The hall was narrow, the three of them rushing back the way they had come, Killian's boots scuffing the floor as he struggled for balance. The gun in his hand made him heavier on one side, biceps bulging under the rolled sleeves of his shirt as he gripped it and clung to Emma's hand with the other. He practically dragged her along, Henry completing the human train as he gripped his mother's sweaty fingers in a desperate attempt to keep up, his younger legs taking twice as many steps to stay with them. The door was in sight. Outside would be dangerous, Killian knew that, but the chances of them remaining alive whilst trapped inside a lab with a raptor who had tasted blood were very much against them.
The shattering of glass made Emma scream and she pinched her eyes closed as Killian tugged her arm a little too hard to stop her from advancing any more. Delta, having finished off her Walsh sized snack and hungry for more, burst through another pane, showering cubes of safety glass all across the hall in front of them. The dinosaur skidded awkwardly to a stop, scrambling for a foothold as Killian turned them all around and pushed Emma and Henry ahead of him, putting himself between them and Delta.
The raptor let out a screech, short and frustrated, something Killian had come to recognize from her as he had raised them. She had always been a bit of a troublesome youngster, too quick to react instead of thinking a problem through like her littermates. Killian used it to their advantage, using the time it took the man-height dinosaur to work out she couldn't chase them at full speed on the slippery, tiled floor to make their escape. The sound of their feet pounding the hard floor was lost in the thundering footsteps of Delta behind them, both echoing around them as the hall opened up into the visitor's center main lobby.
"This way!" Killian urged quickly, nodding his head towards the other side of the lobby.
Emma gave Henry another small push, making sure the boy was ahead of them both and running as fast as he could. Delta screeched again, closing in on her targets, and the sound reverberated around them, making Emma's skin crawl with a tingling sensation. Sweat beaded her brow and the top of her bosom, her skin clammy, sticking the vest she was wearing to her skin. Henry's hair had stuck to his forehead, adrenaline coursing through his body, but even though his vision was slightly cloudy from the room whizzing past his as he ran, his mind was as sharp as ever.
The middle of the room was where the visitor center had a holographic interactive dinosaur learning computer. Users needed to push a button to engage the learning module, complete with a life sized holographic version of the dinosaur they had chosen. As they ran passed it, Henry slapped an open palm to one of the glowing buttons, hoping, praying, that it would buy them some time. After a millisecond, the computer beeped and a full sized Dilophosaurus sprang up behind them, causing Delta to crane her neck back as she slid to a stop just in front of the dinosaur now in her path.
The hologram hissed, its neck frill flaring in aggression, something that since the first park opened, scientists had proved to be false. Henry ignored the inaccuracy because it had worked, Delta rearing and giving a screeching cry at the shaking dinosaur in front of her, claws ready to swipe as she began to circle sideways. The hologram didn't move, repeating the hissing action as a narrator talked from the speaker behind it. Delta let out a roar, jumping at the intruder who dared interrupt her hunt, only to come out on the other side of the blue shimmer confused. She spun on her heels, attempting the move again but to the same result, giving Killian, Emma and Henry enough time to reach the front doors and slip outside without her noticing.
The heavy wooden doors were rigged to close behind them, so Killian led the charge down the steps in long strides, only to rush head first into another of the raptors. Blue, with her distinctive coloured stripe down her neck and body, was standing to full attention in front of them, eyeing the man she saw as Alpha with two morsels. Her yap of excitement told Killian she was keen to share his spoils, thinking that he had brought her food, so he put himself between her and Emma and Henry, puffing his chest out. He knew it might not do any good, not with the Indominus around, and especially when he heard a bang on the doors behind them and Delta appeared at the top of the staircase in search of her lost quarry.
She roared, moving down the steps slowly, deliberately, eyes with slit like pupils fixed on Henry. Killian turned to her, towering over Emma and Henry as he stared her down, reducing her cries to nothing more than a hiss as she circled them with her blood stained maw still dripping with her last meal. Killian's grip on the gun tightened even more, his fingertips turning white as he instinctively lifted an arm to try and hold the raptors back, a move he would forever be weary of around Delta, but still hoping they understood his gesture.
