"Run!"

All hell broke loose as the panicking hunters began to bolt. But this only served to trigger the theropods' prey response, and they began to charge!

Roland Tembo, however, had other things in mind rather than retreat as he rallied Ajay and a dozen gunmen armed with rifles and machine guns. "You men, come with me!"

Under the Great White Hunter's command, the men stood shoulder to shoulder, firearms at the ready as they faced the oncoming Carnotaurs.

Nick was one of the first to notice these sudden turns of events. "What the hell are you doing?!"

The Kratt Brothers' eyes widened in panic as they raced back to the armed forces. Sarah quickly joined them.

"No wait!"shouted Martin.

"Don't shoot!" warned Chris.

"Oh spare us the sentimental nonsense, tree huggers!" Dieter snapped over his shoulder as he took aim at the fast approaching predators. "These beasts are about to eat lead!"

Tembo's eyes betrayed no emotions as he gave the order.

"Fire."

Shots and volleys rang out over the plains. But to everyone's shock and horror, the rampaging Carnotaurus seemed unaffected by the bullets and charged with renewed vigor. More shots were fired, but this seemed to only further enrage the beasts who were now coming closer!

"What the hell?!"one of the mercenaries shouted in disbelief.

"These demon lizards won't die!"

"That's what we've been trying to tell you! Carnotaurs have incredibly thick skin!" Chris informed.

"The bullets are only making them angrier!"the redhead warned.

Roland quickly read the signs, before using his Nitro Express to fire a shot at one of the Carnotaurs, felling the beast while briefly startling the others. These powerful bullets were not meant for those monsters, but the safety of his party came first. "Fall back!"he ordered, quickly reloading the magazines. "Ajay, Dieter, get everyone out of here!"

The two creature adventurers, however, raced in the direction of the surviving carnivores, much to everyone's astonishment over the apparent insanity.

"What are you guys doing?!"shouted Sarah.

"You guys go!" urged the Kratt in green, leaving no room for argument. "We'll distract them!"

"Hey!"cried Martin, waving his arms at one of the carnivorous dinosaurs, which appeared to be the alpha male. "Speed Demon! Over here!"

Chris cast his brother a questioning look. "Speed Demon?"

The older Kratt simply shrugged. "Why not? He's fast and he's got the horns of a–Whoah!"

The pair had just enough time to jump out of the way as the newly named Speed Demon snapped his jaws in the spot where they previously stood. After shaking the dust from his gnarled face, the thirty-foot predator gave chase, followed by three more of his kind.

"I think we've definitely got their attention now!"panted Martin, not daring to look back.

"They can't follow us both if we split up!"replied Chris, holding a distinctive feather in one hand while the other went for his activation button.

"Activate Peregrine Falcon Power!"

In a blinding flash of green, the younger Kratt once again transformed into a sleek bird of prey as he now spread his wings to take off. His talons were barely off the ground when SNAP! the salivating jaws of death narrowly missed, taking only a mouthful of feathers.

"Ahhh! My tail feathers!"

Once airborne, the Green Falcon glided over the heads of his pursuer, careful to stay just out of reach of the Carnotaurs' snapping jaws yet low enough that they didn't lose interest.

"Aww c'mon!"the older Kratt cried out indignantly, seeing his brother being able to fly while he himself was literally running for his life with two horned monsters hot on his tail!

While Martin and Chris continued their diversion, the rest of the party wasted no time in making a speedy getaway, putting as much distance between them and the voracious flesh-eaters as possible. But they hadn't gotten far when–

"They're coming!"

Alerted by a bloodcurdling roar, Malcolm dared to look over his shoulder to see three of the horned theropods quickly closing in from behind! Before any of the hunters in the rear could mount a defense, the Carnotaurus charged headlong into the crowd, and it was all they could do to scramble out of its path. But not all were fortunate; the dinosaur's first strike sent one mercenary flying like a rag doll before falling back to earth with a crash. The carnivore sprang upon the poor man in a flash, devouring the shrieking form now blotted out by the tall grass and his attacker's massive shape. Another spontaneous attack, another man taken, this time caught in a deadly tug of war as two Carnotaurs fought for the prize, and in a split-second, he disappeared between their teeth. The mathematician quickly shielded his daughter's frightened eyes away from the carnage while urging her to keep moving.

