The Lost World: Jurassic Kratts

Little Chomper

As the night grew darker and darker, the nightly calls of the nocturnal creatures, some of which that were reminiscent of a chorus from a bygone era, made themselves heard around Isla Sorna, giving the isle a sense of peace and tranquility. But deep in the jungle, below the forest canopy, it couldn't be further from the truth; all was complete and utter chaos as Tiger Claw's Velociraptors engaged Zach's mechanical minions in a brutal battle fought with tooth and claw.
The cunning raptors had set an ambush on the approaching Zachbots, dispatching them with relative ease, thanks to Amber's experience in taking down the robots. But the Robo-raptors proved to be much more formidable adversaries, even with the element of surprise in their favor. And they were badly outnumbered.
One mechanical predator managed to pin Tiger Claw under its weight, its snapping jaws trying to reach his neck, attempting to end the life of its prey. But the young leader was able to throw off his attacker using his powerful hind legs, sending the Robo-raptor crashing against a nearby tree.
The striped raptor had barely caught his breath when he felt himself being tackled to the ground by two more. Tiger Claw struggled and fought with all his might, but he found himself overpowered by the two robots bent on his destruction. The downed dinosaur bared his teeth in a hateful hiss, his green eyes glaring hard into the unblinking red orbs of his father's slayers that showed no remorse, no emotions whatsoever. One of the Robo-raptors warbled an unearthly shriek as it went in for the kill, exposing rows of silver, bladelike teeth poised to go for its prey's vulnerable jugular with one murderous bite.
But the teeth never came as a flash of orange leaped upon one of the attacking robots, pinning it to the ground. The striped theropod wasted no time in taking advantage of the momentary distraction to grab the other Robo-raptor by the throat. Sparks flew as Tiger Claw ripped away at the wiring and cords, short circuiting everything with a single bite. The disabled machine crashed to the ground, now completely lifeless.
  One Robo-raptor down, the young male turned his head and caught a glimpse of Amber tearing her victim's head from its motionless body. Realizing she had an audience, the female raptor turned to meet his gaze, wagging her tail excitedly while the robot's severed head still clung in her jaws. Tiger Claw only stared blankly.
All around them, the battle raged on, but for every foe the raptors felled, more robots seemed to take the place of the fallen. There were just too many of these metal abominations and they had the pack completely surrounded.
The Robo-raptors considered their end game when– "To the Creature Rescue!"  A flash of green pounced upon the nearest machine, mercilessly dispatching it in a flurry of teeth and claws. "This one's for you, Master of the Hunt!"
"Chris!"chirped Amber cheerfully seeing her caretaker in green come to their aid. The creature adventurer, donned in a Velociraptor Power suit, cast the raptor ambassador a smile. "Hi, Amber! Glad we could join you!"
However, the young raptor's joy was short lived upon seeing movement behind the unsuspecting Kratt.
"Behind you!"
Heeding Amber's warning on time, the green raptor turned to see a Robo-raptor pouncing straight for him! But the attacking machine never reached its target as a massive blue figure erupted out of the underbrush, snatching the robotic predator in mid flight, rows of razor sharp teeth making short work of its prey. The minute the Robo-raptor's life was forfeited did the attacker throw the lifeless body against a nearby tree where it slumped to the ground into pieces.
Most of the pack shrieked in alarm as they sidestepped away from Chris' savior: a fearsome Allosaurus, one of their natural enemies. But Amber wagged her tail enthusiastically, recognizing the large predator as–
"Martin!"
"Thanks for the save, bro!"said Chris gratefully, addressing his brother in Allosaur form.
"Hey, what're brothers for?"replied the blue carnosaur, absentmindedly swatting an oncoming robot with his tail. Upon seeing that the blue Allosaurus was no threat, the raptors quickly returned to the battlefield to engage their shared foe. After all, the enemy of one's enemy could be one's friend.
"What do you guys say?"roared the bigger theropod out loud, "Shall we crush these rust buckets?"
In that instant, a series of bloodcurdling shrieks sounded in the darkness, followed by loud rustling among the dense undergrowth before half a dozen more Velociraptors erupted out of the surrounding brush, racing swiftly into the clearing to join their pack mates.
The pack was reunified, ready to strike back in full force. Not far behind the newly freed raptors came Aviva, Laura, and Nick, armed with their weapons of choice; Sonic disruptors, blades, and iron wrench respectively.
"With the Power of the Pack!" they all shouted in unison.
  Now the tides of battle had turned in favor of the raptors who once again had strength in numbers, and help from their unlikely allies, ready to avenge their fallen leader. Slasher and Makucha would gang up on a single machine, taking pleasure in tearing out its life circuitry that spilled from the abdomen and watching it writhe until it could writhe no more; the twins, Malaika, and even shy Clawjumper attacked robot after robot with unstoppable fury, literally tearing them to pieces in seconds. All around them, the older members of the pack made short work of their enemies, reducing them to shining, metallic pieces that littered the jungle floor. As Chris bit and slashed many foes in his Velociraptor form, Martin Allosaurus crushed and trampled several robots with his stomping feet and swinging tail while pulverizing others in his powerful jaws and shredding more with his razor sharp claws, reducing them to scrap metal.
Aviva blasted Robo-raptors left and right with her sonic disruptor beams as Laura sliced and diced with her shotel sword, heads and limbs flying with each swing. One Robo-raptor charged straight for the ranger only to impale itself on the her steady blade.
