Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter twenty-four of "Running From Here." I may feature more dinosaur species not seen in Jurassic Park in the next chapter or so. I feel it is time to do that. Stay tuned for chapter twenty-five.

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Chapter 24: In the Thick of Things

Zordon and Alpha were watching the Power Rangers, the survivors, and the dinosaurs trek through the rainforest on the Command Center's Viewing Globe. They caught sight of Rexy and Mia's riders. Ian patted the latter's back, as did Alan and Ellie with that of the former. Alpha moved his arms up and down. He tried not to chuckle, but he couldn't help himself.

"It is nice Alan, Ellie, and Ian decided to hitch rides on Rexy and Mia," Alpha said warmly.

"Lex and Tim need their exercise," Zordon said and narrowed his eyes at Lex and Tim, who were walking alongside Rexy. He furrowed his brow when she lifted her head somewhat. "They are growing children, especially her. She should be entering puberty in the next year or so."

"She will have a huge growth spurt!" Alpha yelled amazingly. He clapped three times. "She will get a lot taller than he will."

"That won't last as Tim will grow taller than she will after he hits puberty in the next few years," Zordon pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Boys aren't always tall," Alpha added and turned around to face him. "Girls aren't always short."

"That's true," Zordon admitted with a nod. He blinked three times. "I had many tall women and short men in my army. Height can be both an advantage and a disadvantage."

"Tallness allows for earlier spotting. Shortness allows for easier getaways," Alpha said and clasped his hands together. "Tallness can make someone fall over more easily. Shortness can make someone slower."

"One thing is clear. Short and tall warriors will have to work together to complete a task sometimes. Teamwork effects everyone, not just those of height," Zordon boomed.

Alpha nodded in agreement. He returned to the Viewing Globe and found Tommy and Kim getting ahead of the others. Rexy and Mia picked up their pace a tiny bit. So did Lex, Tim, Zack, and Trini. Alpha let out a relieved sigh before tilting his head.

"It warms my circuits that the group is just a couple of miles away from the Visitor Center," Alpha said, happiness radiating from his voice.

"It warms my heart too, Alpha," Zordon responded, sighing contently. He became serious very quickly. "They still have to watch out for danger along the way."

"I know," Alpha agreed. "There is also the possibility the computers may not be functioning right. I mean, they have not been touched in a year. They could unknowingly activate viruses on them!"

Zordon exhaled. "That is a risk they will have to take. They must get off the island before Lord Zedd does untold damage to Angel Grove. Let's not forget Billy and Lex are experts in computers. They could fix them if they are not working properly. They can work together to hack into our computers."

"That's right. Tim called Lex a computer nerd while they and Alan were making their way to the Visitor Center. She denied she was one," Alpha commented, a chuckle coming from him.

"Then they found the eggs. They were very surprised. Tim wasn't so sure how the dinosaurs were breeding as Alan claimed. He noted they were all girls. Alan said frog DNA was used to fill the gaps. Frogs are known to change sex in a single-six environment to ensure breeding. It enabled the dinosaurs to do just that," Zordon explained.

Alpha pointed his finger at the floor. "As Ian said, life will find a way."

Zordon nodded in agreement. He and Alpha observed the group stopping at a small stream. Rexy and Mia bent down. They proceeded to drink water. Alpha clasped his hands together once more.

"Once the group crosses that stream, they should find themselves on the plains very soon," Alpha said hopefully.

"They will be very vulnerable if a carnivore or carnivores attack. There are no bushes or trees to hide anyone," Zordon commented in a grace voice. "Rexy and Mia can't hide due to their large size unless there are stands of tall and thick trees somewhere."

"Rexy and Mia wouldn't want to hide, anyway! They would want to fight!" Alpha said firmly as he turned around and faced him.

"Indeed, they would," Zordon agreed. "However, you know size often does not determine victory. Intelligence does. Rexy and Mia are intelligent enough to know where the attacker's weak points are."

"People used to think dinosaurs were slow and stupid, even the smallest species. It has been proven they are as intelligent as birds. Birds are their descents!" Alpha pointed out in much eagerness.

