𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲;
𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗺𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹

Vera and Ben trudged up the wooden ramp of the makeshift base, only to find Kenji dancing on the platform, his feet thumping against the weathered boards as he spun beneath the open sky.

"What is going on?" Ben asked, causing Kenji to stumble mid-twirl.

"I need you two to pack... toilet paper," Kenji said, clearing his throat as he tried to regain his composure.

"Toilet paper? Seriously?" Vera said, eyeing the scattered rolls near one of the support beams.

"We're gonna need it on the way to Costa Rica, and I'm in charge," he replied, drawing himself up as he stared at the pair.

"Sure," Ben said flatly, walking off with Vera down the creaking wooden steps.

"That was odd," Ben said, stepping over a fallen branch.

"Like any conversation with him is normal," Vera sighed, the jungle humidity making her hair stick to her neck.

"Isn't that the toilet paper?" He pointed to the pile of rolls scattered near the base of a wooden beam, partially dampened by morning dew.

"Yup," Vera huffed.

"Wanna go check on Bumpy and Rocky?" He asked.

"Yeah, I wanna see how she's doing with the others," Vera said.

They found a quiet spot at the edge of the clearing, where tall grass swayed against the makeshift fence. Rocky and Bumpy's familiar shapes moved through the trees ahead, dappled sunlight playing across their scales.

"So..." Ben kicked at a loose stone, "what's the first thing you're gonna do when you get home?"

Vera watched Rocky disappear behind a cluster of ferns. "Hug my mom for about an hour straight, then face-plant into my bed and not move for days." She turned to him, managing a small smile. "What about you?"

Ben's shoulders hunched as he stared into the jungle. "I... I don't actually know if I want to leave," he admitted, his voice nearly lost in the rustle of leaves.

"What?" Vera shifted to face him fully.

"Everything's different now. I'm different. Going back to my old life feels..." he trailed off, gesturing vaguely at the air.

"How will I keep in touch with my favorite dinosaur whisperer?" Vera attempted to joke, but her voice cracked slightly.

Ben's laugh was hollow. "We probably won't see each other even if I do go home," he said, the words falling between them like stones. "It's just... everything here happened because we had to survive, you know? People only become friends because they're thrown into crazy situations together. In the real world..." he trailed off, not meeting her eyes.

Vera went still, her hand dropping from the fence post. The words hung in the humid air between them, their weight settling like stones in her stomach. She turned back to watch Rocky and Bumpy, but her eyes had lost their focus. The only sounds were the distant calls of birds and the soft thud of fruit dropping somewhere in the canopy above.

Beside her, Ben shifted his weight, perhaps realizing too late how his words had landed, but the silence had already taken root, growing thick and uncomfortable like the vines that climbed the trees around.

Kenji weaved between the massive Ankylosauruses, their armored bodies creating a maze of living obstacles. "Ben! What the heck, man?" he shouted, his voice echoing across the clearing.

Ben continued feeding Bumpy, his movements gentle and practiced. When Kenji approached, Ben raised a finger to his lips, but Kenji wasn't having it. "Don't shush me! I told you to get toilet paper!" he whispered, his frustration evident in every syllable.

"I did. And then I came to check on her. It's snack time for ol' Bumper Car. I didn't want her getting hangry around her new friends." Ben glanced up to find Kenji and Yaz looming over him, their arms crossed and faces twisted with annoyance. "What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is you're not respecting the captain's hat!" Kenji declared, adjusting said hat with exaggerated dignity.

"Kinda messed up that you two took off and didn't tell anyone where you were going," Yaz stated, her eyes flickering between Ben and Vera.

Ben's shoulders tensed as he stood. "I didn't realize I needed to ask permission to live my life," he said, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"It's not about that. It's about being a team player. Darius asked us to get supplies for everyone, and instead, we had to go looking for you. Are you part of this team or not?"

"Okay! Sheesh! I'm part of the team." He hurled the toilet paper at Kenji with more force than necessary. "For the next couple of days, anyway," he added under his breath.

"What do you mean?" Yaz's brow furrowed.

"After we go home, it's not like any of us will ever see each other again." Ben turned away, his footsteps heavy against the packed earth.

