Jurassic Kratts

The Reunion

"Hello?" Alan's voice echoed through the Visitors Center's main lobby. Followed by Lex and Tim, he returned from the Hall of Prehistory after an unsuccessful search for anyone who may have stayed during the storm the night before. He looked around the lobby that was once full of activity not long ago. Now it was as empty as the dinosaur skeletons that posed motionlessly above their heads.
"Aviva? Koki?" Soon, two more voices could be heard from upstairs as Martin and Chris returned from their search around the halls. Once they were at the bottom of the stairs, they gave their full report.
"They're not in the Theatre or the gift shop."said Chris.
  "No one in the lab."added Martin.
"Where's Jimmy?"asked Tim, taking notice of the redhead's absence. The Kratt Brothers exchanged knowing glances before Martin spoke up," There's one place we haven't checked yet."
***Three Minutes Later***
The group entered the restaurant, where at the closest table in front of them, sat Jimmy eating a full platter of food before him.
"Told you he'd be here."said the two creature adventurers triumphantly. Heaving a sigh, the paleontologist reluctantly withdrew a ten dollar bill from his pocket and handed it over to the pair, earning muffled giggles from the children behind them. He had lost a bet. Noticing that he was no longer alone, the Tortuga pilot's eyes were cast in their direction before he said, mouth full, "You guys have definitely gotta try this."
  With that, the Murphy siblings raced over the all-you-can-eat table, quickly piling food on their trays. Martin was about to join them before he was stopped by Chris's hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, bro. Lunch is gonna have to wait."
"We're gonna have to find the others."said Alan before he added,"Jimmy can stay here with the kids until we get back."
"Affirmative, Dr. AG."answered JZ with a salute.
"AG?"asked the bone-digger with a raised eyebrow while the Kratt Brothers tried their hardest not to laugh.
"I guess you're right."relented the Kratt in blue, turning for the exit.
"Be back soon, you guys."assured Chris. "We promise." With that the trio made their way out the door, leaving Jimmy and the kids to gorge themselves.
Once they were outside, the three men descended the staircase, discussing their next course of action. Chris, who had been trying to contact either Aviva or Koki through the Creaturepod, sighed in defeat. No answer. "Don't worry, dude."said Martin, sensing his brother's anxiety. "They couldn't have gone very far. And I know just how to find them."
With a wink, the Kratt in blue dashed to the middle of the roadway, giving him enough room before pushing the button on his vest. "Activate T.rex Power!" In a vibrant flash of blue, the very earth shook as Martin once more transformed into his gigantic Tyrannosaurus form that now towered nearly two stories above Chris and Alan.
The blue tyrannosaur then began to sniff the air, slowly waving his massive head before the gentle tropical breeze.
"Of course!"exclaimed the paleontologist as the realization hit him. "T-rex may have had poor eyesight, but they made up for it with incredible hearing and a sense of smell that rivals that of just about any other creature in the fossil record."
"And that's exactly how I was able to find you guys in the jungle last night."added Martin Rex, nodding in confirmation.
"Only the turkey vulture has a larger olfactory cavity."
"And if I'm not mistaken, they can smell a carcass from over ten mil–" but Chris was cut off by a snort from Martin.
"I got something!"bellowed the Kratt in Rex form suddenly, grabbing their attention. Lowering himself on the ground, he allowed his brother and the bone-digger to climb upon his back before taking off with a thunderous roar, crashing through the undergrowth, hot on the trail taken by the others.
It was several minutes into their trek before Martin came to a stop on the middle of a jungle clearing.
  "Why'd we stop?"asked Alan.
The Kratt in green was about to answer when he spied a violet object among the grass below them. It looked out of place in this green setting. Landing steadily on his feet, Chris dismounted from Martin's back to investigate. A gasp escaped his lips as he recognized the violet gadget in his hands.
"Aviva's Creaturepod!"
