(A/N) Yeah, this is a Ben-focused episode, so I am going to tell it through the eyes of X-23.
The first thing that X-23 remembers when she first ever opened her eyes... was fear. Utter and complete fear. She gasped as she took in a whole lot of oxygen as her first breath was taken into this world. She then opened her eyes and was surrounded by green liquid. She looked around and tried to find a way to escape. She looked down and saw two scientists: Henry Wu and Richard Parker.
"It finally worked," Wu said as he saw she was awake. "The clone is stabilizing. She has survived the process... Weapon X-23 has finally come back online."
"Waking up is only one part of the process, Wu," Richard said as he was working on the controls. "Looks like she lost her memories during the process."
"We expected that," Wu commented. "It's better that way..."
Richard sighed as he looked up to the clone. She was caressing the glass, and her scans showed she was panicking. "We still need-"
That was when X-23 activated her claws for the first time ever. She panicked when she saw the claws and punched at the glass, trying to punch the glass to escape. Her claws managed to cut the glass and began to leak the liquid.
"She's breaking out, Richard!" Wu warned Richard.
"I see it, Wu." Richard cried as he worked on the controls. "I'm admitting her to anesthetic... hopefully we can get her a more permanent containment." He sighed as he watched X-23 pass out, while he was writing his notes down in his book. He wrote how the process had worked, and how Weapon X-23 was finally a success and now had deadly claws. "We're going to need to throw her against those machines they sent over... see how strong she really is."
For Weapon X-23, each awakening was a fierce struggle to stay alive. Marooned in a desolate spot, she found herself under siege by robots that appeared out of nowhere. These automatons, resembling early Iron Man armor, were formidable foes, able to knock her out with their powerful strikes.
Initially, X-23's response was to escape, to dodge the fights. But after several days of relentless stunning assaults, her rage boiled over. She stopped running and stood her ground, confronting her robotic assailants with a wrathful barrage of counterstrikes.
She raced towards one of the robots and sliced their heads clear off with one swipe of her claws. When she was getting shot at, she quickly ran for cover behind some rocks and waited for the robots to begin reloading. When they did, that was her chance to strike as she leaped out, bearing her four claws as she let out a ferocious cry and impaled one of the robots, taking them offline.
She then spun around quickly, taking the head of the robot and using it to throw at one of the other robots. She then went for one of their knees, slicing it clear off. When one of them grabbed her by the leg, X-23 revealed that she had a claw in her feet, allowing her to strike at the robot holding her foot, and got up, kicking another of the robots and taking them down.
While she was fighting, there was someone watching the fight from the hidden cameras on the monitors. "Impressive... I've seen enough." He then pushed a button, cutting off the feed. "Have her sent to my facility... we will start mass production as soon as possible..."
Back with X-23, she was screaming at the top of her lungs, using her claws to tear through the robot as much as she could. She punched at the chest over and over, ripping the robot to shreds. That was when the gas began to fill the area, having X-23 began to feel light-headed and faint. She fell over and whimpered as she knew what this would mean for her... she was going back to her cage...
That was when something strange happened.
She woke up...
X-23 slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the harsh fluorescent lights that buzzed overhead. The sterile, white walls of the facility loomed around her, a chilling reminder of the place where her very existence had been forged. As she looked around at the container, an unsettling silence enveloped her; the hum of machinery and the distant echoes of footsteps were conspicuously absent.
She strained her senses, scanning the room for any sign of the doctors who had once surrounded her with their cold, clinical detachment. Anxiety prickled at the edges of her mind; if she had awakened from the anesthetic fog, there must be a reason—some urgency buried deep within the facility's stark confines.
At that moment, it dawned on her: the power that had kept her sedated was no longer in control. Heart racing, she took in her surroundings, her instincts sharpening. She was alone—utterly and inexplicably alone. A surge of determination ignited within her as she realized the door to freedom lay just beyond her reach. She could escape... and she would.
That was when she heard other voices...
"You're an adult!"
"Don't look at me. I was just hiding until you all barged in."
"But we drove all the way here 'cause-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! You have a vehicle?!"