Three marauding robots ganged up on Slasher when their attacks suddenly ceased. The scarred male rose to his feet to see his three assailants turn on Nick, who was slowly backing away, armed with only a foot long power wrench held before him. The cameraman swung his weapon, only for one of the Robo-raptors to snap its jaws, grabbing the tool in its teeth before wrenching it from Nick's grasp, disarming him. After tossing the wrench away in the thicket, the predators slowly advanced towards  their new quarry, forcing him against a large tree. Options limited, with his back against the trunk, the photographer resigned to his fate, awaiting the killer blow...which didn't come.
Nick forced an eye open to see all three of his attackers had fallen; one was felled by a clean shot to the head with a well aimed Hunga Munga axe, another was being thrashed about in the jaws of Martin Allosaurus, and the last one was quickly becoming dismembered as Slasher tore into his downed enemy's metallic abdomen with his toe claws, spilling out its circuits before yanking at them with his teeth.
"You... are seriously twisted."remarked the photographer, watching in rapt horror as the Robo-raptor writhed helplessly under the scarred theropod's weight until stillness claimed it. Slasher snorted at Nick's remark, cocking the human a questioning eye ridge.
"Thank you."said Nick once he found the voice to speak. The reddish brown raptor only gurgled in response, otherwise ignoring the cameraman as he raced off to aid his pack.
"Don't worry; he'll come around."reassured Martin as he joined the photographer, once again in human form.
  Nick and Martin were about to join the fray once again when they heard a distant cry recognizable in any language. It was a cry for help. The photographer and the creature adventurer exchanged glances, the same thought on both their minds. Without a word to the others, they bolted for the undergrowth, the Kratt in blue yelling: "We're coming! To the Creature Rescue!"
The pair raced into a nearby jungle clearing where the distress call came from, finding a baby dinosaur chained to a stake, one of its long hind legs hanging at an odd angle. The little animal continued to bleat in pain and fright as his two would be rescuers came closer.
  "Sick bastards."cursed Nick, who wasted no time in pulling out the stake buried in the ground while Martin calmed the infant as only he could.
"Don't worry, little guy. You're safe now. We'll get you outta there in no time."
**** Meanwhile...****
From his place in the center of the camp, Roland surveyed the devastation. The fire had continued to spread, and standing tents that were not flattened in the stampede were now tongues of flame flapping in the air. Vehicles and equipment laid upon the trampled ground smashed and reduced to scrap metal, and the animals that they had worked so hard to capture were now gone. All around the wreckage, personnel were scattered and terrified. Thankfully there were no severe casualties.
But the big game hunter knew that that was the very least of their concerns; the satellite dish and communication equipment were completely destroyed. There was no contacting the outside world for help.
To make matters even worse, the cargo plane of Zach Varmitech and the pink jet of Donita Donata were nowhere to be seen. They had forsaken them. And of all places, on this godforsaken island where terrifying predators roamed, monsters that could easily prey upon lions and tigers just as a cat would prey upon a mouse.
They were exposed, utterly defenseless. On this island, they were prey.
Peter Ludlow, breathless, his face smeared with dirt and soot, staggered up to the outdoorsman. "What in God's name is going on?"he coughed.
"Isn't it obvious?"replied Tembo, holding up a sniped padlock from one of the animal cages. "We're not alone on this island."
"Who the hell could have done this?"
"I'll tell y'all who!" The pair turned their attention to the new voice and saw none other than Gourmand ambling up to them. The barrel chested chef was covered in sores, dirt and bruises, his chef uniform slightly tattered. "Those good for nothin' Wild Kratt croutons!"
  Ludlow inwardly cursed to himself. He should have known.
"Where are Mr. Varmitech and Ms. Donata?"inquired Roland.
"Knowing that scrawny, lily-livered galoot, he probably ditched us." Gourmand replied with no little contempt.
"Maybe they went to get help?"Ludlow suggested.
"Yeah right. When pigs fly."said the illegal chef doubtfully, rolling his eyes at the notion of the self-centered inventor rescuing them out of the goodness of his black heart.
"Is there perhaps any chance that you could fly your plane to the airlift and send for help?"asked the head of InGen.
"I would– if those pea-brained lummox hadn't wrecked it!" Here the chef gestured angrily towards whatever remained of his aircraft, now smashed and battered beyond repair.
"We need to find those saboteurs."stated Tembo seriously.
"Leave that to me." Crawling on all fours, the burly chef used his superhuman sense of smell to find the trail taken by their unwelcome visitors. Any onlookers were puzzled to say the least.
"You cannot possibly find them by simply following your nose, can you?"asked Ludlow skeptically.
"What?"called the illegal chef indignantly. "Why surely you jest. I'll have you know my sense of smell is way better than anyone else's. In fact, it's three times better than any blood hound's, that's for sure." The head of InGen shrugged as Gourmand continued his work.
Half a minute's search brought Gourmand to the edge of the forest where the scent was strongest. "The Wild Kratts are that way!"
Roland and Ajay strolled over to where Gourmand stood. Imprinted on the mud were a series of footprints leading away from the camp. Ajay crouched down, analyzing the trackway. After a careful analysis, the seasoned tracker nodded, confirming everyone's suspicions.
"See? My nose is never wrong."
"Lead the way, Chef Gourmand." the Great White Hunter ordered.
****Deep in the Jungle...****
"We're back!"
Aboard the Createrra, Martin and Nick pulled into the jungle clearing where their team and the Velociraptor pack were waiting, the vehicle's bright headlights illuminating the darkness of the forest.
