Mantah Corp Island
Ali and Yasmina were still in a seated position as the trackstar had seemingly ceased crying.
"I know it may not seem like it now but...I promise you, we're going to get home and see our families again." Ali said as he squeezed her slightly.
Yasmina couldn't respond, she could only nod and hope he was right.
She then got out of his grasp and stood up.
"We should...probably head back before the others get worried." Yasmina said as she offered her hand.
"Right." He responded as he took it and let her help him up.
The two then walked back through the bushes.
They come upon the scene of Mae running through the door with Ben and Darius.
Brooklynn, Kenji, and Sammy stood in front of them as they drew closer.
"The plane left without you! I'm so sorry...I don't understand what's going on here but you have my word that I'll get you off this island somehow." Mae said as they all looked at the ground.
"No, we're not leaving." Darius declared.
Ali looked up with a deep frown sent towards the dino nerd.
"Obviously this isn't what we wanted like, at all, but we can't quit now, Mantah Corp doesn't care if they're hurting their dinosaurs, and Mae, you can't protect them all on your own, we have to stay until we fix this, however long it takes." Darius said firmly as the group looked wary of this.
Brooklynn noticed Yasmina still had a somber look, whilst Ali who had been next to her clenched his fists.
Yasmina noticed this as well as she grabbed Ali's arm and shook her head, she didn't want them to fight again.
Ali sighed and relaxed his body for the sake of Yasmina, but his mind was still steaming.
"Sure, whatever you say..." Yasmina said in a somber tone.
She had no idea how much it pained Ali to hear her sound like that...
'Yasmina, who's always fierce, headstrong, ready to voice her opinion on anything...sounding as if her spirit was crushed, no this wasn't right at all.' Ali mentally stated.
Sammy must've taken notice of it as well as she looked at Yasmina with a pained expression.
"Let's get to work then, we've gotta get Pierce back to the desert biome, and...if the plane's gone that means new dinosaur food has already been unloaded." Mae said as she began moving towards the door.
"We'll go check the T Rex area to make sure the BRADs haven't tainted their food." Brooklynn said as they were all about to leave.
Ali then stops Yasmina. "You guys should go on ahead, Yas and I are pretty exhausted, we're gonna sit this one out and get some rest." Ali declared as the others gave him a bit of a puzzled look.
Yasmina smiled slightly, atleast he was able to read her here.
'Huh...that's weird, those two tired?' Brooklynn mentally stated.
"Uh sure, why not." Darius told him.
"Anddddd, we need to rest too, ya know, because of Kenji's cough." Sammy said as she elbowed Kenji slightly prompting him to cough, albeit very obviously fake.
Everyone looked at them with puzzled expressions this time, even Ali and Yasmina.
"Ooookay...I guess you guys can sit this one out too." Darius said awkwardly.
"Um, that's great, after we're done we'll meet at Mae's and figure out a game plan to protect those dinos." Yasmina said with a feigned smile.
"Sounds like a plan to me." Darius said as he walked through the door with Brooklynn, Ben, and Mae in tow.
"Thanks for doing that..." Yasmina said to Ali as she pecked his cheek.
"For you, anything." Ali said as he grabbed her hand.
"Awww." Sammy's voice made them jump and realize their were still two people there.
"Look at the big, strong Ali being a little love sick puppy." Kenji taunted as Ali growled.
"Why'd you guys even stay back? I mean, I appreciate the gesture but...you could've went with the others and-" Sammy cuts Yasmina off.
"No Yas, you're clearly battling something, and I don't want you to feel alone, I know Ali is doing his best but I also want to show that I'm here for you." Sammy declared as Yasmina was taken back a bit.
She eventually smiled at Sammy and hugged her tightly, this was a shock to Sammy, Yasmina NEVER initiated hugs.
"Thank you, Sammy." She said quietly before they separated.
"Wait, so why did I have to stay?" Kenji questioned Sammy.
"Oh would you look at that, Kenji and I have the same question." Ali said as it was Kenji's turn to growl.
"Because you're my boyfriend...it's your legal obligation." Sammy said as smirked and walked off.
Yasmina chuckled and followed after her.
The two boys looked at them, and then eachother.
"Women." They said simultaneously before following after their girlfriends.
Mae
Mae and Darius were busy dealing with Pierce in one of the hallways.
Brooklynn and Ben had gone to check on the T Rex food.
Hopefully their venture was going better because at the moment Mae and Darius were struggling to calm the Kentrosaurus down as he bellowed loudly and stomped around.
"Stay back Darius! He's clearly agitated and I don't want him to-" Mae cuts herself off as she gasps and noticed Piece's angered look.
The dinosaur then bellowed loudly before charging at them.
"Pierce!" Mae shouted as she grabbed Darius and pulled him out of the way of the charging animal.
She wasn't able to hold onto him however as he fell to the floor with a thud.
Luckily Darius opened his eyes in time to see the dinosaur about to stomp on him, so he swiftly rolled out of the way, standing up swiftly and joining Mae.
They dodge the Kentrosaurus' spiked tail as he swung it towards them.
"Pierce! Stop!" Mae shouted as he roared loudly.
"Calm...calm." Mae repeated as she tapped the calm command on her tablet repeatedly.
It seemingly worked a bit, as Pierce was being a lot more cooperative.
He then roared in a much softer chorus, Mae now knew he was afraid.
"Scared...yes but, you don't have to be scared, cause we're gonna take you..." Mae trails off as she taps another command that lets another roar out.
"Home." She finished with a smile.
Pierce then rumbled even softer as Mae stroked his chin.
"That's right darling, home." She said softly.
Darius was watching this in nothing but amazement.
"She really just...spoke to a dinosaur." He said to himself.
'She's amazing.' Darius mentally praised her
Jungle
As the two couples walked, it was a bit silent.
So naturally Kenji had to be the one to break it.
"You know, this wouldn't such a bad place for a blind date." Kenji said as everyone else's faces lit up at this deduction.
Sammy then punched him swiftly.
"No! I will not have our first date be on Mantah Corp, no matter how beautiful it may look." Sammy said dramatically as Ali chuckled.
"You guys are an interesting couple, but it's oddly perfect somehow." Ali said as they made their way to Mae's cave.
As they walked inside they all took individual breaths.
"Okay, we'll be in the room, bye Kon." Ali said as he grabbed Yas' arm and walked over to the bedroom.