The high pitched screech of a third raptor made Henry cry out, his small body bumping into his mother's as Echo appeared beside them, her sandy coloured tiger like stripes almost flashing brighter with her excitement at finding prey. She took a step towards them, Killian watching her out of the corner of his eye and Emma and Henry huddled up behind him, the gap between them and the three raptors becoming ever smaller as the reptiles formed a circle around them.
"So, that's how it's going to be, eh, ladies?" Killian said softly, keeping eye contact with Blue. Even after all the times he had been there for his girls, fought to keep them as wild as he could, he would never fault them for simply being themselves. If they tore him limb from limb, he would never blame them. It was their nature, a nature that man had no right trying to tame.
The beta raptor growled, the sound in her throat more than anywhere else as she took a step towards the three of them. Delta and Echo were in attack formation, closing in on both sides, so there was no escape. Blue made an odd crackling sound again, her pupils dilating and her eyes flashing in the overhead lights as Killian slowly leaned sideways to put his gun down. The muzzle touched the ground first and without breaking eye contact with his beta, Killian let the barrel slide along the pavement until he had no choice but to drop the gun the rest of the way. The stock hit the floor with a clattering sound and he righted himself, face to face with Blue.
She had calmed somewhat, seeming to have her own internal conflict about the situation laid out in front of her. Her sisters cawed and screeched, eager to sink their teeth into what they saw before them, but they wouldn't until Blue gave the word. And Killian knew it. His face was so close to Blue's that each time she breathed, the hot, putrid air from her nostrils fogged his face. She blinked, a small affectionate grunting noise coming from the back of her throat as she simply watched her Alpha, a silence falling between them that made Emma start to shiver and sweat even more than the humidity had made her already.
Killian closed the gap even more, slowly raising his hand, trying to abstain from shaking. Blue's lips curled back in a low growl of warning, her eyes flicking towards his hand as Killian moved it higher still, almost touching her snout. Blue snapped, not really meaning anything by it other than another warning that Killian promptly ignored.
"There, lass," he whispered smoothly and Emma wondered how his voice managed to remain so even. "Easy."
Blue snorted but allowed his advance. Killian watched her, knowing that he would have no time to respond now if she decided to change her mind about being amicable. He lifted his arm a little higher, moving to the back of Blue's head, her beady eye swivelling in its socket as his palm made contact with the ridges of her reptilian skin and she let out a human-like groan.
"Easy," Killian whispered, his words almost inaudible to Emma who clutched Henry to her even harder.
Blue relaxed a little, blinking her eyes a few more times as he growling turned into a purr at Killian's touch, the approval of her Alpha all she was seeking. Killian's fingertips reached the lock keeping Blue's headcam fixed to her head and turned the mechanism towards himself, the click and snap of an opening buckle making Blue rear back a little. Her movement dislodged the head strap and the weight of the camera pulled it free, and it hit the ground with a smashing glass sound.
Blue simply purred again, the offending item now gone where it had previously been such an aggravation. Her eyes softened, subtly, so subtly that only he would have noticed, and Killian's lips ticked up at the corners as he slowly lowered his arm.
"There, that's better, isn't it, lass?" He quirked an eyebrow at the raptor in front of him and Blue's lips rippled a little, something Killian's recognized she only did when she was pleased.
They all stiffened when a roar sounded out from in front of them, morphing into a growl. Emma could barely stop herself shaking with fear, her eyes glazed over and fixed on the darkness. The raptors were one thing, but this growl was from something much larger, something more dangerous, unmistakably the Indominus Rex. Her hand wrapped around Henry's so hard that he winced in pain from her fingernails, not even really noticing when his eyes fixed onto the ripple of water in the puddles as huge footsteps grew louder.
Blue whipped around, her tail almost slapping across Killian's abdomen as the Indominus Rex appeared from around the side of a kiosk, the strewn chairs becoming a mess of mangled metal under her feet. The ground shook as she stepped forward, long, steady strides than made the ground beneath their feet feel like it was moving out from under them. Delta and Echo both switched positions too, still at Killian, Emma and Henry's side, but now obediently focused on the much larger dinosaur approaching them.
