"Yaz. You need to know-" Kenji tried to tell her about Ben.
"No time." Yaz shot him down. "We have to figure out Darius' plan."
"He's taking Tiff and Mitch to Main Street?" Brooklynn was trying to figure it out as they heard approaching footsteps.
"Huh?" Yaz asked, stepping forward and seeing Bumpy coming out of the bushes, causing her to fall back in a shriek. But that didn't take long for her to realize what was so familiar about her. "Bumpy?"
Then looking upward, Yaz saw Ben and Laura on the back of the dinosaur. "Hey," Ben said, clearing his throat. "Yasmina."
Yaz then quickly jumped up and hugged Ben.
"You're a hugger now, Fadoula?" Ben asked.
"Still have mixed feelings about it, but I… you're…" Yaz was just happy to see him. Then she looked to Laura. "Hi?"
"Hey," Laura nodded her head.
"And you are..?" Yaz asks.
"My half-sister on my mother's side," Peter joked. "Mixed with Wolverine DNA."
"Wolverine?" Yaz asks.
Laura then showed off her claws with a SNICT, showing the glistening claws in the light.
"Oh..." Yaz said with slight fear. "That Wolverine."
"Yeah, yeah, we have been trying to tell you about it, but in more pressing news, Darius isn't taking the hunters to the watering hole," Brooklynn said as he handed the map to Ben.
"What? Why would he take them straight to the T. rex?" Ben wonders.
"Home court advantage." Kenji guessed. "Darius and Sammy know the terrain, and Tiff and Mitch don't. It'll be easier to lose them on Main Street than in the jungle."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Yaz asks. "Let's go help them!"
"Yes! Bumpy and I are ready to roll." Ben said, leaning on the dragon.
"Uh-uh. Big problemo." Kenji said. "There's no way we'll make it to Main Street before they do."
Brooklynn then showed off an entrance to the tunnels. "Well, there is one obvious shortcut."
"Down there? You must be joking." Kenji scoffed. "Don't you remember last time? Not only is it super dark and creepy, but we nearly died! Nope. No go for Kenji."
Laura then revealed her claws in a threatening way, showing she was willing to hurt him to get him to comply.
"What are we waiting for?!" Kenji said, sounding more enthusiastic about the idea.
As they descended into the shadowy tunnels, the roar of the motorcycle echoed off the damp walls. Brooklynn confidently maneuvered the bike, with Kenji perched eagerly at the front, his expression a mix of excitement and apprehension. Yaz, snugly seated behind, clung to Brooklynn's waist, her eyes wide with the thrill of the ride.
Peter opted to break away from the tension brewing between the two girls, who engaged in a spirited debate over his seating arrangement on the cycle before they left. Uncertain of the cause of their disagreement but eager to avoid escalating the situation, he chose to join Ben and Laura on Bumpy instead of the cycle which is what lead to Kenji riding with them, which they didn't seem fond of. The rumble of Bumpy's stomping footsteps filled the air as they rode alongside, the warm glow of their headlights piercing through the darkness of the underground passage.
"Left!" Kenji was leading them down the tunnels. "Now right! Right!" He squealed when Brooklynn took a sharp turn. "Could you maybe take some of those turns a little less murder?y"
That was when they made it up to a gated side of the tunnel, similar to the one that stopped them from reaching the docks. Ben walked ahead and knocked on the gate.
"Let's take this down, Bumps," Ben said, the two of them beginning to punch and attach the barrier.
"Yeah, I don't think Wild Child and his Amazing Dino are gonna punch through that gate," Yaz commented.
"That sounds like a cool name for a dino-series," Peter commented. "Laura, wanna give it a shot?"
Laura smiled as she drew her claws, making her way over and letting out a roar as she went to stab the barrier. But when she did, she was zapped, sending her toppling backward due to her body being coated with metal.
"Laura!" Peter cried as he ran over to her. "You okay?"
"No!" Laura cried in anger. "I am-"
That was when they heard clanging and humming from the pipes, getting them confused. "What- What is that?" Ben wonders.
"There it is again." Brooklynn recognized the sound and followed it down the corridor to a locked door. "If there's electricity down here, we could find a way to raise that gate. We gotta follow that hum."
She then showed the keycard and used it to unlock the door, gaining them access to the doorway. Then they opened the door and were hit with a hiss from the cold area, getting them all to shiver a little from the sudden cold air. They walked inside and saw a mist of frost covering the area.
"Whoa," Ben commented. "It's cold enough in here to-"
"To freeze flowers," Brooklynn stated as they walked off.
"Is that a thing people say now?" Ben asked.
"I'll explain it to you later," Peter told Ben as they kept walking.
"We did miss a lot," Ben said to Laura who snarled.