"Sure, we will!" Yaz called after him.

"Doubt it. We're spread all over the country. Factor in time, money, life. You get the idea," Ben said, his words cutting through the humid air.

"Vera?" Yaz turned to her, hope fading from her expression.

Vera's face hardened as she lifted her fingers in air quotes. "He's right. We're all friends due to 'circumstances'." She strode ahead, her back rigid.

"No. We're all still gonna hang out. Stop being sad. Captain's orders," Kenji declared to their retreating forms.

As they approached the base, Kenji's voice took on a more practical tone. "Darius isn't back yet. We still have time. All right. We still need food and water. And I guess some bushes and junk for Bumper Car and Rocky Road?"

The walkie-talkie crackled to life. "Kenji!" Darius's voice was tight with urgency.

"That's Captain Kenj. You were the one who wanted to use code names," Kenji corrected, but his smugness faltered at Darius's next words.

"Hey! We have to get out of here right now!"

"What? What do you...?" Kenji started, but was cut off by Sammy's terrified voice.

"There's another hybrid dinosaur! Like the Indominus, but worse!"

The color drained from Yasmina's face. "How? I don't understand."

"There's no time!" Brooklynn's voice cracked with desperation.

"Grab the supplies and meet us at the boat!" Darius's voice crackled through the static.

Kenji's confident facade cracked slightly. "About the supplies..." he trailed off, shifting his weight.

"Kenji!" Darius's groan carried clearly through the walkie-talkie.

"I was too busy handling things," Kenji defended, puffing up his chest.

"We need that stuff!" The desperation in Darius's voice was palpable.

"I know! I got this!" Kenji straightened, taking command. "Yaz will go ahead to the boat and get it ready for launch. Ben, Vera and I will pack up the essentials. Darius, Brooklynn, Sammy, swing by camp and help us carry everything."

"Copy that. See you soon," Darius replied, his transmission ending in static.

Minutes later, footsteps thundered across the wooden platform as Darius, Brooklynn, and Sammy arrived, breathless. "We're here. What can we do?" Darius panted.

Ben positioned water jugs at the top of the slide. "Here," he said, releasing them to roll down with controlled momentum.

Brooklynn surveyed the meager supplies. "Is this it?"

"Yeah, I'll just grab the... Yaz?" Kenji's voice lifted in confusion as Yazmina burst through the foliage, her hair wild and face flushed. "Why aren't you at the dock?"

Yaz braced herself against a support beam, catching her breath. "The surf is way too intense to cast off. Boat's already taking on water. No way to leave until the seas calm down."

Fear crept into Sammy's voice. "So, we're stuck? With the Scorpius out there?"

"Avoiding killer dinos is kind of our thing," Kenji said, trying to inject confidence into his voice.

Brooklynn's face darkened. "Not like this killer dino."

The group huddled closer as Darius spoke, his usual optimism replaced by grim reality. "We've only survived to this long because we know how dinosaurs should act. With the Scorpius rex on a rampage, all bets are off. Soon... survival will be impossible."

"Don't beat yourself up. There's nothing anyone could have done," Kenji offered.

Darius's expression hardened. "You could have done the one thing I asked you to do. Then we could've made it to the boat."

"Well, I'm sorry I didn't anticipate the new, scarier Franken-dino. My bad," Kenji shot back defensively.

"You said you had everything handled!" Darius jabbed a finger in Kenji's direction.

"I did until Ben and Vera of the Jungle ran off!"

Vera whirled around, her eyes flashing. "News flash! I didn't ask you to follow me. Besides, whether or not we were here, you could've grabbed more than your bag and hair gel."

"That's not fair. He was worried about you two," Yaz interjected.

Vera's laugh was bitter and sharp. "Oh yeah totally because Kenji thinks about others first," she quipped, rolling her eyes.

"Okay. What's important right now is that we come up with a plan," Brooklynn cut through the tension.

Darius took a deep breath. "Well, while we wait for the storm to pass, let's do what we can to shore up the perimeter fence. Just in case."

"We could use some of the rubble to fortify the fence, maybe?" Kenji suggested, his voice smaller than usual.

"Yeah. Good idea," Darius replied, his tone still icy.

