined the blond sitting to his left carefully as the latter ate a spoonful of ice-cream, humming in delight.
"Good, isn't it?", the teen did nothing but scoop more of the tasty dessert on his spoon, now eating with gusto. "Yes, yours was precisely the reaction I envisioned the future visitors having when they sat on this very same table, and ate the very same ice cream you're having."
Silence ensued his words, but John didn't mind it.
"And not just the food prepared by some of the best chefs around the world", he continued, "but also our various attractions, our souvenir shops and guided visits around the laboratories where the magic happens, our dinosaurs… all was conceived with a single idea in mind: to make people smile. To provide them with such a magical experience they'd want to repeat over and over again. That… was supposed to be Jurassic Park."
A long, defeated sigh escaped his mouth at the last bit.
"We certainly spared no expense to achieve that which nobody else had even thought of doing before, and look where that led us; to this mess", Hammond glanced momentarily at his cane, specifically at the trapped mosquito inside the amber. He stared at it for a couple of long seconds, musing about something in particular he didn't share with the teen, before speaking up. "Hiring Nedry was a mistake, the park is overdependent on automation, that's why everything went down the drain!", a glint appeared in his eyes as he turned back the way of his silent companion. "Now… Now the next time everything will be corrected and the park will be a tremendous success!"
There was a huge, excited smile on the old man's visage now. Gone was his previous worry and anxiety over not only the current state of his lifelong dream, but also the current whereabouts and safety of his grandchildren – replaced by a sense of enthusiasm at being able to fix his mistakes and truly accomplish his goal in the near future.
It was also then that John realized his companion had yet to utter a response, and that he'd already eaten a full bowl of ice-cream all by himself. 'The lad must have been starving', outwardly, the creator of Jurassic Park hummed thoughtfully, going back to his initial questions about the kid.
"Oh, but enough about that, it must be awfully boring listening to an old man and his silly dreams", John flashed the young man a grandfatherly smile. "Why don't you tell me something about yourself, lad? I bet you have quite a story to tell."
The aforementioned adolescent seemed to take notice of the fact he was now being addressed at, as he perked his head up and whipped it in the direction of John. He merely glanced back at the older man for what felt like an eternity, before his shoulders dropped and he grinned.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki", he said happily, making the peace sign with his fingers.
"What a peculiar name", John said softly, albeit not with disdain. "It certainly doesn't ring any bells", deciding to put that thought aside for the time being, he said. "My name is John Hammond. I created Jurassic Park and, well, most of you can see around here."
"Hammond?", the blond repeated, tilting his head to the side. "Gerry Harding?"
"Hm? Oh, yes, doctor Harding is one of the scientists assigned to taking care of the dinosaurs on the island", growing silent for a moment, John examined the kid beside him one more time. "Was he the one that brought you to the park?"
Getting no immediate response from the young man, Hammond decided to lead the conversation elsewhere, when the sound of footsteps coming from the corridor leading to the labs prevented him from doing as he intended. Doctor Ellie Sattler walked into the room a few moments later, alone, heading straight for the table he and Naruto Uzumaki were sitting at. Even from afar, he could see that stress had left the doctor looking exhausted, which showed on the way she strode with lazy steps.
"John", she greeted casually, looking around the room with curious eyes.
"Is… everything all right, Ellie?"
"Well, Malcolm is okay, I gave him a shot of morphine", seemingly failing to find that which she'd been looking for, Doctor Sattler took a seat at the other end of the table, boring her eyes into Hammond's. "Who were you talking to, anyway? I heard voices."
The question seemed to remind John he had yet to introduce the doctor to his young friend, and he smiled. "Oh, well, you won't believe who ran into me a while ago", he then gestured to his left. "Doctor Sattler, this is Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto, my dear boy, this is Ellie Sattler, a brilliant paleobotanist who-"
"John?", Ellie interjected. "What are you talking about? There's no one here besides you and me."
Disbelief being the very first emotion that crossed Hammond's old features, he was rather surprised at realizing the younger woman was correct in her claim, and that they were indeed alone. The chair Naruto had once occupied lied empty, with only the used spoon atop the table as a sign his encounter with the young man had actually taken place.
"How odd", John mumbled, staring at the vacant seat with raised eyebrows. "He must have left when I wasn't looking. I swear he was just here a moment ago…"
Hammond didn't notice the way doctor Sattler stared at him as if he'd gone mad all of a sudden, or the fact it'd gotten quite late all of a sudden, and instead focused on the last spot he'd seen Naruto Uzumaki.
"How odd, indeed…"
To be continued…
This ended up being far longer than I originally meant it to be. But eh, I don't think anyone minds having more to read, so it might have turned out for the better.
Anyhow, I hope you liked this chapter. That little scene from JP1 at the end will not be the last one. There's going to be one more next time on chap 2. As you all know, the game and the movie take place on Isla Nublar practically at the same time, with the movie ending right before Gerry, Jessica and Nima make it to the Visitor's Centre during the first episode of the game.
And as regards Naruto's language issue… I'm planning to address this in a different way than in my Walking Dead crossover. Given this is a much shorter fic, I don't plan Naruto staying as a non-English speaker for long. If you're interested to see how I'll be circumventing this matter, please stay tuned. It will be explained next time.
Wishing you all the best,
Luke.