Things have been a bit... awkward around Yaz for Peter and Brooklynn lately. Couldn't have anything to do what that bombshell they dropped, could it?
But yeah, Yaz has avoided every chance she got to be alone with the two of them. Peter and Brooklynn decided it would be best to leave her to figure things out. It wasn't exactly something you decide in a day. Well, Peter has done that. Brooklynn took every chance she could to try and talk to her. Peter's been holding her back to keep her from confusing Yaz. There was also the whole 'have to tell everyone' part that they wanted to avoid until absolutely necessary. It made sense not to say anything until they figured everything out amongst themselves.
Right now, Darius and Kash were the priority.
Sneaking their way to the compound, they sneaked past the raptors and made their way over to a rope Darius tossed down to them. They climbed upward, reaching the golf course.
Peter brought Jeff and picked him up with one hand, climbing his way up with one hand. The irony was not lost on him when he first came to the island; this task would have been impossible for him, and now he can do it with ease. Brooklynn got a little distracted when she looked down and almost slipped downward when Peter grabbed her with one of his tendrils.
"I got ya," Peter whispered.
Brooklynn gave a small smile as Peter rose her upward. She grabbed onto the rope, and the two climbed their way up to the roof. Peter let Jeff go, who quickly rushed his way over to Darius, who petted the baby shark.
"Had to keep it interesting, huh, superstar?" Peter said to Brooklynn in a flirty tone.
Brooklynn chuckled and even blushed as Peter helped her stand up. Their interaction got a few confused looks amongst the group, but they seemed to just shrug it off.
"Okay, come on, guys." Darius led them inside, pushing Jeff off of him. "Who knows when Kash is gonna wake up." They made their way inside, and Darius led them over to the elevator. "This will take you down to the Med Bay. There's a nursery next to it. "He's testing the control chips on the baby dinos first thing in the morning."
"What about cameras?" Brooklynn asks.
"Mr. Genius has been too busy to get the island's camera system up and running." Darius scoffed. "Message me on the BRAD-X as soon as you get the babies out. Good luck."
The doors closed, and they made their way downward.
It was a little silent amongst the group as they made their way down. When they reached the nursery level, they exited and began to look around as the lights activated.
"Motion sensor lights," Peter scoffed. "Ridiculous if you ask me."
As they wandered, Laura smelled something and turned to see a doorway that Sammy was approaching. They heard banging and growling coming from the other end of the door.
"Hey, guys? I think I found it." Ben called them to a panel. "Looks like there's only three baby dinos in the nursery."
"Let's go get them," Peter stated, them separating to the pods.
Ben, Kenji, and Laura went to one of the pods. "Baby Brachiosaurus. Two months old. DNA extracted from Isla Sorna." Ben read off the pad. "It won't take me long. Where we meeting after?"
"Med Bay. We'll load 'em up on a platform and figure out which biome to take them to later." Laura remembered.
Peter and Brooklynn approached Sammy and Yaz as it was them left to separate for the last two. Jeff was standing with them while Sammy wandered to one of the pods.
"Alright, wanna do the usual team-"
Brooklynn jumped in, pushing Yaz ahead. "Actually, Yaz and I've got this one."
"Huh?" Yaz asked as Brooklynn dragged her off.
"Okay..." Peter said, looking down at Jeff, who seemed just as confused. "That was weird, right?"
Jeff yipped in agreement.
"Thought so." Peter nodded as he then walked towards Sammy. "Alright, what's this one?" He then looked at the description. "Sinoceratops and Spinosaurus."
"Another hybrid?" Sammy asked in shock.
Peter groaned as he was getting sick of them. "Another one?!" He exclaimed as he smacked himself on the head. "What's everyone's obsession with making hybrids? I can go my whole life without seeing another hybrid. Or cross-species. Or clones. Or, you know what? Let's add aliens to the list."
"Aliens?" Sammy questioned.
"You live in Texas. You don't get them as often as we New Yorkers do," Peter told her. "Says, the Sinoceratops DNA was extracted from live specimen on Isla Nublar."
Sammy gasped as she rushed inside like she realized something. Making her way inside, she saw the dinosaur hybrid in the cage. It squealed when it saw her; seems like it didn't have the best interactions with people.
"I'm so sorry," Sammy whispered.
Ben reached the baby brachiosaurus with Kenji and Laura. He walked over and picked up a handful of berries and approached the baby.
"All right, champ," Ben called, waking him as he placed berries in front of it. "Your buddy Ben's here to save you."