The Indominus took a few more steps before coming to a stop and letting out a roar, the stench of rotten meat and fish coating them all in a fine mist from her breath where she was so close. Blue reared up, seeming to make herself higher, shielding Killian's view. He was frozen in place, arm still outstretched as if he could control the huge, part raptor dinosaur just as he could with his own raptors, eyes burning with the need to blink where he was so focused on the threat in front of them.
The Indominus made a chirping noise, the size of her vocal cords making the sound much deeper and almost like a cough, but Killian knew it was unmistakably her trying to communicate with the raptors. More short barks followed, her massive jaws opening just a tad each time, her tails whipping to the side furiously and her claws clenching her hands into spiky fists as she spoke to her kin. Killian wasn't a stupid man, and after their interaction in the forest, he knew exactly what she was trying to say. When Blue turned to face him with a hiss of her own, it was clear.
The Indominus wanted what Blue had. Three tasty bite-sized prizes.
Killian shifted his weight, inching back a little and letting his arm drop to his side. It wasn't up to him anymore. Blue let out a series of yips, high pitched and almost like toddler chatter as she took in Killian and let her lips curl. She was trying to tell him something, Killian knew it, but he had never been in this sort of situation before. All he knew was that her eyes were soft, the ripple of her lips along her mouths edge was a good sign, a happy sign, and he had to have faith in her.
He gave her a quick smile and she seemed to understand, blinking rapidly in excitement. Blue was asking what to do, what her alpha wanted her to do, and Killian couldn't stop the smirk on his face as he blinked, refocusing his gaze on the Indominus, and Blue instantly spun to face the Indominus with a screeching roar. Ragefully, the huge dinosaur roared back, the sound vibrating right through them where they stood, as she lunged forward and headbutted Blue out of the way, sending the smaller dinosaur flying into a nearby concrete pillar.
Blue's body hit the hard surface so hard that the concrete crumbled like sand, exposing the metal rebars inside the column. Her tail flew out and hit a window, shattering the glass that spilled out onto the floor and created a bed of shards that her lifeless body fell onto. Blue lay still, the brightness in her yellow eyes disappearing as her eyelids closed and she exhaled hard. Killian had to rein in his emotions, turning back to face the Indominus with a renewed hatred for the hybrid as, satisfied with her actions, she took a menacing step towards them.
Killian's arms flew out to the side and he tried to shield Emma and Henry as best he could, stumbling a little over a crack in the floor as he eased backwards and they moved with him. Emma began to cry harder, a whimper in her voice that he knew she was trying to hide from her son. Henry clutched the back of Killian's shirt, pulling the material so it felt tight against his shoulder, but Killian ignored it. He stared down the rex, another huge step closer making him seem even more imposing than she already did, when Delta suddenly let out an almighty cry from beside them.
Killian's head whipped sideways, watching Delta as she squatted low and tensed her claws against the ground. Echo joined in, mirroring her sister and roaring at the Indominus, the sound of the water fountain behind her lost in the sound. They were ready to attack, their claws flexing on their front feet eagerly, whole bodies tensed to the maximum so that every single one of their muscles was visible to their enemy. Killian's stomach dropped and he inched another step backwards with Emma and Henry, knowing exactly what was about to transpire.
The raptors were asking permission from him, their Alpha.
Killian took a huge breath, steadying himself, before curling his bottom lip under his teeth and then whistling as hard as he could. The sound came out, thankfully, louder than all of the commotion around them, and the two raptors moved instantly. Echo was quicker, racing towards the Indomnius as low to the ground as she could, gaining as much speed as her legs would allow, before leaping into the air with an attack cry and sinking her claws into the side of the Indominus Rex. The larger reptile roared, trying to dislodge the smaller one, but Echo held on, tearing into the Indominus' shoulder and sinking her jaws into the ridged bumps along her spine.