"Martin! Where were you?" Chris asked.
"Sorry about that, dude. We got a little sidetracked."replied the older Kratt.
"No surprise there." Aviva remarked, folding her arms.
"Hey!"called the Kratt in blue, feigning offense. "What'd we miss?"asked Nick, absentmindedly playing with his bolt cutters,
"The good news is that the all of the Robo-raptors have been taken care of."informed the Kratt in green.
"All in a night's work."added Amber proudly, her head held high, tail wagging in excitement.
"Wait a minute, what about the hunters?"asked the Kratt in blue. "While they're still here, no creature is safe. Not even the pack."
"After the events of tonight, they're probably calling for a flight home."answered the inventor confidently.
"Most of their supply lines are completely trashed. Sooner or later, they'll have to go back to resupply."added Laura as she cleaned her sword. "So until then, the island is safe."
"Then that gives us plenty of time to return these eggs back where they belong,"said Martin, heaving a sigh of relief as he gently patted the sack of eggs sitting in the backseat.
"Living free and with their parents."Chris finished.
"Do not worry, little ones," cooed the young raptor sweetly to the unborn dinosaurs. "You will be returned to your families."
"But first, we're gonna need to get back to the Tortuga so we can identify them."said Sarah. Even though she had excavated many eggs in her field, it was always difficult to determine the exact species of the dinosaurs that laid them. "So I say let's make like eggs and roll." The paleontologist then made her way to the Createrra, reaching for the door handle. Martin and Nick's eyes immediately widened.
"No don't–"warned the photographer. But it was too late. The moment Sarah opened the door, the sight that greeted her eyes were the snapping jaws of a baby Tyrannosaurus sitting in the backseat.
Sarah jumped back with a shriek. Everyone else stared blankly at the strange passenger, eyes as wide as saucers.
"What in the creature world?"
"Dios mio..."
"Hevi kabisa..."
Even Amber and the other Velociraptors couldn't help but look on in curiosity, some tilting their heads.
The paleontologist was the first to break the silence. "Have you two completely lost your minds?! Do you guys have any idea what that is?"
"What is it?"asked the ranger, having never seen this manner of creature before and confused about her friends' reactions.
"It's a Tyrannosaurus rex."answered the redhead dryly. "Juvenile. Probably only two or three weeks old. But that's not the problem."
Before Laura could inquire further, Chris went straight to the point, eyes widened: "Where are his parents?"
"We found him alone and tied to a stake over in the next clearing."answered Martin sadly. "Hmm. He was probably used as bait,"murmured Laura angrily, all too familiar with the cruel tactic used by hunters back in Africa to lure in big game.
"He's got a broken leg."added Nick.
"Ay pobrecito."cooed Aviva, already feeling sorry for the unfortunate creature.
Soon the raptors' curiosity turned to hostility as they hissed and growled, their eyes glaring in the direction of the infant who cowered within the car.
"Uh-oh! The raptors don't look too happy!"said the Kratt in blue.
"What's the matter? It's just a baby."said the photographer.
"For now."reminded Sarah gravely. "But they're not about to let him grow up to be an even bigger threat in the future."
"In Africa, lions will kill other carnivores whenever they get half the chance. Especially cubs," Laura informed. "To eliminate the competition."
"Predators don't tolerate other predators in the same environment. They'll compete for food and territory."stated Chris.
  While the Velociraptors would never challenge a full grown tyrannosaur, they had no qualms about killing a youngster if it meant ensuring their future survival. With a ferocious scream, Slasher charged for the infant with open jaws. But before he could leap in to finish off this potential rival, a flash of orange intercepted his charge, coming between him and his prey.
"No, Slasher! You will not harm the little one!" growled Amber, standing protectively before the helpless baby rex. The scarred male shrieked in surprise and anger as he tried to get past the protective female, but his efforts were in vain. Why was she protecting the offspring of one of their most feared and hated enemies? Didn't she know what these monsters were capable of? Patience wearing thin, Slasher snarled threateningly at Amber, poised to strike her down at any moment, but was abruptly thwarted as Tiger Claw approached, ordering him to back off with a snap of his jaws. The scarred raptor reluctantly drew back; he knew better than to question his older brother's authority, especially since he was leader now.
The leader in stripes gave Amber a scrutinizing look, as if demanding an explanation for her actions. The young female lowered her head submissively. "I am sorry, Tiger Claw. But he is only very small. He does not pose us any harm." Tiger Claw rolled his green eyes at Amber's naivety; she was too innocent for her own good. But nonetheless, he relented. He could not stay mad at her for too long.
  Next to the pair, Malaika, the twins, and Clawjumper approached the infant as close as they dared, cautiously darting in and out, taking turns sniffing. None of them had ever seen a baby tyrannosaur this close and they were keen on satisfying their curiosity. The young T-rex was equally curious as he was undoubtedly too young to have ever seen a Velociraptor before, especially the nice one with the weird shiny bump on her head.
The striped alpha gave the females a warning growl not to approach the tyrannosaur any closer. The females obliged.
"Don't worry about it, Tiger Claw."said the younger Kratt, holding the Raptor Decoder in hand. "He's not gonna stay here too long; we just need to treat his injuries before we return him to his family and out of your hair."
"Then everybody's happy."chimed Martin with a reassuring smile.
As they finished, the gadget in Chris' hand produced the proper translation in Raptorese.