The baby brachiosaurus let out a screech, jumping and running around him. Laura and Kenji watched with grins on their faces.
"Need some help there, Ben?" Kenji asks.
"Definitely not," Ben stated, getting back up, trying to control it. "We're just starting to get to-"
"Hey!" Laura cried out, drawing her claws to try and control the brachiosaurus. "Listen here, you're-"
The brachiosaurus ran over her, running off and making its way down the halls. Laura groaned as she got up and rubbed her head.
"Why did that hurt me?" Laura wonders.
"Who cares? Get after him!" Ben cried, the three of them rushing to get the baby brachiosaurus.
Brooklynn and Yaz found themselves in a softly lit enclosure, the air filled with the sweet scent of foliage, where a tiny Sinoceratops baby was curiously bobbing its head. With a playful glint in her eyes, Brooklynn picked up a sturdy tree branch, a makeshift tool to coax the little creature forward while offering it a tempting morsel of leaves.
"Okay, little one," Brooklynn cooed, her voice a gentle melody against the backdrop of the tranquil surroundings.
The baby Sinoceratops, with its bright, inquisitive eyes, caught the scent of the leaves. Instinctively, it stretched its short neck and tried to nibble, but Brooklynn playfully kept the foliage just out of reach, teasing it further.
"Move, baby. You gotta go," Yaz chimed in, adopting a more straightforward approach, her tone firm yet inviting.
But the little dinosaur seemed oblivious to their intentions, its big eyes wide open in confusion. Brooklynn pondered for a moment before a burst of inspiration struck her.
"Wanna go for a walky-poo?" she asked in a high-pitched, playful baby talk, her expression transforming into one of exaggerated excitement. "I promise it'll be really, really special."
Her strategy worked like magic; the Sinoceratops stood tall, its flaring frill shivering with excitement, and started to waddle after them, eagerly following Brooklynn and Yaz out of the cozy pod and into the brightly lit hallway.
"Don't tell anyone about the baby talk," Brooklynn whispered back to Yaz, a mischievous twinkle dancing in her eyes as they moved backward, keeping their gaze on the little one.
"No promises," Yaz shot back with a cheeky grin. "You might wanna avoid everyone for a while."
"Like you've been doing?" Brooklynn queried, a teasing smirk forming on her lips. "With me and Peter recently?"
Yaz sighed, the color rising in her cheeks as she fiddled with her hair, a nervous habit. "I'm not avoiding you guys…"
"Well, you kinda have been," Brooklynn quipped, raising an eyebrow. "That's how we've seen it, at least." She returned her attention to the baby Sinoceratops, gently coaxing it with more playful banter. "It got all weird, so we backtracked, and it got weirder."
"Yeah, okay, I have been," Yaz admitted with a light laugh, nudging Brooklynn to stop the baby talk. "It's just hard to come to terms with, you know? I just need some more time."
Brooklynn let out a soft sigh, her gaze distant for a moment. "Yeah, that's what Peter's been saying."
"Really?" Yaz asked, surprise lighting up her face. "So wait, have I been avoiding you, or you guys avoiding me?"
"Well, we figured you were avoiding us, so we kept our distance," Brooklynn explained, her voice calm yet tinged with empathy. "Isn't that what's been—"
"Watch out!" Kenji suddenly shouted, an urgency in his voice as a towering baby Brachiosaurus thundered past them, causing the Sinoceratops to bolt in alarm, its tiny legs scurrying in a flurry of confusion.
Yaz and Brooklynn instinctively sprang into action, calming the agitated Sinoceratops as it circled around them restlessly.
"These guys are really difficult!" Ben shouted, exasperation clear in his tone.
"Let me handle this!" Laura snapped, her claws raised in determination, eager to assert control over the chaotic scene.
"Dude, you need to chill with the claws," Kenji said, a mix of concern and incredulity in his voice as he attempted to rein in the escalating tension.
The air crackled with energy, a blend of laughter, concern, and the wild beauty of the prehistoric creatures surrounding them, an adventure unfolding with every heartbeat.
Sammy, Jeff, and Peter looked at the Sinoceratops/Spinosauros Hybrid as it seemed to be spooked by them.
"Poor thing." Sammy sighed. "Here all by yourself. How about we get you out of here?"
The hybrid didn't seem to be in a rush to leave. "Oh, okay, okay. No rush. You take all the time you need."
