Jurassic Kratts

Brush With Death

After the Gallimimus stampede and their second encounter with Wrecksy the Tyrannosaurus rex, Martin, Chris, Alan, Jimmy, Lex and Tim continued their westerly trek. After another hour's travel, they reached a jungle clearing and ahead was their destination: the perimeter fence that surrounded the main compound, marked very clearly with danger signs.
The moment the latter deactivated his Peregrine Falcon form, Alan and Chris eyed the fence cautiously while Martin and JZ safeguarded the children in the rear. Using his brother's Creaturepod, the Kratt in green gave the barrier a quick scan, confirming his suspicions. Results came back negative.
"The power's still out."
"That's a relief."replied the paleontologist, before asking, "Big question is how are we supposed to get across?"
  "Oh I know how," responded Martin, walking up to the fence confidently, a smirk on his features. "With T.rex Power!"
"Hold it!"interrupted Chris, blocking his older brother's advance towards the fence. "First we gotta call Aviva, let her know we're here." The Kratt in green then wore a familiar devious look that Martin knew all too well. Soon he caught on to what was on Chris' mind and wore an identical look on his own face before the two called out simultaneously: "Oh Alan!"
    With nothing better to do, the bone-digger casually walked up to the scheming pair before the Kratt in blue whispered an idea to his ear, causing a smug grin to slowly crawl on his features. As soon as the plan was arranged, Chris dialed to call his girlfriend. The other two quickly went to their places, Martin by Chris' side and Grant moving towards the fence, much to the children's confusion.
"What's with them?"whispered Lex.
"Knowing the Kratt bros, something crazy."replied the Tortuga pilot slightly under his breath.
"Shh, shh.. Here she comes."whispered Martin, trying to hold a snicker. Before long Aviva's face appeared on the holographic screen.
"Hi Aviva!"chorused the two creature adventurers in unison, exchanging knowing glances.
"Guys!"exclaimed the inventor, mildly startled. "You scared us. And where are you?"
"Oh, we're right by the perimeter fence, trying to figure out a way to get to the other side," at this point Chris cast Martin a mock glare. "without busting it open with T.rex Powers." Martin simply threw up his hands in defense. The bros then noticed that Aviva wasn't alone; Ellie Sattler was right beside her. At this point, Chris was starting to have second thoughts about their diabolical plan.  
  "How're Alan and the kids?"asked the paleobotanist, worry evident in her tone. Before the Kratt in green could reply, his brother spoke up, unaware of his sibling's conflicting feelings.
  "Oh, they're fine,"replied Martin nonchalantly, turning the Creaturepod to reveal the paleontologist grabbing hold of the fence cables, shaking violently, pretending to scream in pain as the nonexistent electricity coursed through his body. Behind them, the brothers heard the terrified screams of Jimmy and Lex, followed by Ellie's horrified shriek.
"Oh my God!"
However, Chris noticed that Aviva simply smirked, rolling her eyes. She wasn't fooled.
It wasn't long before the bone-digger turned around, with an evil grin on his face. At this point the Kratt Brothers lost their cool, howling with laughter, clutching their sides as the paleontologist strode up between them, arm wrapped around each shoulder. "What can I say? These two grow on you."
"That was not funny."deadpanned the paleobotanist, clearly not amused.
"Nice try, bros. But the power's not on."said Aviva, still smirking, before her face turned serious. "But we're not gonna turn it back on while you guys are still stuck there."
  "Don't worry, Aviva. We'll call you as soon as we're on the other side."reassured Chris. "And no, Martin. We're not gonna bust it open." To emphasize his point, he elbowed his brother in the ribs.
"Aww man!" pouted Martin, earning chuckles from the couple.
"Please be careful."said Aviva. "I love you."
"I know."replied the Kratt in green before he cautioned, "But don't turn on the fences until after we call you." Chuckling, he added," The last thing I want is to be lit up like a Christmas tree." Martin and Alan roared with laughter at his dark humor.
"I won't."came the reply. With that, the holographic screen faded. A long pause. Except for Martin's shortened laughs, not a sound was heard.
"That's some girl you got there, Chris."complimented Alan after regaining his breath.
"Tell me about it."replied Chris dreamily, blush adorning his features.
"MK's got a point. Why can't we just tear the fence down?"questioned Jimmy after another period of silence.
"Think about it, Jimmy."retorted Chris. "If we left a T.rex-sized gap in the fence, there's no telling what other creatures would follow."
"Ohh. Right. Didn't think about that."
Martin heaved a sigh of defeat. "You win."
  "If we can't go through the fence, then we'll have to go over it."concluded the paleontologist, glancing up at the twenty-foot obstacle.
  Before any more could be said, the jungle's silence was shattered by an earth-shaking bellow far in the distance. Wrecksy was on the hunt once more. 