Delta was quick to join her sister, leaping onto the rex's neck and digging at the skin there like a terrier, her claws effortlessly slicing through to the bone. With another angry bellow, the Indominus spun around, trying to dislodge her two attackers, disoriented and confused by their sudden mutiny. She tried to reach them, jerking her head backwards but unable to grab ahold of either of them, her claws ripping into her own skin as she changed tactics and tried to pull them off that way.
Whilst the dinosaurs were distracted, Killian saw their opportunity to reach safety, grabbing his gun for good measure. He grabbed Emma's hand, knowing she would grab onto Henry's too, and pulled with all his might, racing out of the situation under the tail of the Indominus Rex. Her tail swung around behind them, narrowly missing Henry as she smashed one of the fountains, sending shards of glass and droplets of water everywhere. Henry broke free from his mother, taking the lead and vaulting over the counter of a nearby kiosk, Emma following suit and both of them landing inside with a grunt.
Killian circled around the dinosaur in front of him, her piercing screech tearing through his ears like a needle. He ignored it, lifting the rifle to his face for stability and better accuracy as he looked down the iron sights and pulled the trigger. The muzzle of his gun flashed with orange, the short bursts of bullets hitting the Indominus right where he had aimed, more blood flowing out of the creature as she cried out in fury. The sound of the raptors pulling at her flesh made him pause, swallowing hard and trying to ignore the fact that they were probably too far gone to recall now. He had to be careful, lest they turn on him too.
The Indominus changed her stance, attempting to remove the two dinosaurs ripping into her flesh by dipping low to the ground. Her tail flew up, narrowingly missing Killian as he took shelter behind another fountain, the giant, orange glass sculpture a replica of a mosquito stuck in amber. He leaned against the glass, the material cold on his back, and fumbled with the mechanism of his gun, trying to reload the rifle with one eye on what was going on behind him. He took his eyes off the dinosaurs for a second, unable to reload the weapon without looking, and then looked up to see one of his raptors slide across the wet ground in front of him.
Echo righted herself quickly, almost coming to a stop outside of the small shop Henry and Emma were huddled inside for safety. Henry jumped a little, freezing to the spot he had made into a sort of teddy bear fort at the back of the kiosk. He was scared, but he couldn't stop thinking, his brain churning over and over with the same thought.
"We need more," he whispered to himself, counting on his fingers to confirm his thoughts.
"More what?" Emma spun to look at him from where she had been watching Killian over the counter and gave him a questioning frown. Henry nodded, half to himself and half to her, meeting her gaze.
"More teeth. We need more teeth," Henry said quickly, still short of breath from running.
A moment of confusion for Emma was followed by a moment of realisation. Of course. Henry was right. He was always right. They needed more teeth because the Indominus was full of them, her hybrid status making her more formidable than any other carnivore that had ever walked the earth. There was only one way they were going to defeat her, for good this time, and that was, indeed, with more teeth.
"Stay here," Emma whispered to her son, grabbing his face in her hands. Her thumbs brushed over his cheeks, wiping away the tears stains on his slightly red cherub cheeks. "I'll be back, I promise," she nodded. When Henry nodded back, Emma leaned forward and kissed his forehead, sealing her promise with the soft press of her lips to his skin.
Scrambling to her feet, Emma reached for the first aid box on the way. She slammed her hand against the latch, sending the lid falling until it hit a shelf, and grabbing the flare that was inside. She was going to need a little more help for her plan to work fully, so she also reached for the radio that each employee used to communicate around the park, the sound of static hissing from the speaker.
With a short, nervous breath that shook her entire body, Emma clambered over the kiosk counter, ignoring the sound of gunfire and the roaring shriek of the raptor that flew passed her and leapt back onto the back of the Rex once more. Killian watched, his brow pulling together in confusion, as Emma ran off into the darkness, the sound of her heels against the tarmac echoing into nothing as she got further away. He didn't know where she was going, and he didn't have time to find out before the Indominus shook the ground with another hefty step towards him.