"Actually, there is a rush," Peter warned her. "We don't know how long until Kash comes down here, and if he comes, I can't promise I won't keep my promise and rip his spine clean out of his back."
Jeff seemed confused as he bobbed his head.
"Yeah, you heard what I said," Peter told Jeff. "We need to go. Now." He then approached the Hybrid, trying to push it without getting too rough. "All right. Let's go." That was when the creature snapped, trying to bite him. "Ow!" He yanked his hand back, watching his wound heal instantly thanks to the V252.
"Peter! Don't rush the little angel." Sammy scolded him.
"She bit me." Peter scoffed, shaking his hand. "And you're calling her an angel?"
"That's right," Sammy stated. "I'm naming you 'Angel'."
The newly named Angel was continuing to drink from its bowl.
"Oh, don't you listen to Mr. Insensitive over there," Sammy said.
"Girls. You try to be nice, and they either scold you or they bite you." Peter scoffed. "You just can't win." He then sighed and looked over towards Jeff. "Jeff, you think that you can give us a hand here?"
Jeff seemed confused by the request as he bobbed his head ot the side, looking at the hybrid dino and at Peter. Then it seemed he finally got the idea, waddling his way over and jumping playfully in front of the dino. The hybrid seemed to get the idea as it began to chase after Jeff playfully, Jeff leading the dinosaur out and into the hallway.
"How does a shark speak dino?" Sammy wonders.
Peter shrugged. "Eh, I stopped trying to figure things out when a shark with legs jumped onto the boat."
"I mean, we've definitely got closer since the whole hang gliding incident, and, I don't know, sometimes, I feel like you guys get me better than anyone else. But then I'm like, "It's nothing. It doesn't mean anything." You know?"
"I... think so?" Brooklynn wasn't sure who Yaz was trying to convince anymore.
"But then I'm just confused with myself, you know?" Yaz asks. "I mean, I have had crushes on boys before. I know how to expect to feel. I just don't know how I- Oof!" She ended up running into Peter. "Oh, hey, Peter."
"Hey?" Peter was confused as to why she looked surprised to see him. "We've got our dino."
"Where?" Brooklynn asks.
That was when Jeff came running from around the corner, the Spinosauros/Sinoceratops hybrid baby chasing the mutant shark hybrid. Jeff jumped around, his dorsal fin shaking as he shook his tail around playfully.
"Aw!" Brooklynn had to admit it was pretty cute to watch.
"Yep, Jeff made a new best friend with this-"
"Angel. That's what you were gonna say, right, pal?" Sammy asks.
"Nope." Peter scoffed.
That was when they watched Jeff spot the Sinoceratops and played with her as well. That was when Ben came in with Laura and Kenji, with the brachiasorus baby running in. They all then end up playing together, with Jeff jumping around them.
"Look at 'em. Must be siblings."
"It's cute until we get caught," Kenji said.
"If we're gonna keep moving, we need to separate them." Peter nodded, quickly whistling to Jeff. "Jeff, can you control them?"
Kenji scoffed. "Right, because the shark is going to-"
Jeff barbled and yipped, getting them to look and see that Jeff actually did manage to get them to separate, but they continued to howl and growl at one another.
"Alright, let's get these guys out of here. We'll take the Sinoceratops and Brachiasorus first. Sammy, you and Laura keep the hybrid back." Peter told them the plan.
"Sure. Let's go." Brooklynn said, pushing Yaz forward as they left the area, leaving Sammy with Laura and the baby Spino/Ceratops hybrid.
"Sammy, let's go," Laura told her.
"Aw, give her a minute," Sammy said, still giving the hybrid some love. "She just needs some love. I bet all she's ever got is a cold, uncaring BRAD claw."
Laura was confused by what she was seeing. "Okay... what is this? Sammy?"
Sammy sighed. "Angel's here because of me. And so is her brother. They were made from the samples I stole from Nublar."
"Oh." Laura nodded, remembering it.
"They spent their whole lives down here," Sammy said in sorrow. "No sunlight, no fresh air, all because of me."
Laura sighed. "Sammy, you may have taken the sample, but it's Mantah Corp's fault for doing all this to the animals. To... everything." She then flashed back to what she saw on that computer that revealed what she did. "Like me."
Sammy seemed to have forgotten that as she looked surprised.
"I did horrible things," Laura remembered the things she did. "My brothers and sisters... horrible things were done. So trust me when I say that coddling Angel isn't gonna help her. You helped me by actually helping. You helped me see what I could do. All of you did. You taught me not to be a weapon. You taught me how to be..."