"Bye Sammy." She said as Sammy waved.
Sammy then turned to Kenji. "Hey Kenji, even though this was mainly to help Yas, there has been something I've been wanting to talk to you about." Sammy said to him.
Kenji began panicking. 'Oh no...here it comes, she's gonna break up with me because I'm not manly enough.' He mentally berated himself.
"Sure..." Kenji said shakily.
"Great! Lemme get some water for them first then we can talk." She declared.
Yasmina and Ali
The two athletes were now in the room together as it had been silent for the past five minutes.
Yasmina sat upwards while Ali just stood in the middle of the room.
The allstat then sighed as he looked her in the eyes.
"Okay Yas, we're finally alone, and you know you can trust me, what's really been eating at you, I know it was the dreams but is there anything you need to talk about? Maybe something to get off your chest? You don't have to share if you don't want to but I'm just trying to help here." Ali rambled.
Yasmina then sighed as she could only look at him.
She then began unzipping her sweater as she took it off completely and was now only covered by her sports bra and her shorts, this motion caused Ali to almost back into the wall.
"Woah! Okay, I know I said I wanted to help but not that type of help Yas!" Ali shouted, he loathed himself for not being able to keep his eyes off her breast or her well toned body.
Who could blame him? This is essentially a dream come true.
Yasmina's face then lit up as she threw a pillow at his face causing him to groan a bit.
"Idiot!" She shouted with her face still glowing a bright red.
"I'm just...trying to get comfortable, if I'm gonna tell you my trauma atleast let me be comfortable with MY boyfriend." Yasmina declared as he sighed.
"You have a point." Ali said as he then took his jersey off and put it on the ground.
Yasmina gasped slightly as she tried to hide her blush...she knew Ali would be well conditioned due to his training but she didn't expect him to be this ripped.
She ogled his body...the six pack, his surprisingly toned chest and arms, and even though it almost cost him his life, that bullet wound gave him a nice chest scar.
This made Ali nervous, she was essentially scrutinizing him.
"Um Yas, when you stare at me like this I can't help but think I'm in trouble." He said with a chuckle.
"Oh um...sorry, you can come here now." She said as she motioned him towards the bed.
"You mean like...the bed that you're on? Like next to you-" Yasmina cuts him off with a glare.
"Ali." Yasmina said dismissively.
"Yes ma'am." He said as he swiftly got in the bed.
Yasmina then hugged his head to her chest much to his shock, yea it felt great but...it was unexpected so obviously he was still shocked.
He eventually accepted the embrace though.
"Okay so, I'm gonna-" Yasmina was cutoff as the door swung open and revealed Sammy with two glasses of water.
All three of them gasped at eachother as Ali and Yasmina sat up.
Sammy took note of both of their half naked forms...so ofcourse she'd jump to THAT conclusion.
"Wait Sammy no, it's not what it looks like-" Yasmina's sentence was too late as Sammy cut her off.
"Practice safe sex!" Sammy shouted as she slammed the door and ran back to Kenji.
"Well that's gonna be fun to explain later." Ali said sarcastically as Yasmina sighed.
"No sense worrying about it now then." She said as she laid down and began hugging him to her chest again.
"Anyways, what I'm about to tell you, you have to promise to never tell anyone...I trust you, I mean I trust Sammy too but I'm not ready to tell her yet-" Ali cuts Yasmina off.
"Yas, I get it...you have my word, I won't tell a soul, no matter how crazy whatever it is you're about to tell me is, I'll even tell you something about my past in return to ensure your trust." Ali promised her.
"Thank you..." Yasmina said as she began telling the story.
(Author's note: Bold text=character narrating from the present
Italic=regular flashback moment)
Flashback
A beautiful young Arab woman laid in a hospital bed cradling a baby in her arms as it slept soundly.
This was Nadia Fadoula, Yasmina's mother.
"I love you...my little Yasmina." She said to the baby.
"My mom and I have been close since birth...she was there from when I was born, and she's been there in general, my father on the other hand...I can't say the same at all." Yasmina's voice stated.
"He...he literally missed the day I was born, what type of father doesn't show up to his own daughter's birth? But...that's not the reason I hate him...that moment really came when I was ten."
A ten year old Yasmina sat and watched TV.
The Olympics were on, though she was a girl she was always intrigued by Usain Bolt, he moved so fast for a man of his size.
"Yasmina! Did you do your homework sweety!" Nadia called from the bathroom.
"Yes!" Yasmina shouted back.
She loved her mother so much...she worked so hard and was loyal to that man...she couldn't even bring herself to acknowledge him as a father or even a dad.
Yasmina continued to watch the TV until it was later on in the evening.
Her mother had prepared a sandwich for her because she knew the food would not be done in time, so she wanted to ensure Yasmina had something to eat just in case.
"Now from this day forth, was the main point where I began hating my father, I knew he would always cheat on my mom and beat her, but what he did tonight was absolutely unforgivable." Yasmina declared.
The young Yasmina heard the door rattle as it opened to reveal the man...the man Yasmina swore to loathe for the rest of her life.
As soon as he walked into the house he reeked of nothing but rum.
"Mohammed? Where have you been?" Nadia questioned as he walked huskily towards her.
All the woman had to do was take one glance at her husband...his fare skinned face was littered with a red hue...the man was drunk out of his mind.
She was confused at first as to why he was approaching her, but when he reached out swiftly and roughly squeezed her breasts she immediately yelped and jumped back.
"What is the matter with you?!" She yelled as she pushed him off of her.
He growled at her as he stepped closer to her in hopes of intimidating her.
Yasmina was old enough to understand what was happening so she stood up and walked to the entrance of the kitchen.
Nadia did not back down, she had to show Yasmina how to be strong.
"You don't even greet your daughter or your wife? You just come in here smelling like a bar and I know you've been seeing other women behind my back, Mohammed, then you come home and expect me to just throw myself at you! No Mohammed, enough is en-ack!" Nadia yelled out as Mohammed slapped her so swiftly she almost didn't know what hit her.
Yasmina gasped as her mother fell to the ground and began clutching her face with loud sobs escaping her throat.
"You bitch! You can't tell me what I've been doing! You know what? Come on, let's go, we're gonna go explain to this neighborhood how much of a whore you are, a dumb whore that can't even pleasure your own husband in the way he rightfully deserves to be." He said as he roughly grabbed her hair, eliciting a yelp of pain from Nadia.