Tiger Claw seemed to mull it over while the rest of the pack stood to the sides, awaiting his decision. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he voiced his response.
"He says he will allow the baby to stay until he is healed, but not a moment more." Amber translated.
"Then there's not a moment to waste."declared the African ranger, already entering the vehicle.
"Let's get him back to the HQ."said Aviva as she patted the little Tyrannosaurus' head. "We can patch up that leg before returning him to his parents."
"And meantime, Amber. You and Tiger Claw get everyone to a safer place until the hunters have gone." Martin told Amber.
The raptor ambassador nodded. "Yes Martin."
Once everyone was aboard, the Createrra took off. "To the Tortuga!"
**** A Few Minutes Later...****
"...and we only have two good tires for the Createrra left. I've got a really big list. We've really got to get back to the mainland to get supplies like now."
The team was once again inside their terrapin headquarters, sheltered from the tropical storm brewing just outside. For what seemed like a full minute, the creature adventurers registered the update from Koki, who held a clipboard in her hands. "You mean we don't have any medical equipment?" Chris inquired.
"Not even a band aid?"asked Martin worriedly, glancing down at the injured Tyrannosaurus cradled in his arms. The baby in question feasted his beady little eyes on the foreign scenery which was both frightful yet inviting.
"Aww, I'm sorry, but we're out of everything! Including painkillers, bandages and other medical equipment. It's time for our Giant Annual Tortuga Resupply."
Nick heaved a sigh of disappointment, shaking his head. "You gotta be kidding me,"
From his place in his respective chair, Jimmy's eyes flew wide open as though somebody told him it was the end of the world. "Even snacks?!"
"Even snacks." the Tortuga technician replied.
"Yeah. Come to think of it, I am running low on a lot of important material for Creature Power suit programming."remarked Aviva thoughtfully.
Koki continued, "And if we don't resupply soon, we'll be grounded for good."
"Okay we get it, we get it!"said the Kratt in green in mock exasperation. By now the two creature adventurers knew the importance of being prepared and well supplied. "Me and Martin will stay behind to keep an eye on things until you guys get back."
"But first things first, we gotta return these lost dinosaur eggs back to their homes."the older Kratt interjected, gesturing to the bundle of eggs resting on the main platform.
"After a quick species identification of each one,"Sarah pointed out.
"Okay, but we better make it fast."said Koki hurriedly. Time was of the essence.
At this moment, Nick decided to acknowledge the elephant– or rather, T-rex in the room. "What about him?"
"Can't we just rush him to the nearest veterinary clinic?"asked the Tortuga pilot.
Martin disagreed. "Bad call, Jimmy. We can't take him off the island!"
"His parents will be worried sick, and bringing a baby T-rex is bound to draw a lot of unwanted attention."added Chris.
"But if we leave him here, he won't last the night,"said Aviva.
The younger Kratt heaved a sigh. "You're right, Aviva; we can't abandon him now. It goes against everything we stand for,"
The Wild Kratts team found themselves in the mires of a dilemma. For what seemed like an eternity, Martin and Chris circled around for a while as they pondered. Finally Sarah snapped her fingers as a thought occurred to her. "Hey Nick. You guys have a first aid kit in that trailer, right?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, yeah. I think so."the photographer replied. "Gotta ask Eddie to make sure."
"Allow me," Koki obliged. With that, the communications specialist rushed to the Tortuga's main computer panel and quickly dialed the tech expert's contact. "Eddie, this is the Tortuga H.Q. Come in Eddie." After half a minute, the senior technician appeared on the screen in what looked to be a cage.
"Eddie here. How can I be of assistance?"came the answer.
"Just a quick question: did you guys happen to pack any medical equipment with you?"
**** Elsewhere...*****
As the night dragged on, mountainous storm clouds began to gather over Isla Sorna, further blanketing the skies in darkness. The ominous rumbling of thunderclaps heralded the coming of the light rains that drummed on the jungle foliage. Before long, the small drops of rain became mighty torrents, and the strong winds howled through the night, causing the great trees to sway and dance to their movement. Few parts of the island in were untouched by the tropical storm, especially near the base camp where the camouflaged trailer sat. Inside, Dr. Malcolm was seated next to the radio, a logbook open as he ran a finger down a column of numbers. Nearby Kelly was leaning against the counter, watching her father's progress and having a drink of water.
"Ah. Here."said the mathematician, finding the frequency he was looking for. He reached out to the frequency modulator and turned the dial, whizzing through various noise and static on his way to the appropriate number. He was almost there when, without warning—
"Gangway!"
"Coming through!"
Martin and Chris barged into the trailer, followed by Sarah and Nick, all of them soaking wet. But that wasn't all; the latter pair were carrying a baby tyrannosaur.
"Hi, Ian."greeted Sarah innocently. "No lectures, please."
Malcolm's jaw dropped open, but no words come out as the pair brought the baby rex to the metal dining table and held it down.
"Wow."said Kelly in amazement.
The paleontologist's vest was streaked red with blood from the baby's injured leg, but that was the last thing on her mind as she fumbled through an open drawer full of medical equipment, finding a small syringe. Nick and Chris tightened their grip on the struggling animal while Martin calmed him as best he could, stroking him and speaking gently. Sarah took the opportunity to make an injection into his thigh. Finally, Malcolm found the voice to speak.
  "I am aghast."