"Don't look back!"

At the rear of the retreating group, Gourmand panted as he struggled to keep up. Hunters were falling like flies around him, but the illegal chef could care less; as far as he was concerned, it was every man for himself.

"Gotta–think of somethin' fast, or else I'm gonna be the one that's on the menu,"he panted to himself. The Carnotaurs were closing fast and he did not want to be last in line. Just then, his line of sight fell upon the rear of the group where two men were carrying an injured one in a stretcher. Broken leg perhaps? The chef didn't care. He saw his chance and took it.

"Outta the way!" A flash of white bowled over the physicians carrying Eddie Carr, knocking their charge to the ground. "Hey! What the–oof!" The pair rushed to save their patient, only to be halted by an oncoming Carnotaurus, its shortened muzzle stained with crimson. Seeing the charging dinosaur, two physicians knew that they couldn't save Eddie's life without endangering their own, and were forced to retreat, leaving the injured tech expert to his fate.

"Fresh meat! Come an' get it!"hollered Gourmand as he rang a triangular dinner bell. Alerted by the noise, the predatory dinosaur halted his onslaught before locking eyes on the defenseless technician who paled in terror.

Back with the Kratt Brothers, the two creature adventurers continued to distract Speed Demon and his posse as best they could, completely unaware of the danger that the others were in. In the air, Chris utilized his abilities of flight to keep out of range of the Carnotaurs' snapping jaws, sometimes dive-bombing over their heads in a flurry of wings and claws. On the ground, Martin, for the most part, was doing what any sane man in his situation would do.

"Ahhhhhhh!" With two carnivorous dinosaurs snapping at his heels, the Kratt in blue ran as he had never ran before, never looking back, never running in a straight line, but always running in zigzags and last minute turns, getting him one step ahead of his pursuers. Here's a handy survival tip: When being chased by a Carnotaurus, try giving it the slip with some quick turns, Sarah mentally lectured. Powerful thigh muscles connected to the dinosaurs' thick, muscular tails helped make them formidable sprinters. But this came at the price of their agility, for the vertebrae in their tails were too tightly interlocked to permit sudden turns.

But even with that advantage, the Kratt in blue knew that he couldn't run forever. His lungs were burning, his heart was hammering and his pace was slowing significantly for the Carnotaurs to close in. This was neither the time nor the place for a rest stop, but what choice did he have? Suddenly he remembered something.

Then why run at all? he thought with a sly grin.

The Carnotaurus chasing Chris suddenly lost interest, much to the Green Falcon's confusion. The avian gasped in horror as he saw all four of them making a beeline straight for–

"Martin! What are you doing?! Run!"

If Martin heard him, he gave no indication as he stood confidently before the four theropods bearing down upon him, a massive serrated tooth held in his grasp.

"Activate T-rex Power!" In the blink of an eye, the scrawny human being transformed into a toothy tower of terror. The oncoming Carnotaurs jolted as they swerved wildly to avoid the even bigger, deadlier predator that suddenly materialized in their path.

"Payback time."

Now the tables had turned as Martin Rex gave chase to the fleeing Carnotaurus who scattered in all directions, roaring and snapping his jaws to drive them away.

Seeing that his brother had everything under control, the green avian soared over the open grasslands to rejoin the the traveling party somewhere down below. Reaching them, the sight that greeted his binocular vision was complete and utter chaos; the survivors were tightly packed in a circle with hunters' guns pointed outward, the only line of defense against two Carnotaurus circling them like wolves herding sheep. A hundred yards away, another horned predator was advancing upon a wounded straggler crawling in the grass.

Chris' eyes widened in shock as he recognized the wounded man.

"Eddie!" There wasn't a moment to waste. "Hang on, Eddie. I'm coming!" Closing his wings, the creature adventurer let gravity take over, falling like a green torpedo towards his intended target. Just as he was close to landing, he spread out his wings, outstretched talons grabbing the Carnotaurus by the horns, causing the beast to roar in anger before lashing out at its new adversary. "That's right, big guy. Eyes on me!"

Not far away, the surviving hunters held their ground against the marauding Carnotaurus

If they ran, they would only die tired and helpless against the rending fangs and tenacity of their enemies. Their options were limited. They were tired, trapped, and the rest of the pack would close in at any minute to finish them off. If today was their last day, they might as well go out with guns blazing.