Killian wasted no time when the opportunity to fire was so obvious, leaning against the yellow glass to stabilize himself and aiming straight at the massive reptile. One, two, three direct hits had her whirling around towards him, but she didn't have a chance to see him because Echo was back on her, crawling up her back and sinking her teeth into the back of the Indominus' neck. It was a fatal mistake, Echo's blood lust blinding her strategy because it gave the Indominus time to reach around and clamp the smaller raptor in her jaws.
Echo's high pitched shriek was cut short as her life ended, her body falling limp in the Indominus' maw before she was thrown through the window of another nearby kiosk. Killian wasn't sure what the kiosk was for, but when Echo's body hit a still burning gas barbecue style burner, the canister of gas exploded and engulfed the dead raptor in flames. The Indominus spun around on the spot, trying to reach the other dinosaur terrorizing her, and when she whipped her tail into the amber sculpture Killian was hiding behind, it sent him racing for somewhere else to hide.
Chunks of orange glass littered the ground around him but he managed to dodge them in an attempt to reach the kiosk where Henry was already hiding. Just as Killian leapt over the counter, hip sliding against the metal surface and the arm holding his gun held aloft to balance himself, the Indominus managed to snatch up Delta in her powerful jaws and flung her aside like she was nothing. Killian landed in the kiosk silently, crouching down in front of Henry and silencing the boy with a single finger that he pressed to his lips. He cast his eyes sideways as if he could look behind him when the rumbling snuffle of the Indominus reverberated through the air as she searched for more prey.
The kiosk was plunged into darkness, the Indominus casting a huge shadow over the whole area as she walked past. Her growl was different now, somewhat infuriated, and Henry swallowed hard as her huge head and eye appeared in his view. Her pupil narrowed and she let out a roar at having found what she was looking for, the whole kiosk rocking from side to side as she bashed into it with her bulk. Toys and other merchandise tumbled from the shelves overhead, hitting both Henry and Killian, who had tried to shield the boy as much as he could with his bigger bulk.
Killian would die for Henry, he was pretty sure of it in that moment. He wasn't his boy, but Killian understood what people said when they loved a child so unconditionally that they would be willing to sacrifice themselves for that child's life. If the Indominus wanted Henry, she would have to go through him. Henry screamed, his voice so high pitched that the sound reminded Killian of just how young the boy was and how real his fear would manifest at that age. Killian cradled him in his arms, trying to cover his view, but when the Indominus punched a hole into the side of the kiosk and tried to claw them out with her scythe like fingers, Henry screamed even louder.
Killian pulled Henry with him as he flattened himself to the opposite wall, bunching the boy in his arms. The rex reached in further, one of her fingers nearly catching Henry's leg, but Killian was too quick. He pulled Henry closer still, the razor sharp talon just missing the boy's flesh and scoring a line into the concrete floor as she withdrew it, the sound of Henry's cries echoing in Killian's ears.
"Ruby! Ruby, can you hear me?" Emma yelled into the speaker of the radio in her hands. Her voice was jostled on account of her running so fast, and she nearly dropped it a few times, but when she released the button and heard Ruby's voice return, she was so relieved.
"Yes! Yes, I'm here!" Ruby answered enthusiastically, pressing the one speaker headset to her ear so she could make out Emma's words clearly. "Hey, where are you?" Ruby urged, eyes scanning the operations room as if Emma was there.
"I need you to open paddock 9," Emma ordered, feet pounding the pavement as she ran, her ankles aching in her high heels.
"Paddock 9?" Ruby asked quickly, frowning. She slid her wheeled chair sideways to the gate control panel and shook her head at what she was seeing. Paddock 9 was huge, industrially built to house one of the islands main assets. "Are you kidding?" Ruby squeaked, entering the override code but hovering her fingers over the enter button reluctantly.
"Ruby, just do it!" Emma repeated, looking directly at the camera next to the paddock gate that she was sure Ruby was watching. The not so distant roar of the Indominus made Emma's heart pound even harder in her chest and she gripped the flare in her hand even tighter. "Do it now!"