"She probably dropped it or some–" The blue Rex froze mid sentence upon hearing rustling among the foliage. Sniffing once more, he caught scent of a disturbing, musky odor mixed with the metallic essence of blood. Soon his blue eyes were met by two pairs of yellow ones as a pair of dark silhouettes stared at the trio from their place in the undergrowth at the edge of the clearing. "Nobody move."he whispered. "We're being watched."
Chris felt a chill run down his spine as he followed Martin's line of sight.
  "Oh my God."murmured the paleontologist from his place on the tyrannosaur's back, recognizing the dark shapes. "Velociraptors." He then looked over his shoulder, to be sure they hadn't walked into an ambush.
  Peering closer, Chris could've sworn that one of the raptors' muzzles was stained with fresh crimson. The creatures didn't attack. They only continued to stare at them through seemingly unblinking eyes. Martin uttered a deep growl from his throat, staring right back at their observers.
Then as suddenly as they appeared, they vanished like smoke among the trees.
A moment of dead silence followed. At least until Chris spoke with great urgency, saying, "We gotta find Aviva, Koki, Dr. Sattler and the others before the raptors get to them!" The Kratt in green shuddered, remembering the graphic demonstration the vicious predators gave with a tethered cow. He couldn't bear the idea of anyone, especially his girlfriend, facing a similar fate. "I just hope we're not too late."
"We're not."replied Martin, analyzing the smell of the Creaturepod in his brother's hand. "Aviva's scent is still strong. She passed this way very recently, and she wasn't alone; Koki and Dr. Sattler were with her too." The blue Rex's nose pointed towards a small trail at the edge of the clearing. "That way!"
"Then what are we waiting for?"said Alan before all three shouted in unison: "Let's ride!"
  No more was said as the Kratt in T.rex form thundered on through the path at top speed, Chris jogging alongside with him, aided by a Wolf Power Suit. The jungle's silent atmosphere was broken by an unearthly bellow and an eerie howl.
****Meanwhile...****
   After the attack, Aviva, Koki and Ellie were unusually quiet and subdued. Exhausted from running, the trio made their way slowly back to the emergency bunker, eyes glancing in all directions. As they traveled, they exchanged very few words, for fear that the Velociraptors would be enticed by even the slightest sound. But so far, there was no sign of the deadly carnivores.
  Suddenly, the jungle's silence was broken by an earthshaking roar not far behind them.
"What was that?"asked Koki nervously, flinching at the unfamiliar and terrifying sound. Ellie and Aviva felt their blood run cold. Unlike the technician, the duo immediately recognized the sound as the primeval cry of Tyrannosaurus rex, and it sounded close..very close.
"T-rex."they replied simultaneously.
  The T-rex's trumpet was then followed by a spine-tingling howl.
"What the hell?"muttered a very confused paleobotanist. "Am I the only one who heard that?" The inventor and the technician both shook their heads, confirming her suspicions. There was no mistaking the howl of a wolf.
"Unless Mr. Hammond bred wolves on this island, then I bet that must've been–" but Koki was cut off by the sound of a large silhouette crashing through the undergrowth, tearing through foliage and knocking down trees.  The foliage parted to reveal a massive, square head sporting rows of knifelike teeth as thick as bananas. From its place among the shadows, the creature then pierced the air with a blaring roar, a cry from some other world, frightening the birds roosted in the canopy, and shaking the trio's bones. Aviva and Ellie retreated slowly while Koki, frozen with fear, turned her head away, forcing her eyes shut as the monstrous head inched closer and closer, growling menacingly, until.. The T.rex bellowed in laughter. "You should've seen the looks on your faces."
The Tortuga technician's eyes flew wide open, recognizing the owner of that voice. "Martin?"she asked incredulously.
It was Martin all right, but he towered nearly twenty feet over their heads, beaming a T.rex smile, revealing all fifty of his massive teeth. Recovering from their shock, Aviva and Koki approached the Kratt in Rex form without further hesitation and embraced his massive snout. "It's good to see you guys are all right."