Mohammed then began dragging his own wife by her hair as she continued crying and pleading for him to stop.
"Mommy!" Yasmina yelled as she ran after them.
Mohammed then got Nadia outside as he brought her to her feet with his hand still holding onto her hair firmly.
Yasmina could only watch from their door entrance as tears began welling in her eyes, they stung, it was almost winter in New York so it was fairly cold, but that was not the only reason they stung...she couldn't do anything to help her mother.
"Go on! Tell them how much of a whore you are!" Mohammed shouted as Nadia sobbed loudly.
"Please..." She begged him.
She didn't want to do it, not in front of Yasmina, but what choice would she have?
"Do it!" He shouted as he gripped her hair even harder.
"I'm a whore..." She said in a hushed tone.
"Louder!" He shouted once more.
"I'm a whore! I'm a whore! I'm a whore!" She shouted as she cried even more intensely.
Yasmina could feel her own heart pulsating with each time he made her mother yell those three words.
It was anything but the truth, her mother never even looked in another man's direction, she was always home taking care of her and tending to the house.
"Eventually, some of our neighbors called the police and they took that man into custody...I don't know how much time he got but all I knew is my mother filed a restraining order on him if he was to get out...when she saw me she vowed to never let go, even with the tears in her eyes and the pain on her face she stayed strong for me...for us." Yasmina finished the tragic story.
Present
Tears began forming in Yasmina's eyes as she sniffled a bit.
"That's why I try so hard to be the best...for her, I get good grades and I try to stay out of trouble all for her." Yasmina explained.
She then looked at Ali's face, it was a mix of sadness and anger.
She could feel the tears dripping from her eyes as he looked at her intensely.
He then wiped her tears as she shook slightly.
"Yas...I-I'm sorry you had to go through that but...I promise you, I won't allow you to get hurt like that again, not while I'm alive." Ali said as her crying intensified.
"Thank you...thank you so much." She said as her voice hitched and she slammed into his chest.
Ali held her like that for a bit before they separated a bit.
"And I guess...I owe you a story now too." Ali said somberly.
"You don't have to if you don't want to..." Yasmina reassured him.
"No...you trusted me with your pain, it's only fair." Ali said as she nodded.
Flashback
"After my cousin passed a way, I was really down hearted...I didn't want to eat, I couldn't smile for anything but...I had my dad, my sister, and Daan and Rihanna, they helped me get over the depression and I started learing to enjoy life again."
Ali, Daan and Rihanna were playing basketball.
They were all thirteen now, as it was the summer of 2014.
"Come on RiRi, I've been you twice already, at this point I could just play with one hand and win." Ali taunted her as he held the ball.
"Just shutup and dribble." Rihanna said as she rolled her eyes.
Ali chuckled at her expense as he took two dribbles before pulling up at the top of the key and shooting a three.
He sinked it as he began yelling loudly in celebration.
"She can't guard me!" He shouted as he ran around the court.
"This guy...whenever he wins he's so hyped but when he loses he's a sore loser." Rihanna said as she rolled her eyes.
Ali then ran back over to them as Daan came from the side lines.
"I'm gonna go to the store." He signed to them.
"Alright be safe." Ali signed back as Daan began to turn.
"Wait no, lemme go with you." Rihanna signed to him as he shrugged and she followed.
"Okay Ali, we'll be back, I expect my rematch too." Rihanna declared.
"Yea, yea, you're gonna lose again anyways." Ali said as he grabbed the ball and began shooting around.
The other people on the sidelines smiled at Ali, they loved his personality, he had so much confidence and his natural goofiness just lit up the court everytime he came by.
He even showed bravery when he defended the park against Leroy Jenkins, yea he got beat up...Leroy stopped terrorizing the park.
Many people say it's because Leroy and his gang and more focused on bigger things now but Ali would say "Who cares? Those sissies can do what they want to do."
It's funny how life is...in the blink of an eye something can change.
As Ali shot the basketball and it left his finger tips, three gunshots rang through the air...and his jumpshot went into the hoop.
He could not celebrate however because people began screaming and running away from the sound.
Ali then noticed...that was the direction Daan and Rihanna went.
"No...no..this can't be happening." He mentally declared.
He didn't know what was possesing him but he decided to run towards the shots, he had to make sure his friends were safe.
As Ali got to the sidewalk what he saw made him stop dead in his tracks.
There laid Daan and Rihanna in a pool of blood...a gunshot in Daan's temple and one in Rihanna's abdomen.
Ali then looked up as he noticed a black SUV...the windows rolled down, he couldn't make out the faces but he wouldn't need too.
The shooter raised the weapon again and aimed right at Ali.
His instincts took over as he quickly ducked behind a car and huddled up into a ball.
The shooter then fired four more shots before finally stopping, glass from the car windows fell all around the young Allstar as they were shattered by the shots.
Ali stayed in a fetal position until he heard the tires screeching as the SUV drove off.
He breathed heavily as he stayed like that for a little bit longer until he realized the gunfire had ceased...he finally prepared to get up, his heart still racing.
The young Allstar then stood up albeit shakily as he huskily walked over to Daan and Rihanna, his breaths becoming more and more ragged with every step.
Tears began forming in his eyes as he dropped down to his knees and began shaking them.
"Please...no...please, I can't lose you guys too." He said in a hushed tone, he didn't care about the fact he was getting so much of their blood on himself, he wanted his friends back.
"Get up!" Ali shouted at them as if they could respond...he didn't want to believe his own eyes.
"Two kids just got shot!" That's what a lady screamed.
"Now everybody out of breath, running to the scene, seein Rihanna and Daan on the floor was some shit we couldn't believe, their eyes rolling back and I'm tryna tell them breathe."
"Please! Guys wake up..." That was it...Ali cried the entire time until the ambulance came and took their bodies away and escorted him home and got him cleaned up.
"I cried all night wishing that shit was just a dream...then that pain turned into anger...I wanted to make someone bleed." Ali stated shakily.
The kid went into his dad's drawer and pulled out a silver smith and wesson, it was already cocked.
He knew how to shoot pistols because his father and his cousin taught him when he was only five years old for protection...not to go buck wild killing people who wronged you.
Suddenly the door opened to reveal his father as he gasped at the sight of his father's now frowning face.
He sighed heavily, he was cautious because he did not want Ali to do something stupid.
The man wore a black tank top, black jeans and a black yankees fitted cap.