"Human?" Sammy asked with a smile.
Laura nodded with a smile, a slight blush appearing as she scratched her head. "Yeah. So, let's get her out of here. Away from Kash."
Sammy seemed to agree as she stood tall. "Now, you listen to me. I'm sorry you had it rough, but if you ever want a better life, you are gonna move." She then smacked the dino hybrid, causing him to run off.
Laura smiled to herself again. "I am getting better at this."
Peter, Yaz, and Brooklynn were the first to arrive at the bay with the Sinoceratops baby, and she started to look around the crates.
"What are you doing?" Yaz asks.
"We need to cover our tracks so it looks like the dinosaurs got out on their own," Brooklynn explained.
"How about that? We could blow a fuse." Peter said, gesturing to the fusebox.
"Yeah, as long as it's the right one," Brooklynn said.
That was when an exhausted Ben and Kenji entered the room with Jeff close behind them.
"Oh! She never gets tired."
The brachaisorus then charged into the room, smacking Ben as it charged into him, wanting to play more.
"Please! No more!" Kenji pleaded.
That was when Sammy and Laura walked into the room. "That's right, little lady. You move your sassy behind right on up to that platform."
The three babies then spotted one another and then rushed around. Peter walked over and started to play with the power box to figure out which did what. When he pulled out one, the lights went out.
"Ah, that's it?" Peter shrugged. "Simple enough." That was when his senses went off, causing him to turn around and see the baby Sinoceratops charging right at him. "Ah, damn."
The damage done caused the entire med bay to go dark, followed by the doorway from earlier opening. Laura drew her claws and snarled while Peter morphed the V252 around himself. Then they watched as a Ceratosaurus stepped out into the medbay and snarled.
Deciding the better option for now was to hide, they all rushed to hide, wondering if there was a chance that a BRAD would show up to handle the chaos. That didn't seem to be the case as the spinoceratops seemed interested in knocking a few boxes over, where Peter quickly grabbed the box before it fell.
"These things are going to get us killed," Peter snarled.
The Ceratosaurus seemed to have spotted the brachiasorus and charged at it, getting Ben to jump in to save it. Running away gave Laura a chance to leap into action. She used the crates and jumped above the crate to then strike at the Ceratosaurus at the eye, causing it to screech, giving everyone a chance to run.
"Come on! Go, go!" Peter cried, getting a few of them down the hall. "Laura!"
Laura rushed over to another doorway, the Ceratosaurus off her tail as they got into a doorway. Kenji, Ben, Sammy, and Yaz went one way, with Laura right behind them. Peter led Yaz and Brooklynn down with the Sinoceratops baby dino. They rushed down the hall, where Peter smashed a whole lot of the V252 to block the doorway. The Ceratosaurus smashed into it, causing it to fling back and Peter to sigh in relief, releasing the V252's hold and running to the platform.
Sammy, Laura, Kenji, and Ben made it to the jungle biodome with the brachiasorus and the Sinoceratops/spinosorus hybrid and sighed in relief when they saw they were safe.
"That was close," Sammy said with relief.
"It usually is." Laura scoffed.
The brachiasorus didn't wait long before running back into it.
"Hey! Hold on, girl." Ben quickly chased after the brachiasorus. "Okay. Hey! Whoa! Uh… No, stop. Not that way! Oh, man. Oh, no, no, no. No. Okay. Okay."
The hybrid dino made its way over and plopped down in the grass. Laura walked over and kneeled down to Sammy, who sat in the grass. "She's safe. Thanks to you."
"Thanks to us," Sammy stated.
Laura smiled as Sammy smiled back, the two of them staring into each other's eyes. That was when that feeling came back into Laura's stomach, causing her to blush and turn away from Sammy.
Peter, Yaz, and Brooklynn rose out of the platform and saw they had landed in the winter biodome.
"Awesome. Of course, we landed here." Peter scoffed.
The Sinoceratops quickly rushed off and began to play in the snow, leaving the three of them behind.
The three of them began to shiver from the cold. "Want my jacket?" Brooklynn offered.
"I'll live," Peter promises. "I'm fine. You keep it. And who knows what Yaz is wearing under that tracksuit?"
"Trust me, I regret wearing it on day one," Yaz promised.
They then watched as the Sinoceratops continued to play in the snow.
"Let's get out of here, fast," Brooklynn said.