They continued to make their way down the corridor and past several closed and locked doors until they found the source of the humming. They approached one door and Brooklynn put her head against it to hear inside.
"It's coming from here!" Brooklynn said, opening up the doorway.
They went inside and it seemed to be some sort of secondary emergency control room with monitors and sensors.
"Wow. What is all this?" Yaz wonders.
"Oh, snap! This must be, like, some kind of secret backup power center!" Kenji guessed. "My dad might not even know about this place."
"We gotta find a way to raise that gate and get to Sammy and Darius," Brooklynn said as she started to mess with the controls. "Start looking!"
Peter being the tech-savvy one immediately made his way over towards the power grid on the wall. He has helped May a whole lot of times when the power blew in the house and quickly got to work trying to start it back up.
"None of these are the right buttons!" Yaz cried.
"Oh! One of them has to be." Kenji cried.
"I once helped a Dutch seamstress find an actual needle in an actual haystack," Brooklynn stated.
"Guys?" Peter called their attention.
"I can find this."
Peter just shrugged as he then started to reactivate the power as the generator hums. That was when all of the monitors began to function, and the power throughout the entire park began to come back online.
"Peter, you did it!" Brooklynn cheered.
"It pays off to have tech support on a survival team," Peter said with pride.
"Good job, man," Kenji said, giving Peter a friendly punch.
Peter rolled his eyes with a grin. "Thanks, man." He then made his way over to the controls. "Now let's find them..."
As Kenji focused on the array of controls in front of him, his gaze fell upon a peculiar glowing green button. Intrigued by its radiant light, he couldn't help but wonder what it activated. With a mix of curiosity and impatience, he pressed it. At first, nothing seemed to happen, so he pressed it again—ten, twelve times in rapid succession—his excitement building with each attempt.
Unbeknownst to him, this seemingly innocuous button was connected to a complex cooling chamber, the very heart of the lab's control system. This chamber housed several volatile experiments, preserving them in a state of cryostasis, carefully ensuring they remained dormant and contained. Among these experiments was an intimidating creature known as the Scorpion, who was once encased in a similar chamber. However, their containment had already been compromised, as the ruckus caused by dinosaurs discovering the lab had inadvertently released it onto the park.
As Kenji continued his relentless button mashing, the once-steady hum of the cooling system began to falter, sending a cascade of alarms echoing through the lab, which they couldn't hear due to the labs being too far away. One by one, the experiments began to thaw, emerging from their frosty prisons. Among them was a prehistoric beast with gigantic, feathery wings, its vibrant plumage a stark contrast to the sterile environment. Another figure loomed large—monstrous and towering, its skin reminiscent of collagen, stretching over sinewy muscles poised for action.
But the most chilling of them all was the last experiment—the one whispered about in hushed tones, deemed too dangerous for public revelation. It was the Scorpios Rex, a creature with a legacy of terror. As the cryostasis chamber sputtered and failed, the impending chaos surged closer. Kenji had unwittingly set in motion a titanic upheaval, one that would soon unleash these terrifying beings into the world.
Kenji shrugged it off as he figured that it didn't do anything.
"Now, where are they?" Brooklynn asks, looking over the controls.
Yaz gasped seeing that "You guys, look!" She then pointed to one of the cameras, showing that it had Darius and Sammy with the guns, running away from something on Main Street. "Look, they're right there!"
"Hey!"
"You're there!"
"We can see you!"
"Yeah! Yes!"
"Yes!"
"Darius!"
"Finally!"
That was when they saw that they were trying to enter a locked building and Mich and Tiff were approaching.
"Shoot! Shoot, no!"
"Darius, Sammy, behind you!"
"They can't hear us," Peter said with a groan.
"It's over," Tiff called to the two, getting them to turn and face the two with cattle prods. "Don't even think about running."
"Where did you think you were going?" Mich wonders. "You think we wouldn't be able to find you in the jungle? This isn't a game, children. Give me the guns."
"We can't let you shoot dinosaurs," Darius promises.
"That's not really your call, is it?" Mich stated. "Give me the weapons, D. I'm not ask-"
That was when their tablet beeps, getting their attention off the kids for a second. They looked down and saw that the tablet with the dinosaur chips was now working and they saw where the water hole is.
"Whoever turned on the power, thank you!" Tiff cried out.
"Sorry, D, we don't need you to show us where the watering hole is after all," Mich said with a laugh.
That however was when they heard a thump and a crash in the distance, getting them to look over towards the Visitor Center. That wasn't where the T-Rex was supposed to be, so what was in there?
There was another loud thump, getting them concerned about what was coming out.
"We have to go now!" Darius cried while they were distracted.