Ruby dropped her headset, fixing her gaze on the camera footage of Emma. She was dirty, ruffled hair and torn clothes, but definitely powerful as she stood outside the huge metal gates and stared into the camera defiantly. Emma tossed the walkie aside, the plastic device disappearing off the screen as Ruby fought with herself internally. Opening paddock 9 could be disastrous, and she had no idea what Emma was thinking, but she had to trust her. Emma wasn't just her boss, but her friend, so with a grimace, Ruby touched the enter button on the screen and a siren sounded to warn of the gate opening.
There was a red light beside the gate's keypad and it flashed and spun around in its little dome. A claxon sounded out and Emma took deeper breaths, hoping the shake in her legs would not hinder her plan in any way. She pulled the lid of the flare, a bright, red flame shooting from the end and bathing the whole area in a glow like a warning beacon. The smell of the flare filled Emma's nostrils but she ignored it, watching, waiting, fighting her flight response as the four foot thick door rose in front of her.
The silence was broken but the even thud of footsteps, paddock 9's occupant drawn to the sound of the door opening. Years of conditioning had taught her it was food that came through the door, day or night, saliva dripping from her worn toothed jaw as she made her way towards the red glow in the doorway. Emma stood fast, unable to make out anything in the blackness of the paddock in front of her, the ground shaking beneath her feet and the stench of rotting flesh wafting out of the trees as her fingers gripped at the flare even harder. This was madness. There was already at least one dinosaur full of teeth running free on the island, but the sound of rumbling breath told Emma it was too late to go back now.
She was here.
All Emma could see was darkness were two tiny pinprick glows that approached the light she held in her hand, growing bigger with each step the dinosaur took, its eyes reflecting the flare in the darkness. Emma, frozen to the spot, watched as, out of the darkness, a Tyrannosaurus Rex approached her, eyes fixated on the flare in her hand. When the dinosaur reached the threshold, Emma waved the flare a little, making sure she had her full attention, before spinning on her heels and breaking into a sprint away from the paddock gate and back towards the visitor center.
So far, Emma's plan was working. More teeth, Henry had said, and more teeth she had found. Despite its lack of attention from the new visitors to the island in the wake of newer dinosaurs, the T-Rex was one of the biggest and most dangerous carnivores on the island. In fact, she was the exact same dinosaur that had been introduced to the original park, the beast matured and monstrous now she had aged by two decades, her body scarred to prove her superiority. Emma had to run faster than she had anticipated to keep out of her reach and when the deep, ground shaking footsteps behind her were lost behind a deep, guttural roar, she couldn't help the panicked squeak that escaped her lips.
Emma's ears buzzed with adrenaline, the water from the puddles she was stepping in soaking her feet, but she ignored it as she ran through the gates to where the Indominus was still wreaking havoc. The T-Rex was still behind her and she could almost feel the dinosaur's breath on her neck as she rushed into the light, the Indominus noticing her at the last second before Emma launched the lit flare at the dinosaur and peeled off into the darkness.
The flare hit the Indominus in the shoulder, singeing the opening wounds she had sustained there and making her turn towards what had caused her so much pain. The flare was forgotten almost instantly when she laid eyes of the T-rex, the other dinosaur breaking through a skeleton with an almighty roar of dominance, challenging the Indominus who returned the roar. As the two dinosaurs took each other in, circling around and crushing debris beneath their feet, it was clear that it wasn't just raptor in the Indominus. She was clearly part Tyrannosaurus Rex too, her thick thighs and three toed bipedal stance almost an exact mirror image of the older dinosaur in front of her.
Emma, who had been displaced by the T-Rex breaking through the skeleton, lay behind her newly acquired ally, staying as still as she could behind the T-rex as the Indominus tried to intimidate the other dinosaur with another piercing cry. Emma locked eyes with Killian who had stood up inside the kiosk at the sound of another huge dinosaur. Seeing Emma made his heart flutter, a relief washing over him, but she wasn't out of danger yet, the two dinosaurs sizing each other up mere feet away.