Huddled within the phalanx of rifles were men who were injured from the attacks along with Ludlow, Ian, Nick, Kelly, Laura and Sarah. While the men cowered within their safety zone (the businessman especially..), the mathematician safeguarding his daughter while the photographer silently filmed the carnage outside, the African ranger had her Hunga Munga axes held in readiness while the paleontologist scanned the outside for any possible solutions, any means for them to escape. Seeing Chris flying overhead gave her hope that the Kratt Brothers were alive and on their way to save the day. But it seemed that things were happening beyond their control and Eddie was missing.

Sarah's eyes darted in all directions until she looked out to the plains several hundred yards away, where a herd of horned dinosaurs were grazing. There were probably twenty or more, the older animals about the size of large rhinos. Instead of horns like other ceratopsians, their skulls bore massive, flattened bosses; a large boss over the nose and a smaller one over the eyes. A prominent pair of curved horns grew from the frill and extended upwards, and two smaller spikes jutted out from the center of their crests, not unlike the horns of a unicorn. The paleontologist recognized these thick nosed dinosaurs in a heartbeat.

"Pachyrhinosaurus!"

Plan forming in her mind, Sarah suddenly bolted from the clustered group, running straight for the herd, thoughtless of one of the startled Carnotaurus who gave chase to the straggler.

"Sarah, come back!" The mathematician was about to race after her when Laura had already beaten him to it, taking off in Sarah's direction.

Alerted by a piercing shriek, the paleontologist looked over her shoulder, then wished she hadn't as a hungry Carnotaur came bearing down upon her, snapping its ravenous jaws. Deep down, Sarah knew that she wasn't going to be able to outrun her pursuer, but part of her refused to acknowledge defeat as she urged herself to keep running. Even as the predator's footsteps came closer and closer, its hot breath assaulting the back of her neck.

Fortunately however, the salivating teeth never touched her soft flesh as the Carnotaurus roared in pain as a Hunga Munga throwing axe buried itself into the beast's left flank. Once again one step ahead of the carnivorous dinosaur, the paleontologist glanced to her left to see the African ranger racing alongside her.

"C'mon! I have an idea!"

The two women made a mad dash towards the herd of Pachyrhinosaurus, which had grown more agitated with the Carnotaur's presence. In response, the adult Pachyrhinos formed a circle, heavily armored heads facing outward to protect the vulnerable young, bellowing and roaring at the predator's approach, shaking their frills menacingly. "We need to scatter the herd!"the redhead shouted over the roaring pandemonium.

"Umeipata!"the blonde nodded in understanding before shouting and waving at the herd. Sarah did likewise, in addition to striking the ceratopsians' hindquarters with the staff borrowed from Laura in an attempt to goad them on like cattle. Bewildered by these noisy, bothersome creatures, the animals slowly began to give way and break ranks. Extra motivation came in the form of light cuts and pricks from the ranger's shotel sword on their flanks, causing them to flinch and moan in pain and annoyance, but thanks to their thick hides, they were no more wounded than cows bitten by determined tsetse flies. Progress was becoming gratingly slow as the Pachyrhinosaurus herd tried to reform and regroup.

"Stubborn beasts, these guys."Laura remarked, wiping her brow; she was sweating from the heat of the animals' warm bodies. In that moment, Sarah removed the raptor whistle from her pocket. Moments later, the entire herd exploded in panic to run away from the nonexistent Velociraptors who had somehow breached their defenses. Thinking fast, Laura clambered onto the broad back of the herd leader, a huge scarred bull, extending a hand to Sarah. The redhead smiled, taking the blonde ranger's hand without hesitation.

At first, the ceratopsian snorted as he bucked and thrashed in an attempt to dislodge his unwanted passengers until Laura used the branches of her remaining axe to hook over the bull Pachyrhino's frill like a goad, ceasing his struggles. With the beast now under her control, Laura steered the patriarch straight towards the oncoming Carnotaurus! The Pachyrhinosaurus met the Carnotaurus head on, the force of the four-ton vegetarian knocking the predator off its feet. Jaws snapping furiously, the fallen carnivore struggled to rise, only to be trampled underfoot by the weight of the stampeding herd.