As they sprinted forward, the sound of thumping behind them grew louder, each heavy beat amplifying their anxiety about what might be pursuing them. Suddenly, the expansive doors of the visitor center burst open, slamming against the walls with a force that reverberated through the air. Their eyes widened in astonishment as a creature lumbered through the doorway. This beast, a striking fusion of human and animal, stood before them—an unmistakable Cross-Species anomaly.
It had the basic form of a man, but its muscular frame boasted a robust build reminiscent of a rhinoceros. The creature's skin, thick and textured, mirrored the rugged hide of a rhino, complete with a deep gray hue and subtle patterns that hinted at its wild nature. On its head, a formidable rhino horn jutted out, sharp and imposing, while its face retained only the faintest semblance of humanity, featuring a broad, flat nose and small, piercing eyes that glinted with a primal intelligence.
With an earth-shaking roar that echoed through the visitor center and sent shivers down their spines, the creature announced its presence—deep, guttural, and hauntingly reminiscent of the ancient beast it represented. Fear surged within them as they realized they were no longer just witnesses to an experiment gone wrong; they were facing a living, breathing testament to the wild and unpredictable forces of nature.
"Oh, no." Peter whispered when he saw the creature.
"TASM-41," Brooklynn recognized the creature from Wu's computer.
"Babe! Babe! Babe, shoot it!" Tiff cried in terror.
"With what?" Mich reminded her he didn't have the guns.
The formidable Rhino creature unleashed a thunderous roar that echoed through the air, sending a wave of panic through the hunters and the children. With a powerful sweep of its muscular forelimb, it grasped one of the sturdy wooden tables and hurled it toward its targets. Darius and Sammy, eyes wide with fear, let out frantic shrieks as they sprinted away, narrowly dodging the flying debris.
Meanwhile, Mich and Tiff braced themselves, gripping the cattle prods tightly, their hearts racing as they watched the imposing Cross-Species charge at them with its menacing horn poised to strike. Each thundering step caused the ground to tremble violently, sending shockwaves that disoriented Darius and Sammy. They stumbled and fell, dust rising around them as the earth shook beneath their feet.
As the towering Rhino bore down on them, everything seemed to slow for a moment. Just as it looked like disaster was imminent, two shimmering webs shot through the air, latching onto the creature's back. The kids looked up in surprise to see Peter, donned in his Spider-Man costume, skillfully perched on the edge of the massive Mosasaurus cage. With agility and resolve, he held on tightly, a determined look on his face as he prepared to confront the charging beast.
"Hey, Rhino!" Peter called out to the creature. "Pick on someone your own size!"
Brooklynn, Yaz, Ben, Kenji, and Laura were shocked as they looked around and noticed that Peter was indeed long gone. "What? How did he...?" Kenji was lost.
Brooklynn groaned when she realized something. "He can run fast, jump high, and can web-swing, of course, he got there faster than us!"
"Then why didn't he do that before?" Kenji wonders.
Yaz seemed to get the answer for that one. "He was making sure we were safe... once we found this place, he must have figured we would be safe."
"Wait, he can do what now?" Ben asks. "Man, I really missed a lot."
Back with Peter, he yanked on the webs, getting Rhino to stumble away from Darius and Sammy, but also grabbing the handle for the case carrying the hunter's guns, sending the case flying through the air. When Rhino got the webbing off, he charged over towards Spider-Man in anger and fury. Seems he recognized Peter as another Cross-Species and was furious and was coming to attack. Peter however already had this in mind as he leaped out of the way had allowed the Rhino to slam into the Mosasaurus barrier. The Rhino let out a moan as he turned around to face Peter again to strike again.
"I bet ya' that's gonna hurt in the morning!" Peter mocked.
Mich and Tiff reached for the gun-filled case, only to be intercepted by Darius and Sammy, who attempted to wrestle it from their grasp. Sensing trouble, Peter leaped into action to aid his friends in securing the weapons from their adversaries. Just then, Rhino regained his footing and charged at Peter, catapulting him through the air.
However, Peter's quick reflexes kicked in, allowing him to fire two webs and swing onto a building's side, narrowly escaping harm. Meanwhile, Rhino, undeterred, set his sights on the quartet and bulldozed towards the case, tearing its strap and leaving it in the Hunters' possession. Realizing the imminent danger, Peter swiftly spun a web barrier to shield his friends, separating the conflicting groups and ensuring their safety.
"Sammy! Darius! Come on!" Peter called to his friends as they ran to his side. He then grabbed the two of them and shot out a web to swing them away as fast as they could. "Whoo!" When they were far enough away, Peter let them go and they took a moment of relief in the jungle. "We survived!"
"Did that really just happen?" Sammy asked with a laugh. "Did we actually make it out alive?"
"Uh, yeah, but the lights were definitely not part of the plan," Darius admitted.
"From now on, all our plans should begin and end with one step," Sammy tells them.