Taking a small ultrasound transducer, the paleontologist gently ran it over the animal's injured leg. A green and white skeletal image appeared on a monitor next to the table. "Okay, there's the metatarsals. Tibia, fibula... there it is! See it? That's a fracture, just above the epiphysis."
"Oh no," said the older Kratt.
"What do I have to do with you people, hit you with a stick?"
Intrigued, Kelly peered closely at the monitor. "You mean that little black line?"
"That little black line means death for this infant."said Sarah grimly. "The fibula won't heal straight, so the ankle joint can't pivot when he stands on his hind feet. The baby won't be able to run, and probably can't even walk. It'll be crippled, and a predator will pick it off before it gets more than a few weeks old. Guys, we need a little more space."
"Oh. Sorry, Sarah."the bros apologized simultaneously, giving the vet's daughter her much needed space.
"Alright. Fine. Just do whatever you have to do and get it out of here as quickly as possible."said Malcolm, wanting nothing to do with this foolhardy endeavor.
The Kratt in green made his way for the door, and gestured for his brother to follow. "C'mon, bro. We gotta return those dinosaur eggs anyway."
"Oh yeah. Let us know when he's back on his feet!"
  "Hey, can I come too?"asked Kelly, wanting something better to do than hang around in the trailer turned hospital room.
The two creature adventurers exchanged glances before answering with wide smiles,"Why not?"
Malcolm, however, was not in favor of the idea. "Absolutely not!"
"Oh c'mon, Ian. You should come too."suggested Martin cheerfully. "It'll be fun!"
"And educational!"Chris tossed in.
At this point, the Kratt in blue draped his arm around the paranoid scientist's shoulder. "Just think of it like– an... an Easter egg hunt!"
"Besides, it's perfectly safe; we've already run a quick identification on the eggs. Most of them are herbivores,"
"And Koki's diagnostics are never wrong!"
"No, no, no, no, no!" The mathematician replied, gesturing with his hands for emphasis. "I will never go to these dangerous 'adventures' you call it? Where animals can kill me on a whim's notice freely? And for what? The experience of almost dying if you're luck gambling with your Russian roulette? No shark diving, lion safaris on foot, or camping in the Alaskan wilderness in a– in a tent made from jumpsuit materials that can easily be torn open by a twig, let alone an eight hundred pound grizzly bear. So yeah, anything life threatening and dangerous, especially involving dinosaurs, kindly count me out."
"Says the one who texts and drives,"Kelly snarked.
Almost instantaneously, the photographer and the paleontologist burst into laughter, as the two creature adventurers tried to withhold their own, albeit failing miserably. "Oooooh! Sick burn!" Nick remarked, laughing hysterically.
"Aww c'mon, Dad! Can I go, please? Please, please, please? I'll only keep asking."
The mathematician heaved a sigh; he could rarely ever say no to his eldest daughter, especially when she was making that face, those irresistible brown eyes that seemed to be looking into his soul. Finally, he answered, addressing the Kratt Brothers, "Fine. If she gets hurt, then I'm holding you responsible,"
"'Responsible' is my middle name."Martin boasted.
However, Chris was quick to burst his brother's bubble. "I thought it was William." This left Martin with a shocked expression.
"I told you not to tell them!"the Kratt in blue complained, while the others laughed on.
"Don't worry, Ian."said the younger of the two sincerely. "We'll keep Kelly as safe as eggs in a nest."
"And we'll be back A.S.A.P,"added the older Kratt.
Permission granted, albeit reluctantly, the twelve-year old girl took off after the duo as they raced out the door.
"Field trip!"
**** Half An Hour Later .... ****
"That's the last of them."said Martin, gently placing a pair of eggs inside a shallow crater in the ground covered by shrubs and ferns. Once that task was complete, the Kratt in blue turned his attention to the mother of the nest, a thirty-foot hadrosaur who lumbered to her brood with fresh leaves carried in her flat beak. For all her sheer bulk, the three-ton vegetarian was gentle as she turned the eggs with her snout before draping the gathered leaves over her brood, protecting them from the elements.
All around the clearing were dozens more of her kind, all tending to their individual nests, shielding the eggs from the tropical downpours, paying no mind to the gigantic turtle in their midst. "There you go, Mamma Maia." said Martin, patting the Maiasaura's snout. "Your eggs are all safe and sound." Mamma Maia honked in response before returning to her vigil, using her massive body to shield her brood from the pouring rain. "You're such a tender, gentle mom. I guess they don't call you Maiasaura 'good mother lizards' for nothing,"
  "Creature Mission accomplished!" Chris announced, exchanging high fives with his brother as they made their way back to the Tortuga.
"Last call for the mainland leaves in five minutes!" Jimmy Z's voice announced over the Tortuga intercom.
As he stood at the ramp leading up to the main entrance, Chris took a moment to take in the scenery reminiscent of the prehistoric world, when–
"Chris?"
Interrupted from his thoughts, the Kratt in green turned around to see none other than his girlfriend. Chris smiled. "Hey, Aviva. What's up?"
The inventor then spoke what was on her mind. "Earlier this morning, what was it you wanted to say to me?"
"Hmm?"hummed the Kratt in green cluelessly before realization hit him. "Oh! Right! About that..." here, he rubbed the back of his neck, "M-Maybe– maybe we can talk about that some other time."
"But Chris, you said it was really important,"
"I know what I said, but right now, protecting this island is our number one priority. It's Hammond's dying wish." The Wild Kratts team knew full well that the born again naturalist was now living on borrowed time. They were not about to deny Hammond this one final request, especially when the lives of countless creatures hung in the balance.