"Guys, I left the keys in the van."
That was when there was a scream of pain.
"Guess the morphine wore off."
That was when X-23 smelled his scent. The doctor that trapped her. She snarled as she clutched her fist, her two adamantium-coated claws revealing themselves from her knuckles. This was her chance at revenge... Punching at the glass, she tried to escape her confinement once and for all. Seems they enhanced the glass from the last time that they had her awake inside the chamber, but she wasn't going to let up. She was going to escape...
It just took longer than she figured it would.
By the time X-23 busted out of the container, she lost the scent of Richard. She marched over and her feet stood on the glass, which she didn't seem to mind. She had been through worse pain, but she figured to get some shoes. That was when she saw the boots that she was given when she was out fighting the robots. She walked over and placed them on her feet, making her way outside.
Breaking her way out, X-23 saw a framed photo of Eddie and Wu. She snarled and sliced the glass and cut it across Wu's face. She didnt want to be reminded of his face. Once she found them... they were going to pay.
As she stepped out of the shadowy chamber and into the dense embrace of the jungle, X-23 felt the cool, dew-kissed grass brush against her palm. Sunlight filtered through the heavy canopy above, casting dappled shadows across the vibrant undergrowth. Her senses heightened, she inhaled deeply, the earthy aroma of damp foliage mingling with the sweet scent of wild blooms.
Suddenly, a peculiar odor pricked her awareness, and a low growl escaped her lips. Instinctively, she unsheathed her gleaming metal claws, their sharp edges glinting in the sunlight, as she poised herself for whatever threat lurked in the shadows. She marched off towards the location of the scent and what she saw... was not what she was expecting it to be.
The area was filled with blood. A gigantic footstep that was from the Indominous lay near as she realized that the scent of the man who kept her captive came from the center of the area. He was killed... then why does she still smell him?
X-23 followed the scent as far as she could. She marched downward toward the path that the kids took when they got to the van. That was when she found the said van itself. She felt the vehicle and smelled the air. She marched over towards the area where Peter dropped and broke down after losing Richard. She smelled the ground and the scent was much stronger.
X-23 walked down the path and saw the pteranodon exhibit further down. She then followed the scent downward towards the kayak area. She then sliced the lock with her claws and made her way inside. She followed the scent through the cavern. She saw a few of the Parasaurolophus gain an interest in her, but she quickly scared them off with a scream of anger.
Marching down the cavern, she saw that the scent split off and made its way downward. She saw how steep the fall was and slid down, using her claws to slow down her descent. When she reached the end of the cavern, she slid out of the cavern managed to avoid the Mosasorus paddock, and clawed her way upward.
That was when she felt the scent grow stronger. She looked over towards the monorail and saw a few kids climbing up into the Monorail. She snarled and saw one of them carried Richard's scent. She was going to find out which one. But by the time she reached the monorail, she watched as it began to speed on past, making its way off on the trail.
That was good news for X-23. All she needed to do now was follow the trail.
It took a lot longer than she thought.
She followed the trail as much as she could, taking her into the early morning. She marched over as she spotted a certain young Ankylosaurus.
X-23 looked at the young creature as she then squealed turned on her paws and darted away, seemingly waiting for X-23 to follow after her. As she sprinted through the foliage, the sunlight filtered through the jungle, creating a dance of light and shadows on the forest floor.
There, lying motionless on the ground, was Ben, the familiar outline of his form barely visible amid the tangled roots and damp leaves. He had been flung from the monorail and was attacked by Pterydactols before crashing into the woods.
X-23 walked over and delivered a swift kick to Ben, wondering if he was even alive. Ben stirred, groaning softly as he began to regain consciousness. The tension in the air was palpable as she watched, unsure of what would happen next. Ben opened his eyes looked up and let out a scream at what he saw.
X-23 reacted the only way she really knew how to. Screaming and preparing to strike, watching as Ben curled up into a ball instead of fighting her. X-23 had never seen anyone who didn't fight her, and she wasn't sure what to really do with this creature.
"Please don't hurt me!" Ben screamed.