Back on the front lines, the hunters awaited the inevitable clash when to their astonishment, their attacker suddenly turned tail and ran away in the opposite direction.

"What just happened?"

As if in answer to Ludlow's question, the sound of thundering hoof beats was heard before all eyes looked out to the horizon to see clouds of dust and formidably armored frills of an oncoming herd of thick-nosed horned dinosaurs. The sheer sight filled the hunters' hearts with terror as the hornheads were moving in too fast to possibly avoid.

"Stampede!"

But fortunately for the survivors, the herd wheeled around them with surprising grace for animals of their size. And to everyone's amazement, Sarah and Laura were riding on the leader's back, with the others following in tow.

"This is where we get off!"the ranger shouted over a roaring pandemonium of the thundering dinosaurs. Sarah nodded, before jumping off their mount back to the huddled hunters. The ranger was the next to jump, throwing caution to the wind as she dismounted her eight thousand-pound armored steed, leaping straight into the air.

"She's gonna do a superhero landing. Wait for it!" Nick announced, video camera at the ready. In that moment, she touched down on solid ground, into the well known three-point stance. "Whoo! Superhero landing! Y'know, that's really hard on your knees." The cameraman's applauding came to a halt upon seeing the incredulous looks of his peers. "What?"

"Quick! While the Carnos are distracted, let's go!"the African ranger urged the dumbfounded men. Without further hesitation, then survivors hurried to put as much distance as possible, but not before Laura retrieved her missing axe from the trampled and battered remains of the fallen Carnotaurus.

Back on the plains, Chris continued to bombard the Carnotaurus from above, keeping the creature's focus away from an injured Eddie all the while avoiding the snapping jaws.

Where on earth is Martin? The green falcon thought as he tucked his wings for another aerial assault. This time however, the horned theropod was ready. Chris had just preparing another dive bomb attack when the Carnotaurus rammed the green avian dead center in the chest, sending him flying over to the tech expert.

"Oww. Peregrine Falcon Powers are not the right powers for confronting a Carnotaurus."

"Go!"cried Eddie. "You guys gotta leave me!"

Chris desperately shook his head. "We're not going anywhere without you!"

A loud roar reminded the pair of their current predicament as the horned predator circled around, considering his options.

"Hold on, let me find my Triceratops horn. Let's see, Triceratops horn, Triceratops horn? It's gotta be here somewhere." The Kratt in green searched his entire person, but could not find what he was looking for. After a fruitless search in his backpack, Chris' eyes widened in dread, remembering a certain detail. "Oh no!"

"What?"

"I must have lost it during the T-rex battle!"

But fortunately for the pair, help was at hand, in the form of a stampeding herd of Pachyrhinosaurus. The presence of these armored vegetarians was enough to put the Carnotaurus on edge as they thundered between him and his prey.

Just then, an idea hatched in Chris' mind. "I got it! Don't move, Eddie. I'll be right back!" With that, the creature adventurer reactivated his Peregrine Falcon form and flew in the direction taken by the ceratopsians.

"Do I really have a choice?" Eddie asked sardonically.

Given his speed, it didn't take green avian long before he soared directly over the herd, now beginning to slow down. He presently glided over a straggling animal at the rear, a young cow perhaps. This was the chance Chris was looking for.

"You're not a Triceratops, but it'll have to do." After inserting the Triceratops Power Disk in his vest, he touched the Pachyrhino's right flank. "Activate Pachyrhinosaurus Power!"

Meanwhile the injured technician was flat on his back, at the mercy of the thirty-foot carnivore, its salivating jaws came slowly closer, nostrils sniffing, savoring the scent of the meal to come.

Where the hell are you, Chris?

Eddie knew that escape was impossible as he shielded his eyes, waiting for the final blow when—

"Hey! Pick on someone your own size!"a familiar voice shouted, bringing the tech expert out of his horrified stupor. The Carnotaurus heard it too and halted his advances... before a hulking green figure charged out of nowhere, getting itself between him and his intended prey. The green figure in question, a quadruped, pawed the ground with his front feet, lowering a massive, armored head with a snort. The creature turned to look back for a brief moment, revealing a familiar face.

"Hi, Eddie!"

"Hey, Chris," The tech expert chuckled dryly in spite of their current predicament. "Boy am I glad to see you. What the hell took you so long?"