"Son...put the gun down." Germaine said gently as he walked over to him and slowly took the weapon from his son.
"What were you gonna do with this?" He questioned the kid.
Ali couldn't look his father in the eyes.
"Nothing..." He lied.
"Don't lie to me Ali, were you gonna go try to get...revenge?" Germaine questioned him.
"Yea..." He admitted causing his father to sigh again.
"But for what? What good are you doing if you go throw your life away like that? It's not gonna bring them back." He said harshly as Ali almost jumped back in horror.
"Don't take this the wrong way...I know you loved them a lot...but this isn't the what you were brought on this Earth to do, you just gotta keep going and do everything you do for them." He explained.
"That's what you got this chain from ya cousin on for, right? Or is it just to look cool and shiny when you walkin down the block? They wouldn't want you to throw your future away, you got skills on that court kid, focus on basketball, please? I didn't listen when I was your age and look where that got me...in and out of jail, yea life is better now but it could've been easier if I had just-" Germaine was cutoff by Ali hugging him firmly.
He returned the hug as he held the boy tightly.
"I'm sorry dad...I-I don't know what came over me." He apologized as Germaine shushed him.
"Don't worry, I know how it is...you'll be aight lil man." He reassured him.
"I cried all my tears out that day I think...because after that I literally couldn't cry...I don't know what it was I just lost the ability to cry...even when I went to my friend's funerals I couldn't even bring myself to cry for them." Ali explained.
Even though his father did make him not do something stupid, Ali still struggled with the amount of loss he endured at such a young age.
He felt as though it was his fault, everyone he loved ended up being loss.
That's what he would use to justify the reason he sat alone at lunch or hardly spoke in class or even in practice.
One day at lunch Ali was being taunted.
"What's with this guy? I never even see him look up from that dumb book? What a weirdo." Nathan Jones, a student at Brooklyn tech said as everyone around him began laughing.
"Let's go mess with him." Emily Stanton said as a group of four walked towards Ali.
He still didn't look up from the book.
"Yo weirdo, what's so important in this book, huh?" Nathan questioned him as Ali still paid him no mind.
Nathan then got upset as he grabbed a bottle of juice.
Without warning he then pours it on the page that Ali was looking at causing the young allstar to gasp.
This was an album...with all the pictures of the people he loved...and losses, and this page was of Daan and Rihanna.
Everyone began laughing as Ali looked at Nathan with the hardest glare ever.
Then without warning Ali stood up and punched Nathan swiftly and began raining down on him with punches even when the rude boy fell to the ground, Ali pinned him and kept delivering blows to his face.
Everyone began screaming and acting wild, you know, traditional school fight reaction.
After the custodians finally got Ali off of Nathan they took note of Nathan's now bloodied nose and busted lip.
Ali was still fuming as he tried to get out of the custodian's grasp and go after Nathan again.
This all ended with Ali and Germaine sitting side by side in the principal's office.
"Mr. Barlett...this behavior is simply is simply not acceptable...but the thing is Ali is a usually quiet and respectful student, what could have caused him to act out in such a way?" The short woman questioned Germaine.
"You ever think that maybe someone provoked him? I mean...I don't like how you make it seem like my son is crazy...he wouldn't just react like that if it wasn't the case." Germaine fired back as Ali eventually tuned them out...he wasn't even worried about being in trouble...all he could think of was the album.
"Luckily, the principal didn't suspend or expel me for what I did...however my dad was still angry and he scolded me when we got home...he then told me I didn't have to make friends like Daan and Rihanna again or anything but it would be much better if I was more social...for him and my sister's sake so...I tried my best...those kids made fun of me for no reason but...everyone has to live with themselves, right?" Ali questioned.
Present
Yasmina could not believe it, under all those smiles, snarky and sarcastic remarks, jokes, Ali was hiding this much pain.
She couldn't do anything but hug him tightly.
"That's actually the reason I didn't want to tell you how much I loved you until we got off Nublar...I...I didn't want you to die because of me, I'm a curse, everyone I love ends up-" Yasmina stopped him.
"No! None of that is your fault, you do everything in your power to care for those you love, this world is just...evil." Yasmina said as Ali couldn't help but agree.
"You know what Yas...you're absolutely right." Ali said as they laid in silence.
Eventually their body warmth and the silence got to them as they succumbed to sleep...all the pain and trauma they'd been through...yet they still stood alive today, and that's all that matters.
Brooklynn and Ben
The savage boy and the superstar both hid behind the trees as they watched a brad put those cubes in the T rex meat.
As the BRAD finished doing it's evil deeds the two then slid down the slope to get to the feeding platform.
They then began removing the cubes by hand.
Ben was doing it with ease...not surprising.
Although Brooklynn was a tad bit disgusted judging from her small groans as she dug through the meat.
"Seriously city girl? It's not that bad." Ben complained.
Brooklynn scoffed at him. "First off nature boy, I lived in the more quiet part of North Carolina, second, you were literally scared of whipped cream before." She said in a hushed tone.
"Hey! I am a changed man." Ben said as he puffed his chest out.
"Yup, those two chest hairs are oh so manly, just shutup and pick up the damn cubes." Brooklynn said as they got the last of them out.
Their banter was cut short as they heard loud Earth shaking stomps nearing them, causing them to gasp.
Brooklynn then ran to hide behind a tree as Ben swiftly followed.
As they hid behind the tree they breathed heavily and peeked out to see Big Eatie now standing over the meat.
The two kids swiftly pull their heads back in fear.
The motherly Rex then bent down and picked up a piece of meat in between her jaws, oddly not eating it.
"This may be a long sit down Brooklynn." Ben whispered.
Much to his confusion the T Rex walks by their tree with the piece of meat in her mouth.
As they breathed heavily they then gained puzzled looks as she walked further away.
"Then again...maybe not as long as you think." Brooklynn states as Ben stands up and begins walking away.
"Oh well, let's g-" Brooklynn cuts Ben off as she stands up as well and grabs his arm.
"Wait, why didn't she eat? Where's she going?" Brooklynn questioned.
"Um, why does that matter, all we know is she isn't going insane and didn't eat us so." Ben said as Brooklynn deadpanned.
"We're following her." She declared with no room for discussion.
Ben groaned. "I should've went with Darius and Mae." He said as he followed her.
As they caught up to Big Eatie the sight they saw made their hearts warm.