Vera struggled with a massive piece of wood, her muscles straining. Ben stepped forward. "You need help?"

"No I got it. You're only helping because of circumstances right?" Her words cut through the humid air like a knife. Ben stood frozen, words failing him. "I thought so," she said, shoving the wood against the fence with renewed force.

Sammy's voice rang out across the clearing. "Don't we just make the best team ever?"

"For now," Yaz muttered.

"For now? What do you mean?" Sammy's cheerfulness wavered.

Yaz stopped working, her shoulders slumping. "I mean... let's be real, Sammy. This friendship has an expiration date."

"What? That's not true," Sammy protested, hurt bleeding into her voice.

"Sure, it is. Open your eyes. We have nothing in common other than running for our lives all the time. And once you take that away, what do we have? Nothing."

"You don't mean that! You're my best friend! After we get home, we'll..." Sammy's voice cracked with emotion.

"If we get home. And even if we do somehow survive all this, you'll go back to Texas, and... Face facts, Sammy. We're not best friends. We never were," Yazmina sighed, turning away.

Through the tension, Brooklynn's voice cut through. "Ben! Help me with this." Their combined effort wrenched the wheel from the car, triggering an ear-splitting alarm. "Sorry!" she called out.

Kenji's eyes lit up. "Wait. If the horn has power... Now look around for some wires." He worked quickly, extracting the battery and connecting it to the fence with practiced movements. The air crackled with electricity.

The walkie-talkie buzzed. "Dariusaurus calling Captain Kenji."

"This is Captain Kenji."

A small smile crossed Darius's face. "Good job."

Lightning split the sky, illuminating the clearing in harsh white light. Rocky and Bumpy's terrified shrieks pierced the night.

"Hey, Hey, Rocky it's okay," Vera soothed, her hand steady on the dinosaur's scales. Despite her touch, both dinosaurs bolted into the darkness of the trees.

"Bumpy!" Ben called after them. An otherworldly howl answered from the depths of the jungle.

The group scrambled onto the base, ducking behind whatever cover they could find. Through the rain, the Scorpius rex emerged from the shadows, its massive form moving with unnatural grace as it investigated the fence. Its scales gleamed wet in the lightning flashes.

"Maybe it won't see us," Sammy whispered. The creature brushed against the electrified fence, jerking back at the shock before rage filled its eyes. It charged the barrier full force, drawing screams from the group. Rising to its full height, it unleashed a bone-chilling scream before vanishing into the darkness.

"Where'd it go?" Darius's eyes darted across the treeline.

"I don't see it!" Ben pressed himself against the wall.

"Did anyone see where it went?" Sammy's voice trembled.

Yazmina's whole body shook. "Don't like hide-and-seek."

Vera's eyes tracked upward, horror dawning on her face as she spotted the creature scaling the tree behind Darius. Her scream of warning came too late as the monster launched itself onto their platform.

The group retreated into a corner, their backs pressed against the wood as the Scorpius rex snapped and clawed its way toward them. Its massive tail swept across the platform, sending Kenji, Yaz, and Ben tumbling over the edge.

A brilliant flash of lightning ignited a nearby tree, flames erupting through its branches. The Scorpius rex froze, transfixed by the dancing fire. The group seized their chance, scrambling for escape, but the creature's tail whipped through the air, catching Sammy and Vera. Pain exploded through Vera's body as she slammed into a wooden beam.

"Why did it leave?" Yazmina's voice seemed to come from far away.

"Not sure. Maybe it heard something it wanted more than us," Darius's response was muffled in Vera's ears.

The world began to tilt and spin around her as she stumbled toward the group. The night sky's blue hues swirled and merged, darkness creeping in at the edges of her vision until consciousness slipped away entirely.

𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘳𝘪 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴！
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Two post in two hours? I am so on a roll! I will be posting the gifs later on tonight I just want to finish writing first. There was an episode between this chapter and the last chapter but I skipped it because Ben wasnt even in it. Maybe after I finish the book I'll go in and write a fill in chapter so you guys can see some solo time with Ben. Anyways thanks for all the love and support! Love you all!!

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©-CRETACEOUS , 2025