If ceratopsians could shrug their shoulders, the Kratt in Pachyrhino form would have surely done so. "Better late than never,"

The horned carnivore roared in anger as he charged head on, only to be rammed in the torso by a heavily reinforced nasal boss. For every attack the Carnotaur made, Chris was able to defend and counter attack with his maneuverability and the weaponry given by the creature power suit's biological magic.

"Even though Pachyrhinos don't have horns," the green Pachyrhinosaurus grunted to no one in particular, caught in a shoving match with his carnivorous opponent, "they make up for it with the thick boss on their nose that they can use– as a battering ram!" Chris' strength prevailed over the predator as he used his bony nose to ram the Carnotaurus along his left flank, knocking the predator off of his feet.

Handicapped by his vestigial arms, the horned theropod snarled and snapped his jaws furiously as he struggled to stand, clawed feet kicking violently while his new enemy stood guard over what was rightfully his. The instant the Carnotaurus was back on his feet, the beast bellowed a warning before charging straight for the offending herbivore.

Chris was quick to answer the challenge. "Geronimo!" The Pachyrhinosaurus lowered his head, eyes narrowed behind his visor, before galloping full speed at his opponent. The result was a collision course of horn and fang.

While the titans dueled, a silvery flash caught the corner of Eddie's eye. Upon recognition, the technician smirked before he crawled over to the shining object hidden within the grass.

This guy just doesn't know when to quit, thought a frustrated Chris as horns clashed with nasal boss, neither side showing any signs of backing down.

"Back— off!" Fueled by his frustration and anger, the younger Kratt gave a powerful shove which caused the Carnotaurus to fall on his back with a THUD!

"It looks like he's just about had enough!"said Eddie, who propped himself with the help of a discarded air rifle. True to the technician's words, the horned carnivore began to back away. Perhaps this prey was much more trouble than it was worth. Chris, for his part, bellowed the rumbling, baritone roar of a victorious Pachyrhinosaurus.

"And don't come back! C'mon, Eddie! We're riding out of here!"

Suddenly, in a cruel twist of fate, the green ceratopsian found himself enveloped in a blinding flash of light. Once cleared, a horrified Chris found himself in his regular form. The Carnotaurus tilted his head in confusion; where did the Pachyrhinosaurus go?

"Wha–what just happened?!" stammered Eddie from his place behind the Kratt in green.

"Uh oh! The transformation didn't hold up."came the reply. "Yikes."

Encouraged by the ceratopsian's sudden disappearance, the defeated carnivore once again turned his attention to his intended quarry, now joined by a second meal. In a sudden burst of speed, the ravenous Carnotaurus descended upon them with open jaws!

"Chris, get behind me!"urged Eddie, raising his head and his rifle to the oncoming threat.

"What're you doing?!"the younger Kratt questioned incredulously.

"Returning the favor,"the injured tech expert replied. "Now get behind me!"

"But his skin is too thick! I don't think you could even hurt him!"

Eddie did not answer as he steadied his aim. God I hope this works, thought the technician as the Carnotaurus came closer by the second. The horned predator was now within striking distance as he lunged forward with a diabolical shriek. The terrified technician screamed as he forced his eyes shut while the creature adventurer shielded his eyes with raised arms.

He pulled the trigger.

The Carnotaur's beady eyes popped wide as the dart slammed into the back of his throat. White foam appeared at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes rolled back. The beast began to twitch, gurgling as his body went into spasms until he crashed to the ground with a THUD!

Then stillness claimed the Carnotaurus.

"What was in those darts?"asked Chris after a moment of silence, wide eyed as his mind was still processing what had just occurred. That was a close one.

"Enhanced– venom of the– South Sea c-cone-shell." Eddie replied, his heart pounding from the close call.

"Right. The cone-shell."the zoologist said as realization dawned upon him. "A type of predatory sea snail that uses a hypodermic needle–like modified radula tooth, or harpoon, and a venom gland to attack and paralyze its prey before engulfing it. Deadly to humans." The creature adventurer then approached the downed beast with caution before gently tapping the horned head. It didn't move. It didn't even breathe. All color and life had left its glassy eyes which stared into nothingness.

"He's– dead."

The tech expert heaved a regretful sigh. "It– it was either him or us." Engrossed by the dead Carnotaurus, neither one of them noticed Martin Rex until his gargantuan shadow loomed over them.