The inventor heaved a sigh, but smiled nonetheless. "Entiendo." Her curiosity would have to wait.
The young Kratt tenderly cupped the young woman's cheeks, staring deep in her intelligent gray eyes as he said, "I'll tell you soon. I promise." With that solid declaration, he closed the remaining distance, planting his lips with hers.
Aviva's arms wrapped around Chris' neck as his strong but gentle arms moved to constrict around her waist, deepening the kiss, which was slow and sweet, lasting until both had to part for air. Breathing heavily from the need for oxygen, both Chris and Aviva stayed close enough so that their foreheads touched as they gazed into each other's eyes, stormy gray meeting hazel brown, forgetting all else until–
"Aww, they are so cute together!" The pair turned to see Martin and Kelly, the latter who looked at them in adoration.
"Could you guys take it somewhere else please? There's a kid present!" Martin cracked, a mischievous grin on his face as he used a free hand to shield the girl's eyes.
"Martin!" exclaimed Aviva and Chris simultaneously, faces beet-red with embarrassment, earning laughs from the older Kratt and everyone else present. Once the laughter subsided, the inventor remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot, Koki and I decided that we're also going to Eddie's workshop after we're resupplied to add some final touches to his unfinished gear."
"Really?" Chris asked. Aviva nodded. "That's great!"
"We can also take Kelly back to her address on the way over there,"added Koki.
"Actually, I wanted to stay with you guys."the Wild Kratts kid confessed. "I mean, I really don't have anything better to do this Spring Break,"
"What about your gymnastics competition?"asked the Tortuga technician. "You've been practicing that for months."
The girl frowned. "I didn't make the cut. The only cut I got was out of the team."
"Oh no,"
"Ay pobrecita."
"It's okay, Kelly."said Laura, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "If at first you don't succeed, just try, try again."the ranger then quoted an African proverb: "Success in life largely depends on how you handle your failures.'"
The two brothers exchanged knowing glances. "Don't worry, Kelly; you can hang around with us as long as you want."said the Kratt in blue with a warm smile.
"Besides, you're looking at a lean, green, acrobatic machine!" For emphasis, Chris performed a series of backflips across the clearing, ending his feat with a handstand. "Martin and I can teach you all we know."
"Just think of it as a camping trip in the woods. 65 million years ago."
"Thanks, guys!"exclaimed Kelly with much enthusiasm, embracing the surprised duo. "This is gonna be fantastic!" The brothers promptly returned the hug.
"Are you guys sure you'll be okay?"asked Jimmy Z in a shaky tone, eyes darting in different directions.
Chris was quick to reassure his skittish friend. "Relax, Jimmy. We'll be just fine."
"Yeah, I mean it's not really the first time we've been on an island with dinosaurs."said Martin confidently. "And besides, we're better prepared, and what's more, we have Laura." Here the Kratt in blue draped an arm over the ranger's shoulder.
"I promise that no harm will come to them, not while they have me to watch their backs."she reassured the team with a wink.
"Thanks Laura,"said the inventor, more than grateful that they were in good hands.
"Okay. Be careful."said Koki before she warned, "if any of y'all die out here, I'll dig you up and kill you myself." With that, she, Aviva, and Jimmy Z boarded the terrapin aircraft.
"Be back soon!"called the inventor.
The moment the door was sealed, the terrapin vessel took to the stormy sky before disappearing into the darkness.
****  At the High Hide... ****
  With the soft whir of the electric winch, the high hide rose up to its full height, now bearing the weight of Eddie and Malcolm.
"So.... why are we up here again?"asked the technician.
"You're much happier not knowing." Malcolm replied, glancing down upon the forest canopy which stretched out for miles.
A moment of awkward silence.
"What's the.. what's the frequency of the boat by the way?"
"It's 15 trip eights. It's the third from the top!"
Suddenly, a gigantic silhouette ascended from the sea of trees, hovering with surprising silence for all its sheer size. As the unidentified flying object began to soar for the clouds, the spectating pair could make out an unusual terrapin shape and four massive flippers that seemed stationary. Then, as mysteriously as it appeared, the giant turtle vanished.
A moment of silence.
"That turtle ship can fly?"asked the mathematician blankly. Without warning he grabbed at the technician's shoulders. "Why didn't anyone tell me that that thing could fly?!"
Eddie shrugged. "I dunno. Why didn't you ask?"
Malcolm heaved a frustrated sigh as he slapped his forehead. "Fruitcakes." Just when we could've booked a flight outta this forsaken island..
Suddenly the silence of the forest was broken by an ear splitting roar as loud and as terrifying as the thunder.
The tech expert visibly flinched. "What the hell was that?" Malcolm didn't say a word as he was frozen to the spot; he was all too familiar with that sound, that accompanied him in his deepest nightmares. The pair stared down into the jungle's darkness, expecting something monstrous to emerge from the canopy. But only an ominous silence reigned.
"Is there any way we can communicate with the trailers?" The technician didn't say a word as he handed the mathematician a wired in radio intercom.
  Malcolm grabbed the phone from Eddie. "Sarah! Nick! Get that baby as far away from the trailer as you can, RIGHT NOW! Do you hear me?!"
No answer. "No answer. What a surprise." Annoyed, the mathematician hurled the phone back to Eddie all the while muttering curses. "I gotta get down there. How do I get down?"