Thinking fast Martin pushed the paw print button on his CPS before being enveloped in a bright blue glow. When the glow subsided, where Martin once stood now towered a blue Tyrannosaurus rex.
"Everyone hop on!"roared Martin Rex, lowering his five-foot head to allow the others to climb atop his back. Feeling that his passengers were secured, the blue theropod stood almost fully erect, once more forming a makeshift ladder, his nose reaching the top of the fence twenty feet off the ground, while using his tail as a counterbalance, steadying his massive bulk.
"Thought I'd give you all a head start."added the Kratt in T.rex form with a wink, standing perfectly still as the others disembarked to climb down on the other side of the perimeter fence. Only Chris remained on Martin's head. "And no, dude. I'm not gonna break down the fence. Can you help me deactivate? These arms are useless!"
Concealing a chuckle, the Kratt in green nodded before he climbed down the fence beside his Dino-brother's chest, hitting the deactivation button. Once that transformation was complete, he then joined Martin on the ground. The two exchanged knowing glances.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?"asked Martin.
"Oh, I'm totally thinking what you're thinking," replied Chris before adding, "though I doubt you're gonna win."
"Race you to the top!"exclaimed the pair simultaneously as they began the twenty-foot climb up the fence, each trying to outpace the other. "Last one is a rotten crocodile egg!" Thanks to his superior climbing skills, Chris managed to reach the top before Martin reached the halfway point. Taking a second to glance down at his struggling brother, he playfully taunted, "What's the matter, bro? Had a little too much chocolat–" but he froze upon hearing a rustle among the foliage behind them, and squinting, Chris swore he saw something moving within the dense undergrowth.
"Hey, Martin?"asked the Kratt in green, lowering his voice. "Ever get the feeling we're being watched?"
  "Sure. Everyone else is cheering us on from the other side."
  But looking down, Chris noted that Dr. Grant and the others were frantically waving their arms, and listening closely, the creature adventurer realized that their shouts weren't yells of encouragement, but words of warning.
"You two need to get out of there!"he heard the paleontologist bellowing below them. It was only when Tim screamed, "Katana!" that the Kratts turned around to see the Baryonyx slowly advancing towards them, eying them hungrily. Oh, crap.
   "Climb Martin!"hollered the Kratt in green. With a yelp, the older Kratt climbed as he had never climbed in his life. But Martin's sudden burst triggered Katana's prey response, and with a loud, guttural trumpet, she charged straight for him!
  "Watch out!"
The Baryonyx's crocodilelike jaws snapped just inches away from Martin's foot. "That was too close."remarked the Kratt in blue before he resumed climbing.
After wrapping his legs firmly around the top cable, Chris lowered himself, stretching out with his right hand, hoping it was within his brother's reach. "Grab my hand!"
But just as Martin's hand made contact with Chris', the older Kratt felt something pulling him back. He looked down, and to his horror, he could see that Katana had a firm grip on his right boot. The Kratt in green pulled with all his strength, but the hungry Baryonyx proved to be stronger. The tug-of-war lasted for half a minute before the theropod dinosaur shook her head, wrenching her prey from Chris' grip.
  "No! Martin!"cried the younger Kratt seeing his brother fall flat on his back, at the mercy of the thirty-foot carnivore, her salivating jaws came slowly closer, sniffing, savoring the scent of the meal to come. Martin shielded his eyes, waiting for the final blow as Katana slowly raised  her razor-sharp talons.
   But the blow never came. Only a strong gust of wind greeted Martin's face. Hearing loud shrieks of anger, he forced his eyes open to behold his attacker thrashing and shaking violently, with Chris hanging on for dear life on her face, his hands covering the dinosaur's eyes.
  "Martin!"yelled Chris over the deafening din of the struggling dinosaur. "Go! Get out of here! I'll keep Katana busy."
  "Are you crazy?! I'm not leaving you, bro!"
"Just go! I'll catch up!" The last part was said with a wink.
   Martin nodded before reluctantly making his way back to the perimeter fence. But he didn't get very far as Jimmy called out from the opposite side, "Martin, behind you!"
Without wasting time in questioning, the creature adventurer quickly spun around before ducking down, avoiding a claw swipe that would've taken his head. In her attempt to shake off Chris, Katana's talons swung frantically, unknowingly slashing a wide gap through the smaller interconnected wires around the wider cables. Seizing the opportunity, Martin swiftly made his way through the breach, finally ending up on the other side. "Thanks, Katana!"hollered the Kratt in blue cheerfully before he shouted to the opposite side, "Chris! I'm in!"
  Seeing that his brother was out of harm's way, Chris remained clinging to Katana's massive head until the thrashing Baryonyx's back was facing the fence. Perfect. Once the time was right, the creature adventurer loosened his grip before attempting to rise on his feet, careful not to lose his balance on the living platform beneath him. Regaining her vision and feeling that the intruder's grasp loosened from her face, Katana reared back, sending her unwanted burden flying– which was just what the Kratt in green was counting on.