"You guys need a lift?"

"Martin!"the younger Kratt exclaimed in both excitement and relief.

"Boy, are we glad to see you,"said Eddie.

The group continued to run, not daring to look back where they had come; devilish roars in the distance meant that they were surely still being hunted and pursued by their relentless enemies. It would be another few miles to get to the safety of the trees, and in this open landscape, there were few places to hide. Options limited, they continued to run. But it would only be a matter of time before the Carnotaurus caught up them. Just then, Roland's sharp eyes made out several large gray shapes over the rise. The outdoorsman took the shapes for a massive rock formation until he noticed the rocks were moving.

He wasn't the only one; as the fleeing party came closer, they all saw that the rock formation was actually made up of living creatures, and they were huge.

"Apatosaurus!" Burke exclaimed, no less amazed than everyone else who gawked wide eyed at the thundering giants. Even from a distance, the herd of lumbering sauropods was massive; numbering twenty or more, the largest animals were as long as tennis courts, and weighed well over thirty tons. Their skulls, which were small in relation to their colossal size, rested on long muscular necks, and elongated whiplike tails swayed ever slowly behind them. Even the smallest ones were the size of elephants. And trailing the herd was the flock of Dryosaurus, undoubtedly seeking refuge among these giants.

For the Great White Hunter, the choice was simple. "This way!"he shouted, leading his charge toward the herd of gigantic fortresses of flesh, which presented a formidable barrier to predators no matter how big. The living mountains paid the humans little mind as they simply continued their way slowly, the earth shaking with their titanic footsteps. The humans, for their part, weaved through and between the living forest of pillar like legs to avoid being kicked or trampled underfoot by a careless misstep. But for the most part, they were now safe.

"We should umm... we should be safe here." Malcolm panted, catching his breath.

Sarah nodded. "The Carnotaurs know better than to bite off more than they can chew."

And not a moment too soon; racing over the hill, the remaining Carnotaurus came charging in, following the trail of their prey. But their arrival had not gone unnoticed by the towering multitudes of eyes. Loud, baritone bellows sounded across the plains as the Apatosaurs stood their ground, heads held high, their whiplike tails swinging menacingly. The very ground shook and shuddered as dozens of mighty feet stomped in warning. Seeing the impenetrable wall of gray, the horned predators halted their advances as the older animals wisely gave the giants a wide berth.

But hunger outweighed judgment for one reckless juvenile who dashed forward with open jaws upon spotting a chink in the armor. The young theropod didn't get far as he was intercepted by a hulking behemoth towering two or three stories above him. The Apatosaurus bellowed loudly, producing thundering cracks in the air with its elongated tail which caused the predator to jolt with fright. Within the living fortress, the humans had to cover their ears to block out the noise. Several more lightning cracks of the whip sent the Carnotaur scurrying back to the pack, warbling in helpless defeat; this meal was definitely not worth the trouble of arousing the wrath of the towering titans. The others held back, looking for any stragglers.

"Keep up! Don't fall behind!"the Great White hunter ordered, keeping pace with the herd. The men didn't need to be told twice.

The Apatosaurs began to trumpet once again, some shifting their feet almost as though they were uncomfortable. It was all the humans could do to keep from getting trampled underfoot.

"Oh now what?!"Gourmand grumbled in annoyance.

"Something's coming over the rise!" Dieter announced, and all eyes turned to where the second in command pointed. "Whatever it is, must be really bad if it's got them spooked."

The research team pulled out their binoculars to get a closer look.

"Hey, aren't those–" the paleontologist, however, was quick to cut Nick off, "It's the guys!"

"And they got Eddie!" Laura interjected.

Thundering across the plains was none other than Martin Rex, with Chris riding his back and Eddie gently rested safe and secure in his open jaws.

Despite the protests of Roland and the hunters, the trio left the safety of the herd to meet them.

"You did it. You crazy sons of bitches you did it!" Malcolm muttered to himself, shaking his head in mild disbelief, seeing no other option than to join them, with Kelly tagging close behind.

Upon spying the gargantuan T-rex charging their direction, the Carnotaurs made a hasty retreat until they became no more than specks over the horizon.

"Later, Speed Demon!" Martin called after them.