To answer the scientist's question, the tech expert handed him a special utility belt. "Tie this belt around your waist. Squeeze the rope here, the harder you squeeze, the slower
you go. You don't squeeze at all–"
Ian cut him off. "I get the idea!"
There were ropes tied to the four corners of the high hide, for quick descents such as this. Throwing caution to the wind, Malcolm hurled one of the ropes over the edge and without a moment's hesitation, jumped out of the viewing platform, falling like a black streak until he landed on the forest floor unceremoniously with a THUD!
Eddie watched Ian's crash landing from the edge of the railing. "Personally I woulda squeezed just a little bit harder."
***** Somewhere over the Pacific...****
"D'oh! I hate those annoying Wild Rats! They must be destroyed! Meddlers, meddlers, meddlers!" Zach complained as his gray cargo plane cruised over the raging Pacific Ocean, blending almost perfectly with the dark storm clouds. He and the other villains were assured that the Wild Kratts would not show up. How utterly wrong they had been.
On a computer panel in his private quarters, a certain fashionista appeared on screen. "Ugh, the aggravation!" lamented Donita Donata as she piloted her pink jet since Dabio was still recovering from that poisonous chicken's bite. Fortunately, the effects of the venom were starting to wear off as Aviva had promised. "If they hadn't showed up, my dinosaur feathered gowns would have been the talk of the town!"
"We've underestimated them. They always show up wherever we are!"
"So let's use that to our advantage–" but the evil inventor quickly cut her off. "Zip it! I'm trying to think! So maybe we can use that to our advantage," Suddenly the robotics inventor's diabolical brain hatched an idea. "We'll set a trap!"
Donita rolled her eyes. "Duh."
"We won't simply destroy them. We will erase them, once and for all! But first, let's see how well they survive without their precious turtle ship."
Zach Varmitech laughed evilly, sudden cracks of lightning flashing from outside. Donita joined him, until the inventor's. laughter ended in a coughing fit. A Zachbot suddenly appeared with a glass of water for its master.
Just then, the fashionista remembered something. "Wait, what about Gourmand and those gentlemen?"
"Ehh. They'll be fine."
**** Back in the Trailer....****
"Get the bottle of amoxicillin and fill a syringe!"shouted Sarah over the din of the phone ringing. "Quick injection of antibiotics and I can get him out of here!" On the lab table, her young patient was still lying motionless, now with a white cast wrapped around his damaged leg. The baby Tyrannosaurus was on the road to recovery.
Suddenly the door to the trailer flew wide open, revealing a drenched Dr. Malcolm who raced over to the table. "For once in your life, would it kill you to pick it up?" he said angrily, slamming the door shut. "Help me get him out of here."
"No, wait!"exclaimed Sarah, stopping his advances. "We just set Little Chomper's leg!"
"Little Chomper?"
"That's what Martin decided to call the little guy. Is that a problem?"
Malcolm pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're not supposed to name it. Once you name it, you start getting attached to it! Now put that thing back where it came from or so help me!"
Just then, a loud metallic crash was heard just outside the trailer, causing everyone to be absolutely silent. The trio whirled around to look outside the window, just in time to see one of the Jeeps tumbling by, rolling on its side over the cliff, ultimately landing with a THUD!
"Mommy's very angry."
Ian looked out the window, peering through the darkness, Sarah and Nick also doing likewise. Except for the constant drumming of the rain, all was quiet... until a deep growl rumbled from behind the trio. Turning around, the sight that greeted their eyes was a massive square head peering inside the trailer with a glassy yellow eye as big as a grapefruit. The beast let out a soft but stern call, jaws opened, revealing impressive rows of razor sharp teeth the size of bananas. There was no mistaking a fully grown Tyrannosaurus rex, the fabled King of Dinosaurs.
Malcolm, Sarah, and Nick all froze in absolute terror.
In answer to the T-rex's call came an equally terrifying rumble from across the trailer. Looking in the opposite window, they spied another one of the enormous predators also peering inside. The second tyrannosaur bellowed deeply, a sound so low and loud it rattled anything in the trailer that wasn't tied down.
The humans backed into the tightest corner of the trailer, trying to avoid being caught in the rexes' line of sight. But the tyrannosaurs paid the minuscule creatures little attention; they were solely focused on their offspring imprisoned within this strange metal creature. Hearing the familiar calls of his gargantuan parents, Little Chomper raised his head from the cold table, squeaking in reply. The T-Rex closest to Sarah, a large male, bellowed a loud, unearthly roar, a cry from some other world, causing Sarah to scream out of fright; for years, the paleontologist had only known of these creatures from fossilized bones and teeth. To be in their presence, now in the flesh, was a truly terrifying experience.
The father rex then lightly bumped the trailer with his snout, causing it to shake a little, nearly knocking everyone inside off their feet. On the other side, the female Tyrannosaurus lowered her head to be in eye level with the window, gurgling rather softly as she called her baby. She was rewarded by Little Chomper's chirps, reassuring her that he was safe and sound.
  Despite her fear, Sarah was also trembling with excitement as she watched the animals move and communicate outside the windows."This isn't hunting behavior, Ian,"she whispered. "Not hunting, they're searching. They came for Little Chomper."
"Well, let's not disappoint them,"the mathematician replied.
The trio wasted no time in lifting the baby tyrannosaur off the table. "Let me get his head,"said Sarah, "careful! I got him." They began to slowly walk towards the door, under the scrutinizing eyes of the T-rexes watching from the windows, with Sarah holding their precious cargo.