  Without warning, Koki then punched Martin on the nose, causing the dinosaur to flinch in pain. "OWW!!What was that for?"
"Don't you ever scare us like that again."said the technician rather sternly. Curiosity then replaced anger as she couldn't help but ask,"How did you end up with Dino Powers anyway?"
  "It's a long story."replied Martin.
"Wait a minute. Where's Alan?"questioned Ellie, joining them.
"Up here!"yelled a voice from on top of the blue tyrannosaur's back. Looking in the voice's direction, the trio spied said paleontologist perched high on Martin's shoulders, waving at them. The blue theropod then lowered himself close to the ground, allowing Alan to dismount, sliding along the massive tail. Grant's feet were barely planted in solid ground when he felt two arms embracing his neck tightly, almost squeezing the air out of him.
"Thank God you're okay! I was so worried,"whispered Ellie, emotion thick in her voice. Alan simply returned the embrace lovingly, rubbing her back comfortingly. "It's okay, Ellie. I'm here now."
They are so cute together, thought Aviva as she giggled upon seeing the happy couple, before a nagging thought came to her as she once again approached Martin, hands placed firmly on his snout. Voicing out her thoughts, the inventor asked,"Where's Chris?"
"I'm right behind you."came a voice just inches behind her, nearly startling Aviva out of her skin before she whirled around, briefly blinded by a brilliant green glow, before spying the creature adventurer, her creature adventurer, bruised but alive and well.
  "Chris!"
Without another word, she quickly closed the distance, wrapping the Kratt in green in a tight hug, afraid she might lose him again. Chris returned the embrace before his eyes widened as he felt Aviva's lips pressed against his own;however, he eventually relaxed into the kiss and began to return it. The kiss was slow and sweet, lasting until both had to part for air. Breathing heavily from the need for oxygen, both Chris and Aviva stayed close enough so that their foreheads touched as they looked into each other's eyes, stormy gray meeting hazel brown, forgetting all else, until:
  "So..are we gonna head for that bunker, or do we have to watch you two exchange spit?"asked a mischievous Martin, smugly grinning at the pair.
"Martin!"exclaimed Aviva and Chris simultaneously, faces beet-red with embarrassment, earning laughs from the older Kratt and everyone else.
"All kidding aside, we need to get out of here." With that, the Kratt in T.rex form rose to his full height, eyes darting in all directions. "This jungle isn't safe."
"Well, the emergency bunker's just around the corner."replied Ellie, gesturing towards the trail they were following.
"Everyone, get on the Martinosaurus!"remarked Chris jokingly, earning him a playful thwack on the head from said Martinosaurus' tail, who nonetheless obliged, lowering his massive bulk to easier allow his passengers to climb aboard his back.
"Wait a minute, where are the kids?"asked the paleobotanist, taking notice of their absence.
"And where's Jimmy?"added Koki.
"We'll explain on the way there."reassured the two men and dinosaur in unison, much to their surprise, before they burst into laughter. The three women simply rolled their eyes. Ellie then whispered to Aviva,"They really are growing on Alan.." The inventor giggled. Men...
Feeling that his passengers were all accounted for, Martin Rex took off with a loud roar, heading for the bunker, away from the primal carnage running rampant in the jungle's green depths.
****Twenty Minutes Later...****
"And that's when we ran into you guys."
   After Aviva, Koki and Ellie finished their story, from turning the power back on to Bloody Mary's attack and Muldoon's death, everyone seated at the table was in a state of shock. For the longest time, not a word was said, until an injured Dr. Malcolm broke the ice saying,"That's uhh.. very unfortunate for Mr. Arnold and Mr. Muldoon,"
Everyone was silent, including the normally gregarious Kratt Brothers, who bowed their heads solemnly at the mention of the game warden. Now they knew who's blood stained the Velociraptor's snout.
"The good news is that you guys are alright."said Chris, embracing his girlfriend tightly, almost as though to protect her from the perils lurking outside. They were soon joined by Martin and Koki.