"Guys! Over here!" Hearing the chorus of familiar voices, the two creature adventurers and the technician turned their attention to the sight of their teammates running towards them.

"What the hell took you guys so long?"asked Nick.

"Sorry. Got held up by Speed Demon and his gang." Martin replied, all the while scanning the grasslands should the Carnotaurus and his posse return in full force.

Laura stifled a laugh. "Speed Demon? Really?"

"Then I guess that makes you the uhh... the 'Rexorcist'."muttered Malcolm sardonically, earning a chuckle from the blue Rex.

"Is everyone alright? Where are they?"asked Chris urgently once Martin lowered himself close enough to the ground to dismount.

"Over there with the longnecks."answered Kelly, pointing to the Apatosaurus herd.

"Any casualties?"

"The Carnotaurs... had taken three men." the African ranger replied solemnly, all too familiar with death. "And several more are injured." The two creature adventurers exchanged sad glances at the news; they had been entrusted with keeping the expedition safe and somehow they had failed.

Martin, however, was quick to look to the lighter side. "And Eddie here woulda been next if Chris and I hadn't saved him,"

"Eddie, are you okay?"asked Sarah in concern.

"Just peachy."replied the technician from inside the blue tyrannosaur's mouth.

"Let's get you down from there. Chini,"said Laura as she motioned for the blue T-rex to lower his head close to the ground.

"And Martin? You might want to deactivate from that T-rex." Sarah advised. "The Apatosaurs are getting nervous."

"And itchy fingers over there might just pull the trigger," the cameraman remarked, making no effort to hide his disdain for the big game hunter huddled somewhere among the herd.

Martin and Chris exchanged nervous glances; one had developed a wariness of firearms years back, and the other had no wish to be mounted on a wall. "Right."they agreed at once.

Once Eddie was safely lowered and held secure between the shoulders of Ian and Nick did the older Kratt touch his paw print icon. "Deactivate!" In a flash, Martin was once again in his proper form. Once Eddie was safely lowered and held secure between the shoulders of Ian and Nick, the team wasted no time in rejoining the others.

To say that the Kratt Brothers were ecstatic was a grave understatement. "Wow! Right in the center of a herd of Apatosaurus!"said Martin, staring up at the magnificent titans in childlike awe and wonder.

"One of the six species of sauropods on this island!" Chris added, no less fascinated

"Six?" Kelly wondered. "What are the other five?"

"Aside from Apatosaurus, Site B is also home to Camarasaurus," Chris answered, counting off species with his fingers.

Martin promptly joined in. "Mamenchisaurus,"

"Brachiosaurus,"

"Diplodocus,"

"And Dreadnoughtus." the zoologists concluded simultaneously.

Within the group, there was much discussion and disputes about the next course of action.

"Where do we continue from here?"

"Do we follow them?"

"Follow them of course!"

"My focus is on not being trampled!"

The redhead paleontologist and the two creature adventurers finally decided it was time to step in. "Apatosaurus are migratory animals, always on the move in search of food."Sarah informed.

"According to our research, their migration trails run throughout the island."Chris added.

Martin continued, "And given that we're in the middle of the rainy season and food is plentiful, I bet they're heading towards their nesting grounds to the south, which will take us right into the heart of Isla Sorna."

"Straight for the Operations building," Ludlow realized.

"Which is right where we wanna go."the Kratt in green concluded.

Roland needed no more persuasion. "Very well." Raising the volume of his voice, he addressed the rest of his posse, "Moving on! We follow the Apatosaurs!"

Not everyone was on board with the idea. "You gotta be pullin' my leg!"countered Gourmand, "We'll be Dino toe jam if we follow these lumbering lummox!" As if to emphasize the fry cook's argument, the forward swing of one careless stride kicked him from behind. "Yikes!" The force of the kick caused the screaming Gourmand to roll several yards before smashing face first into the heels of another, earning an annoyed groan from the giant in question. It was all the Wild Kratts team could do to keep themselves from laughing at the illegal chef's misfortune.

"Take it, or leave them."said Laura sternly, gesturing beyond the walls of hide and flesh, where the pack of Carnotaurus prowled no more than a hundred yards off, waiting to pick off those who were weak or lagging. Needless to say, Gourmand felt a chill running down his spine upon noticing the carnivores' hungry eyes, their maws stained with crimson; perhaps it was better to choose the lesser of the two evils.