Big Eatie had brought food for Little Eatie who was clearly still hurt.
"Little Eatie must've sustained more damage in the fight, she's keeping her daughter alive." Brooklynn deduced.
"This is actually kinda cute." Ben said as they watched Little Eatie quickly devour the meat.
"In a bloody...carnivorous...way." Ben said with a chuckle.
"But wait...didn't Mae send the BRADs to help? Why didn't they show up?" Brooklynn questioned as Ben shrugged.
After Little Eatie huskily ate the food Big Eatie then nudges her and lays down next to her.
"Look at her...she's just trying to help her kid out...why would anyone want to hurt her...I see why Darius cares about these dinosaurs so much now." Brooklynn said as her face turned to one of hope.
"Come on...we should go tell Mae." Brooklynn said as she stood up and Ben nodded agreement as they walked back towards where they came from.
Desert Biome
Mae and Darius walk besides Pierce through the hot desert.
"So now you decide to drop, oh yea I can speak to dinosaurs but whatevs?" Darius complained.
Mae laughed at him slightly. "I guess hiding my personal side project from you wasn't necessary anymore." Mae admitted.
"I was waiting to develop the research more before I shared it with Mantah Corp...not sure I'm doing that now." Mae informed him.
"Yea, that may be a good call." Darius agreed.
After a bit of silence, Darius finally mustered up the courage to ask her if he could try talking to Pierce.
"Could I...Could I try-oof!" Darius exclaimed as Mae stopped abruptly at the question.
She then looked at him incredulously as he beamed at her.
"Go on then you've earned it." She said as she handed him the tablet which he excitedly accepted.
"Yes!" Darius exclaimed as he ran in front of Pierce.
He tapped a command as he gestured to himself.
"Friend, I'm your friend." Darius said to the dinosaur.
Pierce then did a small roar as Mae smiled at the exchange.
Darius responded with another tap of the tablet.
"I'm your friend." He said as Pierce moved towards him, this causes Darius to gasp in surprise.
He holds his hand out to touch Pierce, but Pierce had other plans.
He put his head into Darius' abdomen and lifts him off the ground.
The dino nerd then smiled, they were really having a moment.
"Hey-woah!" Darius shouted as Pierce threw him off and began walking again.
Darius was now on the floor as he groaned and sat up.
Mae then walked over and kneeled down to his level.
"Don't be discouraged mate...it takes time to build a bond with a dinosaur." Mae reassured him as she walked away.
Darius then sighed as he got up and followed after them.
Mae's Cave
After Sammy and Kenji had enjoyed some sandwiches they finally got a chance to sit down and talk on the couch.
"Okay Kenji...so about what I wanted to tell you." She said began.
"Listen Sammy, I know you want to break up with me, you need someone more manly in your life and I'm not that guy so if you're gonna end it just do it fast." Kenji said as Sammy's eyes widened.
She felt horrible...this was her fault for telling Kenji what her father said.
Despite herself, she couldn't help but burst out laughing, much to Kenji's confusion ofcourse.
"What's so funny?" He questioned as Sammy calmed down a bit.
"I'm sorry but...that's absolutely ridiculous Kenji, why would something so stupid stop me from loving you? I told you already that I don't care what my dad says, I love you and that's that, and besides...you're more manly than you think." Sammy said as she got closer to his face, causing him to adorn a red hue across his face.
"You ran behind enemy lines to get that first aid kit for Ali...if it wasn't for you he may not be here with us today...you stood off against a freakin Sabertooth Tiger for God's sake...so please stop doing stupid shit to prove you're manly to me! I love you just the way you are!" Sammy shouted a bit as she slammed into him.
Kenji's face faltered a bit. "Sammy I...I'm sorry too, I'll stop I promise and I love you too." He said as they separated.
They then looked into eachother's eyes before swiftly kissing...after that the second kiss was way deeper and lasted a good ten seconds.
Before they continue however they hear the door opening, they look to see it flash green.
"Oh no...run!" Kenji yelled in a hushed tone as they ran to the room Yasmina and Ali were in.
They opened the door to see the two athletes putting their tops back on as Kenji had a puzzled face.
Sammy wasn't puzzled because she already knew what they were doing...or thought so atleast.
"Shh! No time, a BRADs' here, hide!" She shouted in a hushed tone as they all went under the bed and huddled as close as possible.
This proved very difficult due to how small the bed was.
"Search here." They hear a voice call out.
They then look to see a BRAD's shadow making it's way towards the room.
As the BRAD walked up to the bed it began scanning for the usual.
This caused the four teens to back up as far as possible.
Their knees bent to the furthest extent they could bend.
They even had to fold their fingers back.
This was especially hard for Kenji who was 5'10 and Ali who was 6'1.
Luckily the scanners didn't reach them.
"Anything in here?" They hear a make human voice question as two legs came into view.
"New documents have not been located." The robot responded.
"Toss the other rooms then, now!" The man shouted.
As the two assailants left everyone but Sammy visibly relaxed.
"Everyone okay?" Ali questioned.
Kenji and Yasmina nodded in response.
Kenji then turns to Sammy and notices her terrified expression.
"Sammy? Are you-" He's cutoff as Sammy quickly got up and went after the BRAD and the unknown man.
"What the hell was that about?" Ali questioned as they got out from under the bed and followed her.
They each watch as she quietly walks along the wall to spy on the man.
Sammy notices him searching through Mae's stuff.
He seemingly finds what he's looking for as he turns around.
"Well, well, well." He said sinisterly.
Sammy gasps as she instantly recognized the face, this was Kash, the man who blackmailed her family.
"It's him..." She whispered.
"I found it, let's go!" He declared as he left with the BRAD in tow.
Thr others ran up to Sammy.
"Sammy." Yasmina said as she tapped the cowgirl's shoulder.
This caused Sammy to gasp and jump back as if she'd seen a ghost.
"Sammy, what the heck is going on?" Kenji questioned her.
"I...have to tell you something." Sammy said quietly.
Desert Biome
Pierce was in the midst of another tantrum as Mae and Darius tried to sooth him.
"Calm down Pierce, calm down." Mae chastised.
"Safe." She said as she tapped the command as well.
"Safe." Mae said as he calmed down.
She then walked up to him and stroked his chin.
"Poor thing must be absolutely starved." Mae said solemnly.
Suddenly Darius gasps as he noticed Ben and Brooklynn running up to them.
"Guys!" He shouted as he walked up to them as they panted heavily.