"Run?" Darius asked.
"Survive!" Sammy stated.
That was when they heard mic feedback ring through the jungle. "Testing. Testing." Kenji called. "Party people! What, what?"
"You guys, where are you?" Darius asks.
Kenji then said in a robotic voice. "Hello, humans. It is I, your leader."
"Ugh!" Peter groaned. "We found a second power supply. Everyone is there."
"And Kraven?" Darius wonders. "What happened to him?"
"Oh, he tried to hunt me, then he used me as bait for other Cross-Species', and now I got a new half-sister," Peter recapped what happened.
Darius and Sammy froze in concern and confusion. "A new half-sister?"
"Don't worry, this one doesn't want to kill me... anymore," Peter commented. "Oh, almost forgot, we also found Ben."
"Ben?!" Darius asked in shock.
"He's alive?!" Sammy asked in shock.
"Yeah, he's fine. Mostly." Peter admitted.
"We still can't hear you!" Brooklynn said through the controls. "Just start hitting buttons."
"Alright, we have to focus because Mitch and Tiff are going to kill all the dinosaurs at the watering hole!" Darius tells Peter.
"Still?" Peter asked with a scoff. "I admire their determination." Then he saw the look on their faces. "Oh, come on, I dealt with a psycho game hunter with a spear, I can handle two obsessed hunters with guns.
"Uh, if you recall, you had some help with that," A voice said, getting them to look to the speakers. "Yeah, we can hear you now. And last I checked, I helped you fight Kraven."
"You also stabbed me in the back, and the shoulder, and almost cut my head off," Peter recalled to his sister. "So, cool it."
"Uh..." Darius was a little lost.
"Oh, right, Laura, this is Darius and Sammy. Sammy and Darius, meet Laura. Or at least she met you now. Or maybe she already has, she has been stalking us." Peter began to ramble.
"Pete, dude, just stop talking," Yaz asked of him.
"Sure." Peter complied. "Okay, look guys, Kraven told me that there's a boat-"
"Yeah, Hap told us the same thing," Brooklynn tells him. "We know about the boat."
"Right now, I say we need to focus on Mich and Tiff," Ben said, confirming to Darius and Sammy that he is alive. "Oh, right, hey Darius, Sammy. I defeated Torro." They heard a moan. "And I defeated Toro. Laura also helped with that one. Bumpy also says hi." Sammy and Darius were shocked to hear all of this. "I think I broke them."
"Yeah, Ben's alive," Yaz stepped ahead. "we're very happy about it."
"The point is we're not going to let you do this alone," Brooklynn stated. "We're all in."
"You guys sure?" Peter asks. "You guys could get to the boat, save yourselves. If you get out of here, you can tell-"
"No, you don't get it. You're one of us." Yaz stated. "And we're not going to let Mitch and Tiff, Kraven, or these Cross-Species get away with killing dinosaurs."
"I never liked those two anyway," Kenji stated.
"It's dino-savin' time! Camp fam for life!" Sammy cheered.
"Is she always like that?" Laura wonders.
"You'll get used to it," Peter stated with a shrug.
"Okay, now that we've established lifelong camp family status, how do we stop them?" Yaz asks.
"Feed both of them to the Mosasaurus!" Ben offered as a suggestion. "Really feels like we're not getting our full use out of the Mosasaurus, guys."
"Wait, if they're going to the watering hole to kill dinosaurs…" Darius whispered.
"Then we just have to make sure there aren't any dinosaurs there for them to kill." Peter shrugged.
"It's time for us to do what we do best." Darius cheered.
"Cause chaos?" Kenji asks.
"Get stuck in the middle of a lot of angry dinosaurs?" Yaz asks.
"Stumble across one of my father's psycho experiments?" Peter asks.
"Defeat Toro again?" Ben asks.
"I mean, yeah?" Darius guessed. "Brooklynn, you're gonna be our eyes and ears. Kenji, grab a bike and pick up me and Sammy. Ben and Yaz, get big and loud. I've got a plan." He then looked at Peter. "You might not like your part of the plan..."
Peter could feel the dread coming in. "Yay..."
Meanwhile, Kraven had finally managed to free himself from the sticky cocoon of webbing that Peter had ensnared him in. As he tumbled to the ground, he landed with a slick grace, chuckling softly to himself. In that moment, he felt a surge of power coursing through his veins, a thrill unlike any he had experienced before. The Cross-Species—creatures like Spider-Man and X-23—fascinated him; they were unlike any quarry he had ever encountered.
Their unique abilities had momentarily bested him, igniting a feral determination within him. He refused to be defeated so easily. He would track them down again, and this time, he would be more than prepared.
"The hunt is far from over," Kraven whispered to the dark jungle. "It has only begun..."