  The force of the toss hurled Chris well over the twenty-foot barrier like a green arrow before he performed several flips in mid air. He finished his stunt by landing on his feet in his signature pose.
  "Whoa.."murmured Tim.
  "Awesome."said Lex.
"You little show-off."remarked the Kratt in blue before clapping his hand on Chris' shoulder. "I'll give that one an eight."
  "I'll give you ten."added Jimmy before addressing the bone-digger. "What do you say, Dr. Grant?"
  "Nine point eight."said Alan before he added, "Now I do think it's time for Mrs. Corcovado to turn the power back o–oh my God!"
Everyone turned to the paleontologist's line of sight, where to their horror, their eyes were greeted by the relentless predatory dinosaur attempting to break through the opening she created, jaws snapping savagely as she slowly squeezed her enormous bulk through the ever growing space. Without wasting another moment, the Kratt in green rapidly dialed the inventor. To his relief, she immediately answered.
"Aviva!"yelled Chris with dire urgency. "You have to turn the power back on!"
"What's wrong? Are you all across the perimeter fence?"
"No time to explain–Katana!" The air was pierced by said Baryonyx's roar followed by a scream from Martin.
"Chris, help! She's got my leg!"
"I'm coming, bro!"yelled Chris over his shoulder before turning his attention back to his girlfriend. "Turn everything back on! Now!"
  He hung up, and raced over to aid his fallen brother, once more lying flat in his back, trying in vain to escape as Katana held him in a vicelike grip with her jaws, attempting to drag her victim back inside the paddock. He was shortly  followed by Dr. Grant. Taking both of Martin's hands, Chris pulled with all his strength while the dinosaur expert attempted to pry the carnivore's jaws open. But to no avail.
   At the same time, Jimmy, filled with a sudden burst of courage, began whacking Katana's head with a stout tree branch he had found lying nearby. But the Baryonyx simply ignored those blows as she continued to drag her intended prey. She hadn't eaten all morning, and she wasn't about to let a few hits from a stick cost her her meal. JZ continued his assault on Katana's cranium until– SNAP! The business end of his weapon was sent  flying in a cloud of wooden shrapnel.
  "It's no use!"lamented the pilot after his branch snapped in two.
"Katana's grip is too strong."muttered the paleontologist, still trying to loosen said dinosaur's grip. 
  Just then, a loud siren blared overhead. The power was coming back on. Time was running out!
  The Kratt in green resumed his struggle, unwilling to let his brother meet the gruesome fate that awaited him. He shut his eyes at the very thought, tears threatening to burst, when an idea struck him.
Why hadn't we thought of that before?
"Martin! Creature Pop Quiz!"exclaimed Chris.
"Are you crazy?!"yelled Alan incredulously.
  "Umm.. bro? In case you haven't noticed: I'm about to become a dinosaur's lunch! Now's not the time for a pop quiz!"remarked the Kratt in blue sarcastically.
  "Trust me!"pleaded Chris. "Here it goes: How do you escape a crocodile's jaws?"
"How do you escape a croc's—" thought Martin out loud before realization hit him. Of course. "You go for its eyes!"
  Without wasting another moment, Grant struck one of Katana's large eyes with a closed fist.  The Baryonyx immediately recoiled in pain, releasing her hold on Martin's leg as she backed off, briefly disoriented. The four men retreated back away from the barrier,
"Thank you so much, you guys!"exclaimed Martin rather emotionally, pulling the other three into a spine-cracking hug. Lex and Tim, who had been watching from afar, soon joined the group hug. "After saving us multiple times, it's the least we could do."replied Alan through clenched teeth, for he felt as though he broke a few ribs.
"Umm..guys?"piped up Jimmy. "I hate to be the one breaking up this emotional moment, but look!"
All of a sudden, the blaring of the emergency sirens was drowned out by an equally loud roar coming from the other side. Everyone looked to where the redhead was pointing to see Katana at the edge of the clearing, snarling savagely, jaws salivating, her clawed, three-toed feet raking against the forest floor before the hungry Baryonyx came charging straight towards them! 
   "Persistent thing, isn't she?"remarked the Kratt in blue.
"I guess she really likes your taste."replied the Tortuga pilot, earning a deadpan stare from Martin.
"C'mon, Aviva."murmured Chris under his breath as the charging theropod came closer and closer.
   As the huge theropod neared the last couple of yards, she bellowed a deafening roar that could be heard over the sirens. Katana's jaws had barely touched the severed cables when with a loud, frightening buzz, the perimeter fence suddenly came alive. The group fell back while sparks were sent flying everywhere as the Baryonyx was literally thrown a distance from the barrier before she crashed to the ground, motionless. The power had returned to the park.