He swiftly hugs Brooklynn as she returns before they separate and face Mae again.
"Little Eatie's still hurt, the med BRADs you sent never showed up to help." Brooklynn informed them.
"How can your orders be overridden? I thought there was no communication on or off the island." Darius reminded her.
"There isn't...someone must be here giving counter orders...Kash." Mae said that name with a high level of venom lacing her words.
This caused the kids to gain looks of confusion.
"Who the heck is that?" Ben questioned.
"My boss...right then, you get Pierce his food, Kash'll be in the jungle biome." Mae ordered as she began walking forward.
"I'll go get cleaned up, then go get some answers." She said with a heavy conviction.
"You sure that's safe?" Ben questioned her.
Mae turned to face them. "Kash is a harmless blowhard with a penchant for bad music and even worse tattoos, plus until I know what he's up to it's best he doesn't know you're here." She warned them as she turned again.
"Be careful Mae." Darius called out as he then stood in front of Pierce.
"Come on Pierce, let's eat some chow! Come on boy." Darius tried relentlessly to get the dinosaur to cooperate but Pierce remained stoic.
Brooklynn deadpanned at Darius' antics.
"Yup, that's the guy I fell for." She said quietly to Ben and Mae.
Mae couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't worry Brook, we all fall for idiots most of the time." She said as she then walked over to Darius with the tablet outstretched to him.
"Here, he may not listen to you, but you can try." Mae said as Darius eagerly took the tablet.
With that, she finally left them to go tend to her previous mission.
Hallway
Sammy ran hard...she had to catch up to that douchebag and get some answers.
"Sammy!" She heard Kenji shout as he was running behind her, but she would not stop, she had to do this.
Ali and Yasmina ran hard as well, they were trying to catch up to them.
"Kenji!" Ali shouted as they lost sight of them.
"Sammy!" Yasmina shouted as they stopped in the middle of a crossroads.
"I don't know if we should be proud of them or embarrassed that we're athletes and we got completely dusted by them." Ali said as Yasmina sighed and grabbed his arm, opting to run to the right.
As they caught a glimpse of Kenji and Sammy they noticed a door ahead.
"Sammy! Wait! Stop! What are you doing?" Kenji shouted as she ran through the door with him right behind her.
Ali and Yasmina came soon after as they tried relentlessly to stop the maniacs.
"Can you people slow down for one second!" Ali shouted.
"Mae! Mae!" Sammy called out as they drew the attention of Brooklynn, Ben and Darius standing next to Pierce.
This caused Pierce to be a little distressed due to all the yelling.
"Calm down Pierce, calm." Darius said as he played the command.
Luckily it worked in his favor this time.
As the others now stood in front of them Brooklynn gained a a confused expression as she noticed Ali and Yasmina panting and Sammy's distressed look.
Kenji shared a distressed look as well, but obviously for different reasons.
"What's up with you guys?" She questioned them.
"If we knew...we'd tell you." Ali said through breaths.
"Darius, where's Mae?" Sammy questioned him.
"Oh, she went to see her boss in the jungle biome, some guy named-" Sammy cuts Darius off.
"Kash." She said dismissively as she walked forward with a frown.
"I've never seen Sammy act like this." Yasmina said to Ali, it was almost...like she was gone.
"What are you doing?" Brooklynn questioned her.
"I'm gonna go confront him and get some answers." Sammy said firmly.
Kenji swiftly reached forward as he grabbed Sammy's arm much to the Texan's discontent.
"Ugh! Kenji, let me go!" She shouted as Kenji then got in front of her blocking her path.
"Not until you tell us what's going on, what's with the solo, macho woman on a mission with a vendetta act? Look I get why you're mad, but we have to wait-" Sammy cuts him off.
"All we do is wait! I'm tired of it!" Sammy shouted at him as he trapped her in an embrace so that she couldn't move, she still fought against it.
"Mae says we should stay put." Darius informed Sammy.
"No! You don't get it!" She yelled as she stopped trying to wrestle out of Kenji's hold.
Pierce bellowed in distress, all the shouting was starting to affect him.
Darius and Brooklynn tried to console him so that he wouldn't freak out.
Yasmina and Ali then walk over to Sammy who was still fuming.
"Sammy, I know you're mad right now but you have to calm down." Yasmina said as she gestured to Pierce as Sammy began calming a bit.
"Deep breaths Samster deep breaths." Ali said as the Texan took a large breath.
She then faced the others. "Kash...Kash is the one who blackmailed my family." She revealed as everyone minus Kenji, Yasmina and Ali gasped in shock.
"I can't...imagine how you feel right now." Brooklynn said solemnly.
"But we don't get to the truth by confronting a guy like that." Darius stated as he stepped besides her.
"D's right, we can't just barge in there imaginary guns blazing, we need to think this through." Ali aided Darius' point.
Sammy was...hurt by this, her friends her best friend...her BOYFRIEND, they were all against her when she thought she could count on them to be in her corner...yet here they were, defending Kash.
Sammy ripped herself out of Kenji's grasp with a grunt as she rounded on everyone.
"How do you all not get this?" She questioned the entire group as a whole.
"I thought you were my friends..." She trailed off as she turned to Yasmina and Ali who were technically her two closest friends out of the group.
She then turned to face Kenji. "And you- you..." Sammy just huffed at him, she was so angry she couldn't even find words at the moment.
The cowgirl then began stomping off towards the jungle biome.
"Sammy wait! You can't do this!" Kenji yelled as he ran in front of her.
The scowl the Texan had her face was almost enough to make Kenji flinch.
"YOU don't get to make decisions about what I do!" She shouted into his face.
Her yelling had finally gotten to Pierce as she turned and noticed Darius, Ben and Brooklynn trying to calm him.
Ali and Yasmina turned as well due to the dinosaur's cries.
"Woah! Safe Pierce safe!" Darius yells as he spammed the commands.
They relentlessly tried to get the dinosaur to calm down.
"Kenji, grab that bush and come help!" Ali shouted as he alongside Yasmina ran over to Pierce.
Kenji grabbed the plant as he offered it to Pierce.
"Here giant spikey lizard, mmm, yummy plant." He coaxed as Pierce soon calmed down.
Ben then looked at the spot where Sammy was...only there was no Sammy.
"Um guys, where's Sammy?" He questioned as they all took note of her missing form.
Through all the commotion she was able to swiftly get away it seemed.