"Now all we need to do now is to find Jimmy and the kids, reestablish a connection to the phones, call the InGen airlift, and fly out of here."declared Koki once the group hug parted, numbering each task with her fingers. Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Sounds like a wonderful plan," replied the mathematician from his place on the table."except for one thing: the path between here and the Visitors Center's probably crawling with raptors. How're you gonna get pass–"
But the mathematician was cut short as the ringing of Martin's Creaturepod echoed across the bunker's concrete walls, mildly startling everyone. As the Kratt in blue answered, a holographic screen appeared, revealing Jimmy Z.
"M-Martin? Chris? Guys?"whispered the pilot.
"Jimmy!"exclaimed the rest of the Wild Kratts team excitedly before before being cut off by the nervous pilot. "Shhh! Not so loud! She'll hear us."he warned silently, finger against his lips.
  "Who will hear you, Jimmy? What's going on?"whispered Chris.
"As soon as you guys left, this Velociraptor showed up."
"Oh no! Where are you? Are the kids okay?"asked Martin.
"The kids are fine. They're with me. We're hiding in the kitchen and– she's at the door! Wherever you guys are, get over here asap! Zap out!" And the holographic screen disappeared.
A moment of silence followed.
"This situation's just got a whole lot more crucial."stated Chris, acknowledging the elephant in the room. "We need to get back to the Visitors Center, rescue Jimmy, Lex and Tim, and reconnect the phon–"
"While at the same time dodging voracious predators that want to kill us."added the Kratt in blue.
"Right. That too.."
"It's just the two raptors, right?"questioned Alan, addressing Ellie while loading a rifle he took from Muldoon's cabinet. "You're sure the third one's contained?"
"Yes, unless they figured out how to open doors."replied the paleobotanist.
"Which is probably how they got in there in the firs–OWW!!" The inventor flinched in pain as she tried to lean against one of the counters.
"Are you okay, Aviva?"asked the Kratt in green worriedly, noticing Aviva muttering and cursing in her first language while rubbing the affected area.
"I'm fine, Chris."she replied, fumbling through her pocket. "Just forgot about that sack Mr. Muldoon gave me."
"You didn't tell us anything about a sack."said Koki inquisitively.
"What's in there?"asked the creature adventurers in unison, staring at the bag in the inventor's hand in fascination.
  Digging through the bag, Aviva withdrew its content, gasping in mild surprise upon seeing the object held within her hand. The rest of the team stared in shock, eyes as wide as saucers, jaws dropped. Alan and Ellie immediately recognized it.
"What is it?"asked Hammond.
"It's.."said Martin.
"It's.."repeated Chris, before they said in unison, "A Velociraptor claw." And indeed it was the fabled killing weapon wielded by the primeval hunter, six inches long, curved, and as sharp as a razor.
It wasn't long before the Kratt Brothers exchanged knowing glances.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"asked Martin.
"Oh, I'm totally thinking what you're thinking, bro."replied the younger Kratt with a wink.
"For once, I'm definitely thinking what you're both thinking, I think."added Aviva, rolling her eyes in amusement, seeing those familiar looks.
"Tell me, what are you all thinking?"asked the slightly bewildered mathematician. "It's creepy enough that those two share the same thoughts." Hammond couldn't help but chuckle.
  "Velociraptor Powers!"exclaimed the Wild Kratts team, voicing out their thoughts.
"Fight fire with fire, I always say."mused Malcolm.
  After several minutes, with the help of the M.I.K, advice from the paleontologist, and recalling all that the game warden had informed them the day before, the Velociraptor Power Disks were set.
"Activate Raptor Power!"
For a brief moment, the bunker was illuminated by two brilliant flashes of blue and green light. Once it cleared, in the spot Martin and Chris once were, now stood two raptors who were currently admiring their newfound powers.
"This is so awesome!"shouted Martin excitedly.
"Umm.. Guys?"said Aviva, trying to get their attention.
"Totally!"agreed Chris, "The binocular vision of this suit is off the charts!"