The rex took a lumbering step forward and her deeper roar shook the whole kiosk. Henry was up now, curiosity overriding his fear. The T-rex had always been one of his favourite dinosaurs, powerful and mean, with a tiny brain that was attuned to just the most simple of tasks. Eating, breeding and killing. This was her island, and she would kill to defend it. When Henry moved a little too close to the front of the kiosk, Killian's arm flew across his chest to stop him, just as the T-rex broke into a sprint, jaws agape and eyes wide with intent as she headed straight for the Indominus.
The two dinosaurs collided in a mess of teeth and claws, the Indominus having the reach advantage because of her long arms, but the T-rex getting the better of her when she grabbed her by the neck and crunched down through the Indominus' slightly armoured skin there. The dinosaurs shifted position, the T-rex holding onto the Indominus' neck as she spun them both around to gain more of an advantage. The Indominus lowered herself in an attempt to slip from the rex's jaws, but it just aided the giant dinosaur in gaining more of a grip. One of their tails slammed into a lampost, sending the metal pole flying and sparks shooting from the damaged electrics so close to Emma that she was shaken back to reality.
The T-rex pushed harder on the Indominus' skin, the ridges much tougher than her own, her teeth taking a while to pierce through. It gave the Indominus a window of opportunity that she took, circling her head out of the T-Rex's mouth and then turning offensive, using her longer arms to claw at the T-Rex's face. One of her sharpened claws dug in, slicing the T-Rex across the face, causing the dinosaur to stumble back a little, carelessly snapping her jaws in an attempt to end the assault.
Her foot slipped out from under her and the T-Rex fell to the ground, a desperate roar strangled in her throat when the Indominus clamped her jaws down on her neck. Her back legs flailed wildly, her only other means of defense, but it was to no avail, and the Indominus dragged her huge bulk sideways and tossed her aside where she smashed through the side of the kiosk Henry and Killian had been hiding in.
Killian rushed Henry aside, the open jaws of the T-Rex only just missing him as she cried out, her yellowed teeth mere inches from his face.
"Run!" Emma screamed, drawing Killian's attention.
When the dinosaurs retreated out of the kiosk to continue their fight, Killian hustled Henry's fear frozen body forward and out of the hole that had now been created in the side of the kiosk.
"Go! Go!" He ushered hastily, ducking to avoid debris when the Indominus overpowered the T-Rex again and sent the dinosaur crashing to the ground behind them.
They ran towards where Emma had hunkered down behind another fountain sculpture, this one of blackened lava rocks, her arms wide open and expectant. Henry rushed into her embrace, burying his face in her chest, his arms wrapped so tightly around her body that Emma thought she might break in half any second. Killian laid a hand on Henry's back where it brushed against Emma's and she looked up from kissing the top of her son's head to meet his gaze. There was something in Killian's eyes she hadn't seen before, something that scared her a little, more so at this moment than any other, and she wanted - needed - to know if Killian felt the same way she did.
Maybe it was the adrenaline, or maybe the imminent danger, but Emma surged forward and grabbed Killian's face with one hand, pulling his lips to hers where she kissed him as hungrily as she could with her son pinned between them. Killian kissed her back, pushing hard, his lips sliding against hers and his head tilting to accommodate her nose as it brushed his face, the tip cold from the night air. He felt the same, he always had, and despite this moment being that absolute worst time to figure it out, Emma wanted him as much as he wanted her.
The sound of the T-Rex roaring again broke them apart, the moment fading away in the anguished cry of the nearly defeated dinosaur. They both looked, Killian keeping a gentle grip on her elbow to stay tethered to her, and the T-Rex was down. She had sustained some injuries, fresh, red blood dripping from wounds as the Indominus towered over her and had her pinned to the ground by her head. There was a soft snuffling noise that came from the Indominus, victorious and pleased with herself, but it was drowned out by the call of a raptor that had everything with a pair of eyes looking towards the visitor centre doors.
The sound echoed again, a battle cry of sorts, as Blue came thundering around a kiosk with her head held high and her feet pounding the ground confidently. She raced towards the two dinosaurs, gathering speed with a lowered stance and a hiss of aggression declaring her intentions. The Indominus looked up in time to see her leap into the air, vault off of the downed T-Rex and attach herself to the side of her, Blue's claws on all four feet sinking into her scaly flesh once more.