X-23 stood frozen, a storm of emotions churning beneath her calm exterior as she processed his words, even though their meaning eluded her. It was clear he was afraid—his eyes wide, breath quickening—and it was a sensation foreign to her; nobody had ever looked at her with such trepidation before. Slowly, she relaxed her clenched fist, the tension in her muscles easing as realization dawned: this boy posed no threat.
Ben, on the other hand, felt a wave of anxiety wash over him as he watched X-23 inch closer, her movements deliberate and cautious. He couldn't shake the instinctive fear that gnawed at his insides, that primal sense to protect himself in the presence of something so enigmatic. Yet, as she studied him with an intensity that felt almost curious, he released a shaky whimper, uncertainty clinging to his every breath.
But then, a remarkable shift occurred. The fierce aura that surrounded X-23 began to dissipate, replaced by an almost childlike inquisitiveness. She continued to draw nearer, and Ben felt a strange tension ease as she chose to observe rather than intimidate. After a moment of silent examination, X-23 took a step back, rising to her full height with an unexpected grace. She stood there, poised and waiting, her gaze inviting Ben to gather his courage and rise with her.
"Huh?" Ben realized she was waiting for him to stand up. When he did, he saw how tall X-23 was. She easily towered him and reached maybe Yaz's height. "Uh, thanks? Who are you?"
X-23 could hear him speaking to her, yet she remained silent. The scientists who designed and experimented on her had not included speech in her training. She was engineered to be a weapon, and a weapon had no need for a voice. She could comprehend certain phrases, maybe even a sentence or two, but not enough to form her own words.
"Can you understand me?" Ben asked. "What's your name?" X-23 didn't know how to respond. That was when Bumpy squealed, getting Ben to look down at her. "Oh, Bumpy!" He quickly dropped and hugged his dinosaur. "Bumpy, Bumpy, Bumpy!" He then got concerned as he looked around. "Where's everybody else?" He began panting as he looked around. "Bumpy, where's everybody else? Darius? Guys? Help! Anybody? Help!"
A twig snaps in the distance, causing X-23 to snarl as she eyed where the branch was snapped and Ben squealed, dropping down to his knees. That was when a bunch of Compies came out of the bushes, approaching the young boy. Seeing they were in danger, X-23 reacted with a ferocious cry as she kicked, tossed, and screamed, scaring them away. Bumby was using her tail to defend Ben as well, throwing them around.
"Thanks, I guess," Ben said as he saw X-23 stopped and snarled around. "Okay, well, I guess you might understand what I am saying. Or at least a part of it. So... how about I call you something? I can't call you girl." X-23 wasn't paying attention as she was looking around. "Hope? Not Teresa. Definitely not Teresa. A whole lot of bad memories with that name now. How about Laura?"
That name piqued X-23 as she looked over to him like a dog hearing its name be called out.
"You... weren't just stranded like me, were you?" Ben asks.
X-23 doesn't respond, or understand, but Ben can tell that he was right.
"Okay, okay. This is gonna be okay." Ben tried to calm the situation. "They'll come save me. Right? Come back for us?" Bumby moaned.
"Right! They don't even know where I am." Ben guessed. "They must be waiting for me at the ferry. So, we just gotta get to the ferry. How do we get to the ferry? Oh, the map!" He reached down and saw his pouch was gone. "Hmm. No pack. No map. No snacks. No hand sanitizer! Okay. This is bad. This is worse than bad. This is…"
That was when Ben saw that there was a leech on his leg, causing him to faint.
X-23 didn't take too long before kicking him again, causing Ben to shriek. He saw it was just Laura and sighed as he sat up, looking at the sky.
"There's no way the ferry's still waiting." Ben took a easy guess. "They must've gotten off the island by now. Good for them." He tried to look on a bright side. "They must think I'm dead. Gotta find a way to tell them I'm alive." That was when he got an idea. "That's it! There's an emergency beacon on the island! And guess who knows where it is, guys! That's right, me!" He said proudly to the two girls. "I knew memorizing emergency manuals would pay off one day." He then clapped his hands and looked around. "Okay. First, let's figure out where we are.