Zordon chuckled. "The Power Coins are based on the strength of prehistoric creatures. Some species had very small brains, but they were very intelligent. The theropods are a great example. Despite their small brains, they often hunted in packs. It allowed them to bring down larger prey."

Alpha raised his arms high above his head. "The Allosaurus is a great example. Its prey consisted of sauropods like Apatosaurus and Diplodocus. The problem was sauropods were too large for one to take down if they were full-fledged adults. That was unless they were old, weak, or sick. Several Allosaurs hunted in packs. They brought the adults down."

Alpha faced the Viewing Globe. He observed Rexy and Mia finishing drinking water, as did Zordon. Rexy and Mia rose to their full height. They resumed walking along with Tommy, Kim, Trini, Zack, Lex, and Tim. They sniffed at the air. He moved up to it. He emitted a soft chuckle before touching his chin with his finger.

"It is obvious Rexy and Mia are making sure there is no danger in the area. It can't always be seen," Alpha said honestly.

"The rhino is known to have poor eyesight, but it has an excellent sense of smell. It will charge at anything, even its own species," Zordon commented.

"Despite its aggressive nature, the rhino can be quite gentle toward humans. They even enjoy belly and back rubs. However, not all rhino species thrive in captivity. The Javan rhino is one of them. It has not been exhibited in captivity since the early 1900s. The oldest lived to be twenty. That is half its lifespan of forty years," Alpha explained sadly.

"The Sumatran rhino is another species that does not thrive very well in captivity. There have been no successful births of this species for many years," Zordon added.

"It is so tragic," Alpha whispered and let out a heavy sigh. "If only—"

Suddenly, the alarm rang very loudly. Alpha yelled and jumped into the air in quite a bit of fright. He landed in a squatting position. He rose to his full height in a slow manner.

"Ay-yi-yi-yi!" Alpha yelled frantically. "There is trouble, Zordon!"

"Alpha, scan all channels now," Zordon commanded.

Alpha made a salute. "Right."

Alpha looked at the console to the right of the Viewing Globe. He pressed a few buttons. He turned back to it. He saw Goldar and Tigton chasing civilians across a street in Downtown Angel Grove. Putties pulled them out of their vehicles and beat on them. Screaming and crying filled the air.

"Oh, no! Goldar, Tigton, and the Putties are terrorizing civilians in Downtown Angel Grove!" Alpha blurted out in fear.

"That's not all," Zordon said in a grave voice. "I am sensing an evil presence on Isla Nublar."

"No! Not Isla Nublar!" Alpha cried, shaking his head rapidly.

"Alpha, you must check it out now," Zordon said firmly.

"All right," Alpha said, glancing at the console. "Oh, my. Oh, my. This is not our day at all."

Alpha pressed the same buttons. He shifted his attention back to the Viewing Globe. He found Scorpina, Squatt, Baboo, and Putties trekking through another part of the rainforest. His body began shaking quite a bit.

"Oh, no! Scorpina, Squatt, Baboo, and Putties are going after the Power Rangers and the Jurassic Park survivors!" Alpha yelled while placing his hands on top of his head. "If only we could warn them!"

"Lord Zedd will stop at nothing to make sure the group does not reach the Visitor Center," Zordon commented in fear.

Alpha emitted a quiet whimper. "If Lex and Tim weren't with the group, it could move faster!"

"I know. The group has to keep a steady pace if the children are to keep up," Zordon responded. "Of course, that is not easy when you have a huge two-legged dinosaur such as Rexy."

"That is understandable. Rexy can make strides that have a wide berth," Alpha whispered with a nod. "She can move quickly when she must."

"Like when she is hunting," Zordon suggested.

"Exactly," Alpha said, nodding fast. "I hope the group reaches the Visitor Center before Lord Zedd's goons catch them."

Zordon blinked. "So do I, Alpha."

Zordon and Alpha continued watching the villains move through the undergrowth. They saw them slow down somewhat.