"Yeah. After a quick snow fight." Peter stated, rushing in and tossing a pile of snow on top of the Sinoceratops.
That caused the Sinoceratops to become playful again and rush around him. Brooklynn and Yaz chuckled as they watched them play, ending with Peter chasing the Sinoceratops around. When he stopped for a moment, the Sinoceratops turned back around and rushed at him. When it did, it slammed into Peter's lower area, causing him to groan and fall over.
"Ow," Peter winced.
"So, are we naming the little guy?" Yaz asks.
"How about 'Nutshot'?" Peter groaned. "That's a fitting name."
"Yeah, I don't think so." Brooklynn chuckled as the Sinoceratops approached her. "How about 'Rebel'?"
Yaz chuckled as Peter climbed out of the snow. "I like it."
Laura and Sammy were watching over the hybrid as she wandered around eating berries while the brachaisorus was running around like crazy.
"Oh, you like it out here. Yes, you do!" Sammy cooed to the young dino.
"We'll never let them coop you up again," Laura promised, remembering her own life in a test tube.
"Yeah. You're free to do what you want now." Sammy promised. "Which is apparently to eat every berry in sight."
That was when the brachiasorus came charging at them, causing the two to look over. That ended with the brachiasorus trampling Laura, causing her to groan in anger as she sat back up. Jeff ran over, panting as he licked her and rushed to chase the brachaisorus.
"You good there, Sammy?" Kenji asks.
"A little pissed," Laura snaled. "I feel like these dinos have it out for me."
The hybrid and brachasorus began to play with one another and even tackled each other down.
"Come on," Ben called as he approached, carrying sticks. "We better get them to the cave. It's probably the only safe place for them."
The brachasorus tackled Ben, causing him to drop the sticks as she and Angel began to fight over them. Jeff ran between them, breaking the stick in the process as he jumped around, daring them to get another.
"Guess I better restock before we go," Ben sighed.
"Did you see that?" Sammy asks. "It's so cute when Angel, Jeff, and… the other one. Ben, you gotta give her a name."
"Nuh-uh," Ben denied that request. "If I don't name her, I won't get attached. Then it won't hurt so much when I have to leave her behind. Been there, done that."
They all saw he meant Bumpy.
"Oh, Ben." Kenji sighed,
"If you ever wanna talk about Bumpy, you know you just have to-"
"There's nothing to talk about," Ben stated. "She's there, and I'm here. Just saying, you've been warned. I'm gonna go find more berries."
Back in the winter biodome, they were leading Rebel down the biodome to get out and find the others. The Sinoceratops ran around in the snow, rushing over to them, and Peter stopped to play with him.
"Yeah. Who's the cutest, extient little thing?" Peter asked playfully. "Oh, who's the cutest, extient little thing?"
"Come on, we gotta go," Yaz told them.
"But look at him, Yaz," Peter said playfully. "Those eyes are saying, 'Just five more minutes please! '"
Brooklynn laughed as she approached him. "You know, you're gonna make a good dad."
Peter chuckled when he heard that. "Uh, thanks? I really don't know how to take that. Kinda feel bad for any kids I have now."
"Why would you say that?" Yaz asks.
"Well, bitten by a radioactive spider, and radiation is likely pumping through me, so there's a fifty percent chance, without outside data, that... let's just say you're looking at radiation poisoning." Peter tried to explain it the best he could. "Or if it isn't dangerous, and the kid is safe, guess what? They've got a fifty percent chance of obtaining my curse."
"You think if you have a kid, they'll be like you?" Brooklynn asks.
"Possibly." Peter shrugged, petting Rebel. "I'd have to get myself checked." Then he muttered. "That's gonna be a fun conversation."
"Let's try and not discuss this for now," Yaz said. "Let's just get out of here."
"Yeah, you guys look like you are getting a bit cold." Peter nodded, spotting the blue on their lips. "Hang on... let me try something."
Peter started to morph the V252 around them as he held them close. He kept them close as he tried to keep them warm as they walked off and made their way downward toward the end of the biodome. When they exited the biodome, they started to warm up as Peter rubbed their arms to try and warm them up.
"I guess we don't really need to do this anymore," Brooklynn said.
"Obviously, yeah. Yeah." Peter nodded, trying to help them.
"That was for warmth, and now we're warm, so…" Yaz blushed as she cleared her throat. "...no need."
"Let's get Rebel back to Mae and Carla," Peter agreed. "She'll know what to do with him."
That was when they looked over and saw that Rebel was trying to get back into the biodome.