Ben brought Bumpy and Laura up to a tree where he looked up it. " Bet you can see the whole island from up there. Okay. I'm gonna climb this tree. I'm gonna climb this tree."
Ben then began to try and do some light stretches to help himself prepare. But it didn't take him long before he climbed back down in pain.
"Ow! Ow, ow! Got a splinter. Splinter!" Ben cried as he looked at Laura. "You think that-"
Laura then finally revealed her claws to Ben as she struck the tree, splicing it at the stump, watching as the whole thing toppled over. Laura let out a scream of victory when she defeated the 'threat' and looked towards Ben. He began to freak out as he backed away in fear and panic when he realized that she was a genetic creation, one of the ones he guessed that Richard told him about.
"You're... like Peter," Ben said in shock. "But... why can't you talk?"
Laura watched his lips move and began to mimic his words. 'Talk,' She mouthed.
Ben was a little confused by that but sighed as he saw they had bigger problems. "Mm, never mind. Let's just go this way."
But it seemed that everywhere that they turned, there was nowhere to go. The dark jungle was out of the question, the open field was too dangerous with the Compies, and there just wasn't any way that he could pass over the water safely. Laura also had a fear of water due to her time in the tank, and her metal skeleton making her sink faster than the average person.
Laura then decided to lead Ben off somewhere as they made their way out into the jungle. "Laura, where- Ow!" He knocked his head on a branch. "What am I doing? I'm lost, and tired, and talking to a girl who doesn't even-" That was when he saw that Laura had led him to a trail in a gigantic clearing. "A road! A road!" He cried in relief. "All roads on the island lead to the Main Park. And Main Park means emergency beacon. All we gotta do is get down this hill!"
That was when the wind whistling got their attention and Bumpy began to moan and step backwards. Laura however smelled the air and realized something was coming, revealing her claws and Ben finally noticed they were laced with metal.
"Bumpy, why is it so…" Ben said when he gasped and noticed Toro was approaching. His face was burnt but healed from the scars left over from the explosion earlier. "Toro!"
Toro didn't take long to pick up their scent and Laura let out a ferocious cry as she ran towards the dinosaur. Ben however took Bumpy and ran for it as Laura stood on her own, using her claws to try and intimidate Toro. Toro swung his tail and Laura used her flexibility to dodge it and strike at him. But she was used to fighting robots, not dinosaurs, so it didn't end well when she tried to fight off a living creature.
Toro bit down on her arm, getting Laura to scream in pain as she was then flung from his mouth due to the metal damaging one of Toro's teeth. Toro roared as he chased after them and they crossed over a small river to get away.
Ben ran as fast as he could until arriving right back where they started. "We're gonna be here a while."
Laura then sniffed the air again as Ben grunted, straining as he dragged leaves over towards a fallen log and used that as a makeshift tent.
"Well, guys, welcome to our new home," Ben said as he showed them the tent. "I know it's not much, but…" That was when Bumpy ran over and plopped down on the pile of leaves. "Hey! That's my bed!" He said with a sigh. "Okay. I guess you can have it for tonight. Laura, you-"
That was when he heard grunting and stabbing and looked to see Laura climbing a tree, using it as a makeshift hammock between the branches to sleep.
"Oh, that works." Ben shrugged as he tried to sleep.
That started the pattern of their daily lives. Ben would be waken by Bumpy, he would go get some food, courtesy of Laura eating the berries first. It didn't take long for Ben to realize she had a similar healing factor to Peter considering she had her arm bitten and she treated it like it was nothing.
But as time went on, Ben became furious with the constant loop. Bumpy was also slowly growing bigger and bigger, becoming more irritating for Ben when trying to get any rest. That was when the day came when Ben finally snapped.
Ben tried to push Bumpy off of the bed so he could use it, but it wasn't working out for him.
"When did you get so heavy?" Ben asked Bumpy.
That ended with Ben crushing his own tent in the process. " No, Bumpy! Bad girl!" He cried out as he pushed Bumpy away. "No! No! Go away. I'm mad at you!"
Ben began shouting to try and drive Bumpy away. Bumpy did take off and left Ben alone. Ben rebuilt the tent and sighed as he regretted what he said.
