[Breaking news: Members of the terrorist organization calling themselves 'Whitemask' infiltrated the Mojave Ecological Preserve in California two nights ago. All suspects have now been apprehended...]
Inside a car driving along a desert highway, the radio news broadcast played, though the man in the driver's seat showed little interest. Instead, he honked his horn twice in frustration.
Traffic jams were a nightmare anywhere in America, but a massive gridlock out here in the middle of a wasteland was an exceptionally bad omen.
"Another story like that... It feels like we get one or two reports about humans and dinosaurs every single month now."
With absolutely nothing else to do, the woman in the passenger seat struck up a conversation with her husband.
"Tch... It's always either this thing killing that person, or that person killing this thing. I honestly don't get why the government doesn't just send in the military to wipe out the dinosaurs for good."
The desert highway they were on was a two-lane road, though the shoulders were wide enough to technically accommodate four vehicles side-by-side.
The man rolled down his window and peered ahead, but saw nothing except a sea of tail lights and stalled vehicles. However, the oncoming lane next to them was completely empty. What if... he drove against traffic for a bit?
He turned the steering wheel a couple of times, pulling into the opposing lane. Feeling a sudden wave of relief, he accelerated down the open asphalt.
His solitary cruise against the flow of traffic stood in stark contrast to the endless line of gridlocked cars beside him. Since when did people around here get so rule-abiding anyway?
"Maybe we should just go back?"
The wife in the passenger seat looked at the neatly lined-up cars beside them with growing anxiety as the bandwagon effect began to take hold.
Human psychology is funny like that: if a crowd of people is doing something wrong, an individual feels justified in joining them. But if they are the only one breaking the rule, it feels deeply uncomfortable.
"We'll be fine. Let's just get home early."
The man was sweating a bit now, but he chose to stubbornly double down on his decision.
[Static... The D.P.W. is currently under investigation. For dinosaur proximity alerts, please tune into the Primeval Channel. The station number is...]
The man switched off the radio as fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Today was just too bizarre. Deep down, he knew he shouldn't be driving in the wrong lane, but if they turned back now, there was no way they'd make it home before tomorrow.
It's fine, it's fine. It's just psychological mind games. There's no way we'll be that unlucky, right?
The endless line of stationary cars blurred past them as they sped along. Finally, the man spotted the culprit behind the massive traffic jam: it was just a dead dinosaur carcass lying dead in the middle of the road, having smashed through the guardrails on both sides of the highway.
It looked like a Triceratops. And it seemed remarkably intact.
Slowing down, the man brought the car to a halt right in front of the Triceratops carcass and let out a sigh of relief.
"See? Just a dead body. We just have to wait for someone to haul it away. We can just squeeze our way back into the lane and—"
"Grrnnng…"
A terrifying, guttural sound vibrated from right outside! The man whipped his head toward his window, his eyes locking instantly with a pair of piercing yellow pupils!
It was Carnotaurus Two! She had been hiding right here the entire time!
The camouflage on her skin rippled and faded, exposing her terrifying, skull-like white facial patterning. However, she didn't attack immediately. Instead, she experimentally nudged the car a couple of times.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
"Roar!"
The piercing, high-pitched shrieks instantly provoked the Carnotaurus. She slammed violently into the front of the car and was about to tear into it further when a much deeper, thunderous roar commanded her to stop.
Colossal footsteps thudded heavily, causing the water bottles inside the car to ripple. Scientificus Tyrannosaurus slowly emerged from the shadows, a prominent, partially healed gash slicing across her chest.
Ever since the poacher attack, she and the Carnotaurus had been traveling together, forging a symbiotic partnership. However, the Tyrannosaur's endurance couldn't match the Carnotaurus's agility. To maximize energy conservation, Carnotaurus Two was typically tasked with tracking down prey.
The wound on her chest had been sustained during a head-on clash with a Triceratops. While it was a relatively minor injury that didn't pose a serious threat, the real issue was...