"What's wrong with him?" Yaz wondered. "Chill out, little dude."
"You're being way too loud." Peter tried to silence him. "Come on, let's get going."
They had to actually drag Rebel away from the biodome as they made their way out.
Laura and Sammy were hanging out with Jeff and Angel while Kenji and Ben were getting more sticks. They came back and looked around confused.
"Wait, where is the other one?" Kenji asks.
"We thought she was with you two," Sammy said.
Laura then smelled something, grabbed Sammy, and rushed behind a log. When the others heard whirring, they saw the BRADs coming and rushed over to hide behind the same log.
"Get Angel somewhere safe!" Ben tells them. "Laura?"
Laura nodded and started to sniff the air to find the brachaisorus. They rushed to try and find the brachiasorus before the BRADs did, but that didn't end well when they heard the cries from the brachiasorus. The baby was captured by them, and Laura snarled, preparing to take out the one BRAD, when suddenly dozens came out of the area and surrounded her. Ben tried to fight it with a rock, but it turned and shot rockets, causing Laura to cover him and shield him from the explosions. That caused a few tears in her suit, but she hid them before the BRADs could scan them.
Racing to where they were taking the brachiasorus, they reached the facility where they saw Kash and Darius. "Why don't you just hold her down already?"
The BRADs held the baby brachiasorus as it seemed Darius took the chip out of the machine. "Give me the injector." He then took it and tried to use it. "Where… I swear I put a chip in here already." He then put a new one in. "There we go."
"Kash, Kash, wait. Isn't that gonna hurt?" Darius asks. "I mean, don't you wanna put her to sleep first?"
"I don't wanna have to wait to see if this thing works."
Laura felt rage building within her. This is what they wanted to do to her. She growled and felt blood in her eyes as she stared at Kash, her blades slowly coming out of her arms.
"Laura..." Ben wasn't sure what was about to happen.
"Ah, nailed it. Or rather, chipped it!" Kash said.
When the brachasorus tried to get away, they watched Kash pull out a tablet. "Stop."
The chip worked. It caused the brachasorus to stop, and it looked like it was against its will.
"What's wrong with you?" Kash asked Darius.
"I think I ate something weird," Darius said in horror. "Um, I gotta…" He rushed off.
"You make a mess, you're cleaning it up!" Kash promised.
Then Laura reacted. Despite Ben's best efforts to hold her back, Laura screamed out a furious roar. Leaping out of the bushes, Kash was shocked when he saw her coming. He shrieked as Laura ran in fast, watching a BRAD rush at him. That was when she slid down, embedding her claws into the network, causing the BRAD to fall instantly. She then rushed closer when Kash jumped out of the way, dropping the tablet in the process.
Laura quickly kicked the tablet, sending it over towards Ben, who grabbed the tablet instantly.
"You?!" Kash acted like he's seen her before. "I thought we had you all locked up somewhere else!"
Laura was so filled with rage that it didn't even register to her. She only snarled and raised her head, her flowing hair covering her bloodlust eyes. "Let's... fucking... GO!"
Kash shrieked as he rushed off. "Kill her! Capture her! Do something!"
"Afirmative!" the BRADs said, rushing in to take her down.
Laura let out a roar, rushing after Kash, slicing down one of the BRADs that got too close. Ben rushed off with the tablet and rushed to find the others.
Peter, Yaz, and Brooklynn reached the site where Mae was resting with Carla still sleeping off the effects of the SM-6. Rebel came in charging and tackled Angel, causing Jeff to spring up and run around yiping as he did so.
"Uh, he's just, um, a little charged up," Brooklynn said.
"Sure," Kenji said.
"Good girl!" Yaz said to Angel.
"Such a little angel," Sammy said.
"Get inside now!" Ben rushed in. "Kash did it. With the chips. He got her, and now he's controlling her." He clutched the tablet. "She tried to fight it, but she… she couldn't. Laura went crazy. She... she's after blood."
"She's what?" Peter asked.
"He hurt Mae and Carla. He hurt Darius." Ben reminded them. "He's gonna keep hurting anything that gets in his way. I had to leave one dinosaur behind, and I'm never doing it again."
"I say we just let her finish the job." Kenji shrugged. "I mean, what's the worst that can happen?"
"And what if there's some sort of deadman switch?" Peter asks Ben. "We need to lock him up."
"How do you suppose we do that?" Yaz wonders.
