"Aunnng—"
Within the BioSyn Sanctuary, the high-pitched, resonant call of a sauropod rang out. The melodic vocalization pierced through the dense canopy, echoing in the hearts of every dinosaur nearby.
A Magyarosaurus planted its thick, heavy foot pads onto the earth, crushing the vibrant green grass beneath its weight. Its posture was solemn and imposing, rendering it indistinguishable from an unyielding statue.
Thud.
Stepping forward with slow deliberation, the creature craned its long neck high into the air to forage on… a patch of bushes?!
Rustle, rustle...
Another Magyarosaurus emerged from the tree line, this one slightly larger than the first, standing at a height of roughly two and a half meters.
Led by this individual, more and more members of the herd began filtering out of the forest. The largest among them reached a towering six meters, while the smallest… well, so far, none had been smaller than the very first one.
They congregated on the lakeside meadow, meticulously filing in to feed on the wild-grown dinosaur berry forage specially cultivated by BioSyn.
Sprawling below them were berry bushes of varying sizes, clustered around a slender, fruit-bearing tree. For the Magyarosaurus herd, this layout proved exceptionally convenient.
Unlike the Dreadnoughtus herds, they didn't seem to exhibit any obvious social hierarchy. Curiously, the larger individuals appeared remarkably... respectful toward their smaller counterparts.
Leaves rustling.
"Aunnng—"
The largest Magyarosaurus caught sight of movement in the opposite woods. It let out a sharp, cautious bellow to alert its older brothers.
Wait... brothers?
Exactly. These Magyarosaurus individuals of wildly differing sizes weren't juveniles at all; they were fully grown adults. Yet, the disparity in their physical dimensions was even more absurd than the difference between Carlo and his family.
If you ever encounter a Magyarosaurus that stands shorter than you, treat him with respect, he might just be the most senior elder in the herd.
If you ever encounter a six-meter-tall Magyarosaurus, treat him with respect as well. Even if he's the new kid on the block, he could easily stomp you to death.
But anyway, back to the matter at hand.
The highly experienced elders of the Magyarosaurus herd had no idea what was happening. They simply scurried behind their younger, larger kin, using the massive bodies as shields.
"Roar—"
Katyusha stepped out from the foliage with casual confidence, letting out a threatening roar to intimidate the herd while signaling Karl, who remained concealed within the shadows of the forest.
In her eyes, the Magyarosaurus herd across the meadow looked exactly like a single mother trying to manage a swarm of toddlers, making them the absolute perfect targets.
Still, dealing with unfamiliar dinosaurs demanded a healthy dose of caution.
"Roar—"
Lowering the intensity of her vocalizations, she held her ground, locking the Magyarosaurus herd in a tense standoff as she waited for Karl to slip into his designated position.
"Aunnng—"
Having never faced a Giganotosaurus before, the target Magyarosaurus slowly pivoted its body, keeping the predator within the striking arc of its tail. In the process, it bumped into something. Was that one of its older brothers? Never mind, not important.
Rustle, rustle, snap!
The canopy shook violently! This was the exact opening Karl had been waiting for. By turning its tail toward Katyusha, the Magyarosaurus had left its highly vulnerable neck completely exposed to him!
Naturally, a Giganotosaurus preferred a war of attrition, utilizing its serrated, shark-like teeth to inflict deep, bleeding lacerations. However, standing at five meters tall against a six-meter-tall Magyarosaurus, a crushing throat-clamp was the optimal choice.
"Aunnng!"
Karl struck first, and Katyusha lunged a split second later!
Seizing the moment the Magyarosaurus recoiled in agony, she clamped her jaws onto its tail, pinning it to the ground to neutralize any lethal retaliatory thrashing.
The pint-sized Magyarosaurus elders fled into the dense brush one after another, completely abandoning their largest and youngest protector.
Thud!
As asphyxiation clouded its brain, the massive herbivore tipped over, crashing heavily onto its side. Karl wasted no time tearing open the beast's throat; maintaining a high-pressure bite for that long was pushing his limits.
Katyusha released her grip on the tail and stared down at the carcass, a look of sheer disbelief in her eyes.
That... was it?
She seemed to have forgotten that she was a predator capable of taking down a colossal Dreadnoughtus alongside Karl and Kafka. Dropping from elite-tier hunting straight back to low-stakes prey left her feeling a bit disoriented.
Whir... click.
Nearby, a security camera lens adjusted its focus, capturing the entire kill. Inside the control room, a notification flashed onto the monitors: Magyarosaurus #23: Deceased.
To maintain ecological balance, BioSyn had released large populations of white-tailed deer to act as intermediate links in the food chain. However, not every dinosaur could be sated by mere deer.
With the sanctuary's dinosaur populations hovering near maximum capacity, the executives had begun to turn a blind eye to territorial disputes and predation.