"Ready?"
After a moment's pause, Malcolm reached for the door handle. Directly outside the portal, the mother T-rex's gigantic head paused for a moment, as though waiting expectantly. The massive carnivore made a series of soft grunts, followed by a long, menacing growl.
Although terrified, Sarah banished her fear and began to sing, her voice soft, soothing. "Imba wimbo
Wa upepo
Wakati unajiwa na....
Imba wimbo wa upepo
Wakati ndoto tamu..."
"Are you insane?!" Ian hissed.
She did not change her soft, soothing tone. "I know it sounds crazy... but it works with lions... sometimes... Laura taught me this song."
"Windsong." Nick recalled, having heard it before on his travels.
The redhead nodded before continuing, "Lala mpaka usiku uisheni
Upepo wa usiku
Wimbo wanko na...
Wimbo wangu inaendelea milele..
There we are... your baby is free..."
Squeaking excitedly, Little Chomper wriggled free of his helpers to rejoin his parents, forgetting his crippled leg as he hobbled towards them.
Without wasting a second, Ian slammed the door shut as the reunited family returned to the cover of the forest. The three of them froze, releasing breaths they didn't realize they were holding. Outside, they could hear the snuffling and cooing of the tyrannosaurs as they inspected and nuzzled their young. And then, to everyone's relief, came the soft thudding of their footsteps growing fainter as they moved deeper into the dense jungle.
  With the exception of the constant drumming of the rain and the rolling thunder, all was silent. But the silent spell didn't last long as the ringing of a telephone was heard within the trailer walls.
Malcolm answered without hesitation. "Yes Eddie?"
From the wall, Eddie's voice came over the other line, obviously relieved. "They're going back into the jungle."
"How's Kelly?"
"I can get her on the line, just give me a second."After a minute or two, the twelve-year old's voice was heard on the opposite sign. "Hello?"
"Kelly, how are you? Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm good. I'm right here with Martin, Chris, and Laura."
"Okay, listen, stay right where you are, don't move.  I'm gonna be right back up, understand?  Don't move!"
"I understand."
After hanging up the phone, Malcolm slumped against the wall of the trailer.  Sarah and Nick sat on the floor leaning against the opposite wall, completely drained. The paleontologist pulled out her pocket recorder and spoke shakily into it. "Note to Dr. Burke—Tyrannosaurus rex does nurture its young.
  "Y'know, I beg people to listen to me."Ian ranted, "I use plain, simple English. I have no accent that I'm aware of–"
"Aww, shut up."murmured Sarah playfully.
"That should be an interesting chapter in your book."
"Forget the chapter, it's a whole new book. The debate over the parental instincts of Tyrannosaurus rex is now... academic."
"Y'know, there's an unwritten rule when a news crew is in a war zone."said Nick. "You stop the van every two miles and decide whether or not you feel lucky. One "no" from anybody in the group and you turn around right there, no questions asked, nobody embarrassed. So. Do we go on?"
"No!"came the simultaneous response from all present, earning much needed laughter after the potential dangers faced not a moment ago.
   "I'm really gonna hate breaking this to the Kratt Brothers." Sarah remarked lightheartedly.
Ian smiled for the first time in a while, but that smile soon turned into a look of
concern as he looked out the window.
  "Hang on. This is gonna be bad."
All of a sudden, the trailer was hit with the force of a runaway freight train, throwing the trio against the far wall as a shower of glass and field equipment rained down upon them. There was an earsplitting crack of electricity as the entire trailer rocked and sparked a brilliant blue before everything went black, submerging the room in darkness. The tables, chairs, lab equipment, everything that was bolted down clung to the floor above them. Everything else landed on the ceiling as the trailer was overturned.
Somewhere outside came the thundering roar of an enraged Tyrannosaurus rex, a earthshaking cry recognizable in any language: mess with my baby, you're messing with Hell.
Malcolm crawled over to look out the nearest window, then wished he hadn't. "They're pushing us over the cliff!"
Sarah paled. "Oh my God."
  Malcolm, Sarah, and Nick all exchanged glances before crawling like hell toward the other end of the trailer.  The opposite end reached the edge of the cliff and started to tip ever-so-slightly downward.  They reached the accordion-like connector and crawled into it. But in that moment, two gigantic heads smashed through the windshield of the front trailer, completely cutting off any escape with their snapping jaws. The mathematician could see the two tyrannosaurs hard at work pushing the front end with a combined mass of fourteen tons. From the corner of his eye, Ian saw Sarah's torn and muddy backpack. His eyes lit with an idea as he quickly scrambled over to it.
  Options now dangerously limited, the trio hurled themselves at the nearest solid object, hanging on for dear life.
"Hang on to something!"cried Nick.
In the chaos, Malcolm managed to get hold of his girlfriend's pack and tore it open, finding her satellite phone, still attached to its heavy base. "Gotcha!" He immediately hit a button and the green number pad lights up promisingly. Without a moment to waste, the mathematician dialed one of the top contacts. "Eddie, if you can hear me, get help now!"
Outside, the tyrannosaurs roared into the night.
"I hate cliffhangers!"
**** Ahhh... don't you just love cliffhangers? Adds to the suspense. Kidding! XD
Sorry about the long wait, but rushing me doesn't help. At all. Drives me nuts. I'm not dead, I want to continue this story as much as you do, but these things take time... *clears throat* will Malcolm, Sarah, and Nick survive the T-rex attack? Stay tuned..