In the center of her back, Blue was unreachable, the Indominus violently shaking her body from side to side in an attempt to rid herself of the annoyance. Blue held on, jaws pulling chunks of flesh from the back of the dinosaur who had dared to oppress her and her sisters. The Indominus was not a raptor, she never would be, and distracted by Blue clawing at her skin, she had failed to notice the T-Rex had got back to her feet until her neck was once again in the vice grip of her jaws.
With a renewed energy, the T-Rex used her added weight to push the Indominus back until she hit the side of a building, the tall glass windows shattering and showering them with shards and sparks from a broken electrical outlet. The T-Rex ignored the Indominus when she cried out, desperately clawing at anything that would rid her of the assault. The T-Rex's short arms were out of her reach and she rearranged her grip on the Indominus' neck, twisting the collection of muscle and bone until the Indominus roared a pained cry.
Blue jumped between the two dinosaurs, using the T-rex for balance and cover when the Indominus managed to swipe a claw too close. The Indominus was running out of steam, Killian could tell, her raptor based genes built for sprinting and not a marathon. The energy she had exerted during this fight was taking its toll, and Killian used the opportunity to make sure Emma and Henry were on their way to safety. With a nod he motioned for them to move, all three of them running under the tail of the T-Rex as she, again, reasserted her grip on the Indominus by clamping her jaws shut around her head.
Henry led the charge away, through a shop that was partially open at both ends because it had no doors. Half way through the outlet, the sound of glass smashing made him skid to a stop, Blue sliding through the broken glass where she had been tossed from the back of the Indominus. The raptor simple rose back to her feet, none the worse for wear, and jumped back into the action, her shrill cry piercing the air as she leapt back at the Indominus Rex. The T-rex had the Indominus by the head again, shaking her own in an attempt to disorientate her foe. At one point, the Indominus wriggled free, but the T-Rex simple heaved her bulk into the other dinosaur who went crashing through an entire building where she fell onto her side with a groan.
The T-rex didn't relent, chasing after the huge reptile and grabbing her by the head once more, blood from the Indominus' previous wounds now restricting her sight. With a heaving sigh, the Indominus flailed her back legs, wildly kicking out at nothing as the T-Rex dragged the hulk of a dinosaur along the ground with her powerful neck muscles, finally tossing her aside like a rag doll where she crashed through a safety barrier next to the huge Mosasaurs lake.
The T-Rex and Blue watched from a distance as the Indominus rose to her feet, shaking her head from side to side like a wet dog, parts of glass and rebar sticking out of her body in all locations. One of her forearms had become limp and she was unable to keep herself steady as she attempted one last roar of defiance at the T-Rex. Defensively, Blue and the T-rex roared back, but there would be no more fighting between them, because, as she prepared to attack once more, the Indominus was grabbed by a gigantic Mosasaur. The monstrous aquatic beast breached the lake surface to beach itself on the concrete, taking the Indominus between her jaws and pulling her prey back into the lake to drown it.
A silent calm fell over the whole area, just the spark of electricity and the ripple of disturbed water the only sounds that could be heard. Blue let out an appreciative grumble noise in her through, the sound barely moving her lips as she took a tentative step back from the T-Rex. The huge lumbering beast simply stared at her, tired and weary from her fight, gave her a quick glance before heading off into the darkness of the island. Emma, Henry and Killian were all looking on, shocked by what had transpired, least of all Killian, who had never known raptors to work with any other species but their own. It seemed humans were not the only ones to band together for a common purpose.
Killian stepped forward out of their hiding place, Blue watching his every step. She was making a purring sound, the sound of happiness, the sound she only made when he was around. She was injured but they were superficial wounds and Killian knew they would heal just fine in time. He stared at her, watching the look in her eyes that told him she wanted to be free, to be able to live her life the way nature intended, and so Killian was caught in an internal struggle. For the safety of the island, she should be contained, but he had never seen the spark in her eyes as bright as it was now, and so he simply watched as, after a soft nod, she too disappeared into the forests of Isla Nublar.