"Oh no..." Kenji said as he clenched his fists slightly.
"Sammy..." Yasmina trailed off as they all didn't know what to do...did they really make the right decision? Or are they supposed to back Sammy up here.
Jungle Biome
Mae made her way through the jungle as she prepared to confront Kash.
She now wore a red suit jacket, a black undershirt and black dress pants.
As Mae now stood in front of a building she waited for Kash to show up.
She then heard robotice foot steps nearing her as she jumped and turned to notice a BRAD walking up to her.
"You startled me..." She said to the robot as she held her hand to her chest.
"Bloody robots." She cursed it as she continued walking towards the building with the BRAD now following her.
She then began getting wary due to this, which explains why she jumped when she noticed another BRAD in front of her as it began walking towards her.
Mae began backing up as the BRADs watched her menacingly.
As she continued to back up she couldn't help but notice the sound of the bushes behind her rustling.
As she turns around, two Velociraptors swiftly run out of the bushes and lunges at Mae, fortunately it was blocked by an invisible force field, this still caused her to yelp and fall back as she caught by none other than Kash.
"Woah, woah, woah." He said as Mae swiftly stood up out of his grasp and dusted herself off.
"Relax...they can't get to us, my drones project and invisible fence...raptors get too close and, zap!" Kash shouted as he directed to drones to back the Velociraptors up even further.
Kash then wrapped an arm around Mae's shoulder.
"Hi Mae." He greeted her enthusiastically.
Mae didn't share this enthusiasm as she swiftly pushed him off and walked to stand in front of him.
"Kash...I have a lot of questions." She stated firmly.
"What are the odds...I have questions of my own." Kash said as one of his BRADs handed him Mae's note book.
Mae noticed this and immediately gained a look of terror.
"Where did you..give me-" Mae reached for the book but Kash pulled it away and the BRADs got in between them causing Mae to back up..
"Communicating with dinosaurs! You've been busy." Kash said with a smirk.
At the entrance of the desert biome, the door slid open to reveal a slightly out of breath Sammy.
She then ran towards where she believed Mae and Kash would be.
'I don't care if the others won't see reason, he has to pay.' She mentally declared.
Mae and Kash's argument was now heating up.
"Why are you spying on me? And why are you trying to kill my dinosaurs?" She questioned him.
"No need to come in so hot Mae, let's just dialog for a sec." He said as he sat on one of the BRADs with an amused expression.
Mae certainly did not share this amusement if her frown was anything to go by.
"You have no intention of making this island a research facility, do you?" She questioned him again.
"Let's just say that Mantah Corp's research plans are fluid! This research of yours Mae..." He then imitates an explosion sound to emphasize his shock.
"You've opened my eyes to possibilities I could never imagine...and I can imagine, alot." He said as he stood again.
"I won't let you use my research, for whatever sick plan you've got." Mae declared.
As Sammy ran through the jungle she finally came to a stop as she noticed Mae and Kash standing a bit ahead.
The cowgirl was ready to run up to them but what she didn't expect was to be tackled by Kenji as they both fell to the ground with a loud thud.
"Sammy...stop!" Kenji yelled in a hushed tone as he pinned her down and covered her mouth, the stubborn Texan still fought to get out from under him.
Sammy then stopped struggling as Kenji raised his hand off of her mouth and leaned off of her.
"What are you guys doing?" She questioned in an irate tone.
"Um...stopping you from doing something completely stupid, revenge is not going to solve anything...it just makes life harder." Ali said as Yasmina looked at him, she knew if anyone had a history with wanting revenge it was her boyfriend.
"Sammy..." Yasmina said as she looked at her.
"You're our family, we're not leaving you to do this alone." Yasmina stated firmly.
"We're gonna have your back and we're gonna protect you, whether you like it or not." Kenji declared as Sammy had an unreadable expression.
"Guys look!" Brooklynn ushered them all over to the bush to eavesdrop on Mae and Kash.
"You heard me...stop all of this now, or I'll go over your head." She said with conviction.
"Is that...a threat?" Kash questioned her.
The serious look Mae sent towards him was enough to confirm his deduction.
Kash sighed heavily. "I really wish you didn't make this so, adversarial." He complained.
He then gave a manual command for the BRADs to attack Mae as their eyes glowed red and Mae jumped.
"A couple of geniuses like us, we would've made an amazing team." He stated as he kissed his teeth.
"Kash! What are you..." Mae trailed off as she backed up.
"Don't tell me he's about to do what I think he's gonna do." Ben stated.
"No, he wouldn't." Brooklynn declared.
"This guy clearly has no regard for anyone but himself...I wouldn't put it past him, we need a plan to save granny." Ali said as Darius thought it over.
"Okay, so this is what we're gonna do." He began.
"Thank you for your contribution to Mantah Corp Dr. Turner but the company has decided to go in a different direction, your services are no longer-" Kash cuts himself off as he turns to see Mae run into the jungle.
"Well...go get her!" He shouted as the BRADs quickly ran afer Mae.
As Mae ran through the jungle swiftly she had to ensure dodging the electric bullets as well.
One last shot makes her leap and fall to the ground as she climbed into hiding.
The BRADs then split up as one decided to scan the area for Mae.
Mae hid behind the rock as she breathed heavily.
Fortunately the BRADs scanners missed her as they walked right by.
She sighed and began getting up to leave the area.
Unfortunately she failed to notice one of the two BRADs on the rock behind her as it scanned her.
"Unauthorized lifeform detected!" The robot stated as Mae gasped in horror.
"Initiating elimination protocol." The other BRAD said as they both began charging their electric bullets.
"No you can't do this, please!" Mae shouted, the droids obviously didn't listen as they prepared to shoot her.
Before anything else can be said a rock collided with one of the BRAD's head causing it to turn to the right.
There stood Kenji and Ben smugly staring at the robot.
Ben then threw another rock at the bot.
"Man, knew playing baseball on the side woulda been a great idea." Ben said with a smirk.
The bot had enough as it shot a bullet at them causing them to yell out and dodge out of the way.
"I think we got it's attention!" Kenji announce as they stood up.
"You think?" Ben shouted as they ran away with the BRAD chasing after them.
Sammy and Yasmina then pull Mae behind another rock as the second BRAD lost sight of them and began scanning the area.
Yasmina had planned to be the decoy, albeit with a strong bit of reassurance in her abilities from her boyfriend.