"I'm sorry, Bumpy. Come back." Ben said as he looked around, realizing Bumpy wasn't around. "Bumpy!" He ran into the jungle to try and find her. "Bumpy! Bumpy! Where are you? Bumpy! I didn't mean it!" He began to cry in fear. "I didn't mean it! Bumpy, please!"
Seeing no sign of Bumpy but seeing Compies closing in and doubling every time, Ben went back to camp. But that was when he saw that Laura was also gone.
"Laura?" Ben cried out, looking around.
Laura was long gone, finally picking up on the scent of the scientist who experimented on her. She followed it for days until she came across a research lab and watched as a Baryonyx ran past her. She then followed the scent again where she started to hear voices.
"What's wrong?"
"It's just... I was so close to finding something. But I dropped the envelope."
"You mean this?"
"Sammy! You grabbed it?"
"Of course!"
"All right. A bunch of numbers, and letters... And this thing."
That was when Laura spotted them from the bushes and wondered which one of them had the scent. She stayed hidden, waiting to see which one of them it was she picked up through the scent.
"No answers. Just more questions. Maybe we should check-" The roaring of the Baryonyx stopped the pink hair girl from continuing. "Or we should go."
"Let's not push our luck."
That was when the boy of the group stopped and glanced at where she was hiding. Laura began to smell the air and realize that it was him who she was following. It was his scent. He carried the scent of the scientist who experimented on her. That was when she saw he was looking at her like he could see her and she backed off.
"Hey," pink hair called out. "You okay?"
"Yeah..." The scent sighed as he looked back. "I just... felt like I saw a ghost."
"A ghost?" Pink Hair asks as she approaches him. "Your dad?"
"No." the scent said in confusion. "Oddly enough... it looked like my mother."
"Your mother? You don't think...?"
"No, he didn't perfect cloning her. No... and besides, she looked too young. Almost like pictures I saw of her when she was a kid. Couldn't be her."
As she watched the two of them stroll away, their laughter echoing in the air, Laura let out a barely audible snarl escaped her lips, a mix of anger and intrigue. She tightened her fist, and with a sharp, metallic hiss, two gleaming blades sprang forth, their edges shimmering ominously in the faint light.
But before she could approach, she heard a scream coming from the opposite direction.
BEN!
Ben found himself locked in a tense standoff with the formidable dinosaur, Toro. They had already begun the clash, and now he was perilously close to the edge of a towering cliff. Suddenly, from the dense underbrush, Laura burst forth like a flash of lightning. Her sharp claws glinted in the sunlight as she let out a fierce, ear-splitting roar. With a fierce determination, she lunged at Toro, tackling the massive beast in a brave bid to rescue her friend. As Toro thrashed and struggled to dislodge the girl from his back, Ben's heart raced with disbelief and admiration at Laura's unexpected return to the fray.
"Laura!" Ben cheered.
Laura was flung from the dinosaur's back as she stood by Ben's side, letting out a ferocious roar together. "Let's fucking go!" He cheered.
"Let's...fucking...go..." Laura finally spoke, getting Ben to look her way as she drew her claws out.
As the tension in the air thickened, Laura and Ben prepared to resume their fierce battle against Toro. Suddenly, a massive figure emerged from the dense foliage of the forest – a grown Ankylysorus, its scales glistening in the dappled sunlight. With a powerful charge, it barreled through the underbrush, effortlessly knocking Toro off balance and sending him sprawling to the ground. This was Bumpy, now fully grown, her once-small frame transformed into a formidable force.
With a determined rattle of her tail and a fierce glint in her eye, Bumpy sprang into action, seamlessly joining the fray. Her presence shifted the dynamics of the confrontation, driving Toro back toward the edge of the rocky ledge. Laura let out a primal roar as she brandished her sharp claws, hoping to intimidate the brutish dinosaur with the display of her ferocity.
Meanwhile, Ben, clutching his spear tightly, moved in strategically, inching closer to Toro. His intentions were clear: by working together with Laura and Bumpy, they would showcase their combined strength, pushing the menacing creature ever closer to the precarious precipice. The air crackled with electricity as the three of them worked in unison, a daring trio ready to face the wild challenges before them.