After all, BioSyn's true source of revenue had never actually been the dinosaurs themselves.
Low growl.
Just as Katyusha was about to call Dad and the others over to eat, she noticed an unusual disturbance deeper in the woods.
Karl froze momentarily, then stepped back to flank Katyusha, his eyes narrowing as he tracked the source of the sound.
"Roar—"
He recognized this scent. They had caught a whiff of it when they first arrived at the creek meadow. He gave Katyusha a soft, warning huff: This might be someone else's hunting ground.
A dark silhouette stepped out into the dappled sunlight, revealing its form. It was a... Saurophaganax?
The solitary apex hunter showed no signs of aggression. Instead, it merely observed the intruders with a look of detached curiosity.
Wait. Isn't this scenario incredibly familiar?
Katyusha paused, a memory scratching at the edge of her mind. What did the boss say they should do when faced with this exact situation?
Uh... details forgotten, context forgotten. Right, just give them a piece of meat.
Rip...
Katyusha put her serrated teeth to work, tearing a massive chunk of flesh and hide off the Magyarosaurus. There was plenty to spare for the Giga family anyway.
Flop.
The heavy hunk of meat rolled across the dirt, coming to a stop right in front of the Saurophaganax. The solitary theropod looked at the meat, then looked back at the strange predators. Deciding not to overstay its welcome, it scooped up the offering in its jaws and slipped back into the shadows.
Watching the hunter leave, Katyusha practically beamed with pride.
Boss, did I do good?
THUD.
Four shipping containers, stacked two by two, bore massive, visible dents from rough handling where they had been carelessly dropped onto the concrete yard.
Nearby, dozens of identical container stacks littered the area.
After scouring three different coastal ports, Carlo had finally tracked down a vessel large enough for his needs. Right now, he was positioned right on the border between Mexico and America.
Under normal circumstances, the United States military would have deployed a strike force to hunt Carlo down. But with the presidential election looming, political tensions between the two parties were at an absolute boiling point, especially after one of the candidates had just survived an assassination attempt. Mobilizing the military over a stray dinosaur at a time like this was a political nightmare.
Furthermore, Carlo hadn't caused any catastrophic infrastructure damage. Some locals had simply taken a midday nap, only to wake up and discover a dinosaur had casual strolled through their city.
Beginning forgotten, middle forgotten… basically, America, you're untouchable.
Splash...
The massive cargo ship groaned and sat visibly lower in the water as Carlo hunkered down in the cargo hold, staring out at the endless expanse of the ocean.
Hmm... how exactly do you drive a boat? Well, step one is leaving the harbor.
Snap!
Carlo leaned over and bit straight through the mooring line holding the freighter to the dock, a thick cable roughly the width of a man and a half. The sudden release of tension caused the cable to whip back, smacking Carlo dead across the face. But... it didn't even hurt.
Carried by the offshore currents, the massive vessel drifted away from the pier. But at this rate... by the time Carlo reached the sanctuary, Dad would probably die of old age.
This isn't going to work...
Carlo tried shifting his massive weight inside the hold to alter the ship's heading, which successfully turned the bow, but it did absolutely nothing to fix their agonizingly slow speed. Was he seriously expected to paddle across the Atlantic Ocean?
Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack!
As the saying goes: The Primeval organization, always unreachable in an emergency, but never absent when it counts.
Carlo had already ripped the roof off the freighter's bridge because it was getting in his way, but that structural modification now made things incredibly convenient for the incoming team.
A buff, well-groomed operative rappelled down from a helicopter via a winch cable, dropping straight in front of the control console and instantly drawing Carlo's attention.
Turning his massive bulk with some difficulty, causing the entire freighter to rock precariously, Carlo peered down at the tiny human on the bridge. His colossal shadow completely engulfed the man.
"You know I'm here to help you... don't eat me, this will only take a second..."
Muttering under his breath, the operative furiously punched coordinates into the console. Moments later, the massive propellers at the stern began churning the seawater into white foam, and the ship slowly began to forge ahead under its own power.
[AUTOPILOT SET. DESTINATION: ROSE TOOTH.]
Whirrrr.
Facing a Giganotosaurus at point-blank range was an unbearable psychological weight. The operative hit the rapid-retract switch on his harness, zipping back up to the safety of the helicopter.
Feeling the ship pick up speed, Carlo raised his massive head toward the sky. The distinct Triceratops skull logo emblazoned on the side of the helicopter faded into the distance.
"Roar—"
He let out a booming cry. A thank you, perhaps?
Turning back to face the open sea, Carlo adjusted his posture within the hold after a brief moment of rocking. He rested his massive chin on the edge of the deck, his large eyes fixed firmly on the horizon.
As the sun broke over the water, the giant theropod, wholly unsuited for the deep sea, began his ocean voyage. All for the sake of his family.
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