"Huh?" Martin suddenly felt something shoving against his backpack. As the Kratt in blue turned around, his blue eyes were greeted by a small gray head curiously staring back at him. "Oh. Hey there, little guy." The 'little guy', however, raised his head to his full height until it hung more than ten feet clear over Martin's gaze. Martin gave a weak squeak. "Uhh... did I say little?"

He was soon joined by the rest of his group. "A baby Apatosaurus!"interjected Chris excitedly, as the young dinosaur once again lowered his head to sniff the older Kratt's face curiously. The sauropod took in the scent of this strange looking creature standing before him, hot breaths assaulting Martin's face until the baby breathed a strong SNORT! blowing his hair backwards.

"Or a sauropodlet!"he chuckled.

"That is one big baby," Kelly remarked, taking in the young dinosaur's full size. "He's as big as an elephant!"

"This one's a juvenile," Sarah observed, "probably about two years old, and already over nineteen feet long."

"But when he's fully grown, he'll be over eighty feet long and weigh over thirty tons!"said the Kratt in green.

"That's about as heavy as six African elephants,"commented the blonde ranger, hardly believing it herself. Elephants truly had nothing on these titans from another age.

The twelve-year old girl felt a soft nudge behind her. Kelly turned her head where she was greeted by the young Apatosaurus' strong breath as the sauropodlet nudged her once more, crooning a friendly chuff, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Hi, there."she replied, patting the herbivore's snout without hesitation. The young dinosaur purred on contact, eyes closed in bliss.

"I think he likes you."said Laura. For all their tremendous size and hulking appearance, the Apatosaurus seemed to be gentle giants.

"Hey, I've got an idea,"stated Martin with a snap of his fingers before whispering into Chris' ear. The younger Kratt immediately grinned from ear to ear, pulling a falcon feather from his pocket. Malcolm and Nick continued to carry the crippled technician between their shoulders when– "We'll take it from here," Eddie had little warning when a pair of human-sized falcons hoisted him off the ground by his shoulders.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!"

"Goooing up."was the only answer he got from the older Kratt who continued flapping his wings, ascending higher and higher until they came to a stop atop a grown Apatosaur's broad back. The titanic sauropod didn't seem to mind its passengers as it continued to lumber on slowly.

"Now just sit back and enjoy the ride." Although nervous at first, Eddie saw no trouble in heeding Martin's advice. He had to admit, it was quite a nice view from up here, and he didn't have to burden his team more than he had to. Down below, Ian and Nick were inwardly grateful to be relieved of their duties while Sarah gave the technician two thumbs up.

Kelly heaved a longing sigh. "Wish I could be up there,"

"Wish granted!" In that moment, Chris swooped down, snatching the girl from the ground, causing her to scream playfully until she found herself seated on a living platform, seeing the world through the eyes of a Jurassic titan.

Before the chaotician could object, Sarah gave him a light nudge. "Let her have her fun." Malcolm relented as they trudged along.

"Wow. This is so cool!" Kelly called out cheerfully. This beats horseback riding by a longshot, she thought. "You guys look like ants down there"the girl remarked playfully.

"Anybody else?"the blue avian invited with an infectious grin.

"Like I always say, why walk when you can ride?"said Nick, accepting the invitation, and in almost no time at all, he joined Kelly and Eddie on the gigantic moving platform. "Holy shi–cow." The photographer quickly corrected his language upon seeing Eddie's hard stare and remembering the twelve-year old in the immediate vicinity. "You can see everything from up here,"

Kelly smiled. "I know, right?"

Needless to say, it took a lot of convincing to urge a paranoid Malcolm to join them. After a while, the mathematician had to admit, this was better than walking. And after a little coaxing from Laura and the Kratt Brothers, Sarah's sense of adventure far outweighed her usual fear of heights, and she was seated against Ian's chest. Feeling safe and secure, the paleontologist's worries diminished as she nestled closer. For the first time that day, the usually pessimistic scientist allowed himself to beam a genuine smile.

The two falcons weaved in and around the herd, performing aerial maneuvers, flips and loop de loops in midair, the sky being the only limit. The expedition was once again on its way, but this time traveling in the shadow of giants.