Toro ended up slipping and falling downward, slamming into the ground, injured but alive. The three of them stood proud together.
"You came back," Ben said to Laura.
"You... helped...me," Laura tried to speak.
"How did you learn to talk?" Ben wonders.
"I... watched... you," Laura shrugged. "I... learned... from you. Friend."
Ben smiled as he finally introduced himself. "I forgot to say, my name is Ben..."
"Laura," Laura decided to take the name Ben gave her. "My name is Laura."
Walking along the path, they noticed that there was smoke in the distance, making the three of them curious when they heard voices.
"It's not as dire as you think, babe," Tiff said.
"Really?" Mich asks. "'Cause I think it's super dire, Mitch!" That was when Hap approached them. "Hap! Just the man we wanted to see. Where are the kids?"
"Still in the bathroom yurt," Hap answered. "The chatty Internet one is getting suspicious."
Ben lightly gasped as he realized that meant that they didn't get off the island. When he turned, he realized that Laura was gone again, making him wonder where she went.
"Hap, buddy, relax." Mich didn't seem to be afraid. "We've got a plan and we'll fill you in later." He then noticed one of them was missing. "Where is Kraven?"
"Likely still off hunting something," Hap shrugged.
"Well, let's hope he gets back, and let's head back before they realize we're gone," Mich said as they walked off back to camp.
Ben then realized that they were indeed in danger, and he needed to help them. Laura wouldn't wander off for long, and she would likely somehow show up when needed... hopefully.
Right now, his friends needed help. And he planned to help them.
"Come out, come out wherever you are," Peter softly sang as a joke as he circled himself. "What is it this time, Dad? A vampire? A giant lizard? Evil octopus? I mean, how many variations of animals can you go through until-"
Suddenly, he was ambushed from behind, unable to detect Laura due to how stealthfully she approached. Peter felt a piercing pain as four metallic claws stabbed into his hips from both sides. He stood paralyzed for a moment, looking down in horror before letting out a scream. Although he knew he would eventually recover, the pain was intense.
"AH! You backstabbing, mother-" Peter didn't get to continue that as he was then raised upward.
Laura had finally hunted him down. She found the source of the scent of the man who created and experimented on her for years. And now it was time she got some revenge.
That was when he was raised up, dangling from the claws as he struggled to react after the stab. He heard Laura let out a ferocious roar. That was when he took into account what was about to happen.
"Wait! No, oh, god, not the Bane!" Peter cried in terror. "Don't-" Then Laura slammed Peter against her knee, breaking Peter's back in the process as he fell onto the ground. "Agh! She Bane'd me!"
That was when the cross-species grabbed Peter by the leg and tossed him aside, watching as he tumbled backward and slammed against a tree. That worked in his favor as it ended up improving his back.
"Ow..."
"Well, isn't this a surprise?" a new voice asked from on top of a cliff.
Laura looked up and saw that this was someone new, and his scent was something she hadn't smelled before. But he wasn't her priority. She was going to get vengeance for all the years that this man put her through.
"It seems this one also hates you." He then showed the book. "Richard Parker experimented on these creatures. They seem to remember him. And his scent. A scent...passed down from father to son, Mr. Parker..." Peter should have guessed Kraven would have figured out who he was as he looked to Laura who looked ready to pounce. "Now, I shall see which of you is worthy of being my greatest hunt! A fight... to the death. Or die here together!"
Peter looked over to Laura and wondered if he could reason with her. "Listen to me, X-23... I don't wanna hurt you. He wants us to kill each other for sport. But we can be better than that... right?"
Laura didn't seem to share his belief as she looked up at him and snarled through her locks of hair. Calling her X-23 cemented it in her mind. This was him. The same man. And now he was going to pay...
"Let's... fucking... GO!"
Laura let out a scream as she ran towards Peter with her claws ready to pounce, digging into the ground as she raced forward. Peter saw that he had no alternative and shot out a strand of webbing to attack her with. She leaped into the air and her claws were raised high as she was preparing to embed them into Peter.