"Hey, you guys!"piped up Koki, waving a hand in Martin's face.
"And check out the claws! Wicked!"praised the blue raptor, stretching out a three-toed foot, admiring the talons at their tips, especially the large blade on the middle toe.
"Guys!"yelled the Wild Kratts girls simultaneously.
The two Raptor Brothers turned their heads, facing the inventor and computer whizz, who were both wearing deadpan expressions. "Aren't you two forgetting something?"questioned Aviva.
"Yeah, like oh, I don't know: JIMMY AND THE CHILDREN ARE TRAPPED IN THE KITCHEN WITH BLOODTHIRSTY DINOSAURS!!!"added Koki, letting her temper flare.
"Oh."replied the creature adventurers sheepishly.
"Right."said Chris, rubbing the back of his neck before he spoke up, in a voice full of authority," Alan, you're coming with us to rescue the others. We could use some backup." The paleontologist nodded. The Kratt in green then addressed the Tortuga technician. "Koki, you're coming too. You know computers better than anyone, so we'll need your help in reconnecting the phones."
"You got it, CK."she replied.
"Aviva, you stay here with Ellie and Mr. Hammond until we get back. Ian could also use some more treatment for his leg."
The green raptor was about to lead his troop up the stairs when, to his mild surprise, he felt a pair of arms tightly wrapped around his neck.
"No. I'm coming with you!"announced the Tortuga inventor before being joined by the paleobotanist. "Count me in as well."
  "Ellie, no."protested Alan from his place by the edge of the stairs.
Chris heaved a sigh, before replying sternly, "No, Aviva. You can't come."
"I can't risk losing you again! Not while I can help it."
"But it's too dangerous! I can't risk losing you either!"exclaimed the Kratt in raptor form, unwittingly baring his teeth before taking a deep breath. Then he said gently, mustering as much calm as he could, "If anything were to happen to you, I'd never forgive myself."
"We're Wild Kratts. It's an occupational hazard." reminded Aviva. "Whatever happens, we'll face it together." Chris heaved a sigh of defeat.
"But what about Dr. Malcol–" but his excuse was cut off as the mathematician spoke up from his place on the table, raising his hand for silence. "I'm fine, Chris. Thanks for your concern, but you don't need to worry about me. Jimmy Z and the kids are in grave danger as we speak, and you my friend will need her more than I do, all the help you can get."
  Chris then turned his attention to InGen's CEO, who nodded before saying,"He's right. Don't worry; I can take care of business from here. We'll be just fine. But keep my grandchildren safe."
  "We will."replied the creature adventurer with a wink before turning back to his girlfriend. "Let's go. I bet the others are waiting outside." A blaring roar from above confirmed his statement.
"Yeah. Don't want to keep 'em waiting."replied Aviva. With that, she followed the green raptor upstairs into the blinding light. Once outside, the sight that greeted the couple's eyes was the whole cavalry all accounted for, saddled up on Martin's back, who changed back into his T.rex form. "Why walk when you can ride?"remarked the blue Rex with a wink.
  The two then exchanged knowing looks. "He's got a point. Care for a ride, Miss Corcovado?"asked the green raptor coyly, with a slight bow.
Giggling, she replied,"I thought you'd never ask, Mister Kratt."
****Thirty Seconds Later...****
   Soon the two Dino Brothers were racing full speed through the jungle trail, Chris and Aviva in the lead, the former using his supreme agility to leap over many an obstacle, though all the while careful with his precious cargo, while Martin Rex thundered on behind them, with his passengers in tow, crashing through trees and foliage like a living bulldozer. Raptor Chris slowed down sufficiently enough for his seven-ton brother to catch up.
"Saving Jimmy, Lex and Tim, "panted the blue tyrannosaur before being joined by the green theropod as they both roared in unison,
"With Dino Powers!"
Once more that afternoon, the forest's tranquil atmosphere was shattered by a primeval roar, this time being joined by a bloodcurdling raptorial shriek as the two raced on, back to the Visitors Center.