The trackstar ran away from the boulder, effectively drawing the android's attention as it chased after her.
Sammy then got up with May as they began running in an opposite direction.
"We're headed to the airlock!" She shouted.
As Yasmina ran through the jungle she tried her hardest to avoid being hit with the stun bullets.
'Just treat it like it's a race and the only thing keeping you from winning is a pesky robot with a bad attitude.' Ali's voice sounded through her head.
As she ran she leaped over the fallen trees, those were her hurdles, she then switched lanes to gain an advantage.
Kenji and Ben were still running from the other BRAD as well.
The two boys ducked as a shot was sent right at their heads.
They both leaped to different sides as the BRAD sent a shot right in between them.
The robot didn't get a chance to charge up another shot as everytime it tried they pelted it with rocks.
However, when they ran out of rocks the droid sent three rapid fire shots at Kenji who luckily dodged.
Yasmina had rounded a tree as she ran away from the area.
The BRAD came soon after as t chased her relentlessly.
What it failed to notice was Ali up in the tree with a boulder over head.
Right when it was in position Ali slammed the giant rock onto it's head, this caused it to short circuit and fall to the floor offlined.
Ali dropped to the ground as he ran to the ground.
"We did it!" He shouted as he hugged her, which she quickly returned.
"Thanks for always believing in me...now let's go help the others!" Yasmina proclaimed as they separated and ran to the others.
As Ben and Kenji ran from the BRAD they both duck behind trees to hide from the shots.
Before the droid could advance a rock bounced off it's head.
The robot then turned to see Brooklynn smirking with another rock in hand.
She pointed to her left as the robot faced the left and was met with a strike from a large branch, courtesy of Darius, which took it's head off.
Brooklynn and Darius run past Ben and Kenji.
"Come on guys!" Brooklynn yelled as the two boys got up and followed after them.
As Sammy and Mae ran towards the airlock they both smiled.
"Almost there!" Sammy yelled as the door opened.
Unfortunately they were met with a BRAD, poised to attack with it's electric bullets.
They swiftly hid behind a tree in fear.
The BRAD then began scanning the area, luckily it didn't already find them.
"I don't think it saw us...we've got to get to that airlock!" Sammy yelled in a hushed tone.
They then turn to see the others running towards them.
They all panted heavily and stopped behind the other tree as they noticed the BRAD.
"Alright, if we can surprise that thing, we can take it out." Sammy informed them.
"Noted." Mae said as she picked up a branch and began running towards rhe BRAD with a cry.
"Wait, Mae!" Sammy shouted in a hushed tone.
The irate English woman simply ran up to the BRAD and brought the branch back, ready to take it's head off before it could fire.
Suddenly one of the raptors from earlier lunged at the bot and quickly offlined it, causing Mae to gasp as she stumbled back.
The dinosaur roared at Mae as she fell to the ground.
It then clawed and bit at her, removing her jacket and leaving her covered in wounds.
"Granny!" Ali shouted as he noticed the raptor running towards Mae.
What he was about to do was just plain stupid but...Ali ran towards the Velociraptor and shoulder tackled it away from Mae.
The dinosaur fell to ground with a pained roar as it quickly rebounded and snarled at Ali.
"You wanna get to her...you're gonna have to go through me." He stated firmly as he stood in a defensive position.
Yasmina then picked up Mae's branch as she stood next to Ali, prepared to defend Mae.
"Come on!" She shouted.
The others yelp and jump back as the other raptor came in to the fray.
The two predators backed the group into eachother as they all shared the same tense looks.
They then began circling them as Sammy noticed the BRAD still trying to shoot an electric bullet.
When she got her opening she ran through and grabbed the bot's head.
Just in time too because one of the raptor's had lunged at her.
She shot the Velociraptor in it's chest causing it to be blasted backwards onto the floor.
Sammy then sent even more shots as the raptors became disoriented.
"Let's go!" Yasmina shouted as the others began running into the jungle.
Ali lifts Mae up bridal style as the doctor groaned in pain and held onto his neck for support.
Sammy was still on the offensive as she made sure the dinosaurs had ran off and left them alone.
"Huh?" She questioned as she heard the door behind her open.
Sammy turned and noticed more BRADs coming through.
Kenji suddenly helped her up. "Time to go!" He shouted as they ran behind the others.
Makeshift lair
The group had found a small cave to hide from dinosaurs and the BRADs and to get Mae some rest...her injuries were very bad.
Kenji walked over to Darius. "Ben's keeping a lookout, this'll work...for now." Kenji said as he then sat down next to Sammy who was sitting in silence.
"Right." Darius said solemnly.
He then hugged her head to his chest as she still stayed silent.
"Kenji...I-I'm sorry, I said some pretty nasty stuff earlier, if you guys didn't step in, I'd probably be dead right now, heck, you might be too, and it would all be my fault, I'm-" Kenji cuts Sammy off by shushing her.
"I told you already Sammy, I get why you did what you did, you saw the man that wronged your family, anyone would've reacted like that, you're a human, I'm just glad we all made it out alive." He said as he hugged her tightly and could feel her beginning to tear up.
"Thank you Kenji...I'm so glad to have you as my boyfriend." Sammy said firmly as Kenji's face lit up with a huge blush.
Darius couldn't but smile at this, even in their darkest time atleast they still had their moments.
Brooklynn, Yasmina and Ali kneeled next to Mae as Brooklynn tended to her.
Mae then turned to Ali as she did something nobody would ever expect...she smiled at him.
"You put your life on the line for me...guess you don't hate this granny as much as you put on." Mae said with a pained voice.
Brooklynn and Yasmina smiled at them slightly.
"Thank you...Ali." Mae said as the allstar was taken back, this was the second time she called him by his actual name.
"Anytime, Mae." Ali said as Yasmina then hugged him.
"You're finally maturing, and all it took was fighting a Velociraptor." She said with a chuckle as he deadpanned.
"Oh please...he'll probably do something even more stupid tomorrow." Brooklynn said as the two girls chuckled at Ali's expense.
"Ya know, I'm noticing you two only get along whenever you're bullying me, this is not fair." Ali said as they continued laughing
He then sighed, he was glad that even through all this they could laugh but, why at his expense?
That raised another question...what were they going to do tomorrow actually? They obviously can't stay like this forever with a maniac in control of the island.
'We'll figure it out when we get to it I guess.' Ali thought.