  Soon, the sirens ceased their clamor. Except for the humming of electricity once again flowing through the fence, silence reigned. For the longest time, not a word was spoken among the six survivors.
  "Is she dead?"asked Lex, breaking the silent spell. She got her answer upon seeing Katana regaining consciousness, shaking her head as she slowly stumbled back on her feet.
"By the looks of it, Lex, she's fine."replied Chris, recovering from his shock. "Guess only her pride had been bruised."
"Shocking."remarked Jimmy Z, earning a chuckle from Tim. The boy then glanced over to the Baryonyx, feeling a pang of sympathy for the animal.
"Say, Jimmy?"asked the Dino-fanatic. "Do you still have some pizza left over?"
"Sure, little man. I got two boxes here. Pepperoni and anchovies I think."answered the Tortuga pilot, withdrawing a couple of boxes from his pack. "Perfect."said Tim as he took the food from Jimmy's hands before slowly making his way toward the breach in the fence, close to the massive predator. Once he was only a few feet away, he outstretched his arms towards the opening, pizza boxes in hand, deaf to the protests and shouts of warning from his sister and the paleontologist behind him. He held his ground.
The odor of the pizza immediately caught Katana's attention, and the theropod strode slowly towards the gap, before pausing briefly. Soon hunger won over caution as she made her way towards the source of the smell. Being careful not to touch the cables, the Baryonyx slunk her long, narrow snout through the opening, hesitating as she curiously sniffed the boxes just inches away.
Smells like fish, thought Tim as he felt Katana's hot breath assaulting his face before she suddenly lunged forward, snatching Tim's offering in her jaws, pulling her prize back to her side of the fence. Utilizing claws as sharp as her namesake, Katana made short work of the cardboard boxes, tearing through them as though they were paper before gulping down the tasty contents inside.
  Tim was about to turn back when to his surprise, he felt a soft nudge behind him. He turned his head where he was greeted by Katana's foul breath as the Baryonyx nudged him once more, warbling a friendly chuff, earning a giggle from the boy.
  "You're welcome, girl."replied Tim, patting the carnivore's snout without hesitation. Having had her appetizer, the theropod dinosaur disappeared back into the jungle's thick, green curtains, hot on the trail of her main course.
  Turning back, Tim was greeted by the bewildered expressions of the others, jaws dropped, eyes wide open. "What? She was hungry."said the boy with a shrug.
   The first to recover from their shocked trance were the Kratt Brothers. They walked up to Tim, wide smiles adorning their features. There was a brief pause before Chris finally spoke,"It always does our hearts good to see kids treating animals with that level of kindness and compassion as you've just shown."
"Especially towards a predator that nearly made an appetizer outta me!"remarked the Kratt in blue with a slight shudder, thinking of what could've been. He then ruffled Tim's curly hair playfully. Tim simply shrugged, saying, "Well, the predators have to eat too. Besides, she's no monster. She was only doing what she was born to do.."
"How would you like to be part of the Wild Kratts kids?"asked the two creature adventurers simultaneously. At this point, Tim's eyes flew wide open, heart racing with excitement. "Really? Me? A Wild Kratts kid?" The brothers simply nodded.
"I'd love to!"exclaimed the ten-year old, quickly embracing the pair, surprising them, before a thought struck him. "Are you okay, Martin?"he asked in concern, noticing the older Kratt slightly wincing in pain.
"Oh, me? I'm fine. No, really. Nothing's broken, though my leg feels a bit sore." With that, he lightly massaged the area where Katana had bitten him.
  "To be expected,"added Dr. Grant, joining them. "Unlike tyrannosaurs, the narrow jaws of the Baryonyx didn't allow for a powerful bite. Their bite is probably more similar to that of a gharial's."
"What's that?"asked the twelve-year old hacker.
"The gharial is a type of crocodilian native to India, known by its narrow snout."answered Chris. "Unlike its crocodile cousins, the gharial has a weak bite as it specializes in hunting fish rather than larger animals." Lex nodded in understanding before she asked, "Does that mean Martin's gonna be okay?"
  "Well I'm no physician, but I'm absolutely positive that he's just fine."responded the paleontologist after a quick analysis.
  "Besides, he did fight a T.rex and live. Being bit by a Dino-croc is nothing. I say he's A-okay. "added Jimmy, giving the Kratt in blue a slap on the back, causing him to faceplant to the ground. "Sorry."said the pilot sheepishly before he and the others were blinded by a blue light as Martin chose that moment to reactivate into his T.rex form. "That's okay, JZ. No hard feelings."replied the Kratt in Dino form before bellowing a loud roar as he addressed his five companions nearly twenty feet below him.
"Everyone hop on. We're getting out of here."