That Triceratops had been an exceptionally fast runner. Scientificus Tyrannosaurus couldn't keep pace, but the Carnotaurus could; unfortuntely, the swift predator had managed to bring it down right onto a human highway.
The previous battles against human forces had left her body somewhat fatigued, and paired with an empty stomach for an extended period, her arrival had been slightly delayed.
"Roar—"
The intelligent Tyrannosaur knew this area was human territory. She intended to drag the Triceratops carcass away from the asphalt, though it was bound to be an exhausting task.
Thwack.
Carnotaurus Two understood what her partner wanted to do and was just about to help when she was suddenly struck by a tranquilizer dart!
Her luck ran out today; she was struck by two darts in rapid succession. Realizing something was wrong, Scientificus Tyrannosaurus turned and let out a sharp warning grunt, only to be instantly tagged by two tranquilizer darts of her own!
At least let me eat before I pass out...
Her vision dissolved into pitch-black darkness.
"Ship them out to Lockwood's island. While you're at it, send that one we rescued from the underground arena there too."
"That one? Is that really a good idea? That thing has developed an insatiable bloodlust."
"Don't worry... as long as it's a living creature, it will have no choice but to practice restraint. When two apex predators share a small island... avoiding injuries that put them at a disadvantage becomes their top priority."
When her eyes blinked open again, she was greeted by a landscape of vibrant, light-green plains bordered by dense, deep-green forests.
Scientificus Tyrannosaurus slowly hoisted herself up. A gentle, warm breeze brushed against her skin, offering immediate comfort. The climate here was indisputably more hospitable than the harsh environment back in America. However...
I'm still starving.
The Tyrannosaur walked toward a nearby lake, her massive presence instantly startling a large herd of herbivores congregating by the shore.
She lowered her head to lap up the water to dull the ache in her stomach, but her senses immediately picked up vibrations radiating through the ground. A massive creature was rapidly closing in on her.
She whipped her head around!
A Carcharodontosaurus lunged at her with its massive jaws wide open! Scientificus Tyrannosaurus reacted with lightning reflexes, jerking her vulnerable neck out of harm's way, but this played right into her attacker's hand!
Utilizing his blade-like teeth, the Carcharodontosaurus tore a massive chunk of flesh from her shoulder. The wound instantly flushed crimson, and blood began to ooze out.
Stunned briefly by the searing pain, Scientificus Tyrannosaurus retaliated with maximum force, unleashing a colossal bite that clamped squarely onto the Carcharodontosaurus's spine!
However, the Carcharodontosaurus's pain receptors had been surgically severed. Possessing extensive combat experience, the moment he felt his body restrained, he deliberately dropped his weight into a hard slam against the ground, a sudden, unorthodox maneuver that would catch almost any dinosaur off guard.
Splash!
The Carcharodontosaurus surged back to his feet, sending a massive spray of water into the air. Only now did Scientificus Tyrannosaurus get a clear look at him. Dense layers of scar tissue had completely overwritten his natural skin patterns, a clear testament to his history as a relentless killer whose combat experience vastly eclipsed her own.
"Roar—!" x2
The two apex predators roared fiercely in unison, locking eyes in a tense standoff. The terrifying display of two titans was enough to terrify any nearby creature, yet it also acted as a beacon for certain opportunistic challengers.
Three Albertosaurus materialized from the tree line, seemingly eager to join the fray...
Terrified, frantic shrieks.
The alpha Albertosaurus spun on his heel and bolted into a sprint. Years ago, their pack had been ruthlessly brutalized by this very Carcharodontosaurus back on Isla Nublar. They never anticipated that this nightmare would follow them all the way here!
Oh, come on! Not our peaceful life! Unknown giant lady, you can do it! Our peaceful future depends entirely on you!
The two apex predators shifted their gazes away from the forest and locked eyes once more. The battle was about to erupt.
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