Peter thought about it and looked at Ben's tablet. "Let me see that." He then pulled up a tracker on Kash since he was likely around the dozens of BRADs running around.
"I've got an idea..."
Laura was still tearing through the BRAD robots easily, slicing through them like they were paper with her rage. Her claws were covered in curcits and wires, oil leaking from the wounds she'd left on them.
One of the BRADs rushed over and stopped before she could attack her. "Stop. Laura." Laura stopped when she heard her name. "It's us. Darius's BRAD. We've got a plan. Lead Kash to Darius waiting by the jungle biodome."
"Why?" Laura asks. "Let me end this!"
"Killing Kash won't do anything." The BRAD said. "Just get him there so we can ensure he doesn't hurt anyone else."
Laura sighed and watched Kash run away. "Fine. But I make no promises I won't draw blood."
The team split off with Brooklynn, Ben, Yaz, and Peter waiting in the jungle biodome with Rebel. They waited by the entrance to try and get Kash to the waterfall hideout.
"You sure you're gonna be okay on your own?" Yaz asked Peter. "I mean, you did swear that you would-"
"I'll control myself... for now." Peter promises. "I'll be okay, all right? I promise..." That was when his senses went off. "Uh-oh."
They then heard a Pteranodon's screech, causing them to look up and see them flying around.
"Pteranodons," Ben said in terror. "Why did it have to be Pteranodons?"
"Again!?" Peter asked, remembering the last two times. "Well, gyesss what?!" He then quickly morphed the V252, and it looked a lot bumpier than it did before with the veins of the suit pumping with tendris sticking off the back. "COME ON!"
Pteranodons screeched as they flew down, most of them going for the others while Peter shot off tendrils that wrapped them up and smashed them into the ground, throwing them around and up to slam into the roof of the biodome.
"Is that the best you've got!?" Peter cried. "Get Rebel out of here!" Ben got tackled, causing Peter to react. "Not this time!" He then leaped over and tackled the Pteranodon to the ground, punching it in the beak, causing a bump to form. "NEver aGAiN!"
"The tablet!" Ben cried, seeing the tablet controlling the brachaisorus was picked up by another.
"Get back here!" Peter exclaimed, shooting a tendril that latched onto the Pteranodon. "Drop it! Or I'll drop you!"
Brooklynn screamed as the Pteranodon were chasing her and Yaz now with Rebel being attacked, some even attempting to scoop him up.
"Rebel!" Brooklynn cried.
Yaz rushed ahead, quickly tackling Rebel into some bushes to keep him safe, where Brooklynn quickly joined them. They watched as the Pteranodons circled above, looking for them as Rebel began to panic.
"Easy, buddy..." Yaz tried to help calm him down.
The Pteranodons were roaming around, and most of them slammed into the ceiling of the biodome, leaving them safe. They chuckled as they climbed out of the bush.
"I'm so proud of you," Yaz told Rebel as she petted him.
"I'm so proud of you." Brooklynn said, hugging Yaz. "Looks like you were able to fight back against it this time."
"Yeah, I guess I was." Yaz didn't even think about her dreams as she hugged her back. Brooklynn broke it off and then backed off. "Ah, Brooklynn? Listen, this is so not the time, but I really... I think it's time I said something."
"You do?" Brooklynn asks.
"Yeah, I think... I think I am open to it now." Yaz promises.
"You sure?" Brooklynn was surprised to hear.
"I am... I am willing to give it a try." Yaz promises. "You know, when we are not running for our lives."
Brooklynn chuckled when she heard that. "That might be a minute."
"Yeah," Yaz agreed.
"We need to get back," Brooklynn said. "We might still be able to lead Kash to the waterfall."
Ben watched as Peter yanked on the foot of the Pteranodon, causing it to slam into the ground. Dropping the tablet, Peter spun the Pteranodon around, flinging it into several other Pteranodons in the process.
"Good job, Pete," Ben said, running over to get the tablet. "Not scratched. We can still..." He then saw Peter was still on the defensive as he looked around. "Pete? I think we're safe."
Peter shook his head, feeling like something was wrong with him for a minute as he then calmed down. "Yeah, sorry." He sighed as he rubbed his head, removing the V252. "That... that just reminded me of..."
"The monorail?" Ben guessed.
Peter sighed. "If I was just a little faster... if I was stronger, you wouldn't-"
"Have you gone through what I went through?" Ben asks. "Pete, I don't blame you."
"But I blame myself," Peter stated. "I have this power, and you had to go through-"
"Peter." Ben sternly got his attention. "I am fine. What I went through was the best thing to happen to me."
Peter sighed and calmed down. "I am still sorry for it. I promise to get you guys home... if its the last thing I do."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Ben chuckled.
Kash rushed through the jungle biodome with all of the BRADs falling prey to Laura as she roared. Kash panicked as he looked over to the waterfall and rushed over. But when he did, they were there to watch as he ran down. When he went inside, he looked around and noticed that the screams had stopped. Darius closed the door behind him, causing Kash to run over to try and escape when the doors closed. Laura stabbed the keycard, stopping him from getting out.
"You think you're clever?" Kash cried, trying to get out. "You're going down, kid! You hear me? You and your freak!"
Ben and Darius went down to see the brachiasorus as they saw the baby was back to herself again.
"Hey, girl. You're still so happy. Oh." Ben said as he brought the baby some food. He saw the baby try to tackle him as he dodged it. "Learned my lesson. Not gonna get me this time."
Then, he was foiled by the baby spinning and knocking him over with its tail.
"Well, I… Listen." Ben said, getting up to face the baby. "I know I messed up. I tried to keep you at a distance so that neither of us would get hurt. But that didn't work so well, did it? I promise. I'll never let anyone hurt you again. You remind me of her. You got a lot of guts, kid. A lot of guts. And fire." He chuckles as he pets her. "Yeah. Oh, you're just a little firecracker, aren't you?"
They made their way back to the others and saw everyone was right. Mae was finally over her injuries and started to stand up. Jeff yiped around as he played with Rebel and Angel.
"We got him! Ben's plan worked." Darius said.
"You are all so incredible. Come here." Mae said as they all approached her and went into a group hug.
"You pulled it off, dude!" Darius said.
"The plan was half baked and chaotic, but hey, we all had some laughs, right?" Peter joked.
Jeff yipped, shaking his dorsel fin around.
"Who asked you?" Peter asked him.
"I just couldn't let that jerk face keep Firecracker." Ben said, petting the dinosoar.
"I'm sorry. Firecracker?" Laura asks.
"Oh, yeah. I named her." Ben stated.
"Firecracker! I love it."
"Cute!"
"Hey, Firecracker."
"Hey, Firecracker."
"It is so good to be back." Darius sighed.
"It's good to have you back, dude," Peter breathed out in relief, wrapping his arms around Darius in a tight embrace. The warmth of their camaraderie felt like a lifeline after the chaos they had just endured. "Never pull a stunt like that again. I can't promise I'll be able to hold back if it happens again."
Darius chuckled softly, the sound laced with an undercurrent of mischief. "No promises."
Just then, a soft moan cut through the air, drawing their attention. They turned to see Carla slowly waking up, her eyes fluttering open as confusion washed over her face. "What... what happened?" she murmured, glancing down to find her injuries astonishingly healed. "What?" She hesitantly felt the smooth skin where her arm once was, a tremor of pain rippling through her. "Oh, my..."
"Carla," Mae said, her voice a mixture of relief and tenderness as she approached, her heart aching at seeing her loved one awake. "I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried."
"I'm alright. I think," Carla replied, the reality of her injury settling in like a heavy fog. She inspected the jagged edge of her stump, a flood of emotions crashing over her. "I suppose the shock of everything has already hit. But the reality..."
"I am so sorry," Peter said, his voice thick with regret, guilt shadowing his features. "If only I had just—"
"No," Carla interjected firmly, her gaze steady as she looked up at him. She kneeled and planted her hand on his shoulder. "You saved me. Don't doubt that. Thank you..."
A bittersweet smile crept onto Peter's lips, a mix of sorrow and relief washing over him. He was grateful to have saved her, despite the price she'd paid. "Happy to see you are okay, Dr. Connors," he replied, the weight of her survival a small comfort in comparison to her loss.
Meanwhile, Brooklynn and Yaz exchanged a knowing glance, their expressions filled with unspoken understanding. They recognized the precious moment of silence the group shared, a welcome reprieve from their usual chaos. But they also knew that soon, they would have to confront Peter about their earlier conversation. The revelation awaiting him would undoubtedly be a jolt, one he was hopefully unprepared for.
What they didn't notice was on Carla's back, it began more like scales... making its way around her stomach and further up. The SM-6 did a lot more than just heal her wounds...
(A/N) Yeah, I merged the two episodes together since I didn't like the flow of the quick and short chapter. Finale time!